Saturday is anything but super this week, with just the one fixture in a reduced round ahead of Origin. Nevertheless, one game of rugby league is better than nothing and this preview will hopefully make this match even more enjoyable for you by gaining a return.
It is back to one of the traditional rugby league grounds too in Leichhardt Oval and it will be nostalgic to say the least. Best to build a bank of money ahead of tomorrow and Wednesday.
Tigers vs Eels Betting Tips
Leichhardt Oval, Saturday 9th July, 7:35pm (EST)
Squads
Wests Tigers
1. Daine Laurie 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Starford To’a 4. Adam Doueihi 5. Ken Maumalo 6. Luke Brooks 7. Jackson Hastings 8. James Tamou 9. Fa’amanu Brown 10. Zane Musgrove 11. Luke Garner 12. Kelma Tuilagi 13. Joe Ofahengaue Interchange: 14. Stefano Utoikamanu 15. Justin Matamua 16. Jacob Liddle 17. Fonua Pole 18. Austin Dias
Parramatta Eels
1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maiko Sivo 3. Waqa Blake 4. Will Penisini 5. Bailey Simonsson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Marata Niukore 11. Shaun Lane 12. Isaiah Papali’I 13. Ryan Matterson Interchange: 14. Makahesi Makatoa 15. Tom Opacic 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Ky Rodwell 18. Nathan Brown
Match Preview
The Eels will be out for revenge for their Round 6 upset 21-20 loss to the Tigers and thankfully, they are one of the teams least impacted by Origin this weekend (the Tigers are too but I wouldn’t read too much into that). To say it has been an inconsistent month for them would be an understatement; they’ve defeated the Raiders and Roosters yet lost as favourites to the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs.
Their most recent 30-12 defeat by the Rabbitohs left many wondering whether their attitude issues would affect them at the business end of the season. Fact is, it may now in that they miss the Top 4. Fans of the Tigers would surely swap the issues at their club for those experienced by their opponents; the less said about the Tigers the better. They currently sit in 15th position and are coming off a 22-2 loss to the Warriors. They were ineffective with the ball in key positions and failed to capitalise on their completion rate (86%).
The Eels are strong favourites ($1.25 vs $4) and are deserving of this. Man-to-man on paper, the Eels have stability and combinations that should ensure they can defeat the Tigers. The only anomaly may be that the Tigers shift players around and Doueihi ends up closer to the ball (5/8) and sparks a strong combination with Hastings. If you are waiting for that to happen, a lot will have to go their way first, including winning the battle in the middle.
This is where the Eels are again stronger. Their forwards will establish a strong platform for their spine to create try scoring opportunities from. If the Tigers are not careful, this could get ugly as the Eels aim to bounce back from last week. With the Tigers only scoring more than 18 points just once since Round 10, the Eels defensive structure should be able to handle what comes their way at the other end of the field.
Prop Bets:
Gutherson & Papalii Anytime Tryscorers ($6.00 at Ladbrokes)
