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Jarome Luai’s departure from the Wests Tigers will cost him a six-figure sum after agreeing to join Parramatta on a deal worth less than his existing contract.
Luai will join the Eels at the end of the season, on a one-year deal, before joining the Papua New Guinea Chiefs in 2028. The four-time premiership winner agreed to leave the Tigers despite having another year remaining on his $1.2 million-per-season contract, at the behest of the club.
Sources not authorised to speak publicly due to the confidential terms have told this masthead the Eels have signed Luai for $600,000. The Tigers will contribute $500,000 to get him off the books.
That leaves Luai with a shortfall of $100,000 on what he would have earned at the Tigers had he stayed at the joint venture in 2027. Luai has agreed to the arrangement, the sources say.
The NRL usually takes a dim view when a club attempts to lodge a contract worth less than the existing one that a player has just been released from.
However, the NRL is expected to register the contract, given that the $1.1 million salary is considered a fair reflection of the Samoan international’s market value.
Departing Wests Tigers playmaker Jarome Luai.Steven Siewert
While Luai’s earnings will take a haircut next year, he will make up for it once he joins the Chiefs. The Samoan international’s annual wage will return to $1.2 million per season, but he will be able to pocket the entire amount due to the tax-free benefits enjoyed by all club employees living in the Pacific nation. In addition, he also stands to benefit from a raft of tax-free third-party sponsorships from PNG companies, with the figure already reportedly as high as $3 million.
While some pundits have questioned the wisdom of Parramatta picking up Luai for one season, the latest development suggests they are doing so at a bargain price. Rarely does a premiership-winning playmaker – with the experience of contesting five grand finals and representing NSW and Samoa – come onto the market at such late notice and so cheaply.
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Luai has experience playing alongside Eels halfback Mitchell Moses at State of Origin level, most notably when they combined to help guide the Blues to a series-deciding win in the 2024 decider at Suncorp Stadium.
However, the Parramatta move was one of the subjects Luai wouldn’t broach when he addressed the media at Concord on Thursday.
“Parra? I’m not at Parra yet, brother,” he said. “I’ll answer those questions on November 1st or when our season is done. Out of respect for my club and the lads, I’m still a Wests Tigers player.”
Luai’s shift to the blue and golds will mark the second successive season the club has signed a playmaker for just 12 months, after recruiting Brisbane-bound half Jonah Pezet this year. The Eels don’t want to block the NRL pathway of promising playmakers Lincoln Fletcher, Lorenzo Talataina, Talen Risati and Joash Papalii, and believe signing Luai buys them time to further develop.
“We’ve got some talent there that we need to make sure we give an opportunity to,” Eels coach Jason Ryles said last week.
“The biggest thing for me, I want to win now, too. Not just because we have to win – I want to win for our fans, I want to give ourselves an opportunity to.
“Whilst there’s a lot of good fundamentals put in place with our culture and how our coaching is, it’s important to get some experienced players around our younger guys to help them develop quicker.”
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