Amateurs Fantasy Sports

THE SMOKY OPTION?

With the news of Lachlan Galvin being dropped, Adam Douehei has the opportunity to ascend back into fantasy relevance and nail down that halves role he has so richly craved. With his strong career fantasy pedigree in the halves – is he a risk worth taking?  

70+ min HALF	AVG	BASE	ATTACK	GOAL	DEMERITS	Value
2021 (14 games)	57.43	35.14	+23	+6.3	-8.36	$760k
2022 (8 games)	62	38.75	+20.88	+4.8	-9.38	$821k
2023 (4 games)	52.25	33	+18.75	+4	-10.25	$692k

UPSIDE

Looking at his career games in the halves, there’s clear and immediate value—especially with the added bonus of goal-kicking duties. The statistics paint the picture of a half who has the tools to be a strong fantasy asset, as shown in this sample size. With the Tigers boasting a vimproved roster—highlighted by key signings like Jerome Luai and Terrell May—there’s genuine cause for optimism. Doueihi has the chance to settle into this promising spine, play his natural game, and thrive. Especially with the goal-kicking role, he ticks the boxes of a strong starting option who could push keeper numbers.

GALVIN	Galvin %	LUAI
273M	46%	321M
176M	37%	302M
232M	47%	261M
136M	27%	363M
240M	46%	280M

It is also worthing noting the kicking distribution of the Galvin and Luai this year.

If we solely just look at the kicking split between the two, we can see that in 3 of the 5 games together, Lachlan Galvin has kicked for at least 46%. It is worth noting that:

In Round 2: Adam Douehei chipped in with 172m. Api 100m.

In Round 4: Api chipped in with 142m.

If we look solely at the kicking split between the two, we can see that in 3 of the 5 games they’ve played together, Lachlan Galvin has accounted for at least 46% of the kick metres. It’s worth noting:

• Round 2: Adam Doueihi chipped in with 172 metres; Api Koroisau added 100 metres.
• Round 4: Api contributed 142 metres.

Looking at Doueihi’s career statistics when playing in the halves, he has averaged 51% of the team’s kick metres. Isolating the more recent data from 2022 and 2023, that figure jumps to 62.7%.

Watching the Tigers this year, it’s clear that Luai has transitioned more into a game manager role—far from the instinctive, flashy player he was alongside Cleary at Penrith. Luai is at his best when playing his natural, free-flowing game rather than being anchored by managerial responsibilities.

Maybe I’m reading into it too much, but the move to shift Doueihi into the No. 6 jersey speaks volumes about the direction the Tigers want to take. Adam Doueihi is more than capable of handling the organisational and kicking duties of a halfback. In my view, this increases the Tigers’ ceiling, especially given that the Galvin/Luai combination wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire.

When examining Doueihi’s historical averages based on kicking distribution, the data points to a promising outlook.

% of KM	AVG (with GK)
Minimum 30 maximum of 47%	48.43
Minimum 30 maximum of 50%	50
Minimum of 30 maximum 60%	51
Minimum of 30 no max %	56.26

Downsides:

Amusingly, the major glaring downside in Douehei really isn’t his fault. The Lachlan Galvin situation has escalated quickly, with the young half announcing he won’t be at the Tigers in 2026. As a result, there’s been major backline reshuffling—so much so that Galvin has now been dropped to NSW Cup. The big question is: For how long?

The short answer? No one really knows. This could easily be a move made out of emotion and frustration, particularly if the playing group didn’t take the news of his departure well. But with reports suggesting that both Api Koroisau and Jarome Luai advised Benji Marshall to drop him, the signs don’t exactly scream “temporary.”

Add to that the social media activity from teammates—sending a pretty clear message about how they currently feel—and there’s a genuine chance Galvin never wears a Tigers jersey again unless he pushes for an early release.

Even if you believe Galvin will stay out of the side indefinitely, Latu Fainu feels like the obvious replacement. That would likely push Doueihi back to the centres—a position where he scores okay from a fantasy perspective, but nothing close to what you’d want at 36.

NRL Physio notes the standard recovery timeline for thumb fracture surgery is 6–8 weeks, and Latu’s injury was reported in Round 5. So theoretically, we’re looking at a minimum four-week absence from now. But given the uncertainty, it might be smarter to lock in someone like Jamal Fogarty or Matt Burton instead—both of whom have better bye schedules and job security.

It’d also be remiss not to mention that Doueihi hasn’t had anything close to a full season since 2021, due to a string of brutal injury setbacks. This might end up being another “Cameron Munster situation”—where the promise of historical averages is overshadowed by ongoing injury concerns that make the pick far less appealing than it looks on paper.

Injury History.

Source: NRL Fantasy Pro (2025): https://app.rugbyleaguefantasypro.com/fantasy/l/player-profile/Adam%20Doueihi

Conclusion:

Turning to game theory:

Age: Good

Durability: Concern

Team: Fair

Prototype: Good

Versatility: Good (Bird centre cover)

Grub Factor: Good

Coach Predictability: Concern

Rotation Predictability: Good

Fitness: Concern

Value/Upside: Good

Personally, I’m really on the fence with this one. There’s no reason why you can’t wait a week to see how this plays out. The value Doueihi offers at half is undeniable—and while Burton and Fogarty are both solid picks on paper, there’s no reason why Doueihi can’t match their output, especially at a significant discount.

Ultimately, this comes down to coaching philosophy and your own risk tolerance. The Tigers playing group might eventually accept that Lachlan’s decision is just business. After all, their goal should still be to push for a top eight finish. Whether Galvin returns and cuts Doueihi’s runway short—well, time will tell.

THE ANONYMOUS INTERN.