After 15 rounds the Parramatta Eels and Wests Tigers are equal on competition points but are separated by 51 for and against points.
In round 16 the Tigers will face a depleted but still dangerous Roosters while the Eels will enjoy their bye weekend.
The two sides will then meet in round 16 at Bankwest Stadium with the Tigers listed as the home team.
If the Tigers were to spring an upset over the Roosters they would remain on level pegging with Parramatta. Lose, and they'll fall two points behind leading into their clash.
For Parramatta, this game should be seen as a four point game. A win means they'll go either two or four points ahead of their closest top eight rival with nine games to go and the Eels having the more favourable of the runs home.
While the Eels should be taking the remainder of the season one game at a time, if there was a game to well and truly turn up for, it's this one. A win will give them some valuable breathing room and will help to increase their for and against advantage.
These two teams aren't strangers to high stakes clashes, with both teams coming together late in the 2009 season to fight it out for eighth place. A Jarryd Hayne-inspired Eels won that match and marched on to the grand final. The only remaining players from that clash 10 years ago are Tim Mannah, Benji Marshall, Robbie Farah and Chris Lawrence.
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Any score line similar to last time these two teams met will do me.
I be happy just a win with no injury
That 2009 game was brilliant! One of my favourites to relive. Both Jarryd and Benji were on fire at the time. The victory was sealed via a JH chip and chase try. Spine tingling stuff!
I was at that game, one of the greatest club games i ever attended. About 30 seconds before Hayne scored that chip and chase try i said to my mate, " we need some Hayne magic right about now", then BOOM!.
I actually believe the Canberra game should give the guys great confidence going forward. It's the Manly games I think will be a good test twice in the last 10 rounds, would be great to smash them both times and knock them out of the 8.
I will be happy to win at Bankwest against Manly, imo they are top 8 certs, i reckon only 8th spot is up for grabs between the Eels, Panthers, Tigers and Dragons.
While all the games in the run home are important, it looks like the Tigers and Dragons games will be crucial. Wins in both of those will put a gap between us and them in the chase for 8th spot.
That loss at Bankwest against the Panthers could also come back to bite us. If we had won that, the Panthers might just about be done for the season.
I fear the Panthers the most though they have lost strike power letting Waqa Blake and Walene Zelezniak leave.
Typical effin Warriors choked.
I still see Penrith as our biggest rival for the eight - Penrith have shown before they're capable of going on massive winning runs and they certainly have the roster. I'm almost looking ahead to the next game after that against the Sea Eagles - if we can knock them off at Brookie and given they have two matches to come against the Storm, I think that will put us in a nice position against them. I guess at this point you just need to win just about every match.
According the remaining fixtures we should make the 8. Easy run home facing neither the top teams in Storm, Chooks or Bunnies who are out our depth at full strength.
Wests, Manly x2, Warriors, Dragons, Titans, Dogs, Broncos and Knights to go. 5 of those at Bankwest. I think if we win 5/9 + the bye that should give us a minimum 8th spot accounting we don't lose our 50+ differential we have over Tigers and Dragons. We SHOULD win the games vs Tigers, Warriors, Titans, Bulldogs and at least at home to Manly.
The Panthers run is tricky having: Titans, Saints, Raiders, Bulldogs, Sharks, Broncos, Cows, Roosters and Knights. They'll have to win 6 of those. They should beat Titans, Bulldogs, Bronco's but after that the games are 50-50 at best for them.
Dragons have: Storm, Raiders, Penrith, Souths, Parra, Tits x2, Sharks, Roosters, Tigers which is a bastard of a draw. I can't see them winning 6/9.
Tigers have: Roosters, Parra, Raiders, Knights x2, Cows, Bulldogs, Manly, Dragons and Cronulla which is also a tough run and I don't see them getting 6/9 either.
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