This weekend, National Rugby League (NRL) veteran Api Koroisau is set to hit one of the sport’s most respected career milestones: his 250th top-flight appearance. But instead of letting the hooker take the spotlight, all eyes have shifted to ongoing internal drama involving halfback Adam Doueihi that has thrown the struggling Wests Tigers further into the headlines.
Koroisau, a 3-time premiership winner and Fijian international, concedes he can barely recall fragmented moments from his very first NRL game. Ahead of Sunday’s clash against the Parramatta Eels, he says he is determined to set aside the chaos of the past few weeks to focus on marking his career milestone with a much-needed win. Benji Marshall’s Tigers side have slumped to a six-match losing streak, sitting second-last on the 2024 NRL ladder. Off the field, the club has been roiled by reports of friction between Doueihi and coaching staff after the halfback opted to sit out last week’s loss to Canberra.
The conflict was addressed publicly by both Doueihi and Marshall earlier this week, and Koroisau shared his perspective on the standoff during a media briefing Friday morning. According to the veteran hooker, the issue has been resolved internally among the playing group. “I think it’s been dealt with pretty well behind closed doors,” Koroisau said. “I think he’s good. I think the boys have been really receptive towards him as well and I think you guys saw him training the other day, so we just sort of dealt with that. It was between us and Adam and we’ll probably just leave it there.”
For a club that has dominated rugby league headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks, Koroisau says the only path to silencing external noise is through on-field results. “For us it’s just been so much talk and there’s been so much chaos, so for us it’s about going out there this weekend and putting on a performance. That’ll be the biggest factor in all this,” he explained. “I think rugby league is built on that. And if we go out there and have a good performance, I’m sure it’ll all quiet down.”
Despite the off-field speculation, Koroisau insists the culture within the Tigers’ locker room has improved over recent seasons, adding that the playing group remains unified despite external criticism. “It (the culture at the Tigers) definitely has (improved). There’s a lot of noise and everything that comes from the outside, but us, in these four walls, we’ve been pretty good. And the boys are sticking solid with each other.”
Sunday’s match will double as a celebration of Koroisau’s decorated 10-year career, which includes premiership titles in his rookie 2014 season, 2021 and 2022. The 2014 title remains one of the most iconic moments of his career: he was called into the grand final side at the last minute to replace suspended starting hooker Issac Luke, and walked away a champion. “It was all a bit surreal. I still think about it now,” he recalled. “You never know when it’s going to be your opportunity and I just sort of had to do my part for the team in that one, but it was definitely a crazy story.”
Now a veteran leader at the Tigers, Koroisau says his core approach to the game has not changed over his decade in the NRL, even as he has added new tactical tricks to his gameplay. “I don’t know if much has changed (for me as a player). I just try to get a bit more trickery in my game and build on that. I still love putting my body on the line and just defending and going out there.”
Three years ago, Koroisau made the high-profile decision to leave powerhouse side Penrith Panthers, where he won two premierships, to join the rebuilding Tigers. Penrith have gone on to win two more consecutive titles since his departure and are heavily favored to claim a fourth straight premiership in 2024. Even with the Tigers’ ongoing on-field struggles and off-field chaos, Koroisau says he has never regretted his choice to move to the Sydney club. “I’d still take it (and wouldn’t) change anything, even with everything that’s gone down,” he said. “I love this place and I love the boys that are here, and anything I can do to help them. I definitely would still take it knowing everything that was to come.”