A quick look at the numbers

Eight days after ending a nine-game losing streak, Wests Tigers snapped a 10-game drought at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, thumping Canberra Raiders 48-24.

The win was also our first victory over the green machine at Campbelltown since 2014, and it was our first win over the Raiders in nine attempts.

Fifteen players have pulled on Wests Tigers colours for the first time this season, 10 of whom had never played NRL before.

One week after celebrating his 18th birthday, Luke Laulilii became Wests Tigers Player #290, joining nine others who have played their first NRL game this season.

Luke is the sixth player from Wests Magpies’ premiership-winning Harold Matthews team in 2022 to go on play NRL with Wests Tigers, joining Tallyn Da Silva, older brother Kit, Lachie Galvin, Heath Mason and Jordan Miller.

The Liverpool Catholic Club junior is also the first player born after 2005 to play for Wests Tigers. 

The other four players to have played first grade for the first time this season are Solomona Faataape, Latu Fainu, his older brother Sione, and Solomon Alaimalo.

The first three tries scored against the Raiders on Sunday, including Luke’s dash to the line in the 10th minute, were scored by players who had not scored before in the NRL.

Galvin bagged the first of his try-double in the third minute in his eleventh NRL game, while Fainu, playing his fourth NRL game, found the line just after the half-hour mark.

And what about the return of Adam Doueihi?  Just magic.  His runaway intercept try was spine-tingling, 441 days after his last NRL appearance in Round 6 last season.

Captain Api Koroisau also deserves a mention here, after scoring a try and booting eight from eight.

Wests Tigers’ tally of ten first timers is easily the most in the NRL this season.  South Sydney have blooded the next most, with five.

If we dig a bit deeper, it’s also the most players who have made their NRL debut in quite some time.

In fact, it is the most by any club since the Titans in 2017, they also had 10 that year, while the Knights and the Roosters both had 11 players who made their NRL debut in 2016.

Thirty-five players have suited up for Wests Tigers in 2024, the most by the club since 2006 when we also used 35 players. For the record, the most players we have used in one season is 36, in 2003.

Some interesting historical numbers, but it's now time to look ahead.