Wests Tigers star recruit Jarome Luai has revealed he isn't worried about a clause in his new contract.
Luai signed a five-year deal with the Tigers commencing at the start of the 2025 season, but it was revealed afterwards that he has options in his deal for each of the last three seasons.
It's believed it was the only way new CEO Shane Richardson could get the contract over the line, with Luai moving from the four-time premiership-winning Penrith Panthers to join the Concord-based Tigers, who have won wooden spoons on the trot.
The joint-venture's fan base will be slightly put at ease by Luai's comments though, with the five-eighth seeming to indicate he hasn't given leaving early a second of thought.
“When it came out, I hadn't even played a game in the colours yet and I'm already getting spoken about. But I'm used to that already and it doesn't faze me at all,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday per Fox Sports.
“I've got a point to prove here – not to anyone else but to myself – and I want to see what I can do on the field with these boys.
“I know I can help a lot of the players here with the media side of things because it is a big part of our life today. Everyone sees the Tigers in the headlines every second day, so from a player's point of view and team perspective, we can't buy into that.
“We've got one solid goal right now, and that's to get ready for the year.”
Still, it will do nothing to stop the media circling as November 1 gets closer. Luai, for the duration of his deal at the Tigers, will be able to negotiate with rival clubs for the following year from November 1, unless the player option clauses are removed from his deal.
That will see media attention - a major issue for the Tigers in years gone by - continue, and stories regarding the future of Benji Marshall's side come out.
For now though, Luai has at least one season without having to stress about where he will wind up, and it's a critical one as he aims to steer the Tigers away from the bottom of the NRL ladder.
Luai played superbly at halfback in the absence of Nathan Cleary throughout much of the 2024 campaign at Penrith, but the question remains regarding whether he can do it outside of the Panthers' system.
The star half said his 2025 goal was to have the Tigers in position to challenge for the premiership.
“I think I've become a bit of a realist, so I'm not looking that far ahead, especially five years because that's a long time,” he said.
“Coming from a great club and stepping out of my comfort zone to come here and test myself and test the team is the biggest goal for me.
“I want to help these guys to get in a position to compete for a title this year, and that comes with a lot of hard work.”
The Tigers open their 2025 campaign on March 7 against the Newcastle Knights at Campbelltown.