Phil Rothfield believes Jarome Luai will be the most overpaid player ever, reasons why, PNG Chiefs, Samoa, Triple M, nrl news, reaction

The Chiefs’ big money deal for Jarome Luai has come under fire, with journalist Phil Rothfield delivering an almighty swipe at the star playmaker.

Luai is the Chiefs’ marquee signing, inking a deal worth around $3.6 million over three years, which is tax-free. That doesn’t include other lucrative third party agreements he has signed worth as much as $3 million.

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Luai was ordinary in Samoa’s loss to the Kangaroos on Sunday night, which led to Rothfield criticising his performance before stating he thinks the five-eighth has been overpaid by PNG.

“He was poor (on Sunday night). They needed Sua Fa’alogo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to be injected into that football game. Whether it was a lack of creativity in the halves of Ben Gardner’s tactics, there has to be some explanation for the fact they didn’t get enough football. They made one line break all night,” Rothfield said on Triple M.

“I’m going to take a shot at (Chiefs GM) Michael Chammas here. He (Luai) turns 30 this year so to pay that man $6 million over 2028, 2029, 2030, I think he’ll be the most overpaid footballer in the history of the game.

“He’s taking $3.6 million out of their salary cap and the rest is in third parties. I think it’s way too much money.

“He was disappointing at the Tigers this year, I have no idea why Parra have him as a transit lounge for 12 months

“I know it’s heavy what I’m saying but I don’t think he’s a $1.2 million-a-year franchise player that they’ve made him out to be.”

Luai was the franchise’s first signing and it’s obvious that his decision to take a risk and ink a deal with a club which was shrouded in uncertainty opened the doors for other players to consider the Chiefs as a viable option.

Former Panthers teammate Brian To’o signed not long after Luai as did gun outside backs Joey Manu and Zac Lomax.

“There was no clear idea of how the landscape was going to look. I think Jarome has been very influential in some of the other players who have already signed,” former NRL prop James Graham said.

“I think circumstantially, yes (I’m happy with his salary). With the position find themselves in now, remember he signed six months before they were technically going to be active (in the free agency market). It was a huge coup for them at the time.”