NRL: Luke emerges from confidence crisis

Issac Luke of the Rabbitohs runs the ball. Photo / Getty Images

Their friendship was put on hold for 40 minutes when the Rabbitohs played the Bulldogs, but less than a week later Greg Eastwood was pivotal to easing Issac Luke's crisis of confidence.

A contender for the National Rugby League's player of the year accolade in 2010 until injury intervened, Luke still finished the year on a high when the Kiwis snatched the Four Nations title from the Kangaroos in Brisbane.

But his fifth season in first grade has not been so memorable for one of the NRL's highly-rated hookers.

Luke was so downcast after the early rounds of the competition he feared his selection in the Anzac test squad was not a blessing, but a curse.

The 23-year-old, who will reach the 100-game milestone for the Rabbitohs by season's end if he stays fit, was nervous when he entered camp on the Gold Coast earlier this month, fearing he was in the sort of form that would let the Kiwis down.

Coach Stephen Kearney released some pressure by starting Nathan Fien in the dummy half role and when Luke eventually got on to Skilled Park in the second half of the 20-10 loss he hardly let the side down.

Luke said time spent with the Kiwis had been invaluable in lifting his spirits - and confidence.

Before the Rabbitohs left for Sunday's round 11 clash with the New Zealand Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium, Luke detailed his anxieties and a recovery process headed by the Bulldogs forward.

"After the Four Nations I was on a high but at the start of the pre-season I had an operation on my knee and pretty much everything went down from there," he said.

"I like to be able to reach the bar I set myself and I thought I had a shit start really."

The same could be said of the Rabbitohs after they had a two-win five-loss record after seven rounds though Luke was never in danger of being dropped.

Coach John Lang still considered him an 80-minute player and his fitness was fine, but it took the Kiwis environment to ensure Luke rediscovered his self-belief.

"I got shaken up by a few of the boys and the coaching staff so hopefully it leads to a better outcome," he told NZPA.

Kearney and Ruben Wiki were the wise old heads offering reassurance while Eastwood was the teammate he confided in.

"The camp was a good wake-up call. Mooks (Kearney) reckoned I was being too hard on myself and Greg is like a brother to me," he said.

Luke and Eastwood first crossed paths in the 2006 Junior Kiwis and have remained mates ever since.

"He's always found time for me so it was good to have him there."

Ironically it was Eastwood who might have needed positive reinforcement on the eve of the loss to Australia when he was relegated to 18th man duties and Lewis Brown made a surprise debut.

However, since the trans-Tasman test their respective seasons have improved - Eastwood has recovered from wrist problems to settle on the Bulldogs interchange bench while Luke is also happier now the Rabbitohs have beaten Cronulla and the Wests Tigers either side of their bye.

Those wins leave the Rabbitohs just outside the top eight on points differential - and were impressive considering their mounting injury toll.

"Our front me are pretty much all out," said Luke as he listed the pack casualties: Roy Asotasi, Sam Burgess, Luke Stuart, Scott Geddes and Ben Lowe.

Add marquee signing Greg Inglis's absence from the backline and Souths are undeniably doing it tough.

"Our A team would love to be out there, but the boys that have stepped in are doing their job," an upbeat Luke said.

- NZPA