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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
Douiehi's insight into tumultuous Wests Tigers' pre-season as starting position confirmed
Sam Kosack • January 9th, 2026 1:53 pm
Adam Doueihi has revealed he has spent the Wests Tigers’ pre-season training at halfback as the club rally post the very public board fallout.
Since arriving at the club in 2020, Doueihi has been utilised in a number of positions, playing across lock, five-eighth, halfback, and centre in 2025.
Entering his seventh season at the Wests Tigers, Doueihi has been handed the keys to his preferred position, and is expected to line up in the halves alongside Jarome Luai come Round 1.
Doueihi was competing with Latu Fainu for the position, but the young half is still recovering from a shoulder reconstruction and is expected to miss the early rounds of the 2026 season.
“I've been thrown around in a few different positions, but I've been doing most of my reps at the halfback position,” Doueihi confirmed on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“I've been filling in there and helping out alongside Jarome (Luai) there and working with him and trying to form a combo.
“That's where I've been most of this pre-season so fingers crossed (I can) get the nod there for round one and take it from there.
“I love it (in the halves). I grew up playing in the halves and I feel as though I’m a dominant voice at the club so I really feel as though that number seven jersey suits me.
“Whatever Benji (Marshall) sees fit for the team, I’ll follow his lead and go from there.”
Javon Andrews, who was man of the match in the 2025 Under 19 State of Origin match, has also joined the club, but will gain reps in lower grades before he’s considered for first grade.
Doueihi also reflected on the “toughest” pre-season he’s done at the club, following the fallout of the board saga.
At the end of 2025, the Wests Tigers’ majority shareholders, the Holman-Barnes Group, sacked four independent board members, before reinstating three of them amidst fan outrage and NRL demands.
The fallout led to the departure of CEO Shane Richardson and the long-term extension of Benji Marshall, but Doueihi insisted the drama hadn’t been a distraction for the playing group as they hunt for a first finals appearance since 2011.
“Every pre-season's tough no matter what club you're at but speaking personally from a Tigers perspective, it's definitely the toughest one we've done since I've been here,” Doueihi said.
“Everything's gone up a tad from last year, and (we’re) hopefully looking to build on that and take it into the season.
“You know how tough these pre-seasons are, and if your mind gets distracted for a split second during a drill or during a session then you get hijacked.
“As a leadership group… we made sure that them (sic) distractions were nothing to do with us as a group and wasn't going to stop us or deteriorate us from growing and making the most out of this pre-season.
“Speaking of our first block before Christmas, we really nailed it and the boys all really dug in and everyone's heads are really fit at the moment and effort areas are high.
“That was all a distraction off the field, but internally our playing group were just focused on pre-season and growing.”
The Wests Tigers have the bye in Round 1 before taking on the Cowboys after they return from Las Vegas in Round 2.
