The Wests Tigers’ preparations for 2026 have been dealt a serious setback, with rising star Latu Fainu set to miss the opening weeks of the new NRL season.
The 20-year-old half was forced off in the final game of 2025 against the Gold Coast, and scans have since revealed the need for a full shoulder reconstruction.
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The timing is brutal for both club and player. Fainu was already denied the chance to represent Tonga at the Pacific Championships, and his recovery will now spill into the Tigers’ campaign start.
It’s a familiar frustration; his first year at the club in 2024 was also disrupted when a hamstring injury sidelined him in the early rounds.
Luai and Doueihi to lead halves pairing
With Fainu unavailable, the responsibility for steering the side will fall on Jarome Luai and Adam Doueihi, leaving Benji Marshall’s men to adjust once again.
Tigers CEO Shane Richardson confirmed the news, telling the Behind The Roar podcast: “Latu's unfortunately got to have a shoulder recon, so he'll [miss the] early rounds of next year before he comes back. Other than that, we have no injury problems, which is a phenomenon.”
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Fainu had been handed the No. 7 shirt this year and managed three tries, three assists, and over 60 running metres a game across 14 appearances.
Those flashes of talent underline why he was once the highest-paid teenager in rugby league, but his full potential will have to wait until his body allows him a clean run at it.