Updated June 12, 2026 — 4:16pm, first published June 9, 2026 — 5:38pm
Benji Marshall says it is unfair to blame Jarome Luai for Wests Tigers’ spluttering form after the star half signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the PNG Chiefs in April.
The Tigers won five of their first seven games to start the year, but have lost four of their past five, including a 68-0 humiliation against Penrith last Sunday, since the Chiefs confirmed Luai as their marquee signing for their first season in the NRL in 2028.
The form of Wests Tigers co-captain Jarome Luai has become a talking point since he announced he had signed with the PNG Chiefs. Getty Images The loss of injured trio Adam Doueihi, Samuela Fainu and Taylan May – the club’s halfback, rising star back-rower and strike centre – have not helped, but the Tigers’ $1.2 million-a-season man Luai has also been down on form.
Luai stressed at the time of announcing his mega deal with the Chiefs that he was “committed to the team and my brothers” at the Tigers for the next 18 months.
But the numbers suggest things have changed, with the Tigers scoring just 66 points and conceding 226 points in their past five games. Given their form slump, the Tigers have naturally been asked to defend more, with Luai missing 23 tackles during that run.
Marshall knew the Luai signing could become a distraction if the Tigers started to struggle.
“It will become a distraction if you let it, and if you don’t find the results, then they’ll find the excuses to make that a distraction,” Marshall said on Friday.
“We haven’t had the results, so people are always going to point to that.
“But it’s deeper than that. You don’t like making excuses, [but] we have a lot of our key players out, and what we haven’t done is adapt enough in those games to defend better.
“You can talk all you want about Jarome’s decision to go to PNG, but there are 18 other players in the squad that need to do their job as well [each week].”
Api Koroisau has been recalled to the NSW Origin squad for game two in Melbourne, meaning Luai will have even more responsibility to lead the Tigers around the park when they farewell Leichhardt Oval on Sunday for the next 18 months.
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall. Getty Images The inner-western Sydney ground will receive a $40 million makeover, including a revamp of the western grandstand, and construction of a new northern grandstand, which will be completed in time for the 2028 season.
Marshall said Luai’s job against the Gold Coast on Sunday was simple: “Go out and play the way Jarome plays his best footy.”
“I don’t want him to take on the pressure and bear the expectation of the whole team – he doesn’t need that,” Marshall said.
“When Jarome is at his best, he’s defending well, and aggressively, and he’s upbeat with his attack.
“We need to get around him and give him those opportunities. It will be a team effort, not just Jarome. The focus shouldn’t be on what he’s doing, it should be on the whole team.”
The Tigers, meanwhile, were linked to Israel Folau during the week, but Marshall said the club had no interest in the former Wallaby.
“No, we’re not signing him,” Marshall said.
NRL fines Panthers and Laurie
Adrian Proszenko
The NRL has fined Penrith and Daine Laurie for not reporting alleged illicit drug use to the integrity unit.
Canberra’s Daine Laurie. Getty Images Laurie was charged by police after being stopped in Penrith on September 29, the morning after his then Panthers side lost a preliminary final to Brisbane. Officers allegedly found a bag containing 0.37 grams of cocaine.
The utility back was poised to face Penrith local court on November 10, but the charges were dropped the day before. Under NSW laws, people found with a small quantity of cocaine can avoid court if they pay a $400 on-the-spot fine. However, the NRL still expects to be informed of any such incidents and has taken action against the Panthers and Laurie.
The NRL confirmed the club had been fined, while details of breach notices handed to players are not disclosed. However, Laurie, now playing for Canberra, won’t miss any matches.
The decision will come as a relief to the Raiders, who were unaware of the incident when they signed Laurie and did not want to pay a penalty for a matter that occurred when he was still on Penrith’s payroll.
Laurie, who has been named at five-eighth for Canberra’s clash with Parramatta on Saturday, has five business days to respond to the breach notice.
Kieran Foran was spotted in NSW Origin camp on Thursday. Here’s why
Christian Nicolussi
Manly coach Kieran Foran has completed a 200km round trip just to have a coffee and check in on axed NSW star Haumole Olakau’atu.
Foran, who was decked out in club kit, made a surprise visit to the Blues’ Central Coast base on Thursday to catch up with his back-rower, who was relegated to 20th man duties at the start of the week.
Kieran Foran made a surprise appearance at NSW Blues camp on Thursday. Channel Nine Olakau’atu started in…
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