Although he has been linked to an exit from the Penrith Panthers, club icon Greg Alexander is confident that he will remain at the club next season.
The star five-eighth, who is off-contract at the end of 2024, has theย Penrith Panthers,ย Wests Tigersย andย Canterbury Bulldogsย all believed to be interested, but it's understood a decision will be made by the time he returns for pre-season training on December 8, according toย News Corp.
That means Luai has just over two weeks to determine where he will be playing his rugby league from 2025 onwards.
Theย Wests Tigers are believed to have formally put their offer to Luai's new management on Thursday, totalling about $4.5 million for four years, while the Bulldogs are believed to have expressed interest but as yet haven't put an offer to Luai.
While the decision from Luai may be imminent, the Panthers have confirmed they won't be matching the bid.
However, there have been talks about if the Panthers would gift him an early release from his contract, an idea that club icon Greg Alexander is adamant won't happen.
โ(Releasing him in 2024)? Forget it,โ Alexander said onย SEN 1170 Breakfast.
โLike forget it, it's not happening, we went through this with Matt Burton.
โWe had every man and his dog chipping in saying, โIt's not fair'. Well, it is fair, he (Luai) has a contract with Penrith next year.โ
โJarome Luai has a contract with Penrith for 2024, he will not be playing for the Tigers, I don't know what else I have to say,โ Alexander added.
Given the enormous size of their money, the Wests Tigers are understood to be favourites in the race for Luai, and reports across multiple publications suggest the State of Origin player is leaning towards an exit from the three-time defending premiers.
