Wests Tigers superstar Jarome Luai has agreed to terms with the Parramatta Eels on a stop-over deal before he embarks on his journey to Papua New Guinea.
Luai and the Leichhardt-based club mutually agreed for him to be released from the remaining year of his contract, with the Tigers worried it may stunt the development of the club's halves.
He will link up with Mitchell Moses for one year, with the club confirming the news on Tuesday afternoon.
“Jarome is one of the most experienced and successful players of his generation, and we're thrilled to welcome him to the Parramatta Eels next year,” 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 Eels are quite familiar with this unique situation, with Jonah Pezet currently undergoing a stopover stay in Parramatta before he heads to Brisbane on a long-term deal.
Luai and Moses will strike a formidable combination in the halves, and the Eels must go all in on a premiership raid in 2027 while they have the firepower of Luai at their disposal.
The duo brought the State of Origin shield back to Sydney in a decider at Suncorp Stadium, something that hadn't been achieved since 2005.
It is understood the Tigers will be paying roughly $500,000 for Luai to play at Parramatta in the terms of his release from the club.
The Tigers signed Luai in hopes of becoming a franchise player, inking a five-year deal, but only lasted two seasons.
Luai possesses the rare power of bringing the best out of the players around him and sets standards on and off the field in his stint at the Tigers.
Tigers coach Benji Marshall says Luai's impact at the club was immense, and that a decision needed to be made that was best for the club.
“He made the decision to go (to) PNG, which is all good and we supported him through that," Marshall said to the media on tuesday morning.
“Now, we've made a decision based on what we think is best for our long-term future.
“To Jarome's credit, he accepted it really well and even said he wanted to leave a parting gift to some of the players that even though he goes, it benefits other players here.
“It speaks volumes of Jarome. I said this when he signed with PNG, we can never repay him for what he's done for this Club.
“What people probably don't see is what he does in the locker room, what he's done for our culture, how he's shaped the way the players train, and given us a level of professionalism.
“We love what he brings. But moving forward, we're prioritising guys that are probably going to be here for the next 10 years, not for the next 12 months.”
The four-time premiership winner brings another level of professionalism and class to the Eels outfit and improves them out of sight, but the jury is still out if their forward pack can withstand the title of premiership contenders for next season.
Luai has played 13 Tests for Samoa, guiding them to the 2022 World Cup final, while also dominating at NRL level with the Penrith Panthers.
Marshall had this to say on Luai's mutual release on Tuesday morning.
“We've got kids coming through in the same positions. If we hold a couple of those kids back another 12 months, we might lose those kids,'' Marshall said.
“This decision was made in the best interest of the Club, and if anyone's having a go at us with that, well, unlucky.”
The deal means highly improved playmaker Ronald Volkman won't get a shot at locking down a starting spot for 2027, with it being understood that negotiations for an extension have recently broken down.
Luai is set to make his Parramatta debut in the bright lights of Sin City when the Eels travel to the Northern Hemisphere in Round 1.
Samoan teammate and incoming recruit Jadyn Su'A will accompany him as Jason Ryles looks to bring the premiership trophy out west, and is the closest he's been to having the firepower to do so.
