Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020

Jarome Luai has become the centre of a selection debate at the Wests Tigers after the club won only two of its past 11 National Rugby League matches. The call comes in July 2026 with the Wests Tigers still in finals contention despite scoring only 22 points across their past four games.

Jarome Luai will leave the Wests Tigers after the 2026 season to join the Parramatta Eels before moving to the PNG Chiefs in 2028. His planned departure has raised questions about whether coach Benji Marshall should begin preparing other halves for next season.

Elsewhere in the National Rugby League, Nathan Cleary was cleared after the Ezra Mam tackle in the Penrith Panthers loss.

Reporter Dean Ritchie believes dropping Jarome Luai should be considered if the Wests Tigers’ attacking problems continue. “I think it’s certainly to be considered,” Dean Ritchie said.

Dean Ritchie argued that Jarome Luai was recruited to drive the attack, but the recent scoring return showed the current setup was not working. He stopped short of calling for an immediate change.

“I’m saying not this week but in coming weeks they should perhaps (do it). They should look at demoting him, I think that’s fair.”

Brent Read rejected that position because the Wests Tigers remain mathematically alive in the finals race. “No, not yet…they’re still technically in finals contention. If you do that, you’re basically throwing your hands in the air and saying our season’s over,” Brent Read said.

The club’s official Jarome Luai release announcement confirms that the Wests Tigers and Jarome Luai mutually agreed to end his contract one year early.