Dragons v Tigers preview

St. George Illawarra Dragons v Wests Tigers
ANZ Stadium - Saturday 5:30pm

Fighting battles on multiple fronts.

This shapes as one of the most intriguing clashes of the weekend - and there's plenty at stake. The Dragons have taken their last home game to ANZ Stadium as part of their "right game, right venue" strategy, and would've thought this game would shape as a must-see blockbuster. Well, it's certainly must-see, but a blockbuster it is not. The Wests Tigers have stumbled through season 2015 and only last weekend stepped off the bottom of the ladder with an emphatic win over the directionless Warriors - and a heavy loss here against the Dragons could send them straight back to the bottom depending on the result at Pepper Stadium between the Panthers and Knights.

The big Red V has it's own issues. Flying high at the top of the table at the start of the Origin period, the Dragons collapsed with a seven-match losing streak which saw no wins in June or July. They've since recovered through August to win 3 of their last 5, but their most recent showing against the Titans has plenty worried that they will be simply making up the numbers should they finish 8th as expected.

Intriguingly enough, their spot in the eight is not guaranteed yet - they need to beat the Tigers to put Manly out of their misery. Incredibly, a significant loss in this clash coupled with a big Manly win over Cronulla on Sunday could see them fall out of the finals equation.

Last meeting: Round 2 2015 - Wests Tigers 22 St. George Illawarra Dragons 4

Who to watch: The Dragons' team doctor. Gareth Widdop sustained a serious quad injury against the Titans on Sunday and is in significant doubt for this clash - they need him on board if they want to make any dent in the September schedule. His partnership with Benji Marshall has gone a long way to reversing St George Illawarra's flagging fortunes in the latter half of this season.

How good was Robbie Farah on Saturday? The Tigers' smashing of the Warriors was led by a true captain's knock from the NSW hooker, but many were left asking - where has this been all year? Whether Robbie calls JT's bluff and stays out west, or moves on as per his clubs' suggestion, watch for his last game of the season to pack a punch or two, even if the black, gold and white go down swinging.

The favourite: The Dragons have more to play for here and have comfortable backing from the bookies.

My tip: McGregor won't be happy with the rubbish served up by his charges last Sunday and will have them primed and ready - even if Widdop's quad doesn't heal in time. Dragons by 8.

1. Josh Dugan 2. Eto Nabuli 3. Euan Aitken 4. Peter Mata'utia 5. Jason Nightingale 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Benji Marshall 8. Leeson Ah Mau 9. Mitch Rein 10. Mike Cooper 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Jake Marketo 13. Trent Merrin
Interchange: 14. George Rose 15. Ben Creagh 16. Mark Ioane 17. Jack de Belin 18. Craig Garvey 23. Justin Hunt

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

Referees: Matt Cecchin, Gavin Morris; Sideline Officials: Russell Turner, Adam Reid; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton, Luke Patten;

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