Like in 2014, when the Blacktown Patrician Brothers student missed out on a spot in the NSW Combined Catholic College team in favour of Nathan Cleary and Jack Cogger after a trial at St Marys Stadium. By that point, the washing machine had broken down. In 2017, Luai captained the junior Kiwis in a loss to Australia and made his Samoan National team debut against Tonga at the Rugby League World Cup, before gaining any NRL experience. "I think I would represent either Samoa or New Zealand. And when he got home, the son he left behind was a kid no more. Half of them were cheering, half of them were telling me to shut up," Martin recalls. "I just fell to the ground and bawled my eyes out. But I swear from that day on he changed.
"I hadn't even played an NRL game yet - to then chuck on a Samoa jersey with the NRL players was a real good opportunity for me. "He's a local junior, he gets along really well with the group that we've got and we're really lucky to have him. Just some of the stuff he can do on the field, you saw in the Warriors game last year. Even when I was locked up, I thought I was the one suffering. "I know he’s my son, but when I came home, I was star struck," Martin says.
All while trying to forge a path in the NRL after making his debut coming off the bench against the Knights a few months after his father had been locked up. At first, Martin struggled with self-pity. "We don’t ask him for help. "He's been taking me under his wing this pre-season. "I hounded him that night, and when I look back now I wish I didn't do it. "It hurt that he didn't get to see me step on that field for the first time," Luai admits. "I just lost it, man," Martin says. He did nothing wrong. ", It wa a mistake that cost Martin two years, two months and 16 days of his life. "I experienced the best of both worlds," a refreshed-looking Luai laughed when NRL.com asked him to reflect on the tumultuous fortnight. Hopefully somewhere down the track I get that opportunity. He also re-signed with the squad, despite the fact that as a promising young half he'd have had options elsewhere to cement a first-grade spot sooner than where he is, biding time behind Nathan Cleary and James Maloney. "Who knows what could have been if I didn't get injured.".
I’m starting to tear up just thinking about how proud I was.". "I remember counting my days at the start, thinking to myself, 'If every day is this long, I don’t know how I’m going to get through this.' VOTE: https://t.co/H4Q9mUfSPX#pantherpride pic.twitter.com/L0lpyRkJng, — Penrith Panthers (@PenrithPanthers) September 5, 2020.
Martin trained alongside his son for a decade, but emotion often spilled over as Jarome struggled to live up to the expectations of his father. Even though I had my reasons, there really isn’t any good enough reason to do what I did. In the prison cells at Brisbane Correctional Centre, the television sets provided to inmates include only free-to-air channels.
Two tries, six goals, three try assists and a 36-4 win later, Martin went from prisoner to Jarome's Dad in an instant. He worked every day for 20 years to put food on the table for his wife and four children. Sports news, results and expert commentary delivered straight to your inbox each day. At just 23-years-old, Jarome Luai has already had quite an eventful Rugby League career. Luai’s influence in attack has been splendid, especially when you consider he partners one of the best game controllers in the NRL.