Robert Lui

Robert Lui (born 23 February 1990) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a stand-off or scrum-half for the Leeds Rhinos in the Betfred Super League.

Rob Lui
Personal information
Full nameRobert Lui
Born (1990-02-23) 23 February 1990
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Height5 ft 10 in (1.77 m)
Weight15 st 2 lb (96 kg)
Playing information
PositionStand-off, Scrum-half
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2009–11 Wests Tigers 43 9 0 1 37
2012–15 North Qld Cowboys 46 13 5 0 62
2016–19 Salford Red Devils 102 32 33 0 194
2019(loan) → Leeds Rhinos 10 3 0 0 12
2020– Leeds Rhinos 16 3 0 0 12
Total 217 60 38 1 317
As of 1 January 2021
Source: [1][2][3]

He has previously played for the Wests Tigers and the North Queensland Cowboys in the NRL and the Salford Red Devils in the Super League. He spent the latter part of the 2019 Super League season on loan from Salford at Leeds.

Background

Lui was born and brought up in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. He is of Torres Strait Islander descent.

He played his junior football with the Upper Ross Rams and later for the Centrals Tigers[4] before being spotted by the Tigers and undertaking a scholarship at Keebra Park High on the Gold Coast, Queensland.[5] In 2007, he made the Queensland Open Schoolboys side and accepted a scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport.[6] After completing high school, Lui joined the Wests Tigers NYC team in 2008.

Playing career
Lui playing for Wests' under-20s in 2009
Lui playing for Wests' under-20s in 2009

2009

Lui started the season playing for the Tigers' NYC team. He made his NRL debut in Round 23, in a 56–10 win over Cronulla Sharks, and played 2 further games near the end of the season. Returning to the Wests Tigers' NYC team, he played in the team that lost the Grand Final to Melbourne Storm, scoring a try in the second half.[7] At the end of the season, Lui was named in the Toyota Cup Team of the Year.[8]

2010

In March, Lui re-signed for the Wests Tigers to the end of the 2012 season, with coach Tim Sheens describing him as, "an integral part of the team."[9]

Lui was named to start the season at halfback,[10] but suffered an injury in round 2. Upon his return, in round 10, he scored his first try. Lui played 17 games in 2010, improving as the season progressed,[11] with one newspaper describing his last game of the year, in the preliminary final, as the, "best game of his career."[12]

2011

Lui played in 23 games in 2011, scoring 5 tries. From round 17 onward, Lui was halfback as Wests Tigers won nine games straight, eventually losing in the semi-final. Lui was said to be, "the first halfback in years to properly gel with Benji Marshall."[13]

At the end of the 2011 season, Lui was released from his contract with the Wests Tigers after he was charged with assaulting his partner, Taleah Rae Backo, in her North Strathfield home.[14] He had previously been charged with similar offences after an incident at the end of 2010 season, with those charges being dismissed in April.[15] He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on his former partner and was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond and fined $2000.[16]

2012

Lui signed a two-year contract to play for his hometown team, the North Queensland Cowboys.[17] He made his debut for the Cowboys in Round 1, coming off the bench to play in the halves. The next few weeks Lui was pushed back to reserve grade to regain match fitness after his pre-season was hindered by a serious knee injury. He played in five games for the Northern Pride. Lui's 2012 campaign was cut short however after being suspended from playing any form of rugby league for the rest of the season after pleading guilty to an assault charge placed against him several months earlier. His ban was placed on him from Round 8. He was free to start playing rugby league again in the 2013 trials.

2013

Although being suspended for a majority of the 2012 season, Lui retained his job at the North Queensland Cowboys and remained training with the club full-time for the rest of his suspension. Before his suspension, Lui was regarded as a possible future representative player and was included in the 2011 Emerging Origin Squad for Queensland.

2014

In February 2014, Lui was a member of North Queensland's victorious Auckland Nines side. On 2 September 2014, Lui agreed to a one-year contract extension with the club, keeping him in Townsville until the end of 2015.[18]

2015

Lui spent the majority of the 2015 season playing for North Queensland's feeder side, the Townsville Blackhawks. On 3 October, Lui signed a one-year deal with the Salford Red Devils, reuniting him former coach Tim Sheens.[19]

2016

Lui made a total of 21 appearances for Salford in 2016 scoring 11 tries.

2017

On 23 June 2017, Salford were up by three converted tries with less than five minutes to play against St Helens. St Helens then scored three converted tries in four minutes to make the score 24–24. With seconds remaining, Lui tried and in-field kick which was picked up by Saints player Matty Smith who kicked a long range field goal to win the match for St Helens 25–24.[20]

On 27 June 2017, Lui signed a long-term contract to remain at Salford. [21]

2018

Lui made 21 appearances for Salford in 2018 and finished as the top point scorer for the club. At the start of the year he was subject to a bid by Hull Kingston Rovers which was rejected by Salford.[22]

2019

Lui signed on loan from the Salford Red Devils until the end of the 2019 season, and later signed a two-year contract with Leeds from the 2020 season onwards.[23]

2020

On 17 October, Lui played in the 2020 Challenge Cup Final which Leeds won 17–16 over Salford at Wembley Stadium.[24]

Statistics

NRL
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2014 season [25]
Season Team Matches T G GK % F/G Pts
2009 Wests Tigers 300—00
2010 Wests Tigers 1740—117
2011 Wests Tigers 2350—020
2012 North Queensland 100—00
2013 North Queensland 167571.4038
2014 North Queensland 2560—024
2015 North Queensland 400—00
Career totals 89 22 5 71.4 0 99

Personal life

Phillip Lui, Robert's father, played for Queensland A in the late 1980s.[5]

Former Cowboys' teammate and good friend Ray Thompson is godfather to Lui's son.[26]

References
  1. loverugbyleague
  2. League Central
  3. RLP
  4. Josh Massoud (12 August 2009). "Wests Tigers pick swimming pool lifeguard Robert Lui to make debut against Sharks". Courier Mail. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  5. Glenn Jackson (17 August 2010). "Tears flow as a family lives out its dream". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  6. "Keebra Park". ourfootyteam.com. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  7. David Beniuk (4 October 2009). "Melbourne Storm defeat Wests Tigers 24-22 to win 2009 Toyota Cup". Fox News (Australia). Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  8. "2009 Toyota Cup Team of the Year". nrl.com. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  9. "Robert Lui signs two-year deal with Wests Tigers". Herald Sun. 3 March 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  10. Chris Barrett (10 March 2010). "Hasler plots torrid welcome for Tuqiri". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  11. Ian McCullough (6 June 2010). "Lui steps out from Farah and Marshall's shadows to make his own mark". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  12. Josh Rakic (26 September 2010). "Tigers player ratings". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  13. Nick Campton (2 July 2015). "Under-20s 2009 Team of the Year: Where are they now?". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  14. Greg Prichard (10 December 2011). "Lui assault case adjourned until next season". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  15. "NRL player Robert Lui stood down after assault charge". Sydney Morning Herald. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  16. "Robert Lui gets two-year good behaviour bond, $2000 fine for assault on girlfriend". The Australian. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  17. "Lui signs with Cowboys". Sportal. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  18. "Cowboys resign Robert Lui for 2015". www.nrl.com.
  19. "Tim Sheens stays and six players sign". www.bbc.co.uk.
  20. "St Helens 25-24 Salford Red Devils". www.bbc.co.uk.
  21. "Salford Red Devils half-back signs contract extension". www.bbc.co.uk.
  22. "Salford Red Devils reject Hull KR bid for Robert Lui". www.skysports.com.
  23. "Leeds Rhinos land Robert Lui in Tui Lolohea swap deal with Salford". www.sportingnews.com.
  24. "Leeds beat Salford 17-16 after Luke Gale lands late winning drop-goal". www.bbc.co.uk.
  25. Robert Lui's player profile at Rugby League Project
  26. Antony Stewart (24 November 2011). "Thompson to outwork his rivals for No. 6". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
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