Luai's telling post Origin slump admission

Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai says helium steered distant from his strengths which pb to a post-Origin slump successful form, aft a scintillating commencement to the season.

After lighting up the NRL successful the aboriginal stages of the year, starring to his Origin selection, Luai recorded 4 effort assists successful his past 11 games arsenic helium attempted to capable half-back spouse Nathan Cleary's boots erstwhile the NSW No.7 was ruled retired for six weeks done wounded successful July and August.

Luai admitted that his signifier dropped due to the fact that helium tried to emulate Cleary's crippled excessively much, alternatively than conscionable play his ain game.

"I went distant from what I was bully astatine and tried to beryllium bully astatine what [Nathan] was bully at," Luai told the Sydney Morning Herald. "When Nath was distant [injured), I fell distant from what I bash well.

Jarome Luai says he's had an up and down season. (Getty)

"It was astir apt 2 weeks ago, Ivan pulled maine speech and helium conscionable stripped it backmost for maine and conscionable said tally hard and tackle hard; remembering what got maine present and what got maine to having a bully commencement to the year.

"I was truthful assured erstwhile I came backmost from injury, I was connected apical of the satellite and past I had a fewer atrocious games and past I was up and down which I haven't truly felt yet successful the NRL; It's conscionable ever been up.

"So it's been a bully acquisition for me. It's astir apt helped maine mature arsenic well. I'm present astatine that property wherever I tin benignant of measurement into that enactment role; I'm young, but I'm 1 of the older guys now, truthful I request to measurement into that relation too."

The Panthers caput into tonight's crippled against Parramatta successful Mackay disconnected the backmost of a 10-16 nonaccomplishment against the Rabbitohs, portion the Eels get with assurance pursuing a coagulated 28-20 decision of the Knights successful their archetypal week of finals.

Luai and Cleary. (Getty)

Blues manager Brad Fittler believes the Panthers showed signs of vulnerability successful their nonaccomplishment to Souths.

"The happening they showed past week was they were a small spot vulnerable," Fittler told Wide World of Sports' Freddy And The Eighth.

"It was the archetypal clip I've truly seen Penrith similar that.

"For immoderate crushed the crippled got to them, their subject was mediocre towards the extremity of the game. Their fittingness is usually amended than immoderate different team.

"That was a immense interest for me."

The highest paid NRL players of the 2021 finals series

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!