Jarome Luai’s intriguing Instagram response to Ivan Cleary’s ‘question mark’ on top dollar deal

UPDATE: Off-contract Penrith five-eighth Jarome Luai has responded to coach Ivan Cleary’s comments regarding the risk rival clubs would be taking if they offered Luai more than $1 million a season to be their chief playmaker.

Speaking to media on Wednesday, the Penrith coach said NRL rivals would be taking a gamble paying a premium for Luai’s services given his inexperience at the halfback position.

Luai took to Instagram on Thursday, seemingly in response, posting an image to his story with the tagline ‘know your worth’, to the sound of rapper 50 Cent’s ‘Hustler’s Ambition’ – the lead single from the soundtrack to the rapper’s semi-autobiographical 2005 film Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.

Luai, who is off contract in 2024, is able to negotiate with rival clubs and is expected to command a deal in the ballpark of $1 million per season. The Panthers have tabled him a deal worth about $850,000-a-season and don’t have much wiggle room to increase their offer.

The million-dollar-plus offers are usually reserved for game managing halfbacks and uniquely talented fullbacks around the NRL, and Cleary warned teams who may be considering breaking the bank for Luai.

“I think that’s the biggest thing at play here,” he said when discussing whether Luai could be worth the money for Penrith’s rivals.

“If any club wants to give him the money you’re talking – the money that he would maybe consider leaving for – it would have to be for that kind of role. I can understand that. Is he ready for that? That’s the question mark, I would think.

“Could he do it? I’m sure he could do it. Has he done it? No he hasn’t. He’s done a little bit with Samoa, of course, at last year’s World Cup, but generally speaking in this team he’s had his role to play and it’s slightly different. I guess that’s a risk that everyone would have to take.”

While his starting five-eighth is currently able to talk to the NRL’s other 16 clubs, Cleary said Penrith was “comfortable” with the situation.

Watch the Kangaroos take on New Zealand in the 2023 Pacific Championships final on Nine and 9Now

“We’ve spoken recently and he’s exploring his options,” he said.

“He’s one of those players where it’s not a clear market because everyone is always looking for high-quality halves and he’s definitely one of those. It’s a matter of him now getting what’s out there, checking it out and coming back to us.

“I won’t be telling him to do anything. He knows what we think of him. I personally believe he belongs here. We’re good for him and he’s good for us. But there’s no doubt if the offers are where we are hearing … before today they’re all just maybes. Once they’re actually concrete he can understand more about what decision needs to be made.”

Cleary was questioned over whether Luai would be determined to prove that he, like Panthers skipper Nathan Cleary, could lead his own team.

“I think that’s high performance,” he said.

“You have to take risks and you’re always trying to improve. I don’t know the answer to that. I know he has a very strong and influential role here, which he’s good at. We’d like him to continue.

“We’ve made it pretty clear what we can afford. There’s always things you can do and maybe you can’t do. I want to make it really clear that we want him to stay. And I’m pretty sure he wants to stay as well. But yeah, money talks, so we’ll see.”