Leeds Rhinos’ Rob Lui has been operating deep in enemy territory

Lui joined Rhinos from Coral Challenge Cup final opponents Salford Red Devils in June last year.

A move to Leeds would have meant his autistic son Matthias having to change schools so Lui still lives in the Salford area, but that means he can’t avoid bumping into rival fans when he is out and about.

Lui said: “At my son’s school one of the taxi drivers who drives one of the disability kids made a comment – ‘are you going to give your old boys a chance’?

“I get a little bit of this and that every now and then around Salford.

“I see them all wearing their Salford shirts loud and proud; they know I play for Leeds, but they treat me like normal.

“[This week] I’ll be doing what I do every day, take the kids to school, get some food at Asda or Morrisons.

“I will see them around here and there, but I’ll just be living a normal life in Salford.”

There may be one concession though. Lui added: “Sometimes I wear this [Rhinos training] jumper, so I get some looks then.

“I think this week I’ll probably go home after training and get changed and then go from there.”

If he wasn’t playing against them this weekend, subject to recovering from a sore knee, Lui would be cheering on his old team.

Both Cup finalists were in action at Emerald Headingley in a double-header last Thursday and Lui confirmed: “I did talk to their boys after the game.

“I said ‘great game and see you in the final’ and they said the same to me’.

“I enjoyed my time at Salford. Watto [coach Ian Watson] gave me a message saying ‘congrats for making Wembley’ and I messaged him back saying ‘congrats and we will see you there’.

“It is all respect with Salford. I am still mates with some of those boys and I live over there, but I represent Leeds, me and my family and I can’t wait until Saturday.

“I love it at Leeds, it’s a great bunch of boys and coaching staff as well.”

Two English coaches will go head to head at Wembley when Richard Agars pits his wits against Watson.

Comparing the two former half-backs, Lui said: “They both love the game, they are intense and they get the best out of you.

“I get along with them both, I respect them both, they are both doing good things for their clubs and I can’t speak higher of both of them.

“But I play for Rich, he has belief in me and hopefully I can give him a cup on Saturday.”

The move to Leeds cost Lui an appearance in last year’s Grand Final when Salford lost to St Helens.

That makes Saturday the biggest game of his career and playing at Wembley will fulfil a long-term ambition for someone who remembers watching Challenge Cup finals on television back home in Australia before moving to England.

He recalled: “The last one I watched over there was when Leeds won it.

“I have watched it every year since I have gotten over here and you always wish you were there.

“To do it this year, with everything that has gone on and this bunch of boys too, is good, but the job’s not done.

“Salford will bring their best game and we’ve got to match them. I think it is going to be a good game.”

Lui’s family in Australia will be watching the final, but he revealed a team-mate is rivalling him as their favourite Rhinos player.

“They have all been saying how good my number five is over here, Ash Handley,” he said.

“I’ve said ‘yes, he’s one of our best players’. They have become fans of him, they say he should be over there, but I’ve told them no, we are keeping him.”

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