Wests Tigers centre Justin Olam is on the verge of a medical retirement as he struggles to overcome a knee injury that required surgery in the off-season.
The Papua New Guinea international is striving to get himself on the training field and Wests Tigers are set to discuss his future with his management later this week.
There are fears the 31-year-old’s time in the NRL could be over as a result of the injury, which has severely restricted his training workload.
Olam wants to continue playing but he is unable to get himself in a position to train with the team. If medically retired, he would be paid out the remainder of his near $600,000-a-season contract, which expires at the end of 2026.
It would also mean the Tigers will have his wage wiped from the salary cap but the club is no guarantee to be granted a medical retirement exemption.
In order to qualify for the medical retirement, the club will have to successfully argue that Olam’s career has been cut short due to a one-off injury and not as the result of a chronic issue.
The Tigers declined to comment when contacted on Monday.
Justin Olam may have played his last game in the NRL.Credit: Getty Images
Olam has had knee problems dating back to his time at the Melbourne Storm and has been hampered by them since joining the Tigers.
The knee that required surgery during the off-season was not the one that primarily hampered him during his time at the Storm. The Tigers believe he suffered an injury in round 18 against his old club at Leichhardt that has been the major contributor to his current predicament.
Olam has been a strong contributor for the joint-venture club when he has been on the field but he was restricted to just 13 of the club’s 24 games in his first season at the Tigers in 2024.
There is the option of undergoing further medical procedures to try and improve his situation, but that may affect his quality of life in retirement.
Olam was still holding out hope of being able to play for the new NRL team in Papua New Guinea in 2028 to represent his home nation in the NRL, but it appears highly unlikely his body will allow him to play this year, let alone in three years’ time.
The veteran centre’s plight is compounded by the dislocated kneecap suffered by Brent Naden in the Tigers’ 30-18 trial win over Parramatta at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night that is expected to sideline him for at least the first two months of the season.