Doueihi: What Wests Tigers players were told about Luai release

Wests Tigers halfback Adam Doueihi has admitted conversations around Jarome Luai’s exit weren’t ideal leading up to their last fortnight of games, admitting the team was in a rut ahead of a must-win clash with the Raiders.

Luai will join the Parramatta Eels next season on a one-year deal, having been mutually released from the Tigers. Following Luai’s single season stint in Parramatta, he will link up with the PNG Chiefs from 2028 onwards.

The news around Luai’s exit coincided with a major drop in form for the Tigers, who tumbled from finals contention to losing six of their last seven matches.

Luai’s release was confirmed the day after the club’s 26-point loss to the Warriors, before an intense week of media discussion leading into their 32-point loss to the Bulldogs.

Now, Doueihi has opened up about the conversations Luai and coach Benji Marshall had with the playing group surrounding the club’s co-captain’s departure.

“Just as a group, he spoke to us and told us where he was at,” Doueihi revealed to SEN 1170 Mornings.

“Both him and Benji spoke to us, very truthfully and honestly about the situation, and in terms of the long-term (future) of the club and where we're at.

“With Jarome signing with PNG for 2028, they just found it was the best decision for us as a club.

“That happened last week and, I guess the timing of it, (it) was the day before the Warriors game, which I guess isn't ideal, and, and then having press conferences last week before the Dogs game isn't ideal either, but it is what it is.

“Everyone's grown men and old enough to move on from it, so we try to do that.”

It’s do-or-die territory for the Wests Tigers now with the joint venture sitting in 14th and six points outside of the top eight.

Buoyed by the news Doueihi escaped suspension after appealing a one-match ban at the judiciary, the Wests Tigers must travel to Canberra to take on a resurgent Raiders, who similarly sit two wins out of the eight.

The club will be without Latu Fainu after he failed to have a suspension downgraded, with the half now missing for the next three games.

Doueihi admitted the club was in a “dark place” but was confident the playing group could block out the noise and keep their season alive.

“I think we've just tried our best to just block out the ladder, block out finals talk, block out all the bad games we've had in the past month and just really try to dumb down and simple down (sic) our game,” Doueihi admitted.

“It's a tough time out there at the moment, when you're behind on the scoreboard so often.

“There's that word confidence and belief that everyone uses, that's this magic word.

“I guess when you go into a game like the Bulldogs last week, we did everything to prepare well during the week, come out of the blocks, and have a really good defensive set.

“They kick a 40/20 to start the game and they're on our try line and scoring within two minutes of the game… it's a dull feeling out there when that happens.

“You get punched in the face so early and you're fighting this confidence, you're fighting this form slump you're in, and it's just a dark place out there sometimes.

“I guess sometimes from the viewers or from the fans' perspective, it looks like you're not having a go, you're not trying, but it's just the complete opposite.

“Sometimes you're in a rut and you're just trying to fight back for everything, and just so many things are going against you that it's tough to get out of.

“But we're going back, we're training hard, we're gonna do everything we can this week to go down to Canberra and have our best performance and get back in the winning circle.”

The Wests Tigers next play the Raiders on Saturday at 3pm.