NRL world erupts over Jarome Luai’s ‘idiot’ post after State of Origin loss

Jarome Luai became public enemy No. 1 overnight with the NRL star biting back with one post that has sent social media wild.

Jarome Luai's IG post sparks backlash

Jarome Luai sparked a flurry of backlash on social media in the wake of NSW’s latest State of Origin loss on Wednesday night.

The Blues lost game two and the 2023 series at Suncorp Stadium as the QLD Maroons ran riot to secure a 32-6 victory.

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Luai came under fire and quickly became public enemy No. 1 in Queensland when he stood over Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans.

In the dying stages of the bloodbath contest the Penrith Panters star was sent off after headbutting Maroons fullback Reece Walsh.

But it was the 26-year-old’s social media activity that saw him pour fuel on the fire as the five-eighth hit back.

The post on his Instagram stories showed him sitting against the Suncorp Stadium goalposts with a controversial caption.

“Chill,” Luai wrote in the early hours of Thursday morning. “All you idiots have work tomorrow morning,” along with seven crying laughing emojis.

At the bottom of the image Luai then wrote: “we go again,” alongside a samurai emoji.

Jarome Luai's fiery Instagram post

The NRL villain strikes again. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

However on Thursday, NSW coach Brad Fittler revealed Luai’s post was actually prompted by alleged death threats after he was inundated with social media abuse.

“I think that was a reaction to some death threats he got on social media,” Fittler said.

“To put it in context, he was, there was a reaction to what people were saying on his social media.

“So let’s not try to blow it out of proportion and gauge (if the post was directed) towards a certain type of supporter.”

The post quickly spread around social media with fans left in disbelief. Andrew Voss said the upload left him “gobsmacked”.

“I am looking at an Instagram post and I am gobsmacked,” Voss said on SEN.

“What the hell is that. This is not a player representing the state.

“Jarome Luai, how is anyone meant to take that? Jarome Luai what the hell have you done.

“How could an Instagram post be a motivation after losing a game and the series is lost?”

It remains unclear who Luai is directing the post at, however he has always been public enemy No.1 north of the border - and at times everywhere else in the NRL world too.

It isn’t the first time he has caused a stir online.

He courted controversy on his Instagram account following last year’s grand final, when he used a racial slur over a photo of himself with Panthers teammate Jaeman Salmon.

He later defended the post, saying, “I’ve got a saying for myself: if you’re not hated you’re not doing it right. So I’ve sort of embraced that a bit”.

The NRL integrity unit investigated that incident, but Luai was permitted to head to England to represent Samoa at the World Cup.

Jarome Luai's controversial post-GF upload.

Luai, like many of his Blues teammates, failed to fire on Wednesday night as the Maroons made it back-to-back series wins.

He came under constant fire before the contest got underway and right through until the final whistle blew.

As both teams lined up for the national anthems, fans couldn’t help but notice Luai and Payne Haas had refused to link arms with their teammates.

Haas and Luai doing their own thing. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The criticism came flooding in during the early stages of the contest after dumping Cherry-Evans to the turf before standing over the top of him.

“Daly Cherry-Evans on the ground there, they got tangled and then Luai stands over the top of Daly Cherry-Evans,” Cameron Smith said on Nine.

Mat Thompson added: “The crowd don’t like the extra attention from Jarome Luai. This is tense. They don’t know what went on there.”

In the dying moments Luai thrust himself back into controversy when he came head-to-head with Walsh.

Luai stands over DCE during Origin 2.

Jarome Luai of the Blues and Reece Walsh of the Maroons scuffle. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

A tussle between the two sides broke out following a late hit on Walsh. As the players came together Luai confronted the Queensland fullback before both men were sent off for headbutting.

Luai opened up on the outburst in the dying stages and put it down to his competitive spirit taking over.

“Just a bit of emotion, I’m a sore loser as well so I am just disappointed man,” Luai said.

“I just hate to lose, they won… it’s footy for me, what happens on the field stays on the field.

“It’s a good rivalry we have now, but Queensland won the series so good on them.”

The verbal barbs flew between Luai and Walsh, but the NSW Blues player refused to indulge when asked what was said between the pair.

“I’m not going to repeat what was said out there, but if you want to ask him he might tell you,” Luai said.

“He won the Origin series and yeah… no (it didn’t cross the line), it is fair game.”

Both players have avoided bans for the ugly late-game altercation, but were both fined 23 per cent of their match fees after being hit with grade 2 striking charges.

Originally published as NRL world erupts over Jarome Luai’s ‘idiot’ post after State of Origin loss