The ladder-leading Roosters will be out to tighten their grip on the minor premiership when they host the struggling Tigers at Allianz Stadium. While the visitors have little to play for beyond pride, Sydney know every win is crucial with Penrith and the Warriors still lurking behind them.

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Matchday Details

23 August 2026 – 4:05pm (AEST) – Allianz Stadium, Sydney
📺 Broadcast: Nine / Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Ashley Klein | Senior Review Official: Wyatt Raymond

Sydney Roosters: 1. James Tedesco (c), 2. Billy Smith, 3. Hugo Savala, 4. Robert Toia, 5. Mark Nawaqanitawase, 6. Daly Cherry-Evans, 7. Sam Walker, 8. Naufahu Whyte, 9. Reece Robson, 10. Spencer Leniu, 11. Salesi Foketi, 12. Siua Wong, 13. Victor Radley, 14. Connor Watson, 15. Lindsay Collins, 16. Nat Butcher, 17. Egan Butcher, 18. Cody Ramsey, 19. Tommy Talau, 20. Rex Bassingthwaighte, 21. Benaiah Ioelu, 22. Taylor Losalu

Wests Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula, 2. Junior Tupou, 3. Solomone Saukuru, 4. Patrick Herbert, 5. Jeral Skelton, 6. Jarome Luai (c), 7. Jock Madden, 8. Terrell May, 9. Apisai Koroisau, 10. Fonua Pole, 11. Samuela Fainu, 12. Tony Sukkar, 13. Alex Twal, 14. Heath Mason, 15. Sione Fainu, 16. Alex Seyfarth, 17. Bunty Afoa, 18. Tristan Hope, 19. Sunia Turuva, 20. Javon Andrews, 21. Charlie Murray, 22. Faaletino Tavana

Match Preview

Round 25 concludes on Sunday afternoon at Allianz Stadium, with the table-topping Roosters hosting the hapless Tigers. This match is shaping up to be a David versus Goliath clash, with the Tigers already eliminated from finals contention and the Roosters firmly entrenched as one of the premiership heavyweights.

The Roosters’ confidence is riding high after grinding their way to a 12-6 win over the Panthers last week in one of the games of the year. On the flip side, the Tigers’ confidence can’t get much lower after they were beaten by the Dragons 24-22 last week.

It’s a huge boost for the Roosters, with James Tedesco named to return from injury at fullback. He was named to return last week as well but was a late out. If he’s still unable to go this week, Cody Ramsey will replace him at fullback again.

For the Tigers, Adam Doueihi is out after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery this week. He’s replaced at halfback by Jock Madden. Alex Twal returns at lock after missing last week due to illness. Jeral Skelton is named to start on the wing, with Sunia Turuva moving to the bench after he battled a knee injury last week.

The key for the Roosters is not allowing complacency to creep into their game. After knocking off the Panthers last week, they’d be forgiven for thinking this match-up against the Tigers won’t present the same challenges. However, even though the Tigers are out of form, they have nothing to lose and can still present a tricky proposition if the Roosters aren’t switched on. To avoid that, the return of Tedesco will ensure this Roosters side is firing on all cylinders come Sunday. His combination with the halves Sam Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans should result in plenty of point-scoring opportunities. The targets will be both sides of the Tigers’ leaky edge defence, which, if pressured consistently, should create tries for both their second-rowers and outside backs.

The key for the Tigers is to match the intensity of the Roosters defensively. No one outside of the Tigers team would be predicting a Tigers upset, but if they’re going to produce an upset and prove the doubters wrong, it has to start with the effort areas in defence. The return of Alex Twal should solidify their middle, and they need to focus on tiring out the key playmakers across the park for the Roosters to limit their effectiveness. They can only do that with ball control and discipline, areas that have let them down in recent weeks. Allowing the Roosters to get on a roll and demoralise them early in the game is a slippery slope on the way to a heavy defeat.

The Tigers have won their last two games at Allianz Stadium. James Tedesco has scored five tries in the last five games against the Tigers.

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Roosters by 60.
Full Round 25 tips → /nrl-round-25-predictions-2026/
Bold call: James Tedesco scores four tries for the Roosters in his first game back from injury.

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Brendan Wood

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