https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/how-farah-helped-deliver-doueihi-to-wests-tigers-20200203-p53xcm.html
Robbie Farah played a huge role in delivering Adam Doueihi to Wests Tigers and getting him to ignore the Sydney Roosters' sales pitch from his famous uncle Michael Cheika.
Doueihi revealed Farah had been in contact up until the day he signed a four-year deal with the Tigers, and the chance to work under him, and alongside Benji Marshall, was too good to refuse.
The premiers came close to pinching Doueihi from bitter rivals South Sydney - and even called on former Wallabies coach Cheika, his uncle, to help seal the deal.
"The deal at the Roosters was for two years. I met with 'Robbo' [Trent Robinson] and he was one of the nicest humans I had ever met,'' Doueihi, 21, told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"Of course Michael is there once a week, and he was in my ear because he was working there and we're related. He told me the Roosters were one of the best set-ups across the country and how winning back-to-back premierships wasn't easy.
"But I always had a soft spot for the Tigers, and my gut was telling me to come here. Robbie thinks he got the deal done for me, but he was a huge factor for me. He was always calling me. I have a close friendship with Robbie and my parents know him pretty well as well.
"He's been travelling everywhere to watch the Australian Open and now the Super Bowl, and he kept giving me advice.
"Robbie said to go with my gut and see what happens here. The thought of getting to work with him [in an assistant coaching capacity] this year and with Benji, two of my childhood heroes who I looked up to, it's exciting.
"When I signed I spoke with Robbie. He was in Miami and was looking forward to seeing me again in the black and gold.''
News of Doueihi snubbing the premiers for the joint venture will please fans, who are still hurting from Roosters chairman Nick Politis luring star fullback James Tedesco to Bondi a couple of years ago. It was Farah who initially convinced Tedesco to backflip on a Canberra deal and stay put at Concord.
Doueihi, a Balmain junior, said there were no hard feelings with Souths coach Wayne Bennett, who told him he would wear the No.6, only to re-sign Cody Walker, then offered him the No.1 jersey - until Latrell Mitchell arrived.
Walker, Adam Reynolds and Damien Cook went out of their way to regularly check on Doueihi. He confirmed there were tears when he broke the news of his departure last week. He said had he addressed the players as a group, ''I wouldn't have got a single word out''.
Not only was Doueihi and Bennett's frank conversation well documented, so was the youngster's pay packet, which puts big pressure on a player entering just his third year in the NRL.
"But it's why you play the sport, it's a high-pressure industry, and I like the pressure,'' said Doueihi, who will wear the No.1 jersey. "It only makes me want to put in extra to help the club be successful.
"It will be a challenge this year. Last year this club was just one win away from the eight, and only three points behind Souths. Madge [Michael Maguire] is all about hard work and discipline, two traits I have, and while it's in the back of my head the club hasn't made the finals in a while, I'll be putting in the hard work to help bring this club some success.''
Doueihi will also take over goal-kicking duties. He worked with the club's premiership No.1 Brett Hodgson during last Friday's first session.
