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Adam Doueihi has resumed training with the Wests Tigers, with the playmaker and his teammates all smiles as they took to the field just before 10.30am at Concord.
Doueihi held peace talks with coach Benji Marshall, chief executive Shaun Mielekamp and football manager Pat Richards on Monday after he sat out the weekend’s loss to Canberra.
The 27-year-old agreed to return to training on Tuesday, and wanted to address the playing group to explain what had gone on the past few days since the latest drama involving the Tigers burst to life.
Doueihi and Marshall clashed over the decision to move him out of the halves for the Raiders clash. In a meeting last week, Doueihi took the opportunity to speak his mind, telling the coach he was fed up with the lack of accountability and professionalism that had led to another failed NRL campaign.
The bust-up has dominated the rugby league news cycles for days, with some fans and commentators believing Doueihi should have played and done what the coach asked, while others applauded the Lebanese international for taking a stand.
Doueihi was spotted early enjoying a coffee outside the club’s training facility with Danny Abdallah, a good friend who lost three children when they were mowed down by a drunk and drugged driver in the Sydney suburb of Oatlands at the start of 2020. It was not organised, and Abdallah just happened to be at the same coffee shop.
Doueihi completed a series of warm-up and passing drills on Tuesday, and shared a few laughs – and the occasional high five – with teammates on a warm July morning.
Playmaker Jarome Luai spotted the TV cameras and jokingly asked if the media was at training to celebrate Api Koroisau’s 250th game.
Doueih walked to the other end of the field to practice some high kicks when it came time for the players to complete wrestling drills. Doueihi has been playing through the pain of an injured shoulder in recent weeks, which likely explained why he sat out that part of the session.
Prop Royce Hunt and backrower Kai Pearce-Paul were stationed at one end of the ground and went through some rehabilitation drills, while injured playmaker Jock Madden watched the session on his own from the other end of the stands.
The only player who was missing was Terrell May, the front-rower who has been on a modified training program.
The team gathered for a huddle at 11.35am, Doueihi walked into the stands by himself to remove his boots, and disappeared into the gym by 11.39am.
There was no opposed session, so it was impossible to tell whether Marshall plans to rush Doueihi into the starting team for Sunday’s clash against Parramatta. The team list will be released at 4pm.
Another burning topic moving forward will be whether Doueihi remains at the club beyond this season, despite signing a deal earlier this year until the end of 2029.
Canterbury general manager Phil Gould had some free advice for the Tigers, telling the Dogs’ rival club they needed to stay on top of the information being leaked out of the joint venture.
“That’s the first thing the Wests Tigers have to get right for the future, [it] is about who talks to the media and who doesn’t talk to the media – being able to trust the people in their office, and trust the people inside the locker room, and that they’re not talking outside the circle of trust,” Gould said on Monday night’s 100% Footy.
“It seems anyone who’s anyone in the media claims to have an inside source at that club. That inside ‘source’ seems to get the news out … very quickly, in even the most private of conversations.
“It’s incredible how this gets out, and once it’s in the media, the club loses all control.”
