How Wests Tigers will build roster after Jarome Luai, junior, stars of the future, Latu Fainu, Samuela Fainu, Benji Marshall

It has been nearly a fortnight since the Wests Tigers confirmed that co-captain and star five-eighth Jarome Luai will leave the club after just two seasons, bringing an early end to what was originally meant to be a five-year contract.

While the early release of one of the game’s most high-profile stars initially came as a shock, the decision has allowed the Tigers to fully embrace their long-term vision rather than their short-term ambitions.

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Instead of committing a significant portion of their salary cap – approximately $1.2 million – to one marquee player, the Tigers can now redirect those funds towards retaining the talented young core they believe will shape the club’s future.

“I applaud Tigers for this,” Matthew Johns said on Backstage with Cooper & Matty Johns.

“I was told this a few weeks ago, they’re trying to re-sign a number of really good players like the Fainu brothers.

“They’re tight in the cap. They’ve had to let a few go (and are) going to have to let a few (more) players go. This is easy.”

The added flexibility in their cap will be crucial as they look to lock in brothers Latu Fainu and Samuela Fainu on long-term deals and strengthen other areas of their roster, including the spine.

“This process hasn’t happened overnight – we’ve been talking for the past five weeks openly and honestly about where we’re at as a club and in terms of Jarome,” Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall said.

“We’ve made a decision based on what we think is best for our long-term future at our club.

“We’ve been open and transparent on it and had open conversations as men and to Jarome’s credit, he accepted it really well.

Marshall’s comments reinforce that Luai’s departure was driven by the club’s desire to create the financial flexibility needed to lock down their emerging stars.

With one of the NRL’s most exciting young cores coming through the ranks, the Tigers are backing their next generation to become the foundation of the club’s future.

Here, foxsports.com.au highlights the current and future stars to watch as the Tigers build out their roster in life after Luai.

THE FAINU BROTHERS

At the heart of the next generation at the Tigers – and the primary reason behind the decision to move on from Luai – are brothers Latu and Samuela Fainu.

Seen as a future captain of the club, multiple reports indicate that the Tigers are preparing to hand Samuela a lucrative long-term contract extension to fend off strong interest from the PNG Chiefs.

It is understood that the new deal will include a significant salary upgrade, reflecting the club’s desire to build its future around him.

That urgency has only intensified as he can negotiate and speak to rival teams from November 1.

“When Jarome Luai signed with PNG there was a gentlemen’s agreement that PNG wouldn’t chase Tigers players out of respect to Jarome,” CODE Sports reporter Brent Read explained on NRL 360.

“But now that Jarome is leaving, that’s open slather. We are talking guys like Samuela Fainu who is on the open market on November 1.

“They have, but they have got to get it done before November 1.

“I am sure they are trying to re-sign him right now, but it’s left the door ajar if he’s not done by November 1. If he’s on the market on November 1 I think PNG will have a red-hot go at him.”

WIN-WIN: WHY LUAI’S PNG SWITCH IS THE RIGHT MOVE

Luai’s departure has also allowed Latu to be fast-tracked into the No. 6 jersey and make it his own.

The youngest member of the Fainu family, the playmaker has long been touted for a big future in the NRL, having signed a record-breaking contract at 16-years-old with the Manly Sea Eagles.

Regarded as one of the most naturally gifted young halves in rugby league, the Guildford Owls and Wentworthville Magpies junior was discovered by Scott Fulton, who played a key role in helping bring him through the ranks at the Sea Eagles.

Fulton and his father, Immortal Bob Fulton, were among those who saw his potential early, with the young half earning significant praise before he had even turned 18.

“If he reaches his potential, he’s an exceptional player. He is the one that really good judges, going back to when (Bob Fulton) was still alive, had spoken about for a long time,” foxsports.com.au’s Paul Crawley said on NRL 360.

“It just hasn’t happened at this point has it? His time might be now, I hope it is.”

Although his opportunities have been limited to just 34 first-grade appearances, he has consistently shown glimpses that have made him one of the most highly-rated players and that he has what it takes to succeed in the NRL.

Yet to be given an extended opportunity in his preferred five-eighth role, Fainu arguably possesses the highest ceiling of any player at the Tigers.

Highly intelligent with the ball in his hands, he has long separated himself from his peers with his attacking skill, composure, running game, and field vision.

“100 per cent (I want to stay here long-term). We love it here. What Benji and the club has done for me and my family (it’s amazing),” Fainu said.

“They’ve did a lot for us and we just want to give back to them.”

Meanwhile, his toughness and defensive ability have also helped him stand out, with Fainu regularly trusted to defend in the middle of the field despite his smaller frame.

Such was his reputation as a junior that Lachlan Galvin was forced to shift into the back-row during his schooling days, with Fainu occupying the five-eighth role in the halves instead.

“Latu was the youngest, but he was the gun,” a family friend of the Fainus, Haumole Olakau’atu, told foxsports.com.au.

“He was probably the best out of us growing up because he had that heart and he wasn’t scared of anyone and their size too.

“I’ve always had that belief in every single one of them to make NRL. If anything, it was probably just me that I’m surprised I made it this far myself.”

NEXT MAN UP: TIGERS TRYING TO RE-SIGN BROTHERS

While Latu and Samuela are seen as the potential faces of the Tigers, the club is also working behind the scenes to reunite them with another member of their family, Manase Fainu.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, coach Benji Marshall has approached ARLC Chairman and new NRL Executive Chairman Peter V’landys to test the NRL’s temperature on a return to football for Manase once he is released from jail.

Incarcerated since December 2022 after being jailed for the stabbing of a Mormon youth leader in 2019, the former NRL hooker will be released on October 30.

And despite his time away from the game, he has remained focused on returning to the NRL, where he previously played 34 matches for the Sea Eagles between 2018 and 2019 and represented the Tongan national team.

“I hope I can be given a chance to play NRL again one day. I am keeping busy and trying to keep fit with that goal in mind every day,” Manase told CODE Sports in July of 2025 via his lawyer Paul McGirr.

It is understood that with the money freed up from Luai’s departure, the Tigers have the financial flexibility to explore the possibility of adding him to their roster.

That has seen Tigers CEO Shaun Mielekamp indicate the door remains open for a potential return, and he could be offered a train-and-trial deal as early as next year.

“I’m not exactly sure what his journey looks like in reality, but one thing I know is he’s already part of our family by association,” Tigers CEO Shaun Mielekamp told The Herald.

“We’ll ensure we do the right thing when the opportunity comes up.”

However, any potential return would be subject to approval from the NRL, with the governing body set to have a significant say in whether he is permitted to resume his professional career.

“Obviously, we’ve got to get some people onside over at the NRL,” Manase’s agent, Mario Tartak of Crown Sports Management, told The Reset Podcast in May.

“I’m confident that everyone deserves a second chance. I’m hopeful we can get him back. That’s my dream.

“I know it’s his parent’s dream, and his brothers’. And let me say this to you, he called me from jail yesterday … and he said, ‘I will play rugby league again.’

“I said, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said, ’100 per cent’.

“There are no guarantees, but let me tell you, if the NRL will give Manase a second chance, I know they will never regret that.”

This comes as Sione Fainu remains contracted until the end of the 2029 season.

THE OTHER CANDIDATE TO REPLACE LUAI

While much of the focus has centred around the Fainu brothers, the Wests Tigers rebuild boasts more than just these two players following the departure of Jarome Luai.

Latu Fainu may be the favourite to accompany Adam Doueihi in the halves next season, but the Tigers also have another emerging playmaker in Javon Andrews waiting in the wings.

A highly-touted prospect, Andrews is enjoying a breakout season in the NSW Cup after returning to the club after a stint in the Gold Coast Titans pathways system.

Leading the competition in both try assists (23) and line-break assists (25), the Under-19s QLD Maroons representative has quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous attacking playmakers.

Blessed with sharp footwork and great attacking vision, the youngster was named last year’s Under-19s State of Origin Player of the Match and is poised to make his NRL debut this week.

“I started off here when I was younger then went back to the Titans but to come back it’s good. The culture is what really brought me back and seeing Benji talk about how we are the future was good,” Andrews told foxsports.com.au at the start of this year.

“They gave me the opportunity to finally be in a full-time system and to run out with them would be very special for me and my family.

“Queensland is my home, but when I spoke to Benji, I knew this was a place I wanted to be playing for and who I wanted to be playing for. It’s tough sometimes (being away from my family), but they’ve always called every day and always check in.

“As soon as I stepped in, Latu and all the other boys helped me settle in and know the rules. Then Romey and AD have been guiding me and I’m making sure I’m learning off all of them.

“I want to make my debut in (2026), and that’s what I’m looking forward to, but I want to try to make sure my defence is as strong as possible. Attack-wise, making sure that I use everyone in their strengths as well as my strengths.”

However, his journey has been anything but straightforward.

In 2021, he suffered a devastating setback when he fractured his C4 and C5 vertebrae after being tackled into the goalposts head-on.

The injury was so severe that doctors initially told him that he would never play rugby league again, but after nearly two-and-a-half years away from the game, he defied the odds and returned to the field.

“I was in a junior reps footy game, and I got tackled into the pole during the game – head-on. It went straight through the padding gap and hit it straight into the pole,” Andrews said.

“I was very young and doctors said I couldn’t play again, so it’s been a long journey. I did do a lot of psychological stuff because my brother grew up with a coach who did some psychological stuff.

“He helped me a lot with getting my mind and knowing that the neck’s fine and I’m good to go, so that helped me a lot for my first couple of games back, and after that, the love of the game comes back.”

The rapid emergence of Fainu and Andrews has once again highlighted why the Tigers were willing to move on from Luai, with the club now being urged to consider whether they even need the star five-eighth for the remainder of the season.

“I think it’s certainly to be considered,” CODE Sports journalist Dean Ritchie said on NRL 360.

“Let’s peel it right back. Jarome does not want to be at the Wests Tigers and then the Wests Tigers didn’t want Jarome there at the club so they’ve made their bed.

“In the last four weeks, the Tigers have scored 22 points. That’s pedestrian at best, so if that man on the screen [Luai] is there to ignite the attack it’s not working.

“He doesn’t want to be there. They don’t want him to be there (and) they’ve got options.

“If the club wanted to move forward by not signing him. Let’s move forward now because tomorrow is today at Concord.”

FULLBACK AND HOOKER SUCCESSION PLAN

Away from the halves, the Wests Tigers are also building strong depth in other key positions, with fans getting their first taste of Josese Lanyon and Jared Haywood in recent weeks.

Debuting in Round 15 and Round 19 respectively, the duo have offered a glimpse of the club’s post-Apisai Koroisau plans with the veteran hooker entering the latter stages of his career.

A member of the 2024 Australian Schoolboys squad, Haywood was overlooked by the Penrith Panthers before finding a home at the Tigers, where he has slowly transitioned from the halves into the hooker role.

Guiding Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown to the NRL Schoolboys Cup Grand Final in 2024, he is also a former captain of the Balmain Tigers’ Under-19s SG Ball Cup side, which has allowed him to showcase his leadership qualities from a young age.

“I played my juniors down at St Marys in the Penrith system and then was unlucky not to make the Harold Matts (team) there, so kind of tried out for a few different clubs and Tigers gave me an opportunity,” Haywood said.

“Playing for them for the last three to four years, so I feel like I just want to pay them back for the opportunity they gave me.

“I grew up as a half and coming over to the Tigers I knew I had to kind of change positions for an opportunity and I feel like that has kind of taken me to the next level.

“It’s pretty cool (being part of the group of young players coming through the Tigers system). We’ve got a bright future here and it’s just awesome that I can come through with those boys and keep going the way I am.”

Haywood’s rise has been mirrored by Josese Lanyon, who has also overcome plenty of adversity to earn his opportunity in first-grade.

Named as the club’s Under-21s Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year last season, Lanyon came extremely close to walking away from rugby league before the Tigers gave him one last chance to continue his career.

“This club has looked after me for a while now and credit to the boys and to Benji. He’s put faith in me and I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity,” Lanyon told foxsports.com.au.

“I started as a Bulldogs junior and had a few experiences in the NRL pre-season with them and then moved to the Sharks and then Tigers gave me an opportunity.

“I was actually going to give up before I moved to the Tigers and they gave me a shot so I decided to give it one last try and I’m here now.

“I was playing A-Grade footy and I thought to myself, ‘Do I really want to do this?’.

“I was on the verge of quitting, but I was given an opportunity to train, and I said I’ll give it one last shot and put my head down.”

Meanwhile, 2024 Australian Schoolboy Jack Attard has emerged as a genuine back-up to Jahream Bula in the fullback spot.

Once viewed as the long-term successor to Dylan Edwards at the Penrith Panthers, Attard is in the midst of his first season with the Tigers and has quickly impressed since arriving at Concord.

Promoted to a development contract next season before eventually joining the club’s Top 30 roster, he has split his time between reserve-grade and the Under-21s Jersey Flegg Cup competitions this year.

A product of St Dominic’s College, he has scored seven tries and made 770 running metres in eight NSW Cup appearances.

“My family’s really important. They’ve been driving me around since I started playing footy when I was four,” Attard said.

THE NEXT WAVE OF ROOKIES

Archie Duncombe

A natural leader on and off the field, Duncombe is one of the many forwards at the Tigers who have successfully progressed through the ranks and are being earmarked as key pieces of the club’s future.

From the country, the St Gregory’s College product has caught the eye of club officials over the past couple of seasons and has built a reputation for his toughness and work ethic through the middle of the field.

Able to play anywhere in the forwards, he has solidified a spot in the Under-21s Jersey Flegg Cup starting forward pack as he continues to rise through the ranks.

“It’s pretty good wearing this jersey. It’d mean everything to me (to play in the NRL). That’s the goal for everyone, but it’d mean a lot,” Duncombe said.

“Hopefully, I can get there one day, but just see how it goes one day at a time. I just want to get those reps in and see how far we can go with this team.”

Christian Taupau-Moors

Taupau-Moors is another forward who has cemented a starting spot in the Under-21s Jersey Flegg Cup forward pack and is coming off an outstanding 18 months.

His rapid rise saw him rewarded with a contract extension until the end of the 2028 season and earn selection into this year’s Under-19s NSW Blues side.

“I’m just taking it one step at a time and not trying to rush my progression and just sticking to staying grounded with hard work, discipline and just being grateful for every step of the way,” Taupau-Moors said.

“It’s a grateful thing the Tigers taking me in. I didn’t have an opportunity at Penrith and to wear that jersey week in, week out for the Tigers means the world to me.

“I’d be loyal to (the Tigers) and love everything that Benji’s trying to work on in terms of long-term with all the boys.”

The nephew of former NRL players Junior Moors, Frank Puletua and Tony Puletua, he revealed that he ended up at the Tigers after recruitment officer Shannon Gallant reached out to his parents to offer him a late deal.

This came after he was overlooked by the Penrith Panthers.

“Following in their steps and seeing what they were able to achieve in their NRL careers, footy has always been the biggest picture in my eyes, and their accolades have pushed me to be where I am,” he added.

“But I also want to make a name for myself and my last name and my family.”

Ethan Roberts

Arriving at the Tigers this season after progressing through the ranks at the Sydney Roosters, Roberts has made a quick impression and is set to make his first career start this weekend in only his third NRL match

Once dreaming of becoming a racing jockey, the Indigenous All Stars representative has shown plenty of promise since making the move to Concord and has been able to enhance his development by learning from the likes of Alex Twal and Terrell May.

“Sort of the vision what Benji had and just the way the club is and the way we play. I feel like it suits me a bit and that’s more enjoyable,” Roberts said on his decision to join the Tigers.

Glassie Glassie

Initially joining the Tigers as part of their Under-16s Andrew Johns Cup squad, Glassie has steadily progressed through the club’s pathways system and recently made his Under-21s Jersey Flegg Cup debut after a standout Under-19s SG Ball Cup season.

Still a teenager, he was recently handed a two-year contract extension by the Tigers for 2027 and 2028, keeping him out of the clutches of rugby union.

Talented in both sports as a junior, the outside back made last year’s Australian Wallabies Under-18s squad and could easily have been a star in the 15-man code.

“I love playing against the older guys because of the physicality,” he said.

Pheonix Godinet

Locked into the end of 2027, where he will join the club’s Top 30 roster next season, Pheonix Godinet is another exciting prospect emerging through the Tigers pathways system.

A powerful ballrunner with a reputation for his aggressive defence, Godinet has shown he has all the traits required to succeed at NRL level and was a member of last year’s Australian Schoolboys squad.

“My family sacrificed everything for me and helped take me to training in the early hours of the morning (and) getting me to do my extras,” Godinet said.

“My dad grew up with nothing, so he’s worked really hard to take care of our family.

”I’m just glad to know that all the hard work is paying off. I got a few sessions (with the first-grade squad) and it was crazy training with the best.”