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FWC on Sport Nation guideWests Tigers grant skipper Jarome Luai early release
George Clarke, AAP • July 11th, 2026 4:02 pm
Jarome Luai will make a decision on his NRL future in the coming days | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Jarome Luai has been granted a release from the final year of his $1.2 million Wests Tigers contract, clearing the way for the five-eighth to find a new club for 2027.
Luai, who will play for the PNG Chiefs from 2028, was told last week by the Tigers he was free to explore his options with cashed-up Parramatta the clear front-runners for his signature.
The decision to cut ties a year early represents an incredible u-turn from the Tigers, who were insistent Luai would still have a big role to play in helping the club end their long-running finals drought.
But three months on from Luai's decision to sign with the Chiefs, he has been shown the door with the Tigers' season 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.
West Tigers CEO Shaun Mielekamp says it was in the club's best interest to move Jarome Luai on | Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP
"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 inked a deal with PNG in April, coach Benji Marshall was keen to underline the five-eighth's importance for the remainder of 2026 and 2027.
Tigers' Jarome Luai getting tackled on what was a quiet night for the captain | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
But 10 games later, eight of which the Tigers have lost, their finals hopes are in disarray.
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 were beaten yet again after Jarome Luai announced his move to the PNG Chiefs in 2028 | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
The Tigers went going down 32-6 to the Warriors on Friday and Luai did not attend the post-game press conference, with a cranky Marshall reluctant to discuss the issue.
While Luai's exit undoubtedly makes the Tigers weaker next season, the joint venture now has a significant boost in salary cap space to strengthen their roster.
Wests Tigers head coach Benji Marshall was extremely touchy on the Jarome Luai matter on Friday | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
"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."
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Jarome Luai is a PNG Chief! | Scotty & Izzy
