Doueihi says confidence is on the rise at Wests Tigers

Claiming back-to-back wins for the first time this season, including defeating the top-ranked team, has given Wests Tigers a massive confidence boost at the halfway stage of the season — according to Adam Doueihi.

Michael Maguire’s men became the first team to beat Penrith in 2021 with a 26-6 in Round 13, and Doueihi says they’re now ready to challenge another top four side when they face Parramatta on Sunday afternoon.

“It was good to beat the team at the top of the table,” Doueihi said.

“To be able to knock them over on our home court was a big achievement for us and it was our first back-to-back win of the season.

“The boys got a lot of confidence out of that and we’re going to take it into this Sunday against Parra — they’re a strong side so we’ll have to be on again.”

The Eels sit third on the ladder with 10 wins from 13 games — including a 40-4 thrashing of Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.

Wests Tigers have already faced their western Sydney opponents this season, with the Eels claiming a 36-22 triumph on Easter Monday.

“Parra are another challenge for us — they’re coming off a good win — so they’ll be raring to go against us at their home ground at Bankwest,” Doueihi said.

“We need to put in a good performance. Every week is a big test for us. We’re not in the top eight at the moment, so there’s plenty of improvement.”

Despite sitting 11th on the ladder following 13 rounds, Doueihi is confident his side is progressing and confident they can make a run for the top eight over the final 11 games.

“We’re heading in the right direction,” he said.

“We’ve changed some things in our defensive structures and attacking wise, and we’ve got the right combos going now. The more wins we get, the better we’ll be.”