Wests Tigers have returned for pre-season training under the watchful eye of new head coach Benji Marshall ahead of the 2024 NRL season.
Twenty-six players were made to work hard on day one of the club’s pre-Christmas block of training at the Zurich Centre of Excellence, Concord.
The group comprised a mixture of top-30, development and train and trial players, many of whom have been junior representative teammates.
Two thirds of the players at Monday’s first session were local juniors, a reflection of the club’s strategic focus on pathways and development.
While this is a long-term process, and one which requires significant investment, there are plenty of positive signs to suggest that the system is working.
Seven players from the Western Suburbs team which claimed the club’s first ever Harold Matthews Cup title just 18 months ago, are now training with the first-grade squad. All seven are now on top-30 or development contracts or will be in the next couple of years.
Captain of the premiership-winning Magpies team was Kit Laulilii who, like teammate Tallyn Da Silva, made his NRL debut last season.
Laulilii moves onto a development contract in 2024 while Da Silva is one of three players from the 2022 Harold Matthews team who has graduated to a top-30 contract.
He’s joined by young prop Jordan Miller and 2023 Australian Schoolboys representative Lachlan Galvin.
Luke Laulilii, younger brother of Kit, and fellow speedster Heath Mason have also come out of that Wests Harold Matthews team.
Like Galvin, they too were selected for the Australian Schoolboys this year and will move on to top-30 and development contacts respectively in 2025.
Edge forward Brandon Webster-Mansfield, who is another from Campbelltown, steps up to the top-30 after being on a development contract in 2023.
Others on development contracts in 2024 are Solomone Saukuru (outside back), Chris Faagutu (forward), Alexander Lobb (winger), and Tony Sukkar (forward).
Sukkar was one of five Balmain juniors reporting for duty on day one, alongside the likes of Brandon Tumeth who made his NRL debut last season.
Former Manly forward Samuela Fainu had his first session at his new club, joined by older brother Sione, who is preparing for his third season at Wests Tigers.
The youngest of the three Fainu brothers now at the club is Latu, who has been on representative duty with Tonga.
The ten Wests Tigers players who have been involved in internationals are due at training later this month, some in early December.
Another recruit at Monday’s session was Jayden Sullivan. The former Dragons half was originally scheduled to start training with the second wave of players on November 20, but reported for duty a couple of weeks early.
Development:
Kit Laulilii, Solomone Saukuru, Chris Faagutu, Alexander Lobb and Tony Sukkar.
Train & Trial:
William Craig, Sione Latoa-Vaihu, Luke Laulilii, Keenan Lawandos, Heath Mason, Iverson Matai, Cayne Nicholas and Navren Willet.
