It has been revealed that the Penrith Panthers have told Jarome Luai that he is unlikely to be offered more than $800,000 a season as the five-eighth goes off-contract next season.
Free to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1, when he becomes a free agent due to his contract ending in 2024, Luai is unlikely to earn as much as his recently re-signed teammates due to the club's salary cap.
While it is well below his worth, it is understood that the club is likely to offer him between $700,000-$800,000 a season, per The Sydney Morning Herald. The publication also reports that the club declined to comment on the issue when contacted.
Due to the lack of quality playmakers available, Luai could create a bidding war between several clubs and will easily be able to fetch a salary of $1 million a season at another team.
One former player who believes that he could convey this price is the Eighth Immortal, Andrew Johns.
”Jarome's got a young family so you can totally understand it but if Jarome goes on the open market he's getting a million dollars,” Johns said on Nine's Immortal Behaviour podcast.
“Over five years you're talking near two million dollars [extra than the Panthers deal], you can't stay for that. That's going to be the big story moving forward.”
Despite their premiership success, the Penrith Panthers have lost a host of first-grade stars since the 2021 Grand Final.
Matt Burton, Kurt Capewell, Apisai Koroisau and Viliame Kikau are just some of the names that have departed for bigger deals. They will be joined by Spencer Leniu and Stephen Crichton as they will leave the club at the end of the season.
While it is always hard to fit the top superstars of the game into one team, the departure of Luai would be most surprising. This is due to his bond with Nathan Cleary in the halves and the five-eighth role being one of the most critical positions in the team.
