Leeds star Robert Lui reveals huge off-field progress – and turns up the noise
ROBERT Lui hopes to keep certain people quiet when he and Tui Lolohea are next at a birthday party together.
But the Leeds man has revealed another voice may chip in after his son finally started making noises at the age of nine.
The stand-off and his opposite number at Salford are big mates off the pitch, even though they swapped clubs last year.
And when the pair go head-to-head tomorrow, one hopes to have the right to shout.
Lui said: “My missus and Fallon, Tui’s missus, get along really well and we’d see Tui at games and at birthday parties before the lockdown.
“He lives near me and we’re close as our kids are similar ages.
“After he played Hull, I messaged him saying, ‘Good game, bro,’ but come tomorrow it’ll be a different story.
“I want to compete against him because he’s got something there.”
Lui still lives in the Salford area because eldest son Matthias attends special school in the city as he suffers from autism.
But when he returns to class next week after summer holidays, he will be able to show off his new found skills, which are inspired by his two-year-old brother.
And after lockdown saw him only attend every other day, with his parents filling in, his proud dad suspects he will be glad to see the back of them.
Lui, 30, added: “My eldest is mute and doesn’t speak but during the break my youngest started saying a few little words and he’s starting too.
“It’s just little things but it’s really good as communication is the main thing for us all. He’s picked up a few words from the youngest.
“It might only be a few bits but that’s a massive thing. You feel sorry for him as we’re still growing with him really and we’re learning along the way.
“He went to school every other day, then the school holidays started. It was a big head thing for him, I felt sorry for the big fella.
“The school calls us every Wednesday to update homework and activities. They helped us out loads but he just wants to get out of the house.
“And every time I get home from training, he just wants to get out as he’s just locked in the house at the minute. Hopefully, when he gets back to school and gets his routine again, it will be happy days.
“Sometimes we even walk past school as he wants to go back – he’s sick of us. He’ll be way happier when he goes back. I guarantee he’ll be up at 6am and ready to go!”
