Broncos Agree 2 Year Contract with Moon

Brisbane Broncos youngster Joel Moon has today agreed to terms to remain with the club for the next two years.

In a momentous day for 18-year-old Moon – who joined the Broncos from school this season and has played two NRL matches in his debut year – he was also named in the Broncos team to take on the premiers, the Wests Tigers, at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

A five-eighth/lock, Moon had been pursued by several clubs with Melbourne the most diligent, but he said today he was both relieved and happy to be staying with the Broncos.

Confirming that the offer from Melbourne had been financially much more substantial, the youngster said his final decision had come down to loyalty and lifestyle.

"Money is not the most important thing in life," he said.

"I am 18, just out of school and playing rugby league is going to be my career for the next dozen or so years. Hopefully there will still be many years left for me to earn the big dollars.

"When I sat down with my family and weighed up all the options in front of me, I just felt that staying here was the right thing to do. The Broncos have looked after me since I was 15 years-old, have brought me through their system and given me my first chance to play NRL, so I feel I have some loyalty to the club.

"As well, there is a great feeling at the club at the moment and to play in a full strength Broncos side this weekend, against the premiers, is just the ultimate at this stage of my career. I know there are better things ahead for me."

Broncos managing director, Bruno Cullen, said Moon had shown wonderful character in his decision to re-sign with the club.

"He has accepted a heap less money to stay here, and I know that if I was an 18-year-old in his position, I would have found the offers hard to knock back," he said.

"Joel is from a great family and the ethics of this young man have become fairly obvious in the past couple of weeks. To concede that money is not everything when you are young and don't have very much, shows a lot of character, and kids like Joel are what this club has been built around."
       
Mr Cullen said that while Melbourne had apparently offered Moon the five-eighth berth next season, the Broncos had made no such commitment.

"But we certainly see him as an integral part of our organisation in the next few years," he said.

"We recognise he is a special talent and would have been in first grade this weekend irrespective of whether he re-signed. Along with guys like Karmichael Hunt, Justin Hodges, Darius Boyd, Greg Eastwood, Michael Ennis, Sammy Thaiday, Dave Taylor, Steve Michaels and Ben Hannant, he heads up our ‘next generation'."

The Broncos also announced today that they had signed Cowboys halfback, Brent McConnell.

A former Queensland Cup player of the year, 25-year-old McConnell made his NRL debut this season. Formerly with the Burleigh Bears on the Gold Coast, he said he was looking forward to furthering his career with the Broncos.