Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary reacts to ‘sad’ Jarome Luai exit
The success of the Penrith Panthers has ended another fruitful NRL relationship – and now Nathan Cleary has broken his silence on the exit of long-time friend and halves partner, Jarome Luai.
The five-eighth officially put pen to paper on a five-year deal with the Wests Tigers worth an estimated $6 million, with his tenure at the foot of the mountains coming to an end this year.Luai has been a focal point of the side’s three-straight premierships, forging a lethal combination with Cleary at both club and State of Origin level.
However, the money on offer at Concord and the allure of playing under Benji Marshall was too good to refuse, with the Samoan international opting to move on from his local club. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Cleary opened up on the impending departure of Luai, after the pair dominated every level of football since they first met as teenagers. I’ve played alongside ‘Romy’ my whole Penrith career, since we were 15 years old, which makes it even tougher, It’s sad. It’s also a business, and he needs to look after his beautiful young family. He had so many people in his ear asking him what he was going to do, so I didn’t want to be that guy asking.
He’s also at that stage of his career where he can make decisions for himself. We all found out at the same time that he was leaving. I never could have pictured Romy in another jersey. Now he’s secured his future, we can focus on this year and try to make it special … it’s my last ride with him. The price that the Panthers have paid for their continued success has been heavier than any club in the modern era, with a litany of representative stars forced out due to salary cap constraints or leaving for greener financial pastures.
Matt Burton, Viliame Kikau and Api Koroisau were all part of at least one NRL title but have since switched clubs, while superstar centre Stephen Crichton has also departed in a bid to become a fullback. But according to Cleary, the system in place at Penrith will ensure the club remains near the top of the ladder for years to come – and he’s hopeful of putting them on his back and leading the way. I’ve played the longest with Romy, we’re in the halves together, so that makes it tougher. He really represents what we’re about as a team, and he’s from the area.
“I’ll have to go to another level in terms of leadership and helping the young guys out.”
Jack Cole has emerged as the front-runner to wear the No.6 jumper once Luai departs, while the likes of Daine Laurie and Brad Schneider could also be in the mix.
