Updated ,first published
Benji Marshall has credited Jarome Luai with putting the future of the Wests Tigers ahead of himself as the club confirmed his departure of the premiership and State of Origin series winner at the end of the season.
The Tigers said on Saturday their co-captain would be released from the final year of his contract by mutual agreement.
The announcement came nine days after the Tigers approached the $1.2 million-a-season playmaker and effectively asked him to look for another club in 2027.
With Luai having already decided to cut short his initial five-year deal when he became the inaugural signing of the incoming PNG Chiefs in April, the Tigers were keen to free up cash to upgrade and extend the contracts of players such as Latu and Samuela Fainu and ensure they weren’t lost to the club.
“I want to thank Jarome for his maturity during these discussions and his team first mentality,” Marshall said on Saturday.
“We’ve got some great young halves here at the club and we need to provide them with 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 was going to prove a challenge for us to do that, and he didn’t want to stand in the way of young players getting their opportunity.”
In a statement issued by the club, Luai, 29, said he was grateful for his time at the Tigers, who he joined from Penrith ahead of last season.
“We’ve laid some strong foundations together. I look forward to seeing this group continue to grow and bring success to the Wests Tigers,” he said.
“The focus now is on my game and helping this group finish the season strongly.”
Luai is likely to play a gap year at Parramatta in 2027, according to sources not authorised to comment, although the Tigers will have to contribute a portion of his wages to complete a deal.
Perth Bears have also expressed interest at the right price but with a move to Port Moresby on his radar before the Chiefs join the NRL in 2028, Luai is believed to prefer a short-term stopover in Sydney to avoid relocating his young family twice.
The Tigers are all but out of finals contention after a 32-6 defeat – their fourth loss in a row – to the New Zealand Warriors at Campbelltown Stadium on Friday night.
“I’d really like to thank Jarome and his management for their approach to these discussions in recent months and their recognition of what’s best for both parties moving forward,” Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said.
“We love what Jarome has brought to this club – both on and off the field – which is the difficult part of this situation, but we need to look to the future. Having Jarome’s departure at the end of 2027 already confirmed, we needed to look closely at our roster and where we invest our resources with a longer-term view.
“We’re in an industry where difficult calls need to be made at times, and we feel this is in the best interests of the Wests Tigers moving forward.”
Luai has played 33 times for the Tigers since his arrival after winning four consecutive grand finals at Penrith.
The Tigers had come off three straight wooden spoons and finished 13th last year.
They began this season well, with five wins in their first seven games, but have drifted outside the top eight after being affected by injuries and are long shots to break a 15-year finals drought.
Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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