Jarome Luai’s “on-field antics” have come underneath the microscope with the Penrith star accused of embracing “the villain role” amid his membership’s battle to retain each him and Dylan Edwards.
Luai escaped with only a positive for a deal with final week on Storm’s Nelson Asofa-Solomona, regardless of his shoulder contacting the pinnacle of the ahead.
Fox League’s James Hooper pointed to the deal with as a “perfect example” of Luai’s “niggling” behaviour.
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“He’s not playing this week, but I will say in relation to Jarome I’m not a fan of his on-field antics. I don’t like the way that he really embraces that villain role and it’s the constant niggle” Hooper mentioned.
“I was there last week when they beat the Melbourne Storm and he was just consistently looking to put Melbourne off their game.
“The Nelson Asofa-Solomona shoulder charge is the perfect example. It’s just a cheap shot. He runs in, jumps out of the line, out of the air, leaves his feet.
“You aren’t going to achieve anything by doing that but he’s just trying to muckrake.”
Gorden Tallis doesn’t have an issue with Luai’s type, however says the five-eighth must again it up and “stand by it”.
“I’m sure if you know Jarome, you like him, but the picture he wants to paint is the villain and I played with one named Anthony Mundine but he owned being the villain,” Tallis mentioned.
“For me he wants to play the villain, to be that man, your standover man, who cares and doing all that, but when you say something back, he doesn’t like it.
“If you want to throw the bombs, you have to take a couple back yourself that’s the only advice I’d give him.
“He does a really good job of painting himself as the villain and Penrith fans would love him, every other team hates him. If you want to paint it, play it.
“Paul Gallen was one that did exactly the same, but he owned what he was saying.”
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Tallis and Hooper’s feedback got here after NRL 360 co-panellist and Daily Telegraph reporter Michael Carayannis revealed he and Luai aren’t on the perfect of phrases.
“There’s a bit of a stink going back-and-forth,” Carayannis admitted.
“It’s a long story, you are well aware of it Braith, but we had a bit of a disagreement over an interpretation of what I said to him. And he’s gone back.
“Next time he sees me he might blank me again.”
Penrith have introduced this season new offers to teammates Liam Martin, Nathan Cleary, Moses Leota and Isaah Yeo, however Edwards and Luai are the 2 that stay unsigned.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary says each gamers are priorities however he “isn’t too worried” about Edwards and Luai’s state of affairs as there’s “plenty of time”.
“The fortuitous position the Panthers are in is that they have the biggest junior rugby league nursery in the world and it’s literally just a procession line,” Hooper mentioned.
“The way that they have streamlined it at the moment, the way they got it set up so if a Izack Tago who’s a local junior has to go out, bang, they just put the latest young gun kid into the side.
“In relation to Jarome Luai and Dylan Edwards I think the club’s position is they do want to do their absolute best to retain both.”
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NRL360 co-host Braith Anasta then posed the query whether or not the Panthers “can secure it”.
“They think that they can. The reason there is more talk around Dylan Edwards’ contract than Jarome Luai is that Jarome has split with his agent so he’s got a three-month period where the club won’t negotiate with him until he settles on a new agent,” Carayannis replied.
“So I don’t think it’s a matter of prioritising.”
“I’d argue the reason why Dylan Edwards has been spoken about a lot more is because he’s a better player and because if other clubs could sign Dylan Edwards now, they would dive straight in and build a team around him. That’s how good a player he is,” Hooper responded.
“I don’t see Jarome as being in the same league in terms of on-field talent. I do know Penrith’s preference is try and keep both.
“The only club I can see coming in and making it difficult for them is a team like the Bulldogs.”
Source: www.foxsports.com.au