Joel Moon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joel Moon

Personal information
Full name	Joel Thomas Moon
Born	(1988-05-20) 20 May 1988 (age 37) Caloundra, Queensland, Australia
Playing information
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	96 kg (15 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre, Five-eighth
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 2006–08 Brisbane Broncos 31 10 1 0 42 2009–11 New Zealand Warriors 51 15 2 0 64 2012 Salford City Reds 19 11 0 0 44 2013–18 Leeds Rhinos 170 81 0 1 325 Total 271 117 3 1 475 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 2011 Indigenous All Stars 1 0 0 0 0 2012–13 Exiles 2 0 0 0 0

Joel Moon (born 20 May 1988) is an Australian former professional rugby league player. He played as a centre and five-eighth. His last team was the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League in England.

Joel Moon also represented the Indigenous All Stars and the Exiles. Before moving to England, he played in Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) for the Brisbane Broncos and the New Zealand Warriors. He started his Super League journey with the Salford City Reds. With the Leeds Rhinos, he won the 2015 Super League Championship, a major rugby league title.

Early Life and Start in Rugby

Joel Moon was born in Caloundra, Queensland, Australia, on May 20, 1988. He went to Morayfield State High School. There, he played rugby league with other future NRL stars like Matt Gillett and Jack Reed.

He began his rugby league journey in his hometown of Caloundra. Later, the Brisbane Broncos noticed his talent. He then joined their junior team, the Toowoomba Clydesdales, in the Queensland Cup competition.

In 2005, Joel was chosen to play for the Australian Schoolboys team. He also toured Britain with the Australian Institute of Sport, which helps young athletes. In 2007, he was a standout player for the Queensland Under 19s team. They played against New South Wales before a big State of Origin series game.

Professional Rugby Career

Playing for the Broncos

Joel Moon made his first big professional game for the Brisbane Broncos in 2006. This was during a time when many young players, called the 'Baby Broncos', got to play. He was one of the first Broncos players born after the club started in 1988.

After playing three games, Joel spent the rest of the 2006 season with the Toowoomba Clydesdales. He helped them reach the Queensland Cup Grand Final by scoring nine tries. Other teams, like the Melbourne Storm, were interested in him for 2007, but he chose to stay with the Broncos.

Moon playing for the Warriors in 2009

In 2007, Joel played as a centre in the first game of the season. He played eleven games for the Broncos that year and scored three tries. He even tried playing as a halfback for a short time.

In 2008, Joel played seventeen games for the Broncos. His good performance caught the eye of other NRL teams, like the Canberra Raiders. However, he decided to sign with the New Zealand Warriors for the 2009 season. When he wasn't playing for the main Broncos team, he played for the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup.

Time with the Warriors

Joel Moon joined the New Zealand Warriors in 2009. He moved there because the Warriors offered him the chance to play as a five-eighth, which was his favorite position.

However, he didn't quite play as expected in that role. So, he moved to play as a centre, where he did very well. In one game against the Penrith Panthers, he scored four tries in a 32-all draw! He signed a new contract to stay with the Warriors until 2011.

In 2011, Joel was chosen to be part of the Indigenous All Stars team. This team is made up of the best Indigenous Australian rugby league players.

Moving to Salford

Joel signed with Salford for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In 2012, he was picked for the Exiles squad. This team is made up of top players from Australia and New Zealand who play in the Super League. He played as a centre in the second game and helped the Exiles win the International Origin trophy.

Success with Leeds Rhinos

On November 21, 2012, it was announced that Joel Moon would join the Leeds Rhinos. He was expected to take the place of a famous Leeds centre, Keith Senior, who had retired. Joel played his first game for Leeds on February 1, 2013. He scored a try in the second half and was named the best player of the match.

He started his Leeds career very well, playing strongly with winger Ryan Hall. Because of his great start, he signed a new contract in May 2014, keeping him at the club until 2018.

Joel played in several important final games for Leeds:

• He helped Leeds win the 2014 Challenge Cup Final against the Castleford Tigers at Wembley Stadium.
• He also played in the 2015 Challenge Cup Final victory over Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley Stadium.
• He was part of the team that won the 2015 Super League Grand Final against the Wigan Warriors at Old Trafford.
• He played in the 2017 Super League Grand Final victory over the Castleford Tigers at Old Trafford.

Return to Australia and Retirement

On October 17, 2019, it was announced that Joel Moon had returned to Australia. He signed with the Queensland Cup team, the Sunshine Coast Falcons, for the 2020 season.

However, on February 12, 2020, Joel announced his retirement from rugby league. He had a long-term knee injury that prevented him from playing. He did not get to play any games for the Falcons.

Achievements

Team Awards

• Super League Champion (2 times): 2015, 2017
• League Leader's Shield (1 time): 2015 (This award is for the team that finishes first in the league table before the play-offs.)
• Challenge Cup Winner (2 times): 2014, 2015