Wests Tigers have opted to cut ties with their prized five-eighth Jarome Luai a year ahead of schedule, leaving the future PNG Chiefs superstar as a free agent.
Luai has been granted an immediate release from the final year of his $1.2 million Wests Tigers contract, clearing the way for him to find a new club for the 2027 NRL season before he officially makes his highly anticipated move to the PNG Chiefs in 2028. The Tigers told Luai last week that he was free to explore his options, with a cashed-up Parramatta Eels emerging as the clear front-runner to secure his signature.
The decision to cut ties early marks a U-turn for the Tigers. The joint-venture club had previously insisted that Luai would play a huge role in helping them end their long-running finals drought. However, just three months after Luai made the historic decision to sign with our very own Chiefs, he has been shown the door while the Tigers’ current season sits in freefall.
“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,” Tigers chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said on Saturday.
“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.”
When Luai originally inked his deal with PNG back in April, coach Benji Marshall was keen to underline the five-eighth’s importance for the remainder of 2026 and 2027. But 10 games later, eight of which the Tigers have lost, their finals hopes are in complete disarray. The situation draws parallels to the club’s 2025 season, when their campaign was derailed by Lachlan Galvin’s move to the Bulldogs.
Following the Tigers’ heavy 32-6 loss to the Warriors on Friday, Luai did not attend the post-game press conference, and a cranky Marshall was highly reluctant to discuss the issue with reporters.
While Luai’s exit undoubtedly makes the Tigers weaker next season, it does give them a significant boost in salary cap space to strengthen their roster.
“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,” Marshall said.
“This agreement is testament to Jarome and his commitment to this group, that he’s willing to step aside to ensure our club is in the best position possible over the next few years.”