There’s a strong argument the Wests Tigers are hardly getting value for money in terms of the club pushing chips all-in on $6 million man Jarome Luai.

With the Tigers fighting to avoid a fourth straight wooden spoon it’s worth analysing the effect of Luai’s arrival’s terms of on-field results.

The Tigers currently sit 14th on the NRL ladder with six wins and 11 losses and a differential of minus 102.

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When Luai arrived he was the trump card purchased to solve all Wests Tigers long-term playmaking problems.

Jarome spoke openly about how he wanted to run the side and wear the no.7 jumper as the halfback and primary shot caller under the coaching of Benji Marshall who he’d idolised as a kid growing up in Mt Druitt.

The early signs suggested it was a good chance of flying for Wests Tigers and the level of professionalism Jarome has brought is certainly not in question in terms of his training and work-ethic off-the-field.

But as the season’s unfolded it’s become glaringly obvious Luai is better suited as a five-eighth than as the main man and coach Marshall has been forced to make the call to hand the no.7 jumper to Latu Fainu.

Another significant play worth acknowledging is Luai’s arrival has cost the Tigers local junior Lachlan Galvin who didn’t like going from being coach Benji Marshall’s golden boy to playing second-fiddle.

A stroll into the Fox League Lab shows while Luai has been involved in 10 Wests Tigers tries this season he’s yet to make a line break or score a try in 14 games for the club.

He’s the only playmaker in the NRL with those figures.

Compare this to when he was winning four straight premierships at Penrith where last year he scored four tries and had seven line breaks.

Granted it’s unfair to compare the way the Panthers play to the Tigers system off three wooden spoons but the numbers still tell a story.

Galvin before he walked out on Wests Tigers had one try and two line breaks from 10 NRL games.

And when you line the numbers up against Isaiya Katoa, Jarome Hughes, Luke Metcalf and Nathan Cleary it’s a no contest.

If the Tigers truly believe Luai is their marquee man – and he may well aim up and deliver – then coach Marshall and CEO Shane Richardson need to convince him to remove the get-out clauses from his contract.

Because as it stands right now the Tigers have handed enormous sway to the five-eighth and are making decisions like letting Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva go based on building the club around Jarome.

That loyalty needs to be a two-way street.

Until the Wests Tigers truly begin to turn a corner in terms of on-field results then Luai is yet to deliver.