The Roosters are flying high at the moment and are ruling the roost at the top of the ladder and will be determined not to let their position go by taking this week's opposition Wests Tigers lightly.
The home side were able to defy their recent history and record a rare win over the Panthers last week, with the tight 12-6 win seeing them overtake the Western Sydney powerhouse to the top of the ladder.
Wests Tigers come into this game with another close loss, going down to a resurgent Dragons side 24-22. Both sides scored four tries apiece, but a missed conversion proved the difference in the end.
Since their tumultuous Round 21 game where they went down in a heavy loss to the Raiders, the Wests Tigers have shown they are still up for the fight this season and would love nothing more than getting an upset this week.
Match: Roosters v Wests Tigers
Round 25 -
home Team
Roosters
3rd Position
away Team
Wests Tigers
14th Position
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Team News
Roosters: Nat Butcher joins the starting line up in the only game day change with Spencer Leniu to come off the bench. Skipper James Tedesco will miss a third straight game with an ankle injury. Cody Ramsey has doing a superb job filling in at fullback and will do so once again. Rex Bassingthwaighte comes back on to the six-man bench as a result.
Wests Tigers: Just the one change in the 90-minute squad update, with Terrell May to come off the bench and Alex Seyfarth to start at prop. Adam Doueihi is headed for shoulder surgery and it was confirmed on Tuesday he would be replaced at halfback by Jock Madden, who plays his first NRL game since Round 18. Lock Alex Twal returns after missing the Dragons game due to illness so Sione Fainu slides to the bench. Winger Sunia Turuva was initially listed on the interchange but dropped out of the side in the 24-hour update after suffering a knee injury late in last week's match. Tino Tavana replaces Turuva on the six-man bench.
Match: Roosters v Wests Tigers
Round 25 -
home Team
Roosters
away Team
Wests Tigers
Team Lists
Backs
-
Fullback for Roosters is number 18 Cody RamseyFullback for Wests Tigers is number 1 Jahream Bula
-
Winger for Roosters is number 2 Billy SmithWinger for Wests Tigers is number 2 Junior Tupou
-
Centre for Roosters is number 3 Hugo SavalaCentre for Wests Tigers is number 3 Solomone Saukuru
-
Centre for Roosters is number 4 Robert ToiaCentre for Wests Tigers is number 4 Patrick Herbert
-
Winger for Roosters is number 5 Mark NawaqanitawaseWinger for Wests Tigers is number 5 Jeral Skelton
-
Five-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 Daly Cherry-EvansFive-Eighth for Wests Tigers is number 6 Jarome Luai
-
Halfback for Roosters is number 7 Sam WalkerHalfback for Wests Tigers is number 7 Jock Madden
Forwards
-
Prop for Roosters is number 8 Naufahu WhyteProp for Wests Tigers is number 10 Fonua Pole
-
Hooker for Roosters is number 9 Reece RobsonHooker for Wests Tigers is number 9 Apisai Koroisau
-
Prop for Roosters is number 16 Nat ButcherProp for Wests Tigers is number 16 Alex Seyfarth
-
2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Salesi Foketi2nd Row for Wests Tigers is number 11 Samuela Fainu
-
2nd Row for Roosters is number 12 Siua Wong2nd Row for Wests Tigers is number 12 Tony Sukkar
-
Lock for Roosters is number 13 Victor RadleyLock for Wests Tigers is number 13 Alex Twal
Interchange
-
Interchange for Roosters is number 10 Spencer LeniuInterchange for Wests Tigers is number 8 Terrell May
-
Interchange for Roosters is number 14 Connor WatsonInterchange for Wests Tigers is number 15 Sione Fainu
-
Interchange for Roosters is number 15 Lindsay CollinsInterchange for Wests Tigers is number 17 Bunty Afoa
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Interchange for Roosters is number 17 Egan Butcher
-
Reserve for Roosters is number 19 Tommy TalauReserve for Wests Tigers is number 14 Heath Mason
-
Reserve for Roosters is number 20 Rex BassingthwaighteReserve for Wests Tigers is number 18 Tristan Hope
-
Reserve for Wests Tigers is number 22 Faaletino Tavana
Match Officials
- Referee: Ashley Klein
- Touch Judge: Belinda Sharpe
- Senior Review Official: Wyatt Raymond
Last updated:
Stat Attack
- The Roosters have won 18 of their last 20 games against Wests Tigers.
- Wests Tigers have won their last two games at Allianz Stadium.
- Roosters fullback James Tedesco has scored five tries in his last five games against Wests Tigers.
- Roosters winger Billy Smith has scored five tries in his last four games at Allianz Stadium.
Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.
