The traditional Easter Monday clash between the Tigers and Eels is a great way to conclude the weekend. With 7 games already played, fans can spend their final day of the long weekend relaxing and watching these two sides go at it over 80 minutes.
Wests Tigers v Parramatta Eels
Monday 4.00pm (AEDT)
The Tigers sprung an upset last Sunday over the Knights, prevailing 24-20 on the road to capture their first win of the season. It was a timely display for a team that was desperate to turn the tables on two poor performances to start the season. Ahead 18-8 with less than 20 minutes to go, pressure began to build as the Knights clawed their way back into the match, but a late try swung the game back into the visitor’s favour. It was a contrasting performance to their opening two matches too. Here, they completed at 87% (season high), had 30 tackle breaks, missed just 27 tackles and made only 8 errors. Such an effort reminded everyone what they are capable of and they will look to build on that performance against an undefeated Eels outfit. They were always in control in their 28-4 victory over the Sharks; aided somewhat by the misfortunes of their opponents. Still, the way they performed improve the standard on their Round 2 victory over the Storm. With 61% possession, they completed at 77%, averaged 10.1m per carry, had 880 post contact metres, 32 tackle breaks and missed only 18 total tackles. They will be out to maintain this standard against the Tigers in a fixture that traditionally has a large crowd add some extra motivation for their team.
The Stats
Head-to-Head = Tigers 15 Draw 1 Eels 25
At Stadium Australia = Tigers 33% Eels 62%
Past 10 matches = Tigers 2 Eels 8 – average winning margin is 12.5 points for the Tigers and 10.5 points for the Eels. Of the past 10 matches, 6 have been played at this ground; regardless of the winner, the average winning margin is 6.7 points.
Verdict
All signs point towards an Eels victory in this game. They have a strong recent record over their opponents, they play well at this ground and are undefeated to start the season. The Tigers victory will give them confidence ahead of this match and should ensure that the margin is kept honest. They could be guilty of doing a lot wrong in matches but with a large crowd on hand to witness this game, they will want to avoid a dismal display. If Moses is ruled out for the Eels, the makeup of this match could shift. Then again, the responsibility will undoubtedly be taken by the remaining spine players. The Eels still have a pack of forwards that is far superior to the Tigers and if they are unable to compete in this area, if will be very hard for their opponents to grab control of the match.
