After impressive wins in Round 4, Wests Tigers and the Dragons came back to earth last weekend in clunky performances that would have had their coaches tearing their hair out.
The Tigers came up with 11 errors in their 26-16 loss to the Dolphins and will be looking for a return to the composed and committed style of play that carried them to an upset win over Parramatta on Easter Monday.
Shane Flanagan’s Dragons, meanwhile, came up with 18 errors in trying conditions at McDonald Jones Stadium as they succumbed 30-10 to the Knights.
Much interest will focus on how Flanagan uses Tryell Sloan and Zac Lomax after the fullback endured a poor first half with his hands and was moved to the wing so Lomax could go to the back.
Lomax has been one of the Dragons’ best in the opening five rounds despite the off-field distractions surrounding his future and he’ll need another big game if the Red V are to get back on track.
Wests Tigers have played six games at Campbelltown Stadium across the past two seasons and failed to come up with a victory.
The disappointing start for the prop, who at one point last year publically declared his intentions to don the sky blue New South Wales State of Origin jersey, has shuffled him down the pecking order and it now seems he will be the man to miss out for the returning Hame Sele.
Sele, who moved back to the Dragons from the South Sydney Rabbitohs during the off-season, has only managed a single game due to injury himself at this point.
Ravalawa meanwhile has improved his game at both ends of the park in recent years, but has been well off the mark numbers wise in running metres to start 2024, while his defence hasn’t continued improving.