WEST TIGERS
After posting an impressive 46 – 18 win over the Bulldogs back in round 19, it has been nothing but bad news for the Tigers with three heavy losses on the field and on-going in-fighting between the Club’s Board, Coach and Captain.

The Tigers were pitiful last week when trounced 64 – 6 by the Cowboys in Townsville, their third loss on the trot and their fifth in a row by a 13+ margin.

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It’s hard to make a case for the Tigers in any regards with the only positive for them heading into this match being it’ll be played at Leichhardt Oval where hopefully some old Tigers’ spirit will lift the current side to at least produce a competitive effort.

Keith Galloway returns this week with Cory Paterson replacing the injured Tim Simona in the centres.

Blake Austin and Curtis Sironen will be the halves pairing again but with neither at their best at half-back and five-eight respectively, it’s hard to see the Tigers, who have amassed only 24 points in their past three games, producing enough to worry the Roosters.

ROOSTERS
The Roosters had to dig deep last Monday night against a committed Gold Coast Titans outfit to record a 26 – 18 win.

It was a scrappy affair and not one of the Roosters’ best but, it was enough to secure them the two competition points and keep them in fourth spot on the ladder, one win in front of five other teams.

Only on a few occasions have we seen the Roosters at their absolute best this season but with Melbourne and the Rabbitohs their final two opponents of the season, the Roosters will have to find their best again quickly and this week’s match will give them the chance to do just that.

The Roosters have an impeccable record over the Tigers in recent years and have produced plenty of points when coming up against them.

A significant contributor to those big scores has been centre Michael Jennings. He has bagged a double in each of his past two outings against the Tigers and on Monday night, as one of five to score for the Roosters, made it three tries from his two games since returning from injury.

HEAD TO HEAD
The last team the Tigers would want to face coming off a 58 point drumming is the Roosters.
The Roosters have scored 42, 44, 56 and 30 in their past four matches against the Tigers, all of which they’ve won by 13+, the last three by 19+.

Whilst the Roosters probably aren’t in the same ruthless form this year as when posting those victories, the Tigers are certainly not in any better shape and the line of only 10.5, given the recent clashes, looks well within the Roosters’ reach.

Teams:

Tigers: Mitch Moses, Kurtis Rowe, Cory Paterson, Chris Lawrence, Keith Lulia, Curtis Sironen, Blake Austin, Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah (c), Keith Galloway, Adam Blair, Dene Halatau, Sauaso Sue. Interchange: Ava Seumanafagai, Martin Taupau, Sitaleki Akauola, James Gavet

Ins: Keith Galloway, Sitaleki Akauola

Outs: Tim Simona (knee, indefinite), Jack Buchanan (dropped)

Roosters: Anthony Minichiello, Nene Macdonald, Michael Jennings, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Heath L’Estrange, Sam Moa, Boyd Cordner, Aidan Guerra, Frank Paul Nuuausala. Interchange: Mitchell Aubusson, Isaac Liu, Dylan Napa, Kane Evans