The internal unrest plaguing the Wests Tigers could lead to another exodus, with Jahream Bula and marquee man Jarome Luai both reportedly weighing their futures amid ongoing boardroom instability.The fallout follows the club's loss of two of its most promising juniors in recent years, Lachlan Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva, who have since joined the Canterbury Bulldogs and Parramatta Eels, respectively.According to Fox Sports' Mark St John, the Tigers' internal issues have already cost them a generation of talent, and could soon claim more high-profile names.
Michael Ennis told the Fox League Podcast that the club's once-promising youth movement, which centred around Galvin and Da Silva, has “imploded before their eyes.”“They hung their hats on that nursery out in Western Sydney and Balmain, but now they've lost multiple players from that team,” Ennis said.
“Those guys were dragging the club forward and giving fans hope, and they've all gone.”Ennis believes the ongoing boardroom dramas are pushing key players toward the exit.“There's now talk of Jahream Bula leaving,” he said.
“He's sitting down with other clubs, listening to their plans, and thinking, ‘I want to go somewhere I can win and enjoy my footy without these distractions.'”Attention has also turned to Jarome Luai, whose contract reportedly includes significant get-out clauses should instability persist.Braith Anasta said Luai's decision to include those clauses now appears justified.“He's been right, this is why he had clauses,” Anasta said.
“Everyone questioned it, but it's going to be a challenge for the Tigers to keep their off-contract stars now.”
Anasta, who finished his career at the Tigers, described the club's long-standing management divide as a key barrier to success.“The difference between how they're run and clubs like the Bulldogs or Roosters is chalk and cheese,” he said.
“Until they show unity, it's hard to build a roster capable of competing for a title.”
