LUAI: “I’M IN A GOOD MINDSET”

Panthers five-eighth Jarome

Luai knows he’s made mistakes in the past but, on the eve of his 100th game in the NRL, the 26-year-old father of three says he grown not only as a player but as a person.

Following a challenging few weeks, which saw him unfairly cut from State of Origin duty, Luai was back at the place he holds close to his heart –Penrith Stadium – on Tuesday afternoon for an Open Training session, which saw thousands of Panthers members in attendance.

While the Samoan international gets hammered from pillar to post by anonymous trolls on social media on the regular, the scene was vastly different earlier this week with genuine rugby league fans of all ages chanting his name as they pursued an autograph and a selfie from the talented playmaker.

Speaking exclusively with Extra Time, Luai admitted he was in a good place mentally after a difficult month that saw him receive death threats following Origin II in Brisbane.

“I feel good, man. I’m in a good mindset with everything that’s happened,” he said.

“Obviously coming back here and seeing how much the fans love you puts it all into perspective and it makes me realise that what I have is pretty special and not to take it for granted.”

Following Penrith’s monster win over Melbourne in Round 18, Luai took some time away from footy –spending it with his little family in their new South Penrith home. It was the reset that Luai desperately needed to get his mind and body ready for the business end of the season.

“I had a week off, I didn’t go anywhere. I hadn’t really been home much because it’s been full-on with Origin,” Luai said.

“Just to spend some time at home with my babies has been refreshing for myself and I definitely feel ready for the back end of the year.”

Luai’s quest for a third straight NRL Premiership will continue this Sunday afternoon when the Panthers travel to Redcliffe in Brisbane for their first ever match against the Dolphins.

A sold-out crowd will be in attendance for the historic clash, which will also double as Luai’s 100th game in first grade.

“100 games has come by really fast