As yet another unsuccessful season unfolds for the Wests Tigers changes need to be made sooner rather than later. The first one should be Adam Doueihi taking over the captaincy from James Tamou in 2022.

Fan favourite Doueihi, along with rookie fullback Daine Laurie, have been inspirations in what has been an otherwise dark year for the joint venture club.

Whether playing centre or in his preferred number six jersey, Adam has consistently landed in the top three performers in each match for the Tigers.

With 9 tries, 63 goals and 16 try assists from 18 appearances the Lebanese international is a beacon of light in a season of frustration for fans.

Two episodes of the Fox NRL ‘Tales from Tigertown’ documentary confirmed what we all suspected. Doueihi is the guy doing the talking at Wests Tigers, urging his team mates to be better.

He is a player that wears his heart on his sleeve, the elation of the wins and the agony of the losses are displayed on his face post match.

‘Gotta be f***in dropped’: Inside THAT golden-point moment that robbed broken Tigers 🤯🐯❓

👉 https://t.co/1SHuEJeHAh pic.twitter.com/7VY43KwTka

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) August 9, 2021

James Tamou came to the Tigers from Penrith as a winning captain, however in a new group, the leadership role doesn’t appear from the outside to have been a smooth transition for him.

Tamou recently vowed to impose his authority more after a meeting with playmakers Luke Brooks and Adam Doueihi aimed at reigniting the team’s finals hopes. I am not sure it is something that comes naturally to the quietly spoken front rower.

He may be better suited focussing solely on his job in the middle, maximising yardage and building his tackle counts.

Many of the best moments in 2021 for the Wests Tigers have emanated from Adam Doueihi. If the team is to lift to the level required to be a contender in the NRL the onfield leadership has to be strong.

There is one local junior that can provide that leadership along with the passion and commitment supporters expect from their club. The roster needs a shake up and Doueihi is the future.