Wests Tigers star visits Papua New Guinea in sign he may sign with Chiefs NRL team
Tigers captain Jarome Luai visited Papua New Guinea on Sunday in the first sign he could make a shock move to the Chiefs.
Luai is set to become rugby league’s biggest winner if he signs a deal with the club as the NRL will not be able to sign him up for less than the $1.2 million he has at the Tigers due to contract rules.
With the tax-free contracts available to the Chiefs being a major attraction, Luai would need to be paid around $2.2 million to earn a similar level of income if he played for a team subject to income tax.
Tax-free contracts were one of the NRL’s main grants to the team, which will become the competition’s 19th team in 2028.
The trip to Australia’s northern neighbor is hosted by Chiefs CEO Lorna McPherson and managing director Michael Chammas. A photo of the luai, apparently taken in Papua New Guinea, was circulating Sunday afternoon.
Luai has until April 30 to accept his option to remain with the Tigers next season. He is expected to do so, but before activating that part of the deal, he will need to sign a contract with the Chiefs through 2028 to take advantage of free agency.
This would be a huge coup for the new team and set a benchmark for the type of players they hope to attract.
Luai was a multiple premiership winner with the Panthers and remains a State of Origin and Test star. His signing will be on top of anything the Perth Bears can achieve ahead of his arrival in the NRL in 2027.
Luai had long been asked to remove clauses from his Tigers contract, but managed to both answer media questions and evade defenders on the field. It appears the Tigers knew he was in PNG.
The deal would be a significant blow for Chammas, who had always been close to Luai while working as a journalist for the Nine newspaper.
This imprint recently revealed that Luai’s former teammate Mitch Kenny is in the running to become PNG captain. Another Panthers multiple premiership winner, Liam Martin, is interested in exploring the PNG option.
The other appealing part of any Luai deal is the ability to draw other players into the game’s newest franchise.
If Luai is to become Chiefs’ big man in 2028, it will mean he has spent three seasons following an initial five-year deal to join Wests Tigers.
His much-hyped transfer from the Panthers for the 2025 season played a major role in the club’s return from basement dwellers to second place after eight rounds of the 2026 season.
His on-field talent and strong leadership skills were crucial in helping the JV team become a true finals contender.
During this time, however, there was always an option in his contract in his favor to lurk in the background, which allowed him to leave the joint venture club after just two seasons and at the end of each subsequent season.
Wests Tigers, who have five of their first seven games this season, will face Cronulla in their next game on Sunday. They will beat Canberra 33-14 at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday night.
