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http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/dragons-record-streak-threatened-by-tigers-20110523-1f08k.html
St George Illawarra players concede a fired up Wests Tigers outfit could stop their bid to win a club record nine consecutive NRL matches.
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Currently on a winning streak that stretches back to their shock loss to Cronulla in round two, the Dragons could break the mark set in 2005 with victory over the Tigers at WIN Jubilee Oval on Sunday.
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But hooker Nathan Fien and prop Dan Hunt are well aware that the Tigers, who were savaged by coach Tim Sheens on the weekend despite defeating Penrith, will be ready to bounce back.
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Sheens claimed after the 20-18 win that the Dragons would "lap us by 100", but Fien believed that would only serve to motivate the underperforming Tigers.
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"I think they'll be pumped," Fien said on Monday.
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"It's getting to that stage of the season now where I guess you can sort of see the light at the end of the tunnel and you want to be trying to put performances together, and try to get on a bit of a roll going into the back end of the year."
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The Tigers will also be looking to make amends for last year's dramatic preliminary final, won by the Dragons en route to their maiden premiership as a joint-venture club.
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"What happened last year in the prelim final, I'm not sure how they'll be feeling but I know from our point of view it was definitely one of the toughest matches I've ever played in and if it's anything like that it's going to be very intense," Fien added.
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"It was definitely intense, the most intense game that I've been a part of for as long as I can remember and definitely see-sawing, it could've gone either way."
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Fien is hopeful of making his return from a troublesome hamstring injury that has ruled him out of their past two matches.
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"It is improving every day and we'll just see how it pulls up throughout the week with the workload we put it through," he said.
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"I'm very confident that I'll be out there on Sunday.
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"…I guess the bye's come at a really good time (to get the hamstring right)."
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Hunt said talk of the club's record-breaking streak was being kept to a minimum in-house, as is the protocol of Wayne Bennett-coached sides.
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"Someone (mentioned the record) the other day, we try not to (listen to) stuff like that because you put pressure on yourself," he said.
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"There's always a good tussle between the Dragons and the Tigers, so we're looking forward to the game on the weekend and it's definitely going to be tough.
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"They've got some good players, Bryce Gibbs and Keith Galloway and guys like that, they're going to be coming at us full pelt."
The record streak capped with a record score?
Fire up Tigers.
St George Illawarra players concede a fired up Wests Tigers outfit could stop their bid to win a club record nine consecutive NRL matches.
>
Currently on a winning streak that stretches back to their shock loss to Cronulla in round two, the Dragons could break the mark set in 2005 with victory over the Tigers at WIN Jubilee Oval on Sunday.
>
But hooker Nathan Fien and prop Dan Hunt are well aware that the Tigers, who were savaged by coach Tim Sheens on the weekend despite defeating Penrith, will be ready to bounce back.
Advertisement: Story continues below
>
Sheens claimed after the 20-18 win that the Dragons would "lap us by 100", but Fien believed that would only serve to motivate the underperforming Tigers.
>
"I think they'll be pumped," Fien said on Monday.
>
"It's getting to that stage of the season now where I guess you can sort of see the light at the end of the tunnel and you want to be trying to put performances together, and try to get on a bit of a roll going into the back end of the year."
>
The Tigers will also be looking to make amends for last year's dramatic preliminary final, won by the Dragons en route to their maiden premiership as a joint-venture club.
>
"What happened last year in the prelim final, I'm not sure how they'll be feeling but I know from our point of view it was definitely one of the toughest matches I've ever played in and if it's anything like that it's going to be very intense," Fien added.
>
"It was definitely intense, the most intense game that I've been a part of for as long as I can remember and definitely see-sawing, it could've gone either way."
>
Fien is hopeful of making his return from a troublesome hamstring injury that has ruled him out of their past two matches.
>
"It is improving every day and we'll just see how it pulls up throughout the week with the workload we put it through," he said.
>
"I'm very confident that I'll be out there on Sunday.
>
"…I guess the bye's come at a really good time (to get the hamstring right)."
>
Hunt said talk of the club's record-breaking streak was being kept to a minimum in-house, as is the protocol of Wayne Bennett-coached sides.
>
"Someone (mentioned the record) the other day, we try not to (listen to) stuff like that because you put pressure on yourself," he said.
>
"There's always a good tussle between the Dragons and the Tigers, so we're looking forward to the game on the weekend and it's definitely going to be tough.
>
"They've got some good players, Bryce Gibbs and Keith Galloway and guys like that, they're going to be coming at us full pelt."
The record streak capped with a record score?
Fire up Tigers.
