“Cruin a deal if stuff gets out”: Marshall discusses the Tigers’ hiring approach in light of the Luai connections.
Benji Marshall, the coach of the Wests Tigers, stated that while it would be only logical for his team to consider acquiring Jarome Luai, he is more than content with the four halves he currently has as the wooden spooners attempt to recover from a terrible few years.
For the 2025 season, Luai is negotiable with rival sides; the Bulldogs and Tigers, for example, are rumored to be able to make huge salary offers to entice the representative five-eighth from Penrith.
Signing someone like Luai would be a huge coup for the Tigers, but Marshall is excited with new recruits Aidan Sezer, Jayden Sullivan and young gun Latu Fainu, while he revealed Adam Doueihi could return from an ACL injury next year.
“You have to look at all players that come into the market, especially if they’re marquee players,” Marshall stated in reference to the Tigers’ attempt to replace veteran halfback Luke Brooks, who just went to Manly.
“But once more, we have four halves for the season going into it, and we have signed halves.” Right now, we’ll give it top priority. We promise to keep you guys informed about any decisions we make or learn about regarding recruiting.
“I will refrain from discussing recruitment in public. I will discuss the players we have brought in, but we will attempt to keep the situation with the players we are seeking to sign as internal as possible.
It’s unclear whether Fainu will be thrown into the deep end given he’s still 18, but he will have the chance to hone his craft under Sezer after the veteran playmaker returned to the NRL following a stint in the UK.