AARON LAWTON - Sunday News

And last night he told Sunday News he has dedicated the rest of his career to the former Warriors star who was swept out to sea in early January at Bethells Beach near Auckland.

The loss of Fai has been felt throughout the league community but for Luke, in particular, it has been harder than most.

"Sonny and I played Junior Kiwis together in '04 and '05," said Luke, who will star for South Sydney in today's NRL clash at Mt Smart Stadium - a match being promoted as league's Sonny Fai memorial.

"Everything that's been said about him putting his team first is all true.

"A lot of the young Kiwi boys coming through the NRL ranks at the moment myself included want to dedicate our careers to the memory of Sonny.

"He was a big part of New Zealand rugby league and we were all brothers."

Luke said he and his many Kiwi Rabbitohs team-mates were looking forward to honouring Fai's memory this afternoon.

"This game against the Warriors is extra special because it's a game we are going to honour Sonny Fai in," he said.

"He was a very close friend of mine and a lot of the other boys in the team as well.

"I'm really looking forward to playing for him.

"It's going to be a special game."

Luke is not alone in wanting to play for Sonny from now on.

"All around the competition, there are Kiwi boys coming through the ranks who are going to dedicate our careers to Sonny," he said.

"Greg Eastwood (fellow Kiwis team-mate) and I are going to get some T-shirts made up for all the boys who played with him in 2005 for the Junior Kiwis.

"We knew how good Sonny was and how special he was to the sport.

"I know he'd love to be here playing league still.

"Hopefully, he's looking down on us and he's still playing his sport up there in heaven, you know."

Luke still remembers where he was the day he heard the tragic news.

"The first time I heard it, I was sitting next to Roy Asotasi at the opening ceremony of Redfern Oval," he said.

"He got a message on his phone saying Sonny was missing and I just thought he was being an egg.

"He gave me his phone, I read it and I was just devastated.

"It really freaked me out and I'd literally just left New Zealand on the day he went missing."