Whilst we know there are no guarantees in life, fancy one minute watching your son and brother tearing it up on the rugby league field and then moments later noticing him just collapse of the field in an unconscious state, before having to be airlifted to Canberra Hospital.
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What Gino and Jenny Polimeni went through last week along with their younger son Joey, is every parents and family's nightmare. Although dying is a part of life, sometimes we just expect people to pull through. The writer of this editorial thought Lui would.
Lui’s family along with the wider community have been incredibly brave in this whole ordeal, which some of us are still trying to come to terms with.
What we know is that Lui lived life to the full. His legacy needs to and will live on though those who knew him. It was not that long ago that he was branded a hero for helping save the life of his good friend Tyson Ings who had hit his head on a tree while swing roping into the Murrumbidgee River at Jugiong.
Lui’s best friend, Tom Butt, wore the recently deceased’s headgear on Saturday and expressed his feelings after the match as follows:
“Was an honour to pull on your headgear Lui mate! You played with such heart and courage every time you pulled on the boots! Glad we could pull through and get the win for ya, I'm gonna miss you so much and I'll be thinking of you everyday😢 #livelikelui #playlikelui”.
On the field, Lui was a serious talent. He had terrific game sense, wonderful ball handling skills, a terrific step and a good turn of speed.
There are few networks which brace their own the way sporting one does. That has been most evident in the past week from the national stage to local sport. Lui’s own community of Jugiong, Harden Murrumburrah and Gundagai are pretty special too. They will continue to support the Polimeni family in these tough times
A suggestion was made in passing to the Harden Murrumburrah Express last week that the Harden Touch Football Association teams should compete for the Lui Polimeni Cup or Shield. What better way to commemorate him. After all, he did dominate week in week out. Rest easy Lui Polimeni, I'm sure opposition defences will also, knowing that they don’t have to play against you. #livelikelui #playlikelui