{"id":637556,"date":"2026-04-29T03:09:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T03:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/637556\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T03:09:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T03:09:10","slug":"jarome-luai-breaks-silence-on-png-chiefs-move-in-press-conference-wests-tigers-contract-details","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/637556\/","title":{"rendered":"Jarome Luai breaks silence on PNG Chiefs move in press conference, Wests Tigers, contract details"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jarome Luai fronted the media on Wednesday after news that he is set to link up with the PNG Chiefs<\/a> for the inaugural 2028 season, insisting it move is not about the money.<\/p>\n

Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n

Luai left Penrith after 2024 to join the Tigers on a five-year contract, although the deal contained a clause which allowed him to renew on an annual basis. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Tigers co-captain had until Thursday to take up the option which would see him stay at the club for next season.<\/p>\n

But that option in his contract also allowed him to entertain offers from other clubs until April 30 each year, meaning Luai was on the clock to make a call on the PNG offer. <\/p>\n

In the end, the Chiefs were able to strike a deal with the four-time premiership-winner and in the process sent a warning to the rest of the NRL. <\/p>\n

In Wednesday\u2019s press conference Luai answered all the big questions, from the \u201cvision\u201d that sold him on making the move to how his teammates reacted and that infamous social media post during the Lachlan Galvin contract saga. <\/p>\n

THE \u2018VISION\u2019 THAT SOLD HIM ON PNG MOVE<\/p>\n

It quickly became clear that Luai was at the very least seriously considering the PNG offer when he met with club officials in Port Moresby last week. <\/p>\n

Even PNG Prime Minister James Marape met Luai, who was hosted by general manager Michael Chammas and CEO Lorna Mcpherson as he toured facilities and attended local rugby league matches.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great experience,\u201d Luai said. <\/p>\n

\u201cMy family and my son got the chance to come with, and being there after all of that, it\u2019s probably what got it sealed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was important. That\u2019s why they came with me. They had a good experience, just as I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

While accommodation for PNG Chiefs players, staff and their families is yet to be completed, Luai said there was a clear \u201cvision\u201d that convinced him it was the right move for him and his young family.<\/p>\n

MORE LUAI TO PNG NEWS<\/p>\n

BENJI: Tigers coach reveals \u2018emotional\u2019 chat with \u2018broken down\u2019 Luai<\/a><\/p>\n

TALKING POINTS: Truth behind Luai jab; other club most \u2018at risk\u2019 of PNG poaching<\/a><\/p>\n

PNG Chiefs officially sign Jarome Luai as their inaugural \u2013 \u00a0Coded Player \u201d001\u201d. Picture: NewsWire HandoutSource: NewsWire<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some really good people behind all of that, and it\u2019s going to work, and it\u2019s going to be real,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Luai, who helped steer Toa Samoa to the 2022 Rugby League World Cup final and captained the team\u2019s UK tour in 2024, said the idea of representing an entire nation appealed to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing Polynesian, there\u2019s a lot of similarities\u2026 what that team\u2019s eventually going to do for those people is just grow a nation,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s something that resonated with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

While The Daily Telegraph\u2019s David Riccio said on \u2018NRL 360\u2019 that part of the pitch sold to Luai was the opportunity to \u201cbuild his own NRL team\u201d, the Tigers five-eighth said he was \u201cnot buying into the recruitment part\u201d.<\/p>\n

Instead, Luai reiterated that it was the opportunity to play for something bigger than himself that \u201cresonated\u201d with the four-time premiership winner.<\/p>\n

Marshall supports Luai’s PNG deal | 10:43<\/p>\n

WHY IT\u2019S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY<\/p>\n

So, what about the money? <\/p>\n

After all, the external perception is that in signing Luai the Chiefs have sent a warning shot to the rest of the NRL by proving the power of the tax-free incentive at their disposal.<\/p>\n

Luai, however, pushed back against that notion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everyone wants me to say tax-free and how appealing that is from the outside in. But that\u2019s not what got the deal signed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing over there, you sort of realise that it\u2019s bigger than a game. When the time comes, we\u2019ll be able to change a lot of lives for the better.\u201d <\/p>\n

Luai did admit that the money is \u201cprobably what got the conversation started\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s not what got the deal signed and delivered,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless you get over there and experience it for yourself, you won\u2019t really know yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

TELLING HIS TEAMMATES<\/p>\n

Luai told his teammates of his decision on Tuesday morning before training. <\/p>\n

It capped off what the Tigers co-captain described as a \u201cwhirlwind\u201d week.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt happened pretty quickly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a whirlwind to be honest with you.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was tough, especially with the timing of it all being mid-year and we are having a good season. But it\u2019s something me and my family had to consider.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luai said his teammates took the news \u201creally well\u201d, knowing how much this club still means to him. But the 29-year-old understands that actions speak louder than words now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I\u2019ll have to prove that week in, week out with how I play and my performances,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Luai credited coach Benji Marshall and his teammates for being \u201ctransparent\u201d through the entire process, but also stressed that everything he did on his own was above board.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way my contract works and how it was structured, we broke no rules throughout the process, and I think that\u2019s what people don\u2019t really understand as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jarome Luai, Adam Doueihi and Sunia Turuva. (Photo by Mark Evans\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

THE \u2018REALLY DIFFICULT\u2019 CONVERSATION WITH BENJI<\/p>\n

As for telling coach Marshall, who he has a particularly strong relationship with, Luai said it was \u201creally difficult\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a good chat, me and coach, and I think he understands how much this place actually means for me, how much I love the group, and what we\u2019re building here and building towards,\u201d Luai added.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe reinforced to me I\u2019m here for 18 months. I\u2019m here for another season, a full season, and we\u2019ve got some special things to do before I leave and I\u2019m excited for the future. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big believer in how you hold yourself right now, and staying in the present. I\u2019ve got a job to do this weekend, and I\u2019ve got to remind myself about that in this moment. These boys need me.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘Simply too good to refuse for him’ | 03:24<\/p>\n

HIS CLASSY MESSAGE ON GALVIN JAB<\/p>\n

Of course, Luai was not naive to the fact that his social media post in the wake of the Galvin saga \u2014 and those two words \u2018Team First\u2019 were going to come up. <\/p>\n

In Luai\u2019s defence, these are two completely different situations. He had every right to explore his options, while Galvin and the Tigers mutually agreed to an early release before his contract ran out. <\/p>\n

Luai clearly wanted to get that point across on Wednesday, but was classy in his response.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tricky one, two different situations, and I\u2019m going to be an adult about it and not drag Lachie into something that he is not a part of,\u201d Luai said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got a big part to play in his own team now. But it\u2019s two different situations. I know the team-first thing is getting thrown around a bit. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here for 18 months. I live and breathe team-first. My brothers know that, they\u2019re happy for me and my family. This club will be in a great position when I leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luai grilled over Galvin exit comparison | 01:06<\/p>\n

HIS MESSAGE TO TIGERS FANS<\/p>\n

In truth, the club is already in a great position considering the results so far in 2026. <\/p>\n

Luai, along with Marshall and fellow co-captain Apisai Koroisau, have clearly worked to help foster a winning culture and set standards that have given Tigers fans a reason to believe. <\/p>\n

In some ways, it makes it harder for Tigers fans to accept that in 18 months it will all be over and Luai will be leaving. But the Tigers five-eighth made it clear there won\u2019t be any complacency on his end.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt starts today at training. It starts with my energy and how I hold myself and how I interact with the boys. If you know me, I\u2019m a guy with high energy, and I\u2019ll make sure that doesn\u2019t change. I\u2019m ready to rock on Sunday,\u201d Luai said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust understand and realise once again, I\u2019m here for 18 months. Wherever I am right now, I\u2019m going to give my all to the team, to my brothers and to what we\u2019ve built here. This place will be a great place to be and play at when the time comes to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for how he wants to be remembered for and the legacy he wants to leave at the Tigers?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I came here to do. Turn it into a better place. Leave my jersey in a better position. A place where players will want to come and play,\u201d Luai said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re in the process of that already, so I\u2019ll make sure that happens. It\u2019s already done. It\u2019s in the past. I want to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

LIVE BLOG<\/p>\n

Follow along for what Luai and Marshall say at Wednesday\u2019s press conference.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t see the blog? Click here!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jarome Luai fronted the media on Wednesday after news that he is set to link up with the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":637557,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,85,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-637556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/637557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}