Robert Lui

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Robert Lui
Lui playing for Wests' under-20s in 2009
Personal information
Born (1990-02-23) 23 February 1990
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 94 kg (14 st 11 lb)
Playing information
Position Five-eighth, Halfback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2009–2011 Wests Tigers 43 9 0 1 37
2012- North Queensland 17 7 5 0 38
Total 60 16 5 1 75
As of 9 November 2011
Source: League Central RLP

Robert Lui (Born 23 February 1990 in Townsville, Queensland) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League (NRL). He is of Torres Strait Islander background and previously played for three seasons with the Wests Tigers.

Junior Years

Lui played as a junior with the Upper Ross Rams in Townsville, and then the Central Comets[1] before being spotted by the Tigers and undertaking a scholarship at Keebra Park High.[2] In 2007, he made the Queensland Open Schoolboys side and accepted a scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport.[3]

Playing career

Lui played for the Tigers' NYC team in 2009. He made his NRL debut in Round 23, 2009, 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.[4] At the end of the season, Lui was named in the Toyota Cup Team of the Year.[5]

In March, 2010, 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."[6]

Lui was named to start the 2010 season at halfback,[7] 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,[8] with one newspaper describing his last game of the year, in the preliminary final, as the, "best game of his career."[9]

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.[10] He had previously been charged with similar offences after an incident at the end of 2010 season, with those charges being dismissed in April.[11] 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.[12]

Lui signed a two-year contract to play for the North Queensland Cowboys from 2012.[13] Lui made his debut for the Cowboys in round 1 of the 2012 NRL season, 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. Lui 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 several months earlier. His ban was placed on him from round 8 of the NRL season. Lui was free to start playing rugby league again in the 2013 trials.

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.

Personal life

Phillip Lui, Robert's father, played for Queensland A in the late 80s.[2]

Cowboys team mate Ray Thompson is Lui's son's Godfather.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Josh Massoud (12 August 2009). "Wests Tigers pick swimming pool lifeguard Robert Lui to make debut against Sharks". Courier Mail. Retrieved 19 May 2010. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Glenn Jackson (17 August 2010). "Tears flow as a family lives out its dream". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 May 2010. 
  3. ↑ "Keebra Park". ourfootyteam.com. Retrieved 22 May 2010. 
  4. ↑ David Beniuk (4 October 2009). "Melbourne Storm defeat Wests Tigers 24-22 to win 2009 Toyota Cup". Fox News (Australia). Retrieved 19 May 2010. 
  5. ↑ "2009 Toyota Cup Team of the Year". nrl.com. Retrieved 19 May 2010. 
  6. ↑ "Robert Lui signs two-year deal with Wests Tigers". Herald Sun. 3 March 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010. 
  7. ↑ Chris Barrett (10 March 2010). "Hasler plots torrid welcome for Tuqiri". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 May 2010. 
  8. ↑ 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. 
  9. ↑ Josh Rakic (26 September 2010). "Tigers player ratings". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 September 2010. 
  10. ↑ Greg Prichard (10 December 2011). "Lui assault case adjourned until next season". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 January 2012. 
  11. ↑ "NRL player Robert Lui stood down after assault charge". Sydney Morning Herald. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012. 
  12. ↑ "Robert Lui gets two-year good behaviour bond, $2000 fine for assault on girlfriend". The Australian. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Lui signs with Cowboys". Sportal. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011. 
  14. ↑ Antony Stewart (24 November 2011). "Thompson to outwork his rivals for No. 6". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 27 January 2013. 
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