Hamming it up in front of more than 5000 devoted Samoa fans at Mt Druitt on Saturday, Jarome Luai was in his element.
Tossing his cap into the crowd after excitedly joining his international teammates on stage, the 29-year-old was given a rapturous reception.
Wests Tigers supporters probably donโt feel as warmly about him after his much-discussed mid-contract signing with the PNG Chiefs and eventual exit.
But Luaiโs new club teammate and national captain Junior Paulo has welcomed the five-eighth with open arms to Parramatta, where he will spend next season before heading to Port Moresby.
There is a Samoan infusion coming at the Eels, with Spencer Leniu, Jaydn SuโA and Luai joining seasoned front-rower Paulo and Ronald Volkman at their Kellyville base.
Luai will only be there for a year, as Jonah Pezet was last season before linking with the Broncos, but Parramatta plan to make the most of it.
Speaking at the launch of the World Cup in Sydney, Paulo threw his support behind the four-time grand final winner, who drew headlines for flying to PNG for sponsorship appearances while at the Tigers and for missing the clubโs presentation night last month.
โAs someone who knows him โฆ heโs someone that is misunderstood. Heโs a competitor, and I think itโs probably been a bit unfair, the treatment that heโs copped over recent weeks,โ he said.
โHe hasnโt done any wrong. Itโs just one of those things where thereโs always going to be someone whoโs opinionated. Luckily for โRomeโ, nothing fazes him.
โThereโs a reason why heโs won four comps, so thatโs the experience we want to bring at Parramatta. Weโre looking forward to it.โ
The addition of Leniu on a four-year deal is another plus for Parramatta coach Jason Ryles.
The former Penrith forward is returning to Sydneyโs west after winning a fourth premiership ring with the Roosters last Sunday. Leniuโs devastating cameo off the bench against Newcastle helped turn the match in favour of the Roosters.
โWhen you look at those guysโ resumes, thereโs a lot of experience that youโre bringing into the team. Those guys know how to win,โ said Paulo, who is close to agreeing to an extension with the Eels himself following a contract standoff.
โSpencer has always been a firecracker โฆ when you do it the way he did it [in the grand final] it was momentum changing for the Roosters. Luckily for us at Parra, now we get to have him on our side.โ
Before then, the Eelsโ Samoa contingent have their eyes on the World Cup.
Finalists against Australia at Old Trafford in the 2022 edition of the tournament, the quality of their squad indicates they can again contend for the cup.
Aside from Luai, Leniu and Paulo, the Samoa squad features superstars such as Stephen Crichton, Brian Toโo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow as well as electric Melbourne fullback Sua Faโalogo and emerging talents such as Jermaine McEwen and Francis Manuleleua, who excelled in the Knightsโ run to the grand final.
Samoa begin their campaign with a group-stage game against France at CommBank Stadium on Friday night and are looking to make more history after their landmark appearance in the final four years ago.
โWe addressed it early when we got into camp that we donโt want to be the team that sort of dwells on those memories, although they were very good ones,โ said Paulo.
โWe want to be able to build and move forward and hit the ground running in this World Cup. We want to be able to make a statement.โ
Chris Barrett is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former South-East Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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