‘We need him’: Luai reflects on Galvin’s return to the Wests Tigers
“With him in the team, it makes the team better,” Luai said.
“We need him to be at his best. We want him to be at his best because he brings a lot to this team. This is business. We have a job to do out there. For our team to be at our best, he needs to be part of this team. Whatever has happened in the past has happened. Now we’re looking to bigger and better things.
“This is business and we have a job to do. Our job is to get results. We’re not going to get results if we don’t have connection as a team. We don’t have to all be best mates, but we need to have a connection. It’s water under a bridge, bra. We move on. We enjoy playing the game.”
Luai has been at the centre of plenty of controversy throughout his career. He knows what it is like to feel like the world is against you and conceded that his prior experiences has helped him reflect on the situation differently once the emotion was taken out of it.
“I’ve had a few years in the league now,” he said.
“I know my role and responsibility is to do what’s best for the team. As captain, it’s a bit of unknown waters for me. I’m still learning along the way but I’m enjoying the process. I play this game to win. Before I take the field I always have the mindset of ‘I’m going to win tonight’. I think if I ever lose that, it will be when I don’t want to play any more.
“Every time I take the field with my brothers, I’m coming to win. I hope that spreads among my team and they feel that vibe from me. That’s a trait that I bring, and I never want to lose that.”
Luai is in a three-way battle with Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary for two positions in the NSW halves for this year’s State of Origin.
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His role at the Tigers is different to the one that he is likely to play for NSW if he is chosen for the opening game of the series in Brisbane on May 28, but knows that he can adjust to suit the needs of the team.
“If that opportunity comes I’m ready for it,” he said.
“You know what I’m like in that arena. I enjoy the battle. I enjoy the challenge. It sounds pretty cliche, but I’m locked in to what I’m doing here. If that opportunity comes, it will come because I deserve it. Whatever happens, happens. I’m a role player. I’m a team player. Whatever role I’m in, I’ll always do what’s best for the team.”
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