Peter Jessup: NRL stars to watch

Souths' Isaac Luke is small, but packs a powerful punch. Photo / Getty Images

They are the four youngsters promising to light up the NRL in 2009. From the exciting Warriors recruit Joel Moon to Souths Kiwi hooker Isaac Luke, it will pay to keep a close eye on these dynamic up-and-coming stars.

Joel Moon
Warriors five-eighth

Moon played in the six jersey through the junior grades in Caloundra and in the state championship Queensland Cup but at the Broncos found himself behind the "world's best" in Darren Lockyer. Still just 20, he has 31 NRL games behind him since his debut in 2006, mostly at centre. Tall and with upper-body strength, he has the ability to break tackles and to cut half-breaks and make an off-load. He is a left-foot kicker, adding variety to Nathan Fien's right-foot attack and offering the Warriors accuracy in delivering their kicks on both sides of the field.

Moon sees himself as a ball runner and came to Auckland to get the six jersey so he could get his hands on the ball more often and take on the line more frequently. He's not a "loud yeller", he says, and aims to let Fien do the majority of the talk in guiding the team around. "He's a good organiser and I'm looking to learn a bit from him." Moon feels the combinations are building both inside and outside him and he's looking forward to playing with the Warriors test stars plus Wade McKinnon. "It's a very good backline."

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Tony Williams
Sea Eagles wing/centre

Williams, who turned 20 last December, is a 192cm, 114kg monster. Born in Bulldogs country to Tongan parents, he runs through and over opponents in a manner familiar to those who remember Jonah Lomu playing in the other oval-ball code. He made his NRL debut in mid-2008 and played 11 games, averaging 140m per game and scoring four tries by the time the season ended. As a bonus, this guy can step up and kick goals from the halfway line.

Williams is the Eagles' big buy for the 2009 season and they laid out plenty for a three-year deal before he had even played a game in the top grade. It was recruitment officer Noel Cleal, who was at Parramatta, that sang his praises. Williams has since played three tests for Tonga at the 2008 World Cup.

He is unlikely to beat test players Steve Matai and Jamie Lyon to a midfield spot and Manly are well served on the wings too. So Williams' spot in the team would appear to be in the second row, where he will offer blockbusting runs around the ruck, and speed and power around the park in support play.

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Isaac Luke
Souths hooker

The 21-year-old emerged as Souths' first-choice hooker in 2008, playing 20 of 25 games and cementing a spot that had been rotated around players for several seasons.

Just 174cm and 82kg, Luke is one of the smaller players around but his defence around the ruck belies that size and tells of an inner toughness. The former Hawera Hawk is a cool goal-kicker and has good chip kicks and grubber kicks for field position. He's got acceleration and pace around the ruck and good delivery from dummy-half.

After making the Kiwis squad last year, he went on to play six tests during the season including the Centenary game against Australia and the World Cup final and he promises to hold the black and white rake's jersey for some years to come. After recent troubles, Souths have a good forward pack this year and look to be much improved in the backs. Now it falls to Luke to get the pack rolling and to set the backline away. Elusive with the ball, he has the opportunity to make a name for himself in what should be an improving team.

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Masada Iosefa
Penrith Panthers hooker

Iosefa was born in Samoa and raised in New Zealand and Mt Druitt, western Sydney, where his footballing talent exploded while he was at the famous league breeding ground of Patrician Brothers High School. He won numerous man-of-the-match awards there and was part of Penrith's 2007 Jersey Flegg age group title-winning side. In 2008 he was named in the under-20s Toyota Cup "team of the year", overtook Paul Aiton and Keith Peters who were ahead of him in the hookers' pecking order and grabbed the job of incumbent Luke Priddis who has since left for the Dragons.

Iosefa is the cousin of Storm and Kiwis prop Jeff Lima and may soon be packing down with him in black and white. "He was always very talented but he had to work hard to get to where he is now," Lima said. "He was a little midget back then and he still is but I think he will go very far."

Iosefa played for the Junior Kiwis in 2007 and wants to graduate. "I don't want to show any disrespect to Samoa, but my heart's with the New Zealand team."