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Tigers Coach Dismisses ‘Irrelevant’ Criticism of Luai’s Papua New Guinea Trip

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Context piece
  • Benji Marshall defended Jarome Luai’s decision to travel to Papua New Guinea during his downtime after changing his flight from Townsville.
  • Luai, who will join the PNG-based Chiefs in 2028 after a season with Parramatta, recently appeared at a golf tournament and was unveiled as a Pepsi brand ambassador.
  • Marshall said Luai had still made a positive impact at the Tigers despite the club missing the finals for a 15th consecutive season.

Benji Marshall says Jarome Luai’s trip to Papua New Guinea is none of his concern. The Wests Tigers coach only learned that his star five-eighth had changed his flight from Townsville after last week’s loss to North Queensland and travelled to Port Moresby for a golf tournament.

From my opinion, it's his time off.

· Benji MarshallMarshall defended Luai’s decision to change his flight and travel to Papua New Guinea.

Luai paid to change his flight and did not return with the team. Marshall said players often make their own arrangements during time off, and he saw no reason to object. “From my opinion, it's his time off,” Marshall said. “What he chooses to do in his time off, that's up to him.”

The trip came days after Pepsi introduced Luai as a brand ambassador ahead of his move to the Chiefs, the Papua New Guinea club he will join for its first NRL season in 2028. Before that, he will spend one year with Parramatta. He remains on a seven-figure salary with the Tigers, who are preparing for their final game of the season against top-two side Penrith.

What he chooses to do in his time off, that's up to him.

· Benji MarshallThe Tigers coach rejected criticism of Luai’s private travel plans.

Marshall said media concerns about Luai’s growing PNG profile were “irrelevant to me.” He also suggested the move could change how the player is viewed publicly. “He always gets painted as the villain for some reason,” Marshall said. “But he's about to walk into a country in about 12 months' time where he's about to be the hero, so it's going to change for him.”

He always gets painted as the villain for some reason.

· Benji MarshallMarshall discussed Luai’s public image before his move to Papua New Guinea.

Luai joined the Tigers last year as the club sought to revive its fortunes, but his signing with the Chiefs coincided with a sharp drop in form. The Tigers have now missed the finals for 15 straight years. Marshall nevertheless said the club had no regrets about signing him and believed Luai had made an impact, even if the player would have preferred to contribute more on the field.

But he's about to walk into a country in about 12 months' time where he's about to be the hero, so it's going to change for him.

· Benji MarshallMarshall said Luai could receive a warmer reception after joining the Chiefs.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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