Jarome Luai has confirmed he will move to the Wests Tigers for the 2025 season and beyond, putting an end to months of speculation surrounding his future.
The Penrith star revealed the news in a press conference in Darling Harbour after the Panthers reportedly waived the 10-day cooling off period.
Luai described the call to leave the Panthers as “probably the toughest decision of my career and probably life so far.”
“Definitely gotten a lot more attention than what we would have liked these past few months,” he added.
“The purpose of this was to clear everything up and get everything out of the way out of respect and curtesy for the year ahead for my team and my teammates in 2024...
“So without further ado, for 2025 I’ll be heading to the Wests Tigers to continue my career.
“The obvious reason was it was a great opportunity for me to provide and create for my family, and also to create for myself.
“I’ve had a great connection with Benji, we’ve spoken about the future and what he sees in me and moving forward. I’m really excited about it.”
Luai has been absent from Panthers training after informing teammates that the 2024 season would be his last, and his deal with the Tigers is worth an estimated $6 million across five years.
Under the new contracting rules in the CBA, there is a 10-day cooling off period after a player receives an offer they’d be willing to accept from another club.
That gives the player’s former club the chance to negotiate and potentially up their offer if they would like. Those 10 days also gives the player the option to change his mind if he wants to.
That period, which began on December 16, came and went without any confirmation of a move from Luai.
On Tuesday, however, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Panthers, who tabled a three-year deal worth $2.5 million, waived their right to the cooling off period.
The Herald then reported that Luai had called a press conference for Wednesday afternoon in Darling Harbour.
The press conference was later confirmed for 12pm AEDT.
It is expected that he will confirm his blockbuster switch giving Marshall and the Tigers the marquee player they so desperately need to turn the merger club around.
Only last month Tigers legend Steve Roach raised doubts that Luai would in fact make the move and suggested he would be making a mistake if he did
“Why would you go from the team winning the premiership to the wooden spooners, I don’t get it,” he told foxsports.com.au
“You’ll get cash down the track if you’re a one-team player, it doesn’t matter, you’ll make more that way.
“I’d like him to come, he’s a good player, but I have my doubts.”
News of Luai’s impending switch comes after the entire Tigers board was sacked along with and CEO Justin Pascoe following back-to-back wooden spoons.
The Bulldogs were the only other team in the hunt for Luai’s signature but it is understood their offer was about $750,000 less than that of the Tigers.
That was after The Daily Telegraph reported interim Tigers CEO Shane Richardson upped what they were willing to offer Luai to $1.2 million over five years.
Story first published on Fox Sports