Marshall slams rumours of Luai relationship breakdown
Jasper Bruce |
Benji Marshall has slammed “bull**** rumours” claiming a fractured relationship with Jarome Luai contributed to the star five-eighth’s early exit from Wests Tigers.
Marshall insisted the shock decision to farewell the four-time premiership winner after only two seasons was due to the club’s long-term success and next generation of talent in mind.
The coach also confirmed Luai would remain the Tigers’ first-choice five-eighth for the remainder of the 2026 season even though they look less and less likely to feature in a fairytale return to finals.
“I’m a guy who respects respect. That’s enough (to keep him at five-eighth),” Marshall said.
Luai is set to join Parramatta for a year in 2027, after arriving at the Tigers last season with aspirations of reinvigorating the long-term strugglers on and off the field.
The 13th-placed Tigers’ 2026 season has spiralled out of control since Luai announced he would leave to become PNG’s inaugural signing for 2028.
The Tigers have won only two of 10 games since Luai signed with the Chiefs, and Marshall took blame for the saga becoming a distraction.
“Obviously we’ve got injuries and whatnot, but we’ve gone a bit backwards from where we were. I think that’s down to me,” he said.
Caught on the hop by Luai’s surprise move to the Chiefs, Marshall said the Tigers began thinking “four or five weeks” ago whether it made more sense for the five-eighth to leave after 2026 rather than 2027.
Javon Andrews and Latu Fainu are two highly rated halves prospects who are currently having to wait behind Luai for opportunities to start at NRL level.
“No one’s saying that Jarome is not good, no one’s saying that he’s bad for the team or we don’t love him. We love what he brings, we love it,” Marshall said.
“But moving forward, we’re prioritising guys that are probably going to be here for the next 10 years, not for the next 12 months.
“So this decision was made in the best interest of the club. If anyone’s having a go at us for that, well, unlucky.”
Marshall categorically denied he had fallen out with Luai, who idolised his current coach as a boy.
The two were seen deep in conversation towards the end of Tuesday’s field training session at the Tigers’ centre of excellence.
“I don’t mean this to anyone personally in here, but what (the media) have done is made some s*** up that me and him have a fractured relationship, which is far from the truth,” he said.
“What you guys need to do is have a look at why you’re making that up and not put that on us.
“We’re close.”
Pressed on why Luai’s father Martin had reacted to a social media post insinuating a relationship breakdown, Marshall remained defiant.
“What you guys did was turn that into World War 10 and make it into something that it’s not, which you’re good at,” he said.
“I can see why his dad would like a post or comment on a post because he’s a dad who cares about his son. I’m a dad, I get it.
“I’m just not going to cop, sorry for swearing, the bull**** rumours that are made up based on nothing.”
Even as he departs prematurely, Luai will be remembered by Marshall for helping reshape the Tigers’ culture.
“What people probably don’t see is what he does in the locker room, what he’s done for our culture, how he’s shaped the way the players train and given us a level of professionalism,” Marshall said.
“We can never repay him for what he’s done for this club.”
AAP