2025 NRL Team Previews

Wests Tigers NRL 2025 Team Previews, Predictions & Player Movement

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: 13 Feb 2025

Jeremy Darke 13 Feb 2025

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Wests Tigers predicted to finish fifteenth in the NRL 2025 season.
Jarome Luai given the task of lifting the Tigers from the bottom of the ladder
Will the Tigers avoid a fourth consecutive Wooden Spoon?

Wests Tigers predicted to finish fifteenth in the NRL 2025 season. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Wests Tigers NRL 2025 Team Previews, Predictions & Player Movement

Wests Tigers NRL 2025 Team Previews, Predictions & Player Movement
Where they finish in 2025: 15
Computer modelling Projected Win total: 8
Best contender for Dally M: Jarome Luai
What’s to like
What’s NOT to like
Wests Tigers Offseason Player Movement
Wests Tigers Predicted Starting 17

Where they finish in 2025: 15

The Tigers are out first and foremost to avoid being handed the Wooden Spoon for the fourth consecutive year and with their offseason recruiting it is predicted they will achieve just that. How far they climb up the ladder is the biggest question, but with so many new faces in key positions it will likely take them some time to find the right combinations.

Fifteenth is a reasonable prediction with a slow start being balanced by a better finish to the season. If Benji and his crew of assistant coaches can get some early chemistry, the Tigers may even climb another spot or two.

Computer modelling Projected Win total: 8

The Pythagorean expectation model had the Tigers finishing dead-last again with just 7 wins this season. However, assessing their new recruits it is likely that they will improve on the 6 wins they had in 2024 and bump it up to at least 8 victories

Best contender for Dally M: Jarome Luai

Jarome Luai is a four-time premiership winner and NSW Origin five-eight and has been handed the task of dragging the Tigers from the bottom to the top with one of the biggest contracts in NRL history.

Luai has the reins and will be up to him to control and inspire the lacklustre attack of the Tigers. Dally M voting often weighs heavy on the attacking players and if Luai get muster a few more wins for Wests then he will be in the mix for the Dally M race in 2025.

What’s to like

The ins for the Tigers give them a glimmer of hope that they are not going to finish with the Wooden Spoon for the fourth year in a row.

Wests had try scoring issues, bot in attack and defence and they have addressed the issue bringing in a 4-time premiership winning half in Jarome Luai, along with some upgrades in the middle in Royce Hunt and Terrell May who will likely start at prop.

The culture has changed with Benji in charge and now he has his own pieces to play chess with.

What’s NOT to like

The Tiger’s defence has been woeful for many years and I am not sure Benji Marshall is the right man to address this major issue.

Marshall will need to lean on his assistants John Morris, Chris Heighington & Brett Hodgson to stop the bleeding of 31.3 points per game before anyone can expect them to put the spoon in another team’s mouth.

Wests Tigers Offseason Player Movement

Ins: Jarome Luai (Panthers), Sunia Turuva (Panthers), Jeral Skelton (Bulldogs), Royce Hunt (Cronulla Sharks), Jack Bird (Dragons), Terrell May (Roosters)

Outs: Junior Tupou (Dolphins), Isaiah Papali'i (Panthers), Aidan Sezer (Hull FC), John Bateman (Cowboys), Stefano Utoikamanu (Storm), Solomon Alaimalo (rugby union), Jayden Sullivan (Rabbitohs).