Jarome Luai has addressed the awkward claims comparing his situation to former teammate Lachlan Galvin’s exit at the Wests Tigers after officially signing a contract with the PNG Chiefs. This comes after Luai revealed he was happy to move his family to PNG, despite some security concerns.
Luai became the first official signing for the PNG Chiefs, despite reports Alex Johnston will also join the Wests Tigers co-captain in 2028. The move was quick to proceed after images showed Luai touring PNG and the facilities after the Tigers’ win against the Raiders on the weekend.
Jarome Luai (pictured left) has addressed the comparisons to former teammate Lachlan Galvin’s exit from the Tigers after revealing he was happy to move his family to another country after touring PNG. (Images: Fox Sports/Getty Images)
The Samoan international wanted to be the Chiefs’ marquee signing for their maiden campaign in 2028. However, his exit has prompted comparisons to the Galvin saga last year.
Galvin appeared to knock back a five-year deal, worth $5 million, last year as he looked to enter the open market. Although former Wests Tigers director Lee Hagipentalis revealed Galvin was ‘unsettled’ and already keen on a move. Galvin rejecting a new deal prompted the Wests Tigers to confirm he would be moving on after seeing out his contract.
The exit became messy with both Sunia Turuva and Luai appearing to take digs at Galvin on social media. Luai posted a photo with the words ‘Team First’ after the news of Galvin’s situation. This caused a media stir and Galvin left early to join the Bulldogs. And Luai’s comments have come back to light after his deal with the PNG Chiefs. Luai recently hinted he would be a Tigers player for the long-haul.
Jarome Luai (pictured) will join the PNG Chiefs in 2028.
(Cameron Spencer via Getty Images)
And his latest deal, using a player option to leave the Tigers and join the Chiefs, has people comparing his decision to that of Galvin’s. However, when it was put to the Tigers’ co-captain, Luai said it was completely different.
“Yeah, it’s a tricky one,” Luai said of the comparisons on Wednesday. “Two different situations and I’m going to be an adult about it and not drag Lachie into something that he’s not a part of.
“He’s got a big part to play in his own team now, but it’s two different situations. And I know the ‘team first’ thing is getting thrown around a bit. I’m here for 18 months and I live and breathe team first. My brothers know that. They’re happy for me and my family. And this club will be in a great position when I leave.”
Jarome Luai on reason for leaving Tigers
Luai is believed to be on $1.2 million a season from 2028, which is tax-free money. This will make him the highest paid player in the NRL. However, Luai claimed it was the vision of the team and the passion of the fans that helped him sign the deal.
“I think everyone wants me to say (I did it for) the tax-free (salary) and how appealing that is,” Luai said. “But that’s not what got the deal signed. Being over there, you sort of realise that it’s bigger than a game over there.
“And when the time comes, we’ll be able to change a lot of lives for the better. It was probably more the vision that I resonated with … being Polynesian – there’s a lot of similarities to Samoa, and what that team’s eventually going to do for those people is grow a nation.”
One of the major concerns around the incoming NRL team and its ability to lure top-level talent was surrounding Papua New Guinea’s security issues. Luai visited the country and the facilities where the players will stay and admitted he was happy to move his family.
Alex Johnston (pictured) is also set to join Jarome Luai at the PNG Chiefs in 2028.
(Matt King via Getty Images)