Wests Tigers star Adam Doueihi will be a notable absentee when the club kicks off their 2022 season as he continues to recover from an ACL injury.
Doueihi, 23, had his best season at NRL level in 2021 but his campaign was ended when he injured his knee against Cronulla in Round 23.
Now five and a half months post operation, Doueihi explained where he was at with his recovery and when he hopes to return this season.
“Everything is going as planned at the moment,” Doueihi said on SEN 1170 Drive.
“I’m about five and a half months post op at the moment.
“Everything is on track, I met with the surgeon last week just for a check-up and he was really happy with where things were at.
“At about the eight, nine month mark I’ll go back and see him for sort of a strength test.
“He’ll have a list of boxes I need to tick, and as long as I tick all of them (I’ll be good to go).
“I”m not exactly sure how many months or days yet, but (my return) should be somewhere in the middle of the front end of the season, I hope.”
With Doueihi sidelined, plenty of conjecture has surrounded who’ll wear the number six jersey and play in the halves alongside Luke Brooks.
While the club has plenty of options to fill in for Doueihi, he revealed that Jack Hastings was the front-runner to start at five-eighth.
“Jacko (Hastings) has been going good on the field,” Doueihi said.
“He’ll probably fill in to start with in that number six jersey.
“I know watching the video in the dressing rooms … from all reports (Hastings and Brooks) have been going really good.”
Hastings last appeared at NRL level with the Sea Eagles in 2018.
The Tigers will face the Storm in Round 1 at CommBank stadium as they look to make the finals for the first time in a decade this season.