In a video posted on the Wests Tigers’ website, new recruit Jarome Luai has declared he intends to continue his winning ways and turn his new club’s fortunes around.
Throughout the short clip Luai, who is currently in the UK with Samoa, declared he moved to Concord to “win,” adding:
“And I’m here to win consistently.”
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“I hope you’re ready for the ride.”
Luai inked a five-year deal at the Tigers back in January, a move which confused many at the time given he’s spent the last few seasons as Nathan Cleary’s understudy.
Some doubted whether the 27-year-old could successfully take on the responsibilities as a full-time NRL halfback and lead the Tigers, who’ve struggled for success in recent years.
However, any concerns about Luai’s leadership, both on the field and off it, were dispelled throughout 2024 when, in Cleary’s absence, he led the Panthers to six wins from eight games with the No.7 on his back.
These doubts were summed up by Penrith legend Greg Alexander earlier this season, with the 59-year-old noting how there were “questions asked” about his move.
“Can Jarome handle being the general playmaker?” he asked.
“The answer is without question.”
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Away from club footy, where he was key in Penrith’s fourth-straight premiership, Luai excelled for Michael Maguire’s Blues, playing a starring role in all three games as New South Wales came from behind to win the series.
A sign of Luai’s newfound responsibility at the Panthers is the fact he had the most receipts of his career in 2024 (1,238), while kicking for the most metres (5,460) of his career, more than 3,000 metres more than his previous high, set in 2021.
He joins a Tigers side with renewed optimism heading into 2025, with a wave of new signings joining the club alongside Luai, notably Sunia Turuva Royce Hunt and Jack Bird.
Powerful Bulldogs winger Jeral Skelton also joins Benji Marshall’s side, which already boasts one of the finest hookers in the competition, Api Koroisau, teenage talent Lachlan Galvin, and a forward pack that showed signs of promise this season.
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Luai’s task at the Tigers is monumental, with the club having won the wooden spoon in each of the last three years. They’ve also not recorded a winning season since 2011, when they finished fourth and featured in the finals.
Despite this, the Samoan international, who led his nation to the 2022 Rugby League World Cup final, appears optimistic about his future at the club, stating:
“I’m officially a Tiger now and I’m really excited to be a part of this new journey.”
“I can’t wait to meet you guys and feel your energy and to feel your presence,” he added.
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