Wests Tigers’ desperate spine shake-up may result in an awkward situation with one of the club’s favourite players.
Adam Doueihi has been shifted from his preferred five-eighth to fullback for this week’s clash with the Storm in Melbourne.
Embattled coach Tim Sheens pulled the trigger on the move following a winless start through three rounds, which allows Brandon Wakeham to come into the halves to partner Luke Brooks.
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It was Wakeham who sparked a sudden Tigers surge in Sunday’s loss to the Bulldogs, when his injection off the bench resulted in three tries in four minutes and almost a miracle comeback.
The shuffle has pushed veteran winger David Nofoaluma out of the team, with Charlie Staines moving to the flank.
“You need to try something, because they were going nowhere,” league legend Brad Fittler told Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth.
“The good thing about what Brandon did, was his first tackle (Viliame) Kikau ran over him, and his second tackle he dug right in and stopped him on the spot.
“That changed everything, the fortunes of the game turned pretty much after that tackle.
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“He is the key change. They are asking him to ignite their attack. It’s a big ask.”
But if the Wakeham experiment sticks and Brooks – who is earning $1.1 million a year to be the team’s halfback – retains his No.7 jersey, Doueihi could be the odd man out.
Daine Laurie missed last week’s game due to injury, and has been named on the bench for Friday’s Melbourne trip.
Tigers shake-up may be permanent
But Andrew Johns says Sheens can’t leave Laurie on the bench going forward.
“For me if (Laurie) is fully fit he has to be fullback,” Johns said.
It would leave Doueihi without a spot in the spine, and at best will be pushed out wider in the line-up.
“Centre, I’ve always thought centre,” Fittler replied when asked where Doueihi should play.
Doueihi, a Lebanon international, has long seen himself as a playmaker, rather than an outside back.
In 2021 Doueihi was named the club’s Players’ Player and he spent 14 of his 20 games in the No.6 jersey, and the rest at centre. Last year he had an injury-interrupted first half of the season before returning to play five-eighth.
In 2020 he was primarily the team’s fullback.
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