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Blues playmaker Luai not sorry after taunting KO'd Maroons wing
By AAP
NSW’s Jarome Luai is again being labelled a “grub” after he stood over Selwyn Cobbo and taunted the winger after he’d been knocked unconscious early in Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider.
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But the five-eighth, who spoke to the Queensland youngster after the match, said he hadn’t apologised, instead suggesting his actions were just part of a heated Origin rivalry.
“I actually didn’t know he was knocked out,” Luai said.
“But that’s Origin, heat of the moment stuff and we play with a lot of passion.
“I spoke to him after the game and he was all good, so it was good to see that.
“I don’t think I have anything to apologise for, there wasn’t any harm, and I didn’t touch him.”
Cobbo was out cold just two minutes into the contest after copping friendly fire, running into teammate Patrick Carrigan’s hip as he looked to lay a tackle.
Luai was first on the scene, standing over the 20-year-old and yelling down at him before Queensland’s Josh Papalii led the remonstrations.
It’s not the first time Luai has drawn heat for his taunts, famously photographed staring down Maroon Felise Kaufusi after he’d been dropped in last year’s series opener.
Asked how the “grub” tag sat with him, Luai suggested it was water off a duck’s back.
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“They’ve always called me that,” he said.
“As the fans of the sport, they need to take into consideration that they’re not out there on the field.”
Queensland forward Tino Fa’asuamaleaui admitted he was fired up after seeing the Cobbo incident from the sidelines.
“I felt like running on … I was on the bench at the time and I was so angry about it,” he told AAP.
“That’s football, that’s State of Origin, it’s a tough game and it’s always like that.”
Fellow Maroon Kurt Capewell, who was a Penrith teammate of Luai’s in 2020 and 2021, said it was what you should always expect from the five-eighth.
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“It’s Origin – if you’re not firing up, you shouldn’t be here,” he told AAP.
“To be honest, ‘Romes’ obviously plays with his heart on his sleeve at all times.
“He brought it, we brought it, it was a great game of footy.”