Penrith will be praying Jarome Luai’s rap sheet doesn’t come back to bite him after the Panthers five-eighth was placed on report for a shoulder charge in their 26-6 victory over Melbourne.
The Storm were the latest side to be chewed up and spat out at the foot of the mountains as Penrith made it six wins on the spin as they edge towards what seems an inevitable second-straight minor premiership.
But Luai’s availability for their run home – in which they face Manly, Gold Coast, Parramatta and North Queensland – is up in the air after he was placed on report by referee Adam Gee for a shoulder charge on Melbourne prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Luai made no attempt to wrap his arm as he clocked Asofa-Solomona in the head in the 47th minute, forcing the Kiwi Test forward to spill the ball on Friday night.
The Samoan international already has two previous charges against his name this year and a third for a shoulder charge could result in him missing up to four matches.
Luai scored a try and was involved in a number of skirmishes and flash points in a game in which Penrith underlined their status as the NRL’s team to beat.
For so long that tag belonged to Melbourne, but the Panthers appear near impossible to knock over, particularly at home.
They have won 33 of 36 games played at BlueBet Stadium since the start of 2020 and despite an early scare never looked like being overcome by Craig Bellamy’s side.
Nick Meaney and Nathan Cleary exchanged early penalties but it was the Storm who raced into an early lead when Young Tonumaipea made a retreating Penrith defence pay in the 15th minute.
Melbourne winger George Jennings limped off in the aftermath with a suspected MCL injury and joins Jahrome Hughes, Xavier Coates and Reimis Smith on the sidelines.
A routine finish in the corner allowed Brian To’o to level for the Panthers before Luai and Stephen Crichton crossed to put them 20-6 up at halftime.
To’o added a second in the 50th minute as Penrith reverted to type, grinding the Storm into the ground and suffocating any attacking impetus they had.
