Wests Tigers

The move of Jackson Hastings to halfback and Luke Brooks to No.6 proved a masterstroke by Michael Maguire and the confidence flowing through those two players is sure to rub off on their team-mates.

CommBank Stadium will feel very comfortable indeed for Wests Tigers after their Easter Monday heroics but they'll need to be at their best defensively to contain a Rabbitohs side brimming with attacking threats.

Named in the new-look run-on 13 by coach Craig Bellamy are the club’s most experienced signings for the upcoming season - Xavier Coates who will become Storm player #217, Nick Meaney (#218) and Josh King (#219).

Coates, formerly from Brisbane Broncos, will take on the left wing position previously held by Josh Addo-Carr, while Meaney, better known as a fullback or winger during his time at Newcastle and Canterbury, will show his versatility by playing at five-eighth with usual No.6 Cameron Munster suspended for round one.

The 23-year-old was having his best season to date in 2021 and will be sorely missed in the Tigers’ side come round one.

Despite the setback Doueihi, who is now five and a half months post operation, has said he is “on track” with his recovery and could be back sooner than expected.

“Everything is going as planned at the moment,” Doueihi said on SEN 1170.

Pearce left the field inside the final five minutes, with Jamie Buhrer filling in at halfback and placing a kick that resulted in the match-winning try to winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

Brown indicated post-game scans were set to confirm the extent of the injury but said it didn't look good.

The Knights coach also cleared any confusion during the game by confirming Pearce was replaced by Luke Yates as a free interchange - with Yates able to return to the field after passing a HIA examination.

It's the second time in three weeks that the Tigers have beaten the Storm, both efforts based on courageous defence and new-found grit.

It is the first time the Storm have lost consecutive away games since 2015.

While Marshall grabbed the headlines, hitting the match-winner from 25 metres out, Brooks was the one getting pats on the back from his coach.

Ivan Cleary said he felt his No.7 put in "one of his best" performances and stepped up when it mattered.

"Late in the game, Benji and Luke came up with some big plays," he said.

Coming into their pack this season are big men with big profiles in Ben Matulino, Russell Packer and Chris McQueen. Aaron Woods (Bulldogs) and Ava Seumanufagai (Sharks) headed in the opposite direction at the end of last season.

A quick glance at the Tigers yardage battles last year explains much of the movement, while the devil in the detail only further reveals their struggles in the middle in recent seasons.

The early-season rust was clear for both sides in a match that was delayed for more than 45 minutes after a blackout struck Cairns following a storm in the tropics.

After the lights were turned on, poor discipline from North Queensland gave the Tigers an easy out in the form of a penalty inside their own 10 metres, which they used to march up the field.

They made good use of the field position when they sucked in three defenders before offloading to find winger Corey Thompson unmarked, who posted first points of the night. 

The 39-year-old is currently assistant coach at the Widnes Vikings and will join Wests Tigers for the start of the 2018 pre-season.

Hodgson said he was looking forward to coming back to Wests Tigers in a coaching capacity.

"I'm extremely happy to be returning to Wests Tigers, the memories have been flooding back to me and I'm looking forward to getting started," Hodgson said. 

"Ivan and the staff have made many changes and I feel now is the perfect time to return as the club enters this new era.

The Tigers looked home and hosed when Malakai Watene-Zelezniak crossed and then Tui Lolohea nailed the sideline conversion to move them ahead by eight points with 10 minutes remaining, but it wasn't to be as the Sharks punished a couple of errors to race in two late tries to steal the win. 

Mitchell Pearce, Aidan Guerra and Connor Watson all scored two tries each in the 40-18 victory.