Benji’s bold move to land Penrith star

A very personal approach from one of the greats.

Wests Tigers head coach Benji Marshall has taken matters into his own hands in pursuit of the competition’s hottest free agent Jarome Luai.

Two key Panthers' spine members ruled out of Manly clash - NRL News - Zero Tackle

The Kiwis legend reportedly visit the 26-year-old’s home in a bid to bring him to the Tigers.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Marshall met with Luai at his home, speaking to the Samoan international about the benefits of a move to the Leichhardt.

While no formal offer has been put on the table, Marshall has certainly displayed his interest with his personal approach.

The Tigers have a wealth of talent soon en route to the club with the likes of Aidan Sezer, Jayden Sullivan and Latu Fainu all on their way to joining the Marshall’s men.

“All players that come onto the market, you’ve got to have a look at, especially if they’re marquee players,” Marshall said.

Wests Tigers News - NRL 2024 - Zero Tackle

“But we’ve signed halves. We’ve got four halves for the season going into it. We’ll prioritise that at the moment.”

Penrith are expecting Luai to make his decision prior to Christmas as the club is eager for Luai to stay put, however the Tigers may be able to get him at the right price.

The Panthers have allegedly been giving Luai space in his quest to make his decision, as the Blues half recovers from recent shoulder surgery.

Departing Bulldogs prop finds new club for 2024

He will add depth to the front row.

LIVE NRL: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs def by New Zealand, score, results, highlights, Shaun Johnson performance, Addo-Carr intercept, big hits, Supercoach scores

Departing Canterbury Bulldogs fringe prop Jayden Tanner is believed to have linked up withthe Penrith Panthers for 2024.

The 23-year-old spent the 2023 season on the fringes of Canterbury’s first-grade squad after making his debut in the opening round of the season.

He went on to play three games, spending the rest of the season in the NSW Cup where he impressed, averaging 137 metres per contest across his 17 appearances to go with 19 tackle breaks and 18 offloads.

But his departure from the Bulldogs at the end of the recently completed campaign left him on the lookout for a new home, and it is now being reported that he will head back to his junior club at the Penrith Panthers.

The Panthers are yet to confirm the news.

It’s unclear at this stage what contract Tanner has signed, however, it’s believed a development deal would be likely with Penrith’s Top 30 already close to completion, and any remaining spots likely to be taken by further promotions for the club’s swollen junior base of players.

Even if he is on a development deal at the foot of the mountains, the young prop would have opportunities to add to his three NRL appearances from Round 11 under current NRL contract rules.

Tanner is a former Australian Schoolboys representative, having attended Patrician Brothers Blacktown and spending his junior days in the Penrith district.

His first contract was indeed with the Panthers through a development deal in 2019 before he made the switch to Canterbury at the start of the 2022 season.