Why Eels hope Luai can take them where he couldn’t take the Tigers

Updated July 14, 2026 — 6:14pm,first published 12:54pm

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The shotgun marriage that is Jarome Luai’s shift to Parramatta to form a halves pairing with Mitchell Moses that could be anything, wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card when the teams last faced off in a grand final.

“You can call us daddy,” the then Penrith five-eighth quipped during the grand final week of 2022, when asked which western Sydney club held the title of big brother.

Four years is a long time in rugby league, but so too was Tuesday of this week. It began with news that Parramatta was interested in Melbourne’s Jack Howarth, shifted to Tigers coach Benji Marshall’s explanation for showing his co-captain the door early - “rumours that we’re having a relationship breakdown or a rift between our friendship is absolutely bulls---” - and then evolved after the Eels had secured the services of Luai on a one-year deal.

There is much to unpack. Within three years, Luai will have played for three NRL clubs having earlier this year signed with the PNG Chiefs for three seasons from 2028. Given where they are situated, Parramatta felt they needed to be one of them. Come next year, their coach, Jason Ryles, will be........

© The Age