Luhan eyes PNG, Sharks spots

By PETER PUSAL
SECURING a first-grade contract in 2020 is the primary goal for Cronulla Sharks squad member Connor Luhan but the 20-year-old also would not mind snaring a Kumuls jersey.
With a Rugby League World Cup coming up in a little under 19 months in the United Kingdom, the prop said he was interested in playing for the country his father Ross was born in.
“Apart from securing a contract (with Cronulla), getting a debut in the NRL would always be a dream as well as playing for the Kumuls,” Luhan said.
“Ever since I was young, I knew my dad, his brothers and my granny were born here (PNG).
“I’m really proud of my father’s side, and the culture and heritage they share. I’m just looking forward to playing well and getting a chance.”
Born and raised in Queensland, Luhan was originally given a chance with the North Queensland Cowboys as a 17-year-old and while he was surplus to requirements at the Townsville club, it didn’t take long for Sydney’s Sutherland shire to be the youngster’s new home.
“I played all my junior footy for the Kawana Dolphins on the Sunshine Coast,” said Luhan, who played in an NRL trial match against the Bulldogs in Port Moresby in February.
“I then moved to Townsville to join the Cowboys when I was 17 and in 2018, I got a chance with the Sharks.”
While he admires superstar Sonny Bill Williams, the 192cm, 106kg front-rower says he prefers the style of a rugged enforcer like Sydney Rooster Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
“He plays with aggression, runs the ball hard and dominates the ruck,” Luhan said.
“I’m obviously not at his level yet but that’s certainly what I try to do.”
Luhan has the tangibles to be an NRL player, the size, especially the height, but appreciates that he has a fair way to go to convince Sharks head coach John Morris that he deserves a first-grade spot with an abundance of talent in the forwards as seen at the Oil Search National Football Stadium.
He had little game time against the Bulldogs and from the nine or so minutes he spent on the field, one could tell his stamina and intensity would need to rise a couple of levels to get ahead of a number of big men vying for limited spots in the top grade.
An obvious comparison PNG fans would make with Luhan would be to put him alongside incumbent Kumuls prop Luke Page but the two Queenslanders differ not only in age and experience but size and style. Where Page, 29, is a hard-running, high intensity, high-octane performer, Luhan has more of a rumbling style.
In time, Luhan could be molded into a damaging forward, a pack leader even, and playing for the Newtown Jets in the New South Wales Intrust Cup would have been where he started his campaign this year had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic.
Given time and opportunity, Luhan could be an asset for the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football league, someone who could perform a specific role exceptionally well and importantly add much needed size and grunt to the national team.
He has the right attitude and revels in the contact. All Luhan needs is to improve and make the most of any and every opportunity when it presents itself.
“I just enjoy the hard stuff about the game,” he said. “I enjoy running hard off the kick-offs, tackling, the aggression and getting stuck into it.”
With that attitude, Luhan should fit well into a Kumul jumper.