3 minute read

Jarome Luai has continued his sparkling start to the NRL season, scoring a try and setting up another in Penrith's 30-10 win over Canberra.

Jarome Luai put on a show for Penrith's maiden premiership heroes as he helped seal the club's best start to an NRL season with a 30-10 win over Canberra.

Arguably the form player of the opening month, Luai was again the star on Friday night with his ninth try-assist of the campaign and a try of his own.

The two plays came in a crucial six-minute period before halftime, as Luai swung the match in the Panthers' favour after they struggled for ball early.

Young flyer Charlie Staines bagged a double on the right wing, while Brian To'o was as powerful on the left as James Fisher-Harris was in the middle.

Nathan Cleary then put the icing on the cake with a 70-metre intercept, capping a rough night for the Raiders, who lost hooker Josh Hodgson to a hip injury.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad also succumbed to a concussion, after he was hurt in an Isaah Yeo tackle but wasn't taken from the field for eight further minutes.

After they shot out of the blocks early through a Jack Wighton try, the Raiders let their lead slip when Staines got his first try in the 27th minute.

"We gained some ascendancy, then the flow went against us and they scored some tries and knocked the wind out of our sails," Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said.

And it all came from Luai, as the Penrith crowd of 20,890 imitated Canberra's Viking Clap and the Panthers went to a 5-0 season record for the first time in their history.

With only Greg Barwick missing from Penrith's 1991 grand final-winning side over Canberra watching from the grandstand amid a reunion, the five-eighth put on a performance Brad Fittler would've been proud of.

Penrith's lead came when Luai put on a perfect cut-out ball for Matt Burton, allowing the make-shift centre to run a nice line to score.

Moments later, just before halftime, he grubbered for himself and got the ball down in a play that demonstrated his confidence as much as anything.

The five-eighth was also denied another try when he pressured Jordan Rapana after a towering Cleary bomb, forcing a fumble in the in-goal area.

"It was obviously a big night for the club," coach Ivan Cleary said.

"The 1991 team really put the Panthers on the map and set a standard for all teams to follow and try and live up to.

"There were so many great players in that team, we are lucky to spend our days with them."

Luai was part of Fittler's NSW squad for last year's State of Origin series, but did not earn a Blues debut.

While Cody Walker is still the favourite to hold on to the Blues No.6 jersey this year, Luai must surely be in the conversation to partner Nathan Cleary.

The duo are the form halves pairing of the NRL, and have dropped just one game when playing alongside each other since last March.

Luai and Walker will face off in a round-11 blockbuster on May 23, just a week before Fittler is due to name his side for Origin I in Melbourne.

"He and Nathan's combination is so good, they just complement each other so well," Ivan Cleary said.

"At age 24 and with 40-odd games (played), I think he's got a fair bit left. It's exciting."