Rising star Heilum Luki has completed a remarkable breakout season with the Rookie of the Year Award at tonight’s North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Presentation Night.
Luki had never played a game above under 20s level entering the 2021 season, but after an impressive pre-season and sensational run of form in the Queensland Cup, Todd Payten called upon the Cairns product for his NRL debut in Round 11 against Newcastle.
With more than 50 family and friends in the crowd at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Luki crossed for an emotional try on debut, triggering wild celebrations both on field and in the stands.
A second-rower coming through the junior ranks, Luki tore through the Queensland Cup as a middle forward in the opening two months of the season and continued in the role during the early games of his NRL career.
The 20-year-old earned his first start in the second row in Round 21 against the Gold Coast and remained there for the following two games, before returning to the interchange for the final two rounds.
In total, Luki registered 11 games in his debut season, totalling three tries and averaging 66 running metres and 20 tackles.
