In their last game, the Warriors endured a crushing 20-18 defeat against the Raiders, managing to score four tries compared to the Raiders' three but only converting one.
Adding to their woes, the team faced more injury setbacks with fullback Taine Tuaupiki (head injury) and Adam Pompey (knee) – their primary goalkickers for the match – being ruled out during the first half.
Following what coach Benji Marshall described as their poorest performance of the season in the Round 19 loss, the Tigers displayed significant determination in their high-scoring encounter against the Bunnies in Round 20, even taking the lead at times before ultimately losing 42-28.
This week, the team will miss the presence of seasoned halfback Aidan Sezer, who accepted a two-week suspension after receiving a Grade 2 Dangerous Contact charge for a tackle on Bunnies fullback Jye Gray.
Marshall will be pleased to welcome back his captain, Api Koroisau, who has been out with a calf injury, and Isaiah Papali'i, who is also returning to the lineup.
Team News
The Warriors have made a few adjustments:
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck shifts from wing to fullback to cover for the injured Taine Tuaupiki (head knock), and Ed Kosi takes Tuivasa-Sheck's place on the wing. Moala Graham-Taufa steps in as the new center, replacing Adam Pompey (knee). There are no last-minute changes, with Tom Ale listed as the 18th man.
For the Wests Tigers:
Captain Api Koroisau is set to return from a calf injury, providing a significant boost to Benji Marshall's squad. Back-rower Isaiah Papali'i also makes his comeback from an ankle injury, and Alex Seyfarth (head knock) is back on the bench. Adam Doueihi will be rested for this game, with Star To'a taking his place in the centers. A day before the match, Justin Matamua, Kit Laulilii, and Tony Sukkar were removed from the extended squad. An hour before kickoff, there were several positional changes: Koroisau moves to halfback, Tallyn Da Silva shifts to hooker, and Latu Fainu drops to the bench. Alex Twal moves to the starting lineup, and Papali'i will make his return from the interchange. Heath Mason remains the 18th man.
WARRIOR'S DEPARTURE: A STRONG MESSAGE
Addin Fonua-Blake demonstrated his immense talent on Friday night as his tenure with the Warriors nears its end.
Next season, Fonua-Blake will be playing for the Sharks. He mentioned to the press earlier in the week that he’s “just trying to make every moment count from here on.”
Indeed, the 28-year-old made the most of his 68 minutes on the field, especially during the first half.
Fonua-Blake played the entire first half, amassing 150 running meters, a line break, five tackle busts, and 12 tackles without a miss by halftime.
“Every time he carries the ball it’s with such devastation,” legendary forward James Graham commented on Fox League.
“He is dictating terms in the middle of the field with his footwork, his skill, and his runs behind the ruck off the back of Wayde Egan's craft.
“Every time he carries the ball, the Tigers players struggle to bring him down, or he spins to the ground, finds a quick play-the-ball, and they’re off again. He’s been phenomenal. A total domination from him in those 40 minutes.”
Fonua-Blake started the second half but took a well-deserved break in the 46th minute. He returned in the 64th minute and scored five minutes later.
The star prop concluded the game with 207 running meters, seven tackle busts, an offload, two line breaks, and 21 tackles, all without a miss.
SAME OLD STORY FOR TIGERS
Benji Marshall has been emphasizing errors and self-inflicted defeats all season, and once again, the Tigers have only themselves to blame for a loss that pushes them closer to their third consecutive wooden spoon.
By halftime, the Tigers faced a 14-0 deficit and were struggling with only 38 percent of possession and six tackles in the Warriors' 20-meter zone.
This is the result of completing only 69 percent of their sets, as Balmain legend Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach noted in his commentary, mentioning the Tigers were fortunate not to be further behind.
“If you make seven errors and miss 20 tackles, you don’t give yourself a chance. I think the scoreboard at the moment favours the Tigers after the first-half performance they had,” he said at halftime.
The Tigers fought their way back into the game, evening out the possession and reaching an 82 percent completion rate, but the first-half damage was too significant to overcome. “We put ourselves under way too much pressure in the first half,” Koroisau told Sky Sports at full-time.
“As a leader myself, I made a few of those errors and it’s just not good enough... but I loved our resilience out there.”
Defensively, it was a challenging night for the Tigers’ right side. Charlie Staines made three tackles but missed six, while Starford To’a seemed out of sync in his third NRL appearance of the season.
To’a's season, plagued by ankle and hamstring injuries, saw him replace Adam Doueihi, who was rested. Unfortunately, To’a made poor reads on each of the Warriors' three first-half tries. His night worsened as he exited in the second half with another hamstring injury.
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