‘Know your worth’: Luai’s dig at Cleary amid $1.7m Panthers offer, coach’s ‘risk’ warning

Jarome Luai has taken a subtle dig at Ivan Cleary after the Panthers coach warned NRL rivals of the “risk” in signing him.

Jarome Luai and Ivan Cleary.

Jarome Luai has taken a thinly veiled dig at Ivan Cleary after the Panthers coach warned rival clubs about recruiting him.

Luai is contracted with Penrith for next season but his future beyond then is up in the air amid ongoing contract negotiations.

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The Panthers have tabled a two-year extension worth $1.7 million for Luai to stay with the team he’s won three consecutive premierships with.

Luai officially hit the open market on November 1 and is expected to attract offers from clubs worth more than $1 million per season.

Playmakers are highly sought after in the NRL and the five-eighth could step out of Nathan Cleary’s shadow and become the main man at another team.

On Thursday, Luai took to his Instagram stories, posting an anime-styled image of himself with the caption ‘Know Your Worth’.

Jarome Luai took a cheeky swipe at Panthers coach Ivan Cleary on Instagram. Picture: Instagram

Luai’s future is up in the air. Picture: NRL Photos

It was a not so subtle jab at his coach after Cleary said other NRL clubs would be taking a risk by signing Luai given he hasn’t had to be the central playmaker in a team.

“Is he ready for that? That’s a question mark I would think,” Cleary said.

“Can he do it? I’m sure he could do it. Has he done it? He hasn’t really. In this team he has his role to play. That’s a risk everyone would have to take.

“Everyone is always looking for high-quality halves and he’s definitely one of those.

“But he knows where we’re at, so it’s just a matter of him getting what’s out there, checking it out and coming back and then we’ll see what happens after that.

“It’s hard to say exactly what we would do or we wouldn’t do. We have made it pretty clear what we can afford, but there’s something there’s always other things you can maybe do.

“We want to make it really clear we want him to stay. I’m pretty sure he wants to say that as well. But money talks, so I guess we will see.

“I guess once they’re actually concrete offers he can sort of understand more about the decisions to be made, so see how that goes.”

Ivan Cleary wants Luai to stay at the Panthers. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Cleary said he would love Luai to stay at the Panthers, but conceded “money talks”.

“I personally believe that he belongs here. I think we’re good for him and he’s good for us,” he said.

“But there’s no doubt if the offers we are hearing … the thing is before today, they’re just maybes. I guess once they’re actually concrete offers he can sort of understand more about the decisions to be made, so see how that goes.”

Despite the unknowns, and confirming their may be some room to adjust their own offer once the rival bids became clear, Cleary said he was “comfortable” with the situation and remained confident Luai would remain with the club.

— With NCA Newswire

Originally published as ‘Know your worth’: Luai’s dig at Cleary amid $1.7m Panthers offer, coach’s ‘risk’ warning