Littlebittipsy
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- Nov 3, 2018
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We’re optimistic’: Panthers prepared to up Luai offer to ward off Tigers
SMHPanthers officials are prepared to increase their offer to Jarome Luai of a contract longer than two years to ward off big-money interest from Wests Tigers.
Luai, along with superstar halfback Nathan Cleary, will be back on deck on Friday when he begins pre-season training with the premiers.
The race for the Luai’s signature has become the most talked-about story over the summer after the 26-year-old, three-time premiership winner was paid a personal visit by Tigers coach Benji Marshall, and last week met with Canterbury supremo Phil Gould.
There have been suggestions Luai wanted to make a call on his future for 2025 and beyond by the time he resumed training.
But Penrith chief executive of rugby league Matt Cameron said the club was happy to give Luai all the time he wanted. The Panthers’ offer is reportedly worth around $850,000 a season for two years – some $300,000 less per season than the offer on the table from the Tigers, which is for four years and includes the chance to play halfback.
A third year on the Panthers offer, which would take Luai through until the end of 2027 – the same year his good friend Cleary is up for renewal – might just be enough to convince him to stay put.
“We’ll get Jarome back in the building on Friday and pick up our conversation from there,” Cameron told this masthead.
We’ve been in constant dialogue with him. He spoke to the coach [Ivan Cleary] just last week. We’ve been 100 per cent transparent with him, and he’s been 100 per cent transparent with us as to what is going on.
We just want to get him back in the building, make sure his shoulder is OK, then talk about his contract. There’s no rush from us. This talk of him wanting to sort out his contract before returning to training has never come from us, so I can’t comment on that.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we’re optimistic we’ll get a deal done with Jarome.
“It will not be all about the money. And we’ve got a pretty good track record of players recommitting to the club and taking a little less for the chance to pursue something pretty special.”