2026 NRL Trial One: Young Wests Tigers Too Good For Roosters

The Wests Tigers travelled to Newcastle for the club's first NRL trial of 2026 on Saturday and, despite a shaky start, came away with an impressive 42-26 victory over the Sydney Roosters. On this edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast, Joel, Josh, Declan, and Jordan take a look at what the win means for the club and team for the upcoming season. Fielding a side made up of some of the most promising young players in the club, the performance of guys like Heamasi Makasini, Faaletino Tavana, Javon Andrews, Jared Haywood, and Jack Attard is put under the microscope. Speaking of Tavana, how about that incredible try? We talk about this memorable moment and look at what his future might be in the game. While the boys also look at whether the returning Jock Madden has taken another step to an NRL return with Wests Tigers, debate whether Charlie Murray should be considered for the NRL side in round two, and whether Patrick Herbert did his chances of seeing first grade any harm in a solid first hit-out for the club. There's a run-through of all the 'One Word' responses to the game on the Wests Tigers Podcast Forum (thanks to everyone who contributed).Some of the other topics up for discussion included:

• Was what we saw on Saturday a sign that the club's investment in pathways is starting to pay off?
• Are we more optimistic about the club's depth for 2026?
• Is there going to be more competition for spots?

Away from the trial game in Newcastle, our attention also turned to Royce Hunt's performance playing for the Maori All Stars this afternoon in New Zealand, as well as giving our thoughts on how the new-look Wests Tigers jersey came across on TV, and naming the thing we are most looking to see in this weekend's NRL trial against the Panthers. It is another big edition of the Wests Tigers Podcast. We hope you enjoy a sometimes hard-to-find post-victory edition!

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