Check out the match preview and prediction for the Round 3 clash between the Tigers and the Sharks.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Wests Tigers Vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Venue: Leichhardt Oval, Sydney
Date: Saturday March 23, 7:35pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Charlie Staines 3. Solomona Fa’ataape 4. Justin Olam 5. Junior Tupou 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Aidan Sezer 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. John Bateman 13. Fonua Pole 14. Jayden Sullivan 15. Alex Seyfarth 16. Alex Twal 17. Samuela Fainu 18. Asu Kepaoa 19. Jake Simpkin 20. Justin Matamua 21. Alexander Lobb 22. Brent Naden
Sharks: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Toby Rudolf 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Jack Williams 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Dale Finucane 15. Royce Hunt 16. Billy Burns 17. Thomas Hazelton 18. Kayal Iro 19. Tuku Hau Tapuha 20. Daniel Atkinson 21. Samuel Stonestreet 22. Jayden Berrell
Referee: Chris Butler
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
In the pre-season, I made a season preview for every team in the comp. Most got around 80 views, with a couple cracking the 100 mark. But the preview for the Wests Tigers is at 8,500 views and counting. The reason… was because I used Justin Olam in the thumbnail.
The recruit from the Melbourne Storm makes his Tigers NRL debut this week and will quite literally have a nation behind him when he lines up against an all-star Sharks backline on Saturday night. The Tigers are a side where star power in the backs is at a premium, and he’s a man who absolutely fits that bill.
The Tigers were rather ordinary last week in Canberra, with a number of extremely poor defensive lapses and a lack of supporting runs in attack. Benji Marshall has brought Aidan Sezer into the starting 7 jumper this week in a move that should give them more attacking direction. But against a side who can score points as freely as the Sharks, it’s defensively where the Tigers really need to improve.
Meanwhile, the Sharks have picked up where they left off over the last two years, securing a 2-0 start to the season and showing real defensive grit in both of those games. They have a habit of putting the competition’s weaker sides to the sword, and a statement away from home this week would go a long way towards putting the competition on notice.
Head-to-head stats can be found at Round 3 Number Crunch.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Sharks by 14 points.
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