Jarome Luai’s final appearance for Wests Tigers ended in a 38-10 defeat by his former club Penrith Panthers, who secured the 2026 NRL minor premiership at CommBank Stadium.
Penrith dominated the opening half and established a 26-0 lead before the interval, with Brian To’o, Casey McLean, Tom Jenkins and Dylan Edwards among the try-scorers.
Jenkins crossed twice in the first half to reach 30 tries for the season, drawing level with Alex Johnston at the top of the competition’s try-scoring standings. McLean also completed a hat-trick, with his third try arriving in the 65th minute.
The Panthers were reduced to 12 men when Jack Cole was sent to the sin bin shortly before half-time, giving the Tigers an opportunity to recover after the break.
Wests Tigers responded through Jeral Skelton and Solomone Saukuru, who scored in the opening 11 minutes of the second half to reduce the deficit to 26-10. Their revival was halted when McLean crossed again after Penrith forced an error from Patrick Herbert.
Luai, who left Penrith at the end of 2024 after helping the club to three premierships, did not return for the second half. Tigers coach Benji Marshall made the change as a pre-planned decision, with Latu Fainu taking his place.
The Panthers also used the match to welcome back hooker Mitch Kenny and co-captain Isaah Yeo from injury. Yeo came off the bench, while Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards were given an early rest once the result was secure.
Penrith wore a special jersey in tribute to the late John Farragher OAM, who made a lifelong contribution to the club. The victory ensured the Panthers finished the regular season at the top of the ladder ahead of the finals.
