Premiership five-eighth could fetch $1m on the open market, but Penrith coach Ivan Cleary knows the playmaker and Penrith are “a good fit”.
With Luai likely to command a four-year deal worth $1 million a season elsewhere – a reasonable figure, according to plenty of good judges in the game, including Andrew Johns – the playmaker, who has a young family, could potentially be turning his back on an extra $1m by staying at the Panthers for the same period.
The premiers, however, are chasing a third straight title on Sunday, have the roster to keep pushing for silverware in the coming years and can offer Luai the chance to simply be himself without the added pressure of having to direct the team around the park.Luai demonstrated his commitment to the Panthers by returning in four weeks when the usual recovery time for a dislocated shoulder is a minimum six weeks. He even passed on all painkillers.
Luai has split with management company SFX, and can officially align with a rival company in the middle of next month. The Panthers will waste no time trying to retain the playmaker who has spent more than a decade in the halves with Cleary. After surviving a few big hits against the Storm, Luai said of his negotiations: “It is [on the backburner]. I think it was important to make that call. You don’t come by grand finals [often], and you want to limit your distractions. I’m fully focused on what I need to do for this next week, and making sure my mind is right and my body is right.
“I’ve had a great year, and a great time with this group. This is what you work towards all year. I won’t get too caught up in the stars about it and worrying about what ifs. I’ll worry about enjoying this moment and getting back to work on Monday.”
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