NRL 2021: Wests Tigers will deploy one of the biggest benches in NRL history against Penrith on Friday night

As Wests Tigers attempt to end Penrith’s lengthy regular season winning streak, the joint venture will unleash one of the biggest benches in rugby league history - 442kg worth of front-rowers.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 04: Thomas Mikaele of the Tigers is tackled during the round eight NRL match between the Wests Tigers and the Penrith Panthers at Bankwest Stadium on July 04, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The Tigers will hit a 442kg bench press in an effort to hand Penrith their first regular season defeat in almost 12 months.

When the joint venture host the Panthers at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night, they’ll do so boasting one of the biggest benches in NRL history as coach Michael Maguire calls on four giants who will shake the old stadium to it’s foundations when they hit the hallowed turf.

At 191cm and 115kg, Stefano Utoikamanu is the youngest and biggest of the enormous quartet while Tom Amone (110kg) and Thomas Mikaele (109kg) aren’t exactly munchkins themselves.

Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand with No Ad-Breaks During Play. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Stefano Utoikamanu is set to come off the bench against the Panthers.

Usually Shawn Blore is the biggest unit in any side he plays in, but this time he’s the runt of the litter at a mere 108kg - all together the Tigers bench adds up to almost half a tonne of prime, rugby league beef between the four large lads.

“It’s a pretty big bench. Our starting middles in Jimmy Tamou and Alex Twal have been setting the platform, they take the sting out of the game, but after 20 or 25 minutes the big boys come on and the game opens up,” said halfback Luke Brooks.

“I’ll be looking to play off the back of them for sure. I think our bench, when they come on, they’ve got a fair bit of impact.

“I’ve noticed a difference because it helps my running game when we get those quick play-the-balls, it plays into my hands.”

The Tigers forward pack has quietly worked their way into form in recent weeks with the joint venture winning the yardage battle in four of their past five matches.

Two wins from their last three starts has the club just one win off eighth spot and an upset win over Penrith could help reignite their season.

Thomas Mikaele helps give the Tigers a huge bench advantage.

It won’t be easy against a Panthers side that still boasts plenty of quality despite a lengthy list of unavailable Origin players, but the Tigers big bench gives them every chance - especially with the fiery Blore leading the charge against his former club.

“He does get pretty fired up during the games, you saw that from his first game when he took on the Parramatta pack. He played his junior football at Penrith, so he’ll be fired up,” Brooks said.

“The players Penrith have coming in are good though, their reserve grade side has only lost the one game, so they’re full of confidence.”

The Tigers could soon give refuge to another former Panther in Canterbury’s Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who has been linked to the club as a possible mid-season transfer.

Negotiations between the Tigers and Bulldogs are ongoing, but Watene-Zelezniak could provide a fearsome one-two punch with winger David Nofoalouma if the former Kiwi Test skipper was to head to Concord.

“He’s a strong ball-carrier coming out of yardage and that’s a massive part of the game now,” Brooks said.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak could be on his way to the Tigers in a mid-season switch.

“Wingers have become so important. If he did come that’s what he’d bring. But I haven’t heard too much about it.”

The Tigers have managed to win two of their three matches since Maguire controversially switched Adam Doueihi to the centres and instilled Moses Mbye as Brooks’ halves partner.

Given Doueihi’s form at five-eighth earlier in the year, it raised plenty of eyebrows, but the uptick in form speaks for itself with Brooks able to take a firmer grip on the side while Doueihi is still talented enough to make a creative impact from one spot wider in the backline.

“For me, I’ve taken more control of the side. Moses came in and told me he’d play second fiddle and that’s been a good thing to know my role, to be in control of the side,” Brooks said.

“I’ve been doing most of the kicking and that gives me a definite role heading into the game and it’s helped me.

“When Doueihi was in there I was letting him do the same thing. Moey is happy to play second fiddle, so that’s been working for us.”