Luai injury revelation boosts Panthers' title bid

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UPDATE: The Panthers' hopes of an NRL premiership three-peat person received a large boost with weapon playmaker Jarome Luai connected way for a instrumentality from a dislocated enarthrosis by the preliminary finals, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Midway done the archetypal fractional of Penrith's clash with Parramatta connected Thursday night, won by the Eels 32-18, Luai was trying to people to support his broadside successful the combat erstwhile his near limb slid retired from underneath a tackle by Eels second-rower Bryce Cartwright, with the value of some men coming down connected it.

But scan results received connected Friday person the nine targeting a four-week recovery, which has Luai successful enactment for a instrumentality successful the preliminary finals.

"I'm each good, man. That's portion of footy," Luai told The SMH.

"With my tally I consciousness similar I've had a beauteous bully tally truthful far.

"Fingers crossed. I'm beauteous optimistic astir injuries.

"I consciousness good. It's not excessively sore. People are asking maine however I slept and if I got immoderate slumber astatine all. I deliberation I got 8 hours, truthful I deliberation that's a bully sign.

Jerome Luai of the Panthers is assisted from the field. (Getty)

"Yes, sir," Luai said erstwhile asked if helium expected to instrumentality this season.

"Definitely."

When the incidental that injured Luai archetypal happened, the star's look was expressionless, but Storm fable Billy Slater said that was telling successful itself.

"When your manus hits the crushed and slides retired and idiosyncratic lands connected top, that's not a bully motion for Jarome Luai," Slater said successful commentary for Nine.

"He knows what's going on, the look tells the communicative successful these situations."

Nine's Danika Mason reported medics were capable to descent his enarthrosis backmost into spot successful the sheds.

After the match, manager Ivan Cleary formed a dejected fig arsenic confirmed Luai had suffered a "decent" injury.

"We're conscionable going to person to hold until helium gets scans (on Friday). It's evidently a decent injury," helium said.

"But they're reasonably affirmative astir the imaginable of it, but truly we're not gonna cognize until it gets scans."

"That's the mode it goes sometimes. There's often a batch of injuries astatine this clip of year, successful and astir finals and what not.

Stream the NRL premiership 2023 unrecorded and escaped on 9Now

Peachey scores for Penrith

"We conscionable person to hold for the results, and immoderate happens we'll travel up with the program from there."

Brad Fittler said the Panthers would consciousness a Luai lack some connected and disconnected the field.

"He played specified a large portion successful each the courageous worldly of the Panthers," helium said connected Nine's coverage.

"They're going to miss him precise much. They person amended systems than anyone other and they've proven it implicit the past 2 years.

"His nickname is the CEO. He's the main vigor officer. It's connected the tract and disconnected the field.

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"They're going to miss him dearly. If helium can't get to grooming pushing each session, pushing each play, each minute, getting connected the field, they're going to miss a batch and they'll miss conscionable arsenic overmuch disconnected the tract arsenic they volition on."

Teammate Nathan Cleary besides spoke of his side's disappointment successful Luai's injury, noting however overmuch the broadside would miss his vigor connected the tally to the finals.

"Just (feel) atrocious for him. He works truthful hard. Wants to beryllium on-field. He's a monolithic portion of the team, brings a batch of vigor and worldly similar that.

"It didn't look great. Best wishes for him. Hoping he's alright."

Maika Sivo scored 4 tries for the Eels, including a first-half hat-trick.

— With Damien McCartney

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