Simon, as you may have read on this forum, jigging rods are a matter of personal taste. Some people prefer a slower action rod whilst others prefer a crisper action. Only you can really make the decision on what suits your style of fishing.
If you were using a red Ripple Fisher jig rod and it had a slow action, that would have been an Amberjack 55 which is a PE8 rod. I really took a shine to that rod myself as it is about the best jig rod I have used (for me). I really liked the action on it! For me, that one is definitely on the acquisition list. I can see myself pulling up some good samsons on that rod. Either that or they will kick my butt again but I will have fun trying!
If you like a slow action like that, you could think about a Smith Nirai. I really like this rod too although it doesn't have the low down power of the RF Amberjack 55. I can't think of any other rods on the market that have an action as slow as either of these two rods. My suggestion is that if you like the slow action on the Amberjack to go for a Nirai if you are largely intending to fish around PE6 but if you want to go up to PE8, I'd suggest you think about the Amberjack.
There are a lot of quality jig rods that are now available on the Australian market. These include the various offerings from Hots, Zenaq, Jigging Master, Shimano's Blue Rose, Daiwa's Saltigas, Carpenter (harder to get) etc to mention a few. All of that said, if you like slow actions, look at the two I have mentioned above.
Don't look down on the more budget priced jig rods though. The rod you currently have is a proven piece of equipment that has landed a lot of quality fish. A more expensive rod may feel nicer but may not be a much more efficient tool to jig with.
