Adam Doueihi #227

If we only offered wih our war chest 350k for 2 years after the season he's had,that's
pretty rude. He's really showed us this year and his defence has really surprised me.
He is a must keep IMO and if he is only asking 450k for 2 year.That isn't outragous given his
contributions on the field this year.
 
Don’t doubt Douiehi is inconsistent but I don’t think he is just playing for a contract in the sense he will tank if we give it to him. No doubt he is trying to prove his worth - I respect that.

I’d go two years at 450. Anything more it starts getting pretty tricky.
As critical as I have been, $450 for 2 is probably the sweet spot. $500 for 2 is deadset overs and $350 for 1 year is a bit low, but at least he’s always playing for a contract. I’d prefer $400 for 1 year, and spend the half a mil saved on an actual 7.

The fact that we still don’t have a 7 blows my mind. We keep trying to manufacture them from 5/8’s and now JL (our marquee 7) is back playing 5/8, we are back needing and trying to manufacture a 7 from anywhere, even re-signing ones we let go for being shite.

Anyway, AD’s value is as a utility and we should be paying him for that and no more.
 
Don’t doubt Douiehi is inconsistent but I don’t think he is just playing for a contract in the sense he will tank if we give it to him. No doubt he is trying to prove his worth - I respect that.

I’d go two years at 450. Anything more it starts getting pretty tricky.
Yes, this is the deal that says hey we value you and want you to stay. The current deal on the table is a joke and says the opposite.
 
Re effort we were up 28-8 game over, Curran charge down and AD was the one chasing back and came very close to preventing the try.

AD of years before 100% wouldn’t have been chasing.

Have no idea if it’s a confidence due to injury free run, Luai effect of never giving up, coaching staff or playing for a contract or everything combined but that one play alone showed the improvement I want to see in all our players. Being hungry right to the bell.
That is typical AD play though - if he is on the ball he can be fantastic. It is what he doesn't do off the ball that is his limiting factor. Rewatch last weekends game and focus on him off the ball - the difference between the left and right side line speed is telling. Luai and his edge is pushing up and in to contain the Dogs whereas AD in his edge is not. This could be planned (but I doubt it). Look at his kick chase efforts, look at the inside pressure that he doesn't provide.

I'm not saying he is a bad player at all. He has done some great things but the offer he has been given reflects how he will fit into the team going forward. Benji is trying to deliver an effort focussed team and is rewarding this with game time (Seyfarth/Twal etc). I can only imagine that the plan is to get more of these types, with hgher ceilings, than to have those that like to shine when the focus is on them but don't do the extras.

The Dogs, until we humiliated them, were thriving on this model because of the work done in the effort areas. On the weekend we won because of our control, effort areas and a couple of fortuitous bounces and slips that went our way. Wests of old don't win those games.

AD has put a case forward, and has a place in the team no doubt. However, his lack of effort off the ball has clearly been noticed by those that matter. If he can pick that up, like he has with his tackling deficiencies, he can be a great player. History and current performances suggests that he doesn't have it in him. He can be a good starter at a middle tier club or he can be a great 14/depth player at Wests Tigers and be part of the ride.

He is not lost though, if Benji is true to his word and has had the hard conversation, AD knows why he has been offered the $ and what he needs to do to get more.
 
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Adam Doueihi's goal conversion rate in the 2025 NRL season is 72.5%. He has kicked 50 goals from 69 attempts. In the 2022 season, his goal conversion rate was 66.7%

I thought players didn't develop under Benji? Sione's development looks pretty good to me too. LG you clown.
 
That is typical AD play though - if he is on the ball he can be fantastic. It is what he doesn't do off the ball that is his limiting factor. Rewatch last weekends game and focus on him off the ball - the difference between the left and right side line speed is telling. Luai and his edge is pushing up and in to contain the Dogs whereas AD in his edge is not. This could be planned (but I doubt it). Look at his kick chase efforts, look at the inside pressure that he doesn't provide.

I'm not saying he is a bad player at all. He has done some great things but the offer he has been given reflects how he will fit into the team going forward. Benji is trying to deliver an effort focussed team and is rewarding this with game time (Seyfarth/Twal etc). I can only imagine that the plan is to get more of these types, with hgher ceilings, than to have those that like to shine when the focus is on them but don't do the extras.

The Dogs, until we humiliated them, were thriving on this model because of the work done in the effort areas. On the weekend we won because of our control, effort areas and a couple of fortuitous bounces and slips that went our way. Wests of old don't win those games.

AD has put a case forward, and has a place in the team no doubt. However, his lack of effort off the ball has clearly been noticed by those that matter. If he can pick that up, like he has with his tackling deficiencies, he can be a great player. History and current performances suggests that he doesn't have it in him. He can be a good starter at a middle tier club or he can be a great 14/depth player at Wests Tigers and be part of the ride.

He is not lost though, if Benji is true to his word and has had the hard conversation, AD knows why he has been offered the $ and what he needs to do to get more.
I honestly think if we are wanting to keep him it would need to be with the intention of being our starting 7 for 2026 form permitting of course, otherwise we might as well let him go as I don’t believe he will be happy playing any other position.
I’d be surprised if Luai doesn’t put his opinion forward and advise Richo that as much as he loves Latu and thinks he will be our starting 6 or 7 long term, the team currently needs Doueihi’s voice, leadership, experience and kicking game to help get the desired results short term.
 
I wonder if the Dragons offer has to factor in management fees to IM whereas AD is negotiating directly with us or has he given IM the green light to get a deal done with both parties?
 
It’s a risk one more acl and it’s over. That’s the reason price is where it is he’s a good footballer. Ticks all the boxes off the field also.
 
I honestly think if we are wanting to keep him it would need to be with the intention of being our starting 7 for 2026 form permitting of course, otherwise we might as well let him go as I don’t believe he will be happy playing any other position.
I’d be surprised if Luai doesn’t put his opinion forward and advise Richo that as much as he loves Latu and thinks he will be our starting 6 or 7 long term, the team currently needs Doueihi’s voice, leadership, experience and kicking game to help get the desired results short term.
Latu is team first it will be all good bro
 
If the reported offers are true, there is no way he’s going to take $150k less per season than a club at a similar level to us.

This might happen with Melbourne, but we are not them.
 
If the reported offers are true, there is no way he’s going to take $150k less per season than a club at a similar level to us.

This might happen with Melbourne, but we are not them.
I heard us 350 for 2 years, dragons are 400 for 2 years Bird is on 400? Are you telling more AD is not worth more then Bird when you look at what they have contributed haha
 
That is typical AD play though - if he is on the ball he can be fantastic. It is what he doesn't do off the ball that is his limiting factor. Rewatch last weekends game and focus on him off the ball - the difference between the left and right side line speed is telling. Luai and his edge is pushing up and in to contain the Dogs whereas AD in his edge is not. This could be planned (but I doubt it). Look at his kick chase efforts, look at the inside pressure that he doesn't provide.

I'm not saying he is a bad player at all. He has done some great things but the offer he has been given reflects how he will fit into the team going forward. Benji is trying to deliver an effort focussed team and is rewarding this with game time (Seyfarth/Twal etc). I can only imagine that the plan is to get more of these types, with hgher ceilings, than to have those that like to shine when the focus is on them but don't do the extras.

The Dogs, until we humiliated them, were thriving on this model because of the work done in the effort areas. On the weekend we won because of our control, effort areas and a couple of fortuitous bounces and slips that went our way. Wests of old don't win those games.

AD has put a case forward, and has a place in the team no doubt. However, his lack of effort off the ball has clearly been noticed by those that matter. If he can pick that up, like he has with his tackling deficiencies, he can be a great player. History and current performances suggests that he doesn't have it in him. He can be a good starter at a middle tier club or he can be a great 14/depth player at Wests Tigers and be part of the ride.

He is not lost though, if Benji is true to his word and has had the hard conversation, AD knows why he has been offered the $ and what he needs to do to get more.

Yet look at the effort 5mins or so to go when Curran charged the ball down.

What about him getting back onside when Skelton got tackled and he set Bula up.

His urgency when Burton dropped the ball and he was holding the line then rushed up.

People see what they want to see.

I’ve been critical and still want more from him but this year has been a marked improvement. The Bulldogs game should be his blue print.
 
Latu is team first it will be all good bro
Latu is a massive talent, no doubt about it.
But it is very clear he is a quiet, reserved type of person and the responsibility of being out on the ball number 7 was hindering his running game.
He looks like he’s either a 6 where he played as a highly rated junior coming through, or a 13 where he looks very comfortable and there is no reason why he couldn’t spend 29 minutes per game at 9 allowing Api to have the rest he needs.
The alternative is to let Doueihi go, play Latu at 7 and hope and pray it works, otherwise use our fall back option in Jock Madden.
 
You can’t just use one game. We totally botched a big opportunity against Parra with AD in the halves. It started our rut. Our bigger issue is getting our forwards to show up with that mongrel every week to give whoever plays in the halves a chance.
Let's just all agree that the game against the Dogs was an outlier.

Putting it all into perspective the following factors came into play:
  • There was the Galvin situation and the circumstances that led up to him exiting the club.
  • A whole lot of smart arse stuff coming our way from the Dogs supporters leading up to the game.
  • The media hyping this game up as the big get square from the Tigers.
  • The fact that undoubtedly the Dogs thought they would win this game easily.
  • The leveling factor brought about by the weather and ground conditions.
  • Adam Doueihi looking for a new contract.
I know we have been notorious in the past at not stepping up when we needed to in must win games, but if we were ever going to step up then this game certainly was one of them, add to that the fact that we got lucky with a couple of dubious passes that resulted in tries (the score board indicates we still would have won even without those tries) and Adam Doueihi being fortunate enough to swoop onto a couple of loose balls, generally speaking, things that don't normally go our way.

I agree that we can't just use one game, let's see what happens in our remaining 4 games before we get too excited.
 
Yet look at the effort 5mins or so to go when Curran charged the ball down.

What about him getting back onside when Skelton got tackled and he set Bula up.

His urgency when Burton dropped the ball and he was holding the line then rushed up.

People see what they want to see.

I’ve been critical and still want more from him but this year has been a marked improvement. The Bulldogs game should be his blue print.
The other major factor that I think many people are missing is Doueihi’s leadership.
In every huddle on Sunday he was the one doing all the talking and obviously the message was getting through as our whole team played with their best intent in recent memory.
Why we would even risk throwing this out the window I will never know.
 
If dragons have offered 500, go to 450 at two years and you’d have to think he’d stay….
Was there a story getting around that if Doueihi signs elsewhere then Moses gets his cut as Doueihi's manager, but if he signs here then Moses takes no part because Doueihi is doing the negotiations with Wests Tigers so there is no commission involved.

If there is any truth in that story then I think you could possibly be onto something, plus the fact that I think he would prefer to stay here rather than go elsewhere.
 

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