After a week they’d rather forget, Wests Tigers turn their attention to the clash with the Sharks this Sunday at Leichhardt Oval.
The round eight match will be an opportunity for Benji and his boys to re-group after the demoralising 38-22 loss to the Eels at Parramatta Stadium on easter Monday.
Adam Doueihi, who had a reasonable go at half filling in for Lachlan Galvin, returns to the centres.
That’s because Galvin has been named to play in the number six jersey against the Sharks.
In another forced change, Brent Naden has been named on the wing, in place of Luke Laulilii.
Enforcer Roye Hunt is back in the 17 after missing the Eels clash, and is expected to have a big game against his former club.
Wests Tigers are now three wins and four losses after the first seven rounds of the competition.
It makes Sunday’s match an absolute must win, because the last thing they want is to go three and five.
As for their loss to the Eels, the less said the better, especially about the officiating.
We rarely blame the refereeing for defeats, but it must be said that several incompetent decisions yesterday, by the ref and the bunker, at crucial stages, made it almost impossible for Benji’s mob to win.
Any objective observer of the game would agree that the Tigers were the better side, especially in the first half, which finished at 10-10.
But once the 50-50 decisions started going against them the Tigers lost their cool at times, and it cost them dearly.
They roared back to life off the back of two great tries to be within four points of the lead in the last 20 minutes, but more diabolical decisions put paid to that resurgence.
It was a loss that would have really hurt Benji because the Eels are wooden spoon favourites that obviously needed some help from the officials to ensure they did not end up with six losses and one win after seven rounds.
WESTS TIGERS TEAM LIST V SHARKS
1. Jahream Bula
2. Sunia Turuva
3. Adam Doueihi
4. Starford To’a
5. Brent Naden
6. Lachlan Galvin
7. Jarome Luai (c)
8. Terrell May
Api Koroisau (c)
10. Fonua Pole
11. Samuela Fainu
12. Alex Seyfarth
13. Alex Twal
INTERCHANGE:
14. Tallyn Da Silva
15. Royce Hunt
16. Jack Bird
17. Sione Fainu
