OFFICIAL Jarome Luai - #295

Tiger_Yoshi said:
If J.L. signs with the chiefs he gets:

  • Minimum $1.2m per year tax free.
  • 3rd party deals taxfree (there would be plenty of those on offer).
  • Subsidised travel for him and his family back to Australia.
  • Subsidised accomodation
  • Free education for his kids
All up close to $3m per year tax free!...

Crazy not to take it if he can handle the different lifestyle....

We still have him next year to further develop Latu and Andrews to take over....

I say go!....and thank you for everything you have done for the WT. A great signing he has turned out to be!...as long as many WT don't follow him..
Click to expand...

If he does it for 2-3 years minimum it’s life changing cash. Most people wouldn’t knock that back. The family side of things is the biggest impact for them and will take a toll being confined to the compound. Don’t blame him at all.
 
supercoach said:
PNG probably need about 20 players, maybe a couple more. The rest of there roster will be locals. So they have 17 franchises and all of ESL to fill these spots. There will be plenty of players looking for a juicy tax free pay check willing to live in PNG. So I don’t see a big exodus from our club or any other club, I think the players will come from lots of clubs…..Well that’s what Iam hoping
Click to expand...
Hey Coach, any idea what is going on with the Chiefs franchise?

Will they have a reserve grade side in the Queensland cup, would it be the PNG Hunters?

Are there any problems with games currently played in Port Moresby in the Queensland cup? eg. crowd violence etc.

Just trying to get a handle on how many players they will actually need overall, not much information around about these things currently.
 
I have deliberately avoided this thread since I heard the news. It has been an interesting read this morning looking at the differeing points of view. There’s a bit going on with the PNG visit, but I think the reaction from some is overcooked. If you strip the emotion out of it, there are some very real positives and a few legitimate concerns.

On the surface the trip raises eyebrows; but, a trip to PNG for a high profile player isn’t something that gets organised on a whim. For a player of Luai’s profile, travel like that would have been known well in advance. There’s no way he boards a plane into a developing rugby league market without the club being across it and the timing of his contract extension decision and the ten day turn around provide more weight to this being a planned event that is highly unlikely to have blindsided Benji.

The PNG franchise needs credibility and star power. Luai ticks both boxes. That makes him a logical target, not necessarily a guaranteed defection. From Luai’s perspective, this kind of visit is smart business: understanding the landscape, building relationships, and, strengthening his negotiating position.

For us it depends on your perspective of Luai and his value for money. The worst case and best case are almost polar opposites. If you are a fan the worst case is that he leaves and the best case is that he comes back more committed, having seen what’s not yet built compared to what he’s trying to help build at the Tigers. If you aren't a fan the worst case is that he stays and best case is that he leaves and frees up cap space for moe important acquisitions.

Regardless of personal opinion - if Luai leaves it will be a significant void to fill due to what he has bought to the club and his footy IQ. On the other hand it frees up a significant chunk of cap space. We’re talking marquee money that could be redistributed across multiple positions that could potentially strengthen the roster more broadlyr. This would normally be a problem for us as out depth for over a decade has been poor. However, at the moment it may not be a straight swap but we have some quality on our books with plenty of upside.

It’s alss worth remembering that Luai has been here before in a different context. He signed with the Tigers well in advance while still producing elite football at Penrith. His professionalism during that period never wavered; if anything, he doubled down.

That suggests to me that he is capable of separating contract situations from on-field performance and that movement or discussions of movement don’t equal disengagement. He was open and honest at Penrith so there is no reson to believe that whatever happens it will nto be transparent to the players, the club or the fans in this case.

There’s almost no chance Benji and the club weren’t in the loop. With a player like Luai, communication lines are constant. This would have been discussed and likely framed as an opportunity rather than a risk. Benji, in particular, understands the importance of empowering players while reinforcing the vision of the club. The conversations are probably less “are you leaving?” and more “what do you need to stay and how do we build this together?”

So where does that leave us? In a good postion; this is not a breaking point it is simply a decision point. Yes, there’s risk; but we have good depth with a development path so nothing to be overly concerned about. BUT, until there’s actual movement on a contract, it’s noise. Interesting noise, but noise nonetheless.

The story isn’t the PNG visit; it’s how the we (as a club) were prepared and how we respond. We know that Benji and the club will not come out and speak about recruiting and retention. If the playing group was not aware fo the visit (and it may have been kept out of the loop to prevent any leaks) you can bet there will be a discussion first thing this morning where Luai doubles down on his commitment to the playing group.

This is not a Galvin/TDS contract breach situation based on not wanting in. This is built in exit clause that, depending on your outlook, benefits Luai, the club, or both.

Personally, I don't have an issue either way. While he is a driving force at the club and in the current environment is a huge motivator,he is not irreplacable and our depth has high ceilings. Time to turn our attention to the real focus: belting the Sharks on Sunday.
 
I don't have a problem if he takes up his option for '27 and opts out for '28. The more crucial issue is that we get extensions for the Mays and Fainus finalised this year. Luai is not the type of guy who will do the dirty on the club - he will tell the club of his intentions pretty quickly i would think.
 
Maybe JL wants what Uncle Nick’s just ordered without talking price bcoz “Politis said he has yet to discuss a price, but "it doesn't matter how much it costs, because it will be a collector's item"

It cost a million and I reckon BYD care.

1777331759827.jpeg
 
hank37w said:
Hey Coach, any idea what is going on with the Chiefs franchise?

Will they have a reserve grade side in the Queensland cup, would it be the PNG Hunters?

Are there any problems with games currently played in Port Moresby in the Queensland cup? eg. crowd violence etc.

Just trying to get a handle on how many players they will actually need overall, not much information around about these things currently.
Click to expand...
Don’t know anything about how PNG will operate but I guess they will run a reserve grade and junior teams in the QLD system. So they are going need a fair few established players. As far as their crowds I have not heard anything about violence but they do take enthusiasm to another level. When I was up there everyone supported a NRL team and wanted to talk football 24/7
 
TBH the only overreaction has been via the media. You will always get some fans overreacting to every small thing.

I think it's fine what Jarome is doing. He has to do his own diligence and the main thing is, he put this in his contract which got him here in the first place. We may not have gotten him if we didn't agree to this clause.

I just wonder how the clause is worded though. We signed him for 5 years so basically 2025-2029. Is it worded that he has to exercise his option every single year before April 30 from 2026 onwards or is it that he exercises his option before April 30, 2026 for 3 years?

If it's the latter and he decides to go PNG, does that mean he's in the market for 2027? Because PNG approached him, this means other Clubs can too.

Also, if he does exercise his option (if it's a yearly thing), it technically means that he cannot be approached again until Nov 30. So, literally this is the only window they had. The 10 day break would have been aimed at for a while.

I'm sure Jarome would have informed the club (not seeked blessing, as he doesn't need to) and the Club would have supported him.

Everything that has happened is quite fair and the only people crying about it are teenage fans who don't understand how contracts work or media trying to sensationalise to sell articles.
 
Jolls said:
I have deliberately avoided this thread since I heard the news. It has been an interesting read this morning looking at the differeing points of view. There’s a bit going on with the PNG visit, but I think the reaction from some is overcooked. If you strip the emotion out of it, there are some very real positives and a few legitimate concerns.

On the surface the trip raises eyebrows; but, a trip to PNG for a high profile player isn’t something that gets organised on a whim. For a player of Luai’s profile, travel like that would have been known well in advance. There’s no way he boards a plane into a developing rugby league market without the club being across it and the timing of his contract extension decision and the ten day turn around provide more weight to this being a planned event that is highly unlikely to have blindsided Benji.

The PNG franchise needs credibility and star power. Luai ticks both boxes. That makes him a logical target, not necessarily a guaranteed defection. From Luai’s perspective, this kind of visit is smart business: understanding the landscape, building relationships, and, strengthening his negotiating position.

For us it depends on your perspective of Luai and his value for money. The worst case and best case are almost polar opposites. If you are a fan the worst case is that he leaves and the best case is that he comes back more committed, having seen what’s not yet built compared to what he’s trying to help build at the Tigers. If you aren't a fan the worst case is that he stays and best case is that he leaves and frees up cap space for moe important acquisitions.

Regardless of personal opinion - if Luai leaves it will be a significant void to fill due to what he has bought to the club and his footy IQ. On the other hand it frees up a significant chunk of cap space. We’re talking marquee money that could be redistributed across multiple positions that could potentially strengthen the roster more broadlyr. This would normally be a problem for us as out depth for over a decade has been poor. However, at the moment it may not be a straight swap but we have some quality on our books with plenty of upside.

It’s alss worth remembering that Luai has been here before in a different context. He signed with the Tigers well in advance while still producing elite football at Penrith. His professionalism during that period never wavered; if anything, he doubled down.

That suggests to me that he is capable of separating contract situations from on-field performance and that movement or discussions of movement don’t equal disengagement. He was open and honest at Penrith so there is no reson to believe that whatever happens it will nto be transparent to the players, the club or the fans in this case.

There’s almost no chance Benji and the club weren’t in the loop. With a player like Luai, communication lines are constant. This would have been discussed and likely framed as an opportunity rather than a risk. Benji, in particular, understands the importance of empowering players while reinforcing the vision of the club. The conversations are probably less “are you leaving?” and more “what do you need to stay and how do we build this together?”

So where does that leave us? In a good postion; this is not a breaking point it is simply a decision point. Yes, there’s risk; but we have good depth with a development path so nothing to be overly concerned about. BUT, until there’s actual movement on a contract, it’s noise. Interesting noise, but noise nonetheless.

The story isn’t the PNG visit; it’s how the we (as a club) were prepared and how we respond. We know that Benji and the club will not come out and speak about recruiting and retention. If the playing group was not aware fo the visit (and it may have been kept out of the loop to prevent any leaks) you can bet there will be a discussion first thing this morning where Luai doubles down on his commitment to the playing group.

This is not a Galvin/TDS contract breach situation based on not wanting in. This is built in exit clause that, depending on your outlook, benefits Luai, the club, or both.

Personally, I don't have an issue either way. While he is a driving force at the club and in the current environment is a huge motivator,he is not irreplacable and our depth has high ceilings. Time to turn our attention to the real focus: belting the Sharks on Sunday.
Click to expand...

If this is done and dusted this week with clarity then Luai will leave with alot respect from us fans especially if the impacts to the season don’t occur.

It’s very different to TDS but more so to Galvin.

My only worry is if he goes who he takes with him (he will grab people) and our captains/leadership options.

If Luai leaves and with Api nearly finished career wise it leaves a large leadership void but huge opportunity for someone to step up to be next in line.

Either way lets make this and 27 seasons count.
 
Jolls said:
I have deliberately avoided this thread since I heard the news. It has been an interesting read this morning looking at the differeing points of view. There’s a bit going on with the PNG visit, but I think the reaction from some is overcooked. If you strip the emotion out of it, there are some very real positives and a few legitimate concerns.

On the surface the trip raises eyebrows; but, a trip to PNG for a high profile player isn’t something that gets organised on a whim. For a player of Luai’s profile, travel like that would have been known well in advance. There’s no way he boards a plane into a developing rugby league market without the club being across it and the timing of his contract extension decision and the ten day turn around provide more weight to this being a planned event that is highly unlikely to have blindsided Benji.

The PNG franchise needs credibility and star power. Luai ticks both boxes. That makes him a logical target, not necessarily a guaranteed defection. From Luai’s perspective, this kind of visit is smart business: understanding the landscape, building relationships, and, strengthening his negotiating position.

For us it depends on your perspective of Luai and his value for money. The worst case and best case are almost polar opposites. If you are a fan the worst case is that he leaves and the best case is that he comes back more committed, having seen what’s not yet built compared to what he’s trying to help build at the Tigers. If you aren't a fan the worst case is that he stays and best case is that he leaves and frees up cap space for moe important acquisitions.

Regardless of personal opinion - if Luai leaves it will be a significant void to fill due to what he has bought to the club and his footy IQ. On the other hand it frees up a significant chunk of cap space. We’re talking marquee money that could be redistributed across multiple positions that could potentially strengthen the roster more broadlyr. This would normally be a problem for us as out depth for over a decade has been poor. However, at the moment it may not be a straight swap but we have some quality on our books with plenty of upside.

It’s alss worth remembering that Luai has been here before in a different context. He signed with the Tigers well in advance while still producing elite football at Penrith. His professionalism during that period never wavered; if anything, he doubled down.

That suggests to me that he is capable of separating contract situations from on-field performance and that movement or discussions of movement don’t equal disengagement. He was open and honest at Penrith so there is no reson to believe that whatever happens it will nto be transparent to the players, the club or the fans in this case.

There’s almost no chance Benji and the club weren’t in the loop. With a player like Luai, communication lines are constant. This would have been discussed and likely framed as an opportunity rather than a risk. Benji, in particular, understands the importance of empowering players while reinforcing the vision of the club. The conversations are probably less “are you leaving?” and more “what do you need to stay and how do we build this together?”

So where does that leave us? In a good postion; this is not a breaking point it is simply a decision point. Yes, there’s risk; but we have good depth with a development path so nothing to be overly concerned about. BUT, until there’s actual movement on a contract, it’s noise. Interesting noise, but noise nonetheless.

The story isn’t the PNG visit; it’s how the we (as a club) were prepared and how we respond. We know that Benji and the club will not come out and speak about recruiting and retention. If the playing group was not aware fo the visit (and it may have been kept out of the loop to prevent any leaks) you can bet there will be a discussion first thing this morning where Luai doubles down on his commitment to the playing group.

This is not a Galvin/TDS contract breach situation based on not wanting in. This is built in exit clause that, depending on your outlook, benefits Luai, the club, or both.

Personally, I don't have an issue either way. While he is a driving force at the club and in the current environment is a huge motivator,he is not irreplacable and our depth has high ceilings. Time to turn our attention to the real focus: belting the Sharks on Sunday.
Click to expand...
Great response, I don't see this as dire as some are making out. I still think he will stay with the Tigers based on his previous comments about the club and Benji, he will make a shedload after he finishes playing why risk family upheavel.
 
diedpretty said:
I don't have a problem if he takes up his option for '27 and opts out for '28. The more crucial issue is that we get extensions for the Mays and Fainus finalised this year. Luai is not the type of guy who will do the dirty on the club - he will tell the club of his intentions pretty quickly i would think.
Click to expand...
I agree with you too if he goes in 28 we’ve had some great service from him.
Signing the guys you mentioned is a priority. All the stuff that the press are trying to inflate is just trying to sell stories.
We haven’t even heard from Benji or the club. I’m sure Benji will turn around and say I’ve given Jerome my blessing. I’m aware of what he wants to do -even if J L tells the players look boys I’m staying here and leaving in 28 but I’m gonna give it my best shot that will shut down all the media Hype and BS.
 
innsaneink said:
You think Luais disrespecting Benji?
When we are talking about a possible.3 or 4 million dollar difference in his income...Benji knows all about leaving clubs.
Benji and the club were well.aware everything has been transparent...i guess he disrespected Ivan as.well when he came.here
Click to expand...
Im not saying Luai is disrespecting Benji not at all. What im suggesting is if players respect Luais influence more than Benjis then they may be more inclined to follow Luai out the door than stay in tge fight for Benji. Iv got absolutly no issue with Luai going for the money good luck to him and God bless him. Imo his job at the Tigers has been done. He has taught a terminally unsuccesfull club what it takes to win and what standards are required to get there. Im just sad if he goes and isnt around if we get success to enjoy and recieve the credit he deserves for the turnaround.
 
Jolls said:
I have deliberately avoided this thread since I heard the news. It has been an interesting read this morning looking at the differeing points of view. There’s a bit going on with the PNG visit, but I think the reaction from some is overcooked. If you strip the emotion out of it, there are some very real positives and a few legitimate concerns.

On the surface the trip raises eyebrows; but, a trip to PNG for a high profile player isn’t something that gets organised on a whim. For a player of Luai’s profile, travel like that would have been known well in advance. There’s no way he boards a plane into a developing rugby league market without the club being across it and the timing of his contract extension decision and the ten day turn around provide more weight to this being a planned event that is highly unlikely to have blindsided Benji.

The PNG franchise needs credibility and star power. Luai ticks both boxes. That makes him a logical target, not necessarily a guaranteed defection. From Luai’s perspective, this kind of visit is smart business: understanding the landscape, building relationships, and, strengthening his negotiating position.

For us it depends on your perspective of Luai and his value for money. The worst case and best case are almost polar opposites. If you are a fan the worst case is that he leaves and the best case is that he comes back more committed, having seen what’s not yet built compared to what he’s trying to help build at the Tigers. If you aren't a fan the worst case is that he stays and best case is that he leaves and frees up cap space for moe important acquisitions.

Regardless of personal opinion - if Luai leaves it will be a significant void to fill due to what he has bought to the club and his footy IQ. On the other hand it frees up a significant chunk of cap space. We’re talking marquee money that could be redistributed across multiple positions that could potentially strengthen the roster more broadlyr. This would normally be a problem for us as out depth for over a decade has been poor. However, at the moment it may not be a straight swap but we have some quality on our books with plenty of upside.

It’s alss worth remembering that Luai has been here before in a different context. He signed with the Tigers well in advance while still producing elite football at Penrith. His professionalism during that period never wavered; if anything, he doubled down.

That suggests to me that he is capable of separating contract situations from on-field performance and that movement or discussions of movement don’t equal disengagement. He was open and honest at Penrith so there is no reson to believe that whatever happens it will nto be transparent to the players, the club or the fans in this case.

There’s almost no chance Benji and the club weren’t in the loop. With a player like Luai, communication lines are constant. This would have been discussed and likely framed as an opportunity rather than a risk. Benji, in particular, understands the importance of empowering players while reinforcing the vision of the club. The conversations are probably less “are you leaving?” and more “what do you need to stay and how do we build this together?”

So where does that leave us? In a good postion; this is not a breaking point it is simply a decision point. Yes, there’s risk; but we have good depth with a development path so nothing to be overly concerned about. BUT, until there’s actual movement on a contract, it’s noise. Interesting noise, but noise nonetheless.

The story isn’t the PNG visit; it’s how the we (as a club) were prepared and how we respond. We know that Benji and the club will not come out and speak about recruiting and retention. If the playing group was not aware fo the visit (and it may have been kept out of the loop to prevent any leaks) you can bet there will be a discussion first thing this morning where Luai doubles down on his commitment to the playing group.

This is not a Galvin/TDS contract breach situation based on not wanting in. This is built in exit clause that, depending on your outlook, benefits Luai, the club, or both.

Personally, I don't have an issue either way. While he is a driving force at the club and in the current environment is a huge motivator,he is not irreplacable and our depth has high ceilings. Time to turn our attention to the real focus: belting the Sharks on Sunday.
Click to expand...
Yep...as i said yeaterday i reckon they looked at the draw when it was released ...or shortly after during summer for a suitable time prior to his clause having to be enacted and organised it for this 10 day spell between games.

I am leaning towards him choosing to go we are talking 3 to 4 million bucks here...but on the slight chance he decides against it and stays here...the.club can use that positively as well
 
Mighty_Tiger said:
If this is done and dusted this week with clarity then Luai will leave with alot respect from us fans especially if the impacts to the season don’t occur.

It’s very different to TDS but more so to Galvin.

My only worry is if he goes who he takes with him (he will grab people) and our captains/leadership options.

If Luai leaves and with Api nearly finished career wise it leaves a large leadership void but huge opportunity for someone to step up to be next in line.

Either way lets make this and 27 seasons count.
Click to expand...
The point others are making and what concerns me is our retention...yes weve resigned some promising juniors but on the senior players side of thing its been oh so quiet...in a way its a good thing but im not all that confident with Mielekamp just yet...and had Decembers events had an impact on things in this regard
 
You could look at the Luai situation this way....I probably would have been happier if we had signed him originally to a 3 year 1.2m deal than a 5 year 1.2m deal. Unless you have a young player with upside and you give them an extended contract at a lower $$ amount I am not a fan of 5 year contracts, and the only reason Luai accepted the deal was the security of the 5 years. There was no real upside for us as we were paying him top dollar anyway. I would be happy for him to come back and say I'm in it for the long run and I'm committing to the tigers for the next 3 years, as this may sway a few of the others to buy in longer term, or if he says I'm giving my all for the next year and a half to win a comp with the Tigers and then cashing in at the Chiefs as this would give us that 1.2 m to upgrade the depth we have. Can work out well for our club either way as long as we manage it correctly.
 
At the end of the day we don't know what's instigated this. The Tigers might have requested that Jerome makes a call given that we have so many halves and juniors we have to secure. With Jerome going year to year it makes it hard to do that.

I don't mind if he goes for that kind of money in 2028. We'll have time to plan, and he's helped build us up.
 
Mighty_Tiger said:
If he does it for 2-3 years minimum it’s life changing cash. Most people wouldn’t knock that back. The family side of things is the biggest impact for them and will take a toll being confined to the compound. Don’t blame him at all.
Click to expand...
Apparently him and his family thrived in the bubble a couple of years ago . So the story goes . I mean it really depends on what’s in that resort . Shops , cinemas , golf course , kids playground , water park/ pools , good schooling , decent pub/clubs , access to explore and adventures, decent food and produce in the grocery stores … decent coffee . I mean really you get all those things , and it’s pretty bareabkr.
I can tell you though , having lived something similar the repetition can and does become unbearable after a while .
The only way I can see around it is maybe offseason training in Cairns/ Townsville , and in season everyone ships over for 6 months . So there’s at least 6 months a year you’re back in oz out of the fish bowl
 
Lestronge said:
Apparently him and his family thrived in the bubble a couple of years ago . So the story goes . I mean it really depends on what’s in that resort . Shops , cinemas , golf course , kids playground , water park/ pools , good schooling , decent pub/clubs , access to explore and adventures, decent food and produce in the grocery stores … decent coffee . I mean really you get all those things , and it’s pretty bareabkr.
I can tell you though , having lived something similar the repetition can and does become unbearable after a while .
The only way I can see around it is maybe offseason training in Cairns/ Townsville , and in season everyone ships over for 6 months . So there’s at least 6 months a year you’re back in oz out of the fish bowl
Click to expand...
It would be interesting to know if that did occur would that 6 months of the year still be tax free
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Staff online

Members online

... and 37 more.
Total: 1,266 (members: 87, guests: 1,179)
Back
Top