Tigers’ terse response amid questions over Luai future

George Clarke |

Jarome Luai will make a decision on his NRL future in the coming days.
Jarome Luai will make a decision on his NRL future in the coming days.

Jarome Luai is set to make a decision on his NRL future in the coming days as Wests Tigers prepare to part ways with their captain a year ahead of schedule in a bid to revamp their roster.

Luai, who has signed to the PNG Chiefs for 2028, has been told he can find a new club for 2027 despite being contracted to the Tigers next season, with Parramatta early front-runners. 

The Samoan five-eighth chews up $1.2million in the Tigers’ salary cap and offloading Luai will give coach Benji Marshall extra funds to play with.

Luai
Tigers’ Jarome Luai getting tackled on what was a quiet night for the captain. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

Luai was barely sighted in Friday’s 32-6 defeat to the Warriors at Campbelltown and did not attend the post-game press conference in his role as captain.

Media duties were left to halfback Adam Doeuihi with a terse Marshall dodging questions about the Tigers’ next steps. 

“We’ll talk about the game, I’m happy to talk about the game and that’s what I’m here for,” Marshall said. 

“We’re processing that right now,” he said of Luai’s pending exit. “But anything else, we can talk about that another date when we’re ready to talk about it.

“When it comes to something being done, we’ll let you know but at the moment nothing’s finalised or done.”

When Luai inked a deal with PNG in April, Marshall was insistent the five-eighth still had a big role to play with the Tigers through the remaining months of his contract.

But 10 games later, eight of which the Tigers have lost to leave their finals hopes in disarray, Luai has been shown the door and Marshall refused to explain the club’s change of heart.

It mirrors a similar storyline to the 2025 season when the Tigers’ campaign was derailed by Lachlan Galvin’s move to the Bulldogs. 

The Tigers boast a 7-10 record and could find themselves two wins adrift of the top eight dependent on other results across the weekend. 

Benji
Tigers coach Benji Marshall says they won’t throw the towel in. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

“We ain’t going to throw in the towel and we’ve got a couple of days off now,” Marshall said.

“We’ll just go get away from footy and then come back and have another crack at it. 

“I’ve got a group of guys here who they aren’t going to give up, and we’ll keep fighting to the death.”

AAP