Jarome Luai may be wearing a Penrith jersey for the final time of his decorated Panthers career this Sunday night, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be leaving Penrith altogether.
Ahead of his fifth consecutive NRL Grand Final this weekend, the man of the moment has revealed to the Weekender that while he’ll be playing elsewhere next season, he’ll be remaining in the city long-term.
“This is my home and I’m really protective of that,” the South Penrith resident said.
“I had the best childhood out here in this area and I’ve never really left as well.
“I won’t leave, and I want my kids to grow up in the area as well and experience the greatness of Penrith.”
Luai’s family is hugely important to him. His three beautiful kids and his fiancé Bailey are the apple of his eye. The 27-year-old said he’s been blessed to have his family on this ‘last ride’ with him.
“That’s why I’m grateful to be here… I’m not making memories just for myself, my family’s along for this ride too and the success we’ve had means just as much to them as it does to me,” Luai said.
“My kids have grown up here. My son gets to experience all of this. He loves the boys, he loves footy.
“This club hasn’t just given me a lifetime of memories, they’ve given them to my whole family too.”
Luai has changed a lot as a person and as a player since his very first Grand Final appearance in 2020 to now his fifth in 2024, but one thing that hasn’t changed is his appreciation of being able to compete at the highest-level year in, year out.
“It has been a long year and I’m just really grateful to feel strong and to feel good leading into this game,” he said.
“Last year I was battling to stay on the field – coming back from an injury – but now I’m feeling good, I’m feeling fit, I’m feeling ready and I’m really grateful for that.”
The Melbourne Storm pose a huge threat to Penrith’s chances of a four-peat. They were the team that were there at the start of this incredible dynasty five years ago and they could be the team to end it all.
Just how Luai reflects on the success of his final season at the Panthers will depend on what happens come 9.30pm this Sunday night.
“I want to enjoy this week because reaching this far is pretty special. I never take that lightly – the effort and the achievement that it takes to get here,” Luai said.
“Between winning and losing is a very big difference in how you look at your season, so I really want to win this one.”
Nathan Taylor
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender's Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.