Currently, the score stands at 18-20 in favor of the Tigers, with half an hour remaining.
According to Wests Tigers Head Coach Tim Sheens, his team needs to demonstrate greater strength this week compared to their victory over the Gold Coast, as the competition for the fourth spot heats up.
Sheens acknowledges the increased pressure on his fourth-place team to overcome the struggling Cronulla Sharks, especially after recent victories against premier teams like Manly and St George-Illawarra.
“A month ago, we were predicted not to win any of those matches (against Manly and St George-Illawarra) and yet we did. Now, the expectation is that we will win every match,” Sheens remarked.
“There’s a sense that everyone is anticipating us to falter. Historically, Wests Tigers teams have stumbled. So far, we’ve managed not to.
“In ’05, we lost our last two games heading into the finals, but we secured enough wins to achieve fourth place.
“I aim for us to keep up our momentum, but I’m aware that this week will present a greater challenge. It’s an important game now that we’ve reached fourth; merely finishing in the top eight isn’t sufficient.
“With St George-Illawarra defeating the Warriors last week, we’ve been given a fantastic opportunity. We approached the match against the Gold Coast aiming to win without fixating on the score.
“Our focus was solely on continuing our winning streak and seeing where that leads us. Now that a window of opportunity has opened, it adds more pressure against a nearly complete Cronulla team.
“This is a match we cannot afford to overlook and treat as a predetermined victory without putting in the necessary effort.
“For the past three weeks, we’ve triumphed under pressure, and despite the ups and downs during those games, we must show significantly greater strength this week.”
Sheens expresses that the robust forward pack of the Sharks will present more formidable opposition, acknowledging that some fortunate circumstances had aligned for his team in recent weeks.
“We’ve had a bit of luck, with Scott Prince missing from their lineup last week, Penrith being weakened, and Parramatta also missing players,” Sheens stated.
“It will be Paul Gallen’s 200th game and we are up against a very strong Cronulla team that realistically should have won last week against the Cowboys.”
by Buford Balony
