COWBOYS recruit Tautau Moga was meant to be St Peter Claver College’s first NRL star, not Anthony Milford.

When Moga and Milford were teens at the Ipswich school, the towering centre was hyped as a future State of Origin player after he was snapped up by the Sydney Roosters aged 13.

Milford was talented, but Moga was something else.

As a 16-year-old Moga was being compared to Israel Folau and a year later Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith tried to play him in first grade.

Smith was blocked by the NRL, who introduced a rule banning players under 18 from playing in the NRL.

Now Moga is turning 21, he has had two knee reconstructions and been transferred mid-season to North Queensland where he is rebuilding his career on the wing.

When he debuted for the Cowboys last month it had been almost two years between NRL games for the shy Mormon.

Moga has already impressed Cowboys team mates with his work ethic and will be a weapon for North Queensland in their fight for a top-four berth, which continues in Townsville on Saturday against a rattled Gold Coast club.

St Peter Claver College rugby league coach Todd Riggs said Moga had been every bit as talented as Milford.

“In terms of ability and potential, Tau and Tony were very similar,’’ Riggs said.

“Tau was something special back then and I think he still will be very good player. Injuries have really hurt him.

“He came to us as a talented player already and always represented the school well. We were very fortunate to have him here. He’s a quality person.’’

Moga was sometimes too humble.

When St Peter Claver played schools without a league program the Ipswich talent would kick stones on the wing and barely touch the ball so he did not embarrass his opponents.

He soon learned to be ruthless, scoring 37 tries in 18 appearances in the Roosters’ SG Ball and Toyota Cup teams.

Cowboys co-captain Matt Scott said Moga’s aerial powers, which created the Folau comparisons as a teen, would ensure his success on the wing.

“He’s a great attacking weapon and his hands are like a pair of bananas,” Scott said.

“We’ll obviously hope to use him in the air; he’s a big unit and has a fair jump on him so he’ll be good for us.”

Cowboys winger Antonio Winterstein, who was also moved on from the Roosters early in his career, backed Moga to show his talent wasn’t just hype.

“I think anywhere he plays he’s going to be a danger, he’s a big boy, so the defenders coming up against him are going to have their hands full.

“He’s a tall kid and if we can get some kicks down his corner he’s going to get the ball down before the defender does.’’