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Jarome Luai's classy act for Panthers player that could backfire on Tigers

Yahoo

15 hours ago

Sport
Yahoo

Jarome Luai's classy act for Panthers player that could backfire on Tigers

Blaize Talagi has opened up on the mentorship he received from Jarome Luai while on tour with Samoa last year, which helped him transition and take over the No.6 role at the Panthers. But the classy gesture from Luai has the potential to backfire on the Tigers if Talagi helps the Panthers take down their NRL rivals on Saturday. Talagi has cemented his spot as Penrith's five-eighth after being forced to bide his time in reserve-grade to start the season. Many expected him to become Luai's immediate replacement when the four-time premiership-winner left to join the Tigers in the off-season. Talagi predominantly played wing and fullback at Parramatta, and took some time to adjust to the Panthers system when asked to play five-eighth. It wasn't until six weeks into the season that he nailed down the spot in first-grade, but he's now flying and has made it his own. On Saturday, Talagi will go head-to-head with Luai in a battle against the man whose shoes he's stepped into. Luai won four premierships as the Panthers' No.6 before a big-money switch to the Tigers late last year, which coincided with Penrith signing Talagi from the Eels. Speaking to on Thursday, Talagi lifted the lid on how Luai helped him find his feet as a five-eighth. Talagi and Luai never crossed paths at the Panthers, but they were teammates for Samoa on their end-of-season tour to England last year. In the second game of that series, Luai switched to halfback so Talagi could play 6. "It was a bit challenging when I first came here with all the talk about me filling his shoes," the 20-year-old said about Luai. "As I've been here longer, as a group we've talked about we're not here to fill anyone's shoes. You're here to be yourself and that's helped me grow each week and that's showing on the field." What Blaize Talagi learned from Jarome Luai Talagi opened up on what he learned from playing alongside Luai at Test level. "Jarome's a special player," he added. "He knows how to carry a team and lead by his actions. That's something I learnt from him. He's a really good mentor. He gives a lot of time to the younger boys and helped us a lot, especially at training. He would show us how to do things and I learnt a lot watching the intensity he trains at." The gesture from Luai shows the Tigers captain's class, as he could have been forgiven for not wanting to help his direct club rival too much. And from what we've seen of his character, he won't regret his actions should Talagi star for the Panthers against the Tigers on Saturday. Panthers resurgence built on defence The Panthers are flying after winning six in a row heading into Round 21 - where they'll meet western Sydney rivals the Tigers. Luai's side are coming off a vital win over the Titans at home, which has given them a four-point buffer to the cellar-dwellers. For the Panthers, it's been their stingy defence that's led the turnaround after they were at rock bottom two months ago. They haven't allowed more than 18 points in any of their six-straight wins, conceding 68 in total - the fewest by any team in that period. RELATED: Michael Maguire spills family detail that has Broncos primed for finals Kevin Walters vows to act as three players consider leaving Kangaroos 'You can just feel like we're more resilient, we're stopping tries, we're making it hard for the opposition, whereas that wasn't really the case for the first half of the season,' co-captain Isaah Yeo said this week. 'I feel like they'd go down on our end in the first set, they'd put on a play, and it wasn't under pressure, and all of a sudden they're scoring, and you're probably sort of kicking yourself going, what's just happened to everything we spoke about? 'But I feel like we're trusting the system a bit more, we're being a bit more proactive, particularly at the start of the games, and when you're holding your line and being resilient, that affects the other team's confidence. We've relied on that for such a long period of time now, and we didn't have that for the first half of the season. It's not something you can ever take for granted."

Footy star Jarome Luai is busted trying to cover up his VERY unhealthy post-match drink in bizarre act at press conference

Daily Mail

4 days ago

Entertainment
Daily Mail

Footy star Jarome Luai is busted trying to cover up his VERY unhealthy post-match drink in bizarre act at press conference

Jarome Luai might be a master of the deceptive play, but his latest attempt at subterfuge fell flat after he was busted by eagle-eyed NRL fans. The Wests Tigers playmaker sat down to front media on Sunday after his club escaped with a 21-20 win over a wasteful Gold Coast Titans outfit. It is common for players to bring a drink into the media conferences after 80 minutes of tough football, and they usually choose water or a sports drink like NRL sponsor Powerade. However, Luai had a thirst for something a little unhealthier after the win, bringing a can of Coca-Cola with him as he fronted the media scrum. In hilarious scenes, he used both hands to cover the label while he sipped from the can, in a failed attempt to disguise the brand of the beverage. 'Jarome Luai trying to not so subtly cover a Coke can before taking a sip during the press conference,' an NRL fan page posted with the video. 'Poor post game drink choice,' another posted. While it is one of the largest drink brands on the planet, few would agree that Coca-Cola is an ideal choice for athletes looking to refuel after a gruelling game. However, it can have its benefits - even for athletes like Luai. Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson says Coca-Cola can be a useful tool for endurance athletes when used strategically. On her podcast, she explained it provides quick-access carbohydrates, caffeine and a small amount of sodium during long events. 'It can actually be a performance enhancer,' she said, before adding that it's 'terrible for your teeth' and not recommended outside of training or racing. Coke contains about 10g of sugar per 100mL, making it sweeter than most sports drinks. That high sugar content delivers fast-digesting fuel when glycogen stores are depleted. Its caffeine helps improve alertness and reduce fatigue in late stages of racing. Some athletes also use it as a palate cleanser or psychological reset after hours of taking in sweet gels and fluids. However, Richardson warned not to rely on it as the only source of fuel. 'Try it in training first,' she said, noting individual responses will vary. Luai is not the only NRL star who likes a cold can of Coca-Cola on game day. His former Penrith teammate and best friend Brian To'o is a well-known addict of the fizzy drink, albeit the No Sugar variety. The Penrith Panthers and NSW Blues star previously revealed he drank nearly 600 cans of Coke No Sugar in just one month in the offseason, claiming he felt no ill effects. 'Coke sponsored Penrith so they sent me 24 boxes of 24 packs... I got them in October and they were finished by November,' he said. Coca-Cola delivered the massive haul after hearing about his infamous pre-game meal: two breakfast burgers, a bowl of chips with aioli, a cafe latte with two sugars, and six cans of Coke Zero. To'o said the routine began at age 14 after a strong performance following a similar meal. 'I had it once when I was young and played really well, so I kept doing it,' he said. Back then, he ate outside the house to keep it secret from his parents. 'Mum and Dad found out after my second NRL game,' he laughed.

RNZ News

13-07-2025

Sport
RNZ News

NRL live updates: Warriors enjoy halftime lead over Tigers

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scores in the corner for the Warriors. Photo: Brett Phibbs/ NZ Warriors are looking to bounce back, after a disappointing loss to Brisbane Broncos, but the bye week has seen them retain their spot in the top four. The under-pressure Wests Tigers had a much-needed win over Sydney Roosters last weekend. Kickoff is at 4pm NZT. Follow all the action with RNZ's live blog: Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene‑Zelezniak, 3. Adam Pompey, 4. Rocco Berry, 5. Roger Tuivasa‑Sheck, 6. Chanel Harris‑Tavita, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher‑Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Marata Niukore, 13. Erin Clark Interchange14. Te Maire Martin, 15. Jacob Laban, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17. Tanner Stowers‑Smith Tigers: 1. Sunia Turuva, 2. Charlie Staines, 3. Adam Doueihi, 4. Starford To'a, 5. Jeral Skelton, 6. Jarome Luai (c), 7. Latu Fainu, 8. Terrell May, 9. Api Koroisau (c), 10. Fonua Pole, 11. Samuela Fainu, 12. Tony Sukkar, 13. Alex Twal Interchange: 14. Tristan Hope, 15. Alex Seyfarth, 16. Sione Fainu, 17. Jack Bird