Former NRL ahead Justin Horo believes Jarome Luai might be the right recruit to spearhead a Tigers resurgence beneath rookie coach Benji Marshall.
On Saturday, experiences emerged Luai had agreed phrases with the Tigers on a five-year, $6 million deal from 2025 and past.
However, Luai then responded on social media, explaining he was but to place “pen to paper” on any contract regardless of experiences circling he’d knowledgeable his Panthers teammates he was leaving.
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Then on Monday it emerged the five-eighth had skipped coaching as tensions continued to simmer between Luai and the Panthers.
It stays to be seen whether or not he’ll return to coaching on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the SMH reporting he “needed time away from the club”.
Should Luai signal a cope with the back-to-back wood spooners, Horo believes he has what it takes to show across the struggling membership.
The former Sea Eagles and Eels man believes the maligned star is misunderstood and throughout the Panthers he’s a much-loved determine, even likening him to Aussies Test opening batsmen David Warner.
“In my opinion, he never had an ego into, ‘I need to touch the ball more, I’m a starting six in the competition I need this type of money, I’m Nath’s best mate’,” Horo stated on SEN.
“He always understood he was a team-first player, they call him the chief energy officer at Penrith.
“He’s a bit like David Warner in the way that he’s much maligned from an outsider’s perspective but I know (staff members) and people higher at Penrith that absolutely love Jarome.”
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Luai set to signal $6m cope with Tigers | 00:35
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Horo went on to elucidate that Luai “ticks all the boxes” likened the significance of his signing to that of the Titans who handed Tino Fa’asuamaleaui a mammoth 10-year contract.
“He’s a team-first player, he’s super humble, he’s a family man,” Horo stated.
“If you’re going to put an investment into a player in that position and on that sort of money, then I think you really do have to tick all those boxes.
“I come to the Tino (Fa’asuamaleaui) situation when he re-signed at the Titans, Tino ticks so many boxes away from being elite at his position.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au