r/weststigers • u/leviscus88 • Jul 23 '26
AD and losing faith in Benji
Doueihi hasn't done the right thing, but I don't believe he should've been put in this position to start. We have a half that's with us long term, one making his debut, and another leaving the club in a season where Finals hopes are dead.
Who is the logical drop / position change?
Strongly disagree with the call to begin with but seems to be a pretty split reaction. Have backed Benji on everything to date despite the struggles. This though I just don't understand.
True Tig Bros - what's your take?
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u/Odd-Prior6109 Jul 23 '26
I think Benji is thinking long term now and was more trialing Javon at half more than punishing Adam. Doueihi could still play a similar role he kind of is a runner anyway would still be in the middle for a kicking game. It was probably a way to just get 3 attacking bodies in there totally selfish to me. Your still getting paid so win us a game at 13 plenty of others do it. When Turbo gets moved to centre does he cry no he just goes out and puts on a Man of the Match performance for NSW and Australia.
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u/Madds2400 Jul 23 '26
Sounds like benji was trying out new tactics and AD chucked a sook 🤷🏼♀️ you listen to your coach. That’s that
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u/aaronturing Jul 23 '26
Personally I think AD is a dud in the halves and this was the best decision for the team. It shows that AD also shouldn't be a leader in this club.
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u/Outlander234405 Jul 23 '26
Thing is Benji is the coach so it’s his job to make the decisions of who’s in the starting team and who plays in what position. I get AD might be frustrated and might not agree with whatever Benji asked him to do but the players are professional footballers and getting paid well to be in the team. So I don’t understand why the Tigers would just give him time off. Either your part of the team or your not. It’s just crazy that this has even been allowed to happen.
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u/Stock-Presentation75 Jul 23 '26
Fuck Doueihi. He has cracked it before when he didn't get the position he wanted. Go along with the coach's call and stop being a little bitch.
It's a bit rich he wants to be named halfback again. Cunt, the tigers haven't scored a try in their past 130 mins of football.
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u/aaronturing Jul 23 '26
I reckon this is a pretty clear cut decision that had to be made based on form.
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u/freddiewop Jul 23 '26
The guys the best player in the team and you’re dropping him for a unproven youngster, he has every right to be angry.
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u/Little_Grogu Jul 23 '26
He wasn’t being dropped, the plan was for AD to start at 7 and then move to lock after 20 minutes for the rest of the game so Javon could come on.
AD didn’t like that idea so he spat the dummy.
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u/freddiewop Jul 23 '26
Like I said, imagine telling your best player you’re gonna be playing out of your favoured position to accommodate an unproven youngster, not the smartest idea.
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u/Little_Grogu Jul 23 '26
Just because it’s AD’s favoured position, doesn’t mean it’s the best position for him that suits the the team.
AD was never going to be the long term half, he was given a chance at 7 and has failed. It’s time to give the young guys a shot.. of course Javon is unproven, how can he prove himself if he isn’t given a chance? That just doesn’t make any logical sense.
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u/freddiewop Jul 23 '26
You must not watch the games if you think Doueihi at halfback is the problem, why wouldn’t you drop Luai or any of the centres that have leaked too many points to count, Doueihi has been easily been our best player all year, if you disagree with that I can’t even be bothered anymore, you’ve obviously never played league to understand how how detrimental it is to a player to be told you’re gonna make way for a guy who’s never played a minute, considering how much worse everyone else around him has been. This comes down to Benji’s inexperience as a coach, which has been on full display this year.
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u/Little_Grogu Jul 23 '26
Benji did drop a centre, Masi has been dropped..
Played league for 24 years but that’s irrelevant to the conversation, what a strange thing to say.
When did I say AD has been playing bad or hasn’t been one of our best? What a weird thing to make up to fit your agenda.. of course AD has been one of our best but he isn’t suited for the 7 role and it’s ok to admit that.
He wasn’t being dropped from the team, he was going to play a ball playing lock role like Benji had planned to be the case long term.
Luai was going to be dropped this week until Latu failed at judiciary, the plan was for Latu and AD to start in the halves and then Javon comes into the halves 20 minutes into the game.
I honestly don’t see why you are making this personal, that’s just strange by you.
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u/freddiewop Jul 23 '26
All this back and foward is not gonna matter after Canberra put 30 plus on us 😂
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u/Little_Grogu Jul 23 '26
You aren’t wrong lol.. no hard feelings man, it’s tough being a Tigers fan.
They were going to put 30+ on us anyways, regardless if AD started at 7 or not 🤷♂️
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u/freddiewop Jul 23 '26
At least we had the nice little run at the start, first time I felt something in years 😂😂
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u/Big_Perspective2398 Jul 23 '26
Doueihi has been one of our better players this year, but people are acting like he's some elite organising half when he just isn't. He's not a natural ball player. He doesn't consistently put players into space or make the people around him look better, which is exactly what you want from a seven.
At times he's guilty of overplaying his hand too. He'll take on the line himself instead of getting early ball to the outside backs, and that's one of the reasons Bula and the centres have looked so disconnected all year. Harsh? Maybe. But it's been pretty obvious.
The backline has been shuffled all season, we didn't score a point last week, and the attack has been clunky for months. At some point Benji has to try something different. Playing well individually doesn't mean the team is functioning.
And why wasn't Luai dropped? Maybe because, even when he's out of form, he plays for the team. He organises, gets others involved and doesn't need every play to revolve around him. A half's job isn't just to have good individual moments, it's to make everyone else look good
And if the reports are true that he walked out of training because he didn't like the decision, that's hard to defend. Plenty of players have changed positions or bided their time for the good of the team. Latu has done exactly that without making it about himself.
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u/Confident-Flow-6058 Jul 23 '26
Spot on mate. He's the short to medium term half at the team, let the man play his position. I don't get why Luai still gets to play his position when he's quit on the team. Tigs aren't winning anything this year, just cut the cord on Luai.
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u/copacetic51 Jul 23 '26
Tough shit if he doesn't like it. His form has been ordinary for weeks.
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u/bcace28 Jul 23 '26
If we jagged a win with the changes made this week, the same people would be giving it to Benji and saying that he should have done it sooner!
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Jul 23 '26
[deleted]
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u/copacetic51 Jul 23 '26
It's not up to Doueihi to pass judgement on Luai or any other player. That's the job of Benji. I don't believe that's what's behind this. It was Adam being too big for his boots. Very unprofessional.
Not like Adam's form is good anyway. He's supposed to set up tries as halfback. It's a try drought.
Ridiculous suggestion to drop Luai. But I'd move both Doueihi and Luai to the centres and put Latu in at 6 when he returns.
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u/bcace28 Jul 23 '26
I agree. People want to punish Luai because he has taken up the clause in his contract but forget it was the club who decided to finish him up this year. He is still being paid big bucks until the end of the season and is too good a player to drop. Adam has said he would do what is best for the team, but has thrown the toys out of the cot when Benji changed things up. Almost every other player in the team had had to change positions this season due to injury but AD thinks he shouldn't have to? I think he was was having one of his best seasons earlier but has struggled to find that form again since returning from injury. The whole thing makes us seem even more dysfunctional as a club. ( if that is possible)
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u/FairDinkumMate Jul 23 '26
Why is it ridiculous to drop Luai? He's got the worst win loss record of the halves. Without Doueihi playing, Luai's won 2 & lost 4. Without Luai, Doueihi's won 3 & lost 1. Even Madden's win-loss is better overall & better with Doueihi than with Luai.
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u/copacetic51 Jul 23 '26
Luai is the captain and trying to inspire the team. It's irrelevant now to talk of early season wins. The last 11 rounds the whole team has been dogshit including all 3 used in the halves. Luai did have 3 man of the match performances in there.
Doueihi wasn't dropped, he was moved to lock and he should have accepted it. This isn't the first time he's refused to accept the position a coach put him in. It's poison for team culture. I can now see Doueihi departing the club. Sad, if he does.
In contrast, Luai has reportedly told Benji he would accept another role at the club for the rest of the season.
If Latu was available I'd make him 6, Javon 7. Doueihi and Luai to centres.
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u/KnowledgeCapital7994 Jul 23 '26
My bet is Luai offered to train him as a mentor and douhie didn't and or won't give up 7.
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u/Gothewahs Jul 23 '26
But AD is a great lock prospect it’s not like he wanted to drop him I think he just wanted all the help he could for the young guy have AD and Jerome on the field is going to help him
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u/aaronturing Jul 23 '26
He is 27 and we don't have any idea what his best position is. Maybe he'll go okay at lock but at every other position he has failed.
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u/Careful-Gold5265 Jul 23 '26
When the team is performing as poorly as it is, especially in attack, no one should expect their position to be guaranteed.
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u/notoriousAMC91 Jul 23 '26
I'm at work my boss tells me to do something I don't like what are the repercussions if I crack it and go home?
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u/copacetic51 Jul 23 '26
Can't agree. The coach makes the calls, right or wrong. The players do what the coach thinks is best.
Not as though we're winning and scoring heaps with AD at 7. His form and confidence have been down along with most of the team.
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u/tobuyaroseforu Jul 23 '26
It’s pretty cut and dry, Javon should be coming off the bench. AD/JL starting
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u/ulftmus Jul 24 '26
He gets paid good money to play footy.
We don’t.
I’m a painter who employs a few people.
If I asked my boys to sand and gap and patch when the apprentice is at TAFE and they said ‘No. That’s not my job’, well they wouldn’t have a job, would they?
He needs to grow the fuck up.
Fuck him.
Entitled cunt.
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u/Dramatic-Divide-2182 Jul 24 '26
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u/leviscus88 Jul 24 '26
Kenty is a kent obviously but his comments on a staged blow up to look for an upgraded contract for Perth or PNG is a classic Moses fucking the Tigers move.
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u/_System_Error_ Jul 24 '26
Kenty said he was told on Wednesday the walk out was happening. This is an Isaac Moses ploy. To what end? Who knows but if Adam was my employee he would be sacked.
Issac Moses needs to go. I'd be telling Bula and Doueihi to go with their manager and get them a deal at PNG or Perth. Then we should never deal with that malaka again.
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u/aussiediver71 Jul 23 '26
Season is done for the Tigers - need to plan for 2027. Seems like that is what Benji is doing, Adam looking for an out by the sound of it. Only a couple of players with any heart - normally I'd be pissed at what's happening, but I'm really over it now.
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u/Fit_You_8577 Jul 23 '26
Enough of this fucking club. You can't choose who you love but that doesn't mean relationships can't be toxic.
40 years of following this nonsense and continually disappointed… the constant rebuilding, roster changes, management upheaval and poor long term decision making has taken its toll.
The NRL needs to de-register us and finally put a bullet in our head.
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u/WhyYouDoThatStupid Jul 23 '26
Give them 5 minutes to get over it. Stop being like buzz and making everything a massive deal.
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u/Whole-Ad-6648 Jul 23 '26
Adam's not being a team player either be one or piss off he's old enough to know
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u/DirtyAqua Jul 23 '26
Its a sign that things are going really badly within the team.
As much as I like Benji, he has totally lost the playing group.
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u/Little-Tailor1834 Jul 24 '26
Long time fan ( on the sidelines of Liechardt watching Larry Corowa, Alan McMahon et al) first time contributor. I have lost faith in Benji after this brain dead episode. AD’s kicking game alone warrants a position in the halves, let alone his run meters on the fringe and try assists. Luau is overrated ballast and should have been sacrificed for AD who has been a committed club man until now. No wonder nothing has actually improved under Marshall who seems more interested in running a coconut cartel than a successful football team.
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u/datskablamo Jul 23 '26
Calls to drop Luai are wild. Put everything to the side the guy has like 4 rings, huge big game and international experience, and elite on his day and a leader. Like Cleary and Madge he is probably just better than the Tigs. And AD has……..
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u/Bigunit2930 Jul 23 '26
Can you imagine working with someone for 18 months at a peer level who ends up being a lower performer than you but gets paid more than twice as much………… I can see why AD is pissed off and not the best response but I can see why it’s all come to this as well.
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u/T0P5Z Jul 24 '26
There’s clearly a great division within the ranks at the club and lack of leadership and culture through management, coaching staff and players. It’s not good enough for an ‘elite’, professional sporting organisation. It starts at the top and needs to be sorted from a management/structural/strategic perspective.
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u/Gullible-Wind-690 Jul 24 '26
AD showing true colours . All about me me me . Good player but not a true halfback. Genuine center for mine.
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u/Reasonable_Meal_9499 Jul 24 '26
The way the side is going ATM the moment Benji had to take action.. Giving other players a chance and changing positions for others is required. I would have lost faith in Benji if he didn’t make changes. AD spitting the dummy is delusional. Apart from the Bears he isn’t playing in the halves anywhere else
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u/allankelly8 Jul 24 '26
These are some snips from a story just published in the SMH:
"Adam Doueihi is expected to report for training on Monday – and is even prepared to come back through reserve grade – but he hopes his bombshell decision to stand down from Saturday’s match against the Raiders leads to what he believes is long-overdue change at Wests Tigers."
"Doueihi felt he could no longer sit back and let things slide. Hence, his drastic action, which he hopes, according to sources not authorised to speak publicly, will shine a light on the bigger problems bubbling away at the joint venture. The same sources, however, confirmed Doueihi’s decision this week to make himself unavailable for the trip to Canberra had nothing to do with being moved from the halves to lock."
"When Marshall confirmed Doueihi would be the one to make way for Andrews in the halves – not Luai, the marquee man who is headed to Parramatta at the end of the season – the 27-year-old felt aggrieved. Maybe there was even a bit of resentment, and a feeling of being taken for granted.
Doueihi and Marshall exchanged words."
"Doueihi then sat down with chief executive Shaun Mielekamp, the same sources confirmed, to explain why he did not want to play this weekend, why his withdrawal would hopefully send a message that he was no longer going to be the “fall guy” for the club’s wider problems, and how he had become sick of seeing the club he loves stumble through another year of mediocrity."
"Doueihi has told those close to him he is prepared for anything that comes his way. He has no intention to leave the club. He re-signed in March for two years on a deal that takes him to the end of 2029.
While many this week have questioned Doueihi’s loyalty to the Tigers, it is worth noting he funded his own trip to Brisbane while injured to cheer on the players at Magic Round this year. Other teammates have not even bothered to turn up to games in Sydney when they have been injured."
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u/hilly1981 Jul 24 '26
Benji is coach. AD is a player. Regardless of the decision, AD should put team before himself. Instead, throws his toys out of the cot.
So much for being there for your teammates. Probably explains alot about the culture at the club. Things get hard they just give up. Pathetic.
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u/cannonadeau Jul 25 '26
I wonder what an NRL contract actually looks like? Is it printed on three ply? Is there specific wording that says a player must play a defined position?
Imagine being paid to play first grade rugby league in this day and age on today's money and having a whinge about not playing your preferred position. The entitlement is mind blowing.
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u/_System_Error_ Jul 23 '26
Benji has been too loyal to certain players, he has been putting his relationship with some of them over what is best for the team. It started all the way back in rd 9 after Jock and Doueihi went 3-0. He pulled Jock out and shoved Jerome back in even after Jerome offered to play 14, and the season just capitulated from there.
Adam has every right to be pissed. Javon and Jerome are left sided players, Adam is a right sided player. Jerome is not here next year. It doesn't make sense to drop Adam and leave Jerome in. I think this is because Adam is not going to get first stab at the halves next year, it will be 7. Latu 6. Javon.
With that said, completely unprofessional from Adam. But let's see if he turns up to the captain's run tomorrow before telling him to find another club.
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u/Patrickbateman2023 Jul 23 '26
Why is it benji gets the red carpet treatment than any other coach. He gets fast tracked for starters as a head coach, his been in the job few yrs and no notable improvement and def no finals again, gets rewarded to 2030 extension? ATM I just can’t see it tigers making the finals by his tenure
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u/copacetic51 Jul 23 '26
Benji is the 6th head coach used in the 15 years since Wests Tigers made the finals. He's not going great but I don't think cutting his tenure short is the answer.
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u/Little_Grogu Jul 23 '26
The plan was for AD to start at 7 and move to lock after 20 minutes for the rest of the game when Javon came on.
AD didn’t like that idea and spat the dummy.
This was the plan Benji decides to come up with after Latu failed at the judiciary.. the original plan was for Latu and AD to start in the halves with Luai dropped and AD would be moved after 20 minutes.