Parramatta Eels head coach Jason Ryles has defended his decision to sign Jarome Luai for 2027, arguing it will give the club the best of both worlds.
Ryles has been widely criticised for his decision to sign Luai, having done a similar one-year play with Jonah Pezet this year that hasn't worked.
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Pezet, who has spent much of the year injured, is already locked in to join the Brisbane Broncos for next year.
There was a feeling that Pezet's signing would allow the Eels to spend 2026 getting Lorenzo Talataina and Lincoln Fletcher ready for first-grade.
Given the club dropped Newcastle Knights-bound Dylan Brown at the end of 2025 to play Joash Papalii though, the decision still raised eyebrows.
With Pezet spending a large chunk of the year sidelined and now in reserve grade, it has been Papalii and Ronald Volkman who have shared duties, or at times played together when Mitchell Moses has been unavailable.
Ryles, speaking to the media on Wednesday though, claimed signing Luai in the same way as Pezet before he departs for PNG is not the same as the move the club made to sign Pezet, also arguing that it will allow the club more time to develop for the future while moving off the bottom of the table in the interim.
“Jonah is an up-and-coming player who has done his apprenticeship and is on his path to becoming a seasoned first-grader, and Jarome is a four-time premiership winner, so there's a little bit of a difference there,” he said on Wednesday.
“I don't apologise for anything that we've done, we're working through (consequences of player options in contracts) and this is a result of it.
“Things happen for a reason and we'll continue to move forward.
“The biggest thing for us is we want to win now, and also get prepared for the future and make this a sustainable footy club that can sit up the top of the ladder.
Ryles also argued that the club are building well for the future, with opportunities for the likes of Ryley Smith, a host of young forwards, and the complete trust in fullback Isaiah Iongi, who joined from the Penrith Panthers ahead of 2025.
The Eels have been widely panned for their junior development and retention in recent years, with the blue and gold taking significant steps in their back room in an attempt to stem the bleeding.
Luai, who will be PNG's marquee signing when they join the competition in 2028, has struggled for form at the Tigers in recent times, with the club losing most of their games since his move to PNG was announced.
