2026 pre season

area52 said:
Jock looks like has matured a lot since time in Brisbane genuine 7... now or never
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No one probably wants to hear this , but there’s a real chance he could end up taking a leap and claiming the 7 jersey . He’s got a real Chad Townsend vibe about him.
Hyped junior, leaves for an opportunity/growth , returns back to his original club a smarter , stronger , more capable player. Never gonna be the best in the game, but good enough so the stars around him can do what needs to be done . I dunno .. or he’s another dude who’s what I call an “elite reserved grader” .. way too good for Reggie’s but mediocre in the nrl.
We for once have a plethora of options in the spine . It’s been smart recruitment and retention IMO. Sorry haters …
1. Bula, attard , Turuva ,Mason one of the 3 or 4 existing fullbacks fluctuating between flegg and cup.
6. Luai, Fainu, AD,Mason, Andrews, Matai( really strong depth here )
7. AD, Fainu, Madden, Mason ,Lyle’s (the best depth at half we have had in years)
9. Api, Hope,Mason , Hayward , Lanyon . (Heyward and Lanyon are guns , they will push hard in cup. I can see Hope being either relegated to Cup bench by seasons end , because api played the season out and we went for Latu/Andrews/ Mason at 14, or if Api struggles to go 80 , and Mason can’t do the job at 14 , then Heyward replacing all comers and getting that 14 jersey ).
I’m actually most concerned about the flegg team . Especially at halfback
I know there’s Benson , but I don’t think there’s much else , unless they recruited . So it will be interesting to see . A weak flegg team and a strong cup team because all the best Flegg players are playing well is the most ideal situation I think . It allows the guns from Ball to step up and grab opportunities once the SG ball season ends . So I’m hoping that happens .
 
Lestronge said:
No one probably wants to hear this , but there’s a real chance he could end up taking a leap and claiming the 7 jersey . He’s got a real Chad Townsend vibe about him.
Hyped junior, leaves for an opportunity/growth , returns back to his original club a smarter , stronger , more capable player. Never gonna be the best in the game, but good enough so the stars around him can do what needs to be done . I dunno .. or he’s another dude who’s what I call an “elite reserved grader” .. way too good for Reggie’s but mediocre in the nrl.
We for once have a plethora of options in the spine . It’s been smart recruitment and retention IMO. Sorry haters …
1. Bula, attard , Turuva ,Mason one of the 3 or 4 existing fullbacks fluctuating between flegg and cup.
6. Luai, Fainu, AD,Mason, Andrews, Matai( really strong depth here )
7. AD, Fainu, Madden, Mason ,Lyle’s (the best depth at half we have had in years)
9. Api, Hope,Mason , Hayward , Lanyon . (Heyward and Lanyon are guns , they will push hard in cup. I can see Hope being either relegated to Cup bench by seasons end , because api played the season out and we went for Latu/Andrews/ Mason at 14, or if Api struggles to go 80 , and Mason can’t do the job at 14 , then Heyward replacing all comers and getting that 14 jersey ).
I’m actually most concerned about the flegg team . Especially at halfback
I know there’s Benson , but I don’t think there’s much else , unless they recruited . So it will be interesting to see . A weak flegg team and a strong cup team because all the best Flegg players are playing well is the most ideal situation I think . It allows the guns from Ball to step up and grab opportunities once the SG ball season ends . So I’m hoping that happens .
Click to expand...
Benson has gone. Yes we are light on for halves in Flegg. I can think of Heith Pritchard and perhaps Javon Andrews will start the season in Flegg and that ex Warriors Flegg backup half training with us. Maybe they have high hopes for Jhevon Lele, Curtis Lakeman or Christian Azzi to step up once SG Ball is finished.
 
Luai exclusive interview with the DT - top 8 in 2026, the board issue, Benji's style, focused on 5/8, Afoa was MVP of the camp, KPP is impressing all & sundry, Bula's future etc etc.

BlackWhiteGold

OFFICIAL Post in thread 'Jarome Luai - #295'

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...a/news-story/8999b580bf1911dc73f736f741ea6180

Wests Tigers captain Jarome Luai vows to end finals drought with new mantra​

Jahrome Luai is giving up the halfback position and reinventing his approach to lead the Wests Tigers to finally end rugby league’s longest finals drought.

Tyson Jackson
6 min read
January 23, 2026 - 3:54PM...
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As others have indicated, I think it's safe to assume the black shirts are the A team & orange shirts the B team from training pics since they resumed post-Christmas break.

Interesting that Hope has a black shirt, maybe in the running for a spot on the 6-man bench.

Skelton back in black and on the left side in some backline drill pics. Seems he & Makasini are both getting reps on the left side in the As.

A few pics I've noticed of late that have KPP, Toa & Turuva on the right as we probably would have predicted.

May, Pole, Twal, Hunt, Bunty, Sione, Seyfarth all in black shirts so the battle for middle spots is heating up.
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
As others have indicated, I think it's safe to assume the black shirts are the A team & orange shirts the B team from training pics since they resumed post-Christmas break.

Interesting that Hope has a black shirt, maybe in the running for a spot on the 6-man bench.

Skelton back in black and on the left side in some backline drill pics. Seems he & Makasini are both getting reps on the left side in the As.

A few pics I've noticed of late that have KPP, Toa & Turuva on the right as we probably would have predicted.

May, Pole, Twal, Hunt, Bunty, Sione, Seyfarth all in black shirts so the battle for middle spots is heating up.
Click to expand...
You'd think maverick would be a good bench spot at some point
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
As others have indicated, I think it's safe to assume the black shirts are the A team & orange shirts the B team from training pics since they resumed post-Christmas break.

Interesting that Hope has a black shirt, maybe in the running for a spot on the 6-man bench.

Skelton back in black and on the left side in some backline drill pics. Seems he & Makasini are both getting reps on the left side in the As.

A few pics I've noticed of late that have KPP, Toa & Turuva on the right as we probably would have predicted.

May, Pole, Twal, Hunt, Bunty, Sione, Seyfarth all in black shirts so the battle for middle spots is heating up.
Click to expand...
What would our 6 man bench look like ? Don’t understand the point of it
 
wstigers11 said:
What would our 6 man bench look like ? Don’t understand the point of it
Click to expand...


Champion @wstigers11, it's said:

A 6-man NRL bench (with 4 active interchanges) offers greater tactical flexibility, better injury cover, and improved player welfare by managing fatigue and HIAs It allows teams to carry specialized cover without sacrificing forward depth, reducing the need for forced, inefficient positional changes during games.

Key benefits of the 6-man bench include:
  • Improved Injury Coverage: Coaches can carry specialist backs or playmakers, ensuring that injuries to outside backs don't require forwards to fill in.
  • Enhanced Tactics: Coaches can keep versatile options available, such as combining three middles, a wider forward, a spine utility, and an explosive back.
  • Player Welfare: The increased depth helps manage the impact of head injury assessments (HIAs) and reduces the risk of player burnout.
  • Game Quality: It maintains competitive balance by ensuring teams can adequately replace injured players, reducing the "one-side" advantage often seen when a team loses key backs.
While the bench is extended, the 8-interchange limit remains, meaning coaches must still strategically manage when they use their substitutes."







"
 
tiger_one said:
Champion @wstigers11, it's said:

A 6-man NRL bench (with 4 active interchanges) offers greater tactical flexibility, better injury cover, and improved player welfare by managing fatigue and HIAs It allows teams to carry specialized cover without sacrificing forward depth, reducing the need for forced, inefficient positional changes during games.

Key benefits of the 6-man bench include:
  • Improved Injury Coverage: Coaches can carry specialist backs or playmakers, ensuring that injuries to outside backs don't require forwards to fill in.
  • Enhanced Tactics: Coaches can keep versatile options available, such as combining three middles, a wider forward, a spine utility, and an explosive back.
  • Player Welfare: The increased depth helps manage the impact of head injury assessments (HIAs) and reduces the risk of player burnout.
  • Game Quality: It maintains competitive balance by ensuring teams can adequately replace injured players, reducing the "one-side" advantage often seen when a team loses key backs.
While the bench is extended, the 8-interchange limit remains, meaning coaches must still strategically manage when they use their substitutes."







"
Click to expand...
Legend thank you
 
BlackWhiteGold said:
Benson has gone. Yes we are light on for halves in Flegg. I can think of Heith Pritchard and perhaps Javon Andrews will start the season in Flegg and that ex Warriors Flegg backup half training with us. Maybe they have high hopes for Jhevon Lele, Curtis Lakeman or Christian Azzi to step up once SG Ball is finished.
Click to expand...
The use of Tristan Hope will be very interesting and as you say the 6 man
 
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