Jarome Luai is keeping a little brown book, and it’s making his impending departure from Penrith that little bit more bearable.
“It’s a little brown journal I keep at home,” Luai said.
“I miss a few nights here and there. But I am trying to be more consistent with it.
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“It’s helped me. And I think it will help me when I’m looking back on to it and lessons I have learned already.
“It’s just little conversations with the boys that are leaving and conversations with my partner about it all.”
Luai’s last ride at Penrith will officially commence on Friday night — his final home game at BlueBet Stadium.
A win over the Sydney Roosters will send Penrith to a preliminary final, and Luai is desperate for the journey to end with a fourth straight premiership.
Bound for Wests Tigers next year, Luai is making no secret this is an emotional time.
He has been part of academies with several of his Penrith teammates for the past decade.
There have also been 126 games alongside Nathan Cleary in the halves at all levels since they first linked up in U16s, with his halves partner to return from a shoulder injury on Friday night.
“A lot of my best mates are here, so the thought of not seeing them every day is an unknown feeling,” Luai said.
“We do a lot of mental training here and a lot of work on staying in the moment and staying present.
“(That’s why) I’ve been doing a bit of journalling, probably more this year than before.
“I’m making sure that I’m present, and that’s the most important thing.”
Luai is the first to admit the emotions of his exit have hit him at different times this year.
He has been asked this week to recount his first games in the NRL at BlueBet Stadium, where he first started as a short-haired halfback in 2018.
The 27-year-old has also considered retiring his boots after Friday night’s match, in a bid to keep a piece of the ground’s turf at home with him.
“I’ve been (trying to take it all in) a fair bit after every game. I try to sit there for a couple of minutes with my babies and soak it up,” Luai said.
“Both on and off the field you mature with time. You go through a lot and you experience a lot.
“I’ve learnt a lot about footy and about being a man.
“I’ve got to be part of this great team and created something special for years to come, even after we leave.”
It’s part of the reason why Luai has vowed to try and keep his emotions to the little brown journal, and let his football do the talking on the field.
“It was a bit of a challenge after Origin because it was coming pretty fast for me,” Luai said.
“But I think being able to talk about it and address how I was feeling helped me understand that I still have a job to do.
“I have to put the emotion aside and put the worker’s hat on to make sure I’m doing my job first and foremost.”
