Wests Tigers sign another member of the Luai family ahead of the 2026 season

The Wests Tigers have added another member of the Luai family to their roster as they continue to stack their pathways squads ahead of the 2026 season.

While older brother Jarome headlines the club’s new era under coach Benji Marshall at the NRL level, his younger brother Calvary Luai – a promising junior prospect – has been named in the Balmain Tigers squad for the upcoming Under-19s SG Ball Cup season.

Compared to Brian To’o, due to his great carries in attack and good defensive reads, Calvary is coming off a strong campaign with the St Marys Saints in the Don Feltis Cup, in which they won the competition, defeating Minchinbury Jets in the grand final.

Primarily used in the centres, his signing comes as the Balmain Tigers look to rebuild their squad following the departures of Cooper Young (Dragons), Jordan Bunt (Raiders) and Marc Tannous (Sharks), while last year’s skipper, Jared Hayward, is no longer eligible for the competition due to his age.

Speaking to Zero Tackle, Luai’s club coach Darren Leary described him as a “quiet achiever” who has worked twice as hard over the past 12 months in the hope of playing representative football.

“He’s a quiet achiever. He keeps his head down and gets the job done. A totally different player to Jarome,” Leary said, Luai’s Under-17s St Marys Saints head coach.

“Calvary’s just that guy that does it on the football field. He’s a very strong centre who takes a lot of carries and lights up the field. I don’t think he has unlocked his full potential yet.

“Last year he was very unlucky not to make rep footy but this year he worked twice as hard, working on his fitness, working on his skills and is finally reaping the rewards.

“This wasn’t due to his brother or anything, and people might say that, but he’s earned this and if he gets the right people to point him in the right direction to guide him, he can be anything.

“He’s not willing to shy away from the tough work. He’ll take those tough carries and got an awesome passing game as well – a pretty slick flick pass and side pass.

“He just made me feel comfortable. Great defensive decisions. I just want him to get more confidence and back himself a bit more.”