Luai a ‘diamond’ deal for the Tigers — CEO

Every team needs a player who can change the game. They are very few and far between, and they are like diamonds.

Tigers CEO Shane Richardson

Jarome Luai is a “diamond” of a signing for Wests Tigers whose gamechanging impact will stretch way beyond the field, the league club’s chief executive Shane Richardson says.

This NRL off-season’s most intriguing trade saga ended this week when Penrith’s triple premiershipwinning five-eighth announced he would join the Tigers from 2025.

Luai shunned interest from the Panthers, his junior club, and a bigmoney offer from Canterbury to sign a five-year deal that will make him the joint venture’s game-managing half.

The chance to run the show at NRL level, to challenge himself at a success-starved club, to work with coach Benji Marshall and to bank a hefty pay rise all featured.

The signing is a coup for the Tigers, who have made failed bids for star playmakers Mitch Moses and Cameron Munster in the past 18 months.

“Every team needs a player who can change the game,” Richardson said. “They are very few and far between, and they are like diamonds when they come up because it’s rare when they do. Especially those with a proven track record of three-straight premierships. We had to get him.”

Richardson took charge of the Tigers on an interim basis late last year following a cleanout of the club’s derided and dysfunctional front office.

The former South Sydney and Penrith executive made it clear after replacing Justin Pascoe at the Tigers that pursuing Luai was a top priority, believing the Panthers’ winning system revolved around the five-eighth.

“He’s also a massive coup for us off the field in terms of marketing. He’s an exciting person to have on board and he will be a game-changer for us.”

Despite the high-profile capture of Luai, Richardson warned the Tigers will continue to experience growing pains in 2024 as Marshall begins his first full season as coach.

Most notably, the side will need decide which of Aidan Sezer, Latu Fainu and Jayden Sullivan will form their first-choice halves pairing.

“We’re in a transition [period]. I’m excited about the squad but it’s not 100 per cent balanced. We just have to spend 12 months massaging the squad to make sure we set ourselves up. We want to win every game we can but we want to build a good squad for the next two to three years.”