Olam’s Storm departure will be verified with an instant player switch.
The Wests Tigers will reportedly kick-off the 2024 season with yet another change to their backline, with the club to announce Justin Olam as their latest acquisition on an immediate player swap.
Olam has been linked to the Tigers for months now, and The Daily Telegraph are now reporting that he will line up for the Tigers in 2024, while Shawn Blore, who is believed to have already signed with the Storm for 2025 and beyond, will move to the Victorian capital a year early.
It means Olam would be being released three years early from his current deal, while it would also clean up the Storm’s always stretched salary cap.
The centre, who was dropped out of the Storm’s best 17 byCraig Bellamy during the second half of the 2023 season, has been linked with other exit routes from the Storm too.
At one point, it was suggested clubs in the English Super League were weighing up offers for Olam, although the centre on his part declared every intention to remain in the NRL.
The 30-year-old, at his best, has been among the most damaging centres in the NRL and the Papua New Guinean international will now join the rebuild at Concord where Benji Marshall is taking radical steps to turn the Tigers around, with the club to have an all-new halves combination in 2024, before Jarome Luai joins to add further depth in 2025.
Blore, on his part, has battled injury in recent seasons but has been widely regarded as one of the best youngsters in the game over the journey.
The second-rower has, to this point, played 33 NRL games, with 15 of those coming through the 2023 season.
Melbourne have also expressed their desire to reform the forward pack after struggling to match it with the competition’s top teams in 2023. They have reportedly indicated Trent Loiero will switch to the middle to accomodate the move of Blore to the edge.
The report suggests the player swap will be confirmed in the coming days.
