Jarome Luai arrives at NSW camp to replace Mitchell Moses after Eels star is ruled out of State of Origin II with calf injury

Jarome Luai is back in blue, with the Tigers star rushed into NSW camp after after a shattered Mitch Moses was ruled out of Origin II. Watch as Luai speaks for the first time since his surprise Blues recall.

New Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai has spoken for the first time about his shock recall to the NSW side after a shattered Mitch Moses was cruelly ruled out of State of Origin II.

“Let’s go. Excited, I’m here to help bring the shield back home,” Luai said.

Four-time premiership partners Luai and Nathan Cleary have now been reunited as NSW’s halves after ripping into each other at club level last Sunday when Penrith played Wests Tigers.

Cleary and Luai - the Blues brothers – immediately bonded and were spotted chatting and eating together inside the NSW camp on Thursday night.

Asked how difficult it would be to slot-in so close to Wednesday’s Origin game in Perth, Luai said: “Not hard, I’ve been here before, I know what it takes, I’ve done the work. I will lock-in and zone in and know what I need to do in the number six role.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity because I know there were a few options they could have gone with but they went with me and I’ll make sure I will repay that faith. I will just need to do my job and give the other boys confidence.

“It was a bit weird playing against (Cleary) a couple of days ago and now I get the opportunity to run out there alongside him and the other Penrith boys as well. They are a big motivation of mine to be here in the first place, I can’t wait.”

Luai arrived in NSW camp at Leura around 5.45pm on Thursday, his driver entering the resort through the exit.

Jarome Luai is back in NSW blue. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Moses was sent for immediate scans after sustaining a calf injury while running the football down the short side around 20 minutes into NSW’s training session on Thursday morning at Wentworth Falls.

The Eels star pulled up straight away during an opposed session with the Entrance Tigers with an acute tear to the same left calf he injured in Origin I. The shock withdrawal forced NSW coach Laurie Daley to recall Luai, who was originally overlooked for Moses in Origin I.

Mitchell Moses injured his calf on Thursday morning. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Daley sought and received an NRL exemption for Luai to join the Blues squad ahead of Wednesday night’s big game Perth. NSW decided to swing Luai directly into the starting side, leaving Canterbury’s Matt Burton as 18th man.

It is a sizable setback for NSW given Moses was so impressive in Brisbane although Luai was part of the victorious NSW squad from last year. He left the team’s Blue Mountains resort through a side door to avoid waiting media and was picked up by his wife, Bri.

Luai had just finished training with Wests Tigers when contacted by Blues team performance manager, Frank Ponissi.

“Jarome said (when overlooked for Origin I) that he would be ready if needed so when I rang him he said: ‘Sweet, I’m ready to go’. That filled me with confidence. I asked him: ‘You want to play Origin? He said yes. It was as simple as that,” Daley said.

“He played last year, is a left-side player and has a combination with Nathan. He has won four grand finals and won the Origin series last year so everyone would have confidence and faith in him.

“I don’t know Jarome that well but he would believe in himself that he can come in and do the job at short notice. Everyone will feed off his energy and I don’t think anything phases Jarome. He is always up for a challenge. The bigger the challenge, the better he goes.

“Jarome and Nathan have had so much success and there will be an energy and synergy with them back playing together. They know each other’s games so well – it will bring out the best in them. But it’s terrible for Mitch, isn’t it? He played well in game one and started off really well this week.”

Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary will pair up once again for NSW.

The Blues were attempting to remain upbeat but most were upset that Moses will miss out on Perth.

NSW players continued to train after watching Moses, now in doubt for Parramatta’s round 16 game against Gold Coast, pull up lame. Ponissi, initially addressed the media when the team returned to the Fairmont Resort.

“Mitch took the ball down the short side and he has been ruled out of State of Origin II,” Ponissi said.

Blues Forward Hudson Young admitted Moses would have known his injury was serious “straight away.”

“One thing you learn in footy is that things change every single day,” Young said. “With soft tissue injuries, you know straight away. I actually didn’t see it when it happened, I just saw him off to the side. It’s obviously not great news but one thing we’re not short of is depth in the halves.

“Mitch would be disappointed but these things can’t be helped. He will be going through a tough time because these are the games you thrive on and want to play in. You want to challenge yourself.”

Daley denied his side would be distracted or downcast at Moses’ loss.

“It won’t be a distraction for us, it won’t be a drama,” he said. “I’d be disappointed if we lost a guy six days out and we couldn’t cope with that. It’s not like we’re bringing in a rookie. Jarome thrives in this environment. It shouldn’t be an issue for him so it shouldn’t be an issue for anyone else.

“There will only be a couple of training sessions but the fact he has played with that left edge last year is an advantage for us. It’s not like you’re bringing in someone who hasn’t been here before. It is what it is. It’s disappointing for Mitch but we’re excited for Jarome.

“I had a chat to Matty (Burton) and he was disappointed but you want him to be disappointed, He gives us more versatility in that 18th man role.”

Blues hooker Reece Robson added: “We saw Mitch stop and then limp off. We will still ‘prep’ without him as best we can.”

Originally published as Jarome Luai arrives at NSW camp to replace Mitchell Moses after Eels star is ruled out of State of Origin II with calf injury