Rugby league legend Peter Sterling has warned Jarome Luai to be wary of big-money deals from rival NRL clubs as the five-eighth weighs up his future.
The Penrith Panthers remain optimistic about retaining the off-contract and in-demand 26-year-old, with club director Greg Alexander emphatically rejecting the prospect of Luai receiving an early release on Friday.
With the West Tigers attempting to lure Luai away from the Panthers’ dynasty, Sterling advised the NSW and Samoan representative to mull over upheaving his career.
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“I know back in my time at Parramatta, there were opportunities to go elsewhere but you have to weigh up a lot of things, especially the fact that you’re at a club that’s successful,” he told 9News Sydney.
“[Are you] pretty happy with where you are living and the way things are going? Do you disrupt that while not necessarily knowing whether you are going to enjoy where you’re headed?”
The Tigers have reportedly tabled a four-year deal worth around $4.5 million, with one year left to run on Luai’s current contract.
In comparison, the Panthers are said to have offered Luai a two-year extension worth $1.7 million.
One of the greatest playmakers in rugby league history, Sterling cautioned Luai about chasing pay packets.
“It’s never all about the money,” he said.
“If you go for the money, you’re going for the wrong reason — that’s first and foremost.
“Obviously it’s a huge consideration but there are a lot of other ones [too].
No matter the outcome, Sterling was confident Luai would make the right call for his circumstances.
“He’ll end up making the right decision and it’ll be the choice that his gut and his heart tells him is the best way to go,” he said.
In 2024, Luai will be a key cog in the Panthers premiership defence as the side targets an unprecedented fourth-straight title.
Sterling’s Eels were unable to complete their quest for a four-peat in 1984 and the four-time premiership winner was unsure if the Panthers would be the team to affix their name to it.
“To be able to win three in a row is extraordinary and they have been able to keep a vast majority of their players, and their junior nursey keeps bringing these great young talents through,” he said.
“They’re going to be hard to beat.
“If they’re good enough to win that would be great but I’m death-riding them,” he added.