Tigers Deep Dive of the Week

Jolls said:

Jock seems to be playing with injury; his kicking is severely hampered. If Lanyon is up to it I wonder why he doesn't start in place of Latu and give Jock a spell

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The Question is will Benji bite the bullet ran within something out of his comfort zone??

Bellend said:

The Question is will Benji bite the bullet ran within something out of his comfort zone??

Click to expand...

Probably not; but if we aren't up for it this week he will need to pull some other levers.

Just made some notes showcasing the injury impact on our Best 17 this season.

Bula - Missed 4 rounds. Will be nursing his shoulder the remainder of the season.
Turuva - No injury. Just moved around from right wing to cover fullback & centre, lack of conntinuity.
To'a - Hampered by his elbow/tricep injury from last year, also restricted pre-season with stress reaction in foot impacting his fitness levels.
Taylan May - Missed 4 rounds early in the season & past 2 rounds with shoulder. Will be nursing his shoulder the remainder of the season.
Makasini - 18yo who has been targeted heavily by opposition & media - mental fatigue. Stress reaction in foot to miss 5 rounds. Playing with AC/shoulder injury.
Luai - Missed 3 rounds with MCL. Knee did restrict him for at least month after he returned. Question marks on mental impact of PNG signing after Round 8.
Doueihi - Missed 5 rounds with shoulder. Will be nursing his shoulder the remainder of the season.
Twal - Missed 1 round with MCL so far. Even when he returns, it will likely hamper him for a period.
KPP
Samuela Fainu - Missed 6 rounds with stress fracture in foot. Another 5-6 to go. Impact on fitness levels for rest of season.
Pole
Koroisau - Something has impacted his fitness levels the past 2 weeks???
Terrell May - nursed a back problem through pre-season. Ok now.
---
Latu Fainu - minimal contact in pre-season due to shoulder recon. Has been on a slow build of mins.
Sione Fainu
Hunt - possibly out for season with pec???
Seyfarth

BlackWhiteGold said:

Just made some notes showcasing the injury impact on our Best 17 this season.

Bula - Missed 4 rounds. Will be nursing his shoulder the remainder of the season.
Turuva - No injury. Just moved around from right wing to cover fullback & centre, lack of conntinuity.
To'a - Hampered by his elbow/tricep injury from last year, also restricted pre-season with stress reaction in foot impacting his fitness levels.
Taylan May - Missed 4 rounds early in the season & past 2 rounds with shoulder. Will be nursing his shoulder the remainder of the season.
Makasini - 18yo who has been targeted heavily by opposition & media - mental fatigue. Stress reaction in foot to miss 5 rounds. Playing with AC/shoulder injury.
Luai - Missed 3 rounds with MCL. Knee did restrict him for at least month after he returned. Question marks on mental impact of PNG signing after Round 8.
Doueihi - Missed 5 rounds with shoulder. Will be nursing his shoulder the remainder of the season.
Twal - Missed 1 round with MCL so far. Even when he returns, it will likely hamper him for a period.
KPP
Samuela Fainu - Missed 6 rounds with stress fracture in foot. Another 5-6 to go. Impact on fitness levels for rest of season.
Pole
Koroisau - Something has impacted his fitness levels the past 2 weeks???
Terrell May - nursed a back problem through pre-season. Ok now.
---
Latu Fainu - minimal contact in pre-season due to shoulder recon. Has been on a slow build of mins.
Sione Fainu
Hunt - possibly out for season with pec???
Seyfarth

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Twally missed the Manly game as well. Sione HIA last week. Not even sure we’ve had the same backline once this year, it’s the walking wounded!

Not making excuses, but we need some equity from the ref at the start of the game as well. That first six again on the fourth last week against Penrith snowballed diabolically and there was just no discernible reason for it. A call like that so early in the game can screw the whole fixture. We weren't going to hold out Penrith but it seems like every week we're getting these farcical set restarts against us that compound in nonstop defence, fatigue and errors.

Airport05 said:

Not making excuses, but we need some equity from the ref at the start of the game as well. That first six again on the fourth last week against Penrith snowballed diabolically and there was just no discernible reason for it. A call like that so early in the game can screw the whole fixture. We weren't going to hold out Penrith but it seems like every week we're getting these farcical set restarts against us that compound in nonstop defence, fatigue and errors.

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I hate to use the ref as an excuse, and we were never likely to beat Penrith, but once they had 90% possession in the first 20 minutes, it was never going to end well. The boys didn't give up, they were just depleted. Sometimes, 50/50 calls change the whole complexion of the game.
When To'o fielded that kick and Mak was taken out of the play, that's a tigers penalty, which meant possession on the Penrith 22. Instead, To'o takes off downfield against a tiring, scattered defence and there's another 6 points before you know it.
Mak cops a shoulder charge from a front rower and turns the ball over. There's another WT possession that ends in points for Penrith.
You can't win without the ball, and I know we turned it over plenty, but the ref doesn't have to hand it over as well.
I know, we still would have lost, but not by that score. Maybe not even to nil.
BTW, Makasini is an 18 year old kid on the receiving end of, at minimum, a shoulder charge every week.
You can't even touch the toe of a kicker. Don't dare rough up Sam Walker. Seems you can belt a promising WT junior into submission without fear.

tigerballs said:

I hate to use the ref as an excuse, and we were never likely to beat Penrith, but once they had 90% possession in the first 20 minutes, it was never going to end well. The boys didn't give up, they were just depleted. Sometimes, 50/50 calls change the whole complexion of the game.
When To'o fielded that kick and Mak was taken out of the play, that's a tigers penalty, which meant possession on the Penrith 22. Instead, To'o takes off downfield against a tiring, scattered defence and there's another 6 points before you know it.
Mak cops a shoulder charge from a front rower and turns the ball over. There's another WT possession that ends in points for Penrith.
You can't win without the ball, and I know we turned it over plenty, but the ref doesn't have to hand it over as well.
I know, we still would have lost, but not by that score. Maybe not even to nil.
BTW, Makasini is an 18 year old kid on the receiving end of, at minimum, a shoulder charge every week.
You can't even touch the toe of a kicker. Don't dare rough up Sam Walker. Seems you can belt a promising WT junior into submission without fear.

Click to expand...

nailed it

Jolls said:

The big questions for this week:

• How many minutes can Latu realistically play at hooker before fatigue becomes an issue?
• Can Hope bridge that gap or is there a better answer?

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Yes, hopefully 25 minutes at full throttle.

A bit of a question mark over Latu's line speed and ruck domination, is it up to it. Fortunaltely he has a some help with Fainu playing at lock, I can see him having a good game by just working his backside off and not worrying about defending on the edges.

We can't make any errors, we need as much control as possible, much easier said then done for a team like the Tigers. This is the key for me.

The change in the interpretation of the ruck may have hurt us latley, we have never been able to slow the ruck down like other teams.

tigerballs said:

I hate to use the ref as an excuse, and we were never likely to beat Penrith, but once they had 90% possession in the first 20 minutes, it was never going to end well. The boys didn't give up, they were just depleted. Sometimes, 50/50 calls change the whole complexion of the game.
When To'o fielded that kick and Mak was taken out of the play, that's a tigers penalty, which meant possession on the Penrith 22. Instead, To'o takes off downfield against a tiring, scattered defence and there's another 6 points before you know it.
Mak cops a shoulder charge from a front rower and turns the ball over. There's another WT possession that ends in points for Penrith.
You can't win without the ball, and I know we turned it over plenty, but the ref doesn't have to hand it over as well.
I know, we still would have lost, but not by that score. Maybe not even to nil.
BTW, Makasini is an 18 year old kid on the receiving end of, at minimum, a shoulder charge every week.
You can't even touch the toe of a kicker. Don't dare rough up Sam Walker. Seems you can belt a promising WT junior into submission without fear.

Click to expand...

We can’t control the ref but the three schoolboy errors afterwards is on us. Earlier in the year we had a resilient mindset. I’m sure this week we are all about what we can control.

2026 Deep Dive 7. What has happened to our defensive resolve?​

I want to move past the generic "they didn’t show up" or "they lack heart" rants. Let's look at the mechanics of our edge defence. Recently it hasn’t just leaked. It has, at times, capitulated.

NRL defence is a game of microscopic trust. We started the season on a high defensively, but major issues have been exposed in our “edge connection” and the split-second decisions our outside backs are making under pressure once injuries hit.

In our defensive system, the edge is supposed to move like a rubber band. The halves and back-rowers form a "hinge"; their job is to push hard off the line to freeze the ball-player, and then lock with the centre to slide outward as a single, unbreakable wall.

Due to a combination of inexperience and a lack of NRL quality depth we have not hinged the rubber band and have suffered from a combination of ball watching and a loss of physical and spatial connection with the outside backs. It is dead easy to pick; panic as players shoot out of the line un-necessarily, players not following the decisions of the inside player (even if they are wrong) creating yawning gaps instead of pushing the play to the outside to allow the scramble defence to compensate for the mis-read.

When the inside connection fails, it leaves the outside backs stranded. This causes two distinct mechanical failures on the fringes:

• The Centre Panic (Inward Jam): A centre's chief role is to mirror his opponent and hold his line until the ball is committed. Seeing a 3-on-2 overlap brewing in open space, our inexperienced players commit the cardinal sin of edge defence: jamming in on the lead runner before the playmaker releases the ball. At NRL level playmakers hold the pass or double pump waiting for the centre to commit, before making the pass decision. If the centre decides to jam – his winger needs to jam also; otherwise he provides an open passage to the try line for the opposition centre.
• The Winger’s No-Man's Land: In good structure, if the centre jams, the winger should also jam, providing only one opportunity for the attackers; to go around he defence. This is where the sideline comes into play as the extra defender and the inside pressure forces them to cut back inside or risk being bundled into touch.

Makasini has all the physical tools to be a great FG centre, but his play so far has exposed the technical gap between an outstanding junior talent and first-grade structures. Similar can be said for LL and Tino. They all suffer from the same inexperience and there are a couple of tell-tale signs:

• The 'Eye-Magnet'. These three juniors constantly have their eyes glued to the inside runners. When an opposing team runs a block-sweep shape, they tend to bite inward with their shoulders turned flat toward the ball. This stops their lateral footwork dead, preventing them form making adjustments quickly and losing the flexibility of the rubber band.
• Over-reliance on Physical Recovery: In the juniors, they could afford to make an incorrect read because their raw speed allowed them to chase down a ball-carrier. In first grade, they are being punished instantly.

Good edge defence requires the centre to be the 'brain' and the winger to be the 'muscle'. Right now, we tend to be making isolated decisions rather than coordinated team reads. When Makasini jams, it is a solo choice that catches his outside winger off guard. This can also be said, to a lesser extent, for Madden in his role.

This is only part of the problem though. If the junior players are struggling to execute the defensive plan is the problem something we can overcome with training, is it a skill deficiency in the system or the way the system is applied across the grades. Surely, if we have the same system in all of our grades we should not see this dysfunctionality (next man up).

The big questions:

1. Is this a Benji System Problem (complex system), an Execution Problem, a Club System Problem (inconsistent application across the grades) or are we simply short of experience (depth)? In short: are we asking our outside backs to play a complex spatial reading game that they just don't have the first-grade experience to pull off yet?
2. Should we move to a simpler, more aggressive block/jam (up and in) defence that is easier for NSW Cup depth players to execute when injuries hit?

I have my thoughts. What are yours?

Jolls said:

2026 Deep Dive 7. What has happened to our defensive resolve?​

I want to move past the generic "they didn’t show up" or "they lack heart" rants. Let's look at the mechanics of our edge defence. Recently it hasn’t just leaked. It has, at times, capitulated.

NRL defence is a game of microscopic trust. We started the season on a high defensively, but major issues have been exposed in our “edge connection” and the split-second decisions our outside backs are making under pressure once injuries hit.

In our defensive system, the edge is supposed to move like a rubber band. The halves and back-rowers form a "hinge"; their job is to push hard off the line to freeze the ball-player, and then lock with the centre to slide outward as a single, unbreakable wall.

Due to a combination of inexperience and a lack of NRL quality depth we have not hinged the rubber band and have suffered from a combination of ball watching and a loss of physical and spatial connection with the outside backs. It is dead easy to pick; panic as players shoot out of the line un-necessarily, players not following the decisions of the inside player (even if they are wrong) creating yawning gaps instead of pushing the play to the outside to allow the scramble defence to compensate for the mis-read.

When the inside connection fails, it leaves the outside backs stranded. This causes two distinct mechanical failures on the fringes:

• The Centre Panic (Inward Jam): A centre's chief role is to mirror his opponent and hold his line until the ball is committed. Seeing a 3-on-2 overlap brewing in open space, our inexperienced players commit the cardinal sin of edge defence: jamming in on the lead runner before the playmaker releases the ball. At NRL level playmakers hold the pass or double pump waiting for the centre to commit, before making the pass decision. If the centre decides to jam – his winger needs to jam also; otherwise he provides an open passage to the try line for the opposition centre.
• The Winger’s No-Man's Land: In good structure, if the centre jams, the winger should also jam, providing only one opportunity for the attackers; to go around he defence. This is where the sideline comes into play as the extra defender and the inside pressure forces them to cut back inside or risk being bundled into touch.

Makasini has all the physical tools to be a great FG centre, but his play so far has exposed the technical gap between an outstanding junior talent and first-grade structures. Similar can be said for LL and Tino. They all suffer from the same inexperience and there are a couple of tell-tale signs:

• The 'Eye-Magnet'. These three juniors constantly have their eyes glued to the inside runners. When an opposing team runs a block-sweep shape, they tend to bite inward with their shoulders turned flat toward the ball. This stops their lateral footwork dead, preventing them form making adjustments quickly and losing the flexibility of the rubber band.
• Over-reliance on Physical Recovery: In the juniors, they could afford to make an incorrect read because their raw speed allowed them to chase down a ball-carrier. In first grade, they are being punished instantly.

Good edge defence requires the centre to be the 'brain' and the winger to be the 'muscle'. Right now, we tend to be making isolated decisions rather than coordinated team reads. When Makasini jams, it is a solo choice that catches his outside winger off guard. This can also be said, to a lesser extent, for Madden in his role.

This is only part of the problem though. If the junior players are struggling to execute the defensive plan is the problem something we can overcome with training, is it a skill deficiency in the system or the way the system is applied across the grades. Surely, if we have the same system in all of our grades we should not see this dysfunctionality (next man up).

The big questions:

1. Is this a Benji System Problem (complex system), an Execution Problem, a Club System Problem (inconsistent application across the grades) or are we simply short of experience (depth)? In short: are we asking our outside backs to play a complex spatial reading game that they just don't have the first-grade experience to pull off yet?
2. Should we move to a simpler, more aggressive block/jam (up and in) defence that is easier for NSW Cup depth players to execute when injuries hit?

I have my thoughts. What are yours?

Click to expand...

I think its mainly an experience problem and the more reps the younger guys get the more it will become second nature. The only upside to all the injuries we have had this year is we are giving invaluable experience to the likes of Tino, Heamasi, Josese and co that will improve our depth for 2027 I'm not including Luke as he is moving on and its probably why Benji rarely uses him now. I don't watch a lot of the lower grades, however i would be shocked if they don't have the same defensive structure through the grades.

Defences nearly always have to react to what the attack is doing...nearly always/

If a defence tries that outside in umbrella type defence to shut down an attack where theyre stripping numbers easily....a good kicking game in behind the line will soon put a stop to that.
I see all teams getting stripped for numbers every weekend...some more than others.
Cowboys right edge was exposed badly yesterday in NZ. Clever halves will always be able to create an extra man with a good back rowewr...this is where communication from the defensive fullback is crucial

Lack of genuine pace also plays a part

TheEnz said:

I think its mainly an experience problem and the more reps the younger guys get the more it will become second nature. The only upside to all the injuries we have had this year is we are giving invaluable experience to the likes of Tino, Heamasi, Josese and co that will improve our depth for 2027 I'm not including Luke as he is moving on and its probably why Benji rarely uses him now. I don't watch a lot of the lower grades, however i would be shocked if they don't have the same defensive structure through the grades.

Click to expand...

I personally thik you are right and I expect that the system is the same but the execution just isn't there. This could be related to coaching ability or simply that we are lacking first grade quality players in our top 30 (most likely).

innsaneink said:

Defences nearly always have to react to what the attack is doing...nearly always/

If a defence tries that outside in umbrella type defence to shut down an attack where theyre stripping numbers easily....a good kicking game in behind the line will soon put a stop to that.
I see all teams getting stripped for numbers every weekend...some more than others.
Cowboys right edge was exposed badly yesterday in NZ. Clever halves will always be able to create an extra man with a good back rowewr...this is where communication from the defensive fullback is crucial

Lack of genuine pace also plays a part

Click to expand...

100%, and in my view it is the lack of expereince that has us making decisions too early or not follwoing the lead of the inside player. Getting stripped for numbers happens easily when a playmaker forces defensive decsions while they still have the ball in hand.

innsaneink said:

Lack of genuine pace also plays a part

Click to expand...

Staggs a prime example of this. A few times he’s been caught out but with effort and pace recovers

Jolls said:

2026 Deep Dive 7. What has happened to our defensive resolve?​

I want to move past the generic "they didn’t show up" or "they lack heart" rants. Let's look at the mechanics of our edge defence. Recently it hasn’t just leaked. It has, at times, capitulated.

NRL defence is a game of microscopic trust. We started the season on a high defensively, but major issues have been exposed in our “edge connection” and the split-second decisions our outside backs are making under pressure once injuries hit.

In our defensive system, the edge is supposed to move like a rubber band. The halves and back-rowers form a "hinge"; their job is to push hard off the line to freeze the ball-player, and then lock with the centre to slide outward as a single, unbreakable wall.

Due to a combination of inexperience and a lack of NRL quality depth we have not hinged the rubber band and have suffered from a combination of ball watching and a loss of physical and spatial connection with the outside backs. It is dead easy to pick; panic as players shoot out of the line un-necessarily, players not following the decisions of the inside player (even if they are wrong) creating yawning gaps instead of pushing the play to the outside to allow the scramble defence to compensate for the mis-read.

When the inside connection fails, it leaves the outside backs stranded. This causes two distinct mechanical failures on the fringes:

• The Centre Panic (Inward Jam): A centre's chief role is to mirror his opponent and hold his line until the ball is committed. Seeing a 3-on-2 overlap brewing in open space, our inexperienced players commit the cardinal sin of edge defence: jamming in on the lead runner before the playmaker releases the ball. At NRL level playmakers hold the pass or double pump waiting for the centre to commit, before making the pass decision. If the centre decides to jam – his winger needs to jam also; otherwise he provides an open passage to the try line for the opposition centre.
• The Winger’s No-Man's Land: In good structure, if the centre jams, the winger should also jam, providing only one opportunity for the attackers; to go around he defence. This is where the sideline comes into play as the extra defender and the inside pressure forces them to cut back inside or risk being bundled into touch.

Makasini has all the physical tools to be a great FG centre, but his play so far has exposed the technical gap between an outstanding junior talent and first-grade structures. Similar can be said for LL and Tino. They all suffer from the same inexperience and there are a couple of tell-tale signs:

• The 'Eye-Magnet'. These three juniors constantly have their eyes glued to the inside runners. When an opposing team runs a block-sweep shape, they tend to bite inward with their shoulders turned flat toward the ball. This stops their lateral footwork dead, preventing them form making adjustments quickly and losing the flexibility of the rubber band.
• Over-reliance on Physical Recovery: In the juniors, they could afford to make an incorrect read because their raw speed allowed them to chase down a ball-carrier. In first grade, they are being punished instantly.

Good edge defence requires the centre to be the 'brain' and the winger to be the 'muscle'. Right now, we tend to be making isolated decisions rather than coordinated team reads. When Makasini jams, it is a solo choice that catches his outside winger off guard. This can also be said, to a lesser extent, for Madden in his role.

This is only part of the problem though. If the junior players are struggling to execute the defensive plan is the problem something we can overcome with training, is it a skill deficiency in the system or the way the system is applied across the grades. Surely, if we have the same system in all of our grades we should not see this dysfunctionality (next man up).

The big questions:

1. Is this a Benji System Problem (complex system), an Execution Problem, a Club System Problem (inconsistent application across the grades) or are we simply short of experience (depth)? In short: are we asking our outside backs to play a complex spatial reading game that they just don't have the first-grade experience to pull off yet?
2. Should we move to a simpler, more aggressive block/jam (up and in) defence that is easier for NSW Cup depth players to execute when injuries hit?

I have my thoughts. What are yours?

Click to expand...

Did you AI that?

Jolls said:

2026 Deep Dive 7. What has happened to our defensive resolve?​

I want to move past the generic "they didn’t show up" or "they lack heart" rants. Let's look at the mechanics of our edge defence. Recently it hasn’t just leaked. It has, at times, capitulated.

NRL defence is a game of microscopic trust. We started the season on a high defensively, but major issues have been exposed in our “edge connection” and the split-second decisions our outside backs are making under pressure once injuries hit.

In our defensive system, the edge is supposed to move like a rubber band. The halves and back-rowers form a "hinge"; their job is to push hard off the line to freeze the ball-player, and then lock with the centre to slide outward as a single, unbreakable wall.

Due to a combination of inexperience and a lack of NRL quality depth we have not hinged the rubber band and have suffered from a combination of ball watching and a loss of physical and spatial connection with the outside backs. It is dead easy to pick; panic as players shoot out of the line un-necessarily, players not following the decisions of the inside player (even if they are wrong) creating yawning gaps instead of pushing the play to the outside to allow the scramble defence to compensate for the mis-read.

When the inside connection fails, it leaves the outside backs stranded. This causes two distinct mechanical failures on the fringes:

• The Centre Panic (Inward Jam): A centre's chief role is to mirror his opponent and hold his line until the ball is committed. Seeing a 3-on-2 overlap brewing in open space, our inexperienced players commit the cardinal sin of edge defence: jamming in on the lead runner before the playmaker releases the ball. At NRL level playmakers hold the pass or double pump waiting for the centre to commit, before making the pass decision. If the centre decides to jam – his winger needs to jam also; otherwise he provides an open passage to the try line for the opposition centre.
• The Winger’s No-Man's Land: In good structure, if the centre jams, the winger should also jam, providing only one opportunity for the attackers; to go around he defence. This is where the sideline comes into play as the extra defender and the inside pressure forces them to cut back inside or risk being bundled into touch.

Makasini has all the physical tools to be a great FG centre, but his play so far has exposed the technical gap between an outstanding junior talent and first-grade structures. Similar can be said for LL and Tino. They all suffer from the same inexperience and there are a couple of tell-tale signs:

• The 'Eye-Magnet'. These three juniors constantly have their eyes glued to the inside runners. When an opposing team runs a block-sweep shape, they tend to bite inward with their shoulders turned flat toward the ball. This stops their lateral footwork dead, preventing them form making adjustments quickly and losing the flexibility of the rubber band.
• Over-reliance on Physical Recovery: In the juniors, they could afford to make an incorrect read because their raw speed allowed them to chase down a ball-carrier. In first grade, they are being punished instantly.

Good edge defence requires the centre to be the 'brain' and the winger to be the 'muscle'. Right now, we tend to be making isolated decisions rather than coordinated team reads. When Makasini jams, it is a solo choice that catches his outside winger off guard. This can also be said, to a lesser extent, for Madden in his role.

This is only part of the problem though. If the junior players are struggling to execute the defensive plan is the problem something we can overcome with training, is it a skill deficiency in the system or the way the system is applied across the grades. Surely, if we have the same system in all of our grades we should not see this dysfunctionality (next man up).

The big questions:

1. Is this a Benji System Problem (complex system), an Execution Problem, a Club System Problem (inconsistent application across the grades) or are we simply short of experience (depth)? In short: are we asking our outside backs to play a complex spatial reading game that they just don't have the first-grade experience to pull off yet?
2. Should we move to a simpler, more aggressive block/jam (up and in) defence that is easier for NSW Cup depth players to execute when injuries hit?

I have my thoughts. What are yours?

Click to expand...

Only joking 😎
I know and love ya work.
Mak needs time outside an experienced centre.

2026 Deep Dive 8 Part 1​

The Doueihi Dilemma: Elite Metres Masking Defensive Fragility​

Prologue: Checking My Bias at the Door​

Before we jump into the numbers, I want to put my cards on the table. If you’ve read my posts previously, you probably know I’ve never been a fan of Adam Doueihi as a half. I’ve never quite bought into him steering the team from the number seven jersey, and it’s easy to let that kind of frustration cloud how I view the game.
But opinions are like… well, you all know the saying. Analysis shouldn't be based on pure emotion, and after listening to a couple of the Wests Tigers poddies where the general consensus is that AD is doing great as a half, I wanted to force myself to take a step back and strip away my personal bias. I wanted to see if the eye test actually matched reality. To do that, I have dug into the official tracking data from NRL.com to run a completely objective, evidence-based assessment of our halves.
What the data showed challenged some of my assumptions, validated others, and exposed a massive structural issue that we need to address if we want to be successful. Here is the raw, unfiltered evidence of where our playmaking spine stands and, based on that, what we need to do to fix it.

The Strategic Paradox: Looking Beyond the Surface​

If we want to understand what's happening with our halves, we have to look way past traditional, surface-level statistics. Raw datasets can easily fool you with pictures of individual brilliance, but our ongoing struggles against top-tier teams tell us there's a much deeper issue with how our line is structured. When you look at the advanced tracking data from NRL.com and stack our boys against the competition medians of the benchmark teams—Penrith, the Warriors, Roosters, Sharks, Knights, Rabbitohs, Dolphins, Cowboys, and Sea Eagles—a massive paradox stares you in the face. We are seeing elite individual running metrics completely offset by high-leverage defensive vulnerability. I picked this specific benchmark group because the top eight is almost certainly coming out of this pack.
Right now, we have fielded three primary starting halves combinations to navigate injuries and structural shuffles:
· Adam Doueihi (7) & Jarome Luai (6): Our primary and most frequent starting combination.
· Jock Madden (7) & Adam Doueihi (6): A structural shift where Doueihi moves to five-eighth on the field (despite wearing the 7) to let Madden steer from halfback.
· Jock Madden (7) & Jarome Luai (6): Utilised primarily during our early-season blocks.
To see how these roles are actually functioning, let's look at the seasonal averages against the standard of the competition.

Wests Tigers Halves: Seasonal Averages By Position​

This baseline tracks standard playmaking data alongside high-leverage defensive tracking indicators, specifically Try Causes (TC) and Line Break Causes (LBC).

Competition Benchmark Medians By Position​

These medians show the baseline performance of a standard starting halfback and five-eighth across the benchmark clubs.

​

​

PART 2​

Percentage Variance From Competition Medians​

When you break these numbers down into straight percentage deviations, you can clearly see the massive divide between a player's individual stat line and the value they bring to the team.

Adam Doueihi (Halfback) vs. Halfback Median​

Run Metres: +114.3% (Elite yardage platform generation)

Post-Contact Metres: +133.3% (Exceptional physical dominance through contact)

Tackle Breaks: +113.3% (Excellent through line contacts relative to position peers)

Try Assists: 0.0% (Meets positional standard exactly)

Kick Metres: -32.6% (A major long-kicking deficit)

Try Causes: +166.7% (Extremely high liability on scoring plays)

Line Break Causes: +160.0% (Frequent tactical misreads or physical edge punctures)

Adam Doueihi (Five-Eighth) vs. Five-Eighth Median​

Run Metres: +27.8% (Strong yardage support well above the standard five-eighth baseline)

Post-Contact Metres: 0.0% (Meets the positional baseline exactly)

Tackle Breaks: 0.0% (Aligns completely with the position peer standard)

Try Assists: +42.9% (Efficient point generation when running wider lines)

Kick Metres: +8.6% (Provides useful secondary kicking support from the number six role)

Try Causes: 0.0% (Maintains standard goal-line accountability)

Line Break Causes: +16.7% (Elevated liability under defensive stress)

Jock Madden (Halfback) vs. Halfback Median​

Run Metres: +11.1% (Competent support running but lacks dynamic line-busting power)

Post-Contact Metres: -33.3% (Struggles to bend the defensive line or absorb middle contact)

Tackle Breaks: -20.0% (Rarely beats the primary defender one-on-one)

Try Assists: -50.0% (A major creative deficit that fails to stress opposing line structures)

Kick Metres: -10.6% (Reasonable tactical length but short of top-tier game-managing standards)

Try Causes: +100.0% (Double the standard halfback liability on scoring plays)

Line Break Causes: +60.0% (Frequently isolated and targeted by opposing lead runners)

Jarome Luai (Five-Eighth) vs. Five-Eighth Median​

Run Metres: -14.4% (Plays a slightly more passive running role)

Try Assists: +28.6% (Highly effective point generation from fewer touches)

Kick Metres: -22.5% (Relies on partnering halves to drive long field position)

Try Causes: +25.0% (Slightly above the standard middle tier deficit)

Line Break Causes: +50.0% (Vulnerable to quick tracking overloads on the perimeter)

The Offensive Variance: Big Metres vs. General Play​

Look at the offensive side of the ball first, because the variance out there is significant. We all know Adam Doueihi is a big unit for a playmaker, but the tracking data shows he is putting up running numbers that are historically elite for a half. At halfback, AD is running for 135 metres a game. When you consider the NRL median for a number seven is just 63 metres, he isn't just beating the baseline; he's doubling it. He backs that up by generating 14 post-contact metres and 3.2 tackle breaks per match. Even when he slides over to five-eighth, his carrying game stays rock solid at 115 run metres, well above the positional median of 90.

On the flip side, Jarome Luai is giving us the clinical creativity we’ve desperately needed. Averaging 0.9 try assists per game, Luai comfortably outpaces the competition five-eighth median of 0.7, proving his worth as our primary points-creator behind a developing pack. Interestingly he has been literally starved of ball recently.

Then we look at Jock Madden. Madden has struggled to contract defensive lines, dropping a 50% below the halfback median with just 0.4 try assists per game. Where Madden does help us is with his boot. He clears 345 kick metres per match, which is our only real long-kicking option on the roster. However, it's worth noting that even Madden’s 345m still sits below the competition halfback median of 386m. Meanwhile, Doueihi at halfback starves us of field position with a low average of just 260m.

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PART 3​

The High-Leverage Defensive Exposure​

This brings us to the real problem, and it's the exact reason why the forum debates get so heated. Standard match stats credit Doueihi with a low missed-tackle count at halfback at 1.8 per game. On paper, that looks mathematically sound against the competition halfback median of 2.5 missed tackles.

But raw tackle volumes completely lie because they ignore spatial context. Standard tracking treats a missed tackle on the opposition's 40-metre line exactly the same as a missed tackle on our own goal line and a rush out of the line does not get recorded. To see where the line is actually fracturing, we have to look at Try Causes and Line Break Causes, which track direct culpability for defensive failures.

While Doueihi doesn't miss a high volume of tackles, his misses create opposition points. Conceding 1.3 line breaks and 0.8 try causes per game at halfback is a massive issue. It means when he does make an error or makes a poor read, it is catastrophic. His heavy frame is clearly struggling to make the rapid lateral adjustments required to defend as an agile edge half.

We saw this play out in real time over our recent three-match window against the Knights, Dragons, and Warriors, where our poor defensive efforts were only exceeded by our inability to create points.

Round 17 vs. Newcastle Knights (Lost 12-6): Doueihi let in 1 Try and allowed 1 Line Break; Luai had 1 Line Break Cause. A low missed-tackle baseline hid critical edge deficiencies.

Round 18 vs. St. George Illawarra Dragons (Lost 24-10): Doueihi let in 1 Try and allowed 2 Line Breaks, while Madden (playing the 7 role) let in 1 Try and allowed a Line Break. Madden kicked well (358m), but both playmakers bit on fatal, panic-driven defensive jams.

Round 19 vs. New Zealand Warriors (Lost 32-6): Doueihi let in 2 Tries and caused 2 Line Breaks; Luai also leaked 2 Tres and allowed 3 Line Breaks. This was a total defensive system collapse. While Doueihi gained 141.0 run metres, his 2 Try Causes and the allowed Line Breaks were the result of extremely poor defensive execution.

Tactical Solution: Moving AD to Lock (13)​

So, how do we fix the leak on the edge without losing our best yardage asset? Benji has to seriously consider transitioning AD permanently to Lock (13). Shifting Doueihi into the middle leverages his physical attributes while insulating his defensive weaknesses:

Neutralising the Lateral Edge Deficit: On the edge, halves are forced to jockey, slide, and make rapid tracking reads against agile outside backs. Moving Doueihi to 13 repositions him into the high-volume middle channel. In and around the ruck, defence relies on front-on contact, wrestling, and filling space. Doueihi's physical build and solid base would allow him to survive in a central defensive system where lateral movement is minimised.

Weaponising His Attack: At lock, Doueihi’s 135 run metres per game would become a powerful asset in the forward rotation. Taking hit-ups through the middle of the field would ease the burden on our starting prop rotation and generate the quick play-the-balls necessary to unlock our spine and could release Twal into the middle rotation as a benefit.

Introducing a Three-Pillar Ball-Playing Model: Moving to the 13 jersey wouldn't kill his creative efforts. A ball-playing 13 acts as a link, playing before the line and engaging middle defenders. This opens up the field, freeing up Luai and Latu to attack compressed defensive edges with our outside backs.

Tactical Timing: Pull the Trigger Now or Wait?​

The critical question facing Benji Marshall is whether to transition AD to lock and elevate Latu Fainu to the halves immediately, or wait until the off-season. Given that the team has scored a meager total of just 22 points across the last three weeks, our current offensive strategy has clearly stalled. When you pair that lack of points with our current defensive fragility, evidenced by the halves conceding nine combined line break causes in those same 240 minutes, maintaining the status quo is no longer viable.

While some may argue for a patient off-season reset, making this change right now provides an immediate tactical spark. Rather than writing off the remaining rounds, altering the spine dynamic immediately serves a dual purpose: it offers a high-leverage circuit breaker that could mathematically ignite a late, desperate run to the finals, and it gives the coaching staff real-match data to stress-test this combination under genuine pressure ahead of next year.

Conclusion​

Stripping away personal bias and examining the hard tracking data reveals that our halves configuration is caught in a strategic trap. Adam Doueihi’s elite individual carrying metrics (+114.3% run metres at halfback) are undeniable, but they are completely offset by his defensive fragility (+166.7% try causes) and a major long-kicking deficit.

While throwing Latu Fainu into the mix doesn't instantly solve that long-kicking void, it forces a necessary shift: Jarome Luai must step up and take absolute ownership of the general kicking game. Transitioning Doueihi permanently to lock leverages his physical power through the middle third while masking his lateral defensive frailties on the edge. It also provides a third kicking option.

By introducing this ball-playing middle model alongside Luai and Fainu immediately, we can address our current point-scoring drought and defensive fragility. This data-backed adjustment offers the most logical pathway to salvage the current season and establish long-term structural stability.