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Hated, adored but never ignored.
Jarome Luai doesn’t care if you love him or you loathe him and, as he stands on the cusp of a third-straight premiership, the Penrith five-eighth is happy to be seen as the NRL’s public enemy No. 1.
“Oh, man, that’s okay with me,” Luai told AAP.
“I understand it, we’re in a fan-driven sport. People have their team that they go for and it’s understandable that I’m not going to be liked by everyone.
“Coming into first grade you want to be loved… but I pretty much found out after my first year, that whatever you say or do, there are going to be haters.”
Luai got the loudest boo when the grand final teams were presented to fans in Sydney on Thursday.
The Samoan international is a lightning rod for criticism and some of that, it could be argued, has been self inflicted.
After last year’s grand final win over Parramatta, he used an offensive term in a social media post and also mocked the Eels, labelling the Panthers their “daddies”.
That criticism only intensified after this year’s State of Origin when, after he had been part of a NSW side that lost the opening two games of the series, he hopped on Instagram to write: “Chill, all you idiots have work tomorrow”.
It was perceived as a dig at irate NSW fans after he had been sent off for headbutting Reece Walsh, but it was later revealed Luai had received death threats.
“It’s my platform, I should be able to say what I want to say,” Luai said.
“When I speak up for myself, people tend to say I’m the bad guy after they’ve sent all these messages.
“I’m just going to do what I want, and say what I want to say. I haven’t hurt anybody and haven’t broken any rules.”
The post was accompanied by a 2Pac song entitled “Me Against The World”, which reflects the obstacles Luai has had to overcome to reach Sunday’s grand final against Brisbane – his fourth in as many years.
“That’s been me, man, I’ve always had doubters,” Luai said.
“That’s always given me that extra motivational drive.”
Luai was axed for Origin III, a decision some would have taken to heart, going into their shell.
The Penrith No. 6, however, has played what he considers some of the best football of his career, his only loss coming against the Eels when he was taken from the field with a dislocated shoulder.
“It doesn’t take much for ‘Romey’ to get a fire in his belly,” said Penrith coach Ivan Cleary.
“He’s one of those guys who reacts well to a challenge.
“They all have to be (hugged) at some point but he’s a staunch fella, and very mentally strong.”
On the field, Luai is a maverick and a wind-up merchant in equal parts but above all else he hates losing.
Off it, he’s the complete opposite.
“He’s a good father and I think that’s all that matters to him,” said long-time Panthers teammate Brian To’o.
“My brother is bulletproof, man, nothing anyone says can hurt him. He’s just having fun out there.”
Luai is keen to silence those detractors once more and he can do so by helping Penrith to an historic premiership three-peat.
No team has won three-straight titles since Parramatta (1981-1983) and the fact he could achieve it with good mates Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu before they move on at the end of the year, gives him an extra drive.
“It’s something for us to chase, no club has done it before with a salary cap in place,” Luai said.
“It’s pretty sad (that those guys are leaving), I’m going to miss them man and I want to send them out on a good note.”
The grand final meeting with the Broncos is laced with sub-plots and spats, with Luai at the heart of most of them.
He and Brisbane fullback Walsh have had their differences, while Broncos winger Selwyn Cobbo has previously labelled him a “grub”.
Sparks invariably fly when Luai is involved and as Cleary says, his five-eighth “loves the big occasion”.
The interest in him is such that grand final broadcasters, the Nine Network, will have a camera following his every move in Sunday’s decider.
While he may be hated and adored, it goes to show that Jarome Luai can never really be ignored.
© AAP
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