Wests Tigers will be desperate to snap their losing streak of six in a row when they host the Gold Coast Titans on Friday night at Campbelltown Sports Stadium – but will Jarryd Hayne spoil the party once again?
Gold Coast have named Hayne at fullback, while Wests Tigers head coach Ivan Cleary has included his NSW Origin stars, captain Aaron Woods and fullback James Tedesco, in the team he has named to face Gold Coast in the round 16 clash.
Both players will be monitored following Wednesday night’s State of Origin game and a final decision on whether they take the field will be made closer to kick off on Friday.
Cleary will clearly want to have his stars in rather than out after the heart breaking, last minute 24-22 loss to the premiers, Cronulla Sharks, last Saturday night.
This was his team’s sixth loss in a row, a painful period punctuated with a bye after the first three defeats.
Prop forward Tim Grant will miss the Titans game as he is serving a one match suspension.
New Wests Tigers recruit Alex Twal has been named on an extended bench after joining the club from the Parramatta Eels.
An interesting change by Cleary has been to name rising star hooker Jacob Liddle in the starting side, ahead of Matt McIlwrick, who has had that honour for most of the season.
Indeed McIlwrick was given a contract extension earlier in the week.
Liddle was the man earmarked as Robbie Farah’s long term replacement.
But after coming off the interchange for most of the season, Cleary obviously feels it’s time for the youngster to take on more responsibility.
Either that or Cleary is just hoping Liddle is the circuit breaker the team needs to start well and go on and win.
The new halves combination between Tuimoala Lolohea and Luke Brooks will also get another opportunity to direct the team around the park.
Last season’s encounter with the Titans will forever be remembered as Jarryd Hayne’s “this is my house’’ gesture after he kicked the winning field goal.
Hayne, who grew up a couple of kilometres up the road from the Campbelltown Stadium, if he gets through Origin himself, surely can’t repeat the dose.
Wests Tigers v Gold Coast Titans
1. James Tedesco
2. David Nofoaluma
3. Esan Marsters
4. Moses Suli
5. Kevin Naiqama
6. Tuimoala Lolohea
7. Luke Brooks
8. Aaron Woods (Captain)
9. Jacob Liddle
10. Ava Seumanufagai
11. Sauaso Sue
12. Kyle Lovett
13. Elijah Taylor
Interchange:
14. Matt Eisenhuth
15. JJ Felise
16. Michael Chee Kam
17. Matt McIlwrick
18. Malakai Watene-Zelezniak
19. Jack Littlejohn
20. Joel Edwards
21. Alex Twal
