Wests Tigers set to make a massive $4 million offer for Jarome Luai

Jarome Luai could be on his way out from Penrith Panthers following reports that Wests Tigers are ready to pay him $1.1 million a season.

Wests Tigers reportedly ready to make the biggest move of the NRL transfer period. According to the Daily Telegraph, Tigers are set to make a $4 million contract offer to Penrith Panthers star Jarome Luai. This $1.1 million-per-season offer would blow what Penrith could offer out of the water.

Wests Tigers set to make monster offer

Jarome Luai is arguably the most high-profile name that could agree to move in the NRL transfer period. The 26-year-old Penrith Panthers and Samoa star’s contract expires at the end of the 2024 NRL season, meaning he is able to agree to a move in this window.  

Few players have resumes that stack up well compared to Luai’s. The five-eighth has played a key role for Panthers during their recent period of dominance and three straight Premiership titles. He played 22 matches last season for Panthers, racking up three tries, 13 assists, and 14 line break assists. It’s no wonder then that Wests Tigers are willing to make such a big offer.  

If the Daily Telegraph is to be believed, Tigers are willing to make an offer to Luai that would make him one of the highest paid players in the NRL. Tigers’ offer reportedly will be $1.1 million per season over four seasons. This offer would “blow Penrith out of the water” as Panthers are supposedly only able to offer Luai a maximum of $850,000 per season.

Luai to be centrepiece of Wests Tigers rebuild

Wests Tigers finished bottom of the 2023 NRL ladder. The betting sites have them as favourites to finish bottom again. Simply put, the near future does not look bright for Wests Tigers. However, it now seems they are trying to change that.  

New head coach Benji Marshall has already made big investments into his side. Tigers have snatched up veteran half Aidan Sezer for the 2024 season and Dragons’ Jayden Sullivan. Marshall is also reportedly going to be putting more responsibility on the shoulders of young players like Lachlan Galvin and rising star Latu Fainu. With all due respect to these great players, none of them have Luai’s quality. Signing Luai would go a long way to making Tigers finals series participants instead of NRL bottom boys. 

According to the Daily Telegraph, Marshall and Luai’s former Penrith teammates Api Koroisau, Brent Naden, and Charlie Staines are pushing strongly for the move. Marshall will need to get the Tigers’ board’s approval before signing Luai to this massive deal. However, this reportedly will not be an issue. The bigger obstacle is getting Luai to agree to the deal. 

Luai ready to leave Panthers

As big as the news about Wests Tigers’ potential offer is, the biggest news from the Daily Telegraph’s bombshell report is that Luai is ready to leave Panthers. According to the Daily Telegraph, Luai is “leaning towards leaving the Panthers at the end of 2024.” He has reportedly even told select teammates about his desire to leave the club. 

Some have even speculated that Luai has already agreed to a move. Knights star Bradman Best has been a key source of this speculation. Best replied to an Instagram post by Luai with a tiger emoji, hinting at Luai’s next destination. Just a day before that, some reports claimed Luai had met with Tigers’ coach Marshall. None of these reports have been confirmed by Luai or Marshall. 

Whether Luai joins Marshall and Tigers in 2024 is still obviously to be seen, but if he does join them, it would be a major statement of intent from the league’s worst side. Luai won’t make them Premiership contenders on his own, but the move may inspire other players to join him.