I’m not exactly sure how Jarome Luai will be feeling heading into Sunday afternoon’s clash between the Wests Tigers and his former club, the Penrith Panthers.
Some will bill it as Luai’s chance to prove a point – that he is capable of running a football team, doesn’t have to play second fiddle to anyone and is worth the price tag that comes with such a skillset.
But Luai’s departure from Penrith was not one of animosity or anger. He took an opportunity, and aside from a couple of speed bumps along the way he generally left with the best wishes of coach Ivan Cleary and the senior players.
He’s still friends with plenty of them.
So the hype around his first meeting against his former club is likely just that, hype. Doesn’t make him want to win any less, however.
The Tigers have been up and down this year and have had to deal with plenty of off-field drama, but by and large their fans must at least be pleased to be seeing a few green shoots coming out of Concord.
They probably could have beaten the Cowboys in Townsville last weekend had ill-discipline not cost them 20 minutes with 12 men; and their comeback late in the game certainly showed they can score points quickly when they get on a roll.
The Tigers’ ability to throw the ball around and Luai’s unstructured play should be a chief concern for Penrith, whose usually stoic defence has been rattled often this season.
That said, we did start to see a little bit of the Penrith of old against Parramatta last Sunday. The Panthers kept inviting the Eels into the contest but then responded with some really impressive goal-line defence. Still, 33 missed tackles is way too many – and the Panthers will need to tighten that up against the Tigers on Sunday.
Yet again we saw the importance of Nathan Cleary against the Eels. With the game somewhat evenly poised late in the second half, he produces a perfectly timed 40/20 that ultimately helped Penrith build enough of a buffer to secure the two critical competition points. Not only that, but he landed three difficult conversions just a few days after his boot went a little wayward for NSW in State of Origin.
Much of Penrith’s success of the last four years has been built on those little Cleary moments. He steps up when he’s needed most and he did it again against Parramatta – and it was great to see him running the ball too.
A few times this season we’ve convinced ourselves that Penrith were back following impressive wins only for it to be a false dawn. But with time now running out, the room for error is getting smaller. Penrith can’t miss the opportunity of securing another two competition points before the bye – a fortnight that could see them knocking on the door of the top eight given how close the competition is this year.
The return of Isaiah Papali’i and Luke Garner will provide a big boost for the Panthers, who have struggled to field a full-stength side all year thanks to injuries, suspensions and unfortunate mishaps – such as Garner, who suffered a concussion at training that saw him miss two matches.
We’ve always talked about State of Origin being a curse for the Panthers, but this year it may be a blessing – especially with the Blues doing well. Does it play some of Penrith’s key men back into form, or at least get them used to winning big games again – an enthusiasm that could be infectious around the rest of the Penrith camp?
It’s still impossible to tip Penrith with any certainty, but they should be too good for the Tigers here. I think Benji Marshall’s side will try hard, especially Luai under the circumstances, but in the end if Penrith can remain calm, complete well and control the momentum of the game, they should get home.
Invite the Tigers in like they did against the Eels last week though, and things could turn real quick. A danger game, but one Penrith must rise to the occasion for.
Tip: Panthers by 8.
Penrith and Wests Tigers play at CommBank Stadium on Sunday, July 8 at 4.05pm. The game is live on Fox Sports, Kayo and Channel Nine.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.