The Wests Tigers are set to sport a new look in 2026, with the Club expected to announce at the end of season the end of their long-standing apparel partnership with Steeden.

From next season, the NRL side will wear jerseys and training gear supplied by Canterbury, a brand synonymous with rugby league heritage having supplied jerseys to the Balmain Tigers in the 1980’s.

The change marks the conclusion of a five-year association with Steeden, whose designs have accompanied the Tigers through a period of significant roster and cultural change.

Canterbury already have a sponsorship deal with Wests Tigers star half Jarome Luai who wears headgear supplied by the New Zealand-born brand.

Jarome Luai has praised the unwavering determination and resilience shown by his Wests Tigers teammates, despite a challenging season in terms of results.

Speaking alongside teammate Api Koroisau on the ‘Behind the Roar’ podcast with host Kezie Apps, Luai emphasised the team’s relentless effort throughout the year.

“The will to fight,” Luai says. “It’s been a bit of a different year for me, losing a lot more games, but we’ve been in so many, down to the wire, and everyone’s still fighting to the death.”

Luai admits the ongoing battle can sometimes be exhausting, but he’s continually impressed by his teammates’ resolve.

“Sometimes feeling that a lot throughout the season can make you feel a bit tired every now and then, but these guys just keep turning up and keep putting their body on the line, and that’s something I’m so proud to be a part of,” Luai says.

“We’re not getting the results, but it can hide a lot of good stuff as well.

“We’re training hard. We’re putting in the effort. And I know the rewards will come soon.”

Api Koroisau echoed Luai’s sentiments, highlighting the team’s commitment to improvement behind the scenes, often unnoticed by fans and commentators

“Their willingness to improve—no one probably sees this, but the amount of chats we’re having about trying to hammer down on the small things and get better at the one percenters has been really impressive,” Koroisau adds.

Despite the difficult season, Luai and Koroisau remain optimistic and proud of the culture developing at Wests Tigers, confident that their hard work and determination will soon translate into positive results.

Wests Tigers utility Adam Doueihi has moved to clear the air around his player representation, revealing he has not formally signed with high-profile agent Isaac Moses despite Moses handling discussions with rival clubs on his behalf.

Speaking on SEN Breakfast with Vossy & Brandy, Doueihi explained that while Moses has been advising him and helping to gauge interest in the market, there is no official contract binding them together.

“I haven’t technically signed up with Isaac,” Doueihi said. “I’ve always sort of kept in touch with him. And he’s been a sort of bouncing board for me and always given me feedback.”

Doueihi, who is working to cement his future amid a challenging season for the Tigers, said his focus had remained firmly on his on-field performances rather than rushing a management decision.

“Just while we were still in the hunt for the aid, and I was really focused on just really playing my best footy, I just spoke to him on the side and said, I’ve given him permission to speak to clubs and speak to the Tigers on my behalf,” he said. “So he’s doing that in the background for me. But I haven’t physically signed with him as of yet.”

The 25-year-old also addressed speculation that his recent, shorter media appearances hinted at frustration or uncertainty about his future.

Asked about the contrast between his composed half-time interview against the Roosters and more curt answers in a news bulletin this week, Doueihi shrugged off any suggestion of deeper issues.

“No, I was up for media and we just finished a pretty big field [session],” he said.

Doueihi is off contract at season’s end and remains one of the Tigers’ highest-profile free agents. While Moses’ involvement has fuelled talk about possible moves, the five-eighth insists the priority remains performing for the club as he weighs up his next step.

Wests Tigers football boss Shane Richardson has drawn parallels between the club’s decision to part ways with rising hooker Tallyn Da Silva and South Sydney’s controversial call to let premiership-winning halfback Adam Reynolds walk out the door.

Speaking on ABC Radio, Richardson described the loss of Da Silva—who recently signed with the Parramatta Eels—as “a great disappointment,” but said it ultimately came down to balancing the future against the proven leadership of veteran No.9 Api Koroisau.

“It was a great disappointment to me, losing Da Silva,” Richardson admitted. “And it was because he’s a great kid. He wanted to be here, et cetera, et cetera.”

Richardson likened the Tigers’ dilemma to the Rabbitohs’ infamous 2021 decision to back young playmaker Lachlan Ilias over club legend Reynolds—a call that sparked intense debate and scrutiny in the years that followed.

“It got down to a decision, though, where you sit down—and I’m sure Souths did this with their halfback a few years ago,” he said. “You’ve got this young kid coming through, but we’re going to let this kid go. He’s won premierships and won everything else with you because we think this kid’s going to do the job. And he didn’t.”

In the Tigers’ case, Richardson said the club believed retaining Koroisau was essential, despite the promise Da Silva showed.

“Now, our situation was you’ve got Api Koroisau, who’s won premierships, who’s a leader of the club, captain of the club, loyal, puts in every week,” Richardson explained. “You see it every week. He’s Fijian, he could play till he’s 56, be in the Fijian [side]. But the bottom line was, we felt for the good of the club that we had to re-sign Api Koroisau.”

Richardson also revealed the personal dimension to the decision, including his commitment to Da Silva’s family.

“I promised his parents, Da Silva’s parents, that I’d tell them when we made that decision. And we made that decision,” he said. “Now, we could have hung on to him for another year and made him play reserve grade and come up underneath. But from our point of view, that wasn’t the right thing to do.”

While acknowledging the risk inherent in letting a young star slip away, Richardson stressed the club had to back its call.

“You have to be honest with people. Sometimes that means you make tough decisions. You hope in the long term you’re proven right.”

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Wests Tigers stalwart Alex Twal has thrown his support behind promising hooker Jared Haywood, describing the youngster as an “exciting prospect” after Haywood was elevated to a train and trial contract with the NRL squad. Opening the door for the 18 year old to debut this season.

Haywood, a former Australian Schoolboys representative, has impressed coaches and senior players alike with his skill and attitude since linking up with the Tigers’ top squad for sessions.

“He’s trained with us a few times and yeah, he’s a really exciting young prospect,” Twal said. “Obviously, you know, they’ve got wraps on him, you know, coming from Australian Schoolboys and whatnot.”

While Haywood’s talent has caught the eye, it’s his character that has left a lasting impression on Twal.

“First and foremost, he’s a really respectful kid and I think any kid that’s building off a foundation of being a really good kid, you know, they’ve got a long career ahead of them,” Twal said.

Known for his professionalism and work ethic, Twal said he was eager to help guide Haywood as he adjusts to the demands of life as a full-time NRL player.

“I’m looking forward to taking him under my wing and sort of showing him what it takes to be an NRL player week in, week out,” Twal said.

“I’m sure he’s got all the talent in the world.”

The experienced prop added that the support of the Tigers’ senior group would be key to helping the young hooker find his feet at the top level.

“If a few of us older boys can get around him and sort of make that transition into becoming a full-time player easier, then I think we’ll do our job,” Twal said.

In the midst of ongoing speculation about the future of Wests Tigers’ young talent Tallyn Da Silva and veteran star Api Koroisau, head coach Benji Marshall has moved to clear the air, addressing reports of internal disagreements and outlining the club’s direction with clarity and conviction.

During today’s press conference, Marshall dismissed suggestions of a power struggle between himself and Wests Tigers CEO, Shane Richardson.

Asked directly whether the narrative that Marshall pushed for Koroisau while Richardson preferred Da Silva was accurate, the coach was blunt:

“That’s not true.”
When pressed on which part, he reiterated:
“All of it. Me and Rich are on the same page. The plan from the beginning is what we’ve executed, and nothing’s changed.”

The plan, it seems, is a long-term commitment to Koroisau, who has been a cornerstone for the Tigers since arriving at the club. While the team has struggled in recent years, Koroisau’s leadership and consistency have made him a standout figure—both on and off the field.

“We’re putting our eggs into Api’s basket for the next few years,” Marshall said. “He’s the guy to help us win more games, and to be fair, he’s probably been our best player the last few years and he’s got more left in the tank.”

Still, the decision comes at a cost—namely, the potential departure of Tallyn Da Silva, a young hooker widely regarded as a future star of the game.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Marshall said when asked if it was tough to see a young talent like Da Silva leave. “He wants to be here, you know, he wants to stay and he’s a really good kid. He’s got a bright future.”

Marshall was empathetic about Da Silva’s situation, acknowledging the understandable desire of a young player to secure more consistent NRL game time.

“I can understand Tallyn wanting to play more minutes and be in first grade and not wait behind [Api]. So, it’s hard to stop a guy in that instinct. But the difference is—he actually does want to be here.”

That Da Silva’s departure may be on the cards isn’t a reflection of his talent or commitment, but rather the harsh reality of team management and the short-term demands of success in the NRL.

“I guess in your position too, you need to win now,” the reporter noted.
“Oh, yeah,” Marshall replied. “And [Api]’s our guy.”

We discussed the Tallyn Da Silva situation on this week’s episode of Wests Tigers life:

The Wests Tigers are once again facing criticism over their handling of young talent, with emerging hooker Tallyn Da Silva now the subject of interest from multiple NRL rivals. On the latest episode of Triple M Rocks Footy NRL: The Journos, reporters Michael Chammas and Danny Weidler revealed that Da Silva is being heavily pursued by several clubs, including Manly, Parramatta, Newcastle, and the North Queensland Cowboys.

“I believe he’s meeting with Manly today,” Weidler said. “I think that he has talked to Parramatta. I think Newcastle are an option.”

Chammas confirmed the Cowboys’ strong interest as well. “Cowboys. Cowboys. Cowboys are keen,” he said. “The word is that Parramatta are favourites at the moment.”

Da Silva, 19, has long been considered one of the Tigers’ most promising juniors, with comparisons already being drawn between him and some of the club’s past stars. But with the Tigers struggling to keep their roster intact, many are questioning whether the club is on the verge of letting another star slip through their fingers — just as they did with Mitchell Moses and James Tedesco.

“You know what this is? This is history repeating itself,” Chammas said, alluding to the painful exits of Moses and Tedesco in the mid-2010s.

The rumoured price tag for Da Silva is around $600,000 per season — a significant investment for a young hooker, but one that rival clubs clearly see as worthwhile.

“I think that the price tag is around $600,000, which is pretty big for a young kid,” said Chammas. “But he seems to be the sort of player who will be worth that pretty soon.”

With Parramatta reportedly in the lead — and already having young gun Raleigh Smith on their books — the Tigers now face a familiar dilemma: pay up to keep their junior talent, or risk watching them thrive elsewhere.

Chammas summed it up bluntly: “I’m still trying to get my head around the whole situation at the Tigers — how you can see Lachlan Galvin walk out the door, and then potentially your next-best young player.”

As the Tigers attempt to rebuild yet again, fans and pundits alike are left wondering if the club has truly learned from its past mistakes — or if history is doomed to repeat itself.

We will discuss this on our latest episode of Wests Tigers Life. You can watch it here.