OFFICIAL Jarome Luai - #295

[TurnStyle]

Fox sports reporting it's a done deal for 2028.

I'm not even upset.

Tigers bombshell as Luai signs with PNG, becomes NRL’s ‘highest-paid’ player

‘Ridiculous money’: Tigers bombshell as Luai signs with PNG in major coup

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[TurnStyle]

Wonder if it will influence the Bula situation?

Also, I hope he "makes the decision" to give up the captaincy. My money is on Doueihi if not just Api going forward....

 

[hammertime]

Wonder if it will influence the Bula situation?

Let's hope we were smart enough to ask luai to delay till that was done

 

[TurnStyle]

Let's just blindly go with yes... 🤣

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Let's hope we were smart enough to ask luai to delay till that was done

A lot of questions should be answered around the roster after this announcement going forward and hopefully soon, if it isn't, that will be worrying.

 

[jirskyr]

It’s not the Australian government’s $600m, it’s our $600m and it’s outrageous they can even do that

So next time you see that tax number taken out on your payslip know that you played a role in us losing Luai 😁

We’re all to blame for putting up with the government we deserve 😢

Just to put it all in perspective, Australia will spend $5B on foreign aid in 2025-26, so the $60M per annum given to support NRL in PNG would be 1.2% of that budget.

Total PNG spending in the upcoming aid budget is $707M for 2025-26, so the future NRL component would be worth ~8.5% current total annual spend.

Other examples: Australia will spend $120M per year for 3 years for humanitarian aid in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Australia will spend $120M next year in aid to Fiji and $121M to Solomon Islands (including $190M over 4 years to help develop the Solomon Islands police force).

You can argue all you like about the "appropriateness" of the spending, but as a geopolitical move it's rather cheap and a fraction of our Pacific and Asian aid/support budget.

 

[jirskyr]

For all those worried about our tax money funding this…

A mate of mine returned from a PNG CEO gig last year. A couple of insider stories from him and you would understand that China has had a blank cheque book ready for PNG projects for 10 years.

I now don’t underestimate how close China got with PNG govt. Who knows if PNG would have allowed a Chinese military base but to me the risk and consequences of that out weigh this 10 year investment.

PNG government now accountable to their people like never before. Let China in and riots on the street when NRL pulls out.

It’s good business by our diplomats

It's also a potential source of new players, imagine if they could actually get PNG pathways properly funded and coached? There's 12 million people over there.

 

[jirskyr]

Lol PNG people wouldn't give a shit if the NRL pulled out. Majority of them hated the idea that money was being spent on an NRL team rather than spend on vital infrastructure like hospitals and schools. Nothing will stop China. They offer free scholarships to 100s of PNG students every year and they're taking over most of the industries that were dominated by Aussie companies.

I'll quote it again - annual aid budget to PNG is around $700M per year and the govt tipped in the extra $60M per year for the NRL team.

They aren't funnelling money away from other PNG spending?? It's not as if they cancelled a new hospital to fund the NRL side.

 

[jirskyr]

Yep but what worries me is what Riccio said on nrl360. PNG have said to luia, “here’s the chance to build your team.” First on the list will be players he is close to. Coming off contract at the same time is not a coincidence.

Penrith players.

But also LOTS of players are coming off contract in 2028, it's all purposefully aligned with the new teams and the new TV deal. It's not a Tigers-specific thing.

 

[Tiger-ferret]

Penrith players.

But also LOTS of players are coming off contract in 2028, it's all purposefully aligned with the new teams and the new TV deal. It's not a Tigers-specific thing.

Fair enough. Luai is fairly close to home though.

 

[Harvey]

Let’s see what sort of coach Benji is. Follow the Galvin plan. No commitment, don’t want to be here, you are free to go at the end of the year.

Otherwise enjoy NSW cup. It is a disgrace we are paying him next year, let alone entertaining keeping him as captain.

If he is going to continue to be a spokesperson for the club, can we at least force him to wear a clown outfit? That truly represents the circus this club is.

 

[moetk]

I'll quote it again - annual aid budget to PNG is around $700M per year and the govt tipped in the extra $60M per year for the NRL team.

They aren't funnelling money away from other PNG spending?? It's not as if they cancelled a new hospital to fund the NRL side.

Thats still $600 million that could've been better spent. NRL team wont do anything to stop China.