Chris Heighington will return to his old stomping ground when the Cronulla Sharks take on the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval tonight.
Making his NRL debut for the Tigers back in 2003, almost fifteen years have passed and the Sharks’ forward still holds the venue close to his heart.
“I love playing out at Leichhardt,” Heighington admitted.
“It’s always great to play out there and to see all of the Tigers fans who have been awesome throughout my career.”
Heighington called Leichhardt Oval ‘home’ throughout his decade-long career with the Wests Tigers (2003 – 2012) with the ground renowned for attracting a passionate crowd, playing host to countless home games for Heighington.
After Wednesday’s training session, Heighington said that as close as the Tigers’ spiritual home is to his heart, he is excited to don the Black, White and Blue at Leichhardt for tonight's clash.
“Last time they [Wests Tigers] played at Leichhardt Oval, it was against the Melbourne Storm on a Sunday, and there was a great crowd.
“I still speak to a lot of the Tigers fans, hopefully they all come out for the game this weekend.
“And a lot of my mate’s love heading out there!
“It’s great to sit on the hill and watch a game.”
While Cronulla are sitting towards the top of the ladder, Heighington acknowledged that there is plenty of work to be done in the lead up to Saturday night.
The Sharks star indicated that his side will need to improve their completion rate and penalty count if they want to secure themselves a Round 9 victory. After earning an unexpected win over the Canterbury Bulldogs last week, the Tigers are bound to challenge the 2016 Premiers.
“The Tigers are working hard for one another, so we’re going to have to be at our best to best them. Especially out at Leichhardt,” said Heighington.