NRL pre-season spotlight: Wests Tigers shake-up training with gruelling army camp

Jarome Luai passed his first test as co-captain of the Tigers, leading from the front as Benji Marshall pushed his troops to the limit in a gruelling army boot camp. See the photos and videos.

Marquee man Jarome Luai passed his first test as new co-captain, leading from the front during a gruelling Wests Tigers pre-season army camp in Moreton Bay.

Desperate to avoid a fourth-straight wooden spoon coach Benji Marshall upped the ante at training late last week, shipping the playing group north of the border for a three-day army boot camp run by former police and army personnel.

Players including new recruits Luai, Royce Hunt, Jeral Skelton, Sunia Turuva and Terrell May were pushed to their physical and mental limits during the boot camp.

The squad was forced to lug jerry cans filled with water and medicine balls weighing 50 kilograms up hills.

Players were also spotted pushing cars and doing sit-ups while submerged in water.

The punishing camp is nothing new to Luai, having been part of routine pre-season preparations at the Penrith Panthers since 2020.

Wests Tigers' brutal pre-season army camp

Luai, who was named co-captain alongside Api Koroisau last week, is said to have impressed coaching staff with his leadership and mental toughness during the army camp.

“Api has done a great job as captain, you have to make sure if you are going to go with the co-captaincy that he was 100 per cent supportive of it, which he is,” Tigers CEO Shane Richardson said on SEN.

Apisai Koroisau during the Tigers' pre-season army camp. Picture: Wests Tigers

New recruit Royce Hunt. Picture: Wests Tigers

“He’s (Luai) a leader, he would have been a leader whether he was captain or not. He’s shown Benji some great traits at training, his enthusiasm is through the roof. He’s a great leader.”

Marshall has been working on building resilience and camaraderie in his playing squad ahead of the new look outfit’s first hitout in the second week of the pre-season challenge against Canterbury Bulldogs at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Sunday February 16.

Wests Tigers' gruelling army boot camp. Video: Wests Tigers

The trial match against the Bulldogs is shaping as the first glimpse at the Tigers’ new halves combination with Luai, who joined the club on a five-year deal worth $6 million, and talented youngster Lachlan Galvin.

“The way we are thinking about resilience and toughness for our younger players … we bought in older players with that sort of toughness and resilience as well,” Richardson said.

Adam Doueihi sweating it out. Picture: Wests Tigers

Sione Fainu put through his paces during Tigers army camp. Picture: Wests Tigers

“Football hasn’t changed, the team that runs hardest and tackles hardest wins games. That’s the basic stuff you have to bring into the team and build around camaraderie, which I think we are getting.”

Rising hooker Tallyn Da Silva, who also impressed during the boot camp, is set to start round one at dummy half with Koroisau to serve the final game of a three-match suspension.

Originally published as NRL pre-season spotlight: Wests Tigers shake-up training with gruelling army camp