Eels v Tigers preview

Parramatta Eels v Wests Tigers
ANZ Stadium - Monday 3:00pm

Western Sydney rivals meet on Easter Monday for the chance to register their third win of the season.


Fresh off the back of the biggest upset of the season, Parramatta will be out to secure consecutive victories on Monday afternoon. Having gone down narrowly the last time these two sides clashed twelve months ago, the Eels will be out to break their poor form against the Tigers in recent seasons, winning only once in the past six meetings. With Chris Sandow playing a leading role in the victory over South Sydney, expect the off-contract halfback to play a major role for the Eels if they are to come away with a win. Having beaten a mid-week trip to the judiciary, Reece Robinson will take his place on the left wing. However, his regular centre partner Brad Takairangi misses out this week after pleading no-contest to a dangerous throw charge. In his absence boom rookie John Folau will move to the centres, providing Bureta Faraimo with his first start of the season. In the only other changes to the side that defeated the Rabbitohs, Tepai Moeroa comes back into the back row with David Gower reverting back to the bench.

After holding their own against competition heavyweights South Sydney and Canterbury, only to lose both games narrowly, the Tigers will be hoping their strong showings finally result in a win. With Pat Richards and Aaron Woods returning from suspension and injury respectively, the Tigers will be hoping their star power will lead to a win. Other minor changes made by Jason Taylor include last week's try-scorer Kyle Lovett starting in the second row, while Brendan Santi has been relegated to 18th man following Dene Halatau's return from injury. After starting out with the Bulldogs in 2010, Martin Taupau will make his 50th appearance in the NRL, while Pat Richards will finally bring up 100 games after a successful stint in England.

Last meeting: Round 7 2014 - Parramatta Eels 18 Wests Tigers 21

Who to watch: In his last appearance against Wests Tigers, Danny Wicks produced one of the most memorable tries scored by a front-rower in recent memory. Six years on, the former Knight has trimmed down significantly and more than proved his worth in the Eels best 17. Averaging just under 100 metres and 24 tackles a game, Wicks has provided immense impact off the bench for coach Brad Arthur in his return to rugby league. Keeping the likes of Pauli Pauli, Peni Terepo and Cody Nelson in NSW Cup, Wicks will need to continue his good form to retain his spot, but if he is able to produce once again this week, the Eels will go along way towards back-to-back wins.

Having been hailed the best young playmaker in the game for a number of seasons, Luke Brooks produced the finest performance of his short career against Canterbury. Producing three try assists along with a length of the field try, the Tigers number seven was outstanding in defeat. If he is able to reproduce a similar effort in combination with James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses, the Tigers will go a long way towards victory.

The favourite: Having defeated the Rabbitohs last week, the Eels will be full of confidence and be looking to build upon their win in front of a large Easter crowd.

My tip: While the Eels will be riding high after knocking off the defending premiers, the form the Tigers have displayed in defeat should see them walk away with a hard fought win. Tigers by 4.

1. William Hopoate 2. Bureta Faraimo 3. Ryan Morgan 4. John Folau 5. Reece Robinson 6. Corey Norman 7. Chris Sandow 8. Darcy Lussick 9. Nathan Peats 10. Tim Mannah 11. Manu Ma'u 12. Tepai Moeroa 13. Anthony Watmough
Interchange: 14. Isaac De Gois 15. Joseph Paulo 16. David Gower 17. Danny Wicks 18. Peni Terepo

1. James Tedesco 2. Kevin Naiqama 3. Tim Simona 4. Chris Lawrence 5. Pat Richards 6. Mitchell Moses 7. Luke Brooks 8. Aaron Woods 9. Robbie Farah 10. Keith Galloway 11. Curtis Sironen 12. Kyle Lovett 13. Martin Taupau
Interchange: 14. Dene Halatau 15. Ava Seumanufagai 16. Jack Buchanan 17. Sauaso Sue 18. Brenden Santi

Referees: Jared Maxwell, Gavin Morris; Sideline Officials: Brett Suttor, Jeff Younis; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton, Luke Patten;

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