Wests Tigers Brave In Raiders Showdown

It wasn't a win, but the Wests Tigers lost no friends on Saturday afternoon in Canberra. The GIO Stadium clash ended up being a 24-10 win for the Raiders, who also wrapped up the Minor Premiership on the day.

For Wests Tigers, though, our performance had most fans convinced this team is heading for bigger and better things in 2026 and beyond. On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Joel, Zac, and Declan take a look at many positive aspects of the Tigers' performance.

Some of those positives include the way the forward pack muscled up against what is arguably the best pack in the game at present. The at times quite sharp attack, our lethal left edge, and determined defence that mostly kept our top-placed opposition at bay.

A couple of things that weren't so positive are also up for debate on this edition, including the second-half refereeing performance, aspects of our kicking game, and the Wests Tigers bench.

A varied array of One Word submissions on this Wests Tigers podcast. Some of the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum 'One Word' submissions this week included: Seven, Effort, Proud, and Fate. As always, thanks for all the contributions!

The boys also look at what the spirited effort on Saturday shows us regarding team harmony and attitude. It is easy to see that our side has gelled more as the season has gone on, and this is a stark contrast to what we have seen in recent years.

Some of the other talking points include the performance of Fonua Pole, Alex Twal, and Latu Fainu.

Unfortunately, Jeral Skelton may have played his last game of 2025, and we discuss whether that opens the door for a debut by Haemasi Makasini against the Gold Coast Titans. 

It is a post-loss edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, yet things do seem different after a spirited and mostly quite slick performance from the boys. We hope you enjoy this edition of the podcast, and don't miss the big mid-week show with a preview of our last game of the season.

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