Pregnant pause: How Luai shut out Origin criticism

Panthers playmaker Jarome Luai is planning for the impending birth of his third child and hopes he won’t be forced to miss any further matches after he returns from a knee injury sustained in last weekend's 20-10 defeat of Cronulla.

Luai has his left leg in a brace and will join NSW Origin team-mate Stephen Crichton on the sideline for Friday night’s western Sydney derby against Parramatta at CommBank Stadium.

It is unclear how long Luai will be out for but Penrith coach Ivan Cleary doesn’t need to take any risks ahead of the play-offs, as evidenced by last weekend’s decision to rest prop Moses Leota while he recovers from a hand injury.

With the Panthers eight points clear of second-placed North Queensland, they are expected to wrap up the minor premiership in coming weeks and are heavily favoured to become just the second team to win back-to-back grand finals in the NRL era.

The seven members of the Blues squad, including Luai, were given a week off after the Origin decider and had barely trained with their Penrith team-mates since the series began so it was not surprising it took them time to click into gear before overcoming a 10-0 deficit against the Sharks.

While his halves partner Nathan Cleary went to Bali and other players got away, Luai spent the break at home with his pregnant partner, Bailey, and their two children, Israel and Akira.

“My missus is pregnant, she is due pretty soon, so I just took it easy and looked after the kids for her,” Luai said. “I have already got two and one on the way so our hands are pretty full at the moment.

“She travelled everywhere we did during Origin as well so just to have some time at home was enough for us.”

The star five-eighth, who will play for Samoa at the end-of-season World Cup but bristles at suggestions in some sections of the media after the Origin series loss that Pacific nations players in the NSW side lack passion for the Blues, is preparing for the arrival of his third child in September.

“We are already planning for it so I will be sweet,” he said of the prospect of missing a finals match.

After being subjected to heavy criticism following Queensland’s 22-12 win in an epic series decider considered by many as one of the best games in Origin history, Penrith players were advised to turn off social media notifications while enjoying their break.

However, Luai was aware of some of the comments made in the media amid the fall-out from the match.

“It is what it is, people are going to have their opinion and criticise you as a player. That is what they get paid to do,” he said.

“It is part of our job to filter what matters and what doesn’t matter. What matters to me is my team-mates, my coaches and my family’s opinions of me. That is what I am going to stick to.

“We didn’t win the series but we took a lot out of that and that experience. It was a blessing to be a part of that game. It was one of the hardest games I have played so I will take a lot of lessons out of that and hopefully bring it back to the Panthers.”

Confirming he will join Penrith team-mates Brian To’o, Izack Tago, Taylan May, Charlie Staines and Spencer Leniu in the Samoa squad for the World Cup, Luai said: “Hopefully we don’t get judged too badly for that”.

“It is who I am, it is how I was bought up,” Luai said. “I know I live in Australia but it is just a way of life for us. We are really connected to our Polynesian side as well.”