Rugby league superstar Jarome Luai has triggered fresh tension across the NRL after unveiling a high-profile commercial partnership with beverage giant Pepsi in Papua New Guinea.

Although the playmaker is not scheduled to join the expansion PNG Chiefs until 2028, the deal highlights the extraordinary sponsorship bonanza awaiting recruits heading to the Pacific nation.

Rival executives are reportedly aggrieved, warning that the Chiefs' immense third-party earning potential threatens to destabilize the competition's salary cap balance.