Premier pep talk: Perrottet gatecrashes Wests Tigers training
Christian Nicolussi
March 23, 2023 — 11.31am
Dominic Perrottet gave an impromptu pep talk to his beloved Wests Tigers on Thursday morning as the NSW premier and NRL strugglers try to overcome the odds and celebrate respective victories this weekend.
Roughly 12 hours after going head-to-head with Labor leader Chris Minns in the final debate ahead of Saturday’s election, Perrottet spotted the Tigers players shuffling across the bridge behind Concord Oval, and asked club CEO Justin Pascoe if he could address the players.
A passionate Tigers fan, Perrottet told the players about how they had started the 2005 season in similar sluggish fashion, only to go on and win the premiership, beating North Queensland in a grand final few saw coming.
The Tigers play the Storm in Melbourne on Friday, hoping to avoid an 0-4 start to the latest campaign.
Tigers coach Tim Sheens was happy to welcome Perrottet, and regularly stressed himself how a slow start was not an indicator of how the remainder of the season would pan out.
“He didn’t turn up here deliberately, he was driving past as we were going across the road,” Sheens told the
Herald.
“Normally we train here [at Concord Oval], but the ground is undergoing renovations.
“It was great he could stop given his workload at the moment. He knew where we were [on the ladder] and what the story was. It was a nice little stop.”
For the record, a Tigers-Coalition double is paying $19.25 with the bookies.
The Tigers, meanwhile, have shifted Adam Doueihi to fullback for the clash against the Storm. The hosts have lost Jahrome Hughes to suspension, but welcome back Cameron Munster.
Doueihi could yet remain at fullback, especially if Brandon Wakeham and Luke Brooks click in the halves.
The Lebanese international has been struggling with turf toe, and did not complete Thursday’s final traning session, but is still expected to line up at AAMI Park.
Sheens said Doueihi was “quite happy” about the move from five-eighth to the No. 1 jersey.
There were whispers at the start of the season about Doueihi moving to fullback from next year, especially if Mitchell Moses finally made up his mind about his 2024 plans.
“If you look at the World Cup where Adam played for Lebanon, his size, when he chimes in on the edges, he’s a big fullback, and big fullbacks like Latrell [Mitchell] are hard to nail one-on-one with the football,” Sheens said.
“He’s got the good skills to get the ball away, and he reads the game very well, obviously being an ex-halfback and five-eighth — he’s not an ex — but he can still play there. At the moment, with him reading the game and organising the offence is a bonus for us.”
Daine Laurie started the season at fullback and will return via the bench against Melbourne. Jahream Bula has plenty of raps, but is a development player and unavailable for first-grade selection until midway through the year.
Sheens said “we’ll soon see” if Doueihi’s best position was No. 1, but reserved judgment on whether the switch would be permanent.
“This week it’s what we need with what we’ve got available ... I’m not prepared to say it will be a permanent move,” Sheens said.
Big-money winger David Nofoaluma will return to reserve grade, but Sheens said he remained in the club’s plans, and “he’s taken it well, he’ll put in a good effort on Saturday when he plays State Cup”.
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