Recently signed playmaker Luke Metcalf has opened up on the mentors he has learnt from in his short NRL career to date.
Luke Metcalf will face his biggest challenge this season after signing with the New Zealand Warriors. Only 23 years of age, Metcalf will be first in line if Shaun Johnson or Te Maire Martin is to encounter any injuries this season.
Likely to spend the entire year in the lower levels of rugby league, Metcalf is eager to learn from Johnson and Martin. Since debuting two years ago, he has appeared in seven NRL games.
However, since his introduction to the NRL, he has been mentored by some of the best playmakers in the competition.
"I have been pretty blessed with having some good guys to learn off," Metcalf told NRL.com.
"Obviously you want to be playing first grade… but I still just had to find the positives. I was around a really good crew and playing NSW Cup where we were coming first for pretty much the whole year."
Metcalf began his career at Manly where the halves combination consisted of Daly Cherry-Evans and Trent Hodgkinson. Both of whom have played in State of Origin for their respective states.
Since then he moved to the Cronulla Sharks, where his mentors include Shaun Johnson, Chad Townsend, Matt Moylan and 2022 Dally M winner Nicho Hynes.
"Learning from Nicho (Hynes) and Moyza [Matt Moylan] – the year Nicho had winning the Dally M, it was pretty good to learn off him – and Moyza the same, he has been around some good players," he said.
"The way [Nicho Hynes] counts numbers and picks the right side of the ball more often than not, he gets his hands on the ball a lot, you saw him play like a six but he plays like a seven at the same time."
"I really like the way he just floated around and didn't pigeon-hole himself to one role."
Metcalf is hoping the teachings of all these players can make him a better player. If Metcalf gets an opportunity in first grade he will illustrate everything he has learnt from his mentors.
