Nick Markham | Rugbyleaguelive.com | 18/08/08 | 0
Tigers star Robbie Farah is confident his in-form Tigers outfit can bury their Parramatta hoodoo tonight at Parramatta Stadium, and claims their poor record against the Eels isn't even an issue heading into tonight's crunch encounter.
The Eels have won the last seven encounters between the two teams, including a 44-6 drubbing in round 14 at ANZ Stadium, but according to Farah, the alarming statistic has done nothing to dent his side's burgeoning self-belief.
"We haven't spoken about it," Farah told Fairfax yesterday.
"And I don't think that we need to speak about it. The more of an issue you make of things, the more they play on your mind, so if you don't think there's anything in it there's no point in bringing it up at all.
"The past is the past and we're not worried about it. We've got more important things to worry about, like trying to win to keep our finals hopes alive, and I reckon Parramatta would be thinking the same thing."
The Tigers started Round 23 in ninth spot on the ladder, but can jump back into the eight win a win, after eighth-placed Newcastle went down to the Raiders in Canberra yesterday.
The Eels are faced with a much more desperate equation.
Sitting in twelfth heading into the weekend, another loss will certainly drop out of contention with another defeat.
Farah believes his side had genuine excuses for the Round 14 pummelling at the hands of Michael Hagan's men.
"We didn't have a forward pack to put on the field that day," he said. "We had a team full of back-rowers.
"We're much bigger not only in the forwards, but right across the park now. We've got a couple of big centres and a couple of big wingers who get in there and help us get out of our own end.
"We've lost Todd Payten from our pack, but finally getting Ryan O'Hara back last weekend was great for us, and Daine Laurie is making more and more of an impact
with his size, coming off the bench."
The Tigers hooker-cum-halfback credits a change in attitude for his side's late-season surge towards the finals.
"We're showing up with a really good intensity, week in and week out," he said. "It's been a pretty desperate situation for us, needing to get a win nearly every week lately, to stay in the hunt, but we're playing with a lot of commitment and getting results.
"It was an ugly win we got against the Dragons last weekend, but often that's how it is at this time of the year. Everyone's fighting hard.
"The position we're in now, we know that if we win all of our remaining games we'll make the finals."
The past is the past and we're not worried about it...
Robbie Farah, Tigers halfback
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