Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens says young gun Robbie Lui will start the NRL season alongside Benji Marshall in the halves, with Lote Tuqiri to make his NRL comeback on the wing.

Lui, who turned 20 last week, has done enough in the Tigers' trials campaign to convince Sheens he should wear the number seven jersey when they open their season against Manly on March 15.

Lui, last year's Toyota Cup five-eighth of the year, starred as the Tigers comfortably downed Cronulla 36-12 in a trial at Gosford on Saturday night.

Sheens said Lui's performances meant he was likely to edge out Tuqiri and fellow young gun Tim Molten in the halves.

"The kid stepped up again," Sheens said.

"At the moment, I'd be looking at Timmy Moltzen at one (fullback), Robbie Lui and Marshall in the halves,

"That'd be the logical thing. That's probably where were going to go initially.

"I know what I'm going to do for game one pretty well."

Asked whether Tuqiri, who is yet to return from a stint of club rugby with English side Leicester, would likely make his comeback on the wing when he returns, Sheens replied "yes".

The Tigers have struggled to find a permanent halfback since premiership captain Scott Prince left for the Gold Coast.

Despite the lop-sided scoreline at Gosford, Sheens was hardly full of praise for his side, who are out to make the finals for the first time since 2005.

"We started poorly, and if they had have been stronger with the ball in hand, we would have been in a lot of trouble," he said.

"We need to do a fair bit more before we're happy.

"But we got through it without injury and we won it strongly."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP