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Updated August 31, 2026 \u2014 5:44pm,first published 10:15am<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Some Wests Tigers officials only learnt about Jarome Luai\u2019s trip to Port Moresby when photos were posted on social media of their captain at a golf tournament.<\/p>\n The Tigers\u2019 $1.2 million-a-year marquee man asked if he could stay behind in Townsville on Sunday, and was granted permission after he passed a medical examination on a leg injury he suffered the night before in the 24-10 loss to the Cowboys.<\/p>\n A few hours after his teammates returned to Sydney, Luai was on a private jet to Port Moresby where he joined Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape at a golf tournament.<\/p>\n Sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly confirmed several Tigers officials were caught off guard by Luai\u2019s late-season trip to the country he will call home from 2028.<\/a><\/p>\n The same sources confirmed Luai would return to Sydney to train with the Tigers on Tuesday, and will play against the Panthers on Sunday, which will double as his final game for the club before he moves on to Parramatta in 2027<\/a> then the PNG Chiefs in 2028.<\/p>\n On Monday morning, photos of Luai\u2019s trip to PNG were posted on social media. He was greeted by Marape at the airport and PNG\u2019s Post Courier newspaper reported Luai was about to become one of the country\u2019s regional tourism ambassadors.<\/p>\n According to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, Luai travelled from Townsville to Port Moresby with PNG charter operator Tropicair. The aircraft, which seats up to nine passengers, was dispatched from the PNG capital to collect him on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n Later in the day, Luai was a special guest at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club where he rubbed shoulders with PNG Open winner Josh Armstrong.<\/p>\n There was nothing stopping Luai from flying to Port Moresby in his own time, especially given the eight-day turnaround to the Tigers\u2019 final game. Players were given two days off after the Cowboys game.<\/p>\n The brief visit proves just how close Luai has already become with Marape, who loves his nation\u2019s golf championship.<\/p>\n Local podcaster Lawrence \u201cKamuna\u201d Lahari spent the day recording footage of Luai and Marape, including Luai touching down on the jet after a flight lasting less than an hour from Townsville.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome home man,\u201d Lahari says to Luai in the footage posted online. \u201cHow you been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been good. I played last night, so I\u2019m still a bit sore,\u201d Luai says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a game,\u201d Lahari responds, before Luai says: \u201cI know, we didn\u2019t get the win, but the boys put up a good fight.\u201d<\/p>\n Luai later met with Marape and discussed the similarities between PNG and Samoa \u2013 Laui has Samoan heritage \u2013 saying how he is \u201cbig on family, big on roots, where you come from, and who gave me the opportunity to be the man I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see PNG as like a brother or cousin to where we\u2019re from \u2013 it\u2019s all connected,\u201d he tells Marape.<\/p>\n While watching the golf later in the day, there are some jokes made about the weather, before Marape asks Luai to play 18 holes with him.<\/p>\n Luai was still in PNG on Monday, where he visited a local Pepsi factory, and news crews captured workers mobbing the NRL star.<\/p>\n The four-time premiership winner\u2019s big-money move to the Chiefs has been one of the stories of the season.<\/p>\n The Tigers granted him permission to fly to PNG earlier this year before the 19th NRL franchise secured him as its first marquee signing.<\/p>\n Fans, however, will be split over whether it was a good look for Luai to travel to PNG while still contracted to the Tigers, and with one match to be played in the season.<\/p>\n Nathan Cleary flew to Auckland on the weekend, but he was there to watch younger brother Jett make his NRL debut<\/a>, not to actively promote a club and country he will not represent for 18 months, as Luai did.<\/p>\n Related Article![\"Jarome](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ec5762686b02752670bba72ec7cc1b92fd86189c5db6bd20db8f07ef4491bbf5.jpeg\")
Jarome Luai greets the winner of the PNG Open, Josh Armstrong.Instagram (pgatouraus)<\/p>\n![\"Jarome](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/800fc266c81e24ccc1ccfedf335f6f8126109238.jpeg\")
Jarome Luai was greeted by PNG Prime Minister James Marape on arrival in Port Moresby on a private jet.Facebook<\/p>\n![\"Drink](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/403d7c4ae38cf6eebb16fdb83b5eab2cff9b127e87d9d8a8df89c46f19a6215d.jpeg\")
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