The secret house visit which could land the Tigers the NRL’s No.1 free agent
Adam Pengilly
Benji Marshall has upped the ante in pursuit of the NRL’s No.1 free agent, making a secret visit to Jarome Luai’s house as he tries to land the huge signing to kickstart his head coaching career.
A fortnight after Luai officially hit the market, sources familiar with the situation not authorised to speak publicly said Marshall met the three-time premiership winner at his western Sydney home to discuss the merits of a move to the Wests Tigers.
Despite being yet to coach his first game since taking over from Tim Sheens, Marshall has taken a hands-on role in trying to attract some of the NRL’s best available talent to the wooden spooners of the last two seasons.
And he’s set his sights on the market’s biggest name, one who has admitted Marshall was his idol growing up, and has so far
resisted signing a $1.7 million, two-year extension from the Panthers.
The Tigers are yet to table a formal offer to Luai, but Marshall’s decision to meet the 26-year-old is an indication the club is ready to make a statement signing.
Marshall did his best to distance himself from any Luai speculation just over a week ago when he
fronted reporters in Sydney, preferring to focus on the players he will have at his disposal for 2024.
Veteran half Aidan Sezer, Jayden Sullivan and Latu Fainu will all join the Tigers next season, while Adam Doueihi is on the comeback trail from an ACL tear and could be available later in the season. The club also has highly rated teenager Lachlan Galvin on their books.
“All players that come onto the market, you’ve got to have a look at, especially if they’re marquee players,” Marshall said. “But we’ve signed halves. We’ve got four halves for the season going into it. We’ll prioritise that at the moment.”
The Marshall interest only adds to the intrigue in the Luai stakes, which could have a domino effect on the sluggish player market for the likes of North Queensland’s Tom Dearden and the Roosters’ Joseph Manu.
Marshall wanted an experienced half in Sezer at the club to provide direction after
Luke Brooks’ switch to Manly, but Luai could easily assume the halfback role at the Tigers and run a team away from the shadow of Nathan Cleary.
The Panthers are hopeful of an answer from Luai before Christmas given they’ve set aside significant money for him, but it could be dwarfed by a multi-million dollar offer from a rival club such as the Tigers.
The Panthers have refrained from escalating talks with Luai recently as he recovers from shoulder surgery, but his future will be a priority over the coming month as title-winning stars slowly return to training.
Ivan Cleary’s record breakers have shown no appetite to release players early who sign elsewhere, keeping Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau, Api Koroisau, Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu during premiership-winning seasons.
Jarome Luai is yet to sign an extension with the Panthers - and a rival coach has shown he’s serious about landing a statement signing.
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