Wigan Warriors given WCC boost as Penrith Panthers star set to miss clash

[josie andrews]

WIGAN WARRIORS have been given a boost in their quest to lift the World Club Challenge with Penrith Panthers star Jarome Luai set to miss the highly-anticipated clash.

The fixture, which takes place on Saturday 24 February, will see reigning Super League champions Wigan go up against reigning NRL premiers Penrith at the DW Stadium.

However, there has been much debate about whether or not Samoan international Luai would make the clash after dislocating his shoulder prior to last year’s finals.

The 27-year-old would then play in the NRL Grand Final against Brisbane Broncos but would have to leave the field in the second-half after aggravating the problem.

Now, it’s been confirmed that Luai will travel with the Penrith squad, but he will not play.

“He won’t play in the World Club Challenge because he’s not just ready,” Panthers boss Ivan Cleary told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“He can continue his rehab, and he deserves to be there as a reward for everything he’s done for our team and our club. He’s super close, I just want him staying with the team and training.”


It remains to be seen who will replace Luai to partner Nathan Cleary in the halves in two weeks’ time.

https://www.totalrl.com/wigan-warriors- ... iss-clash/

[Blackpool_Pie]

Still not sure if this is a little bit of mind games but either way I want them to have a full team to choose from without any excuses.

[Charriots Offiah]

I pay my money and I want to see the best players in the world, I hope he plays.

[adam0026]

I’ll be gutted if he doesn’t play

[southportcdm]

It's all about the win for me. If we win people won't remember who did and didn't play in a couple of years but it'll be in the record books. Whoever plays for them, Penrith will be very motivated to make up for last year. I wish we'd had two league games under our belt before the WCC just to bed in the new faces that will be playing. Don't anybody underestimate the Panthers, we're in for a very tough night.

[josie andrews]

It's all about the win for me. If we win people won't remember who did and didn't play in a couple of years but it'll be in the record books. Whoever plays for them, Penrith will be very motivated to make up for last year. I wish we'd had two league games under our belt before the WCC just to bed in the new faces that will be playing. Don't anybody underestimate the Panthers, we're in for a very tough night.

Exactly!

[moto748]

Surely this is an old story? It's been well-known that Luai wouldn't be playing for some time.

[josie andrews]

World Club Challenge: Panthers set to unveil Luai’s replacement

As Jarome Luai is set to be ruled out of the World Club Challenge match against the Wigan Warriors, the Panthers are ready to unveil a youngster in the five-eighth role.

Likely to be the future replacement of Luai when he moves to the Wests Tigers next season, a young 20-year-old country boy is set to be the frontrunner to join Nathan Cleary in the halves this weekend against Wigan.

Edging out new recruits Brad Schneider and Daine Laurie, Jack Cole is understood to wear the number six jersey in the World Club Challenge match, per The Daily Telegraph.

A former Under-19s NSW representative in 2022 and also Jersey Flegg Player of the Year, Cole is considered one of the best young talents at the club and has been biding his time in the junior ranks and NSW Cup.

A one-time NRL player, Cole spoke about the impact that former NRL playmaker Daniel Mortimer has had on his career. Mortimer is his former captain-coach at Orange CYMS when he retired from the NRL.

“I had one year there with him, which I did a bit of training with the first grade side and learnt a bit off him,” Cole told The Daily Telegraph from Manchester.

“He went back up to Queensland for a year. Now he's back captain-coaching again, which I think is really good for the club. He'll be good for them, really good.

“He's obviously won a premiership and he knows what he's doing.

“He's a pretty switched on sort of dude. I was just soaking it up at training. Just seeing how competitive he is. It's a really good edge he has on a lot of people.”

Cole's emergence onto the rugby league scene has made him the latest talent from Orange, following the likes of Mortimer, Jack Wighton and James Maloney.

He also isn't the first player scouted by the Penrith Panthers from a regional town. Several stars, including Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin, arrived at the NRL from towns such as Bathurst, Dubbo and Forbes in regional Australia.

“It's good for the country kids to see that they can get an opportunity here. Penrith are really good with that, getting out west, watching the games,” Cole added.

“I think it's really good for the country kids, giving them that hope and knowing there's a possibility they can be down if they work hard enough.”

https://www.zerotackle.com/world-club-c ... nt-206165/

[Charriots Offiah]

They can have him as long as we have Thompson, Havard, Nsembe and Walters.

[Aussiefan]

Penrith have no chance in this game. They are pre-season, stone cold and will be inside the 10 day jet-lag zone travelling from Oz. Wigan are up and running and should win by 10 to 20 points. .