Wests Tigers insist there will be “nothing personal” when they face Jackson Hastings on Friday night, despite the Newcastle playmaker’s post-match blow-up with Tommy Talau the last time he played his former club.
Hastings broke Talau’s nose in a tackle that was not cited by the match review committee, but Tigers players let him know how they felt after the round-two clash at Leichhardt Oval, won 14-12 by the Knights. Hastings had to be kept apart from Talau and David Klemmer after full-time as tensions threatened to boil over.
The bad blood was still simmering after Hastings’ exit from the Tigers over the summer, with coach Tim Sheens revealing at the time: “He didn’t want to play No.13.”
Sheens said the Tigers would try to pressure Hastings at McDonald Jones Stadium, but pinpointed Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga as a bigger danger for his side.
“He’s one of two or three threats,” Sheens told this masthead. “He does control a lot of the ball with their last-play options.
Jackson Hastings and David Klemmer had to be separated.Credit: Fox Sports
“The last time we played Ponga he was at No.6. I think he’s more of a danger at No.1 than he is at No.6 because he has room to move and room to wind up and pick his left or right [side to attack].
“He’s more our worry than Jackson is in that regard. We’ll pay the same attention we try to pay to every pivot and ball player and try to keep them under pressure.”
Klemmer, who stepped in to support Talau in round two, returns to McDonald Jones Stadium for the first time since leaving the Hunter club in 2022.
Sheens said Klemmer had been a role model for Stefano Utoikmanu, the “rested” Origin prop who was backing himself to put in a big performance and remind NSW selectors of his ability.
“He is a professional prop, he knows what to do and how to do it,” Sheens said of Klemmer. “Stef is learning that from him.
“He’s been really good for us. And his defence is under-rated – he rarely misses a tackle. I expect him and Stef to go one-two with the hit-ups and show the way for the young forwards.”
Utoikamanu, 23, revealed during the week Blues coach Brad Fittler had opted to rest him from the final Origin game, despite only giving him 14 minutes in his game-two debut.
He would love nothing more than to get one over the man who replaced him in Sydney, Newcastle’s Jacob Saifiti .
Safiti and NSW two-try rookie hero Bradman Best are expected to back up.
“He’s a good player, [but] I’ll be looking out for him on Friday, 100 per cent,” Utoikamanu said. “I want to show why I should’ve been there [for NSW] on Wednesday. I want to go out on Friday and prove that I deserved to be there.”
Jackson Hastings and David Klemmer exchange sweet nothings in round two.
The Tigers welcome back captain Api Koroisau, who returns from a broken jaw ahead of schedule.
Koroisau said at the start of the week he was not upset with Gold Coast and Queensland prop Tino Fa’asuamaleaui for causing the damage when he led with his forearm. The injury ended Koroisau’s Origin campaign.
“I shouldn’t have tackled him with my face,” Koroisau quipped.
