The Rivalry

[stryker]

I think it's good. Instead of relying on a rivalry that started with Balmain or the Wests, they are running with a rivalry that started with the Wests Tigers. All power to them, traditions need to start somewhere.

I agree, when I first heard we were playing the Cowboys in 'rivalry round' I didnt think much of it.

But when you think of it, if we played Souths, that was more of a Balmain rivalry.
If we played the Bulldogs or Manly, thats more of a Magpies rivalry.

We beat the Cowboys in our only Grand Final appearances. We have the bad blood between us and O'Donnell on numerous occasions with further spice being he is a former Tiger, and then of course there was Farah and Watts last year.

Its got the makings of being a very good Wests Tigers/Cowboys rivalry in future years.

yeah this is correct guys….we are most definetly a bitter rival of theirs .
Every time we play them it is extremely physical and there is controversy.
I've watched us play them live in Townsville and I'll tell you that there isnt much love lost between the fans either :smiling_imp:

 

[Balmain_Tiger]

hope they give a mention to how many players the tigers have on the park that played in the 05 final

 

[innsaneink]

hope they give a mention to how many players the tigers have on the park that played in the 05 final

Why?
Seven for us
Four for them.

 

[Balmain_Tiger]

hope they give a mention to how many players the tigers have on the park that played in the 05 final

Why?
Seven for us
Four for them.

how many teams have that many players still in their squad 5 years after a premiership winning side?

 

[Juro]

I know I shouldn't be surprised but the Daily Telegraph continually staggers me with getting details wrong. In an article today it was listing off the various bits of rivalry between us and the Cowboys. September 2005, we beat them in the grand final…

SEPTEMBER???

 

[Guest]

Five-year feud resumes for Tigers

* Steve Gee
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* July 19, 2010 12:00AM

IT'S the five-year conflict that's delivered enough bile for a tome of hate to rival the great Rabbitohs-Roosters book of feuds.

No team riles the Tigers quite like North Queensland but Cowboys enforcer Luke O'Donnell refuses to speak about the bad blood between the two sides.

Rival hookers Robbie Farah and Aaron Payne say there isn't any, just a lingering rivalry from the 2005 grand final won 30-16 by the Tigers.

Both said there will be no repeat of last year's fisticuffs when the two teams meet tonight at Leichhardt Oval - especially as Farah's old sparring partner Anthony Watts won't be playing.

"[Which] is good news for us," Farah said."He's a good player for them.

"Rivalries aside, they have plenty of other players who can jump in and fill his spot."

Last year's clash in round 19 exploded when Farah and Watts traded blows in a wild scrum brawl.

Both men ended up in the sin bin and were later charged with striking, Watts earning a week's suspension.

Exactly a year later, Watts won't play tonight because he is suspended again.

The fight between the hookers was just the latest chapter in a tale of five years of bad blood that began in the 2005 grand final and exploded with the infamous "wishbone" tackle on O'Donnell in 2007.

The ill-will spilled over in 2008 when Tigers fullback Brett Hodgson was knocked out by an elbow to the head from Cowboys centre Ashley Graham.

It reared its head again later that year when former North Queensland pivot Travis Burns was cited for two ugly tackles in a fiery opening 15 minutes between the sides.

Predictably, Farah and Payne were keen to downplay talk of any revenge in tonight's match.

"I don't think so," Payne said. "I don't think you go out there intentionally to try and get square.

"You just prepare like it's any other game."

Payne is not expecting to have any problems with Farah, who was involved in another scrum fight last week with Titans hooker Nathan Friend.

"We have played each other quite a few times, but there's no animosity there," Payne said.

Tigers assistant coach Peter Gentle hosed down talk of another flare-up tonight but said there was plenty of feeling between the clubs.

"There's a bit of history," Gentle said.

"There was Watts last year with Robbie.

"I couldn't put my finger on [why it's there].

"There are just some teams that butt heads and we seem to do that with the Cowboys.

"We don't hold any resentment towards them.

"It's just one of those games both teams seem to fire up for."

The match shapes as the 15th-placed Cowboys' last chance to revive their fading finals hopes and coach Neil Henry has implored his under-performing stars to put on a good performance.

"We need all these guys to step up and play to their ability," Henry said.

"We need our ruck firing a bit more.

"Aaron has been a bit quiet of late and Carl Webb has been below par and he needs to spark up."

Henry said the Cowboys had not given up hope of sneaking into the finals.

"Mathematically, we have to win eight from eight to make the finals," he said. "That's do-able.

"Last year Parramatta were able to do it but if we can't win this one, it's pretty much impossible."

 

[westTAHger]

this is a danger game for wests-tigers. do not think it will be an easy game. it will be a hard bruising smash & bash style of game. the cowboys are not expected to win. so if they throw the ball around and passes do not stick, then they have lost nothing. if the passes stick, wests-tigers could be in trouble.
keeping a cool head and not getting involved in " paybacks" during the game, will assist greatly in the result.