Jarome Luai has credited Samoa’s long list of unavailable players as inspiration as he prepares to captain the Pacific nation for the first time in its inaugural Test tour of England.
The Wests Tigers recruit headlined an understrength 23-man squad announced by coach Ben Gardiner on Wednesday for the two-match series that begins October 28 (AEDT).
An assistant coach at Penrith, Gardiner informed Luai he would captain Samoa as the pair celebrated the Panthers’ fourth consecutive premiership win on Sunday night.
The five-eighth missed last year’s post-season series with a shoulder injury but had been integral to the side’s push to the World Cup final in 2022.
Among those absent this time around are previous captain Junior Paulo, Tommy Talau, Murray Taulagi, Heilum Luki (all injured), Spencer Leniu and Stefano Utoikamanu (both personal reasons).
After premiership teammate Brian To’o (knee injury) and ex-Panther Stephen Crichton (wedding) also bowed out of the 2024 series, Luai perished all thought of joining the long list of outs – even if it will mean joining the Tigers later than originally anticipated.
“I’d sort of been contemplating it a bit. It’s been a long year, my body’s a bit sore and I’ve got to start a new club. I didn’t want to set that back any further,” he said.
“But I’d be doing myself a disservice and my family name a disservice if I didn’t go over there and lace up the boots for my country.
“(To’o and Crichton being unavailable) was more reason why I needed to, I needed to hold it down for the boys. They’ve got some things going on in the off-season, and rightfully so. I’ll go over there and hold it down.”
Elsewhere, North Queensland’s Jeremiah Nanai is in line for his first Samoa cap after opting to represent his Pacific roots rather than Australia, with whom he played at the 2022 World Cup.
Gardiner revealed Nanai had taken Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s lead after the former New Zealand international made a similar decision to put his hand up for a Samoan debut.
“I said to Jeremiah that Roger’s playing, and he said, ‘Well, I’m definitely playing too’. It’s a little bit of a domino effect when you have elite players come and join your team,” Gardiner said.
Gardiner will have an early chance to work with the Panthers’ prized recruit Blaize Seuala-Talagi as the young utility prepares for a first representative jersey with Samoa.
Referred to as Blaize Talagi during his rookie season at Parramatta, the 19-year-old called Gardiner to say he wanted to use the surname Sueala-Talagi on tour to recognise both sides of his family.
Leigh Leopards forward John Asiata and centre Ricky Leutele, an NRL premiership winner with Cronulla, are the only two Super League players selected in the squad.
Koroisau set to serve ban in Pacific Championships
Apisai Koroisau could be free to play for Wests Tigers in Round 1 next year after being cleared to absorb his NRL ban in the Pacific Championships.
Koroisau was handed a three-match ban for a dangerous tackle in the last round of the NRL season, after being sin-binned in the Tigers’ loss to Parramatta.
The suspension had the potential to wipe the captain out of the Tigers’ opening three games of next season, and delay his long-awaited reunion with Jarome Luai.
But AAP has been told that Koroisau will be able to absorb at least two of those games in the Pacific Championships, given he would have been representing Fiji.
If the Bati beat Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea to finish top of their division, Koroisau will be able to apply to have the playoff also counted in his ban.
If approved by NRL judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew, Koroisau would then officially be cleared to play in the Tigers’ opening game of 2025.
There is also good news for Newcastle, with prop Leo Thompson to be fine to play in their first game of next year despite his high-tackle ban.
Thompson was suspended for one match after a high shot in the Knights’ elimination-final loss to North Queensland.
But after being picked in the Kiwis’ Pacific Championship squad, Thompson will be able to serve the ban in New Zealand’s opening match against Australia.
Melbourne prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona is also expected to be able to wipe the majority of his five-match ban in representative matches.
After already missing the grand final, Asofa-Solomona is expected to be able to use New Zealand’s three Tests as part of his ban.
He will then be able to return in the Storm’s second game of next season.
with AAP