Jarome Luai may not have decided on his longer-term NRL playing future, but off the field he has made a very big commitment by proposing to his long-time girlfriend on Christmas Day.
Luai and his beaming partner Bailey Paris Toleafoa took to Instagram on Monday to announce the happy news and show off the dazzling engagement ring.
“My best friend said yes,” Luai captioned a photo of Ms. Toleafoa holding the diamond-encrusted ring for a close-up camera shot.
“Forever with my best friend,” Ms. Toleafoa wrote while the loved-up couple also shared a photo of a kiss between the pair.
Penrith NRL star Jarome Luai popped the question to longtime girlfriend Bailey Paris Toleafoa on Christmas Day
The couple has three children together, Izzy, Akira and Halo.
Penrith Panthers teammate and close friend of Luai Brian To'o was one of the first to react to the happy news.
'My dudeyyys! I couldn't be happier for a deserving couple,” he wrote on Instagram.
Luai was best man when To'o married his longtime partner Moesha Crichton-Ropati in December last year.
To'o introduced immediately after Penrith triumphed in the 2021 grand final, the first of three consecutive premierships he and Luai have claimed as teammates at the club.
However, Luai's best man speech did not go down well with him, with him mentioning some of his To'o's alleged unsavory personal hygiene habits and hinting that the winger had 'facetimed' other women while the pair were roommates in England visiting Samoa represented at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup competition.
The amorous couple made the announcement on Instagram, where they were congratulated by some of Luai's teammates
Luai and Mrs Toleafoa hold two of their three children after an NRL match with three-time premiership-winning side Penrith
Luai later apologized for the speech, which he said was so embarrassing for the families of the bride and groom as well as his own.
Penrith winger Sunia Turuva appeared to allude to the incident in his response to Luai's announcement on Monday, posting 'SPEEEEEECH' on Instagram.
“No, no speeches at my wedding,” Luai replied with a laughing emoji.
It has been reported that Luai, who is out of contract at the end of next year, has signed a whopping five-year, $6 million deal to move to Penrith rivals the West Tigers, who finished at the other end of the NRL table then Penrith. this year by taking out a wooden spoon.
Despite the Tigers wanting to officially announce the signing last week, it was postponed until after Christmas, with Luai understanding he was still concerned about the decision.
Luai's Penrith halves partner Nathan Cleary has also been in the news for his blossoming romance with Matildas striker Mary Fowler with the pair seen trying out each other's sports after returning home from Britain for Christmas.