Wests Tigers v Sea Eagles: Pole in doubt; Talau m,onitored

Wests Tigers' win over Souths gives them an outside shot at avoiding a third straight wooden spoon but they face a daunting task against a potent Sea Eagles outfit on Thursday.

With teenagers Lachlan Galvin and Heath Mason leading the way, the Tigers staved off a late challenge from the Rabbitohs to close within two points of Parramatta on the competition table.

If Benji Marshall's men can spring an upset this weekend they then pocket two points for a bye in Round 26 and then face the Eels in the final round in a possible spoon shootout.

The Sea Eagles are coming off a solid win over the Warriors that kept them in sixth place with games against Wests Tigers, Bulldogs and Sharks to come.

Those two heavyweight showdowns against the fifth-placed Bulldogs and fourth-placed Sharks offer the perfect tune up for Manly's first finals appearance since 2021.

Centre Tommy Talau (pectoral) and bench hooker Gordon Chan Kum Tong (shoulder) suffered injuries during the Warriors game but coach Anthony Seibold said post-match that neither was considered serious.