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Jarome Luai is set to sign a monster five-year deal worth more than $6 million with Wests Tigers.<\/p>\n
The Panthers star has told coaching staff and teammates he will not be at the club beyond next season and is set to join the joint venture from 2025. He told teammates in an emotional post-training session announcement on Saturday.<\/p>\n
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Jarome Luai is on his way to Wests Tigers.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Steven Siewert<\/cite><\/p>\n The premiers had offered Luai a three-year, $2.55 million deal to remain at the club until 2027, but the NSW and Samoa representative decided to test his value on the open market.<\/p>\n Luai has played 107 matches for the Panthers, winning the past three grand finals.<\/p>\n Under the NRL\u2019s new rules, Luai can declare only his intention to sign with the Tigers, giving Penrith a 10-day period to come up with a bigger offer to try to keep him.<\/p>\n Luai also retains the right to pull out of the deal with the Tigers during that period, creating a fortnight of intrigue about his future, given the big-money offer also on the table from the Bulldogs, worth about $5.5 million over five years.<\/p>\n Every player must provide his incumbent club with a last right of negotiation for a 10-day period from the date of notice that the player has received an offer from a rival club, and that offer has been submitted to the NRL, that he is prepared to accept. In order to give effect to this clause:<\/p>\n Shane Richardson was appointed interim chief executive of the Tigers on Tuesday, but made the pursuit of Luai a priority.<\/p>\n Despite not officially starting in the top job until the new year, Richardson organised to meet Luai\u2019s management on Thursday where he was assured the club remained a viable option.<\/p>\n Richardson held a phone hook-up with Luai and his management late on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cBut nothing has been finalised,\u201d Richardson said.<\/p>\n Incoming Tigers CEO Shane Richardson<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Dean Sewell.<\/cite><\/p>\n Richardson withdrew the Tigers\u2019 offer for Addin Fonua-Blake during the week, but said none of that money was used to sweeten the Luai deal.<\/p>\n Canterbury were viewed as favourites to land Luai\u2019s signature, where he would have reunited with several former Panthers, including recruit Stephen Crichton and coach Cameron Ciraldo. But the swift reaction to the boardroom clean-out at the Tigers made sure they remained in the race.<\/p>\n Tigers coach Benji Marshall, a favourite of Luai when he was growing up, has also been hands-on in the chase, and told him why the player and club would be a good fit.<\/p>\n There are high hopes for youngster Lachie Galvin, who is signed for three years, while Adam Doueihi is on track to return by May. Richardson, who worked with Doueihi at South Sydney, declared the injured star \u201ca major part of the Tigers\u2019 plans\u201d.<\/p>\n Luai remained tight-lipped when he left Penrith training on Saturday, and later took to social media to inform his 240,000 Instagram followers there had been \u201cno pen to paper\u201d, and \u201cI\u2019ll let yous know when a deal is done\u201d.<\/p>\n One of his best friends, Panthers winger Brian To\u2019o, told this masthead after training: \u201cWe love him here at the club, but it\u2019s all part of business.<\/p>\n \u201cJust the thought of him leaving, it\u2019s going to be pretty sad. But it\u2019s what is best for him, and family comes first.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s one of my best friends, my son\u2019s godfather, so he\u2019ll be coming around to check on my boy.\u201d<\/p>\n Nathan Cleary and father Ivan preferred not to comment when approached about Luai. The five-eighth, who is returning from shoulder surgery, completed a series of running drills on his own before being one of the first to exit the building.<\/p>\n Several teammates planned to grill him in the gym about his plans, only to discover he had already left.<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary.<\/i><\/b> Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nNRL documentation: Last right of negotiation clause<\/h3>\n
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