Jarom Luai has been given permission by the Tigers to terminate his contract early as the club tries to free up salary cap space, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Luai has already confirmed he will be leaving the Tigers after signing a $1.2 million deal to join PNG Chiefs from 2028, leaving the club with no choice but to plan for his replacement.
Jarome Luai has been cleared to leave Wests Tigers early. Getty
Latu Fainu is Luai’s likely long-term successor at the Tigers and the club are working to ensure the young star is not snapped up by any rival clubs.
Fainu’s brother Samuela is also on the Tigers’ radar to lock down with both due to be out of contract at the end of next season.
With little room in the salary cap, the club informed Luai that he could play elsewhere next season and terminate his contract a year early.
Over the past three months, the Tigers have already signed players such as Jareem Bula, Suniya Turuwa, Terrell and Tylan May to long-term contracts.
Luai parted ways with his junior club Penrith Panthers to join the Tigers as four-time premiership winners in 2025.
At the time, many believed that Luai would be the long-term future of the club, but it was later revealed that his five-year contract included clauses to leave at the end of each season, one of which has since been activated.
The Tigers captain has been the target of frustrated fans in recent months, with his move to Chiefs blamed for the club’s worsening results and fall through the ranks.
Fainu has played in 10 games this season but has only been named in the starting line-up once, moving to hooker as Manly thrashed the club 46-18.
After two years at Concord, Luai will now look for a new home for the 2027 season. He is one of the most prominent free agents on the open market.