The last spot in the NRL finals comes down to this. The Wests Tigers and Cronulla Sharks will meet in a winner-takes-all duel at the eighth wonder of the world: Leichhardt Oval.
Only one of these sides will survive to see the opening week of finals. As is the case with most games between mid-table teams this late in the season, it’s hard to get a good read on what the match is going to deliver due to their inconsistency throughout the year.
That uncertainty is emphasised ahead of this game on the final day of the regular season, with Leichhardt set to be rocking in a sell-out crowd and Robbie Farah battling to play his final match at the club’s spiritual home.
Farah’s involvement, or lack thereof, could have a big say on the way this game goes. While he is putting on a brave show to try and be ready well before he should in his recovery from a broken leg, coming in could only serve to disturb the balance of Michael Maguire’s side, who have been rolling along nicely lately.
While the hooker isn’t going to make much of a difference either way to the defence, it’s the attacking side of the coin which has been humming for the Tigers in the last fortnight with the much-maligned Josh Reynolds at hooker.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
They have scored a combined 88 points across those two games, and while the performances did come against the woeful Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons, they had to contend with the pressure of must-win games.
Reynolds has fit nicely into the Tigers spine alongside Luke Brooks and Benji Marshall, who have been their best halves combination by the length of the straight, and the always energetic Corey Thompson.
But the Sharks’ gritty forwards will provide a much sterner test for the Tigers to keep control of possession and territory throughout the game, as they have done over the last fortnight.
Cronulla’s recent results don’t look as strong as their opponents’ on paper, but they have been involved in some difficult games, and, had Shaun Johnson been fit last week, they probably would have beaten the Raiders and avoided having to worry about this tricky last-round scenario.
While John Morris’ side have lost recently to the Raiders and Panthers, and some of their wins have been scrappy – such as ones over the Dragons and Cowboys – they have still managed to play some good footy at times.
Their win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs a handful of weeks ago was one of their best of the season, and it was that game where their backline started to look properly in sync again.
While the side have again been disrupted by injuries, Johnson and Chad Townsend should work quite effectively in this high-pressure situation, complementing each other’s game nicely.
What’s more, the Sharks outmatch the Tigers in the forwards. While the form and fitness of Andrew Fifita is something of a worry, it will be a challenge for Wests youngsters Thomas Mikaele, Oliver Clark and Ryan Matterson to stop the experienced trio of Paul Gallen, Aaron Woods and Matt Prior, plus contending with Fifita coming off the bench.
There lies the Tigers’ problem. Their form looks good because they have played sides who have effectively checked out, allowing them to dominate the middle third.
That’s not going to be the case today, and if they can’t control the middle of the field then it doesn’t matter how good Brooks, Marshall, Reynolds and Thompson have been playing, because Townsend and Johnson will have the better opportunities to rack up the points.
(Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Prediction
The Sharks are made for games like this. A high-pressure situation which is looming as a forward-dominated, grinding match.
Paul Gallen isn’t going to want to go out of the game without making the finals, and the return of Shaun Johnson should clear up their well-documented goal kicking issues.
With that being the case, and Cronulla playing well enough despite dropping their last game at home, they should win, make the top eight and get set for a trip to Brookvale or Parramatta next weekend.
Sharks by 4.
Teams
Wests Tigers
1. Corey Thompson 2. Robert Jennings 3. Paul Momirovski 4. Esan Marsters 5. David Nofoaluma 6. Benji Marshall 7. Luke Brooks 8. Thomas Mikaele 9. Josh Reynolds 10. Oliver Clark 11. Luke Garner 12. Chris Lawrence 13. Ryan Matterson
Interchange: 14. Matt Eisenhuth 15. Elijah Taylor 16. Alex Twal 17. Michael Chee-Kam 18. Tommy Talau 19. Chris McQueen 20. Moses Mbye 21. Robbie Farah
Cronulla Sharks
1. Josh Dugan 2. Sosaia Feki 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Josh Morris 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Shaun Johnson 7. Chad Townsend 8. Aaron Woods 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Matt Prior 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Paul Gallen
Interchange: 14. Kurt Capewell 15. Jack Williams 16. Andrew Fifita 17. Braden Hamlin-Uele 18. Billy Magoulias 19. Blayke Brailey 20. Kyle Flanagan 21. Matt Moylan
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Ben Lewis
Roar Pro
It's so far out of the realm of realism that it's almost not worth considering but... stranger things have happened where the NRL is concerned.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
So long as his knee holds up and his head stays on it could be beautiful to watch from a Sharks point of view.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
I've been running the kids ragged all morning hoping they wear out soon. They will either fall asleep and I can watch the game in peace, or they will get super tired and level 5 cranky in which case I will still watch the game but it will be just that more stressful. Either way I'm not missing this one, Up Up
souvalis
Roar Rookie
In saying that, the teams just out and Fifita is starting, which is an excellent show of confidence in the big fella from Coach Morris, looking for a terrorizing start from him..
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
I wasn’t talking about him meters, I was talking about him actually breaking out into a run. He seems to just walk his way around the park, maybe a light jog occasionally. If he can make so many meters walking imagine what he could do if he wound up David Klemmer style.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
His average running meters this year are better than Fifita, better than Braden H-U and better than Matt Prior. Those small incremental backward shuffling steps, despite the baggings he gets,have been prosperous enough to displace Fifita in the Shark king prop hierarchy out of the run on and onto the pine, he’s going alright..
Renegade
Roar Guru
Agree with you however I’ve thought in just about every game bar maybe half a dozen this year .... if the black, white and blue show up and play to their potential, they should win - but playing at their best has been a rare occurrence this year. An hour to kick-off!!
Richard POWELL
Roar Rookie
Won't happen
Richard POWELL
Roar Rookie
They'll both be keen to win, grab 7th and get Manly in week 1
Stormy
Roar Rookie
Don't mind who wins, just want a good, close game that is allowed to flow. Please no more stoppages for cramp etc!!!
Scott Pryde
Expert
Oh now this... Would be bloody something.
Ben Lewis
Roar Pro
Ignoring the rubbish you spouted about the referees, I agree with the gist of your comment. If there’s a legitimate draw, then that’s a fair result and the Broncos will have to rue not being able to down the Warriors earlier in the year. However, if the game is obviously thrown by both clubs just to gain a mutually beneficial draw, I do not see the NRL allowing it to pass. I can’t see a mid week playoff happening given how carefully structured the schedule of the finals has been to avoid short player turnarounds, but I can very easily see both Wests and Cronulla stripped of 3 premiership points so neither club makes the finals as punishment for bringing the game into disrepute. That puts the Broncos 7th and the winner of Newcastle/Penrith into 8th spot.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’d love to see this game go to golden point... There’s no chance teams would play put a deliberate draw in an era of bookies and match fixing. There’s no way it could be kept quiet. I think the Sharks will be too strong with their season on the line...but I don’t say that with massive confidence. I also think the Sharks are the bottom of the eight team (if they make it) most likely to upset a top four side and have a deep run...although they’ve still got a lot of things to get right.
BLACKTOWN
Roar Rookie
Channel 9 piss and moan about bad ratings why wasnt the eels manly game the tv fri game why isnt the tigers sharks game the sunday tv game.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
I was thinking more Poodle. Seriously, has anyone ever seen that bloke run??
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
"the Sharkies have too many tough, junk yard dogs" Except for "Paddington" Woods who is more St. Bernard than Rottweiler. :laughing:
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Pound for pound the Sharkies have too many tough, junk yard dogs for the Tigers..it’s going to be a smackdown, a rushing Wade Graham will be in the corner of Benji’s eye, someone’s going to get hurt..passes stick the shire wins..
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Although I like to stir the pot and wind up Broncos fans, in all honesty it would be the death of the game I grew up loving if two teams ever intentionally played for a draw to guarantee their mutual safe passage into the finals. It's bad enough that the game is now full of stoppages because of injuries, like soccer, and players perform Academy Award winning acting performances to win penalties, just like in that other game... soccer. If the game further degenerates into a farce where teams can get away with throwing matches or play for a mutually beneficial draw, like that other game, soccer, then it's time to give the game away. The next devolution of the game will see the ball being changed to a round ball, just like soccer, until finally players will be penalised for handling the ball. Rugby League is being run by muppets with civil servants being handed whistles and a pair of shorts to manage a game that most of them have never played and have no fundamental understanding of much less how to apply commonsense instead of a black and white overly literal interpretation of the rules. The game will NOT survive into the future if all of these shortcomings are not addressed as a matter of urgency. # Don't Let the Game Die!
Jordan
Guest
Play for the draw the Brisbane broncos do not deserve to be In the 8
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
Sharrrrrrrrrrrks. Up Up fellas, time to finally put a one game winning streak into place when we need it. Surely we can't lost the the Tigers, surely. They don't even like playing finals footy.