ONE of Group 2 Junior Rugby League’s brightest prospects has been signed by an NRL club.

Former Sawtell Panthers junior Luke Jones has signed a contract with the Gold Coast Titans as an elite emerging player.

This has seen the Toormina High School student having to relocate to the Gold Coast.

The 15-year old will now be attending traditional powerhouse Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School, and will play for one of the school’s rugby league sides.

The young lock had been on the radar of a number of NRL teams, as his father explained.

“He actually had other clubs look at him, such as Wests Tigers, Parramatta, Souths, and the Broncos,” he said.

“He had offers to attend boarding schools and play for St Gregory’s and Newington College in Sydney.”

Luke’s father said that signing with the Titans made the most sense.

“The Gold Coast suited him better and the lifestyle played a big part,” he said.

“Quite a few kids he played with in PSSA North Coast rep teams ended up going to Palm Beach-Currumbin.

“And all his mothers’ family live in South Queensland, so it just made more sense.”

The proud parents said the Gold Coast Titans had eyed off Luke for a while.

“They had been watching Luke for eighteen months, and they couldn’t believe he was available as they thought Parramatta had signed him,” he said.

“We were holidaying on the Gold Coast when they first rang, and they offered him a deal on the spot at the Performance Centre.”

Luke Jones recently made the South Coast side to play in the Queensland 15 Years and Under State Rugby League Championships to be held in Burleigh Heads this year.

There he will try to make the Queensland junior representative squad, and be in the unique position of having played for two states after already representing NSW in the state under 12s team.

 

By Aiden BURGESS