The inside story of why Adam Doueihi refused to play for Wests Tigers

Adam Doueihi is expected to report for training on Monday – and is even prepared to come back through reserve grade – but he hopes his bombshell decision to stand down from Saturday’s match against the Raiders leads to what he believes is long-overdue change at Wests Tigers.

For too long, the Tigers have struggled near the bottom of the NRL ladder.

For too long, the Tigers have paid more than they should for the wrong players, who have simply not delivered.

And for too long, the Tigers have failed to properly address the need to lift standards and drive the professionalism required to become a successful club.

Michael Maguire is one of the strictest coaches in the game, and even he found the Tigers too much.

Doueihi felt he could no longer sit back and let things slide. Hence, his drastic action, which he hopes, according to sources not authorised to speak publicly, will shine a light on the bigger problems bubbling away at the joint venture.

Doueihi could not be contacted by this masthead on Friday.

The same sources, however, confirmed Doueihi’s decision this week to make himself unavailable for the trip to Canberra had nothing to do with being moved from the halves to lock.

Coach Benji Marshall had watched his team score just 22 points in their past four games. In the hope of igniting the attack, he decided to bring in some fresh blood – 19-year-old free spirit Javon Andrews – to partner Jarome Luai in the halves, and move Doueihi to No.13, where he can roam as the third playmaker and, it was hoped, create some chances with his running game.

Doueihi first heard at the start of the week that he was under consideration for a move out of the halves, but struggled to get confirmation from Marshall.

He headed to the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night where he had a careless high tackle charge downgraded, meaning he was free to play against the Raiders.

However, Doueihi remained unsure of what Marshall was thinking until he marched into the coach’s office on Thursday morning.

When Marshall confirmed Doueihi would be the one to make way for Andrews in the halves – not Luai, the marquee man who is headed to Parramatta at the end of the season – the 27-year-old felt aggrieved. Maybe there was even a bit of resentment, and a feeling of being taken for granted.

Doueihi and Marshall exchanged words.

Doueihi then sat down with chief executive Shaun Mielekamp, the same sources confirmed, to explain why he did not want to play this weekend, why his withdrawal would hopefully send a message that he was no longer going to be the “fall guy” for the club’s wider problems, and how he had become sick of seeing the club he loves stumble through another year of mediocrity.

After talking to Mielekamp, Doueihi made his way to the northern end of Concord Oval, sat in the morning sun and had a heart-to-heart with Pat Richards, a club legend who is now football manager.

Marshall addressed the media at 9am, spoke about Doueihi and Andrews, and outlined his plan for how the changes would work. Doueihi and the coach spoke for a second time later that morning. Not wanting to be a distraction for the team, Doueihi told Marshall he was happy to lie low, if that was what was best for the club for the next couple of days.

When news broke that afternoon that Doueihi had refused to play, fans and commentators were quick to turn on him, branding him selfish.

“Do what’s best for the team, Adam,” was the consensus.

Former interim Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley hopped on radio to reveal Doueihi had threatened to withdraw from a game when asked to play a different position a few years earlier.

“I had a conversation with Adam Doueihi [where he said] if I’ve not been picked at five-eighth in first grade, I’d rather play five-eighth in reserve grade,” Kimmorley said on SEN radio on Thursday night.

“I didn’t have the balls to do it as the coach at that stage.

“I’d been given some advice that centre is probably how he should play the rest of this year and his words were purely, if he doesn’t play five-eighth in first grade, I’d rather be picked at five-eighth in reserve grade.”

Doueihi has told those close to him he is prepared for anything that comes his way. He has no intention to leave the club. He re-signed in March for two years on a deal that takes him to the end of 2029.

While many this week have questioned Doueihi’s loyalty to the Tigers, it is worth noting he funded his own trip to Brisbane while injured to cheer on the players at Magic Round this year. Other teammates have not even bothered to turn up to games in Sydney when they have been injured.

After a promising start to the season – they were equal top of the ladder after six rounds, which had fans dreaming of an end to their 15-year finals drought – the Tigers’ campaign has unravelled, losing six of their past seven games to slump to 14th on the ladder.

That slump has taken its toll, and a tipping point was inevitable – not just for Doueihi.

Last weekend Alex Twal, one of the most mild-mannered players in the game, lost his cool and was sin-binned for slapping Canterbury’s Jaeman Salmon in the face. Twal returned for the final minute, only to lock horns with Bulldogs forward Josh Curran.

Twal was still seething after the game and refused to shake Curran’s hand.

His actions reflected the frustrations of a player who knew the season was slipping away, and who feared the wrong people were going to be blamed.

The Tigers trained at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Friday morning before travelling to Canberra. A jersey presentation was due to take place for Andrews in the nation’s capital later in the afternoon.

Doueihi will not be at the game, with sources suggesting he was unsure if he should get away for a few days. The Tigers must win to be any chance of keeping their slim finals hopes alive.

Teammates have been sending Doueihi messages and checking in on him.

He will be OK. Especially if the Tigers finally get serious and start holding people to account.

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