Wests Tigers sweat on Doueihi scans after being thrashed by Cronulla

This time last week Wests Tigers were waiting to learn whether Jarome Luai would take up an eye-watering offer from the PNG Chiefs.

On Sunday night, it was the immediate future of Luai’s playmaking partner Adam Doueihi that Benji Marshall’s team were sweating on.

The depleted Tigers were thrashed 52-10 by Cronulla, their task at Ocean Protect Stadium having been made more difficult by a shoulder injury suffered by their halfback that forced him from the field after only 10 minutes.

Having endured three knee reconstructions, Doueihi has had a fine start to the season for the high-flying Tigers, so much so that he has been considered a chance for selection in Laurie Daley’s NSW squad.

Whether he remains in contention for a State of Origin call-up will depend on the results of scans on his right shoulder, which had to be put back in by medical staff after he popped it out while reaching out to score the Tigers’ opening try.

There was further reason for concern for the Tigers when in-form second-rower Samuela Fainu was carried from the field n the last five minutes with an apparent leg injury.

The prognosis for the Sharks was far more positive, as Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes and Blayke Brailey engineered a confidence-building rout before a crowd of 14,479 puting them back in the top eight.

Back-rower Teig Wilton and centre KL Iro posted trebles, and it was party time in the Sutherland Shire as Craig Fitzgibbon’s side scored four times in 11 minutes to compound the Tigers’ pain.

Between Luai’s watershed signing with the Chiefs from 2028 and the announcement of contract extensions for Terrell and Taylan May, it had been a big week for the Tigers.

If the retention of the May brothers was comforting, just days after Luai’s private jet jaunt to Port Moresby, news on Sunday that fullback Jahream Bula was sticking with the club was cause for celebration.

The Tigers had to cope without Bula against the Sharks, though, as he recovers from a shoulder issue, while Marshall was also without suspended co-captain Api Koroisau and in-form second-rower Kai Pearce-Paul due to a head knock.

Douehi’s early departure thinned out their ranks even further.

Cronulla’s absentee list was less extensive and co-captain Cameron McInnes was starting for the first time this season after returning from a serious knee injury via the bench last week.

Their more pressing concern had been their defence, having conceded 80 points in their past two matches.

It was the visitors who were cracked open far more often, with Trindall and Hynes zeroing in on rookie Tigers winger Tino Tavana.

The 21-year-old, playing in only his third NRL game, had a forgettable afternoon. He made a series of errors trying to defuse high kicks, as well as defensive and handling mistakes.

Cronulla took advantage. The Tigers kept the deficit to 18-10 at the break thanks in part to Douehi, who finished off a scrum play in which Luai was instrumental.

But the wheels came off for the visitors, who barely had the ball in the second half despite having the wind behind them.