BREAKING: Luai Signs With Eels & NRL's PNG Problem
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
G'day and welcome to Kenti Blitch, your daily hit of NRL news.
Did Jarome Luai really sign a one-year deal with the Parramatta Eels?
And Kenti, massive news today with Jerome Luai reportedly signing for the Parramatta Eels. Yeah, look, it was in the stars, wasn't it? Everyone thought that's where he would end up. It made a lot of sense. Good luck to him. Look, I don't disagree with what Parramatta are doing. I know there's a bit of opposition about the Eels going out and signing these one-year deals. They signed Jonah Pezzett this season for one year. They'll have Luai again next season for one year. But where Parramatta are and what they're trying to do at the club, I don't think it's a bad thing. I think in many ways it's been well handled all round. I know there was a little bit of shit going on when at first with his social media postings and all that.
But I think overall, I think Benji, he came out and spoke this morning. I think he handled that very, very well. What did you think of his press conference? I thought, look, he missed an opportunity after the game the other night. He could have come out and dealt with it. Within the confines of talking about the game as well, and part of it would have been swallowed by the match report and what happened in the game against the Warriors. But he didn't want to talk about it. He was a little bit salty at the time, to be fair. But I think in the meantime, what's happened is he's gone away. He's spoken to some people I think he probably takes a little bit of counsel from. Like a mentor or something, you say?
Yeah, someone like that. Who would that be? Look, Wayne, maybe. It's close to Wayne. Wayne, and there'd be probably, yeah, even within the club, I think the Tigers, there's probably a couple of people there he chats to. But his messaging today was essentially that, He thought he probably could have handled things a little bit better. He said it's up to him as the head coach to handle it better. He said as head coach, he's learning to do these things better. And he basically said that... If they allow it to become a distraction, it'll become a distraction. And he put his hand up and said he allowed it to become a distraction and that's his job to try and quell the noise. And so I think within the space of, what, 72 hours, Benji's taken a big step forward as a head coach.
Well, he said it was in the best interest of the club. Yeah, it is. And it is in the best interest of the club. It is in the best interest of the club. Look, look. There's a discussion there about Benji's made this decision for the long-term interest of the club, which I really admire. Most coaches have this compulsion to... make decisions for short-term success. And that's understandable because that's how they're judged. Coach loses five in a row, suddenly everyone's calling for their job. So they make a decision for three years down the track or two years down the track. Takes a little bit of self-belief, a little bit of confidence. a little bit of arrogance, you might even say in some cases, to believe that you might still be there and that you might actually benefit from that decision you're going to make.
And particularly for a rookie coach like Benji at a struggling club, to sit there and make a decision that is for the long-term benefit of the club, It's a really positive sign. I think the Tigers fans should be really happy about. He did just sign a new contract, though, Kent. He signed it in 2031, so it allows him to have a little bit more.
Why does Benji Marshall say moving Luai on was the Tigers' long-term decision?
Well, in theory, it does. In theory, it does, because we know what contracts do in rugby league. True, true. So he loses... first seven games next season, I'll be calling for his head and they might well get it. So I like what he's done. And the fact is, Luai is a distraction at the club. He has been a distraction since he signed with Papua New Guinea. Now, I know Benji came out today. It was his job to try and finish that. But Luai also has not helped. His social media posts the other night, the one he put after the St. George game, when no one knew he'd been told to move on. And he put that song, I Told Them, or whatever the bloody thing was.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:04
2
Did Jarome Luai really sign a one-year deal with the Parramatta Eels?
0:04–3:15
3
Why does Benji Marshall say moving Luai on was the Tigers' long-term decision?
3:15–13:10
4
What social media drama made Luai a distraction at the Tigers?
13:10–18:51
5
How could PNG's third‑party sponsorships pay players tax‑free and affect contracts?
18:51–28:02
6
Will Warriors and PNG players be paid in local currency or Australian dollars?
28:02–29:18
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Kenty - Paul Kent NRL Podcast
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