AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 03: Ken Maumalo of the Tigers offloads the ball during the round 16 NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Wests Tigers at Mt Smart Stadium, on July 03, 2022, in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The Wests Tigers have revealed positive news to start Tim Sheens second tenure as head coach at the club, with all of Shawn Blore, Tommy Talau, Alex Seyfarth and Ken Maumalo due to be fit in time for Round 1.
Talau and Blore were the two serious injuries, with neither player making it onto the field during the 2022 season.
Both players suffered ACL injuries, with Talau going down in the final game of the 2021 season and Blore injuring himself during pre-season.
The Tigers in an injury update on Monday afternoon confirmed that both players are progressing well.
Talau has recently returned to full team training for the first time after a longer than expected recovery, while Blore is progressing through return to play protocols from the devastating knee injury.
Blore is likely to be fighting for significant minutes on the edge in 2023, with the club signing Isaiah Papali'i to replace Luciano Leilua, and reportedly set to sign John Bateman.
With the Bateman news not confirmed, Blore could yet fight for a starting spot, although would otherwise be an almost certain inclusion on the bench if he can quickly rebound to the form he held before his injury.
Alex Seyfarth ruptured a pectoral muscle during the back end of the 2022 season and has now commenced contact work in the run to Christmas, meaning he will be fit and firing for the pre-season trial matches, when the Tigers play the Warriors in Auckland and the Raiders at Belmore.
Ken Maumalo will also be fit for pre-season trials after undergoing a successful minor knee surgery this week.