Left-field method behind sensational Luai return

Penrith Panthers star Jarome Luai has credited "bone broth" for his lightning quick recovery from a dislocated shoulder ahead of Sunday's NRL grand final.

Luai's season looked finished when he was helped off the ground after hurting his shoulder in round 26, but the five-eighth made a successful return in last weekend's preliminary final against the Storm.

The 26-year-old graded his shoulder a seven out of 10, saying the joint is "not too far off" being 100 per cent while opening up on his left-field recovery method.

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"Recovery, physio, a lot of bone broth," he told 9News Sydney when asked about what he did to heal his shoulder inside a month.

"I think it did (help). Some creams and ointments. I was down at the organic shop in Penrith a lot just trying to do whatever, all the little (one) percenters that people don't see to get back."

Much has been made of Penrith's culture in the lead-up to the grand final, with the two-time reigning champs labelled arrogant by some, but Luai gave an insight into the no-frills culture that has turned the Panthers into a ruthless winning machine.

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"Dylan (Edwards) was into me and said, 'it's no broken foot', so it put me in my place and gave me motivation to get back," he said.

"The boys are into me about it (his shoulder injury) all the time, but that's just the sort of culture we've built.

"Play in pain, no one cares about how you feel at the end of the day, you've just got to get the job done."

The outspoken Luai has been at the centre of why some have called the Panthers arrogant, but league great Billy Slater defended he and his star teammates.

"I talk to them occasionally at the games and interview them and they seem like great young men," he said on Wide World of Sports' The Billy Slater Podcast.

"Sure they might not have had the luxuries that some people have had in their childhood and growing up, but they are great young men.

"Their parents need to be really proud of the young men that they've helped bring up and they're doing a great job for their community."