Robbie Farah and Cameron Smith are arguably the two best hookers in the NRL at the moment, but it seems South Sydney dummy half Issac Luke is now ready to step up and complete the podium.
Luke’s form over the past three weeks has been nothing short of outstanding – a reward for the never say die attitude he has constantly provided his team since his NRL debut in 2007.
It is a known fact that, at times, Luke is prone to overplaying his hand and losing his way at critical stages of matches.
Against the Gold Coast Titans in round 2, Luke’s confidence hit a low, missing 18 tackles and displaying none of the skill and power which has become synonymous with the Kiwi international.
But a week is a long time in Rugby League, and both Luke and the Rabbitohs rediscovered just enough belief to belt a toothless Cronulla Sharks outfit to put themselves on the board in season 2010.
What followed was a drastic turn around in form from a player, who just two weeks earlier, was an absolute rabble.
Luke was back to his devastating best against the Canterbury Bulldogs, becoming the key link in a chain which currently boosts a forward pack and backline brimming with self belief.
The 22-year-old’s service out of dummy half has had key players Sam Burgess, Dave Taylor, John Sutton, Nathan Merritt, Chris Sandow and Beau Champion grow an extra leg and display the form necessary to warrant South Sydney a place in the top eight.
Poor old Newcastle Knights forward Ben Cross was the latest to feel the full brunt of a reborn Rabbitohs side making do with arguably the most intimidating hooker in the NRL.
In the first half of a tough tussle between the Bunnies and Newcastle, Cross took a seemingly normal hit-up, only to be uplifted and spun around by Luke like a helicopter which was about to crash land.
Whilst Cross himself remained in one piece, the same could not be said for Newcastle, as Luke continually torn them apart in attack, having a hand in three of the Rabbitohs five tries on the night.
His dominant running out of dummy half saw Luke make over 134 metres to force the Knights defence into a corner for the majority of the match.
There is no denying at the moment that Luke’s form is a clear reflection of how confident the Rabbitohs are at the moment.
You only have to look at the way rampaging forward Dave Taylor set-up a South Sydney try in the second half thanks to a delicate grubber kick, to realise how Luke’s confidence has rubbed off on his team-mates.
Coach John Lang can now only hope Luke’s golden touch will continue five months down the track.
If it does, there is no question that Luke should be mentioned in the same breath as Smith or Farah on a constant basis.
Indeed there is probably no reason why he shouldn’t be mentioned alongside them now.
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