It’s been a tumultuous off-season for the Wests Tigers, but things are slowly starting to fall into place ahead of the 2026 campaign.
With a new chief executive and the boardroom dramas at rest – for now – the focus for the joint venture turns to what will happen on the field.
Benji Marshall took great strides as a head coach last year, while green shoot started to appear within the playing roster, showing promise for the future.
READ MORE: Code-hopper ‘pity’ laid bare as NRL’s top wingers revealed
READ MORE: Odd location for Super Bowl fuels viral conspiracy theory
READ MORE: Why Hynes has bulked up in search for premiership
One of those players was Sione Fainu, who played all 24 games for the Tigers and cemented himself as a genuine first grade front-rower.
Latu, Sione and Samuela Fainu NRL
Fainu has now put pen to paper on a fresh three-year contract worth $1.1 million, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, which keeps him at Concord until 2029.
His brothers, Samuela and Latu, are signed until the end of 2027, but Tigers officials will be desperate to lock them down before they become free agents in November.
If the club can keep all three Fainu brothers wearing the club’s colours long-term, it will go a long way to ensuring Marshall’s men remain competitive in the NRL.
But the job for the Tigers doesn’t stop there.
Star fullback Jahream Bula is still unsigned for next season and despite attempts from the Tigers to secure his services before 2026 kicks off, it hasn’t happened yet.
Bula is one of the most exciting players in the competition and serves as a beacon of hope for the long-suffering fans who haven’t seen their team make the finals in 15 years.
However, he will cost more than $800,000 per season to keep on the books.
Jahream Bula. Getty
The fleet-footed Fijian international’s signature is the most important for the Tigers, with co-captains Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau still secured long-term.
When you throw Kai Pearce-Paul, Adam Doueihi, Fonua Pole, Sunia Turuva, Taylan and Terrell May, Starford To’a and teenage freak Heamasi Makasini into the mix, there’s plenty of room for optimism at the Tigers for the future.
Wests Tigers 2026 squad (with contract expirations)
Adam Doueihi (2027), Alex Twal (2027), Alex Seyfarth (2028), Api Koroisau (2028), Fonua Pole (2027), Heamasi Makasini (2027), Heath Mason (2026), Jack Bird (2026), Jahream Bula (2026), Jarome Luai (2026*), Jeral Skelton (2026), Jock Madden (2027), Kai Pearce-Paul (2028), Kit Laulilii (2026), Latu Fainu (2027), Luke Laulilii (2026), Mavrik Geyer (2026), Royce Hunt (2027), Samuela Fainu (2027), Sione Fainu (2029), Solomone Saukuru (2026), Starford To’a (2028), Sunia Turuva (2027), Taylan May (2027), Terrell May (2027), Tony Sukkar (2026), Tristan Hope (2026), Will Craig (2026)
*Jarome Luai has options in his contract until the end of 2029
Discussion about this post