Adam Doueihi has publicly apologised to Wests Tigers supporters and his teammates after standing himself down from last weekend's clash against the Canberra Raiders, as coach Benji Marshall moved to quash reports of e-cigarette use among players at the struggling NRL club.
Doueihi returned to training on Tuesday and addressed both his teammates and club officials, following a confrontation with Marshall over the coach's decision to shift him out of the halves ahead of the Raiders game — a match the Tigers lost 56-10.
Doueihi explains his walkout and admits he got it wrong
An agitated Doueihi had used the pre-game moment to air his frustrations, telling Marshall he had grown fed up with what he saw as a lack of accountability and professionalism that had contributed to another difficult Tigers season. He told Marshall he would not take the field against Canberra.
Speaking publicly on Wednesday, Doueihi acknowledged he had taken Marshall's positional call the wrong way and expressed regret over how the situation unfolded.
"I should've played," Doueihi said. "It hurt watching the boys on the weekend that I wasn't out there … I've had a really, really good conversation with Benji, Shaun and the club about my care-factor for the club."
He was clear that his actions were never intended to cause disruption. "I play and wear my heart on my sleeve. I know it's hard for our fans to see. I let them down on the weekend," he said. "I'm happy to wear all the criticism … Did I want to bring that noise to the club? No, that wasn't my intention."
Doueihi declined to elaborate further on the specific standards issues he had raised internally, but was firm in stating he remains committed to his three-year deal with the Tigers and is not seeking an early exit from the club.
The public comments came roughly 24 hours after Doueihi held peace talks with Marshall, chief executive Shaun Mielekamp and football manager Pat Richards, with the episode dominating rugby league discussion throughout the week.
Marshall denies double standards, concedes vaping is a concern
Speaking minutes before Doueihi addressed reporters, Marshall pushed back against allegations of double standards within the playing group and described reports of players vaping in the gym as "fabricated." However, he did concede that e-cigarette use among players is a genuine issue the club is grappling with.
"Is there a vaping problem with players? Probably," Marshall said. "There's a few things that have popped up that I didn't know."
On Doueihi's withdrawal, Marshall said he did not feel personally disrespected and framed it instead as a welfare concern for his player.
"What I could see was a young guy who needed support and wasn't in the head space to play," Marshall said. "I saw a guy who was hurting and who wasn't in the position to play. You can't force that."
Doueihi recalled for Eels clash at expense of rookie Andrews
Despite the drama, Marshall confirmed he has recalled Doueihi directly back into his starting line-up for the Tigers' upcoming game against the Parramatta Eels. Rookie Javon Andrews, who had been set to feature, will make way as Marshall prioritises a winning combination.
"Whatever the concerns were from Adam's perspective, they were all dealt with in the room," Marshall said, indicating the club considers the matter resolved internally.
The episode is the latest in a turbulent season for the joint-venture club, whose campaign has been undermined by on-field struggles and now a very public falling-out between a senior player and his coaching staff.
