Jarome Luai’s premiership-laden stay at Penrith is quickly drawing to a close.
Yet the five-eighth’s work is far from done as the Panthers gear up for a charge at their fourth title in a row.
Luai’s decision to exit the club he has been at since he was a junior dominated the headlines in the off-season as the push and pull between Penrith and the Wests Tigers rumbled on.
Eventually, the Samoan international called a press conference to announce his decision and inked a lucrative five-year contract to move to Concord in 2025.
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Jarome Luai looking forward to last ride with Panthers
"It’s come pretty quickly bit I’m just trying to make every day count," Luai admitted ahead of his last finals campaign with the Panthers.
"It’s been a bit of a challenge knowing with your junior club your time is coming to an end. But I think it just makes you embrace the day more, so that’s helped me."
The Panthers have paid a heavy price for their sustained success in recent years with a number of big-name players leaving the club due to salary cap pressure forcing Ivan Cleary into constantly re-working his roster.
The likes of Matt Burton, Api Koroisau, Viliame Kikau and Stephen Crichton have gradually left, with Luai citing how this constant churn of talent at the foot of the mountains has helped him to prepare for his own exit.
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"I’ve seen boys do it before," Luai said.
"So, for me, James Fisher Harris and Sunia Turuva - we just want to make every day count.
"I’m not looking too far ahead. I’ve still got days to tick off in preparation for this week’s game but it’s exciting times because this is where you want to be throughout the year."
The Panthers will welcome the injury-plagued Sydney Roosters to their backyard in a qualifying final on Friday night with a spot in the prelims up for grabs.
