Tigers confirm Jarome Luai is leaving club at end of the season
Updated ,first published
Benji Marshall believes Jarome Luai has put the future of Wests Tigers ahead of his own, with the club confirming he is leaving the premiership at the end of the season and winning the State of Origin series.
The Tigers said Saturday that their co-captain will be released by mutual agreement from the final year of his contract.
The announcement came nine days after the Tigers approached the $1.2 million-per-season quarterback and asked him to look for another club in 2027.
With Luai deciding to cut short his initial five-year deal when he signed an initial contract with newcomers PNG Chiefs in April, the Tigers have been keen to fork out cash to upgrade and extend the contracts of players such as Latu and Samuela Fainu and ensure they do not disappear from the club.
“I want to thank Jarome for his maturity and team-first mentality during these discussions,” Marshall said Saturday.
“We have great young players at the club and we need to give them the best chance to grow and develop as players, which means we need to give them opportunities to test themselves at NRL level.
“With Jarome leaving at the end of next season, it would be a challenge for us to do that and he didn’t want to stand in the way of young players getting that opportunity.”
In a statement from the club, Luai, 29, said he was grateful for his time at the Tigers, which he joined from Penrith ahead of last season.
“Together we have laid some strong foundations. I look forward to seeing this group continue to grow and bring success to Wests Tigers,” he said.
“My focus right now is on my game and helping this group finish the season strong.”
Luai is likely to play a year at Parramatta in 2027 but the Tigers will need to contribute some of his wages to complete the deal, according to sources not authorized to comment.
Perth Bears have also expressed interest at the right price but Luai, who has Port Moresby on his radar ahead of the Chiefs joining the NRL in 2028, is believed to have opted for a short break in Sydney to avoid moving his young family twice.
The Tigers are out of finals contention following a 32-6 defeat against the New Zealand Warriors at Campbelltown Stadium on Friday night, their fourth straight defeat.
“I would really like to thank Jarome and his management for their approach to these discussions in recent months and their recognition of what is best for both parties going forward,” Tigers CEO Shaun Mielekamp said.
“We love what Jarome brings to this club, both on and off the pitch, which is the difficult part of this situation, but we need to look to the future. “With Jarome’s departure at the end of 2027 already confirmed, we needed to take a closer look at our squad and where we are investing our resources from a longer-term perspective.
“We are in an industry where difficult decisions have to be made from time to time and we feel this is in the best interest of Wests Tigers moving forward.”
Luai has made 33 appearances for the Tigers since his arrival after winning four consecutive grand finals at Penrith.
The Tigers finished 13th last year with the three-row wooden spoon.
They started this season well with five wins in their first seven games, but after being affected by injuries they fell outside the top eight and are long shots at breaking a 15-year finals drought.
Chris Barrett is senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Southeast Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age newspapers.Connect with: X or email.
