Wests Tigers NRL Head Coach Benji Marshall is more concerned about reigniting the team’s stalled attack rather than hearing talk about a heavy injury toll this season.
In a week when the Tigers hooker Api Koroisau was ruled out for a month with a pectoral muscle strain, Marshall says the team needs to find some self-belief rather than rely on injuries as an excuse.
The Tigers have scored just 16 points in their past two games to sit four points outside the top eight with nine games remaining.
They now come up against the second-placed Warriors on Friday night in their final home game at Campbelltown Sports Stadium for 2026.
“I’ve looked at our attack thoroughly and sometimes you can over complicate things and go looking for plays and big plays, but it’s not about the big plays,’’ Marshall said.
“We need to fight harder to play the ball quicker, give ourselves a chance, and we need our spines to connect in good positions to give us an opportunity.
“We need to get our strike players (more time) with hands on the ball.
“It’s about getting our processes right consistently, because at the moment, we're very inconsistent with playing well for 20 (minutes) and then not playing well for 20.
“We've got to get an 80-minute performance in. The Warriors are high up on the table and playing some good footy.
“We need to get our game right. When you lose a few, you probably lose a bit of confidence, but in my opinion, confidence comes from doing the hard parts of the game well.
“We know we can do it because we’ve seen it (earlier in the season), so that’s where you get the belief from.
“It takes one game to find confidence; it takes one play to find confidence.”
With Koroisau out, Josese Lanyon comes in at hooker while five-eighth Jarome Luai returns after missing last week’s loss to the Dragons with delayed concussion symptoms.
In further good news, powerful second-rower Samuela Fainu is back from a foot injury suffered in round nine against Cronulla.
“It’s tough. We’ve had a lot of injuries but that won’t be an excuse for us. We’ve just got to move on and adapt,’’ Marshall added.
“As a coach, I don’t want to give anyone any excuses to not be able to perform.
“Samuela has worked hard with our performance team on getting back early. He has put in the hard work and passed his fitness tests.
“We're excited to have him back. He's been a big out for us.”
Stat Attack
- Wests Tigers have won only one of their past eight games at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
- The Warriors have won nine of their last 10 games against the Tigers.
- Tigers fullback Jahream Bula has scored three tries in his last three games at Campbelltown.
- Warriors winger Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has scored seven tries in his last six games.
- Tigers halfback Adam Doueihi has scored five tries in his last four games.
Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.
