Matchday Details
Sunday, August 24– 4:05PM (AEST) – Leichhardt Oval
📺 Broadcast: Nine / Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Peter Gough | Bunker: Chris Butler
Tigers
1. Jahreem Bula 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Taylan May 4. Starford To’a 5. Jeral Skelton 6. Jarome Luai 7. Adam Doueihi 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Fonua Pole 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Sione Fainu 13. Alex Twal 14. Latu Fainu 15. Royce Hunt 16. Charlie Murray 17. Tony Sukkar 18. Heath Mason 19. Brent Naden 20. Kit Laulilii 21. Krystian Mapalangi 22. Luke Laulilii
Cowboys
1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Semi Valemei 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Viliami Vailea 5. Braidon Burns 6. Jake Clifford 7. Tom Dearden 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. John Bateman 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Karl Lawton 15. Harrison Edwards 16. Zac Laybutt 17. Thomas Mikaele 18. Kai O’Donnell 19. Marly Bitungane 20. Nicholas Lenaz 21. Jaxson Paulo 22. Kaiden Lahrs
Match Preview
The Cowboys make the trip down to the Tigers’ jungle in the heart of Sydney’s inner west as they travel to Leichhardt Oval on Sunday afternoon to bring round 25 to a close.
The Tigers come into this clash on the back of a strong performance against Manly and find themselves sitting 11th on the ladder and holding on to their very slim hopes of playing finals footy. While on the other side, the Cowboys put on a killer show against the Knights to find themselves sitting alone on 21 competition points and in 13th on the ladder.
The Tigers’ 26-12 win over Manly was their second consecutive victory and Benji Marshall’s men will hope they can make it three on the trot against the Cowboys. The Tigers’ current win streak coincides with Adam Doueihi’s transition to the halfback role, with the Lebanon international now steering the ship, and freeing up former Panther Jarome Luai to make the most of his off-the-cuff attacking flair. If Doueihi can carry his strong form through this game, there is no reason that the Tigers can’t make it three-from-three.
The Cowboys put the Knights to the sword last start as they ran out 38-4 winners up in sunny Townsville, but now the boys from far North Queensland will have to battle the elements as they make their way to rainy Sydney. Scott Drinkwater made the most of the fair conditions, putting in his best performance of the season with two tries and two try assists, while also running for 220 metres, but will now be faced with a much more dour weather forecast. Points may be at a premium on Sunday thanks to the weather, but if anyone is capable of bucking the trend it’s the Cowboys fullback.
They might not get a lot of the credit when their team gets the victory, but the hard work of Sunia Turuva and Braidon Burns coming out of their own end should not be overlooked. Turuva has averaged over 150 metres per game in his 21 games for the Tigers this season, while Burns has averaged over 170 metres per game in his 11 appearances for the Cowboys. The hard work of this duo ensures that their respective sides start each set off on the right foot.
While the Cowboys have won seven of their last 10 encounters with the Tigers, the home side has a significant edge at Leichhardt Oval, having won nine of their 12 total games at the venue. Both sides bring the exact same squads into this clash that earned them their last victory.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Cowboys by 8.
See our full Round 25 Predictions (live Wednesday 12pm) here: 2025 NRL Tipping: Round 25 Writer Predictions
Have your say: Who wins? Drop your tip in the comments or vote in our poll.
Related Links
- Round 25 Late Mail
- 2025 NRL Round 24 Injury List
