Joel Moon facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Joel Thomas Moon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 May 1988 Caloundra, Queensland, Australia |
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Playing information
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| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Five-eighth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Joel Moon (born May 20, 1988) is an Australian former professional rugby league player. He played as a centre and five-eighth during his career. Joel Moon last played for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League.
He also represented the Indigenous All Stars and the Exiles. Before playing in the Super League, he was part of the National Rugby League (NRL). He played for the Brisbane Broncos and the New Zealand Warriors. Joel Moon started his Super League journey with the Salford City Reds. Later, he joined the Leeds Rhinos. With the Rhinos, he won the 2015 Super League Championship.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Joel Moon was born in Caloundra, Queensland, Australia. He went to Morayfield State High School. There, he played rugby league with future NRL players. These included Matt Gillett, Jack Reed, and Dane Hogan.
He began his rugby league journey in Caloundra. The Brisbane Broncos noticed his talent. He then moved to their feeder club, the Toowoomba Clydesdales. This team played in the Queensland Cup.
In 2005, Moon played for the Australian Schoolboys team. He also toured Britain with the Australian Institute of Sport. In 2007, he was a star player for Queensland's Under 19s team. They played against New South Wales in a special match.
Professional Playing Career
Time with the Broncos
Joel Moon made his first-grade début for the Brisbane Broncos in 2006. This was in Round 14 of the season. He was part of the 'Baby Broncos' team. This team played during the State of Origin series. He and David Taylor were the first Broncos players born after the club started in 1988.
After playing three games for the Broncos, Moon spent the rest of 2006 with the Toowoomba Clydesdales. He helped them reach the Queensland Cup Grand Final. He scored nine tries that season. The Melbourne Storm showed interest in him for 2007. However, he chose to stay with the Broncos.
In the NRL season 2007, Moon was chosen to play in the centres. This was for the first game against the North Queensland Cowboys. He played eleven games for the Broncos and scored three tries. Moon was also tried as a halfback for the team.
In 2008, Moon played seventeen games for the Broncos. Other NRL teams, like the Canberra Raiders, were interested in him. But he signed with the New Zealand Warriors for 2009. When he wasn't playing for the first-grade team, Moon played for the Norths Devils. This was also in the Queensland Cup.
Playing for the Warriors
Moon joined former Broncos players Denan Kemp and Brent Tate at the New Zealand Warriors in 2009. He moved because the Warriors offered him a chance to play as a five-eighth. This was his preferred position.
However, he later moved to play as a centre. He did very well in this position. He scored four tries in a 32-all draw against the Penrith Panthers. He signed a new contract to stay with the Warriors for the 2011 season.
In 2011, Moon was chosen for the Indigenous All Stars team. He replaced Sam Thaiday in the squad.
Time with Salford
Moon signed with Salford for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In 2012, he was picked for the Exiles squad by coach Daniel Anderson. He played at centre in Game 2 and helped the Exiles win the International Origin trophy. They won with a score of 32–20.
Success with Leeds
Joel Moon joined Leeds Rhinos on November 21, 2012. He was expected to fill the spot left by former Leeds centre Keith Senior. Senior had retired due to an injury. Moon played his first game for Leeds on February 1, 2013. He scored a try in the second half and was named man of the match.
He had a great start with Leeds. He formed a strong partnership with winger Ryan Hall. This led him to sign a new contract in May 2014. This contract kept him at Headingley until 2018.
He played in the 2014 Challenge Cup Final where Leeds beat the Castleford Tigers. This game was held at Wembley Stadium.
He also played in the 2015 Challenge Cup Final. Leeds won against Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley Stadium.
In the 2015 Super League Grand Final, he helped Leeds win. They defeated the Wigan Warriors at Old Trafford.
He was also part of the team that won the 2017 Super League Grand Final. Leeds beat the Castleford Tigers at Old Trafford once again.
Return to Australia and Retirement
On October 17, 2019, it was announced that Moon had returned to Australia. He signed with the Queensland Cup team, Sunshine Coast Falcons, for the 2020 season.
However, on February 12, 2020, Joel Moon announced his retirement. He retired due to a long-term knee injury. He did not play any games for the Falcons.
Achievements and Awards
Club Honours
- Super League (2): 2015, 2017
- League Leader's Shield (1): 2015
- Challenge Cup (2): 2014, 2015
