Wests Tigers fullback Adam Doueihi left the field in tears following Saturday night’s 44-4 NRL loss to Newcastle, consoled by teammates and opposition alike.
The loss capped off a heartbreaking week for the 22-year-old Lebanese representative, who had the word ‘Lebanon’ scrawled on his wrist strapping for the match.
After the devastation in Beirut where more than 150 people were killed in an explosion earlier this week, there is a moment’s silence for the victims before each NRL match this weekend.
And for Doueihi, one of the most passionate and thoughtful young players in the game, a big loss compounded an already unthinkable week for him and his family.
The moment put a spotlight on the stress facing NRL players who are already quarantined away from families inside the biosecurity bubble.
“Those sorts of things definitely play a part but he’s pretty passionate, Adam,” said Tigers coach Michael Maguire after the match.
“He’s a junior at the Wests Tigers and he wants to see the club up where we all want it.
“When we’re going through these periods he showed a little bit of passion there about what the game means to him.
“I can assure you that every single player in our dressing room is feeling the same so it’s in our hands to make sure we turn that around.”
None would be more grateful than Doueihi to have something to cheer about.
The loss was the third in a row for the Tigers who now face a difficult run to the end of the season to make the finals.
However, Maguire is confident that with the right attitude this week the Tigers can bounce back.
“We just spoke about it then, it’s a choice of how you turn up to work on Monday,” he said.
“There’s plenty of things going on in the world at the moment and we get to turn up and sort out what we’re doing at the moment with our team, we’re actually very fortunate.
“I think it’s just around how you turn up to work and look forward to taking on a challenge as well, and it’s a big challenge.
“We’ve dropped a few games in a row but the challenge is as a group how they come together.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how they are on Monday.”