Is North Queensland Cowboys second rower Heilum Luki ready for the State of Origin arena?
“Bloody oath” - according to North Queensland Cowboys captain Reuben Cotter.
“He’s been playing some great footy over the past 10 weeks… he’s a strong ball runner and keeps working in defence as well… he’d be hard to handle on the edge, so hopefully he gets that call up,” Cotter said following the Cowboys win over Sydney Roosters.
Luki first appeared in an Origin camp in 2024, but has since had “rotten luck”, as coach Todd Payten put it, suffering his second ACL injury not long after.
“Last year was tough for him, but you get what you deserve in our game… if you put in the hard work, things will turn your way, and he’s done all the work,” Payten said.
Luki, off the back of a stellar team performance against the Roosters where they claimed an 18-12 win , said it was “one of the best wins I’ve ever been part of”.
Match: Roosters v Cowboys
Round 11 -
home Team
Roosters
3rd Position
away Team
Cowboys
6th Position
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
One his team hopes throws him into contention for an Origin call-up on Monday.
“We did really well to win that game, especially with the sin bins,” Luki said.
“I thought once Reuben went off, we really bit down on the mouthguard and found an extra effort throughout that 10 minutes.
"We just scrapped really hard and showed a lot of heart throughout the whole game.”
On the cusp of Origin when he did his second ACL, Luki said he tried not to focus on the negative, he just focused on getting back.
“To be honest, I just took it week-by-week,” Luki said.
“I got stuck into my rehab and didn’t think too much about it.
"It was my second ACL, so I knew what to expect.
"Coming back I was a bit nervous, but I’ve just made sure I’ve done my job each week… kept trying to build each week.
“(My) goal for this year is to finish the year healthy and another goal is to play representative footy, so I just need to keep working hard.”
Luki said a call from Queensland Maroons coach Billy Slater “would mean the world”.
“Honestly, I’ve had a goal to play rep footy for a long time now… had a bit of a taste as to what it’s like a couple of years ago when I got called into the squad," Luki said.
"If anything, that just made me hungrier to get back there.
“If I did get the call, I’d take it with two hands and put my best foot forward.”
Luki is spoilt for choice when it comes to looking up to fellow Cowboys who have played Origin; he noted Johnathan Thurston as a stand-out and Cotter.
“Reuben Cotter’s had his share of injuries as well, and it’s a testament to his hard work that he’s come back, put his head down and he’s one of the best players we have in our league,” Luki said.
“He’s someone who leads the club and sets a great example for the boys… definitely someone I look up to.
"I try to strive to be like him… he’s such a competitor — a perfect Origin player. I’m super happy to have him… he’s such a great player to play with.”
The Queensland Maroons team will be announced on 9am Monday.
