From Dan Walsh and Adrian Proszenko via the SMH
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-around-the-clubs-round-21-20260721-p60h6c.html
Panthers five-eighth and former Eels prodigy Blaize Talagi believes Jarome Luai could prove to be a $700,000 circuit breaker for his old club as the Perth Bears target Parramatta captain Junior Paulo to lead their forward pack.
Talagi will line up against his old side on Thursday night in the No.6 jersey Luai wore in four premierships with Penrith. Luai’s 2027 shift to Parramatta has divided opinion since his one-year deal was confirmed last week.
Eels coach Jason Ryles defended the Luai signing – Wests Tigers will pay $500,000 of his salary – once again on Wednesday, as Perth stepped up their pursuit of 32-year-old Paulo.
The Bears are prepared to offer Paulo a two-year deal after coach Mal Meninga met with the ex-NSW Origin prop. Parramatta have been in talks with Paulo about a one-year extension for some time, and he will now weigh up the added security of the Bears offer against moving his family to WA.
Meanwhile, Ryles insisted Luai’s 12-month pit stop before joining PNG in 2028 won’t undermine Parramatta’s development of playmakers such Lorenzo Talataina, Lincoln Fletcher (both 19) and Joash Papalii (22), and denied it points to a lack of long-term roster planning.
Talagi has emerged as an unlikely ally in the debate around Parramatta’s roster, having knocked back a lucrative three-year Eels extension to join Penrith in 2024.
Talagi played fullback, centre and off the bench in his debut season when Dylan Brown and Mitchell Moses were entrenched as Parramatta’s halves, albeit with contract options that allowed Newcastle to poach Brown with a record-breaking 10-year deal.
Talagi stressed that playing alongside Nathan Cleary in the Panthers’ title-winning system was the driving factor behind leaving his junior club.
But having been mentored by Luai when playing in the halves for Samoa and touring the UK together, he said Luai’s short-term stint could work out perfectly for Parramatta’s next generation of playmakers.
“I don’t see anything but good things coming from signing Romey for Parramatta to be honest, especially the younger guys coming up,” Talagai said. “He’s definitely someone who knows how to lead and lead with his actions, and his record speaks for itself.
“For me when I was at Parra, it was the biggest call of my life to leave, and the club was struggling at the time.
“So moving to a club where I could tell there wouldn’t be all the focus on me, knowing there would be older guys, obviously someone like Nath to play alongside, that was a big attraction.
“I’ve matured a lot since I’ve been here. I think that’s just natural, but I also think it could have been very different if I’d stayed, too. Being a half in the NRL, there’s pressure that comes with that and I think timing of when you play first grade and how you develop is really important.
“You’ve got to be properly prepared, and everyone develops at different times. Even when I first got here, there were no promises and I started in reserve grade.
“It ended up being the best thing for me, it gave me extra time to adapt to how Penrith do things, so I don’t think anyone should get too disheartened as a young half.”
Parramatta have high hopes for Talataina and Fletcher as long-term playmakers. But given they are both still teenagers, the pair are considered another 12 to 18 months away from being ready for the NRL.
Ryles bristled at comparisons between the short-term deals of Luai and Broncos-bound half Jonah Pezet, who has been stuck in NSW Cup behind Ronald Volkman recentlt.
“Jonah’s an up-and-coming player who’s done a great apprenticeship and is on his path to being a seasoned first-grader, and Jarome is a four-time premiership winner,” Ryles said.
“So there’s a little bit of a difference there. I don’t apologise for anything that we’ve done … Is there a fear of [upsetting other players]? No, there isn’t, because we’re sitting in a spot on the ladder that we don’t want to be.
“It’s no one’s fault directly, but we need more experienced players. Jarome fits that bill at the moment.
“We have got younger players that are coming through our pathways and our system that may be ready in 12 months.
“But this gives them an extra bit of time to give them their reps in [NSW] Cup and learn off a true pro that’s won a lot of premierships.”
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