While the Wests Tigers halves pairing picks itself to start the 2022 NRL season, just who finishes the year in what position remains a mystery.
Anyone who watched the Wests Tigers last year knows that Adam Doueihi is their most important player right now.
He mightn’t be their best player (he also very well could be), but the influence Doueihi has on the Tigers’ attack is significant and they are – on last year’s form – a better team with him in a leading playmaker role. This was highlighted by the polarising figure of Luke Brooks in the halves beside him who, while not nearly as poor as what some would have you believe, still hasn’t quite come into his own after nine seasons in first grade.
Frustrated Tigers fans are quick to point out that Doueihi had 13 try assists and five tries from 14 halves appearances last year, while halfback Brooks had 16 assists and just one try from 25 games. There’s plenty more going on behind these stats but Doueihi’s rapid development into a leading playmaker was hard to deny and easy to watch.
His vision, decision making and ballplaying in this action against the Gold Coast last year was one of my favourite of the regular season.
