The Wests Tigers have confirmed Jarome Luai’s early exit at the end of this season, revealing why they have made the “difficult” call to part ways with their co-captain.
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It comes after reports earlier in the week that Luai was essentially asked to leave the club before the end of his current contract.
Luai’s pending exit was made official in a Tigers press release on Saturday, just hours after the team’s heavy loss to the Warriors on Friday night.
Luai originally signed a bumper five-year deal worth around $1.2 million a season to join the Tigers from 2025 but earlier this season, exercised a ‘get-out’ clause in the contract to become the PNG Chiefs’ inaugural signing.
That move sparked action from coach Benji Marshall and Tigers brass, who believed ripping the band-aid off a year early to plan for the future was the right move for the club.
Luai will link up with the Chiefs when they enter the comp in 2028. It means the playmaker will have to find another team to sign a one-year bridging deal with before heading to Port Moresby.
At this stage, the Eels are the red-hot favourites to land the four-time premiership winner.
Interestingly, according to Code Sports, the Tigers will have to pony up almost half of his contract for 2027.
Tigers CEO Shaun Mielekamp admitted “difficult calls need to be made” when addressing Luai’s early exit.
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“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,” Mielekamp said via the club-issued statement.
“…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.”
Mielekamp expanded on these comments when speaking to Code Sports, revealing the Tigers’ decision caught Luai off guard.
“It caught him by surprise but by the time he thought about it he understood where the club was coming from,” Mielekamp said.
“It was a tough call and a big call… He was very professional and noble in his approach to this.”
Via the statement, Luai thanked the Tigers before assuring the club’s passionate fanbase he hopes to end his tenure with a bang.
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“I’m grateful to everyone involved with the Club for everything over the last two seasons,” Luai said.
“Shaun, Benji, the coaches, the staff and my brothers out on the field. We’ve laid some strong foundations together. I look forward to seeing this group continue to grow and bring success to the Wests Tigers.
“The focus now is on my game and helping this group finish the season strongly.”
Coach Benji Marshall refused to touch on Luai’s pending exit in the Tigers’ post-match press conference on Friday night.
However, he was quoted in the club’s statement, wishing Luai and his family “well with the next chapter”.
“Firstly, I want to thank Jarome for his maturity during these discussions and his team first mentality,” Marshall said.
“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 and the overall journey of this group.”
