2025 Centre Options - What is our best centre pairing?

Jolls

Jolls

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Warning: Long post 7 minute read

Wests Tigers 2025 Centre Options
Continuing on from the analysis of our key weaknesses heading into the 2025 season let's take a look at our 2025 centre options.

Key Players:
  1. Justin Olam
    • Strengths: A tough, no-nonsense defender with a strong ability to break tackles and finish off set plays. His experience adds reliability.
    • Weaknesses: Less dynamic as a playmaker; relies heavily on structured opportunities. Lateral defence as a result of knee injuries has been suspect.
  2. Sunia Turuva
    • Strengths: Highly agile and elusive, Turuva is an outstanding ball-runner with the ability to create scoring opportunities from broken play. His speed and skill make him a dangerous attacking threat.
    • Weaknesses: Limited experience at the NRL level in the centre role. His defensive reads in the middle need further development to handle experienced opposition
  3. Starford To’a
    • Strengths: Versatile and quick, capable of breaking defensive lines with his acceleration and footwork.
    • Weaknesses: Still developing consistency. Decision-making in defence can be hit and miss
  4. Adam Doueihi
    • Strengths: Offers good ball-playing skills on occasion. His physicality makes him a potent attacking option.
    • Weaknesses: Injury-prone, with repeated ACL issues. Defensive positioning, technique and decision making is poor. Does not always run good lines which can disrupt cohesion in attack (ie crabs, can run backwards looking for "opportunities")
  5. Josh Feledy
    • Strengths: Explosive and physically imposing in KOE. Shows potential as a long-term option but requires more development.
    • Weaknesses: Lacks the game experience needed to consistently impact at NRL level. Defence is suspect and needs significant improvement in attitude and effect.
  6. Brent Naden
    • Strengths: Strong in contested situations and reliable under the high ball. A strong runner that can break the line. Hits hard in defence most of the time.
    • Weaknesses: Defensive lapses, inconsistency and discipline are areas of concern
  7. Solomone Faataape
    • Strengths: Physically strong with good adaptability, capable of slotting into various backline roles as needed. Shows promise in contesting high balls and taking on defenders.
    • Weaknesses: Lacks consistent NRL experience and needs to prove himself as a reliable defensive option
​

Best Centre Pairing for 2025
  • Justin Olam: Defensive stability and physical presence.
  • Sunia Turuva: Speed, creativity, and attacking explosiveness, providing a counterbalance to Olam’s power-oriented game. This selection is based on potential as opposed to proven capability at NRL level.
Alternatively, Starford To’a could be paired with Olam for a more structured and playmaking-heavy combination, depending on game strategy and opponent.

​

Prioritised Depth Players
  1. Starford To’a: Versatility across backline roles is invaluable.
  2. Brent Naden: A seasoned player to cover injuries or tactical adjustments.
  3. Adam Doueihi: Depth player only until he can demonstrate a significantly improved defensive capability.
  4. Solomone Faataape: A physical and adaptable player, ideal for covering injuries or resting key starters.
  5. Josh Feledy: Emerging talent with potential – has yet to demonstrate the capability at NRL level.
​

Opportunities and Threats

Opportunities:
  1. Dynamic Attack: Turuva’s speed and agility paired with Olam’s power could unlock new attacking options, particularly in unstructured play.
  2. Positional Flexibility: With multiple players capable of covering centre and other backline roles, the Tigers can adapt to injuries or form slumps.
  3. Starford To’a: If To’a could deliver consistently he has the potential to leapfrog Turuva as preferred centre partner to Olam. His inconsistency to date, although potentially injury related, has me starting him in Cup with the opportunity to hold onto an NRL position based on his NRL performance due to injury/suspension.
  4. Adam Doueihi: With a changed attitude on both sides of the ball Doueihi could provide a point of difference; however, he needs to clearly demonstrate a significantly improved capability in defence before he could be considered for selection at NRL level.
Threats:
  1. Inexperience in Defence: Turuva as a starting centre at NRL level is unproven. To’a and Naden, while inconsistent, are proven performers at NRL level. Faataape is reliable but not dynamic; while he can fill a position he lacks the attacking flair to be a threat at NRL level. Doueihi and Feledy need to develop their defensive consistency in cup prior to consideration. At this stage both are depth players as injury cover in dire circumstances. Doueihi needs to improve his attitude in all aspects of the game before he can be reconsidered for selection at NRL level.
  2. Injury Risks: Olam’s injury history could disrupt continuity, placing strain on depth players
​

Conclusion

Sunia Turuva alongside Justin Olam provides us with a combination of attacking flair and defensive resilience. Our defensive organisation remains a critical issue heading in 2025; this is a significant challenge. Injury management will be a challenge for our centre pairing. We have depth; however, none of our depth players have demonstrated consistency at NRL level; To’a looks the most likely, if injury free, to push for NRL selection.

So that is my thoughts on where we sit; what are yours?
 
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Agree Turuva and Olam are our best centre pairing. We are up the proverbial if either are out for long periods.

Toa and Naden can do a job in my opinion. Its a ''make or break'' year for Starford. Good depth but needs to start showing some consistency, particularly given our need to show more defensive resilience.

Naden is a talent but I suspect he has cost himself any possibility of a contract extension with his brain explosions. If he can eradicate the ill discipline he could have a good 2025 season and add some value.
 
I think you have pretty much knocked it out of the park…

Nice summary …

Based on the current available picks for 2025… I’m hoping that Olam has overcome his knee issues and can return to his form of two seasons ago…

Like a lot of things though ..I’ll need to see it to believe it…

I have zero faith in Toa and think Naden is off the table for NRL selection and may still be moved on before the season …
 
Jolls said:
That is another challenge - Luke L, Skelton, Staines, Doueihi? ; not much NRL ready unless we push some centres out there.
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Im still hopeful that early new year we can have some movement with Bateman / Naden / Sullivan, which will allow a bit more depth recruitment to cover backrow and centre concerns
 
GNR4LIFE said:
I just don’t see Turuva as a centre. Not sure the fixation on turning him into one. He’s a textbook winger who’s a great finisher. I’d run with Olam/To’a.
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Just going off what has been quoted, if he is in the mix he is probably ahead of To'a and will need to prove his defensive capability. Someone posted footage of him playing centre in the Panthers lower grades so it isn't like he has no experience. If it is Olam/To'a with Turuva and Skelton on the wings (which isn't a bad option at all) we still lack depth - which I think is the key issue.
 
Jolls said:
Just going off what has been quoted, if he is in the mix he is probably ahead of To'a and will need to prove his defensive capability. Someone posted footage of him playing centre in the Panthers lower grades so it isn't like he has no experience. If it is Olam/To'a with Turuva and Skelton on the wings (which isn't a bad option at all) we still lack depth - which I think is the key issue.
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He’s the best winger at the club though. We have a lot more centre options than we do wing options. It seems counter productive to throw our best winger in the centres, just for the sake of it.
 
Jolls said:
I would prefer that he was at another club and we had his top 30 spot to play with!
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In the end result in many ways its in Doueihi's hands- if he pulls finger out and works hard on his defence, he still has a lot to offer. If remains soft- he can go elsewhere and try his luck.
 
GNR4LIFE said:
He’s the best winger at the club though. We have a lot more centre options than we do wing options. It seems counter productive to throw our best winger in the centres, just for the sake of it.
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If his defence holds up he is probably the best centre option as well.

I expect, just based on hearsay, that we will him give him a crack.

Having him state that he wants to play centre may be enough pressure to get To'a to lift. It is good to have the competition for spots - I could easily live with Olam/To'a Turuva/Skelton to start the season.

Either way we now have NRL experienced options to play with that are supported by NRL experienced back ups.

Cheers
 
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For whatever reason I still believe Doueihi is the 'best' option in the centres, IF it is not Jack Bird.

Doueihi just offers a physical presence out wide. To'a is probably next in line, but it's weirdly difficult to completely wipe Naden as an option.

I think Feledy needs to show improvement this year or he is in danger of just never getting there.

I'll still throw the option to play Latu Fainu in the centres out there.

Turuva is a significantly better winger than Luke Lualili'i & Staines- but is not a significantly better centre (at this stage) than the other options we have, which is why I want Turuva to stay on the wing.
 
The Chad said:
For whatever reason I still believe Doueihi is the 'best' option in the centres, IF it is not Jack Bird.

Doueihi just offers a physical presence out wide. To'a is probably next in line, but it's weirdly difficult to completely wipe Naden as an option.

I think Feledy needs to show improvement this year or he is in danger of just never getting there.

I'll still throw the option to play Latu Fainu in the centres out there.

Turuva is a significantly better winger than Luke Lualili'i & Staines- but is not a significantly better centre (at this stage) than the other options we have, which is why I want Turuva to stay on the wing.
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AD had been an arm grabber and poor decision maker since forever and he doesn't pass the ball. He tries to do it all himself and that is poor play from a centre. For mine, IF he has a place in this side, it is on the wing: less defensive decisions to make (but can be really costly ones), can leap and catch and has a big enough body to get the ball back from depth. More importantly though he is holding a top 30 spot on minimum cash so hopefully he can be enticed to go to another club for more coin.
 
Jolls said:
AD had been an arm grabber and poor decision maker since forever and he doesn't pass the ball. He tries to do it all himself and that is poor play from a centre. For mine, IF he has a place in this side, it is on the wing: less defensive decisions to make (but can be really costly ones), can leap and catch and has a big enough body to get the ball back from depth. More importantly though he is holding a top 30 spot on minimum cash so hopefully he can be enticed to go to another club for more coin.
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I respect your opinion. I think he is the most talented option we have. I think SOME of the critisism labelled on him is unfair, while SOME is very warranted.

I'm also of the opinion he is the best back-up fullback in the squad.

If he runs good lanes, breaks tackles, maybe sets up his outside man more (it's not that he can't do it- his year at 5/8 showed his ability to offload), his defensive failings can be made up for. His ability in attack is superior to To'a, Naden, Staines & Lualili'i (at this stage). ABILITY is not output. But my opinion is based on what he can & should offer the team.

All that, at a pretty budget price in reality.
 
The Chad said:
I respect your opinion. I think he is the most talented option we have. I think SOME of the critisism labelled on him is unfair, while SOME is very warranted.

I'm also of the opinion he is the best back-up fullback in the squad.

If he runs good lanes, breaks tackles, maybe sets up his outside man more (it's not that he can't do it- his year at 5/8 showed his ability to offload), his defensive failings can be made up for. His ability in attack is superior to To'a, Naden, Staines & Lualili'i (at this stage). ABILITY is not output. But my opinion is based on what he can & should offer the team.

All that, at a pretty budget price in reality.
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I agree with most of your post. On a good day he offers capability at a cheap price. My concern with AD that his preformace is always based on IF his attitude is right.

Perhaps if he sees himself as being down the pecking order and having to work for a postion as opposed to "leading by (poor) example"; his attitude may be better. To me he is the most annoying player at the club. He can do things when he wants to; at other times he is nothing more than a bed filler.

I would love him to prove us naysayers wrong - if Richo and Benji can move some other deadwood in front of him to free up the required top 30 positions I would be happy for him to prove his worth. If someone comes knocking though I would be happy to pack his bags for him.
 
Jolls said:
I agree with most of your post. On a good day he offers capability at a cheap price. My concern with AD that his preformace is always based on IF his attitude is right.
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Shoot-out between Doueihi & To'a for right centre.
My only concern will be speed — especially if you have
a right edge (as some have suggested) of Galvin,
Bird, Doueihi & Skelton, that's a very slow right hand
side. I'm all in on a fully fit To'a. Doueihi still a chance
too especially in a contract year, that side is too slow
 
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