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Tigers to embrace NRL tightrope: Maguire

3 minute read

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire is urging his team to draw on their last-gasp NRL win over Canterbury in their clash with Sydney Roosters.

Rabbitohs coach MICHAEL MAGUIRE looks on during a South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL training session at Redfern Oval in Sydney, Australia.
Rabbitohs coach MICHAEL MAGUIRE looks on during a South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL training session at Redfern Oval in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire says the way his NRL team saved their season against Canterbury sets the template for the remainder of 2020.

The Tigers needed a late Joey Leilua try, a Moses Mbye sideline conversion and a Luke Brooks field goal to secure a 29-28 win over the last-placed Bulldogs.

That win means the Tigers still have an outside shot at ending the NRL's longest finals drought but to do so they need to keep winning, starting with Saturday's home match against defending premiers Sydney Roosters.

"It's about finding your way to the win, and that was what was pleasing," Maguire said.

"Obviously now we face the Roosters and we've got to do the same thing.

"We've got to turn up on every play and and do our jobs for each other."

To keep their season alive and avoid extending their finals drought to a decade, the ninth-placed Tigers have to come through a tough run home in strong fashion.

Including Saturday's visit by the Roosters to Leichhardt Oval, the joint venture face six of their current top eight in their final six regular season matches of 2020.

With the gap to eighth-placed South Sydney already four points, there is basically no margin for error for Maguire's team.

"Every game is a big game for us. We know that now, obviously where we are at this stage of time," he said.

Maguire has stuck with the same 17 which pipped the Bulldogs but forwards Alex Twal (sternum) and Thomas Mikaele (knee) could come back from injury.

The injury-hit Roosters should have Brett Morris and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves back but have lost Mitch Aubusson (fractured wrist), Lachlan Lam (ankle) and Luke Keary (ribs).

Drew Hutchinson and Kyle Flanagan form a new halves pairing for the Tricolours while Freddy Lussick debuts on the bench.

KEY MATCH STATS

* Three-time premiership-winning coach Trent Robinson will become the first man to reach 200 games in the job for Sydney Roosters. He's won 129 of his 199 first-grade matches in charge.

* The Roosters have won 17 of the past 19 matches against the Tigers, the best record of any team against an opponent in the NRL since 2010.

* Sydney Roosters fullback James Tedesco's eight-game try-scoring drought is the second-longest of his career. The ex-Tiger has also never scored against his former club.

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