Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Coach Trent Barrett knows of the dangers the Wests Tigers present on a Sunday afternoon at Leichhardt Oval.
For the second time in a month, the Sea Eagles will clash with the Tigers in another crucial game for Manly with four games remaining before the finals.
The Sea Eagles sit in seventh place on 28 points with the Wests Tigers in 16th place.
“At Leichhardt, it is always a danger. They enjoy playing there on a Sunday afternoon,’’ Barrett said today.
“The Tigers are going really well, they are defending well, and they have got a lot of individual threats through their side.
“We had a bit of trouble with the Tigers last time. (James) Tedesco is a huge threat for them, their back five are dangerous, their halves are dangerous, and Aaron Woods is a real threat.
“They certainly have got some good players. The football they have been playing over the last month is probably not indicative of where they sit on the table.”
Barrett knows the team can’t afford to be complacent in its quest for a top four position as Newcastle showed last night in beating the fifth placed Parramatta to get off the bottom of the ladder.
“Anything could happen, so we need to look after ourselves,’’ he added.
“A couple of things probably went our way (last night) but it certainly means nothing if we don’t get a result tomorrow. We can’t control the make-up of the rest of the table but we can control how we turn up tomorrow. We need to win.
“There are eight points to get and we need to get two of them tomorrow. Where we end up, who knows.
“Destiny is on our hands, so if we can keep winning, we are going to figure in the semi-finals but there is still a long way to go.”
Barrett also confirmed he expects winger Matthew Wright to play after leaving the field with a shoulder injury in the win over the Sydney Roosters last Sunday.
Manly vs Wests Tigers, Sunday, 4pm, Leichhardt Oval
Head to Head
Played 24, Manly 15, Wests Tigers 9
At Leichhardt Oval
Played 7, Wests Tigers 5, Manly 2
