Moses injury lingers, Luai to emulate ex-teammate, Shark makes contract call
The joint-venture club entered the NRL in 2000 but only a few club debuts have attracted as much attention as that of Luai, who crossed to the Tigers after winning four consecutive premierships at Penrith.
The level of expectation on the superstar grew in January when coach Benji Marshall promoted him to co-captain alongside Api Koroisau.
Having talked so much about making a leap of faith to a club mired in misery that hasn’t played a final since 2011, Luai will finally run out for the Tigers in Friday night’s clash with Newcastle at Campbelltown Stadium.
The playmaker pointed to Crichton, a former teammate at the Panthers who is now captaining Canterbury, while discussing what his approach to captaincy will be like.
“If I can take a leaf out of his book, it’s that you have to be yourself, be energetic,” Luai said as he prepared to lead the Tigers in the absence of suspended co-skipper Koroisau.
“So that’s what I want to bring.
“(I) need to be my own leader.”
“Being captain, you have to be pretty good at assessing the situation on the run,” he said, adding that had always been his mindset on the field.
“I just want to be a player that other players want to play with.
“As long as I strap my boots on, put my headgear on, there’s always room to improve.”
Luai’s innate connection with Nathan Cleary, built on a partnership that dated back to their days in the under-16s Harold Matthews competition for Penrith, was a large part of the Panthers’ premiership-laden run.
Luai and Cleary won a remarkable 107 of 134 matches they started together at all levels.
The 28-year-old is confident he can click with new halves partner, 19-year-old Lachie Galvin, but conceded it will take time.
“It’s not going to happen in an instant. But, we’re going to get the (games) in the bank and give it a real good crack this week,” he said.
“It’s the beginning of a new journey for not only me, but us two as a combination.
“There’s a lot of young boys on this team. They’re excited to play. I think if we can sprinkle a bit of experience on that, it’s going to help us win a lot more games this year.”
Luai will be one of seven players making their club debut for Wests.
Moses’ injury lingers
Parramatta star half Mitchell Moses will undergo fresh scans as concerns over his foot injury cast doubt over his short-term future.
He will miss the first game of Jason Ryles’ coaching tenure with a foot injury, with the Eels keen to take a cautious approach with their star playmaker.
In-demand five-eighth Dylan Brown will have the perfect chance to underscore his value to Parramatta and rival NRL suitors as the Eels prepare for their opening-round clash against Melbourne without Moses.
Moses had surgery on the foot last year and the area where a screw was inserted is still causing him major discomfort.
While the Eels have not put a timeframe on his return, they will reassess the situation next week before their opening home game against Wests Tigers at CommBank Stadium.
“Mitch is experiencing soreness from a previous injury, we’re taking a cautious approach to ensure his foot heals properly and he can play his best football for the team,” Ryles said.
“We will continue to monitor Mitch’s recovery and make an assessment on a return date next week.”
It is a bitter blow for Ryles as he attempts to drag Parra back up the ladder after they slumped to 15th spot last year, narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon.
Ronald Volkman will replace Moses in the halves on Sunday, but Brown will be expected to call the shots as uncertainty over the New Zealand Test five-eighth’s future rumbles on.
Brown is the most experienced member of the Eels’ spine, with Volkman, hooker Brendan Hands and fullback Isaiah Iongi boasting just 45 NRL games between them.
Jack Williams will debut from the second row for Parra, while Melbourne have thrown Stefano Utoikamanu straight into a starting front-row berth.
