New Wests Tigers CEO still targeting Penrith star Jarome Luai

The stunning mass clean out of the Wests Tigers board hasn’t halted the pursuit of the club’s biggest signing target.

Wests Tigers interim chief executive Shane Richardson says the club wants Jarome Luai at the Tigers. Picture: David Swift

Shane Richardson has wasted no time making a sales pitch to Panthers star Jarome Luai as the interim chief executive dismissed any notion the axing of the entire West Tigers board on Tuesday amid mass upheaval would impact the club’s ability to lure the premiership winner.

Luai is the biggest free agent on the market at the moment, with the Tigers and Bulldogs battling it out with Penrith for his services from 2025 and beyond.

The representative five-eighth is off contract at the end of next year and has reportedly been offered around $850,000 a season by Penrith, with the Tigers willing to offer a lot more than on a long-term deal.

The off-field drama, which included the resignation of chief executive Justin Pascoe, who Richardson has replaced, has the potential to scare him off given he’s used to the stability at the Panthers.

But Richardson made it clear on his first day in the job that he wants Luai at the Tigers.

“I’ve made my feelings on Luai well-known for a long time,” he said, also praising Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake who will become available at the end of the 2024 season and wants to return to Sydney.

“In my opinion, he was the best young half coming through, he’s proven at the highest level as the best young half coming through.

“Not only that, he’s a great team leader. That Penrith side revolves around Luai.

Jarome Luai has resumed training with the Panthers.

“He’s a great person off the field despite what many media people like to try to make out. You couldn’t meet a better person than him.

“You couldn’t ask for a better person at the club.

“Fonua-Blake is one of the top-three front-rowers in the game so all those things get added up.

“I’m not across it yet, so all I want to do is assist Benji to put together the best roster possible.”

Richardson also confirmed new coach Benji Marshall would have the final say on contracts after there was plenty of drama this year over Scott Fulton’s appointment as the head of recruitment.

The experienced chief executive has worked wonders with the Panthers and Rabbitohs in the past, taking them from the bottom to premiership glory, and he says a focus on local talent and astute recruitment would help the Tigers bounce back from consecutive wooden spoons and a 12-year finals drought.

“Why did a player want to come to Penrith when we won a wooden spoon and all the players got sent wooden spoons in their letterboxes?” he asked, declaring his time at Souths a much bigger challenge.

“Why would they want to come to a club where we had to get changed outside the ground because of the abuse we got when we went to the ground?

Interim chief executive Shane Richardson says the club wants Luai at the Tigers. Picture: David Swift

“Both those clubs won premierships because at the end of the day, they want to be a part of building a club to greatness again. You cannot put boundaries on that.

“It might have taken two years with Penrith and 10 years with Souths, but the reality is every day of our lives, we have to be working towards achieving that.

“I will never bring a player to this club that Benji Marshall doesn’t want.”

It’s unclear whether Richardson or interim chair Barry O’Farrell will remain in their roles long-term, with the club keen to move on from Tuesday’s drama as they look to smooth things over with outgoing chairman Lee Hagipantelis who has vowed to honour his sponsorship deal with Bryden Lawyers for 2024.

“They’ve been a magnificent sponsor of the club and they’re a sponsor again next year,” Richardson said.

“The reality is we’d like them to stay long term.

“That’s a decision for their board going forward, but I have only spoken with Lee on the phone once, I’ve never met him, but I’ll be trying to make contact with him.”