Tonga World Cup call-up to boost Luke's bid for Panthers' No.9 jersey
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After helping Penrith to a 44-10 victory against Norths Devils in Sunday's National Championship final, Soni Luke revealed that he had the chance to further press for the club’s vacant No.9 jersey at the World Cup.
Luke, who scored a try and laid on three others for Panthers team-mates, revealed that he had received a phone call last week from Mate Ma'a Tonga coach Kristian Woolf advising of his selection for the Pacific nation.
“Kristian let me know I was in the squad a couple of weeks ago and he gave me a call at the start of the week just to let me know I was in the final team, and I would be heading over at the end of this week,” Luke said.
“It is awesome. Obviously, my parents are really proud and I have a lot of family over in Tonga so they are really excited. I got a bit of a taste in the mid-year Test against New Zealand so I can’t wait to get over there and join the boys in the UK.”
Match Highlights: Panthers v Devils
With Panthers hooker Api Koroisau leaving to join Wests Tigers next season, there is a chance for Luke to step into the NRL side on a regular basis and he is expected to vie with Mitch Kenny for a starting spot.
At 26 years-of-age, the St Marys junior has had to bide his time and he hopes this year can be a stepping stone for greater achievements in 2023 after making his NRL debut and receiving a call up for Tonga in the mid-season Test.
“I am excited, I don’t know if the club is getting anyone else but me and Mitchell will go hard,” Luke said. “He has been there and done his trade the last couple of years.
“I think I have still got a lot of work to do if I want to nail down a spot in that top 17 but I will be head down, bum up when I get back for pre-season.”
Luke is another product of the successful Panthers pathways system and led the club to an Under 20s premiership in 2015 – both as captain and man-of-the-match against a Manly side which included Nicho Hynes, Tom Trbojevic and Liam Knight.
Yet just 12 months ago he was working fulltime as a support worker and playing in the Ron Massey Cup, while his NRL clubmates were in Queensland after the Telstra Premiership relocated due to COVID-19.
“I am still pinching myself and I’m so wrapped to be here today,” Luke said. “I hadn’t really dwelled on it too much, but on the bus today I was just looking back to this time last year.
“I worked really during the last COVID and I got a bit emotional on the way here. We were in lockdown here in NSW and I didn’t have much going. I was begging [Penrith coach] Peter Wallace for a train-and-trial [contract].
“I just had a memory of this time 12 months ago, and watching the boys play [in the grand final].I was working fulltime as a support worked and training at night around that. I have never been that fit or that strong ever in my life.”
