Several key names will be absent from the game.
The next generation of Wests Tigers players will take on the Under-18s Warrington Wolves in an exhibition match on Saturday.
Known as the Wests Tigers Cubs, the team will be made up of the club’s Harold Matthews teams and other Under-17s and Under-18s players as they look to receive a spot in the SG Ball team for 2024.
The club’s Cubs program has three squads – Black, Orange, and White, catering for different pathways’ stages.
Black is for players transitioning into Jersey Flegg, Organe is for those progressing from the SG Ball from Harold Matthews, and the White Cubs are playing aiming to go from development teams to the Harold Matthews Cup.
Going up against the Warrington Wolves Under-18s team, the Cubs are coming off an impressive 40-4 victory against the Canterbury Bulldogs earlier in the year.
The senior group also travelled to New Zealand in Hamilton, while the White Cubs visited Northern NSW and took on the Gold Coast Titans.
It is understood that the likes of Luke Laulilii, Lachlan Galvin, Heath Mason, and Will Craig have not been chosen for the team due to them commencing NRL preseason in the next few weeks.
Former Wests Tigers player and now Development Manager of Wests & Macarthur, Shannon Gallant, spoke about the importance of the Cubs program to the future of the Wests Tigers.
“It’s really important to have structures in place for all key stages of development, and that’s what our Cubs programs offer,” said Gallant.
“There’s much more to it than skills and high performance, these programs are also big on personal development, wellbeing and education.
“We’ve had a few really successful tours across all three age groups and I think on the whole the programs have been extremely beneficial to what we are trying to achieve in pathways.”
Wests Tigers Cubs Team List
1. Cameron Kanaan
2. Riley Oitmann
3. Daniel Waqa
4. Joey Raad
5. Jonah Watson
6. Marc Tannous
7. Luke Keppie
8. Jekope Sovau
9. Heith Pritchard
10. Kohan Lewis
11. Ewan Xuereb
12. Byron Laupepa
13. Jeremiah Leatigaga
14. Aaron Keppie
15. James Folaumatou’i
16. Dougie Tuala
17. Michael Coady
18. Harry Delaney
19. Jordan Bunt
20. Denzel Schaafhausen
21. Jared Haywood
22. Callum McMenemy
