Jarome Luai has granted his own press conference to confirm his departure from Penrith, after signing a five-year deal with the Wests Tigers.
The former Panthers play-maker has been one of the main stories of the off-season with the three-time premiership winner embracing the fervor around his future by fronting the media to announce his move.
The circus around Luai’s contract decision has rolled on all summer with reports linking him to both the Bulldogs and Tigers, as the Panthers struggled to keep their star-studded roster intact.
“As publicly stated previously, the club believes that as a three-time premiership player and international representative, Jarome has earnt the right to explore the open market and although the club is disappointed by the outcome, it respects Jarome’s choice,” Penrith stated in a club statement.
Last week, tension appeared to have developed between the playmaker and Penrith during the process as his absence at training became a hot topic of discussion.
However, the 26-year-old has now brought an end to speculation after taking a page out of LeBron James’ book with his infamous televised announcement called ‘The Decision’, where he announce his move from Cleveland to Miami Heat over a decade ago.
“I’ve definitely gotten a lot more attention than what we would have liked these past few months,” Luai told the media at his press conference.
“So, without further ado, for 2025 I’ll be heading to the Wests Tigers to continue my career.”
