Phil Gould says if anyone can get the Wests Tigers humming from round one of the NRL season, it will be $6m recruit Jarome Luai.
The four-time premiership playmaker will lead the Tigers out against Newcastle on Friday night in Campbelltown.
The Knights are favourites to win the game off the back of a huge win against the Roosters in a trial, but Tigers fans have their own reasons to be excited.
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Luai will partner Lachlan Galvin in the halves, but the spine is missing gun fullback Jahream Bula as well as suspended skipper Api Koroisau.
Gould thinks the Knights will win but “wouldn’t be surprised” if Benji Marshall’s men pull an upset in Sydney’s south.
Jarome Luai of the Wests Tigers. Getty
“Some new (Tigers) combinations there that you imagine will only get better in time,” Gould told Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus.
“It’s not easy to come into your first premiership game and suddenly have everything click, (although) I do have faith in Jarome Luai to make that happen.
“The more settled of these two sides at the moment looks like Newcastle, I was impressed by their trial form.
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“This is a really interesting game, I found this the hardest one to pick.
“I just think on the score of familiarity and time spent playing together in certain combinations… I’m probably going to go with the more settled combination, and for me I think that is Newcastle.
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if things click very quickly for the Tigers because I think Jarome Luai will have them well organised.”
Scroll below for the round one tips from all Nine’s expert tipsters!
Paul Gallen: Broncos, Knights, Dolphins, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Storm
Brad Fittler: Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Storm
Andrew Johns: Broncos, Knights, Dolphins, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Storm
Darren Lockyer: Broncos, Tigers, Dolphins, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Storm
Johnathan Thurston: Broncos, Tigers, Dolphins, Bulldogs, Cowboys, Storm
Ruan Sims: Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Manly, Storm
David Middleton: Broncos, Knights, Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Storm
Danika Mason: Broncos, Tigers, Dolphins, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Storm
Peter Psaltis: Broncos, Tigers, Dolphins, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Storm
Matthew Thompson: Broncos, Tigers, Dolphins, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Storm
Michael Chammas: Broncos, Tigers, Rabbitohs, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Storm
Ben Glover: Broncos, Tigers, Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Storm
The Mole: Broncos, Knights, Dolphins, Bulldogs, Cowboys, Eels
