\u201cIt just smacks of desperation to me, to spend all that money for eight months,\u201d the Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dean Ritchie said on NRL 360 on Kayo Sports, pointing out the context of Parramatta\u2019s 40-year premiership drought.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t agree with it. Parramatta just aren\u2019t learning their lesson here. Throw in the World Cup that doesn\u2019t finish until mid November, then the RLPA sanctioned holiday, so he wouldn\u2019t come back January or February, so the deal next year is probably only for eight or nine months. <\/p>\n
\u201cParramatta\u2019s got to learn what\u2019s in their soul, their heart, their emblem and stop signing these band-aid deals for one year.<\/p>\n
\u201cJonah Pezet went there for a year. They signed Zac Lomax for four years, he lasted one. Now it looks like they\u2019re going to get Jarome Luai for eight months. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think these quick fixes work in rugby league. You have to look long-term and play it smarter than just trying to grab anyone and they\u2019re filling in until they go to another club. That\u2019s not great recruitment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just question the culture they\u2019re trying to build by signing these blokes for one year, making them better players potentially to go and ply their trade somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ritchie described Parramatta as a \u201ctransition lounge\u201d for players making their way to other clubs. <\/p>\n
Signing Luai for a year could be a wise stopgap option to allow the Eels to chase star halves who are off contract for 2028. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got kids coming up but it also buys them time,\u201d Brent Read said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn November 1 for 2028, we\u2019re talking Matt Burton, Sam Walker, Ethan Sanders \u2014 there\u2019s a handful of halves coming on the market that they can\u2019t get for next year but they can get them for \u201828.<\/p>\n
\u201cJarome buys them time. If their young kids don\u2019t come through, they can go to market.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect Parramatta to make more signings than just Jarome Luai. They\u2019re in the market for outside backs. They’re looking at Jack Howarth if Jack\u2019s allowed to leave Melbourne. I expect them to took at their front row stocks. <\/p>\n
\u201cMitch (Moses) is the key for them. If Mitch can play 20 games for them, they\u2019re top eight contenders regardless of whether they get Jarome or not. But Jarome helps. <\/p>\n
Read added: \u201cParramatta need to win footy games, and Jarome will help them win footy games.<\/p>\n
\u201cRyles needs to win footy games. As much as we think he\u2019s going to be a really good coach in the game, you need to win. Jarome makes them a better football, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any doubt about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Braith Anasta said \u201cEels fans are split\u201d on the prospect of signing Luai for just one season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they\u2019ve got the money, you can kind of understand why they\u2019d do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a number of halves coming off contract. If they can get a deal done in the interim and get one of the big guns the year after. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s not getting in the way of their young halves coming through, if they can bide their time for another year, it\u2019s not a bad decision.\u201d<\/p>\n