Where the Tigers could finish in 2027... should Doueihi leave

With Wests Tigers' 2026 season going from bad to worse, Jimmy Smith believes 2027 could see them finish towards the bottom of the ladder should they lose Adam Doueihi at season's end.

After the highs of being in second place back in Round 6, the Tigers have plummeted right down to the bottom two in the space of 15 weeks, seeing their finals drought extend to 16 years.

This form slump has also been coupled with several dramas surrounding the club, including Jarome Luai's earlier-than-expected exit at the end of the season to the Eels before he joins the PNG Chiefs in 2028.

The latest drama at Concord has been Doueihi's withdrawal from the first grade side following a selection disagreement with coach Benji Marshall during last week's clash against the Raiders.

Following the news, speculation was rife about where the 27-year-old could be playing in 2027, leaving Greg Alexander and Smith concerned about their halves depth on SEN's Kick Off.

Alexander: “(If) he leaves the Tigers, Jim, the Tigers need to strengthen their halves.”

“Cause I don't know if Latu Fainu is the answer as a starting six.”

Smith: “No, he looks like a real 14-type player, doesn't he?”

Alexander: “Jock Madden's played some good footy for the Tigers this year at halfback.”

“But is it Jock Madden you want to partner a young boy who has only just played his first game (in Javon Andrews)?”

Despite having returned to the squad and will feature in their Round 22 match, the halfback has been rumoured to join the Perth Bears despite being contracted to 2029.

And should the club lose their starting halves in Luai and Doueihi, Smith has grave concerns for how next season will go for the merged club.

“Think about it from a Perth Bears player's point of view,” Smith explained.

“Like we've talked about the Perth Bears, like they've signed Tyson Smoothie, if they do sign Morgan Smithies and Junior Paulo, they're clearly strengthening their squad.

“However, they're still gonna run last. The Perth Bears are gonna run last, so do you go, OK, I'm at the Perth Bears, I'm probably gonna run last.

“Or my option is, I go to the West Tigers and right now, if you're framing a market, do it responsibly, but the West Tigers are gonna run second last next year if there's no Jarome Luai and there's no Adam Doueihi.”

The Tigers will be hoping to turn their fortunes around against the Eels at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Doueihi has been named as the starting halfback.

Kick-off is at 4:05pm AEST.