Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has urged forgotten playmaker Josh Reynolds to grow his game to force his way back into their NRL side.
Reynolds has spent the past two weeks in reserve grade after recovering from a knee injury suffered against Gold Coast in round seven.
And while the Tigers lost four of their next five matches, they have since won two on the trot with Benji Marshall partnering Luke Brooks in the halves.
Reynolds again faces a week away after being dropped out of the 21-man squad for Friday's NRL match against Sydney Roosters.
"It's about him performing and playing well at that level," Maguire said of Reynolds' time in the Canterbury Cup.
"He's been working hard like every other player in our organisation to give himself the opportunity.
"The boys that are in front of him at the moment have been performing.
"So it's about each week that we look at their performances and then the opportunities come off the back of that."
Speculation was rife in the lead-up to the June 30 deadline that the 30-year-old was on the market despite having another two-and-a-half years on his contract.
Maguire, who earlier this year said Reynolds needed to strengthen his body, denied the former NSW State of Origin star was out of favour.
"I wouldn't say that, I think he's just got to grow his game," Maguire said.
"I think every team has competition within. It's very healthy for each team. He's been performing at training and working really hard at his game.
"No doubt when the time's right, he'll get his opportunities."
Paul Momirovski starts at centre against his former club in place of skipper Moses Mbye, who is away on Origin duty with Queensland.
The Roosters will be looking to arrest a slide of four defeats in their past five, but get Luke Keary (concussion) and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (suspension) back.
