‘Speaks for itself’: Luai move confirmed after fiery Benji presser
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Benji Marshall has fired back at the “made up” rumours surrounding Jarome Luai after the decision from Wests Tigers officials to let the co-captain leave and sign with rivals Parramatta for the 2027 season.
Luai is in the second season in what was originally a five-year contract, but earlier this year signed with the PNG Chiefs for their inaugural 2028 campaign.
Jarome Luai in action against the Warriors. Getty Images
It was originally expected that Luai would remain at Concord next year, but the Tigers have since released the five-eighth for 2027 and he is now set to join the Eels on a stop-gap deal, as confirmed by the club on Tuesday evening.
“Jarome is one of the most experienced and successful players of his generation, and we’re thrilled to welcome him,” general manager Mark O’Neill said.
“His record speaks for itself. Winning four premierships requires an exceptional level of commitment, consistency and professionalism, and those are qualities Jarome will bring to our football program every day.
“Beyond what he offers on the field, we believe Jarome will have a tremendous impact on our younger players coming through the system. His experience in high-performance environments and his professional approach to preparation and training will help mentor and develop the next generation of Eels.”
The decision has prompted question marks over Marshall and Luai’s relationship and whether there had been a falling out between player and coach.
Marshall refused to answer questions after the side’s round 19 loss to the Warriors at the weekend, but during a passionate press conference on Tuesday, explained what led to the call and quashed any personal issue with Luai.
“I guess it’s good to be able to talk about what’s happened - a lot of things have been made up or insinuated or guessed, in terms of our relationship,” he said.
“This process hasn’t happened overnight - we’ve been talking for the past five weeks open and honestly about where we’re at as a club and in terms of Jarome.
“We’ve made a decision based on what we think is best for our long-term future at our club. We’ve been open and transparent on it and had open conversations as men and to Jarome’s credit, he accepted it really well.
“The fact that people can make up rumours that we’re having a relationship breakdown or a rift between our friendship, is absolutely bullshit.
“What baffles me is the hint of a few things or a situation where people think you should have a rift, it’s not right and you can’t make that stuff up.
“In the media, what we have done is made some shit up that me and him have a fractured relationship, which is far from the truth. I think what you guys need to do is have a look at why you’re making that up and not put that on us.
“I’ll say it again, you can’t just make stuff up based on a hunch or because the situation looks like that. It’s not fair to him and his family and it’s not fair to us.”
Benji Marshall and Jarome Luai. Getty
The likes of Latu Fainu and Javon Andrews are expected to vie for playmaking spots long-term once Luai departs, with coach Marshall saying the call to release the co-captain was to ensure some of the young Tigers players don’t leave.
Marshall was also quizzed about Luai’s father Martin liking a post on Instagram about a potential rift between the pair.
“That’s the thing, you guys made that the story and that wasn’t the case,” he said.
“He’s a dad who in the headline of whatever the post was, is making assumptions about his son and my relationship. What you guys did was make that into world war 10 and something that it’s not, which you’re good at, but I think that’s unfair.
“I can see why his dad would like or comment on a post, because he’s a dad who cares about his son. I’m not gonna cop the bullshit rumours that are made up, based on nothing or based on what you guys think might be the case.”
Marshall is adamant the Samoan international will remain in first grade for the rest of this season as the Tigers look to keep their slim finals hopes alive.
The club icon conceded the team’s form has regressed over the past two months, but refused to wave the white flag on a top-eight finish yet.
“We’ve gone backwards and that’s down to me,” Marshall said.
“According to everyone, we’re done and dusted … but one thing I know about my group and our coaches is that we will not surrender and won’t throw in the towel.
“We will keep fighting while it’s there, we’ll try and win as many games as we can.
“Say what you want about us, but if you look at us now from last year, we’ve improved. We’ve fallen off the cliff a little bit, but we’ve improved.”
Marshall’s men will look to bounce back in round 20 against the Bulldogs.
