Willie Mason is aware of a factor or two about rugby league contracts.
The big prop performed for a minimum of seven golf equipment throughout his 16-year skilled rugby league profession in Australia and overseas.
So it’s price listening to his blunt message for Jarome Luai, the Panthers star concerned in essentially the most talked about, drawn out contract saga within the NRL.
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Speculation raged all through the 2023 season over the Panthers’ probability of retaining the majority of their record-breaking group.
Dylan Edwards’ long-term, multimillion-dollar contract extension agreed on the eve of the finals added his title to the likes of Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Brian To’o and Liam Martin, who’ve all secured offers via 2027.
The conjecture is Luai could also be squeezed out, because the five-eighth might earn considerably extra money elsewhere than Penrith might supply him beneath the wage cap.
Recent studies state Penrith has improved its two-year supply by an additional $50,000 to achieve $850,000 a season and Mason has no doubts what he thinks the 26-year-old ought to do.
“He’s winning, he’s in a great place and I am glad they (Panthers) are tabling something like this and not disrespecting him,” Mason mentioned of the improved supply on the Levels Network podcast he co-hosts with Justin Horo.
“And I think personally third-party deals might get him over a million.”
Mason gained his lone NRL premiership in his fifth season with the Bulldogs again in 2004.
Luai was injured for components of this yr’s finals sequence, however nonetheless made a contribution to a Panthers aspect that secured a 3rd straight premiership from a fourth consecutive Grand Final look.
While contracts are necessary in what’s a comparatively quick profession on the sector, Mason mentioned it’s “not a good feeling” when the losses begin mounting up.
“If he is leaving some of his mates and they’re not winning, it’s not a good feeling,” Mason mentioned.
“It ain’t a good feeling when you go from a winning culture to winning five or six games a year when you’re used to dominating every other game.
“Because there won’t be more (premierships), there won’t be any of the carry-on like he does now, you can’t do it if you’re not winning.”
Luai, who’s contracted till the top of 2024, can formally check his worth on the open market from 1 November and is anticipated to have loads of suitors.
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
