Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai are refusing to consider that their time together at Penrith is coming to an end as they plot to bring an historic fourth-straight NRL Premiership to the foot of the mountains.
With Cleary orchestrating a 46-10 defeat of the Dragons in his comeback last Sunday after 10 weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, the Panthers have put the rest of the competition on notice ahead of the NRL finals.
The star playmaker, who missed the entire Origin series, scored three tries, laid on two others and ran 242 metres with the ball as he shared the chief playmaking duties with Luai, who will join Wests Tigers next season.
Cleary said the move came after he spent his time on the sidelines looking at ways to help elevate Luai’s game while he took over the organising role in his absence.
All Tries – Dragons v Panthers
“I think that was probably the one main difference through that time I was out, just trying to find areas where I can complement his game and help him still do the things that he was doing really well," Cleary said. "I thought we did that quite well."
From under 16s representative honours to three premierships together, Cleary and Luai have played most of their football together and are so in sync that the duo can take a glance at each other on the field to dictate their next move.
Luai making magic
“I think me and Romey have a good understanding of each other. We know, sort of, when to do it and that's probably why I enjoy playing with him so much," Cleary said.
"Sometimes we don't even have to talk about it, we just sort of look at each other. We're constantly talking about it and seeing what works for him, what works for me and how we can best sort of give our best to the team”.
Yet despite the decorated history of the pair, Cleary insisted there were still more ways he and Luai can improve their combination in the backend of the season as the Panthers aim to win a fourth consecutive title.
"You've got to constantly evolve, you can't just stay stagnant and be happy with where you're at because teams get better every year and teams get better every week," he said.
“They're always coming for you, so you've got to be ready for that and you've got to keep improving, keep getting better and it's no different for me and Romey [Luai] in our combination”.
If the pair stay fit and Penrith make a fifth straight grand final, Cleary and Luai will have a maximum of 10 more NRL games together, including Sunday's match against the Knights.
However, Cleary said he and Luai were refusing to dwell on the end of their partnership at the Panthers.
“Yeah, it hasn't really sunk in, I just want to enjoy it, and not thinking too far ahead," Cleary said. "I’m just staying in the present moment, enjoying that.
"You know, it will be a sad time when it comes but we're try not to think about it too much and just making the most of it."
