Star Panthers playmaker Jarome Luai has confirmed he will be joining Wests Tigers on a five-year deal after the 2024 NRL season.
Luai's management staged a rare press conference at Darling Harbour on Wednesday afternoon, at which the three-time grand final winner confirmed his exit from the Panthers on a deal worth $6 million, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
"The obvious reason was it was a great opportunity for me to provide and create for my family, but also to create something for myself," Luai said.
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"I've had a great connection with Benji [Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall] … We've spoken about the future and what he sees in me moving forward.
"I'm really excited about it, excited about the challenge, as well. I've seen a few headlines about, 'Who would go from the top to the bottom?' … and it resonated with me, just because I'm always backing myself to win no matter where I go … Hopefully I can bring that belief to the boys in 2025.
"But for now I just wanted to clear that up and say thank you once again to everyone out there who's supported and backed me; not just my family, but fans. I do have a lot out there."
The NRL introduced a 10-day negotiation window at the completion of the 2023 season, giving clubs a chance to convince players to backflip on contracts they've signed.
But Penrith waived the cooling-off period in Luai's case, having accepted its offer for the five-eighth would be dwarfed by rival clubs.
Luai explained why he went with the rare option of holding a press conference to announce his decision, rather than leaving Wests Tigers to confirm the deal.
"It's a chance for me to own this decision. I think it's a great way to show that it's coming from my mouth, not from anybody else's," Luai said.
"It's been up in the air for a while and, like I said, it's been the toughest decision I've ever had to make."
Wests Tigers confirmed in a statement that they had secured Luai's signature.
"We are super excited to announce the signing of Jarome for the 2025 season on a five-year deal," Marshall said.
"His experience as a genuine premiership-winning playmaker will be great for us and the future of our club.
"We love the way Jarome plays his footy and even better, he is a great person.
"We very much look forward to welcoming Jarome and his family to our club in 2025, but right now, season 2024 is our focus."
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