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Tigers have real chance of final glory
By Tyson Otto From: The Daily Telegraph Fri Oct 02
BALMAIN-RYDE Tigers have produced one of the great NSW Cup final's charges to qualify for Sunday's Grand Final at ANZ Stadium, finishing sixth and scraping into the finals.
Yet it will have been in vain if they cannot knock over minor premiers, the Bankstown City Bulls, in1 the decider, Tigers' coach Paul Fletcher said.
It took a field goal for the Wests Tigers feeder club to progress to the Grand Final, overpowering the North Sydney Bears 21-20 in the preliminary final.
They have won their previous finals against higher-ranked clubs.
Despite their late-season surge, the Tigers ($4.60) are distant outsiders with TAB Sportsbet to win their first premiership since 1984.
The Bulls are $1.18 favourites.
"Those odds do not bother me," Fletcher said. "No one tipped us to win our first final or the two after that so it has not had an effect on us.
"I'm proud of the boys but there's a game to go."
Fletcher said the Bulldogs feeder team, which includes stars Ben Barba and Matt Utai, had too much depth for his side to just focus on shutting down any one player in particular.
"We have to constrict the entire team and if we get our defence right we won't have to target any of their stars," he said.
Bulls coach Terry Lamb said his side was prepared for a physical encounter with an aggressive Tigers defence and warned his players their reputation would count for nothing.
"All the pressure is on us because we've been out in front all season.
"We just have to be able to produce our best game of the year on Sunday because there'll be two teams out there and whoever produces the goods when it matters most will win."
Ahead of Sunday's clash at the Olympic venue, Lamb singled out Tigers charger and NSW Cup MVP David Gower.
Gower is the one player his team must stop at all costs if they want to take out the premiership.
Kick-off is at 12.10pm.
By Tyson Otto From: The Daily Telegraph Fri Oct 02
BALMAIN-RYDE Tigers have produced one of the great NSW Cup final's charges to qualify for Sunday's Grand Final at ANZ Stadium, finishing sixth and scraping into the finals.
Yet it will have been in vain if they cannot knock over minor premiers, the Bankstown City Bulls, in1 the decider, Tigers' coach Paul Fletcher said.
It took a field goal for the Wests Tigers feeder club to progress to the Grand Final, overpowering the North Sydney Bears 21-20 in the preliminary final.
They have won their previous finals against higher-ranked clubs.
Despite their late-season surge, the Tigers ($4.60) are distant outsiders with TAB Sportsbet to win their first premiership since 1984.
The Bulls are $1.18 favourites.
"Those odds do not bother me," Fletcher said. "No one tipped us to win our first final or the two after that so it has not had an effect on us.
"I'm proud of the boys but there's a game to go."
Fletcher said the Bulldogs feeder team, which includes stars Ben Barba and Matt Utai, had too much depth for his side to just focus on shutting down any one player in particular.
"We have to constrict the entire team and if we get our defence right we won't have to target any of their stars," he said.
Bulls coach Terry Lamb said his side was prepared for a physical encounter with an aggressive Tigers defence and warned his players their reputation would count for nothing.
"All the pressure is on us because we've been out in front all season.
"We just have to be able to produce our best game of the year on Sunday because there'll be two teams out there and whoever produces the goods when it matters most will win."
Ahead of Sunday's clash at the Olympic venue, Lamb singled out Tigers charger and NSW Cup MVP David Gower.
Gower is the one player his team must stop at all costs if they want to take out the premiership.
Kick-off is at 12.10pm.
