Maroons legend Cooper Cronk says NSW “lose a little bit but not much at all” with Jarome Luai replacing the injured Mitchell Moses at five-eighth for the Blues in game two.
Moses was ruled out of the second game of the series in Perth this Wednesday with a calf injury, with Luai to partner former club teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves for NSW.
Luai returns to the Blues side after he was a part of their series-winning team last year.
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Cronk says Luai will fit right into the NSW set-up.
“I actually think it’s just like autopilot for NSW,” Cronk said on Fox League.
“That combination – Jarome Luai, Dylan Edwards, Isaah Yeo, Nathan Cleary.
“Luai will love this. He’s been toiling away at the Tigers, trying to be the main man, and mixing up between being the gun player and the game manager.
“He’s going to stroll back into that left-hand side, like good old warm shoes, and just going to go and take it on.
“He was terrific last year for NSW.
“Nathan’s going to thrive on it.
“They lose a little bit but not much at all.
“Jarome Luai will be loving this.”
Kevin Walters said the Blues were very fortunate to be able to call on a player of Luai’s calibre.
“What a bloody good replacement in Luai,” Walters added.
“He’s excelled at that level so many times.
“(You have) only got to go back to last year where he was a very important player for the Blues.
Greg Alexander said that Luai has hit peak form at just the right time.
“I thought the game against Penrith on the weekend was his best game that he’s had this year,” Alexander said.
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Alexander believes the familiarity Luai has with Cleary, with the pair winning four straight premierships together in the halves, will hold NSW in good stead.
“If you had any doubts about the combination of Nathan and Jarome, well, you only had to watch last week (when the Panthers played the Tigers), because Jarome knew what Nathan was doing before Nathan knew what Nathan was doing.”
The former NSW halfback acknowledged the strong form of Blues 18th man Matt Burton, who would have been another contender to fill the five-eighth position.
“Matt’s form for the Dogs has been outstanding and he was the best player on the field against the Eels on Monday,” Alexander said.
“But I think Jarome deserves to be there.”
