Doueihi has had far too many resets in his 88-game career, with his last two ACL injuries book-ending the Tigers’ consecutive wooden spoons.
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Despite the need for all hands on deck, Marshall hesitated in recalling Doueihi after just one game of NSW Cup, wary of rushing his star utility back too early.
“‘No need to ask that’,” Doueihi told Marshall on Saturday night when he took the coach’s call about replacing Justin Olam the next day.
“I was pressing [Marshall] for a few weeks now. I have been ready for a while now. It’s tough, but that (recovery), you just have to attack it. There is no point sitting and sooking about it.
“I knew I wanted to come back to this position and get back playing again. Fourteen months can go slow, especially in that period. I looked up and saw my family and friends in the grandstand [during his late runaway try].
“They have rode the wave with me the past 14 months. The support from the crowd, and the whole NRL and Tigers community has been unreal for me.
“It’s a mixture of emotions. Fourteen months was a long time for me. With my history of injuries, it wasn’t a fun rehab. To be back playing first grade was a goal of mine. Emotions were high, energy levels were high.”
The Tigers will have David Klemmer (suspension) and Justin Olam (knee) back against the Roosters on Sunday with John Bateman also a chance to return from a pec injury.
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Doueihi will be in the 17 against the Tricolours – who pursued him hard four years ago – as he laughed off a recent photo of he and Trent Robinson together that sent rugby league’s rumour mill spinning.
“I’ve met with ‘Robbo’ in the past and he’s coached with my cousin Michael Cheika so I have a relationship with him,” Doueihi said.
“But I just bumped into him when we were both watching reserve grade and we had a quick chat. Nothing to that one.”