Journey to the top of NRL set for Luki
THE North Queensland Cowboys have promoted Cairns teenager Heilum Luki to a new rookie deal, with a view to bringing the young talent into their NRL squad as soon as next year.
While he is contracted to North Queensland, Luki will spend the 2020 season with the Northern Pride, training with the club’s Intrust Super Cup squad as a development player and staking his claim for a top-level debut in the state competition.
At the season’s end, the 18year-old will relocate to Townsville to take up one of six rookie spots on the Cowboys’ main roster.
While it might come across as a rapid rise, Luki’s journey with the Cowboys began nearly four years ago.
He was signed by the NRL club on a junior development contract in 2016, aged 15, after piquing the interest of North Queensland recruitment manager Clint Zammit at a state schoolboys carnival.
“He was playing for the
Peninsula 15s and he was actually wearing No. 19,” he said.
“He came off the bench and athletically, for a backrower, he was as good as I’ve ever seen – Waterhouse would buy him if he was at the sales.
“He was big and gangly and I just thought he could grow into his body.
“It wasn’t so much what he was doing then, but where he could get to in the next four years – he was 6’3” at the time.
“After his first carry, I knew I wanted to sign him.
“I knew that, if he could get all the work off the field right over the next three years, he had the tools to play NRL.”
Since then, it’s been a steady progression for Luki, according to Zammit.
“I’ve had him nearly four years now and he’s coming along really well,” he said.
“He’ll come into a rookie spot in the top 36 next year and then he’ll progress into the top 30 the year after that.”
But, this season, he will remain at the Cowboys’ Cairnsbased feeder club, the Northern Pride.
Zammit said it was something the club had been pushing for at the moment.
“The kids, until they’re ready to come to us, can stay at our feeder clubs and stay at home and get some good coaching there,” he said.
“He’ll train Q-Cup all year, which is a step up from the 20s, but that’s the pathway now.
“The kids can stay at home, train with the Cup side, and that gives them a chance to train with the men all year at a higher level.
“Hopefully, he’ll play a couple games for them this year and when he comes to our fulltime training he’s ready to go.”
Luki was a standout in Cowboys colours last year when he lined up for a North Queensland under-18s team against their Gold Coast counterparts.
“He came into that camp and his attitude was first-class and you could see him maturing to what he was,” he said.
“He was head and shoulders the best player in the game. I thought then that he’ll play NRL in the next three years.
“For him, it’s been about learning that you’ve got to make sacrifices, work hard and become consistent with your training and playing.”
While his physical stature and athleticism have carried him on his rugby league journey so far, Zammit said he also displayed one other attribute that nearly all rugby league superstars possess.
“He’s got a bit of cheek in him, which I don’t mind,” he said.
“I think all the good ones have a bit of swagger in them.”