OFFICIAL Jarome Luai - #295

[Needaname]

Safe to say that Luai, Api, Turuva, May & to some extent Bird have given not only the team some belief but the fans too.

These guys 'get it'. And they in turn make guys like Twal, Seyfarth, Doueihi etc bring their best game as well.

It's creates an energy & momentum in the squad that the next guy wants to join in on. To'a, Hunt, Da Silva, Galvin, Bula...everyone is 'in' trying to make it work.

Fonua Pole & Sione Fainu have improved out of sight so far- mostly defensively.

We are closer than we thought we were.

3 out of the 4 recent recruits are premiership winners. At a pinch you could include May for winning the NSWCup with the Bears.
Along with Api that is a whole lot of winners in one side.

 

[Needaname]

3 out of the 4 recent recruits are premiership winners. At a pinch you could include May for winning the NSWCup with the Bears.
Along with Api that is a whole lot of winners in one side.

Not to mention this off-season we saw 4 players leave our club that all featured in teams that were runners up but not winning one themselves.
I wonder if that is an important factor?

 

[Flippedy]

I disagree that he seldom does something that really impacts a game.
The guy was a match winner on many, many occasions for Penrith.
And did you see Origin last year?

Having said that, I don’t think he has done any one particular match winning thing for us this year, but he’ll get there and meanwhile his influence and leadership is massive, offensively and defensively.

And I disagree that he wasn’t the reason Penrith were succcesful. He was definitely part of that. Watch Penrith without him, in any of the last few years, or this year. They are simply not as good without him.

Summed it up beautifully bigsiro! We need to have some patience with Luai’s playmaking, it will come. Right now though he has come into this club with the sole purpose of changing our long standing losing culture into a winning one. He is succeeding where NO ONE has ever been able to succeed in over a decade.

Of course it’s not all Luai, others have a part to play, but you can tell he is the main instigator of the change in this team this year, and the others are following. You only have listen to him speak and see his actions on the field to realise the difference he is making all round. He has brought the leadership and confidence we have lacked for a long, long time.

I am so thankful for this bloke, I honestly thought this club would never shed its losing culture.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Going a bit overboard there.
Luai is getting better for us but he’s not owning the team as he said he wanted to. I hope he misses out on Origin and keeps working with us.

Losing players to origin is OK when you are enjoying the top of the table, for us it would be a great honour to represent but it will weaken our side too much.
As it is we need close to full strength to win games taking out origin level players from our side adds up to loses for me.

This may sound selfish but I hope no one gets picked, sorry if this offends.

 

[Needaname]

Losing players to origin is OK when you are enjoying the top of the table, for us it would be a great honour to represent but it will weaken our side too much.
As it is we need close to full strength to win games taking out origin level players from our side adds up to loses for me.

This may sound selfish but I hope no one gets picked, sorry if this offends.

No it doesn’t offend, but your not understanding the influence on the selection, how that changes the perception of the club for recruits and even players within.
2nd to that, the game experience is a huge *step up for anybody, they say once you’ve played origin at that pace the regular season games slow down for you. Another one of those intangible things. I used to think it was great to recruit international players that aren’t eligible for origin as your side stays competitive throughout. But there is no argument in the class and quality difference in an origin player and a non Australian international player.
Having May and Luai and possibly Api all selected would be enormous for us.

 

[Tucker]

No it doesn’t offend, but your not understanding the influence on the selection, how that changes the perception of the club for recruits and even players within.
2nd to that, the game experience is a huge *step up for anybody, they say once you’ve played origin at that pace the regular season games slow down for you. Another one of those intangible things. I used to think it was great to recruit international players that aren’t eligible for origin as your side stays competitive throughout. But there is no argument in the class and quality difference in an origin player and a non Australian international player.
Having May and Luai and possibly Api all selected would be enormous for us.

Yes, it would be beneficial on the training paddock and with big game prep tips etc, but man...without those 3, we are looking at 50 pointers against every time.

 

[Telltails]

Ha I actually forgot about that..yes I thought we were gone when that happened and felt sorry for him as well.
The pressure on that FG attempt from Seyfarth and Bula was excellent cover for a mate’s mistake.

Yep - that was a key moment measuring where the squad is at and the commitment of those two players when both had gone at it for over 80 mins. Not imperfect performances but likely game over without that effort.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Yes, it would be beneficial on the training paddock and with big game prep tips etc, but man...without those 3, we are looking at 50 pointers against every time.

Agree potential recruits weighing up coming here would look at the origin players representing we have and think OK they are good and when we get flogged they think no they haven't got enough depth yet.

Let them be impressed with our club performances like last game to be the attraction.

 

[Flippedy]

No it doesn’t offend, but your not understanding the influence on the selection, how that changes the perception of the club for recruits and even players within.
2nd to that, the game experience is a huge *step up for anybody, they say once you’ve played origin at that pace the regular season games slow down for you. Another one of those intangible things. I used to think it was great to recruit international players that aren’t eligible for origin as your side stays competitive throughout. But there is no argument in the class and quality difference in an origin player and a non Australian international player.
Having May and Luai and possibly Api all selected would be enormous for us.

I think May is a definite chance and should be first prop picked, along with Haas, if they’re going on form. I think they will go with Moses and Cleary as the halves though, not Luai. Suits me, Luai doesn’t need to gain confidence from Origin, he already has it in spades and we get to keep him in the team. Also don’t think Api will be picked either.

 

[Needaname]

Yes, it would be beneficial on the training paddock and with big game prep tips etc, but man...without those 3, we are looking at 50 pointers against every time.

*crying emoji*

 

[Odessa]

I kind of knew he would make a difference but underestimated how much, even though his game day stats are down, they were basically saying just having him in the walls of the club has turned it into a place where they're now willing to grind out a win at all costs because he's just a natural winner. There is also the thought of the new guys we brought in aswell, but Luais biggest asset atm for us is the way he's so full on and intense at training, sets a standard for everyone to keep up with which inturn improves the guys here who won 3 wooden spoons prior. I never thought one player could have such influence, whether the team brought in or not. He's just like I'm going and if you want you follow.

I kind of knew he would make a difference but underestimated how much, even though his game day stats are down, they were basically saying just having him in the walls of the club has turned it into a place where they're now willing to grind out a win at all costs because he's just a natural winner. There is also the thought of the new guys we brought in aswell, but Luais biggest asset atm for us is the way he's so full on and intense at training, sets a standard for everyone to keep up with which inturn improves the guys here who won 3 wooden spoons prior. I never thought one player could have such influence, whether the team brought in or not. He's just like I'm going and if you want you follow.

Turuva is apparently the same mind set as well at training

 

[Flippedy]

Turuva is apparently the same mind set as well at training

It’s why Penrith won 4 premierships.

 

[jirskyr]

Whilst the attack might look clunky at times 2025, we averaged 19.3 points per game all 2024 and we are almost a try better @ 22.5 ppg so far 2025.

Defensively we conceded 30.8 ppg in 2024 and so far only 20.4 in 2025, despite the blowout-ish results against Broncos and Snakes.

It must be obvious to everyone that we are defensively more capable out wide and that appears to be not just because we bought 2 wingers that don't charge in, but because the centres and wingers also trust the halves. And you can say this with confidence because players like Doueihi and Toa were in our centres last year and didn't have great defensive reputations.

 

[innsaneink]

I think May is a definite chance and should be first prop picked, along with Haas, if they’re going on form. I think they will go with Moses and Cleary as the halves though, not Luai. Suits me, Luai doesn’t need to gain confidence from Origin, he already has it in spades and we get to keep him in the team. Also don’t think Api will be picked either.

Who else is there for Blues hooker?

My minds gone blank here
Robson?

 

[bigsiro]

In my opinion Luai is the best possible signing a club can make to redirect a clubs standing in the past decade, maybe even the NRL era. This is Ben Kennedy to Manly like or Roy Assotasi to the Bunnies. Can anyone think of other monumental signings in the past that altered a clubs outlook?

I'm sure there are plenty.
Off the top of my head can think of Burgess, Lazarus, probably Fittler and if you go back further there'd be others.
Maloney also historically underrated as someone who directly impacted the fortunes of clubs.
Other notables Sonny Bill and of course the Black Pearl 🖤.

 

[TrueTiger]

Yes, it would be beneficial on the training paddock and with big game prep tips etc, but man...without those 3, we are looking at 50 pointers against every time.

I don't know Tuck,but with those guys gone to SOO,I reckon the rest of the team would 200 percent step up and fill the void,make the guys proud that they can give all while they aren't there..It's showing the SOO guys that their teammates are proud of them and will show fight while their not there...

 

[TrueTiger]

I'm sure there are plenty.
Off the top of my head can think of Burgess, Lazarus, probably Fittler and if you go back further there'd be others.
Maloney also historically underrated as someone who directly impacted the fortunes of clubs.
Other notables Sonny Bill and of course the Black Pearl 🖤.

Gareth Ellis..👍

 

[Needaname]

I'm sure there are plenty.
Off the top of my head can think of Burgess, Lazarus, probably Fittler and if you go back further there'd be others.
Maloney also historically underrated as someone who directly impacted the fortunes of clubs.
Other notables Sonny Bill and of course the Black Pearl 🖤.

Yes but Burgess was a 19 year old to Souths.
Sonny Bill to Easts. Prehaps but Easts were never seen as a struggling club (include Maloney re Easts)

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

No it doesn’t offend, but your not understanding the influence on the selection, how that changes the perception of the club for recruits and even players within.
2nd to that, the game experience is a huge *step up for anybody, they say once you’ve played origin at that pace the regular season games slow down for you. Another one of those intangible things. I used to think it was great to recruit international players that aren’t eligible for origin as your side stays competitive throughout. But there is no argument in the class and quality difference in an origin player and a non Australian international player.
Having May and Luai and possibly Api all selected would be enormous for us.

Mate I understand the advantages of having origin players in your side have been watching football for decades like you.
It's just this year being so long since the team did anything don't want the interruption of missing half your spine and your best forward to origin.
It's been a long time that we had a chance of making the top 8 and I don't want the origin period to reduce our chances of getting there.

 

[Flippedy]

Who else is there for Blues hooker?

My minds gone blank here
Robson?

Yeah Robson played last year and did a pretty good job. They will probably stick with him or maybe Mahoney could be an option, he’s playing well at the Dogs. I just think they (the selectors) think Api’s rep days are over. Good for us, imo.