Jarome Luai’s highly-publicised trip to Papua New Guinea ended with a private jet and a blacked-out SUV whisking him away from Sydney Airport on Monday.

The Wests Tigers superstar employed the sneaky tactics in order to avoid a media scrum awaiting him in Sydney following a whirlwind visit to Port Moresby over the weekend.

He was flown to Australia’s northern neighbour by Chiefs powerbrokers, as the NRL’s 19th team ramps up its pursuit of the four-time premiership winner ahead of their inaugural season in 2028.

Jarome Luai sneaks back into Sydney on a private jet. Nine

Paul Gallen believes comparisons between Luai’s PNG visit and Lachlan Galvin’s Tigers exit need to stop after the premiership-winner was given a hero’s welcome in the country.

There will surely be a big media contingent at Tigers training this week in the hope of Luai speaking about his trip.

Galvin’s departure from the Tigers to the Bulldogs last year was in different circumstances after he requested a release from his contract. Luai had made a “team first” social media post during Galvin’s messy split from the Tigers.

Gallen doesn’t see how those situations are similar.

While Luai is contracted to the Tigers until the end of 2029, he has a player option each year which he has to activate – or not – by April 30, meaning he can negotiate with rivals up until doing so each season.

“He’s not doing anything wrong, he’s abiding by his contract,” Gallen said on Nine’s 100% Footy.

Paul Gallen and Jarome Luai. Nine

“The Lachlan Galvin situation was totally different. Lachlan was granted a release 18 months early, Jarome Luai’s not asking for a release … I don’t see any issue with it.

“I don’t know why people are carrying on and saying he’s doing the wrong thing by his club, he’s not. He’s not doing the wrong thing at all.”

Cameron Smith believes a move to PNG could simply be “another box he wants to tick” having played for NSW, Samoa and won four premierships at the Panthers.

“It’s a new frontier for rugby league going up to PNG … why not have a man that knows how to succeed, lead that up?” he said.

Allana Ferguson added it would’ve been “silly” for Luai not to assess what the offer from PNG would be. However, Smith doesn’t think it’s a done deal.

“At the end of the day, we’re all getting a little bit excited … he’s just doing his due diligence,” he said.

“He may not go. There’s some great things happening at the Tigers at the moment.”

PNG’s pitch to Luai hasn’t been conducted in secret like usual contract negotiations.

The half was paraded at a Digicel ExxonMobil Cup match and sat next to Papua New Guinea’s prime minster James Marape.

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His return to Sydney was designed to avoid fanfare, with a blacked out car whisking him off the tarmac. However, all that’s done is create more hype with those sorts of scenes unfamiliar in the NRL transfer market.

Phil Gould described it as “showcasing” and a way for PNG to “announce themselves to the market” and get players interested.

“I think it’s been strategic in that sense to make sure everyone’s known … what today was, was just showcasing that the PNG Chiefs are open for business, they’re going to talk to the best and would love a marquee signing like this to start them off,” he said.

“But it’s got the desired effect, it’s got everyone talking about them, it’s got the headlines now and other players are saying ‘if he’s going, I should think about it’.”