‘Ugly’ Tigers fear following drastic Luai call; shock factor behind Manly freefall — Talking Points

The Tigers are in turmoil once again after the club essentially told skipper Jarome Luai he could walk out the door. How did a once promising season turn so grim?

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Meanwhile, the Sea Eagles are also dealing with somewhat of a freefall as well with concerns raised as the finals approach.

Read below for all the biggest talking points after Round 19!

‘UGLY’ FEAR FOR TIGERS AFTER BIG LUAI CALL

At one point they looked an outside chance of finishing inside the top four, but the Tigers have since fallen off a cliff and there is one major “concern” surrounding Jarome Luai’s impending exit.

The Tigers’ confidence has completely evaporated after they slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat, with their promising start to the season now a distant memory.

After emerging victorious in five of their opening seven matches, they have now lost eight of their past ten and are almost certain to miss finals football for a 15th consecutive season.

Their dramatic slide of form has seen the club’s belief that underpinned their early-season success seemingly disappear each passing week.

Speaking on Fox League’s Friday Night Football post-match show, Michael Ennis said the Tigers' confidence had disappeared after an encouraging start to this year’s campaign.

This saw the former NRL dummy-half state the side was no longer playing with the same instinct and freedom that helped them surge to the top of the ladder in the early stages of 2026.

“The rules changed dramatically at the start of the year and it just suited their athleticism, their instincitivenss,” Ennis said

“You could tell from the innovation of their coach that they were building and building.

“Now it’s just dropped off and the confidence has just fallen away. Confidence has just eroded, unfortunately for them.”

Australian Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters also pointed out the uncertainty surrounding Luai’s future as another factor impacting the Tigers confidence and form.

Walters believes that his contract situation has created an unwanted distraction for both Luai and the club ever since he agreed to join the PNG Chiefs in 2028.

It has since been confirmed by the Tigers that he will depart at the end of this season after being granted permission to explore opportunities elsewhere as the joint venture towards their attention towards the future

“Let’s look at Jarome Luai for instance. He’s been told that he can look for another club. That’s not a great motivator for him either,” Walters added.

“I know he’s a professional but if a club’s telling him we want to get rid of you at the end of the year and you’re up for sale.

“It’s not a nice feeling inside to think he’s not committed enough to them because there’s another year on his contract before he can actually go and play for the Chiefs.

“It’s not a nice situation for the club or Jarome to be in and nobody wins out of this.”

Premiership-winning five-eighth Luke Keary, meanwhile, revealed the big “concern” he has surrounding Luai’s decision for the rest of the year.

“The concern I have and this will come out in the next two to four weeks, there’ll be players in that team that are pro-Jarome and there’ll players in that team that are against him,” Keary said on Triple M on Friday night.

“And the guys that are pro-Jarome will be absolutely filthy at what’s going on and it’s already turned provocative with him (Luai) going to social media posting stuff.

“That to me sounds like it’s ugly and I think there’ll be guys in there that aren’t happy with what’s happening.

“And there’ll be some guys that are against him that thought probably what he’s done and how he’s signed with PNG and the things that he’s said in the past have come back to bite.

“PNG have openly said, ‘He’s going to be our best marketing tool’.

“If I’m a club, and he’s at my club, he’s talking to players about coming to PNG, that’s not happening in my changing room.”

It was a similar message from former Tigers captain Aaron Woods, who said it could lead to an “unhappy environment”.

“I’m concerned about the group of Wests Tigers men, where they sit with what’s happening,” Woods also said on Triple M.

“We know to (Sunia) Turuva is a really close mate of his (Luai) and that the May (Terrell and Taylan) brothers, they basically went there (because of him).

“He (Terrell May) was in Samoa camp with Luai, that’s how he got him to the West Tigers, when he got released from the Roosters.

“A lot of these young kids coming through, the Makasinis … they look up to him (Luai) and to see him just get told he can look elsewhere.

“ … I’ve been in groups before, where it’s happened, it can be an unhappy environment.”

Meanwhile, Greg Alexander warned the scrutiny surrounding the Tigers would only increase as they losing streak continues.

“And the stories will continue circling around as this continues. That’s four losses in a row,” Alexander continued.

“They were beaten by the Dragons last week, they weren’t great. They were easily the second-best side even though they were still in it 70 minutes in.

“I don’t think their draw’s great.”

Host Yvonne Sampson added, “It feels like the Tigers are once in this holding pattern with no clear direction forward.”

“Obviously the Jarome Luai thing will play out over the next few weeks but disappointing for the Wests Tigers in a season that began with so much promise.”

FISH UNLOCKED AS WAHS AIM FOR TITLE

The New Zealand Warriors forward pack continues to emerge as one of the biggest weapons in their push for a maiden NRL premiership.

Currently sitting in second place on the ladder – only behind the Penrith Panthers – the Warriors have built their success around a dominant middle unit and it is starting to pay dividends.

At the heart of the pack is skipper James Fisher-Harris, who has arguably been playing some of the best football of his career since making the move back to New Zealand from the Panthers.

“He set the tone. Obviously missed a month with that calf injury, but he was devastating in that opening 15 minutes,” Michael Ennis said on Fox League’s Friday Night Football post-show.

“Not just the influence and leadership that he brings but also the form.

“He returned tonight and it was noticeable when he was on there and it was noticeable when he wasn’t on there. He was outstanding tonight.”

Not only has the veteran front-rower provided a great physical presence on the field through the middle but is playing a different style of football which has taken his game to new heights.

He has also combined beautifully with 2025 Dally M Lock of the Year Erin Clark with the duo continually damaging the opposition through the middle.

“James going back to New Zealand was for a lot of reasons … but on the field he has been in great form,” former Panthers half Greg Alexander added.

“Tonight he showed that again. He’s forming a very good combination, too, with Erin Clark.

“I think Fish is running the ball better now than when he was at Penrith. I think he’s added something. He’s going well and that’s great for the Warriors.”

This has seen Fisher-Harris become an even greater attacking threat with the Warriors unlocking another layer to his game.

For example, using him in a variety of different roles rather than just simply relying on his powerful one-out carries.

“It’s hard not to agree and the way they’re using him, he’s not just carrying the ball one out,” Ennis agreed with the comments made

“There’s times he’s getting a little wider or they’re using him on the short pass.

“He’s mixed his game up, which is good and the different variety that the Warriors have is the one thing they have in the pack – different body shapes and they bring different things.”

The post-match panel also highlighted the influence of the hooker rotation at the club, with both Wayde Egan and Samuel Healey showing the value of their one-two punch combination.

The pair’s contrasting skill sets have given the side a major advantage around the ruck throughout the entire 80 minutes.

“The two number nines, how good are they (and) both got tries tonight as well,” Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters said.

Michael Ennis added, “That combination that they’ve got is (amazing).

“They’ve got the craftiness, ruck control and deception of Egan. He just moves and manipulates the ruck and rolls the forwards (along).

“Then just when you think the foot might come off the pedal, Healey comes on and just goes. All of a sudden, (he) tires defensive lines, and it’s good to watch.”

PHINS REALITY CHECK … TAKE TWO

Losing by 66 points is a disaster for any team.

But if there’s one club that has shown they can bounce back, it’s the Dolphins — and you only need to cast your mind back to Round 5.

In Kieran Foran’s debut as a head coach, he travelled to Kayo Stadium to face a Dolphins side who had just beat the Sharks 38-10.

The Sea Eagles proceeded to pile on 52 points in a big win, which should have been the last time Kristian Woolf was staring down the barrel of a half century of points conceded.

After that clash, the Dolphins went down to the Panthers in golden point in a valiant display, then took the Warriors to the wire before beating the Storm the following week.

That win kicked off an eight-game winning streak that had many predicting the Dolphins to compete for the title, sitting alongside the Warriors and Panthers as the genuine title threats.

A one-point loss to the Knights in Round 18 was a tough pill to swallow, but what came next against Cronulla was impossible to predict.

So can the Dolphins bounce back? Yes, they have already proven they can — but it’s not a position Tom Gilbert wanted his side to be in.

”It was embarrassing last time and it’s probably more embarrassing now,” he said.

“We had a real emphasis on making sure those performances don’t happen again, let alone happen here. We are sorry for our fans, especially our Redcliffe fans.

“It’s disappointing for them as it is disappointing for us … we will bounce back, but we have to address a few things in the short term.

“Like I said we are just embarrassed for that performance now and yeah, we just apologise to our fans.”

Yes, the Dolphins were without a host of Origin stars and Isaiya Katoa, who is expected to return in Round 22 or Round 23.

But the 17th franchise’s biggest issues still remains, and that’s consistency.

One week the Dolphins look unbeatable and the next they concede 66 points, and even Kristian Woolf was lost for words after their latest outing.

“There’s not much to say,” Woolf said.

“Obviously weren’t ready to play a tough game of footy tonight and that showed.”

When pressed on whether he could put into words how that display emerged, Woolf replied: “No I can’t, to be honest. I thought our preparation was good. We’ve been great for 11 weeks.

“So I’m not quite sure where that came from tonight … I haven’t seen (fatigue), certainly didn’t think that before the game.”

So while a maiden finals appearance is still in reach — the Dolphins now have to manufacture yet another monumental bounce back.

‘PLAY LIKE TOOPS’

“I had to play like Toops”.

Saturday night marked a special occasion for the Roosters who celebrated Daniel Tupou’s 300th game with a win over the Eels.

Tupou has been one of rugby league’s most reliable performers since his debut in 2012 and is a genuine legend of the game.

The 35-year-old is renowned as a humble, generous and warm-hearted person and on the field he is able to deliver some remarkable skills, especially when it comes to his aerial threat.

So ahead of their Round 19 clash, head coach Trent Robinson employed an interesting tactic in his team chat.

”So the first bit, we talked about how we wanted to play on Monday and then I asked Tups (Tupou) to leave the room and get some physio,” Robinson said on Fox League.

“We talked about what are the traits of Daniel Tupou, how does he play the game and how does that relate to you.

“That’s how we wanted to start the week, that was our main game plan tonight was what are the traits that he does in a game.”

That then saw the likes of Victor Radley and Spencer Leniu deliver strong performances — all because they harnessed Tupou’s attitude.

“Spencer Leniu and Naufahu Whyte, when they came back on the momentum shifted. Spenny came off and he just said ‘I had to’,” Robinson explained.

“I thanked him for his game and he just said ‘I had to play like Tups’.

“It doesn’t always go that way, you can’t always set up milestones like that but it did effect some of those senior players tonight.”

Specific ‘mantras’ that embody what a team want to achieve are consistently employed by coaches in the NRL.

Ivan Cleary has been renowned as a big advocate of having a team mantra, especially during his side’s stretch of four premierships.

So have the Roosters found theirs?

‘Play like Tupou’.

Simple, but effective as evidenced by the Tricolours performance against the Eels, having conceded an early try in the second half to trail 6-4.

The Roosters then went on to score four tries, three of which came through the milestone man who showcased his try-scoring abilities.

While that was a contest the Roosters were considered heavy favourites to win, they also secured two competition points without some crucial Origin stars who were rested.

Throw James Tedesco and Sam Walker back into the mix, with their new mentality, and the Roosters could make a serious title charge.

SEA EAGLES SLIP FROM THE EIGHT AS FORAN RUES ILL-DISCIPLINE

It has been a fortress for Kieran Foran’s men all season, but not even the magical Brookvale Oval could help the Sea Eagles in a golden-point thriller against the Cowboys on Sunday.

Manly suffered their first home defeat under Foran against North Queensland, after Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater nailed a 32-metre field goal in the 82nd minute.

That was despite Manly taking a 14-6 lead into halftime.

Now, Foran says it is discipline that will become a focus as they plot a big turnaround against the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday.

“We should have managed the game better in the second half … one positive play quickly followed up by one negative play. There’s no real genuine consistency in how we manage the second half. That’s really disappointing,” Foran said.

“The effort, the grit and determination is there every week but we’re putting too much pressure on both sides of the footy either through ill-discipline – there’s a lot of tackle-four, tackle-five leg outs at the moment and we’re just not managing how we want to play footy at times.”

Manly’s lack of discipline wasn’t helped by injuries, with Ben Trbojevic taken off with a failed HIA early in the first half and Corey Waddell leaving the field late in the half with an ankle injury – thought to be syndesmosis, according to Foran.

“It’d be easy to use the injuries as an excuse, and say we were without two players,” he said.

Fox League’s Bryan Fletcher said Manly’s most noticeable player missing in action was Luke Brookes following his season-ending ruptured ACL last month.

“A couple of weeks ago, Manly posisitiong themselves inside the top four and now they’re out of the eight,” Fletcher said.

“Kieran Foran was saying a couple of weeks ago that he’s worried about a few defensive issues. I think they’ve come off the pace a little bit and I think it’s got to do with Luke Brooks, he was having a good season especially in defence. I think they’re missing experience on the left side there.”

For Manly captain Tom Trbojevic, the performance didn’t reflect the Sea Eagle’s true potential. He said the focus now would be returning to winning and making a play once again for the top eight.

“I’m definitely confident in this footy side. We know when we play well we compete with the best,” he said.

“We’re just not managing 80 minutes of football and it’s disappointing. We put ourselves in a position to win at home and I just thought we let it go. It’s a tough one to take, but we’ve got to take it and we’ve got to back it up next week.”

STICKY REVEALS RECIPE FOR HUDSON YOUNG’S SUCCESS

NRL coaches will often do everything they can to guard players from outside distractions, but Raiders mentor Ricky Stuart has found the opposite is true with star backrower Hudson Young.

The prolific 28-year-old is arguably in the form of his life, fresh from starring in the Blues thrilling Origin series win over Queensland, and again playing a part in the Raiders’ 40-16 thrashing of Canterbury on Saturday.

Stuart is well-known for his close relationships with players, and believes Young is such a student of rugby league that he actually invites some outside hobbies to break up his weeks between games.

“He’s got such high energy. He’s probably one of the most dedicated players to a game,” Stuart told ABC Grandstand on Sunday .

“He just eats and sleeps rugby league – probably too much, where sometimes I’ve asked him to go away and find a bit of a passion. I’m glad he’s got his business in Young Supplements because it takes his mind off it a little bit.

“Otherwise it’s rugby league 24 hours a day, and it can weigh too heavily in regards to you mentally if your focus on football, football, football.”

Young backed up from a terrific Origin campaign – in which he dished up three high-energy 80-minute performances – with 12 runs, 84 metres, three tackle busts and 16 tackles in limited minutes against Canterbury.

He will be a key chess piece for Canberra as they plot a run towards from the NRL finals. The Raiders sit in 12th on the NRL ladder, three wins outside the top eight.

“He is really, really dedicated to the game, and he just loves it,” Stuart said. “He loves rugby league, he loves to hear about the old stories from the earlier days and the older preparations in camps.

“I’m excited for him, the fact he puts so much care and hunger into wanting to be that player, both in Origin and in club duties.”

According to Matty Johns, the Raiders’ form against the Bulldogs didn’t reflect their current ranking on the ladder.

“It’s puzzling with where the Raiders are given the talent in this team,” he said.

Bryan Fletcher added: “When they play with confidence they are very hard to stop. I was happy for Ethan Sanders and I’m glad he had a good game. The Dogs were out-enthused and out-muscled. Raiders were making 60 or 70 metres every set.”

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