"He'd be a perfect No.14 for NSW"
True Blue Steve Roach believes livewire Penrith Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai could make the perfect bench player for the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues this season.
Luai has been in scintillating form for the Panthers in the opening four rounds of the NRL season and had a taste of representative football last year after being included in the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues extended squad for the Ampol State of Origin series.
Roach told Behind Blue Eyes for nswrl.com.au the Panthers No.6 was thriving under the six-again rule which has seen him wreak havoc on opposition defences and he was confident he could do the same job for his state.
“I personally – not that I have anything to do with the selections – think he’d be a perfect No.14 for NSW, especially with the six-again rules and the double-up,” Roach said.
“He’s a jack-in-the-box and probably a bigger body than what a lot of people realise. He’s a lot stronger than what you think.
“I reckon he’d be a pretty good reserve coming straight on when the Queenslanders are back-pedalling a bit, when he can see what’s going on.”
Luai’s figures of six try assists and six line-break assists for the Panthers after four rounds of the NRL reinforce that point but he faces plenty of competition for the all-important No.14 jumper.
Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has also been in outstanding form in 2021 while Canberra Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton and South Sydney Rabbitohs No.6 have worn the No.14 jumper in recent seasons.