My take on our top juniors [Archive] - Page 4

mdrew

10-07-18, 04:45 PM

Ediq Ambrosyev. (Revised) He is a young utility who last year signed a two year deal to join the Titans High Performance Unit after also being part of the Broncos Elite Junior Program for a number of seasons.

Ediq Ambrosyev is part of the 2018 Queensland Academy of Sport U16 squad and was late last year named as part of the 2018 U16 Emerging Origin squad that finished their first camp on the Sunshine Coast in February. Ediq Ambrosyev also started for the Titans in an U15 match against the Balmain Tigers in late 2017 at Cudgen and also represented the Titans in late 2015 against a Toowoomba U14 side.

Prior to the commencement of the 2018 Gold Coast Rugby League season, Ediq Ambrosyev starred for the U16 Gold Coast Vikings White side in the South East Queensland U16 Championship and post that competition was been named in South East Queensland U16 Green squad.

For the Queensland Age Championships for SEQ Green Ediq Ambroysev played three matches at hooker. Titans linked team mates in the SEQ Green side were Daniel Butterini and William Parslow all of whom played in the Championship final with Ediq Ambroysev scoring a good try with a snipping run in the first half.

Ediq Ambrosyev has been named to start from the interchange bench for the Queensland U16 side when they play New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium this weekend. Fellow Titans Tate Roberts (centre) and Samuel Shannon (inter change) are also in the Queensland side.

For the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition, Ediq Ambrosyev has been in outstanding form through the opening rounds with a strike rate of 133%, scoring in each match that he has played to date. In all of those matches Ediq Ambrosyev has started at five eight.

Ediq Ambroysev’s tries have come against Mudgeeraba, Helensvale, Runaway Bay and Nerang in a match that was played as a curtain raiser to the Titans verses South Sydney NRL match at Cbus Stadium recently. Ediq Ambrosyev continued his try scoring trend in Round Six against Southport, the only difference is that he scored a hat trick in that match.

Ediq Ambrosyev has also been in outstanding form for PBC including scoring the match winning try against Keebra Park in their Langer Cup match at Pizzey Park and was also involved in their 24 – 18 victory over Ipswich State High School. Ediq Ambrosyev also played for PBC in their Langer Cup match against Marsden State High School at Waterford which ended in a 38 – 10 win for the Gold Coast based school.

Over the course of the 2017 season Ediq Ambrosyev played in the U15 Division One competition on the Gold Coast with the Coomera Cutters, playing in a total of eight matches, including scoring a hat trick late in the season against Burleigh and early in the season also scored against the Southport Tigers.

The PBC student also represented South Coast in the 2017 QSSRL U15 Championships and from there was selected in the Queensland U15 White side for the ASSRL U15 national Championships. In those Championships Ediq Ambrosyev crossed on Day Two in a 44 – 0 victory over the ACT.

In 2016 Ediq Ambrosyev was part of the dominant Gold Coast Vikings U14 side that went through the 2016 Hill Stumer Championships undefeated playing a number of positions over the course of the three matches that the Vikings played including playing on the wing in the Sunday match against the Ipswich Diggers. Post Hill Stumer Championships, Ediq Ambrosyev was named on the inter change bench for the U14 South East Queensland Green team for the Queensland Age Championships.

Previously Ediq Ambrosyev represented Qld at the U12 level, where he was selected in the second row. In Ediq Ambrosyev also started from the inter change bench for the U13 Titans development squad in a game against an U14 Toowoomba selection. In that development squad match Ediq Ambrosyev played a significant portion of the game at centre, scoring two tries including an 80m run away intercept try when he raced down the left hand side of Pizzey park with the Toowoomba defenders chasing in vain.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Ediq Ambrosyev is in terms of running the ball, he has
outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the above average category. Ediq Ambrosyev with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control. It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well.

Teams start to focus heavily on Ediq Ambrosyev when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that he can exploit.

He has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Ediq Ambrosyev can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can readjust.

Ediq Ambrosyev also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what he is going to do.

Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Ediq Ambrosyev cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Ediq Ambrosyev is an exceptional tactical kicker with range and accuracy, he can put up pin point bombs and perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. In short if you can name a type of rugby or rugby league kick, Ediq Ambrosyev can execute it with precision.

Defensively Ediq Ambrosyev is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

Ediq Ambrosyev has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on his side of the field.

For the remainder of the 2018 season, Ediq Ambrosyev will play in the U16 Division One level for the Currumbin Eagles in the U16 Division One competition as well as for PBC in their Langer Cup and GIO Cup School Boy Rugby League campaigns.

Positionally it appeared that Ediq Ambrosyev would move to hooker but this season he has played five eight for Currumbin and well as the Vikings, so it is not possible at this stage to bet against him staying at five eight for the duration.

I do note however that he did play at hooker for South East Queensland Green U16’s in the Queensland Age Championships.

Although Ediq Ambrosyev may ultimately end up at hooker, the longer he plays at five eight the better his play in the hooking role will become if that is where he ultimately ends up.

Ediq Ambrosyev is a natural on a rugby league field regardless of position with his ability to size up a situation and invariably take the correct option. To that extent for me he has a playing style similar to that of Cronulla Sharks and former New South Wales State of Origin representative Matt Moylan is an appropriate comparison as an outstanding player who has all of the skills and temperament to be able to turn a game on its head with a piece of individual brilliance just like he did in the U15 Queensland Championship final.

mdrew

11-07-18, 04:53 PM

Ben Liyou. (Revised) He is a young player from the Grafton Ghosts who last year signed a two year deal with the Titans which will see him finishing his schooling in Northern New South Wales before moving up to the Gold Coast to continue his rugby league career.

In October 2017 Ben Liyou was also awarded the Aquinas Titans Sportsperson of the Year award at a gala dinner at the Southport Yacht Club.

Early this season Ben Liyou was part of the North Coast U18 Laurie Daley Cup side starting in the second row in all four of their matches and scoring one try which came against Northern Rivers in Round Two. Ben Liyou was one of the North Coast’s standout players across the Championships constantly challenging the defensive line, normally operating on the right side of the field.

Ben Liyou has been a Grafton Ghosts player throughout his entire career and that has not changed in 2018. Ben Liyou started the season in the U18 Group two competition and at just 17 years old made his Tooheys New Group Two First Grade debut in Round Three against the Macksville Sea Eagles. He made his debut playing left centre even though he has been playing in the second row exclusively over the last couple of seasons.

Since his debut Ben Liyou has made two additional Group Two First Grade appearances and in Round Ten in a big win against Macksville had a try assist late in the first half when he broke through the line and set up half Jake Frame for a try on the cusp of half time.

To date in the 2018 U18 Group Two competition, Ben Liyou has played in seven matches, scoring six tries and kicking two goals for a points tally on the season to date of 20. Ben Liyou scored a double in Round One against local rivals the South Grafton Rebels, also kicking his season’s two goals in the match. He also scored a double against the Rebels in a 33 – 12 Round Nine win.

Ben Liyou’s other two tries came against Bellingen in Round Five and in Round Six against the league leaders and previously undefeated Coffs harbour side.

Ben Liyou played the 2017 season at the U16.5 level for the Ghosts as well as playing three matches at the U18 level for Grafton in the Group Two U18 competition. Ben Liyou also attended a Titans Elite Academy session that was held at Lennox Heads late in 2017, another Grafton Ghost in centre Jake Martin was also an attendee.

Ben Liyou was also part of the East Coast Dolphins U16 side that performed well at the New South Wales Country Championships making the Championship final and as a result was selected for the U16 New South Wales Country side that played two matches in New Zealand as part of a South Island Tour. The NSW Country U16 side won both of their tour matches.

Previously Ben Liyou has represented the Titans in a number of development squad matches including in 2014 when he came off the bench in a match against a Samoan side playing in the second row.

With his try and two goals in a Grafton Ghosts 24-4 win over Ballina Ben Liyou finished the U16.5 regular season competition as the leading point’s scorer with 62 points from ten matches. Ben Liyou scored eight tries and kicked fifteen goals. From a try scoring perspective Ben Liyou scored doubles against Casino RSM in June and also against Ballina in July. Ben Liyou also started in the second row in Grafton’s two finals matches against Clarence Coast and the Grand Final against Casino RSM.

As a 16 year old Ben Liyou also played three matches for the Grafton Ghosts U18 side in the Group Two competition, with his U18 debut coming in April against the Sawtell Panthers. His other two games were against Sawtell again in June and Coffs Harbour in July 2017.

In the U16 New South Wales Country Championships Ben Liyou scored three tries in their way to the Final where the East Coast Dolphins U16 side lost in extra time to the Western Rams. In that Grand Final Ben Liyou started in the second row and another Titans linked youngster Kade Hill started at half. Ben Liyou scored a double in the East Coast Dolphins 44-0 semi-final win over the Bidgee Bulls and he also scored in Round One against the Central Coast.

In 2016 Ben Liyou was the U15 Group One’s top try scorer with 18 tries from 12 matches to finish five tries clear of the next highest try scorer. Ben Liyou also started at lock for the Group One U15 representative side that had some good wins over the course of the New South Wales Country Age Championships. Ben Liyou has previous experience in a Titans jersey when he came off the bench in late 2015 in a U14 contest against Samoa.

For the Ghosts in the U15 competition, Ben Liyou started off the season with a bang scoring seven tries in the first three rounds, including a four try haul against Kyogle and a double against Minor Premiers Clarence Coast. Over the course of the season, Ben Liyou scored five other doubles which came against Ballina on three separate occasions, Lismore Marist Brothers and Kyogle. In April Ben Liyou also played one match at the U16.5 age group against Kyogle backing up after playing in the U15’s earlier in the day.

Ben Liyou is a tall rangy type of player with a solid passing game, which is understandable due to his experience at five eight, from my perspective his passing to his right hand side is a little better than to his left. Where he excels though is his running with the ball, as noted he is a tall young man who really did dominate opposing backline line defences and regularly carried opposing players with him before off-loading to his support players.

Ben Liyou’s speed is quite good for his height and has the body shape to add additional muscle mass without compromising either his straight line speed or his mobility with or without the ball in his hands.

In an U13 Titans development squad game against Samoa in late 2015 and considering he conceded a lot of weight to the opposition, he was very effective and making ground, mainly on the fringes of the ruck, where he used his footwork to get between defenders and make ground. The development squad game was a tough game and even with the step up in overall class of the game, Ben Liyou did well.

The only issue for his defence is that due to his height he needs to make sure he does not let his tackles slip up too high when defending against smaller opposition and in the Group One competition he had no problem at all dealing with opposition forwards running on the fringes of the ruck.

In the development squad game, he obviously defended in the centre of the ruck and showed a quite decent low tackling technique and held his own even though he conceded weight to the opposing forward pack. The technique that Ben Liyou showed in that game has only been developed and refined in the subsequent years.

Ben Liyou will continue to be a standout player for the Grafton Ghosts U18 Group Two side and it is more than likely he will also get an opportunity to add to his three First Grade matches as the Group Two season reaches its conclusion.

Moving to the 2019 season, Ben Liyou will still be U18 eligible and you may well see him in a Tweed Heads Seagulls jersey in that competition next year.

From a position perspective, as noted, to date he has played a significant amount of rugby league at five eight in his junior career, but I can really see his move to the second row as a permanent one now.

From a player comparison perspective think along the lines of someone like South Sydney veteran John Sutton as a player who played a lot of their junior football at five eight before transitioning to the back row and developing into a solid ball playing forward who can pop a short pass to his supports both prior to the line and when engaged with the defensive line as well as defending effectively.

Make no mistake however Ben Liyou also has the ability to break the defensive line himself through hard running and just as importantly running the correct line including both an inside shoulder and outside shoulder line.

Ben Liyou also has outstanding leaderships and presents not just as a potential NRL captain one day but a club or representative level captain as well.

mdrew

12-07-18, 02:51 PM

Bailey Martin. (Revised) He is a local young backrower from the Burleigh Bears junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast who has only recently signed with the Titans and started training with the Titans High Performance Unit at Parkwood.

Bailey Martin after a stellar QSSRL U15 Championships where he starred for South Coast at lock picking up a number of Player of the Match awards and was subsequently selected in the Queensland Maroon side for the ASSRL U15 Championships in July.

Bailey Martin was named at lock for Queensland Green who went through the competition undefeated with Bailey Martin involved in each of Queensland Green’s four matches including the Championship final against NSW CCC which resulted in a Queensland Green xx – xx win/loss.

Bailey Martin also started at lock for PBC in their Walters Cup match against rivals Keebra Park at Pizzey Park recently with PBC winning 22 – 16 in a tough match where the last ten minutes or so was particularly willing to say the least. Could not see what happened to set it off from where I watched the game but it got very willing especially between both sets of forwards with the game in the balance.

Bailey Martin was also involved in PBC’s 22 – 18 win over Ipswich State High School and their 18 – 16 loss against Marsden at Waterford where the PBC just could not finish Marsden off in the final ten minutes or so of the match.

In the final ten minutes against Marsden Bailey Martin pulled off some outstanding front on tackles against the Marsden forwards and was the PBC forward urging his side on.

Bailey Martin is also part of the 2018 U15 Queensland Emerging Origin squad and has already attended a couple of the camps that have been held this year including one on the Sunshine Coast in February where the U15 squad played a simulated match against the U16 Emerging Origin squad.

In previous seasons Bailey Martin has been part of Brisbane Broncos junior development squads but has now signed a contract with his home town NRL club in what can only be considered a coup for the Titans.

For the 2018 season Bailey Martin is once again playing for the Burleigh Bears in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition this season at the U15 Division One level and is also representing PBC in their various school boy competitions including against St Mary’s a couple of weeks ago on the Gold Coast when he started at lock in a tough loss for the Gold Coast school against a well drilled opponent.

In Round One of the U15 Division One competition Bailey Martin started at lock against Helensvale and scored as Burleigh won the match 56 - 10. Titans linked players Flynn Daniel (second row) and Jayden Wright (wing) were also in the Burleigh side in the opening round with Jayden Wright another one of the Bears try scorers.

Round Two saw Bailey Martin once against start at lock against Ormeau with Burleigh losing 18 – 14. Bailey Martin was again at lock in Round Three with Burleigh once again losing a tight contest by two points. Bailey martin has also started at lock in Burleigh’s remaining matches.

In 2017 Bailey Martin played for the Burleigh Bears at the U14 Division One level. Bailey Martin was also a member of the dominant U14 Gold Coast Vikings representative who went through the Hill Stumer Championships undefeated after victories against Stingers Red and White and Ipswich.

As a result of his play for the U14 Vikings Bailey Martin was selected in the South East Queensland White side where he was selected in the second row. Bailey Martin also played for PBC in terms of his schoolboy rugby league where they had some good battles against Keebra Park in the U14 age group.

For Burleigh in the U14 Division Side in 2017 Bailey Martin played in ten matches including starting in the front row and scoring for Burleigh in their 31 – 16 Grand Final loss to the Ormeau Shearers. In mid-July Bailey Martin scored a double against Runaway Bay and earlier in the year scored against Runaway Bay again and his first try of the season came in Round Three against Nerang. Bailey Martin also kicked a conversion against grand final opponents Ormeau mid-season. Bailey Martin was also on the bench for one of Burleigh’s U15 Division One semi-finals.

Bailey Martin is a hard running backrower who is impressive at running the right line including both and inside shoulder and outside shoulder line and consistently hits the pass off either the dummy half or play maker flat thus generating his best possible speed and momentum to hit the defensive line.

Where he really excels though is his footwork, Bailey Martin has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

A try against Ipswich in the U13 Hill Stumer Championships in 2016 was a perfect example of this. Receiving the ball off the dummy half around 10 metres out, Bailey Martin cut back in towards the ruck and was easily able to break through the set Ipswich defensive line to score a well thought out try by the young man. The try may have looked easy but Bailey Martin identified that the Ipswich defensive line was not moving up in a uniform manner and Bailey Martin was able to quickly identify this and exploit it to his advantage all in a split second.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Bailey Martin’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight adjustments to his running angle and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of the multiple directional changes. He seems just to run at a faster pace than other forwards on the field. These attributes lead to a number of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself in eth main.

Bailey Martin’s speed is probably a bit above average for a forward but it is the speed that he is able to generate from only a few paces which makes it play faster from a defenders perspective as he gets to the defensive line quicker than the defenders anticipate and thus they are unable to set themselves properly for the initial contact meaning Bailey Martin can bend the line back regularly.

Defensively he hits very hard and had the best pure defensive technique of the U14 players at the U14 Hill Stumer Championships bar none. Bailey Martin’s technique revolves around timing and execution. Bailey Martin’s head is always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs.

Bailey Martin also tackles with both shoulders equally effectively as well. The impressive thing for me also is that Bailey Martin never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is exceptional. This is no fluke this is clearly as a result of an outstanding technique as well as determination and dedication to his craft.

Another defensive aspect that I noted during the 2017 season and to date this season especially with the South Coast U15 side is that Bailey Martin does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one immediately prior.

Bailey Martin’s lateral speed and mobility is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards. For me Bailey Martin is the best defender in his age group in Queensland bar none especially in defending on the fringes of the ruck whether he is operating as the A or B defender.

Bailey Martin will continue to play for Burleigh at the U15 Division One competition and also represent Queensland at the ASSRL U15 Championships as well as playing at lock for PBC and once again there should be some very good battles in that age group with Keebra Park, as was evidenced by the recent Walters Cup clash and St Mary’s from Toowoomba also look to have a strong U15 school boy side this year for PBC to test themselves against.

From a long term position perspective, I believe that he will continue to play in the back row when all is said and done. I appreciate that Bailey Martin played a number of matches in the front row last year but he has too much skill and foot work to be considered as a bash and barge type of player in that position.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, with his touch above average speed and quick late footwork that Bailey Martin has displayed over recent seasons I think that an appropriate player comparison is the Titans own and Queensland State of Origin backrower Jai Arrow with the potential to be a lot more on top of that as well.

Bailey Martin is not the flashiest player running around in his age group by a long shot but there is no junior rugby league player on the Gold Coast or in Queensland for that matter that has improved as much as he has over the last couple of seasons and rewards for his hard work and dedication and now deservedly starting to shine through for the Gold Coast local with his contract with the Titans for the next couple of years.

Bailey Martin has always been an outstanding defender, I believe that he is currently the best defender for his age in Queensland if not all of all junior age groups in Queensland but it his attack has really come on over the last two seasons or so, especially in relation to his late footwork and the outstanding lines that he runs especially in relation to the inside shoulder line that he executes flawlessly.

No one is more deserving of success both on and off the field than this talented young man.

Sunny86

12-07-18, 07:49 PM

Mdrew have you done a revised on Darius been looking but couldn’t find one

mdrew

12-07-18, 08:09 PM

I wil repost it mate

Mdrew have you done a revised on Darius been looking but couldn’t find one

Sunny86

12-07-18, 09:05 PM

Thanks very much

mdrew

18-07-18, 04:52 PM

Darius Farmer. (Revised) He is a young second rower originally from Ipswich who signed an updated two year deal with the Titans at the end of 2016 and represented Queensland at the U16 level in 2015 with Titans team mates Ben Thomas and Reihana Marsh, starting in the second row in the annual interstate match. Darius Farmer originally signed with the Titans in 2015 after being part of the Sydney Roosters Junior Summer Training squad in 2014.

Darius Farmer has had an outstanding 2018 season to date including making his Queensland Cup debut in Round 18 off the bench for the Burleigh Bears in their 40 – 28 loss to Redcliffe coming on in around the 24th minute of the second half making a couple of solid tackles including one try saving tackle late as Redcliffe looked certain to score. Prior to his introduction into the match, Darius Farmer was deservedly acknowledged by commentator Scott Sattler for his outstanding talent and associated potential.

In his debut Queensland Cup match in Round Eighteen against Redcliffe Darius Farmer played 19 minutes, running for 14 metres, six post contact and made eleven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 84.62%.

After his solid debut which was filled with the promise of plenty more to come, Darius Farmer has maintained his place in the Burleigh side, being named on the interchange bench for the Round 19 Queensland Cup match against the Central Queensland Capras this weekend.

Prior to his Queensland Cup call up Darius Farmer has spent the majority of the 2018 season playing for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition, but has also played a number of matches for the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side the last of which was in Round 17 against the Norths Devils.

Due to injury Darius Farmer missed the start of the 2017 season but played the majority of the season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side but also made his NYC debut with the Titans as well as representing New Zealand U18’s with Titans team mate Jaxson Paulo.

Darius Farmer started in the second row for New Zealand in their match against the Australian School Boys in September in New Zealand playing on the left side of the field with Jaxon Paulo who played on the left wing. Even though New Zealand lost the International Darius Farmer matched up well with Australian School Boy star David Fifita who lined up on the right hand side of the field for the Australian Schoolboys.

Prior to the International match against the Australian School Boys Darius Farmer represented the New Zealand U18 Taurahere side (NZ eligible players playing in Australia) against the New Zealand Residents U18 side. Darius Farmer was one of four Titans players named in the Taurahere side with the others being Jaxson Paulo, Reihana Marsh and Moeaki Fotuaika, although only Darius Farmer and Jaxon Paulo played in the match with both then progressing to the New Zealand U18 side.

Darius Farmer made his NYC debut with the Titans in Round Twenty against Penrith, almost scoring with his first touch of the ball after coming off the interchange bench and in Round Twenty-Two Darius Farmer started at lock against the Broncos. In 2017 Darius Farmer went on to play in Rounds Twenty Five and Twenty Six against the Bulldogs and Roosters respectively, on both of those occasions starting off the interchange bench.

In total in the NYC competition Darius Farmer was on the field for 150 minutes, ran for 170 metres from twenty hit-ups and made forty four at a tackling efficiency of 72%. Darius Farmer’s 2017 NYC per game averages included playing 37.5 minutes, running for 43 metres and making eleven tackles.

Darius Farmer’s best match from a running perspective was against the Panthers on his NYC debut when he ran for 78 metres and in Round Twenty Six against the Roosters he made thirteen tackles in limited minutes.

Darius Farmer missed the MM Cup competition but after spending the 2016 off season training with the Titans NYC squad including playing a couple of NYC trials for example against the Melbourne Storm at Langland’s Park, Darius Farmer was back for the start of the U20 Colts Challenge competition and played in twelve matches for Tweed Heads in that competition starting in the second row in every match that he played except for Round Four when he started at lock. Darius Farmer scored twice in the Colts competition including scoring in just the third minute of the Round One clash against South’s Logan. His other try came in Round Five against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

During the 2016 season Darius Famer played for the Gold Coast White MM side scoring a try in Round Three against the Easts Tigers. He started all of the matches he played for Gold Coast White in the second row. In addition he also made his QCup Colts debut for the Ipswich Jets in Round 15 scoring a hat trick against Toowoomba and starting in the centres. Darius Farmer started in the centres as well for the other three games that he played for the Ipswich Jets in the Colts competition, being from Rounds 23 to 25 and in Round 24 against the Tweed Heads Seagulls scored a double.

Darius Farmer is a tall, rangy exceptional athlete and this can be seen when be he is running with the football. In his carries he rarely takes a hit up without movement, he uses foot work prior to the line to look to break through as well as cutting either cutting back in behind the play the ball or cutting out towards the smaller defenders on the fringes of the ruck.

Darius Farmer runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line quite often, certainly more so than you would expect for a backrower taking the ball through the centre of the ruck. One reason for this is that he is a smart footballer, he does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle.

Darius Farmer does not necessarily have a great top end speed, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence. Darius Farmer would be one of the faster back rowers running around in Queensland as can be evidenced by the fact that he handled the centre position well at the QCup Colts level.

Playing on the right hand side of the field seemingly more often, means that his right foot step and his fending using his left hand are the effective attributes, but based on his physical attributes, his skill set and his understanding of how to play the game means that I have no doubt that these attributes are transferrable to playing on the left hand side of the field.

In defence Darius Farmer regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one. As could be seen in the U16 development squad game, when the opportunity presents Darius Farmer has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent. Ultimately though he is a strong defender with a good front on technique and good lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.

For the remainder of the 2018 season, Darius Farmer will be in a position to expand on his Queensland Cup experience as well as continuing to be a key figure in the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts side and the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side with all teams in line for finals places.

Darius Farmer will also be pushing for a Titans Development contract for the 2019 season, a season in which he will also certainly be a regular starting second rower in the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side, and a difference maker at that.

It would not surprise me in the least if Darius farmer makes his NRL debut for the Titans sometime in the 2019 NRL season.

I would expect that due to his size, speed and skill attributes that Darius Farmer will continue to play in the back row for the foreseeable future and even though he seems to play more on the right side of the field at present, there is nothing to suggest he will not transition into a player who can play on both sides of the ruck equally effectively.

I appreciate that Darius Farmer played some Queensland Cup Colts matches for the Ipswich Jets as a 17 year old previously in the centres and was very effective there but I do not envisage that this is anything permanent but Darius Farmer could probably fill in in the centres if the need arises.

From a player comparison perspective, the young Canterbury Bulldogs version of Sonny Bill Williams springs to mind as an appropriate comparison, when you see the combination of the skill set he possesses and the athletic ability, add in a touch of aggression and you have a young player of immense potential who plays the game seemingly at a different pace to most of the players around him.

Darius Farmer is really one to watch as the year’s progress and it is even better that you will see him in a Titans jersey for the foreseeable future at least. With new Titans coach Gareth Brennan emphasising local juniors, the re-signing for Darius Farmer at the end of the 2018 season is a must.

The Titans are building a core group of young forwards such as Moeaki Fotuaika, Max King, Keegan Hipgrave, Jai Arrow and Jai Whitbread.

Darius Farmer may just be the next player to join that “core” group of young forwards

Sunny86

18-07-18, 06:03 PM

Thanks mdrew

mdrew

24-07-18, 05:16 PM

mdrew

01-08-18, 04:37 PM

Dylan Phythian. In his first Queensland Cup game former Newcastle Knight Dylan Phythian had a more than solid debut starting the Burleigh Bears Round 17 match at halfback and scoring early on in his debut.

Round 18 saw Dylan Phythian move to five eight for the Bears match against the Townsville Blackhawks. Dylan Phythian was named at five eight for Round Nineteen as well but started the match in the centres instead for the Bears against Central Queensland.

In total in his debut Dylan Phythian played 71 minutes ran for 46 metres, 10 post contact, making a tackle bust and making 16 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88.9%. Dylan Phythian also kicked for 116 metres and forced three drop outs in a solid debut in Maroon and White.

In Round 18 Dylan Phythian scored his second try in as many Queensland Cup matches when he sliced through the defence on the left side of the field from around ten metres out. In addition, Dylan Phythian kicked for 197 metres, ran for 26 metres, with a line break and two tackles breaks and made 26 tackles.

Round 19 saw Dylan Phythian line up in the centres for Burleigh against the Central Queensland Capras. In the match Dylan Phythian played the entire 80 minutes, running for 62 metres, 22 post contact, made a tackle break and made eight tackles.

In Round 20 Dylan Phythian once again started in the centres as Burleigh went down in a close match against PNG. In the match, Dylan Phythian played the entire 80 minutes once against and ran for 81 metres, 24 of those post contact, an offload, a tackle break and eleven tackles a tackling efficiency of 78.57%

To date through his first four Queensland Cup matches, Dylan Phythian has been on the field for 310 minutes, running for216 metres and has made 61 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 74.3%. Dylan Phythian was also been credited with a line break, five tackle breaks, an offload and three forced drop outs. His per game averages include playing 78 minutes, running for 54.1 metres and making 15.25 tackles.

In his time with the Newcastle Knights Dylan Phythian played in three NRL matches making his debut in Round Twenty-Five in 2016 coming off the bench against South Sydney and scoring on debut. He also started from the bench in Round Twenty-Six against St George the following week.

It looked like 2017 was going to be Dylan Phythian’s year when he started at fullback in Round One against the Warriors but he did his ACL in that match missing the remainder of the season, regardless he did enough for the Knights to resign him on a one year contract for the 2018 season.

After some off field issues Dylan Phythian was released by the Knights in March 2018 and has moved to the Gold Coast to play the remainder of the season with the Burleigh Bears in the Queensland Cup.

After his release from the Knights and prior to his move to the Gold Coast Dylan Phythian played one match in the Newcastle First Grade competition for Lakes United against South Newcastle.

Dylan Phythian was a local Newcastle junior and progressed through the Newcastle Knights system through the U16 Harrold Matthews Cup, the U18 SG Ball competition and was a stand out from 2014 to 2016 in the Knights NYC side. In 2015 and 2016 Dylan Phythian also played a number of New South Wales Cup matches for the Knights while since NYC eligible.

Analysing Dylan Phythian’s playing style is a little complex due to the variety of positions that he can potentially play but as he has played in the halves since his move up from Newcastle I will focus there.

For a five eight or half back Dylan Phythian does have a bit of size about him which enables him to take the defensive line on himself if his back line is either not set or if the opposing outside backs move up quickly and cut off any potential plays on his outside.

In an attacking sense he stands quite deep and wide and thus is able to generate decent momentum when engaging he defensive line himself. Dylan Phythian’s speed is probably only a touch above average for a five eight but plays bigger as a result of his strength although his lateral movement is a touch above average.

When he looks to move the ball out to his back line Dylan Phythian plays at the line rather than before it. What this means is that the defensive line cannot just slide from one player to the next progressively limiting the room of the attacking team and must make a decision who to commit to.

Dylan Phythian also normally straightens up the attack which also slows the lateral movement of the defensive line when they are sliding enabling his outside runners the time and ability to pick the appropriate line to run knowing that Dylan Phythian will put the ball into the gap for them to run on to.

Defensively Dylan Phythian plays like a second rower he moves up with the aim to win the individual battle against the opponent running at him and hit them hard. When an opponent runs either side of him, Dylan Phythian has a decent low tackling technique but when they run directly at him his sole motivation is to hit them hard and around the chest.

In his time with Newcastle the 100kg 188 cm youngster has played a variety of positions from fullback to hooker and of course in the halves where he made his Queensland Cup debut with Burleigh recently.

Dylan Phythian Going will finish the 2018 season in the Queensland Cup with the Burleigh Bears and I am sure get a long look from the Titans in terms of where he may fit in their plans going forward.

I am conflicted in terms of the best position for Dylan Phythian, in his first two NRL matches he spent time at hooker when he came on and then he started at fullback in Round One of the 2017 NRL season and is now in the halves for Burleigh in the Queensland Cup. If he stays in the halves or at hooker he will be one of the bigger players in those positions in either the NRL or the Queensland Cup for that matter.

I don’t like pigeon holing someone but at the NRL level he may be the perfect interchange player, being able to play a multitude of diverse positions and play them solidly. He is an ideal player to have on an interchange bench and with his size could also play in the backrow in a similar type of role that Nathan Peats occupies when Mitch Rein comes on for the Titans.

Former Titan and current New Zealand Warrior Karl Lawnton is an ideal comparison for Dylan Phythian. Like Lawnton Dylan Phythian can play a variety of positions and is invaluable in being able to fill holes for a team all while being effective in whatever position he finds himself in.

The only real difference is that Dylan Phythian has more explosive speed off the mark than Lawnton has .

mdrew

06-08-18, 04:45 PM

Jonah Whitlam-Rose. The young Titans linked hooker plays for South Tweed in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition at the U16 level and is a player with a maturity and leadership qualities beyond his years that are on display every time he runs onto a field.

Earlier this season Jonah Whitlam-Rose captained the Northern Rivers U16 Andrew Johns Cup side taking them to the finals in the first year of the competition. In the competition he started at hooker and captained the side in each of their five matches and scored a double in Round One against the Newcastle Knights U16 Development Squad in an outstanding display of dummy half running.

Representative honours are nothing new for the St Joseph’s College Banora Point student, he represented Group 18 at the NSW Country U15 Championships in 2017 in three matches scoring a hat trick against Group 19 and in 2016 represented Group 18 at the U14 level in two matches.

From an attacking stand point, Jonah Whitlam-Rose has solid distribution skills in relation to his passing skills to either side of his body and uses a solid, repeatable passing technique to ensure consistency, thus enabling his forwards and play makers to have confidence that his passes will find the mark with the appropriate velocity and angle attached on every occasion.

Where Jonah Whitlam-Rose really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has very good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet.

Around the try line Jonah Whitlam Rose is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs. He scored a number of tries this season both from running from dummy half close to the line as well as backing up forwards and getting the offload. When in open space Jonah Whitlam-Rose is very quick and can finish off his own breaks all be it over reasonably short distances, a rare skill for a hooker.

From a defensive perspective he is a very solid tackler who makes good initial contact and is able to generate momentum through his core and drive into his opponent with enough force to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. He has both a solid low tackling technique as well as having the functional strength to make ball and all tackles effectively against the biggest of forwards looking to target him in the defensive line.

He is also very quick out of the marker position and will get to forwards how are running one out before they can generate any momentum. In short he defends like a backrower and certainly if he finds himself on the fringes of the ruck, Jonah Whitlam-Rose has the lateral movement and anticipation to also defend against smaller quicker halves looking to exploit a perceived speed advantage.

Jonah Whltlam-Rose will play out the 2018 season with the South Tweed Bears in the Group 18 U16 competition who are unfortunately having a tough season and it will be interesting to see if he can push for selection in the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad in 2019.

With his speed and elusiveness out of dummy half coupled with his leadership ability and ability to lead and direct his side around the field, Jonah Whitlam-Rose is ideally suited to the hooking role.

Even though he is a touch stockier, Jonah Whitlam-Rose reminders me from a playing style perspective of North Queensland Cowboys hooker Jake Granville. Both can get their sides on the front foot with a timely run out of dummy half but both also have the ability to lead their sides forwards onto the ball.

I would argue though that Jonah Whitlam-Rose is more selective in his dummy half runs than Granville and always run with a plan in mind rather than running just for the sake of it.

mdrew

07-08-18, 04:30 PM

Kalani Going. The New Zealand born second rower moved over to Australia chasing his NRL dream with the Canberra Raiders but now continues that dream on the Gold Coast with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Queensland Cup.

Kalani Going made his Queensland Cup debut off the bench in Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly on Stradbroke Island, playing 32 minutes, running for 75 metres, 22 post contact and also had an offload. Defensively he made twenty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 90.9% for a more than solid debut.

Round 18 saw Kalani Going move into the starting line-up in the second row against the Souths Logan Magpies. Playing the entire 80 minutes the second rower ran for 109 metres, with an impressive 50 of those post contact. Kalani Going also made six tackle breaks and an offload. Defensively he made 30 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88.24%.

In Round 19 against the Townsville Blackhawks Kalani Going started in the front row playing the entire 80 minutes running for 87 metres, 31 post contact, made one tackle break and made 32 tackles.

Kalani Going also started in the front row in Round 20 against the Mackay Cutter playing 37 minutes, running for 80 metres, 32 post contact and made 17 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 77.27%.

Round 21 saw Kalani Going once again start in the front row against XX and he made the most of his 35 minutes on the field for in Round 21 of the Queensland Cup on the weekend. He ran for an impressive 102 metres, 30 of which were post contact, had five tackle breaks and made 17 tackles.

To date through his first five Queensland Cup matches, Kalani Going has been on the field for 254 minutes, running for 455 metres and has made 120 tackles. Kalani Going was also been credited with seventeen tackle breaks and two offloads.

His per game averages include playing 51 minutes, running for 91.2 metres and making 24 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 84.4%.

The former Canberra Raiders NYC captain started this season off in the New South Wales Intrust Super Cup with the Mounties playing in eight matches prior to his move north. Kalani Going started six of his eight matches from the bench, starting Round Eight against the Wyong Roos in the centres and Round Nine against the Warriors in the second row.

Kalani Going’s last match before his move north was against the Newtown Jets in Round Fifteen.

The powerful 178cm 98kg former New Zealand Junior Kiwi scored once with the try coming in Round Two against the Wyong Roos. Kalani Going in the 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup ran for 611 metres, 237 of those post contact (38.79%) and made 140 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 83.9% whilst being on the field for 371 minutes.

On two occasions Kalani Going played the entire 80 minutes, being in Rounds Eight and Nine. Kalani Going also had a line break and thirteen tackle breaks. Kalani Going’s New South Wales Intrust Super Cup per game averages included playing 36.5 minutes, running for 76.4 metres and making 17.5 tackles.

On three occasions Kalani Going ran for more than 100 metres in a match including running for 105 metres in Round Nine against the Warriors. From a defensive perspective, Round’s Eight and Nine against the Wyong Roos and New Zealand Warriors respectively, Kalani Going made 28 tackles.

The table below compares Kalani Goings 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup statistics to those in the Queensland Cup since his move to the Gold Coast:

2018 NSW Cup 2018 Q Cup

Games played 8 5

Minutes per game 36.5 51

Runs per game 8.3 9.6

Metres made per game 76.4 91.2

Tackles per game 17.5 24

Prior to his Queensland Cup debut off the bench for Tweed Heads against Wynnum Manly, Kalani Going played one match for Tweed Heads in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition off bench in Round Ten against Burleigh just after arriving on the Gold Coast.

Kalani Going gets back deep and really just runs flat out into the defensive line normally with limited lateral movement prior to contact. As he is approaching the defensive line Kalani Going will drop his shoulder into the defender who is looking to make the initial contact and also runs with a high knee life. Kalani Going has strength in his core which enables him to continue to make ground after contact.

Kalani Going also has, for a second rower above average speed, not necessarily off the mark but certainly when his is in motion and his speed also plays better as a result of his power running style especially when he is running wide of the ruck targeting the smaller defenders there.

Whilst he may not necessarily score a lot of tries himself he does contribute significantly as Kalani Going regularly causes havoc when he has engaged the defensive line and with a quick play the ball there is on occasion space out wide for his team to look to exploit.

Kalani Going is aggressive in defence whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football.

His speed and lateral movement means that Kalani Going will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

Kalani Going will finish the 2018 season in the Queensland Cup with the Tweed Heads Seagulls and I am sure get a long look from the Titans in terms of where he may fit in their plans.

Even though he spent a portion of the 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup season in the centres with the Mounties, with his solid frame and his low centre of gravity which makes him difficult to tackle and envisage a future in the NRL in the second row for Kalani Going.

He may not be as big as Canberra Raider and Queensland State of Origin second row Josh Pappali but Kalani Going plays rugby league the same way.

Kalani Going is a powerful ball of muscle who is difficult to tackle front on and with his low centre of gravity is able to get into the bodies of forwards running at him and really cut them in half.

mdrew

08-08-18, 04:55 PM

Kai O’Donnell. (Revised) The young hooker/second rower who is part of the Titans Rookie Squad had a great 2017 season with Burleigh in MM and Colts competitions and South Coast in the QSSRL U18 competition moved down from the North Queensland region to continue to pursue his rugby league career in 2016.

This season Kai O’Donnell started with Burleigh in the U20 Colts competition with four of those in a different position being hooker after making the transition from the backrow in the offseason. Kai O’Donnell started Burleigh’s first four matches at hooker but moved back to the second row for Saturdays match against the Western Mustangs, a match that the Bears won 46 – 0.

Kai O’Donnell scored two tries scoring in Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins and in Round Four against Souths Logan. Ironically both tries were almost identical in terms of the style and even the place on the field that they were scored.

In relation to both of his tries, Kai O’Donnell was at dummy half with Burleigh attacking, Kai O’Donnell took the odds to it, getting down low and burrowing over from close to the line. Kia O’Donnell scored both tries at Pizzey Park at the non-car park end crossing mid-way between the left upright and touch line on each occasion.

Kai O’Donnell quickly progressed to the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side and played in four matches before his next promotion. In his four matches, Kai O’Donnell scored four tries including a double against Southport and a debut try against Tugun. Kai O’Donnell’s other try came against Tweed Heads in his second GCRL First Grade match.

After standing out in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition, Kai O’Donnell was promoted once again, this time to the Burleigh Queensland Cup side and has gone on to play in three matches primarily off the interchange bench.

Through his six Queensland Cup matches, Kai O’Donnell is averaging 36 minutes, eight hit-ups for 81.8 metres, 34 post contact (41.56%) and 20.7 tackles at a tackling efficiency of an incredible 96.88. Kai O’Donnell has also been credited with fourteen tackle breaks.

Incredibly in four of his six matches Kai O’Donnell has been perfect defensively. I knew that he was a good defender but not this good.

From a ball running perspective Kai O’Donnell in Round 19 against the Central Queensland Capra’s ran for 98 metres and defensively Kai O’Donnell made a career high (to date) 21 tackles in Round Twenty-One and made 17 tackles in Round Twelve in his debut against Tweed Heads made 18 tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency, no surprise there.

The former North Queensland Cowboys Academy member has been a strong addition to the rugby league ranks on the Gold Coast after making his First Grade debut in the Mackay A Grade competition in 2016. 2016 also say Kai O’Donnell play for the Mackay Cutters in the MM Cup competition and he was named in the Cutters squad for 2017 but moved down to the Gold Coast to attend PBC as part of their rugby league excellence program early that year.

For Burleigh in the MM competition in 2017 Kai O’Donnell played in all six of Burleigh’s matches scoring in Round Four against the South’s Logan Magpies. Kai O’Donnell started the first two MM Rounds at lock, then came off the interchange bench in Round Three before starting in the second row for the final three rounds.

Upon competition of the MM Cup competition Kai O’Donnell transitioned to the Burleigh Colts side where he played in six matches prior to injury. Kai O’Donnell started three matches being Rounds One, Six and Seven in the second row, Rounds Four and Five at lock and started from the inter change bench in Round two. Kai O’Donnell actually captained the side in Round Four against Souths Logan.

Kai O’Donnell may have played in only six matches but he scored five tries in that time including a hat trick inside 22 minutes against Ipswich in Round Seven and he also scored in Round Two against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Round Six in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

In relation to School boy rugby league in 2017 Kai O’Donnell was part of the South Coast U18 QSSRL side that took all before them and from there was selected in the second row for the Queensland U18 side for the ASSRL U18 Championships from PBC.

In addition to playing a number of matches in the MM Cup competition, 2016 saw Kai O’Donnell start off for Proserpine in the Mackay U18 competition where he played in six matches scoring four tries including a double against Wests Mackay in his last match in the U18 competition before his promotion to the Proserpine First Grade side.

Kai O’Donnell made his Mackay First Grade debut in the centres on 23 July 2016 against North’s and celebrated his debut with a try. Kai O’Donnell scored his second try in First Grade in his third First Grade match against South’s. Kai O’Donnell made such an impact in First Grade for the Brahmans that he was awarded First Grade Rookie of the Year as well as being named the First Grade Best Back on the season at the 2016 Whitsunday Rugby League Awards night.

From a school boy rugby league perspective in 2016, Kai O’Donnell captained the Proserpine High School Open Rugby League team in 2016 including leading his team to victory in the final of the State-wide Queensland Country Cup Carnival beating local rivals Sarina High School in the final 25 – 18 in extra time.

Kai O’Donnell was named player of the final and was noted by his coach Andrew Jolly as being an inspirational leader. Kai O’Donnell also represented the Northern Region in the U18 QSSRL Championships playing in all four of their matches which were against Met West, Capricornia, Sunshine Coast and South Coast in May 2016.

For a young player with an already strong frame, Kai O’Donnell has the type of build which suggests that he can continue to add more muscle mass without compromising his already above average speed.

Kai O’Donnell does not necessarily have great speed when he runs out of dummy half, but the times that he does run though, he targets forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space. Once in open space he does not have the speed required to finish things off himself but he invariably will make the right decision with the ball in terms of whether to take the tackle or pass to a support player.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half Kai O’Donnell has a solid pass from both sides of his body and can also generate reasonable distance as well. When you watch him distribute from dummy half you are not going to come away waxing lyrical about his passing, but it is solid and effective and he is smart enough not to cut his passes too fine when leading his forwards onto the ball. Like the rest of his game, his passing out of dummy half is solid and virtually mistake free.

In relation to playing in the second row, Kai O’Donnell is also effective and runs with movement on each occasion that he takes a hit up and is adept at lowering his shoulder onto the defender to make tackling him a difficult proposition for a defensive line. Kai O’Donnell due to his higher centre of gravity and less actual bulk is more suited to running on the edges of the edge where he can best utilise his speed and mobility for his team.

Defensively I like the intensity that Kia O’Donnell approaches his defensive duties with, just look at the match against the Souths Logan Magpies when he made 45 tackles. On an individual level Kai O’Donnell has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation and execution.

Kai O’Donnell is eligible once again for the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in 2019 and may also spend some time next season in the Queensland Cup ranks for Burleigh. It would also not surprise to see Kai O’Donnell in line for a Titans Development contract over the next year or so.

Kai O’Donnell’s ultimate position has become a touch clouded. Prior to this season, I expected Kai O’Donnell to have a successful career in the second row and did not see a move to hooker coming. In saying that, even though he is new to the hooker position, Kai O’Donnell has started out the season very well there and thus may just end up there long term.

Kai O’Donnell may with his continued development at hooker, present coaches will a great option of starting him at hooker and then bringing on a hooker from the interchange bench allowing Kai O’Donnell to transition to a running forward role as he has the mental toughness and physical endurance to play an entire game without fatiguing too much over the course of 80 minutes.

The scenario that I am postulating is similar to how Gareth Brennan is using Nathan Peats so far this season. He starts at hooker and then has spent some time as a running backrower when Mitch Rein comes on late in the first half.

From a player comparison perspective, due to tenacity, a playing style and comparison akin to current Titans and New South Wales State of Origin hooker Nathan Peats would be appropriate from a leadership, courage and determination perspective

mdrew

09-08-18, 04:59 PM

Byron Parnell. The rangy Titans linked centre/second rower has had an outstanding 2018 season culminating in his recent match for the Queensland U16 side in their tough loss to their New South Wales counterparts at Suncorp Stadium where he started the match from the interchange bench. Fellow Titans Ediq Ambrosyev (hooker), Samuel Shannon (interchange) and Tate Roberts (centre) were also part of the Queensland U16 side.

At the start of the 2018 season Byron Parnell was part of the Gold Coast Vikings White side that played in the U16 South East Queensland Challenge and from there was selected in the South East Queensland side for the recent Queensland Age Championships that were held in Mackay.

At the State Championships Byron Parnell started all of South East Queensland Green’s matches in the centres, including the Championship final and in fact scored as SEQ Green defeated SEQ White 30 – 18. Byron Parnell also scored tries against Central in a SEQ Green 46 – 8 win and against Northern in another 20 – 10 win. Byron Parnell was subsequently selected in the Queensland U16 team.

The Coombabah State High School student is currently playing for the Nerang Roosters in the GCRL U16 Division One competition, to date playing in five matches scoring five tries and kicking two goals. Byron Parnell has scored doubles against Mudgeeraba and Runaway Bay, converting one of his tries in each of those games and early in the season Byron Parnell also scored against Currumbin.

Just like this season, 2017 saw Byron Parnell make a number of representative sides including starting in the centres for the Queensland Murri U16 side. Byron Parnell also represented the South Coast U15 side in the U15 QSSRL Championships and from there was selected in the U15 Queensland White side for the U15 ASSRL Championships.

In the 2017 U15 ASSRL Championships, Byron Parnell started in the centres in four matches, scoring twice including the first try of the Championship final. Unfortunately Queensland lost the final 16 – 14 against New South Wales Combined High Schools. In the Championships, Byron Parnell also scored against New South Wales Combined Independent Schools.

Byron Parnell is a big, strong, quick young centre with a fluid running style with a powerful centres build with the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside. In term of his play, the in and away is his bread and butter, Byron Parnell has very good speed off the mark and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle.

When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Byron Parnell usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload although offloading is not his first priority.

Byron Parnell has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if he is pushing to the outside too early.

Byron Parnell does however on occasion not use his size and strength often enough and will try to beat his direct opponent on the outside every time even though he has shown the ability to run over people, but I am sure that this will come with more experience.

Over the course of the season, including schoolboy and representative football, he has lined up at both left and right centre but at present he seems to be better suited and more comfortable playing right centre but he is so young there is plenty of time for him to gain experience at left centre as well.

I will note that in Round Ten of the U16 Division One competition, Byron Parnell started the match against Helensvale at fullback in an interesting move which I had not considered before, well done to the Nerang coaches for giving talented young players a range of opportunities to develop and/or showcase their skills.

Byron Parnell is a big strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Byron Parnell also has a very good passing game especially to his left side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Byron Parnell is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide

As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Byron Parnell is a very good defender, for his size he will not necessarily hit hard (he certainly can however when the opportunity presents), but he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all.

Defensively Byron Parnell uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

His long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations and also when moving up into the defensive line as Byron Parnell can disrupt passing lanes.

Byron Parnell is the defensive leader of the Nerang U16 Division One BBC three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Byron Parnell on an individual level has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Byron Parnell seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage.

Byron Parnell will play the remainder of the 2018 GCRL season with Nerang at the U16 Division One level and also play for Coombabah State High School in relation to school boy rugby league.

Byron Parnell has spent this season playing in the centres in both club and representative rugby league and whilst he certainly will be able to continue to play in the centres for at least a while yet, I think that ultimately Byron Parnell will transition fulltime to the second row where with his speed and power he will be a handful on the fringes of the ruck.

I note in the interests of completeness, Byron Parnell started at fullback in Round Ten and at five eight in Round Eleven of the U16 Division One competition for Nerang.

Penrith’s boom second rower Isaiah Yeo for me is a clear and appropriate choice in terms of looking for an NRL player comparison for Byron Parnell. Like Yeo Byron Parnell has started his career as a tall powerful centre with interesting speed, mobility and skill characteristics and a hard tough defensive methodology.

mdrew

10-08-18, 01:26 PM

Stanley Jackson. (Revised) The powerful young right sided second rower is a former Titans U14 development squad member who until recently continued to elevate his game with the incredible Logan Brothers Club in Brisbane’s south.

It was exciting to see Stanley Jackson playing on the Gold Coast and dominate in his second GCRL U17 Division One match for Helensvale as they defeated Mudgeeraba 58-16 in Round Ten. In the Round Ten match he was unstoppable on his way to scoring four tries.

Stanley Jackson’s first match for Helensvale was in Round Nine against Runaway Bay when he started in the second row.

Earlier this season Stanley Jackson was part of the Easts Tigers MM Cup side, playing all seven of their matches. He started one match at lock being Round One against Central Queensland, one in the second row, four in the front row and one from the interchange bench.

I did not see all of his MM Cup matches this season but he certainly was outstanding for Easts in their Round Seven match against Tweed Heads and even though the Tigers were defeated Stanley Jackson stood up well to the powerful Tweed Heads Seagulls forward pack.

Stanley Jackson scored tries in Rounds Five and Six against Redcliffe and Northern Pride respectively.

Stanley Jackson was a standout for Logan Brothers U16’s in 2017 and in one game against Carina that I saw was at his rampaging best as Logan Brothers put Carina to the sword with Stanley Jackson being prominent on the right side for Logan Brothers both in attack and defence.

Earlier in 2017 Stanley Jackson was part of the Brisbane Red U16 representative side for the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition.

In 2015 Stanley Jackson started in the front row for the Titans U14 development squad in their 28-10 win against Samoa. He also captained his U14 Logan Brothers club side in their GBJRL grand final that same year at Nundah against Wynnum Manly.

Stanley Jackson made numerous representative sides in 2015 including U14 Stingers and U14 South East Queensland for the Queensland age championships in June, starting in the front row for both of those representative sides. Previously Stanley Jackson has been part of the Titans, Broncos and Cowboys development squads.

Stanley Jackson is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which he uses to cut back behind the play the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

In the GBJRL grand final in 2015 Stanley Jackson played a major role in South’s Logan wrestling back the momentum from Wynnum Manly in the second half by running straight and hard into a Wynnum defensive line that had their tails up after closing the gap on the score board.

Where Stanley Jackson’s game has really developed over the last couple of seasons his ability to play wider of the ruck, which is where he is primarily playing for the U16 Logan Brothers Premier Division side this season. With his size and strength wider of the ruck Stanley Jackson attracts defenders and thus is in a position to use his ball skills to set up his outside supports early in a match.

When defences start to try to anticipate that Stanley Jackson is going to pass then he can use his size and power to cash through the defensive lien as no defender is going to be able to handle him one on one by themselves.

Logan Brothers run a number of set plays to the right side of the field to look to exploit Stanley Jackson being on that side such as their “Melbourne” play and Stanley Jackson is the centre piece of all of them.

In defence Stanley Jackson uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Stanley Jackson is not adverse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most front rowers are.

It is clear from how his team mates respond to him that Stanley Jackson is a leader on the field and clearly is a hard trainer due to the fact that he was still going at the same pace at the start of the grand final as he was at the end even though he seemed to take a knock early in the game but came back on when his team needed him on a very hot day against a quality opposition who had the momentum at that critical stage of the game.

Also you are not made captain of any Logan Brothers side unless you show leadership attributes and also train hard and remain dedicated.

Stanley Jackson looks set to play out the 2018 rugby league season with the Helensvale Hornets in the U17 Division One competition and in 2018 will be eligible once again for the MM Cup competition and I for one will be interested to see who he lines up for. He would look very very good in a Tweed Heads or Burleigh jersey.

A couple of years ago I would have considered that this future lay in the front row, but Stanley Jackson’s play this year wider on the right side of the field for Logan Brothers has definitely changed that though process.

With his above average speed and his continuing rapidly developing ball skills it is part not to see Stanley Jackson being a dominant second rower all the way up to the NRL level for this exceptionally talented young man.

From a style perspective, think along the lines of a faster more athletic version of Jarrod Warera-Hargraves of the Roosters from a size and power perspective but having the ball skills of Sonny Bill Williams.

I always thought that Stanley Jackson had a big future in rugby league but his play for the Eats Tigers in the MM Cup competition this season confirms that he is an absolutely outstanding talent for whom the sky is the limit.

mdrew

13-08-18, 04:31 PM

Tristin Powell. The young backrower spent three seasons in the Brisbane Broncos Junior Development system but after a break out 2018 which saw him play a number of MM Cup matches for Norths as a 17 year old and also represent Queensland at the ASSRL U18 Championships Tristian Powell has recently inked a two year deal with the Titans.

In the MM Cup competition earlier this season, Tristian Powell played in six matches for the Norths Devils including their semi-final victory against the Mackay Cutters and North’s Grand Final loss to Souths Logan.

Tristian Powell started the opening two rounds of the season in the front row and Round Three against Souths Logan from the interchange bench before missing a number of matches, coming back into the side from the bench for Round Seven and the subsequent finals series.

In his six matches Tristian Powell had a try scoring strike rate of 50% with his tries coming in Round Two against Central Queensland, Round Three against Souths Logan and Round Seven against Townsville.

Over the course of the 2018 Tristian Powell represented Met North at the U18 ASSRL Championships starting all of their matches in the front row and from there represented Queensland at the ASSRL U18 Championships where a team mate was fellow Titan David Butler.

In 2017, his first at Nudgee, Tristian Powell represented Brisbane Grey in the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition, scoring in Round Three of the competition against Brisbane Blue and also was selected in the Queensland U16 side, starting the annual interstate match against New South Wales in the second row along fellow St Mary’s student hooker Jake Simpkin.

In 2016 Tristian Powell represented Darling Downs at the U15 QSSRL Championships, starting at lock. In those Championships he scored on Day Four against Sunshine Coast and on Day One was named the Darling Downs Player of the Match against South Coast.

In 2016 Tristian Powell captained the St Mary’s College U15A side that won the Devere Cup beating Mountain Creek High School 42 – 10 in the final at Bishop with Tristian Powell scoring a strong second half try for the Toowoomba based school.

The first thing that you will notice when you see Tristian Powell on a football field is his size, speed and athleticism that he exhibits every time that he is around the ball. Running with the ball he is effective running wide of the ruck where he can utilise his speed and power more effectively by targeting individual defenders rather than running at a set defensive line where defenders will be converging from multiple axis simultaneously.

Tristian Powell also has the speed to finish off movements himself when he gets into space.

I am not saying that he is not effective running in the centre of the ruck but his effectiveness multiples exponentially running on the fringes of the ruck and another positive is that he is effective running both on the left or right of the field.

In addition to his speed, which I would suggest is above average to plus for a second rower Tristian Powell has a powerful fend and thus he can keep defenders from getting into his body enabling him to maintain his balance and running line and thus he has a stable base from which to look to offload.

Defensively Tristian Powell’s athleticism also shows out, his strength enables him to handle the biggest of forwards on a one on one basis and his athleticism particularly in relation to his lateral movements enables him to deal with smaller quick stepping halves how look to try to exploit and perceived speed advantage.

When the opportunity presents Tristian Powell has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent.

Ultimately though Tristian Powell is a strong defender with a good front on technique and good lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.

Tristian Powell who will be eligible for the MM Cup competition again in 2019 is currently at St Joseph’s College Nudgee on a rugby scholarship playing in the GPS School Boy rugby competition in the open age group. It will be interesting to see where Tristian Powell will be playing in 2019 in relation to the MM Cup competition, will it be with Norths again or with one of the two Gold Coast based clubs being Burleigh or Tweed Heads.

I appreciate that Tristian Powell played the opening two rounds of the MM Cup competition for Norths earlier this season in the front row but with his speed, footwork and athleticism I would prefer, for the short to medium term at least to see Tristian Powell play in the second row where he can operate on the fringes of the ruck.

A current NRL player with a similar playing style for me is St George Dragons and New South Wales State of Origin backrower Jack De Belin.

mdrew

14-08-18, 05:18 PM

Kea Pere. The block busting centre has been part of the Melbourne Storm Development system over the last couple of years but recently signed a contract with the Titans immediately bringing youth and depth to the stocks of NRL or near NRL ready outside backs on the Gold Coast.

In 2017 Kea Pere started for the Queensland U18 side on the wing and earlier this season, played four Queensland Cup matches for the Easts Tigers.

After starting the season in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for the Easts Tigers, Kea Pere made his Queensland Cup debut in Round Five against the Redcliffe Dolphins and in fact scored on debut and scored his second Queensland Cup try the following weekend in Round Six against the Northern Pride.

In his four Queensland Cup matches, Kea Pere started all four in the centres playing the entire 80 minutes on each occasion.

In total this season in the Queensland Cup Kea Pere has been on the field for 320 minutes, running for 417 metres, 113 of those post contact (27.1%), made thirteen tackle breaks, two line breaks and in Round Eight against Norths had a try assist.

Defensively Kea Pere has made 39 tackles at a tackling efficiency of a more than credible 92% through his four Queensland Cup matches.

Kea Pere’s 2018 Queensland Cup per game averages include playing 80 minutes, running for 104.4 metres and making 9.75 tackles.

On two occasions Kea Pere has run for in excess of 100 metres in a match, being his debut in Round Five against Redcliffe when he ran for 114 metres and then in Round Six against the Northern Pride he ran for 123 metres for his career high to date. Defensively Kea Pere made twelve tackles in Round Seven against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Kea Pere has only played five Colts games this season due to injury, scoring two tries which came in the opening two rounds against the Central Queensland Capra’s and the Mackay Cutters respectively.

In 2017 whilst still eligible for the MM Cup competition, Kea Pere played in fifteen NYC matches for the Melbourne Storm coming into the side in Round Nine against St George, starting the match from the interchange bench. Kea Pere started six matches from the interchange bench one in the centres being Round Fourteen against Cronulla and the remainder on the wing, starting his first match on the wing in Round Eleven against South Sydney.

In his fifteen NYC matches in 2017, Kea Pere scored four tries which came in Rounds Eleven, Thirteen, Eighteen and Twenty against South Sydney, Newcastle, Parramatta and Canberra respectively.

The giant young man is very difficult to stop once he is in motion, his speed, power and body height all contribute to this. In the centres when he can wind up and build momentum he looks to run over his direct opponent rather than try to run around them. In fact in the majority of occasions it is Kea Pere that actually initiates the contact and I do not recall seeing a player being able to run over his direct opponent with absolutely no loss of momentum.

From a speed perspective I would argue that his speed is a tick above average for an NRL outside back but obviously the key attribute from an attacking perspective is how hard he hits the defensive line. Like his overall speed Kea Pere’s lateral mobility is probably just a tick above average. Kea Pere with his size and strength is also able to make a lot of ground after contact with his ability to absorb the defensive contact and maintain his balance and body control.

When he is close to the line Kea Pere is able to absorb a significant amount of punishment and still hold his running line thus he is able to score close to the side line without being pushed over the sideline regardless of the number of defenders looking to do so. The ability to absorb contact is on display when he comes into the centre of the ruck to take the ball up into the teeth of the defensive line.

Defensively for a big strong powerful young man, Kea Pere actually has good discipline for such a young player and in the main stays on his man rather than coming in and looking for the big hit. Do not get me wrong he will on occasion aim to smash the opposing outside if they do not see him coming but in the main he is quite disciplined and looks to ensure his opposing winger does not get on his outside looking to use their speed against him.

Kea Pere is currently injured and is unlikely to play again this season but will be fit and ready to go when the Titans start their preseason training block.

Even though he will be eligible again for the U20 Colts competition in 2019, I would anticipate that Kea Pere will bypass that competition and play for either Tweed Heads or Burleigh in the Queensland Cup and it also would not surprise to see him break into the Titans NRL side sooner rather than such is his skill set. I have no doubt that Kea Pere will feature heavily in the Titans pre-season trials in 2019.

In addition to playing in the centres Kea Pere can also play on the wing, but with his power running and elusive skill set he seems the ideal modern day rugby league centre.

In many respects Kea Pere reminds me of standout Titans winger Phillip Sami, both are big strong young men who can absorb a lot of punishment when they are running with the ball and both are former Ipswich State High School students.

mdrew

15-08-18, 10:32 AM

Samuel Shannon. The powerfully built Southport and Titans youngster started off the 2018 season in fine form being a stand out for the Gold Coast Vikings Viking’s White U16 side that played in the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition.

From that competition Samuel Shannon was selected at lock for the South East Queensland White U16 side for the Queensland Age Championships and through his dominant performances in Mackay was selected on the bench for the Queensland U16 side that were narrowly defeated by New South Wales. Fellow Titans Tate Roberts (centre), Ediq Ambrosyev (hooker) and Byron Parnell (interchange) were also part of the Queensland U16 side.

For South East Queensland White Samuel Shannon started all four of their matches at lock including their Championship final loss to South East Queensland Green.

Samuel Shannon played in eight U16 Division One matches this season in the GCRL competition with Southport and through the regular season had a 50% strike rate. Samuel Shannon’s four tries came against Burleigh, Helensvale, Runaway Bay and Currumbin.

Samuel Shannon’s 2018 club season came to an end in the U16 Division One Elimination final when Southport were defeated 44 – 4 by Helensvale, a match that Samuel Shannon started at lock.

In 2017 Samuel Shannon was selected in the Queensland White U15 side for the ASSRL U15 Schoolboys Championships after playing for South Coast in the QSSRL U15 Championships held in Cairns. Samuel Shannon started primarily from the bench for South Coast after making the side from Robina State High School.

In 2017 Samuel Shannon played for the Southport Tigers in the U15 Division One GCJRL competition and performed strongly including scoring a double in Round Two against the Helensvale Hornets. In total in 2017 Samuel Shannon played eight matches scoring five tries to have a solid season in black and orange.

The pace and power in terms of how Samuel Shannon runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, he takes the ball to the line with speed and quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot he will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him.

I would consider that his speed would be considered above average for his position but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at. Samuel Shannon also runs a very good inside shoulder line to add variety to his running game.

With his low centre of gravity coupled with his speed and power, Samuel Shannon is a difficult proposition for defensives and is able to draw in multiple defenders and still get a quick play the ball to gain forward momentum for his side on a regular basis.

The defensive side of his game is similarly impressive, Samuel Shannon does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit, but is calculating in where and when to hit. He drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent.

Samuel Shannon sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum through his shoulders. In short Samuel Shannon is an outstanding defensive player both from a technique and initial contact perspective.

Samuels Shannon’s initial contact is outstanding and more than enough to stop or redirect the momentum of the ball carrier and he is also able to his functional strength to slow the play the ball down sufficiently to allow his team’s defensive line to re-establish itself for the next play the ball.

Samuel Shannon will play out the 2018 GCRL U16 Division One season with Southport and will also be part of the Titans U16 side that is scheduled to play matches against PNG and New South Wales Country in September.

It would also not surprise if he got one or two matches for Southport in the U17 Division One competition as well this season. He is both physically and mentally mature enough to handle the step up in age group.

Samuel Shannon currently presents as a strong hard running powerfully built lock forward and that will likely continue as he progresses through the junior rugby league ranks on the Gold Coast. For me at least playing lock is different to playing in the front row and I am more than pleased to see Samuel Shannon playing at lock where his skill set for me at least is far better suited.

Samuel Shannon is far more than just a bash and barge type and can certainly develop into a difference maker in coming years.

James Fisher-Harris of the Penrith Panthers with his power coupled with his non-stop movement when running the ball into the defensive line as well as the intensity in his defence is an apt NRL player comparison for Samuel Shannon.

Samuel Shannon is an outstanding young forward prospect for the Titans and is as good as any player for his age running around on rugby league fields in Australia.

mdrew

16-08-18, 04:45 PM

Liam Hampson. (Revised) The former Keebra Park Student was originally contracted to the Wests Tigers but after not making their NYC squad for the 2017 season headed across the Tasman where he played two matches off the interchange bench for the New Zealand Warriors in the NYC competition, but after those two matches headed back to the Gold Coast to play out the 2017 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts side.

So far this season Liam Hampson has been a stand out for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition playing in seventeen matches splitting time between hooker and half back after starting Round One from the interchange bench.

Liam Hampson has started nine matches at hooker and six at half back as well as two from the interchange bench and in the process has scored an impressive thirteen tries.

After starting Round One from the bench Liam Hampson started at hooker until Round Ten when he made his first start at half back and played there until Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly when he moved back to hooker, although I do note that in Round Twenty Two against Victoria he once again started at half back.

Liam Hampson started Round One against the North’s Devils on the interchange bench but when he came on in the 20 – 10 loss, Liam Hampson provided a real spark and in fact scored the Seagulls first try of the match and the season for that matter.

Liam Hampson has scored three doubles which came against Burleigh in Round Three, the Western Mustangs in Round Eight and the Mackay Cutters in Round Twenty. Liam Hampson also scored in Round One (Norths), Round Six (Wynnum Manly), Round Twelve (Sunshine Coast), Round Thirteen (Redcliffe), Round Seventeen (Wynnum Manly), Round Eighteen (Souths Logan) and Round Twenty (Mackay Cutters) and is the leading try scorer for Tweed Heads.

Liam Hampson’s two NYC matches for the Warriors in 2017 came in Rounds Three and Four against the Bulldogs and Dragons respectively both off the interchange bench. Against the Bulldogs Liam Hampson played for 40 minutes making 32 tackles and against the Dragons he made 16 tackles in just 24 minutes of game time.

In 2017 for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the U20 Colts competition, Liam Hampson played in eight matches coming into the side and starting at hooker and scored the Tweed Heads Seagulls first try in Round Five in a 64 – 0 win over the Wynnum Manly Seagulls. Liam Hampson’s other try for the Tweed Heads Colts side came in Round Eight against the Ipswich jets.

Liam Hampson started all eight Colts matches at hooker that he played in 2017. After coming into the side in Round Five he played every round from then until Round twelve before injury meant that he missed the remainder of the season including Tweed Heads three Finals matches which ended in a Preliminary Final loss.

The 83kg 176cm hooker was the starting hooker for the Keebra Park side that lost the 2016 GIO Cup School Boy final in heart breaking fashion to Westfield’s Sports High School and was selected at hooker in the 2016 Keebra Park Team of the year after representing South Coast at the QSSRL U18 Championships.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Liam Hampson is extremely efficient in his passing and there is no wasted movement or energy as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand first then pass. There is no discernible difference between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Liam Hampson is also effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short he is a very good game manager from the hooking position. Liam Hampson is also a good communicator on the field, he is constantly encouraging his team both in attack and defence.

Liam Hampson does not yell and scream, like the other parts of his game, he is calm and composed and uses positive reinforcement rather than yelling and screaming to get his point across to team mates but he does make it clear that he is in charge however.

Where Liam Hampson really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his quickness out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step usually off his right foot, although he does not necessary run much out of dummy half per say. The times that he does run though, Liam Hampson targets forwards who are offside or slow to get back into the defensive line or line-up correctly at marker. If the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space though not necessarily to finish off the movement himself.

Liam Hampson’s speed out of dummy half was on display in Round One against Norths. With Tweed Heads attacking the line, Liam Hampson got a quick play the ball about ten metres out and exploded out of dummy half down the blind side in the left corner of Bishop Park. He caught the North’s defence still back peddling and before North’s defender could get back on side and look to start to move forward, Liam Hampson had covered the ten metres and dove over for the Seagulls first try of both the match and the season.

Once in open space Liam Hampson does not usually have the speed required to finish things off himself but he invariably will make the right decision with the ball in terms of whether to take the tackle or pass to a support player as he works progressively through the options that are available to him.

Liam Hampson’s defence for a hooker is very good, he does not necessarily hit hard but as a result of his good low technique he can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive into opposing forwards. Liam Hampson’s intensity and continuous effort means that he will track the ball across the field and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside.

Liam Hampson will be pushing for a Queensland Cup spot with Tweed Heads in 2019 and is a smoky for an NRL shot some time into the future and this season has probably been Tweed Heads best taking into account the entire Colts season.

With his build, quick feet and solid distribution skills Liam Hampson has the ideal skill set and mentality to continue in the hooking role, although Liam Hampson has proven that he can handle the half back role over an extended period of time.

From a player comparison perspective for Liam Hampson, due to his distribution, running, defence and the speed and intensity that he plays the game at, a playing style akin to Wests Tigers and former New South Wales State of Origin hooker Robbie Farrah is an appropriate comparison I would respectfully suggest.

mdrew

17-08-18, 08:25 PM

Will Evans. The Gold Coast youngster and former Queensland U16 representative has moved from to the Titans after the expiration of his two year contract with the Brisbane Broncos.

The current PBC student actually played for the Titans Junior Development Squads for a number of years including at the U13 level in 2014 when the Titans played Marsden State High School in October of that year at Pizzey Park. That afternoon Will Evans starred in the fullback position and ripped the Marsden defence apart on multiple occasions and also covered very well defensively when necessary.

This season Will Evans is playing for Burleigh in the GCRL U17 Division One competition and in his seven matches in the regular season scored eight tries primarily from the fullback position. Will Evans has scored doubles against Ormeau and Tweed Heads and has also scored against Runaway Bay, Bilambil, Helensvale and Currumbin.

In addition Will Evans is a key member of the 2018 PBC Opens Rugby League side playing right centre in most if not all of their matches this season and was particularity impressive in wins against fierce rivals Keebra Park and also in a big PBC win against Marsden State High School at Waterford in the depths of winter. Against Marsden he was exceptional especially out of dummy half.

Will Evans also started a right centre for PBC against Ipswich State High School in the GIO Cup Queensland Quarter Finals held at Wynnum Manly earlier this week, a match that PBC were victorious in to progress to the Queensland semi-finals. In the match Will Evans did not get many opportunities with the ball but was very solid defensively as PBC scored literally in the last minute of a close contest.

In 2017 Will Evans started at right centre for the Queensland U16 team as well as receiving a PBC on field Rugby League Achievement Award. Will Evans also represented Queensland in 2015 when he was part of the Queensland Maroon side for the ASSRRL U15 National Championships and in those Championships was the Queensland Maroons Player of the Match on Day Three in a big win against New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges. Will Evans contributed a try to that victory for Queensland Maroon.

From the fullback position Will Evans presents as a silky smooth player, who looks like he glides across the field picking and choosing his time to get involved and wants to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line.

In attack Will Evans does not just stand at the back waiting for the “block” plays to occur. When his forwards are bringing the ball out of their own territory, Will Evans is always in and around the ball looking for an offload and the opportunity to explode downfield as a result of outstanding speed off the mark and a wicked step off either foot.

Will Evans has outstanding balance and body control which enables him to break a lot of tackles through the centre of the ruck. Opposing defenders to key line him up when he is either running from dummy half or taking an offload and his explosiveness means that defenders are regularly reduced to grasping at him with an arm which Will Evans regularly is able slice through and continue his run.

Will Evans speed is hard to quantify. Will Evans does not necessarily look like he is moving quickly especially when he is open space but players who I consider who have above average to plus speed do not often take ground from him at all in a foot race.

The one thing Will Evans also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, Will Evans has a very good step back inside especially off his right foot when running to the left and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, Will Evans’s quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

Will Evans is also very effective in making ground from dummy half. Like when Justin Hodges used to go into dummy half, defences know that he is going to run but still have trouble preventing him from making a lot of ground, it really does defy logic in terms of the ground that he makes out of dummy half considering his smaller stature.

In defence Will Evans has good strength, and certainly looks to come forward to stop the attack before it has time to fully develop once a break has been made. Will Evans also has the ability to show the attacker the sideline and is confident that his speed will enable him to get across to make the tackle which he invariably does.

Will Evans is also effective at wrapping the ball up and he does slide well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well when he is playing in the centres.

Will Evans will play out the 2018 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition as well as continuing with the PBC Open Rugby League side especially in relation to the GIO Cup.

2019 should see Will Evans as a key member of either the Tweed Heads Seagulls or Burleigh Bears MM Cup side and he will be hard to keep out of the Queensland U18 side next year as well.

When I first saw Will Evans play as a 13 year old, even back then it seemed that fullback was his ideal position but in the last couple of years, especially in relation to school boy and representative rugby league, Will Evans has played almost exclusively in the centres, specifically at right centre and is very effective running out of dummy half.

I however think that Will Evans best position is at fullback where he can see the entire field and thus is a position to inject himself from there where and when the opportunity arises.

A very knowledgeable visitor to this site actually suggested that Will Evans would make a more than effective half back. I admit that that was a scenario that I had not really considered but one that is a more than interesting one to contemplate as Will Evans inevitably moves to the senior rugby league ranks on the Gold Coast and beyond.

From an NRL player comparison perspective Will Evans has a number of similarities to St George Dragons fullback Matt Dufty. Will Evans does not have the top end speed of Matt Dufty but is just as explosive off the mark and has the same innate ability to make the first defender miss in the congestion in the middle of the ruck or wider out in the backline, it is just an uncanny skill you either have or you don’t and Will Evans definitely has it.

mdrew

20-08-18, 04:58 PM

Lochlyn Sheldon. (Revised) The Titans Rookie Squad member was been an ever present in the front row for the Burleigh Bears early in the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts side this year, starting in the front row in their first nine of their matches before being promoted to the Gold Coast Rugby League Burleigh First Grade side.

Lochlyn Sheldon is not going to score many tries but did score in Round Three this season in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Lochlyn Sheldon made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut for Burleigh starting from the bench in Round Six when the Bears defeated Bilambil 40 – 10. Lochlyn Sheldon played eight matches for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition this season.

Lochlyn Sheldon had a very good 2017 season on the field for Burleigh in the MM Cup competition and for Runaway Bay across multiple grades in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition. In addition, Lochlyn Sheldon played one match for the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts Challenge side which was in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets, that afternoon Lochlyn Sheldon made his debut from the interchange bench and scored a second half try in a positive debut Colts match.

For Burleigh in the MM competition, Lochlyn Sheldon captained the side and started in five of their six matches in the front row and came off the interchange bench in Round Three. Lochlyn Sheldon crossed for three tries over the six matches, scoring in Round One against Redcliffe, in Round Three against North’s and also in Round Six in the local derby against Tweed Heads Seagulls a match in which Burleigh won and a match that also included a number of Tians linked players on both sides.

For Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League Competition, Lochlyn Sheldon played twelve matches in the U19 competition, eleven in the Doug Lipp Cup including starting the Grand Final at lock (Unfortunately Runaway Bay were defeated 13 – 6 by Beaudesert) and one match in the A grade making his A Grade debut in August against Ormeau.

Across his twelve matches in the U19 competition, Lochlyn Sheldon scored five tries all coming in a stellar four game period mid-season where he scored double against Mudgeeraba and also tries in that period against Beaudesert, Burleigh and Bilambil. Lochlyn Sheldon made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in June against Bilambil and went on to make eleven appearances for Runaway Bay in that competition scoring three tries which came against Ormeau, Tugun and Bilambil. In five of his eleven Doug Lipp Cup matches, Lochlyn Sheldon played in the U19 contest and then backed up to play the Doug Lipp Cup fixture immediately after the conclusion of the previous match.

Lochlyn Sheldon was named player of the carnival for the 2016 Confraternity Shield as well as being named in the second row for the Queensland Independent Colleges (QIC) Secondary Schools rugby league side after playing for Gold Coast based Aquinas College in the carnival which was held in September 2016.

Fellow Aquinas College student Lachlan Douglas was also named in the all carnival side in the front row. Lachlan Douglas is currently part of the 2018 Burleigh U20 Hastings Deering’s squad.

Previously Lochlyn Sheldon has made multiple representative sides, including the Queensland U13 side, South Coast U15’s where he was named player of the match on Day Two against Darling Downs, Qld Marron U15’s from which he made the U15 Australian Merit Team with Titans linked Konrad Edwards and also the Queensland U16 side in 2015, which also contained Titans Ben Thomas and Darius Farmer.

Lochlyn Sheldon was part of the Brisbane Broncos elite development squad for a number of years, but unfortunately for him he was not able to gain a contract with the Broncos, which was good news for the Titans.

Running with the football, Lochlyn Sheldon has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them.

Lochlyn Sheldon does not have great speed off the mark or necessary great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. He actually does have a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well.

Where there has been a clear development in Lochlyn Sheldon’s game has been he is ability to off load prior to contact with the defensive line in a 2017 Round Three MM match against the North’s Devils Lochlyn Sheldon popped a great short ball to Noah Lolesio off his right hip who crossed untouched for one of his four tries that afternoon at Pizzey Park.

Defensively Lochlyn Sheldon is not a big hitter, usually aiming for just under the ribs and first intention is to lock up the ball to prevent offloads. One area where is quite effective whether he is defending on the fringes of the ruck or in the centre of the ruck including when he is defending at marker, is against smaller attackers who look to use their foot work.

Lochlyn Sheldon has quite reasonable lateral mobility for a forward and due to the fact that he also is not that tall, usually is able to wrap up the smaller attackers without his tackles slipping up to around the head or neck, and thus giving away penalties. His ability to successfully defend against these type of attackers as well as having the technique to defend against larger forwards is one of a number of reasons that I consider that a future in the second row is probable.

Lochlyn Sheldon will probably not stand out during a game but will work hard both in attack and defence and leave all the eye catching things like big hits, line breaks and one handed off loads to other forwards who will benefit from his hard working style.

Lochlyn Sheldon will finish the 2018 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition and even though he is still Colts eligible in 2019 it is likely that he will progress to the Burleigh Queensland Cup squad, if not he will be back with the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side. Unless there is an issue with injuries I do not envisage that Lochlyn Sheldon will be playing in the Colts competition again.

Whilst he has alternated between second row and front row over previous junior seasons, I would anticipate that based on his build and skill set that starting as early as next season Lochlyn Sheldon will likely transition to the second row full time. Lochlyn Sheldon likely could play front row in an emergency type situation but second row seems like a more natural fit for him from my perspective at least.

From a player comparison perspective, one player with a similar playing style from my perspective is former Titans second rower and current Titans coaching staff member Anthony Laffranchi, as a solid hard working forward who will probably never be a star but will be a solid contributor to a team’s forward pack.

Likely there will be players with more natural ability that will not go as far in rugby league as Lochlyn Sheldon will, simply because he will make the most of the ability he has through sheer hard work and effort.

mdrew

21-08-18, 04:43 PM

Zac Stevens. (Revised) He is a young hooker from the Toowoomba region, who was present at the announcement of the Titans affiliation agreement with the Western Mustangs late in 2016 with then Titans CEO Tony Mestrov.

This season Zac Stevens played in sixteen matches for the Western Mustangs U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side coming into the side in Round Three against the Ipswich Jets starting from the interchange bench and also scoring what turned out to be his sole try of the season.

Zac Stevens moved into the starting side at hooker for the Western Mustangs Round Six match against Burleigh and also started at hooker in Round Seven against Souths Logan before moving back to the bench for Rounds Ten to Fourteen proving a spark off the bench of the Mustangs.

Round Sixteen against Norths saw Zac Stevens once again in the starting side this time at half back for the Western Mustangs match against Norths and Zac Stevens has maintained his starting position in the halves ever since.

I say in the halves as in Rounds Eighteen and Twenty Three against the Northern Pride and Wynnum Manly respectively Zac Stevens started the matches wearing the No. 6 jersey.

Early in 2018 Zac Stevens represented the South West Queensland Emu’s side against a Toowoomba Rugby League All Stars selection.

In 2018 Zac Stevens also played in three Toowoomba rugby League Reserve Grade matches with those matches being against Southern Suburbs on two occasions and against the Warwick Cowboys.

For the MM Cup Final winning 2017 Western Mustangs side Zac Stevens played in all eight of Western Mustangs matches including a semi-final and of course the Final against the Souths Logan Magpies which the Mustangs won 40 – 30. In Round Six against Victoria Zac Stevens crossed for his sole MM Cup try on the season in a tough 28 – 20 loss for the MM Cup Champions.

Upon completion of the 2017 MM Cup competition Zac Stevens transitioned back to the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition playing in twelve matches for Toowoomba Valleys including their Grand Final win over Warwick where he started at hooker.

Zac Stevens finished the U18 TRL season with 22 points from four tries and three goals. Zac Steven’s tries all came towards the end of the 2017 season coming against Goondiwindi, Gatton, Wattles and Dalby. In the early August match against Wattles when he scored Zac Stevens also kicked his three goals for his season total.

Zac Stevens made his Hutchies A Grade Cup debut in August 2016 against Oakey and also played First Grade the following week against Wattles, a very good achievement for a 17 year old hooker playing against men in a hard fought tough competition.

2016 saw Zac Stevens play for the Toowoomba Clydesdales in the MM competition where he started every match at hooker including scoring in the first MM match of the 2016 season against the Central Crows.

Upon completion of the 2016 MM competition, Zac Stevens played in the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League competition for Toowoomba Valleys. Zac Stevens and his team mates had a successful season culminating in a 20 – 12 Grand Final victory over the Warwick Cowboys with Zac Stevens starting at hooker and scoring a try in the 2016 Grand Final. Over the course of the TRL U18 season in 2016, Zac Stevens started at hooker in thirteen matches, scoring seven tries in addition to his Grand Final try including a double against Burnett Blue in the depths of a freezing Toowoomba winter.

Over the course of his career to date Zac Stevens has made a number of representative sides for the Toowoomba Clydesdales, Darling Downs and South West Mustangs, including the 2014 QSSRL Darling Downs side and scored a try against Wide Bay in that competition. At the U14 level in 2013 he was named Best and Fairest across the season in the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League.

Zac Stevens is solid all round hooker who distributes effectively to both sides of the ruck. He does have some speed when running out of dummy half but as he progresses up the ladder through higher standards of competitions he will need to ensure that he is selective about when he runs the ball and when he passes as at present he sometimes possibly runs a little too often.

At present Zac Stevens has decent speed off the mark, probably slightly above average for a hooker and does a good job of finding holes behind the play the ball, but does not necessarily have the speed to finish off any breaks himself and thus needs to work progressively through his options once in open space which Zac Stevens is rapidly developing the skills and experience to do consistently and effectively.

Zac Stevens is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass. He passes well from both sides of his body although his passing to the right is still a little better than to the left though, both in terms of distance and consistency.

One thing that he does well in dummy half is not taking his eye off ball until it is in his hands. I know that that sounds like common sense, but even in first grade the number of fumbles that occur from the dummy half is too high, Zac Stevens seems to have the mentality of watching the ball into his hands already set as part of his dummy half methodology.

Zac Stevens defends in the middle of the ruck and is an effective low tackler and a solid and repeatable technique and is adept at wrapping the ball up when making a tackle. He is also very good defending at marker in terms of harassing the opposition kickers. Whilst he hits hard it is not necessarily to the extent that he will rock the opponent’s head backwards but certainly solid enough to halt the momentum of the ball carrier, even though he has the capacity to when he is fired up.

What you will see is an efficient and effective defender with a hard streak. Zac Stevens also seems to be a good talker in the defensive line, constantly encouraging his team mates and pushing them to make the next tackle.

Moving forward to the 2019 season Zac Stevens will be part of the Western Mustangs U20 Colts side where he should see plenty of time on the field in the dummy half role.

I appreciate that Zac Stevens provides a spark and energy when he is on the field so I can see why he is the ideal type of interchange player, but I prefer Zac Stevens to start and then potentially transition to the backrow if a dummy half comes off the bench, for example like what is happening with the Titans with Nathan Peats when Mitch Rein comes on.

Zac Stevens has played a number of positions over the course of his rugby league career to date including spending a fair portion to time in the halves late this season but I think that he has found his niche as a hooker who is a solid distributor of the ball with improving running instincts and who is also quite tough and aggressive from a defensive stand point.

Zac Stevens has very good endurance and projects as a hooker who will be able to play the entire 80 minutes without interchange.

From a player comparison perspective for Zac Stevens , due to his size and tenacity, a playing style and comparison akin to current Titans and former New South Wales State of Origin hooker Nathan Peats would be appropriate from a style, leadership courage and determination perspective.

mdrew

22-08-18, 06:05 PM

Tyler Szepanowski. (Revised) The big tall young former St Brendan’s College front rower signed with the Titans mid-way through the 2017 season and is currently a member of the Titans Rookie Squad.

Tyler Szepanowski started the 2018 season in the Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts squad starting his opening ten matches in the front row before being promoted to the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side where he has stayed since that time.

In the GCRL First Grade competition Tyler Szepanowski made his debut against Southport in June and went on to play in seven matches and scored his first and to date only try against Tugun in late July. For Burleigh in the GCRL First Grade side Tyler Szepanowski on the majority of occasions has come off the bench but he has started one or two matches at lock towards the end of the season.

In 2017 Tyler Szepanowski was part of the Central Queensland Capra’s U18 squad after having a solid season in Schoolboy rugby league in 2016. The young front rower was the St Brendan’s College Co-captain a great achievement for the young man who came to the school from Moranbah and also was part of the St Brendan’s side that made the 2016 Final of the Confraternity Shield where they played Ignatius Park in that final.

Tyler Szepanowski was approached by the Titans after the Capra’s Round Three match against the Burleigh Bears MM side in 2017 at Browne Park and is probably the first player the Titans have signed with a Prussian heritage.

For the Central Queensland Capra’s MM side in 2017 Tyler Szepanowski started in five of their six matches, in each of his starts Tyler Szepanowski played in the front row. Tyler Szepanowski only missed the final round being Round Six.

Tyler Szepanowski scored two tries in the five matches with his tries coming in Rounds One and Two against the Central Crows and Redcliffe Dolphins. Tyler Szepanowski also captained the Capra’s in their Round Five matches against eventual MM champions the Western Mustangs.

At the completion of the MM competition in 2017, Tyler Szepanowski moved to playing first grade in the Rockhampton Rugby League competition with Brothers Rockhampton making his First Grade debut in late April against the North’s Chargers. In total Tyler Szepanowski played in thirteen Rockhampton RL First Grade matches and scored his sole first grade try in June against Woorabinda.

Tyler Szepanowski started all of his first grade matches in the second row. Late in the 2017 season, Tyler Szepanowski also played one match in the Rockhampton Rugby League U20 competition with the match being against Brothers Rockhampton.

At the Rockhampton Senior Rugby League awards in late 2017 Tyler Szepanowski was named at the Rockhampton Rugby League First Grade Rookie of the Year.

Tyler Szepanowski who trailed for the Parramatta Eels Harrold Matthews side in 2015 won the Coaches Award at the 2016 St Brendan’s Sports Awards night and represented the Queensland Capra’s in the CC Cup competition in 2016 and also Capricornia U15 side in 2014 at the QSSRL U15 Championships.

The young front rower who currently weighs around the 101kg mark has what I would consider plus speed for a front rower, in fact his speed would be above average for a forward of any position. He uses this speed to impact the defensive at top speed. Tyler Szepanowski does not necessarily get back deep, but his plus speed off the mark as well as plus top speed (for a front rower) enables him to still hit the line hard.

Tyler Szepanowski runs very front on but will lower his body into the defenders as the commit to the tackle, and through a combination of size, speed and determination regularly bumps the first defender off when they try to tackle Tyler Szepanowski around the chest area.

Once he impacts the defensive line Tyler Szepanowski also is adept at redirecting his momentum to address the next defender who is coming in to hit him.

When he is close to the line he seems to have an extra gear again and crashes into the defensive line low and hard and is very difficult to stop. He scores a high proportion of his tries coming from situations where he took on a set defensive line from reasonably close range and was able to carry defenders across the line.

I have not seen too many off loads from him in relation to when he has engaged the line, the majority of his offloads have come from situations where his momentum is stopped but Tyler Szepanowski is able to get an arm free, usually his right arm and then pop the ball out the back.

In defence Tyler Szepanowski regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one. He is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique and decent agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents.

Tyler Szepanowski’s technique is also quite decent for a taller player and he gets low in defence to look to mitigate the possibility of his tackles slipping up around the hard and neck area of shorter opponents when he is looking to initiate contact.

Tyler Szepanowski will also track the ball across the field and just needs to ensure that he stays vigilant when the ball is moved further out and continue to cover the inside channel so that he is not caught out of the ball is passed back inside.

At this stage he has the speed to compensate and close the distance to the attacker quickly but as he progresses in the upper age groups he just needs to ensure that he is in the right position, and to be fair he is in the right position the vast majority of the time.

Tyler Szepanowski will finish the 2018 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition and even though he is still Colts eligible in 2019 it is likely that he will progress to the Burleigh Queensland Cup squad, if not he will be back with the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side.

Fellow Titans Rookie Squad members such as Allan Lockwood, Jaxson Paulo, Api Neoma, Mikey Williams, Lochlyn Sheldon and Darius Farmer amongst others have already through this experience this season as they are being prepared for the Queensland Cup competition.

With his build (190cm and 101kg) and style of play, I can envisage Tyler Szepanowski playing in the front row as he continues his junior rugby league career although he will likely to continue to spend some time in the second row while he continues to develop physically.

From a style perspective, think along the lines of the James Tamau of the Cowboys as a tall front rower with good footwork both in attack and defence and he is also a leader on the field who can set the direction and tempo for his team by leading from the front in the most demanding position on a football field regardless of the age group or level of competition.

mdrew

23-08-18, 05:12 PM

Zane Harris. (Revised)The five eight has had an outstanding 2018 season, starting off in the MM Cup competition with Burleigh and then progressed through the GCRL U19 competition to make his First Grade debut with Southport.

In the MM Cup, Zane Harris started all six of Burleigh’s matches at half back scoring all of his points in Round Two against Redcliffe when he scored two tries, kicked four goals and a field goal for a game haul of 17 points.

In the GCRL U19 competition for Southport, Zane Harris played in six regular season matches scoring 40 points from six tries and eight goals. Zane Harris scored a Round Seventeen hat trick against Ormeau and also scored against Runaway Bay, Burleigh and Mudgeeraba earlier in the season.

With the boot Zane Harris kicked four goals in a match on two separate occasions being against Runaway Bay and Bilambil at opposite ends of the season.

Zane Harris made his much deserved Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut for Southport against Ormeau of early June and scored to cap off a solid debut. In total this season, Zane Harris played seven First Grade matches on the majority of occasions starting from the bench although he did start one or two matches at five eight.

The young Burleigh Bears five eight started off the 2017 rugby league season playing a number of matches for the Burleigh MM Cup side and then transitioned to the GCJRL U17 Division One competition, ultimately playing nine matches for Burleigh and scoring 54 points from five tries and seventeen goals. Zane Harris has been named once again in the Burleigh Bears MM Cup training squad for 2018.

For Burleigh in the 2017 MM Cup competition Zane Harris started two matches being Round One against Redcliffe and Round Three against Central Queensland. On both occasions Zane Harris started the matches at five eight.

In the U17 Division One GCJRL competition Zane Harris scored five tries including a double against Helensvale and also tries against Ormeau on two separate occasions and Runaway Bay. From a kicking perspective, Zane Harris twice kicked four goals in a match which were against Ormeau in early June and against Mudgeeraba in mid-July.

Zane Harris is quite an elusive runner of the ball and some good foot work in confined space. He will take on the line regularly and has a very good step off both feet but his left foot step seems to be the preferred step based on the games that I have seen at least.

Zane Harris’s passing game is what I would consider above average and he will drift across the field looking for runners to run into holes and has the ability to hold the defensive line in place as he develops the play in front of them, making to easier for his support runners to get a clear passage through the line, especially when a defender comes out of the line and commits to Zane Harris.

Zane Harris will also wait until the last possible moment to release the football. His best attribute in his passing game is the speed, timing and accuracy when he passes to his outside backs. Zane Harris gets a very good spiral on the ball from both sides of his body and leads his outside attackers into the ball, enabling them to maintain the momentum of their run.

Zane Harris is a reasonably solid general play kicker, who is reasonably accurate, however he does not have the biggest or most powerful kick and when he tries to kick too hard it usually finds a defender on the full, when he takes a bit off the kick his accuracy increases exponentially. He also chases his own kicks well, almost always leading the chase down field. He also has a decent short kicking game especially close to the opposition line.

I am not sure that Zane Harris will be a primary tactical kicker for a side, but he certainly will be an option to consider especially when talking about attacking kicks such as grubber kick. Zane Harris has improved as an organiser as he has moved through the age groups and should continue to do so as he matures and plays against better opposition and with better players on his own side.

Zane Harris is not the biggest player but even when defending in the front line will tackle using his shoulder which assists when defending against larger forwards operating on the fringes of the ruck.

Whilst not the biggest Zane Harris is strong and tough enough to effectively tackle one on one against opposing halves and with his solid speed and foot work he can cover a lot of ground as he tracks the ball across the field. Zane Harris is certainly not going to be a liability in defence for his team and is more than willing to take on bigger forwards.

Zane Harris will be hard to keep out of the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side in 2019 and looks a real player of the future.

I like Zane Harris’s passing and kicking game and on that basis I believe that he can continue playing five eight or half back for the foreseeable future. It would be interesting to see how Zane Harris would go in the hooking role but he certainly does not need to move from the halves to be successful into the future.

The Sydney Roosters Luke Keary, with his all round game where he can be dangerous both running the ball or setting up his support players depending upon the circumstances is a solid comparison for Zane Harris in relation to how he presents on a rugby league field from a skill, game management, intelligence and playing perspective.

mdrew

24-08-18, 12:30 PM

Jayden Campbell. (Revised) The young goal kicking fullback, five eight or winger has had an exceptional 2018 Season starting in the MM Cup competition for Burleigh and his subsequent elevation to the Bears Hastings Deering’s Colts side.

As a result Jayden Campbell has been brought into the Titans U18 Development set-up. From a trivia perspective, Jayden Campbell is the son of one of the Titans favourite sons being Preston Campbell.

Jayden Campbell started the 2018 season in the MM Cup competition, playing in all six of Burleigh’s matches. Jayden Campbell started three matches on the wing being Rounds One, Two and Four, one at fullback being Round Three against Tweed Heads and Rounds Six and Seven at five eight.

Through those six matches Jayden Campbell scored 50 points from four tries and seventeen goals. Jayden Campbell scored a double in Round One against Sunshine Coast and also scored against the Western Mustangs in Round Six and Victoria in Round Seven. In Round One against the Sunshine Coast Jayden Campbell had a big day with the boot kicking eight goals.

Jayden Campbell came into the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side in Round Sixteen in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls starting on the left wing. Hayden Campbell played on the left wing in three other matches before moving back to fullback for Burleigh’s Round 21 match against Wynnum Manly.

Jayden Campbell also started Round 23 at fullback against the Townsville Blackhawks and has been named at start on the wing in Round Twenty Four tomorrow against the Easts Tigers in the final regular season round.

In his six matches to date, Jayden Campbell has scored two tries and kicked eight goals, coming from two goals in four different matches. The matches were in Round Seventeen against Norths, Round Twenty against Victoria, Round Twenty-One against Wynnum Manly and in Round Twenty Three against Townsville.

Jayden Campbell’s two tries both came in the final ten minutes of the Round Twenty Three match against the Townsville Blackhawks and he converted both of his own tries in that match.

Between the completion of the MM Cup competition and his elevation to the Burleigh Colts side, Jayden Campbell played a number of matches in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with the Helensvale Hornets, normally playing in the U19 competition and then backing up for the Doug Lipp Cup match where he played alongside his father on a number of occasions.

In the U19 competition, Jayden Campbell played in eleven matches scoring seven tries and kicking 41 goals for a total point’s haul of 110 points. Jayden Campbell scored doubles against Ormeau and Bilambil and has also scored against Ormeau, Currumbin and Burleigh.

With the boot, Jayden Campbell has had a couple of big games including kicking seven against Beaudesert in his first U19 match of the season and kicked six goals in a late May match against Currumbin as well as five in Round Sixteen against Runaway Bay.

In the Doug Lipp Cup competition, Jayden Campbell played in seven matches for a 57% try scoring rate and also kicked eleven goals for a 38 point haul. Jayden Campbell’s first three tries came in his first three Doug Lipp Cup matches of the season which were against Currumbin, Southport and Ormeau. His fourth try came in Round Sixteen against Runaway Bay when Jayden Campbell partnered his father Preston in the halves.

In 2017 in the U17 Division One competition on the Gold Coast playing for Helensvale, Jayden Campbell had a great season including starting at fullback and kicking seven goals in their Grand Final victory. As a result of his form this season Jayden Campbell has been named in the Burleigh Bears MM Cup training squad for the 2018 version of the competition.

Over the course of the 2017 U17 Division One competition Jayden Campbell scored exactly 100 points from 44 goals and three tries to finish as the competitions leading point’s scorer. In Helensvale’s first final against Bilambil Jayden Campbell scored two tries and kicked six goals for 20 points in the match.

Earlier in the 2017 season, Jayden Campbell scored his other try which came against Southport and he also kicked six goals in that match. Jayden Campbell’s biggest match with the boot came against Ormeau in the depths of winter when he kicked eight goals in a match.

Jayden Campbell also played two matches for Helensvale in the U17 Division Two competition scoring two goals and kicking three goals. He scored all of his U17 Division Two points against Southport in May of this year.

Jayden Campbell is an agile ball runner who relies on his decent speed and elusiveness to make it difficult for larger opponents to line him up rather than brute strength. When lining up at fullback he always makes himself available for offloads in the centre of the ruck where his quick twitch feet can cause some damage as opposing forwards start to tire.

Jayden Campbell has decent speed but not absolute blazing speed, relying instead on his positioning to compensate. When he retrieves the ball Jayden Campbell makes a decision quickly about where to look to run around a staggered defensive line or to run straight in an effort to take the yards on offer.

In a recent match for Burleigh Jayden Campbell had to turn and chase a kick retrieving the ball facing his own try line under intense pressure, Jayden Campbell who was only two or three metres from the side line, faked turning towards the centre of the stepped back towards the sideline outsmarting the defence and proceeded to sprint down the left touch line and draw the fullback for Burleigh to score against the run of play.

An aspect of his play that is very good is Jayden Campbell’s ability to chime into the back line and use his elusiveness to slip through the line, when he comes into the back line, it seems to be mainly when the attacking play is being directed towards the left hand side of the field. I note also that as soon as he breaks into space Jayden Campbell starts working through his options in relation to whether he should run himself or look to set up his support players.

Also his hands at fullback are safe for a young player regardless of the type of kick put towards him. His other calling card is his positioning, he always seems to be the right place at the right time, to defuse bombs, attacking short kicks, potential 40/20 kicks etc. Jayden Campbell can on occasion get caught a little shallow but relies on his timing and anticipation to compensate when tracking balls that have been kicked when the intention of going over his head.

From a goal kicking perspective, Jayden Campbell has outstanding leg strength and outstanding accuracy which suggests that he will likely to be his side’s primary goal kicking option regardless of level. I would equate his goal kicking to that of current Titans first choice goal kicker Michael Gordon.

Jayden Campbell will take a hit defensively when needing to make the tackle in the last line of defence and will focus exclusively on the ball carrier, forcing the attacking player to make the decision of what to do with the ball, rather than proving the attacker the avenue to make an easier decision.

Jayden Campbell is also adept at using the sideline to restrict the attacking options of any opponent who makes a break. To be more effective defensively Jayden Campbell will need to add additional muscle to his frame as he only has a slight build at present, although he does have some height and seemingly has the body type to add muscle mass without compromising his speed and elusiveness.

Jayden Campbell does also have decent hands when short attacking kicks are put in and is elusive enough when he retrieves the ball to get out of the touch in goal when it appears that that task is unlikely.

Jayden Campbell will finish the 2018 season with the Burleigh Colts side and still has two years of Colts eligibility come the start of the 2019 season. It would not surprise if Jayden Campbell makes his Queensland Cup debut towards the end of the 2019 season, such is his maturity, elusiveness and toughness.

I will admit that prior to this season, I thought that Jayden Campbell would ultimately end up on the wing, but his play at five eight in the MM Cup competition and how he has played for Burleigh in the Colts competition has forced a rethink and he seems destined to end up as a lightning quick elusive fullback with more than enough ball skills to play as a second receiver in attack.

Jayden Campbell is bigger than his father, especially in relation to height but outside of that there are similarities in terms of playing style and tenacity between them.

Like his father Jayden Campbell does not let his smaller statute define him and he attacks all aspects of the game with a fearless attitude.

mdrew

27-08-18, 05:43 PM

Mikey Williams. (Revised) The young Auckland New Zealand born centre has moved over to Australia and started the season as part of the Burleigh Bears U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side starting in the centres in their 28 – 24 victory over the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Round One.

After playing in nine matches for Burleigh in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, Mikey Williams was promoted to the Burleigh Bears Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side and has not looked back, alternating between playing on the wing and in the centres.

After his move from the Colts competition, Mikey Williams played in eleven GCRL First Grade regular season matches, scoring seven tries including a double on debut against the Bilambil Jets in late May and also a double against Ormeau.

As noted above Mikey Williams started the 2018 season as part of the Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts side and prior to his promotion started in the centres in all nine of Burleigh’s Colts matches. Mikey Williams last Colts match was in Round Eleven against the Easts Tigers.

In those nine matches, Mikey Williams scored four tries, the first of which came in Round Four against Souths Logan. His other tries came in Round Six against the Western Mustangs, Round Eight against Central Queensland and Round Nine against the Townsville Blackhawks.

2017 saw Mikey Williams play a lot of matches for both his school boy side, being Auckland’s St Pauls College and well as in the SAS Fox Memorial competition which is essentially an Auckland based U20 competition with the standard being quite high as well.

In 2017 Mikey Williams was part of the St Pauls First XIII side that won the SAS College Open Rugby League Championship for the third straight season with a victory over Kelston Boys High for whom new Burleigh Bears MM Cup player Larryon Tevita started at lock. Mikey Williams was also part of the 2016 St Pauls Open side.

To cap off a great 2017 rugby league season, Mikey Williams was named in the 2017 SAS College Rugby League team of the year in the centres with Burleigh MM Cup and Colts player Larryon Tevita named at lock.

Mikey Williams also took home the leading try scorer of the season award with eight tries including a double in a victory over Aorere College in one of the early rounds of the competition in a dominant display.

Mikey Williams played in the SAS Fox Memorial competition for Richmond, playing in a total of twelve matches scoring four tries including a double in June against the Te Atatu Roosters and tries in consecutive weeks against the Mangere East Hawks and Mt Albert. Mikey Williams also played one match in the 2017 SAS Fox Memorial Premier competition, which is the Auckland equilivant to the Gold Coast Rugby League First grade competition, an impressive feat for an 18 year old school boy.

In 2017 Mikey Williams was also selected in a New Zealand Select U18 side that played against the Australian School Boys with Mikey Williams starting on the interchange bench for the New Zealanders. Starting on the wing for the New Zealand Select U18 side was Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts recruit Aublix Tawha.

Mikey Williams made the New Zealand Select side after starting in the centres for the U18 New Zealand Residents side in their 28 – 10 victory over New Zealand Taurahere with Mikey Williams scoring in the match. Mikey Williams was also selected for the New Zealand U18 side in 2017.

A team mate in the U18 New Zealand Residents side was Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts recruit Aublix Tawha and opponents in the New Zealand Taurahere side were Titans contracted Jaxson Paulo (try scorer) and Darius Farmer, both of whom were also team mates in the Burleigh Bears Colts side and are now also playing for the Burleigh First Grade side.

From an additional representative perspective Mikey Williams has represented the Akarana Falcons at the U15 level in 2014 and U17 level in 2015 in the New Zealand National Age Championships, scoring three tries in 2014 and one in 2015.

In attack one of the positives in how Mikey Williams plays is when he is given the ball early he seems to have a lot of room to move and this is something that he is able to exploit. When he gets the ball early Mikey Williams is able to the opposing centre on the inside and out pace the converging cover defence.

Whilst he is a big strong powerful young centre, Mikey Williams also has a myriad of attacking moves, including a great in and away, and also being able to cut back on the inside of his defender if they over commit to the outside.

I would consider that Mikey Williams speed would in the above average category for a centre, add his power and strong fend and you really have a young centre who could develop in anything on a football field. Mikey Williams must be a five eight’s dream, when he gets the ball early he seems to cause real havoc for the defensive line.

Defensively Mikey Williams hits very hard and constantly is in a position to disrupt the attacking movement of the opposition. I would suggest that he would be more than capable to adapt and excel in either an up and in or sliding methodology.

The other point I will make is that he certainly does not shirk contact, both in attack or defence. Mikey Williams clearly has a strong appreciation of the defensive aspect of the game in that he knows when to come in and when to slide and let the play develop prior to committing.

Mikey Williams whilst still U20 eligible in 2019 will likely bypass the Colts competition and force his way in the Burleigh Queensland Cup competition and it is not unrealistic to suggest he may also get an opportunity or two at the NRL level in 2019.

I would anticipate that Mikey Williams will spend at least the initial portion of the upcoming preseason training with the Titans NRL squad.

Mikey Williams is a solid strong fast and powerful young man who has the physical and skill attributes to stay in the centres for the duration of his rugby league career.

Current Australian Test centre, Queensland State of Origin and Melbourne Storm centre Will Chambers is the ideal player comparison for the talented Mikey Williams. Like Chambers, Mikey Williams has the speed, elusiveness and line running ability teams crave for in the centre position in the modern game.

This season Mikey Williams has been a more than pleasant surprise that may have a huge future dividend for the Titans.

mdrew

28-08-18, 04:20 PM

James Robinson. The big strong tough young Western Mustangs second rower joined the Titans High Performance Unit late last year and had his first session with the Unit in October 2017.

Currently the Titans High Performance Unit members from the Toowoomba region travel down once a fortnight to the Gold Coast for training with Titans staff.

Even though the Western Mustangs Colts side struggled in 2018, James Robinson was a shining light throughout the season starting all of the Western Mustangs matches in the second row and captaining the side on each occasion.

In the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition this season James Robinson crossed for two tries with his first try of the season coming in Round Eight in a tough 32 – 28 loss to the Tweed Heads Seagulls. James Robinson’s other try came in round Thirteen against the Easts Tigers.

James Robinson was the nominated Western Mustangs goal kicker in Rounds Eighteen and Twenty One against the Northern Pride and Victoria respectively and kicked two goals in each of those matches.

In 2017 James Robinson was co-captain of the Western Mustangs MM Cup side that defeated Souths Logan in the Grand Final in a high scoring affair 40 - 30. After the completion of the MM Cup competition, James Robinson graduated to the Western Mustangs U20 Colts Challenge side after spending some time in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition with Gatton.

James Robinson played in all except one of the 2017 Western Mustangs MM Cup matches missing only Round Six. In all of the Western Mustangs matches that he played in James Robinson started in the second row including both MM Cup finals and the National U18 Final against the Parramatta Eels. In his 2017 MM Cup matches James Robinson scored two tries including scoring a key try in the MM Cup Grand Final that the Western Mustangs won 40 – 30. James Robinsons other try came in Round Five against the Central Queensland Capras.

James Robinson played in eight 2017 U20 Colts Challenge matches, starting seven in the second row and coming off the interchange bench in the other being Round Twelve. James Robinson broke into the Western Mustangs Colts side in Round Four against the Easts Tigers and also played Round Five. James Robinson came back into the U20 squad in Round Twelve and played the remainder of the season there scoring against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Round Fourteen.

As previously noted James Robinson has also played a number of matches in the 2017 Toowoomba Rugby League competition for Gatton including four in the U18 competition and two Hutchies A Grade Cup matches. In his four matches at the U18 level James Robinson scored three tries including a double in his first U18 match of the season against Goondiwindi and he also scored the following week against Wattles.

James Robinson made his Hutchies A Grade debut in May 2017 against Wattles backing up from the U18 fixture and also played against Southern Suburbs in early August. 2017 is the second season that James Robinson has played in the Toowoomba Rugby League Hutchies A Grade Cup competition after he played ten matches A Grades matches as a 17 year old in 2016 scoring two tries which came against the Warwick Cowboys and Toowoomba Valleys.

James Robinson showed a wide range of skills during the 2017 and 2018 seasons from power running in the centre of the ruck, through the ability to break tackles on the fringes to high level off loading skills either before the defensive line or once he has engaged it.

James Robinson is able to make a lot of ground by getting low to engage the defenders with his shoulder rather than allowing them to get in and under his ribs and also a substantial leg drive means that he dries defenders backwards even after they had engaged him with significant force.

From the games that I have seem play James Robinson normally runs to the right side of the field, and will run wider out and look to come back on the inside shoulder of the opposition defence on the edge of the ruck, looking for situations where the opposition inside defenders are slow to come across. James Robinson’s determination is one aspect that enables him to be in the right place at the right time.

Defensively as you would anticipate from a big strong young player James Robinson also has a big impact in games. James Robinson engages attacker’s front on and with the strength in his legs and core was able to regularly drive attackers backwards.

James Robinson drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent. He sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum.

In a tough year, James Robinson has continued to grow and develop as a rugby league player and a leader on and off the field and he will once again be part of the Western Mustangs Colts side in 2019.

James Robinson has primarily played in the second row in his rugby league career and with his size and burst of speed prior to impacting the defensive line I would envisage that he will remain in the second row for the duration of his rugby league career.

James Robinson is a big strong powerful young player who has a front on running style and an extra burst of acceleration just prior to his impact with the defensive line and for those reasons I can see aspects of Sydney Rooster, New South Wales State of Origin captain and Australian International Boyd Cordner in the play of James Robinson.

It is players such as James Robinson that makes the Titans affiliation with the Western Mustangs such an exciting development for the future of the Titans NRL side.

mdrew

29-08-18, 04:53 PM

Blake Cullen. (Revised) The young player from the Toowoomba region is a Titans linked front rower who spent this season playing for the Hastings Deering’s U20 Western Mustangs Colts side.

Blake Cullen played in all of the Western Mustangs Colts matches this season starting all at lock bar Rounds Four and Sixteen against the North’s Devils when he started in the front row.

Blake Cullen’s sole Hastings Deering’s Colts try this season came in Round Eleven against the South’s Logan Magpies.

This season Blake Cullen has also played in two Toowoomba rugby League First Grade matches for Pittsworth, the first of which was in March against Dalby and the second in July against Toowoomba Brothers.

The big strong burly young front rower was part of the Western Mustangs 2017 U18 Mal Meninga Cup winning team starting in their Grand Final winning side in the front row when they defeated South’s Logan 40 – 30 early in 2017. Blake Cullen also started in the front row for the Western Mustangs when they played against the Parramatta Eels in the U18 national final with Parramatta winning on the day.

Over the course of the 2017 MM Cup season, Blake Cullen started in the front row in all eight of the Western Mustangs matches including the semi-final against the Easts Tigers and the MM Cup Grand Final against Souths Logan. In those eight matches Blake Cullen scored two tries, the first coming in Round Two against the Mackay Cutters and the second in Round Six against Victoria.

At the Western Mustangs Awards Presentation night in November 2017, Blake Cullen was awarded the Western Mustangs MM Cup award.

Blake Cullen also played one U20 Colts match in 2017 for the Western Mustangs when he came off the bench in Round Two against the Ipswich Jets.

After the MM Cup competition was completed, apart from the one match that former Pittsworth State High School student played in the Colts competition, Blake Cullen plyed his trade with Pittsworth in the Toowoomba Rugby League Competition. Blake Cullen played six matches in the U18 competition and five in the Hutchies A Grade Cup competition.

On each of the five occasions that Blake Cullen played first grade, Blake Cullen backed up after playing in the U18 match earlier in the day. It is even more impressive when you consider that Blake Cullen started in both the U18 and A Grade matches in the front row. In the 2017 season, Blake Cullen’s sole try was in the U18 competition against Wattles.

Blake Cullen is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and can offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it. There is no subtlety to his running, it is straight and hard and another positive is that he will not just run upright.

Blake Cullen will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped one on one. Blake Cullen does though have quite decent foot speed when/if he gets into space, probably above average for a front rower or lock.

In defence Blake Cullen is happy to go for the big hit with his target zone around the rib cage rather than the chest area thus mitigating the risk of the tackle slipping up around the head. He is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half.

It has been indicated to me that Blake Cullen is a very hard dedicated worker in training. His calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck.

Blake Cullen will play the 2019 season with the Western Mustangs U20 Colts squad once again and will be joined in the team by the likes of fellow Titans linked players such as Luke Maiden and Leslie Hartvigsen.

Blake Cullen has been a player who has been in the centre of a rugby league field his entire rugby league career and with his strength and toughness will surely continue playing either at lock or in the front row where ever his career in rugby league takes him.

From a player comparison point of view, I think that a fair comparison from a style of play perspective would be former New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand International front rower Sam Rapira, as tough hard runner forward who does everything to the absolute limit of his ability and it takes a committed defensive line to stop him from gaining substantial post contact metres every time that he takes a hit up.

mdrew

30-08-18, 05:04 PM

Jack Sullivan. (Revised) The big strong young Titans linked front rower is currently playing with the South Burnett Club in the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League Competition, a competition that is quickly becoming a fertile recruiting and development area for the Titans.

The 2018 season was Jack Sullivan’s First in the senior rugby league ranks after graduating from the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League U16 competition. Including the Elimination Final Jack Sullivan played in thirteen matches scoring nine tries for a strike rate of 69.23%.

Jack Sullivan scored a hat trick against Pittsworth and the following weekend scored a double against Wattles. Jack Sullivan’s other four tries came against Toowoomba Brothers in two separate matches, Oakey and Toowoomba Valleys.

In the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 Elimination final Jack Sullivan started in the front row for South Burnett who were knocked out by a Southern Suburbs side 44 – 16 that contained multiple Titans linked players.

In 2018 Jack Sullivan was also selected in the Queensland Regional U18 side after representing the South Burnett Eagles in the trials and played against a South East Queensland U18 side at Wynnum Manly.

Jack Sullivan was also part of the Titans camp at Lennox Heads for the 2017 Western Mustangs Development Squad members including playing a match at the camp for the Mustangs against the Titans were he started in the front row and has subsequently signed a Titans scholarship deal. In previous seasons Jack Sullivan was part of the Brisbane Bronco’s Elite Development Squad.

In 2017 Jack Sullivan finished the Toowoomba Rugby League U16 season with twelve tries from his twelve matches including scoring a hat trick early in the season against Pittsworth and doubles against Valleys, Pittsworth and Brothers. Jack Sullivan started in the front row for Highfields in the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League U16 Grand Final however his U16 side was defeated by the talented Toowoomba Souths U16 squad.

The young front rower is an all effort type of forward who runs with determination, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot Jack Sullivan will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him.

It is the intensity and speed that he plays the game at that holds Jack Sullivan in good stead as he starts to be selected in representative sides and plays against a higher quality of opposition.

Jack Sullivan is also very effective close to the opposition try line with his ability to burst through tackles. If the defenders do not come off the try he will just drag them across the try line, with his continued development of which running lines he can utilise, such as running an inside shoulder line when close to the opposition try line he will become even more effective and will be an asset to the entire team as defences compress to combat his running thus leaving more room our wide.

One area of development for Jack Sullivan moving forward is his off-loading, his off-loading skill attributes in my eyes could be considered untapped. Jack Sullivan shows flashes of ability to off load when in contact with the defensive line, but on occasion can try to off load the miracle pass with multiple defenders handing off him, I am sure however that he will become more selective as he progresses.

The defensive side of his game is similarly impressive, Jack Sullivan does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit, but is calculating in where and when to hit. Jack Sullivan drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent.

Jack Sullivan sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum enabling his initial contact to be outstanding and more than enough to stop the momentum of the attacker regardless of their size attributes.

Jack Sullivan’s defensive dominance will not continue at its current rate as he starts to play against higher quality opposition but the timing and defensive technique that he has will mean that he will always likely be a plus defender. He really does have a very good tackling technique.

Jack Sullivan will play the 2019 season once again at the U18 level in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition with South Burnett and will also push for a spot in the Western Mustangs MM Cup squad. It also would not surprise at all to see Jack Sullivan get an opportunity in the Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade competition such is his maturity.

Jack Sullivan is a big strong young man who has played essentially his entire junior rugby league career in the front row and I believe with his ascension to the senior rugby league ranks in 2018 will also stay in the same position that being in the front row.

From a player comparison perspective think of Titans and Queensland State of Origin front rower Jarrod Wallace as a big strong powerful hard running and hardworking forward and someone who his team mates will follow as he leads by example in the most taxing position on the field.

mdrew

31-08-18, 01:40 PM

William Woolley. (Revised) He is a young second rower, who normally operates on the left side of the field for Tweed Heads originally from the Ballina Seagulls in the Group One Junior rugby league competition who is part of the Titans Rookie Squad and played this season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts squad operating normally on the left side of the field.

Through the 2018 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, William Woolley was part of the game day 17 on ten occasions, starting six of those matches in the second row and two at lock being Round Twenty Two against Victoria.

William Woolley came into the side in Round two against Victoria and also started in the second row against Burleigh in Round Three before missing a number of matches through injury but was back starting in the second row in Rounds Seven against the Easts Tigers and also started in the second row in a 32 – 28 Round Eight victory over the Western Mustangs.

William Woolley scored three tries in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition this season, being in Rounds Eleven Twelve and Twenty Four against Northern Pride Sunshine Coast Falcons and the Easts Tigers respectively.

The 2017 season saw William Woolley on the Gold Coast playing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup and U20 Colts Challenge competitions and mid-season was for one match named in the Titans NYC extended 21 man squad but did not make his NYC debut.

William Woolley played the first four rounds of the 2017 MM Cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls starting all four matches in the second row and scoring a double in Round Two against Victoria. William Woolley broke into the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts Challenge side in Round Two when he started from the inter change bench against Easts and also came off the bench in Rounds Three and Four.

After missing Round Five William Woolley came back into the starting line-up in the second row in the local derby against Burleigh and also started in the second row in Rounds Eight to Ten. Round Seven saw William Woolley start at lock. William Woolley was also involved in the Seagulls finals campaign starting in the second row in Week One of the Finals and from the interchange bench in Week Three against the North’s Devils.

In the final two regular season rounds against the Western Mustangs and South Logan William Woolley scored on both occasions and in his thirteen Colts matches in 2017, William Woolley started in the second row on eight occasions and from the interchange bench in his other matches.

William Woolley played the 2016 season at the U18 level in the NRRRL competition, playing seventeen matches across the season, including the Grand Final which Ballina won defeating Cudgen 28 – 20 with Williams Woolley starting in the second row in that match. Williams Woolley scored a double against the Lower Clarence Magpies with his five other tries coming in separate matches including scoring three times in four weeks in June and July with those tries coming against Northern United, Kyogle and Evans Heads.

In 2015 William Woolley played for Ballina in the Group One U16.5 competition scoring four tries in a match against Kyogle and he also scored a double against Lismore Marist Brothers.

William Woolley attended St Johns College Woodlawn and from that school made the 2014 U15 New South Wales Combined Catholic College (CCC) squad for the U15 ASSRL competition. In 2016 William Woolley was named in the starting second row for the U18 East Coast Dolphins squad for their NSW Country Cup campaign where they played the likes of the Northern Tigers, Central Coast and Newcastle Rebels.

From an attacking perspective, William Woolley has a wide running mindset for a backrower with a very good turn of speed once he breaks through the line, he is speed would certainly play at the above average level in game situations for a backrower.

Like all good running backrowers though, William Woolley takes his share of runs in the middle of the ruck but he is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into although he is not averse to running straight over people either when the need arises.

From the games that I have seem play, granted that I have not seen a massive amount of his games, William Woolley normally runs to the right side of the field, and will run wider out and look to come back on the inside shoulder of the opposition defence on the edge of the ruck. His determination is one aspect that enables him to be in the right place at the right time.

Defensively William Woolley hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribs and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls through his work on the ground in the wrestle. He also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in.

William Woolley is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier. His lateral speed is good and thus he can defend well against nippy runners who look to beat him with foot work.

William Woolley will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts squad once again in 2019 and will also likely play a number of matches for Tweed Heads in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition.

From a position perspective, William Woolley has played the majority of his football in the second row and whilst he may be able to fill in at front row for short stints, William Woolley seems far better suited to the second row over the course of his hopefully long and successful rugby league career.

Corey Harawira-Naera currently of the Penrith Panthers however soon to be Canterbury Bulldog with his hard running coupled with his non-stop movement when running the ball into the defensive line as well as the intensity in his defence is an apt player comparison for the talented William Woolley.

mdrew

03-09-18, 04:55 PM

Alex Dunemann. (Updated) The talented young fullback, centre or five eight was part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup winning 2017 side that won the Queensland final with a 40-30 win over Souths Logan with the young man scoring the Western Mustangs second try in that match.

In 2018 Alex Dunemann started the season in the MM Cup competition, playing fullback in the Western Mustangs first three matches against Victoria, Ipswich and Norths and also coming off the bench in Round Five against Sunshine Coast. Unfortunately he suffered an injury during the MM Cup season.

Post the 2018 MM Cup competition, Alex Dunemann played the season with Southern Suburbs in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition, but Alex Dunemann also broke through into the Southern Suburbs First Grade side making his debut in July against Toowoomba Brothers.

In his debut First Grade match, Alex Dunneman kicked a conversion and added two more conversions in his second and final First Grade match of the 2018 season against Highfields and Districts also in July 2018. Alex Dunneman started both of his First Grade matches at fullback after starting at fullback in the U18 match earlier in the day.

In total in the U18 TRL competition, Alex Dunneman played in sixteen matches including the finals series scoring two tries and kicking seven goals for a total point’s haul of 22 on the season. Alex Dunemann’s tries came as a result of a double against Dalby mid-way through the regular season.

Alex Dunemann started the first three finals for Southern Suburbs at fullback. In Week One of the Finals he kicked a goal in a 42 – 16 win over South Burnett and in the Preliminary Final in Week Three kicked three goals as Southern Suburbs qualified for the Grand Final with a 44 – 4 win over a Dalby side which contained Titan Henry Abdul-Rahman.

In the Grand Final Alex Dunneman started at fullback against Highfields and Districts with Southern Suburbs winning 38 – 10.

In the 2017 MM Cup competition Alex Dunemann came off the bench in Round Two but was in the starting side for the remainder of the MM Cup competition, playing all bar Round Eight in the centres, in Round Eight Alex Dunemann started at five eight. Alex Dunemann also started in the centres in the National Final against Parramatta but moved to five eight when Travis Turnbull was injured. In that final Alex Dunemann set up a try for fullback Denzel Burns with a deft left foot chip.

Post the 2017 MM Cup Competition Alex Dunemann played in the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League competition, playing three matches for South Suburbs, scoring in his first match in the competition against South Burnett and kicking a goal in a late season match against the Warwick Cowboys. Alex Dunemann also played in a 2017 TRL Presidents Cup match as well.

Alex Dunemann had a solid season in the U16 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League competition in 2016. For the Kingaroy Red Ants in 2016 Alex Dunemann scored 14 tries and kicked 10 goals across 15 games, including four in a match against South’s and three doubles which came against Dalby, Pittsworth and Gatton.

Alex Dunemann’s calling card from an attacking perspective is his passing and game management abilities, these were on show in the TJRL U16 competition over the course of the 2016 season when he directed his Kingaroy side around the paddock. In terms of his running game, Alex Dunemann is not going to be known as someone that is going to beat a defender with speed, but he does very good foot work that he uses to good effect in tight spaces.

Alex Dunemann has a very good step off both feet and can put together combinations of steps over a short distance to break free of situations where he is seemingly surrounded by defenders. Also maybe it’s only me, but he seemed to rarely take a big hit when running through the centre of the ruck.

Going back to his speed briefly, as noted Alex Dunemann is not super quick, but he does have some speed off the mark, which is complemented by the fact that he runs at the right moment, for example when he is drifting across field he will dummy and run when defenders anticipate the pass rather than focussing on him running the ball. His running skills compliment his ability to put runners into holes rather than the other way around.

Alex Dunemann’s kicking game is very accurate, and even though he is not a big player he can generate very good distance on his kicks whilst at the same time not losing any accuracy, thus he finds the ground for a lot of his kicks. He can also kick pin point bombs, allowing plenty of time for his chasers to get to the ball as it is coming down close to the try line. An added bonus in relation to his kicking game is that he is a left foot kicker.

Defensively Alex Dunemann tackles well low and that is seemingly his main tactic against wide running forwards rather than trying to tackle them ball and all and potentially being bumped off. Against the bigger packs in the MM Cup competition, he was constantly battered by huge forwards running at him but he held his own all season.

His quick feet and sense of timing and anticipation enable him to see plays developing in front of him quickly and he is able to adjust and look to shut down the attacking play prior to it fully developing and being executed. In short he is quite a solid defender regardless of the position that he is occupying.

Alex Dunemann will start the 2019 season in the 2018 Western Mustangs U20 side and starting this season has two years of eligibility in that competition remaining.

Prior to the 2017 season, I admit I really only considered Alex Dunemann as a five eight but with his play in the centres in the MM Cup competition and at fullback in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition a reassessment at least needs to be considered.

Alex Dunemann could conceivably play a number of positions such as fullback, centre or five eight but by a very small margin I think that the most appropriate utilisation of his skills is on at fullback but until then I am sure that Alex Dunemann will get opportunities certainly in the centres.

With is ability to gain separation from his opponent and sound positional sense, I see aspects of the game of current Titans fullback and former Palm Beach Currumbin student Michael Gordon in the play of Alex Dunemann.

Both Gordon and Alex Dunemann are rugby league players who will not present as flashy players but definitely solid and dependable ones.

mdrew

04-09-18, 05:23 PM

Chris Chambers. (Revised) The Titans linked outside back was part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup in 2018 playing in all six matches and scoring on three occasions he also kicked a conversion in Round One. Chris Chambers started on the right wing in each of his MM Cup matches this season.

In his six matches Chris Chambers had a 50% strike rate with his tries coming in Rounds Three, Six and Seven against Ipswich, Burleigh and Souths Logan respectively.

Post the MM Cup competition Chris Chambers came into the Western Mustangs U20 Colts side in their Round Ten match against the Mackay Cutters, scoring a double in his Colts debut. Post his debut, Chris Chambers has played an additional six Colts starting on the right wing in those matches as well.

In addition to his Round Ten double, Chris Chambers also scored in Round Seventeen against Redcliffe and in Round Twenty Three against Wynnum Manly Chris Chambers kicked a conversion.

In the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition for Toowoomba Valleys Chris Chambers played in a total of seven matches, scoring a try and kicking two goals, with the try coming against Pittsworth late in the season. Chris Chambers’ goals were kicked against Gatton and Warwick.

In early August Chris Chambers made his Toowoomba Rugby League Reserve Grade debut against Pittsworth.

The talented right winger made the most of playing outside of a talented halves combination for the 2017 Western Mustangs MM Cup winning side including starting on the wing when they defeated South’s Logan 40 – 30 in the 2017 MM Cup Grand Final and also starting on the wing in the U18 National final against the Parramatta Eels. Chris Chambers was an ever present on the wing for the Western Mustangs over the course of the 2017 MM Cup season.

Chris Chambers had a stellar run in the 2017 MM Cup competition from a try scoring perspective scoring at least a try in every match except for the Grand Final victory over South’s Logan. Chris Chambers scored a double in Round Seven against the Easts Tigers, with his other tries coming in Round Two against the Mackay Cutters (Western Mustangs had a Round One bye), Round Three against Tweed Heads, Round Five against the Central Queensland Capra’s, Round Six against Victoria, Round Eight against the Central Crows and in the Western Mustangs semi-final victory over the Easts Tigers.

After the completion of the MM Cup competition, Chris Chambers played for Toowoomba Valleys in the 2017 U18 Toowoomba Rugby League competition scoring six tries and kicking four conversions from eight games, including a double against Southern Suburbs in his first U18 match of the season and single tries against Goondiwindi, Toowoomba Brothers South Burnett and Dalby.

Chris Chambers also started in the centres in the 2017 Toowoomba Rugby League U18 Grand Final and kicked two conversions in his side’s 38 – 34 victory over the Warwick Cowboys.

Whilst in does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, Chris Chambers does have above average top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by using a very good fend, when he gets to the outside, this prevents defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure.

Even taking into account what I have said in the paragraph, from a speed perspective Chris Chambers is an interesting one. It does not appear when Chris Chambers is space that he is moving quickly but players that I consider who have above average speed for an outside back do not gain ground on him, thus clearly Chris Chambers is a lot quicker than he looks.

The proof is in the pudding so they say and this season, Chris Chambers has been able to outpace some very quick players over the course of the last two seasons.

When engaged with the defensive line Chris Chambers also has a reasonable offload and when he breaks through the main defensive line. Chris Chambers is also very effective at setting up his outside support, by drawing the fullback and passing even when he is running at full pace.

Chris Chambers also has very good hands and over the course of the last two MM Cup seasons he had to pick up a number of passes from either low down or above his head and then can use his speed off the mark to look to create something for either himself or his team mates.

Chris Chambers has a good in and away to complement his other attacking attributes and is effective when attacking close to the try line and knows which routes to run to take advantage of situations where the defensive line has not come up off the try line and thus he is able to push through the defensive line and carry defenders over to score. Chris Chambers is just a solid attacking player and before you realise he has made a number of breaks and scored multiple tries.

Defensively the area that is impressive in relation to Chris Chambers is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wide of the ruck. Defending on the wing Chris Chambers he sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength into his opponent.

Purely from a skill and physical attribute perspective he seems more suited to a sliding defensive methodology rather than an up and in style. Like with his attacking attributes he is just solid there is really no other word to describe it.

Chris Chambers will be part of the Western Mustangs U20 Colts side in 2019 and will also be Colts eligible in 2020.

Even though Chris Chambers could comfortably handle playing in the centres and perhaps even at fullback, with his ability to conceptually understand where the touch line is and use the limited space to his advantage I would consider it probable that Chris Chambers will continue to play on the wing as he begins his transition to the senior rugby league ranks.

I appreciate that Chris Chambers has played in the second row on a number of occasions for Toowoomba Valleys in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition, but it is certainly not where I see his future, in the short to medium term at least.

Chris Chambers is just a solid player who seems to be able to break tackles even against far bigger opponents thus from a comparison perspective I can see aspects of the play of Melbourne Storm centre Chayse Blair when watching Chris Chambers play.

Chris Chambers is just an effective player who slips under the radar a little and probably will continue to do so for most if not all of his rugby league career.

mdrew

05-09-18, 05:31 PM

Mitchell Farlow. (Revised) The young lock or front rower from the Highfields club in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition was a solid performance for the Western Mustangs U16 Development Squad that played a match against the Titans U16 Development Squad in Lenox Heads in Northern New South Wales in October 2017.

Mitchell Farlow was part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup side in 2018, coming into the side in Round Six against the Burleigh Bears, a match that the Western Mustangs staged a remarkable comeback from 34 – 6 down to win 39 – 34.

Mitchell Farlow also played in Round Seven against the Souths Logan Magpies. Mitchell Farlow came off the bench in both of his MM Cup matches this season.

Post the MM Cup competition, Mitchell Farlow played in fourteen matches for Highfields and Districts including the Finals series in the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League competition including playing in the Grand Final against Southern Suburbs.

Highfields and Districts lost the Grand Final 38 – 10 with Mitchell Farlow starting from the interchange bench in the match.

The Southern Suburbs side had multiple players with Titans links, including Leslie Hartvigsen (centre), Alex Dunneman (fullback), Luke Maiden (front row), Jordan Crocker (second row) and Connor Williams (centre).

In 2017 Mitchell Farlow started a lock in the 2017 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League U16 Grand Final but his Highfields side were defeated by Toowoomba South’s 32 - 20. Over the course of the 2017 U16 competition, Mitchell Farlow started in nine matches for Highfields, including the Grand Final but did not cross the try line, it certainly was not through lack of effort that is for sure.

In 2017 Mitchell Farlow represented Toowoomba U16’s at the South West Mustangs U16 trials and from there was selected in the front row for the South West Mustangs side that participated in the U16 Central Division Carnival. At the conclusion of the Central Division Carnival Mitchell Farlow was selected in the Central Crows U16 side for the Queensland Age Championships.

Running with the football, Mitchell Farlow has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them.

Mitchell Farlow does not have great speed off the mark or necessary great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. Mitchell Farlow actually does have a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well.

Defensively Mitchell Farlow is a solid hitter, usually aiming for just under the ribs and first intention is to lock up the ball to prevent offloads. One area where is quite effective whether he is defending on the fringes of the ruck or in the centre of the ruck including when he is defending at marker, is against smaller attackers who look to use their foot work.

Mitchell Farlow has quite reasonable lateral mobility for a forward and due to the fact that he also is not that tall, usually is able to wrap up the smaller attackers without his tackles slipping up to around the head or neck, and thus giving away penalties.

His ability to successfully defend against these types of attackers as well as having the technique to defend against larger forwards is one of a number of reasons that I consider that a future in the higher echelons of senior rugby league is certainly feasible.

In relation to the 2019 season, Mitchell Farlow will once again be part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup squad looking to add to his two matches from late this season and upon completion of that competition will play for Highfields and Districts in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition.

Mitchell Farlow will also likely get a game or to with both the Western Mustangs U20 Colts side and in the Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade competition with Highfields and Districts.

The big strong barrel chested young man is certainly going to play in the centre third of the field and thus will be either a front rower or a lock over the remainder of his rugby league career.

From a player comparison perspective for Mitchell Farlow, a current NRL player with a similar playing style from my perspective is Parramatta Eels front rower Nathan Brown, as a solid forward who will probably never be a star but will be a solid contributor to a team’s forward pack.

mdrew

06-09-18, 04:53 PM

Henry Abdul-Rahman. (Revised) The talented young Dalby Devils backrower or hooker was a late call up to a Titans/Western Mustangs camp at Lennox Heads at the end of the 2017 rugby league season and performed more than well enough to be signed by the Titans for the next couple of years.

Henry Abdul-Rahman played four matches for the Western Mustangs MM Cup side this season coming into the side in Round Three against Ipswich starting from the bench. Henry Abdul-Rahman also started from the bench in Round Four (Norths), Round Five (Sunshine Coast) and Round Seven (Souths Logan).

In the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition, Henry Abdul-Rahman played in eleven matches including the finals series scoring six tries, a number being the first try of the match.

Henry Abdul-Rahman scored a double against Highfields and also scored against Pittsworth in two separate matches, Toowoomba Valleys and South Burnett.

Henry Abdul-Rahman’s 2018 U18 Toowoomba Rugby League season came to an end with a 44 – 4 Preliminary Final loss to a Titans filled Southern Suburbs side a fortnight ago.

Earlier this season Henry Abdul-Rahman was part of the Darling Downs side that took part in the U18 QSSRL Championships.

Henry Abdul-Rahman played the 2017 rugby league season with Dalby in the U16 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League competition, averaging a try a match through ten matches. Henry Abdul-Rahman had a great start to the season scoring a hat trick in his first match of the season against Toowoomba Brothers and also scored doubles against Pittsworth, Brothers and against eventual Premiers Souths in a finals loss.

In 2016 Henry Abdul-Rahman represented Darling Downs in the U15 QSSRL Championships starting the majority of matches from the interchange bench but certainly made an impact when he came on including scoring on Day One against South Coast and Day Two against Northern.

Henry Abdul-Rahman is a talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects of the modern day hooker, those being his distribution out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck. In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, he is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

In the games that I have seen there is no discernible difference between Henry Abdul-Rahman’s passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Henry Abdul-Rahman is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short Henry Abdul-Rahman is a very good game manager from the hooking position.

Where Henry Abdul-Rahman really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has exceptional footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off either feet to look to break through the initial defensive line.

Henry Abdul-Rahman is very successful running at forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space and has the pace to make it difficult for the cover defence to get to him.

Around the try line Henry Abdul-Rahman is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself for the try line or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs. Due to the pace that Henry Abdul-Rahman plays the game at and his speed he is always available in terms of backing up in the centre of the ruck, when forwards get their arms free.

Henry Abdul-Rahman’s defence for a hooker is very good for a smaller type of forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive opposing forwards backwards and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down.

Henry Abdul-Rahman’s intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position to affect the tackle if the ball is passed back inside.

Henry Abdul-Rahman will play the 2019 season as part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup squad and if he does not get an immediate call up to the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition on its completion will continue to play for Dalby in the U18 Toowoomba competition and will in all likelihood get a Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade opportunity as well.

Henry Abdul-Rahman has played a bit in the backrow especially for Dalby this season and even in the halves for the Western Mustangs in the 2018 MM Cup but for me I believe that hooker will be his best position moving forward although just like how the Titans used Nathan Peats this season, that is starting the match at hooker and then transitioning to the backrow when Mitch Rein is injected to the match.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, due to his distribution, running, defence and the speed and intensity that he plays the game at, a playing style akin to Titans and former New South Wales State of Origin hooker Nathan Peats is certainly not an unreasonable playing comparison.

mdrew

07-09-18, 02:36 PM

Jayden Sharp. (Revised) The big strong young front rower or lock won the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League U17 Division One player of the year in 2017 and maintained his impressive form and enhanced his reputation throughout the 2018 season across multiple levels and competitions.

Jayden Sharp started the season in the Burleigh MM Cup side and had a solid Round One on the Sunshine Coast being part of Burleigh’s 52 – 22 MM Cup victory as well as scoring a first half try for the Bears.

In total for Burleigh in the MM Cup competition Jayden Sharp played in all six of Burleigh’s matches starting his first three matches from the interchange bench before breaking into the starting line-up in Round Four. Jayden Sharp then started the final two Burleigh matches in the front row.

Jayden Sharp broke into the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side for their Round Thirteen match against Ipswich. Jayden Sharp went on to play an additional seven Hastings Deering’s Colts matches starting the first three from the interchange bench, and coming into the starting side in the front row in Round 17 against Norths and he maintained his starting spot in the front row for the remaining rounds.

Jayden Sharp’s sole U20 Colts try came in Round Sixteen in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Post the MM Cup competition Jayden Sharp played a number of Helensvale in the GCRL competition prior to his inevitable promotion to the Burleigh Colts side.

In his first U19 match of the season for Helensvale after the completion of the MM Cup competition Jayden Sharp dominated Beaudesert scoring a hat trick and a fortnight later scored a double against Ormeau. In Round Sixteen with the Burleigh Colts side having a bye, Jayden Sharp was back for the U19 Helensvale side starting in the front row an scoring his six try against Runaway Bay. In total in the U19 competition Jayden Sharp played in five matches and scored the a fore mentioned six tries.

Jayden Sharp made his Doug Lipp Cup debut for Helensvale in early May against Currumbin and scored on debut as well. The following week Jayden Sharp also played in the Doug Lipp Cup this time against Ormeau and also scored. In each of his three Doug Lipp appearances Jayden Sharp was backing up after playing in the U19 match earlier in the day.

Jayden Sharp had an outstanding 2017 season with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCJRL U17 Division One competition culminating in him starting at lock in Helensvale’s 34 – 20 Grand Final victory over the Ormeau Shearers. Titans linked team mates of Jayden Sharp that night included centre Braden Amusden and front rower David Butler.

Jayden Sharp played in fourteen U17 Division One contests and three more in the U17 Division Two contests for Helensvale this season. In the U17 Division Two competition, Jayden Sharp scored all of his three tries in that grade in his last match for the year there when he scored a hat trick against Beaudesert in July.

From his fourteen U17 Division One matches, Jayden Sharp scored eleven tries to finish third on the try scoring list. Jayden Sharp scored a hat trick against Ormeau in June and scored doubles in consecutive matches late in the season including a semi-final against the Bilambil Jets. The match prior to the semi-final Jayden Sharp scored a double against Runaway Bay.

In addition to playing for Helensvale in 2017, Jayden Sharp also represented the U18 PNG Kokomo’s in the QPIIC tournament held late last year and had an outstanding match in that competition against the Cook Islands when in addition to scoring PNG’s first try set up a second half PNG try with a deft chip kick for his winger to cross. Jayden Sharp was almost the hero for PNG against Queensland Maori but unfortunately he had a try disallowed which would have broken an 8 all deadlock.

Jayden Sharp is a big strong powerful aggressive young man and uses these attributes when he runs with the ball, he will take the line on and look to drop his shoulder into the defender who is looking initiate contact.

Jayden Sharp can also off load the football both before the line and when he is being tackled, he seems to be one of those players with the innate ability to get his hands free, or more accurately his right hand free.

Jayden Sharp is always the player standing back deep from kick ups to take the first hit up and will charge straight at the line. Jayden Sharp also is quite quick for a big young bloke, both in terms of explosive speed off the mark and agile from a footwork perspective but also with speed over an extended distance.

In defence, Jayden Sharp can certainly hit very hard and for a solidly built player has quite decent endurance thus allowing him to get back quickly into the defensive line play after play. Where he is also very good, due to his good athletic skills is for a front rower is effectively tackling smaller attackers in the centre of the ruck. Jayden Sharp does not fall for dummies and is difficult to step as he mirrors the lateral movement of the attacker to effectively wrap up the opposing player.

Jayden Sharp will play out the remainder of the 2018 season with the Burleigh Colts side and still has two years of Colts eligibility remaining.

From a position perspective Jayden Sharp will be a centre third of the field type of player and thus with either line up in the front row or lock for any team that he plays for in rugby league.

The Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International lock Josh Maguire is a great player comparison for Jayden Sharp. Like Maguire, Jayden Sharp works all day both in attack and defence and when you least except in, he will produce a great offload or massive hit to ignite his team.

Jayden Sharp has handled everything that has been thrown at him this season and that bodes well for the future for this talented young man.

Jayden Sharp was outstanding in 2017 and he has progressed at an exponential rate in 2018 as a result of hard work and dedication will still more yet to come.

mdrew

10-09-18, 04:46 PM

Cooper Many. The talented Lower Clarence Magpies second rower was a revelation this year for Lower Clarence in the NRRRL U18 competition and as just 17 years old is certainly going to be some sort of player when all is said and done.

Cooper Many started the 2018 season as part of the Northern Rivers Laurie Daley Cup U18 side, playing in four matches, starting all in the second row with those matches coming against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad, North Coast, Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers.

From a club perspective in 2018, Cooper Many linked up in the second row for the Lower Clarence Magpies in the U18 NRRRL competition, progressing all the way to the Preliminary Final before falling to the Ballina Seagulls 30 - 14.

Cooper Many played in sixteen U18 NRRRL matches for the Magpies this season including finals and scored eight regular season tries. Each of Cooper Many’s tries came in individual games including games against Lismore Marist Brothers, Ballina, Murwillumbah, Casino RSM, Cudgen and Evans Head.

In 2017 Cooper Many played for the Clarence Coast Magpies in the U16.5 competition and finished as the competitions leading try scorer with ten tries from just twelve matches. Cooper Many scored a hat trick against Ballina and a double against Lismore Marist Brothers.

Cooper Many has previously represented Group One at the U14 and U15 levels in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Cooper Many is a hard running forward who is very good at running the right line including both and inside shoulder and outside shoulder line and consistently hits the pass off either the dummy half or play maker flat thus generating his best possible speed and momentum to hit the defensive line at full speed.

Where he really excels though is his footwork, Cooper Many has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

Cooper Many is adept at cutting back behind the play the ball area when the markers do not work hard and make ground as a result. When Lower Clarence were in the attacking area, Cooper Many was regularly used to draw the defence into the centre of the ruck thus stretching the defensive line out wide to allow the backline more room to move.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Cooper Many’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running vector and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of those multiple directional changes. He seems just to run and think at a faster pace than other forwards on the field.

These attributes lead to a lot of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself. Cooper Many’s speed is probably a bit above average but it is the speed that he is able to generate from only a few paces which makes it play faster from a defenders perspective.

Defensively he hits very hard and had one of the better defensive technique s in the NRRRL U18 competition this season. Cooper Many’s technique revolves around timing and execution. Cooper Many’s head is almost always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs.

From the matches that I have seen Cooper Many also tackles with both shoulders equally effectively. The impressive thing for me also is that Cooper Many never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is quite exceptional for a reasonably inexperienced forward.

Another defensive aspect that I noted during the 2018 season was that Cooper Many does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one before.

Cooper Many’s lateral speed and mobility is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

Cooper Many is once again U18 eligible in 2019 and whilst he will play a lot of the season in the NRRRL U18 competition, Cooper Many will I am sure make his NRRRL First Grade debut for the Lower Clarence Magpies.

Cooper Many will also in all likelihood line up for his second season in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition with the Northern Rivers Titans in 2019.

Cooper Many has a number of traits that certainly lend themselves to a player comparison to Titans and Queensland State of Origin backrower Jai Arrow. Both are hardworking forwards who will impress rugby league followers with their skill and effort.

mdrew

11-09-18, 04:49 PM

George Etuale-Noa. (Revised)To say that George Etuale-Noa had a good 2018 season would be an absolute understatement. For the Coomera Cutters in the U17 Division Two competition he was simply outstanding leading his side all of the way to the Grand Final.

Over the course of the 2018 U17 Division Two season George Etuale-Noa played in fourteen matches for Coomera including the finals series scoring a competition leading twenty seven tries at an impressive strike rate of 193%.

In the regular season George Etuale-Noa scored six tries in a late season match against Jimboomba (he scored four against them in the finals) and hat tricks against Jimboomba who must have been sick of the sight of him by seasons end and Currumbin, with those hat tricks coming in consecutive rounds. George Etuale-Noa also scored regular season doubles against Beaudesert and of course Jimboomba.

In four matches against Jimboomba this season including one finals match George Etuale-Noa scored fifteen tries for a strike rate against the Thunder of 375%.

In Week Two of the U17 Division Two finals series George Etuale-Noa started at lock for Coomera scoring a try as the Cutters went down 28 – 16 to Currumbin.

In Week Three of the U17 Division Two finals series the Cutters bounced back from their previous week’s finals loss to put Jimboomba to the sword in the Preliminary winning 62 – 4 with George Etuale-Noa started in the front row and scoring four tries.

In the Grand Final George Etuale-Noa started in the front row and scored a hat trick but could not prevent Coomera going down 24 – 18 to Currumbin.

George Etuale-Noa also had an outstanding 2017 campaign with the Coomera Cutters playing in two different age groups and was also selected in the 2018 Burleigh Bears MM Cup training squad.

George Etuale-Noa started off the 2017 season in the U17 Division Two competition playing in seven matches scoring against Burleigh Heads and Nerang. Around mid-season, George Etuale-Noa started playing more for the Cutters in the U16 Division Two competition where he was near unstoppable averaging a try a match through eight games.

George Etuale-Noa started off his time in the U16 Division Two competition with a double against Nerang and finished it with a hat trick against Nerang as well. In between George Etuale-Noa scored a double against Helensvale and he also scored against Ormeau to account for his eight tries in the U16 Division Two competition.

George Etuale-Noa is a hard running player who never seems to just put his head down and runs straight, he always uses a slight step prior to contacting the defensive line, coupled with the fact that he drops his shoulder into defenders, means that he is a bit of a handful to tackle and he is not often knocked back onto his heals. George Etuale-Noa is also good at maintaining his momentum and body control after impacting the defensive line.

George Etuale-Noa seems to have a high work rate and I would suggest that he would normally be at or near the top of his team’s statistics in terms of the number of hit ups he makes and on occasion runs a very good inside shoulder route to supplement his other attacking attributes. He does not off-load the ball much however and probably never be one based on how he asked to play the game.

Defensively George Etuale-Noa aims hits very hard and usually hits around the top of the ball region and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls by using wrestling techniques well.

Last year his speed and mobility seemed to have increased and as a consequence he was better able to mirror the opposition attackers more effectively. George Etuale-Noa will make opponents feel every tackle that he makes.

George Etuale-Noa is eligible for the MM Cup competition is 2019 and will play in the U19 Gold Coast Rugby League competition post the completion of that competition.

From a position perspective, George Etuale-Noa seems to have the skill attributes and mentality to stay in the front row or at lock as he moves through the senior rugby league competitions.

From a player comparison perspective, I would consider a player along the lines of current Titans front rower and captain Ryan James as a big strong tough hard working front rower who looks to get a quick play the ball every time he takes a hit up and also ones that looks to dominate in defence in relation to each and every tackles made.

mdrew

12-09-18, 04:52 PM

Lewis Cooper. (Revised) He is a young front rower who moved with his older brother and former Titans junior development squad member Austin “Aussie” Cooper to the Sawtell Panthers from the South Grafton Rebels in the Tooheys New Group Two competition in Northern New South Wales for this year’s Group Two season.

Lewis Cooper who played a number of U14 matches for the Titans junior development squads was named in the North Coast Dolphins U18 side starting in the front row (wearing the No. 17 jersey) for Round One of the Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Sydney Roosters aligned Central Coast Centurions being Round Two after having a Round One bye. Lewis Cooper also started in the front row in Round Three against Northern Rivers in Coffs Harbour a match that North Coast won 36 – 6 over their fierce local rivals.

Lewis Cooper scored a double for the North Coast U18 side in their 40 – 20 win in Round Two against Central Coast, the first try coming inside the first two minutes and the second coming in the 54th minute. In fact Lewis Cooper could have had two more tries but was brought down inches short of the try line directly under the posts in the second half twice just prior to his second try.

Lewis Cooper did not impact the score board in Round Three against Northern Rivers like he did in Round Two but still had a couple of highlights, including a great right arm off load in the eight minute when he shook off a defender who went to tackling him around the chest, a huge collision with Titans linked Northern Rivers front rower Jordan Tauali’i which shook the entire ground and in the second half made a run of about 20 metres where after smashing through the Northern Rivers defensive line dragged a number of defenders with him as a result of sheer strength and power and the ability to keep his legs pumping even under extreme duress.

A team mate in the North Coast side is Titans contracted standout second rower Ben Liyou. Lewis Cooper also represented the East Coast Dolphins at the U16 level in 2016 and was named in the U18 East Coast Dolphins 2017 squad but did not play any matches that season.

For the Sawtell Panthers in the 2018 Toohey’s Group Two competition Lewis Cooper played matches in all three grades.

In ten regular season Group Two U18 matches, Lewis Cooper finished as the equal leading try scorer with ten tries from nine games in the regular season and he was only kept from scoring in two of those matches. Lewis Cooper scored doubles against the Grafton Ghosts, South Grafton Rebels and Bellingen. Lewis Cooper’s other tries came against Macksville in two separate matches, Coffs Harbour and Grafton.

Lewis Cooper and his U18 Sawtell Panthers were defeated in the Group Two Grand Final 16 – 12 against Macksville.

Lewis Cooper also played one Group Two Reserve Grade regular season match this season scoring a double in that match against South Grafton in May.

Lewis Cooper made his Group Two First Grade debut for Sawtell in in April of this year against his former club the Grafton Ghosts (Lewis Cooper played eight First Grade matches for Grafton in 2017) scoring against his former team mates. Lewis Cooper also scored a late season double against Grafton, clearly Lewis Cooper thrived on playing against his former team mates. Lewis Cooper’s other 2018 Group Two First Grade try came against Nambucca heads in Round Two.

In total in the 2018 Group Two First Grade regular season, Lewis Cooper played in seven regular season matches scoring the above mentioned four tries.

Lewis Cooper played the 2017 season with the South Grafton Rebels playing in both the first Grade and U18 competitions and was a key contributor to the success of both sides.

In the U18 Durbridge Family Trophy competition in 2017, Lewis Cooper scored five tries from as many matches including doubles against Coffs Harbour and Sawtell and in the Group Two Tooheys New Shield Lewis Copper scored a single try from eight matches with the try coming against Orara Valley in early July.

Lewis Cooper played the 2016 season in the Group One U16.5 competition, playing in nine matches and averaging just under two tries a match to pace the competition from a try scoring perspective. Only in the final game of the season was an opposition side able to keep him try less, that opponent being Casino RSM.

Lewis Cooper scored four tries in a match against Kyogle in August and he also crossed for a hat trick against Marist Brothers in May 2016. Lewis Cooper also crossed for four doubles being against Kyogle, Clarence Coast, Ballina and Casino RSM.

Lewis Cooper also played rugby in 2016, including making the Mid North Coast Axemen representative side and from there he was selected in the New South Wales Country Cockatoos U16 side. In rugby he played both centre and No. 8 and apparently even played some fullback as well.

In 2016 Lewis Cooper was also selected in the New South Wales Combined High School’s Open Schoolboy rugby side that toured South Africa for the St John’s College Annual Easter Rugby Festival, a great achievement considering that he missed the trials with injury.

On the 2016 South African tour Lewis Cooper played in all four of NSW CHS’s matches, starting the first two from the interchange and coming into the starting line-up for the final two matches, including playing against South African side Paarl Boys High who have not lost a match in four years that includes matches against the top New Zealand School Boy sides.

From his four matches on the South African tour, Lewis Cooper was named Man of the Match in two and was also named as the NSW CHS Best Back of the tour, an impressive feat as a 16 year old.

In short Lewis Cooper is a big strong young man with surprising speed for his size both in terms of the initial burst and extended straight line speed. When he runs the ball, and I will mainly refer to play in the forwards as that is where I think that he ultimately ends up, Lewis Cooper is like a wrecking ball, he has a strong upper body which allows him to shrug off tacklers who look to go high and whilst he does not use a great deal of foot work prior to the line has shown enough to suggest that this will be able to be incorporated into his game as he progresses.

Both of Lewis Cooper’s two tries in Round Two of the Laurie Daley Cup highlighted the strength and power discussed above. On both occasions he took the ball from around ten metres out and just charged through a set defensive to score. In fact Lewis Cooper’s first three runs were all outstanding. His first try scoring run was his first run of the game, his second came from the third hit-up from the kick off from his try and his third was in the next set of six that North Coast had.

In terms of his speed, once Lewis Cooper gets past the initial contact, he really move and his speed would be considered as plus for a front rower of his size and to be fair it is also at the above average for a centre.

Defensively defence Lewis Cooper uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. He is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly Lewis Cooper is more effective in the centre of the ruck, but he has the speed and lateral mobility to defend wider out as well.

The 2019 season will be an interesting one for Lewis Cooper as he is no longer U18 eligible. If he stays in Sawtell Lewis Cooper is a certainty to play a key role for the Sawtell First Grade side, if he chooses to try his luck in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition with either Tweed Heads or Burleigh it is hard to see that he would not make an immediate impact with his combination of size, strength speed and mobility.

From an ultimate position perspective, due to his combination of size and speed playing in the front row seems the most plausible position projection for Lewis Cooper.

The power and intensity of Canterbury Bulldog, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International forward David Klemmer is mirrored by Lewis Cooper he is just an intimidating presence on a football field and a young player who will only to continue to get better and better as he gains more experience there is certainly a lot of raw ability and untapped potential to work with.

If Lewis Cooper can continue to work on his endurance, functional strength and mobility he really does have an extraordinary set of skills both from a physical perspective as well as a rugby league skill attribute perspective.

Obviously luck is also involved as well, his brother Austin had a similar skill set but unfortunately multiple knee and ankle injuries severely affected his development although he is now fit and performing very well in the Group Two First Grade competition.

mdrew

13-09-18, 06:25 PM

Daniel Butterini. (Revised) He is a local young centre originally from just south of the border, who is part of the Titans High Performance Program and is also at PBC State High School as part of their Rugby League excellence program. Daniel Butterini was also part of the Titans U15 squad that played against a Balmain Tigers selection late last year, in that match Daniel Butterini spent the majority of the game in the centres.

At the start of this season, Daniel Butterini was part of the Gold Coast Vikings Yellow side that competed in the U16 South East Queensland Challenge and post that competition was called up to be part of the South East Queensland Green side for the Queensland U16 Age Championships playing all four of their matches including the Championship final which SEQ Green won 30 – 18 SEQ White.

Daniel Butterini played his club rugby league this season with Currumbin playing in twelve U16 Division One matches including the finals series scoring three tries in total, including a double against Mudgeeraba and also scored early in the season against Runaway Bay.

Daniel Butterini started for Currumbin in the U16 Division One Grand Final but was on the losing side with Nerang coming out victorious 24 – 8.

Daniel Butterini also played one match this season in the U17 Division One competition with that match coming against the Bilambil Jets late in the 2018 season.

Daniel Butterini was selected this season in the South Coast U15 QSSRL side in 2017. Earlier in the 2017 season Daniel Butterini was also selected in the Group 18 U15 squad after representing Group 18 at the U14 level in 2016 where he played primarily at fullback in the New South Wales Country Age Championships.

In late 2015 Daniel Butterini was named on the wing for the Titans U13 development squad for their match against a Toowoomba U14 selection, but unfortunately he did not participate in the match due to injury. In 2014 Daniel Butterini was named in the New South Wales North Coast U12 rugby league side from the Burringbar Public School in Murwillumbah.

For a centre, Daniel Butterini is a strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Daniel Butterini also has a very good passing game especially to his right side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Daniel Butterini is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide.

From a speed perspective Daniel Butterini has above average speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, he will rarely be caught from behind other than from only the fastest of opponents and he is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback. The only possible question about Daniel Butterini’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the above average category as he matures and inevitably fills out.

Defensively Daniel Butterini uses his physical characteristics to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

For me when I saw him play for either PBC or Burleigh Daniel Butterini was the defensive leader of the three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Daniel Butterini on an individual level has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

In 2019 Daniel Butterini will likely be part of either the Burleigh or Tweed Heads MM Cup squads (tweed Heads most likely) as well as playing for the Currumbin Eagles U17 Division One side and for PBC in their various school boy competitions including the GIO Cup.

Daniel Butterini has played primarily in the centres throughout his junior rugby league career but has spent some time in the second row this season. For me though it is far too early to write Daniel Butterini off in terms of not being able to stay in the centres long term.

A player with a similar playing style for me for Daniel Butterini would be Cronulla Sharks centre Ricky Leutele, they are both around the same size and look to use their size and speed to their advantage to dominate the opponent directly in front of them.

mdrew

14-09-18, 03:06 PM

Brody Jones. (Revised) The tough young Lismore Marist Brothers second rower’s 2017 rugby league season finished with him attending the Titans U16 High Performance Academy camp in Lennox Heads in late 2017 where he played for the Titans in their match against a Western Mustangs U16 side that was also attending the high performance camp.

This season in the NRRRL U18 competition Brody Jones played in thirteen regular season matches for Lismore Marist Brothers scoring an impressive nine tries along the way for a strike rate of 69.23%.

Brody Jones scored a hat trick against Kyogle mid-season and the week prior scored a double against Murwillumbah. Brody Jones also had a good try scoring run late in the season when he scored in consecutive rounds against Casino RSM, Lower Clarence and Tweed Coast. Brody Jones’s remaining try came in Round Three once again against Tweed Coast.

Brody Jones played for Lismore Marist Brothers in two different competitions in 2107 being the U16.5 Group One Junior Rugby League competition and the NRRRL competition at the U18 level.

For Lismore Marist Brothers in the 2017 Group One U16.5 competition, Brody Jones played in twelve matches for the 4th placed Rams scoring three tries including two in two weeks against Ballina and Clarence Coast and later in the season Brody Jones scored against Casino RSM.

In total Brody Jones also played four matches at the U18 level in the 2017 NRRRL competition with his first match coming in early April against the Tweed Coast Raiders which included the outstanding young forward Oscar Clarke.

In 2016 Brody Jones was selected on the bench for the U15 New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges Northern Region side for their annual trials.

Brody Jones is a powerful aggressive ball runner who is adept at using late and quick footwork just prior to contact line which he hits with power and force in absolutely every hit up that he makes dropping his shoulder into the first defender that is looking to make the initial contact.

His ability to get low to engage the defenders with his shoulder rather than allowing them to get in and under his ribs and also a substantial leg drive means that he drives defenders backwards even after they had engaged Brody Jones with significant force rather than allowing them to impact on his momentum.

Once he is in space, Brody Jones actually has very good speed for a second rower, I would consider it above average when analysing his speed from a rugby league forward’s perspective, to add to the difficulties for the defensive line, he runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful fend.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Brody Jones his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Brody Jones has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards. Brody Jones sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

Defensively Brody Jones hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. He also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in.

Brody Jones is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier’s momentum.

Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is his initial contact, Brody Jones uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier. Brody Jones is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as he uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers.

Defensively in a covering role Brody Jones is also very effective as even though he is a big strong forward he has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.

Brody Jones’s good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork by moving forward in a measured and calculating manner.

Brody Jones is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Brody Jones will still be eligible to play in the U18 NRRRL competition in 2019 and may also get an opportunity in the NRRRL First Grade competition with Lismore Marist Brothers.

U18 Laurie Daley Cup selection also looms for Brody Jones in 2019 for the newly minted Northern Rivers Titans.

With his size, strength, speed and aggressive streak Brody Jones has the ideal build and mentality to forge a success career in the second row on a rugby league field.

Extrapolating what Brody Jones brings to an NRL side leads me to a player comparison to aggressive Titans forward Keegan Hipgrave. Like Hipgrave, Brody Jones seems to really enjoy the competitive aspects of rugby league and he also clearly likes the physical contact as well.

mdrew

17-09-18, 05:07 PM

Reece Tapine. (Revised) The former Sydney Roosters U18 SG Ball outside back made every post a winner in his first season on the Gold Coast in 2018 after being rewarded with a starting spot on the left wing for the Burleigh Bears U20 side for their Round One matches against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Reece Tapine’s debut was a good one scoring in Burleigh’s big 52 -22 victory over the Sunshine Coast Falcons. Reece Tapine also started on the left wing for Burleigh’s Round Two match against the Redcliffe Dolphins on the Gold Coast and once again scored to have a 100% strike rate after the first two rounds of the 2018 season.

In total in the 2018 Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition, Reece Tapine played in seventeen matches scoring eight tries. Reece Tapine scored doubles in Round Six against the Western Mustangs and in Round Eleven against Easts.

Reece Tapine’s other four tries came in Rounds One, Two, Eight and Thirteen against Sunshine Coast, Redcliffe, Central Queensland and Ipswich.

Reece Tapine started his first seven U20 Colts matches this season on the wing before moving to the centres in Round Eight against Central Queensland and remaining there for the remainder of the 2018 season.

Late in the 2018 season Reece Tapine was promoted to the Burleigh Bears Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side scoring on debut against Bilambil in Round Sixteen and also scored in his second and first GCRL First Grade match of the season against Tugun the following round being Round Seventeen. Reece Tapine started both of those matches in the centres.

The former Springfield Panthers junior rugby league player played in two matches for the Sydney Roosters in the 2017 U18 SG Ball competition. In that competition the former Trinity College Beenleigh student played in matches against the Cronulla Sharks and the Penrith Panthers starting both matches being Rounds One and Two on the left wing.

The Sydney Roosters signed Reece Tapine from the Ipswich region where he played for the Springfield Panthers with his last year there being the 2016 season representing the Panthers in the Ipswich U17 competition scoring eleven tries from just thirteen matches. For the Springfield Panthers, Reece Tapine spent the vast majority of his playing time in the centres.

Reece Tapine also represented Trinity College with distinction across a number of seasons including at the Open level in the 2015 QISSRL Confraternity Shield Division Two competition as a 16 year old starring against St Joseph’s Assumption College when he scored a double starting in the centres.

Reece Tapine’s Round One try against the Sunshine Coast Falcons came as a result of him maintaining his position and spacing. It was not a spectacular try in the context of a dive for the corner and so forth but as the ball went to the left through the hands of Titans due five eight Taine Tuaupiki and left centre Jaxon Paulo, Reece Tapine stayed on his wing and did not over run the ball to make it easy for Jaxson Paulo (who was outstanding on the day and on the season for that matter) to draw and pass to send Reece Tapine over in the left corner untouched.

Reece Tapine’s try in Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins can also be put down to his positioning. After a long break by Burleigh and with the Redcliffe defence all over the place it would have been easy for Reece Tapine to come in from the left wing looking to be the hero, but instead he stayed on his wing.

Burleigh half back Harry Fitzhugh got the ball from the dummy half and seeing Reece Tapine out wide to the left unmarked put in a deft chip which Reece Tapine took easily on the full to cross untouched and was even able to bring the ball around to near the posts to make the conversion a lot easier for Jaxson Paulo.

Whilst in does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, Reece Tapine does have above average top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by using a very good fend, when he gets to the outside, this prevents defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure.

When engaged with the defensive line Reece Tapine also has a reasonable offload and when he breaks through the main defensive line he is also very effective at setting up his support players, by committing the fullback before off-loading.

Reece Tapine also has a more than decent in and away to complement his other attacking attributes and is effective when attacking close to the try line and knows which routes to run to take advantage of situations where the defensive line has not come up off the try line and thus he is able to push through the defensive line and carry defenders over to score. Reece Tapine is just a solid attacking player and before you realise he has made a number of breaks and scored multiple tries.

Reece Tapine is also adept at keeping his spacing on the wing and that attribute led to his second try for Burleigh on the weekend where he stayed outside his direct opponent on the blind side and thus was in a very good position to score from close range before his opposite winger could react.

Reece Tapine seemingly has more strength that his size would indicate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit around the area where the ball is usually held, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

Purely from a skill and physical attribute perspective Reece Tapine seems more suited to a sliding defensive methodology rather than an up and in style, but this is more conjecture from me rather than a fact based argument. Like with his attacking attributes Reece Tapine is just solid defensively there is really no other word to describe it.

Reece Tapine is eligible for the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition again 2019 and will also likely add to his two matches for Burleigh in the GCRL First Grade competition.

Whilst he has spent some of his junior rugby league career in the centres I think that where Reece Tapine is playing for Burleigh Colts, being the left wing is his best position in terms of the utilisation of his key skills being his straight line speed and discipline in terms of the positioning and spacing.

From a player comparison perspective for Reece Tapine, think of someone like St George Dragons and New Zealand International Shaun Nightingale as an extremely competent winger who may not make highlight reel plays on a regular basis but quietly does what needs to be done in terms of safe hands, positioning spacing and scoring when the opportunity presents.

Reece Tapine is a quietly effective player will not make mistakes either with his hands or his positioning and will also be a regular contributor on the score board from a try scoring perspective whether playing in the centres or on the wing. He is definitely not a flashy winger like say Canberra Raiders winger Jordan Rapana but Reece Tapine is an effective one none the less.

mdrew

18-09-18, 05:06 PM

Thomas Farragher. (Revised) The young Kyogle half back has already been in and around Titans development squad after spending time in recent seasons training with the Titans. In 2018 Thomas Farragher played in two competitions for the Kyogle Turkeys being the U16.5 competition in Group One and the U18 NRRRL competition.

After the competition of the Andrew Johns Cup Thomas Farragher played for the Turkeys in the Group One U16.5 competition and also played a number of matches for Kyogle in the NRRRL U18 competition, not a bad effort at all for a 16 year old.

For Kyogle in the Group One U16.5 competition Thomas Farragher played in ten matches and averaged more than a try a game on the way to scoring eleven tries. Included in those eleven tries was a late season hat trick against Ballina and doubles against Lismore Marist Brothers and Casino RSM.

Thomas Farragher also scored tries against Clarence Coast in two separate matches, Casino RSM and Ballina. The try against Ballina was in Week One of the 2018 Group One U16.5 finals that saw Kyogle knocked out as a result of a 26 – 16 finals loss.

For Kyogle in the 2018 NRRRL U18 competition Thomas Farragher made his debut in May against Murwillumbah and went on to play an additional five U18 NRRRL matches, scoring two tries in the process. Thomas Farragher scored his first NRRRL U18 try in just his second game in that competition against Grand Finalists Cudgen and also scored against Casino RSM late in the season.

Early this season Thomas Farragher was part of the Northern Rivers U16 side that participated in the inaugural Andrew Johns Cup. In that competition Thomas Farragher played in three matches, coming off the bench on all three occasions, being Round One against the Newcastle Development Squad, Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters and Northern Rivers finals match against the Western Rams.

In those matches Thomas Farragher played primarily as a backup in the halves and hooker.

Early in the 2017 season Thomas Farragher was part of the U15 New South Wales Combined High Schools trials and was the starting five eight for the Group One U15 representative side and the New South Wales Combined High Schools U15 side.

Thomas Farragher late last year received a Northern New South Wales local sports champion award for his performances over the course of the 2017 rugby league season.

In 2017 season Thomas Farragher played eight matches in the Group One U15 Junior Rugby League competition scoring eight tries to average a try a match including an early season double against Lismore Marist Brothers and he also scored tries against Casino RSM and Ballina.

In 2016 the young Kyogle Turkeys halfback had a solid start to his club season which culminated in his selection in the Group One U14 side that competed in the New South Wales Country Age championships in Forster. In those championships he played in all three of Group Ones matches including their 58 – 0 win over Group 19 on Saturday and both of their Sunday matches against Central Coast and their Northern Trophy final loss to Group 21.

Over the course of the three matches that Group One played, he scored two tries which came against Group 19 on Saturday and then scored his team’s only try on their 20 – 6 loss against Central Coast early on Sunday morning.

Thomas Farragher is quite an elusive runner of the ball and some good foot work in confined space. He will take on the line regularly and has a very good step off both feet but his left foot step seems to be the preferred step based on the games that I have seen at least. Thomas Farragher is always around the ball and thus is always available to back up a break by a forward or when they get their hands free.

His passing game is what I would consider above average and he will drift across the field looking for runners to run into holes and has the ability to hold the defensive line in place as he develops the play in front of them, making to easier for his support runners to get a clear passage through the line, especially when a defender comes out of the line and commits to Thomas Farragher.

Thomas Farragher will also wait until the last possible moment to release the football. His best attribute in his passing game is the speed, timing and accuracy when he passes to his outside backs. He gets a very good spiral on the ball from both sides of his body and leads his outside attackers into the ball, enabling them to maintain the momentum of their run.

A key attribute to how Thomas Farragher plays is his ability to organise and direct his team around the field as well as adjusting his game to the specific situations within a game.

Where he projects very well is in the defensive aspects of rugby league, in essence Thomas Farragher is a very good defender for the half back position, this includes against opposing halves who will try to use footwork and evasion to beat him or against big wide running forwards. No matter who is running at him, Thomas Farragher’s timing, strength, lateral movement and technique are all well above average even verging on plus, not just for his position but for his age group in general.

His defence is an area that stands out when you watch Thomas Farragher play in person. He, from my perspective at least defends like a second rower, which means his team’s defensive strategy can be accommodated to account for the fact that a “defensive minder” is not a critical requirement for any team that has Thomas Farragher defending in the front line.

Thomas Farragher will continue to play in the NRRRL U18 competition for Kyogle in 2019 and it would not surprise if he received an opportunity in the NRRRL First Grade competition late next season even though he will be only 17 years old.

Thomas Farragher will also be in contention for a spot in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad for the 2019 extended version of the competition.

From a position perspective I cannot see any reason that Thomas Farragher would not continue to play at halfback for the foreseeable future although the success that he had coming off the bench in the dummy half role this season is intriguing and thus a role at hooker should not be discounted.

From a player comparison perspective, I can really see aspects of the play of Redcliffe and former Titan and Manly utility Cameron Cullen as a player who provides a spark in both attack and defence when he is on the field and can also play a variety of positions.

mdrew

19-09-18, 05:40 PM

Cameron Brown. (Revised)He is a talented young half who was heavily involved late in the 2018 season with the Burleigh Bears Colts side.

Cameron Brown came into the Burleigh Colts side in Round Eleven against Easts starting from the interchange bench and went on to play an additional nine Colts matches, splitting time between starting in the halves and from the interchange bench. Cameron Brown started five matches, the first being in Round Twelve against the Mackay Cutters.

Cameron Brown scored four Colts tries in 2018, including a Round Twenty Four double against Easts and tries in Round Twenty and Eighteen against Victoria and Redcliffe respectively. Whether or not it really means anything, all of Cameron Brown’s tries came in matches where he started.

Cameron Brown has played for Helensvale for a number of seasons and this year was no different lining up for the Hornets in the GCRL U19 competition. In the U19 competition, Cameron Brown played in nine matches, scoring seven tries.

Cameron Brown had an outstanding start to the U19 competition this season, scoring in his first five matches including a double against Southport and tries against Beaudesert, Currumbin and Ormeau in two separate matches. Cameron Brown also scored a late season try against Bilambil.

Late in 2017 Cameron Brown was named in the Burleigh 2018 MM Cup squad but he did not play in any MM Cup matches this season.

For Helensvale in the 2017 GCRL U17 Division One competition Cameron Brown played in thirteen matches in total including starting at half back in the Hornets 34 – 20 Grand Final win over Ormeau scoring to cap off a great match. In addition to his try in the Grand Final Cameron Brown scored another ten tries to finish third on the try scoring ladder for the U17 Division One competition including scoring a hat trick against Mudgeeraba in May and a double in June against Grand Final opponents Ormeau. Cameron Brown also scored in Helensvale’s other finals match which was against Bilambil.

Cameron Brown is only slight of build but do not take his lack of size in any way as a lack of ability or courage, he has a lot of both, which is on display each time he runs onto the field. With the ball he is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports. Cameron Brown is adept at drawing an opposing defender out of the defensive line and then putting his support runner through the resulting gap.

In terms of his speed, I would suggest that an appropriate definition of Cameron Brown’s speed would be that he is quick off the mark but does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space.

Cameron Brown will back his judgement and take the game on especially when the game is on the line. Assisting his play is the fact that Cameron Brown makes the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide quickly.

In previous seasons when I have seen him play he sometimes took the line on himself too much, but the times that I have seen him play this season Cameron Brown has become more selective about when to pass and when to run. His passing game is solid but seems to be slightly better when he is passing to the right side of the field.

Cameron Brown has a good short kicking game but he does not have the strongest leg in terms of kicking deep but is accurate and regularly finds the ground to enable the chasers to get down field to enhance his team’s field position.

Defensively I like the way that he takes the line on, Cameron Brown is aggressive and attacks the ball carrier rather than waiting for the attackers to come to him. He clearly looks to limit the time opposition players have to generate momentum before they get to him.

Against players similar in size or reasonably close to it, Cameron Brown is very aggressive and makes sure that he finishes off every tackle in an effort to win every one on one individual battle against his opponent.

Cameron Brown finished the 2018 season with Burleigh in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and that is where he will start the 2019 season and Cameron Brown will also be Colts eligible in 2020.

I would think that regardless of what level of competition rugby league takes Cameron Brown that he will be in a No. 7 jersey as a tough feisty half back.

For me a current NRL player with a similar playing style to that in Cameron Brown is Sydney Roosters five eight Luke Keary being that of a solid talented all round half who will surprise a defensive line with some very good short balls when it looks for all money like he is going to run himself.

mdrew

21-09-18, 06:32 PM

Apiata Neoma-Matenga (Revised) He is a local young second rower who has had a solid 2017 NYC campaign with the Titans and was rewarded with being selected on an extended bench for the Titans final NRL match of the season against the Sydney Roosters.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga did not however make his NRL debut that afternoon late last year. Apitia Neoma-Matenga has also had the honour of captaining the Titans NYC side in 2017 and spent the pre-Christmas 2017-18 off-season training with the Titans NRL squad.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga started this season as part of the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts side, starting all of his matches in the competition in the second row with the Bears before his inevitable promotion to the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side.

In total before his promotion to the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side Apitia Neoma-Matenga played in eight Colts matches scoring three tries.

In Round two against Redcliffe Apitia Neoma-Matenga scored a try and set up another, both instances occurring in Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins at Pizzey Park on the Gold Coast.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga’s try in that match came purely as a result of a powerful barn storming run. Apitia Neoma-Matenga who has been lining up on the right side and took a pass off Burleigh five eight Taine Tuaupiki and simply steam rolled over the couple of Redcliffe defenders score just to the right of the goal posts.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga’s try assist came once again on the right side of the field. Running a good inside shoulder route Apitia Neoma-Matenga took a great flat pass off Taine Tuaupiki once again, going through the Redcliffe line untouched about twenty metres out, Apitia Neoma-Matenga could have easily taken on the fullback himself but instead he drew the fullback and passed back to his left to Taine Tuaupiki who was backing up for the young five eight to score under the posts to extend the Burleigh lead.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga established a very good combination with Taine Tuaupiki on the right hand side of the field and over the course of this season with Burleigh in both the Colts competition and the GCRL First Grade competition both have benefitted greatly from it, as has the entire Burleigh Bears team for that matter.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga’s other two tries came in Round Seven and Eight against the Western Mustangs and Victoria respectively.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga was promoted quickly to the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side, making his debut early in the season, going on to play in ten matches including scoring a double in Round Sixteen against Tugun in probably his best GCRL First Grade match to date.

Over the course of the 2017 NYC season Apitia Neoma-Matenga played in 23 of the Titans 26 matches scoring five tries which came against the Parramatta Eels in Round Three, the Cowboys in Rounds Four, against the Raiders in Round Six, and in Rounds Sixteen and Seventeen against the Wests Tigers and St George respectively.

Of the 23 2017 NYC matches that he featured in Apitia Neoma-Matenga started every match in the second row except for two matches where he started at lock being Rounds Four and Ten.

In total Apitia Neoma-Matenga spent 1,657 minutes on the field for the Titans NYC side in 2017 which equates to a per game average of approximately 72 minutes per game with Apitia Neoma-Matenga playing the entire 80 minutes on 18 occasions. Apitia Neoma-Matenga was on the field for every minute from Rounds Seventeen to Twenty-five inclusive.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga’s 2017 season per game averages included 74 run metres on eight carries and 21 tackles at a tackling efficiency of just over 80%. On six occasions in 2018 Apitia Neoma-Matenga ran for in excess of 100 metres in a match with his “best” effort coming against the Wests Tigers in Round Twenty-One when he ran for 151 metres on just nine carries. From a defensive perspective in Round Seventeen against the Dragons Apitia Neoma-Matenga made 35 tackles.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga made his NYC debut in Round 17 of the 2016 season against the New Zealand Warriors from the inter change bench, playing 33 minutes in his debut and taking a heavy knock to the head. Apitia Neoma-Matenga then kept his position in the 17 for the remainder of the season, playing five matches off the inter change bench and the other four matches starting at lock.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga scored his first and only NYC try for the year in Round 19 against Parramatta. Apitia Neoma-Matenga in his nine NYC matches averaged just on 40 minutes per game with the most minutes being against the Penrith Panthers in Round 25 when he played the remainder of the match after coming off the inter change bench in the 19th minute of the first half.

In his nine matches in 2016 Apitia Neoma-Matenga averaged 62.5 run metres per match on 5.5 hit ups and 17.5 tackles. His best match purely from a total run metre perspective came on his debut when he ran for 117 metres and tackling wise in his starting debut in Round 19 against St George, he made 28 tackles. Apitia Neoma-Matenga however did miss 31 tackles but I would agree that had more to do with his over enthusiasm rather than a defensive positioning or technique deficiency.

For Gold Coast White in the 2016 MM competition, Apitia Neoma-Matenga played in all of Gold Coast White’s matches including their quarter and semi-finals scoring one try which came against the Ipswich Jets in the big quarter final win. Apitia Neoma-Matenga started his first five matches at lock before moving to the second row in Round Seven and then staying in the second row for the two finals matches.

Over the course of his junior football the former PBC student made numerous representative sides including the Vikings, Kookaburras, South East Queensland, Queensland Maroon and South Coast at the U15 and U18 level. Apitia Neoma-Matenga attended PBC and was part of their GIO Cup side that lost the Queensland Grand Final, however they did defeat Keebra Park in the Queensland quarter finals in a high quality contest in front of a crowd of around 5,000.

Other Titans linked PBC team mates in that game included former NYC team mate and current tweed Heads Seagull Ethan Roberts. In the Keebra side that day was Titans NRL contracted AJ Brimson. Previously Apitia Neoma-Matenga was part of the Broncos Elite Player Development Squad and was so for a number of years before signing with his local NRL club three years ago.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga is a hard running backrower who really does look to run straight over people, especially when he played in the centres, towards the end of the year, in the back row, he did use more footwork prior to the line and was best running on the fringes of the ruck, rather than straight up the centre.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga still has decent to above average top end speed but he does take a little bit of time to get up to his top speed these days compared to when he was playing in the centres in seasons past.

I would suggest his speed is above average for a back rower however. Apitia Neoma-Matenga also has a very good left hand fend to add to his stocky frame and good strength. His low centre of gravity and power make him a difficult proposition to defend against, regardless of where he lines up in attack.

Defensively Apitia Neoma-Matenga hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribs and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. Apitia Neoma-Matenga also definitely has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in including the wrestling battle to slow down the play the ball.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier.

Towards the end of the 2016 year, Apitia Neoma-Matenga’s defensive technique in the forwards had improved immensely, especially as he transitioned to the NYC ranks and he set a good stable base with his lower body, which he them used to explode into the attacker.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga’s aggression can on occasion get the best of him but he certainly does make an impact defensively in every tackle that he is involved in.

It is clear from his selection on the extended First Grade bench for Round Twenty-Six last year and spending the off-season training with the NRL side that Apitia Neoma-Matenga is highly thought of by the Titans and understandably so.

Apitia Neoma-Matenga will push for a place in the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup squad in 2019 and has the strength, skill and attitude to one day be a solid player at the NRL level.

From an ultimate position perspective, Apitia Neoma-Matenga’s transition from centre to the back row is now complete and Apitia Neoma-Matenga has now firmly established himself as a powerful young backrower with a low centre of gravity and aggressive attitude to boot.

From a style perspective, a player that stands out with a similar playing style, especially in terms of attack is former Titan Greg Bird as a tough nuggetty back rower with decent footwork prior to the line to add to sold speed for a backrower and someone who is aggressive (very aggressive) in defence.

With Apitia Neoma-Matenga in a team, that team will definitely not lack aggression in both attack and defence on the right hand side of the field.

mdrew

23-09-18, 06:10 AM

Codey McLaughlin. (Revised) The youngster was part of the 2018 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM side and post that competition has played in the GCRL U19, Doug Lipp Cup and First Grade competitions for Runaway Bay.

In the MM Cup competition for Tweed Heads, Codey McLaughlin played in five matches starting all five from the interchange bench and scoring twice. Codey McLaughlin’s first try came in Round Two against Victoria and he followed that with a try in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks.

For the U19 Runaway Bay side post the MM Cup competition Codey McLaughlin played in twelve regular season matches scoring six tries. Codey McLaughlin scored a Round Fourteen double against Mudgeeraba and also scored in Round Fifteen against Burleigh and well as in Round Seventeen against Beaudesert. Earlier in the season Codey McLaughlin scored against Bilambil and Ormeau to round out his seasons try scoring.

In the Doug Lipp Cup competition for Runaway Bay Cody McLaughlin played five regular season matches including starting Round Sixteen against Helensvale in the second row and Round Seventeen in the centres against Beaudesert, debuting against Currumbin and April.

Codey McLaughlin scored two regular season Doug Lipp Cup tries including scoring in just his second game at that level against Tugun and also scored in his starting debut against Helensvale in Round Sixteen.

In Week One of the GCRL Finals series, Codey McLaughlin started in the second row as well as scoring for Runaway Bay in their 40 – 12 win over Burleigh in the Doug Lipp Cup competition.

In Week Two of the GCRL Finals series, Codey McLaughlin started in the second row for Runaway Bay once again in their 25 – 4 win against Beaudesert.

Codey McLaughlin also started in the second row for Runaway Bay in the Doug Lipp Cup Preliminary Final against Currumbin with Runaway Bay going down by a solitary point 17 – 16 in a hard fought contest.

Codey McLaughlin made his deserved GCRL First Grade debut in late June coming off the bench for Runaway Bay against Tugun.

Codey McLaughlin played the 2017 season with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCRL U17 Division One competition including starting at five eight in Helensvale’s 34 – 20 Grand Final victory over Ormeau. Over the course of the U17 Division One 2017 season Codey McLaughlin played in thirteen matches scoring four tries in the process with the tries coming against Southport, Mudgeeraba, Runaway Bay and Burleigh.

For Gold Coast Green in the CC Cup competition in 2016, Codey McLaughlin played in all eight matches, starting the seven regular season games at right centre, but he started the quarter final on the right wing. Over the course of the CC season he scored three tries which came against the Easts Tigers in Rounds One and Six and also against Toowoomba in their quarter final loss, he also kicked two conversions in a Round Two win against local rivals Gold Coast White.

In addition in 2016 Codey McLaughlin also represented South East Queensland White in the Queensland Age Championships at the U16 level, and on Day Two scored a try and kicked two conversions in a win against South East Queensland Green and on Day Three kicked three conversions in a big 42-24 victory over the Northern Marlins.

From an attacking perspective, Codey McLaughlin has a wide running mindset for a backrower with a very good turn of speed once he breaks through the line. Like all good running backrowers though, he takes his share of runs in the middle of the ruck but he is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into although he is not averse to running straight over people if the need arises either.

From the games that I have seen him play Codey McLaughlin normally runs to the right side of the field, and will run wider out and look to come back on the inside shoulder of the opposition defence on the edge of the ruck, looking for situations where the opposition inside defenders are slow to come across.

His determination is one aspect that enables him to be in the right place at the right time. He is a hard runner and does not give up on the run until the opposition puts him on the ground, as a consequence, he makes a lot more metres for his team than he has a right to and with his determination he will also on occasion break clear of the defenders totally. I would consider that he runs ‘tough’ with the ball in his hands.

For Tweed Heads in the MM Cup competition, Codey McLaughlin defended both in the edge of the ruck and well as through the middle. Codey McLaughlin was quietly effective in both situations from both a quality and quantity perspective.

Codey McLaughlin’s initial contact is solid and is more than enough to stop the momentum of the ball carrier and effect tackles one on one. He is also effective at wrapping the ball up and preventing offloads.

While Codey McLaughlin hits he hits hard, but I would not call it aggressive per say, but he is just tough in his approach to his defence. I do not necessarily think that Codey McLaughlin’s defensive work will stand out because he is not going to come up with a huge hit which will get the crowd on its feet, but he will do a lot of work and will likely always finish at or near the top of the tackle count regardless of the level and standard of football he is playing.

In 2019 Codey McLaughlin will likely be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side and will also be Colts eligible in 2020.

Earlier in his junior rugby league career Codey McLaughlin played a lot in the centres and even spent some time at fullback but this season, especially in relation to playing for Runaway Bay in the U19 GCRL competition has played almost exclusively at lock, and he has looked very good there.

From a style comparison perspective for Codey McLaughlin, the current NRL player that stands out for me is Titans Bryce Cartwright as a mobile, wide running backrower with a diverse skill set.

Codey McLaughlin could really turn into a special player and sooner rather than later and the experience that he has gained this season playing against men will hold him in good stead for his future rugby league career.

mdrew

24-09-18, 02:02 PM

Luke Kofutua. (Revised) The former Western Australian raised youngster took the opportunity to move across to the Gold Coast to continue his sporting career at Keebra Park for the start of this season and made an immediate impact being selected on the bench for the South Coast U15 QSSRL side after the early season trials.

Even though he was still eligible to play at the U15 age group, Luke Kofutua started off the 2018 season in the U16 Division One competition with the Southport Tigers and started Round Two(Southport had a Round One bye) against Burleigh from the interchange bench in Southport’s 22 – 4 victory in a hard fought clash. After his debut, Luke Kofutua played in an additional nine matches for the Southport U16 Division One side.

Luke Kofutua also played club rugby on the Gold Coast this season, playing for the Griffith University Colleges U15 side and started at No. 8 and scored a try in their 47 – 29 Grand Final victory that was played as a curtain raiser to the Rugby International between the Wallabies and Argentina on the Gold Coast a fortnight ago.

Luke Kofutua played in fifteen of Griffith University Colleges matches, eight at No. 8, five at open side flanker (No. 7), one at blind side flanker (No. 6) and one from the bench.

In those fifteen appearances, Luke Kofutua scored four tries, being in Round Three and Twleve against Bond Pirates, Round Nine and Fourteen against the Gold Coast Eagles.

In Western Australia, Luke Kofutua was a talented junior rugby player from Perth’s Thornlie State High School and in 2017 was selected in the Western Australian U14 State Championship rugby side. Luke Kofutua played No. 8 for the Kalamunda Junior Rugby club in Perth at the U14 level in 2017. Kalamunda were defeated in the Preliminary final 13 – 5 of that competition last year.

Luke Kofutua is a powerful wide running back rower with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus. Luke Kofutua is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful No. 8

Luke Kotutua’s speed thus makes it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space. Couple Luke Kofutua’s hard running style with a very good fend and you have a big strong powerful young player who can cause nightmares for any defensive line regardless of the code.

Defensively the most impressive aspect of Luke Kofutua’s play is his ability to make effective tackle after effective tackle. In the Perth Junior Rugby competition he continually made up to three and four tackles in a row on multiple occasions and then clean out in the rucks and mauls and then he was also the first Epping player to take the ball up.

Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is Luke Kofutua’s initial contact, he uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier.

One match in the South Coast U15 QSSRL trials was outstanding, he came out of the line and smashed the Coombabah ball carrier (a more than talented youngster in his own right) with a superb front on tackle perfectly highlighting his timing toughness and technique regardless of his non-rugby league background.

Luke Kofutua is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as he uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers. Defensively in a covering role he is also very effective as even though he is a big strong forward he has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.

Luke Kofutua will play the 2019 season with the Southport Tigers likely in the U16 Division One competition and will also play for Keebra Park in their various school boy competitions.

From a purely rugby league perspective the extremely talented Western Australian rugby No. 8 looks and plays like an outstanding second rower who can either play in the centre of the field or on the fringes as the game dictates and be equally effective in both situations.

The perfect NRL player comparison for Luke Kofutua is South Sydney Rabbitoh’s boom youngster and former School boy rugby star, Angus Creighton. Like Creighton, Luke Kofutua is a big strong powerful young man with more speed that people will initially give him credit for until this see him play of course that is.

Also like Angus Creighton, Luke Kofutua is a very good off loader of the ball both before the defensive line and whilst he is in contact with it and defensively he is a strong presence with a solid repeatable front on tackling technique with a touch of aggressiveness involved as well.

Luke Kofutua is one of a couple of Western Australian youngsters who have moved over to the Gold Coast. Another young player to come over is former South Perth Lions second rower Wailer Whaiapu who was earlier this year selected in the Gold Coast Vikings U13 Invitational trial squad.

mdrew

24-09-18, 02:14 PM

Kiu Nuku-Ngala. (Revised) The young fullback or winger had a solid 2018 season, starting in the MM Cup for Tweed Heads, playing for Currumbin in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition and also getting a late season opportunity with Tweed Heads in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition.

For Tweed Heads in the MM Cup competition, Kiu Nuku-Ngala started on the wing in all seven of Tweed Heads matches including their finals loss to Souths Logan and scored his sole try of the competition in Round Six against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

With the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U19 competition Kiu Nuku-Ngala progressed all of the way through to the Grand Final against Southport.

In the Grand Final Kiu Nuku-Ngala started on the wing and kicked three conversions against a Daniel Shannon led Southport with Currumbin coming out on top 34 – 20.

In the Preliminary Final Kiu Nuku-Ngala started on the wing and scored for Currumbin as they qualified for the Grand Final overcoming Bilambil 36 – 26.

In Week Two of the U19 Finals series Kiu Nuku-Ngala started on the wing in a 20 – 14 Currumbin loss against Southport.

In the GCRL U19 regular season Kiu Nuku-Ngala played nine matches scoring five tries and kicking five goals of a point’s tally of 30. Kiu Nuku-Ngala scored early season tries against Beaudesert and Helensvale. Mid-season Kiu Nuku-Ngala scored in consecutive rounds against Southport, Burleigh and Ormeau.

As noted in the preamble over Kiu Nuku-Ngala got a late season opportunity with the Tweed Heads Colts side starting from the interchange bench and scoring on debut in Round Twenty Four against the Northern Pride.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala had an interrupted first season on the Gold Coast in 2017 after moving down from Brisbane where he played for the Norths Devils in the CC Cup competition in 2016.

In the 2017 U17 Division One competition, Kiu Nuku-Ngala played in seven matches for Burleigh and scored a double against Runaway Bay in June and followed that up a week later with his third try of the season against Mudgeeraba.

As noted Kiu Nuku-Ngala played in the CC Cup competition in 2016 for Norths and in fact scored in their tough semi-final loss to South’s Logan. Also in 2016 Kiu Nuku-Ngala was selected at fullback for the South East Queensland Green U16 side for the Queensland Age Championships scoring a kicking three goals on Day One against Central.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala is a silky smooth player, who looks like he glides across the field picking and choosing his time to get involved and wants to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala is very quick off the mark and when the ball is being brought out of his teams half he is always around the forwards looking for off loads.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala also can play the way a lot of the current fullbacks play when they receive the football, “out the back” from the half/five eight. In those circumstances, he seems to currently runs more than he passes, but he is usually one of the better players in all of the teams that he has played on to date, thus I have no doubt that his passing and decision making skills will improve in these situations as he continues to play with ‘better’ players.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala has very good positional sense in terms of taking a high percentage of opposing teams general play kicks on the full, thus regularly giving his team good initial field position to start their set of six. Similarly his positional sense when close to his own goal line means he defuses a lot of attacking grubber kicks as well.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala will also take the responsibility to run the ball back himself rather than hand it up to his winger. When the kick goes to a winger, he is good at running out of dummy half prior to the defensive line getting set.

In relation to his defence, one thing that stands out to me is that Kiu Nuku-Ngala will not take a dummy from attackers running at him and he will stay with the ball carrier on all occasions. Kiu Nuku-Ngala seems to stand very shallow at fullback in defence, but with his speed he is able to compensate, also his fullback positioning is dependent on his teams coaching staff and thus I am absolutely not being critical when his positioning is almost certainly a coaching methodology issue.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala is also a good communicator from full back, you can hear him talking to his team mates about their positioning in defence and offering encouragement.

Kiu Nuku-Ngala will look to retain is place in the Tweed Heads U20 Colts side in 2019 after performing well in the final round of the 2018 Colts competition and will also be Colts eligible in 2020.

For me Kiu Nuku-Ngala is one of those players that may not stand out the first one or second time you see him play but the more you see him the more you start to appreciate some of the less obvious aspects to his game such as his positioning, his clean hands, outstanding body control and the ability to score his share of incredible tries.

Ultimately I think that Kiu Nuku-Ngala will end up on the wing although fullback is definitely not out of the question.

From a style perspective, I would consider someone like the Canberra Raiders try scoring winger and former Titan Jordan Rapana as an ideal comparison for Kiu Nuku-Ngala. Kiu Nuku-Ngala just has an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time to score at any level.

mdrew

25-09-18, 04:51 PM

Orlando Swain. The Ipswich youngster has recently signed with the Titans after a standout campaign with the Queensland Maroon side at the U15 ASSRL Championships. A team mate in the Queensland Maroons side was fellow Titans contracted youngster the outstanding Burleigh lock Bailey Martin.

Orlando Swain is set to start in the centres for the Titans U15 side in their upcoming match against a Balmain Tigers U15 touring squad. Orlando Swain is likely to be partnered in the centres by the equally talented Ezra Ubaldino.

As a result of his outstanding performances on the wing for the U15 Queensland Maroon side Orlando Swain was selected in the Australian U15 Merit side where he was named on the wing.

Orlando Swain started all four of Queensland Maroon’s matches on the wing and scored two tries, the first coming on Day One against New South Wales Combined High Schools and his second try was in the 4th minute of the final against New South Wales Combined Catholic College, a final which Queensland Maroon won 36 – 10.

The Ipswich Grammar School student this season played for Norths Blue in the 2018 Ipswich U15 competition and through nine matches, including the finals series has scored 56 points from twelve tries and four goals.

Orlando Swain scored a recent hat trick against Fassifern and has also scored doubles against Norths Gold, Rosewood and Redbank. Orlando Swain’s other two tries came against West End and Brothers.

In Week Two of the Ipswich Rugby League U15 Finals series, Orlando Swain started on the wing and scored as his Norths Blue defeated a determined Redbank side 30 – 26 to progress to the Grand Final.

In the Ipswich U15 Grand Final Orlando Swain started on the wing for Norths Blue against West End with Norths Blue going down is a close match 28 – 22 with Orlando Swain scoring one of North’s Blue’s four tries on the Sunday morning.

Orlando Swain has an extensive representative resume including representing the Ipswich Diggers at the U14 level in 2017 and earlier this year represented Met West U15’s.

Even though he does not necessarily plus top end speed (It is certainly in the above average category though but probably just falls a touch below the plus category) Orlando Swain is quick enough to take advantage of any space that he is given down the touchline by opposing outside backs.

Orlando Swain’s bread and butter play in the centres is a good in an away to hold the defender and beat him on the outside, Orlando Swain then has the ability to draw and pass to his winger if the opposing winger looks to come in, thus creating an overlap on the outside.

When playing on the wing Orlando Swain always seems to stick to the sideline which means his inside attackers will know where he is at all times, thus allowing them to confidently off load the ball if an overlap is created.

When defending in the centres, Orlando Swain really does look to come out of the line and hit his opposing centre as hard as possible to cut off the attacking play before it has time to fully develop, his timing in those situations is quite good to the extent that he does not often over comment thus allowing his opponent to get on his outside.

Orlando Swain does not let the play unfold in front of him, he looks to disrupt as early as possible and usually does so effectively.

With his size and defensive tendencies when defending in the centres, Orlando Swain is more suited to an up and in defensive methodology compared to a sliding system, where quicker opposing centres look to get on his outside and try to use their pace against him although he is not necessarily a slouch in that department.

Orlando Swain will finish off the season playing GPS school boy rugby for Ipswich Grammar School in the U15A competition.

2019 will surely see Orlando Swain line up for Ipswich in the South East Queensland U16 preseason competition which will see him up against multiple Titans contracted boys who will form key parts of the two Gold Coast Vikings U16 sides to be named later this year.

Over the course of his junior rugby league career Orlando Swain has played fullback, centre and wing at a very high level and for me his best position at least in the short term is in the centres but he can play all three with quality outcomes for both himself and his team.

A current NRL player with a similar playing style to Orlando Swain is for me Sydney Roosters New South Wales State of Origin and seen to be Parramatta Eel’s winger Blake Ferguson, like Ferguson Orlando Swain is a very good kick return and has the size, strength and speed to be a real handful for an opponent’s three quarter line, especially when he looks to run straight at the defensive line.

Like Ferguson, Orlando Swain is also very good in the air both from an attacking and defensive point of view.

mdrew

25-09-18, 08:49 PM

Ashdon Randall. The Grafton local is part of the Titans Junior Development Squad in the Group One region and in addition to being a rugby league stand out with the Grafton Ghosts is also an outstanding rugby player, playing for the Grafton Redmen and is also a member of the New South Waratahs Development Squad. All told including representative sides, Ashdon Randall could play for up to eight different teams in a season.

Recently Ashdon Randall was selected in the New England Representative Rugby side that toured New Zealand in July this year and had a dinner with the All Blacks.

For the Grafton Ghosts U14 side in the Group One Junior Rugby League competition, Ashdon Randall finished as the Group One U14 competitions second leading points scorer with a total of 116 point from fifteen tries and twenty eight goals from just eleven matches including one final.

In only two games this season was Ashdon Randall kept off the score board, the first was in Round One against Ballina and the second match was late in the regular season against Kyogle.

Ashdon Randall scored a hat trick mid-season against Ballina and also scored doubles against Casino RSM and Clarence Coast on two separate occasions. Ashdon Randall’s other 2018 Group One U14 tries came in matches against Lismore Marist Brothers, Casino RSM and Clarence Coast.

With the boot Ashdon Randall had some big matches including kicking six goals late in the season against Lismore Marist Brothers, five against Clarence Coast and kicked four goals in matches against Ballina and Casino RSM.

Combining his tries and goals, Ashdon Randall scored twenty points in a June match against Ballina from three tries and four goals, eighteen points from two tries and five goals against Clarence Coast in May and sixteen points in an August match against Lismore Marist Brothers as a result of a try and six goals.

In Week One of the Group One U14 finals Ashdon Randall started in the front row for Grafton and scored but unfortunately the Ghosts went down to Clarence Coast 32 – 14 meaning that their season came to an end.

At the recent New South Wales Country U14 Championships Ashdon Randall started in the front row for the Group One U14 side in all four of their Championship matches.

In Group One’s first match against Newcastle Ashdon started in the front row as Group One went down 18 – 4.

Game Two saw Ashdon Randall once again start in the front row as the Group One U14 side bounced back to win 38 – 12 against Group 19 with Ashdon Randall scoring his first try of the Championships.

Ashdon Randall also started Game Three for Group One, winning Game Three 16 – 8 against Maitland in the Northern Plate semi-final with Ashdon Randall contributing his second Championship try to the victory.

In the Northern Plate Final Ashdon Randall led from the front as Group One were victorious 20 – 14 against Group Four.

With their U14 Northern Plate Final victory, Group One went on to qualify for the New South Wales Country Plate Final against Group Nine with the result being Group One winning 22 – 18 with Ashdon Randall once again starting in the front row for Group One and scoring in each half of Group One’s victory.
Ashdon Randall is a powerful aggressive ball runner who is adept at using late and quick footwork just prior to contact line which he hits with power and force in absolutely every hit up that he makes dropping his shoulder into the first defender that is looking to make the initial contact.

Ashdon Randall’s ability to get low to engage the defenders with his shoulder rather than allowing them to get in and under his ribs and also a substantial leg drive means that he drives defenders backwards even after they had engaged him with significant force rather than allowing them to impact on his momentum.

In terms of ball skills, Ashdon Randall was able to regularly get his right hand free to deliver offloads when engaged with the defensive line especially when he was running one pass up the ruck and deliver some very good offloads to his support runners.

Once he is in space, Ashdon Randall actually has very good speed, I would consider it above average when analysing his speed from a rugby league forward’s perspective, to add to the difficulties for the defensive line, he runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful fend.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Ashdon Randall his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Ashdon Randall has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards. Ashdon Randall sets a very good base which he uses to look to use his opponents their own momentum against them.

Defensively Ashdon Randall hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. Ashdon Randall also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in.

Ashdon Randall is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier’s momentum.

Defensively the most impressive aspect of Ashdon Randall’s play is his ability to make effective tackle after effective tackle for the entire match.

Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is his initial contact, he uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier. Ashdon Randall is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as he uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers. Defensively in a covering role he is also very effective as even though he is a big strong forward he has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.

Ashdon Randall good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Ashdon Randall is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when Ashdon Randall is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Ashdon Randall is on top of all of his other skills a more than competent goal kicker. HE may not become a team’s primary goal kicking option but he will no doubt be a more than solid back-up option if the need arises.

Ashdon Randall has plenty in front of him this season playing both rugby and rugby league, but he is also a talented athlete having represented his region in shot put and discus. At 14 Ashdon Randall has plenty of time to decide his career path and I am certainly in the camp that says the more sports youngsters play at school the better. Plenty of studies in American indicate that playing multiple sports in High School is a better indicator of success than youngsters starting to specialise at a young age.

Obviously I hope that he picks rugby league when he needs to make a decision and continues on as part of the Titans Junior Development Program in the region. In the short term however Ashdon Randall will play the 2019 season with the Grafton Ghosts in the U15 Group One Junior Rugby League competition as well as his club and representative rugby commitments.

Ashdon Randall has played almost every position on a rugby league field from front row, through the second row, lock, five eight and even in the centres so at this stage no-one really has any idea where the he will ultimately end up but looking into my crystal ball, I thing that a future at lock may well be the end result for Ashdon Randall.

So much about Ashdon Randall is up in the air, for example if he going to play rugby league or rugby and regardless of which code he chooses what his ultimate position will be, of course I would prefer that he chooses rugby league but it is great to see that Ashdon Randall has some options to choose from for his future.

Extrapolating that he will play rugby league leads me to a player comparison to aggressive Titans NRL forward Keegan Hipgrave. Like Hipgrave, Ashdon Randall seems to really enjoy the competitive aspects of rugby league and he also clearly likes the physical contact aspects as well.

Well done to the Titans for getting such a talented young man as this into their Junior Development System from a rugby league mad region and one that is slowly but surely becoming a very fertile junior development area for the Titans.

mdrew

26-09-18, 04:52 PM

Jackson North. Giant young front rower Jackson North was recently been named in both the 2019 Tweed Heads Seagulls and Burleigh Bears MM Cup Squads after a consistent 2018 campaign with Burleigh in the GCRL U17 Division One competition.

Jackson North started the 2018 season as part of the Northern Rivers U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad, starting from the bench in all four of their matches which were against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad, Norther Coast, the Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers.

For Burleigh in the GCRL U17 Division One competition, Jackson North played in twelve matches starting all in the front row.

In Round Two of the U17 Division One Finals series, Jackson North started in the front row and scored as Burleigh went down to Currumbin 32 – 22.

In the U17 Division One Preliminary Final Jackson North started in the front row as Burleigh were knocked out of the competition as a consequence of a 34 – 22 loss to Runaway Bay.

In addition to the try that Jackson North scored in Round Two of the finals Jackson North scored three regular season tries with those tries coming against Helensvale in Round One, Mudgeeraba in Round Three and Ormeau in Round Ten.

Jackson North is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which he uses to cut back behind the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

Whilst he does not seem to offload the ball too often, when he does get his arms free Jackson North only passes when his support is in a better position, which is a sign of maturity for such a young player. He continually put his hand up all day to take the ball up and due to his agility for a big young man is able to generate quick play the balls so that his team can maintain or generate momentum.

From a speed perspective for such a big strong young man, Jackson North actually has a more than decent first step to generate speed to impact the defensive line and also quick foot work that may come as a surprise to some for a young man his size.

In defence Jackson North uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Jackson North is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck.

Jackson North has been selected in the 2019 Tweed Heads Seagulls and Burleigh Bears MM Cup squads and post that competition will play for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition.

With his size strength and power Jackson North is certainly going to stay in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career, even though he did spend some time in the centres a few years ago.

The way that Jackson North handles himself on the football field reminds me of Sydney Roosters and New Zealand International enforcer Jarrod Warera-Hargraves as a big strong forward with a skill set that belies the intimidating presence that he projects on the field in the most demanding position on a football field, he has plenty of raw talent to work with.

mdrew

26-09-18, 06:41 PM

Cole Geyer. (Revised) The young hooker has been outstanding this season in both the MM Cup competition and for Currumbin in the U17 Division One competition and Cole Geyer also got an opportunity in the GCRL U19 competition as a result.

In the MM cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Cole Geyer started at hooker for Tweed Heads opening three matches against Norths, Victoria and Burleigh. His sole MM Cup try of the season came in Round Two against Victoria.

Post the MM Cup competition Cole Geyer transitioned back to the U17 Division One competition and was outstanding over the course of the regular season playing in nine matches and scoring nine tries for a 100% strike rate through the regular season.

Cole Geyer scored three doubles which were against Ormeau, Tweed Heads and Burleigh in the final round of the U17 Division One regular season being Round Eleven. Cole Geyer also scored against Mudgeeraba, Bilambil and Runaway Bay.

In Round One of the GCRL U17 Division One Finals series, Cole Geyer started once again at hooker and was dominant throughout scoring a double as Currumbin defeated Ormeau 18 – 8 in the Qualifying Final to continue their progress towards U17 Division One Premiership success.

In the second round of the GCRL U17 Division One Finals series, started at hooker and made it three tries from two finals matches as he led Currumbin to a 32 – 22 win over Burleigh in a match of exceptional quality.

In the 2018 U17 Division One Grand Final against Runaway Bay, Cole Geyer started at hooker for Currumbin as they overcame the Seagulls to win 30 – 10 in an outstanding display by the Eagles.

Cole Geyer made his U19 debut for Currumbin in June against Bilambil and played his other U19 match in July against Helensvale.

The Marymount College Burleigh Heads student has represented his school with distinction this season including leading Marymount to victory in the Titans School Boy Open competition and in fact Cole Geyer was named Player of the Competition.

Marymount College defeated Keebra Park C 52 – 6 in the final with Cole Geyer scoring the first try of the game to give Marymount College the lead which they never relinquished.

Cole Geyer also represented Marymount College at the 2018 Confraternity Shield and was the Spirit Award winner for Marymount College in the competition. Cole Geyer started at hooker in all six of Marymount College’s matches.

In the Qualifying rounds Marymount College defeated Marist College Ashgrove 24 – 10 in Round One and Rockhampton Grammar School 17 – 10 in Round Two before drawing 18 all with St Brendan’s College Yeppoon in Round Three.

They lost their Qualifying final 24 – 16 to Cathedral College before bouncing back to defeated St Augustine’s College Cairns 24 – 6 and in their final match of the competition suffered a 24 – 22 defeated to Rockhampton Grammar School.

The talented young Currumbin Eagles hooker had an outstanding 2017 rugby league season both from a club and school boy perspective. For his Currumbin side Cole Geyer started at hooker in their 34 – 4 grand Final win over Burleigh scoring a try and also proudly represented his school side being Marymount College in a number of school boy competitions including the GIO Cup when they lost in the last minute to Redbank Plains State High School in a great match which easily could have ended in Marymount’s favour.

Over the course of the 2017 U16 Division One season for Currumbin Cole Geyer played in twelve matches scoring eight tries. Cole Geyer had an outstanding start to the season scoring in each of his five games against Southport, Ormeau, Runaway Bay, Helensvale and Ormeau again. In the match against Helensvale, Cole Geyer in fact crossed for a double. Later in the season Cole Geyer also scored against Runaway bay and as noted scored against Burleigh in the U16 Division One Grand Final.

At the 2017 Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League (QISSRL) Carnival held at Padua College in Brisbane, Marymount College in fact were the Bob Linder trophy winners beating fellow Gold Coast School Aquinas College in the final and also the QRL Referees Fair Play Award Winners. In the QISSRL Carnival, Cole Geyer played in all six of Marymount’s matches scoring in a tough 16 – 8 loss to St Augustines College Cairns.

Cole Geyer’s best attribute is his passing skills from the dummy half position. His passing is effective from both sides of his body and leads his forwards onto the ball by putting the ball out in front of his runners so that they can maintain momentum.

Cole Geyer does not have an overly long pass but his passing is accurate regardless of whether he is passing to a forward running the ball up or the half back looking to get the ball out wider. The standout feature is the speed in which he gets the ball out of his hands at dummy half.

Cole Geyer is not a huge threat to run the ball out of dummy half but will take what he is given if the defence does not consider him a threat at any particular time. His initial burst off the mark is reasonable and he has decent feet to enable him to create space, but Cole Geyer does not have the top end speed to break clear of the defensive line if he gets through a gap either by accepting an off load or by exploiting a gap in the defensive line.

Cole Geyer’s first thought when coming into dummy half is to distribute the ball effectively to his support players. When close to the line Cole Geyer will dummy and get down low to the line when the opportunity presents but again this is a secondary consideration as he progressively works through his options in that part of the field.

In relation to his defence, Cole Geyer will get in front of opposing forwards and look to slow their momentum with solid initial contact. Cole Geyer is tenacious and courageous, because even at the U16 level there are some huge boys running around.

Cole Geyer has very good endurance and projects as a hooker who will be able to play the full match without interchange something that he is already used to doing with his club side and School Boy sides regularly playing two or more matches in any given week.

Cole Geyer has been named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad where it will be hard for the coaches to leave him out of the starting side and post that competition will play for Currumbin in the GCRL U19 competition and I would also anticipate that in 2019 Cole Geyer will also get an extended run in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition such is the maturity in his game.

Cole Geyer is probably a fraction taller than your typical hooker but it has not stopped him at all being a very good distributor at dummy half and also being a more than solid defender. It is these attributes as well as his determination that has me convinced that Cole Geyer can develop into a very good hooker at the NRL level in coming seasons.

From a NRL playing comparison perspective Cole Geyer has a similar playing style to that of Melbourne Storm, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test Captain Cameron Smith, in that he is a leader on the field, is very good at leading his team around the field and a very good defender on top of all of his other attributes.

Like Smith Cole Geyer just seems to have all the time in the world when he has the ball to do whatever he wants and that always leads to positive outcomes for his side.

Cole Geyer is not just a future NRL captain but a future representative level and club captain and a person that any NRL club would be proud to have their brand associated with.

mdrew

27-09-18, 05:10 PM

Brodie Williams. The tough hard as nails young front rower or second rower was outstanding for the Lower Clarence Magpies over the course of the 2018 NRRRL U18 competition and as a result also made his deserved NRRRL First Grade debut.

For Lower Clarence in the NRRRL U18 competition Brodie Williams played in sixteen matches including the finals series scoring seven tries, including scoring a hat trick against Tweed Coast in June.

The Round after his hat trick, Brodie Williams, after playing in the U18 fixture earlier in the day, made his deserved NRRL First Grade debut coming onto the field against Cudgen.

In addition to team success in 2018, Brodie Williams also received a number of individual accolades, including being awarded the Bernie Donnelly Memorial Shield at the NRRRL Awards night and also finishing second in the NRRRL U18 Player of the Year voting with twelve votes.

Brodie Williams is a powerful runner of the ball and once he has generated momentum he is very difficult to stop and regularly has been able to drag defenders with him after initial contact has been made.

Brodie Williams is also effective at getting quick play the balls by using his outstanding balance to quickly get to his feet to maintain his team’s momentum.

Once he is in space, Brodie Williams actually has very good speed just I would consider to be above average to plus for a front rower and a touch above average for a second rower and to add to the difficulties for the defensive line, Brodie Williams runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful right hand fend.

Close to the opposition try line, Brodie Williams can either take the ball himself, and when he gets low he is very difficult to stop or he can run as a decoy and attract defenders away from the real axis of attack.

Brodie Williams is suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will understandably have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half. His calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck.

Brodie Williams can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself and has the requisite strength to slow the play the ball down effectively.

In 2019 Brodie Williams will likely be a permanent member of the Lower Clarence Magpies NRRRL First Grade side if he stays in Northern New South Wales. If Brodie Williams chooses to have a go at pushing for a spot in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition with either Burleigh or Tweed Heads all bets are off as he certainly has the skill set and toughness to make a positive impact in that competition immediately.

Brodie Williams has played a portion of this season in the front row but I think that at this stage of his career at least he is more suited to playing in the second row.

Brodie Williams plays a lot like Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup stand out Lamar Liolevave, both are solidly built forwards with deceptive speed and an outstanding right hand offload where he holds the defender off with his left arm and off loads with his right.

Defensively Brodie Williams is deceptively strong and making powerful initial contact all whilst playing big minutes in matches.

mdrew

28-09-18, 03:49 PM

Tyrese Walker. (Revised) The young half or five eight will start for the Titans U18 side this weekend against a PNG U18 side at Pizzey Park.

Tyrese Walker moved to the Gold Coast earlier this season and played the remainder of the 2018 season for the Burleigh Bears in the U19 Gold Coast Rugby League competition and through the regular season rounds finished as the leading try scorer in the competition with fourteen.

Tyrese Walker made his debut on the Gold Coast in Round Five against the Currumbin Eagles when he started from the interchange bench but moved into the starting line-up at five eight in Round Six against Mudgeeraba.

Tyrese Walker played in eleven U19 regular season matches scoring fourteen tries for a strike rate of 127% whilst splitting his time between starting at five eight and in the centres for the Bears. Tyrese walker scored in his second U19 fixture which was in Round Six against Mudgeeraba and he has not stopped scoring ever since.

Tyrese Walker scored four tries to announce himself to the Gold Coast public in Round Seven against Beaudesert an scored a hat trick in late June against Beaudesert once again. Tyrese Walker scored a double in Round Fourteen against Helensvale and in that match also kicked four goals.

Tyrese Walker’s other tries have come against Helensvale, Southport and Ormeau and from late May to mid-July this year scored in every match that he was involved in including the seven tries in the two matches against Beaudesert.

In Week One of the GCRL U19 Finals series, Tyrese Walker started at five eight for Burleigh as they went down 32 – 26 to Mudgeeraba kicking a conversion in the hard fought loss.

As a 17 year old Tyrese Walker played the 2018 SG Ball season with the North Sydney Bears after playing for the Bears in the 2017 U16 Harold Matthews Cup competition.

For the Bears in the SG Ball competition, earlier this season, Tyrese Walker played in six matches scoring two tries which both came in Round Seven in a 26 – 12 loss to the Cronulla Sharks. Tyrese Walker came into the North Sydney Bears side in Round Two off the interchange bench against the Western Pirates. Tyrese Walker played five matches from the inter change bench but did start at half back in Round Five against Souths Sydney.

In the 2017 U16 Harrold Matthews Cup competition Tyrese Walker played in eight matches for Norths Sydney starting seven from the interchange bench. Tyrese Walker’s start was in Round Four against the Illawarra Steelers when he started at half back.

Tyrese Walker scored two tries in the 2017 U16 Harrold Matthews Cup competition with both tries coming in Round Five against the Canberra Raiders.

In 2017 in addition to playing in the Harold Matthews Cup competition for North Sydney, Tyrese Walker played club rugby league for the Asquith Magpies in the 2017 Sydney Northern U16 Silver competition. In that competition, Tyrese Walker scored an impressive fourteen tries from just sixteen matches. Tyrese Walker started the Grand Final at half back however Asquith lost 28 – 26 to the Mona Vale Raiders.

Tyrese Walker scored a hat trick against the Avalon Bulldogs in the Preliminary Final and earlier in the year scored a double against Five Docks RSL. The remainder of his tries came singularly in different games.

Tyrese Walker is quite an elusive runner of the ball and some good foot work in confined space. He will take on the line regularly and has a very good step off both feet but his left foot step seems to be the preferred step based on the games that I have seen at least. Tyrese Walker is always around the ball and thus is always available to back up a break by a forward or when they get their hands free.

His passing game is what I would consider a tough above average and he will drift across the field looking for runners to run into holes and has the ability to hold the defensive line in place as he develops the play in front of them, making to easier for his support runners to get a clear passage through the line, especially when a defender comes out of the line and commits to Tyrese Walker instead of maintaining the defensive lines integrity.

Tyrese Walker will also wait until the last possible moment to release the football. His best attribute in his passing game is the speed, timing and accuracy when he passes to his outside backs. He gets a very good spiral on the ball from both sides of his body and leads his outside attackers into the ball, enabling them to maintain the momentum of their run.

A key attribute to how Tyrese Walker plays is his ability to organise and direct his team around the field as well as adjusting his game to the specific situations within a game that he is confronted with.

Defensively Tyrese Walker has a real dig. Regardless of the size of the opponent running at him, he will get in front of him and make as hard contact as possible hold his ground waiting for help to arrive. When defending against players his own size, Tyrese Walker has no issuing handling them on a one on one basis.

Tyrese Walker has been an outstanding addition to the Gold Coast Rugby League ranks and will play the 2019 season for the Burleigh MM Cup side and post that competition play for the Burleigh U19 side.

For Norths Sydney in the Harrold Matthews and SG Ball competitions, Tyrese Walker has primarily played half back and even though he started at five eight for Burleigh in Round Six of the U19 competition and gone in to split his time between five eight and in the centres.

I envisage that Tyrese Walker will play half back moving forward even though he will be able to fill in in other positions if the need arises, including five eight, centre and even hooker.

With his skill set, it would be interesting to see how Tyrese Walker would go at hooker and fair or not shapes as a possible super sub type, who could came on either in the halves or as a back-up hooker and provide a spark with his quickness and enthusiasm.

Tyrese Walker is no monster on the field and but is quick, tough, tricky and courageous. To that extent I can see similarities from a playing style perspective with former Titan and now New Zealand Warriors utility Karl Lawnton.

Both Tyrese Walker and Lawnton are nippy and competitive players who can play a variety of positions and bring a deal of enthusiasm and hard work to their side.

Another player with similar attributes would be Titans interchange hooker Mitch Rein in terms of his immediate impact.

mdrew

28-09-18, 07:30 PM

Jake Martin. (Revised) The Titans linked Grafton Ghosts centre continues to play solidly regardless of the standard of the opponent and that was the case again in 2018 playing for the Grafton Ghosts in the Tooheys New Group Two competition.

Jake Martin started off the 2018 season representing North Coast in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition, playing in two matches, starting both on the wing, with those matches coming against the Greater Northern Tigers and the Newcastle Knights Development Squad. In that first match against the Greater Northern Tigers Jake Martin scored to mark his positive debut.

For the Grafton Ghosts in the Group Two competition in 2018, Jake Martin wore the blue and white in all three grades. In the Group Two U18 competition, Jake Martin played in nine matches scoring four tries including tries in the regular season against Coffs Harbour and Sawtell.

Jake Martin also played in four Group Two Reserve Grade games, making his debut against Coffs Harbour in May of this year. In those four Reserve Grade matches, Jake Martin had a 50% strike rate with his tries coming against Sawtell and Macksville.

Few 17 year olds make their First Grade debuts regardless of level or region, but in April Jake Martin joined that exclusive list when he came on for Grafton against Macksville.

Over the course of the 2017 season represented the Grafton Ghosts in the U18 Group Two competition and in the U16.5 Group One junior rugby league competition. Along with fellow Grafton Ghosts player, Ben Liyou, Jake Martin attended a Titans weekend Elite Academy camp held at Lennox Heads.

In the 2017 U18 Group Two competition, Jake Martin played in six matches (not bad at all considering he was still U16 eligible) and in those six matches scored three tries including a double against local rivals the South Grafton Rebels and also against Coffs Harbour in July. Jake Martin also played eight matches in the Group One U16.5 competition scoring late in the season against Casino RSM.

In the blue and white of the Grafton Ghosts U15 side in 2016 Jake Martin scored seven tries in twelve matches including scoring four in a match against Clarence Coast in June 2016. His other tries came against Lismore Marist Brothers on two separate occasions and Ballina. Jake Martin also represented the U15 Group One side in the NSW Age Championships in the centres.

Jake Martin has an extensive representative junior rugby league representative resume including representing Group One at the U14 and U15 levels in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Whilst Jake Martin does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, he does have decent top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by getting on the outside of his opponent and using a solid fend when he gets to the outside, thus preventing defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure. When engaged with the defensive line Jake Martin also has a reasonable offload.

Defensively one area that he has impressed me is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wider of the ruck. Jake martin seemingly has more strength that his size would dictate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

Regardless of where he defends Jake Martin sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent even though by no means could he be considered a big centre.

Another area in relation to his defence that has impressed me the most is his ability to defend close to his own try line. As noted above Jake Martin seemingly has more strength that his size would indicate, and he uses this strength to move up off his own try line redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term at least.

Jake Martin just intuitively knows how to defend from a timing and technique perspective and rarely loses contact with the attacker once he has engaged them.

In 2019 even though he is still eligible for the U18 NRRRL competition, I would anticipate that Jake Martin will spend a lot of time adding to his one First Grade match with the Grafton Ghosts.

Jake Martin will also more than likely line up in the Laurie Daley U18 Cup competition as well in 2019 for the North Coast.

From an ultimate position perspective, I think that as he progresses towards senior rugby league, Jake Martin will ultimately end up as a solid dependable winger with average to slightly above average skills across the board.

Jake Martin is never going to be a try scoring centre who can break tackles with his size, strength or speed, but he is a very effective defensive centre with enough speed and tackling technique to be able to efficiently and effectively defend both in a sliding or up and in defensive methodology.

From a player comparison perspective someone along the lines of former Brisbane Broncos and England International centre Jack Reed for a player comparison for Jake Martin as an effective all round centre, in terms of an outside back who may not have the “perfect” attributes for a modern day player but will surprise in terms of his effectiveness even though he does not have one plus attribute to specifically focus on.

mdrew

28-09-18, 08:16 PM

Thomas Simpson. (Revised) The tough, gritty young Lower Clarence Magpies hooker was recently rewarded for his outstanding 2018 season by being awarded the NRRRL U18 Rookie of the Year at the recent NRRRL Awards night.

To say that Thomas Simpson had an outstanding 2018 would be an understatement. He started off the season, performing well for Northern Rivers in the inaugural U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition starting at hooker in three matches against North Coast, the Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers, scoring against the Roosters.

For the Lower Clarence Magpies in the U18 NRRRL competition, Thomas Simpson played in fifteen matches including the finals series scoring against Casino RSM and Murwillumbah. Lower Clarence had a great year in the U18 competition progressing all of the way to the Preliminary final which they lost to Ballina 30 – 14.

At just 17, Thomas Simpson also made three NRRRL First Grade appearances, making his debut in May against Northern United and also playing against Murwillumbah and Ballina.

From a junior rugby league representative perspective, Thomas Simpson has represented Group One at the U14 and U15 levels in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Thomas Simpson is an extremely talented all round hooker, who is effective in the three critical aspects that a modern hooker must have to be a success, those being his distribution and game management out of dummy half, selective running and defending in the centre of the ruck where he is quite effective from a defensive stand point.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, he is extremely efficient in his passing and there is no wasted movement or energy as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand first then pass.

There is no discernible difference between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also Thomas Simpson can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where he is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, Thomas Simpson passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short he is a very good game manager from the hooking position. Thomas Simpson is also a good communicator on the field, he is constantly encouraging his team both in attack and defence.

Thomas Simpson does not yell and scream, like the other parts of his game, he is calm and composed and uses positive reinforcement rather than yelling and screaming to get his point across to team mates but he does make it clear that he is in charge however.

Where Thomas Simpson really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step usually off his right foot, although he does not necessary run much out of dummy half. The times that he does run though, Thomas Simpson targets forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space.

Once in open space Thomas Simpson does not usually have the speed required to finish things off himself but he invariably will make the right decision with the ball in terms of whether to take the tackle or pass to a support player as he works progressively through the options that are available to him.

Around the try line he is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself for the try line or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs between opposing forwards. In many respects this is due to the fact that he does not run too much meaning that when he runs he usually catches the opposition off guard. Thomas Simpson will not score many tries from close to the try line, but if opposing defences omit to consider him a threat he will take advantage of any situation that presents itself.

His defence for a hooker is very good, he does not necessarily hit hard but as a result of his good low technique he can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, Thomas Simpson sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive into opposing forwards.

His intensity and continuous effort means that he will track the ball across the field and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside. Thomas Simpson literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck even though he is always the smallest forward on the field.

Thomas Simpson is once again U18 eligible in 2019 and whilst he will play a lot of the season in the NRRRL U18 competition, Thomas Simpson will just as surely add to his three NRRRL First Grade matches with the Lower Clarence Magpies.

Thomas Simpson will be all likelihood also line up for his second season in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition with the Northern Rivers Titans.

From a position perspective I envisage that Thomas Simpson’s future is that of an 80 minute hooker who will stiffen the defence in the centre of the ruck and lead the forward pack around the field with his distribution and leadership skills as well as being a constant threat to run out of dummy half with solid initial acceleration.

From a player comparison perspective for Thomas Simpson, due to his distribution, running, defence and the speed and intensity that he plays the game at, a playing style akin to Danny Buderis formerly of the Newcastle Knights, New South Wales State of Origin and Australia is an appropriate comparison I would respectfully suggest.

mdrew

29-09-18, 06:51 AM

Kaden Somerville. (Revised) He is a local young hooker from the Burleigh Bears junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast and recently signed a two year contract with the Titans to be part of their High Performance Unit. Kaden Somerville is set to start at hooker for the Titans U15 side in their upcoming match against a Balmain Tigers U15 touring side.

Kaden Somerville joins the like of Ezra Ubaldino, Flynn Daniel, Brody Smitka, Thomas Weaver, Kaleb Ngamanu, Jack Cullen, Josh Gilbert, Rowan Mansfield, Ryan Foran, Bailey Martin, Riley Lack and Orlando Swain as U15 players signed this season.

This season Kaden Somerville played for the Burleigh Bears U15 Division One side, spending the majority of the season at hooker.

In the GCRL U15 Division One competition Kaden Somerville played in nine matches including Burleigh’s two finals matches scoring two tries, with those tries coming in consecutive matches in late July 2018 against the Robina Raptors and the Mudgeeraba Redbacks.

In Week One of the U15 Division One finals Kaden Somerville started at hooker as Burleigh defeated Southport 72 -2 and also started at hooker in Week Two of the finals as Burleigh were knocked out after going down 34 – 24 against Runaway Bay.

Team mates in Kaden Somerville’s U15 Division One side are fellow Titans contracted youngster the outstanding lock Bailey Martin and Titans U15 Development Squad members such as second rower Flynn Daniel and winger Jayden Wright.

In 2017 Kaden Somerville played the season prior to injury at the U14 Division One level. Unfortunately due to injury Kaden Somerville was only able to play in two U14 Division One contest for Burleigh but did score in both outings which were against Runaway Bay and eventual premiers Ormeau.

In 2014 Kaden Somerville represented South Coast in the U11 QPSRL competition. South Coast went through the competition undefeated easily, with Kaden Somerville scoring a try against Wide Bay in round two of the competition.

Kaden Somerville is an extremely talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects that a modern day hooker must have to be successful, those being his distribution and game management out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck where he is more effective than people would think when they first see him play.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, he is extremely efficient in his passing and there is no wasted movement or energy as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand first then pass.

There is no discernible difference between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground, more so to the right when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Kaden Somerville is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short he is a very good game manager from the hooking position.

Kaden Somerville is also a good communicator on the field, he is constantly encouraging his team both in attack and defence. He does not yell and scream, like the other parts of his game, he is calm and composed and uses positive reinforcement rather than yelling and screaming to get his point across to team mates but he does make it clear that he is in charge however.

Where Kaden Somerville really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step usually off his right foot, although he does not necessary run much out of dummy half.

The times that he does run though, Kaden Somerville targets forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space. Once in open space Kaden Somerville does not usually have the speed required to finish things off himself but he invariably will make the right decision with the ball in terms of whether to take the tackle or pass to a support player.

Kaden Somerville’s defence for a hooker is quite good for a young hooker, he does not necessarily hit hard but due to his very good low technique Kaden Somerville can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and looks to explode upward with his shoulders to drive into opposing forwards.

His intensity and continuous effort means that he will track the ball across the field and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside. Kaden Somerville literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck even though he is usually one of the smaller forwards on the field.

Kaden Somerville is also very good at getting out of dummy half quickly to put pressure on the opposing teams kickers in all parts of the field and takes a great deal of pride in it.

Moving to the 20198 season, Kaden Somerville will complete the season for Burleigh in the GCJRL U16 Division One competition and will also be in line for a spot with one of the two Gold Coast Vikings sides that will be selected to be part of the South East Queensland U16 Challenge which will commence in February 2019.

From a position perspective, with his passing skills and quick first step out of dummy half, I believe that Kaden Somerville is already settled in his long term position of hooker noting however that he has spent some time in other positions this year with Burleigh.

From a player comparison perspective for Kaden Somerville think someone along the lines of Andrew McCullough of the Brisbane Broncos and Queensland State of Origin as a hard working player with leadership skills and someone that his team mates would appreciate playing with.

mdrew

03-10-18, 04:51 PM

Nelson Grove. The aggressive young hooker was a more than solid contributor for the outstanding PBC Open School boy rugby league that won the National GIO Cup competition by defeated Patrician Brothers College Blacktown. Nelson Grove came off the bench in all of PBC’s GIO Cup matches, providing a spark and aggression in the dummy half role when he came on to spell regular starting hooker Jed Edwards.

Nelson Grove only played in one GCRL match this season with that match being for Burleigh against Helensvale in the U17 Division One competition. Nelson Grove is also a former member of the Brisbane Broncos Junior Development system and was so for a number of years.

Nelson Grove had an outstanding 2017 season which included being selected in the Queensland U16 side where he was one of six Burleigh youngsters in the Queensland Side for the State of Origin curtain raiser. 2017 also saw Nelson Grove selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport U16 squad. Previously Nelson Grove has been part of the Brisbane Broncos Junior Development Program.

For the Burleigh Bears in the U16 Division One competition in 2017 Nelson Grove started at lock in their tough 34 – 4 Grand Final loss to the Currumbin Eagles. Over the course of the 2017 GCJRL U16 Division One competition, Nelson Grove played in thirteen matches and scored twenty points which came from four tries and two conversions. Nelson Grove’s tries came against Ormeau, Runaway Bay and Helensvale in two separate late season matches. His conversions came in consecutive mid-season matches against Runaway Bay (when he converted his own try) and against Ormeau.

Nelson Grove also played one match for the Burleigh Bears in the GCJRL U17 Division One competition with that match being against the Ormeau Shearers backing up from the U16 match earlier in the night.

In 2017 Nelson Grove also represented South East Queensland Green at the U16 level in the 2017 Queensland Rugby League U16 Boys Junior Championships. In those Championships, Nelson Grove played in four matches which were against Central, Northern and South East Queensland White, including the final. Nelson Grove’s sole U16 Championship try came on Day Two against Northern.

In 2016 Nelson Grove also started in Burleigh’s Grand Final winning side in the U15 Division One competition and across the 2016 season he scored five tries and kicked 13 goals and a field goal to finish with a total points tally of 47. Nelson Grove had a great start to the 2016 season scoring a hat trick and kicking eight goals in the first round of the season proper against the Ormeau Shearers for a 30 point haul in the match.

Nelson Grove’s other tries in 2016 came against Southport and Helensvale later in the season and in a match in July against Runaway Bay Nelson Grove kicked four goals. Nelson Grove over the course of the 2016 season also played two matches up in the U16 Division One competition and in his debut in that grade scored a try against Helensvale after backing up from the U15 match earlier in the night.

Nelson Grove represented South Coast in the U15 QSSRL Championships in 2016 and from there went on to represent Queensland Maroon at the U15 ASSRL Championships where a team mate was Brent Barnes against other Gold Coast based players in that team.

Where Nelson Grove really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has very good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet. Around the try line he is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs.

Nelson Grove is solid all round hooker who distributes effectively to both sides of the ruck. He is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass. He passes well from both sides of his body. One thing that he does well in dummy half is not taking his eye off ball until it is in his hands, read that he does not make many handling errors.

Nelson Grove defends in the middle of the ruck and is an effective low tackler and for his size quite an aggressive defender. He is also very good at getting out of marker quickly to harass the opposition kickers. Nelson Grove is not going to wow you with his defence because you will not see big hits, but you will see an efficient and effective defender and a talker.

Nelson Grove has not been named in either the Burleigh or Tweed Heads Mm Cup squads for 2019 and therefore he is likely to line up for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 side for the 2019 season.

Hopefully Nelson Grove is not lost to rugby league as he may not be the biggest, strongest or most skilful player running around but he is one of the toughest and hardest working.

Nelson Grove has spent a fair bit of his junior rugby league career in the backrow but as a result of how he has handled the dummy half role for PBC this season I would think that hooker has become the ideal position for Nelson Grove not withstanding that he could potentially handle playing some minutes in the second row if necessary.

From a player comparison perspective for Nelson Grove, due to tenacity, a playing style and comparison akin to current Titans and former New South Wales State of Origin hooker Nathan Peats would be appropriate from a aggression, courage and determination perspective.

mdrew

03-10-18, 08:54 PM

Isaac Lee. (Revised) He is a tall rangy centre/second rower originally from Lismore Marist Brothers in the Northern River Regional Rugby League and has been with the Titans for a number of years now, since around the age of 15 I believe.
This season Isaac Lee has been a key member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side and over the last half of the season has been in outstanding form operating in the left centre position.

In 2018 for the Seagulls Colts side Isaac Lee was involved in sixteen matches, coming into the side in Round Three on the interchange bench against the Burleigh Bears. After Tweed Heads had a Round Four bye, Isaac Lee was in the starting line for Round Five and has there ever since. In Rounds Five and Seven Isaac Lee started in the second row but in Rounds Six Wynnum Manly Isaac Lee moved to the centres and has been there ever since.

In 2018 Isaac Lee has scored seven tries including in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and in Round Seven against the Easts Tigers when he scored after making a break down the left side of the field and in Round Ten in a 52 – 22 wing against the Ipswich Jets.

Isaac Lee has hit a purple patch of form towards the end of the season and in a three match span from Rounds Twenty to Twenty Two scored four tires, including a double against the Mackay Cutters and tries against Easts and Victoria.

Late in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade season Isaac Lee made his First Grade debut for Tweed Heads against Southport starting on the interchange bench in Round Thirteen as the Seagulls prevailed 26 – 22.

Isaac Lee made his GCRL First Grade starting debut in the final round of the regular season, being Round Seventeen when he started in the centres for Tweed Heads in a 32 – 16 loss to Runaway Bay.

Isaac Lee also started in the centres in the opening week of the finals for Tweed Heads as they went down 37 – 16 to Runaway Bay.
From a trivia perspective he is the son of former Cronulla Sharks front rower Danny Lee, all be it he is a completely different body shape and playing style to his front row father.

For the 2017 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side Isaac Lee started in the centres in all six matches and scored against Victoria in Round Two, against the Western Mustangs in Round Three and in Round Six scored against local rivals the Burleigh Bears.

Upon completion of the 2017 MM Cup competition, Isaac Lee transitioned immediately to Tweed Heads U20 Colts Challenge side and a had great Round One scoring a hat trick inside 20 minutes in the first half against Souths Logan in Round One. Isaac Lee also started in the centres in Round Two before he missed Rounds Three to Six with injury before coming back into the side in Round Seven starting in the centres.

In addition to his hat trick in Round One, Isaac Lee scored a double in Round Ten against the Burleigh Bears and also scored in Rounds Thirteen to Sixteen against Easts, Redcliffe, the Western Mustangs and South Logan respectively.

Isaac Lee was also involved in all three of the Seagulls 2017 finals matches starting on the interchange in Week One of the finals against Redcliffe and on the wing in Weeks two and Three of the finals against Easts and Norths. In those two finals matches Isaac lee scored a double against Norths and also scored Easts in Week Two. In total in the Colts competition in 2018 for Tweed Heads Isaac Lee scored twelve tries to average a try a match.

Isaac Lee started five matches in the centres, four in the second row, two on the wing and one from the interchange bench highlighting his versatility. Isaac Lee had previously spent some time at fullback in the NRRRL competition in previous seasons.
In the NRRRL competition in 2016, Isaac Lee played for the Lismore Marist Brothers Rugby League club at both the U18 and Novaskill NRRRL First Grade level. In the U18 competition where Isaac Lee alternated between centre and fullback, he scored ten tries from twelve matches including doubles against the Murwillumbah Colts and the Ballina Seagulls.

Isaac Lee made his First Grade debut on June 5 2016 against Cudgen and played in four other matches scoring a try against the Tweed Coast Raiders in his third match in the top grade. In the First Grade competition Isaac Lee alternated between fullback, wing and centre in his five matches.

Isaac Lee also represented NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Northern U18’s in 2016 and played for St Johns College Woodlawn in numerous Schoolboy competitions throughout New South Wales. In addition to starting at centre in the late 2015 U16 development squad game against Samoa, he also played in the U15 development squad game against the Balmain Tigers late in 2014, where he was named best back by Balmain Tigers coaching and development staff in their loss.

Over the course of the last couple of years you can see the difference, additional size has made, not in relation to the style of play but to Isaac Lee’s effectiveness as a hard running centre. He has always been a straight running centre, who is not afraid to run over rather than around his opponent, but with increased size and strength his effectiveness has increased exponentially.

Isaac Lee regularly gets half way through the line and with his length is very effective in getting his hands free to off load, including offloading with one hand and has a decent fend to complement his offloading abilities.

Normally though due to his length and speed he regularly attracts multiple defenders leaving opportunities for him to set up his outside support. Due to his length, he is effective both in attacking high attacking kicks as well as defusing them. He is better with high kicks rather than kicks along the ground.

Defensively his increased strength has meant that he is even more effective in the defensive aspects of the game, and can handle one on one situation’s against wide running opposition backrowers as well as smaller faster opposition backline players with his combination of strength and speed.

Isaac Lee seems to rarely over commit in defence allowing the play to develop in front of him before committing to any particular defensive strategy.

The above paragraph would suggest that Isaac Lee is more suited to a sliding defensive methodology, but he is also able to defend using an up and in style of defensive strategy just as effectively. This ability to alternative between the two key defensive methodologies, depending on, the state of the game and where the game is situated on the field is an invaluable attribute for a potential NRL player to have.

Isaac Lee will play the 2019 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and it would not surprise at all to see Isaac Lee make his Queensland Cup debut sometime in 2019.

If the Titans are looking to give Isaac Lee more matches against men prior to a potential Queensland Cup debut Isaac Lee will play in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition in 2019 but it will not be for the Tweed Heads Seagulls who have pulled their GCRL First Grade side for 2019 onwards.

Isaac Lee spent a significant portion of his junior rugby league career in the centres and even spent some time at fullback in the NRRRL First Grade competition in 2016 but this season is playing more and more in the second row and with continued physical development looks certain to stay there in the long term.

I would suggest however that he could still well in the centres for the next year or two at least if necessary. It is interesting that Isaac Lee started this season in the second row but recently has moved back to the centres.

For me a current NRL player with a similar skill set and playing style is to Isaac Lee is Penrith Panthers young gun Isiah Yeo as a multi-talented player who continues to develop his game through shear hard work.

mdrew

04-10-18, 05:43 PM

Noah Nikotemo. The young front rower has recently been selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2019 MM Cup squad after a great 2018 season with Runaway Bay including starting in the front row for the Seagulls in their 30 – 10 U17 Division One Grand Final loss to Currumbin.

Including Finals series matches, Noah Nikotemo played in eleven matches for Runaway Bay in the GCRL U17 Division One competition scoring six tries along the way. Noah Nikotemo scored doubles twice against Mudgeeraba and also scored in finals matches against Ormeau in Week Two of the finals and Burleigh in the U17 Division One Preliminary Final.

Noah Nikotemo also played one GCRL U19 match this season which was against Bilambil in April.

From an attacking perspective he is a big young man who will run straight and hard, but at this stage of his junior career he does not have a great deal of footwork to utilise prior to the line to prevent defences from focussing on him without the threat of late changes of direction. Due to his size however Noah Nikotemo can absorb a lot of punishment and continue to make ground.

Where he does show flashes of ability is in relation to offloads, during games Noah Nikotemo will pop some very good passes to his supports but he will continue to work on being more selective in his offloads. Regardless he does not shirk contact and seems the more physical the contest the more Noah Nikotemo enjoys himself.

In defence Noah Nikotemo is not an overly big hitter but definitely makes solid initial contact and is very effective at targeting the football in order to reduce the possibility of off loads. For a front rower his lateral movement is solid meaning that he can make tackles against smaller attackers running out of dummy half or on the back of off loads.

Due to his aerobic fitness and relentless attitude, Noah Nikotemo covers inside well when balls are turned back inside on the fringe of the ruck, even late in games when Noah Nikotemo has every right to be worn out, but he somehow wills himself to get there and make the tackle when needed.

When at marker Noah Nikotemo works hard and always gets out of marker quickly to put pressure on the kicker, but then will be one of the first forwards back to take his turn to bring the ball out from his own territory.

Noah Nikotemo will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad in 2019 and post that competition will play for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition and may also sneak in a match or two for Tweed Heads in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition if things fall his way.

A discussion in relation to an ultimate position is an interesting one in relation to Noah Nikotemo, he has the size to play in the front row but the speed and foot work to operate wider out on the edges of the ruck. To that end I can envisage Noah Nikotemo alternating between front row and second row for the next couple of seasons before finally settling in the front row long term.

From a player comparison perspective for Noah Nikotemo, I would consider a player along the lines of current Titans forward and captain Ryan James as a big strong hard working player who looks to get a quick play the ball every time he takes a hit up and also ones that tries to dominate in defence in relation to each and every tackles that he makes.

mdrew

04-10-18, 08:49 PM

Kai Williamson-Duggan. (Revised) The Downlands College youngster is a talented player in both rugby (Downlands College) and rugby league (Souths in the Toowoomba Rugby League) and has the opportunity to make a career in which ever code that he chooses such is his skill level.

In the 2018 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League competition, playing for Souths Kai Williamson-Duggan may have played in just eight matches but he certainly made the most of them finishing with 82 points from four tries and thirty three goals.

Kai Williamson-Duggan scored a double against Valleys and also scored tries against Brothers and Valleys. Kai Williamson-Duggan had some big matches with the boot including kicking eights goals against Brothers and seven in two different matches against Toowoomba Valleys.

In the U16 Toowoomba Rugby League 2018 Grand Final Kai Williamson-Duggan started at five eight and kicked four from four but Souths went down 26 – 24 to Dalby who scored a last minute try to snatch victory.

Kai Williamson-Duggan started at fly half for the majority of Downlands Colleges First XV matches this season against GPS opposition including TSS and was particularly impressive against local rivals Toowoomba Grammar School, a match that saw him being awarded a point towards the Downlands College 2018 Best and Fairest.

In 2017 Kai William-son Duggan had a successful year in the U15 Toowoomba junior rugby league competition. Kai Williamson-Duggan started at half back in South’s 38 – 18 Grand Final victory over Toowoomba Valleys. In that Grand Final Kai Williamson-Duggan contributed a try and three goals to the victory with his try coming seven minutes into the second half.

In 2017 Kai Williamson-Duggan was also part of the U15/16 Western Mustangs Academy Squad. Previous seasons has seen Kai Williamson-Duggan represent the Central Crows and the South West Mustangs across a number of age groups.

Over the course of the 2017 U15 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League season, Kai Williamson-Duggan scored 102 points in total from nine tries and thirty three goals. In addition to his Grand Final try Kai Williamson-Duggan scored an early season hat trick against Pittsworth and a Round One double against Oakey. Kai Williamson-Duggan also scored tries against Valleys (in addition to his Grand Final try), Highfields and Dalby.

In 2017 Kai Williamson-Duggan also represented Darling Downs at the U15 QSSRL Championships starting at half back in the majority of their matches.

With the boot even though he shared the goal kicking duties with Jack Pike, Kai Williamson-Duggan finished as the competitions leading goal kicker with thirty three and had some big matches including kicking seven goals in two separate matches against Pittsworth and Dalby. Kai Williamson-Duggan also kicked six goals to Round One against Oakey where he finished with twenty points when you add in his two tries. Kai Williamson-Duggan also kicked five conversions in consecutive matches in August against Valleys and Highfields.

In attack his calling card is his organisational and passing skills more so than his running game. His speed would probably considered average for a half/five eight but he will throw a dummy and run when opposing defences are focussed on his support runners and provide him with opportunities. He also does not have quick twitch feet, thus his step is more average than say a plus side step like AJ Brimson’s.

Kai Williamson-Duggan also has a good long passing game thus enabling the ball to get out to his back line quickly when they are set deep. He develops a good spiral on the ball and is able to lead his outside backs onto the ball through putting the ball out in front of them. He will also take the ball to the line and delay the pass as long as possible to his support runners when necessary.

Assisting his play is the fact that Kai Williamson-Duggan makes the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide or when the ball needs to be turned back inside. In short he looks to dictate what the defensive line needs to do to combat his sides attack rather than waiting to see how the opposition is looking to defend at a particular time in a game.

One aspect that was notable in the 2016 and 2017 Grand Finals was how he directed the team around the field in difficult conditions and he looked to manage the game to take account of those conditions. He seems like he maintains his composure on the field and does not yell or scream but obviously gets his message across to his team mates with a calm presence.

Kai Williamson-Duggan is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy. Like his general play kicking, I would suggest that he is a real chance to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level progressing into the future.

Defensively Kai Williamson-Duggan has decent size for a half or five eight, and probably would be considered an average sized played for his age and position. This is a facet which assists in him being an effective defender for his position. Getting stronger over the off season though will make him more effective in the defensive aspects of the game especially as the forwards who will be running at him will continue to get bigger, stronger and faster.

In 2019 Kai Williamson-Duggan should be part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup squad and will also continue to start at fly half to the Downlands College First XV.

Kai Williamson-Duggan is a superb organiser and game manager who has an old head on young shoulders and is ideally suited to the half back role in rugby league.

A fair player comparison for Kai Williamson-Duggan is Sydney Roosters half Cooper Cronk, both have outstanding game management skills and kicking games.

mdrew

05-10-18, 03:46 PM

Adyn Anguna. (Revised) The big strong powerful young front rower had a great first season on the Gold Coast for the Burleigh Bears in 2017 after moving over from the Cook Islands to attend PBC State High School as part of their Rugby League Excellence Program after starring in a PBC rugby league trial in late 2016 and continued to make strides over the course of the 2018 season.

In 2018 Adyn Anguna concentrated primarily on school boy rugby league for PBC playing in the majority of their matches from the interchange bench including starting their in the Queensland GIO Cup Final against Kirwan State High School and in the National GIO Cup Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC running out 20 – 12 winners.

In addition to playing for PBC Adyn Anguna played in three matches for Currumbin in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition scoring in his first match in that competition this season against Helensvale. Adyn Anguna played against Helensvale twice with his other match against Burleigh

In late 2017 Adyn Anguna was also selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2018 MM Cup squad but he did not play any of Tweed’s MM Cup matches this season.

In 2017 Adyn Anguna who is already around 101kg and 188cm played in eight matches for Burleigh in the U17 Division One competition scoring two tries which came in consecutive weeks in July against Mudgeeraba and Helensvale. Adyn Anguna also played two matches for Burleigh in the U17 Division Two competition.

Adyn Anguna’s style of play is that of a wide running back rower with above average speed for the position. He is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful back rower, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

When he runs on the fringes of the ruck and Adyn Anguna uses his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a decent step off both feet and a very good in and away as well as simply running over people. Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a strong young player who can cause issues for any defensive line.

Adyn Anguna is an aggressive defender whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks when he is able to set his base. His speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

Once the 2018 MM Cup competition is completed I expect Adyn Anguna to play for Burleigh in the Gold Coast U19 competition and also be a key member of the PBC Open Rugby League side in their Super Six and GIO Cup Schoolboy competitions. Adyn Anguna should also be in line for selection in the South Coast U18 school boy side for the 2018 QSSRL Championships.

In 2019 Adyn Anguna looks set to play rugby but is still Colts eligible in 2020 if he wants to head back to rugby league.

Even though Adyn Anguna spent a fair bit of time in the centre prior to coming over to Australian I believe that he has all of the attributes to develop into an outstanding rugby league front rower. Adyn Anguna is a touch raw by Australian standards but he is making incredible progress and looks to be a real player of the future.

For me a current NRL player how has an eerily similar playing style to Adyn Anguna is Penrith Panther and New South Wales State of Origin front rower Reagan Campbell-Gillard as a young front rower who does not just hit the defensive line hard but makes a lot of ground post contact because of his strength and determination to make as much ground as possible on each and every carry of the ball.

mdrew

05-10-18, 10:07 PM

Allan Lockwood. (Revised) He is a young fullback or centre who is originally from the Kempsey area, but moved to the Gold Coast to continue his career with the Titans at the start of 2016 as a part of the Titans High Performance Unit.

In early 2016 he captained the NSW Koori’s U16 side in their annual Murri v Koori U16 interstate clash, with the match finishing in a 16 all draw. For young Lockwood this was the second year in a row that he represented NSW Kurri in this annual match. From a trivia perspective, he is related to Greg Inglis, a cousin I believe.

In 2018 Allan Lockwood alternated between playing for Burleigh in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Cup and the Bears Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side.

Allan Lockwood started the 2018 season in the Burleigh Colts side playing in twelve matches in totals and scoring three tries. Allan Lockwood scored a double in Round Fourteen against the Northern Pride and also scored in Round Twenty Three against Townsville.

Allan Lockwood started the opening two rounds at fullback. After missing Round Four Allan Lockwood was back in the Burleigh Colts side in Round Five against Souths Logan starting on the wing and also playing on the wing in Rounds Six and Seven.

After playing a number of matches for the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side, Allan Lockwood came back into the Burleigh Colts side in Round Thirteen against Ipswich, starting in the centres and stayed in the centres for the remainder of the season.

Allan Lockwood made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut against Tweed Heads in April. Over the course of the 2018 GCRL First Grade competition, Allan Lockwood played eight matches for Burleigh scoring three tries which came against Ormeau, Bilambil and Runaway Bay.

The 2017 season saw Allan Lockwood play for Burleigh in the MM Cup competition and upon competition of that competition, the talented youngster made a successful transition to the Burleigh Colts side playing a number of matches at fullback and in the centres. Allan Lockwood also played a number of matches in Gold Coast Rugby League competition for the Bilambil Jets.

For Burleigh in the 2017 MM competition, Allan Lockwood played in five of their six matches missing only Round Three. Allan Lockwood started the first two rounds at fullback and then played in the centres in Rounds Four, Five and Six. Allan Lockwood came into the Burleigh Colts side in Round Two starting at fullback.

For the Burleigh Bears in the U20 Colts Challenge competition in 2017, Allan Lockwood played in thirteen of Burleigh’s fifteen matches scoring three tries the first of which came in Round Five against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Allan Lockwood’s other two tries came in consecutive matches in Round Nine against the Western Mustangs and Round Ten against Tweed Heads. Allan Lockwood started at fullback in his first four Colts matches and then transitioned to the centres for his remaining matches in that competition.

For Bilambil in the Gold Coast U19 competition, Allan Lockwood played in eight matches including starting in the centres in Bilambil’s 34 – 20 Grand Final victory over Tugun. In those eight matches Allan Lockwood scored five tries which all came in two consecutive matches the first when he scored a hat trick against Currumbin and in his next U19 match Allan Lockwood scored against Mudgeeraba. Allan Lockwood made his Gold Coast Rugby League A Grade debut in August against Burleigh.

Allan Lockwood played the 2016 season with the Burleigh Bears in the U17 Division One competition and started at fullback in their 18 – 12 Grand Final victory. Over the course of the season for Burleigh, Allan Lockwood played in ten matches, scoring seven tries including a double against Currumbin in Round One and a double against Grand Final opponents Runaway Bay mid-way through the season. Allan Lockwood also played for Gold Coast White in the CC Cup competition where he played both at five eight and in the centres scoring two tries in the process.

Allan Lockwood is a silky smooth runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. In the centre position, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

When he gets the ball early from his inside play makers, Allan Lockwood is incredibly difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, he is also a powerful runner who has the power to also break tackles through sheer power and not just rely on his speed to beat his opponent.

The one thing Allan Lockwood also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, he has a very good step back side and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, his quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

From the games that I have seen of his, you can just sense the uncertainty in the defensive line when Allan Lockwood receives the ball with space to manoeuvre. Allan Lockwood must be a half/five eight’s dream in that teams will look to get up onto him quickly, potentially leaving space for them to dummy and run.

Also when the team is struggling Allan Lockwood can just make something happen out of nothing even against a set defensive line, he can just drift across the field and then explode into any gaps that he can see develop.

Defensively Allan Lockwood was quite impressive last season and you could see that his physical development of the last couple of seasons has paid dividends. He has always had a solid tackling technique but with additional muscle mass, his initial contact is a lot stronger and he really can redirect the momentum of the ball carrier.

At fullback Allan Lockwood will come forward when a break is made and force the attacking player to make a quick decision as to what to do, if they try to take him on, Allan Lockwood will make them pay for it.

Allan Lockwood is Colts eligible once again in 2019 but I would envisage that just like this season, he will spend the majority of the season playing for the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side as he pushes for a Queensland Cup opportunity.

From a position perspective, even though he played some five eight in CC in previous seasons and fullback for Burleigh in both MM and Colts competitions and even a match to two this season in the backrow, for me I believe that he has the ability to play in the centres long term and develop into a smooth moving elusive runner of the ball and quite an effective defender.

Obviously any time that he spends at five eight or fullback will only enhance his ball skills and assist in creating space for his support players.

Allan Lockwood obviously also has leadership skills to be selected as the NSW U16 Koori captain. The quote below is from U16s Indigenous All Stars chairman of selectors and former Gold Coast Seagull centre Scott Mieni.

“He has always shown outstanding leadership and his ability is second to none and that is why he has also been selected to captain the side.”

From a player comparison perspective, think of someone also the lines of former, Bronco, Qld State of Origin and Australian centre Steve Renouf in the context of how Allan Lockwood plays the game, being that of an exceptionally talented attacking player and a dedicated, hardworking person all around.

mdrew

06-10-18, 09:04 PM

Alexander (AJ) Brimson. (Revised). The outstanding young 181cm 89kg flying fullback or half back late last year signed a three year NRL deal which will keep him with the Titans until the end of the 2020 season.

AJ Brimson donned a Titans jersey in two pre-season trials this year including scoring a try in an NRL trial against the Brisbane Broncos in Toowoomba in February when he sliced through the broncos defence on the left side of the field to score midway between the touch line and the uprights.

This season AJ Brimson was a revelation in the NRL earning rave reviews from all and sundry after making his NRL debut in Round Ten against the Melbourne Storm.

In total AJ Brimson played in fifteen NRL matches, making his debut in Round Ten against the Melbourne Storm. In those matches AJ Brimson scored seven tries the first of which came in Round Eleven in just his second NRL game against the Newcastle Knights.

AJ Brimson also scored in Round Sixteen against the Wests Tigers and Round Twenty against the Warriors. AJ Brimson finished his debut NRL season with a flourish scoring four tries in the final three rounds including a double in Round Twenty Three against Manly and Round Twenty Four and Twenty Five tries against the Melbourne Storm and Norther Queensland Cowboys respectively.

AJ Brimson played his first eleven NRL matches at five eight before moving to fullback in Round Twenty Two against the Penrith Panthers playing a total of four matches at the back.

AJ Brimson ran for 1 444 metres in the NRL in 2018, made 44 line breaks, forced four line drop outs, had two try assists and also two line break assists. Defensively AJ Brimson made 229 tackles at a tackling efficiency of a solid 81.6%.

AJ Brimson’s 2018 NRL per game averages included running for 96.3 metres and making 15.3 tackles.

In Round Twenty Four against the Melbourne Storm AJ Brimson ran for an impressive 214 metres and on two occasions being in Round Ten and Eighteen against the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters respectively made twenty five tackles in a match.

AJ Brimson was also part of the Queensland U20 side this season after also representing Queensland U20’s last year with four Titans team mates being Daniel Brownbill, Apitia Neoma-Matenga, Keegan Hipgrave and Phillip Sami.

Prior to his NRL call up AJ Brimson plyed his trade in the Queensland Cup with the Tweed Heads Seagulls starting at five eight in Rounds One, Three and Four and at fullback in Rounds Five and Six. AJ Brimson was the travelling 18th man for the Titans when they played New Zealand thus he missed Round two for Tweed Heads.

In the 2018 Queensland Cup competition, AJ Brimson has played a more understated role than in the NYC in 2017 but he has been quietly effective, especially in relation to his kicking game, both tactical and attacking. Certainly his move to fullback over the last fortnight seems to have been a great move as AJ Brimson has looked more confident especially in terms of running with the ball.

Against Townsville in his first match at fullback AJ Brimson was a handful for the Blackhawks regularly chiming into the back line on the right side of the field and narrowly being tackled short of the try line after slicing through the defensive line. AJ Brimson also had some good touches on the left especially in terms of getting the out wider to the centres and wingers.

In saying that however in the two games since he has moved back to fullback, AJ Brimson has been more prominent including a standout performance against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls on Saturday night when he had an outstanding match, including scoring a good second half try when he came into the backline off an inside pass and outpaced the cover defence to score.

AJ Brimson has had to do a lot more tackling this season but with the added strength from the offseason training with the Titans NRL side he has been effective defensively. Clearly also he is being targeted by sides running big forwards in his direction, which is fair enough as that is what will also occur when he comes into the NRL.

In the 2018 Queensland Cup competition AJ Brimson from his seven matches been credited with three try assists, three line break assists, six line breaks and forcing two line drop outs. He ran for 608 metres and made an impressive 71 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 78.5%. On a per game basis AJ Brimson ran for 86.9 metres, made 10.2 tackles and kicked for 68 metres.

AJ Brimson also scored four Queensland Cup tries in 2018, the first of which came in Round Six at Wynnum Manly. He followed that up with a try in Round Seven against the Easts Tigers and in Round Eight against the Mackay Cutters (his last before his NRL promotion) scored a double.

In his Queensland Cup debut in Round One against North’s AJ Brimson played the entire 80 minutes, ran for 55 metres, ten of those post contact made fourteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 97.33% and kicked the ball on four occasions for 137 metres.

In the Round Three rivalry round against the Burleigh Bears AJ Brimson once again played the entire 80 minutes at five eight making 14 metres and 23 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92.21% as the Bears ran a lot of traffic in his direction in difficult conditions.

In Round Four against the PNG Hunters in Port Moresby, AJ Brimson once again started at five eight and playing 67 minutes making 56 metres (season best), eight of those post contact and 10 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 89% against an aggressive Hunters forward pack that ran a lot of traffic in his direction the entire match. AJ Brimson was also credited with four tackle breaks in the match.

AJ Brimson moved back to fullback in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and played the entire 80 minutes on his way to making 60 metres and seven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 87.5%. AJ Brimson also had a line break assist, a line break and eight tackle breaks and was unlucky not to have scored when he spun his way through the Blackhawks defence only to be pulled down just short of the try line.

AJ Brimson also played fullback in Round Six in Tweed Heads first win of the season over the Wynnum Manly Seagulls, 26 – 22 and having his best match to date in the Queensland Cup. In the match AJ Brimson once again played all 80 minutes on his way to making an even 100 metres (26 post contact) on eleven runs and eight tackles at a tackling efficiency of 80%. AJ Brimson also had a try assist, two line breaks and three tackle breaks to go along with his second half try.

The table below compares AJ Brimson’s 2017 NYC per game averages his 2018 Queensland Cup averages and of course his 2018 NRL averages.

2017 NYC 2018 QCup 2018 NRL

Minutes per game 80* 76 77

Runs per game 10 8 9.9

Metres made per game 100 89.9 96.3

Tackles per game 17 10.2 15.27

*AJ Brimson played 80 minutes in every game bar one when he played 71 minutes.

The key take away from the table above is the amount of tackling that a half in the Queensland Cup/NRL has to do compared to the NYC and also the less room and time play makers have at their disposal.

AJ Brimson was outstanding for the Titans NYC side in 2017 season and was rewarded with being selected on the extended bench for the Titans final NRL match against the Sydney Roosters. In 2017 AJ Brimson was named the Titans NYC player of the season sharing the award with giant young front rower and fellow Titans Top 30 contracted player Moeaki Fotuaika. AJ Brimson was also named in the 2017 NYC team of the year along with fellow Titans Top 30 contracted player Phillip Sami.

AJ Brimson’s 2017 season kicked off when he played for the Titans in the Auckland Nine’s where he would have gained invaluable experience playing against NRL calibre players. From a trivia perspective, AJ Brimson’s older brother is Will Brimson who progressed through the Broncos U20 ranks and played for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in the Queensland Cup in 2017.

In the 2017 for the Titans NYC side AJ Brimson played in twenty one matches and averaged just under a try a match with twenty tries. AJ Brimson scored two hat tricks in 2017 which have come against the North Queensland Cowboys in Round Four and against the Manly Sea Eagles in Round Eleven and also doubles against the Newcastle Knights in Round Two and the St George Dragons in Round Seventeen. AJ Brimson scored a try in every match from Rounds Twenty to last weekend’s Round Twenty-five loss to Canterbury.

AJ Brimson’s per game 2017 NYC averages were 100 run metres on ten carries and 17 tackles at a tackling efficiency of around 85%. On seven occasions AJ Brimson has run for more than 100 metres in a match including an exceptional match in Round Eleven against Manly when he ran for 215 metres from just thirteen carries. Defensively AJ Brimson made more than 20 tackles on six occasions with his best tally coming in Round Three against the Newcastle Knights.

For all intents and purposes AJ Brimson was been an 80 minutes player with the Titans NYC side in 2017 as on only one occasion did he not played the entire match that was against the Parramatta Eels in Round Four when he “only” played 71 minutes.

AJ Brimson made his NYC debut in 2016 starting half back against South Sydney in Round 13 then playing every game up to Round 25 when he was injured after 51 minutes. Over the course of the twelve matches that he played AJ Brimson scored three tries on top of running for a total of 1 162 metres on 114 carries. His tries came in Round 15 against Manly, Round 20 in his fullback debut against Parramatta and finally against the Warriors in Round 22. In total AJ Brimson played his first six NYC matches at half back before playing his final six at fullback. The move to fullback was a master stroke by the NYC hierarchy.

AJ Brimson’s 2016 season averages per game included 97 metres on 11 carries and 12 tackles. His best running game came in Round 20 in his fullback debut when he ran for 159 metres against the Wests Tigers and in his NYC debut AJ Brimson made 21 tackles against South Sydney. In addition to the exceptional statistics noted above AJ Brimson also made nine line breaks including three against the Wests Tigers in Round 23 on top of his 159 metres. It was only in Round 25 when he was injured that AJ Brimson did not play the entire 80 minutes in a match.

Surprisingly AJ Brimson only scored two tries in the MM competition in 2016 where he played all of the Gold Coast White’s matches at half back. Upon completion of the MM season, AJ Brimson played a handful of matches with the Tweed Heads Seagulls QCup Colts side before finishing the 2016 in the Titans NYC side where he primarily played fullback. 2016 also saw AJ Brimson made GC White MM Player of the Year and joint MM Player of the year.

In 2016 he also played his schoolboy football for Keebra and made the South Coast QSSRL U18 squad. He also made his QCup Colts debut Tweed Seagulls late in the 2016 season, and scored a try on debut. Understandably he was also a very good touch rugby player.

AJ Brimson started attending Keebra Park State High School in 2013 with absolutely no rugby league experience at all focussing on touch instead including representing the Queensland U15 side at the Australian Touch Championships.

In attack AJ Brimson’s speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play live. Any video’s, including video’s on the official site does not do his speed off the mark justice, watching him play live, it is great to see when he takes off. AJ Brimson does not seem to have an extra gear once he is through the defensive line, but has the ability to maintain his speed over a long distance, thus the apparent lack of an extra gear in speed has no discernible impact that I have identified.

Coupled with a very good right foot step, AJ Brimson’s speed enables him to make numerous line breaks. He can and will beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies. He also backs up any line breaks and loves to score tries.

AJ Brimson’s try in the February 2018 NRL trial against the Broncos can but put down to the analysis above, he took the ball on the left side and the field, stepped and exploded through a gap to score the Titans first try in their tough trial loss.

The area that for me AJ Brimson has developed the most over the last couple of seasons is in relation to his play making skills, including putting his runners, whether they are backrowers or centres into holes. His enhanced plays making skills has made his speed with his show and go more effective as defensive lines start to focus in his runners and thus leave more space for him.

As games progress AJ Brimson is very good at identifying tired forwards in the defensive line, and he will ruthlessly exploit that when he sees that. Multiple times this season he has left forwards clutching at air as they began to tire, for that matter it has not been just forwards as the Townsville Blackhawks backline can attest to.

AJ Brimson has a good short kicking game but he does not have the strongest leg in terms of kicking deep but is accurate enough and regularly finds the ground to enable the chasers to get down field. He will chase hard and usually is one of the first down field to defend.

In terms of his short kicking game, AJ Brimson will back himself and put in little kicks over the top or grubber through the defensive line for himself, which causes all sorts of issues for defences due to his speed and desire to get to the ball first. One of his tries against the Melbourne Storm is testament to this situation.

In defence, due to his size AJ Brimson is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players and shows outstanding courage.

Prior to his NRL debut I was certain that AJ Brimson could handle the attacking aspects of the NRL but defensively he has been outstanding saving a number of tries with a combination of outstanding cover defending tackles as well as stopping big forwards running directly at him through sheer force of will.

AJ Brimson will also track across field well looking when the ball is turned back inside. When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the edge of the ruck, he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. Certainly in the Queensland Cup so far this season the weight training that AJ Brimson did with the NRL squad has clearly benefitted him.

AJ Brimson has signed a three year deal with the Titans starting in 2018 and is a member of the Titans 30 man NRL squad.

All in all with his blinding speed, especially off the mark and his play making skills as well as his ability to create for himself means that AJ Brimson is truly exciting player in the NRL for the Titans.

AJ Brimson is a player who whilst known for his amazing speed off the mark, does have some other attributes to his game which can sometimes get be overlooked when people focus purely on his speed.

Certainly the key attribute that is developing well in the NRL is in relation to his play making skills which are continuing to develop quickly in the harsh confines of the NRL.

mdrew

07-10-18, 10:54 AM

Moeaki Fotuaika. (Revised) The giant young 18 year old Titans NRL contracted and former South’s Logan and Keebra Park front rower made an immediate impact in the NRL after starting off the 2018 season for the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2018 Queensland Cup side.

Playing against hardened players, including NRL and State of Origin veteran’s at just 18 years old and performing so well is very impressive and bodes well for Moeaki Fotuaika’s future in the NRL for the Gold Coast Titans.

Moeaki Fotuaika is so highly regarded at the Titans that he is given the responsibility of taking the first hit-up from the first kick-off or game restarts, clearly designed to get the Seagulls on the front foot from a momentum perspective to start their set of six tackles coming off their own goal line.

The fact that Moeaki Fotuaika is the only 18 year old in the NRL speaks volumes for his skill and maturity level. When his four year NRL contract with the Titans expires at the end of the 2021 season he will just be coming into his own, which will be scary proposition for opposition forward packs.

In the 2018 pre-season the 193cm, 110kg Moeaki Fotuaika started from the inter change bench for each of the Titans NRL trials and had a particularly solid NRL trial against the New Zealand Warriors on the Sunshine Coast in wet and windy conditions. Moeaki Fotuaika also had a couple of solid runs in a youthful Titans side in their first NRL trial this year against the Brisbane Broncos in Toowoomba in February.

Moeaki Fotuaika played in sixteen NRL matches this season making his debut in Round Nine against the Raiders in Canberra. Moeaki Fotuaika scored two NRL tries this season the first coming in Round Eighteen against the Sydney Roosters and the second a week later in Round Nineteen against the Newcastle Knights.

In his sixteen matches Moeaki Fotuaika started on the interchange bench in fourteen and he started Rounds Seventeen and Eighteen against Brisbane and the Sydney Roosters in the front row.

In his NRL matches this season Moeaki Fotuaika ran for 1 359 metres (534.9 post contact being 39.36% of his totals metres gained) at a per game average of 85 metres. Moeaki Fotuaika was also credited with nineteen tackle breaks.

Defensively Moeaki Fotuaika made 307 NRL tackles at a per game average of 19.2 and an impressive tackling efficiency of 92.4%.

In Round Twenty Four against the Melbourne Storm Moeaki Fotuaika had an outstanding match, a career match if you will on the way to running for 160 metres and making 25 tackles at a 100% talking efficiency. That match was one of six where Moeaki Fotuaika ran for in excess of 100 metres this season.

At the Tweed Heads Seagulls prior to his NRL call up Moeaki Fotuaika had the ideal coach to help steer his fledgling rugby league career in Ben Woolf who was also his NYC coach in 2017 and the person who first saw him play in the Open NYC trial and who has gone on record to say that he was immediately impressed and got him signed to the Titans NYC that very same day, job well done Ben Woolf.

In Round One this season I thought that Woolf may have started Moeaki Fotuaika off the bench to ease him into the Queensland Cup competition. Ben Woolf was spot on however starting the big strong young man in the front row and Moeaki Fotuaika has not looked back in his matches since. Moeaki Fotuaika was named as Tweed Heads Seagulls best player in Rounds One and two.

In 2018 in the Queensland Cup for Tweed Heads through this seven matches Moeaki Fotuaika ran for 893 metres at an average of 127.6 metres per match and made 158 tackles at an average of 26.4 per game at an outstanding tackling efficiency of 83.3% all whilst playing on average 62.5 minutes per game. Moeaki Fotuaika also has made 325.9 of his running metres post contact, being 36.49% of his total metres, has had twelve off-loads, eleven tackle breaks and one line break.

Defensively Moeaki Fotuaika made 158 Queensland Cup tackles in 2018 at a tackling efficiency of 83.3%.

In Round One against the North’s Devils Moeaki Fotuaika ran for 148 metres, 64 of those post contact on fifteen hit-ups and made twenty eight tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88.75%. Moeaki Fotuaika backed that up in Round Two against South’s Logan by running for 168 metres, 53 of those post contact and making twenty nine tackles at a tackling efficiency of a staggering 96.67% (only one missed tackle), all in just 56 minutes on the field. In Round Two, Moeaki Fotuaika also had two off loads and a line break.

In the Round Three rivalry round against the Burleigh Bears, Moeaki Fotuaika continued his outstanding form on the way to 124 metres, 45 of those post contact on thirteen hit-ups and made 25 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 89.29%. Considering the difficult conditions and the dominance of the Burleigh Bears forward pack that afternoon, Moeaki Fotuaika’s performance was outstanding and received a considerable amount of praise from the Channel Nine commentators including former Gold Coast Charger Scott Sattler.

In the Round Four clash between Tweed Heads and the PNG Hunters Moeaki Fotuaika continued to hold his form against an aggressive Hunters forward pack on their home ground in Port Moresby on his way to running for 87 metres, 30 of those post contact on eleven hit-ups and made 22 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 100%. Moeaki Fotuaika was also credited with one line break and five tackle breaks.

Moeaki Fotuaika also scored his first Queensland Cup try in Round Four when he scored under the posts late in the second half to get Tweed Heads back into the game against the Hunters. Moeaki Fotuaika received the ball from the dummy half standing still about five metres out from the try line with three PNG Hunters forwards directly in front of him.

Moeaki Fotuaika proceeded to get low and barge his way over to score. It was quite an amazing show of strength and power considering that he received the ball with no momentum and was able to push back three Hunters forwards who had set themselves for the tackle but they were still unable to stop the ultra-talented Titans youngster.

Round Five saw Moeaki Fotuaika and his Tweed Heads Seagulls team mates travelled north to play the Townsville Blackhawks where Moeaki Fotuaika ran for 92 metres,30 of those post contact from eleven hit-ups and made 28 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.33%. Moeaki Fotuaika was also credited with three line breaks and three off-loads. Tweed Heads lost the match 38 – 4.

The table below compares Moeaki Fotuaika’s 2017 NYC per game averages his 2018 Queensland Cup averages and his 2018 NRL averages:

2017 NYC 2018 QCup 2018 NRL

Games 22 7 16

Minutes per game 64 62.5 32

Runs per game 14 11.1 7.6

Metres made per game 135 127.6 85

Tackles per game 26 26.4 19.2

The key take out for me from the table above is that Moeaki Fotuaika, for an 18 year old, development is exceptional from last year through to now. Moeaki Fotuaika’s statistics are just outstanding when you are talking about such a young man up against NRL veterans.

Usually when NYC players step up in class, their statistics drop to reflect the difference in skill level and experience of the opposition, the opposite is the case in relation to Moeaki Fotuaika.

For me Moeaki Fotuaika was one of the real success stories out of the Titans NYC squad in 2017, even more incredible was that Moeaki Fotuaika was still eligible for the MM Cup competition throughout the 2017 NYC season. Moeaki Fotuaika attended an Open Titans NYC trial in late 2016 and has been a revelation ever since including being named as the Titans 2017 NYC joint player of the year alongside fellow Titans Top 30 contracted and current Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup team mate youngster AJ Brimson.

For the Titans in the NYC competition in 2017, Moeaki Fotuaika played in twenty two matches starting all of those matches in the front row. Moeaki Fotuaika’s averages per match for the season include 14 hit ups for 135 metres, two offloads and 26 tackles with a 90% defensive efficiency rate. Moeaki Fotuaika has also scored six tries with those tries coming against the Knights on two separate occasions, the Sydney Roosters, New Zealand Warriors and a double in the televised Round Twenty match against the Penrith Panthers.

For a giant young front rower it is an impressive feat that Moeaki Fotuaika played 1 341 minutes to average 64 minutes a match and on four occasions he has played the entire 80 minutes, including against the Broncos in Rounds Twelve and Twenty-Two, the Wests Tigers in Round Sixteen and against the Parramatta Eels late in the season.

Running with the ball Moeaki Fotuaika had some huge matches including in 17 of his 21 matches running for more than 100 metres. His “best” match from a running metres perspective was against the Wests Tigers in Round Sixteen when he ran for 213 metres on 23 hit ups. Moeaki Fotuaika also ran for 199 metres against the Broncos in Round Twenty two and against the Parramatta Eels ran for 166 metres.

From an off-loading perspective Moeaki Fotuaika off loaded the ball against the Cronulla Sharks on six occasions in Round Eight as well as six occasions against the Wests Tigers in Round Sixteen.
Another positive in relation Moeaki Fotuaika is that he has continued to cut down his error rate from the start of last year through this season and is currently averaging well south than an error a match.

Defensively Moeaki Fotuaika made more than 30 tackles in a match on eight separate occasions in the NYC in 2017, three times making 34 tackles coming against the Raiders in Round Six and Broncos in Rounds Twelve and Twenty Two. Against the Parramatta Eels in Round Twenty Four Moeaki Fotuaika made 20 tackles.

Moeaki Fotuaika earlier in 2017 was named with fellow Titans Darius Farmer and Rehiena Marsh as part of the New Zealand Australian residents U18 side for a match in October with a New Zealand Residents U18 side. Moeaki Fotuaika was part of the Queensland Academy of Sport U18 squad earlier in the 2017 season and was named in the New Zealand U20 squad as well in 2017.

The young former Keebra Park student is a giant of a young man who exudes size, strength and power when he plays. In addition to playing in the Keebra Park Open Rugby League sides in 2016, Moeaki Fotuaika started every match in the front row for South’s Logan in the MM Cup and proved to be a handful in that competition for opposing defences.

For the 2016 South’s Logan MM Cup squad, Moeaki Fotuaika bookended the season with two great performances against the Gold Coast MM sides. In Round One against Gold Coast Green Moeaki Fotuaika scored a double within the first 12 minutes of the game and was basically unstoppable and compared favourably that day to Payne Haas.

In the last match of the 2016 season he was just as dominant against Gold Coast White (which was the side with the majority of Titans linked boys) on his way to a hat trick, including scoring two barn storming tries in the second half where he just crashed through the Gold Coast White forward pack which was no mean feat when you consider that he was lined up against the likes of Kobe Tararo and Blake Lenehan, two very good defenders both then and now.

Moeaki Fotuaika is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which he uses to cut back behind the play the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

An area where Moeaki Fotuaika has really improved over the last two season is in relation to his off-loads in previous seasons he did not off load too much but this season he really has been able to get his arms free and get away some telling off-loads. Moeaki Fotuaika continually put his hand up all day to take the ball up and has a very quick play the ball so that his team can maintain momentum. Moeaki Fotuaika had an impressive off load in Round Three against the Burleigh Bears.

In the first set of six in the game, in driving rain Moeaki Fotuaika offloaded a great ball with his right hand. The fact that the off load was in the first set of six and only ten metres out from his own line, shows the confidence that Moeaki Fotuaika has in his ability and his team mates.

One area that he did not seem to use too often this year, but does seem to have the capacity to develop based on his size, skills and footwork is the ability to off load before the line, an example of what I am meaning is how the Canterbury Bulldogs forward pack uses those small offloads prior to the line. Moeaki Fotuaika has shown glimpses of having the skills to utilise the same skills if the opportunities arise, developing this skill with only enhance his effectiveness.

In defence Moeaki Fotuaika uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. He is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most front rowers are. Moeaki Fotuaika’s raw natural strength means that he is also dominant when looking to slow the paly the ball down.

In Round Three against Burleigh, two tackles that Moeaki Fotuaika made are perfect examples of the impact that he can have in defence. The first tackle that Moeaki Fotuaika made was a brutal front on tackle on Burleigh front rower Luke Page. Luke Page ran straight at the 18 year old youngster. Moeaki Fotuaika set himself and smashed Luke Page front one with a perfectly timed and executed tackle which immediately halted Luke Page’s momentum.

The second tackle that can be critical reviewed was a tackle on Burleigh’s elusive winger Henere Wells. Wells had come off his right wing to take a hit-up in the middle of the ruck. He was able to isolate Moeaki Fotuaika, but Moeaki Fotuaika steadied himself and waited for Henere Wells to make his final move before coming forward and crunching the Burleigh winger in a copy book front one tackle.

In the Round Five match against the Townsville Blackhawks Moeaki Fotuaika also made an outstanding tackle on Townsville half Jalen Feeney. Feeney came back on the inside and looked like scoring but Moeaki Fotuaika had not stopped when the ball went past him and covered across on the inside to prevent an almost certain try and from the next play the ball was on hand to hold up the Townsville dummy half.

Moeaki Fotuaika signed a four year NRL deal with the Titans and multiple reports that came out of the Titans over the off season revolved around his strength and fitness levels stunning his seasoned NRL team mates and coaching staff alike. Clearly the reports were accurate based on his NRL form this season.

At the end of last season and through the 2018 pre-season, I expected Moeaki Fotuaika to start the season in the Queensland Cup Colts competition before breaking into the Queensland Cup mid-season before getting a game or two in the later rounds of the NRL. How wrong was I?

I will acknowledge that I thought scrapping the NYC competition was the incorrect decision but seeing Moeaki Fotuaika’s development in the Queensland Cup prior to his NRL call up, and also the play of Jai Whitbread and AJ Brimson, I have to take my lumps and say from a player development perspective the decision appears to be absolutely correct.

Moeaki Fotuaika recently has been selected as part of the New Zealand U20 side when they play the Australian U20 side later in the year. Fellow Titans Darius Farmer, Kea Pere and Jaxon Paulo have also been selected in the New Zealand U20 squad meaning that the Titans are only behind the New Zealand Warriors in terms of representation in the New Zealand U20 squad.

Even more amazing for Titans fans is that Moeaki Fotuaika would still be eligible to play in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in 2019 not that I anticipate that he will play in that competition however.

By 2019 with three years left on his Titans contract I anticipate that Moeaki Fotuaika will be well and truly in the frame for a starting spot in the Titans NRL side, even if he starts out in the inter change bench before coming a starting NRL front rower he has a ten year NRL and representative career in front of him.

Moeaki Fotuaika has made the front row position his own with the Titans over the last 18 months and that will not change anytime soon. He looks to be a ten year NRL front rower and perennial Tongan International as well. I am glad the Titans hierarchy got this young man signed to a long term deal over the off season.

Based on his performances in the NRL this season I am really struggling to come up with an NRL player comparison for Moeaki Fotuaika.

Moeaki Fotuaika has the size of the Titans own Ryan James, the speed of Brisbane Bronco Matt Gillett, the mobility of giant North Queensland Cowboys front rower Jordan McLean, the power of Canberra’s and soon to be Titan Shannon Boyd and the skill set of Sonny Bill Williams from an off-loading perspective.

I have not EVER seen a young front rower with Moeaki Fotuaika’s physical attributes and skill set all rolled into one. From what I understand Moeaki Fotuaika is also a dedicated hard working young man who has the motivation and dedication to make the most of the opportunity that he has with the Titans. All evidence to date suggests that is absolutely the case and will continue to be so.

I expected Moeaki Fotuaika to play well this season but seriously he is that far in front of where I thought that he would be it is not funny. Without trying to put undue pressure on him, Moeaki Fotuaika has the ability, skill set, physical attributes and motivation to redefine how front rowers play in rugby league over the coming seasons.

The Titans over the last six to twelve months have assembled an outstanding crop of young forwards such as Jai Arrow, Morgan Boyle, Max King, Keegan Hipgrave and Jai Whitbread, you can also certainly add Moeaki Fotuaika to that list as well. That is not even taking into consideration the likes of Darius Farmer, Reihana Marsh Apiata Noema-Matenga, James Robinson, Luke Maiden and Blake Campbell amongst plenty of others in the U20 and U18 competitions and as part of the Titans Rookie Squad.

Below the U18 and U20 age groups the Titans have the likes of forwards Ben Liyou, Bailey Martin, Brody Smitka, Ethan Foster and Ezra Ubaldino who will be coming through as Moeaki Fotuaika starts to hit his prime. The future certainly looks bright for the Gold Coast Titans over the next couple of years.

There is a lot of hype about former Titan junior and current Brisbane Bronco front rower Payne Haas (and certainly deservedly so) but Moeaki Fotuaika is easily just as good, both from a skill, power and mobility perspective considering as well that Payne Haas is a year older than the outstanding Titans NRL contracted youngster who also has an inspiring back story making it impossible not to cheer for Moeaki Fotuaika.

mdrew

08-10-18, 12:36 PM

Kyah Watts. (Revised) He is a local young second rower from the Burleigh Bears junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast where he played the 2018 season at the U17 Division One level as well as being involved in PBC’s GIO Cup campaign.

For Burleigh in the 2018 U17 Division One season Kyah Watts played in ten matches including the finals series, scoring three tries. Kyah Watts scored early in the season against Runaway Bay and then scored in consecutive rounds mid-season against Currumbin and Tweed Heads.

Kyah Watts played the 2017 season at the U16 Division One level for Burleigh, including starting in the second row in the Grand Final which Burleigh lost 34 – 4 against the talented Currumbin Eagles. For Burleigh in the U16 competition, Kyah Watts crossed for a single try which came against Helensvale in Burleigh’s first final in 2017.

Kyah Watts this season was part of the PBC open squad playing a number of matches in the centres for the Queensland and National GIO Cup Champions and has previously played for the U13 and U14 Titans Development squads against Samoan opposition.

2017 also saw Kyah Watts play for the U16 Gold Coast Vikings side in the U16 South East Queensland pre-season competition. In 2016 Kyah Watts was also part of the South Coast U15 side that competed in the U15 QSSRL competition where he was selected on the bench scoring three tries across four games. From there Kyah Watts was selected in the U15 Queensland White side for the U15 ASSRL national Championships playing in all of Queensland White’s matches.

In previous season Kyah Watts also made a number of representative sides including the U14 Vikings and the South East Queensland U14 squad, where he started on the bench for SEQ. For SEQ he scored three tries across the Queensland age championships, including a double against the Capricorn Capra’s and also a try against the North Queensland Marlins.

Kyah Watts’s style of play is that of a wide running back rower with quite good speed for the position. He quick off the mark and can maintain his top speed over a reasonable distance and also has a good fend and can step off both feet both in space and in tight situations. I would suggest that his speed could be considered above average for a second rower.

The side step Kyah Watts has is not a big step but is quick and subtle enough to keep defenders off balance and prevent them from targeting him in relation to gang tackles.

Kyah Watts will also continue to pump his legs once he makes initial contact with the defensive line and will fight for every yard. Once his momentum is stopped, he will fight for a quick play the ball to maintain his team’s momentum, although on occasion he will rush the play the ball, but that will all come with experience.

Kyah Watts is a solid defender whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can stop even the bigger opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around the chest after setting a solid base to project his momentum into the ball carrier.

Kyah Watts also has above average lateral mobility from his time playing in the centres and thus will not be over matched against smaller agile opponents operating on the fringes of the ruck where he looks to mirror there movement whether that is across the field or laterally.

Moving to the 2019 season, Kyah Watts will be looking to break into the Burleigh Colts side post the MM Cup, if not Kyah Watts will play for Burleigh in the GCRL U20 competition.

Earlier in his junior career, Kyah Watts also played a fair bit of centre for Burleigh PBC and Titans development squads but this year especially for the Burleigh U17 Division One side he spent a reasonable portion of the season at five eight which cannot hurt his development at all.

From my perspective however I would anticipate that Kay Watts will transition to the second row position full time shortly even though for the next couple of years he would likely still make a good fist of playing in the centres if the need arises.

From a player comparison perspective, maybe someone like former Titan and current Wests Tiger Chris McQueen may be a good comparison to how Kyah Watts plays the game as a solid all round player who has a touch more speed than you would anticipate when he finds himself in open space as well as decent footwork and a solid tackling technique, a good solid rugby league player if you will.

mdrew

08-10-18, 05:46 PM

Matthew Wilton-Waldron. (Revised) He is a local Titans linked young front rower/second rower who attends Coombabah State High School as part of their Rugby League Excellence program and was also part of the Titans U15 side that played a Balmain U15 side at Cudgen late in 2017.

Matthew Wilton-Waldron was also involved in the Titans U13 development squad at the end of the 2015 as an invited player in a match against a Toowoomba U14 selection.

In 2018 Matthew Wilton-Waldron was part of the Gold Coast Vikings Yellow U16 side that competed in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge.

From that competition Matthew Wilton-Waldron was selected in the South East Queensland White U16 side for the Queensland Age Championships starting primarily from the bench for his side including in the Championship final which SEQ White lost 30 – 18 to South East Queensland Green.

In the 2018 GCRL U16 Division One competition, Matthew Wilton-Waldron lined up for Helensvale in 2018 playing in nine matches including the finals series. Matthew Wilton-Waldron started in the second row in Week One of the finals as Helensvale defeated Southport 44 – 4 and also started in the second row in Week Two as Helensvale were knocked out as a result of a tough 24 – 18 loss to Burleigh.

Matthew Wilton-Waldron played the 2017 season for Helensvale in the GCJRL competition in the U15 Division One competition. Matthew Wilton-Waldron played in sixteen matches for the Hornets including starting in the second row in their 34 – 10 Grand Final loss to Nerang.

Over the course of his sixteen matches in 2017 Matthew Wilton-Waldron scored three tries including an early season double against Currumbin and he also scored in Helensvale’s finals victory over Burleigh.

In 2017 Matthew Wilton-Waldron has also played one match up at the U16 Division One Level for Helensvale.

In 2016 Matthew Wilton-Waldron was part of the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side that went through the 2016 Hill Stumer Championships undefeated and from there was selected in the U14 South East Queensland Training squad.

Matthew Wilton-Waldron is a hard running player who never seems to just put his head down and runs straight, he always uses a slight step prior to contacting the defensive line, coupled with the fact that he drops his shoulder into defenders, means that he is a bit of a handful to tackle and he is not often knocked back onto his heals. Matthew Wilton-Waldron is also good at maintaining his momentum after impacting the defensive line.

Matthew Wilton-Waldron has a high work rate and I would suggest that he would normally be at or near the top of his team’s statistics in terms of the number of hit ups he makes and on occasion runs a very good inside shoulder route to supplement his other attacking attributes.

Matthew Wilton-Waldron has also shown flashes of the ability to off-load when he impacts the defensive line and I am sure that this will be focus going forward in terms of understanding when to off-load and when to maintain possession, and this will only come from playing more matches.

Defensively Matthew Wilton-Waldron aims hits very hard and usually hits around the top of the ball region and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls by using wrestling techniques well.

Over the last season or two Matthew Wilton-Waldron’s his speed and mobility seemed to have increased and as a consequence he was better able to mirror the opposition attackers more effectively from a defensive stand point.

Matthew Wilton-Waldron will probably not make a large amount of hits that are going to knock opposing forwards backwards, but opposing forwards are going to feel everyone and start to look out for where he is in the defensive line.

In 2019 Matthew Wilton-Waldron will play for Helensvale in the GCRL U18 Division One competition as well as for Coombabah State High School in their various School boy competitions including the GIO Cup.

In terms of position, I am aware that over the last couple of seasons he has alternated between front row and second row but I think that in the long term he will end up in the second row and one that has more than reasonable mobility and speed for his size and position.

Matthew Wilton-Waldron has a variety of skills at his disposal when he plays and the next couple of years are simply about gaining experience and allowing his skills to develop at the appropriate pace. A current NRL player with similar qualities from my perspective is rookie Newcastle Knights second rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon.

mdrew

09-10-18, 08:08 AM

Titan Vaikai. (Revised) The superbly named big, strong young front rower from the Runaway Bay junior rugby league club had a solid 2018 rugby league season across school boy, club and representative competitions,, including starting in the front row for a Titans U15 Invitational side against the Western Mustang at Nerang in March with the Titans winning the match six tries to three.

Titan Vaikai also started from the bench for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 - 10.

For Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition Titan Vaikai started in the front row in all fifteen of the matches that he played including Finals series matches, scoring three tries along the way.

Titan Vaikai’s tries came against Robina and in consecutive weeks against Burleigh and Ormeau.

Titan Vaikai started in the front row in all four of Runaway Bay’s finals matches including starting in the front row in the U15 Division One Grad Final, unfortunately Runaway Bay went down to Ormeau 38 – 20.

In Week One of the finals Runaway Bay went down to Ormeau 28 – 12, then bounced back to win 34 – 24 in Week Two against Burleigh before defeating Coomera 58 – 14 in the Preliminary Final to qualify for the U15 Division One Grand Final.

Titan Vaikai also played one match in the U16 Division One competition this season which was against Mudgeeraba in June. Titan Vaikai had played in the U15 Division One match earlier in the night.

The Coombabah State High School student represented South Coast at the U15 QSSRL Championships earlier this season.

In addition to playing for Runaway Bay in the GCRL U15 Division One competition, Titan Vaikai play club rugby on the Gold Coast for the Griffith University Colleges U15 side and was the team’s co-captain with his side winning the premiership with a 47 – 19 victory over the Helensvale Hogs in a match that was curtain raiser to the Wallabies v Argentina test at Cbus stadium.

In total for Griffith University Colleges, Titan Vaikai played in twelve matches, starting ten matches and coming off the bench twice. Titan Vaikai started seven matches at lock, including the Grand Final, two matches at tight head prop and one at loose head prop and scored one try which was against Wollongbar/Alstonville in Round One.

The young Coombabah State High School student was a strong contributor in his schools Hancock Cup campaign in 2017 and was also a strong presence for Runaway Bay in the GCJRL U14 Division Once competition.

In the 2017 U14 Division One competition for Runaway Bay in 2017 Titan Vaikai played in ten matches and even though he did not score in that competition he none the less was a strong presence. Titan Vaikai also played two matches in the U15 Division Two competition for Runaway Bay playing against Helensvale on both occasions and in their second encounter scored his sole try of the 2017 season.

Titan Vaikai represented the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side early in the 2017 season and consequently made the South East Queensland U14 train on squad and from there was selected in the South East Queensland White U14 side for the Queensland Age Championships.

Titan Vaikai is a big strong young front rower who is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and has shown flashes of the ability to offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it.

For a big front rower Titan Vaikai does actually have quite decent speed and footwork, certainly above average for a player of his size, although he does not necessarily use it all of the time but certainly enough to push through the defensive line on occasion.

His good footwork enables Titan Vaikai to step prior to the line, creating little half breaks which enhances his ability to off-load the football. In the Titans U15 game, Titan Vaikai was more than just a workhorse and used his deft foot work, mentioned above, to bend the Toowoomba defensive line back regularly on a very very hot afternoon.

In defence Titan Vaikai is a big hitter of that there is no doubt and every tackle that he makes is felt by the ball runner and he is also good from a wrestling perspective once the tackle has been completed. Titan Vaikai is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will understandably have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half.

His calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck. Titan Vaikai can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself as was evidenced in the Titans U15 game.

At times in games Titan Vaikai really does prevent opposing gaining any ground at all through the centre of the ruck. It is now a matter of extending the duration of his ruck dominance.

Titan Vaikai will take up a three year full rugby scholarship at GPS school, Brisbane Grammar starting in 2019 and will be a very good addition to their developing rugby program where he will play as a prop.

Titan Vaikai will start next season in the Brisbane Grammar School U16A side before two years in the Open age group where he will be pushing for a First XV spot as early as 2020. It is a great opportunity for the young man and post his school years will have options in both rugby league and rugby to consider.

Brisbane Grammar school has a solid tradition of bringing Gold Coast rugby league boys through their rugby program. This season Dennis Waight and Dee Jarn Asi (both have previously played matches for Titans Development Squads) were part of the Brisbane Grammar School First XV at outside centre and fly half respectively and previously Emile Tuimavave has been a Brisbane Grammar School First XV player as a prop.

From a player comparison perspective for Titan Vaikai consider a comparison from a playing perspective style to young Newcastle Knights front row twins Daniel and Jacob Saifiti as a big strong young man, who if he continues to work hard on his mobility and stamina as Titan Vaikai gains experience may be able to harness all of the considerable physical and skill attributes that he has at his disposal.

mdrew

09-10-18, 07:17 PM

Callum Boomer. (Revised) The Titans Rookie Squad member had a season where he played a lot of rugby league dividing his time between playing for the Burleigh Colts U20 side and playing in the U19 and First Grade side for Southport in the GCRL competition.

Callum Boomer started the 2018 season playing in the Gold Cost Rugby League First Grade competition for the Southport Tigers starting on the wing in the first two rounds against Currumbin and Tugun and kicked a conversion in each of those matches.

In total for Southport in the Gold Coast First Grade competition Callum Boomer played in four matches scoring twelve points from the two tries mentioned above and two conversions.

In Round Three after being named earlier that week on an extended bench for the Burleigh Colts side Callum Boomer played in the U19 Gold Coast Rugby League competition. Callum Boomer started in the centres and scored a try and kicked three goals in a 22 all draw with the Bilambil Jets.

Round Four saw Callum Boomer once again start in the centres for the Southport Tigers U19 side in their clash against Burleigh which they won 31 - 18. Callum Boomer had a day out in the win over Burleigh when he scored 19 of Southport’s 31 points. Callum Boomer scored two tries, kicked five goals and a field goal. Through his first two U19 games this season, Callum Boomer scored 29 points from three tries eight goals and the field goal.

After a couple of matches for the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts side Callum Boomer was back in the Southport U19 side for Round Seven and starting at centre kicked three goals as the Tigers fell to a 28 – 28 defeat to Mudgeeraba.

Southport progressed all of the way to the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 Grand Final with Callum Boomer starting the Grand Final at fullback and scoring two tries and kicking two conversions as Southport went down 34 – 20 to Currumbin.

In total for Southport in the U19 competition Callum Boomer played in ten matches scoring 93 points from seven tries, thirty two goals and a field goal (against Burleigh). In addition to the two tries that he scored in the Grand Final Callum Boomer also scored doubles against Burleigh and Mudgeeraba and also scored against Bilambil in his first U19 match of the season.

Callum also had some big matches with the boot in the U19 competition this season including kicking six in a match against Mudgeeraba (he also scored a double in the match) and five goals in matches against Ormeau, Mudgeeraba and Burleigh. In Week One of the U19 Finals Callum Boomer kicked three goals as Southport progressed with a 34 – 8 win over Burleigh.

Callum Boomer made his deserved Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts debut for Burleigh in their Round Eleven match against Easts, starting in the centres and kicking seven from seven in a 42 – 4 victory for the Bears.

Callum Boomer maintained his place in the Burleigh Colts side for their match against the Mackay Cutters starting on the wing as Burleigh won 14 - 6. Callum Boomer kicked three from three and through his first two Hastings Deering’s Colts matches Callum Boomer has kicked ten from ten.

Round Sixteen saw Callum Boomer score his first career Colts try when he crossed against Tweed Heads. In the match Callum Boomer also kicked eight goals.

In total for Burleigh in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition Callum Boomer played in eight matches scoring the try against Tweed heads and kicked twenty goals to finish with fifty two points.

Callum Boomer started five of those matches on the wing and three in the centres.

In 2017 Callum Boomer played for the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad having a great Round One when he scored two tries, one in each half and kicked three goals in Burleigh’s tough two point loss to Redcliffe at Dolphin Oval whilst playing on the right wing. Post the MM Cup competition, Callum Boomer also played a number of matches for Burleigh in the U20 Colts Challenge side playing primarily on the right wing.

For Burleigh in the 2017 MM Cup competition Callum Boomer started in all six of Burleigh’s matches on the right wing scoring 56 points including five tries and 18 goals. In addition to his double in Round One against Redcliffe, Callum Boomer also scored double in Round Four against Souths Logan and he also scored in Round Six against Tweed Heads. Kicking wise, Callum Boomer kicked eighteen goals from twenty eight attempts for a goal kicking conversion rate of 64.28%.

For Burleigh in the 2017 U20 Colts Challenge competition, Callum Boomer played a total of nine matches scoring three tries which came in Rounds six, seven and eight against Tweed Heads, Ipswich and Redcliffe respectively. Callum Boomer started Round One on the wing against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and in total played five matches on the wing and four at fullback.

Callum Boomer also played a number of matches in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition in 2017 for Runaway Bay. He played one match in the GCRL U19 competition and what a match it was. Against Ormeau Callum Boomer scored 22 points from a try and nine conversions in a dominant Runaway Bay performance.

Callum Boomer also played two matches for Runaway Bay in the Doug Lipp Cup competition, both matches being finals matches starting both on the wing. In his debut match (final) against Beaudesert Callum Boomer kicked four conversions and a fortnight later started on the wing in the Doug Lipp Cup Grand Final and kicked a conversion in a 13 – 6 loss to Beaudesert. A team mate for runaway Bay in the Grand Final was fellow Titans Rookie Squad member Lochlyn Sheldon who started in the front row and an opponent Charlie Gee.

The former Coombabah State High School student had a successful 2016 season, including kicking a late penalty goal which propelled the Queensland GIO Cup final between his Coombabah side and Keebra Park into golden point territory, unfortunately for Callum Boomer and his team mates Keebra Park kicked a golden point field goal to progress to the 2016 National GIO Cup final.

Callum Boomer played for Runaway Bay in the 2016 U17 Division One competition on the Gold Coast in 2016, finishing as one of the leading points scorers with 110 points which came from 10 tries and 35 goals from just eleven matches. Callum Boomer scored a hat trick against Beaudesert late in the season and also a double against Currumbin. In terms of goal kicking Callum Boomer twice kicked five goals in a match, on both occasions against Currumbin and in both of those matches, Callum Boomer also scored at least one try, meaning 32 of his 110 points came in just two matches against Currumbin.

Whilst in does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, Callum Boomer does have decent top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by using a very good fend, when he gets to the outside, this prevents defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure.

When engaged with the defensive line he also has a reasonable offload and when Callum Boomer breaks through the main defensive line he is also very effective at setting up his outside support, by drawing the fullback.

Callum Boomer also has a decent right foot step which led directly to his first or two tries in Round One of the 2017 MM Cup competition against Redcliffe when he received the ball near the try line and stepped immediately to beat his direct opponent and score in the corner.

Callum Boomer also has a decent in and away to complement his other attacking attributes and is effective when attacking close to the try line and knows which routes to run to take advantage of situations where the defensive line has not come up off the try line and thus he is able to push through the defensive line and carry defenders over to score. He is just a solid attacking player and before you realise he has made a number of breaks and scored multiple tries.

Callum Boomer is also adept at keeping his spacing on the wing and that attribute led to his second try for Burleigh on the weekend where he stayed outside his direct opponent on the blind side and thus was in a very good position to score from close range before his opposite winger could react.

Defensively the area that Callum Boomer has impressed me the most is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wide of the ruck. He seemingly has more strength that his size would indicate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit around the area where the ball is usually held, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

Purely from a skill and physical attribute perspective he seems more suited to a sliding defensive methodology rather than an up and in style, but this is more conjecture from me rather than a fact based argument. Like with his attacking attributes Callum Boomer is just solid defensively there is really no other word to describe it.

Callum Boomer is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy as positive traits. I would suggest that he is likely to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level that he progresses to into the future.

Callum Boomer will continue to press his claims for playing time in the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts side in 2019 and if he is not in the game day seventeen for any given match he will play for Southport in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition.

For me with his above average speed and elusiveness in the confined space near the touch line, Callum Boomer is the ideal modern day winger. I appreciate that he started the Grand Final for the U19 Southport side at fullback this season but I think that his future is more likely than not on the wing.

Campbell Graham the former Australian School Boy and boom South Sydney Rabbitohs rookie for me has a similar playing style to that of Callum Boomer. Both have good straight line speed, know their way to the try line and have a willingness to take the ball into the centre of the ruck to take some pressure off their forward pack.

mdrew

10-10-18, 05:39 PM

Taanei Heu. (Revised) The tall strong young Nerang Roosters front rower played the 2018 season for Nerang in the U16 Division One competition playing in nine matches including the finals series.

In Week Two of the U16 Division One Finals, Taanei Heu started in the front row and scored as Nerang progressed with a 32 – 22 win over Currumbin.

Taanei Heu also started in the front row in the U16 Division One 2018 Grand Final once again against Currumbin and once again Nerang prevailed winning 24 – 8.

In the 2018 U16 Division One regular season, Taanei Heu scored an additional two tries the first of which came in Round One against Runaway Bay and Taanei Heu scored again against Runaway Bay late in the regular season.

Taanei Heu was also part of the Gold Coast Vikings White side that took part in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge and from there was selected in the South East Queensland White side for the Queensland Age Championships, playing all four of those matches including the Championship Final against South East Queensland Green.

Taanei Heu’s other matches for South East Queensland Green at the Queensland Age Championships were against SEQ White in the qualifying rounds, Central and Northern.

For the Nerang Roosters U15 Division One side in 2017 Taanei Heu played in eleven matches including their Grand Final victory over Helensvale and scored against Southport early in the season for his sole try of the season. Taanei Heu also played one match up in the U16 Division Two competition which came against the Ormeau Shearers in early July.

The PBC student was part of the South Coast Maori representative side as well in 2017.

Taanei Heu is quite a tall front rower with plus speed for a front rower, in fact his speed would be above average for a forward of any position. Taanei Heu uses this speed to impact the defensive at top speed. He does not necessarily get back deep, but his plus speed off the mark as well as plus top speed enables him to still fit the line hard.

Taanei Heu runs very front on but will lower his body into the defenders as the commit to the tackle, and through a combination of size, speed and determination regularly bumps the first defender off when they try to tackle Taanei Heu around the chest area.

Once he impacts the defensive line Taanei Heu also is adept at redirecting his momentum to address the next defender who is coming in the defend him. Taanei Heu’s core body strength also enables him to make significant ground after contact dragging defenders with him.

In defence Taanei Heu regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.

Taanei Heu is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique and decent agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents, his technique is also quite decent for a taller player and he gets low in defence to look to mitigate the possibility of his tackles slipping up around the hard and neck area of shorter opponents.

His calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck. Taanei Heu can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself. At times in games he really does prevent opposing gaining any ground at all through the centre of the ruck.

Taanei Heu has been named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad and will play his club rugby league on the Gold Coast in the U17 Division One competition for the Nerang Roosters.

I must admit that I am not wedded to the idea of Taanei Heu being strictly a front rower. With his elite size, strength, speed and power operating wider of the ruck would seem to be the ideal use is his immense skill set. Whilst he may well end up in the front row in the long term it is equally possible for Taanei Heu to make a career in the second row as he moves towards the senior rugby league ranks.

For me a current NRL player who has an eerily similar playing style to Taanei Heu is Penrith Panther Reagan Campbell-Gillard as a young front rower who does not just hit the defensive line hard but makes a lot of ground post contact because of his strength and determination to make as much ground as possible on each and every carry of the ball. Also like Campbell-Gillard Taanei Heu just exudes strength and power.

mdrew

10-10-18, 10:18 PM

Flynn Daniel. (Revised)The young Burleigh Bears second rower is part of the Titans Development set up and in 2018 played some outstanding rugby league for Burleigh in the U15 Division One competition and for PBC which led to his selection in the South Coast U15 side.

From the QSSRL U15 Championships Flynn Daniel was selected for the Queensland U15 White side for the ASSRL U15 Championships. In those Championships Flynn Daniel played in all four of their matches with those matches being against New South Wales Combined Independent School , ACT on two occasions and Queensland Maroon.

Last week Flynn Daniel started in the second row for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 - 10. Flynn Daniel operated on the right side of the field for the Titans in the match in his two stints on the field.

In the GCRL U15 Division One competition Flynn Daniel played in nine matches including Burleigh’s two finals matches scoring thirteen tries, finishing third on the U15 Division One try scoring list and in fact led all forwards from a try scoring perspective in the 2018 U15 Division One competition.

In Week One of the U15 Division One finals Flynn Daniel started in the second row as Burleigh defeated Southport 72 -2 scoring a hat trick and also started in the second row in Week Two of the finals as Burleigh were knocked out after going down 34 – 24 against Runaway Bay with Flynn Daniel contributing a double for Burleigh.

In addition to the outstanding U15 Division One Finals series noted above, Flynn Daniel scored eight tries in the U15 Division One regular season, including hat tricks against Southport and Coomera and also scored against Currumbin and Robina.

Team mates in Flynn Daniel’s U15 Division One side are fellow Titans contracted youngsters the outstanding lock Bailey Martin and hooker Kaden Somerville and Titans U15 Development Squad members such as winger Jayden Wright.

Flynn Daniel played the 2017 season on the Gold Coast with Burleigh in the U14 Division One competition unfortunately losing the Grand Final 31 – 16 to Ormeau, Flynn Daniel started the Friday night Grand Final in the second row in maroon and white.

Over the course of the 2017 GCJRL U14 Division One competition, Flynn Daniel scored two tries from nine matches played with his tries coming against Nerang in May and against Runaway Bay in mid-July. In 2017 Flynn Daniel was also part of the Gold Coast Academy of Sport Rugby League Excellence Program which wound up for this year in early October.

Flynn Daniel is not the biggest young backrower you will ever see although he is reasonably tall, but he is all effort in attack and will constantly run the ball into the heart of the opposition forward pack regardless of how big they are. He is a smart runner though to the extent that he does use good foot work prior to the defensive line to help negate his lack of size and he also has very good leg drive once initial contact has been made. Flynn Daniel also fights hard when tackled to ensure he gets a quick play the ball to maintain the momentum for his side.

In addition, he has enough speed to be an effective runner of the football to run the ball on the edges of the ruck. He is not exceptionally quick but quick enough to rush defenders to make a decision of when to commit to the tackle.

Another area where Flynn Daniel is quite effective is when he goes into dummy half to distribute the football, where he has a decent pass to both sides all be it in limited opportunities.

In terms of his defence, Flynn Daniel has a very good low tackling technique, a skill that is not always present in any level of rugby league and is also an exceptional cover defender, in part because of the effort he puts in to track the ball across the field when opposition teams spread the ball wide. His head placement is always correct, thus reducing the possibility of injury to himself.

Flynn Daniel will in 2019 again line up for the Burleigh Bears in the GCJRL U16 Division One competition who should once again have a solid side and also push for selection in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 squads and play for PBC in multiple school boy rugby league competitions.

Flynn Daniel will also be pushing for a spot in the South Coast U15 school boy’s side for the 2018 QSSRL U15 State Championships from Palm Beach Currumbin State High School where he is part of their Rugby League Excellence Program.

Flynn Daniel has primarily been a second rower his entire junior rugby league career and there is no reason for the to change as he progresses to the senior rugby league ranks especially in relation to his standard of play this season now that he is seemingly over a raft of injuries and his subsequent involvement with the U15 Titans Development Squads in 2018.

An NRL player comparison for Flynn Daniel that I consider relevant is North Queensland Cowboys and Queensland State of Origin second rower Coen Hess. Both Flynn Daniel and Hess just charge at the defensive line and take a lot of stopping especially if no defender looks to go low. Also both are underrated defensively because so much of people’s focus is on their attack.

mdrew

11-10-18, 06:45 PM

Trey Peni. (Revised) The Keebra Park student originally from the Rockingham Sharks in Western Australia is a classic example of why you should not be concerned about where a young player comes from but be only concerned about their ability on a football field and whether they can reach their full potential, Trey Peni has both area’s covered in spades and the proof is on display each weekend on Gold Coast Rugby League fields.

Trey Peni recently started in the centres and scored for the Titans U16’s as they defeated PNG 60 – 10 at Pizzey Park.

Trey Peni played the 2018 season with the Nerang Roosters after moving in the off season from the Coomera Cutters and has started in the centres in all bar one of their matches, scoring five tries and kicking three goals to finish the season with an individual point’s haul of 26.

In Round One Trey Peni had an outstanding match scoring four tries and kicking two goals against Runaway Bay and in Round Four also scored a try against Burleigh.

Trey Peni started in the centres in both of Nerang’s 2018 Finals matches being in Week Two when Nerang defeated Currumbin 32 – 22 with Trey Peni converting one of Nerang’s five tries and the Grand Final which Nerang won defeating Currumbin again 24 – 8.

At the start of the 2017 season Trey Peni moved over to the Gold Coast to continue his flourishing rugby league career with Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U15 Division One competition and in 2018 played for the Gold Coast Vikings U16 white squad. In previous years Trey Peni has represented Western Australia at the U12 National Championships and has been a member of the West Coast Pirates Development Squad.

For the Cutters in the U15 Division Once competition in 2017 Trey Peni played a number of positions including centre and fullback playing in ten matches scoring eight tries and kicking seven goals to finish with 46 points on the season.

Trey Peni had an outstanding start to the 2017 season, scoring seven of his eight tries in a three game stretch from late April to early May, in that span scoring a hat trick against Helensvale and doubles against Currumbin and Burleigh. Five of his seven goals also came in that period. Trey Peni’s other try came late in the season against Nerang.

The thing that stands out to me is that whilst he may not seem to be moving quickly Trey Peni clearly is, I cannot recall a game in any competition where he has either been run down by defenders or has been unable to support a team mate who has made a break and believe me some of the young backs at Logan Brothers have absolutely outstanding pace.

Receiving the ball early in the back line is where Trey Peni is best suited, when he receives the ball early with space to work with, he is adept at straightening the attack and then skipping to the outside of his opposite number of use his speed to break open the opposing defensive line.

Like his speed his lateral movement is exceptional. I am also impressed by the fact that he will get into dummy half regularly and even though he is running in the centre of the ruck, Trey Peni uses his quick twitch feet to get in between defending forwards and make more ground then you would think possible.

From a defensive perspective, his timing and anticipation are Trey Peni’s best attributes, he has developed an effective tackling technique in terms of coming out of the line to negate the opposition attack, Trey Peni will not aim of the big hit but he is effective at wrapping out the ball and preventing the play from developing further, his natural strength is a key attribute here.

Trey Peni will play the 2019 season in the MM Cup for Burleigh and for Nerang in the U17 Division One competition. Trey Peni will also be involved in Keebra Park’s Super Six and GIO Cup school boy rugby league campaigns amongst others.

Trey Peni’s ultimately position is a bit of an interesting one, he played a fair bit of second row in Western Australia and also when he initially arrived on the Gold Coast. This season however, and to be fair at least the last half of last season as well, Trey Peni has played almost exclusively in the centres and has been absolutely outstanding there. It is for that reason that in the end centre seems where Trey Peni will stay for the duration of his rugby league career.

From a player comparison perspective for Trey Peni, think of someone along the lines of the South Sydney Rabbitoh and Queensland State of Origin centre or winger back Dane Gagai as a smooth moving player with a try scoring knack who is elusive and difficult to defend against as a result.

Trey Peni is one of a number of young players who have moved over from Western Australia to try their luck on the East Coast in recent seasons, including former Titans NYC half back Josh Rogers and Titans U18 winger Leevai Sutton and he has been an outstanding addition to the Junior Rugby league ranks on the Gold Coast and has deservedly received NRL recognition from the Titans as a result of his impressive on field performances over the last two seasons on the Gold Coast.

mdrew

11-10-18, 08:42 PM

Malachi Roberts.(Revised) The flying young fullback is one of three Ballina State High School and Ballina Seagulls players with links to the Titans. Fellow students and Titans linked youngsters are Rowan Mansfield and Kuyan Roberts-Laurie.

The exceptionally talented young athlete was offered an opportunity to join the Sydney Swans Academy but thankfully for Titans fans enjoyed rugby league too much for that.

Malachi Roberts played the 2018 season for the Ballina Seagulls in the NRRRL U18 competition and started the NRRRL U18 Grand Final on the bench.

In the U18 NRRRL competition this season, Malachi Roberts played in ten matches, scoring four tries which came against Cudgen, Kyogle and Lismore Marist Brothers in two separate matches.

In 2018 Malachi Roberts also made his NRRRL Reserve Grade debut for Ballina when he came on against Northern United in the last regular season round.

In 2017 Malachi Roberts was named in the New South Indigenous U16 side that played their Queensland counter parts containing Titans linked Jesse Braslin. Malachi Roberts started the match at fullback and a team mate was second rower and fellow Titans linked youngster Kuyan Roberts-Laurie, 2017 also saw Malachi Roberts represent the East Coast Dolphins U16 side.

Malachi Roberts was selected to trial for the New South Indigenous U16 side after playing for the Group two junior representative side and the Forster Country Championships and at the Koori Knockout Competition in late 2016. In the trials Malachi Roberts was a standout scoring ten tries in three matches.

Malachi Roberts played for Lismore Marist Brothers in the 2017 Group One U16.5 competition, playing in ten matches starting all at fullback and scored six tries including a late season hat trick against Ballina.

When he was selected in the side Malachi Roberts was attending Melville High and playing for the Macleay Valley Mustangs but has since moved to Ballina to attend Ballina High School and play for the Ballina Seagulls.

From a running perspective, Malachi Roberts just seems to glide across the field and it appears effortless, no matter who is chasing him, they will not catch Malachi Roberts, I am talking James Roberts type of pace but he has a much more effortless running style to that of the current Brisbane Bronco.

Malachi Roberts does not necessarily have a side step per say, it is more of a swerve and he has a number of variations, with the scary part being that there is absolutely no loss of speed at all, making him incredibly difficult to stop when he is in open space and is moving towards a fullback who is near stationary.

Malachi Roberts’s passing skills are also developing into those of the highest quality, he can pass equally well from either side of his body and can throw every type of pass imaginable, he can chime into a back line at full pace and then decelerate quickly to maintain his balance a pop a good short ball to his supports, he can throw a great spiral pass to his backline or he can quickly anticipate the numbers a throw a great cut out pass to exploit over laps.

Defensively Malachi Roberts also stands out, with his closing speed and recovery speed he makes an impact on that side of the ball as well. With his speed, Malachi Roberts has the luxury of being able to stand a touch deeper than some fullbacks yet still be able to close quickly to negate breaks by reducing the decision making time of the attacking player.

Similar to the attributes that make Malachi Roberts such an effective defender, Malachi Roberts is as you would expect a great returner of the ball. His sense of timing, speed and anticipation means that he gets to a lot of kicks on the full and then accelerates looking to exploit any gaps on the kick chase.

Malachi Roberts exceptional lateral movement and sure hands means that he is a danger to make a large amount of ground from short attacking kicks by the opposition as he comes forward at full speed and retrieves with absolutely no loss of momentum and then will surprise the attacking team well before they can reorganise the defensive line.

Malachi Roberts will continue to play for the Ballina Seagulls in the U18 NRRRL competition in 2019 and it would not surprise however if Malachi Roberts also got an opportunity for the Ballina Seagulls NRRRL First Grade side as the 2018 season progresses. Malachi Roberts will also be involved in Ballina High Schools various school boy competitions including the DEX Shield.

Interestingly Malachi Roberts played a bit of front row in his early junior rugby league career but thankfully has played fullback for the last couple of years and has certainly found a long term home there.

In a 2016 Macleay Valley Argus newspaper article, Malachi Roberts said of his time playing in the front row:
“Front row was enjoyable because you get the ball in your hands a lot and I improved my defence but my best position is at the back.”
Malachi Roberts is an exciting to watch try scoring fullback with exceptional speed, balance and body control and thus can be favourably compared to Brisbane Broncos and New South Wales State of Origin centre James Roberts. Even though they are currently playing in different positions their speed, balance and body control are on the same level.

You just get the sense when watching Malachi Roberts play that you are watching an outstanding young rugby league player continuing to develop right before your eyes and thankfully the Titans have identified the exact same thing and got this outstanding talent into their junior development system which is fast becoming the envy of a multitude of other NRL clubs.

mdrew

12-10-18, 05:57 PM

Braden Amundsen. (Revised) The young outside back started the 2018 season as part of the Burleigh MM Cup side progressing through the local U19 competition with Helensvale before getting a late season opportunity with the Burleigh Colts side.

For Burleigh in the MM Cup competition Braden Amundsen playing five of Burleigh’s six matches, starting the opening four rounds in the centres and coming off the bench in Round Seven against Victoria. Round Seven also saw Braden Amundsen score his sole try of the 2018 MM Cup season.

Braden Amundsen came into the Burleigh Colts squad in Round Twenty Three against Townsville starting on the wing and also started on the wing in Round Twenty Four against Easts.

In the GCRL U19 competition of Helensvale Braden Amundsen finished third on the try scoring list with twelve tries from just fourteen matches. After scoring a double against Currumbin and following that up the following round against Ormeau, Braden Amundsen exploded scoring eight tries in a three round span.

In that span Braden Amundsen scored hat tricks against Bilambil and Mudgeeraba and a double against Burleigh. Braden Amundsen’s final try of the season came against Bilambil late in the season.

Braden Amundsen was a solid performer for the Helensvale Hornets U17 Division side in the 2017 GCJRL competition and as a result has caught the attention of the Titans as well as being selected in the Burleigh Bears MM Cup training squad for the 2018 season.

Braden Amundsen started in the centres for Helensvale in their 34 – 20 Grand Final victory over Ormeau and over the course of the 2017 season scored five tries from his fourteen matches in the Yellow and White of Helensvale. All five of Braden Amundsen’s tries came in individual games including a try against Bilambil in their first 2017 final’s match. Braden Amundsen’s tries other tries came against Southport, Mudgeeraba, Runaway Bay and Bilambil in a match during the regular season.

Braden Amundsen is reasonably quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will only get caught by the quickest of defenders from behind if he breaks into open space. I would not say that he has blazing speed but he does have decent top end speed I would think that it would just fall into the above average category.

Braden Amundsen’s best attribute from an outside back perspective is his ability to keep his width and be available for his team mates, when the opposing defender cheats inside. When the ball is moved out the back line, he stays on his line. He is not and likely never will be a player who scores a great amount of tries.

When playing in the centres Braden Amundsen looked to draw in the winger to try to create space down the touch line for the attackers outside him, but he does have enough pace, when he is able to get outside his opposing defender and make line breaks when the defensive winger stays out. Thus from what I have seen he has very good situational awareness in attack from the centre position and his Helensvale Hornets team mates benefitted from these attributes.

In defence, Braden Amundsen is not the strongest player but will certainly look to hold his line defensively and he does not hesitate to commit to the tackle regardless of the size of the opponent. I did not often see him come in when he did not need to, preferring to stay on his oppose number and trusting his teams inside and outside defenders in his Hornets team. From my perspective at least, his skill set in defence is more suited to a sliding defence structure rather than an up and in one.

Braden Amundsen will be part of the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side in 2019 where he will push for a spot in the centres and will still be Colts eligible in 2020.

Positionally Braden Amundsen has the skill and physical attributes to stay in the centres for the duration of his rugby league career, but he could certainly also play on the wing at a high level.

Braden Amundsen is just a solid classy player who seems to be able to break tackles even against far bigger opponents and has a touch of class with his passing game thus from a comparison perspective I can see aspects of the play of Penrith Panthers centre Dean Whare when watching Braden Amundsen play, he is just an effective player who slips under the radar a little.

mdrew

12-10-18, 09:59 PM

Levi Tomai. The young front rower has recently been selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2019 MM Cup squad after a great 2018 season with Helensvale in the GCRL U17 Division One competition. In 2018 Levi Tomai also played a number of matches in the MM Cup competition with Burleigh.

In the 2018 MM Cup competition, Levi Tomai played one match coming off the bench in Round Four against the Souths Logan Magpies.

For Helensvale in the U17 Division One competition Levi Tomai played in eleven matches and scored an impressive eight tries, including doubles against Mudgeeraba in two separate matches and also against Tweed Heads. Levi Tomai also scored against Runaway Bay and Burleigh.

In 2017 Levi Tomai represented Gold Coast Vikings White at the South East Queensland U16 Age Championships.

Levi Tomai is a solidly built forward with a low centre of gravity making him a difficult proposition to tackle for opposing defences. Levi Tomai may not look it but he is actually quite quick especially off the mark and will surprise a defence line in terms of how fast he gets to them and thus he is in a position to bump off the initial defender who on occasion has been unable to set up for the tackle properly. Levi Tomai has some late and subtle footwork prior to the line and will drop his shoulder into the defenders as well.

To say that he continues to fight in the tackle once contact has been established is an understatement. Levi Tomai seems to take every confrontation personally and is intent on winning every individual battle.

Levi Tomai moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. He is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him. For a solidly built young player, Levi Tomai moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence. His lateral movement is reasonable for a front rower as well.

Another impressive aspect of Levi Tomai’s play from a defensive stand point is the speed at which he gets around the field, in the GPS games that I have seen him play, he is always in and around the ball, constantly getting low to disrupt the momentum of the attackers.

Levi Tomai will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad in 2019 and post that competition will play for Helensvale in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition and may also sneak in a match or two for Tweed Heads in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition.

With his size, strength power and mind set Levi Tomai is ideally suited to playing in the front row or at lock on a rugby league field.

Joe Ofahenguae of the Brisbane Broncos is a solid NRL player comparison for Levi Tomai in my opinion, both are hard running forwards and both are more athletic and skilful than they are given credit for by casual watchers of rugby league.

mdrew

13-10-18, 10:32 AM

James Torrens. The tough young centre was impressive throughout the 2018 season for Northern Rivers in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition as well as in the NRRRL competition for Ballina for whom he played across all three grades of the NRRRL competition including an outstanding NRRRL First Grade debut.

James Torrens started off the season, performing solidly for Northern Rivers in the inaugural U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition starting in the centres in four matches against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad, North Coast, Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers.

For the Ballina Seagulls in the NRRRL U18 competition, James Torrens finished the regular season playing in eleven matches and scoring twelve tries. Of those twelve tries, James Torrens scored ten of those in a six game period from late May to late July.

In that span James Torrens scored a hat trick against Murwillumbah, doubles against Casino RSM and Cudgen and tries against Tweed Coast, Kyogle and Lower Clarence.

With his twelve try tally James Torrens finished equal second on the U18 NRRRL try scoring list equal with Tweed Coast forward Oscar Clarke and five behind Cudgen centre Liam Cusack.

James Torrens was part of the Ballina U18 NRRRL Grand Final side that won 30 – 4 to Cudgen with James Torrens starting the Grand Final in his usual left centre position. Throughout the Grand Final James Torrens was a handful for the Cudgen defence, scoring a good try and also making a long break when he fielded a Cudgen grubber kick on his own line and charging downfield on a 60 metre run before the cover defence converged.

In the Grand Final James Torrens had the responsibility of taking the first hit up from every one of Ballina’s scrum wins, regularly bending the Cudgen defence back and putting the Seagulls on the front foot.

James Torrens made his NRRRL Reserve Grade debut in June 2018, against Casino RSM and in 2018 went on to play in six Reserve Grade matches in total scoring three tries, including a double against Lower Clarence and also scoring in his second Reserve Grade game against Mullumbimby.

James Torrens made his NRRRL First Grade debut in late July against Lower Clarence and what a debut he had, scoring a double on a memorable afternoon. James Torrens had scored a double in the earlier Reserve Grade match as well as scoring in the U18 match that same day.

In 2017 James Torrens represented the East Coast Dolphins in the New South Wales Country U16 Championships and in 2016 represented Group One at the U15 New South Wales Junior Country Championships.

James Torrens just oozes class on the field he is able to break tackles at will but also understands when it is more appropriate to draw his opponent and pass. He has used this skill set on multiple occasions on the right side of the field. He has a very strong right hand fend which prevents opposing centres getting in on him and forcing him towards the sideline.

Over the course of the entire season, both at club and representative level James Torrens was outstanding at left centre.

Even though he has size, strength and power in the centre position, he does look for his outside support when confronted with the fullback, even though he is more than capable of beating fullbacks one on one if need be.

James Torrens also has very good hands, on a number of occasions for Ballina in the U18 NRRRL competition this season, he picked up a number of passes from either low down or above his head and then can use his speed off the mark to look to create something for either himself or his team mates.

Defensively James Torrens hits very hard with above average initial contact being more than sufficient to halt the forward momentum of the ball carrier. James Torrens is constantly is in a position to disrupt the attacking movement of the opposition.

Extrapolating his skill set to the NRL, I would suggest that James Torrens would be more than capable to adapt and excel in either an up and in or sliding methodology.

The other point I will make is that James Torrens certainly does not shirk contact, both in attack or defence and seems to revel in the physical aspects of defending.

James Torrens will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad in 2019 and will also be U18 eligible in 2020 and whilst he will play a lot of the season in the NRRRL U18 competition, James Torrens I am sure will add to his one NRRRL First Grade match this season with Ballina.

James Torrens is a solidly built young man but has the speed, mobility, skill set and mentality to stay in the centres for the duration of his rugby league career.

From a player comparison perspective for James Torrens think of a young version of Manly centre Steve Matai, as a powerfully built centre who is an aggressive player and one who looks to physically dominate his opposite number in defence as well as being more than effective from an attacking perspective.

mdrew

14-10-18, 07:01 AM

Kayah Riggs-Noble. The big strong young 17 year old front rower came from the clouds a touch in 2018 not just breaking into the Coombabah State High Side but by seasons end being one of their better performers alongside Titan Carsil Vaikai. Kayah Riggs-Noble started for Coombabah in their 17 – 16 win over Marymount College to qualify for the Queensland GIO Cup quarter finals.

Kayah Riggs-Noble played the 2018 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition, playing in five matches in that grade with those matches coming against Currumbin, Tweed Heads, Burleigh, Ormeau and Runaway Bay.

Kayah Riggs-Noble also played in one U19 GCRL match in 2018 that match occurring in Week Two of the Finals. Kayah Riggs-Noble started from the bench as Mudgeeraba were knocked as a result of a 54 – 26 loss to Bilambil.

Kayah Riggs-Noble also played one MM Cup match and one Hastings Deering’s Colts match in 2018. He made his MM Cup debit in Round Seven against Victoria from the bench and in an impressive feat for a 17 year old made his U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts debit in Round Twenty Four from the bench against the Easts Tigers in a big 52 – 12 win for Burleigh in the competitions final round.

Kayah Riggs-Noble is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and can offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it. There is no subtlety to his running, it is straight and hard and another positive is that he will not just run upright, he will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped one on one.

Kayah Riggs-Noble does have quite foot speed when/if he gets into space, probably above average for a front rower but any tries that he scores will come as a result of power running close to the line, with the added benefit that if he does not crash over, Kayah Riggs-Noble will draw in the defence meaning that there will be space out wide for his side.

In defence Kayah Riggs-Noble uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Kayah Riggs-Noble has a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage when defending against opposing forwards and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck.

Kayah Riggs-Noble is MM Cup eligible again in 2019 and should be a key member of the Burleigh forward pack in that competition and post that should add to his one Colts appearance this season.

In relation to the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, Kayah Riggs-Noble, if not involved with the Burleigh MM Cup or Colts squads will play the 2019 season as part of the Mudgeeraba U19 side.

Kayah Riggs-Noble has played in the front row or lock for the majority of his rugby league career and exclusively there this season and on that basis I cannot see him moving from there into the future.

For me a solid NRL comparison for Kayah Riggs-Noble is current Wests Tigers and New Zealand International front rower Russell Packer as a front rower who regularly crashes head long into the defensive line but does have some subtle footwork which seems to get largely over looked. As for that matter does his solid defensive technique.

Kayah Riggs-Noble has made rapid improvement this season and I will be following him closely in coming years to see how his career progresses.

mdrew

14-10-18, 12:55 PM

Caleb Hodges. (Revised) The Titans linked young former Group 18 centre or winger had an outstanding 2018 season including starting on the wing for the PBC School Boy side that won the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown.

Caleb Hodges also started from the bench for PBC in the Queensland GIO Cup Final against Kirwan State High School and also having a hand in the success of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in the 2018 season.

Caleb Hodges joined the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad and PBC this season with an impressive pedigree including representing the U16 New South Wales Indigenous side in 2017 where he started in the second row and also representing Group 18 on numerous occasions in the junior age levels. Caleb Hodges played his club rugby league in the 2017 season for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the U16 Group 18 competition, with a team mates being fellow Titans youngster and PBC student Jordan Tauali’i.

For the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup competition this season, Caleb Hodges played in four matches scoring for two tries. Caleb Hodges scored his first try in Round Six against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and also scored in Tweed Heads semi-final against Souths Logan.

Caleb Hodges was named to start on the interchange bench in Round One but did not make the final 17 but came into the Tweed Heads side in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and stayed in the side for the remainder of the season.

Caleb Hodges started from the interchange bench in Rounds Five and Six and in the centres for Round Seven and the semi-final. Interesting Caleb Hodges was named to start at hooker in Round Six against Wynnum Manly but ended starting from the bench instead in that match.

Caleb Hodges played his club rugby league on the Gold Coast with the Bilambil Jets and in 2018 played in three grades for the Northern New South Wales based club.

In the U17 Division One competition, Caleb Hodges played in four matches for Bilambil scoring against Ormeau. Caleb Hodges also made two appearances in the GCRL U19 competition with those matches being against Burleigh and Currumbin.

Caleb Hodges made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut in May of this year when he came on against Tugun.

Caleb Hodges was a regular for the PBC Open side’s 2018 GIO Cup campaign starting from the bench in their Queensland GIO Cup final victory over Kirwan State High School and moved to the starting side on the left wing for the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC running out 20 – 12 winners to be crowned the 2018 GIO Cup National Champions.

Caleb Hodges’s style of play is that of a powerful wide running centre or back rower with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus.

Caleb Hodges is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful second rower, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a big strong powerful young player who can cause nightmares for any defensive line. Caleb Hodges seems to line up on the left side of the field more so than the right, but I have no doubt moving forward that he will be able to play on either side of the field, he seems to be just so skilful.

For a player of his size, he runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball during a game. For a young player, Caleb Hodges seems to have a good understanding of when to off load the ball, currently most of his off loads occur when he is part way through the defensive line and can get his right arm free to pass to his outside support runners.

Caleb Hodges is aggressive in defence whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football.

Caleb Hodges’s speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

Defensively Caleb Hodges has a very good low tackling technique, he is by no means a big player but his defensive low tackling technique is very good, he can defend opposing centres one on one, and is one of the better low tacklers I have seen in junior rugby league. Tackling around the legs seems to have become a lost art, but when done right it is in my opinion it is still the most effective way of defending.

Caleb Hodges is eligible again for the MM Cup competition in 2019 and has been selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad and will continue to play for the PBC Open school boy in the Langer Cup and GIO Cup competitions as well as with Bilambil in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition.

Caleb Hodges is perfectly suited to the centres in rugby league and with his speed and elusiveness.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Caleb Hodges think of someone along the lines of the Newcastle Knights and Queensland State of Origin centre Dane Gagai as a smooth moving centre who is elusive and difficult to defend against as a result.

Caleb Hodges just seems to have a natural affinity for rugby league.

mdrew

14-10-18, 06:40 PM

Solomon Torrens. (Revised) The powerfully built Titans linked young forward moved up to the Gold Coast this year from Northern New South Wales and made an immediate impression at PBC State High School and for me was the best player on the field when PBC defeated Keebra Park 26 – 22 in the Langer Cup (Open Age Group) recently. The match was a high quality affair but Solomon Torrens was a class apart with his powerful running on the fringes of the ruck for PBC.

Solomon Torrens started that match at lock and was dominant throughout regularly making metres through the centre of the ruck as well as on the right side of the ruck. For me Solomon Torrens performance on the Wednesday night against Keebra Park was the best performance I have seen from a school boy since watching Ryan James destroying everyone when he was in his senior year also at PBC seven or eight years ago now.

Solomon Torrens started from the bench for PBC in the Queensland GIO Cup Final and the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC leading from the start to become 2018 GIO Cup National Champions on the back of a 20 – 12 victory.

The former Casino RSM youngster generated a lot of buzz around him as a result of his great season in the U16.5 Group One junior rugby league competition in2017 and it was certainly deserved. As a result Solomon Torrens was selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 MM Cup squad for the 2018 version of the competition.

For Tweed Heads in the 2018 MM Cup competition Solomon Torrens played in two matches being Rounds One and Two against Norths and Victoria respectively coming off the inter change bench on both occasions.

After the MM Cup competition reached its conclusion, In addition to playing for PBC Solomon Torrens played for the Bilambil Jets in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition. Round One saw Solomon Torrens start in the front row as the Jets lost 20 – 18 to the Tweed Heads Seagulls. An opponent in that match but a team mate for PBC in the Langer Cup match against Keebra Park was giant Titans linked front rower Jordan Tauali’i .

Solomon Torrens was back in the U17 Division One competition in Round Three when he came off the interchange bench. In Round Four Solomon Torrens started from the interchange bench for Bilambil and scored in their tough 18 – 10 loss to Currumbin.

In total in the U17 Division One competition for Bilambil, Solomon Torrens played in six matches scoring two tries which came against Currumbin and Tweed Heads. Solomon Torrens also converted a try against Burleigh to finish the season with 10 points.

In Round Five of the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, Solomon Torrens deservedly made his GCRL First Grade debut when he started in the centres for the Bilambil Jets in their 26 – 18 loss to the Tugun Seahawks. Making your GCRL First Grade debut at just 17 is an impressive feat.

For Casino RSM in the 2017 U16.5 Group One JRL competition, Solomon Torrens averaged just under a try a match on his way to scoring nine tries from just eleven matches including a great first two rounds when he scored a hat trick in Round One against Ballina and a Round Two double against Lismore Marist Brothers.

Prior to his move to Casino RSM, Solomon Torrens played for the Kyogle Turkeys including at 2016 at the U15 level where he scored five tries across 10 ten matches, including a hat trick against Clarence Coast, and also tries against Marist Brothers on two separate occasions. Unfortunately his U15 side has had a difficult season and finished last. Solomon Torrens also played eight matches up in the U16.5 age group, scoring two tries in the process, one being in his first match in that age group against Grafton and the second against Casino RSM.

Running with the football, Solomon Torrens has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them.

Solomon Torrens has very good speed off the mark but not necessarily great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. The key to his running is his ability to drop his shoulder into the defenders at the right moment, to go along with his late foot work. These attributes make Solomon Torrens very difficult to tackle and he can rarely be stopped one on one.

Throw in a decent turn of pace off the mark and you have a player who is difficult for a defensive line to combat. Keebra Park had all sorts of trouble defending against him and he seemed to break at least one tackle every time he ran the ball that Wednesday night. He was just an absolute powerhouse over the course of the entire match.

Defensively Solomon Torrens hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribcage and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls, read that Solomon Torrens is very good at winning the wrestling battle in the ruck, he is a naturally strong young man.

Solomon Torrens defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for. Against Keebra Park he dominated their giant forward pack for large stretches of the match.

Solomon Torrens really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards and then explodes through his core. Throw in a touch of aggression and you have someone who can dominate a game defensively and is able to seal off one side of the ruck on his own. He will need to continue to work on his strength and lateral movement as he progresses.

It is scary to think that Solomon Torrens will be eligible again for the MM Cup competition in 2019 when he will be a key member of the Tweed Heads side and will play for Bilambil in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition post the MM Cup if he does not move immediately to the Tweed Heads Colts side.

Solomon Torrens likely could also play in the second row, but with his ability to make ground through the centre of the ruck and also establish a defensive presence in the same area, a future at lock would seem the most likely scenario from my perspective.

From a player comparison perspective for Solomon Torrens, someone that I think that he has a similar playing style to is North Queensland Cowboy and New Zealand International Jason Taumalolo as a wrecking ball of a forward who can break open and dominate a game on his own.

Solomon Torrens just oozes class and the scary thing is that I do not think that he has even come close to realising his potential and likely will not until he plays at a higher level on a more regular basis.

Playing in the MM Cup this season and for PBC as well as in the GCRL First Grade competition this season is a great base for Solomon Torrens to excel into the future.

Solomon Torrens start to the 2018 season however, for both the Tweed Heads MM Cup side and PBC has been nothing short of absolutely outstanding and he still has a lot of potential that is yet to translate into production but it will and when it does opponents are in a world of trouble both in terms of how he attack them and hit them defensively.

I have seen Solomon Torrens play over the last couple of seasons where he was good, but this season he has taken yet another step in his development with the promise of plenty more to come.

mdrew

15-10-18, 06:18 PM

Jordan Tauali’i. (Revised) Jordan Tauali’i the giant Titans linked front rower and PBC student was a key member this season of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Division One side that was competing in the GCRL competition for the first time with Jordan Tauali’i leading the Seagulls to the finals.

In the U17 Division One competition for Teed Heads Jordan Tauali’i played in eleven matches including their final’s match.

In those matches Jordan Tauali’i scored two tries, the first coming in Round One against Bilambil as Tweed Heads celebrated their U17 Division One inclusion with a victory over their closest rivals. Jordan Tauali’i’s other 2018 U17 Division One try was scored against Mudgeeraba in late June.

In Week One of the U17 Division One finals Jordan Tauali’i started in the front row for Tweed Heads who unfortunately went down 42 – 14 to a Carsil Vaikai led Runaway Bay to end what was an encouraging first season in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition.

Jordan Tauali’i has also played a number of matches for the PBC Open side and in particular was effective from the bench against Marsden State High School at Waterford mid-season in a big PBC win.

Jordan Tauali’i started the 2018 season as part of the Northern Rivers U18 Laurie Daley Cup side, playing in three matches starting all in the front row and in the “local derby” against North Coast had a great battle against North Coast front rower Lewis Cooper. The ground literally shook such were the hits against each other in that match.

The three matches that Jordan Tauali’i played in the 2018 Laurie Daley Cup were against North Coast, Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers and he started in the front row in each of those matches.

Jordan Tauali’i had a very solid 2017 season commencing with representing Group 18 at the U16 level and then progressing through to playing for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side in the New South Wales Country Age Championships.

Jordan Tauali’i finished the 2017 season by participating in the Titans U16 High Performance Unit camp in Lennox Heads and starting for the Titans in their U16 match against a Western Mustangs U16 selection.

The Palm Beach Currumbin High School student who is in the Rugby League Excellence program at the school scored two tries for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side earlier this season, both coming in the first round when he scored a double against the Central Coast. East Coast Dolphins U16 team mates included fellow Titans linked youngster Ben Liyou and Kade Hill.

The 2017 East Coast Dolphins U16 side actually made the New South Wales Country U16 final with Jordan Tauali’i starting the final in the front row. Post the final Jordan Tauali’i was named as a starting front rower in the 2017 New South Wales Country U16 side that toured New Zealand’s South Island convincingly winning both matches. Fellow Titans linked youngsters Ben Liyou and Kade Hill were also part of the New South Wales Country U16 touring side.

Jordan Tauali’i was born in Auckland and moved with his family in Australian when he was just 18 months old. In addition to playing rugby league Jordan Tauali’i also played two seasons in rugby with the Currumbin Alligators before moving back to rugby league where he has stayed ever since.

Jordan Tauali’i was also a nominee for the Aquis Sports Person of the Year in 2017. Jordan Tauali’i has also represented Samoa on a number of occasions including in 2015 playing for Samoa U14’s against a Titans U14 Development Squad. The Titans U14’s Development Squad won a hard fought match 28 – 10.

Jordan Tauali’i is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which he uses to cut back behind the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

Whilst he does not seem to offload the ball too often, when he does get his arms free Jordan Tauali’i only passes when his support is in a better position, which is a sign of maturity for such a young player. He continually put his hand up all day to take the ball up and due to his agility for a big young man is able to generate quick play the balls so that his team can maintain or generate momentum.

From a speed perspective for such a big strong young man, Jordan Tauali’i actually has a more than decent first step to generate speed to impact the defensive line and also quick foot work that may come as a surprise to some for a young man his size.

In defence Jordan Tauali’i uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Jordan Tauali’i is not averse to looking for the big hit (just ask Lewis Cooper) but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most rugby league forwards are.

Jordan Tauali’i does however show flashes of above average lateral mobility which he uses to his benefit both in attack and defence. Yes is a big young man but Jordan Tauali’i definitely has some mobility.

Jordan Tauali’i will play the 2019 season in the GCRL U19 competition for Tweed Heads as well as being part of the 2019 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad.

With his size strength and power Jordan Tauali’i is certainly going to stay in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career, even though he did spend some time in the centres a few years ago.

The way that Jordan Tauali’i handles himself on the football field reminds me of Sydney Roosters and New Zealand International enforcer Jarrod Warera-Hargraves as a big strong forward with a skill set that belies the intimidating presence that he projects on the field in the most demanding position on a football field, he has plenty of raw talent to work with.

mdrew

15-10-18, 08:54 PM

Daniel Shannon. (Revised) He is a local Titan’s linked young front rower was part of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad this season as well as in the 2017 season although in 2017 he did not play in any matches. Daniel Shannon has since progressed to the U20 Colts competition with the Burleigh Bears. Daniel Shannon’s two brothers are also outstanding young rugby league players.

For Burleigh in the 2018 MM Cup competition, Daniel Shannon played in all six matches starting five in the front row and coming off the bench in Round Three in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Daniel Shannon scored just the one try in the MM Cup this season which was against Redcliffe in Round Two in an impressive Burleigh win at Pizzey Park.

Post the MM Cup competition, Daniel Shannon played for Southport and played in nine matches in the U19 competition and three in the Doug Lipp Cup competition.

Daniel Shannon came into the Southport U19 side in Round Three starting in the front row in a 22 all draw against Bilambil and also started in the front row in seven other matches before his Colts promotion. In Round 16 with the Burleigh Colts side having a bye Daniel Shannon lined up in the front row against Currumbin in a tough 26 – 16 loss.

Daniel Shannon scored two U19 GCRL regular season tries, the first came in early July against Currumbin and then Daniel Shannon scored his second try in the following round against Mudgeeraba.

In Week One of the GCRL U19 Finals series, Daniel Shannon started in the front row for Southport as they defeated Bilambil 34 – 8.

In Week two of the GCRL U19 Finals series, Daniel Shannon once again started in the front row for Southport against Currumbin with the Tigers winning 20 - 14.

In the U19 Grand Final Daniel Shannon started once again in the front row for Southport against Currumbin but unfortunately Southport went down 34 – 20, Daniel Shannon however was very good for the Tigers that Sunday afternoon.

Daniel Shannon made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in Round Three this year when he started in the second row for Southport against Bilambil. Daniel Shannon also started in Round Five in fact starting in the centres on that occasion against Helensvale and also played against Mudgeeraba in June.

It has been an impressive effort from Daniel Shannon to start in the front row in the U19 match in Rounds Three and Five and them back up to start in the Doug Lipp Cup matches immediately after.

Daniel Shannon was deservedly promoted to the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side for their Round 17 match against Norths starting the match from the bench on a tough day for Burleigh.

In total in the 2018 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition to date, Daniel Shannon played in four matches, all from the bench.

Daniel Shannon has also recently been selected in the 2018 Queensland Indigenous U18 side for the QPIIC Championships to be held in October.

In 2017 Daniel Shannon played for the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition specifically at the U17 and U19 levels. Daniel Shannon also represented the Queensland Indigenous side in 2017 at the QPICC carnival at Beenleigh in October.

Daniel Shannon has alternated between the U17 Division Two and U19 levels for Southport in 2017, playing six matches in each competition and had a very busy weekend. On Saturday Daniel Shannon lined up for the Southport U19 side coming off the interchange bench in their semi-final loss 21 – 14 to Currumbin and on Sunday started in the front row for Southport in their 21 – 14 Grand Final loss to Burleigh. In the 2017 U17 Division Two competition, Daniel Shannon crossed for two tries on the season, the first coming against Coomera in July and the second in early August against Helensvale.

In 2016 Daniel Shannon was part of the Gold Coast White CC side for this season, starting the last two matches off the bench. He played the 2015 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks where he scored three tries across the ten matches that he played at the U15 Division One level and he also played seven matches up at the U16 Division Two level, where he mainly came off the bench.

Daniel Shannon also represented Murri United in the Queensland Murri tournament in late 2015 and was in fact selected in the Queensland U15 Murri side which toured Fiji and won all three of their matches on that tour alongside Jesse Brasslin.

Running with the football, Daniel Shannon has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them. He does not have great speed off the mark or necessary great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability.

Daniel Shannon has a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well although to date in U20 Colts competition he has not shown it much, concentrating more on making ground in the centre of the ruck.

The key to his running is his ability to drop his shoulder into the defenders at the right moment, to go along with his late foot work. These attributes make Daniel Shannon very difficult to tackle and he can rarely be stopped one on one. Throw in a decent turn of pace off the mark and you have a player who is difficult for a defensive line to combat.

Defensively Daniel Shannon hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribcage and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls, read that Daniel Shannon is very good at winning the wrestling battle in the ruck.

Daniel Shannon defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for.

Daniel Shannon really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards and then explodes through his core. Throw in a touch of aggression and you have someone who can dominate a game defensively and is able to seal off one side of the ruck on his own.

For a front rower his lateral movement is more than reasonable. Daniel Shannon is also quite effective when defending at marker, and does not use it as a chance to have a break and will chase hard from the position.

Come 2019 Daniel Shannon still has two years of Colts eligibility remaining which is a scary proposition for rival Colts sides for the next two years.

Based on the outstanding way that the Burleigh Bears have worked with their juniors this year, I would anticipate that Daniel Shannon will also spend at least a portion of the 2019 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side.

Due to his size and strength he I believe will continue to play his football in the front row in the long term although he could likely play in the second row for the next couple of years adequately.

From a player comparison perspective, think of someone along the lines of New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand International second rower/front rower Adam Blair as a solid hard working forward who has a more than decent off load in him as well as extremely aggressive tackling and running styles.

mdrew

16-10-18, 06:06 PM

Indiha Saotui-Huta. (Revised) The Titans linked New Zealand born youngster has moved around a little in his junior rugby career to date but make no mistake Indiha Saotui-Huta is a talented outside back in either rugby or rugby league.

Indiha Saotui-Huta recently started on the wing for the Titans U18 side in their victory over the PNG U18 side.

This season Indiha Saotui-Huta was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup playing in all six of their matches including their semi-final, starting each on the wing. In his seven matches Indiha Saotui-Huta scored five tries.

Indiha Saotui-Huta’s first try came in Round Three against the Burleigh Bears. Indiha Saotui-Huta followed that up with tries in Rounds Five and Six against Townsville and Wynnum Manly respectively. Indiha Saotui-Huta completed his 2018 MM Cup try scoring with a double in the final regular season being Round Seven against the Easts Tigers.

Post the MM Cup competition, Indiha Saotui-Huta played for Mudgeeraba in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition, playing in six matches and scoring eight tries.

In his first match with Mudgeeraba in the U19 competition Indiha Saotui-Huta scored a double against Bilambil and then backed that up a fortnight later scoring four tries against Beaudesert and then in his last U19 game of the season scored another double this time against Helensvale.

Indiha Saotui-Huta also played in one Hastings Deering’s Colts match for Tweed Heads late in the 2018 season starting on the right wing in Round Twenty against the Mackay Cutters.

This season Indiha Saotui-Huta was also part of the PBC Opens Rugby League side that had such a great run in the GIO Cup competition. Indiha Saotui-Huta had a particularly solid match in the Queensland GIO Cup semi-final against Ignatius Park, starting on the left wing and setting up a try for fullback Braydon McGradey.

In the Queensland GIO Cup final against Kirwan State High School Indiha Saotui-Huta started on the right wing as PBC held off a determined Kirwan State High School side 32 – 26 to qualify for the National GIO Cup Final.

Indiha Saotui-Huta moved to fullback for the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC winning 20 – 12 to become the 2018 GIO Cup National Champions.

Indiha Saotui-Huta was born and raised in New Zealand but spent from 2013 to 2015 on the Gold Coast where he played both rugby and rugby league. Indiha Saotui-Huta made an immediate impact playing for Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby competition playing in the centres and also represented the Gold Coast Cyclones representative side on a number of occasions.
In 2015 when his club side played in the Brisbane club rugby competition, Indiha Saotui-Huta finished as the leading points scorer with 147 points.

Indiha Saotui-Huta returned to New Zealand for the 2016 year, playing two years for the New Plymouth Boys High First XV, playing a number of outstanding matches including scoring against Auckland’s King’s College in 2016 and in 2017 scored against St Pats Silverstream. In 2017 Indiha Saotui-Huta also started for New Plymouth Boys High in a curtain raiser for a Reds v Chiefs Super Fifteen clash in New Zealand. Indiha Saotui-Huta also had an outstanding Rugby Sevens school boy career.

From a rugby league perspective, Indiha Saotui-Huta represented the U17 Taranaki Sharks rugby league side in 2017 and from there has been identified to take part in the 2018 New Zealand U18 talent squad.

Whilst in Australia previously Indiha Saotui-Huta only played four rugby league matches, which all came in 2015 for the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the GCJRL U15 Division One competition, from those four matches, he scored for a solitary try which came against Southport.

Indiha Saotui-Huta is a solidly built young man with a low centre of gravity who has a very good right foot step and right hand fend. For his build, he is very quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will not get caught from behind if he gets into open space. Whilst his speed off the mark cannot be considered explosive he has good top end speed once he gets moving.

In addition to his speed Indiha Saotui-Huta seems to have the ability to “freeze” his direct opponent with his ability to step off both feet before accelerating around them usually on the touchline side. On the wing, with his low centre of gravity he is able to come in and take runs through the centre of the ruck, and effective runs at that.

Indiha Saotui-Huta will take off from dummy half and use his elite foot work make a lot of the “tough” yards. It was Indiha Saotui-Huta’s ability to make ground in the centre of the ruck that led to a try for PBC fullback Glenn McGradey in the GIO Cup Queensland semi-final.

Indiha Saotui-Huta charged out of dummy half engaging three Ignatius Park defenders before popping a great short ball to his fullback who ran fifty metres to score untouched under the posts.

Indiha Saotui-Huta is also not devoid of ball playing ability as was evidenced when he was playing sevens in 2016 and 2017 in New Zealand.

From a defensive perspective Indiha Saotui-Huta is a very solid tackler who makes good initial contact and is able to generate momentum through his core and drive into his opponent with enough force to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier.

Indiha Saotui-Huta has both a solid low tackling technique as well as having the functional strength to make ball and all tackles effectively against the biggest of players looking to target him in the defensive line.

A positive for Indiha Saotui-Huta is that he does not purely rely on strength and power to hit, timing is also a key attribute to ensure that he arrives at the attacker at around the same time that the ball does, this also reduces the likelihood of injury to himself or the defender getting on his outside setting up a two or one down the sideline.

Indiha Saotui-Huta will be pushing hard for a spot with either Burleigh or Tweed Heads in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in 2019 and only a brave person would say that he will not make it. Indiha Saotui-Huta will also be Colts eligible in 2020.
In Australia for Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast Cyclones Indiha Saotui-Huta primarily at inside centre, but when he moved back to New Zealand Indiha Saotui-Huta played on the right wing for New Plymouth Boys High. In sevens Indiha Saotui-Huta was primarily a middle third player.
With his ability to stand up his direct opponent and break down the side line with above average speed, I can envisage a future on the wing for the talented Indiha Saotui-Huta.

For me Indiha Saotui-Huta has the build and also definitely has similar skill attributes to New Zealand Warrior and New Zealand International Gerard Beale especially in terms of how he is able to stand up his opposite number of break a way down the side line as well as coming in a running effectively out of dummy half.

mdrew

16-10-18, 09:05 PM

Jaxson Paulo. (Revised) The Titans contracted youngster spent a portion of the 2018 season training with the Titans NRL squad on a regular basis at the moment as well as spending the first half of the 2017-18 off season with the Titans NRL squad.

To cap off a more than solid season in 2018, Jaxson Paulo has recently been selected in the Junior Kiwi’s squad alongside fellow Titans, Darius Farmer, Kea Pere and Moeaki Fotuaika.

Jaxson Paulo made an outstanding start to the 2018 season as part of the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts side where he started the opening rounds of the competition at left centre.

In addition to scoring In Round One against the Sunshine Coast Falcons when he crossed untouched after running a good line off a Taine Tuaupiki pass, Jaxson Paulo also set up his winger Reece Tapine for an easy try when he was able to run onto a great pass by five eight Taine Tuaupiki and draw the winger for Reece Tapine to cross untouched in the left corner.

The work of Jaxson Paulo in the try may have looked easy but it wasn’t. First Jaxson Paulo had to stay in his position when the prescribed play broke down on the inside, anticipate that Taine Tuaupiki was going to beat his direct opponent, stay onside as Taine Tuaupiki broke free and then draw the winger Sunshine Coast Falcons winger who was coming out of the line quickly looking to shut down Jaxon Paulo’s time. Jaxson Paulo executed all aspects of play precisely and timed appropriately.

Jaxson Paulo’s try came as a result of him staying wide when in broken play five eight Taine Tuaupiki got on the outside of his defender a put a great ball on Jaxon Paulo’s chest for him to score untouched in the left corner.

In Round Two against Redcliffe Jaxson Paulo also kicked two conversions to have eight points in the early going this season. Point’s tallies don’t tell the whole story however, in short Jaxson Paulo has been outstanding through the opening rounds of the Colts competition this season.

The Round Three clash against the Tweed Heads Seagulls saw Jaxon Paulo cross for a double in Burleigh’s four point loss to their local rivals, scoring a try in each half and for that matter being outstanding over the course of the entire match.

Jaxson Paulo’s first try came as a result of a back line move by Burleigh inside Tweed Heads 20 metre line. When the ball got out to Jaxson Paulo on the left side of the field he was able to get outside his opposing centre and hold him off with his right arm to score in the corner.

Jaxson Paulo’s try in the second half could not have been more different to the first. With Burleigh attacking two metres out from the Seagulls try line, Burleigh hooker Zac McCormack went to a short five metre blind side passing to Jaxson Paulo. Jaxson Paulo received the ball three or four metres out from the try line and about the same distance from the left side line. Jaxson Paulo got low disrupting the centre of gravity of the Seagulls defender to barge over for his second try of the afternoon.

In total in the Hasting’s Colts competition for Burleigh Jaxson Paulo has played in twelve matches and scored three tries. Jaxson Paulo scored in Round One against Sunshine Coast, Round Six against Western Mustangs and Round Fourteen against Northern Pride.

From a position perspective, started Burleigh’s first six matches in the centres (specifically left centre), but moved to fullback for Burleigh’s Round Nine match against the Townsville Blackhawks and stayed in the custodian role for the other five Colts matches that he has played in.

Early in the season Jaxson Paulo was promoted to the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side spending the majority of the season to date there. Jaxson Paulo made his GCRL First Grade debut against Tweed Heads in April.

In total in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition Jaxson Paulo played in ten matches to date and scored three tries. Jaxson Paulo’s first try came against Runaway Bay in his third GCRL First Grade match and he followed that up by scoring against Ormeau a month later. Jaxson Paulo’s third try came in the final regular season round being Round Seventeen against Tugun in a tough 14 – 12 loss.

In 2017 Jaxson Paulo made his NYC debut for the Titans after starting off the 2017 rugby league season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side before transitioning to Tweed Heads U20 Colts Challenge before making his NYC debut in Round 22 in a 36-34 loss against the Brisbane Broncos. In that match Jaxson Paulo played 35 minutes making 46 metres from five runs also making two tackles and off-loading the ball on one occasion.

In addition to his Round Twenty Two debut, Jaxson Paulo played two more NYC matches in 2017 being Round Twenty Five against the Bulldogs and Round Twenty Six against the Sydney Roosters, he started both of those matches on the left wing, playing all 80 minutes on both occasions and scoring against the Bulldogs at Cbus.

In total in the NYC in 2017, Jaxson Paulo ran for 197 metres from 20 hit-ups and made five tackles. In the Round Twenty Five home clash against the Bulldogs Jaxon Paulo ran for 115 metres making a line break in the process of making those metres.

After the conclusion of the 2017 club season Jaxson Paulo started on the wing for the New Zealand U18 side in their match against the Australian Schoolboys in September a team mate that afternoon was Titans contracted youngster Darius Farmer. Just prior to that International match Jaxson Paulo scored for New Zealand Taurahere (NZ Australian based players) against the U18 New Zealand Domestic based players.

Jaxson Paulo whilst he was part of the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad did not feature in any of their matches but started off his 2017 rugby league season in Round One of the U20 Colts Challenge competition starting on the wing in Round One against Souths Logan. Jaxson Paulo only missed one of Tweed Heads U20 Colts matches in 2017 being Round Thirteen a when he was making his NYC debut. Outside of Round Four when he started in the centres Jaxson Paulo has started every match for the Tweed Heads Seagulls on the left wing.

Jaxson Paulo went on a great try scoring run mid-season for the Tweed Colts side scoring doubles in four consecutive rounds prior to his NYC debut, no wonder he got an NYC debut just after that! In relation to the doubles, Jaxson Paulo scored them against Ipswich in Round Eight, against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Round Nine, against the Burleigh Bears in Round Ten and against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Round Twelve.

Jaxson Paulo scored his ninth try of the 2017 U20 Colts Challenge competition when he scored in the corner against the Redcliffe Dolphins. This try can be seen at around the 3 minute mark of the highlights package posted on the QRL Official Site.

The young Keebra Park player played a major part in Keebra Park’s 2016 GIO Cup campaign which unfortunately ended with a tough loss in the National Final and also played well for Gold Coast White in the MM Cup competition where White made it all the way to the semi-final portion of that competition before being defeated 13 – 10 by North’s.

In the MM Cup competition in 2016 Jaxson Paulo played all bar one of GC Whites matches, missing Round Seven but was back for the quarter final the following week. Jaxson Paulo was also part of the South West team that played in the QSSRL U18 Championships where he was selected on the bench. Jaxson Paulo was also selected in the Team Toa side for a match between New South Wales and Queensland based NZ players. That afternoon, whilst Team Toa was beaten, Jaxon Paulo scored both of Team Toa’s tries.

For Keebra Park Jaxson Paulo was part of their 2016 GIO Cup campaign including scoring two tries in their Semi-final victory over Ignatius Park. For GC White in the MM competition in 2016, Jaxon Paulo scored four tries, including three in their Quarter Final victory over Ipswich and also another against South’s Logan in Round Six. For GC White, Jaxson Paulo split time between centre and wing, playing the first three rounds in the centres and the remaining matches on the wing, including the two finals matches.

Jaxson Paulo played the majority of the 2016 season in the centres both for Keebra Park and Gold Coast White in the MM competition and in that position, is a big strong runner of the football. He has however also played in the back row in previous years, including playing there for the U16 Titans Development Squad in a match against Samoa late in 2015 when he came off the interchange bench after an early injury.

Jaxson Paulo is eligible for the Colts competition once again in 2019 but I would suggest that after an off season training with the Titans NRL squad Jaxson Paulo will spend the entirety of the 2019 season in the Queensland Cup with Burleigh and is more than good enough to sneak an NRL match or two as the 2019 season progresses.

Prior to this season I was of the opinion that Jaxson Paulo would end up in the centres or even in the backrow but I have been extremely impressed with how he has played at fullback and even though a future in the centres is most likely Jaxson Paulo having a future at fullback certainly cannot be discounted at this point of his career.

I appreciate that they have different body shapes but for me Jaxson Paulo has a playing style similar to that of Brisbane Broncos winger and occasional fullback Jamayne Isaako, both are just outstanding talents who with time and experience could be anything.

mdrew

17-10-18, 07:51 PM

Liam Mahoney. The young hooker recently started at hooker for the Titans U18 side in a match against the PNG U18 side at Burleigh.

Liam Mahoney was more than solid in 2018, his second season in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition proving to be an iron man for the Southport Tigers playing in seventeen matches including starting at hooker in the Grand Final. Unfortunately Southport went down to Currumbin in a physical contest 34 - 20.

In his seventeen U19 matches, Liam Mahoney crossed for two tries the first of which came in Round Six against Helensvale and he flowed that up with a try in Round Seven against Mudgeeraba.

In 2017 as a 17 year old Liam Mahoney played in twelve U19 matches after moving up from the U17 Division Two competition soon after the start of the season.

In 2016, Liam Mahoney played in the CC Cup competition for Gold Coast White and also represented South East Queensland at the U16 level in the same year.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Liam Mahoney is extremely efficient in his passing and there is no wasted movement or energy as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand first then pass.

There is no discernible difference between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Liam Mahoney is also effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short he is a very good game manager from the hooking position. Liam Mahoney is also a good communicator on the field, he is constantly encouraging his team both in attack and defence.

Liam Mahoney does not yell and scream, like the other parts of his game, he is calm and composed and uses positive reinforcement rather than yelling and screaming to get his point across to team mates but he does make it clear that he is in charge however.

Where Liam Mahoney really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his quickness out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step usually off his right foot, although he does not necessary run much out of dummy half per say. The times that he does run though, Liam Mahoney targets forwards who are offside or slow to get back into the defensive line or line-up correctly at marker. If the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space though not necessarily to finish off the movement himself.

Once in open space Liam Mahoney does not usually have the speed required to finish things off himself but he invariably will make the right decision with the ball in terms of whether to take the tackle or pass to a support player as he works progressively through the options that are available to him.

Liam Mahoney ’s defence for a hooker is very good, he does not necessarily hit hard but as a result of his good low technique he can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive into opposing forwards. Liam Mahoney ’s intensity and continuous effort means that he will track the ball across the field and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside.

Liam Mahoney will have two years of Colts Eligibility starting in 2019 and will play in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and may also play some Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches as well for Southport in 2019.

Liam Mahoney has been a more than solid hooker to date in his rugby league career and there is absolutely no reason for that situation to alter although Liam Mahoney could likely play at half back or even lock like he did on a number of occasions in the CC Cup in 2016 for short periods if required.

From a player comparison perspective for Liam Mahoney, due to his distribution, running, defence and the speed and intensity that he plays the game at, a playing style akin to Danny Buderis formerly of the Knights is an appropriate comparison I would suggest.

mdrew

17-10-18, 08:59 PM

Blake Campbell. (Revised) The Titans contracted backrower is held deservedly held in high esteem at the club, a club he has been with since he was 13 years old. Recently Blake Campbell received the 2018 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup Coaches Award.

This season Blake Campbell started off captaining the Tweed Heads MM Cup side and then has progressed to the Tweed Heads Colts side.

Along the way Blake Campbell was selected in the Queensland U18 side and came off the bench in that game but unfortunately took a head knock which reduced his playing time on the interstate match.

Blake Campbell captained the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side was a standout through the competition including an impressive performance against the North’s Devils in Round One and a dominant individual performance in Victoria against the Thunderbolts which included him scoring a double in a big Tweed Heads victory 42 – 10.

Blake Campbell’s performance in Tweed Heads Round Three win 36 – 6 over the Burleigh Bears was also exceptional.

In total in the MM Cup competition Blake Campbell started in the second row for all of Tweed Heads seven matches including their final’s loss to Souths Logan. Across the seven matches Blake Campbell scored four tries. In addition to the two tries against Redcliffe previously mentioned, Blake Campbell also scored in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and in Round Six against Wynnum Manly.

Blake Campbell broke into the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side in their Round Eleven match against the Northern Pride starting the match in the second row. All told in the Hastings Deering’s Cup to date in the 2018 season, Blake Campbell has played in nine matches and just like his debut has started all of those matches in the second row.

Blake Campbell has scored two tries, the first of which came in Round Eighteen against Souths Logan and he also scored against the Mackay Cutters when he ran a good line (outside shoulder route) on the right side of the field to burst through the defence from around ten to twelve metres out and then outpaced the fullback to score.

In the GCRL U19 competition this season for Runaway Bay Blake Campbell has played just the three matches as a result of his Queensland U18 and Tweed Heads MM and Colts commitments but in his second U19 game of the season he scored a double against Ormeau and in his third U19 match the following weekend Blake Campbell converted one of Runaway Bay’s tries in a win against Mudgeeraba.

Blake Campbell made his Doug Lipp Cup debut for Runaway Bay against Currumbin in mid-June after playing in the U19 fixture earlier in the day.

Blake Campbell’s form this season is not a surprise considering his trial form including a standout performance in a trial against the South’s Logan Magpies at Waterford in February. That trial at Waterford was a difficult one for Tweed Heads as they went down to Souths Logan but Blake Campbell was very good that night, and was in every match since.

To round out an outstanding 2017 campaign Blake Campbell was selected in November to be part of the 2018 Queensland U18 Emerging Origin squad which came together from January 21 to 24 this year for their first training camp. Other training camps are scheduled over the course of the 2018 season prior to the annual match against New South Wales.

Over the course of the 2017 season Blake Campbell played a number of matches in the MM Cup competition for Tweed Heads Seagulls and also played for the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

For the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the 2017 MM Cup competition Blake Campbell started all six of Tweed Heads matches in the second row and showed his try scoring ability crossing for four tries including a double in Round One against the Ipswich Jets, a try in Round Three against eventual champions the Western Mustangs and his final try of the MM Cup competition came in Round Six in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears.

In the red, white and blue of Runaway Bay in 2017 Blake Campbell has played eleven matches in the U17 Division One competition and also three matches in the U19 GCRL competition. At the U17 level Blake Campbell scored four tries and kicked four goals for 24 points in total including a Round Two double against Bilambil and also tries late in the season against Helensvale and Mudgeeraba.

Blake Campbell made his U19 debut in May 2017 against Southport and has also played matches at that level against Mudgeeraba and Southport a second time.

In 2016 Blake Campbell played his football at the U16 level both in terms of club rugby league and in the CC Cup during the 2016 season. Blake Campbell as also involved in Coombabah State High School’s great GIO Cup campaign where he actually played on the wing in a number of games including a nationally televised match against Townsville’s Kirwan High School.

Blake Campbell stellar play was rewarded in 2016 when early in the year he was selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport U16 squad, before being named in the interchange bench for the Queensland U16 team in their annual match against New South Wales. Fellow Titans player Laz Sua was also part of the Queensland team that night which took place as a State of Origin curtain raiser. Unfortunately the Queensland side lost 12 – 10.

In the CC competition for Gold Coast White in 2016, Blake Campbell crossed for four tries two of which came against Gold Coast Green in Rounds Two and Five. Blake Campbell also scored a double in GC White’s semi-final loss to the Toowoomba Clydesdales. In all of his matches in the CC competition for Gold Coast White Blake Campbell started in the second row.

On more than one occasion in 2017 Blake Campbell was mentioned by Titans High Performance Junior Co-ordinator Jamie McCormack as being one of his team’s best in the weekly update posted on the Titans Official Site during the CC/MM season.

From a club perspective, Blake Campbell played for Runaway Bay in the U16 Division One competition playing in six matches and contributing seven tries over the course of the 2016 season. Six of his seven tries came from doubles coming against Burleigh on two separate occasions and also against Mudgeeraba, with his seventh try coming against the Helensvale Hornets.

Blake Campbell was been in the Titans junior development system for a couple of years now, and is one of a number of talented backrowers in our system and certainly in the region. He has represented the Vikings and Kookaburra’s on multiple occasions in the different age groups over the last couple of years and is part of the Gold Coast Rugby League Academy program in 2015, and was part of the Titans U14 development side that drew 32 all against a giant Samoan team at the end of 2014 at Burleigh.

Blake Campbell is a wide running backrower with a very good turn of speed once he breaks through the line and will outpace all but the quickest cover defenders. He has the ability to use footwork before the line, especially on the ends of the ruck where he has a good in and away as well as a very good fend to complement his footwork.

On top of those attributes, Blake Campbell is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into thus making the play makers on his team look good. Even though Blake Campbell is good on the edge of the ruck, he takes his share of runs in the middle where he uses foot work prior to the line so as not to absorb huge hits against, usually larger forward packs. He is also a disciplined player who rarely gives away penalties and also has good hands.

From a speed perspective his speed would easily be considered above average for a backrower and actually quite close to be considered in the plus category, both in terms of speed off the mark as well as sustainable top end speed. Clearly his pace was one of the reasons that the Coombabah coaches played him on the wing on occasion where he certainly did not let anybody down.

One of Blake Campbell’s tries in Round Two of the MM Cup this season against Victoria highlighted both his strength and speed. Blake Campbell took the ball on the right side of the ruck and took the line on directly, Blake Campbell pushed out of a front on tackle by one of the giant Victorian front rowers and then bounced to the outside, using his speed to get around a number of defenders and also using his speed and a strong left arm fend pushed through a gap between the Thunderbolt left centre and left wing to score an outstanding individual try near the right corner of the field.

Blake Campbell’s second try against the Victorian Thunderbolts came as a result of his speed. Half Tom Dearden put in a good grubber kick, Blake Campbell timed his run perfectly and outpaced the Victorian cover defence to dive on the ball to score a good second half try for the Seagulls.

Defensively Blake Campbell looks to wrap up the ball on initial contact, he will not constantly come up with big hits, but will rarely miss tackles and also covers across the field very well, meaning he is usually in good positions to make a tackle if the ball is turned back inside and also to make cover defending tackles if breaks are made wider out.

Blake Campbell’s strength and mobility also means that he is an effective defender on the fringes (sorry cannot bring myself to use the term edge defender) of the ruck against both big forwards and smaller halves alike.

Blake Campbell is quick enough to get to most outside backs in cover defence. Due to his speed and positional sense he is usually one of the first players down field in relation to kick chase as well. Blake Campbell’s above average speed is also a reason why he is such a good cover defender.

Blake Campbell will have two years of Colts Eligibility remaining when the 2019 season starts with Blake Campbell surely be starting with the Tweed Heads Colts side once again.

Even though Blake Campbell spent some time on the wing in schoolboy rugby league for Coombabah in 2016 for me he has played almost exclusively in the second row in 2017 and so far in 2018 and that is where his future lies as a wide running second rower who knows how to get to the try line as well as a player who will do a lot of the little things well, such as chasing kicks, defending inside passes, leading by example, getting quick play the balls etc.

From a style perspective think of a young Ryan Hoffman of the Melbourne Storm and former New South Wales State of Origin player as a player comparison for Blake Campbell as a well-rounded backrower with the ability to break the line by himself or as a result of running a good line and then has the pace to finish things off consistently by himself as well as being just as damaging defensively.

You can also, like Hoffman throw positive leadership skills into the mix when talking about Blake Campbell who certainly has a long NRL (if not higher) career in front of him.

mdrew

18-10-18, 05:26 PM

Tyler Kent. The young Tingha Tigers second rower moves up to the Gold Coast and has been named in the Burleigh Bears 2019 MM Cup side for next season’s competition.

Tyler Kent played the 2018 season in the New South Wales Country Group 19 competition for Tingha spending time in both the U18 and First Grade competitions, for all intents and purposes playing in the U18 match and then backing up to start in the First Grade match every weekend.

Tyler Kent started the 2018 season as part of the Greater Northern Tigers U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad playing all five of their matches including their tough 32 – 26 semi-final loss to Group 9. Tyler Kent started all five matches from the interchange bench.

For Tingha in the U18 Group 19 competition, Tyler Kent played in twelve matches scoring five tries and kicking a goal (against Inverell) to finish the season with 22 points.

Tyler Kent started in the second row in the U18 Group 19 Grand Final and scored as the Tigers went down 28 – 18 to the Moree Boomerangs.

In addition to his U18 Grand Final try Tyler Kent scored in the regular season against the Moree Boars in two separate matches, the Glenn Innes Magpies and the Armidale Rams, with the last two tries coming in consecutive rounds mid-way through the season.

Tyler Kent played in eleven Group 19 First Grade matches scoring on debut against the Moree Boars and also kicked a conversion against the Moree Boomerangs.

Tyler Kent has also represented Group 19 in previous years in the U14, U15 and U16 age groups.

Tyler Kent is a big strong powerful aggressive young man and uses these attributes when he runs with the ball, he will take the line on and look to drop his shoulder into the defender who is looking initiate contact.

Tyler Kent can also off load the football both before the line and when he is being tackled, he seems to be one of those players with the innate ability to get his hands free, or more accurately his right hand free.

Tyler Kent is always the player standing back deep from kick ups to take the first hit up and will charge straight at the line. Tyler Kent also is quite quick for a big strong young bloke, both in terms of explosive speed off the mark and agile from a footwork perspective but also with speed over an extended distance.

In defence, Tyler Kent can certainly hit very hard and for a solidly built player has quite decent endurance thus allowing him to get back quickly into the defensive line play after play. Where he is also very good, due to his good athletic skills is for a front rower is effectively tackling smaller attackers in the centre of the ruck. Tyler Kent does not fall for dummies and is difficult to step as he mirrors the lateral movement of the attacker to effectively wrap up the opposing player.

As noted Tyler Kent has been named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad and post that competition will, I believe line up for Burleigh in the GCRL U19 competition and also look to press his claims for a Hastings Deering’s Colts opportunity.

I believe that Tyler Kent’s future lies in the second row when you take into account his size, strength and speed combination.

Tyler Kent reminds me of former Titans NYC and Burleigh Queensland Cup player and budding referee Sam Swift in terms of his playing style. Like Swift, Tyler Kent has more than decent speed and mobility for a forward and is also a more than effective defender.

mdrew

18-10-18, 08:56 PM

Jordan Crocker. (Revised) The young front rower from the Toowoomba region is a Titans Rookie Squad member and finished the 2018 season in the Western Mustangs Colts side after starting the 2018 season in the MM Cup competition with the Mustangs.

Jordan Crocker started the 2018 season for the Western Mustangs MM Cup side and started all six of their matches in the front row.

Jordan Crocker moved into the Western Mustangs Colts side in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets and come off the bench again in Round Sixteen against Norths and Round Seventeen against Redcliffe before moving into the starting line-up in the second row for Round Eighteen against the Northern Pride.

Jordan Crocker’s sole Colts try this season came in Round Sixteen against Norths.

Jordan Crocker has also played ten matches in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition for Southern Suburbs this season including the Finals series.

In the Preliminary Final against Dalby, Jordan Crocker started in the second row and scored a try in the 17th minute of the second half as Southern Suburbs defeated Dalby 44 – 4 to progress to the Grand Final.

In the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League Grand Final Jordan Crocker started for Southern Suburbs in the second row against Highfields and Districts scoring a try in each half in the 38 – 10 Southern Suburbs victory.

In 2017 the tough hard as nails young front rower was a solid contributor in the middle of the field for the Western Mustangs MM Cup winning side including starting in the front row in the Grand Final over South’s Logan 40 - 30 and also starting in the front row in the National U18 final against the Parramatta Eels.

Jordan Crocker started all eight of the Western Mustangs MM Cup matches in the front row and scored his solitary try in Round Eight in a big 70 – 20 win over the Central Crows.

Post conclusion of the MM Cup Competition in 2017, Jordan Crocker transitioned back to the Toowoomba Rugby League where he played in six matches at the U18 level for Southern Suburbs including scoring a try against Toowoomba Valleys in his first U18 match of the 2017 season and also a late July try which came in a match against South Burnett.

Jordan Crocker is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle. There is little subtlety to his game, Jordan Crocker runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off either foot in occasion prior to the initial contact with the defensive line.

One thing that Jordan Crocker does do will however is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line, he makes more metres than he should as a result and also forces defending teams to commit multiple defensive assets to stopping his progress.

Jordan Crocker does not have a real off load to his attacking game, but that is not his role, his role is to take the ball into the heart of the opposition’s defensive line and make as many metres as possible.

Like his attacking game, his defensive attributes and relatively simple, he moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. He is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him and for a solidly built young player, he moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence.

Jordan Crocker’s lateral movement is quite reasonable for a front rower but he will on occasion have some difficulty with smaller faster stepping opposition players.

Jordan Crocker will start the 2019 season with the Western Mustangs and has two years of Colts eligibility available to him.

From a position perspective, due to his solid build, Jordan Crocker will likely to continue to be a front rower or lock as he does not necessarily have the speed to play wider of the ruck.

From a player comparison perspective, consider someone along the lines of Cronulla Sharks, New South State of Origin and Australian International forward Paul Gallen as a solidly built forward who has become a very effective player.

Jordan Crocker is a bit bigger physically than Gallen and certainly less of an antagonist on the field but equally effective in terms of making metres through the centre of the ruck.

mdrew

19-10-18, 06:39 PM

Brenton Daley-Holten. (Updated) The Titans linked back was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad this season but did not play in any of the rounds.

Like in previous seasons, Brenton Daley-Holten played in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with the Bilambil Jets playing in eleven U19 matches including the finals series. Brenton Daley-Holten’s only regular season points were from a conversion against the Ormeau Shearers.

In Week One of the GCRL U19 finals series, Brenton Daley-Holten started in the centres for Bilambil as they went down 38 – 8 to Southport.

Week Two of the finals series saw Bilambil bounce back to defeated Mudgeeraba 54 – 26 with Brenton Daley-Holten starting in the centres and scoring his first try of the season.

In the Preliminary Final against Currumbin, Brenton Daley-Holten started in the centres once again against as Bilambil went down 36 – 26 to the Currumbin Eagles.

Brenton Daley-Holten had a great 2017 season which commenced with a spot in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side and from there Brenton Daley-Holten had an outstanding season in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with the Bilambil Jets in the U17 Division One, U19 and first grade competitions.

Benton Daley-Holten has been with the Titans for a number of years now and has already played multiple matches for Titans junior development squads across a number of age groups.

For the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in 2017, Brenton Daley-Holten played in all six of their matches, starting the first three matches on the wing and the final three at fullback. Across the six matches Brenton Daley-Holten scored four tries, scoring in Round One against the Ipswich Jets, Round Two against Victoria, Rounds Seven against the Norths Devils and Round Eight against Souths Logan.

Upon the completion of the 2017 MM Cup competition, Brenton Daley-Holten played for the Bilambil Jets in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, playing one match at the U19 level which came against Ormeau in July, eleven in the U17 Division One competition including scoring a late season double when he started at fullback. Brenton Daley-Holten’s other U19 tries came against Ormeau on two separate occasions and Mudgeeraba.

Brenton Daley-Holten made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut on Sunday 23 July 2017 against Runaway Bay scoring a double and the following week scored a hat trick against Currumbin to have a great start to his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade career. All told in 2017 Brenton Daley-Holten played in three Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches scoring five tries.

In 2016 Brenton Daley-Holten was part of the South Tweed U16 side that won their Group 18 junior rugby league grand final 34-6 over the Bilambil Jets and has played in multiple Gold Coast Titans Development Squad matches over the last couple of seasons.

From a representative perspective Brenton Daley-Holten also had a very good season in 2016 representing Group 18 at the U16 level and then progressing to being selected in the East Coast Dolphins U16 side for the New South Wales Country age championships where he was selected on the wing and played in all four of their matches, including a semi-final loss to Newcastle. Brenton Daley-Holten has previously represented Group 18 at the U14 level in 2014 where he played a couple of games at five eight.

Brenton Daley-Holten played the majority of his football in 2016 in the centres, except for time on the wing for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side but in 2017 he has also spent time at fullback, certainly when playing for his club side and in that position, is a strong runner of the football.

Whilst in does not have blinding speed off the mark, Brenton Daley-Holten does have decent speed overall but I would not consider it at the plus level and can break tackles by running over his direct opposite defender as well as using a very good fend, when he gets to the outside, this prevents defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure rather than being forced towards the sideline.

One skill that Brenton Daley-Holten does possess when playing in the centre position is a more than decent in and away and he will wait until the last possible minute to step to commit the defender before getting on his outside reducing the time for his direct opponent to react to his movement.

In terms of his defence, he obviously during the course of this year, defended in multiple positions and in each position Brenton Daley-Holten commits wholeheartedly to every tackle. His initial contact is more than solid and is more than enough to stop the momentum of the ball carrier immediately upon contact.

Brenton Daley-Holten is also effective at wrapping the ball up and preventing offloads. Due to his current attributes he is more effective when his team is using an up and in style of defensive strategy rather than a sliding methodology.

In 2019 Brenton Daley-Holten should find himself as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad and will have two years of eligibility in that competition.

A long term position perspective for Brenton Daley-Holten is a little more clouded, he has played, wing, centre, fullback and five eight so far in club and representative rugby league, but based on his skill and physical attributes, I am leaning towards centre being his best position in the short term, but I would not rule out a move to the back row as Brenton Daley-Holten progresses through the senior rugby league competitions.

From a player comparison perspective for Brenton Daley-Holten I think that you could look at either of the Morris brothers for a suitable playing comparison , being that of a big strong, fast, powerful centre who as well as being dominant defensively will create things in attack when give the ball early with space for them to create for either themselves or team mates.

Brenton Daley-Holten had an interrupted 2018 season but that does not in any way impact on his long term projection. This young man is an exceptional talent and is one to keep an eye on in the future.

mdrew

19-10-18, 09:21 PM

Ben Thomas. (Revised) He is a local Titans contracted youngster who is part of the Titans Rookie Squad and is originally from the Beaudesert Kingfishers Junior Rugby League club who plays in the second row although he has spent some time in the centres in 2017 and in the front row this season for Tweed Heads Colts.

After taking a knock in a 2018 trial at Waterford where he left the field against South’s Logan it was good to see Ben Thomas start the 2018 season being named in the front row for the opening three rounds of the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition for the Tweed heads Seagulls and in Round Two against the Victorian Thunderbolts in Melbourne scored a second half double in the Seagulls 36 – 16 loss.

In total in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for Tweed Heads Ben Thomas has played in eighteen matches scoring six tries including the second half double against Victoria noted previously. Ben Thomas also scored a double against the Easts Tigers in Round Twenty One. Ben Thomas’s other tries came in Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly and in Round Twenty Four against the Easts Tigers.

Ben Thomas has started in the front row on six occasions, at lock twice and in the second row in his other eleven Colts matches.

In addition to his matches with Tweed Heads in the Colts competition, Ben Thomas has also made four Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade appearances, making his debut against Tugun in June. Ben Thomas scored in his second First Grade match against Bilambil.

Ben Thomas started off the 2017 season representing the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup competition before moving to the Tweed Heads U20 Colts Challenge side and also making his NYC debut for the Titans in Round Fifteen against South Sydney.

In addition to the match against South Sydney in Round Fifteen, Ben Thomas also played in Round Sixteen against the Wests Tigers on both occasions coming off the interchange bench. Ben Thomas only played 26 minutes in Round Fifteen and 24 in Round Sixteen but the experience was I am sure invaluable.

Against South Sydney Ben Thomas ran for 47 metres on seven hit-ups and also made twelve tackles without missing any. Against the Wests Tigers, Ben Thomas took two hit-ups for fourteen metres and also made eight tackles.

For Tweed Heads in the MM Cup competition in 2017 Ben Thomas only played in one match but he certainly made the most of it with a second half hat trick in Round Seven against the North’s Devils when he started from the interchange bench.

Ben Thomas started the first five rounds of the 2017 U20 Colts Challenge competition in the second row for the Tweed Heads Seagulls but missed a fair bit of the season with injury but he was able to make it back for the Round Fifteen clash against the Western Mustangs.

In the first five rounds Ben Thomas had a big impact scoring four tries including a double in Round Three against Redcliffe and tries in Round Two against Easts and in Round Five against Wynnum Manly. Ben Thomas also scored in all three of Tweed’s final’s matches in 2017 when he scored against Redcliffe, Easts and Norths. In total in 2017 Ben Thomas played in ten U20 Colts matches starting all in the second row, scoring eight tries in the process.

In 2016 Ben Thomas was part of the Gold Coast White MM side who progressed all the way to the semi-finals before being beaten 13 – 10 by North’s. Ben Thomas scored four tries in the MM Cup competition for Gold Coast White in 2016, scoring doubles in Round Five against Gold Coast Green with both tries coming in the second half and Round Seven against the Easts Tigers.

Of the eight matches that he played in the MM competition in 2016, Ben Thomas started six from the interchange bench including the two semi-finals. Ben Thomas’s first start was in Round Six against South’s Logan, he also started the Round Seven class against the Easts Tigers before playing the two semi-finals off the bench.

Upon completion of the MM competition in 2016, Ben Thomas transitioned back to the U17 Division One competition with the Beaudesert Kingfishers, where a team mate was fellow Gold Coast White player and fellow Tians contract local junior Charlie Gee. For the Kingfishers Ben Thomas played in eight matches and scored against Currumbin.

In 2015, Ben Thomas a stellar year in CC competition finishing with a team leading eight tries across the games and winning the Queensland Cyril Connell Cup player of the year award. As a result of his good form in the CC competition, he was selected on the bench for the Queensland U16 side who went on to defeat NSW in Sydney in a State of Origin curtain raiser. Titan’s team mates that night were winger (now backrower) Reihana Marsh and second rower Darius Farmer.

Ben Thomas also started at lock for the U16 Titans development squad in their 2015 against Samoa, where with Titans contracted Darius Farmer he was the Titans best for me in conditions best suited for forwards. He was also named best forward when the Titans U15 development squad played the Wests Tigers late in 2014. Balmain forward Paul Sironan was the judge of the player awards that night.

Ben Thomas is a hard running backrower who is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into thus making the play makers on his team look good. Where he really excels though is his footwork, he has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, his feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running direction and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of the multiple directional changes. He seems just to run at a faster pace than other forwards on the field.

These attributes lead to a lot of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself. As a result of his foot work he does seem to get hit high reasonably often as defenders are not able to react quickly enough to the change in the directional aspects of his running.

These critical attributes mean that Ben Thomas is difficult to target and runs at a very fast pace into the defensive line but the fluidity of his directional changes means he is a difficult target to get hold of for defenders. In the Samoan game in late 2015 you could see how his running angles changed as the game progressed from a duration perspective as well as momentum perspective.

As opposing forwards tire his directional changes go from cutting to the fringes of the ruck to cutting back behind the play the ball as gaps appear as forwards becoming increasingly slower to get back into the defensive line due to fatigue.

Late in the Round Two Colts competition this season, Ben Thomas took advantage of a gap on the fringes of the ruck to score his second try of the day for the Seagulls. Tweed half Kel Sheather took the ball wide of the ruck, stepped a defender and sent a good inside ball to Ben Thomas who had run a good line into a big gap and was able to outpace the inside defenders and crash over near the posts in the Victorian fullback’s tackle.

Ben Thomas’s defensive technique revolves around timing and execution. Ben Thomas’s head placement is always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs. Ben Thomas also tackles with both shoulders effectively as well.

The impressive thing for me also is that Ben Thomas never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is exceptional and quite rare in the modern version of rugby league.

Another defensive aspect that I have noted is that Ben Thomas does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one before. His lateral speed is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

Ben Thomas is also Colts eligible again in 2019 however I would anticipate that Ben Thomas will bypass that competition and start the season in the God Coast Rugby League First Grade competition to gain more exposure against Men.

Whilst Ben Thomas has played in the front row (or at least been named there) for the opening rounds of this season I see no reason why he will not stay in the back row where he has played all of his junior football bar some brief stints in the centres in recent seasons.

Ben Thomas has the look of a very talented youngster with a playing style similar to that of St George Dragons second rower Tyson Fizzell as a powerful and hard runner on the fringes of the ruck and one who also has a hard edge defensively coupled with a very determined attitude.

mdrew

20-10-18, 10:18 AM

Deon Samuela. The electric young fullback was outstanding for TSS in the GPS School Boy Rugby First XV competition this season and in a great sign that we can keep him in rugby league, Deon Samuela has been named in the Burleigh 2019 MM Cup squad.

For the TSS First XV side this season Deon Samuela started at fullback in all eight of their matches scoring three tries including a Round Three double against Toowoomba Grammar School and also a try in Round Nine against Nudgee College.

Deon Samuela last played rugby league on the Gold Coast at the U15 Division One level in 2016 for Runaway Bay, a year he also represented South Coast at the QSSRL U15 Championships.

In 2016 for Runaway Bay Deon Samuela played in eight matches in the U15 Division One competition scoring 44 points from four tries and fourteen goals. All of Deon Samuela’s tries came in a two week early season span when he scored doubles in consecutive weeks against the Southport Tigers and the Currumbin Eagles.

Post the 2016 Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season, Deon Samuela transferred to TSS where this GPS season was a standout for the Gold Coast based school in the U16A competition in 2017.

Even though he did starting any First XV games for TSS in 2017 Deon Samuela came off the bench on two occasions being against Ipswich Grammar School and Brisbane Grammar School. Against Ipswich Grammar School he made an outstanding break through the centre of the field after retrieving a kick and was unlucky not to score.

In the Brisbane Grammar School First XV match in 2017 Deon Samuela was on the end of a great TSS back line movement to score in the left corner. Deon Samuela was also part of the Queensland U16 side that won the Australian U16 Championships and was selected at fullback in the 2017 Australian U16 merit side as a result.

In 2015 Deon Samuela was part of the U14 Titans development squad that defeated Samoa at Burleigh. Whilst he played the majority of his club football at five eight, Deon Samuela played at half for the Titans development squad, Deon Samuela has also represented the Gold Coast in Vikings and Kookaburra’ squads over the last number of years across multiple age groups starting at U13’s.

Deon Samuela is in some respects a throwback to the 1970’s or 1980’s when fullbacks used to chime into the back line either between the two centres or even between the centre or winger especially in relation to looking to exploit a shorter blind side. When Deon Samuela chimes into a back line he does not look to run into his direct opponent but he runs into the gaps and anticipates where his inside play makers are going to pass the ball.

From a running perspective, Deon Samuela just seems to glide across the field and it appears effortless, no matter who is chasing him, they will not catch Deon Samuela, I am talking James Roberts type of pace but he has a much more effortless running style to that of the current Brisbane Bronco.

Deon Samuela does not necessarily have a side step per say, it is more of a swerve and he has a number of variations, with the scary part being that there is absolutely no loss of speed at all, making him incredibly difficult to stop when he is in open space. It is no surprise at all that he was in and around the Australian Men’s Rugby Sevens squad.

Deon Samuela’s passing skills are also of the highest quality., he can pass equally well from either side of his body and can throw every type of pass imaginable, he can chime into a back line at full pace and then decelerate quickly to maintain his balance a pop a superb short ball to his supports, he can throw a great spiral pass to his backline or he can quickly anticipate the numbers a throw a great cut out pass to exploit over laps.

Defensively Deon Samuela also stands out, with his closing speed and recovery speed to make an impact on that side of the ball as well. With his speed, Deon Samuela has the luxury of being able to stand a touch deeper than some fullbacks yet still be able to close quickly to negate breaks by reducing the decision making time of the attacking player.

Deon Samuela’s defence is normally over shadowed by his running game but make no mistake, Deon Samuela is an outstanding defender both in terms of cover defence and front on defence when a forward makes a break through the centre of the field.

It is great to see Deon Samuela named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad as that means that he still is giving rugby league serious consideration.

Deon Samuela is an outstanding ball runner with speed and elusiveness which was displayed on numerous occasions for the TSS First XV side this season and thus a future at fullback in rugby league (or for that matter rugby) seems the most logical outcome.

For me the perfect player comparison for Deon Samuela is recently retired Melbourne Storm, Queensland State of Origin and Australian test fullback Billy Slater. Like Slater Deon Samuela can either slice through the opposition backline when he receives the ball early, beat forwards in the centre of the ruck with an outstanding side step and acceleration and is a nightmare for opposing defences when he chases short attacking kicks.

Also like Slater Deon Samuela is an outstanding defender in the fullback position.

mdrew

21-10-18, 07:02 AM

Troy Duckett. The flying Titans youngster moved up to the Gold Coast from Coffs Harbour midway through the 2018 season and made an immediate impact in the GCRL U16 Division One competition for Currumbin and as a result has been selected in the Tweed Seagulls MM Cup squad for the 2019 season.

Recently Troy Duckett started in the centres for the Titans U16 side and scored a hat trick as the Titans defeated PNG 60 – 10.

Troy Duckett started the 2018 season as part of the North Coast U16 Andrew Johns Cup side, playing in three matches in that competition, starting each at fullback with those matches coming against Central Coast, Northern Rivers and the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

In the GCRL U16 Division One competition with Currumbin playing a total of twelve matches including finals matches and scoring nine tries. Troy Duckett scored doubles against Southport on two separate occasions and also against Burleigh. Troy Duckett’s other three tries came against Mudgeeraba in two separate matches and Runaway Bay.

Earlier this season Troy Duckett started on the bench for the New South Wales U16 Kurri side in their annual match against Queensland Murri with Queensland prevailing on that occasion.

In 2017 Troy Duckett represented Group Two at the U15 level playing three matches and scoring against Group 21.

From a running perspective, Troy Duckett just seems to glide across the field and it appears effortless, no matter who is chasing him, they will not catch Troy Duckett, I am talking James Roberts type of pace but he has a much more effortless running style to that of the current Brisbane Bronco.

Troy Duckett does not necessarily have a side step per say, it is more of a swerve and he has a number of variations, with the scary part being that there is absolutely no loss of speed at all, making him incredibly difficult to stop when he is in open space and is moving towards a fullback who is near stationary.

Troy Duckett’s passing skills are also developing into those of the highest quality, he can pass equally well from either side of his body and can throw every type of pass imaginable, he can chime into a back line at full pace and then decelerate quickly to maintain his balance a pop a good short ball to his supports, he can throw a great spiral pass to his backline or he can quickly anticipate the numbers a throw a great cut out pass to exploit over laps.

Defensively Troy Duckett also stands out, with his closing speed and recovery speed he makes an impact on that side of the ball as well. With his speed, Troy Duckett has the luxury of being able to stand a touch deeper than some fullbacks yet still be able to close quickly to negate breaks by reducing the decision making time of the attacking player.

Similar to the attributes that make Troy Duckett such an effective defender, Troy Duckett is as you would expect a great returner of the ball. His sense of timing, speed and anticipation means that he gets to a lot of kicks on the full and then accelerates looking to exploit any gaps on the kick chase.

Troy Duckett exceptional lateral movement and sure hands means that he is a danger to make a large amount of ground from short attacking kicks by the opposition as he comes forward at full speed and retrieves with absolutely no loss of momentum and then will surprise the attacking team well before they can reorganise the defensive line.

Troy Duckett will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad in 2019 and post that competition will play for Currumbin in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition.

Prior to moving to the Gold Coast Troy Duckett spent a lot of time at fullback but played some matches for Currumbin on the wing post his arrival. I will admit that with his speed and guile I think that Troy Duckett has an opportunity to play at fullback in the long term even though there is no doubt he would make a more than solid try scoring winger.

The play of Troy Duckett reminds me of how former Titan Kevin Gordon played when he first came into first grade and was able to exploit his speed advantage over the opposition before injuries cruelled his career and forced his early retirement.

mdrew

22-10-18, 05:43 PM

Curtis Dansey-Smaller. (Revised) The young former Western Australian and Rockingham Sharks fullback signed a two year deal with the Gold Coast Titans at the end of 2016 and spent the 2017 season alternating between the Titans NYC side and the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side including playing in their 2017 finals campaign. Curtis Dansey-Smaller is currently a member of the Titans Rookie Squad.

After spending some time training with the Titans NRL squad, Curtis Dansey-Smaller started the 2018 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts side before being promoted to the Tweed Heads Seagulls Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller played in eleven Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches including finals making his debut against Runaway Bay. In those matches Curtis Dansey-Smaller scored six tries including a double against Runaway Bay (not in his debut) and he also scored against Southport, Ormeau and Runaway Bay once again in the regular season.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller also started on the wing in the opening week of the finals for Tweed Heads as they went down 37 – 16 to Runaway Bay.

In Week two of the GCRL First Grade Finals series, Curtis Dansey-Smaller once again started on the wing for Tweed Heads against Tugun with the Seagulls advancing on the back of a 40 – 26 victory.

In the GCRL First Grade Preliminary final Curtis Dansey-Smaller started on the wing against Currumbin and scored as Tweed Heads qualified for the GCRL First Grade Grand Final on the back of a solid 31 – 22 win over Currumbin.

In the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade Grand Final Curtis Dansey-Smaller started on the left wing for Tweed Heads against Runaway Bay with the Seagulls going down 38 – 10 to a rampant Runaway Bay side.

For Tweed Heads in the 2018 U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, Curtis Dansey-Smaller played in thirteen matches. Curtis Dansey-Smaller started eight matches in the centres and five on the right wing.

In those matches Curtis Dansey-Smaller scored seven tries including an outstanding patch when Curtis Dansey-Smaller scored six tries in three rounds including a Round Ten hat trick against Ipswich, a Round Eleven double against the Northern Pride and a Round Eight try against the Western Mustangs. Curtis Dansey-Smaller’s other 2018 Colts try came in Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller had a successful first and only season in the NYC competition in 2017 playing in sixteen matches including starting on the wing in all bar Round Three against Parramatta when he came off the interchange bench playing 40 minutes. In all of his other fifteen matches Curtis Dansey-Smaller played the entire matches.

Over his sixteen NYC matches in 2017 Curtis Dansey-Smaller scored nine tries including three doubles which came against the Melbourne Storm in Round ten, the Brisbane Broncos in Round Twenty two and Parramatta in Round twenty Four.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller’s 2017 per matches NYC statistics included running for 78 metres on eight hit-ups and five tackles. On four occasions Curtis Dansey-Smaller ran for in excess of 100 metres with his best effort against Parramatta in Round Twenty Four when he ran for 172 metres from just nine hit-ups. Round Thirteen against the North Queensland Cowboys saw Curtis Dansey-Smaller make eleven tackles, his highest defensive total of the season.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller has also played a number of matches for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side in 2017 including playing in Round One of the Colts State wide Challenge Competition. In Round One Curtis Dansey-Smaller started in the centres and scored two second half tries against the Ipswich Jets. In the U20 Colts Challenge competition, Curtis Dansey-Smaller played in five regular season matches starting four in the centres and in Round Sixteen last weekend at fullback.

Curtis Dansey Smaller played his first match in the 2017 U20 Colts Challenge competition in Round Six in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears. Across his five U20 Colts Challenge matches Curtis Dansey-Smaller scored five tries including a hat trick in Round Eight against Ipswich and he also scored in Round Seven against Norths and in Round Sixteen against Souths Logan.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller also played in all three of the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2017 finals matches, starting their first final against Redcliffe in the centres, including scoring in their 17 – 16 loss. Curtis Dansey-Smaller then moved to fullback for Tweed Heads remaining two finals matches against Easts and Norths.

In 2016 Curtis Dansey-Smaller was named in the Western Australian U18 ASSRL squad from Rockingham Senior High School after representing the West Coast Pirates in the New South Wales SG Ball competition earlier this year. Unfortunately the Pirates had a horror season in SG Ball, losing all eight of their games and conceding in excess of 350 points in the process.

On the other side of the coin in attack they averaged around 18 point per game but could not prevent sides piling on the points when they turned the ball over. Curtis Dansey-Smaller was one of a number of the Western Australian U18 side that met the Titans at a joint Titan – Western Australian Rugby League Promotional event in 2016 when the Titans were in Perth for a match against South Sydney.

For Rockingham in the Western Australian rugby league competition in 2016 even though he was eligible to play in the U18 competition, Curtis Dansey-Smaller played the entire 2016 season in the Smarter than Smoking first grade side, mainly on the wing where he scored eight tries in eleven matches, including a hat trick in the opening round against South West Warriors and later in the season scored a double against the Joondalup Giants.

In the U18 competition in 2016 he scored five tries in seven matches alternating between fullback and centre, including a double against the Joondalup Giants.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller was named in the Combined Affiliated States U18 side for the 2016 ASSRL U18 championships which were held in July 2016 in Brisbane. Over the course of the Championships, Curtis Dansey-Smaller scored three tries with two coming in the first match of the Championships against NSW Combined Independent Schools and he also scored on Day Four against the ACT.

From an attacking perspective, Curtis Dansey-Smaller has very good footwork to go along with above average to plus evasive skills and above average speed off the mark, he does not necessary have great top end speed, but he can get to his top speed rapidly.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller has a very good step off both feet and can put together combinations of steps over a short distance to break free of situations where he is seemingly surrounded by defenders and has no right to make any further ground. It is still a bit of a mystery for me as to why he does not score more tries.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller seems to also have a very good positional sense in terms of taking a high percentage of opposing teams general play kicks on the full, thus regularly giving his team good initial field position to start their set of six. Similarly his positional sense when close to his own goal line means he defuses a lot of attacking short kicks and bombs as well.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller will also take the responsibility to run the ball back himself rather than hand it up to his winger even though he is a smaller type of fullback which from an efficiency perspective is the most appropriate thing to do.

In relation to his defence, one thing that stands out to me is that he will not take a dummy from attackers running at him and he will stay with the ball carrier on all occasions and force the attacker to make a decision rather than making it for him.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller is solid and seemingly understands the attributes of his opposite number to the extent that he alters his defensive positioning if he is against speedy, elusive wingers and against larger wingers.

Curtis Dansey-Smaller in 2019 seems a lock to be a key member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side, if he is not in the NRL that is, yes he has been that effective this year for Tweed Heads this season both in the Hastings Deering’s Colt competition and the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition.

From a position perspective, I appreciate that he has played both at fullback, centre and on the wing but with his timing, footwork and anticipation, I think that ultimately he ends up at fullback in the long term although Curtis Dansey-Smaller will likely break into either the NRL or Queensland Cup on the wing prior to any potential move to fullback subsequent to that.

From a player comparison perspective for Curtis Dansey-Smaller think of our own Anthony Don as a player who may not have blazing speed etc. but he gets the job done efficiently and effectively with few errors and always seems to be in the right position to exploit breaks or create something when you least expect it.

Like Don, Curtis Dansey-Smaller is also very good under the high ball both from an attacking and defensive perspective. Curtis Dansey-Smaller does have more speed than Anthony Don has however.

mdrew

23-10-18, 04:50 PM

Tahne Robinson. (Revised) The young Tweed Coast Raiders half has already donned a Titans jersey in a number of Titans junior development matches a couple of years ago and since moving to the Tweed Coast Raiders NRRRL side at the start of the current season has made every post a winner.

For the Raiders in the NRRRL First grade competition this season Tahne Robinson has been involved in fifteen matches including the final’s series.

In the regular season of the NRRRL First Grade competition, Tahne Robinson scored fourteen tries and kicked forty eight goals to finish with 152 points.

Tahne Robinson had big matches in Round Four against Lismore Marist Brothers when he scored a double and kicked four goals and in Round Five against Mullumbimby when he also scored a double but in that match kicked five goals. Round Nine in a Raiders 60 – 0 win over Evans Head also saw Tahne Robinson score a double and kick two goals in the big win.

Round Ten saw Tahne Robinson play in the U18 fixture against Lower Clarence and then back up in the NRRRL First Grade match kicking eight goals from ten attempts in a Tweed Coast Raiders 56 – 28 victory over Lower Clarence.

In Round Twelve against Northern united, Tahne Robinson scored a try and kicked seven goals and Round Fourteen saw Tahne Robinson score a double and kick six goals against Byron Bay.

Tahne Robinson’s other tries in 2018 have come against Northern United on two occasions, Murwillumbah(on two occasions), Cudgen and his 2017 club Casino RSM.

In the Round Eight top of the table clash against Cudgen, Thane Robinson kicked three goals from three attempts to lead the raiders to a two point win. In relation to the particular match against Cudgen Tahne Robinson was backing up the day after playing in the New South Wales Country U23 Championship Final.

In the Preliminary Final Tahne Robinson kicked two first half goals as Tweed Coast held on to defeat Murwillumbah to progress to the NRRRL First Grade Grand Final against Ballina.

In the NRRRL First Grade Grand Final Tahne Robinson started at half back against Ballina with Tweed Coast winning in convincing style 24 – 4 against Ballina with Tahne Robinson kicking four goals, including three conversions and a second half penalty goal.

The local paper the Northern Star, in their NRRRL Grand Final write-up gave Tahne Robinson’s performance an 8.5/10 and noted that he kept Ballina off balance the entire game.

Tahne Robinson set up Tweed Coast first try of the Grand Final in just the second minute when he put in a deft left foot chip which Ballina scored from. In the Grand Final Tahne Robinson regularly took the ball to the field and was also very good defensively.

In 2018 Tahne Robinson also played in six NRRRL U18 matches for the Tweed Coast Raiders.

Over the course of this season Tahne Robinson played for the Norther Rivers U23 representative side in the New South Wales Country U23 Championships starting at half back in all three of their matches, including the Championship Final recently in a 26 – 22 wing over Monaro, a match that saw Tahne Robinson kick three goals.

Thane Robinson’s other two matches for Northern Rivers in the New South Wales Country U23 Championships were against North Coast and the Greater Northern Tigers starting both at half back.

In 2017 Tahne Robinson was a standout for Casino RSM in the NRRRL First Grade competition even though he was still eligible for U18’s. Unfortunately for Tahne Robinson and his Casino RSM team mates they were defeated 32-20 in their NRRRL semi-final by his new team the Tweed Coast Raiders. Tahne Robinson towards the end of last year was named the NRRRL Rookie of the season.

The former St Mary’s College Casino student was also selected in the MCC 18 years Presidents Rugby League team in 2017. Tahne Robinson over his junior career has made numerous Group One Junior Representative sides as well.

Tahne Robinson only played in one U18 NRRRL match in 2017 season but he made the most of it, scoring 18 points from a try and seven goals against Mullumbimby in April. Tahne Robinson played thirteen 2017 Novaskills NRRRL First Grade matches scoring nine tries and a conversion over those matches. In addition to the double in the final regular season round against his new team being the Tweed Coast Raiders, Tahne Robinson scored a double in mid-July against Mullumbimby.

Earlier in 2017 season Tahne Robinson was named at half back for the East Coast Dolphins U18 side in the New South Wales Country Championships. Tahne Robinson played the 2016 season in the U18 NRRRL Competition with Casino RSM and finished as the leading points scorer in the competition with 106 points which came from four tries and 45 goals.

Tahne Robinson is only slight of build even when up against players in his own age group but looks even smaller against men. Do not take his lack of size in any way as a lack of ability or courage, Tahne Robinson has a lot of both, which is on display each time he runs onto the field.

With the ball Tahne Robinson is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports. Tahne Robinson is particularly adept at using the blind side when he sees an opportunity.

Tahne Robinson has an exceptional show and go and step has scored a number of tries in 2017 in first grade using these traits including his first try against the Tweed Coast Raiders late in the 2017 season. Once he is open space his above average speed off the mark allows him to gain separation from the defence and enables him the time to make the correct decision with the ball.

From kicking perspective Tahne Robinson has a very good short tactical kicking game especially in relation to grubber kicks into the in goal area where he is able to weight the ball well, the try he set up in the Grand Final is testament to his very good left foot.

Being left footed is a great advantage for Tahne Robinson moving forward as it allows a team to have a kicker either side of the ruck that is kicking using their preferred angle.

From a goal kicking perspective Tahne Robinson displays both range and accuracy and has the opportunity going forward to be a team’s first choice goal kicking option. Even from right on the touch line, Tahne Robinson’s left foot has the power and accuracy to be a good chance of kicking the goal.

In defence, due to his size Tahne Robinson is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players and against players with similar size is very aggressive when finishing off his tackles. He is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side to move up in a straight line and make hard initial contact with the ball runner.

Tahne Robinson is good enough to push for playing time in the Queensland Cup Colts competition in 2019 but first things first, he will finish this season in the Tweed Coast Raiders NRRRL side where even at just 18 years old he is one of the competitions stand out players.

If he chooses to test himself in the U20 Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition in 2019, Tahne Robinson will have two years of eligibility starting in 2019.

If Tahne Robinson does not choose to look to break into the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in 2019, he will be a lock to start at half back for the Tweed Coast Raiders NRRRL First Grade side as well as being the likely starter for the Northern Rivers Titans U23 side for the 2019 version of the New South Wales Country U23 Championships.

Tahne Robinson always has been and always will be a half back when playing rugby league although he would likely be able to full in at hooker should the need arise.

From a player comparison perspective for Tahne Robinson think of someone like the Titans own Ashley Taylor as a young play maker who whilst having all the skills necessary for a future at half back, also shows the ability to alter his game based on what his team needs during the course of a match and whose kicking game can have a major impact.

One aspect where Tahne Robinson is a touch different to Taylor is that he is constantly looking to take the line on as often as possible, I am not saying that he is reckless running the ball, more that Tahne Robinson is very confident in his ability to run the ball and looks to do so on a regular basis.

Tahne Robinson’s improvement this season has been nothing short of incredible and was in no way out of his depth as an 18 year old playing for the Northern Rivers U23 side and was unlucky not to be selected in the New South Wales Country U23 side such was the quality of his performances over the course of the 2018 season.

mdrew

25-10-18, 06:02 PM

Kel Sheather. (Revised) The talented Titans linked young half may have still be eligible to play in the MM Cup competition and in fact was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad for this season late last year, but in fact has by-passed the U18 competition all together and commenced the 2018 season as the starting half back for the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts side and scored a good try in Round One against the North’s Devils when he split the North’s defence from around ten metres out when operating on the left side of the field.

Kel Sheather also started Rounds Two where he had a try assist and Three against Victoria and Burleigh respectively at half back. Kel Sheather has primarily played on the left side of the field so far this season for the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Round Three against Burleigh once again saw Kel Sheather lead Tweed Heads around the field well especially in the second half with the Seagulls coming from behind to beat their local rivals by four points with two late tries.

In total for Tweed Heads in the 2018 Colts competition, Kel Sheather played in eleven matches scoring two tries. In addition to the try noted above against Victoria, Kel Sheather also scored against Wynnum Manly in Round Six.

Kel Sheather started his first eight U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts matches at half back, the last being in Round Eight against the Western Mustangs. In his other three matches being against Ipswich in Round Ten, Redcliffe in Round Thirteen and Wynnum Manly in Round Seventeen, Kel Sheather has started from the interchange bench.

Kel Sheather also played a number of matches in the NRRRL competition this season for Ballina making his NRRRL First Grade debut in June and scoring against Casino RSM. In his eight NRRL First Grade regular season matches in 2018 Kel Sheather has scored 32 points from four tries and eight goals.

Kel Sheather was also heavily involved in Ballina’s NRRRL First Grade final’s series, culminating in Ballina playing the Tweed Coast Raiders in the NRRRL First Grade Grand Final with Ballina going down 24 – 4 against the Tweed Coast Raiders in a physical contest in Ballina.

Kel Sheather started the Grand Final at five eight and operated primarily on the right side of the field for Ballina. He did not get too many chances in attack but acquitted himself well defensively against a Tweed Coast forward pack that sent a lot of traffic his way.

Kel Sheather had a huge match late in the regular season against Lower Clarence in Round Seventeen scoring two tries and kicking eight goals for an individual point’s haul of 24. Kel Sheather’s other regular season tries came in Round Seventeen against Lismore Marist Brothers and Round Seven against Casino RSM.

Kel Sheather also played one NRRRL U18 match being in May against the Tweed Coast Raiders and that day he then backed up for the First Grade match later in the afternoon.

The 2018 season is the second season in which Kel Sheather has been involved in the NRRRL First Grade competition after playing in nine matches in 2017, scoring one try.

The St Johns College Woodlawn half back in 2017 plyed his trade for the Ballina Seagulls in the NRRRL Northern Rivers Rugby League competition playing both first grade and U18’s this season as well as playing for St College Woodlawn in a number of Schoolboy competitions including the GIO Cup. Kel Sheather set up a great try in the semi-finals of the New South Wales Catholic Cup schoolboy competition when a great kick of his in the wet found the chest of centre Jordan Sly but a late try resulted in a 14 – 10 loss to Sydney’s Holy Cross Ryde.

Kel Sheather also scored a 100 metre try and was singled out for special praise by his coach in Woodlawn’s New South Wales GIO Cup Grand Final victory over Patrician Brothers Fairfield in Sydney in late August 2017.

Kel Sheather in 2017 played ten matches in the U18 NRRRL competition scoring 52 points from five tries and sixteen goals. All of his tries have been scored in different games and came against Tweed Coast on two separate occasions, Byron Bay, Casino RSM and Kyogle. Kel Sheather also played nine NRRRL first grade matches and scored his sole try in his third ever first grade match against Byron Bay.

In 2016 Kel Sheather started from the bench for the Northern Country Combined Catholic College side in the NSW CCC trials. Over the last couple of years, the young halfback has not played a great deal of club rugby league for his club side the Ballina Seagulls but has played a fair amount of matches, including the National GIO Cup competition with St Johns College Woodlawn.

Kel Sheather came to prominence in the green of Woodlawn last year when he was part of the NSW CCC Cup Woodlawn side that made the semi-finals of that competition last year. That side included former Titan Sam Elliot and Zac Beecher who has previously played in the MM Cup competition of the Gold Coast.

In attack his initial burst of speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play, he has a dynamic initial burst however he does not have an extra gear to move to when he is in open space. Coupled with a very good step off both feet, although he seems to step off his right foot on a more regular basis, Kel Sheather’s speed enables him to make breaks however his lack of plus top end speed does impact on his ability to score from his own breaks.

Kel Sheather’s initial burst off the mark was the primary reason for his try in Round One against the North’s Devils. He received the ball on the left side of the play the ball about ten metres out from the North’s line. Kel Sheather ran across field with the ball out in front of him in both hands and when the North’s defensive line hesitated not knowing whether he would run or pass, Kel Sheather stepped off his left foot and exploded through a small gap to score with the North’s fullback trying in vain to make the tackle as Kel Sheather dived across the line to score near the left upright.

Kel Sheather can and will beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies and also backs up well.

It is these attributes that means Kel Sheather is a threat to run every time he is at dummy half and opposing defences must that that into account, for if the markers do but work hard or there are slow moving forwards he has the ability to exploit that on each occasion, like he did against North’s.

A good left foot step in Round Two against the Victorian Thunderbolts highlighted the effectiveness of his step to create opportunities. With a couple of minutes to go in the match, Kel Sheather took the ball on the field (where he has primarily played) stepped off his left foot to elude a defender who had rushed out of the line and then popped a good short inside ball to Ben Thomas who scored near the posts. The try from Kel Sheather’s perspective involved good footwork in limited space and then appropriate timing, direction and weight on his pass to set up Ben Thomas for the try.

In previous year’s he has run quite a lot but last year and so far this season he has seemingly taken a step back and become more of an organising type of halfback, but he still takes on the line when he sees an opportunity as was evidenced in Round One against North’s.

At present, one area for him to continue to develop is his play making skills, including putting his runners holes gaps. I am not suggesting that play making skills are currently under developed but an improvement in that area will enable his speed and footwork to play better in game situations as defensive lines start to focus in his runners and thus leave more space for him.

Kel Sheather continues to refine his passing especially to his left and has thrown a number of good passes this season, none more so than a good long spiral to left centre Lee Turner which put him outside his defender and then Lee Turner just had to draw the winger and pass Gerard Ah Nau for his first try in the left corner and his first in Seagulls colours since his move from Group 20.

From a goal kicking perspective, he is very effective near the posts, his strike rate last year was a touch above 90% and will have his moments where he kicks then in bunches from the sideline as well. I am not sure whether he will be a team’s primary goal kicker going forward, but it is certainly not out of the question that he will not be either.

In defence, due to his size he is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the fringes of the ruck he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. He does have an aggressive streak in him when defending and this holds him in good stead when defending against wide running back rowers.

After missing a couple of matches through injury after the opening rounds of the 2018 Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition, Kel Sheather has been in and out of the Tweed Heads Seagulls side but in 2019 he should be a key member of the side and he is also Colts eligible in 2019.

From a position perspective, Kel Sheather is making a good fist of half back with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side this season and in the NRRRL First Grade competition and clearly has made great strides in his game management and ball playing skills and thus there is no reason to consider a move from half back.

With his evolving game management and ball playing skills to compliment his running game a player comparison to young Melbourne Storm half back Brody Croft is not unwarranted. Like Croft Kel Sheather is also a very good goal kicker as well as tactical kicker.

Kel Sheather had a very good start to the 2018 season and certainly has an intriguing skill set and has come on in leaps and bounds this season in Colts and has adapted to the size and speed of the older players he is up against very quickly indeed.

Kel Sheather certainly has had to deal with a very steep learning curve this season but he has handled it with aplomb which bodes well for the future with the Titans.

mdrew

26-10-18, 08:27 PM

Kade Hill. (Revised) He is a young half/five eight from Northern New South Wales who has been part of the Titans junior development set up in the NRRRL region and attended a Titans Elite Academy Camp that was held for 18 young Titans contracted players at Lennox Heads in late 2017.

Recently Kade Hill has been named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2019 MM Cup squad.

This season Kade Hill played five matches for the Murwillumbah Mustangs in the NRRRL U18 competition scoring two tries in the process, with those tries coming against the Tweed Coast Raiders and Kyogle.

Over the course of the 2017 season Kade Hill along with two other Titans linked youngsters in second rower Ben Liyou and Jordan Tauali’i stood out for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side which made the New South Wales Country U16 Age Championship final and also along with his two team mates made the New South Wales Country U16 side that were undefeated on a two match tour of New Zealand’s South Island playing an U17 Canterbury selection as well as a West Coast selection in Greymouth. Kade Hills was able to cross for a double in their semi-final victory over the Bidgee Bulls and recently he was named the Group 18 U16 Player of the Year.

During the 2016 season, Kade Hill represented Group 18 at the U15 level where he played at half back partnering talented five eight Mitchell Malone. Kade Hill as also part of the Titans squad that played the Balmain Tigers in an U15 trial match on the Gold Coast late in 2016.

For Group 18 in 2016, Kade Hill played in two matches being against Group 21 and Group Three over the course of the 18/19 June weekend and scored a good solo try on the Sunday against Group Three.

In 2016 Kade Hill also represented the North Coast in a match against the Hunter Region in the New South Wales Greater Northern Rugby League Exchange competition scoring a very good individual try in the process showcasing his speed off the mark and deft right foot step.

In 2015 Kade Hill represented Group 18 in the U14 age group. He played his schoolboy rugby league with Murwillumbah High School in Northern NSW. Kade Hill is a multi-sport athlete, as he also played cricket where he seemed to be a decent spin bowler and played touch football as well highlighting his versatility.

In attack Kade Hill has above average to plus speed off the mark but does not necessary have an extra gear in open space, but he is able to sustain his top speed over considerable distance. In confined space, he has very good footwork, including a good step off both feet.

Kade Hill can beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies.

At present, one area for him to continue to develop is his play making skills, including putting his runners, whether they are backrowers or centres into holes. With experience however there is nothing to suggest that these type of play making skills will not develop over time as we are talking about still young blokes here.

As games progress Kade Hill is very good at identifying tired forwards in the defensive line, and he will target them accordingly. Presumably as a result of his time playing touch football, Kade Hill plays what is in front of him rather than just play to a set game plan, which is a sign of a young player with a good understanding of the game.

In defence, due to his size Kade Hill is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the edge of the ruck, Kade Hill will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives.

Due to his speed off the mark Kade Hill is also a very good cover defender as he tracks the ball across the field and has a solid low tackling technique from the side.

Moving forward to the 2019 season Kade Hill has been selected in the Tweed Heads Seagull MM Cup squad where he will be in a battle with the likes of Thomas Neale for the half back spot alongside five eight Toby Sexton.

Post the MM Cup competition, I make the assumption that Kade Hill will line up once again for Murwillumbah in the U18 NRRRL competition and will also more than likely make his NRRRL First Grade debut as well.

From a position perspective, with his footwork, speed off the mark and developing play making skills, he certainly has the attributes to stay in the halves, either at five eight or half. I do not think that Kade Hill has ever played there but I would be intrigued to see how he would go at fullback, purely from a physical and skill attribute perspective rather than an analysis of his current play.

From a player comparison perspective, think of former Titan and soon to be Manly Sea Eagle Kane Elgey as a developing ball player and game manager with very good speed and evasion in confined space. At this stage in his career Kade Hill does not have the size of Kane Elgey but he still has plenty of growing and filling out to do.

mdrew

27-10-18, 11:29 AM

Oscar Clarke. (Revised) The ultra-talented young Tweed Coast Raiders forward has been outstanding over recent seasons including in 2016 season when he was named as the Group 18 Junior Representative Player of the year after he starred for the Group 18 U16 side, he was also named as the U16 Group 18 most consistent player in that year.

Oscar Clarke was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2018 MM Cup side but did not play any matches in that competition this season.

For the Tweed Coast Raiders in the NRRRL competition, Oscar Clarke was involved in all three senior grades over the course of the 2018 season.

In the U18 NRRRL competition’s regular season, Oscar Clarke played in eleven matches finishing the season with twelve tries which placed him equal second with centre Ballina James Torrens on the try scoring tally, five behind Cudgen centre Liam Cusack.

Oscar Clarke scored an early season hat trick against Lismore Marist Brothers and mid-season scored doubles in consecutive rounds against Lower Clarence and Ballina.

Oscar Clarke’s U18 NRRRL season came to an end in week two of the finals when Tweed Coast went down 22 – 14 to the Lower Clarence Magpies.

This season Oscar Clarke also played in one Reserve Grade match which was against Murwillumbah in July.

After playing three NRRRL First Grade games in 2017, Oscar Clarke added three more to that number in 2018 and also scored his first career NRRRL First Grade try when he scored against Northern United in his second NRRRL First Grade match this year after playing his first against Murwillumbah. Oscar Clarke’s third NRRRL First Grade match this season was played against Casino RSM.

Oscar Clarke’s 2017 season started off well with Oscar Clarke being selected in the East Coast Dolphins U18 Development Squad for the New South Wales Age Championships. Oscar Clarke who played both in the front row and second row over the course of the 2017 season represented the East Coast Dolphins U16 team in 2016 as well. Earlier in 2017 the former Kingscliff High School student was selected in the North Coast Open Rugby League side for the New South Wales Combined High Schools trials.

Oscar Clarke finished 2017 as the leading try scorer in the Novaskill’s U18 NRRRL competition with fifteen tries from only fourteen matches played. Oscar Clarke has scored three hat tricks which have come against Byron Bay, Evans Heads and Lismore Marist Brothers.

On Saturday June 3 Oscar Clarke made his NRRRL first grade debut as a 17 year old against Mullumbimby and played two further first grade matches in 2017 which were against Byron Bay in July and against Casino RSM in August.

The young hard running backrower usually lines up on the right hand side of the field and runs with speed into the defensive line. Oscar Clarke is not the biggest young forward you will ever see, but he is all effort in attack and will constantly run the ball into the heart of the opposition forward pack regardless of how big they are.

Oscar Clarke is a smart runner though to the extent that he does use good foot work prior to the defensive line to help negate his lack of size and he also has very good leg drive once initial contact has been made. He also fights hard when tackled to ensure he gets a quick play the ball to maintain the momentum for his side.

Even against the some of the sides in the 2017 New South Wales Age Championships that had massive forward packs, including Newcastle, he was the most effective Dolphins forwards throughout the Championships.

In addition, Oscar Clarke has enough speed to be an effective runner of the football being able to run the ball on the edges of the ruck. Oscar Clarke is not exceptionally quick but quick enough to rush defenders to make a decision of when to commit to the tackle.

I would consider Oscar Clarke a strong effective tackler who looks to use the angle of the attackers runs to his advantage, redirecting their momentum. His above average lateral mobility also enables him to not be over matched when defending against smaller quicker players on the edge of the ruck. In the context of defending in the centre of the ruck a continued focus on increasing his functional strength will enable him to better handle the biggest of forwards one on one, but I have no doubt with his dedication and the tools that are available to him, this will be easily addressed.

Oscar Clarke seems to have the type of frame that could add muscle without compromising his speed or lateral movement attributes. His head placement always seems to be correct, thus reducing the possibility of injury to himself and increasing the effectiveness of the tackle.

I hope that Oscar Clarke will look to get an opportunity in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in 2019 and from there the sky is the limit for this outstanding talent. Oscar Clarke has the skill and temperament to progress very quickly through the rugby league ranks all of the way to the NRL and potentially even beyond.

I would think that Oscar Clarke will continue to alternate between front row and second row over the next season or so but ultimately I believe that he will end up in the second row long term where his burgeoning skill set can be best utilised.

A player comparison with Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test second rower Matt Gillett is fair and appropriate.

Oscar Clarke is an effective runner of the ball with a deceptive off-load and is a harder hitter in defence that he is sometimes given credit for, he can on occasion be a devastating defender.

In short Oscar Clarke is a talented all round forward who has a big future in the game.

mdrew

28-10-18, 10:38 AM

Ryan Rivett. (Revised) The Titans linked half spent the 2018 season playing for Burleigh in the U16 Division One competition but also got an opportunity in the U17 Division One competition as well.

Ryan Rivett started at half back and scored a hat trick for the Titans U16 side in a 60 – 10 win over PNG at Pizzey Park and was named by the coaches as the player of the match. Ryan Rivett also started in the halves for the Titans U16’s in their 30 – 10 to New South Wales Country U16’s and kicked a second half conversion in the match.

In the U16 Division One competition, Ryan Rivett played in twelve matches including the finals series scoring 101 point from eight tries, thirty four goals and a field goal (kicked against Southport).

From a regular season try scoring perspective, Ryan Rivett scored a double against Runaway Bay and also scored against Helensvale, Mudgeeraba in two separate matches and against Southport.

Ryan Rivett’s best goal kicking match was against Mudgeeraba in June when he kicked six and on three occasions he kicked four goals in a match.

In Week Two of the U16 Division One Finals series, Ryan Rivett started at half back for Burleigh as they defeated Helensvale 24 – 18. In the Friday night match Ryan Rivett scored a try and kicked four from four.

In Week Three of the GCRL Finals series being the Preliminary Finals, Ryan Rivett was certainly busy. On the Friday night he started at half back in the U16 Division One match, scoring as Burleigh went down 28 – 26 to Currumbin.

Ryan Rivett then started at five eight for the Burleigh U17 Division One side, scoring a try and kicking three second half conversions but unfortunately Burleigh went down to a rampant Runaway Bay side 34 – 22 to end their season.

Ryan Rivett made his U17 Division One debut against Mudgeeraba in late May 2018 starting the match at half back and running riot on the way to scoring a hat trick. In his second and final U17 Division One match of 2018 Ryan Rivett kicked two goals against Helensvale.

Ryan Rivett has also recently been selected in the 2018 Queensland Indigenous U16 side for the QPIIC Championships to be held in October in Beenleigh.

Ryan Rivett was part of the Gold Coast Vikings White U16 side that played in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge early in the season and recently was named joint winner of the GCRL U16 Representative Player of the Year.

The nippy young Burleigh Bears half back’s outstanding 2017 season culminated in him putting on a Titans jersey for the Titans U15 side that took on a Balmain Tigers selection at Cudgen late last year, 2017 also saw Ryan Rivett be part of the Gold Coast Academy of Sport Excellence Program.

Over the course of the GCJRL 2017 U15 Division One competition for Burleigh Ryan Rivett played in thirteen matches scoring five tries, kicking nine goals and a field goal for 39 points on the 2017 season. All of Ryan Rivett’s tries came in individual matches against Southport on two occasions, Coomera on two occasions and Helensvale.

Ryan Rivett’s field goal came late in the season against Coomera. Ryan Rivett started off the season as Burleigh goal kicker, kicking four in a match against Southport and the following week, three against Coomera. All of his season’s goals came in the first four rounds of the competition.

In attack, Ryan Rivett generally plays an understated role, focussing more on the distribution and game management aspects of his role as a half. A key attribute to how Ryan Rivett plays is his ability to organise and direct his team around the field as well as adjusting his game to the specific situations encountered within a game.

Ryan Rivett will though take the line on when the opportunity arises however, but as noted his best attribute is that of a game manager with the ability to draw defenders out of the line and put his runners into the subsequent hole that is generated. Ryan Rivett has decent speed off the mark and quick twitch feet in confined space but does not have explosive acceleration or high top end speed.

From a kicking perspective Ryan Rivett has a solid kicking game, with reasonable distance and accuracy on all types of kicks, from kicking for field position or from an attacking perspective as well as tactically for field position. I am sure that moving forward focussing on his kicking skills will be a key focus area both from a distance and accuracy perspective.

In defence, due to his size Ryan Rivett is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players through sheer force of will. He is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side both in attack and defence.

Ryan Rivett will transition to the U17 Division One competition in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition for Burleigh in 2019 and has also been named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad.

From a long term position perspective, based on his skill set and size, halfback seems to be Ryan Rivett’s ideal position going forward and a talented game manager at that. After saying what I just said it would be interesting to see how Ryan Rivett would solid at hooker with his decent speed off the mark and his solid kicking and passing game.

From a player comparison perspective, think along the lines of Manly half Daly Cherry Evans as an intelligent skilful player who will be the catalyst for most of the good things that his team does and is faster between the ears than his foot speed.

mdrew

29-10-18, 07:02 PM

David Butler (Revised) He is a Titans contracted local young front rower who has been part of the Titans junior development set up since the age of 13.

Earlier this season David Butler represented Queensland in both the U18 and U18 QSSRL Open School Boys sides and late last year was named in the Queensland U18 Emerging Origin squad and over the weekend David Butler was part of the Queensland Samoa U18 side that took part in the Queensland Pacific Islands Cultural Carnival.

In the U18 match for Queensland against New South Wales David Butler come on late in the first half about the same time as fellow Titan Blake Campbell and made and immediately made some solid hits in defence as well as an outstanding run on his first hit-up to settle him into the match.

David Butler made the QSSRL U18 side after some impressive performances for the South Coast side that lost the Championship Final 34 – 28 to Met North.

Earlier this season, David Butler was an ever present in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side, playing every match including their semi-final against South’s Logan. David Butler started Round One on the inter change bench but started the remainder of the season in the front row.

Post the MM Cup and playing for South Coast in the U18 QSSRL Championships David Butler played Round Three of the GCRL U19 competition, starting in the front row for Helensvale as they went down 36 – 6.

David Butler also made one appearance for Tweed Heads in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition late in the season.

This season David Butler moved from Coombabah State High School to Keebra Park and started the majority of their matches in the front row. Keebra Park unfortunately bowed out in the Queensland GIO Cup quarter finals going down to Marsden State High School.

In 2017 David Butler played for Helensvale in the U17 Division One competition on the Gold Coast and is starting in the front row in their 34 – 20 Grand Final victory over Ormeau and scored a try to cap off a great night for the 17 year old.

For Helensvale in the U17 Division One competition in 2017 David Butler has played in nine matches including the Grand Final and also scored in Helensvale’s final’s win over Bilambil a fortnight earlier. During 2017 David Butler made his U20 Colts Challenge debut for Tweed Heads Seagulls a great achievement for a 17 year old.

In 2016, David Butler played for Gold Coast White in the CC Cup competition and played in the second row for Coombabah State High School in the Super Six and GIO Cup Schoolboy competitions along with plenty of other Titans linked players such as Logan Cootes, Blake Campbell, Reihana Marsh and Taine Tuaupiki.

David Butler had some outstanding matches in the 2016 GIO Cup competition including an outstanding effort against Kirwan State High School in a nationally televised match and also was one of the best for Coombabah when they comprehensively defeated Palm Beach Currumbin. Coombabah progressed all the way to the Queensland Grand Final where they were beaten in golden point extra time 13 – 12 by Keebra Park after a field goal attempt by Coombabah hit the upright with a minute to go in normal time.

In the CC Cup in 2016, David Butler scored five tries over the course of the six matches that he played in the competition, starting all in the front row, with those tries coming in consecutive games from Round Two to Seven. David Butler scored against Gold Coast Green and Easts Tigers twice and against South Logan as well.

For Helensvale during the 2016 season, David Butler played in nine games averaging exactly a try a game to finish the second leading try scorer in the U16 Division One competition. David Butler scored three doubles coming in matches against Southport and Runaway Bay in consecutive weeks and against Runaway Bay again later in the season. David Butler also played two matches at the U17 Division Two level.

David Butler represented South Coast in the QSSRL U15 competition in 2015, where in my opinion was the best forward on show. He understandably made the Queensland U15 Maroons side for the national U15 school boy’s titles held in June 2015 and with fellow Titans junior Geordie Brand was part of the Championships winning Queensland side.

David Butler was actually named the Queensland Maroon’s player of the match in their first game against NSW Combined Catholic Colleges I believe it was. He was also selected for Queensland at the U12 level a couple of years ago.

David Butler runs exceptionally hard and there is little subtlety to his running, it is straight and hard and another positive is that he will not just run upright, he will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped easily or by a single defender.

David Butler’s running style means that he throws self-preservation out of the window, and fires up his team mates with his charges at full speed into a set forward defensive line.

David Butler was the primary kick-off return player for both Keebra Park this season and on Day Two of the U18 QSSRL competition for South Coast against Darling Downs made some big returns including one in the first half where he split the defence from the kick off, rumbling to around the half way mark before being dragged down. South Coast scored later in the set of six.

David Butler will on occasion take advantage of slow defenders by angling back behind the play the ball, but outside of that he just flat out runs full throttle every time he touches the ball and runs fast and will fight for a quick play the ball every time. If anything he is more effective in the second half of games where his running style begins to wear down the opposition.

I have not seen a great deal of off loads from him, so whilst they will not necessarily be a significant part of his game moving forward developing this ability and the use of some foot work prior to the line will only make him even more effective. He has good lateral movement for a front rower so he does have the skills to develop some footwork but just needs more experience.

Defensively he hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribs and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls, read that he is very good at winning the wrestling battle in the ruck.

David Butler defends in the centre of the ruck and is best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for.

David Butler’s motivation and attitude cannot be questioned, in the U18 QSSRL Championship Final with the game all but gone, David Butler still gave everything. The Met North fullback made a break and after stepping the South Coast fullback looked destined to score but David Butler had sprinted 50 metres and made a superb diving tackle to cut him down from behind when he looked certain to score.

David Butler has been a bit of a favourite of mine, since I saw him play for our U13 development squad in a game at Redlands a few years ago now. He had come off for a rest, but a couple of injuries meant that the coach turned around and said to the players on the bench, “I need someone to play lock”, David Butler’s hand went straight up, when the coach told him to quickly warm up to go on, he turned to the player next to him and get a quick rundown of where he needed to defend on the field as he had never played lock before. A little thing like this goes a long way to show the dedication and willingness of him to do what is necessary to help his team win.

David Butler will start the 2019 season as a key member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side and will also likely get an opportunity in the Gold Coast Rugby league First Grade competition to get an opportunity to test himself against men.

From a long term perspective, I would consider it almost certain that David Butler will end up in the front row where he can be a strong physical and leadership presence for any team that he plays, although the way that locks play these days, they are essentially a third front rower so whilst he may have the No. 13 on his back, the way he plays the game will not change to any significant degree.

From a player comparison perspective, I know that it is a big call but I can see aspects of a playing style that is similar in style to Cowboys, Queensland and Australian front rower Matt Scott as a front rower who will make a lot of ground in attack to set up momentum and field position for his team.

Like Matt Scott, David Butler gets on top of the opposition by out working them and wearing them down as the match progresses through a hard relentless aggressive attitude.

mdrew

30-10-18, 07:57 PM

Rowan Mansfield. (Revised) After being involved in both the Titans and Bronco’s Development Squads in recent years it is great to see Rowan Mansfield sign with the Titans earlier this season and to see him play for the Titans U15 side when they defeated the Western Mustangs six tries to three at Nerang in March.

In that match Rowan Mansfield lined up at right centre where he opposed the talented Blake Cesseri from the Western Mustangs and more than held his own over the course of the match.

Recently Rowan Mansfield started at fullback for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 with Rowan Mansfield scoring an outstanding try.

In the first half Rowan Mansfield was dangerous with the ball and almost scored early when he looked to step his way through the Balmain Tigers forward pack from close range and was also dangerous chiming into the backline off Titans scrum wins especially to the right side of the field.

In the second half Rowan Mansfield moved onto the right wing and scored an outstanding try highlighting his outstanding speed. The try was constructed in the inside through a chain of passes from Thomas Weaver through Jye Gray to Kaleb Ngamanu who put Rowan Mansfield into a gap down the sideline. Rowan Mansfield used an outstanding in and away to beat the Balmain fullback to score untouched after a seventy metre run just to the right of the goal posts.

Rowan Mansfield is just one of a number of talented Northern Rivers juniors that have recently (the last year or so) linked with the Titans, a list also including second rower Ben Liyou, half Kel Sheather and centre/second rower Ethan Foster amongst others.

Rowan Mansfield is a young fullback or centre from the Ballina Seagulls junior rugby league club who play in the Group One junior rugby league competition in Northern NSW, which is the same club that former Titans centre Brian Kelly played his junior rugby league for.

This season in the Group One U15 competition, Rowan Mansfield played in eleven matches, including the finals scoring five tries. Each of Rowans Mansfield regular season’s tries came from individual matches and were scored against, South Grafton, Clarence Coast on two occasions and against Casino RSM.

On the first Saturday of the Group One finals, Rowan Mansfield scored for Ballina in their 26 - 4 Group One U15 semi-final victory over South Grafton.

In the Grand Final Rowan Mansfield and his Ballina team mates went down to a committed South Grafton Rebels side 16 – 0 in a defensive tussle.

Rowan Mansfield also played in three Group One U16.5 matches, making his debut against Clarence Coast in early August scoring on debut.

Earlier in 2018 Rowan Mansfield was part of the New South Wales Combined High Schools (NSW CHS) U15 side that participated in the ASSRL U15 national Championships, being one of ten Titans involved in the Championships. NSW Combined High School Titans team mates were second rower Ryan Foran and fullback/centre Riley Lack.

At the 2018 New South Wales Country U15 Championships Rowan Mansfield was named in the centres for the Group One U15 side.

In Group One’s Round One U15 match against Newcastle Rowan Mansfield started in the centres with Group One winning 22 – 18 against Newcastle and Rowan Mansfield scoring a double.

In Group One’s second match of the Championships Rowan Mansfield kicking a conversion as Group One ran out 28 – 6 winners against Group Three.

Group One won their Northern Cup semi-final against Group 19 before going down 10 – 6 against Group Two in the U15 new South Wales Country Northern Cup Final.
Rowan Mansfield played four matches at the U16 ASSRL Championships primarily at fullback and scored against New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges.

Rowan Mansfield was recently named in the 2019 Northern Rivers Titans U16 side for the Andrew Johns Cup.

Early in 2017 Rowan Mansfield represented Group One U14’s in the New South Wales Age Championships were he was named in the centres. In those Championships, Rowan Mansfield was absolutely outstanding on his way to scoring four tries from just three matches, including a Round One hat trick against Group 14 and in Round Three he scored against the Central Coast.

For the 2017 season Rowan Mansfield was the leading try scorer in the Group One U14 competition scoring 23 tries from just twelve matches. Rowan Mansfield scored five in a match against Marist Brothers and also had hat tricks against the Grafton Ghosts and South Grafton Rebels.

In a seven match span to start the 2017 season Rowan Mansfield scored an incredible nineteen tries. Rowan Mansfield was in fact named the U14 Ballina Seagulls Best and Fairest for the 2017 Group One U14 season.

Rowan Mansfield also played eight matches in the 2017 Group One U15 competition scoring against Casino RSM. On six of the eight occasions that Rowan Mansfield played U15’s he was backing up from the U14 contest earlier in the day.

In the 2016 season Rowan Mansfield scored an amazing 35 tries in only 13 games to finish the leading try scorer by 13 tries, adding in his two conversions, Rowan Mansfield had a total points tally of 144 on the season in the U13 Group One Junior Rugby League competition and added another six tries from as many games in the U14 age group.

In the U13 competition in 2016, Rowan Mansfield was only kept try less on one occasion in 2016, being against Lismore Marist Brothers in the last match of the season. Rowan Mansfield scored six tries in a match against Kyogle and five also against Kyogle earlier in the season and on four occasions, scored four tries in a match which came against Casino RSM on two separate occasions and against Grafton and South Grafton.

Rowan Mansfield also scored two hat tricks, coming against Lismore Marist Brothers on two separate occasions. At the U14 level, Rowan Mansfield scored two doubles which came against Grafton and Kyogle.

In attack his speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play live. Only watching him play live will do his speed off the mark justice, watching him play live, it is great to see when he takes off. He also has an extra gear once he is through the defensive line and has the ability and endurance to maintain his speed over a long distance. Couple his speed with a very good right foot step and you have a young player who seemingly makes breaks at will.

Rowan Mansfield can and will beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies. He also backs up any line breaks that are made by his forwards. Yes I know that he is still very young but Rowan Mansfield has absolutely blazing speed already, which would have to be considered in the plus-plus category.

For the Titans U15 side in March Rowan Mansfield expertly got on the outside of his Western Mustangs opponent down the right hand grand stand side of the field at Nerang beating his opposing centre with speed and guile and even with a lot of cover defence coming across expertly set up his fullback with a great pass back on the inside. Even though the fullback was pulled down just short of the try line it was a great piece of play by Rowan Mansfield and personified his style of play perfectly in that brief moment of brilliance.

Rowan Mansfield also has very good hands for such a young player and when he retrieves the ball from an opponent’s kick he simply just takes off and is difficult for the opposition to get his hands on as he nears top speed.

Rowan Mansfield is not the biggest or necessarily strongest player but will take the hit when needing to make the tackle in the last line of defence and has the recovery speed to compensate if he needs to turn and chase an opponent’s break. Rowan Mansfield is also adept at using the sideline to his advantage when he is defending against opposition breaks.

Even against such a talented centre as Blake Cesseri (the best U15 centre in Queensland) Rowan Mansfield held his own for the Titans U15 side, especially considering that Rowan Mansfield has not spent a great deal of time in the centres over the last couple of seasons.

Moving towards the 2019 season Rowan Mansfield has been named in the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad and will play in the Group One U16.5 competition for Ballina and may even get a match or two in the U18 NRRRL competition.

From a position perspective, I would suggest that he will continue to play fullback and centre for the foreseeable future, although I believe when it is all said and done Rowan Mansfield will ultimately end up at fullback although with how he played in the centres for the Titans U15 side recently it cannot be ruled out that Rowan Mansfield will not stay in the centres and perform very well there as well.

From a player comparison perspective, think along the lines of Cowboys fullback Lachlan Coote as a fullback with outstanding pace and footwork in attack and who is also courageous when it comes to his defensive duties and on kick returns.

There is just something about how this young man moves that is impossible not to be impressed by and the scary part of me is that even though he was solid for the Titans U15’s this season there is plenty more to come from Rowan Mansfield.

mdrew

31-10-18, 06:36 PM

Faaleo Aholahi. The Logan Brothers front rower is an outstanding addition to the 2019 Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad after playing a leading role in the GBJRL Nev Blair U18 competition this season with Logan Brothers.

The way Faaleo Aholahi plays in attack has no subtlety involved, he just runs hard and straight throwing self-preservation out of the window, in a long run that probably not great for him but it does fire up his team mates when they see him charging at full speed into a set forward defensive line.

I have not seen many offloads from him but obviously the type of game he plays requires few mistakes although on rare occasions Faaleo Aholahi does lose a touch of focus and his technique suffers a touch and he can run too front on. I thing that the biggest reason why is that he is so determined to get the ball and run hard which is a great trait to have.

Defensively Faaleo Aholahi hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribs and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls, read that he is very good at winning the wrestling battle in the ruck but just needs to adjust to how each referee controls a particular game.

Faaleo Aholahi defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for, continued work from a stamina perspective will aid this as the game progresses.

Faaleo Aholahi who will play the 2018 for the Burleigh MM Cup side and post that competition it will be interesting to see where he plays. Faaleo Aholahi may stay on the Coast and playing in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition or he may play for his junior club being Logan Brothers in the GBJRL U18 Nev Blair competition, either way Faaleo Aholahi is player to keep an eye out for.

Faaleo Aholahi is probably considered by some as a bit of a late bloomer but that is not necessarily the case. Over the last couple of years, Faaleo Aholahi’s game has continued to develop and mature so his play this season would come as no surprise to anyone who has been him play over the last couple of seasons or the Logan Brothers coaching staff.

From a position perspective I firmly believe that Faaleo Aholahi’s best position as he progresses in the junior rugby league ranks is where he is currently playing being the front row.

Faaleo Aholahi’s game resembles that of former St George Dragon and Brisbane Bronco and current English Super League front rower Ashton Sims. Like Sims, Faaleo Aholahi seems to have little thought other than to crash head long into the opposition and then to get a quick play the ball.

mdrew

01-11-18, 08:23 PM

Ezra Ubaldino. (Revised) He is a local young Titans contracted centre or second rower who even though he was still eligible for the U15 age group spent the 2018 season playing for Burleigh in the U16 Division One competition. Recently Ezra Ubaldino was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad for the 2019 U16 South East Queensland Challenge.

In the 2018 U16 Division One competition, Ezra Ubaldino played in five matches including the finals scoring four tries. Ezra Ubaldino’s two regular season tries came against Southport and Helensvale.

In week two of the U16 Division One finals series Ezra Ubaldino started in the second row and scored for Burleigh as they overcame a resilient Helensvale side 24 – 18.

In Week Three of the U16 Division One finals series Ezra Ubaldino started in the second row and scored as Burleigh went down 28 – 26 to Currumbin in the Preliminary Final.

In March of this year Ezra Ubaldino started in the second row for a Titans U15 side that defeated a U15 Western Mustangs selection six tries to three, in that match, Ezra Ubaldino was the Titans best in my opinion and also scored a strong second half try.

In 2018 the PBC student represented South Coast at the U15 ASSRL Championships and from there was selected in the Queensland White side for the ASSRL Championships. In those Championships Ezra Ubaldino played in three matches and achieved a 100% try scoring strike rate after scoring a double against the ACT on Day One and also scoring against the ACT on the final day of the Championships.

In 2017 at the start of this season Ezra Ubaldino transferred from the Currumbin Eagles to the Burleigh Bears where he played in the U15 Division GCJRL competition even though the PBC student was still eligible for the U14 age group. Ezra Ubaldino was part of the Titans U15 side that played a Balmain Tigers selection late in 2017 with the young man being outstanding in that match.

Ezra Ubaldino played nine matches for Burleigh in the GCJRL U15 Division One competition including their semi-final campaign scoring three tries in the process. Ezra Ubaldino scored a double against the Southport Tigers and late in the season also scored against the Coomera Cutters. Ezra Ubaldino also played one match for Burleigh in the U15 Division Two competition against the Ormeau Shearers in May 2017.

2016 saw Ezra Ubaldino represent the Gold Coast Vikings at the U13 level where they went through the Hill Stumer Championships undefeated and from there Ezra Ubaldino was selected in the South East Queensland White side for the Queensland Age Championships. For the Vikings in 2016 Ezra Ubaldino was selected in the centres but for South East Queensland White he was selected in the second row.

At the 2016 Hill Stumer Championships held at Carina, Ezra Ubaldino played in all three of the U13 Vikings matches including scoring a great hat trick in the Sunday game against Ipswich including two long range efforts in a 58 – 6 victory for the Gold Coast youngsters.

In 2014, Ezra Ubaldino represented South Coast in the QPSRL U11 competition, a competition that South Coast dominated and went on to win, scoring 132 and conceding only 12 across the five matches. In those championships, Ezra Ubaldino scored three tries, one each against Capricornia, Sunshine Coast and Met West. Runaway Bay centre Connor Te Kani and Ormeau five eight Syris Schmidt were also part of that South Coast side and all three have continued to take positive steps with their development and look to have a lot of potential to work with moving forward.

The pace and power in terms of how Ezra Ubaldino runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing defenders who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot Ezra Ubaldino will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck or wider out and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength and power to drag defenders with him.

I would consider that his speed would be considered above average for a centre but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at. Ezra Ubaldino also has a very powerful fend especially with his right hand.

Against Ipswich in the U13 Hill Stumer Championships in 2016 Ezra Ubaldino made a long break down the left hand touch line with no support, when confronted by the fullback, Ezra Ubaldino smartly changed the ball into his left arm and produced a great right hand fend when the Ipswich fullback went to tackle him high, knocking the Ipswich fullback to the ground with one push. Ezra Ubaldino then continued on to score a great solo try in the left corner, being one of three that he scored on the day.

The defensive side of his game is similarly effective, Ezra Ubaldino does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit (well maybe sometimes but not often), but is cold and calculating in where and when he hits. Quite a few of his tackles resulted in a knock on by the opposition as the ball came loose as a result of the impact of the tackle, he just hits so hard.

Ezra Ubaldino drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent and force them off balance or off their running line.

With his strength and technique Ezra Ubaldino should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of age group or quality of opponent. Ezra Ubaldino also has some aggression in his game which he will need to ensure that he moderates it and channels it correctly which I am sure will come with additional experience.

Moving forward to the 2019 season it will be interesting to see whether Ezra Ubaldino will continue to play “up” an age group and play for Burleigh in the U17 Division One competition or play for what is shaping to be an impressive U16 Division One Burleigh side in 2019 alongside the likes of fellow Titans contracted Bailey Martin and the fast improving Flynn Daniel.

Ezra Ubaldino has also been selected in the Gold Coast VikingsU16 squad to compete in the 2019 South East Queensland U16 pre-season Challenge.

From a position perspective prior to this season I would have argued that Ezra Ubaldino’s long term future lies in the centres but after his performances in the second row this season playing primarily against players a year older than him, I now have to change my thinking and based on the 2018 season a long term future in the second row is certainly on the cards.

From a player comparison perspective think of New Zealand Warriors tough hard aggressive young second rower Isaiah Pappalli as a good comparison for Ezra Ubaldino, both just charge at the line without fear and really try to hit as hard as possible in every tackle.

People watching Ezra Ubaldino play for the first time may think that he is all speed, power and strength but whilst he does display those attributes there is a lot more to his game revolving around positioning, awareness, timing and anticipation.

With time and maturity the young man could really develop into a special player.

The future is certainly bright on the Gold Coast with young players like Ezra Ubaldino coming through the ranks.

mdrew

02-11-18, 06:31 PM

Connor Williams. (Revised) The Titans linked youngster started off the 2018 season in the Western Mustangs MM Cup side and then transitioned back to the Toowoomba Rugby League competition
playing with Southern Suburbs in the U18 competition where he has been an absolute stand out.

In the MM Cup, Connor Williams was involved in all six of the Western Mustangs matches and scored his sole try of the season in Round Six and a huge second half comeback against the Burleigh Bears.

Connor Williams came off the interchange bench in Round One, started at lock in Rounds Three and Four (Western Mustangs had a round two bye) and started in the second row in his remaining matches.

Connor Williams played fifteen matches in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition this season for Southern Suburbs including the finals series.

In those matches Connor Williams scored fourteen tries, ten in the regular season and four in the finals series. In the regular season, Connor Williams scored doubles against Pittsworth, Wattles and Toowoomba Valleys and also scored against Warwick, Pittsworth, Goondiwindi and Gatton.

In the first week of the finals Connor Williams started in the second row as Southern Suburbs overcame South Burnett and in week two of the finals he once again started in the second row and scored as Southern Suburbs progressed with a 36 – 14 win over Gatton.

In the Preliminary Final against Dalby, Connor Williams started in the centres instead of his normal second row position and scored a try in the 2nd minute of the second half as Southern Suburbs defeated Dalby 44 – 4 to progress to the Grand Final.

In the 2018 Toowoomba Rugby League U18 Grand Final Connor Williams started in the centres against Highfields and Districts and was on the winning side as Southern Suburbs won 38 – 10.

Connor William’s first TRL U18 match this season was in Round One against Toowoomba Valleys and then as a result of his MM Cup commitments did not play again in the U18’s until Round Six. In Rounds One and Six Connor Williams started from the inter change bench but since then has started all of his matches in the second row.

Connor Williams also made his Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade debut this season when he started in the centres in July against Highfields and Districts. Connor Williams played two more First Grade matches, starting both in the centres as well against Goondiwindi and Gatton scoring on both occasions as well.

The St Mary’s student was also part of the Darlings Downs U18 side that participated in the U18 QSSRL Championships this year.

Connor Williams started at lock for St Mary’s College Toowoomba in the 2018 Confraternity Shield including starting in the final against Ipswich’s St Peter Claver College which St Mary’s won 42 – 6.

In the Qualifying rounds St Mary’s defeated St Patricks College Mackay 20 – 4, St Peter Claver College 24 – 6 and St Teresa’s College Abergowrie 26 – 18 to progress to the finals.

Prior to making and subsequently winning the Confraternity Shield, St Mary’s defeated Aquinas College Ashmore 36 – 4 in the Qualifying Final and Ignatius Park College Townsville 22 – 10 in the semi-final to have an outstanding competition.

The young Toowoomba South’s lock or second rower was solid throughout the 2017 season playing at the U16 level in the Toowoomba Junior rugby league competition. The 2017 Toowoomba 15/16 Academy Squad member and Titans/Western Mustangs squad member attended a Titans sponsored camp in Lennox Heads for three days including playing a match for the Western Mustangs against the Titans. As a result of his performances over the 2017 season Connor Williams has been placed on a Titans Scholarship for the next couple of seasons.

Connor Williams started at lock in the 2017 U16 TJRL Grand Final that Souths won 32 – 20 against Highfields. Connor Williams scored his first try of the Grand Final in the 27th minute of the first half to extend South’s lead to 14 – 6. Connor Williams second try came in the 21st minute of the second half to give Souths a 30 – 12 lead.

Over the course of the 2017 for Toowoomba Souths in the U16 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League competition Connor Williams scored eleven tries from thirteen matches. In addition to his Grand Final double, Connor Williams also scored doubles against Highfields in the regular season and Valleys.

2017 also say the St Marys College Toowoomba student represent the Toowoomba U16 representative side and from there was selected in the U16 South West Mustangs side in the second row for the 2017 U16 Central Division Selection Trials.

Connor Williams is a solidly built exceptional athlete and this can be seen when be he is running with the football. In his carries Connor Williams rarely takes a hit up without movement, he uses foot work prior to the line to look to break through as well as cutting either cutting back in behind the play the ball or cutting out towards the smaller defenders on the fringes of the ruck.

In the 2016 U15 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League Grand Final, especially in the second half when I thought he was the best player on the field he made some great runs, including on the last play of the Grand Final when he burst onto a pass on the half way mark, he outpaced the cover defence and broke the tackle of the fullback to score a deserved try.

Like one or two others mentioned over the course of these write-ups Connor Williams runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line on a number of occasions. One reason for this is that Connor Williams is an intelligent footballer, he does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms in the tackle.

Connor Williams has very good speed off the mark for a second rower and can then translate that into very good top end speed which he can sustain over long distances. This was highlighted in the first half of the 2016 U15 TJRL Grand Final when Connor Williams broke through the line from around 40 metres out, he was brought down short of the line but a quick play from Connor Williams set up a try to winger Taegon Inmon from a great Jordan Lipp kick.

Connor Williams would be one of the faster back rowers running around for his age group in the Western Mustangs region. Also in the Grand Final he showed his speed down the left side of the field when he made a 40 metre break before setting up his centre Reece Liston to score his second try in the left corner.

Playing on the left hand side of the field seemingly more often, means that his right foot step and his fending using his left hand are the effective attributes, but based on his physical attributes, his skill set and his understanding of how to play the game means that I have no doubt that these attributes are transferrable to playing on the right hand side of the field to increase his effectiveness on the field.

Defensively Connor Williams looks to wrap up the ball on initial contact, he will not constantly come up with big hits, but is certainly capable of hitting hard when the opportunity presents itself, but will rarely miss tackles and also covers across the field very well, meaning he is always in a good position to make a tackle if the ball is turned back inside and also to make cover defending tackles if breaks are made wider out.

One area that I have noticed is that Connor Williams does defend a lot in the centre of the ruck, rather than on the fringes, in no way is this a negative in the context that with his size and strength he can handle the physical contact and work load, but as he progresses in age Connor Williams will probably need to adjust to defending more on the fringe of the ruck to enable him to use his exceptional athletic ability more.

Connor Williams made the best tackle of the U15 TJRL Grand Final in 2016 in the second half when he came out of the line and smashed his Highfields opponent with a perfectly timed front on tackle right on the half way mark jolting the ball lose and putting South’s back on the attack.

Connor Williams is quick enough to get to most outside backs in cover defence, in short he is one of the better back row cover defenders I have had the opportunity to see in junior football. Due to his speed and positional sense Connor Williams is usually one of the first players down field in relation to kick chase as well. These last two attributes are part athletic ability part determination. Connor Williams just does a lot of the little things well.

Connor Williams is eligible for the MM Cup competition once again in 2019 and understandably has been named in the Western Mustangs squad and post the completion of that competition will be in line for an immediate call up to the Western Mustangs Colts side and will also likely expand on his three Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade matches in between his Western Mustangs commitments.

From a position perspective, Connor Williams seems to have the ideal build for a second rower in the modern game to go along with good pace and thus from a position projection perspective, second row seems to be Connor William’s ideal position moving forward.

I appreciate that Connor Williams played in the centres in the Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade competition and in the U18 Finals series this season but that was more to do with the fact that he was a 17 year old playing against older players and men rather than what position Connor Williams will ultimately play in the long term.

From a player comparison perspective, someone along the lines of Boyd Cordner of the Roosters, New South Wales State of Origin captain and Australia would be appropriate from a style perspective as a tall powerful well-rounded back rower who plays the game hard with toughness and at a pace above a lot of the players around him.

mdrew

03-11-18, 02:22 PM

Leslie Hartvigsen. (Revised) The young ultra-talented Toowoomba based second rower had a big year for the 2017 Western Mustangs MM Cup being part of the MM Cup winning side before progressing onto the Western Mustangs U20 Colts Challenge squad later in the season.

Leslie Hartvigsen’s 2018 season has followed the same course as his 2017 one. He started the season in the MM Cup and then moved immediately to the U20 Colts side for the Western Mustangs.

In the MM Cup this season for the Western Mustangs, Leslie Hartvigsen played in all six of the Western Mustangs matches starting in the second row on each occasion. In those six mates Leslie Hartvigsen had a 50% strike rate with his tries coming in Rounds One, Four and Seven against Victoria, Norths and Souths Logan respectively.

Leslie Hartvigsen made his 2018 Colts debut in Round Ten against the Mackay Cutters starting from the bench and since that time has played in eight additional matches. Leslie Hartvigsen celebrated his 2018 Colts debut by scoring in the Western Mustangs victory over the Cutters and also scored in Round Seventeen against Redcliffe.

Leslie Hartvigsen moved into the starting line-up in Round Thirteen against Easts when he started in the centres and started Rounds Fourteen through Eighteen in the centres as well.

Leslie Hartvigsen also played ten matches in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition this season for Southern Suburbs including the finals series.

In the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition this season Lesley Hartvigsen scored eight tries, three in the regular season and five in the finals series. In the regular season, Lesley Hartvigsen scored a double against Pittsworth and also scored against Gatton.

In the first week of the finals Lesley Hartvigsen started from the bench as Southern Suburbs overcame South Burnett and in week two of the finals he started at lock and scored two second half tries as Southern Suburbs progressed with a 36 – 14 win over Gatton.

In the Preliminary Final against Dalby, Leslie Hartvigsen started in the centres and scored a first half hat trick (9th, 30th and 32 minute) as Southern Suburbs defeated Dalby 44 – 4 to progress to the Grand Final.

In the 2018 U18 Toowoomba Rugby League Grand Final Leslie Hartvigsen started in the centres alongside fellow Titans linked centre Connor Williams against Highfields and Districts with Southern Suburbs taking the premiership as a result of a 38 – 10 Grand Final victory.

Lesley Hartvigsen also made his Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade debut this season when he came off the bench for Southern Suburbs against Toowoomba Valleys in late June.

On a number of occasions Lesley Hartvigsen played for Southern Suburbs and then backed up for the Western Mustangs Colts on the same weekend showcasing his stamina and durability.

In the MM Cup competition for the Titans aligned Western Mustangs in 2017, Leslie Hartvigsen played in four of the Mustangs regular season MM Cup matches as well as their 29 – 22 semi-final win over Easts and their MM Cup Grand Final win over South’s Logan 40 – 30 and also the U18 National Championship final against the Parramatta Eels which the Western Mustangs lost but not outclassed.

Leslie Hartvigsen started all of his 2017 MM Cup matches from the inter change bench except for Rounds Six and Eight when he started in the second row. Leslie Hartvigsen was able to score two tries in the MM season coming against the Central Queensland Capra’s in Round Five (his first MM Cup match) and against the Central Crows in Round Eight.

Leslie Hartvigsen has also played in three of the Western Mustangs U20 Colts Challenge matches this season, making his debut in Round Thirteen against the Ipswich Jets. Leslie Hartvigsen came off the inter change bench in Rounds Fifteen against Tweed Heads and Round Sixteen against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

After the Western Mustangs 2017 MM Cup success Leslie Hartvigsen went back in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition representing Southern Suburbs and played in the U18, reserve grade and first grade Toowoomba Rugby League competitions. Leslie Hartvigsen’s 2017 Toowoomba Rugby League season finished when his Southern Suburbs U18 side were beaten 30 – 26 in their elimination final by the Warwick Cowboys.

Over the course of the TRL U18 competition in 2017, Leslie Hartvigsen played in nine matches and scored against Pittsworth and Goondiwindi. Leslie Hartvigsen made his reserve grade debut on 25 June 2017 against Wattles and proceeded to play in two more reserve grade fixtures which were against Warwick and Toowoomba Brothers.

Leslie Hartvigsen also played two Hutchies A Grade matches in 2017 making his debut against Toowoomba Brothers on a Sunday afternoon where he had already played in the U18 and reserve grade matches.

The Harristown State High School student and Toowoomba South junior represented the Toowoomba Clydesdales in the CC Cup during the 2016 season and then transitioned back to the TJRL U16 TJRL competition, where he scored two tries and also kicked two conversions from eleven games on the season, with the tries coming against Pittsworth in his first club match of the season and also against Brothers late in the year. In 2015 Leslie Hartvigsen was also named as the most outstanding junior rugby league player for Harristown at their annual sports awards night.

In 2016 Leslie Hartvigsen was also selected in the South West Mustangs U16 side and from there was selected in the U16 Central Crows side for the Queensland Age Championships. In the CC Cup competition, Leslie Hartvigsen started every match in the second row for the Toowoomba Clydesdales, including their quarter final win over Gold Coast Green. Over the season he scored three tries in total including scoring in the first minute of the first CC match of the season against the Central Crows and he also scored a double against Gold Coast Green in the above mentioned quarter final.

Leslie Hartvigsen’s style of play is that of a wide running back rower with above average speed for the position. He is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, Leslie Hartvigsen has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful back rower, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

When he runs on the fringes of the ruck and Leslie Hartvigsen uses his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a decent step off both feet and a very good in and away as well as simply running over people. Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a strong young player who can cause issues for any defensive line.

Leslie Hartvigsen seems to line up on the right side of the field more so than the left, but I have no doubt moving forward that he will be able to play on either side of the field.

Leslie Hartvigsen is an aggressive defender whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks when he is able to set his base. His speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

Leslie Hartvigsen does however tend to drift inside and defend in the centre of the ruck as games progress rather than hold his spacing on the edges of the ruck, but heck that seems to be more to do with enjoying the physical aspects of rugby league and wanting to be in the thick of the action all of the time.

The scary thing is that Leslie Hartvigsen has two years of Colts eligibility left come the start of the 2019 rugby league season where he will start the season with the Western Mustangs Colts side.

In terms of the ultimate position that Leslie Hartvigsen plays, I believe that with his combination of hard running on the fringes of the ruck and his aggressive defensive style will ensure that he continues to play where he has almost always played in his junior rugby league career to date, that being in the second row.

In saying what I have above in the interests of accuracy I should note that Lesley Hartvigsen has played a number of matches in the centres for the Western Mustangs Colts side and Southern suburbs in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition but for me he is more effective as a second rower.

From a style perspective, the one that stands out for me is Titans Bryce Cartwright as a mobile, wide running backrower with a diverse skill set. Leslie Hartvigsen could really turn into a special player and sooner rather than later.

mdrew

04-11-18, 10:32 AM

Luke Maiden. (Revised) The Toowoomba based youngster has recently signed a Titans Rookie contract. From a trivia perspective Luke Maiden is the nephew of former Manly and New South Wales State of Origin star Nic Kosef (thanks for the information Bart).

After an outstanding MM Cup campaign in 2017, Luke Maiden this season once again played in the MM Cup for the Western Mustangs this season and just like last year, once that competition concluded he moved immediately to the Western Mustangs Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts squad.

In his second season in the MM Cup with the Western Mustangs Luke Maiden played in all six matches and had a 50% try scoring strike rate. Luke Maiden scored in Rounds One, Five and Seven against Victoria, Sunshine Coast and South’s Logan respectively.

His progression to the Western Mustangs Hastings Deering’s Colts side saw Luke Maiden play in eight matches. Luke Maiden came into the side in Round Eight against Tweed Heads when he started on the interchange bench. Luke Maiden has also started on the interchange bench in Rounds Ten Eleven and thirteen against the Mackay Cutters South’s Logan and the Easts Tigers respectively.

Luke Maiden moved in the starting side in Round Sixteen against Norths starting the match at lock. In total in his eight matches, Luke Maiden started two matches in the front row, one at lock and five from the interchange bench.

Luke Maiden’s sole try of the 2018 Colts season came in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets.

In addition to his Western Mustangs duties at the MM Cup and Colts levels, Luke Maiden also found the time to play for Southern Suburbs in the U18 Toowoomba Rugby league competition including starting in the front row in Round One against Toowoomba Valleys where he scored in Southern Suburbs 26 – 8 victory.

In total for Southern Suburbs in the U18 Toowoomba rugby League competition including the finals series, Luke maiden played in seven matches scoring four tries which came against Toowoomba Valleys, Goondiwindi and South Burnett in the regular season.

In the Preliminary Final against Dalby, Luke Maiden started in the front row and scored a try in the 12th minute of the second half as Southern Suburbs defeated Dalby 44 – 4 to progress to the Grand Final.

In the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League Grand Final against Highfields and Districts Luke Maiden started in the front row in the 38 – 10 win.

In 2018 Luke Maiden also played two Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade matches making his debut against Toowoomba Valleys in late June and also playing against Goondiwindi in late July.

At the Western Mustangs Awards Presentation night in November 2017, Luke Maiden was awarded the Western Mustangs Players Player award.

In 2017 after being part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup winning side early in 2017, Luke Maiden graduated to the Western Mustangs U20 Colts side where he started a number of matches in the front row after starting the MM Cup Grand Final at lock and being a key contributor to the 40 – 30 grand final victory over the South’s Logan Magpies and similarly in the U18 National final against Parramatta.

Luke Maiden has recently signed a Titans Rookie Contract for the next two seasons, which will cover his time in the U20 Colts competition.

In 2017 the St Mary’s Toowoomba High School student started all eight of the Western Mustangs MM Cup matches at lock, scoring in Round Two against the Mackay Cutters and also in Round Eight against the Central Crows.

In 2017 Luke Maiden broke into the Western Mustangs U20 Colts Challenge side in Round Five when he came off the bench against South’s Logan and also started on the bench in Rounds Six and Eight.

Luke Maiden’s first start at the U20 Colts Challenge level was in Round Nine when he started in the front row against the Burleigh Bears. In total in the U20 Colts competition in 2017 for the Western Mustangs, Luke Maiden played in nine matches, starting four from the interchange bench and five in the front row.

Luke Maiden also played a number of matches in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition over the course of the 2017 season for Southern Suburbs in the U18 and First Grade competitions. In the U18 TRL competition Luke Maiden played in two matches scoring in the first of those against Highfields and Districts and made his Hutchies A grade debut Toowoomba Valleys in July 2017.

Luke Maiden is a very solidly built young front rower with a powerful running style and low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle as he is also adept at dropping his shoulder into defenders as he impacts the defensive line. There is no subtlety to his game, he runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off his right foot in occasion prior to impacting the defensive line.

In a one on one battle with an opponent if they look to hit him around the chest area they will struggle to contain Luke Maiden due to his size and the strength in his legs, a defensive line will always need to commit at least two defensive resources to effectively stop him.

One thing that Luke Maiden does well is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line, he makes more metres than he should as a result. He does not have a real off load to his attacking game, but that is not his role, Luke Maiden’s role is to take the ball into the heart of the opposition’s defensive line and make as many metres as possible.

Like his attacking game, his defensive methodology is simple and effective in its execution and effectiveness. He moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. He is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him and for a solidly built young player.

Luke Maiden moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence. Luke Maiden’s lateral movement is actually more than reasonable for a front rower as for that matter is his overall straight line speed.

In 2019 Luke Maiden will move to the Gold Coast and line up for the Burleigh Colts side where he will be a key member of the side and will also be Colts eligible in 2020 after which time he will be more than ready to test himself in the Queensland Cup competition.

Luke Maiden spent a fair bit of time at lock in the MM Cup competition over the last two seasons, with the likes of Blake Cullen and Jordan Crocker in the front row but currently in rugby league the lock plays as a third front rower so regardless of whether he is wearing jersey 8, 10 or 13, Luke Maiden will be lining up in the centre of the ruck on a rugby league field in both attack and defence.

Coming up with an NRL player with similar playing attributes to those of Luke Maiden was not that difficult, he has similar physical and playing attributes to those of Manly forward Jake Trbojevic, like Trbojevic, Luke Maiden will work hard all day both in attack and defence and will also bring an intense effort every time that he walks onto the field.

RenegadeGC

06-11-18, 09:17 AM

mdrew

06-11-18, 05:29 PM

Carsil Vaikai. (Revised) The big strong young Titans contracted Runaway Bay Seagull second rower or lock continues to develop his game at an exceptional rate over the course of the 2018 rugby league season.

From a trivia perspective Carsil Vaikai was earlier this year selected in the Australian Mixed Netball side highlighting his stamina and athleticism.

Carsil Vaikai played for the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side this season playing in six of their seven matches, including their semi-final loss to eventual champions South’s Logan. Carsil Vaikai started at lock in the Seagulls first four matches, before missing Round Six. Carsil Vaikai came back into the side in Round Seven off the bench and also came off the bench against Souths Logan in Tweed Heads semi-final loss.

Carsil Vaikai scored one try in the MM Cup competition which came in Round Three against the Burleigh Bears. On that occasion, Carsil Vaikai received the ball from the dummy half to the left of the play the ball and crashed over from around ten metres out carrying two Burleigh defenders across the line with him.

Post the MM Cup competition, Carsil Vaikai played for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One completion.

In total in the U17 Division One competition in 2018 Carsil Vaikai played in ten matches four of which were finals matches. Carsil Vaikai started all ten of his U17 Division One matches at lock.

In Week One of the Finals series Runaway Bay defeated Tweed Heads 42 -14 and won again in Week Two 24 – 18 against Ormeau with Carsil Vaikai starting both of those finals at lock.

Carsil Vaikai picked a great time to scored his first and only try of the U17 Division One season when he scored in Runaway Bay’s 34 – 22 Preliminary Final victory over Burleigh.

Unfortunately for Carsil Vaikai and Runaway Bay they ran into a red hot Currumbin side in the U17 Division One Grand Final going down 30 – 10 to an Eagles side that contained amongst others fellow Titans contracted 17 year old Noah Gafa.

Carsil Vaikai was also part of the Coombabah State High School Opens side that made the Queensland Cup Quarter Finals after a one point win over fellow Gold Coast School Marymount College 17 - 16.

Carsil Vaikai moved to Runaway Bay from Helensvale at the start of the 2017 season, and played the majority of the 2017 season with Runaway Bay in the U16 Division One competition, but also played four matches in the U17 Division One competition where he made an immediate impact.

In the U16 Division One competition in 2017 Carsil Vaikai played in fourteen matches scoring his sole try against his former club in July and in the last regular season round Carsil Vaikai converted a late Runaway Bay try.

Carsil Vaikai also played four matches in the 2017 U17 Division One competition and across those four matches scored three tries including a try on debut against Burleigh and also tries against Ormeau and Helensvale. On all four occasions that Carsil Vaikai played in the U17 competition he was backing up after playing in the U16 competition earlier in the night.

Carsil Vaikai was also part of the Gold Coast Vikings Green U16 side that played in the 2017 U16 pre-season competition, scoring against Ipswich in Week Four in a tough 42 – 6 loss. Carsil Vaikai scored in Week Three when Gold Coast Green defeated Brisbane Grey at North Ipswich Reserve.

Carsil Vaikai had a solid season in 2016, at club, schoolboy and representative level, including representing the South Coast U15 side at the QSSRL State U15 championships. For his Helensvale Hornets club side he crossed for three tries in eight matches in the U15 Division One competition, with the tries coming against Runaway Bay, Beaudesert and eventual premiers Burleigh. He also played one match up at the U16 Division One level also against eventual premiers Burleigh in May 2016.

As noted Carsil Vaikai was selected in the 2016 South Coast U15 side that went through the U15 QSSRL competition undefeated through their four matches in the competition. Other Titans linked members of the U15 South Coast side included five eight Jessie Brasslin. Carsil Vaikai also started in the second row when the Titans U15 side were narrowly defeated 22 – 18 by a Balmain Tigers side in a trial game on the Gold Coast.

Carsil Vaikai runs exceptionally hard but with a degree of subtlety to his running style, and he will not just run upright, he will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped easily or by a single defender. Due to his speed and size, when he is running on the fringes of the ruck, he as handful and also has a very good fend.

When playing in the second row, Carsil Vaikai seemed from my perspective to play on the left side of the ruck on the majority of occasions, including in representative matches. Whilst he is also very effective taking hit ups in the centre of the ruck, when you have someone with his size and speed, I think that getting him to run a little wider is a more effective utilisation of his skill set both from an individual and team perspective.

Carsil Vaikai also has some off-loading skills both in terms of off-loading prior to contact with the defensive line as well as when he is in contact with it.

In terms of his speed, I would consider it above average for a second rower but it would be considered plus for front rower, in short Carsil Vaikai is a very good athlete, with size, strength, speed and power. If he is not tackled around the legs, Carsil Vaikai’s strength means that he will continue to make ground after contact due to his never say die attitude.

Defensively Carsil Vaikai hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribs and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls.

Carsil Vaikai defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for as a result of his aggressive tackling style.

Carsil Vaikai really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards. Throw in a touch of aggression and you have someone who can dominate a game defensively and is able to seal off one side of the ruck on his own for stretches of a game.

Moving forward to the 2019 Carsil Vaikai has been selected in the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad and upon completion of that competition will likely progress directly to the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition with the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Carsil Vaikai will also likely play a number of matches in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with Runaway Bay potentially in all three senior competitions being the U19’s, Doug Lipp Cup and First Grade competitions.

From a long term position perspective I believe that Carsil Vaikai ultimately stays at lock. Carsil Vaikai can certainly play in the front row or second row now, and play very well, but I would much prefer for him to play exclusively at lock or in the second row for the near future to take advantage of his speed and hard running on the fringes of the ruck especially the great outside shoulder route that he has in his ****nal.

From a player comparison perspective, consider someone along the lines of the St George Dragons and New South Wales State of Origin lock Jack De Bellin as a big strong mobile forward who hits the defensive line hard as well as the opposition when they are running the ball.

mdrew

07-11-18, 08:27 PM

Noah Gafa. (Revised) The young centre is deservedly in the Titans High Performance Unit, signing a two year deal during 2017 and continues to go from strength to strength with Currumbin as well as with PBC in relation to school boy rugby league.

Noah Gafa made his Hastings Deering’s Colts debut for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Round Sixteen against Burleigh starting in the centres and started on the wing in Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly scoring two tries in an impressive display especially when you are talking about a 17 year old playing against 20 year olds.

Noah Gafa also started on the wing in Round Eighteen against Souths Logan and in the centres in Round Twenty against the Mackay Cutters in round out his four Colts matches this season.

For Currumbin in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition, Noah Gafa made on outstanding start starting in the centres in each of his six matches and scoring a total of nine tries along the way.

Noah Gafa scored a hat trick against Tweed Heads in Round Five and has also scored against Mudgeeraba, Helensvale, Ormeau and Bilambil in the opening four rounds to lead the U17 Division One try scoring list. Noah Gafa’s other regular season try came against Burleigh in Round Six.

Noah Gafa was heavily involved in Currumbin’s final’s campaign which culminated with Noah Gafa starting in the second row in the Grand Final with Currumbin prevailing 30 – 10 over a Runaway Bay side which was led by fellow Titans contracted youngster Carsil Vaikai.

Noah Gafa scored one of his nine tries in the finals crossing in Week Two of the finals in a 32 – 22 Currumbin win over Burleigh.

Prior to the Gold Coast Rugby League season proper, Noah Gafa was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad playing in all seven of their matches including their final against South’s Logan. Noah Gafa started his first five matches in the centres before starting from the interchange bench in Round Seven against Easts and then again in the semi-final against South’s Logan.

In the 2018 MM Cup competition Noah Gafa scored two tries, coming against the Victorian Thunderbolts in Round two and against the Townsville Blackhawks in Round Five.

Noah Gafa has also been in outstanding form for PBC in 2018 including being involved in their matches against Keebra Park 22 – 20 win, Ipswich State High School 24 – 18 win and Marsden State High School 38 – 10 win in the Langer Cup competition when he started at left centre and scored two second half tries.

Noah Gafa was also involved in PBC’s Queensland GIO Cup Quarter Final and semi-final victories, including scoring a double in the semi-final victory over Ignatius Park. Noah Gafa’s first try came early in the first half when he ran an outside shoulder route close to the try line and received a good ball from hooker Jed Edwards to crash over. Noah Gafa’s second try came late in the second half. After a break from PBC half Thomas Dearden, Noah Gafa backed up to receive the pass from Dearden and outpaced the defence to score untouched.

In the Queensland GIO Cup final against Kirwan State High School Noah Gafa started at left centre, partnering fellow Titans contracted player Will Evans as PBC overcame Kirwan State High School 32 – 26 to qualify for the National GIO Cup Final. In a great sign for the Titans both Noah Gafa and Will Evans scored doubles in the win with one of the tries the two combining for Noah Gafa to cross out wide in the second half.

Noah Gafa started at left centre for PBC in the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC becoming National GIO Cup Championships with a 20 – 12 win.
Post the National GIO Cup final Noah Gafa was part of the PBC touring side that went to Fiji and was part of the PBC side that defeated a Fijian U18 side, fellow Titan Will Evans was also in the PBC side that won by around thirty odd points.
In the 2017 U16 GCJRL Division One competition, Noah Gafa scored 38 points for the Currumbin Eagles which has come from eight tries and three goals. All three of Noah Gafa’s goals came in the one match in June against the Ormeau Shearers. From a try scoring perspective, Noah Gafa had a great run of four matches from April 28 to May 26 where he scored in all four matches which, in order, where against Ormeau, Runaway Bay, Helensvale and against Ormeau a second time.

Noah Gafa also scored a hat trick against Burleigh in August against Burleigh and the match prior to that scored against Helensvale. Currumbin were the deserved Grand Final winners in the 2017 GCJRL U16 Division One competition, with Noah Gafa starting in the second row in their 34 – 4 Grand Final victory over Burleigh.

In 2017 Noah Gafa was also a key member of the PBC Open Rugby League side that performed so will in the GIO Cup competition and in fact he scored in their tough Queensland GIO Cup semi-final loss to Marsden State High School 22 – 20.

Earlier in 2017 season, Noah Gafa was selected in the Gold Coast Vikings Green U16 side for their South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition and in 2013 Noah Gafa was selected in the Queensland U12 side with fellow Titan Alofiana Khan-Periera.

For a centre Noah Gafa is a big strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Noah Gafa also has a very good passing game especially to his left side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Noah Gafa is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide.

From a speed perspective has above average to plus speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, he will not be caught from behind other than from only the quickest of opponents and he is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback. The only possible question about Noah Gafa’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the plus category as he matures and inevitably fills out.

Defensively Noah Gafa uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

Other defenders key off Noah Gafa in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside. Noah Gafa on an individual level has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

Noah Gafa is still MM Cup eligible in 2019 and is part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls squad and there is no doubt that he will also add to his two Hastings Deering’s Colts matches from this season.

From a position perspective, Noah Gafa has played well in the centres in recent seasons including this season for PBC in the GIO Cup where he has played left centre, in the U17 Division One competition last year’s U16 Division One and pre-season representative competition but there is just something about the way that Noah Gafa plays that suggests that he will ultimately end up in the second row, not necessarily for a few years though.

I note however that as this season progressed Noah Gafa for Currumbin at least played a number of matches in the second row including their successful finals campaign.

As a young player Noah Gafa seemingly has it all, size, strength, size and power and uses those attributes to his advantage on a football field. For me a current rugby league player with similar attributes and a similar playing style is Manly’s backrower Joel Thompson, as a big strong player who can transition between centre and second row.

I think that just like Joel Thompson, Noah Gafa’s skill set will ultimately play better in the second row over the long term but that is definitely not set in stone by any stretch of the imagination that Noah Gafa needs to move from the centres, he has certainly provided that this season.

mdrew

08-11-18, 07:30 PM

Caleb Gould-Waiariki. (Revised) He is a local young hooker/half who started from the bench for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 - 10. Recently Caleb Gould-Waiariki was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad for the 2019 U16 South East Queensland Challenge.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki came onto the field mid-way through the first half moving into the dummy half role and in his first run made 20 metres or so from dummy half splitting the Tigers defence right down the middle through the centre of the ruck.

Later in the first half Caleb Gould-Waiariki played his part in the Titans second try with a great long pass out of dummy half to his right to Titans five eight Riley Lack who threw an equally good long pass to winger Timothy Seilaff-Burns to score.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki finished the 2018 GCRL U15 Division One season with Runaway Bay as the competitions equal leading try scorer with fifteen, a feat he accomplished from just twelve matches. Caleb Gould-Waiariki also kicked two conversions in the competition, both coming in a late season match against Coomera to finish with sixty four points.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki had a huge match in early August when he scored five tries in a match against Currumbin, scored a hat trick against Burleigh and also scored a double against Helensvale. Caleb Gould-Waiariki’s other tries came in matches against Mudgeeraba, Ormeau and then in a three match span scored against Burleigh, Coomera and Ormeau in consecutive weeks.

In Week One of the U15 Division One Finals series, Caleb Gould-Waiariki started at hooker as Runaway Bay went down 28 – 12 to Ormeau. With Caleb Gould-Waiariki once again at hooker, Runaway Bay bounced back in Week Two of the finals defeating Burleigh 34 – 24 with Caleb Gould-Waiariki scoring in the win.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki also started at hooker in the U15 Division One Preliminary Final scoring a try and kicking two goals as Runaway Bay qualified for the Grand Final courtesy of a 58 – 14 victory over Coomera,

In the Grand Final Caleb Gould-Waiariki started at hooker but could not prevent Runaway Bay going down 38 – 20 to the Ormeau Shearers. Caleb Gould-Waiariki did however cross for one of Runaway Bay’s four tries in the Grand Final.

In addition to his club duties with Runaway Bay in the GCRL U15 Division One competition, Caleb Gould-Waiariki played four matches of club rugby on the Gold Coast with the Griffith University Colleges U15 side.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki’s first game was in Round Nine against the Gold Coast Eagles when he started from the bench and he also started from the bench in Round Eleven against Wollongbar/Alstonville.

Round Thirteen saw Caleb Gould-Waiariki start at fly half (No.10) against the PBC Alleygators and he also started at fly half in Round Sixteen against Casino.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki is quite an elusive runner of the ball and some good foot work in confined space. He will take on the line regularly and has a very good step off both feet but his left foot step seems to be the preferred step based on the games that I have seen at least.

His passing game is what I would consider above average and he will drift across the field looking for runners to run into holes and has the ability to hold the defensive line in place as he develops the play in front of them, making to easier for his support runners to get a clear passage through the line, especially when a defender comes out of the line and commits to Caleb Gould-Waiariki.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki will also wait until the last possible moment to release the football. His best attribute in his passing game is the speed, timing and accuracy when he passes to his outside backs. Caleb Gould-Waiariki gets a very good spiral on the ball from both sides of his body and leads his outside attackers into the ball, enabling them to maintain the momentum of their run.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki’s defence for a hooker is very good, for a hooker his size his initial contact is more than solid and he can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive into opposing forwards.

Caleb Gould-Waiariki will play the 2019 season with Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition and has also been named in the U16 Gold Coast Vikings U16 training squad that will take part in the 2019 South East Queensland U16 Challenge.

Prior to the last season or two I was of the opinion that Caleb Gould-Waiariki would ultimately find himself at half in rugby league but this season at hooker he has been quite outstanding and as a consequence may just have found his ideal position there.

Based on my observations of Caleb Gould-Waiariki playing at hooker, I would suggest that a current NRL player with a similar playing style would be New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand International hooker Isaac Luke. Like Isaac Luke, Caleb Gould-Waiariki is a more than capable runner out of dummy half and a very solid defender with developing distribution skills.

mdrew

09-11-18, 09:37 PM

Larryon Tevita. (Revised) The New Zealand born youngster moved over to the Gold Coast in January of this year and played for the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side for the 2018 season before being promoted to the Burleigh Colts side as well as progressing through the ranks of the Gold Coast Rugby League competition all the way to the First Grade competition with Burleigh.

Larryon Tevita came into the Bears MM side in Round Three being the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Burleigh’s tough 36 – 6 loss with the young man starting in the front row.

Larryon Tevita also started on the interchange bench in Round Four against the South’s Logan Magpies a match that Burleigh lost 34 – 20. In total in the MM Cup for Burleigh this season, Larryon Tevita played in four matches, starting in the front row on two occasions and from the bench in the other two.

Post the MM Cup competition, Larryon Tevita played in seven matches for Burleigh in the regular season in the Gold Coast Rugby league U19 competition. On debut in Round Three of the U19 Gold Coast Rugby League competition, Larryon Tevita scored a double against Beaudesert and also started from the bench in Round Four in a tough 31 – 18 loss to Southport when Southport’s Titans Rookie Squad centre Callum Boomer was close to unstoppable, in Round Five also scored in Burleigh’s 26 – 22 victory over Currumbin.

In Week One of the GRCL U19 finals series Larryon Tevita started in the second row and scored for Burleigh in their tough 32 – 26 loss against Mudgeeraba.

Larryon Tevita also played in one Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade match, making his debut coming off the interchange bench in July.

Larryon Tevita made his Doug Lipp Cup debut for Burleigh in Round 16 against Bilambil when he came off the bench in their ten point loss and was backing up after starting in the front row in the U19 match that preceded his Doug Lipp Cup debit.

In Round Eleven and Thirteen of the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, Larryon Tevita was named on the extended bench for the Burleigh Bears side however did not make the final 17 for either match.

Larryon Tevita made his deserved U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts debut in Round Sixteen against Tweed Heads starting from the bench and scoring an impressive double and he broke into the starting line-up in Round Twenty when he started in the second row against Victoria and in Round Twenty-One maintained his starting spot when he started in the front row against Wynnum Manly and in Round 23 against the Townsville Blackhawks.

In total in 2018 Larryon Tevita played in seven Hastings Deering’s Colts matches, starting four (three in the front row and one in the second row) and coming off the bench on the other three occasions.

The former Kelston Boys High School student was rewarded for a solid season in late 2017 when he was named at lock in the 2017 SAS College team of the year. The majority of players named in the 2017 SAS College team of the year are now in NRL aligned U20 squads so Larryon Tevita’s inclusion certainly highlights his ability on the field against quality opposition and opposition in the main at least a year older than him.

2018 Burleigh Bears U20 Colts recruit Mikey Williams was named in the centres in the SAS College team of the year as well as the competitions leading try scorer with eight tries to his name.

In 2017 Larryon Tevita played for the Auckland based Glenora Rugby League club, playing a number of matches in the Open U17 competition and also one match in the SAS Fox Memorial Premier First Grade Competition, not bad at all for a 17 year old.

Larryon Tevita also represented Kelston Boys High at the 2017 New Zealand National Secondary Schools Premier Tournament starting at lock in all five of their matches which were against Southern Cross Campus twice including the Championship final, Wesley College, Rotorua Boys High School and St Thomas of Canterbury College.

From an attacking perspective Larryon Tevita is a big young man who will run straight and hard, but at this stage of his junior career he does not have a great deal of footwork to utilise prior to the line to prevent defences from focussing on him without the threat of late changes of direction. Due to his size however he can absorb a lot of punishment and continue to make ground, but he is a little susceptible to gang tackles.

Where Larryon Tevita does show flashes of ability is in relation to offloads. During games he will pop some very good passes to his supports but he will continue to work on being more selective in his offloads. Regardless he does not shirk contact and seems the more physical the contest the more he enjoys himself.

Defensively as you would anticipate from a big strong young player Larryon Tevita also had a big impact in games. He engages attacker’s front on and with the strength in his legs and core was able to regularly drive attackers backwards. Larryon Tevita drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent.

Larryon Tevita sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum through his core.

Larryon Tevita will play the 2019 season for the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side and will also be Colts eligible in 2020 but I would be beating he will push towards the Queensland Cup level or higher prior to the expiration of that period.

I would also anticipate that in 2019 Larryon Tevita will also get additional matches for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition to add to his one match this season.

A discussion in relation to an ultimate position is an interesting one in relation to Larryon Tevita, he has the size to play in the front row but the speed and foot work to operate wider out on the edges of the ruck.

To that end I can envisage Larryon Tevita alternating between front row and second row for the next couple of seasons before finally settling in the front row long term.

From a player comparison perspective for Larryon Tevita, I would consider a player along the lines of current Titans forward and captain Ryan James as a big strong hard working player who looks to get a quick play the ball every time he takes a hit up and also ones that tries to dominate in defence in relation to each and every tackles that he is involved in.

I really like the speed that Larryon Tevita hits the line, he is certainly up there with the hardest runners in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition this season even taking into account Larryon Tevita was two years younger than the majority of his opponents this season.

mdrew

12-11-18, 09:09 PM

Jaiden West. (Revised) He is a Titans linked local young fullback from the Nerang Roosters club for whom he played the 2018 season with in the U16 Division One competition. Jaiden West started at fullback in the GCRL U16 Division One Grand Final as Nerang defeated Currumbin 24 – 8.

Jaiden West also attends PBC as part of their Rugby league Excellence Program and was a standout for PBC in their two point Walters Cup victory over Keebra Park at Pizzey Park earlier this season. That night he terrorised the Keebra Park defence especially the right side.

In Round One of the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition, Jaiden West started at fullback in the Roosters 60 – 0 victory over Runaway Bay and crossed for one of the Roosters tries on the opening Friday night of the season.

In total in the U16 Division One competition this season for Nerang Jaiden West played in nine matches including the finals series scoring three tries and kicking five goals to finish the season with 22 points.

In addition to his Round One try Jaiden West scored mid-season against Runaway Bay, a match which also saw him kick his five goals, and he also scored in Nerang’s Major semi-final victory over Currumbin.

In 2015 Jaiden West started on the wing for the Titans U13 development squad in a match against a Toowoomba U14 selection in the same year was part of the U13 Gold Coast Vikings representative squad and in 2014 represented South Coast at the U12 level in the Queensland Primary School tournament.

Jaiden West did not get many opportunities on the wing for the development squad as the players inside him like Rixon Andrew, Damon Somerville and Matamatagi Ripley had a field day against the U14 Toowoomba representative selection, meaning the ball did not get out him as much as it usually would in a game. In saying that though he maintained his discipline and did not go chasing the ball but maintained his correct positioning throughout the course of the match.

Jaiden West is a smooth runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. When returning kicks, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

The one thing Jaiden West also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, Jaiden West has a very good step back inside especially off his right foot when running to the left and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, Jaiden West’s quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

In defence Jaiden West has good strength, and certainly looks to come forward to stop the attack before it has time to fully develop once a break has been made. Jaiden West also has the ability to show the attacker the sideline and is confident that his speed will enable him to get across to make the tackle which he invariably does.

Jaiden West has been named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2019 MM Cup squad and post that competition will play for Nerang Roosters U18 Division One side.

Jaiden West will also likely be a key member of the PBC Open Rugby League side as they look to back up from this year’s National GIO Cup success.

Jaiden West has primarily been a fullback for the majority of his junior rugby league career to date and even though I am sure that he could handle playing in the centres or on the wing, fullback seems to be his ideal position going forward.

From a player comparison perspective for Jaiden West, think along the lines of Cowboys fullback Lachlan Coote as a fullback with above average pace (maybe even a tick above that) and footwork who is also courageous when it comes to his defensive duties and retrieving and returning kicks. I believe that once he stops growing Jaiden West will probably end up a touch taller than Coote which can only assist under the high ball.

mdrew

13-11-18, 06:48 PM

Jaylan To’o. The outstanding Titans contracted youngster was one of three Titans U18 try scorers as they overcame a determined New South Wales Country U18 side 14 – 12 in Cudgen in wet conditions in early October. In the match Jaylan To’O also converted one of the Titans tries to account for six of the Titans fourteen points.

Starting in the centres for the Titans U18 side Jaylan To’O had a solid match with his try coming in the second half from a powerful run out of dummy half. With the Titans attacking the line, Jaylan To’O moved into dummy half with the Titans on the attack about two metres from the New South Wales Country line. He picked the ball up and ran to his left barging over taking two NSW Country defenders with him.

Jaylon To’O started the 2018 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad playing in all seven of Tweed Heads matches including their Week One Final against South’s Logan.

Jaylan To’O started all seven matches from the interchange bench including Round Seven when he was named to start at hooker against Easts but reverted to the bench for the start of the match.

Post the MM Cup competition, Jaylan To’O played for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition playing a variety of positions including fullback and five eight.

In the U19 competition in 2018 Jaylan To’O played in twelve matches finishing with a 50% strike rate. Jaylan To’O scored an early season double against Ormeau and scored a double later in the season against Currumbin. Jaylan To’O’s other 2018 U19 tries came in matches against Ormeau and Burleigh.

In 2018 Jaylan To’O also played in four GCRL Doug Lipp Cup matches, making his debut in June against Tugun. In just his second Doug Lipp Cup match Jaylan To’O scored against Ormeau (he clearly enjoyed playing against Ormeau).

For Runaway Bay in the 2017 U17 Division One competition Jaylan To’O scored a total of 74 points from six tries and twenty-five goals. Jaylan To’O scored a double in Round One against Ormeau and finished the season scoring in each of the last three rounds which were against Ormeau, Mudgeeraba and Helensvale.

With the boot on four occasions did Jaylan To’O kick four goals in a match which were against Bilambil, Ormeau twice and Mudgeeraba. Jaylan To’O made his U19 debut in July against Mudgeeraba and went on to play five matches in total in the Gold Coast U19 competition.

Jaylan To’O also played five matches in the U19 competition in 2017.

For a centre, Jaylan To’O is a strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Jaylan To’O also has a very good passing game especially to his right side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Jaylan To’O is very good at straitening up the attack and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide.

From a speed perspective Jaylan To’O has above average speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, he will rarely be caught from behind other than from only the fastest of opponents and he is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback. The only possible question about Jaylan To’O’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the above average category as he matures and inevitably fills out.

Defensively Jaylan To’O uses his physical characteristics to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

For me when I saw him play for either PBC or Burleigh Jaylan To’O was the defensive leader of the three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Jaylan To’O on an individual level has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

His timing and anticipation in defence are one of the reasons that I think that he could also handle playing in the centres as he progresses to the upper echelons of junior rugby league and into senior football.

Jaylan To’O will play the 2019 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in their U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad.

This season Jaylan To’O played a variety of positions including fullback, centre and five eight and even spent some time in the dummy half role. Ultimately I think that potentially Jaylan To’O’s best position is in the centres although I am definitely not 100% certain of that.

His match for the Titans U18’s in the centres recently has also helped to firm up my belief that that is his best position into the future. What I am certain of however is that regardless of position Jaylan To’O is a very good rugby league player.

Trying to identify a current NRL for a player comparison for Jaylan To’O has proved to be an exercise as no one player fits nicely but the player that I think best fits from a playing comparison perspective, not necessarily a body type one is St George Dragons centre Euan Aitken with his power running coupled with his non-stop movement when running the ball into the defensive line as well as the intensity in his defence.

mdrew

15-11-18, 05:26 PM

Leevai Sutton. The powerfully built Titans linked and 2018 Souths Logan MM Cup winger has been an impressive performer since moving over from Western Australia (New Zealand born) for the start of the 2016 season to attend Ipswich State High School and progress in developing rugby league career on the East Coast.

Recently Leevai Sutton was part of the Titans U18 side that defeated New South Wales Country U18’s 14-12 on a wet (very wet) Saturday afternoon at Cudgen.

In the 2018 MM Cup season Leevai Sutton played in ten matches for Souths Logan starting all on the wing including the Queensland MM Cup final against Norths and the National U18 final against the Penrith Panthers.

Leevai Sutton finished the 2018 U18 season with six tries including scoring a hat trick in Round Two against the Northern Pride. Leevai Sutton also scored in Round Four against the Burleigh Bears and scored in both Queensland Finals being against Tweed Heads and Norths.

Leevai Sutton also was involved in one U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts U20 match this season, starting from the bench in Round Twenty Four against Ipswich.

Leevai Sutton also played in one match for Souths in the GBRL Senior Southside One competition and one match in the 2018 “In Safe Hands Cup BRL A Grade” competition being in Round Nineteen against the Easts Tigers.

At the recent QPICC Tournament Leevai Sutton represented the Samoa U18 who won their opening two matches on the second day of the Tournament.

In 2017 Leevai Sutton represented Met West in the QSSRL U18 Championships playing all of Met West’s matches in the centres.

Leevai Sutton’s last season in Western Australia was in 2015 when he played for the Rockingham Sharks in the U16 competition scoring eight tries, kicking twenty two goals and a field goal for 77 points on the season as a 15 year old.

In the Western Australian U14 competition in 2014 Leevai Sutton had an outstanding season scoring thirty one tries and kicking fifty goals for a 224 point haul from just sixteen matches.

The young man is very difficult to stop once he is in motion, his speed, power and body height all contribute to this. On the wing when he can wind up and build momentum he looks to run over his direct opponent rather than try to run around them. In fact in the majority of occasions it is Leevai Sutton that actually initiates the contact and I do not recall seeing a player being able to run over his direct opponent with absolutely no loss of momentum.

From a speed perspective I would argue that his speed is a tick above average for a winger but obviously the key attribute from an attacking perspective is how hard he hits the defensive line. Like his overall speed Leevai Sutton’s lateral mobility is probably just a tick above average. Leevai Sutton with his size and strength is also able to make a lot of ground after contact with his ability to absorb the defensive contact and maintain his balance and body control.

When he is close to the line Leevai Sutton is able to absorb a significant amount of punishment and still hold his running line thus he is able to score close to the side line without being pushed over the sideline regardless of the number of defenders looking to do so. The ability to absorb contact is on display when Leevai Sutton comes into the centre of the ruck to take the ball up into the teeth of the defensive line.

Defensively for a big strong powerful young man, Leevai Sutton actually has good discipline for such a young player and in the main stays on his man rather than coming in and looking for the big hit. Do not get me wrong he will on occasion aim to smash the opposing outside if they do not see him coming but in the main he is quite disciplined and looks to ensure his opposing winger does not get on his outside looking to use their speed against him.

Leevai Sutton will play the 2019 season in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and will also be Colts eligible in 2020 if he has not broken into the Queensland Cup or higher before then.

Whilst there is no doubt that Leevai Sutton could also play in the centres, with his speed, finishing ability and hard running out of dummy half staying on the wing is where Leevai Sutton is seemingly best placed to have a long and fruitful rugby league career including at the NRL level.

For me Leevai Sutton has a playing style similar to that of Brisbane Broncos winger and occasional fullback Jamayne Isaako, both are just outstanding talents who with time and experience could be just about anything on a rugby league field.

mdrew

16-11-18, 07:06 PM

Taine Tuaupiki. (Revised) He is a local young Titans linked halfback or five eight who was in outstanding form for the Burleigh Bears U20 Hastings Deering’s Colt’s side this season and also deservedly played a number of Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches with Burleigh.

In Round Two of the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in a 28 – 20 victory over Redcliffe at Pizzey Park he was as dominant as I have seen a player at that level as he constantly split the Redcliffe defence and directed Burleigh around the field superbly.

In that match, Taine Tuaupiki had the ball on a string and also scored a great try highlighting his speed and elusiveness. Taine Tuaupiki also scored in Round One against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

In addition to the tries that he has scored in the Colts competition this season Taine Tuaupiki had at least four try assists on the season that I can recall including one from a deft banana grubber kick in Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins and three from sublime passes right at the defensive line.

Taine Tuaupiki’s Round One try came as a result of a great short ball to his right side to Titans fellow linked second rower Apiata Neoma-Matenga who went through the line untouched before drawing the fullback and passing back inside to Taine Tuaupiki to score under the posts untouched for an outstanding Burleigh try.

Taine Tuaupiki’s try in Round Two against Redcliffe was as a result of a dummy where after receiving the ball two wide of the ruck on the right side Taine Tuaupiki shaped to pass wider out and then exploded through a gap to score just wide of the right hand upright.

Over the course of the opening rounds Taine Tuaupiki forged a very successful combination on the right side of the field with fellow Titans youngster Apiata Neoma-Matenga which I am sure will lead (and has already) to a lot of line breaks and tries for both over the course of the season.

In total in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition this season Taine Tuaupiki played in fourteen matches for Burleigh starting all at five eight bar Round Four against Souths Logan when he started from the interchange and has scored six tries and kicked five goals.

As noted above Taine Tuaupiki scored in the opening two rounds of the season against Sunshine Coast and Redcliffe. Taine Tuaupiki has also scored in Round Nine against Townsville, Round Thirteen against Ipswich, Round Fourteen against the Northern Pride and in Round Twenty-One against Wynnum Manly.

Taine Tuaupiki made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut at five eight against Tweed Heads and prior to his move back to the Burleigh Colts side made three First Grade appearances and recorded a 100% strike rate. Taine Tuaupiki scored a double on debut against Tweed Heads and also scored against Southport.

Taine Tuaupiki started the 2017 season in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side and upon completion of the competition progressed to the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts Challenge side. From a representative perspective Taine Tuaupiki has represented South East Queensland at the U16 level in 2016 was one of the key reasons that Coombabah State High School had such a great GIO Cup run which finished in heart breaking fashion against Keebra Park.

For the 2017 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side Taine Tuaupiki played all six matches at half back including scoring in Round Two against Victoria. Immediately upon completion of the MM Cup competition, Taine Tuaupiki was drafted into the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts Challenge side and except for Round Six which he missed, he played every match. Taine Tuaupiki started Rounds One to Five at fullback scoring tries in Round Two against Easts, Round Three against Redcliffe and Round Five against Wynnum Manly.

Taine Tuaupiki switched to five eight in Round Seven, making an immediate impact scoring against the North’s Devils and except for Round Ten where he started from the interchange bench, Taine Tuaupiki started at five eight, scoring doubles in Round Eight against Ipswich and Round Thirteen in a comeback win against the Easts Tigers. Taine Tuaupiki also scored against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Round Twelve. Taine Tuaupiki also started at five eight in Round Fourteen through Sixteen.

In the 2017 finals series Taine Tuaupiki started in Tweed Heads three matches, starting Week One at five eight before starting at half back in Tweed Heads second final and their Preliminary Final loss. Isaac Worboys started at five eight in the last two Seagulls Finals matches of 2017.

In 2016, Taine Tuaupiki played for Runaway Bay in the U17 Division One GCJRL competition where his side finished as the minor premiers, however they were beaten 18 – 12 in the Grand Final by Burleigh. Taine Tuaupiki started the 2016 Grand Final at half back.

Over the course of the 2016 U17 Division One season, Taine Tuaupiki scored five tries and conversion and field goal to finish with a total points tally of 23 on the season with the field goal coming in a semi-final against Burleigh.

If anything Taine Tuaupiki looks like he has put on a bit of size over the recent off season but a huge positive is that his outstanding speed off the mark has not been compromised at all nor has his elusiveness in general.

In attack, Taine Tuaupiki’s speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play, he has a dynamic initial burst off the mark. He does not seem to have an extra gear once he is through the defensive line, but has the ability to maintain his speed over a reasonable distance. Coupled with a very good step off both feet, his speed enables him to make breaks. His try in Round Two detailed above highlighted his speed off the mark.

Taine Tuaupiki can and will beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies and also backs up well. It is these attributes that means Taine Tuaupiki is a threat to run every time he is at dummy half and opposing defences must that that into account, for if the markers do but work hard or there are slow moving forwards he has the ability to exploit that on each occasion.

In Round Twenty One against Wynnum Manly Taine Tuaupiki’s step and speed resulted in scoring a good try. He received the ball about ten metres out from the Wynnum Manly line, drifted across field a touch and then stepped back inside the B defender and accelerated in outpace the cover defence.

It was a similar instance in Round Twenty Four against Easts, Taine Tuaupiki went on a great run using his outstanding foot work to beat multiple defenders and then threw a great pass to give Sean garner a solon passage to the line.

Holding the ball out in front of his body in both hands enables Taine Tuaupiki to put doubt into the minds of the opposing defensive line and thus me can dummy and run if there is a gap in the defensive line or put his support runners into gaps. His decisive nature also means that when the ball needs to get out to his back line he will get it out there quickly to give his outside backs as much space as possible to work with prior to contact with the opposing defensive line.

Getting the ball out to the back line quickly is no issue for Taine Tuaupiki as he has a very good long passing technique which delivers the ball quickly and accurately to the right place at the right time from either side of his body.

The one thing that has stood out through the U20 Colts competition this season is Taine Tuaupiki’s willingness to take the ball right to the line before passing. A couple of examples highlight this including a number of plays in Round Two against Redcliffe and again in Round Twenty One against Wynnum Manly.

On one occasion, Taine Tuaupiki operating on the right popped a great short ball to New Zealand born centre Mikey Williams who as a result had a big 50 metre run down the field which led directly to a try to Reece Tapine on the opposite side of the field on the next play. Also against Redcliffe Taine Tuaupiki took the ball to the line and popped a short ball to Apiata Neoma-Matenga who scored after a barn storming run just right of the uprights at the ‘hill’ end of Pizzey Park.

I have noted a couple of very good plays from Taine Tuaupiki when he has been operating on the right side of the field, but it would be patently unfair to suggest that he cannot operate on the left equally effectively.

In Round One against the Sunshine Coast Falcons, Taine Tuaupiki in fact set up two tries down the left side of the field, on both occasions he got outside his opposite defender and presented left centre Jaxson Paulo with passes directly to his chest leading him onto the ball nicely. On the first occasion Jaxson Paulo scored untouched and the second Jaxson Paulo drew the Falcons winger for Reece Tapine to score also untouched.

Taine Tuaupiki also has a solid kicking game both from a tactical and attacking perspective and in Round two against Redcliffe got a try assist when in broken play and facing the sideline, Taine Tuaupiki put in a right footed banana grubber kick that was perfectly weighted to the in goal for Burleigh fullback Corey Alexander to dive on the ball in the in goal area and score.

In Round Twenty One against Wynnum Manly a deft kick by Taine Tuaupiki was perfectly weighted for halfback Harry Fitzhugh to score under the posts. Similarly in Round Twenty Four against Wynnum Manly, a perfectly weight Taine Tuaupiki set up a try under the posts for half Cameron Brown.

In defence, Taine Tuaupiki reads the play very well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. When confronted with forwards running directly at him in the centre of the ruck he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives.

Taine Tuaupiki does have an aggressive streak in him when defending and this holds him in good stead when defending in the centre of the ruck. His additional size and strength this season has certainly assisted Taine Tuaupiki defensively this season.

Taine Tuaupiki is U20 Colts eligible once again in 2019 and is also likely to break into the Burleigh Queensland Cup side at some point to 2019 and then into the NRL in 2020.

Taking into account his speed off the mark and his solid passing skills, I am leaning towards half back as the ultimate landing sport for Taine Tuaupiki where if everything falls into place, he could develop into a dynamic runner of the ball from the half back position who could cause a degree of havoc towards the end of each half as opposing forward packs fatigue as well as being able to direct his team around the field and play within the game plan.

From a player comparison perspective for Taine Tuaupiki the speed, footwork, game management and passing skills of Parramatta Eels play maker Corey Norman are comparable. If anything Taine Tuaupiki’s running and passing skills and to a lesser extent his game management skills have already exceed those of Corey Norman.

Taine Tuaupiki is a young player of immense potential who has had an outstanding 2018 rugby league season to date and appears destined for higher honours in rugby league and is on the fast track to an NRL berth almost certainly in the coming years. Let’s hope that it is a Titans jersey.

Through the Hastings Deering’s U20 Cup competition and the GCRL First Grade competition this season Taine Tuaupiki has been an absolute stand out in his own right for Burleigh and the scary part is that Taine Tuaupiki has barely even scratched the surface of the immense potential that he possesses.

Taine Tuaupiki is an outstanding talent for the Titans and with players like him coming through the ranks the future for the Titans shines very bright indeed.

mdrew

19-11-18, 06:19 PM

Terry-Jack Smart. The young man from the Northlands region of New Zealand (the area north of Auckland) will be heading over to Australia to look to fulfil his rugby league dream starting with being selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad in 2019.

Terry-Jack Smart arrives in Australia with an outstanding junior resume including selection in Northlands U15 and U17 sides that played in the New Zealand National Championships and selection in multiple merit sides.

This season in New Zealand, Terry-Jack Smart played in two competitions in the Northlands Region being the U17 Sam McKendry Cup and the Adam Blair Northtec Schoolboy Cup.

In the 2018 Sam McKendry Cup Competition, Terry-Jack Smart played for the Takahiwai Rugby League Club and scored an impressive sixteen tries from just nine matches (178% strike rate) to finish the competition’s leading point scored by a staggering eight tries.

Included in his sixteen tries were five in a match against the Hikurangi Stags and also a hat trick against the Stags late in the season, Terry-Jack Smart also scored a late season double against the Stags and an early season double against Nga Tama Toa.

In the Adam Blair Northtec Schoolboy competition, Terry-Jack Smart led Bream Bay College to an 18 – 16 win in the Competition Final starting at five eight and scoring as Bream Bay College defeated Whangarei Boys High School in just their second year in the competition.

In total in the School Boy competition Terry-Jack Smart played in six matches and scored eight tries to also lead that competitions try scoring list. In the opening two rounds Terry-Jack Smart scored hat tricks with those matches coming against Tauraroa Area School/Otamatea High School and Dargaville High School. In addition to his try in the final Terry-Jack Smart also scored against Whangarei Boys High School in a pool match.

Terry-Jack Smart represented the Northern Swords U17 side this season at the North Islands District U17 Tournament and was in fact named in the Tournament Merit Team for the second time after being named in the U15 Tournament merit side in 2016.

Terry-Jack Smart was named in the Northern Swords U17 side that contested the 2018 U17 New Zealand National Youth Tournament which started on October 1, with the Northern Swords in Group D and played round robin matches against the Akarana Falcons, the South Island Scorpions and the Central Vipers.

In Round One Terry-Jack Smart started at lock for the U17 Northern Swords who went down 46 – 0 to the Akarana Falcons. Round Two saw Terry-Jack Smart start once again at lock as the Northern Swords took on the Southern Zone Scorpions with the Northern Swords going down 56 – 10.

Round Three saw Terry-Jack Smart start at lock for the third match (and day) in a row as the Northern Swords defeat the Central Vipers 28 – 20 to record their first win of the tournament.

The win propelled the Northern Swords U17’s to the 5th to 8th play-offs with their first match being against the Wai-Coa Bay side with Terry-Jack Smart named on the bench in the 28 – 20 loss.

In the Northern Swords 7th against 8th play-off match against the Central Vipers, Terry-Jack Smart started at lock as the Northern Swords U17 side finished the Tournament with a 26 – 14 loss.

Terry-Jack Smart has also previously represented the Northern Swords at the U15 level including winning a number of plyer of the match awards at the 2016 U15 New Zealand National Youth Tournament.

You do not often find a young player who is equally at home running on both sides of the ruck but that is what a team has with Treey-Jack Smart, he runs a very good outside shoulder line and his above average footwork enables him to step off either foot to enable him to cut back against the movement of the defensive line to take advantage of gaps back on the inside of his direct opponent if an inside defender is slow to come across in defence.

For a big strong young man, Treey-Jack Smart also has above average speed, not just off the mark but also when he is in clear space, when he makes a break Treey-Jack Smart is more than capable of going the distance and normally out paces the cover defence on the way to the try line.

Treey-Jack Smart is not just a strong runner of the ball he as noted above has excellent footwork prior to the line and also some very good short passing both before the line and when in contact with a defender. Treey-Jack Smart in schoolboy rugby league in New Zealand was a magnet for defenders and is adept at identifying when multiple defenders are vectoring towards him and identifying the appropriate force to be applied to his passing.

On a lot of his runs Treey-Jack Smart rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his support players.

Defensively Treey-Jack Smart has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. Treey-Jack Smart sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

His good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker opponents and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Treey-Jack Smart is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacking play especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Terry-Jack Smart will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad in 2019 and to be honest I am not sure at this stage where he will play post the completion of that competition, I assume that it will be on the Gold Coast in the U20 competition but at this stage I do not know which club will have his services.

In New Zealand Terry-Jack Smart played either lock or five eight this season and even played a match or two on the wing. To be honest I am not sure whether he has the size to stay at lock or the ball playing skills to play five eight but for me Terry-Jack Smart has the intensity and desire to forge a rugby league career in the second row where he might be a touch undersized compared to some but will make up for it through intensity and sheer hard work and effort.

A fair NRL player comparison for Terry-Jack Smart would be Canterbury Bulldogs second rower Adam Elliott is a slightly undersized but still effect second rower would does a lot of work that goes unrecognised in both attack and defence

mdrew

20-11-18, 05:16 PM

Byron Jones. The young Cudgen Hornets front rower started from the bench for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 and has recently been selected in the Northern Rivers Titans squad for the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition.

Byron Jones came onto the field for the Titans around 20 minutes into the match and immediately stood out as a result of his outstanding work rate both in attack and defence including a great front on hit against one of the Balmain front rowers shortly after coming onto the field.

At the 2018 New South Wales Country U15 Championships Byron Jones was named on the bench for the Group 18 U15 side. In the Championships Byron Jones played in three matches with those matches coming against Group 21 Group Two and Group Four.

Byron Jones has also been selected to travel to France to compete in the U15 Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War 1. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Tom Weaver, Ryan Foran and Bailey Cox.

The Group 18 U15 side won the tournament including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12. In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare.

The St Joseph’s College Tweed Heads student earlier this season was selected in the front row for the Northern Country New South Wales Combined Catholic College’s U15 team and in 2017 represented the Group 18 U14 side.

The young front rower is an all effort type of forward who runs with determination, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot he will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him. It is the intensity and speed that he plays the game at that holds him in good stead for the future.

Defensively Byron Jones does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit, but is calculating in where and when to hit. Byron Jones drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent. Byron Jones sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum, culminating with the power projecting through his shoulders.

Byron Jones’s defensive dominance will not continue at its current rate as he starts to play against higher quality opposition but the timing and defensive technique that he has will mean that he will always likely be a plus defender. He really does have a very good tackling technique.

Byron Jones will play the 2019 season as part of the Cudgen U16 side that plays in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition and will also line-up for the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side.

From a position perspective, Byron Jones seems to have the skill attributes and mentality to stay in the front row as he moves through the upper echelons of junior rugby league towards senior rugby league competitions.

Byron Jones is a big strong tough rugby league front rower and therefore from an NRL player comparison perspective, I would suggest that a solid player comparison for Byron Jones would be Titans and Queensland State of Origin front rower Jarrod Wallace as a front rower who will continue to take the ball up all day long and also be very effective at it as well and one who is a touch underrated defensively in terms of how hard his initial contact is in defence as well as his overall defensively work rate.

mdrew

21-11-18, 06:30 PM

Ethan Foster. (Revised) Ethan Foster who signed a Titans development contract last year made his 2018 playing debut starting in the centres for the Northern Rivers U16 Andrew Johns Cup side who went on to defeat Newcastle 22 – 12 on a wet and cold morning in Northern New South Wales in Round One of that competition.

Prior to his signing with the Titans, Ethan Foster had also been invited to be part of the Newcastle Knights Junior Development program.

In the 2018 Andrew Johns Cup competition for Northern Rivers Ethan Foster played in all four of Northern Rivers matches, starting two in the centres and two in the second row. In those four matches, Ethan Foster scored three tries, scoring a double in Round Three against the Central Coast Roosters and in Round Four against the Greater Northern Tigers.

The two tries in Round Three against the Central Coast were simply outstanding including his second try when he took the ball from around 40 metres out and just smashed his way through the defensive, stepped past the fullback and outpaced the cover defence.

In the Group One U16.5 competition this season Ethan Foster played thirteen matches for Clarence Coast including the finals series finishing as the competitions leading point’s scorer with 139 points from sixteen tries, thirty seven goals and a field goal. Ethan Fosters sixteen tries also meant that he finished as the Group One U16.5 competitions leading try scorer.

On five occasions Ethan Foster scored two tries in a match, with those matches being against Kyogle, Casino RSM (on two occasions), Lismore Marist Brothers and Ballina. Only once was Ethan Foster kept scoreless in the Group One U16.5 competition in 2019 which was in an early season match against Ballina.

With the boot Ethan Foster kicked eight on a match against Lismore Marist Brothers in late May, finishing the match with twenty four points when you add in his two tries and on three occasions, against Kyogle, Ballina and Casino RSM he kicked four goals in a match.

On the first weekend of the Group One U16.5 final series this season, Ethan Foster scored a double and kicked four from four in a 24 – 16 win for Clarence Coast over Casino RSM.

Unfortunately for Ethan Foster and his Group One U16.5 Clarence Coast team mates they were defeated by Casino RSM in the Grand Final.

Ethan Foster also played four U18 NRRRL regular season matches for Lower Clarence making his debut against Lismore Marist Brothers in late April. Ethan Fosters first U18 NRRRL points came in his fourth match win he kicked a conversion against the Ballina Seagulls.

Ethan Foster has recently been named in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 squad for the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition.

In 2017 Ethan Foster represented Group One U15’s at the New South Wales Age Championships. In those Championships Ethan Foster started in the centres in all three matches, scoring a double of Round One in a big win against Group 19.

The big strong young Titans contracted centre/second rower has made a seamless move from the Grafton Ghosts junior rugby league club to the Clarence Coast at the start of the 2016 season in the Group One Junior Rugby League. Over the last couple of seasons at Clarence Coast, he has teamed with the talented Julian Torrens to form a lethal pairing who have pushed Clarence Coast up the ladder in recent seasons.

For the Clarence Coast Magpies in 2017 Ethan Foster scored fourteen tries from eleven matches to be the competitions leading point’s scorer. Ethan Foster started the season off with a hat trick against Kyogle and scored another hat trick later in the season against Marist Brothers. Ethan Foster also kicked three conversions to finish the U15 season off with 62 points.

Ethan Foster also made his U16.5 Group One JRL debut in 2017 when he lined up in that age group against Ballina in early June after playing in the U15 clash earlier in the day.

In 2016 Ethan Foster topped the try scoring list in the U14 competition with an incredible 33 tries from just 16 matches. Ethan Foster also kicked 27 goals to also finish top of the points scoring list with 186 points. Ethan Foster scored four tries in a match on two separate occasions against Lismore Marist Brothers and also scored six hat tricks which came against Ballina, Kyogle twice, and Casino RSM twice and also against Grafton.

Ethan Foster also had some big matches with the boot in 2016 including kicking five conversions in a match against Marist Brothers and on three occasions kicked four conversions in a match. 2016 is not an anomaly in terms of try scoring, in 2015 for Grafton at the U13 level he scored 14 tries across ten matches, including hat tricks against the South Grafton Rebels and Kyogle and doubles against his new team Clarence Coast and Casino RSM.

Ethan Foster plays his schoolboy rugby league for MacLean High School and was part of their U14 CHS side that defeated Evans Head High School in the first round of the competition in MacLean in 2016, in fact he was the U14 MacLean High School rugby league captain that year.

Ethan Foster opened the scoring for MacLean High School in only the second minute with an unstoppable run from about 20 metres out and carried a couple of defenders across the line to score and crossed again later in the first half off a great short ball from Julian Torrens after front rower and former Titans development squad member Elijah Winitana make a rampaging run and got a quick play the ball.

Ethan Foster scored again early in the second half, again charging through the defence. MacLean won the match 46 – 4. In September 2016, Ethan Foster and his Maclean High School U14 team mates dominated the U14 DEX round robin competition, with empathetic victories over South Grafton HS and McCauley College. Ethan Foster was named player of the series.

Ethan Foster is a big strong powerful young man who really does run flat out into the defensive line. In previous seasons he did not really use any foot work prior to the line but will drop his shoulder into the opposing defenders and will continually pump his legs in an effort to rain as much ground as possible, in first grade some forwards drop to the ground immediately when contact is made looking for the quick play the ball, but Ethan Foster does not subscribe to that theory at all, he continues to pump his legs, and will on a regular basis break free of that contact through effort and determination alone.

Even though it is a small sample size, I saw a different methodology when Ethan Foster ran the ball in the Andrew Johns Cup competition this season. Playing in the centres in two of the matches, Ethan Foster ran with more of a “jink” in his stride on occasion cutting back towards where the ball was coming from. I am talking just subtle movement which nicely straightened up the attack when the ball was being sent out wide.

Ethan Foster has exceptional speed off the mark and when he gets into open space has above average top end speed for a forward and can finish off a lot of breaks by himself.

Where he is quite effective is close to the line where Ethan Foster just powers through defenders to cross the line. When his team start to use him as decoy he will become an even bigger asset to his team as at the moment defensive lines key into him when he is running, leaving space out wide. He will also take a majority of the hit-ups off kick offs as well.

When he does run wider of the ruck Ethan Foster is more than good at running the right line, he will run at gaps rather than just trying to run over the opposition.

Defensively the situation is similar Ethan Foster is a big strong powerful young man and he uses that to hit very hard and is more than capable of handling even the biggest of opposing forwards one on one.

Ethan Foster will go for long stretches of games dominating the centre of the ruck (for that matter on the fringes as well) and is able to limit the ground made by opposing forward packs almost single handedly. Ethan Foster is also adept at slowing the play the ball down.

Ethan Foster is also very mobile for his size and is good at mirroring the movement of smaller players and rarely seems to get caught on the back foot due to his above average lateral mobility for his size.

Ethan Foster when defending against smaller players does an outstanding job and maintaining a lower body position with his legs underneath him which allows him to not be unbalanced when committing to the tackle and also enables him to rapidly change direction if the opponent is looking to use footwork against him.

In 2019, Ethan Foster will still be eligible for the Group One U16.5 competition, but I think that it is more than likely he will spend most if not all of the 2019 season in the U18 NRRRL competition with the Lower Clarence Magpies and also potentially make his NRRRL First grade debut sometime during the 2019 season.

In 2019 Ethan Foster will also move up from the U16 Andrew Johns Cup Northern Rivers squad to be part of the 2019 U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad which with the Titans agreement with Northern Rivers will play under the Northern Rivers Titans moniker.

In terms of position, I will admit I got it wrong last season, I thought that Ethan Foster would move into the forwards, specifically the second row permanently but he lined up in the centres for Northern Rivers at least in a couple of their matches and played very well.

In saying that he has played mainly in the second row in the Group One Junior Rugby League competition and the U18 NRRRL competition and I still think that Ethan Foster will likely end up in the second row but that may still be a few years away yet.

From a player comparison perspective it is a big call but he really does have a frame that enables explosive and powerful running of the ball and thus I am going to sight former Titan, Canberra Raider and now Central Capra’s Dave Taylor as a player that Ethan Foster runs like.

Ethan Foster runs like when Dave Taylor was motivated, his initial acceleration for a big player is exceptional as his speed when he impacts the defensive line, the difference is that Ethan Foster is always motivated to do his best for his team and will no doubt realise his immense potential and harness his phenomenal skill set in the coming years.

It is great to see the Titans getting a few players from Northern New South Wales signed especially when you consider that in last year’s New South Wales Country Origin side eight players had links to the Northern Rivers region.

In addition to Ethan Foster, other Northern Rivers youngsters with the Titans include ultra-talented second rower Ben Liyou who is already turning heads in the Group Two First Grade competition including scoring in Grafton Group Two First Grade Preliminary Final loss and outstanding young fullback/centre Rowan Mansfield who signed with the Titans earlier this season and started in the centres for the Titans U15 when they defeated the Western Mustangs at Nerang in March 2018 as well as representing New South Wales Combined High Schools this year.

The Titans are slowly but surely building and developing a talented group of young players in their ranks and Ethan Foster is as good as any of them.

Ethan Foster is just a talented powerful player with a significant amount of untapped potential still to be harnessed and a very impressive complete skill set at his disposal.

mdrew

23-11-18, 08:38 PM

Alofiana (Lofi) Khan-Periera. (Revised) The young Burleigh Bears winger and current Keebra Park student has recently signed a new three year Development contract with the Titans after the expiration of his initial two year contract.

Lofi Khan-Periera has also recently been selected in the 2019 U18 Queensland Emerging Origin Squad with fellow Titans Will Evans, Tristian Powell and Juwan Compain.

Lofi Khan-Periera started on the wing for the Titans U18 side in their recent victory over the PNG U18 side at Burleigh and also started there and scored one of the Titans three tries as they defeated NSW Country U18’s the flowing week at Cudgen.

In the match against New South Wales Country U18’s Lofi Khan-Periera started on the right wing with his try being an intercept try which covered approximately 98 metres.

Lofi Khan-Periera represented South Coast at the QSSRL U18 Championships in Toowoomba this season scoring a number of long range tries from the left wing and was in my eyes an unlucky omission from the Queensland U18 QSSRL side which contained fellow Titans contracted, South Coast representative and Keebra Park student front rower David Butler.

Lofi Khan-Periera has played a number of matches for Keebra Park this season including matches against PBC which they lost by two, points, and in wins over Wavell State High School and St Mary’s College who Keebra Park defeated 24 – 18. Keebra Park were knocked out at the Queensland Quarter Final stage by Marsden State High School in a bit of an upset.

Lofi Khan-Periera also played one or two matches for the Keebra Park B side and was awarded one point in the Open B Best Player Award race.

Lofi Khan-Periera started the 2018 season off in the MM Cup competition with the Burleigh Bears, playing in all six of Burleigh’s matches, starting four on the wing and two at fullback. Lofi Khan-Periera started the Bears first four matches on the wing before moving to fullback for the Round Six match against the Western Mustangs.

In his six matches Lofi Khan-Periera scored five tries including a Round Six double against the Western Mustangs. Lofi Khan-Periera also scored tries in Rounds One, Three and Four against the Sunshine Coast, Tweed Heads and South’s Logan respectively.

Post the MM Cup, Lofi Khan-Periera played in one match for the Burleigh U17 Division One side this season and made the most of it by scoring a hat trick against Helensvale.

Lofi Khan-Periera had a great 2017 season culminating in starting on the wing for Keebra Park in their National GIO Cup Finals success and representing Queensland Murri U16’s in their annual clash against New South Wales Kurri with fellow Titans linked hooker Jesse Brasslin being a team mate in the match.

In the interstate clash held in Newcastle Lofi Khan-Periera scored a double as Queensland Murri went down 16 – 14 in a tight clash. 2017 also saw Lofi Khan-Periera as part of the 2017 U16 Queensland Academy of Sport squad and he also won the Keebra Park 2017 Year 11 Sport Specialisation student of the year award.

In 2017 Lofi Khan-Periera finished on top of the try scoring list in the U16 Division One competition in 2017, finishing with eight tries from twelve matches. Unfortunately for Lofi Khan-Periera he missed the U16 Division One Grand Final with injury as Burleigh were defeated 34 – 4.

Lofi Khan-Periera had a great start to the U16 Division One season scoring all eight of his tries through the first five rounds including four tries in a match against Ormeau and a Round One double against Helensvale.

A the commencement of the 2017 season Lofi Khan-Periera represented the Gold Coast Vikings in the U16 South East Queensland pre-season competition and from there made the South East Queensland White U16 side for the Queensland Age Championships.

In those Championships, Lofi Khan-Periera had an outstanding campaign, scoring a double on Day Two against Centre and a try on Day Three against South East Queensland Green. Lofi Khan-Periera also scored in each of SEQ Whites finals, including against Northern in a semi-final and against SEQ Green in the final which White won 42 – 30.

As a result of his play over the last couple of season Lofi Khan-Periera was identified by both the Titans and the Broncos but has signed a deal with the Titans after being in both NRL team’s development squads.

Lofi Khan-Pereira has also represented Samoa on multiple occasions including being named Samoan U14 player of the tournament in 2015 at the QPICC championships.

Lofi Khan-Periera was also named in the Queensland Murri Probables side after the 2016 Queensland Murri championships. Fellow Titans contracted player Jesse Braslin has made the Queensland Murri U15/16 side.

There is no point trying to come up with a fancy way of describing his style of game, he is a talented powerful runner who will get back deep and run straight and hard and crashes through his opposing defender. Throw in very good speed for a young man and you have a real handful for a defensive line.

With his size and strength Lofi Khan-Periera carries defenders with him and continues to pump his legs to gain more ground. Lofi Khan-Periera is also a smart player from a position perspective and does stay out on the wing and usually stays back to make sure that he does not overrun the pass.

When returning kicks Lofi Khan-Periera winds up and just runs straight and hard straight into the defensive line with speed and power. Someone like Lofi Khan-Pereira must be a godsend for the forwards on his team when he is able to take some of the pressure of making yards is taken off them.

Defensively it is a similar story, Lofi Khan-Periera uses his size and speed to negate attacking plays by coming in on opposing centres looking to cut off plays before they have time to develop. Clearly when this type of methodology is employed you need to ensure that your timing of when to come in is appropriate, this is something that all players regardless of the standard whether that is Queensland Cup or NRL need to constantly consider to ensure an overlap is not created on the outside, it is all about judgement.

Lofi Khan-Pereira also has the speed to show his opponent the sideline and cut him down and has the recovery speed to turn and chase if a break is made either on his side of the field or for that matter the other side.

Lofi Khan-Periera is still MM Cup Eligible in 2019 where he will be a key part of the Burleigh side and also will likely get an opportunity in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for Burleigh as the 2019 season progresses.

Whilst I have no doubt that Lofi Khan-Periera could also play in the centres, but his straight line speed and power does project well on the wing and that is where I think that he ultimately ends up even if Lofi Khan-Periera does spend some time in the centres over the course of the next couple of seasons.

I note that Lofi Khan-Periera also played a number of matches in 2017 at fullback for Burleigh in the U16 Division One competition and I can understand why coaches would want him there to bring the ball back in relation to returning kicks.

Valentine Holmes of the Cronulla Sharks, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test sides (and maybe soon an NFL side) is a very good playing comparison for Lofi Khan-Pereira in terms of a hard straight running exceptionally quick winger who is difficult to tackle every time he touches the ball and from both a technical and positional perspective very good defensively as well.

Like Holmes, Lofi Khan-Pereira is just exciting to watch when he is running with the ball and also like Holmes will score plenty of highlight reel tries before his career is done and dusted.

Lofi Khan-Pereira just tackles every aspect of rugby league with rigour skill courage and confidence. Lofi Khan-Pereira does not wait for the game to come to him, he just attacks it full force.

mdrew

28-11-18, 06:49 AM

Jye Gray. The outstanding five eight or half has to been seen to be believed in terms of just how good this young man is on a rugby league field and started from the bench for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 even though he was still U14 eligible in 2018.

Jye Gray came onto the field mid-way through the first half and made an immediate impact chasing a kick from half Thomas Weaver. Jye Gray was the first defender down the field making a copy book low tackle on the Balmain fullback. Two tackles later Jye Gray put himself in front of a giant Balmain front rower bring him down in a solid tackle.

Jye Gray also made a try saving tackle on the Balmain hooker late in the second half and stood out through the match with his outstanding passing skills and his courage and determination.

Jye Gray’s first touch of the ball was a good run out of dummy half as the Titans worked the ball off their own line. Jye Gray dummied to his left before scooting down the right side of the field making 15 metres before being brought down.

Jye Gray started the 2018 season in the U14 Division One competition with Runaway Bay but after a handful of matches moved quickly to the Runaway Bay U15 Division One side for the remainder of the season including the finals.

In total in the U14 Division One competition, Jye Gray played in just five matches scoring three tries including a double against Mudgeeraba and scored against the Redbacks again three rounds later.

Jye Gray made his GCRL U15 Division One debut on June 15 against Burleigh scoring to announce his arrival in the Division. Including the U15 Division One Finals series, Jye Gray played in nine matches and ended the season with a 100% strike rate. Jye Gray scored doubles against Ormeau, Burleigh and Coomera and in addition to scoring on debut against Burleigh scored against later in the season and also scored a try against Ormeau.

In Week One of the U15 Division One Finals series, Jye Gray started at five eight as Runaway Bay went down 28 – 12 to Ormeau. With Jye Gray once again at five eight, Runaway Bay bounced back in Week Two of the finals defeating Burleigh 34 – 24 with Jye Gray scoring in the win.

Jye Gray had an outstanding U15 Division One Preliminary Final scoring a double from the five eight position as Runaway Bay qualified for the Grand Final courtesy of a 58 – 14 victory over Coomera,

In the Grand Final Jye Gray started at half but could not prevent Runaway Bay going down 38 – 20 to the Ormeau Shearers.

In 2018 Jye Gray also represented the Gold Coast Vikings at the U14 level going on to be selected in the South Coast Queensland White U14 for the Queensland Age Championships.

At those Championships Jye Gray scored two tries which came against South East Queensland Green and Central and was awarded the U14 Player of the Carnival after multiple outstanding performances at the Championships.

As a result of his outstanding play for the Vikings and South East Queensland Green this season Jye Gray was recently named the 2018 Gold Coast Rugby League U14 Representative Player of the Year.

In 2017 Jye Gray represented the Gold Coast Vikings at the U13 level and in 2016 represented the Queensland U12 side scoring against the Northern Territory and a New South Wales Invitational side.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Jye Gray is in terms of running the ball, he has outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus plus category and top end speed which must be considered above average regardless of position.

Jye Gray with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control. It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well.

Teams start to focus heavily on Jye Gray when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Jye Gray can exploit.

Jye Gray has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Jye Gray can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can react and readjust.

Jye Gray also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Jye Gray is going to do.

Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Jye Gray cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Jye Gray is an exceptional tactical kicker with range and accuracy, he can put up pin point bombs and perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. In short if you can name a type of rugby league kick, Jye Gray can execute it with precision.

Defensively Jye Gray is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

Jye Gray has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on Jye Gray’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Jye Gray is an outstanding defender.

Another area where Jye Gray has a plus attribute is in relation to his leaderships skills. He is a strong confident personality and that translates to a leader on and off the field and you can see that the other players gravitate towards him.

This is a trait that you cannot teach, you either have it or you don’t. Even if he is not the nominated captain on the field Jye Gray is a leader regardless of which team he is lining up for and acts accordingly both on and off the field.

Jye Gray will play the 2019 season for Runaway Bay, likely starting the season in the U15 Division One competition and will probably also spent some time in the U16 Division One competition as well as being one of the first players picked in the 2019 U15 South Coast QSSRL side.

Jye Gray has played either half or five eight in his career and that is not going to change for the simple reason that the more that Jye Gray gets the ball the better off his team will be. Few players can on their own make their entire side better, Jye Gray is definitely one however.

Every time I see Jye Gray play I am just in awe of just how good he is and it is not just me, a GUY who is a far better judge of players than me is also very impressed every time that he has seen Jye Gray in action.

The young man can do it all run, pass, kick and tackle all whilst seemingly having all the time in the world to make a decision. Jye Gray plays two or three plays ahead of everyone on the field and at a different level as well.

After taking a deep breath, I still cannot get away from thinking of NRL immortal Andrew Johns (with some Darren Lockyer traits thrown in as well) every time that I see Jye Gray play. Like Johns, Jye Gray is just a class apart in every aspect and is just a natural rugby league player as well as an outstanding on field play maker and leader.

mdrew

10-12-18, 05:46 PM

Bailey Cox. The young South Tweed lock started from the bench for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 and has recently been selected in the Northern Rivers Titans squad for the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition.

Bailey Cox came onto the field for the Titans mid-way through the first half immediately making some bone rattling tackles and punishing runs. One of Bailey Cox’s first involvements was a great kick chase when he was the first Titan down the field to wrap up the Balmain fullback and one memorable hit was on the Balmain No. 8 off the Tigers penalty restart, Bailey Cox lined him up and hit him front on in a copy book tackle.

The match showed the confidence that the Titans Development Staff have in Bailey Cox’s defence with the young man defending one out on Balmain scrum feed’s and on two occasions pulled off outstanding tackles from that position, the first on the Balmain half and the second on the fullback.

In the Group 18 U15 competition South Tweed finished the season winning the Grand Final against Byron Bay/Lennox Heads 22 – 16.

At the 2018 New South Wales Country U15 Championships Bailey Cox was named at lock for the Group 18 U15 side. In the Championships Bailey Cox played in three matches with those matches coming against Group 21 Group Two and Group Four with Bailey Cox scoring against Group 21 in Group 18’s opening match of the Championships.

Bailey Cox was selected to travel to France to compete in the U15 Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War 1. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Tom Weaver, Josh Gilbert, Ryan Foran and Byron Jones.

The Group 18 U15 side won the tournament including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12. In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare.

In 2017 Bailey Cox also represented Group 18 at the U14 level.

The long striding Bailey Cox is at his best when he is operating in the fringes of the ruck where he can exploit gaps in the defensive line with his size and speed. When he runs Bailey Cox is all arms, legs, knees and elbows and with his long stride and strong fend is a difficult proposition for defenders to handle in the context of getting him to the ground.

Bailey Cox’s leg drive and determination also enables him to be equally effective in relation to operating in traffic where he gets his body height low he can shrug off would be tacklers by dropping his shoulder into the defender just as he starts to commit to the tackle, Bailey Cox can then redirect his momentum and proceed down the field post contact.

In terms of overall speed, whilst a touch above average for his position, Bailey Cox when in space will be caught by cover defenders but he is quick enough to maintain separation until he has progressively worked through his options and invariably makes the right decision with the ball.

Defensively Bailey Cox is adept at wrapping up the ball carrier and his initial contact is underrated as his primary function and goal is to wrap up the ball to prevent off loads. His stamina is such that you will see Bailey Cox make multiple tackles in a short space of time and then immediately make himself available to take a hit up.
Bailey Cox will play the 2019 season as part of the South Tweed U16 side that plays in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition and has also been selected in the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side which will play under the Titans banner for the first time.

With his build and skill set Bailey Cox is likely to be a second rower for the duration of his rugby league journey, where ever it takes him.

With his mobility and hard working mentality Bailey Cox’s playing style reminds me of Cronulla Sharks second row Luke Capewell. Both are hardworking players who give everything they have every time that they step onto a rugby league field doing a lot of the little things well.

mdrew

12-12-18, 02:46 PM

Brodyn Gudgeon. The talented young Titans contracted half was quite outstanding in 2018 in the GCRL U16 Division One competition and will spend the upcoming off season training with the Burleigh MM Cup squad as his rugby league career continues to develop.

Recently Brodyn Gudgeon started from the bench for the Titans U16 side and scored a second half try as the Titans went down 30 – 10 to the New South Wales Country U16’s at Cudgen on a wet and windy Saturday afternoon in early October.

The try was a result of Brodyn Gudgeon not giving up chasing a short grubber kick from half Ryan Rivett (I believe) and beating the NSW Country defence to the ball in the in goal area.

Brodyn Gudgeon played the 2018 GCRL season in the U16 Division One competition with Helensvale and through his eleven games had a 100% strike rate. Brodyn Gudgeon scored a late season hat trick against Southport and also scored a double against Southport the week prior. Brodyn Gudgeon’s other 2018 double came against Burleigh.

Brodyn Gudgeon also scored against Southport, Currumbin and Burleigh in the first regular season match and also the last to bookend his season.

At the start of the2018 season Brodyn Gudgeon started at half back for the U16 Gold Coast Vikings Yellow side in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge and from there was selected in the South East Queensland Green U16 for the Queensland Age Championships.

In those Championships, Brodyn Gudgeon started at half back in all four matches including the Championship Final against South East Queensland White and in fact scored in that final.

Over the course of the 2017 season the Coombabah State High School student scored eight tries from fourteen matches and started at half back in the 34 – 10 Grand Final loss to Nerang. Brodyn Gudgeon scored an early season hat trick against Coomera and also doubles against Nerang and Southport as well as a try against Burleigh to account for his eight tries over the course of the 2017 rugby league season.

In attack, Brodyn Gudgeon is a young half who is a dynamic runner of the football who excels in taking on the defensive line with deft footwork around the ruck, looking to seek out bigger slower forwards when they are caught on the edge of the ruck, he also has a very good dummy which continues to be effective regardless of the frequency of its use as it is indistinguishable in process from when he is going to actually pass the ball.

Brodyn Gudgeon does not however have blinkers on, and when his backline is set deep, he can see an overlap or a another play developing he will get the ball out quickly and effectively, using his solid passing skills from both sides of his body, where he will put the football out in front of his runners. Brodyn Gudgeon is able to impart a good spin on the ball, thus can get good distance on his passes whilst maintaining accuracy from both sides of his body all be it he seems to gets better distance when passing to the left hand side of the field.

Assisting his play is the fact that Brodyn Gudgeon seems to make the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide quickly. One aspect that is notable when you see him play is how he directs the team around the field, he is in charge of when and where the forwards run and also when he wants the ball to spread it out wide to his backline.

Defensively Brodyn Gudgeon has decent size for a half back, a facet which assists in him being a very effective defender for his position, in fact he is an asset to his team’s defensive pattern to the extent that he has the strength and technique to more than hold his own one on one against wide running forwards.

Brodyn Gudgeon will be looking to break into the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side in 2019 and post that competition will line up for Helensvale in the GCRL U18 Division One competition.

Brodyn Gudgeon has played in the halves for most if not all of his junior rugby league career and there is no reason to suggestion that that situation is not the most beneficial for Brodyn Gudgeon to realise his immense potential.

My NRL player comparison for Brodyn Gudgeon is brand new Cronulla Sharks and former New Zealand Warrior and New Zealand International Shaun Johnson. Shaun Johnson has a wicked side step and acceleration and those are two attributes that Brodyn Gudgeon also possesses.

No one can predict the future but how Brodyn Gudgeon’s game develops over the coming years will be something that I will be keeping a very close eye on especially in relation to his ball playing and game management skills.

mdrew

14-12-18, 06:15 PM

Timothy Seilaff-Burns. (Revised) The tall rangy fullback recently started on the wing for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 even though he was still U14 eligible in 2018.

In the Thursday Night match at Cudgen in September Timothy Seilaff-Burns started on the right wing for the Titans scoring towards the end of the first half when he received a wide ball early from Titans five eight Riley Lack, he was able to freeze the Balmain defender and then beat him on the outside to score in the right hand corner from close range.

In the match Timothy Seilaff-Burns also showed some flashes of exquisite skill including nearly taking and intercept which also saved a certain Balmain try and tracking back and taking a clearing kick on the full over his shoulder whilst running flat out towards his own line.

To highlight his work ethic, late in the first half with the Titans looking to bring the ball out of their own half, Timothy Seilaff-Burns went all the way across to the left wing to take a hit up to help relieve the pressure on the Titans forwards before heading back to the right wing.

This season Timothy Seilaff-Burns transferred from Jimboomba to Coomera to play for the Cutters in the Gold Coast Rugby League U14 Division One competition.

Including the finals series, Timothy Seilaff-Burns played in fifteen U14 Division One matches scoring fifteen tries, kicking thirteen goals and a field goal (against Nerang) to finish the season with 87 points.

Timothy Seilaff-Burns scored hat tricks against Nerang and Ormeau and doubles against Runaway Bay and Nerang. Timothy Seilaff-Burns scored in eight of his ten matches with just Helensvale and Burleigh keeping him from scoring.

In Week One of the U14 Division One finals Timothy Seilaff-Burns started at fullback and was simply outstanding as Coomera defeated Nerang 37 – 8 with Timothy Seilaff-Burns contributing three tries, two goals and a field goal.

Timothy Seilaff-Burns was at his very best again in Week Two of the finals scoring a try and kicking three goals as Coomera went down 24 – 18 to Helensvale.

In the U14 Division One Preliminary Final Timothy Seilaff-Burns scored a try and kicked two goals as Coomera qualified for the Grand Final as a result of a 28 – 12 victory over Nerang.

Timothy Seilaff-Burns started fullback and scored for Coomera in the U14 Division One Grand Final but they went down 29 – 12 to a talented Helensvale side.

In 2018 Timothy Seilaff-Burns also played one match for the Cutters in the U15 Division One competition and had an outstanding debut scoring a double against Currumbin on a cold Friday night. Timothy Seilaff-Burns then backed up on the Saturday for the Coomera U14 Division One side scoring two tries and kicking three goals against Nerang.

In 2018 Timothy Seilaff-Burns represented the Gold Coast Vikings sat the U14 level in the Hill Stumer Divisional Championships playing in three matches and scoring 24 point from four tries and four goals. Timothy Seilaff-Burns scored a double in Match One against Ipswich and also scored in Matches Two and Three against Brisbane Red and Brisbane Grey respectively.

From those Championships Timothy Seilaff-Burns was selected to represent South East Queensland Green at the Queensland Age Championships where he started at fullback and scored against South East Queensland White, Central and Northern.

From a goal kicking perspective, his kicking followed his try scoring in relation to kicking as many goals as he scored tries in his matches.

For the Jimboomba Thunder U13 Division One side in 2017 Timothy Seilaff-Burns was arguably one of the most dynamic players in the competition, especially in relation to when he had the ball in his hands.

Timothy Seilaff-Burns finished as the 2017 U13 Division One’s leading points scored with 130 points, 34 on front of second and also finished as equal second on the try scoring list. Timothy Seilaff-Burns scored fourteen tries and kicked 37 goals and had some big matches along the way including scoring five tries and kicking ten goals for a points haul of 40 in a Round Two match against Ormeau. In Round One against Mudgeeraba, Timothy Seilaff-Burns scored a hat trick and kicked six goals. Timothy Seilaff-Burns also scored a double against Runaway Bay mid-season.

Timothy Seilaff-Burns also played two matches in the U14 Division Two competition with his first match at that level against Mudgeeraba in late June and his second match against Burleigh in early July.

In relation to representative rugby league, Timothy Seilaff-Burns captained the South Coast 2016 U12 side and then progressed to represent the Queensland U12 side where he played on the left wing, crossing for three tries in the National championships where his Queensland side finished second. He scored on Day Three against the New South Wales Invitational side in a 40 – 0 victory, in a quarter final he scored against the Northern Territory in a 44 – 6 victory and he also scored in Queensland’s semi-final victory again against NSW Invitational.

To round off his U12 National championships he also kicked a goal against the Queensland Invitational side and was named as Queensland player of the match in one of the pool games, on Day Three I believe. In addition to his great rugby league form he was also named SECA U12 Age Champion at their athletic carnival and in 2015 was named Emmaus College’s best and fairest player for their Kingfisher Cup rugby league campaign.

For a tall rangy player Timothy Seilaff-Burns is very quick off the mark and when the ball is being brought out of his teams half he is always around the forwards looking for off loads but as evidenced by one of his tries he also can play the way a lot of the current fullbacks play when they receive the football “out the back” from the half or five eight.

Timothy Seilaff-Burn presents as a silky smooth player, who looks like he glides across the field picking and choosing his time to get involved and wants to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line, as evidenced by some of his matches playing at fullback for the South Coast U12 side and for Queensland even though he played on the left wing there.

In terms of his defence, one thing that stood out to me when have seen him play is when the opposition makes a break Timothy Seilaff-Burns moves forward looking to cut down the time of the attacking player, which is quite impressive for such a young player. Due to his height, he is good also at defending the high ball.

In 2019 Timothy Seilaff-Burns will play in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition for Coomera and is also a likely selection in the South Coast U15 QSSRL side.

I initially thought he would be a very good centre, and I am sure with his natural ability Timothy Seilaff-Burns would be, but with the skills he has and the way the modern game is played, fullback seems to be his best position into the future.

Timothy Seilaff-Burns obviously has a long way to go, but I am looking forward to seeing him play over the coming years and seeing how he progresses as he possesses all of the skills and physical attributes to be a very good rugby league player at a very good junior rugby league club in the Jimboomba Thunder.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Timothy Seilaff-Burns I would say a reasonable comparison to Josh Duggan of the Cronulla Sharks and New South Wales State of Origin side would be fair as a player who is a very good runner of the football and who has the confidence to back himself in both attack and defence and is very safe under the high ball.

mdrew

18-12-18, 06:03 PM

Joseph Shannon. The giant young backrower has been one of a number of standouts of his age group on the Gold Coast over the last couple of seasons. Joseph Shannon’s old brothers Samuel and Daniel both have links with the Titans.

For the 2018 season, Joseph Shannon transfer from Southport to Coomera for whom he played the U14 Division One season. Through eleven matches in that competition including finals matches, Joseph Shannon scored six tries and kicked five conversions to finish the U14 Division One season with 34 points.

Joseph Shannon scored doubles in consecutive rounds mid-season against Beaudesert and Helensvale and also scored against Ormeau and Nerang. Four of Joseph Shannon’s goals came in a match against Beaudesert (he also scored a double in that match) with the other against Runaway Bay.

Joseph Shannon also played in one U15 Division One match this season for Coomera when he lined up against Currumbin in late July.

Joseph Shannon at the start of this season represented the Gold Coast Vikings U14 side starting at lock in two matches and scored a double in Match Two of the South East Queensland U14 Championships in a win against Brisbane Red. His other match was against Ipswich.

Post those Championships Joseph Shannon was selected at lock for South East Queensland White and scored against South East Queensland Green of the Queensland Age Championships.

Recently Joseph Shannon was selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport U15 Emerging Origin squad.

Joseph Shannon also represented the Gold Coast Vikings in 2017 at the U13 level, playing three games in the 2017 Hill Stumer Championships.

Rarely can you find a young player who is equally at home running on both sides of the ruck but that is what a team has with Joseph Shannon, he runs a superb outside shoulder line and his excellent footwork enables him to step off either foot to enable him to cut back against the movement of the defensive line to take advantage of gaps back on the inside of his direct opponent.

For a big strong young man, Joseph Shannon also has above average speed, not just off the mark but also when he is in clear space, when he makes a break Joseph Shannon is more than capable of going the distance and normally easily out paces the cover defence.

Joseph Shannon is not just a strong runner of the ball he as noted above has excellent footwork prior to the line and also some very good short passing both before the line and when in contact with a defender.

Joseph Shannon in schoolboy rugby and junior age groups is a magnet for defenders and is adept at identifying when multiple defenders are vectoring towards him and identifying the appropriate force to be applied to his passing when off-loading.

On a lot of his runs Joseph Shannon rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his outside support.

Defensively Joseph Shannon has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. Joseph Shannon sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

Joseph Shannon’s good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker opponents and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Joseph Shannon is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where Joseph Shannon will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Joseph Shannon will play the 2019 season I believe with the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U15 Division One competition and is also a likely U15 South Coast representative as well.

Joseph Shannon is a big strong powerful young man but he also has good speed and mobility and for that reason I believe that Joseph Shannon’s ideal spot on a rugby league field is in the second row where he can use his physical attributes and skill set a bit wider of the ruck.

Joseph Shannon is a rare combination of incredible athletic ability and an exceptional understanding of timing and anticipation on a football thus to that extent for me Joseph Shannon has Sonny Bill Williams’s athletic ability and Matt Gillett’s football smarts and aggressiveness

mdrew

20-12-18, 05:40 PM

Eli Morgan. (Revised) The strong tough hard running young Titans linked second rower was part of the Burleigh MM Cup this season as well as part of the Keebra Park rugby league side in their various schoolboy competitions including the GIO Cup. In 2017 Eli Morgan started from the interchange bench in Keebra Park’s National GIO Cup triumph.

In the MM Cup competition for Burleigh this season Eli Morgan was involved in three matches. He started Round One in the second row against the Sunshine Coast Falcons, in Round Three against Tweed Heads and in Round Four Eli Morgan started in the second row against Souths Logan.

Eli Morgan only played two matches for Burleigh this season in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, one in the U17 Division One competition against Helensvale and one in the U19 competition against Bilambil.

In 2017 Eli Morgan was named in the 2017 Gold Coast Green U16 Vikings side for the 2017 season as well as playing for Burleigh in the GCJRL U16 Division One competition and performing strongly for the Keebra Park GIO Cup side including starting the Queensland Final on the wing. Eli Morgan also represented the Queensland U16 side in their tough 22 – 16 loss to New South Wales in a State of Origin curtain raiser.

Eli Morgan started off the 2017 season representing Gold Coast Vikings Green in the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition scoring against Brisbane Blue. From there Eli Morgan was selected in the South East Queensland U16 side for the Queensland Age Championships. Eli Morgan was a standout scoring a double on Day One against Central, Day Two against Northern, Day Three against South East Queensland White and Eli Morgan also scored in the final in a 42 – 30 loss to SEQ White.

Eli Morgan played for Burleigh in the GCJRL U16 Division One competition, playing eleven matches in total, scoring six tries, including a double in the first match of the season against Helensvale, in Round Two Eli Morgan also scored against Runaway Bay. In a three game span in May Eli Morgan scored in every matches with those matches being against Ormeau, Runaway Bay and Ormeau once again.

From an attacking perspective, Eli Morgan has a wide running mindset for a backrower with a very good turn of speed once he breaks through the line. Like all good running backrowers though, he takes his share of runs in the middle of the ruck but he is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into although he is not averse to running straight over people if the need arises either.

His determination is one aspect that enables him to be in the right place at the right time. He is a hard runner and does not give up on the run until the opposition puts him on the ground, as a consequence, he makes a lot more metres for his team than he has a right to and with his determination he will also on occasion break clear of the defenders totally. I would consider that he runs ‘tough’ with the ball in his hands.

For Burleigh, Eli Morgan defended both in the edge of the ruck and well as through the middle. Eli Morgan was quietly effective in both situations from both a quality and quantity perspective. His initial contact is solid and is more than enough to stop the momentum of the ball carrier and effect tackles one on one. He is also effective at wrapping the ball up and preventing offloads.

While Eli Morgan hits he hits hard, but I would not call it aggressive per say, but he is just tough in his approach to his defence. I do not necessarily think that Eli Morgan’s defensive work will stand out because he is not going to come up with a huge hit which will get the crowd on its feet, but Eli Morgan will do a lot of work and will likely always finish at or near the top of the tackle count regardless of the level and standard of football he is playing.

Eli Morgan will play the 2018 season with the Burleigh Bears at the U18 Division One level as well as being a member of the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad.

Even though Eli Morgan played a couple of matches in the wing for Keebra Park in the past, I can see no reason that Eli Morgan will move away from the second row position which is where he has played in recent seasons.

From a player comparison perspective for Eli Morgan, someone with a similar playing style that could be used for a comparison perspective would be the Brisbane Broncos backrower Alex Glenn as a strong hard running, hard tackling aggressive and effective backrower who can play for 80 minutes without the need for a break on the interchange bench.

mdrew

24-12-18, 08:50 AM

Nicholas Hilton. The powerful young front rower started from the bench for the Titans U15 side recently as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 even though he was still U14 eligible in 2018.

Nicholas Hilton came on for the Titans U15’s mid-way through the first half against Balmain making an immediate impact with his size and enthusiasm including defending well right on the try line just after coming into the match.

The Titans gave away a penalty which put the Tigers on the attack but after making a superb front on tackle from the penalty restart, Nicholas Hilton made two tackles in a row and then still got up quickly to get back to the line to plug a gap. One of those tackles included crunching the Balmain half in a heavy tackle.

Nicholas Hilton played the 2018 season for the Nerang Roosters in the GCRL U14 Division One competition finishing with a 50% strike rate through twelve matches. Nicholas Hilton also kicked three goals mid-season against Ormeau to finish the season with thirty points.

Nicholas Hilton scored a double against Burleigh and also scored in matches against Coomera, Beaudesert, Ormeau and Mudgeeraba.

Nicholas Hilton started in the front row in all three of Nerang’s U14 Division One Finals matches including their 28 – 12 Preliminary Finals loss to Coomera which ended their season.

Earlier this season Nicholas Hilton was part of the Gold Coast Vikings U14 side that swept all before them in the South East Queensland U14 Championships and from there went on to represent South East Queensland Green in the Queensland Age Championships, starting of the Green’s matches in the front row.

Recently Nicholas Hilton was selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport U15 Emerging Origin Squad.

Nicholas Hilton also represented the Gold Coast Vikings U13’s in 2017 scoring against the Ipswich Diggers in the Vikings opening match of those Championships.

Nicholas Hilton is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle as he is also adept at dropping his shoulder into defenders as he impacts the defensive line.

There is no subtlety to his game, he runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off his left foot in occasion prior to impacting the defensive line. One thing that Nicholas Hilton does do will however is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line. Nicholas Hilton makes more metres than he should as a result and also forces defending teams to commit multiple defensive assets to stopping his forward progress.

Like his attacking game, Nicholas Hilton’s defensive methodology is simply constructed and enacted. Nicholas Hilton moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. Nicholas Hilton is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him and for a solidly built young player.

Nicholas Hilton moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence. His lateral movement is also actually quite reasonable for a front rower as well.

In 2019 Nicholas Hilton will play in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition for Coomera and is also a likely selection in the South Coast U15 QSSRL side.

Nicholas Hilton is a big strong tough young man ideally suited to the front row position on a rugby league field.

From a player comparison perspective for Nicholas Hilton, consider someone along the lines of the St George Dragons and New South Wales State of Origin front rower Paul Vaughan as a big strong mobile forward who hits the defensive line hard as well as the opposition when they are running the ball.

mdrew

30-12-18, 08:50 AM

Jake Martin. (Revised) The Grafton Ghosts centre continues to play solidly regardless of the standard of the opponent and that was the case again in 2018 playing for the Grafton Ghosts in the Tooheys New Group Two competition.

As a result of his performances over the course of recent seasons, Jake Martin has signed a two year deal with the Titans which will take him through his final U18 season in 2019 and his first in the Colts age group in 2020.

Jake Martin started off the 2018 season representing North Coast in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition, playing in two matches, starting both on the wing, with those matches coming against the Greater Northern Tigers and the Newcastle Knights Development Squad. In that first match against the Greater Northern Tigers Jake Martin scored to mark a positive debut.

For the Grafton Ghosts in the Group Two competition in 2018, Jake Martin wore the blue and white in all three grades. In the Group Two U18 competition, Jake Martin played in nine matches scoring four tries including tries in the regular season against Coffs Harbour and Sawtell.

Jake Martin also played in four Group Two Reserve Grade games, making his debut against Coffs Harbour in May of this year. In those four Reserve Grade matches, Jake Martin had a 50% strike rate with his tries coming against Sawtell and Macksville.

Few 17 year olds make their First Grade debuts regardless of level or region, but in April Jake Martin joined that exclusive list when he came on for Grafton against Macksville.

Over the course of the 2017 season represented the Grafton Ghosts in the U18 Group Two competition and in the U16.5 Group One junior rugby league competition. Along with fellow Grafton Ghosts player, Ben Liyou, Jake Martin attended a Titans weekend Elite Academy camp held at Lennox Heads.

In the 2017 U18 Group Two competition, Jake Martin played in six matches (not bad at all considering he was still U16 eligible) and in those six matches scored three tries including a double against local rivals the South Grafton Rebels and also against Coffs Harbour in July. Jake Martin also played eight matches in the Group One U16.5 competition scoring late in the season against Casino RSM.

In the blue and white of the Grafton Ghosts U15 side in 2016 Jake Martin scored seven tries in twelve matches including scoring four in a match against Clarence Coast in June 2016. His other tries came against Lismore Marist Brothers on two separate occasions and Ballina. Jake Martin also represented the U15 Group One side in the NSW Age Championships in the centres.

Jake Martin has an extensive representative junior rugby league representative resume including representing Group One at the U14 and U15 levels in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Whilst Jake Martin does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, he does have decent top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by getting on the outside of his opponent and using a solid fend when he gets to the outside, thus preventing defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure. When engaged with the defensive line Jake Martin also has a reasonable offload.

Defensively one area that he has impressed me is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wider of the ruck. Jake martin seemingly has more strength that his size would dictate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

Regardless of where he defends Jake Martin sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent even though by no means could he be considered a big centre.

Another area in relation to his defence that has impressed me the most is his ability to defend close to his own try line. As noted above Jake Martin seemingly has more strength that his size would indicate, and he uses this strength to move up off his own try line redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term at least.

Jake Martin just intuitively knows how to defend from a timing and technique perspective and rarely loses contact with the attacker once he has engaged them.

Jake Martin will be moving up to the Gold Coast towards the end of this year to train with the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad for the 2019 version of the competition.

From an ultimate position perspective, I think that as he progresses towards senior rugby league, Jake Martin will ultimately end up as a solid dependable winger with average to slightly above average skills across the board.

Jake Martin is never going to be a try scoring centre who can break tackles with his size, strength or speed, but he is a very effective defensive centre with enough speed and tackling technique to be able to efficiently and effectively defend both in a sliding or up and in defensive methodology.

From a player comparison perspective someone along the lines of former Brisbane Broncos and England International centre Jack Reed for a player comparison for Jake Martin as an effective all round centre, in terms of an outside back who may not have the “perfect” attributes for a modern day player but will surprise in terms of his effectiveness even though he does not have one plus attribute to specifically focus on.

mdrew

04-01-19, 07:22 AM

Jack Cullen. He is a Northern New South Wales born Titans contracted front rower who started in the front row for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 and for me was one of the best for the Titans.

After left second rower Ryan Foran fielded the kick off, Jack Cullen took the next hit up and set the scene for his match with a great first run into the teeth of the Balmain Tigers forward pack.

Jack Cullen was at it again after the Titans first try scored by left winger Kaleb Ngamanu, taking the first and third hit-ups. Jack Cullen was outstanding in both of his stints for the Titans U15’s but his first 20 minute stint was exceptional. Jack Cullen also scored in the match after he was brought down just short of the line after a strong run where he stepped back behind the ruck off his right foot.

Post the Balmain Tigers match, Jack Cullen and fellow Group 18 U15 team mates headed overseas to play in the Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, a competition that the side won including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12.

In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Tom Weaver, Josh Gilbert, Ryan Foran, Byron Jones and Bailey Cox.

Recently Jack Cullen started in the front row for the Group 18 U15 representative side at the New South Wales Country U15’s Championships playing matches against Group 21, Group Two and Group Four.

Jack Cullen is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle as he is also adept at dropping his shoulder into defenders as he impacts the defensive line. There is not a great deal of subtlety to his game, he runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off his left foot in occasion prior to impacting the defensive line.

One thing that Jack Cullen does do will however is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line, he makes more metres than he should as a result and also forces defending teams to commit multiple defensive assets to stopping his progress. He does not have a real off load to his attacking game, but that is not his role, his role is to take the ball into the heart of the opposition’s defensive line and make as many metres as possible.

For a player of his size and position Jack Cullen actually has decent speed off the mark but obviously does not necessary have great top end speed. Jack Cullen shows flashes of the ability to off load the football when engaged with the defensive line but it is not a skill attribute that you see often not are you likely to into the future as that his not his primary role on a rugby league team.

When Jack Cullen hits you you stay hit, due to his height he is able to drive into the ribs of larger forwards and as his centre of gravity is usually lower than that of the person that he is defending against he is able to negatively impact on their momentum and balance and bring them to ground very quickly and is strong enough to win the wrestle and slow the play the ball down to allow his sides defensive line to re-establish itself before the opposition run their next play.

Jack Cullen will play the 2019 season in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition with the Cudgen Hornets and will also has been selected in the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side which should be a more than decent side with seven Titans contracted players in the squad.

In addition to playing in the front row Jack Cullen has also spent some time at lock but currently in rugby league the lock plays as a third front rower so regardless of whether he is wearing jersey 8, 10 or 13, Jack Cullen will be lining up in the centre of the ruck on a rugby league field in both attack and defence for the foreseeable future.

From a player comparison perspective for Jack Cullen, I would consider that a player with a similar build and a similar playing style is North Queensland Cowboys, Queensland and Australian front rower Matt Scott as a big strong front rower who is not flashy but works hard to put his team on the front foot through gaining ground through the centre of the ruck.

mdrew

07-01-19, 05:49 PM

Shallin Fuller. (Revised) The live wire young halfback originally from Woodenbong in Northern New South Wales has been an impressive player for the Beaudesert Kingfishers for the last couple of seasons in both the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 and Doug Lipp Cup competitions after moving up from the Kyogle Turkeys for the start of the 2016 season.

In the 2018 GCRL U19 competition Shallin Fuller finished the season equal third on the try scoring list, finished with 12 tries from 13 matches, including scoring a hat trick against Mudgeeraba in July and a double against Runaway Bay, add in eight goals including three in a match against Burleigh in June and Shallin Fuller finished the U19 season with 64 points.

In the 2018 Doug Lipp Cup competition Shallin Fuller finished the season as the competitions second leading try scorer with a 100% strike rate through sixteen matches.

Shallin Fuller had a big Round One scoring a hat trick against Southport and also has three doubles which have come in Rounds Three, Four and Six against Tugun, Currumbin and Ormeau respectively. Shallin Fuller also scored a hat trick against Helensvale late in the season.

This season Shallin Fuller was also part of the Gold Coast Vikings U19 squad that won the South East Queensland U19 Challenge with the live wire young half outstanding including a dominant performance against Ipswich and recently was selected in the SEQ U18 squad as a result.

For the U19 Kingfishers in the 2017 season Shallin Fuller has scored a competition leading sixteen tries from just twelve matches and over a four week span from late June to late July he scored ten tries, including four tries on Sunday against Tugun and doubles against Southport, Bilambil and Burleigh.

Earlier in the 2017 season, Shallin Fuller also scored doubles against Burleigh in Round One and Runaway Bay in Rounds Four. Shallin Fuller has also played two matches for Beaudesert in the Doug Lipp Cup scoring in his debut against Southport backing up after the U19 fixture where he also scored.

The young half who is also a talented touch player participated in the National Youth Touch Competition last year. In the 2016 season for the Kingfishers in the U17 Division One GCJRL competition, Shallin Fuller scored thirteen tries from just eleven matches including a hat trick against Nerang and four doubles which came against Burleigh on two separate occasions, Nerang and Currumbin.

In the 2015 season he played in the U16.5 competition for Kyogle alternating between half back and five eight, but due to other commitments he only played in seven matches scoring two tries and kicking three goals for a total points tally of 14 for the season, the tries he scored were against Ballina and Lismore Marist Brothers. He also played schoolboy rugby league for Woodenbong Central High School.

In attack he has plus to plus plus speed off the mark, it really is quite exceptional but does not necessary have an extra gear in open space, but he is able to sustain his top speed over considerable distance.

In confined space, he has very good footwork, including a good step off both feet. He can beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies.

The majority of his tries do not come from long breaks, they come from either darting close to the line with the opposition defensive line back peddling or backing up a forward and exploding through the defensive line and outpacing the fullback.

At present, one area for him to continue to develop is his play making skills, including putting his runners, whether they are backrowers or centres into holes. With experience and in a stronger overall competition however there is nothing to suggest that these type of play making skills will not develop over time. As games progress he is very good at identifying tired forwards in the defensive line, and he will target them accordingly.

Presumably as a result of his time playing touch football, he is more comfortable with playing what is in front of him rather than just play to a set game plan. Playing a more structured type of game does on occasion cause him issues as this is not his natural inclination, thus he did struggle a little playing five eight for Kyogle but it was also a reason why he was very successful when he came off the bench as an impact player.

As noted he is by no means a big player and is more of an instinctive player than one that thrives under a structured game plan but if he can settle into a team that allows him to take the line on when he sees an opportunity I think that he can really thrive. Obviously there is a balance between running himself and distributing the ball but if he can find that balance, which is not easy, he will do well.

I think that he has found the perfect place with the U19 Kingfishers side, their solid forward pack has enabled Shallin Fuller to operate behind a forward pack that consistently has the opposition moving backwards. He also does not mind at all putting in short attacking kicks for himself regardless of where he is on the field.

In defence, due to his size Shallin Fuller is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the edge of the ruck, he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives.

I have mentioned his size, but Shallin Fuller looks like he has put on some muscle over the last season or so which has had a positive impact defensively.

Due to his speed off the mark Shallin Fuller is also a very good cover defender as he tracks the ball across the field and is also very good at tracking back to defend against short attacking kicks put in behind his team’s defensive line.

Shallin Fuller will play the 2019 season with the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts side where he will be hard to keep out of the side throughout the season.

For Kyogle he alternated between half back and five eight and was even used as an impact player off the bench in a couple of games, but seemingly has found a home at half back for Beaudesert over the last two seasons where he continues to benefit from the crisp distribution out of dummy half by Titans linked hooker Charlie Gee.

A player comparison for Shallin Fuller is an interesting one and for a good comparison I am going back a while but for the people that saw former Gold Coast Seagull and Manly halfback Paul Shaw play you have someone in Fuller who is similar as a player who was dynamic when running the ball but also someone who was not as effective in a structured environment.

Obviously with the changes to the inter change Shallin Fuller is not going to be able to play as a Super Sub like how Paul Shaw made his name, but as noted if he can find a balance between being a game manager and distributor and playing on instinct, he will do very well.

mdrew

09-01-19, 05:54 PM

Xavier Collins. (Revised) The big strong young Keebra Park front rower was a standout in 2018 in both rugby league and rugby and impressively in both codes was playing up an age group. Late in 2018 Xavier Collins was named in the front row in the 2018 Keebra Park Team of the Year.

In 2018 Xavier Collins was part of the Cook Islands U14 QPICC side, being awarded the Cook Islands U14 Most Valuable Player award for the tournament and was part of the Cook Islands side that defeated Samoa 22 – 6 in the U14 Final.

For Ormeau in the 2018 Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition Xavier Collins played in nine matches including the finals and scored four tries, scoring three in the finals series and a regular season try against Coomera early in the season.

In Week One of the U15 Division One Finals series, Xavier Collins started from the bench as Ormeau defeated Runaway Bay 28- 12.

Week Two saw Xavier Collins start in the second row and score a double as Ormeau qualified for the Grand Final on the back of a 44 – 6 victory over Coomera.

In the U15 Division One Grand Final Xavier Collins started from the bench and scored as Ormeau won the premiership on the back of a 38 – 20 Grand Final victory over Runaway Bay.

Xavier Collins also played two matches in the U14 Division One competition with those matches coming against Coomera and Runaway Bay.

2018 also saw Xavier Collins represent South East Queensland Green at the Queensland U14 Championships starting in the second row in the Championship Final against South East Queensland White which ended in a 16 all draw. Xavier Collins played in all four of South East Queensland Green’s matches.

Recently Xavier Collins was selected in the 2019 Queensland Academy of Sport U15 Emerging Origin Squad.

Xavier Collins also played club rugby on the Gold Coast in 2018, playing for the Griffith University Colleges U15 side including starting the Grand Final at loose head prop with his side winning 47 – 19 against the Helensvale Hogs in a rugby test curtain raiser between Australia and Argentina at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.

For Griffith University Colleges side Xavier Collins played in thirteen matches, starting the two finals at loose head prop, one at No. 8, four at open side flanker (No. 7), two from the interchange bench and five at blindside flanker (No. 6).

In his thirteen matches, Xavier Collins scored three tries and converted one of those tries in Round Fourteen against the Gold Coast Eagles. Xavier Collins also scored in Round Nine against the Eagles and in Round Twelve against Bond University.

In 2016 Xavier Collins represented Queensland at the U12 level this year after representing the South Coast U12’s earlier in the year as well as being part of the Keebra Park Renouf Cup winning squad even though he was a year younger than a majority of his team mates in that squad.

In addition to his schoolboy and representative commitments, Xavier Collins played his club rugby league on the Gold Coast with the Ormeau Shearers in the 2016 U12 Division One competition, where he crossed for one try which came against Jimboomba as well as kicking a solitary conversion in the last game of the season against Runaway Bay.

Xavier Collins is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle as he is also adept at dropping his shoulder into defenders as he impacts the defensive line. There is no subtlety to his game, he runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off his left foot in occasion prior to impacting the defensive line.

One thing that Xavier Collins does do will however is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line, he makes more metres than he should as a result and also forces defending teams to commit multiple defensive assets to stopping his progress.

Xavier Collins does not have a real off load to his attacking game per say, but that is not his role, his role is to take the ball into the heart of the opposition’s defensive line and make as many metres as possible.

Like his attacking game, his defensive methodology is simply constructed and enacted. He moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. He is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him and for a solidly built young player, he moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence.

Xavier Collins lateral movement is actually quite reasonable for a front rower but he will on occasion have some difficulty with smaller faster stepping opposition players as do most solidly built young front rowers.

Xavier Collins will play the 2019 season with the Ormeau Shearers at either the U16 or U15 Division One levels as well as being a key player for Keebra Park and is also part of the 2019 U16 Queensland Emerging Origin Squad.

From a position perspective, Xavier Collins currently plays in the front row and that is going to be his long term position as well.

A solid NRL player comparison perspective for Xavier Collins would be Parramatta Eels front rower Tim Mannah as an all effort tough running tough tackling player who will never shirk his responsibilities in either attack or defence

mdrew

10-01-19, 05:08 PM

Jordan Lewis (Stewart-Lewis). The talented Ormeau Shearers youngster has moved around a bit from a position perspective over the last couple of seasons including representing the Gold Coast Vikings at the U13 level in the back row, in 2017 at half and this season at five eight.

In the 2018 Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition for Ormeau, Jordan Lewis finished as both the competitions leading goal kicker with 40 goals and point’s scorer with 116 points.

Over the course of the 2018 Jordan Lewis scored nine tries including doubles against Mudgeeraba and Runaway Bay and also scored in matches against Helensvale, Southport, Coomera and Runaway Bay twice.

With the boot Jordan Lewis kicked six goals in a match on three occasions being against Mudgeeraba (he also scored two tries to finish the match with twenty points), Southport and Coomera.

Jordan Lewis started at five eight in Week One of the U15 Division One Finals series scoring a try and kicking two goals and Ormeau defeated Runaway Bay 28 – 12.

In Week Two of the Finals Jordan Lewis also started at five eight as Ormeau qualified for the Grand Final with a 44 – 6 victory over Coomera with Jordan Lewis contributing a try and six goals.

In the U15 Division One Grand Final Jordan Lewis, once again started at five eight as Ormeau finished a great season by defeating Runaway Bay 38 – 20 in the decider with Jordan Lewis once again at the forefront contributing a try and five goals in their victory.

In 2017 the young man had an outstanding season finishing with 117 points from ten tries, thirty eight goals and a field goal in the GCJRL U14 Division One competition including starting at half back, scoring a try, kicking three conversions and a field goal in the U14 Division One Grand Final against victory over Burleigh.

From a try scoring perspective, Jordan Lewis scored four tries in a match in early June kicking five goals in that match to finish with 26 points as well and in May against Runaway Bay in May he scored a hat trick and kicked seven goals for 26 points as well. Jordan Lewis also kicked seven conversions in a victory over Nerang in Round One of the competition and five goals against Runaway Bay in the Preliminary Final.

In 2017 Jordan Lewis represented the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side where he was selected at hooker and from there he was selected in the South East Queensland U14 White side for the Queensland Age Championships which were held in Toowoomba in July 2017.

In 2016 Jordan Lewis primarily came off the interchange bench for the U13 Vikings side including scoring on Day Two in a 58 – 6 victory over the Ipswich Diggers a match in which Titans linked front rower Brody Smitka was outstanding. After those Championships which were held at Carina Jordan Lewis was selected to represent South East Queensland Green at the Queensland Age Championships.

Jordan Lewis is not necessarily the quickest half running around but he does have some reasonable speed off the mark, which is complemented by the fact that he runs at the right moment, for example when he is drifting across field he will dummy and run when defenders anticipate the pass rather than focussing on him running the ball. Jordan Lewis’s ability to put runners into holes complements his ability to run with the ball.

Jordan Lewis’s defence for a half is very good for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders into his opponent and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down. His intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside.

Jordan Lewis will play the upcoming 2019 once again with Ormeau Shearers in the GCJRL U16 Division One competition and will also play for the Gold Coast Vikings in the 2019 U16 South East Queensland Challenge.

A final position perspective is an interesting one, in previous seasons Jordan Lewis spent a fair bit of time in the second row, half back and hooker making a good fist of them as well and this season primarily playing five eight. On that basis it is hard to go past Jordan Lewis staying in the halves for at least the short term.

Jordan Lewis may also get an extended opportunity to make his mark at hooker over the coming years. Dare I saw it, but Jordan Lewis looks like the perfect NRL interchange player with his developing ability to play in the halves, at hooker and as a running back rower.

From a rugby league player comparison perspective, I think that the play of Canterbury Bulldogs and New Zealand International five eight Keiran Foran is a good comparison for Jordan Lewis, as a solidly built, strong running, hardworking half with under rated play making skills.

mdrew

12-01-19, 11:43 AM

Carl Lolohea. The giant powerful young Ballina Seagulls front rower is another youngster from the Group One region in northern New South Wales making his mark in rugby league.

Carl Lolohea started the 2018 season as part of the Northern Rivers U16 Andrew Johns Cup side playing in four matches, including games against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad, the Central Coast Roosters, the Greater Northern Tigers and the Western Rams which featured recent Titans signing Jack Smith.

Carl Lolohea also played for Ballina in the Far North Coast U16 Rugby competition starting seven matches in the centres with his first match being in Round Three against Brunswick Valley. IN his seven matches he scored two tries both coming in Round Thirteen against Lismore.

In 2017 Carl Lolohea represented the Group One U15 side in three matches at the New South Wales Country U15 Age Championships.

In the Group One U16.5 competition in 2018 Carl Lolohea played in thirteen matches for Ballina scoring five tries. Each of his tries came in individual matches and came against Lismore Marist Brothers twice, Casino RSM twice and Clarence Coast.

At this stage of his career Carl Lolohea is primarily a hard straight runner with little subtlety or footwork prior to contact with the defensive line but there has been just a few signs this season, including playing for the Group One U16 side against the Western Mustangs U16’s that his footwork is slowly but surely developing nicely.

Carl Lolohea has continued to get bigger and stronger over the last few years and impressively has also been able to maintain has above average speed and mobility for his position, in fact I would consider his speed for a front rower to be in the plus category as is his mobility.

Defensively Carl Lolohea regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.

Carl Lolohea is not averse to looking for the big hit but also does have a good front on defensive technique and decent agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents. Carl Lolohea has the size, strength and power to seal off sections of the field in defence and impressively can sustain that dominance for the entire match regularly.

Carl Lolohea has been selected in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup side for the 2019 version of that competition and post the competition’s completion will suit up for Ballina in the NRRRL U18 competition and may well even sneak in a few NRRRL Reserve Grade or even a First Grade game or two in by the end of the 2019 season. Carl Lolohea will also be eligible to play in the U18 competition in 2020.

Carl Lolohea is a big strong young man still growing into his frame and should continue to do so over the coming years without compromising his outstanding athletic abilities. As he continues to develop his skills and grows physically there would appear to be no doubt that Carl Lolohea will stay in the front row.

Carl Lolohea has outstanding physical attributes and a rapidly developing skill set and it is just a matter of time for him to figure out how best to use them to dominate on a rugby league field and when he does opposition teams regardless of quality should look out.

From a style perspective for comparison perspectives for Carl Lolohea, think along the lines of the Regan Campbell-Gillard of the Penrith Panthers as a tall front rower with good footwork in attack and solid initial contact in defence and one that can physically dominate any opponent at any given time.

mdrew

13-01-19, 06:57 AM

Kedan Chan-Tung. The elusive outside back had an outstanding 2018 season which started with his selection in the Ipswich U16 side and through to his selection in the South East Queensland White U16 side for the Queensland Age Championships where he was initially named on the interchange bench.

The Ipswich Grammar School student also had an outstanding season in the U16 GPS School boy rugby competition which saw him being selected in the U16 Queensland Reds Rugby side after representing Queensland at the U15 level in 2017 with the Queensland side winning the Championships with a 69 – 10 win over the Sydney Rays.

Kedan Chan-Tung played this season with Northern Suburbs in the Ipswich U17 competition (he was U16 eligible) scoring seven tries from eleven matches. In 2017 in the Ipswich U15 competition Kedan Chan-Tung scored fourteen tries from just eleven matches.

Kedan Chan-Tung had a couple of seasons on the Gold Coast playing for the Helensvale Hornets with those seasons being in 2013 and 2014.

Kedan Chan-Tung has above average to plus top end speed and acceleration off the mark, and is more than quick enough to take advantage of any space that he is given down the touchline by opposing wingers.

One good think about his play in attack is that Kedan Chan-Tung stays on his wing and is regularly outside his opposite number allowing his inside players to be able to find him in attack and in the games that I have seen he stays back and does not over run the players that are inside of him.

Kedan Chan-Tung seems to be aware of his skill set as he does not take chances with the sideline and does his utmost to ensure that he is not taken over the sideline and knows when to cut back inside rather than taking his opposite number on along the touchline.

Kedan Chan-Tung will also come in and take his fair share of hit ups to give his forwards a rest, when the ball needs to be brought out of his end of the field even though he is not the biggest or strongest player. In the situations previously described he runs at the defensive line from dummy half with vigour and is definitely not intimidated by the size of any defender in front of him.

In terms of defence, Kedan Chan-Tung is solid and seemingly understands the attributes of his opposite number to the extent that he alters his defensive positioning if he is against speedy, elusive wingers as against larger more straight running wingers.

The 2019 season ill see Kedan Chan-Tung represent the Ipswich Jets in the MM Cup competition and it is also likely that he will get an opportunity with the Ipswich Grammar School First XV side in the GPS School Boy Rugby competition where he will likely be considered for a spot on the wing for the Ipswich based school.

I am a huge fan of the GPS School boy competition with in the main it’s attacking philosophy and thus being in that environment for the next two years in relation to skill development, discipline etc. will no doubt have a positive impact on Kedan Chan-Tung both on and off the field.

With his school boy rugby and rugby league representative commitments Kedan Chan-Tung may not play a great deal of club rugby league in Ipswich but if he does play Kedan Chan-Tung will likely suit up once against for Northern Suburbs in the Ipswich Rugby League U17 competition where if this season is any indication, he will be one of the most exciting players in the competition.

Kedan Chan-Tung has played primarily on the wing for Ipswich Grammar School in school boy rugby but more so in the centres in rugby league. With his combination of elusiveness, speed and body control I can envisage a future in the centres in rugby league all be it not the biggest one running around.

If for whatever reason Kedan Chan-Tung moves from the centres, his skill set and physical characteristics are readily transferrable to either the wing or fullback in relation to rugby league.

From a player comparison perspective for Kedan Chan-Tung think of someone along the lines of the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International centre Dane Gagai (I think that he has more speed than Gagai however, both in the top end and off the mark categories) as a smooth moving centre who is elusive and difficult to defend against as a result.

mdrew

14-01-19, 07:43 PM

Ioane Seuili. (Revised)The South’s Logan Magpies centre is a Titans contracted player who is currently training with the Titans NRL squad in the first half of the pre-season after a 2018 season which by any measure was simply outstanding.

The 18 year old former Keebra Park student started the season in the South’s Logan MM Cup side that won the Queensland Grand Final, started in the centres for the Queensland U18 side (They went down 16 – 10 to NSW), progressed to the South’s Logan Hastings Deering’s Colts side and then made a deserved Queensland Cup debut, and of course signing with the Titans and now training with the NRL squad.

In the MM Cup competition, Ioane Seuili started all ten of South’s Logan’s matches in the centres, including the Queensland Finals and the National final against Penrith. In total Ioane Seuili scored four tries with those tries coming in rounds Two, Three, Five and Six against the Northern Pride, Norths, Wynnum Manly and Central Queensland respectively.

Ioane Seuili made his Queensland Cup debut in Round 15 against Redcliffe, starting on the wing and playing the entire 80 minutes. In the match he made an impressive five tackle breaks to pace the Magpies in that category in the match, ran for 86.5 metres from fifteen runs, with 18 of those metres post contact (20.81%). Ioane Seuili also made seven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 70%.

Post his Queensland Cup debut, Ioane Seuili moved to the Souths Logan Hasting’s Deering’s U20 Colts side coming into the side in Round Seventeen against Central Queensland. In total he played in seven U20 Colts matches including the Magpies Final’s loss to the Northern Pride, starting all in the centres and scoring in Round Twenty Four being the final regular season round against Ipswich.

Ioane Seuili played for Souths Logan in the MM Cup competition in 2017 before turning out form the Ormeau Shearers in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

For the Ormeau Shearers in 2017 Ioane Seuili has played in three first grade matches and elven at in the Doug Lipp competition including scoring a try against the Bilambil Jets in early July. Ioane Seuili made his first grade debut in June against Runaway Bay and has also turned out against Bilambil and Burleigh.

For South’s Logan in the 2017 MM Cup competition Ioane Seuili played in three matches being Round two where he started in the centres, Round Three also starting in the centres and Round Four when Ioane Seuili started at fullback. Ioane Seuili scored in Round Two against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and also in Round Three the following week against the Central Crows.

In 2017 Ioane Seuili was selected in the South Coast Open Rugby League squad and was also been a key member of Keebra Park’s push in the GIO Cup competition culminating in their Queensland GIO Cup final victory against Marsden.

Ioane Seuili started in the centres for Keebra Park in the National GIO Cup Final against Westfield Sports High and scored as Keebra Park won 25 – 12.

Ioane Seuili also had a great 2016 season which culminating in his selection in the Queensland U16 side where he started in the centres against New South Wales.

In the 2016 CC Cup Ioane Seuili played the season for the Souths Logan Magpies and had an outstanding campaign including starting at fullback in the CC Grand Final held at Langland’s Park Stones Corner where he in addition to kicking the first two conversions for the Magpies, scored a good try when he barged through the Townsville Stingers defence.

In addition to the 2016 CC Cup Grand Final Ioane Seuili had some outstanding matches in the CC competition including scoring a hat track against the Easts Tigers and also scoring in South Logan’s semi-final victory over the North’s Devils.

During the 2016 season Ioane Seuili played six Gold Coast Senior Rugby League matches for Ormeau which is an outstanding achievement. In 2015 Ioane Seuili was part of the Queensland U15 side that performed so well in the ASSRL Championships including scoring a hat trick on Day One against New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges and also scored on Day Four against New South Wales Combined Independent Schools. Ioane Seuili has also represented Samoa at junior levels.

For a centre, Ioane Seuili is a big strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Ioane Seuili also has a very good passing game especially to his right side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Ioane Seuili is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide.

From a speed perspective has above average speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, he will not be caught from behind other than from only the fastest of opponents and he is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback. The only possible question about Ioane Seuili’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the plus category as he matures and inevitably fills out.

Defensively Ioane Seuili uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

For me when I have seen him play for Souths Logan Ioane Seuili was the defensive leader of the three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Ioane Seuili on an individual level has the body control and anticipation to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

Ioane Seuili is currently training with the Titans NRL side for the opening portion of the pre-season but is more than likely to start the 2019 season off the Hastings Deering’s Colts U20 competition with the Tweed Heads Seagulls and is a more than realistic chance of adding to his one Queensland Cup match by the end of 2019.

Ioane Seuili has played primarily in the centres throughout his junior rugby league career but has spent some time at fullback as well. For me though it is far too early to write Ioane Seuili off in terms of not being able to stay in the centres long term.

A player with a similar playing style for me for Ioane Seuili would be Cronulla Sharks centre Ricky Leutele, they are both around the same size and look to use that size and speed to their advantage to dominate the opponent directly in front of them both in attack and defence.

The Titans have a very very good player on their hands with Ioane Seuili, of that there is absolutely no doubt

mdrew

16-01-19, 05:42 PM

Jack Smith. The young lock late in 2018 signed a scholarship with the Titans from the Forbes Spacemen after playing for the New South Wales Country U16 side against a Titans U16 squad at Cudgen.

Jack Smith started from the bench for the New South Wales Country side in the match with New South Wales Country running out 30 – 10 winners. Jake Smith was also part of the New South Wales Country U16 side that defeated PNG U16’s a couple of days earlier in Ballina in Northern New South Wales as a precursor to the match against the Titans.

Playing in the Group 11 competition for the Parkes Spacemen in 2018 Jack Smith played in both the U16 and U18 competitions over the course of the 2018 season. In the U16 competition Jack Smith spent time at fullback including starting the Grand Final at fullback. Jack Smith also played eight U18 matches scoring a hat trick in his first career U18 match against Dubbo Macquarie.

Jack Smith was also part of the 2018 victorious Western Rams U18 Laurie Daley Cup side and started at lock as they defeated Illawarra South Coast Dragons in the final. Jack Smith started all seven of the matches that he was involved in and scored three tries, including a double against the Wests Tigers and in Round Two he scored against the Riverina Bulls.

In 2017 Jake Smith was selected at fullback for the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges side from Red Bend Catholic College starting all of the matches that he played in during the ASSRL U15 Championships.

Jack Smith is a hard ball runner who is adept at using late and quick footwork just prior to contact line which he hits with power and force in absolutely every hit up that he makes dropping his shoulder into the first defender that is looking to make the initial contact.

His ability to get low to engage the defenders with his shoulder rather than allowing them to get in and under his ribs and also a substantial leg drive means that he drives defenders backwards even after they had engaged him with significant force rather than allowing them to impact on his momentum.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Jack Smith his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Jack Smith has a tough edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier when defending in the forwards. Jack Smith sets a very good base defensively as well and uses it to maintain his balance when setting up for a tackle.

Defensively Jack Smith hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. He also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in.

Jack Smith is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier’s momentum.

Whilst his stamina is very impressive, so is his initial contact, he uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier. Jack Smith is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as Jack Smith uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers. Defensively in a covering role Jack Smith has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.

Jack Smith’s good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Jack Smith is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where Jack Smith will hold his ground and let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

In 2019 Jack Smith will head up to the Gold Coast to attend PBC for the next two years where he should be part of their Open A side that will be looking to repeat this season’s Queensland and National GIO Cup success and will also be involved in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2019 MM Cup campaign.

At this stage I am not aware of which Gold Coast Rugby League U18 club side Jack Smith will suit up for in 2019 post the MM Cup competition.

Jack Smith played a number of positions this season including fullback, five eight and lock but ultimately I believe that he will end up being an old style skilful second rower.

For me Jack Smith has a playing style akin to that of another youngster hailing from the same region being Brisbane Bronco’s 2018 NRL debutant Kotoni Staggs. Both players just exhibit a feel and desire for the game of rugby league that just cannot be taught

mdrew

18-01-19, 03:31 AM

Noah Croudace. The Burleigh and PBC youngster started on the wing for the Titans U16’s and scored as they defeated PNG 60 – 10 in a late 2018 match at Burleigh and also started on the right wing as the Titans U16’s went down 30 – 10 to New South Wales Country U16’s at Cudgen in what can best be described as wet and miserable conditions.

Early in the 2018 season Noah Croudace represented the Gold Coast Vikings White side in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge, scoring a double, including a try in the last minute to defeat Ipswich.

In 2018 Noah Croudace only played in one U16 Division One match with that match being the Preliminary Final when he started from the bench with Burleigh going down 28 – 26 to Currumbin in a high quality contest.

Unfortunately Noah Croudace was struck down with injury this season while playing for PBC but it is good to see him over the injury now so that he can undertake the MM Cup pre-season with Burleigh with the aim of establishing himself in the team from Round One.

Whilst in does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, Noah Croudace does have above average top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by using a very good fend, when he gets to the outside, this prevents defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure.

Even taking into account what I have said in the paragraph, from a speed perspective Noah Croudace is an interesting one. It does not appear when Noah Croudace is space that he is moving quickly but players that I consider who have above average speed for an outside back do not gain ground on him, thus clearly Noah Croudace is a lot quicker than he looks.

The proof is in the pudding so they say and Noah Croudace has been able to outpace some very quick players over the course of the last couple of seasons.

Noah Croudace also has very good hands and over the course of the last two MM Cup seasons he had to pick up a number of passes from either low down or above his head and also has a good in and away to complement his other attacking attributes.

Noah Croudace is not the biggest player and the obvious question is whether he is strong enough to handle the defensive side of rugby league at the higher levels, I would argue that the answer is absolutely yes. In defence against the bigger outside backs running around, Noah Croudace looks to cut down the time that the opposition have to gain momentum thus eliminating the size differential as a defensive aspect to take into consideration.

Noah Croudace has been named in the Burleigh 2019 MM Cup squad and post that competition will play for Burleigh in the GCRL U18 Division One competition with the new age groups coming into effect for the upcoming 2019 Gold Coast Rugby League season.

Noah Croudace will also be part of the PBC Open Rugby League side that will be looking to replicate their Queensland and National GIO Cup success from the 2018 season.

Even though Noah Croudace could handle playing in the centres and perhaps even at fullback, with his ability to conceptually understand where the touch line is and use the limited space to his advantage both in attack and defence I would consider it probable that Noah Croudace will continue to play on the wing as he begins his transition to the senior rugby league ranks in 2019 and beyond.

Noah Croudace is just a solid player who seems to be able to break tackles even against seemingly far bigger, stronger and faster opponents thus from a comparison perspective I can see aspects of the play of former Brisbane Broncos and England International outside back Jack Reed when watching Noah Croudace play.

Noah Croudace is just an effective player who slips under the radar a little and probably will continue to do so for most if not all of his rugby league career but regardless he is an effective player out wide for any team and will not let anybody down on the field.

mdrew

18-01-19, 08:47 PM

Blake Mozer. (Revised) Blake Mozer is an exceptionally talented young hooker from the Runaway Bay Seagulls junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast and currently part of the Titans TEDS Program.

Blake Mozer currently attends Keebra Park State High School and is part of the Rugby League Excellence Program there and at their 2018 Awards night was named the Year 9 Most Valuable Player and also named at hooker in the Keebra Park 2018 Team of the Year.

From a representative perspective, this season, Blake Mozer played hooker for the South East Queensland Green U14 side at the Queensland Age Championships in 2018.

In the 2018 season for Runaway Bay, Blake Mozer played across two age groups being his “normal’ age group in the U14 Division One competition, playing six matches and in the U15 Division One competition where he played in eight matches including starting all four of Runaway Bay’s finals matches from the bench and in the Grand Final kicked a conversion as the Seagulls went down 38 – 20 against Ormeau.

In his first U14 Division One match of the 2018 season, Blake Mozer scored his sole U14 try of the season against Mudgeeraba and in the U15 Division One competition, he scored is sole try in eight matches against Currumbin.

Blake Mozer played the 2017 GCJRL season with the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the U13 Division One competition playing a total of thirteen matches all at hooker and in the process scored ten tries and also converted one of his tries in a Round Two clash against Burleigh Maroon. In the match noted already being against Burleigh Maroon, Blake Mozer in fact scored a hat trick to cap off a great match. Blake Mozer also scored a double in an early season clash against Jimboomba and late in the year scored a double against Nerang. Blake Mozer also scored against Nerang in a semi-final clash.

For Keebra Park State High School Blake Mozer was part of the Renouf Cup squad that backed up their 2016 success with another dominant 2017 Renouf Cup competition defeating Coombabah State High School 20 – 18 in the final. Blake Mozer was named Player of the Match primarily for his big defensive effort.

In the 2016 U12 Division One grand final Blake Mozer started at hooker for Runaway Bay and in fact as their sole try scorer in their 10 – 6 loss to Helensvale in the 2016 Grand Final. Over the course of the 2016 season, Blake Mozer was Runaway Bay’s top scorer and finished third overall in the competition in that category.

Blake Mozer crossed for ten tries and also kicked three goals for a total point’s tally of 46. Blake Mozer scored a hat trick against Southport and also a double against Currumbin. In addition he also played one match up at the U13 Division One level during the season.

From Keebra Park Blake Mozer was selected at hooker in the 2016 U12 South Coast side for the Queensland U12 championships which were held on the Gold Coast in July where South Coast finished third and from there was selected in the Queensland U12 side, also at hooker along with fellow Keebra student front rower Xavier Collins.

Unfortunately for Blake Mozer he was only able to play a couple of matches for South Coast before suffering a championship ending dislocation injury on Day Three but still impressed enough to make the Queensland side from his limited opportunities. Blake Mozer was also part of Keebra Park’s successful Renouf Cup side in 2016, no small feat as he was playing against boys a year older than himself.

Blake Mozer is solid all round hooker who distributes effectively to both sides of the ruck. He is efficient in his passing and there is very little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements where the dummy half first stands then passes. He passes well from both sides of his body. One thing that he does well in dummy half is not taking his eye off ball until it is in his hands, read that he does not make many handling errors.

Blake Mozer also does not take a couple of steps out of dummy half and then pass, he will either pass from the spot of the play the ball or he will run. Also in scrum situations Blake Mozer regularly packs in at lock and thus is also the primary distributor from those situations as well.

In terms of his passing Blake Mozer generates better spin and subsequent distance when he is passing to the left hand side of the field at present. Although the difference between the sides is not significant in the context of altering his future projection as a hooker from a distribution perspective.

Blake Mozer has good speed off the mark but the key to his running game is running at the right time, if anything he could possibly run a touch more than he does but the positive is that he is very selective about when he runs.

Blake Mozer defends in the middle of the ruck and is an effective low tackler and for his size is quite an aggressive defender. He is also very good at getting out of marker quickly to harass the opposition kickers. Defensively you will see an efficient and effective defender and a talker. Blake Mozer also constantly seems to be talking and “encouraging” his fellow forwards.

Blake Mozer will play the 2019 season once again with the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the U15 Division One competition although like in recent seasons it would not surprise to see him play multiple matches in the U16 Division One competition as well, Blake Mozer will also again be a key player for Keebra Park as they play in their multiple school boy competitions in his age group and is also a likely 2019 South Coast U15 representative.

From a position perspective, with his passing skills and quick first step out of dummy half, I believe that Blake Mozer is already settled in his long term position of hooker and one that will be more known for his distribution skills rather than his running out of dummy half.

From a player comparison perspective think someone along the lines of Andrew McCullough of the Brisbane Broncos as a hard working player with leadership skills and someone that his team mates would appreciate playing with due to his infectious enthusiasm and willingness to do what is best for his team. Blake Mozer probably will end up with a little more pace out of dummy half than McCullough however

mdrew

19-01-19, 06:56 PM

Matt Buttenshaw. The Crafty half back is a Titans TEDS program member who at just 18 years old made his NRRRL First Grade debut over the course of the 2018 season.

Matt Buttenshaw started off the 2018 season playing for Northern Rivers in the inaugural New South Wales Country U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition starting in a different position in each of his three games. In Round One he started at half, in Round Three at fullback against North Coast and Round Four saw Matt Buttenshaw start at five eight against the Greater Northern Tigers, a match that saw him score in the 26th minute of the first half in a tough Northern Rivers loss.

For Ballina in the NRRRL U18 competition, Matt Buttenshaw played in six matches, in his third year in the competition after making his U18 debut as a 16 year old in 2016. Matt Buttenshaw was one of the try scorers for Ballina as they defeated Cudgen in the U18 NRRRL Grand Final.

Matt Buttenshaw made his NRRRL First Grade debut in April 2018 against Cudgen post the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition.

Over the last couple of seasons Matt Buttenshaw has had success at the schoolboy level for St Johns College Woodlawn, including this season when Woodlawn defeated Newman Technical College Port Macquarie 4 – 0 in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges Plate Final and in 2017 when St John’s College Woodlawn won the New South Wales GIO Trophy.

In attack Matt Buttenshaw’s calling card is his organisational and passing skills more so than his running game. His speed would probably considered average for a half/five eight but he will throw a dummy and run when opposing defences are focussed on his support runners and provide him with opportunities.

Matt Buttenshaw also does not have quick twitch feet, thus his step is more average. He seems like he maintains his composure on the field and does not yell or scream but obviously gets his message across to his team mates with a calm presence.

Matt Buttenshaw also has a good long passing game thus enabling the ball to get out to his back line quickly when they are set deep. Matt Buttenshaw develops a good spiral on the ball and is able to lead his outside backs onto the ball through putting the ball out in front of them.

Matt Buttenshaw will also take the ball to the line and delay the pass as long as possible to his support runners when necessary. Matt Buttenshaw looks to dictate what the defensive line needs to do to combat his sides attack rather than waiting to see how the opposition is looking to defend at a particular time in a game.

Defensively whilst not being the biggest player running around, Matt Buttenshaw is effective as a result of his sound low tackling technique where he can quickly bring down attackers due to the fact that he will go in low, he is also adept at tracking the ball across field to be in the right place if outside attackers cut back inside.

Matt Buttenshaw has moved up to the Gold Coast for the 2019 season and will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad as well as the Titans TEDS program. Matt Buttenshaw will also be Colts eligible in 2020.

As was evidenced in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup this season, Matt Buttenshaw can play a number of positions including half, fullback and five eight, but with his scheming nature and ability to set up his support runners, I believe that Matt Buttenshaw will ultimately end up at half back.

For me, Matt Buttenshaw has a playing style similar to that of Manly and Australian International half Daly Cherry-Evans as a half who is able to steer his side around the field and even though he is not necessarily fast can make a break himself if opposition defences make the incorrect assumption that he will never run himself and only ever pass or kick

mdrew

20-01-19, 11:37 AM

Jesse Arthurs. Jesse Arthurs has returned to the Gold Coast as part of the Titans NRL squad after a 2018 season that saw him split time between the New South Wales Intrust Super Cup competition and U20 Jersey Flegg competition with the North Sydney Bears.

Jesse Arthurs attended Keebra Park State High School and played a few matches with Titans Development Squads prior to his move to the Melbourne Storm NYC side for the 2017 season before moving to Souths Sydney for the 2018 season.

In the 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup competition with the North Sydney Bears, Jesse Arthurs played in six matches scoring seven tries to finish with a strike rate of 117%.

Jesse Arthurs made his New South Wales Intrust Super Cup in Round Thirteen against the St George Dragons. In the match Jesse Arthurs started at fullback, played the entire 80 minutes, running for 48 metres, fourteen of which were post contact (29.17%)

Jesse Arthurs played Rounds Sixteen and Eighteen on the wing with those matches against the Wyong Roos and Newton Jets, before he moved back to fullbacks for Rounds Twenty Two, Twenty Three and Twenty Four.

Jesse Arthurs first New South Wales Intrust Super Cup try came in Round Sixteen against the Wong Roos, he also scored single tries in Rounds Eighteen against Newton and Round Twenty Three against the Canterbury Bulldogs and scored doubles in Rounds Twenty Two and Twenty Four against the Magpies and Warriors respectively. In the Round Twenty Four match against the Warriors he also kicked three goals.

In total in his six New South Wales Intrust Super Cup matches for Norther Sydney Jesse Arthurs ran for 451 metres, 113 of which were post contact (25.06%), had seventeen tackle breaks including eight against the Warriors in Round Twenty Four, eight line breaks, a try assist in Round Twenty Two against the Magpies, had 136 kick return metres and made seventeen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 60.71%.

Jesse Arthurs 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup per game averages included playing 80 minutes, running for 75.1 metres, 22.6 metres post contact (30.09%), returning kicks 22.7 metres making 2.8 line breaks and making 2.8 tackles.

In Round Twenty Two against the Western Suburbs Magpies, Jesse Arthurs ran for 136 metres, fifty six being kick return metres and in Round Twenty Three against Canterbury made six tackles at a tackling efficiency of 85.71%.

In 2018 Jesse Arthurs also played three U20 Jersey Flegg matches for the North Sydney Bears being Rounds Seventeen, Nineteen and Twenty against the Sydney Roosters (opposing fellow Titans NRL training squad member Tremain Spry), St George Dragons and the Mounties. Jesse Arthurs started at fullback in all three matches and scored against the Sydney Roosters.

In 2017 Jesse Arthurs was named as the best back for the Melbourne Storm NYC side and in 2016 was a New Zealand U18 Award finalist. 2016 also saw Jesse Arthurs attend the NZRL Taurahere on the Gold Coast and started at fullback for the Toa Squad which was a squad made up of Queensland based New Zealand eligible U18 players. Fellow Titans Darius Famer and Jaxson Paulo were also part of the Toa Squad.

Jesse Arthurs is more than quick enough to take advantage of any space that he is given down the touchline by opposing outside backs. His bread and butter play in the centres is a good in an away to hold the defender and beat him on the outside, Jesse Arthurs then has the ability to draw and pass to his winger if the opposing winger looks to come in, thus creating an overlap on the outside.

When playing on the wing Jesse Arthurs always seems to stick to the sideline which means his inside attackers will know where he is at all times, thus allowing them to confidently off load the ball if an overlap is created. I have not seen him score any highlight reel tries that seem to be the norm for modern day wingers but he will score the tries that he needs to.

Defensively Jesse Arthurs may not be an intimidating presence but does look to push up quickly to reduce the time afforded to the opposition when they are on the attack. He also has the speed to turn and chase in cover defence when breaks are made on the inside of him.

Jesse Arthurs also has quite a good leap to go up and attack the ball when defending against kicks.

Jesse Arthurs is part of the Titans 30 man NRL squad but I think will find it hard to immediately break into the Titans NRL side and as such will likely start the 2019 season with either the Burleigh or Tweed Heads sides in the Queensland Cup where based on his past form he should cross the line on a regular basis.

Of course Jesse Arthurs will get an opportunity in the 2019 NRL trials so he will get an opportunity to showcase his attacking attributes in front of the Titans decision makers so I guess you just never know, with some outstanding NRL trial form, anything is possible and that is one of the great things about sport.

Jesse Arthurs played almost exclusively at fullback in 2019, barring one match for Norther Sydney on the wing in the New South Wales Intrust Super Cup, but for me I would prefer him to play on the wing where I believe that his attacking skills such as has elusiveness, support skills and jumping attributes would play more to his sides advantage.

Jesse Arthurs has a bit of height about him but is not necessarily thick of build, but regardless is an attacking threat running with the ball on the end of a backline or returning kicks and thus for me a reasonable NRL player comparison for him is new Parramatta Eels recruit and New South Wales State of Origin winger Blake Ferguson.

Like Ferguson, Jesse Arthurs also has the ability to come in off his wing and take a number of dummy half runs to help his side when they are coming out of their own end.

The offseason training with the Titans NRL squad will certainly be a positive to relation to Jesse Arthurs building his muscle mass which no doubt will help him defensively.

ja4220

20-01-19, 05:35 PM

Any word on how the 16’s and 18’s went against Newcastle?

mdrew

20-01-19, 05:56 PM

Newcastle 4 tries to Titans 3 tries, no kicks taken in 16's.

In 18's it was five tries all

Any word on how the 16’s and 18’s went against Newcastle?

mdrew

21-01-19, 05:50 PM

Travis Turnbull. The exceptionally talented young fullback/half is back in the Toowoomba region after spending time in recent seasons with the Parramatta Eels, Norther Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos.

His Toowoomba return to his junior club Toowoomba Valleys sees him selected in the Toowoomba Clydesdales Representative side for their upcoming match against Brisbane Wests.

Travis Turnbull started Round One of the 2018 Colts competition for Redcliffe at fullback against Souths Logan, but then as a result of injury did not return to the Redcliffe side until Round Thirteen when he came off the bench against Tweed Heads. Travis Turnbull also started from the bench in Rounds Fourteen and Sixteen against Norths and Wynnum and in Rounds Seventeen and Eighteen started at fullback against the Western Mustangs and Burleigh Bears.

In 2017 Travis Turnbull was as close to unstoppable as you could get in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 and First Grade competitions for Toowoomba Valleys and in the Hutchies A Grade competition scored a staggering 80 points from just five matches, including scoring twenty Four points against Brothers Toowoomba in early July.

In 2017 Travis Turnbull was a key member of the Western Mustangs U18 MM Cup side that won the competition. 2017 also saw Travis Turnbull start at fullback for the Queensland U18 side, scoring a try and kicking four conversions as the maroons suffered a one point loss. Team mates that night included Titans NRL hopefuls Kea Pere and Tremain Spry.

The former Toowoomba Valleys U15 captain and St Gregory’s College student also represented Queensland at the U16 level in 2015 when he started the annual interstate match at half, scoring a try and kicking a conversion. Travis Turnbull has also represented the Queensland Indigenous U16 side as well as numerous Toowoomba and Mustangs representative sides.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Travis Turnbull is in terms of running the ball, he has outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus plus category and top end speed which must be considered plus regardless of position. Travis Turnbull with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control.

It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well. Teams start to focus heavily on Travis Turnbull when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Travis Turnbull can exploit.

He has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Travis Turnbull can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can readjust.

Travis Turnbull also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Travis Turnbull is going to do.

Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Travis Turnbull cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Travis Turnbull is an exceptional tactical kicker with range and accuracy, he can put up pin point bombs and perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. In short if you can name a type of rugby league kick, Travis Turnbull can execute it with precision.

Defensively Travis Turnbull is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

Travis Turnbull has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on Travis Turnbull’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Travis Turnbull is an outstanding defender.

As noted Travis Turnbull will play the upcoming for Toowoomba Valleys in the Toowoomba Rugby League Hutchies A Grade competition but is still U20 eligible so it will be interesting to see if he spends any time at all with the Western Mustangs Colts side.

From a position perspective, Travis Turnbull has played fullback, five eight and halfback at both club and representative level over the years and all three are potential landing spots for the exceptionally talented young man. Looking into my crystal ball however I would lean towards Travis Turnbull making the grade at halfback as any coach would want the ball in his hands as much as possible.

Todd Carney formerly of the NRL and former New South Wales State of Origin representative is a good comparison from a playing style perspective as an exceptionally talented young player who can do it all, he can split the line himself with an exceptional step and speed off the mark or put a support runner through a gap with a deft pass and also an above average defender on the fringes of the ruck.

Travis Turnbull over the last couple of years has had the weight of expectation on his shoulders as the next big thing coming out of Queensland but on the field for his various clubs and Queensland Travis Turnbull has consistently delivered and there is no reason to think that now he is back home in Toowoomba that his game will not continue to develop and blossom, surely at some stage an NRL opportunity will open up for this outstanding talent

mdrew

22-01-19, 05:53 PM

Tremain Spry. The former Ipswich State High School student is currently training with the Titans NRL squad looking to secure a coveted NRL Development contract.

In 2018 Tremain Spry played for the Sydney Roosters in the U20 Jersey Flegg competition, across the season playing in fourteen matches in red, white and blue.

Tremain Spry started Round One against the Sharks at fullback and Round Two against the Mounties on the wing before missing a number of rounds with injury coming back for Round Seven on the wing against Manly. Tremain Spry stayed on the wing until Round Thirteen when he moved into the centres against Penrith and stayed there for the remainder of the 2018 season.

Prior to his move to the centres, Tremain Spry scored a single try which came in Round Eight against the Mounties, but post his move to the centres Tremain Spry scored seven tries from eight matches.

Tremain Spry scored doubles in Round Fourteen against the Newcastle Knight and in Rounds Twenty-Three against the Wests Tigers and also scored in Rounds Thirteen, Seventeen and Eighteen against Penrith, North Sydney and Manly respectively.

In Round Twenty in a match against the North Sydney Bears, Tremain Spry was up against fellow Titans NRL trialist Jesse Arthurs, Jesse Arthurs was one of the Bears try scorers that afternoon.

In 2017 Tremain Spry started on the wing for the Queensland U18 side in their match against traditional rivals New South Wales. On the opposite wing that night for Queensland was fellow Titans NRL hopeful Kea Pere.

Also in 2017 Tremain Spry was a standout for Ipswich State High School especially in the Langer Cup including scoring a memorable try against Wavell State High School. Leevai Sutton who was part of the Titans U18 side in their recent matches against PNG and New South Wales Country was Ipswich State High School’s fullback that season with Tremain Spry playing in the centres.

2017 also saw Tremain Spry play for the Ipswich Jets in the MM Cup competition where he primarily played at fullback.

Tremain Spry has very good speed off the mark, which I would consider above average for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle. When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Tremain Spry usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.

Tremain Spry has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if he is pushing to the outside too early.

Tremain Spry also has a powerful fend which served him well in the NYC competition and in fact has been the reason for at least two of his line breaks this season when his opposing centre has gone high and he has just palmed him off with seemingly little effort. His natural strength is just an impressive attribute.

A real positive for me is that Tremain Spry can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, he certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.

As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Tremain Spry is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. He is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Tremain Spry seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when he chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

As noted above Tremain Spry is currently training with the Titans NRL squad and come the 2019 season will line up for the Tweed Heads Seagulls most likely starting in the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition before potentially making his Queensland Intrust Super Cup debut as the 2019 season progresses.

Tremain Spry spent time at fullback on the wing and in the centres in the Sydney Roosters U20 Jersey Flegg side in 2018 but it is hard to go past how effective that he was when he moved to the centres for the Roosters especially from an attacking perspective and as such I would like to see him tested in the centres at the Queensland Cup level at least before there is any thought of him being moved as good centres are such a precious commodity in the NRL in the modern age.

A player with a similar playing style to Tremain Spry is for me St George Dragons 2018 rookie, Zac Lomax, both are far stronger than they look and have outstanding attacking abilities and under rated defensive attributes at their disposal

mdrew

29-01-19, 07:23 PM

Jed Edwards. (Revised) The local young hooker is a recent addition to the Titans ranks only signing late in 2018 and also in late in 2018 was selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad for the upcoming 2019 version of the U18 competition after playing a number of matches for the Tweed Heads MM Cup side early in the 2018 season.

A fortnight ago Jed Edwards played his first match in Titans colours when he started from the bench for the Titans U18 side as they took on the Newcastle Knights U18 SG Ball squad in Coffs Harbour. In both halves, Jed Edwards came onto the field mid-way through alternating with Ediq Ambrosyev.

As per usual Jed Edwards provided good service to his forwards when he came onto the field leading them onto the ball and capped a solid first outing for the Titans scoring a second half try when he darted out of dummy half from a play the ball a few metres from the Newcastle line to score between two back peddling Knights forwards half way between the goals posts and touch line on the left side of the field.

Jed Edwards also had a try assist when in the first half he ran across field out of dummy half about two metres from the Newcastle try line and put his forward into a hole for them to crash over for a short range try.

Jed Edwards came into the 2018 Tweed Heads MM Cup side in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks starting at hooker and also started at hooker in Rounds Six, Seven and in the first week of the finals against Wynnum Manly, Easts and Souths Logan respectively.

For Burleigh in the GCRL U17 Division One competition in 2018 Jed Edwards played only the one match which was against Helensvale in May.

Where Jed Edwards really shone in 2018 was for PBC starting in all of their matches including both the Queensland Final against Kirwan and the National GIO Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown. In the Queensland Final Jed Edwards scored late in the first half to level the scores when he was on the spot to retrieve a good short kick from PBC half Thomas Dearden.

In the Queensland GIO Cup semi-final victory over Ignatius Park, Jed Edwards set up one of fellow Titan Noah Gafa’s first of two tries which came early in the first half when he ran an outside shoulder route close to the try line and received a good ball from Jed Edwards to crash over.

For PBC Jed Edwards started all of their matches this season playing the majority of the first half before rotating with Nelson Grove, Jed Edwards normally then came back on mid-way through the second half to finish out the match.

To say that Jed Edwards had an outstanding 2017 season would be an absolute understatement. The youngster played a key hand in the success of the Parramatta Eels U16 Harrold Matthews side and then represented New South Wales in the annual U16 interstate match against Queensland as one of six young players in the match from both sides who had a Gold Coast background with the majority being from the Burleigh Bears.

Jed Edwards started at hooker in all ten of Parramatta’s Harrold Matthews matches this season (Round One was washed out) including starting both their Qualifying and Preliminary Finals. In those matches Jed Edwards scored five tries which came against St George in Round One, Balmain in Round Two, the Cronulla Sharks in Round Seven, Central Coast in Round Eight and North Sydney in Round Ten.

Jed Edwards is a vocal dummy half with a goal to lead his team around the field and determine when the forwards take the ball up and when the ball is directed out to the backline. Jed Edwards looks to lead his forwards onto the ball and provides a flat pass to enable his forwards to time their run onto the ball. Jed Edwards aims to be the team’s general from dummy half and control the pace of the match and the axis from which his team directs their attack and also from what part of the field.

Running with the ball Jed Edwards has above average speed off the mark, probably in the above average category for a hooker and normally runs off the back of a big run from one of his forwards so that he runs when the defensive line is still retreating back to their 10 metre mark. Jed Edwards also has a good step off either foot to assist when he is looking to take advantage of a slow or tired forward in the centre of the ruck.

Jed Edward’s defence for a hooker is quite exceptional, for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive opposing forwards backwards and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down.

His intensity means that Jed Edwards will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside, Jed Edwards is also adept at harassing kickers from the marker position. He literally looks to tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck.

Jed Edwards will start the 2019 season as the potential starting hooker for the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side and post that competition will line up for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 competition and it would not surprise if Jed Edwards makes the transition to the Tweed Heads U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side quite quickly upon the completion of the MM Cup competition.

Jed Edwards will also be back at PBC for his senior year as they look to replicate their 2018 Queensland and National GIO Cup success.

Jed Edwards has spent the majority of his junior rugby league career exclusively at hooker and I can see no justification for an alteration to that particular situation as he moves forward in his rugby league career.

From a player comparison perspective, due to his distribution, running, defence and the speed and intensity that he plays the game at, a playing style akin to Danny Buderis formerly of the Knights is an appropriate comparison for Jed Edwards I would suggest

mdrew

30-01-19, 06:14 PM

Kaleb Ngamanu. (Revised) He is a Gold Coast based youngster originally from Western Australia where he played two years of rugby league for the Joondalup Giants who moved over to the Gold Coast at the start of 2016 season, making every post a winner since that time in his junior rugby league career and for that matter in school boy rugby for the Southport School (TSS).

In January of this year Kaleb Ngamanu started on the left wing for the Titans U16 side against the Newcastle Knights in Coffs Harbour and was very unlucky not to be awarded a second half try. To be honest I am still unsure why the try was disallowed, he flashed into the back line on the left hand side of the field and broke through two Knights defenders to seemingly score but the try was disallowed I assume for a lost ball.

Kaleb Ngamanu started the match on the left wing but spent some time at fullback midway through the first half when he swapped positions with Rowan Mansfield for a few minutes. In the second half with Rowan Mansfield injured, Kaleb Ngamanu played the entire half at fullback and showed his outstanding speed when he backed up a long break from Joseph Shannon (who had been put into a hole as a result of a great Bailey Martin pass).

In the first half Kaleb Ngamanu produced three outstanding pieces of play including two try saving tackles, the first when the Knights winger burst through the centre of the ruck and Kaleb Ngamanu tracked back and caught him from behind. His second try saving tackle was made in the left corner when he stopped the Knights winger in his tracks about a metre from the try line when the winger looked certain to score.

With the ball Kaleb Ngamanu made an outstanding break down the left touch line when he got outside his direct opponent as a result of a great ball from half Thomas Weaver whilst playing on the left wing in the first half.

On top of all that Kaleb Ngamanu forced at least three errors that I can recall as a result of sheer hard work and effort.

Kaleb Ngamanu signed a multi-year deal with the Titans in early 2018 after a starring on the left wing for the Titans U15 side in their six tries to three win over the Western Mustangs in March 2018 and late in the 2018 season started on the wing for the Titans U15 as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 with Kaleb Ngamanu scoring an outstanding try in the match.

Kaleb Ngamanu scored in around the 6th minute when he flashed down the left touch line untouched and was able to bring the ball around under the posts. For the try Kaleb Ngamanu kept his width and exploded onto a great cut out ball from Thomas Weaver to score from around 30 metres out.

In the match Kaleb Ngamanu also had some other highlights including an outstanding fifty metre second half run when he expertly fielded a low kick and split the defence from his own line, but unfortunately just could not find Thomas Weaver with the inside pass.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also involved in the final Titans try scored by Rowan Mansfield. At the time Kaleb Ngamanu was playing right centre, he took a pass from Jye Gray before drawing the Balmain winger and popping a great ball to Rowan Mansfield to send him down the touch line.

2018 also saw Kaleb Ngamanu’s selection in the South Coast U15 QSSRL side at the completion of the South Coast Trials. Kaleb Ngamanu was subsequently selected in the Queensland Maroon U15 side for the U15 ASSRL Championships.

Other Titans linked boys to make the 2018 U15 South Coast QSSRL squad included front rower Brody Smitka, centre/second rower Ezra Ubaldino, front row Titan Vaikai, outstanding backrower Bailey Martin and second rower Flynn Daniel.

As a result of his performance at those Championships Kaleb Ngamanu was selected in one of the two Queensland sides for the Australian Championships. Unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was injured in the camp just prior to the U15 ASSRL Championships and was unable to take his place in the Queensland Maroon side.

In late 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad for the 2019 U16 South East Queensland Challenge.

When he moved over to the Gold Coast, Kaleb Ngamanu started attending Keebra Park State High School making a big impression in their U13 side even though he missed portions of the 2016 season with an injury. Kaleb Ngamanu however was identified by The Southport School (TSS) and for 2017 transferred there standing out in their U14A GPS rugby side in 2017 in Term Three.

This season Kaleb Ngamanu played club rugby league for the Coomera Cutters and obviously for TSS in terms of school boy rugby and for Queensland II in the Australian U16 Rugby Championships.

For Coomera in the U15 Division One competition in 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu has played in six matches scoring three tries. Kaleb Ngamanu scored a Round One double against the Mudgeeraba Redbacks and scored against Runaway Bay in Round Four.

Kaleb Ngamanu played for the TSS U15A side in 2018 playing in four GPS matches and one match against Downlands College. Kaleb Ngamanu started Round One at outside centre against Anglican Church Grammar School and then missed a number of matches before returning once again at outside centre in Round Six against Gregory Terrace.

In Round Seven against Brisbane Boys College Kaleb Ngamanu moved to the open side flanker position before returning to outside centre for Round Nine against Nudgee College. Kaleb Ngamanu also started at outside centre against Downlands College in TSS’s Round Eight bye week.

Prior to the GPS school boy rugby season proper, Kaleb Ngamanu played in a number of trial matches. He started on the bench for the first two trials which were against Far North Coast and Toowoomba Grammar School before moving into the starting side at outside centre for the last four trials against Nudgee, Ipswich Grammar School Ambrose Treacy College and Sunshine Coast Grammar School . In those four appearances in the starting trial sides Kaleb Ngamanu has been partnered in the centres with rugby league youngster Syris Schmidt.

Kaleb Ngamanu also played club rugby on the Gold Coast this season at the U15 level for the Griffith University Colleges side and started at outside centre in the Grand Final which they won 47 – 19 against the Helensvale Hogs and Cbus stadium as a curtain raiser to the Rugby International between Argentina and the Wallabies.

Kaleb Ngamanu played in nine matches for the Griffith University Colleges starting two at outside centre (No. 13) including the Grand Final, one at inside centre (No. 12) and the remainder from the interchange bench. In Round Two against the PBC Alleygators Kaleb Ngamanu kicked three conversions in a big win for Griffith University Colleges.

In October 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the Queensland II side for the Australian U16 Championships. In Round One Kaleb Ngamanu started on the left wing for Qld II in their big 57 – 5 win over Western Australia.

Round Two against Victoria saw Kaleb Ngamanu once again start on the left wing for Queensland II and scored one of Queensland II’s three tries as they went down 19 – 17 in a tight encounter.

For the Round Three clash against New South Wales I Kaleb Ngamanu swapped to the right wing but unfortunately Queensland II went down 29 – 17.

The 2017 season Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season saw Kaleb Ngamanu play up an age group in the U15 Division One competition after transferring from Southport to the Coomera Cutters. In the U15 Division One competition, Kaleb Ngamanu played in eight matches scoring 28 points in total from three tries and eight goals, with the tries coming against Southport, Helensvale and Nerang. In the match that he scored against his former club Southport, Kaleb Ngamanu also kicked six goals for a sixteen point haul on the night.

Kaleb Ngamanu also played one match for Coomera in the U14 Division Two competition (his regular age group) which was against the Robina Raptors, he then backed up to play for his “regular” U15 Division One side later that Friday night.

2017 also saw Kaleb Ngamanu represent the Gold Coast Vikings at the U14 level and from there going on to make the South East Queensland Green U14 side for the Queensland Age Championships that were held in Toowoomba on July last year. In those Championships, Kaleb Ngamanu scored on each of the first four days, in order against Central, Northern South East Queensland White and Central again.

In 2017 Kaleb Ngamanu played for TSS in the GPS U14A competition, starting all eight of TSS’s matches at outside centre except for Round Nine when he started at fullback against Nudgee College. In those eight matches he scored six tries and was awarded the best back award on three occasions, being against Brisbane State High School in Round One, against Ipswich Grammar School in Round Three and against Gregory Terrace in Round Five.

Kaleb Ngamanu scored a Round Six double against Brisbane Grammar School and also scored against Ipswich Grammar School in Round Three, against Brisbane Boys College in Round Four, against Gregory Terrace in Round Five and against Nudgee College in Round Nine.

Kaleb Ngamanu also scored against Downlands College in a “trial” match when TSS had a GPS Round Seven bye.

Kaleb Ngamanu played the 2016 season for the Southport Tigers at the U14 level splitting time between the U14 Division One and Division Two competitions even though he was still eligible to play in the U13 competition.

Kaleb Ngamanu started off his rugby league journey on the Gold Coast with a bang by making the 2016 U13 Vikings squad after impressing in the trials held in the weekend of 16-17 April 2016 where he played the majority of the trials in the centres after playing almost exclusively at five eight in the Western Australian junior rugby league competition.

Kaleb Ngamanu is a smooth powerful runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. In the centre position, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

When he gets the ball early from his inside play makers, Kaleb Ngamanu is incredibly difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, he is also a powerful runner who has the power to also break tackles through sheer power and not just rely on his speed to beat his opponent.

Kaleb Ngamanu had a very solid match for the Titans U15 side at Nerang in March playing on the left wing outside of JT Manuofetoa who was also outstanding on the day. In fact their combination was responsible for Kaleb Ngamanu’s try that Sunday when they used their numbers perfectly to send Kaleb Ngamanu down the left touch line in the second half for him to score in the corner to open up the Titans lead.

For the Titans I would really have liked to see Kaleb Ngamanu operate in the centres but on the day the exceptionally talented Rowan Mansfield and the a fore mentioned JT Manuofetoa started in the centres and excelled so you can understand Kaleb Ngamanu operating on the wing in the match.

That Sunday morning against the Western Mustangs at Nerang I was also impressed by the amount of runs Kaleb Ngamanu took from dummy half helping the Titans bring the ball out of their own end. The outstanding feature of his paly however for the Titans was his spacing out wide. Kaleb Ngamanu stayed on the touch line and was regularly able to exploit room down the touch line when space was created by JT Manuofetoa and halves, Jed Bignell and Thomas Weaver on his inside.

In terms of chasing attacking kicks Kaleb Ngamanu has a very good leap and uses his forward momentum well to get above defenders, where the majority of the time he looks to catch the ball rather than hit it back to his team’s advantage, in my opinion that is not a bad thing at all.

Kaleb Ngamanu also has very good hands low to the ground on grubber kicks or when defenders drop bombs and uses his reach to get to the ball quickly before defenders. Kaleb Ngamanu will also chase general play kicks with vigour trying to improve the effectiveness of his teams kicking game.

Like all well coached youngsters Kaleb Ngamanu displays a sound defensive technique and a disciplined approach both from an individual and team perspective. From a defensive technique perspective Kaleb Ngamanu uses his shoulder well to disrupt the momentum of the ball carrier and does not “jumper” grab but rather drives through the tackle with his shoulder both in regards to a front on tackle or a side on tackle

Kaleb Ngamanu will play the 2019 Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season with the Coomera Cutters in the U16 Division One competition and will be part of the Gold Coast Vikings U16 squads for the 2019 South East Queensland U16 Challenge.

Kaleb Ngamanu will also continue to play school boy rugby with TSS, next season in the U16A competition once again likely at outside centre and it would not surprise at all to see Kaleb Ngamanu get a run in the TSS First XV this year at some stage even if it is just a taste of game time off the bench over the course of the nine rounds.

TSS has one bye in those nine rounds but traditionally play Downlands College on that weekend and it is that match where Kaleb Ngamanu may just get his first taste of First XV rugby for TSS.

From a position perspective, even though Kaleb Ngamanu spent the majority of his formative years in Western Australia playing five eight for me I believe that he will play in the centres long term and develop into a smooth moving elusive runner of the ball and quite an efficient and effective defender as well.

Obviously the time spent at five eight in Western Australia will only enhance his ball skills and assist in creating space for his support players wider out. I just think that Kaleb Ngamanu’s running skills will be better suited to playing in the centres or on the wing rather than imposing added pressure to be a play maker at fullback where it does not necessarily come as naturally as when he is running the ball out wider of the ruck.

I really am a proponent of youngsters playing multiple different sports, in this case in relation to Kaleb Ngamanu rugby at a high level in the GPS school boy competition and in the GCRU club competition.

The “second” sport whether it is touch or rugby assists in the skill set development of the player and provides exposure to different critical skill sets, tactical game situations and coaching philosophies amongst other benefits.

From a player comparison perspective, consider the game of Cronulla Sharks fullback and Queensland State of Origin and Australian International winger Valentine Holmes in relation to Kaleb Ngamanu as a player who attacks the game full on and has the speed, timing, anticipation, skill and confidence to make things happen with or without the ball in his hands.

mdrew

31-01-19, 05:08 PM

Ediq Ambrosyev. (Revised) He is a young utility who early last year signed a two year deal to join the Titans TEDS Program after also being part of the Broncos Elite Junior Program for a number of seasons.

In January of this year Ediq Ambrosyev started at hooker for the Titans U18 side against the Newcastle Knights U18 SG Ball squad in Coffs Harbour and provided great service and outstanding running out of dummy half and also scored when he took advantage of some tired Newcastle defence to his left close to their own line in the first half when he darted out of dummy half to score under the posts.

Ediq Ambrosyev started both halves at hooker, all be it in different coloured head gear and mid-way through each half alternated with Jed Edwards in the dummy role.

Ediq Ambrosyev was part of the 2018 Queensland Academy of Sport U16 squad and was late last year named as part of the 2018 U16 Emerging Origin squad that finished their first camp on the Sunshine Coast in February. Ediq Ambrosyev also started for the Titans in an U15 match against the Balmain Tigers in late 2017 at Cudgen and also represented the Titans in late 2015 against a Toowoomba U14 side.

Prior to the commencement of the 2018 Gold Coast Rugby League season, Ediq Ambrosyev starred for the U16 Gold Coast Vikings White side in the South East Queensland U16 Championship and post that competition was been named in South East Queensland U16 Green squad.

At the 2018 Queensland Age Championships for U16 SEQ Green Ediq Ambroysev played three matches at hooker. Titans linked team mates in the SEQ Green side were Daniel Butterini and William Parslow all of whom played in the Championship final with Ediq Ambroysev scoring a good try with a snipping run in the first half.

Ediq Ambrosyev was named to start from the interchange bench for the Queensland U16 side when they play New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium but in fact ended up starting the match at hooker. Fellow Titan Samuel Shannon (inter change) was also in the Queensland side.

For the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition this season Ediq Ambrosyev was in outstanding form in the regular season finishing with a strike rate of 113% through eight matches. In all of those matches Ediq Ambrosyev has started at five eight.

Ediq Ambroysev’s tries in the regular season came against Mudgeeraba, Helensvale, Runaway Bay and Nerang in a match that was played as a curtain raiser to the Titans verses South Sydney NRL match at Cbus Stadium recently. Ediq Ambrosyev continued his try scoring trend in Round Six against Southport, the only difference is that he scored a hat trick in that match.

Post the hat trick Ediq Ambrosyev also scored against Mudgeeraba and Southport. In only one regular season game did Ediq Ambrosyev not score which was in the final regular season round against Southport.

In the 2018 GCRL U16 Division One Finals series, Ediq Ambrosyev started at five eight in all four of Currumbin’s matches including their Grand Final loss 24 – 8 against Currumbin. He did however have a great time against Burleigh in two Finals matches being a Week One victory 30 – 14 and a 28 -26 Preliminary Final victory scoring doubles in each of those matches.

Ediq Ambrosyev has also been in outstanding form for PBC including scoring the match winning try against Keebra Park in their Langer Cup match at Pizzey Park and was also involved in their 24 – 18 victory over Ipswich State High School. Ediq Ambrosyev also played for PBC in their Langer Cup match against Marsden State High School at Waterford which ended in a 38 – 10 win for the Gold Coast based school.

Ediq Ambrosyev was also part of the Titans U16 side that played matches against PNG and New South Wales Country U16’s and in fact scored against NSW Country on a wet afternoon at Cudgen.

Over the course of the 2017 season Ediq Ambrosyev played in the U15 Division One competition on the Gold Coast with the Coomera Cutters, playing in a total of eight matches, including scoring a hat trick late in the season against Burleigh and early in the season also scored against the Southport Tigers.

The PBC student also represented South Coast in the 2017 QSSRL U15 Championships and from there was selected in the Queensland U15 White side for the ASSRL U15 national Championships. In those Championships Ediq Ambrosyev crossed on Day Two in a 44 – 0 victory over the ACT.

In 2016 Ediq Ambrosyev was part of the dominant Gold Coast Vikings U14 side that went through the 2016 Hill Stumer Championships undefeated playing a number of positions over the course of the three matches that the Vikings played including playing on the wing in the Sunday match against the Ipswich Diggers. Post Hill Stumer Championships, Ediq Ambrosyev was named on the inter change bench for the U14 South East Queensland Green team for the Queensland Age Championships.

Previously Ediq Ambrosyev represented Qld at the U12 level, where he was selected in the second row. In Ediq Ambrosyev also started from the inter change bench for the U13 Titans development squad in a game against an U14 Toowoomba selection.

In that development squad match Ediq Ambrosyev played a significant portion of the game in the centres, scoring two tries including an 80m run away intercept try when he raced down the left hand side of Pizzey park with the Toowoomba defenders chasing in vain.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Ediq Ambrosyev is in terms of running the ball, he has
outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the above average category. Ediq Ambrosyev with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control. It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well.

Teams start to focus heavily on Ediq Ambrosyev when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that he can exploit.

He has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Ediq Ambrosyev can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can readjust.

Ediq Ambrosyev also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what he is going to do.

Ediq Ambrosyev has an outstanding short kicking game especially in relation to perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. One such short kick very nearly led to a try for the Titans in their match against Newcastle in the second half.

Defensively Ediq Ambrosyev is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

Ediq Ambrosyev has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on his side of the field.

2019 sees Ediq Ambrosyev part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad and post that competition he will play for the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 competition as well as for PBC in their Langer Cup and GIO Cup School Boy Rugby League campaigns as they look to back up their outstanding 2018 success.

It will be interesting to see where the PBC coaches play Ediq Ambrosyev as Jed Edwards is also returning in 2019, but regardless it is more than likely that Ediq Ambrosyev will be in PBC’s top seventeen this season.

Positionally it appeared that Ediq Ambrosyev would move to hooker but in 2018 he played five eight for Currumbin and well as the Vikings, so it is not possible at this stage to bet against him staying at five eight for the duration.

I do note however that he did play at hooker for South East Queensland Green U16’s in the Queensland Age Championships and of course for the Titans U18 against Newcastle.

Although Ediq Ambrosyev may ultimately end up at hooker, the longer he plays at five eight the better his play in the hooking role will become if that is where he ultimately ends up.
Ediq Ambrosyev is a natural on a rugby league field regardless of position with his ability to size up a situation and invariably take the correct option. To that extent for me he has a playing style similar to that of Cronulla Sharks and former New South Wales State of Origin representative Matt Moylan (I appreciate that they play in different positions) is an appropriate comparison as an outstanding player who has all of the skills and temperament to be able to turn a game on its head with a piece of individual brilliance just like he did in the U15 Queensland Championship final and numerous times since in both club and representative matches.

mdrew

01-02-19, 07:37 PM

Thomas Weaver. (Revised) The talented young half back from Cudgen in Northern New South Wales signed a two year contract with the Titans in 2018 and recently started at half for the Titans U16’s and captaining the side in their match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights and was involved in the first play of the game being the opening tackle after the kick off on the Knights front rower with team mates, Brody Smitka and Ryan Foran.

Like in previous matches for the Titans Junior Development sides, Thomas Weaver was in the thick of the action against the Knights directing the Titans around the field and scored a good solo try in the second half when he stepped off his left foot about ten metres out from the Newcastle Knights line and beat two or three defenders, plus dragged one over the line to score just to the left of the goal posts for the Titans first try of the match.

Against the Knights Thomas Weaver operated primarily on the left side of the field with five eight Riley Lack operating on the right. When the Titans had a scrum feed, Thomas Weaver played as the first receiver with Riley Lack feeding the scrum.

Just like he has in a number of matches, Thomas Weaver had the ball on a string and included in his outstanding passing game was a great cut out pass to left winger Kaleb Ngamanu who got outside his direct opponent and sprinted down the touch line on a 40 metre run before passing the ball inside to centre Ezra Ubaldino.

I do want to site a specific example or two of Thomas Weaver’s tenacity, late in the first half he put in a great kick from around 30 metres out from the Newcastle line with the ball pulling up a metre short of touch in goal, instead of sitting back resting on his laurels, Thomas Weaver was the first Titan down the field and made the tackle to trap the Knights fullback in the in goal.

It was a similar situation for the Titans captain in the second half, he put in a kick from around forth metres out which held up a metre or so from the touch in goal making the Knights fullback have to play the ball and whilst on that occasions he did get out of his in-goal, once again Thomas Weaver was the first Titan down the field to make the tackle.

Just to round off his outstanding kicking display in the match, one of his kicks for touch in the second half made around fifty metres, it was just an outstanding kick and put the Titans well and truly on the attack.

In March of 2018 Thomas Weaver captained and started at half back for a Titans U15 Invitational side that defeated a Western Mustangs U15 side six tries to three (no goal kicks were taken) with Thomas Weaver being one of a number of stand outs for the Titans.

In the match against the Western Mustangs he formed a solid combination with five eight Jed Bignell. To be honest, it was clear in that match that Thomas Weaver was the leader of the team, he dictated the Titans tempo and controlled the play well from a game management perspective determining who got the ball, where the play was to and the ultimate aim of the particular set up six tackles and was the Titans primary tactical kicker.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist in the match when he threw an outstanding flat ball to left centre JT Manufeoata who ran into a whole to score out wide in the first half. Thomas Weaver was also the Titans primary tactical kicker in the match.

Late in the 2018 season Thomas Weaver started at half back for the Titans U15 as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 with Thomas Weaver being prominent throughout including throwing a great cut-out ball to winger Kaleb Ngamanu to score in around the 6th minute when he flashed down the left touch line untouched and was able to bring the ball around under the posts to help back Thomas Weaver’s conversion a whole lot easier.

Thomas Weaver was also involved in Rowan Mansfield second half match sealing try against Balmain throwing the first of a chain of passes through five eight Jye Gray to Kaleb Ngamanu who put Rowan Mansfield into a gap down the sideline. Rowan Mansfield used an outstanding in and away to beat the Balmain fullback to score untouched after a seventy metre run just to the right of the goal posts. Once again making Thomas Weaver’s conversion attempt a whole lot easier.

Thomas Weaver almost scored himself in the match when he was backing up an outstanding fifty metre second half run from Kaleb Ngamanu when he expertly fielded a low kick and split the defence from his own line, but unfortunately just could not find Thomas Weaver with the inside pass.

Clearly Thomas Weaver and Kaleb Ngamanu have developed a good rapport which hopefully continues all the way to the NRL.

2018 also saw Thomas Weaver represent Group 18 in the New South Wales Country Age Championships scoring a try and kicking eight goals in his three Championship matches. Thomas Weaver scored against Group 21 and also kicked six goals in that match to finish with sixteen points and also kicked two goals in a tough 16 all draw with Group Two.

In April of 2018 Thomas Weaver was selected in the Northern Region New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) U15 side for the New South Wales trials. Thomas Weaver was the half back in the side after being selected from St Joseph’s College Benora Point.

After those trials Thomas Weaver has been selected in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges U15 team for the ASSRL U15 Championships where he will be up against the Queensland Maroon and White sides which both contain Titans contracted boys.

After the completion of the 2018 season Thomas Weaver and fellow Group 18 U15 team mates headed overseas to play in the Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, a competition that the side won including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12.

In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Keegan Pace, Jack Cullen, Ryan Foran, Byron Jones and Bailey Cox. On the tour Thomas Weaver won a number of Player of the Match awards.

Thomas Weaver is also an outstanding touch player who has represented his region with distinction in multiple touch competitions and tournaments in both Queensland and New South Wales including last year’s Queensland Championships.

The Titans contracted young half backs 2017 rugby league commitments ended when he was part a the Titans U15 Invitational side that played against a Balmain Tigers side at Cudgen and even though they were defeated the young Titans players put in a great effort on the night against a primarily older Balmain Tigers side.

Thomas Weaver and his U14 Cudgen Hornets side had a great club campaign in the 2017 Group 18 junior rugby league competition going through the U14 competition undefeated with their skill and discipline on show in every match.

The outstanding young Group 18 half back was a constant threat to opposing defences in the New South Wales Country Age Championships early in 2017 where Group 18 were defeated in the U14 Final with Thomas Weaver scoring Group 18’s sole try in the final and then he converted his own try. In two of the preliminary rounds Thomas Weaver kicked two goals apiece including a local derby against Group One to finish with a points total of 14 over the course of the Championships.

Earlier in 2017 year Thomas Weaver was selected in the Northern Region Combined Catholic Colleges side at half back representing St Joseph’s College Benora Point. In 2015 Thomas Weaver was selected in the New South Wales U12 side for the Australian U12 Championships and that same year after being named Player of the Final for Cudgen in the Group 18 U12 competition was also named as the U12 Group 18 Player of the Season.

Even though Thomas Weaver has plus acceleration off the mark and above average top speed, his primary focus on a football field is to direct his side around the field, putting his side where they need to be to maintain pressure on the opposition. Holding the ball out in front of his body in both hands enables Denver Taylor to put doubt into the minds of the opposing defensive line and thus he can dummy and run if there is a gap in the defensive line or put his support runners into gaps.

This trait was in evidence in this year’s Titans U16 match against Newcastle when he dummied and stepped off his left foot to score the Titans first try of the match.

Thomas Weaver’s decisive nature also means that when the ball needs to get out to his back line he will get it out there quickly to give his outside backs as much space as possible to work with prior to contact with the opposing defensive line. Getting the ball out to the back line quickly is no issue for Thomas Weaver as he has a very good long passing technique which delivers the ball quickly and accurately to the right place.

In defence, due to his size Thomas Weaver is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players and against players with similar size is very aggressive when finishing off his tackles. Thomas Weaver is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side.

Thomas Weaver is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy. I would suggest that he is likely to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level he progresses to into the future.

Thomas Weaver also has a very good short attacking kicking game with a positive being that he will go right to the line before dropping the ball to his foot, add to the fact that he regularly runs with the ball out in front of his body in both hands, he gives defensive lines a lot to consider, is Thomas Weaver going to kick, run or pass, a defensive line that anticipates incorrectly will be scrambling to recover before he makes them pay for their error in judgement.

Like with his goal kicking Thomas Weaver has a real opportunity to be his team’s primary tactical kicking option going forward.

Thomas Weaver play the 2019 junior rugby league season with the Cudgen Hornets in the Group 18 U16 competition who will be looking to continue their recent premiership success once again in 2018 as well as playing for St Joseph’s College Benora Point.

2018 will also see Thomas Weaver see Thomas Weaver be a key member of a talent laden Northern Rivers Titans U16 side that will play in the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup. Other Titans contracted/linked players in the U16 Northern Rivers Titans side are centre Keegan Pace, fullback/five eight Riley Lack, fullback Rowan Mansfield, front rower Jack Cullen and second rower Ryan Foran.

From a position perspective with his speed and rapidly developing ball playing, game management and tactical kicking skills, Thomas Weaver has an opportunity to develop into a very talented young player who could play either half back or five eight equally well. The more that Thomas Weaver has the ball in his hands the better it is for his entire team

Mitchell Moses of the Parramatta Eels with his wide ranging and developing skill set is for me a very good player comparison for the talented Thomas Weaver including the way that he commands the ruck area in attack.

Like Mitchell Moses, Thomas Weaver has a wide variety of skills which he is developing and whilst they may not all develop at the same pace or a linear fashion, they surely will all be above average to plus attributes when it is all said and done.

Thomas Weaver is rapidly developing into a very talented young play maker indeed and certainly a player to keep an eye on as he progresses through the Titans junior development ranks

mdrew

02-02-19, 05:42 PM

Ben Liyou. (Revised) He is a young player from the Grafton Ghosts who last year signed a two year deal with the Titans which saw him move to continue his rugby league career in 2019.

Recently Ben Liyou started from the bench for the Titans U18’s in their match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights U18 SG Ball squad which ended five tries all.

When he came on mid-way through the first half, Ben Liyou started on the left side of the field but moved over to the right side for the second half.

Ben Liyou was more than solid defensively in the match, covering across field well and even though he was not the biggest forward on the field, he initial contact was more than impressive.

With the ball Ben Liyou ran a couple of very good outside shoulder routes when he was operating on the right side of the field in the second half.

In October 2017 Ben Liyou was also awarded the Aquinas Titans Sportsperson of the Year award at a gala dinner at the Southport Yacht Club showcasing the esteem that he is held in at the Titans.

In late 2018 Ben Liyou was part of the Titans U18 side that won matches against PNG and New South Wales Country U18’s starting in the second row on both occasions and in those matches spent some time playing on the left side of the field instead of playing on the right where he played for the Grafton Ghosts and Northern Rivers earlier in 2018.

Early in 2018 Ben Liyou was part of the North Coast U18 Laurie Daley Cup side starting in the second row in all four of their matches and scoring one try which came against Northern Rivers in Round Two. Ben Liyou was one of the North Coast’s standout players across the Championships constantly challenging the defensive line, normally operating on the right side of the field.

Ben Liyou has been a Grafton Ghosts player throughout his entire career and that did not change in 2018. Ben Liyou started the season in the U18 Group two competition and at just 17 years old made his Tooheys New Group Two First Grade debut in Round Three against the Macksville Sea Eagles. He made his debut playing left centre even though he has been playing in the second row exclusively over the last couple of seasons.

Post his debut Ben Liyou made three additional Group Two First Grade appearances and in Round Ten in a big win against Macksville had a try assist late in the first half when he broke through the line and set up half Jake Frame for a try on the cusp of half time.

In the 2018 U18 Group Two competition, Ben Liyou played in eight matches, scoring six tries and kicking two goals for a points tally on the season to date of 28. Ben Liyou scored a double in Round One against local rivals the South Grafton Rebels, also kicking his season’s two goals in the match. He also scored a double against the Rebels in a 33 – 12 Round Nine win.

Ben Liyou’s other two tries came against Bellingen in Round Five and in Round Six against the league leaders and previously undefeated Coffs harbour side.

Ben Liyou played the 2017 season at the U16.5 level for the Ghosts as well as playing three matches at the U18 level for Grafton in the Group Two U18 competition. Ben Liyou also attended a Titans Elite Academy session that was held at Lennox Heads late in 2017, another Grafton Ghost in centre Jake Martin was also an attendee.

Ben Liyou was also part of the East Coast Dolphins U16 side that performed well at the New South Wales Country Championships making the Championship final and as a result was selected for the U16 New South Wales Country side that played two matches in New Zealand as part of a South Island Tour. The NSW Country U16 side won both of their tour matches.

Previously Ben Liyou has represented the Titans in a number of development squad matches including in 2014 when he came off the bench in a match against a Samoan side playing in the second row.

With his try and two goals in a Grafton Ghosts 24-4 win over Ballina Ben Liyou finished the U16.5 regular season competition as the leading point’s scorer with 62 points from ten matches. Ben Liyou scored eight tries and kicked fifteen goals. From a try scoring perspective Ben Liyou scored doubles against Casino RSM in June and also against Ballina in July. Ben Liyou also started in the second row in Grafton’s two finals matches against Clarence Coast and the Grand Final against Casino RSM.

As a 16 year old Ben Liyou also played three matches for the Grafton Ghosts U18 side in the Group Two competition, with his U18 debut coming in April against the Sawtell Panthers. His other two games were against Sawtell again in June and Coffs Harbour in July 2017.

In the U16 New South Wales Country Championships Ben Liyou scored three tries in their way to the Final where the East Coast Dolphins U16 side lost in extra time to the Western Rams. In that Grand Final Ben Liyou started in the second row and another Titans linked youngster Kade Hill started at half. Ben Liyou scored a double in the East Coast Dolphins 44-0 semi-final win over the Bidgee Bulls and he also scored in Round One against the Central Coast.

In 2016 Ben Liyou was the U15 Group One’s top try scorer with 18 tries from 12 matches to finish five tries clear of the next highest try scorer. Ben Liyou also started at lock for the Group One U15 representative side that had some good wins over the course of the New South Wales Country Age Championships. Ben Liyou has previous experience in a Titans jersey when he came off the bench in late 2015 in a U14 contest against Samoa.

For the Ghosts in the U15 competition, Ben Liyou started off the season with a bang scoring seven tries in the first three rounds, including a four try haul against Kyogle and a double against Minor Premiers Clarence Coast. Over the course of the season, Ben Liyou scored five other doubles which came against Ballina on three separate occasions, Lismore Marist Brothers and Kyogle. In April Ben Liyou also played one match at the U16.5 age group against Kyogle backing up after playing in the U15’s earlier in the day.

Ben Liyou is a tall rangy type of player with a solid passing game, which is understandable due to his experience at five eight, from my perspective his passing to his right hand side is a little better than to his left. Where he excels though is his running with the ball, as noted he is a tall young man who really did dominate opposing backline line defences and regularly carried opposing players with him before off-loading to his support players.

Ben Liyou’s speed is quite good for his height and has the body shape to add additional muscle mass without compromising either his straight line speed or his mobility with or without the ball in his hands.

In an U13 Titans development squad game against Samoa in late 2015 and considering he conceded a lot of weight to the opposition, he was very effective and making ground, mainly on the fringes of the ruck, where he used his footwork to get between defenders and make ground. The development squad game was a tough game and even with the step up in overall class of the game, Ben Liyou did well.

The only issue for his defence is that due to his height he needs to make sure he does not let his tackles slip up too high when defending against smaller opposition and in the Group One competition he had no problem at all dealing with opposition forwards running on the fringes of the ruck.

In the development squad game, he obviously defended in the centre of the ruck and showed a quite decent low tackling technique and held his own even though he conceded weight to the opposing forward pack. The technique that Ben Liyou showed in that game has only been developed and refined in the subsequent years.

Moving to the 2019 season, Ben Liyou is still be U18 eligible and you will see him in a Tweed Heads Seagulls jersey in the MM Cup competition next year. I would also anticipate the Ben Liyou will also make his way into the Tweed Heads Colts side sooner rather than later in 2019.

If he does not move immediately to the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side it appears that Ben Liyou will play for Murwillumbah in the NRRRL competition and even though he would be U18 eligible I would anticipate should Ben Liyou play for the Mustangs he will move immediately into their First Grade side.

From a position perspective, as noted Ben Liyou played a significant amount of rugby league at five eight in his junior career, but I can really see his move to the second row as a permanent one into the future.

From a player comparison perspective think along the lines of someone like South Sydney veteran John Sutton as a player who played a lot of their junior football at five eight before transitioning to the back row and developing into a solid ball playing forward who can pop a short pass to his supports both prior to the line and when engaged with the defensive line as well as defending effectively.

Make no mistake however Ben Liyou also has the ability to break the defensive line himself through hard running and just as importantly running the correct line including both an inside shoulder and outside shoulder line as was evidenced against the Newcastle Knights.

Ben Liyou also has outstanding leaderships and presents not just as a potential NRL captain one day but a club or representative level captain as well.

mdrew

04-02-19, 06:38 PM

Will Evans. The Gold Coast youngster and former Queensland U16 representative has moved from to the Titans after the expiration of his two year contract with the Brisbane Broncos in a coup for the Titans in terms of “bringing back the farm”.

Recently Will Evans started at right centre for the Titans U18 side against the Newcastle Knights SG Ball squad in Coffs Harbour which ended in a draw, however from my perspective (and yes I am biased) the Titans were clearly the better side for the entire match.

Will Evans moved to fullback mid-way through the first half, with Noah Gafa taking his place at right centre and stayed there for the remainder of the match.

Will Evans first touch of the ball against the Knights was an impressive run in the first set of six for the Titans when he made twenty odd metres from a short right side play dragging a couple of Newcastle Knights defenders with him.

The current PBC student actually played for the Titans Junior Development Squads for a number of years including at the U13 level in 2014 when the Titans played Marsden State High School in October of that year at Pizzey Park. That afternoon Will Evans starred in the fullback position and ripped the Marsden defence apart on multiple occasions and also covered very well defensively when necessary.

In 2018 Will Evans played for Burleigh in the GCRL U17 Division One competition and in his seven matches in the regular season scored eight tries primarily from the fullback position. Will Evans scored doubles against Ormeau and Tweed Heads and has also scored against Runaway Bay, Bilambil, Helensvale and Currumbin.

Will Evans started at fullback in both of Burleigh’s U17 Division One Finals matches against Currumbin and Runaway Bay.

In addition Will Evans was a key member of the 2018 PBC Opens Rugby League side playing right centre in most of their matches this season and was particularity impressive in wins against fierce rivals Keebra Park and also in a big PBC win against Marsden State High School at Waterford in the depths of winter. Against Marsden he was exceptional especially out of dummy half.

Will Evans also started at right centre for PBC against Ipswich State High School in the GIO Cup Queensland Quarter Finals held at Wynnum Manly earlier this week, a match that PBC were victorious in to progress to the Queensland semi-finals. In the match Will Evans did not get many opportunities with the ball but was very solid defensively as PBC scored literally in the last minute of a close contest to progress to the next round.

Will Evans was outstanding in both the Queensland GIO Cup final and also in the National GIO Cup final against Patrician Brothers Fairfield including being names Player of the National Final.

In 2017 Will Evans started at right centre for the Queensland U16 team as well as receiving a PBC on field Rugby League Achievement Award. Will Evans also represented Queensland in 2015 when he was part of the Queensland Maroon side for the ASSRRL U15 National Championships and in those Championships was the Queensland Maroons Player of the Match on Day Three in a big win against New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges. Will Evans contributed a try to that victory for Queensland Maroon.

From the fullback position Will Evans presents as a silky smooth player, who looks like he glides across the field picking and choosing his time to get involved and wants to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line.

In attack Will Evans does not just stand at the back waiting for the “block” plays to occur. When his forwards are bringing the ball out of their own territory, Will Evans is always in and around the ball looking for an offload and the opportunity to explode downfield as a result of outstanding speed off the mark and a wicked step off either foot.

Will Evans has outstanding balance and body control which enables him to break a lot of tackles through the centre of the ruck. Opposing defenders to key line him up when he is either running from dummy half or taking an offload and his explosiveness means that defenders are regularly reduced to grasping at him with an arm which Will Evans regularly is able slice through and continue his run.

Will Evans speed is hard to quantify. Will Evans does not necessarily look like he is moving quickly especially when he is open space but players who I consider who have above average to plus speed do not often take ground from him at all in a foot race.

The one thing Will Evans also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, Will Evans has a very good step back inside especially off his right foot when running to the left and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, Will Evans’s quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

Will Evans is also very effective in making ground from dummy half. Like when Justin Hodges used to go into dummy half, defences know that he is going to run but still have trouble preventing him from making a lot of ground, it really does defy logic in terms of the ground that he makes out of dummy half considering his smaller stature.

In defence Will Evans has good strength, and certainly looks to come forward to stop the attack before it has time to fully develop once a break has been made. Will Evans also has the ability to show the attacker the sideline and is confident that his speed will enable him to get across to make the tackle which he invariably does.

Will Evans is also effective at wrapping the ball up and he does slide well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well when he is playing in the centres.

2019 should see Will Evans as a key member of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side and he will be hard to keep out of the Queensland U18 side next year as well.

It would not surprise in fact if Will Evans bypasses the MM Cup competition all together in 2019 and starts for the Burleigh Colts side. Even if he doesn’t move immediately to Colts it will not take Will Evans too long at all to make his way into the Colts side at the end of the MM Cup competition.

After the completion of the MM Cup competition, if he does not immediately move to the Burleigh Colts squad, Will Evans will play for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition and more than likely will also play for their GCRL U20 side and perhaps even make his GCRL First Grade debut such is Will Evans maturity.

When I first saw Will Evans play as a 13 year old, even back then it seemed that fullback was his ideal position but in the last couple of years, especially in relation to school boy and representative rugby league, Will Evans has played almost exclusively in the centres, specifically at right centre and is very effective running out of dummy half.

I however think that Will Evans best position is at fullback where he can see the entire field and thus is a position to inject himself from there where and when the opportunities arise.

A very knowledgeable visitor to this site actually suggested that Will Evans would make a more than effective half back. I admit that that was a scenario that I had not really considered but one that is a more than interesting one to contemplate as Will Evans inevitably moves to the senior rugby league ranks on the Gold Coast and beyond.

From an NRL player comparison perspective Will Evans has a number of similarities to St George Dragons fullback Matt Dufty. Will Evans does not have the top end speed of Matt Dufty (although he is a lot quicker than he looks) but is just as explosive off the mark and has the same innate ability to make the first defender miss in the congestion in the middle of the ruck or wider out in the backline, it is just an uncanny skill you either have or you don’t and Will Evans definitely has it in spades and Titans fans will have the pleasure of seeing it in action over the coming seasons.

mdrew

07-02-19, 12:33 AM

Juwan Compain. The former PBC State High School second rower late in 2018 signed a three year deal with the Titans in a major coup for the club and continues the Titans recent success at bringing Gold Coast players back to the Titans, “buying” back the farm if you will.

Recently Juwan Compain started in the second row for the Titans U18 side against the Newcastle Knights SG Ball squad in Coffs Harbour on an exceptionally hot Sunday afternoon and had a typically strong match.

Juwan Compain played a number matches for Titans Development Squad in the U13 age group back in 2014 before signing with the Broncos but it is great to see him back in Titans colours for the next three seasons at least.

Juwan Compain was selected in the Australian School Boys side for their Great Britain tour later in the 2018 year after starring for the Queensland U18 School boy side in the ASSRL Championships. In those Championships Juwan Compain started all four of Queensland matches in the second row scoring on Day One against New South Wales Combined High Schools and was one of two vice captains of the Queensland side.

For the Australian School Boys side on their England tour, Juwan Compain scored in their third match of their UK Tour in a 30 – 18 win at Manchester Regional Arena against the Lancashire Academy. Juwan Compain started in four of the five matches that the Australian School Boys played in the UK including starting in the second row in both of the International’s against the England Academy side.

In 2018 Juwan Compain was also part of the Queensland U18 Emerging Origin squad and received a Rugby League Excellence Award for National Representation at the 2018 PBC Sports Awards night.

Juwan Compain was also recently been selected in the 2019 U18 Queensland Emerging Origin Squad with fellow Titans Will Evans, Tristian Powell and Lofi Khan-Periera.

For the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the 2018 MM Cup competition Juwan Compain played in all seven of their matches including their semi-final loss to Souths Logan. Juwan Compain started in the second row in each of the seven matches scoring two tries which came against Burleigh in Round Three and Wynnum Manly in Round Six.

Juwan Compain has also played in one Hastings Deering’s Colts U20 match in 2018 when he started in the second row for Tweed Heads in their Round 16 local derby match against Burleigh.

Juwan Compain only played in one club match in 2018 for Currumbin in the U17 Division One competition which was against Helensvale midseason.

Juwan Compain was been superb for the PBC Open Rugby League side in 2018 and in two of the matches that I saw being against Keebra Park and Marsden SHS was the most dominant player on the field from my perspective.

In the Queensland GIO Cup semi-final against Ignatius Park, Juwan Compain was once again in outstanding form terrorising the Ignatius Park defence on the left side of the ruck.

In the Queensland GIO Cup final against Kirwan State High School, Juwan Compain started in the second row scoring a second half try as PBC were victorious 32 – 26 to qualify for the National GIO Cup Final.

Juwan Compain also started in the second row for PBC in the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown and became a 2018 GIO Cup National Champion on the back of a PBC 20 – 12 victory.

In 2017 Juwan Compain was part of the U16 Queensland Academy of Sport squad and has previously represented Queensland at the U12 level.

Early in 2017 Juwan Compain, represented the Gold Coast Vikings White side in the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition, scoring in Round Five against Gold Coast Green. After the completion of that competition, Juwan Compain was selected in the South East Queensland U16 training squad.

In 2016 from PBC, Juwan Compain represented South Coast at the QSSRL U15 Championships scoring against Sunshine Coast and from there was selected to represent the Queensland Maroon U15 school bot side at the ASSRL U15 championships.

Juwan Compain has previously played for the Titans Development Squads including at the U13 level when they played against Marsden State High School at Pizzey Park in 2014, from memory I believe that Juwan Compain played in the centres that day.

Also in that Titans U13 side was Will Evans who was a standout at fullback for the Titans. It is great to see the two talented young men back with the Titans for the 2019 season and beyond.

Juwan Compain also played club rugby on the Gold Coast in the U14 and U14 age groups I believe but his future is firmly in rugby league and luckily for Titans supporters on the Gold Coast.

Rarely can you find a young player who is equally at home running on both sides of the ruck but that is what a team has with Juwan Compain, he runs a superb inside or outside shoulder line and his excellent footwork enables him to step off either foot to enable him to cut back against the movement of the defensive line to take advantage of gaps back on the inside of his direct opponent.

For a big strong young man, Juwan Compain also has above average (to plus) speed, not just off the mark but also when he is in clear space, when he makes a break Juwan Compain is more than capable of going the distance and normally easily out paces the cover defence.

Juwan Compain is not just a strong runner of the ball he as noted above has excellent footwork prior to the line and also some very good short passing both before the line and when in contact with a defender.

Juwan Compain in schoolboy rugby league and junior age groups was a magnet for defenders and is adept at identifying when multiple defenders are vectoring towards him and identifying the appropriate force to be applied to his passing.

Juwan Compain also waits until the last possible second to off load the ball and most of the time he does not telegraph his pass to enable defences the readjust before the ball is passed.

On a lot of his runs Juwan Compain rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his outside support.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Juwan Compain play his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance.

Defensively Juwan Compain has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards. Juwan Compain sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

Juwan Compain good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players on the fringes of the ruck and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Juwan Compain is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

In 2019 Juwan Compain will be once again eligible for the MM Cup competition and has been named in the Tweed Heads squad which is a scary proposition for opposing teams but it would not surprise at all to see him bypass the MM Cup competition all together and start the season in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition with the Tweed Heads Seagulls such is his skill level and maturity.

Some Queensland Cup matches for Tweed Heads in 2019 is definitely not out of the question for Juwan Compain such is his maturity, both from a physical and mental perspective and skill set.

Also it would surprise at all if Juwan Compain does not make his NRL debut prior to the expiration of his current three year Titans contract.

In 2019 Juwan Compain will be part of the U18 Emerging Origin squad and barring injury it will be extremely difficult for Selectors to keep him out of the Queensland U18 side when it is named midway through the season.

For me, with his physical attributes and skill set indicates that Juwan Compain will settle into the back row as his long term position with no need for a positional switch and will be a representative level second rower.

From a style perspective think of a someone along the lines of Brisbane Bronco boom rookie David Fifita as an intense aggressive well-rounded backrower with the ability to break the line by himself or as a result of running a good line, Juwan Compain then has enough speed to break into space prior to looking for his support players.

Like Fifita, Juwan Compain is also an extremely efficient and effective defender who will hit hard when the opportunity presents itself and looks to always dominate his opponents both mentally and physically in all aspects of the game.

Juwan Compain has a huge future ahead of him in the NRL and also from a representative perspective and shapes as a corner stone of the Titans NRL forward pack for many years to come.

I am not sure that Juwan Compain can replicate of matching David Fifita’s success of reaching the NRL when still U18 eligible but if he does not match that feat, it will not be by much however.

Juwan Compain is right up there with the very best rugby league players running around for his age in Australia as is evidenced by his selection and subsequent performances for the Australian School Boys Rugby League side that toured the UK in November and December 2018 and for PBC in their successful 2018 Queensland and National GIO Cup campaigns.

On that tour Juwan Compain started both of the International matches against the England Academy in the second row as well as two of the other three tour matches.

The thing that impresses me the most about Juwan Compain is his rapid and sustained improvement over the last couple of seasons, improvement that shows no sign of slowing down as he surges towards the NRL at an increasingly rapid rate and the fact that his probable NRL debut will be in Titans colours will make it even more exciting.

The Titans 2019 U18 cohort is as good as any squad in the NRL as well evidenced by their match earlier this year against the Newcastle Knights in Coffs Harbour with Juwan Compain being a key reason (but not the only one) for that high ranking.

DIEHARD

07-02-19, 12:36 AM

Thank you so so much mdrew for posting all of the latest news. It is a very satisfying and important topic.

mdrew

25-02-19, 06:29 PM

Kurtis Dark. A very interesting recruit for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side in 2019 is former Newcastle Knights U20 goal kicking second rower Kurtis Dark.

Kurtis Dark was with Newcastle since the age of 15 and played the last two seasons in their U20 side, but in 2018 did make his NSW Intrust Super Cup debut when he started in the second row in Round 17 against Newtown.

In the match, Kurtis Dark played his usual left second row position, playing the entire 80 minutes, running for a touch over 120 metres and made an impressive 38 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 82.6%, not a bad debut at all for a 20 year old against NRL veterans.

Kurtis Dark kicked one goal from two attempts with the goal being an outstanding goal from right on the left touch line, with the kick being even more impressive in that he is a left foot kicker and thus it was from his non-preferred side. He also had one general play kick which went for in excess of fifty six metres.

Kurtis Dark played all bar one of Newcastle’s U20 Jersey Flegg matches in 2018 (the only match he missed was when he was promoted to the NSW Intrust Super Cup), playing in a total of twenty two matches including three finals, starting all in the second row.

Kurtis Dark scored four tries which came against the Wests Tigers in Round Two, the Cronulla Sharks in Round Six, the Parramatta Eels in Round 20 and the Warriors in Round 22.

With the boot, Kurtis Dark was outstanding in 2018 kicking 87 goals from 105 attempts for a 2018 conversion percentage of 82.86%.

On three occasions in 2018 Kurtis Dark kicked nine goals in a match, being against Manly in Round One (9 from 10), the Warriors in Round Fifteen (9 from 9) and the Warriors again in Round Twenty Two (9 from 10).

Kurtis Dark is a second rower who whilst has played primarily on the left also has the ability to play on the right as well as he did on a number of occasions for the Newcastle Knights U20 Jersey Flagg side last season.

Kurtis Dark runs a good outside shoulder line and his excellent footwork enables him to step off either foot to enable him to cut back against the movement of the defensive line to take advantage of gaps back on the inside of his direct opponent.

For a big strong young man, Kurtis Dark also has above average speed, not just off the mark but also when he is in clear space, when he makes a break Kurtis Dark is more than capable of going the distance and normally easily out paces the cover defence.

Kurtis Dark is not just a strong runner of the ball he as noted above has excellent footwork prior to the line and also some very good short passing both before the line and when in contact with a defender. Kurtis Dark in schoolboy rugby league and junior age groups was a magnet for defenders and is adept at identifying when multiple defenders are vectoring towards him and identifying the appropriate force to be applied to his passing.

Kurtis Dark also waits until the last possible second to off load the ball and most of the time he does not telegraph his pass to enable defences the readjust before the ball is passed.

On a lot of his runs Kurtis Dark rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his outside support.

Defensively Kurtis Dark has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. Kurtis Dark sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

His good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker opponents and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Kurtis Dark is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Kurtis Dark will play the 2019 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls and it will be interesting to see how many Queensland Cup matches he gets under his belt, after his outstanding New South Wales Intrust Super Cup debut for the Newcastle Knights last season.

If Kurtis Dark is not in the Tweed Heads Queensland Cup squad for any given match he will play for the Byron Bay Devils in the NRRRL First Grade competition.

With his size, speed and impressive left hand off load, Kurtis Dark looms as an intriguing second row prospect and it is great to see that he has chosen to move to the Gold Coast in an effort to continue his rugby league career.

A current NRL player with a similar playing style for me is Newcastle Knights second rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon. Like Fitzgibbon Kurtis Dark shapes as a talented young second rower who just needs the right opportunity to highlight his burgeoning and impressive skill set, hopefully it will be this season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

mdrew

27-02-19, 05:57 PM

Tremain Spry. The former Ipswich State High School student spent the off-season training with the Titans NRL squad looking to secure a coveted NRL Development contract.

Tremain Spry started from the interchange bench in the Titans first NRL trial this season against the Norther Queensland Cowboys on the Sunshine Coast. In the NRL trial Tremain Spry had a tough initiation but after that settled down putting in a solid performance in a match not conducive to outside backs.

Tremain Spry played for the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side in their Queensland Cup trial the week prior against the Souths Logan Magpies.

Tremain Spry will also start from the bench for the Titans second and final NRL trial when they take on Brisbane on the Gold Coast this weekend.

In 2018 Tremain Spry played for the Sydney Roosters in the U20 Jersey Flegg competition, across the season playing in fourteen matches in red, white and blue.

Tremain Spry started Round One against the Sharks at fullback and Round Two against the Mounties on the wing before missing a number of rounds with injury coming back for Round Seven on the wing against Manly. Tremain Spry stayed on the wing until Round Thirteen when he moved into the centres against Penrith and stayed there for the remainder of the 2018 season.

Prior to his move to the centres, Tremain Spry scored a single try which came in Round Eight against the Mounties, but post his move to the centres Tremain Spry scored seven tries from eight matches.

Tremain Spry scored doubles in Round Fourteen against the Newcastle Knight and in Rounds Twenty-Three against the Wests Tigers and also scored in Rounds Thirteen, Seventeen and Eighteen against Penrith, North Sydney and Manly respectively.

In Round Twenty in a match against the North Sydney Bears, Tremain Spry was up against fellow Titans NRL trialist Jesse Arthurs, Jesse Arthurs was one of the Bears try scorers that afternoon.

In 2017 Tremain Spry started on the wing for the Queensland U18 side in their match against traditional rivals New South Wales. On the opposite wing that night for Queensland was fellow Titans NRL hopeful Kea Pere.

Also in 2017 Tremain Spry was a standout for Ipswich State High School especially in the Langer Cup including scoring a memorable try against Wavell State High School. Leevai Sutton who was part of the Titans U18 side in their recent matches against PNG and New South Wales Country was Ipswich State High School’s fullback that season with Tremain Spry playing in the centres.

2017 also saw Tremain Spry play for the Ipswich Jets in the MM Cup competition where he primarily played at fullback.

Tremain Spry has very good speed off the mark, which I would consider above average for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle. When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Tremain Spry usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.

Tremain Spry has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if he is pushing to the outside too early.

Tremain Spry also has a powerful fend which served him well in the NYC competition and in fact has been the reason for at least two of his line breaks this season when his opposing centre has gone high and he has just palmed him off with seemingly little effort. His natural strength is just an impressive attribute.

A real positive for me is that Tremain Spry can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, he certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.

As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Tremain Spry is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. He is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Tremain Spry seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when he chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

As noted above Tremain Spry trained the offseason with the Titans NRL squad and come the start of the 2019 season proper will line up for the Tweed Heads Seagulls most likely starting in the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition before more than likely making his Queensland Intrust Super Cup debut as the 2019 season progresses after already playing a Queensland Cup trial with the Seagulls against Souths Logan.

Tremain Spry spent time at fullback on the wing and in the centres in the Sydney Roosters U20 Jersey Flegg side in 2018 but it is hard to go past how effective that he was when he moved to the centres for the Roosters especially from an attacking perspective and as such I would like to see him tested in the centres at the Queensland Cup level at least before there is any thought of him being moved as good centres are such a precious commodity in the NRL in the modern age.

A player with a similar playing style to Tremain Spry is for me St George Dragons 2018 rookie, Zac Lomax, both are far stronger than they look and have outstanding attacking abilities and under rated defensive attributes at their disposal.

mdrew

03-03-19, 07:20 AM

Luke Jurd. He joins the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad for the 2019 season after spending a number of seasons with the Cronulla Sharks. Luke Jurd started the Tweed Heads Seagulls second Queensland Cup trial at half against Burleigh.

In 2018, Luke Jurd played for the Cronulla Sharks U20 Jersey Flegg side, playing in every match that Cronulla were involved in being twenty matches including four finals matches, including starting the Grand Final that Cronulla won 22 – 12 against Penrith from the interchange bench.

Luke Jurd started Cronulla’s first twelve matches at five eight before moving to the interchange bench for Cronulla’s remaining twelve 2018 matches including their four finals matches.

Coming off the interchange bench, Luke Jurd played a variety of positions including in the halves, hooker and even spent some time in the backrow for the Cronulla Sharks.

Luke Jurd scored two 2018 U20 Jersey Flegg tries, the first coming in Round Thirteen against the Canterbury Bulldogs and the second in Round Twenty Four against the Wests Tigers.

Late in 2018 Luke Jurd toured South Africa with the Australian Universities Rugby League side and scored in their first tour match against a West Province XIII side in Cape Town in a big 72 – 6 Australian Universities victory.

Luke Jurd was part of the New South Wales University side that were beaten by Queensland Universities 52 – 12 earlier in 2018 but played well enough to be selected in the Australian side alongside his brother as one of only a handful of New South Welshmen in the Australian side.

In 2017 Luke Hurd was in fact named to make his New South Wales Intrust Super Cup debut with the Newtown Jets but unfortunately had to withdraw from the match late in the week due to injury.

In attack Luke Jurd has a touch above average speed off the mark but does not necessary have an extra gear in open space, but he is able to sustain his top speed over considerable distance. In confined space, he has very good footwork, including a good step off both feet.

Luke Jurd can beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies.

As games progress Luke Jurd is very good at identifying tired forwards in the defensive line, and he will target them accordingly. A great trait that Luke Jurd already displays is that he will play what is in front of him rather than just play to a set game plan, which is a sign of a young player with a good understanding of the game.

When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the edge of the ruck, Luke Jurd will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. Due to his speed off the mark Luke Jurd is also a very good cover defender as he tracks the ball across the field and has a solid low tackling technique from the side

Luke Jurd will play the upcoming 2019 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side and is in the running for a spot in the Seagulls Round One side after starting the final trial against Burleigh at half.

Luke Jurd has played in the halves the majority of his career in the New South Wales Junior Representative competitions and it appears likely that that is where he will play in 2019 for Tweed Heads, but it would also not surprise if Luke Jurd spends sometime in the dummy half role over the course of the 2019 season.

2019 Gold Coast Titans signing Ryley Jacks for me is a similar type of player to Luke Hurd, both are solid players who can play either of the halves positions and both have the where with all and confidence to also be an effective dummy half should the need arise.

mdrew

20-03-19, 10:48 PM

Harvey Moase. The young Cudgen Hornets half represented the Group 18 U14 side in 2018 in the New South Wales Country Age Championships and post those Championships was selected as part of the Titans 2018/19 Group 18 U15 Development Squad.

In February of this year Harvey Moase started at half back for one of the Titans two U15 sides in their round robin matches against each other and the Western Mustangs with the youngster leading his Titans side around well in very hot conditions.

In the U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships for Group 18 Harvey Moase started at half in all three of Group 18’s matches which were against Group’s 21, Four and Two kicking conversion against Group Two.

Harvey Moase has above average speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus category and top end speed. Harvey Moase with his speed is able to exploit gaps in the defensive line with a very good step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control.

Harvey Moase has very good timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Harvey Moase also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Harvey Moase is going to do.

Harvey Moase has a very good kick on him and also has good accuracy to go with the power that he generates. His kicking game suggests he will be a real 40/20 threat as he matures and progresses. Harvey Moase also gets his kicks away quickly thus not allowing the defenders to put an undue amount of pressure on him.

Harvey Moase does have some subtly though in his kicking, he is adept at grubber kicking into the opposition in goal line as well as putting appropriate weight on his chip kicks, in an effort to get a repeat set of tackles. In short he is a very good tactical kicker, who is above average in all aspects and flashes plus ability in a few attributes such as range and weighting of the kicks.

Defensively Harvey Moase is a very strong young man with solid functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it. Harvey Moase also has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and effective against all size opponents.

Harvey Moase will play the 2019 season with the Cudgen Hornets in the Group 18 U15 competition and will be in line to represent Group 18 in the U15 age group at the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

With his ability to see the entire field as if he has a bird eye view of it and his ability to guide and direct his side around the field, adhering precisely to the game plan, Harvey Moase is ideally to controlling a side from the half back position.

Harvey Moase definitely reminds me of Sydney Roosters five eight Brock Lamb. Like Lamb, Harvey Moase is composed under pressure, with an above average kicking game, both tactical and attacking and underrated running and passing skills.

mdrew

22-03-19, 04:55 PM

Jedd Windle. The Byron Bay/Lennox Head backrower represented the Group 18 U14 side in 2018 in the New South Wales Country Age Championships and post those Championships was selected as part of the Titans 2018/19 Group 18 U15 Development Squad and was involved in the Titans U15 sides that took on another Titans side as well as the Western Mustangs in February at Mudgeeraba.

In the 2018 U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships for Group 18 Jedd Windle played in all three of Group 18’s matches which were against Group’s 21, Four and Two.

In 2018 Jedd Windle also played rugby for Lennox Head in the Far Norther Coast U14 competition playing in twelve matches including their semi-final loss to Wollongbar/Tweed. He started all bar one match, being Round Eleven against Lismore when he started from the bench at No. 8 and was outstanding on his way to scoring thirteen tries and kicking twelve conversions.

Jedd Windle scored hat tricks against Lismore in Rounds Six and Eight and scored doubles against Lismore in Round two and Wollongbar/Tweed in Round Twelve. Jedd Windle’s other tries came against Wollongbar/Tweed in Rounds Three, Five and Nine.

With the boot Jedd Windle kicked three conversions against Lismore in Round Two and against Wollongbar/Tweed in Round Twelve.

Jedd Windle is by no means the biggest second rower running around but he really does throw himself into the defensive line. Jedd Windle’s normal running line seems to be on a slight angle away from the ruck and as noted on occasion he will veer back towards the ruck, I would not call it a step but more of a change to his running angle rather than a specific change of running direction.

Jedd Windle can also run a very good outside shoulder route and rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his outside support.

Jedd Windle also has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late. Jedd Windle’s speed can certainly be considered above average for a backrower.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Jedd Windle play his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Jedd Windle has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards.

Jedd Windle sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them. Jedd Windle is also adept at finishing off the tackle and slowing the subsequent play the ball down.

Jedd Windle good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Jedd Windle is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where Jedd Windle will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Jedd Windle will play the 2019 season with Byron Bay/Lennox Head Hornets in the Group 18 U15 competition and will also be in line to represent Group 18 in the U15 age group at the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

It will also be interesting to see if Jedd Windle continues to play rugby for Lennox Head in the Far North Coast U16 competition (there is no U15 age group) this season as well.

Jedd Windle’s game is not just about his size and speed, he has an indefinable quality about the way he plays in terms of his ability to understand what his team needs over the course of the match and respond accordingly, whether that is a straight run into the defence or a big tackle to fire up his team mates.

From a style perspective think of a someone along the lines of Brisbane Bronco, Queensland State of Origin and Australian backrower Matt Gillett as an intense aggressive well-rounded backrower with the ability to break the line by himself or as a result of running a good line.

Like Gillett, Jedd Windle is also an extremely efficient and effective defender who will hit hard when the opportunity presents itself and looks to always dominate his opponents physically in all aspects of the game.

mdrew

29-03-19, 03:59 PM

Jake Lenard. (Updated) The young second rower from the Clarence Coast Magpies club in Northern New South Wales was part of the Titans U15’s that played against another Titans and Western Mustangs sides at Mudgeeraba in February.

In 2018, Jake Lenard finished as the Group One U14 competitions second leading try scorer with twenty one tries from just fifteen matches (140%), scoring in all but two of those matches, with those matches being against Ballina and Kyogle.

Jake Lenard scored four tries in a mid-June match against Casino RSM and scored a hat trick against Grafton in July 2018. Jake Lenard also scored four doubles which were against Casino RSM in two separate matches, Kyogle and Grafton.

Jake Lenard also played four matches in the Group One U15 competition in 2018, making his debut against Casino RSM in early April and celebrated by scoring a double. He had also scored a double earlier in the day in the U14 match.

Jake Lenard went on to play a total of six U15 Group One matches in 2018 and in addition to his debut double also scored against Casino RSM once again later in the season and against Kyogle.

Jake Lenard also played in five matches for the Group One U14 representative side in 2018, playing in five matches in their New South Wales Country U14 Championship campaign including starting from the bench in their Plate Final 22 – 18 victory over Group 9.

In 2017 Jake Lenard a few other positions from the Clarence Coast Magpies junior rugby league club in the Group One Junior Rugby League competition in Northern New South Wales continued his outstanding try scoring feats throughout the 2017 Group One JRL U13 competition, where the former U12 New South Wales representative scored a staggering 35 tries in just eleven games. Understandably Jake Lenard leads the try scoring list for his age group.

Jake Lenard scored six tries in a May match against Grafton and five against Ballina in August. In addition Jake Lenard scored four tires twice, coming against Kyogle and Casino RSM and also hat tricks against Casino RSM, Marist Brothers, Ballina and Grafton. Jake Lenard in 2017 played two matches in the U14 Group One JRL competition with those matches being against Ballina and South Grafton.

Scoring tries is not a foreign experience for Jake Lenard as in 2016 at the U12 level he scored 20 tries from ten matches. To round off his points scoring this season, Jake Lenard also converted one of his tries in the Round Two clash against Casino RSM.

Jake Lenard is a very calm player on the field even though he plays the game at a very high speed and is most effective on the edge of the ruck. His style of play is that of a wide running player with above average to plus speed. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average, and I am talking the speed of an outside back not a backrower.

Jake Lenard is exceptionally quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

Jake Lenard is almost untouchable when he runs on the fringes of the ruck and uses his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a step off both feet and a very good in and away. Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a young player who causes nightmares for a defensive line.

Jake Lenard is not a player but he runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball. I have not seen a great deal of him off loading the football, but the ball skills that he possess would suggest this particular will develop into a plus skill over time.

Jake Lenard is aggressive in defence whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football.

Jake Lenard’s speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half. Due to his speed and athleticism Jake Lenard covers across the field well, thus putting him in a good position to make the tackle when the ball is turned back inside from the halves.

Jake Lenard will play for the Clarence Coast Magpies in the Group One Junior Rugby League U15 competition in 2018 and will also more than likely represent Group One at the U15 level in the New South Wales Country Championships.

From a position perspective I concede that I have no idea where Jake Lenard will actually end up, he can literally play anywhere from centre to second row and a few other positions, but ultimately I would consider that Jake Lenard will end up a devastating second rower in rugby league.

From a player comparison perspective for Jake Lenard, a young Brisbane Bronco’s version of Alex Glen, with more speed, springs to mind as an appropriate comparison, when you see the combination of the skill set he possesses and his athletic ability and of course intensity.

mdrew

02-04-19, 05:07 PM

Kade McDonald. In recent season a number of youngsters from the Western Australian region have moved over to the Gold Coast to continue their rugby league career and 2019 is no different with South Perth Lions utility Kade McDonald moving over to be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad starting Rounds One and Two against the Western Mustangs and Townsville Blackhawks respectively at fullback.

In Round Two of the Gold Coast Rugby League competition Kade McDonald came off the bench for Currumbin and scored a hat trick as the Eagles defeated Burleigh 29-24.

Kade McDonald played a lot of rugby league in 2018 starting the season as part of the Western Pirates U18 SG Ball side. In that competition, Kade McDonald played in the opening three rounds Starting round One against Parramatta at half, in Round Two against North Sydney on the wing and in Round Three at five eight against the Central Coast Roosters. Kade McDonald scored a try and kicked a conversion against the Roosters and kicked a conversion against Parramatta.

In the 2018 Western Australian Rugby League competition for the South Perth Lions, Kade McDonald played in both the Pirates Youth Cup U18 competition and the Smarter than Smoking First Grade Premiership.

In the 2018 Western Australian U18 competition, Kade McDonald finished as the competitions leading, try scorer, goal kicker and overall point’s scorer scoring 208 points from just fourteen matches to average 14.86 points per match.

Kade McDonald scored twenty three tries only missing out from crossing in one match which was against the North Beach Sea Eagles (he did kick two conversions in that match however). Kade McDonald scored hat tricks against the Joondalup Giants and North Beach Sea Eagles and doubles against the North Beach Sea Eagles in two matches, Kalamunda Bulldogs in two matches and the Joondalup Giants.

With the boot Kade McDonald kicked twelve goals in a July match against the Joondalup Giants and eleven early in the season also against the Giants.

In the Pirates Youth Cup U18 Grand Final last year, Kade McDonald scored a try and kicked six goals for a sixteen point haul in a thrilling 31 – 30 win against the Kalamunda Bulldogs.

In the Western Australian U18 competition in 2017 Kade McDonald played in nine matches scoring 140 points from nineteen tries and thirty two goals. Kade McDonald in fact made his U18 debut in 2016 as a 16 year old and even back then it was clear that he was a player of substantial promise.

2018 also saw Kade McDonald make his Western Australian First Grade debut and what a debut season he had, finishing with eighteen tries from just twenty matches, finishing as the competitions second leading try scorer and the Rookie of the year honours.

Kade McDonald, playing on the wing (where he played the majority of his first grade matches in 2018) scored a double on debut against the Freemantle Roosters and also scored a mid-season double against the Roosters as well. The remainder of Kade McDonalds Western Australian First Grade tries came in individual matches for South Perth.

Kade McDonald is by no means a big rugby league player and relies on his speed and mobility to create opportunities on the field. His speed off the mark, acceleration and top end speed are all in the plus category.

If Kade McDonald sees a gap he is through it before the defensive line can react. His plus speed manifests itself in two distinct ways, first when returning kicks, Kade McDonald regularly gets the ball on the full and then explodes through the smallest of gaps in the defensive teams kick chase and secondly when a forward takes the ball up through the centre of the ruck, Kade McDonald is always in support and if he gets an off load he can accelerate through the resultant gap.

Kade McDonald does not necessarily have a big step but has an outstanding swerve which he uses when confronted with the fullback. He will run directly at the fullback to slow his lateral momentum and then swerve around him the second the fullback’s momentum stops or slows.

As a defender, like his attack due to his smaller size, Kade McDonald relies on his speed, timing and technique. Kade McDonald has an outstanding low tackling technique which he uses against all players running at him and he will move forward from the fullback to cut down the time that the opposition has to make a decision with the ball.

Kade McDonald started Round One and Two of the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition at fullback. Kade McDonald is also Colts eligible in 2020.

In 2018 in the Western Australian U18 competition, Kade McDonald played mainly at half or five eight, in the First Grade competition on the wing and in three different positions in three separate matches for the Western Pirates in the SG Ball competition.

Kade McDonald is not the biggest player running around by any means and with how most teams are using wingers these days I think that Kade McDonald will end up at fullback, in the halves or even at hooker this season and beyond.

Dare I say it, early in his senior rugby league career, Kade McDonald may well be an ideal interchange player, being one that can come on a play multiple positions such as in the halves, fullback, hooker or wider out on the wing if necessary and add some speed, enthusiasm and evasiveness to the side when he comes on regardless of the position that he would occupy.

From a player comparison perspective, taking into account that I think that he will ultimately play in the halves I can see aspects of the play of South Sydney and former New South Wales State of Origin and Australian half Adam Reynolds in the play of Kade McDonald all be it that Kade McDonald has more speed, both off the mark and at the top end than Reynolds (in fact a lot more speed to be totally honest).

When I am talking speed off the mark I am talking Jake Granville or Matt Parcell type speed if not a touch more, thus my thoughts are that Kade McDonald may be able to spend some time at hooker especially as the opposing teams forwards begin to tire towards the end of each half.

mdrew

09-04-19, 05:49 PM

Jahvis Kendall. The young Tugun Seahawks and PBC centre started the 2019 season of starting on the left wing in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

In the match Jahvis Kendall did not get a lot of ball coming his way but did well with what he got and was on hand to score the Northern Rivers Titans only try in the match late in the second half. Jahvis Kendall stayed on his left wing and received a good cut out pass from Titans five eight Thomas Vickery and crossed untouched and was even able to take the ball closer to the posts for the conversion which was subsequently kicked by Thomas Vickery.

Round Two of the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition saw Jahvis Kendall once again line up on the wing in their match against Parramatta in Sydney, but unfortunately he had limited opportunities in the match.

Round Four saw Jahvis Kendall back in the side for the match against the Central Coast Roosters starting on the right wing which is also where he started in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers scoring out wide after a great cut out pass from Jonah Whitlam-Rose.

Jahvis Kendall represented Group 18 on a regular basis in his junior rugby league career, including playing on the wing for the Group 18 U15 side in 2017 in the New South Wales Country U15 Championships in matches against Maitland, Group 19 and Group 2 and kicked a conversion against Group 19.

2017 also saw Jahvis Kendall represent Group 18 in an U16 match against Group One in a curtain raiser to a New South Wales Country U23 V Scotland match with Jahvis Kendall starting the match on the wing.

In 2016 Jahvis Kendall represented Group 18 at the New South Wales Country U14 Championships scoring a try and kicking two goals in a match against Group 21 and also playing in the centres against Newcastle.

Even though he does not have great top end speed Jahvis Kendall is quick enough to take advantage of any space that he is given down the touchline by opposing wingers. One good thing about his play in attack is that he stays on his wing and is regularly outside his opposite number allowing his inside players to be able to find him in attack and in the games that I have seen he stays back and does not over run the players that are inside of him.

Jahvis Kendall seems to be aware of his skill set as he does not take chances with the sideline and does his utmost to ensure that he is not taken over the sideline and knows when to cut back inside rather than taking his opposite number on along the touchline.

In terms of defence, Jahvis Kendall is solid and seemingly understands the attributes of his opposite number to the extent that he alters his defensive positioning if he is against speedy, elusive wingers and against larger wingers.

Post the Laurie Daley Cup I anticipate that Jahvis Kendall will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 side that will compete in the new Gold Coast Rugby League U18 competition.

Jahvis Kendall will also be part of the PBC Open rugby league team in 2019 which will be looking to replicate their 2018 Queensland and National GIO Cup success.

Over the course of his junior rugby league career, Jahvis Kendall has split his playing time between the wing and in the centres. Ultimately however I anticipate that Jahvis Kendall will ultimately play the majority of his rugby league career on the wing.

I am reminded of the Titans own Anthony Don when I watch Jahvis Kendall play, he may not be as good in the air as Don (not sure anyone in the NRL is) but like Don he is not the fastest winger running around but invariably is in the right position at the right time to take advantage of any opportunities that present and like Don, Jahvis Kendall typically plays on the right side of the field.

mdrew

11-04-19, 04:03 PM

Kye Cooper. The exciting young Lismore Marist Brothers fullback is an outstanding addition to the Titans TEDS Program and is another outstanding junior from Northern New South Wales making his mark with the Titans.

Kye Cooper had an outstanding 2018 season for Lismore Marist Brothers in the New South Wales Group One U13 competition, scoring in all thirteen of his matches to finish the season as the competitions, leading point’s scorer, leading goal kicker and second leading try scorer.

All told Kye Cooper scored 240 points from just thirteen matches (18.5 points per game average). He scored 40 tries (308% strike rate) and also kicked 40 goals.

Kye Cooper scored five tries in a match on two occasions, being against Kyogle in May 2018 and Clarence Coast in August. He also scored four tries in four matches which came against Casino RSM, Clarence Coast, South Grafton and Kyogle.

Kye Cooper scored hat tricks against South Grafton and Ballina and doubles against Grafton in two matches and Ballina. Grafton and Ballina were the only teams able to keep Kye Cooper to one try in a game.

With the boot, Kye Cooper kicked nine in a July match against Kyogle and eight the following round against Clarence Coast. In those two matches Kye Cooper finished with impressive individual totals. In the match against Kyogle, along with his nine goals he scored four tries to points the match with 34 points and in addition to his eight goals scored five tries to finish the match against Clarence Coast with 36 points.

Let’s cut to the chase, when Kye Cooper runs the ball, he is exceptionally quick and explosive, with exceptional speed, both off the mark and when he gets into open space, teams in his age group in the Group One junior competition just could not handle him when he had the ball. He also can step off both feet exceptionally well and also has a great swerve whilst maintaining top speed.

On many occasions when he made a break, his support could not keep up and thus he used his incredible footwork and speed to beat the opposing fullback by himself. There is nothing that he cannot do running the ball and it is only now about developing his ball playing skills to make his footwork and running ability even more lethal. In attack Kye Cooper also played up in the line quite often and has been his team’s primary attacking option.

In addition he also has the ball playing skills to set up his support runners and get them lines to run into when defenders came out of the line to negate his time with the ball in hand. Kye Cooper obviously was a key target for defences but he understands that he cannot do it all himself and thus became adept at drawing defenders out of the line and putting his support runners into the subsequent hole. As his play making skills continue to evolve, the attacking possibilities are endless.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, his timing and anticipation means that he gets to a lot of balls on the full and makes a quick decision whether to run the ball flat out back into the oncoming defenders or look to create an opportunity by running across field. Regardless Kye Cooper is an absolute handful to tackle with his speed and evasion skills.

Defensively in the fullback position Kye Cooper understandably he does not make a huge amount of tackles but the ones he makes are the ones that need to be made. If an attacker runs directly at him, he will come forward to cut down the time the attacker has to make a decision and he will hit very hard and does not fall for a dummy in those situations.

An impressive attribute that Kye Cooper does have is ability to force attackers who are in open space to try to beat him down the side line. He will stay inside the attacker and force him in the required direction and then use his timing, closing speed and anticipation to make the tackle, usually forcing the attacker into touch.

The upcoming 2019 season will see Kye Cooper line up once again in Lismore Marist Brothers colours in the Group One U14 competition and Kye Cooper should also be one of the first players selected in the Group One U14 representative side in the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

Regardless of the number on his back Kye Cooper is an exciting runner of the ball combining speed, elusiveness, balance and body control. To that extent I believe that ultimately his best position will be at fullback where he will get the ball with space to work with prior to the defensive line and look to exploit any gaps that he surveys.

From my perspective, a talented, unselfish attacking player with similar attributes is Brisbane Broncos five eight Anthony Miford. Like Milford, Kye Cooper has great acceleration to go along with a wicked sidestep and the play making skills to make opposition teams pay if defences look to focus too much on him.

mdrew

12-04-19, 04:18 PM

Thomas Vickery. The young utility started the 2019 season of starting at five eight in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

Thomas Vickery tried his guts out the entire match and setup the Northern Rivers Titans sole try of the match late in the second half. Thomas Vickery was operating on the left side of the field and threw a great cut-out pass to left winger Jahvis Kendall who went over untouched and was even able to bring the ball around by about ten metres or so to make the conversion easier for Thomas Vickery.

Round Two saw Thomas Vickery move to right centre for the Northern Rivers Titans match against the Parramatta Eels.

Round Three saw another position change for Thomas Vickery when he started at fullback against the North Coast Bulldogs in Grafton and converted Cooper Many’s second half try near the left upright.

Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters saw Thomas Vickery on the move again, moving back to right centre where he played in Round Two and converted two of the Northern Rivers Titans three tries.

In Round five against the Greater Northern Tigers Thomas Vickery stayed at centre and added four goals to his points tally in the competition.

Post the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition Thomas Vickery started in the U18 NRRRL competition for Murwillumbah kicking four goals as the Colts started their season off with a 36 – 4 victory over the Evans Head Bombers.

In Round Two Thomas Vickery added a try and two goals as Murwillumbah went down 18 – 16 to the Lower Clarence Magpies a side which contained Titans contract stand out Ethan Foster.

In 2018 Thomas Vickery played two matches for the Northern Rivers Titans Laurie Daley Cup squad, being Round One against the Newcastle Knights when he started on the wing and in Round Four when he started in the centres against the Central Coast Roosters.

Thomas Vickery had a big game against the Central Coast Roosters scoring a double and also kicking a conversion for a ten point match haul.

In Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers Thomas Vickery added a try and four goals to his season points tally in a tough four point loss.

Post the 2018 Laurie Daley Cup competition, Thomas Vickery played for Murwillumbah in the NRRRL competition, playing in the U18, reserve grade and first grade competitions over the course of the 2018 season.

In the U18 competition, Thomas Vickery played in eight matches in 2018 scoring twenty points which was made up of two tries and six goals. Both of his tries came against Evans Head in August, a match which also saw him kick four goals to finish with a match total of sixteen points, which accounted for 80% of his season total.

Thomas Vickery played three NRRRL Reserve Grade matches in 2018 as well and in his reserve grade debut for Murwillumbah scored a double against Cudgen.

Thomas Vickery made his deserved NRRRL First Debut as a 17 year old Casino RSM in April and went on to play in eleven First Grade matches, scoring his first try in his third match against Mullumbimby. Thomas Vickery followed that up with a double later in the season against Evans Head, a match which also saw him kick a conversion.

Thomas Vickery is not the biggest rugby league player running around but do not take his lack of size in any way as a lack of ability or courage, he has a lot of both, which is on display each time he runs onto the field. With the ball he is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports.

Thomas Vickery is adept at drawing an opposing defender out of the defensive line and then putting his support runner through the resulting gap. In terms of his speed, I would suggest that an appropriate definition of his speed would be that he is quick off the mark but does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space.

In previous seasons when I have seen him play he sometimes took the line on himself too much, but the times that I have seen him play more recently Thomas Vickery has become more selective about when to pass and when to run. Thomas Vickery’s passing game is solid but seems to be slightly better when he is passing to the right side of the field.

Thomas Vickery is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side both in attack and defence. Thomas Vickery also has a touch of aggressiveness about his play on occasion which showed in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Round two match against the Parramatta Eels early in 2019.

Thomas Vickery is not the biggest player but even when defending in the front line will tackle using his shoulder which assists when defending against larger forwards operating on the fringes of the ruck.

Whilst not the biggest Thomas Vickery is strong and tough enough to effectively tackle one on one against opposing halves and with his solid speed and foot work he can cover a lot of ground as he tracks the ball across the field. Thomas Vickery is certainly not going to be a liability in defence for his team and is more than willing to take on bigger forwards.

When defending at fullback Thomas Vickery forces the opposition to make a decision with the football rather than letting the attackers come to him with time on their side and at fullback has very safe hands and will get to a lot of kicks on the full thus enabling his team to start their set of six with good field position, courage is also not an issues for the young Gold Coast junior.

Thomas Vickery played multiple positions for the Northern Rivers Titans U18 side this season including five eight, centre and fullback but ultimately I believe that he ends up as a fullback in the senior rugby league ranks.

Thomas Vickery will play the remainder of the 2019 season in the NRRRL competition with Murwillumbah and even though he has started in the NRRRL U18 competition, I would anticipate that Thomas Vickery will play a lot of NRRRL First Grade for the Mustangs in an NRRRL First Grade competition which with an influx of players this season should be a competition of quite a high standard.

From a player comparison perspective in relation to Thomas Vickery, think of someone along the lines of current Newcastle Knights and former St George Dragons fullback Kurt Mann as just a solid, safe and dependable player across the board who can play a variety of positions in the backline from fullback all the way through to the halves.

mdrew

15-04-19, 05:46 PM

Desmond Ferguson. The young Ballina Seagulls fullback or winger and Ballina Coast High School student was selected in the Titans 2018/19 Group 18 U15 Development Squad. 2018 saw Desmond Ferguson represent Group One in the 2018 U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

Desmond Ferguson finished the 2018 Group One U14 season as the competitions leading point scorer with 87 points from four tries, 35 goals and a field goal which he kicked in August against the Kyogle Turkeys.

Desmond Ferguson’s tries came from an early season double against Lismore Marist Brothers, he also scored against them a couple of rounds later and against Kyogle.

With the boot Desmond Ferguson kicked six goals in a match on two occasions with those matches against Lismore Marist Brothers and Casino RSM.

In the U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships for Group One Desmond Ferguson in all four of Group One’s matches including the Northern Plate Final against Group 19 which Group One won 38 – 12. In the final Desmond Ferguson scored a try and kicked two goals.

Desmond Ferguson also played club rugby in 2018 in two separate competitions being the U14 Far North Coast competition for Wollongbar/Alstonville where a team mate was fellow Titans Development Squad member and Ballina Coast High School student Damon Coldwell and the Gold Coast U15 rugby competition also for Wollongbar/Alstonville with Damon Coldwell once again being a team mate.

In the 2018 U14 Far Norther Coast competition, Desmond Ferguson played in eight matches, including starting the Grand Final at fullback in their 15 – 0 loss against Casuarina/Tweed and scored four tries and kicked sixteen conversions to finish the 2018 season with 48 points.

Desmond Ferguson scored a Round Seven double against Lismore, scoring against Lismore once again in Round Ten and scored his final try of the season in their Week One Finals victory over Lennox Head.

With the boot, Desmond Ferguson kicked five conversions in a match on two occasions being Rounds Seven and Ten on both occasions against Lismore.

Desmond Ferguson’s first Far North Coast U14 match was in Round Five against Lennox Head when he started from the bench and broke into the starting side at fullback starting in Round Six against Casuarina/Tweed staying there for the remainder of the season except for Round Nine against Lennox Head when he started from the bench.

In 2018, Desmond Ferguson also played four matches for Wollongbar/Alstonville in the Gold Coast Rugby U15 competition starting on the right wing on all four occasions. He came into the side in Round Three against the Gold Coast Eagles and also played matches against Casino, the PBC Alleygators and Surfers Dolphins.

Desmond Ferguson is very quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will not get caught from behind if he gets into open space. I would not say that he has blazing speed but he does have decent top end speed and is unlikely to get caught from behind by anyone but the absolute quickest of opponents. Desmond Ferguson’s best attribute from an outside back perspective is his ability to keep his width and be available for his team mates, when the opposing defender cheats inside.

When the ball is moved out the back line, he stays on his line, and a lot of the tries that he scored is when he was able to beat his opposite defender when they had come in just a fraction.

When playing in the centres Desmond Ferguson looks to draw in the winger to try to create space down the touch line for the attackers outside him, but when he does have enough pace, when he is able to get outside his opposing defender and make line breaks when the defensive winger stays out. Thus from what I have seen he has very good situational awareness in attack from either the centre or wing positions.

In defence, Desmond Ferguson is not the strongest player but will certainly look to hold his line defensively. I have not often see him come in when he did not need to, preferring to stay on his oppose number and trusting his teams inside and outside defenders. From my perspective at least, his skill set in defence is more suited to a sliding defence structure rather than an up and in one.

Desmond Ferguson will play the 2019 season with the Ballina Seagulls in the Group One U15 competition and will be in line to represent Group One in the U15 age group at the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships to be held later this year. Desmond Ferguson will also be a key member of the Ballina Coast High School U15 Rugby League side this season.

It will also be interesting to see if Damon Coldwell continues to play rugby for Wollongbar/Alstonville in the Far North Coast U16 competition (there is no U15 age group) this season as well. Desmond Ferguson however may play for Wollongbar/Alstonville in the Gold Coast Rugby U15 competition.

In 2018 Desmond Ferguson played primarily wing or fullback, but with his straight line speed and ability to operate in limited space, Desmond Ferguson has the makings of an outstanding try scoring, goal kicking rugby league winger, although I think that it is likely that he will continue to play both at fullback or in the centres for the foreseeable future.

For me how Desmond Ferguson plays is similar to the playing style of former Titan, PNG International captain and English Super League player David Mead as a talented winger who whilst he can score regularly also pops up regularly in the centre of the ruck giving his forwards a breather with a hit up or bringing the ball back on a kick return with a fearless approach.

mdrew

16-04-19, 06:02 PM

Jacob Tinsley. The talented young Logan Brothers hooker is currently part of the Titans TEDS program and started at hooker for the Titans U14 side that defeated the Western Mustangs 32 – 8 at Mudgeeraba in February of this year.

In that match, Jacob Tinsley played the entire first half and then came back onto the field mid-way through the second half to finish out the match for the Titans.

Jacob Tinsley had a couple of impressive plays in the match including an outstanding 40/20 when he stepped to his right out of dummy half and put the ball into the right corner of the field.

Jacob Tinsley also played a part in one of the Titans second half tries when right on the Western Mustangs line he scooted out of dummy half to his left before popping the ball back inside to one of the Titans front rowers to crash over.

In 2018 Jacob Tinsley played nineteen matches for Logan Brothers in the U13 Premier Division of the GBJRL competition, the last being as Logan Brothers fell 40 – 10 to Redcliffe in the Preliminary Final.

Earlier in the 2018 season Jacob Tinsley started at hooker for Logan Brothers in their mid-season Chairman’s Trophy match against Carina with Logan Brothers going down in that match 26 – 18.

2018 also saw Jacob Tinsley named in the South East Queensland U13 representative side and in 2017 he represented Met West U12’s from Greenbank State High School being named as lock for the Queensland U12 School Boy Championships.

Jacob Tinsley is an extremely talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects of the modern day hooker, those being his distribution out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Jacob Tinsley is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

In the games that I have seen there is no discernible difference between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Jacob Tinsley is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short he is a very good game manager from the hooking position.

Jacob Tinsley’s defence for a hooker is exceptional, for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive opposing forwards backwards and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down.

Jacob Tinsley’s intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside. Jacob Tinsley literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck.

Jacob Tinsley will play the 2019 season for the outstanding Logan Brothers Club in the GBJRL U14 Premier Division competition and also surely will be pushing for a spot in one of the Brisbane Stingers U14 squads for the 2019 South East Queensland Age Championships and post that the Queensland U14 Age Championships.

Even though he has played some lock in the past, for example for Met West at the U12 level in 2017, for Logan Brothers, Jacob Tinsley has played exclusively at hooker and that is likely where he will stay in the long term both from a club and representative perspective I would argue. That was certainly evidenced by the way that he played for the Titans U14’s against the Western Mustangs in February 2019.

From a player comparison perspective for Jacob Tinsley think someone along the lines of former Newcastle Knights, New South Wales Origin and Australian hooker Danny Buderis .

Like Buderis, Jacob Tinsley is a hard working player with outstanding leadership skills, a diverse skill set, including the ability to kick out of dummy half and someone that his team mates will appreciate playing with.

mdrew

18-04-19, 02:14 PM

Caleb Nicholls. The former Titans contracted youngster is back on the Gold Coast after a season with the Newcastle Knights and will line up for the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts side this season, and will be U20 Colts eligible once again in 2020.

In Round One for Tweed Heads against the Western Mustangs Caleb Nicholls started in the centres in an 18 – 14 Seagulls victory. Caleb Nicholls started at left centre again in Round Two against the Townsville Blackhawks and scored the Seagulls first try late in the first half.

In total in the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition to date Caleb Nicholls has played in five of Tweed Heads six matches, starting the opening three in the centres before moving to the interchange bench for Round Four. After missing Round Five, Caleb Nicholls was back for Round Six against the Mackay Cutters once again starting from the interchange bench.

Caleb Nicholls headed down to Newcastle for the 2018 season starting the season as part of the Newcastle Knights U18 SG Ball side, playing in six of the eleven matches in that competition for the Knights, starting all on the left wing and scoring a double in Round Two against the Balmain Tigers.

Caleb Nicholls first try of the match, in the first half was one of the easier ones that he will score when he went over untouched in the left corner. His second try could not have been more different. In the second half Caleb Nicholls got the ball about ten metres out from the Balmain line with two defenders in front out him, he used his strength to hold them off to score in the corner with his legs over the touchline but his strength, balance and body control allowed him to get the ball down before he was knocked into touch.

Post the SG Ball competition, Caleb Nicholls played in nine matches for the Maitland Pickers in the Newcastle Rugby League U19 competition including starting on the wing in the Grand Final in their 13 – 6 win against Western Suburbs. In his nine matches, Caleb Nicholls scored three tries.

In 2018 Caleb Nicholls was also part of the All Saints College Maitland Rugby League Open side that performed so well in the NRL School Boys Cup competition where he played the majority of his matches in the centres.

In a 34 – 16 Round One win against St Gregory’s College Campbelltown Caleb Nicholls kicked five conversions from six attempts. Round Two saw Caleb Nicholls score in another 34 – 16 win this time against Matraville Sports High and Caleb Nicholls scored again in All Saints College Maitland’s 32 – 20 Quarter Final Victory against Sydney’s Holy Cross Ryde.

2018 also saw Caleb Nicholls represent the Newcastle/Maitland U18 rugby league side in the centres in the New South Wales Northern Region Combined Catholic College trials, where one of his opponents from the Lismore side was Titans contracted half Matt Buttenshaw who will also be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts squad this season.

In 2017 Caleb Nicholls was a standout for Bilambil on the Gold Coast playing for the Jets in the U17 Division One, U19 and First Grade competitions, on occasions playing multiple matches in those grades over the course of the weekend.

In the U17 Division One competition, Caleb Nicholls played in eleven matches scoring seven tries and kicking eight goals to finish the season with 44 points. Caleb Nicholls scored a hat trick against Mudgeeraba, a double also against Mudgeeraba and also scored single tries against yes Mudgeeraba and Burleigh.

With the boot Caleb Nicholls kicked four and three conversions in separate matches against, yes you guessed it Mudgeeraba.

In the 2017 U19 competition, Caleb Nicholls played in nine matches, scoring six tries including a double against Mudgeeraba and tries against Ormeau in two matches, Runaway Bay and Tugun.

With the boot Caleb Nicholls kicked sixteen gaols including six late in the season against Tugun and four against Ormeau early in the season.

Caleb Nicholls made his GCRL First Grade debut in early June 2017 against Southport, playing in four matches in total and scoring against Currumbin and Southport.

In 2016 Caleb Nicholls was part of the New South Wales U16 Emerging Origin Squad and played in the Cyril Connell Cup competition.

In attack Caleb Nicholls is very effective especially when he gets the ball early and as able to generate momentum in his frame to look to dominate his immediate opponent, he has decent speed off the mark but obviously the more time he had before he impacted the defensive line the more ground Caleb Nicholls was able to make.

The majority of time, Caleb Nicholls immediate mind set is to look to run over his direct opponent rather than necessarily run around or step them.

Defensively Caleb Nicholls is intriguing, he has the size to hit hard defensively but also has a solid repeatable low tackling technique. In short Caleb Nicholls is equally effective in defending against larger wingers who look to run over the top of him and the smaller wingers looking to use speed and guile to beat him on the outside.

Caleb Nicholls does have a decent in and away move and a solid fend which he can use to his advantage but as noted his first reaction seems to be to use his size to try to steam roll his direct opponent.

2019 will see Caleb Nicholls continue to line up for what is shaping as a very strong Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts squad. Caleb Nicholls is also Colts eligible in 2020.

I really liked how Caleb Nicholls played in the centres in 2017 and prior but last season he played exclusively on the left wing for the Newcastle Knights U18 SG Ball side and for the Maitland Pickers, primarily left wing as well and therefore it is probable/likely that is where he will play in 2019. Although I do note that he played in the centres in relation to school boy rugby league in 2018.

A player with a similar playing style for me for Caleb Nicholls would be Cronulla Sharks outside back Ricky Leutele, they are both around the same size and look to use their size and speed to their advantage to dominate the opponent directly in front of them.

mdrew

20-04-19, 06:09 AM

Damon Coldwell. The outstanding young Lismore Marist Brothers flyer played an incredible amount of football in 2018 both rugby league and rugby and 2019 figures to be a similar situation for the Ballina Coast High School student with his selection in the Titans 2018/19 Group 18 U15 Development Squad.

Damon Coldwell as a solid contributor to the Titans U15 side that played a fellow Titans side and Western Mustangs side at Mudgeeraba in February 2019.

2018 also saw Damon Coldwell represent Group One in the 2018 U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

From a club rugby league perspective, Damon Coldwell played the 2018 season with Lismore in the U14 Group One competition, finishing as the competitions fourth highest try scorer with 17 tries from just fourteen matches finishing with a 121% strike rate.

Damon Coldwell scored a late season hat trick against Grafton and doubles against Casino RSM, Kyogle, Grafton and Ballina two matches in consecutive matches in July 2018. Damon Coldwell also scored in matches against Ballina, Kyogle and Clarence Coast.

In addition Damon Coldwell played in three Group One U16.5 matches in 2018, making his debut against Kyogle in May and also playing in matches against South Grafton and Casino RSM over the course of the season.

In the U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships for Group One Damon Coldwell played in all four of Group One’s matches including the Northern Plate Final against Group 19 which Group One won 38 – 12. In the Final Damon Coldwell scored an outstanding hat trick and also scored earlier in the Championships against Newcastle, a try which he scored with five minutes to go to seal the victory for Group One.

Damon Coldwell also played club rugby in 2018 in two separate competitions being the U14 Far North Coast competition for Wollongbar/Alstonville where a team mate was fellow Titans Development Squad member and Ballina Coast High School student Desmond Ferguson and the Gold Coast U15 rugby competition also for Wollongbar/Alstonville with Desmond Ferguson once again being a team mate.

In the 2018 U14 Far Norther Coast competition, Damon Coldwell played in eight matches, including starting the Grand Final in the centres in their 15 – 0 loss against Casuarina/Tweed and scored sixteen tries.

Damon Coldwell scored four tries in Round Ten against Lismore, hat tricks against Lennox Head in Rounds Five and Nine and also scored doubles in matches against Lismore in Rounds Four and Seven and against Lennox Head in the first week of the Finals.

Damon Coldwell came into the U14 Wollongbar/Alstonville side in Round Four against Lismore starting on the bench. He started on the right wing in Round Five against Lennox Head for his first start before starting on the bench again in Round Seven against Lismore.

Damon Coldwell broke into the starting side for good in Round Eight against Casuarina/Tweed when he started in the centres where he stayed for the remainder of the season.

In 2018, Damon Coldwell also played eight matches for Wollongbar/Alstonville in the Gold Coast Rugby U15 competition playing his first match in Round Two against the Helensvale Hogs celebrating with a try after starting the match on the right wing.

Damon Coldwell also scored a double in Round Nine against Casino and also scored in Rounds Three and Eight against the Gold Coast Eagles and PBC Alleygators respectively.

Damon Coldwell played four matches on the right wing, one on the left wing (Round Three against the Gold Coast Eagles) and three at outside centre in Rounds Eight to Ten against PBC Alleygators, Casino and Surfers Dolphins respectively.

2018 also saw Damon Coldwell represent Far North Coast region in touch alongside Titans contracted Rowan Mansfield.

From a running perspective, Damon Coldwell just seems to glide across the field and it appears effortless, no matter who is chasing him, they will not catch Damon Coldwell, I am talking James Roberts type of pace but he has a much more effortless running style to that of the current Brisbane Bronco.

Damon Coldwell does not necessarily have a side step per say, it is more of a swerve and he has a number of variations, with the scary part being that there is absolutely no loss of speed at all, making him incredibly difficult to stop when he is in open space and is moving towards a fullback who is near stationary.

Damon Coldwell’s passing skills are also developing into those of the highest quality, he can pass equally well from either side of his body and can throw every type of pass imaginable, he can chime into a back line at full pace and then decelerate quickly to maintain his balance a pop a good short ball to his supports, he can throw a great spiral pass to his backline or he can quickly anticipate the numbers a throw a great cut out pass to exploit over laps.

Defensively Damon Coldwell also stands out, with his closing speed and recovery speed he makes an impact on that side of the ball as well. With his speed, Damon Coldwell has the luxury of being able to stand a touch deeper than some fullbacks yet still be able to close quickly to negate breaks by reducing the decision making time of the attacking player.

Similar to the attributes that make Damon Coldwell such an effective defender, Damon Coldwell is as you would expect a great returner of the ball. His sense of timing, speed and anticipation means that he gets to a lot of kicks on the full and then accelerates looking to exploit any gaps on the kick chase.

Damon Coldwell exceptional lateral movement and sure hands means that he is a danger to make a large amount of ground from short attacking kicks by the opposition as he comes forward at full speed and retrieves with absolutely no loss of momentum and then will surprise the attacking team well before they can reorganise the defensive line.

Damon Coldwell will play the 2019 season with Lismore Marist Brothers in the Group One U15 competition and will be in line to represent Group One in the U15 age group at the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships. Damon Coldwell will also be a key member of the Ballina Coast High School U15 Rugby League side this season.

It will also be interesting to see if Damon Coldwell continues to play rugby for Wollongbar/Alstonville in the Far North Coast U16 competition (there is no U15 age group) this season as well. Damon Coldwell however may play for Wollongbar/Alstonville in the Gold Coast Rugby U15 competition.

The 2018 season saw Damon Coldwell play in the centres and on the wing in both rugby and rugby league but with his outstanding speed, body control and balance, I would think that he will be given every opportunity to stay in the centres long term.

If for whatever reason a move away from centre is considered, Damon Coldwell projects as an outstanding try scoring winger who if he gets the ball early will tear opposing defences apart, you just have to consider what he did in the New South Wales Country U14 Plate Final as an indicator of Damon Coldwell’s immense potential.

Damon Coldwell is an exciting try scoring outside back with exceptional speed, balance and body control and thus can be favourably compared to Broncos and New South Wales State of Origin centre James Roberts.

mdrew

21-04-19, 06:19 AM

Noah Johannssen. The young front rower from the South Tweed Bears club in Northern New South Wales made his deserved Titans debut when he came off the bench for the Titans in their U16 clash against the Newcastle Knights in January of this year in very very hot conditions.

In the match, Noah Johannssen had spells on the field in both halves and took the ball into the Knights defensive line with a hard straight running mentality and also was on hand to back up at every opportunity including taking a good one hand pass from Joseph Shannon in the first half to get the ball into the Knights twenty metre defensive area.

In Round One of the U18 Andrew Johns Cup competition this season, Noah Johannssen started in the front row for the Northern Rivers Titans in their match against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad and to say he had a dominant first half would be a massive understatement.

You can probably already mark down Noah Johannssen down for try of the year at any level. Early in the first half, Newcastle were forced to drop the ball out, Noah Johannssen took the ball from Riley Lack who fielded the drop out near the half way mark and simply powered his way through the Newcastle defence to score near the left upright.

The try was not as a result of Noah Johannssen just breaking the Newcastle line once and scoring, at least twice it appeared that Noah Johannssen would be dragged down but he kept pumping his legs and broke tackle after tackle on his way to the line.

Noah Johannssen also took the hit-up after the Newcastle kick off and once again provided a difficult proposition for the Newcastle defence. Add in a great second half off-load and you have a great game by Noah Johannssen.

Round Two of the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Noah Johannssen once again line up in the front row in their match against Parramatta and was once again heavily involved making ground in the centre of the ruck, making significant metres post contact.

Noah Johannssen also made a great heads up play in the second half when after one of the Parramatta front rowers made a strong run, Noah Johannssen stripped the ball in a one on one tackle and then charged fifteen metres in the opposite direction to totally change the momentum of the match.

Noah Johannsson also had a solid match in Round Three against the North Coast Bulldogs once again starting the match in the front row alongside fellow Titan Jack Cullen.

Noah Johannsson also started in the front row in Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters and had a huge match especially in attack when he consistently made significant metres post contact and also had a try assist. In the last minute of the match, Noah Johannssen broke through the Central Coast line, drawing the fullback to send Northern Rivers Titans right centre Blake Marrison away for the Titans to top the fifty point mark.

Noah Johannsson also started in the front row in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers and was near unstoppable constantly gaining ground after contact and scored a deserved first half try when he powered over after a long break from Ryan Foran. The break from Ryan Foran was from a scrum thus the effort of Noah Johannsson to break from the scrum and run eighty metres to take the ball and subsequently score was certainly impressive.

Noah Johannsson also had a strong match against a huge Penrith pack in the Titans 26 – 14 semi-final victory with Noah Johannsson forcing the defence to commit multiple defensive resources every time he took the ball into the defensive line.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final against the Western Rams Noah Johannsson started in the front row in the 18 – 6 victory and was certainly a key part in the outstanding victory.

Post the victory Noah Johannsson was named on the interchange bench for the New South Wales Country U16 side for their November two match tour of the United Kingdom.

Incredibly the day after the Andrew Johns Cup final, Noah Johannsson was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 NRRRL side that defeated Kyogle 24 – 16 in Round two of the NRRRL U18 competition, talk about a young man who obviously just loves playing rugby league.

Noah Johannssen was also involved Rounds Two and Three of the U18 NRRRL competition with the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 side.

In the Group 18 U15 competition in 2018, Noah Johannssen was part of the South Tweed Premiership winning side with the Bears defeating Byron Bay Lennox Head 22 – 16 in the Grand Final.

Over the previous two seasons Noah Johannssen has represented Group 18 at the U14 and U15 levels.

Noah Johannssen is a big and I mean big strong front rower who is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and can offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it, in addition he is quite effective when his team is attacking close to the try line. Noah Johannssen can either take the ball himself, and when he gets low he is very difficult to stop or he can run as a decoy and attract defenders away from the real axis of attack.

For a big front rower Noah Johannssen does actually have quite decent speed and footwork, certainly well above average for a player of his size. He does however seem to carry the ball in his right hand away from his body which whilst it can make offloading easier once he engages the defensive line it can lead to a number of dropped balls when opposing defenders engage him.

Noah Johannssen is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will understandably have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half. His calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck.

Noah Johannssen can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself. At times in games Noah Johannssen really does prevent opposing gaining any ground at all through the centre of the ruck at all.

Noah Johannssen has started the post Andrew Johns Cup competition time in the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 side that plays in the U18 NRRRL competition and it would be an outstanding achievement for the 16 year old to play the entire season against players in the main two years older than him.

Noah Johannssen is a giant of a young man but also has outstanding mobility for a player of his size and strength and certainly will continue to play in the front row in any team, representative, school boy or club, that he is involved in for the remainder of what is shaping to be an outstanding rugby league career.

What really stands out for me in relation to Noah Johannssen is his exceptional mobility and stamina for a player of his size and strength it is truly and impressive trait.

From a player comparison perspective for Noah Johannssen, consider someone along the same lines of Wests Tigers and New Zealand International’s Ben Matelino and Russell Packer as no nonsense types of front rowers with size, strength and power and a hard tough uncompromising attitude to go along with other attributes.

mdrew

23-04-19, 05:05 PM

Dayton To’a. The Coomera youngster started on the interchange bench for the Titans U16’s in their January 2019 match s at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights. The match was Dayton To’a’s first call up to the Titans junior development ranks.

Dayton To’a played the second half on the left wing for the Titans and took the ball up with vigour on a number of occasions. In one instance he left a few Knights forwards on the ground behind him and produced a quick play the ball which led to a long break by hooker Caleb Gould-Waiariki right through the centre of the ruck and after the Titans second try scored by front rower Brody Smitka took the ball on the full from the kick up and just flew into the Newcastle line causing havoc once again.

In late 2018 Dayton To’a was selected in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 train on squad for the 2019 South East Queensland U16 Challenge and was a solid performer in that competition.

In 2016 for Keebra Park, Dayton To’a was part of the successful Renouf Cup U13 side who won that particular competition. For the Renouf Cup U13 Keebra Park side Dayton To’a spent time at hooker and played very well over the course of the season, including scoring a double in a Round Two 42 – 10 victory over Ipswich State High School and was dangerous out of dummy half all afternoon that day.

In Round Four in a 20 – 6 victory over Wavell State High School in 2016, it was Dayton To’a’s defence that came to the fore as the Wavell forwards constantly ran in his direction but he held firm for the entire match. Dayton To’a also kicked two conversions that afternoon. A Round Five win against Marsden State High School once again saw Dayton To’a cause havoc out of dummy half especially late in each half as the big Marsden forwards tired noticeably in the heat.

Dayton To’a is powerfully built young man who runs with pace and power. It would be unfair to categorise that his game is only built on pace and power though as he has a very good right foot step and right hand fend. For his build, he is very quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will not get caught from behind if he gets into open space.

Whilst his speed off the mark cannot be considered explosive Dayton To’a has good top end speed once he gets moving. In addition to his speed he seems to have the ability to “freeze” his direct opponent with his ability to step off both feet before accelerating around them.

On the wing, with his low centre of gravity Dayton To’a is able to come in and take runs through the centre of the ruck, and effective runs at that. Dayton To’a will take off from dummy half and use his foot work make a lot of the “tough” yards.

Dayton To’a’s defensive game is one built on intimidation he will come out of the line when the opportunity presents itself and hit very hard around the chest and drive through is lower body and continue until the tackle is well and truly finished.

The positive for Dayton To’a is that he does not purely rely on strength and power to hit, timing is also a key attribute to ensure that he arrives at the attacker at around the same time that the ball does, this also reduces the likelihood of injury to himself or the defender getting on his outside setting up a two or one.

The start of 2019 saw Dayton To’a play for the Gold Coast Vikings U16 sides and he will also play for Coomera in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition.

Dayton To’a will also be involved in various school boy rugby league competitions with the Keebra Park Open Rugby League side, including the GIO Cup amongst others.

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea what Dayton Toa’s best position will be, for the simple reason he can practically play in any position on the field from hooker through to the halves and even wider out as well.

Making a projection however, I think that based on what I saw for the Titans U16’s against Newcastle, playing on the wing where he can take a lot of pressure off his forwards and be an intimidating defensive presence cannot be discounted as his career progresses.

From a player comparison perspective for Dayton To’a think former Canterbury Bulldogs and Wests Tigers winger Matthew Utai , he may not have amazing speed etc. but he is very difficult to tackle due to his build and strength and as someone who will regularly be able to come in and take pressure off his forwards with some bullocking runs as was evidenced in the Titans U16 match against the Newcastle Knights in February this year.

mdrew

26-04-19, 12:34 PM

Cooper Many. The Lower Clarence Magpie started the 2019 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad, his second season in that competition.

Round One saw Cooper Many start in the right centre position for the Northern Rivers Titans in their match against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

In Round Two Cooper Many started the match against the Parramatta Eels in the second row and also started in the second row in Round Three against the North Coast Bulldogs and scored a good second half try when he ran a good inside shoulder route from around fifteen metres out to score neat the left upright.

Post the U18 Laurie Daley Cup, Cooper Many has played the opening three rounds of the NRRRL U18 competition with the Lower Clarence Magpies, his second season in that competition and opened his try scoring account in Round Three scoring a double as the Magpies defeated Kyogle 44 – 0.

Cooper Many started the 2018 season as part of the Northern Rivers Laurie Daley Cup U18 side, playing in four matches, starting all in the second row with those matches coming against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad, North Coast, Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers.

From a club perspective in 2018, Cooper Many linked up in the second row for the Lower Clarence Magpies in the U18 NRRRL competition, progressing all the way to the Preliminary Final before falling to the Ballina Seagulls 30 - 14.

Cooper Many played in sixteen U18 NRRRL matches for the Magpies this season including finals and scored eight regular season tries. Each of Cooper Many’s tries came in individual games including games against Lismore Marist Brothers, Ballina, Murwillumbah, Casino RSM, Cudgen and Evans Head.

In 2017 Cooper Many played for the Clarence Coast Magpies in the U16.5 competition and finished as the competitions leading try scorer with ten tries from just twelve matches. Cooper Many scored a hat trick against Ballina and a double against Lismore Marist Brothers.

Cooper Many has previously represented Group One at the U14 and U15 levels in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Cooper Many is a hard running forward who is very good at running the right line including both and inside shoulder and outside shoulder line and consistently hits the pass off either the dummy half or play maker flat thus generating his best possible speed and momentum to hit the defensive line at full speed.

Where he really excels though is his footwork, Cooper Many has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

Cooper Many is adept at cutting back behind the play the ball area when the markers do not work hard and make ground as a result. When Lower Clarence were in the attacking area, Cooper Many was regularly used to draw the defence into the centre of the ruck thus stretching the defensive line out wide to allow the backline more room to move.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Cooper Many’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running vector and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of those multiple directional changes. He seems just to run and think at a faster pace than other forwards on the field.

These attributes lead to a lot of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself. Cooper Many’s speed is probably a bit above average but it is the speed that he is able to generate from only a few paces which makes it play faster from a defenders perspective.

Defensively he hits very hard and had one of the better defensive technique s in the NRRRL U18 competition this season. Cooper Many’s technique revolves around timing and execution. Cooper Many’s head is almost always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs.

From the matches that I have seen Cooper Many also tackles with both shoulders equally effectively. The impressive thing for me also is that Cooper Many never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is quite exceptional for a reasonably inexperienced forward.

Another defensive aspect that I noted during the 2018 season was that Cooper Many does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one before.

Cooper Many’s lateral speed and mobility is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

Cooper Many will play out the 2019 season in the NRRRL U18 competition, Cooper Many will I am sure will also make his NRRRL Reserve Grade debut for the Lower Clarence Magpies.

Cooper Many has a number of traits that certainly lend themselves to a player comparison to Titans and Queensland State of Origin backrower Jai Arrow. Both are hardworking forwards who will impress rugby league followers with their skill and effort.

mdrew

27-04-19, 07:35 AM

Lachlan Hallard. The Bilambil Jets player was outstanding over the course of the 2018 season and started the 2019 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad.

In that competition, Lachlan Hallard started Round One in the right centre position for the Northern Rivers Titans in their clash against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

Round Two of the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition saw Lachlan Hallard start their match against Parramatta from the interchange bench.

Lachlan Hallard was back in the starting line-up for the Northern Rivers Titans side at right centre in their derby match against the North Coast Bulldogs in Round Three.

In Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters Lachlan Hallard started at five eight for the Northern Rivers Titans and was a solid performer in the five eight position.

Lachlan Hallard also started at five eight in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers and scored when he darted out of dummy half to his right near to score adjacent to the right goal post, with Thomas Vickery kicking the resultant conversion.

After the completion of the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition Lachlan Hallard lined up for Cudgen in Round One of the U18 NRRRL competition, starting in the centres and scoring as his Hornets side went down 28-16 to Lismore Marist Brothers.

To date in the 2019 NRRRL U18 competition Lachlan Hallard has played in all three of Cudgen’s matches.

In Round One after playing in the NRRRL U18 match Lachlan Hallard then backed up coming off the bench in the Reserve Grade match which co-incidentally also finished 28 – 16 will Lismore Marist Brothers also winning that match.

In 2018 Lachlan Hallard played in three matches for the Northern Rivers Titans Laurie Daley Cup squad, starting each of those in the second row and scored in Rounds Four and Five against the Central Coast Roosters and Greater Northern Tigers respectively.

Post the 2018 Laurie Daley Cup competition Lachlan Hallard played in three different competitions for the Bilambil Jets in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

In the 2018 U17 Division One competition, Lachlan Hallard played in eight matches and in the U19 competition, he played in seven, making his debut against Helensvale in May and scored his sole try in the GCRL competition against Burleigh in August.

At just 17 years old, Lachlan Hallard made his GCRL First Grade debut in Round Sixteen against the Burleigh Bears, starting the match at fullback. Lachlan Hallard also started at fullback in Round Seventeen against Currumbin with following week.

Lachlan Hallard’s style of play is that of a wide running back rower or centre with a touch above average speed for the position. He is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, Lachlan Hallard has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful back rower, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space and has reached his top speed.

When he runs on the fringes of the ruck and Lachlan Hallard uses his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a decent step off both feet and a very good in and away as well as simply running over people. Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a strong young player who can cause issues for any defensive line.

Lachlan Hallard seems to line up on the right side of the field more so than the left, but I have no doubt moving forward that he will be able to play on either side of the field.

Lachlan Hallard is an aggressive defender whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks when he is able to set his base.

Lachlan Hallard’s speed and lateral mobility means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

Lachlan Hallard will play the remainder of the 2019 season for Cudgen in the NRRRL U18 competition, his last in the U18 age group before he moves permanently to the senior rugby league ranks.

It would also not surprise to see Lachlan Hallard to also play a number of NRRRL First Grade matches as the 2019 season progresses.

Lachlan Hallard has played a variety of positions over the last eighteen months including fullback, centre, and second row and also played a number of matches for the Northern Rivers Titans U18 side at five eight. For me when all is said and done, I believe that Lachlan Hallard will ultimately spend the majority of his time in the second row.

From a style comparison perspective for Lachlan Hallard, the current NRL player that stands out for me is Titans Bryce Cartwright as a mobile, wide running backrower with a diverse skill set.

mdrew

03-05-19, 02:01 PM

George Santos-Motuapuaka. The Victorian centre or winger, at the start of the 2018 season was part of the Victorian Thunderbolts (read - Melbourne Storm) U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad but did not end up featuring in any of their matches.

Instead George Santos-Motuapuaka played for the Casey Warriors in the Victorian Rugby League competition after transferring from the South Eastern Tigers for the start of the 2018 season.

George Santos-Motuapuaka made his playing debut on the Gold Coast in Round Four of the GCRL U20 competition, starting in the centres for Burleigh against Helensvale with the Bears going down in the match 28 – 24 however he did score on debut making it a positive debut at right centre.

The try was an interesting one, Burleigh received a penalty around twenty metres out from the Helensvale line and fifteen metres in from the right touch line, George Santos-Motuapuaka took a quick tap and ran straight at the defensive line, he palmed off one defender and then literally ran around the two defenders on Helensvale left side and was then able to bring the ball around closer to the goal posts. I certainly was not expecting him to score in that fashion when he took the tap from the penalty.

In 2019 George Santos-Motuapuaka was also selected in the Gold Coast Vikings U20 side for the South East Queensland U20 Challenge.

For the Casey Warriors George Santos-Motuapuaka started the 2018 season in their Victorian Rugby League First Grade side playing in three matches including scoring in his First Grade debut against the Waverley Oakleigh Panthers. George Santos-Motuapuaka’s other two Victorian First Grade Matches in 2018 season were against the Sunbury United Tigers and the Truganina Rabbitoh’s.

George Santos-Motuapuaka also played in one Victorian Reserve Grade match in 2018 which was against the Truganina Rabbitoh’s a match which George Santos-Motuapuaka scored in.

The giant young man is very difficult to stop once he is in motion, his speed, power and body height all contribute to this. On the wing when he can wind up and build momentum he looks to run over his direct opponent rather than try to run around them. In fact in the majority of occasions it is George Santos-Motuapuaka that actually initiates the contact and I do not often recall seeing a player being able to run over his direct opponent with absolutely no loss of momentum like George Santos-Motuapuaka does.

From a speed perspective I would argue that his speed is a tick above average for a winger but obviously the key attribute from an attacking perspective is how hard he hits the defensive line. Like his overall speed George Santos-Motuapuaka’s lateral mobility is probably just a tick above average.

George Santos-Motuapuaka with his size and strength is also able to make a lot of ground after contact with his ability to absorb the defensive contact and maintain his balance and body control.

When he is close to the line George Santos-Motuapuaka is able to absorb a significant amount of punishment and still hold his running line thus he is able to score close to the side line without being pushed over the sideline regardless of the number of defenders looking to do so. The ability to absorb contact is on display when George Santos-Motuapuaka comes into the centre of the ruck to take the ball up into the teeth of the defensive line.

Defensively for a big strong powerful young man, George Santos-Motuapuaka actually has good discipline for such a young player and in the main stays on his man rather than coming in and looking for the big hit. Do not get me wrong he will on occasion aim to smash the opposing outside if they do not see him coming but in the main he is quite disciplined and looks to ensure his opposing winger does not get on his outside looking to use their speed against him.

George Santos-Motuapuaka will play the remainder of the 2019 season for Burleigh and whilst he started the season in their Gold Coast Rugby League U20 side with his first match being in Round Four against Helensvale, I would anticipate that he will over the course of the season be promoted to their Hastings Deering’s Colts side.

George Santos-Motuapuaka has played in the centres or on the wing for the duration of his rugby league career in Victoria and I would anticipate that whilst I am sure that he can play in the centres and also at fullback into the future I think that his ultimate future lies on the wing especially in relation to the higher quality competitions such as the Queensland Cup and ultimately the NRL.

George Santos-Motuapuaka is a big strong young man with a rare combination of size, speed and power and for that reason I can certainly see a similarity in playing style to New Zealand Warriors winger Ken Maumalo, both a big strong powerful players who present significant challenges to a defensive line.

mdrew

07-05-19, 06:54 PM

Xavier Atoa. The outstanding centre or fullback was near unstoppable earlier this season for the Titans U14 side in their big 32 – 8 victory over the Western Mustangs at Mudgeeraba.

In the match Xavier Atoa started at right centre and scored a hat trick including two outstanding long range tries, one in each half. For his first try, Xavier Atoa had moved to the right due to a scrum being packed near the left touch line. Xavier Atoa took a pass from the Titans five eight after a scrum win and split the defence to score from about forty metres out.

Xavier Atoa’s try in the second half long range try was one to behold, Xavier Atoa got the ball in space early, slid through the Western Mustangs left side defence about seventy metres away from the try line and then outpaced the defence to score a great try near the right corner.

Xavier Atoa’s other try was scored in the first half when he chased through a Titans attacking kick and received a great bounce to crash over from short range, he did have a bit of work to do after retrieving the ball and displayed his strength to score.

Xavier Atoa has started the 2019 season in outstanding fashion for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies and in Round Two on Sunday was electric starting at fullback, scoring three tries and setting up three more as the Magpies accounted for Redcliffe 38 – 18.

Xavier Atoa’s first try came mid-way through the first half, the ball was provided to him on the left side of the field, once he received it Xavier Atoa took off at the back peddling Redcliffe defensive line, impressively Xavier Atoa held the ball out in front of his body in both hands, thus the Redcliffe defence was uncertain as to his intentions. At the last moment Xavier Atoa charged between the back peddling Redcliffe right centre and winger to crash over.

Xavier Atoa’s second try came early in the second half, from a Souths scrum win 20 metres out, Xavier Atoa received the ball this time on the right in space and outpaced the Redcliffe cover defence to score a great try under heavy pressure in the right corner, right in front of the club house for people who know Brandon Park.

Xavier Atoa’s third try was near a carbon copy of his first in terms of the fact that he received the ball in space on the left, once again holding the ball in two hands in front of his body. The only difference was that as Redcliffe defence back peddled and spread wide, Xavier Atoa was able to slice through to score untouched.

As noted Xavier Atoa also had three try assists in the match. His first in the first half and his third and final try assist in the second half were mirror images of each other except for the fact that they were on opposite sides of the field, the first on the left and the third on the right.

On each occasion, Xavier Atoa took the ball right to the line before throwing a beautiful cut out ball to his winger to score untouched. There are few NRL fullbacks who could have thrown those passes let alone one to each side of his body, the passes were simply absolute quality from a player born to play rugby league, you simply cannot teach that type of skill and timing.

Xavier Atoa’s other try assist came down the right side of the field in the second half, the Souths centre (number 3) made a break before passing inside to Xavier Atoa who whilst in heavy traffic summed up the situation perfectly to get a great short ball away to the Magpies five eight to score under the posts.

The situation seems simple when explained like that, but it happened right in front of where I was and I can tell you that nothing about the work of Xavier Atoa was simple, in a fraction of a second he had to evade the Redcliffe defence that were converging on his and get an great short ball away in his inside to his five eight.

In 2018 Xavier Atoa played for Souths Sunnybank in the GBJRL U13 Premier Division competition playing primarily at fullback and was also selected in the South East Queensland U13 Merit squad.

In 2017 Xavier Atoa represented Met West at the Queensland U12 Championships were he played in the centres.

The Stretton State College student is more than just a rugby league player however, representing Met West in touch in 2018 and also being a standout Oztag player, including being named in the All Schools Queensland U13 Oztag team and being named the Junior Male Oztag Player of the Year at the Brisbane awards late last year.

Xavier Atoa has very good speed off the mark, which I would consider above average for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle.
When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Xavier Atoa usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.

Xavier Atoa has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if he is pushing to the outside too early.
Xavier Atoa also has a powerful fend which has served him well over recent seasons including for the Titans U14 side in their match earlier this season against the Western Mustangs. His natural strength is just an impressive attribute.

A real positive for me is that Xavier Atoa can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, he certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.

As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Xavier Atoa is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. He is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Xavier Atoa seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when he chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

Xavier Atoa will play the 2019 season with Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies after moving from Sunnybank in the GBJRL U4 Division One competition. Brisbane U14 Stingers representation should also follow.

Xavier Atoa has played fullback this season for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies, but was simply outstanding for the Titans U14’s earlier this year in the centres and ultimately that is why I believe that in the end he will become a representative level centre in future years.

In saying that I can absolutely understand why Xavier Atoa is playing fullback at present, it allows him to see the entire field and determine where and when to attack. In Round Two of the GBJRL U14 Division One he scored and set up tries on both sides of the field, highlighting just what a ridiculously talented player he is.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, Xavier Atoa has similar traits to Sydney Roosters and New South Wales star centre Latrell Mitchell.

Like Mitchell, Xavier Atoa is a big strong powerful young centre or fullback (I note that Latrell Mitchell came into the NRL at fullback) who will not be beaten in a one on one contest in attack or defence but will out point his direct opponent more often than not.

Xavier Atoa is just a powerful young man now just learning how to translate and direct that natural strength and power consistently on a rugby league field.

Xavier Atoa is already an outstanding rugby league player and it is scary to think that he has not even started to scratch the surface his of his outstanding potential. Xavier Atoa is a star in the making, of that there is no doubt.

mdrew

13-05-19, 06:23 PM

Reef Sommerville. The young second rower or centre made his Titans debut in early 2019 when he started from the bench for the Titans U16 side in their match against the Newcastle Knights Harold Matthews U16 squad in Coffs Harbour.

Reef Sommerville came onto the field in the match towards the end of the first half, playing in the second row and also at times during the match spent some time in the centres when Ezra Ubaldino was having a spell.

Late in 2018 Reef Sommerville was selected in the talented Northern Rivers Titans U16 side for the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition. Fellow Titans linked players in the Northern Rivers Titans U16 side are Bailey Cox, Jack Cullen, Ryan Foran, Keegan Pace, Byron Jones, Riley Lack, Thomas Weaver and Rowan Mansfield.

In Round One of that competition this season, Reef Sommerville started from the bench for the Northern Rivers Titans in their match against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad. When he came on Reef Sommerville operated on the right side of the field and scored an impressive try when he took a flat pass from the dummy half, Jordan Gallagher and caught the Newcastle defence back peddling and was able to break a number of tackles in a thirty metre run to the try line.

Round Two of the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Reef Sommerville once again start from the interchange bench in the Northern Rivers Titans match against Parramatta and once again he was a handful for the opponent’s defensive line on the right side of the ruck.

Reef Sommerville deservedly broke into the Northern Rivers starting line-up in Round Three against the North Coast Bulldogs starting the match at right centre and went very close to score the Titans first try when he was dragged down just short in the opening minutes.

Reef Sommerville made amends however in the second half scoring a powerful try when he smashed through the North Coast defence in a typically powerful try on the right.

In Round Four even though he was not named in seventeen, Reef Sommerville started from the bench and made a big impact when he came on in jumper 23.

In Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers Reef Sommerville started at right centre for the Northern Rivers Titans and as usual proved to be a handful for the opposition defence.

Reef Sommerville was named to start at right centre in the Northern Rivers Titans semi-final against Penrith but in fact started from the bench in the Titans 26 – 14 victory. When he came on, Reef Sommerville, playing on the right made a difference including pouncing on a grubber kick late in the first half from five eight Riley lack and late in the match when Penrith were pressing Reef Sommerville took an outstanding hit up making around twenty metres most of that was in relation to post contact metres to get the Titans well out of their own territory.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final against the Western Rams Reef Sommerville started at right centre in the Northern Rivers Titans outstanding 18 – 6 victory.

In the match Reef Sommerville had some big moments including two big runs down the right one of which was a seventy metre run which almost lead to an outstanding try.

Post the victory Reef Sommerville was named in the centres for the New South Wales Country U16 side for their November two match tour of the United Kingdom.

In 2018 the St Joseph’s College Tweed Heads student played for the Group 18 U15 side in the New South Wales Country U15 Championships, playing in matches against Groups Two, Four and Twenty One crossing against Group Twenty One.

2018 was the second season in a row that Reef Sommerville had represented Group 18 after playing three U14 matches in 2017 at the New South Wales Country Age Championships, scoring against Group One.

2018 also saw Reef Sommerville named in the centres for the Lismore Dioceses U15 Northern Country Representative side for the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) trials and post those trials was named in the NSW CCC U15 Country Tour side, being named in the second row.

After the completion of the 2018 season Reef Sommerville and fellow Group 18 U15 team mates headed overseas to play in the Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, a competition that the side won including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12.

In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare. A number of other Titans players were also involved in the tour including Thomas Weaver, Keegan Pace, Jack Cullen, Ryan Foran, Riley Lack, Byron Jones and Bailey Cox.

Reef Sommerville is a wide hard running backrower who runs a good line on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into thus making the play makers on his team look good. Where he really excels though is his footwork, obviously playing in the backline has assisted greatly.

Reef Sommerville also has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late, just as he did for his try in Round One of the Andrew Johns Cup this season against Newcastle.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Reef Sommerville’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running direction and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of the multiple directional changes.

As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Reef Sommerville is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard, but he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing attacker and wrapping him up ball and all. Reef Sommerville is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing players gets on the outside.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Reef Sommerville seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage.

Reef Sommerville will start the 2019 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 side and post that competition will play for the Cudgen Hornets U16 side in the Group 18 U16 competition. Reef Sommerville will also play for St Joseph’s College Tweed Heads in their Open school boy competitions.

With his build and speed I think that Reef Sommerville can continue to play in the second row and the centres over the next couple of seasons, but by the time that Reef Sommerville reaches the senior rugby league ranks I would anticipate that Reef Sommerville will have made the transition to the second row full time.

With his mobility and hard working mentality Reef Sommerville’s playing style reminds me of Cronulla Sharks second rower and occasional centre Luke Capewell.

Both are hardworking players who give everything they have every time that they step onto a rugby league field doing a lot of the little things well and will sometimes be unfairly overlooked.

mdrew

15-05-19, 04:59 PM

William Semu. The outstanding young second rower proved to be almost unstoppable on the left side of the field for the Titans U14 side recently in their 32 – 8 wing over the Western Mustangs.

In addition to starting the match in the second row, William Semu scored an outstanding try and was awarded the award as the Titans player in the match. In the match William Semu formed a lethal left side combination with centre Karl Oloapu.

William Semu is currently playing for Carina in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition where a team mate is fellow Titans U14 player Hayden Miller.

The GBJRL U14 competition features a number of boys with Titans links including Jacob Tinsley (Logan Brothers), Xavier Atoa (Souths Acacia Ridge) and Karl Oloapu (Redcliffe).

In 2018 William Semu played for Carina in the GBJRL U13 Premier Division competition and started in the second row in the Grand Final with his Carina side coming away victorious 26 – 12 against a Redcliffe side that contained fellow Titans U14 player Karl Oloapu who started the match at five eight for the Dolphins.

2018 also saw the Marsden State High School student represent Brisbane Blue in the U13 trials and in 2017 William Semu represent Met East at the Queensland U12 Championships were he was selected in the centres.

William Semu is an athlete and this can be seen when be he is running with the football. In his carries he rarely takes a hit up without movement, he uses foot work prior to the line to look to break through as well as cutting either cutting back in behind the play the ball or cutting out towards the smaller defenders on the fringes of the ruck.

William Semu runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line quite often, certainly more so than you would expect for a backrower taking the ball through the centre of the ruck. One reason for this is that he is a smart footballer, he does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle.

William Semu does not necessarily have a great top end speed, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence.

Playing on the left hand side of the field seemingly more often, means that his left foot step and his fending using his right hand are the effective attributes, but based on his physical attributes, his skill set and his understanding of how to play the game means that I have no doubt that these attributes are transferrable to playing on the left hand side of the field.

In defence William Semu regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.
When the opportunity presents William Semu has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent. Ultimately though he is a strong defender with a good front on technique and good lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.

William Semu will play the remainder of the 2019 season with Carina in the U14 GBJRL Division One competition where a team mate will be fellow Titans linked five eight Hayden Miller.

For me, with his physical attributes and skill set indicates that William Semu will settle into the back row as his long term position with no need for a positional switch and will be a representative level second rower for many years to come.

From a style perspective think of a someone along the lines of Brisbane Bronco David Fifita as an intense aggressive well-rounded backrower with the ability to break the line by himself or as a result of running a good line, William Semu then has enough speed to break into space prior to looking for his support players.

Like Fifita, William Semu is also an extremely efficient and effective defender who will hit hard when the opportunity presents itself and looks to always dominate his opponents both mentally and physically in all aspects of the game. Put simply William Semu is just an outstanding talent.

mdrew

21-05-19, 05:08 PM

Ashdon Randall. The Grafton local is part of the Titans Junior Development Squad in the Group One region and in addition to being a rugby league stand out with the Grafton Ghosts is also an outstanding rugby player, playing for the Grafton Redmen and is also a member of the New South Waratahs Development Squad.

All told including representative sides, Ashdon Randall could play for up to eight different teams in a season in rugby league and rugby when representative duties are included in the equation.

Ashdon Randall started for the combined Gold Coast/Ballina Titans U15 side in their matches against Western Mustangs and Titans combined Logan/Tweed Heads U15 squads at Mudgeeraba in February.

Ashdon Randall was part of the 2019 NSW Combined High Schools Schoolboy rugby side that went to South Africa to take part in the St Johns College Easter Rugby Festival being named NSW CHS Player of the tournament.

On Day One NSW CHS defeated St Albans College 22-7 and on Day Two they defeated Noordheuwel High School 39 – 19 with their Day Three match abandoned due to lightning.

In 2018 Ashdon Randall was selected in the New England Representative Rugby side that toured New Zealand in July this year and had a dinner with the All Blacks.

For the Grafton Ghosts U14 side in the Group One Junior Rugby League competition in 2018, Ashdon Randall finished as the Group One U14 competitions second leading points scorer with a total of 116 point from fifteen tries and twenty eight goals from just eleven matches including one final.

In only two games in 2018 was Ashdon Randall kept off the score board, the first was in Round One against Ballina and the second match was late in the regular season against Kyogle.

Ashdon Randall scored a hat trick mid-season against Ballina and also scored doubles against Casino RSM and Clarence Coast on two separate occasions. Ashdon Randall’s other 2018 Group One U14 tries came in matches against Lismore Marist Brothers, Casino RSM and Clarence Coast.

With the boot Ashdon Randall had some big matches including kicking six goals late in the 2018 season against Lismore Marist Brothers, five against Clarence Coast and kicked four goals in matches against Ballina and Casino RSM.

Combining his tries and goals, Ashdon Randall scored twenty points in a June match against Ballina from three tries and four goals, eighteen points from two tries and five goals against Clarence Coast in May and sixteen points in an August match against Lismore Marist Brothers as a result of a try and six goals.

In Week One of the Group One U14 finals Ashdon Randall started in the front row for Grafton and scored but unfortunately the Ghosts went down to Clarence Coast 32 – 14 meaning that their season came to an end.

At the 2018 New South Wales Country U14 Championships Ashdon Randall started in the front row for the Group One U14 side in all four of their Championship matches.

In Group One’s first match against Newcastle Ashdon started in the front row as Group One went down 18 – 4.

Game Two saw Ashdon Randall once again start in the front row as the Group One U14 side bounced back to win 38 – 12 against Group 19 with Ashdon Randall scoring his first try of the Championships.

Ashdon Randall also started Game Three for Group One, winning Game Three 16 – 8 against Maitland in the Northern Plate semi-final with Ashdon Randall contributing his second Championship try to the victory.

In the Northern Plate Final Ashdon Randall led from the front as Group One were victorious 20 – 14 against Group Four.

With their U14 Northern Plate Final victory, Group One went on to qualify for the New South Wales Country Plate Final against Group Nine with the result being Group One winning 22 – 18 with Ashdon Randall once again starting in the front row for Group One and scoring in each half of Group One’s impressive victory.

As a result of his performances for the Group One U14 side in 2018, Ashdon Randall was awarded the Group One Junior Representative Player of the Year.

Ashdon Randall also played a number of matches for the Grafton Redmen in the Far North Coast U16 competition, yes the U16 competition even though he was still eligible for the U14 age group. Ashdon Randall came into the Grafton U16 rugby side in Round Three against Evans River scoring a try and kicking two conversions and also scored and kicked two conversions in Round Four against Lismore.

All told he played in seven U16 matches, starting six at fly half (No.10) and one being Round 8 against Brunswick Valley at inside centre (No. 12).
Ashdon Randall is a powerful aggressive ball runner who is adept at using late and quick footwork just prior to contact line which he hits with power and force in absolutely every hit up that he makes dropping his shoulder into the first defender that is looking to make the initial contact.

Ashdon Randall’s ability to get low to engage the defenders with his shoulder rather than allowing them to get in and under his ribs and also a substantial leg drive means that he drives defenders backwards even after they had engaged him with significant force rather than allowing them to impact on his momentum.

In terms of ball skills, Ashdon Randall was able to regularly get his right hand free to deliver offloads when engaged with the defensive line especially when he was running one pass up the ruck and deliver some very good offloads to his support runners.

Once he is in space, Ashdon Randall actually has very good speed, I would consider it above average when analysing his speed from a rugby league forward’s perspective, to add to the difficulties for the defensive line, he runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful fend.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Ashdon Randall his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Ashdon Randall has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards.

Ashdon Randall sets a very good base with his lower body which he uses to look to use his opponents their own momentum against them.

Defensively Ashdon Randall hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. Ashdon Randall also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in.

Ashdon Randall is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier’s momentum regardless of their size.

Defensively the most impressive aspect of Ashdon Randall’s play is his ability to make effective tackle after effective tackle for the entire match.

Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is his initial contact, he uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier. Ashdon Randall is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as he uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers.

Defensively in a covering role he is also very effective as even though Ashdon Randall is a big strong forward he has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.

Ashdon Randall good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Ashdon Randall is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when Ashdon Randall is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Ashdon Randall is on top of all of his other skills a more than competent goal kicker. HE may not become a team’s primary goal kicking option but he will no doubt be a more than solid back-up option if the need arises.

Ashdon Randall has plenty in front of him this season playing both rugby and rugby league, but he is also a talented athlete having represented his region in shot put and discus previously. At 15 Ashdon Randall has plenty of time to decide his career path and I am certainly in the camp that says the more sports youngsters play at school the better.

Plenty of studies in American indicate that playing multiple sports in High School is a better indicator of success than youngsters starting to specialise at a young age.

Obviously I hope that Ashdon Randall picks rugby league when he needs to make a decision and continues on as part of the Titans Junior Development Program in the region. In the short term however Ashdon Randall will play the 2019 season in the U15 Group One Junior Rugby League competition as well as his club and representative rugby commitments.

Ashdon Randall has played almost every position on a rugby league field from front row, through the second row, lock, five eight and even in the centres so at this stage no-one really has any idea where the he will ultimately end up but looking into my crystal ball, I thing that a future at lock may well be the end result for Ashdon Randall.

Ashdon Randall just has a fascinating skill set as evidenced by the fact that he played fly half in rugby in 2018 (against players two years older) and no matter what position he plays Ashdon Randall shapes as a difference make in either rugby league or rugby.

So much about Ashdon Randall is up in the air, for example if he going to play rugby league or rugby and regardless of which code he chooses what his ultimate position will be, of course I would prefer that he chooses rugby league but it is great to see that Ashdon Randall has some options to choose from for his future.

Extrapolating that he will play rugby league leads me to a player comparison to aggressive Titans NRL forward Keegan Hipgrave but with a kicking game and with additional ball playing skills.

Like Hipgrave, Ashdon Randall seems to really enjoy the competitive aspects of rugby league and he also clearly likes the physical contact aspects as well.

Well done to the Titans for getting such a talented young man as this into their Junior Development System from a rugby league mad region and one that is slowly but surely becoming a very fertile junior development area for the Titans.

mdrew

24-05-19, 03:19 PM

Keegan Pace. The Cudgen Hornets and PBC centre linked with the Titans in early 2019 for their match against a Newcastle Knights select U16 side in Coffs Harbour, his first in Titans colours.

In the match Keegan Pace started on the right wing for the Titans and was solid defensively and took a number of runs from dummy half to give his forwards a deserved break in the hot difficult conditions.

Keegan Pace also showed some solid positional sense in the match, dropping back at the correct time and fielding a number of the Newcastle Knight’s clearing kicks on the full and then running the ball back with vigour.

Late in 2018 Keegan Pace was selected in a talented Northern Rivers Titans U16 side for the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition. Fellow Titans linked players in the Northern Rivers Titans U16 side are Bailey Cox, Jack Cullen, Ryan Foran, Reef Sommerville, Byron Jones, Riley Lack, Thomas Weaver and Rowan Mansfield.

In Round One of that competition, Keegan Pace partnered fellow Titans Rowan Mansfield in the centres in their match against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad with Keegan Pace operating on the right. In the match Keegan Pace was one of the Titans try scorers when he took a pass from fullback Jaylan DeGroot to crash over near the right corner.

Round Two of the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Keegan Pace once again line up in the right centre position in their match against Parramatta. In the match, Keegan Pace did not see too much of the ball but threw the last pass to one of the Titans tries. In a set play from a scrum, Keegan Pace doubled around to the left, creating an overlap and drew the Parramatta winger to send Jack Field away to score.

After being rested in Round Three, Keegan Pace started at left centre in Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters and had an outstanding first half scoring a hat trick. His first and third tries were almost identical.

With Titans half Thomas Weaver drifting across field causing the Central Coast defensive line to backpedal, Keegan Pace ran a crash line and when Keegan Pace received the ball from Thomas Weaver was just too big and strong for the defence on both occasions.

Keegan Pace’s second try came through backing up. Thomas Weaver made a huge break from around twenty metres out from his own line, Keegan Pace backed up and received an inside pass from Thomas Weaver when he was approaching the fullback to score untouched under the posts.

To cap off an outstanding match, Keegan Pace, converted the Titans final try after the final siren to push the score out to 52 – 0. In the match Keegan Pace also was involved in forcing a Central Coast line drop out when he chased a Thomas Weaver kick in the first half to pin the Central Coast fullback in his own in-goal after a fifty metre chase.

After his Round Four hat trick, Keegan Pace started Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers from the bench and played right centre when he came onto the field making his presence felt with some telling runs especially when he was bringing the ball out of his own territory.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup semi-final against Penrith Keegan Pace had been named on the bench but started the match at right centre and whilst he did not get too many opportunities with the ball held up well defensively against the big Penrith centres.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final against the Western Rams Keegan Pace started from the inter change bench in their outstanding 18 – 6 victory with Keegan Pace playing right centre when he came on.

Post the victory Keegan Pace was named on the interchange bench for the New South Wales Country U16 side for their November two match tour of the United Kingdom.

The New South Wales Country U16 side played a New South Wales U16 Harold Matthews squad as a curtain raiser to the Penrith/Warriors NRL match on a Friday night at Penrith Park in May. Keegan Pace started the match on the interchange bench.

Keegan Pace made his NRRRL U18 debut in Round Five for Cudgen from the bench as they defeated Ballina 18 – 12.

In late 2018 the PBC student represented Group 18 in the U15 age group at the New South Wales Country Age Championships, starting all three of their matches against Groups 21, Two and Four in the centres.

After the completion of the 2018 season Keegan Pace and fellow Group 18 U15 team mates headed overseas to play in the Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, a competition that the side won including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12.

In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Tom Weaver, Jack Cullen, Ryan Foran, Byron Jones and Bailey Cox.

Keegan Pace also represented Group 18 in 2017 on that occasion in the U14 age group and scored against Newcastle in one of his three matches in those Championships.

In terms of his attacking play Keegan Pace is a smooth runner of the ball who has above average to plus top end speed and good evasiveness to get on the outside of his opposing defender with a decent fend that enables him to keep all but the strongest outside backs at a distance and away from his body.

Keegan Pace has quite a good step, predominately off the right foot, so he certainly has the skills to adjust his running line as he gains more experience and develops a better rapport with his teams play makers and progresses to a higher level in competition.

When defending in the centres, Keegan Pace really does look to come out of the line and hit his opposing centre as hard as possible to cut off the attacking play before it has time to fully develop.

Keegan Pace does not let the play unfold in front of him, he looks to disrupt as early as possible. With his size and defensive tendencies when defending in the centres, he is more suited to an up and in defensive methodology compared to a sliding system.

Keegan Pace will play the remainder of the 2019 season for the Cudgen Hornets U16 side in the Group 18 U16 competition.

Keegan Pace will also be involved in the various rugby league school boy competitions that PBC is involved with over the course of the 2019 season including the GIO Cup with PBC looking to repeat their success at both the State and National level.

With his speed and elusiveness, Keegan Pace has the skill set to play effectively on the wing or in the centres however ultimately I believe that his best opportunity to progress his career in relation to the best possible outcome is on the wing.

In many respects the way Keegan Pace plays on a rugby league field resembles that of returned Titans outside back Brian Kelly as a speedy, elusive player with some size about him and with some real potential moving forward in both attack and defence as well as a bit of an aggressive streak on occasion.

Like Kelly, I believe that Keegan Pace’s defence is definitely under-rated as is his ability to field bombs as was evidenced in Round One of this season’s Andrew Johns Cup against Newcastle.

mdrew

27-05-19, 04:32 PM

Jamal Laurie. Exciting young South Grafton Rebels centre is part of the Titans 2018/19 Group 18 U15 Development Squad after a 2018 season which saw him play the entire year up in the U15 age group even though he was still U14 eligible. Jamal Laurie has been playing “up” an age group for the last couple of seasons in fact.

Jamal Laurie started the 2019 season once again up an age group being the Group One U16.5 competition for South Grafton and was part of their Round One side that defeated a Ballina side containing Titans contracted Rowan Mansfield 26 – 4.

Jamal Laurie was also part of the U16.5 South Grafton Rebels side that played Casino RSM in Round Three as a curtain raiser to the Titans NRL match at Canterbury. Hopefully not the last time that Jamal Laurie plays on the ground.

In 2019 Jamal Laurie also represented the mid-North Coast U15’s.

Jamal Laurie also represented Group One at the U14 level at the New South Wales Country Age Championships in 2018.

For South Grafton in the 2018 Group One U15 competition, Jamal Laurie played in fifteen matches finish with eleven tries which was good enough to finish the season as the competitions fourth leading try scorer. Not a bad effort at all considering Jamel Laurie was U14 eligible.

Jamal Laurie scored doubles against Kyogle and Clarence Coast and also scored against Lismore Marist Brothers in four separate matches and also scored against Casino RSM in two matches and also against Clarence Coast.

In the U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships for Group One Jamal Laurie played in all four of Group One’s matches scoring in all of them including the Northern Plate Final against Group 19 which Group One won 38 – 12.

Jamal Laurie’s other three tries came against Groups Nine and Four as well as Newcastle. To say that Jamal Laurie had an outstanding U14 New South Wales Country Age Championships would be an understatement.

Jamal Laurie is a quick centre with a fluid running style with a classic centres build with the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside. In term of his play, the in and away is his bread and butter, he has very good speed off the mark and can break to the outside quickly.

Couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes Jamal Laurie difficult to tackle. When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Jamal Laurie usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload.

Jamal Laurie has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if he is pushing to the outside too early.

What Jamal Laurie is also adept at doing is timing his pass to his outside supports if the outside defender looks to come in and help defend him allowing an overlap to develop.

Due to his size and strength, Jamal Laurie is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard, but he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. Jamal Laurie is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Jamal Laurie seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage.

Jamal Laurie will play out the 2019 season in the Red and White of the South Grafton Rebels in the Group One U16.5 competition.

In 2019 Jamal Laurie will also be in line to represent Group One in the U15 age group at the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

In the modern version of rugby league, teams prefer size and power in the centres, two qualities that Jamal Laurie possesses and as a consequence, I envisage that he will be given every opportunity to stay there in the long term.

I really like the way the Jamal Laurie operates on a rugby league field especially in attack where he can utilise his size and speed to be a real handful.

Jamal Laurie has the opportunity to be a rare breed of rugby league player, that being a legitimate strike centre and to that extent a playing style comparison to Titans NRL centre Brenko Lee is definitely warranted.

mdrew

29-05-19, 05:01 PM

Cole Geyer. (Revised) The young hooker was outstanding in 2018in both the MM Cup competition and for Currumbin in the U17 Division One competition and Cole Geyer also got an opportunity in the GCRL U19 competition as a result.

Cole Geyer started the 2019 season off with the Burleigh MM Cup side for the second year in a row in the MM Cup (Cole Geyer played for the Tweed Heads MM Cup side in 2018), playing in all six matches, starting five at hooker and one, being Round Five against Souths Logan at lock.

In the final round against the previously unbeaten Wynnum Manly Seagulls Cole Geyer scored in a tight 23 – 22 Burleigh win. With Burleigh right on the Wynnum Manly line, they were spread out to the right, instead Cole Geyer threw what could only be described as an extravagant dummy to score from close range from dummy half.

Cole Geyer also scored two tries against Norths in Round One.

Post the MM Cup competition Cole Geyer moved back to play for Currumbin in the GCRL competition, bypassing the U18 Division One competition all together to start in the U20’s. Cole Geyer came off the bench in Round Six before moving into the starting side in Round Seven at hooker, scoring a hat trick as Currumbin defeated Burleigh 52 – 28.

Two of his tries were simply outstanding individual efforts. In the first half, Cole Geyer took the ball from dummy half running to his left around forty metres out from the Burleigh line, he broke through the initial defensive line as a result of a dummy (Cole Geyer ran with the ball out in front of his body in two hands) and a step.

As he was coming to the fullback Cole Geyer showed outstanding speed by literally running around him and then did the same to the Burleigh left winger who came back to try to tackle him to score in the right corner. The paly started on the left side of the field, highlighting Cole Geyer’s speed.

Cole Geyer’s try in the second half was no less impressive, Cole Geyer packed in at lock in a scrum with a Currumbin feed around sixty metres out from the Burleigh line. Cole Geyer picked up the ball from the back of the scrum running to his right.

Once again Cole Geyer ran with the ball out in front of his body in two hands, putting the defence in doubt as to his intentions. As he was coming to the defensive line Cole Geyer just took off through a gap and then outpaced the cover defence in a sixty metre sprint to the try line to score out wide on the right.

Cole Geyer also scored in Round Eight when he came off the bench for Currumbin in their 26 – 24 loss to Runaway Bay. Cole Geyer’s try was the final one of the match, with Currumbin behind and attacking the Runaway Bay line, Cole Geyer shaped to pass to his left but instead ran to his right with the ball out in front in two hands (I know that I harp on it but so few players do it) but instead of passing cut off his right foot on an approximately 45 degree angle with score under the posts.

Cole Geyer also had two try assists in the match, in relation to the first, with Currumbin a metre out from the Runaway Bay line, Cole Geyer shaped to throw a long pass behind his forward running what looked like just run through but instead Cole Geyer double pumped throwing a soft pass, in a great sleight of hand to his forward to score near the right upright.

Cole Geyer’s second try assist was no less impressive, Cole Geyer shaped to pass to his left, where Currumbin had a backline spread out, but instead ran down a short blind side (maybe four metres) and put in a grubber from around thirty five metres out for his right winger to dive on. Both try assists came in the first half.

In the 2018 MM cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Cole Geyer started at hooker for Tweed Heads opening three matches against Norths, Victoria and Burleigh. His sole MM Cup try of the season came in Round Two against Victoria.

Post the MM Cup competition Cole Geyer transitioned back to the U17 Division One competition and was outstanding over the course of the regular season playing in nine matches and scoring nine tries for a 100% strike rate through the regular season.

Cole Geyer scored three doubles which were against Ormeau, Tweed Heads and Burleigh in the final round of the U17 Division One regular season being Round Eleven. Cole Geyer also scored against Mudgeeraba, Bilambil and Runaway Bay.

In Round One of the GCRL U17 Division One Finals series, Cole Geyer started once again at hooker and was dominant throughout scoring a double as Currumbin defeated Ormeau 18 – 8 in the Qualifying Final to continue their progress towards U17 Division One Premiership success.

In the second round of the GCRL U17 Division One Finals series, started at hooker and made it three tries from two finals matches as he led Currumbin to a 32 – 22 win over Burleigh in a match of exceptional quality.

In the 2018 U17 Division One Grand Final against Runaway Bay, Cole Geyer started at hooker for Currumbin as they overcame the Seagulls to win 30 – 10 in an outstanding display by the Eagles.

Cole Geyer made his U19 debut for Currumbin in June against Bilambil and played his other U19 match in July against Helensvale.

The Marymount College Burleigh Heads student has represented his school with distinction this season including leading Marymount to victory in the Titans School Boy Open competition and in fact Cole Geyer was named Player of the Competition.

Marymount College defeated Keebra Park C 52 – 6 in the final with Cole Geyer scoring the first try of the game to give Marymount College the lead which they never relinquished.

Cole Geyer also represented Marymount College at the 2018 Confraternity Shield and was the Spirit Award winner for Marymount College in the competition. Cole Geyer started at hooker in all six of Marymount College’s matches.

In the Qualifying rounds Marymount College defeated Marist College Ashgrove 24 – 10 in Round One and Rockhampton Grammar School 17 – 10 in Round Two before drawing 18 all with St Brendan’s College Yeppoon in Round Three.

They lost their Qualifying final 24 – 16 to Cathedral College before bouncing back to defeated St Augustine’s College Cairns 24 – 6 and in their final match of the competition suffered a 24 – 22 defeated to Rockhampton Grammar School.

The talented young Currumbin Eagles hooker had an outstanding 2017 rugby league season both from a club and school boy perspective. For his Currumbin side Cole Geyer started at hooker in their 34 – 4 grand Final win over Burleigh scoring a try and also proudly represented his school side being Marymount College in a number of school boy competitions including the GIO Cup when they lost in the last minute to Redbank Plains State High School in a great match which easily could have ended in Marymount’s favour.

Over the course of the 2017 U16 Division One season for Currumbin Cole Geyer played in twelve matches scoring eight tries. Cole Geyer had an outstanding start to the season scoring in each of his five games against Southport, Ormeau, Runaway Bay, Helensvale and Ormeau again. In the match against Helensvale, Cole Geyer in fact crossed for a double. Later in the season Cole Geyer also scored against Runaway bay and as noted scored against Burleigh in the U16 Division One Grand Final.

At the 2017 Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League (QISSRL) Carnival held at Padua College in Brisbane, Marymount College in fact were the Bob Linder trophy winners beating fellow Gold Coast School Aquinas College in the final and also the QRL Referees Fair Play Award Winners. In the QISSRL Carnival, Cole Geyer played in all six of Marymount’s matches scoring in a tough 16 – 8 loss to St Augustines College Cairns.

Cole Geyer’s best attribute is his passing skills from the dummy half position. His passing is effective from both sides of his body and leads his forwards onto the ball by putting the ball out in front of his runners so that they can maintain momentum.

Cole Geyer does not have an overly long pass but his passing is accurate regardless of whether he is passing to a forward running the ball up or the half back looking to get the ball out wider. The standout feature is the speed in which he gets the ball out of his hands at dummy half.

Cole Geyer is not a huge threat to run the ball out of dummy half but will take what he is given if the defence does not consider him a threat at any particular time. His initial burst off the mark is reasonable and he has decent feet to enable him to create space, but Cole Geyer does not have the top end speed to break clear of the defensive line if he gets through a gap either by accepting an off load or by exploiting a gap in the defensive line.

Cole Geyer’s first thought when coming into dummy half is to distribute the ball effectively to his support players. When close to the line Cole Geyer will dummy and get down low to the line when the opportunity presents but again this is a secondary consideration as he progressively works through his options in that part of the field.

In relation to his defence, Cole Geyer will get in front of opposing forwards and look to slow their momentum with solid initial contact. Cole Geyer is tenacious and courageous, because even at the U16 level there are some huge boys running around.

Cole Geyer has very good endurance and projects as a hooker who will be able to play the full match without interchange something that he is already used to doing with his club side and School Boy sides regularly playing two or more matches in any given week.

Cole Geyer has been named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad where it will be hard for the coaches to leave him out of the starting side and post that competition will play for Currumbin in the GCRL U19 competition and I would also anticipate that in 2019 Cole Geyer will also get an extended run in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition such is the maturity in his game.

Cole Geyer is probably a fraction taller than your typical hooker but it has not stopped him at all being a very good distributor at dummy half and also being a more than solid defender. It is these attributes as well as his determination that has me convinced that Cole Geyer can develop into a very good hooker at the NRL level in coming seasons.

From a NRL playing comparison perspective Cole Geyer has a similar playing style to that of Melbourne Storm, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test Captain Cameron Smith, in that he is a leader on the field, is very good at leading his team around the field and a very good defender on top of all of his other attributes.

Like Smith Cole Geyer just seems to have all the time in the world when he has the ball to do whatever he wants and that always leads to positive outcomes for his side. Over the course of this season Cole Geyer just seems to be far more assured and confident within himself and that is translating to outstanding performances on the field.

Cole Geyer is not just a future NRL captain but a future representative level and club captain and a person that any NRL club would be proud to have their brand associated with.

mdrew

10-06-19, 03:55 PM

Edward (EJ) Finau. The superbly talented young forward is a rare combination of size, strength, speed and power on a football field and that was on display for the Titans U15’s early this season at Mudgeeraba against the Western Mustangs and another Titans U15 development squad.

In the match EJ Finau scored an outstanding try against the Western Mustangs in the last half of the U15 matches. EJ Finau stood on the left side of a scrum with a Titans feed about Twenty metres out, he received the ball two passes wide of the scrum and simply powered his way over to score mid-way between the posts and the touch line after disposing of a Western Mustangs attacker.

Subsequent to that match the Titans were able to secure EJ Finau to a two year contract, a deal which will I am sure will pay huge dividends for the Titans in future years leading all of the way up to the NRL level and potentially beyond in relation to this outstanding young talent.

For the 2019 GBJRL U15 Division One season EJ Finau moved from Logan Brothers to Redcliffe starting Round One in the left second row position for Redcliffe White making an immediate impact against Mitchelton scoring a double on debut.

EJ Finau’s first try came when after Redcliffe received a penalty around forty metres out from the line, he took the first hit-up and burst through the defensive line before using his speed to easily beat the fullback to score.

EJ Finau’s second try was from a play closer to the Mitchelton line, the ball was delivered to Redcliffe’s left for EJ Finau to receive the pass when running a straight crash line to break through the defensive and then just prior to the line, spun 360 degrees to score whilst dragging three defenders with him.

The former Logan Brothers product and Marsden State High School student in 2018 was a key member of the Logan Brothers GBJRL U14 Premier Division side and also represented South East Queensland Green at the Queensland U14 Age Championships, starting all four of their matches in the front row including the final against SEQ White which ended in a 16 all draw.

In 2018 EJ Finau was a standout member of the Marsden U14 Michael Hancock Cup side after moving from Wavell State High and in 2016 represented Queensland at the U12 level, in the second row I believe.

EJ Finau’s style of play is that of a powerful wide running back rower with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus for his position.

EJ Finau is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful second rower, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

Against Redcliffe in a Logan Brothers trial match two years ago (To this day the sequence is still etched in my mind) EJ Finau took a kick-off on the full and burst down the left hand touch line at Civic Park in Logan and it was only a last ditch tackle from the Redcliffe fullback that stopped an amazing try from being scored.

Defences had all sorts of trouble trying to contain him during 2018 and in previous seasons both in terms of him taking the ball up into the centre of the ruck, but he was almost untouchable when he ran on the fringes of the ruck and he used his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a step off both feet and a very good in and away as well as simply running over people.

Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a big strong powerful young player who can cause nightmares for any defensive line. EJ Finau seems to line up on the left side of the field more so than the right, but I have no doubt moving forward that he will be able to play on either side of the field, he seems to be just so skilful.

For a forward of his size, EJ Finau runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball during a game. For a young player, EJ Finau seems to have a good understanding of when to off load the ball, currently most of his off loads occur when he is part way through the defensive line and can get his right arm free to pass to his outside support runners.

At this stage EJ Finau does not off load a great deal prior to the line, but again we are talking about a young player here, who is still developing his skills and understanding of the game. I do not necessarily think that offloading is ever going to be a major part of his game but if this attribute continues to progress it will compliment other aspects of his game.

EJ Finau is aggressive in defence whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football. His speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

I have noted that EJ Finau is aggressive and seems to want to win every one on one battle and he invariably does. He does however tend to drift inside and defend in the centre of the ruck as games progress rather than hold his spacing on the edges of the ruck, but heck that seems to be more to do with enjoying the physical aspects of rugby league and wanting to be in the thick of the action.

EJ Finau also innately knows when a big hit in defence is needed such as in a trial match against Redcliffe two years ago when Redcliffe came back into the trial match EJ Finau came up with a huge hit on his own try line halting Redcliffe’ momentum immediately.

EJ Finau will finish the current season with Redcliffe White in the U15 Division One competition after moving from Logan Brothers in the offseason.

EJ Finau is perfectly suited to the second row in rugby league with his size, aggressiveness and speed. I do note however that EJ Finau has played a lot of rugby league in the front row in the last year in relation to representative rugby league or so, but for me I believe that he can stay in the second row for the short term at least.

I appreciate that EJ Finau played in the front row for the Titans U15 side at Mudgeeraba, but I would not pigeon hole him in the front row just yet.

The power, speed and strength of EJ Finau lends itself to a comparison from a playing perspective to Brisbane Bronco front rower Payne Hass as a powerful young natural rugby league player and an immensely skilful one at that. I appreciate that EJ Finau is smaller than Hass (and likely will always be) but the power and speeds that he displays are not far off at all even taking into account the size differential.

EJ Finau just oozes class and the scary thing is that I do not think that he has even come close to realising his potential, his ceiling is out of this world, as for that matter has been his development over the last couple of seasons. I am really looking forward to seeing EJ Finau’s continued development in the coming years.

EJ Finau is without doubt one of my favourite players within the Titans TEDS program and entire system as a whole. I have not been as intrigued with a Titans prospect since I saw Ryan James tearing apart the U18 SG Ball competition a number of years ago.

mdrew

12-06-19, 04:37 PM

Lachlan Turnbull. The outstanding young hooker originally from Ipswich has been a great addition to the Burleigh Bears 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad making an immediate impression in his first game being Round Five against Souths Logan when he started at hooker and scored in his first match in Burleigh’s maroon and white.

Lachlan Turnbull also started at hooker in Round Six for Burleigh the following week in their big 50 – 20 win against Wynnum Manly with Lachlan Turnbull making it two tries from as many matches when he scored in the 21st minute of the first half and also kicked seven conversions from nine attempts to finish the match with an individual points tally of eighteen points.

Round Eight against the Western Mustangs saw Lachlan Turnbull starring once again for the Bears scoring a double and kicking four goals as Burleigh ran riot to win 52 – 10. Both of Lachlan Turnbull’s two tries were typical Lachlan Turnbull tries

From a quick play the ball close to the Western Mustangs try line, Lachlan Turnbull exploded out of dummy half to his left and simply was too quick for the Mustangs defence to have any chance of stopping for his first try and in relation to his second he ran out of dummy half to his right.

Round Nine saw Lachlan Turnbull once again in the points, when he kicked six from eight attempts as Burleigh defeated Redcliffe 50 – 6.

In Round Ten against the Northern Pride Lachlan Turnbull kicked three more goals and kicked two goals in Round Eleven against Central Queensland and in Round Twelve against the Sunshine Coast including a penalty goal in the 59th minute that tied the scores at 22 all.

In total in the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition to date, Lachlan Turnbull has played in seven matches for Burleigh starting all at hooker, scoring 68 points from three tries and twenty eight goals.

Lachlan Turnbull came to Burleigh after an outstanding 2018 season for the Ipswich Jets that saw him play in both the MM Cup and Hastings Deering’s Colts competitions for the Jets. In fact Lachlan Turnbull finished third in the MM Cup Player of the Year voting behind now NRL player David Fifita.

Lachlan Turnbull started in all six of Ipswich’s 2018 MM Cup matches at hooker, scoring three tries and kicking six goals to finish the competition with twenty four points.

Lachlan Turnbull’s tries came in Round Two against Townsville, Round Four against Wynnum Manly and Round Seven against the Sunshine Coast Falcons. With the boot Lachlan Turnbull kicked four goals in a Round Three match against the Western Mustangs and kicked his other two goals in Round Six against the Mackay Cutters.

Against Townsville in Round Two Lachlan Turnbull scooted out of dummy half to his right, dummied and then stepped back to the left and break the defensive line and score under the posts. Lachlan Turnbull’s try was as a result of a hard straight run. Ipswich had the ball about five metres out from the Wynnum try line, Lachlan Turnbull took the ball off the dummy half on the right side of the field and crashed over adjacent to the right upright.

Lachlan Turnbull’s try against Sunshine Coast in Round Seven highlights his game to a tee, with Ipswich attacking close to the Falcons line, Lachlan Turnbull darted out of dummy half down a short blind side and ran at the line with the ball out in front of his body in both hands which put the defensive on the back foot, he then used his outstanding speed to slide between two defenders to score near the right corner from close range.

In the 2018 MM Cup competition, Lachlan Turnbull had multiple try assists including one memorable one when he ran out of dummy half against the Western Mustangs and after a forty metre run, drew the fullback for his half back to score a long range try.

Upon completion of the 2018 MM Cup competition, Lachlan Turnbull moved directly to the Ipswich Jets Colts side playing his first match in that Division in Round Ten against Tweed Heads scoring a try and kicking three goals on debut. Like in all of his Colts matches for the Jets in 2018 Lachlan Turnbull started the match in the second row.

Lachlan Turnbull’s debut Colts try in 2018 came when he followed through a short chip kick and got to the ball first to score under the posts.

In total in the 2018 Colts competition, Lachlan Turnbull played in twelve matches scoring fifty points from five tries and fifteen goals.

In addition to his try on debut in Round Ten, Lachlan Turnbull scored a double in Round Twenty One against Sunshine Coast and also scored in Rounds Eleven and Twenty Two against Norths and Central Queensland respectively.

Lachlan Turnbull’s Round Eleven try against Norths was like his debut try against Tweed Heads one where he chased through an attacking grubber kick to score close to the right upright. On both occasions Lachlan Turnbull was not the favourite to get to the ball first but he just wanted it more than his opposition.

Also in the 2018 Colts competition, Lachlan Turnbull had an outstanding match against the Western Mustangs recording two try assists. For the first Lachlan Turnbull broke through the defensive line running from dummy half before off-loading under pressure. His second try assist against the Western Mustangs was even more impressive.

The Western Mustangs fullback put up a mid-field bomb, kicking it from his own 40 metre line, Lachlan Turnbull ran back with the flight of the ball and after taking the ball on the full, spun around breaking three or four tackles of the Western Mustangs chasers, before drawing the fullback to put his winger away for a spectacular try.

With the boot Lachlan Turnbull kicked three goals in a match on three occasions being his debut in Round Ten, in Round Thirteen against Burleigh and in Round Seventeen against the Mackay Cutters.

From an attacking stand point, Lachlan Turnbull has solid distribution skills in relation to his passing skills to either side of his body and uses a solid, repeatable passing technique to ensure consistency, thus enabling his forwards and play makers have confidence that his passes will find the mark with the appropriate velocity attached on every occasion.

From a speed perspective I would consider that his speed when running out of dummy half is above average for a hooker, but plays faster as he has become adept at running at the right time and focusses heavily when the markers are out of position, thus Lachlan Turnbull either makes ground putting his team on the front foot or draws a penalty, in both scenario’s he generates momentum for his side through the skill and intelligence he has.

The impressive thing about when Lachlan Turnbull runs out of dummy half is the fact that he does not run to the same side all of the time, he will make a judgement on where the defence is the weakest and respond accordingly as was evidence in Round Nine of the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition this season when he scored tries by running on both sides of the ruck.

From a defensive perspective Lachlan Turnbull is a very solid tackler who makes good initial contact and is able to generate momentum through his core and drive into his opponent with enough force to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. He has both a solid low tackling technique as well as having the functional strength to make ball and all tackles effectively against the biggest of forwards looking to target him in the defensive line.

Lachlan Turnbull is also very quick out of the marker position and will get to forwards how are running one out before they can generate any momentum. In short he defends like a backrower and certainly if he finds himself on the fringes of the ruck, Lachlan Turnbull has the lateral movement and anticipation to also defend against smaller quicker halves looking to exploit a perceived speed advantage.

Lachlan Turnbull also has an intensity about his play which cannot be coached, one example is his chasing of kicks, in addition to his two tries in 2018 from chasing attacking kicks, Lachlan Turnbull is also always the first defender down field in relation to tactical kicking, and against Norths in the 2018 Colts competition somehow managed to get to the Norths winger and tackle him in the in goal when the winger seemed to have a lot of time to get to the ball and get into the field of play.

Lachlan Turnbull is also able to combine his intensity with intelligence. On two occasions in 2018 being against Tweed Heads and Wynnum Manly Lachlan Turnbull took short kick-offs retrieving both and then on both occasions made substantial ground.

I am not talking about high short kick off towards the touch line in my examples, I am talking about situations where Lachlan Turnbull has identified that the defence has switched off in the middle of the field and after identifying this he has grubbered the ball to just over the ten metre line and retrieving it.

To add to his impressive skill repertoire Lachlan Turnbull is also an outstanding kicker of the ball both in terms of goal kicking as was evidenced by him kicking seven from nine in Round Six of the 2019 Colts competition and also from a tactical kicking perspective.

In 2018 Lachlan Turnbull kicked two forty twenties with those coming against The Western Mustangs and Townsville Blackhawks. On both occasions Lachlan Turnbull stepped out from dummy half to his right and off one step gut impressive length and direction on his kicks.

Lachlan Turnbull played the 2019 season for Burleigh in the Colts competition and is Colts eligible once again in 2020 although for me Lachlan Turnbull is a real chance to break into the Queensland Cup competition in early 2020 and by 2020 season’s end even possibly the NRL such is his skill level and intensity.

Lachlan Turnbull has been outstanding to date in 2019 in the dummy half role for the Burleigh U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side and with his speed out of dummy half and his aggressive nature, hooker is his ideal position moving forward. Lachlan Turnbull is Colts eligible once again in 2020.

For completeness however it should be noted that Lachlan Turnbull has spent a fair bit of time in the second row as early as last season when playing for the Ipswich Jets in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition.

Lachlan Turnbull with his speed out of dummy half and his ability to make the right decision in terms of when to run and when to pass reminds me of South Sydney and New South Wales State of Origin hooker Damien Cook, although Lachlan Turnbull has a bigger body shape and thus more power in his game than Cook but probably a touch less speed off the mark.

Both Cook and Lachlan Turnbull however have the ability to change the game in a heartbeat with a decisive run out of dummy half whether that be to run themselves or to seek to pass to a support player running onto a gap which significantly alters the games momentum.

ALX25

12-06-19, 06:23 PM

Good to see Lochlan has brought his try-scoring ability to Burleigh. Originally from Bundaberg, via a year or so in the Melbourne Storm system, then Ipswich.

mdrew

14-06-19, 08:39 AM

Tannah Boyd. The outstanding prospect is a Gold Coast junior who is signed to the Titans NRL squad until the end of the 2021 season and moves immediately to the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad. Tannah Boyd is also currently a member of the Queensland Emerging Origin U20 squad.

This season Tannah Boyd has played in eight Queensland Cup matches for the Souths Logan Magpies to go along with his two matches in 2018.

Tannah Boyd started at half for Souths Logan in Round One of the Queensland Cup this season against Central Queensland playing the entire 80 minutes. In the match he ran for 64 metre (11 post contact), kicked for 210 metres, kicked a conversion, forced a drop out, had a try assist and made six tackles.

Round Two against the Mackay Cutters saw Tannah Boyd play the entire 80 minutes at half, running for 72 metres (16 pot contact),kicked for 256 metres, kicked three conversions, forced a drop out, had a try assist, broke two tackles and made thirteen tackles.

In Round Three against Norths Tannah Boyd played the entire match at half, running for 45 metres, kicking two conversions, kicking for 315 metres, forcing a drop out and making thirteen tackles.

In Round Six against the Northern Pride Tannah Boyd played the entire match at half, running for twenty seven metres, kicking for 291 metres, forcing two drop outs and making eighteen tackles.

In Round Seven against the Easts Tigers Tannah Boyd played the entire match at half, running for 100 metres (twenty post contact),had a try assist, broke a tackle, kicked for 193 metres, and making thirteen tackles.

Round Eight against Wynnum Manly saw Tannah Boyd once again play the entire match at half, running for forty metres, record two try assists, break a tackle, kick for 209 metres, and make Seventeen tackles.

In Round Nine against the Sunshine Coast Falcons Tannah Boyd played 59 minutes at half, running for twenty four metres and make ten tackles.

In Round Thirteen against Townsville Tannah Boyd played the entire match at half, running for thirty metres, kick for 316 metres and make sixteen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

In total in his eight Queensland Cup matches this season, Tannah Boyd has played 619 minutes, run for 406 metres, kick for 2 065 metres, kick nine conversions, record five try assists, broke five tackles, offloaded the ball twice and made 106 tackles.

In 2018 Tannah Boyd made his Queensland Cup debut in Round Seventeen against the Central Queensland Capra’s celebrating by scoring. Tannah Boyd had to get a special dispensation to play in the match as he had not yet turned 18 years old.

The table below compares Tannah Boyd’s 2018 and 2019 per game averages:

2018 Q Cup 2019 Q Cup

Games played 2 8

Minutes per game 80 77

Kick metres per game 111 258.1

Metres per game 87.5 50.6

Tackles per game 18 13.2

Tannah Boyd has also played three Hastings Deering’s Colts matches for the South Logan Magpies this season, playing his first in Round Ten against Ipswich, where he kicked five conversions. Tannah Boyd also kicked five conversions against the Western Mustangs in Round Eleven and scored a ty and kicked a conversion in Round Twelve against Tweed Heads.

Tannah Boyd started off the 2018 season with the Souths Logan Magpies in the MM Cup competition, coming into the side in Round Six against Central Queensland starting at half. In fact Tannah Boyd started at half in all five of his 2018 MM Cup matches, including their Grand Final win over Norths and their National U18 final loss to Penrith.

Across those five matches, Tannah Boyd scored 42 points from four tries and thirteen goals. He scored doubles against the Western Mustangs in Round Seven and Tweed Heads in the first week of the 2018 MM Cup finals to account for his four tries. His best game was against Tweed Heads in the final when he also six goals to go with his two tries. Tannah Boyd also kicked four goals in the U18 National Final against Penrith.

Tannah Boyd also played in eight U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts matches in 2018 including their Week One final against the Northern Pride, coming into the side in Round Twelve against the Victorian Thunderbolts at half back.

Tannah Boyd started at half in all eight of his matches scoring 42 points from three tries and fifteen goals. Tannah Boyd had a huge match in Round Twenty Four against Ipswich when he scored two tries and kicked five goals. Tannah Boyd’s other 2018 Colts try came in Round Twenty against the Western Mustangs and in Round Twenty Three he kicked six conversions against the Easts Tigers.

The former Australian School boy International grew up on the Gold Coast attending Keebra Park State High School and playing for Runaway Bay last playing for the Seagulls in 2016 in the U16 Division One competition.

Tannah Boyd is one of the few players that represented Queensland twice at the U18 level, starting at half in both 2017 and 2018, kicking one from two in 2018.

Tannah Boyd with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and impressive acceleration as well as outstanding body control. It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well.

Teams start to focus heavily on Tannah Boyd when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Tannah Boyd can exploit.

Tannah Boyd has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Tannah Boyd can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can react and readjust.

In saying all of that the most impressive part of Tannah Boyd’s passing game is that he will go right to the line committing defenders, he is absolutely fearless in that regard.

Tannah Boyd also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Tannah Boyd is going to do.

Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Tannah Boyd cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Tannah Boyd is an exceptional tactical kicker with range and accuracy, he can put up pin point bombs and perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. In short if you can name a type of rugby league kick, Tannah Boyd can execute it with precision.

Defensively Tannah Boyd is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

Tannah Boyd has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on Tannah Boyd’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Tannah Boyd is an outstanding defender.

Another area where Tannah Boyd has a plus attribute is in relation to his leaderships skills. He is a strong confident personality and that translates to a leader on and off the field and you can see that the other players gravitate towards him.

This is a trait that you cannot teach, you either have it or you don’t. Even if he is not the nominated captain on the field Tannah Boyd is a leader regardless of which team he is lining up for and acts accordingly both on and off the field.

Tannah Boyd will play out the 2019 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls and will be in line for his NRL debut in 2020 even though he will still be Colts eligible. It would not surprise however if Tannah Boyd makes his NRL debut before the end of the 2019 NRL season for the Titans such is his confidence and composure.

Tannah Boyd grew up playing half back including for Keebra Park, Australian School Boys and in the Queensland Cup although I note that he did play a couple of matches in the Queensland Cup at fullback for Souths Logan.

With his ability to play right at the defensive line, getting the ball in his hands as much as possible is critical therefore for me Tannah Boyd is a natural half and a representative level one at that.

I cannot get away from thinking of Sydney Roosters and former Queensland State of Origin and Australian International Cooper Cronk every time that I see Tannah Boyd play. Like Cronk, Tannah Boyd is just a class apart in every aspect and is just a natural rugby league player as well as an outstanding on field play maker and leader.

lonegull

14-06-19, 08:49 AM

thanks for the update on Tannah Mdrew, looks like we got a good one

ozynorts

14-06-19, 09:29 AM

Thanks for that Mr Drew, he certainly sounds like a great prospect.

gotitans101_

15-06-19, 01:41 AM

Player XX did XX so what, what a waste of the last few years my live has been. I have have spent thousands of hours on the road and what the hell for.

I am that pathetic that even the Titans ignore me, celebrate the loser who has wasted his life

??????????

mdrew

18-06-19, 03:31 PM

Ricardo Evinas. The Titans linked youngster was part of the Burleigh 2019 MM Cup squad heading down the highway from Brisbane after playing the 2018 season with the Easts Tigers in the GBJRL U16 Premier Division competition scoring five tries from fifteen matches (33.33% strike rate) along the way.

Early in 2019 Ricardo Evinas started from the bench for the Titans U18 side against the Newcastle Knights SG Ball squad in Coffs Harbour, making his presence felt when he came on, certainly running with the ball.

Ricardo Evinas was also one of the Titans U16 try scorers as they defeated PNG 60 – 10 in a September 2018 match at Burleigh’s Pizzey Park and was also part of the Titans side that played a New South Wales Country U16 side a week later where he was up against Titans signing Jack Smith who played in the backrow for New South Wales Country U16’s that afternoon.

Ricardo Evanis started in the front row for the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup side in their Round One match against the Norths Devils at Bishop Park Nundah and after a great Burleigh comeback the match ended in a 38 all draw and also started in the front row in Round two against the Ipswich Jets.

In total in the 2019 MM Cup competition for Burleigh Ricardo Evanis played in all six of their matches starting all in the front row and earned praise from Titans TEDS Program Director Jamie McCormack for his outstanding performance in Round Three against the Tweed Heads Seagulls when he more than held his own against a powerful opposing forward pack full of fellow Titans contracted players.

Post the MM Cup competition, Ricardo Evanis played for Burleigh in the GCRL U18 Division One competition making his debut for the Bears in the front row in Round Five against Southport.

The tall long striding Ricardo Evanis is at his best when he is operating in the fringes of the ruck where he can exploit gaps in the defensive line with his size and speed. When he runs Ricardo Evanis is all arms, legs, knees and elbows and with his long stride and strong fend is a difficult proposition for defenders to handle in the context of getting him to the ground prior to Ricardo Evanis being in a position to off load the ball effectively.

Ricardo Evanis’s leg drive and determination also enables him to be equally effective in relation to operating in traffic where as long as he gets his body height low he can shrug off would be tacklers by dropping his shoulder into the defender just as he starts to commit to the tackle, Ricardo Evanis can then redirect his momentum and proceed down the field on a different vector to the one he was on prior to contact. For a player his size Ricardo Evanis can quickly get to his feet both in the context of playing the ball when he is attacking and slowing down the ball from a defensive stand point.

In terms of overall speed, whilst above average for his position, Ricardo Evanis when in space will be caught by cover defenders but he is quick enough to maintain separation until he has progressively worked through his options and invariably makes the right decision with the ball.

Defensively Ricardo Evanis is adept at wrapping up the ball carrier and his initial contact is underrated as his primary function and goal is to wrap up the ball to prevent off loads. As previously noted after making a tackle Ricardo Evanis is quick to his feet to either look to get to marker or get back into the defensive line. His stamina is such that you will see Ricardo Evanis make multiple tackles in a short space of time and then immediately make himself available to take a hit up.

Ricardo Evinas is a big strong powerful young man who is still relatively raw from a rugby league perspective but his selection in the powerful Burleigh Bears 2019 MM Cup squad saw his skill set and physical attributes develop exponentially over the course of the competition,

Post the 2019 MM Cup competition, Ricardo Evinas is playing the 2019 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition in the front row.

Even though he played in the front row for the Burleigh MM Cup side this season I do not think that people should automatically think that Ricardo Evinas can only play there, I certainly think that he has the speed and mobility to also play in the second row over the next couple of seasons at least.

From an NRL player comparison for Ricardo Evanis I would consider a reasonable playing comparison could be made to Wests Tigers forward Alex Twal, both are in the early stages of their careers and both exhibit an intriguing physical skill set, developing skills and just as importantly an extremely determined attitude and aptitude for success.

mdrew

19-06-19, 04:38 PM

Demante Murray. The former Hamilton Boys High student received a clearance to play for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 competition in early April and in Round One of the Gold Coast Rugby League season started in the centres for the Burleigh U18 Division Two side.

Demante Murray broke into the Burleigh U18 Division One side in Round Six against Runaway Bay starting on the wing in their 28 – 6 victory and scored his first try against Currumbin in Round Three.

Demante Murray had an outstanding school boy rugby career in New Zealand for Hamilton Boys High culminating last year in kicking the winning penalty goal in the New Zealand Schools Super 8 final to give Hamilton Boys High a 23 – 22 win over Napier Boys High. In the final in addition to the match winning conversion, Demante Murray kicked another penalty goal and a conversion.

The week prior to the final Demante Murray kicked three conversions in a Hamilton Boys High win against their Super 8 finals opponent Napier Boys High and recorded a try earlier in the season against Tuaranga in a 39 – 0 win.

For Hamilton Boys High Demante Murray played first five eight (No. 10) and his season was also impressive to the extent that he recovered from a broken jaw to get back in time for the Super 8 final.

At the 2018 Hamilton Boys High sports night Demante Murray received the James Hook Trophy for the Hamilton Boys High First XV most outstanding goal kicker.

In New Zealand Demante Murray also played both rugby league and touch, in rugby league he played for the Teiti Rearea Sport Club in the Waikato Rugby League competition.

Demante Murray was also a representative level touch player in New Zealand, representing the Waikato region in touch in 2016 in the U15 age group then going on to represent New Zealand at the U16 level in 2017 and also represented New Zealand in the U18 age group.

There is more to the game of Demante Murray than just goal kicking he provided very adept at getting the ball out to his backline quickly.

Demante Murray also has a very good short passing game including a short “pop” ball to forwards looping around behind him, he will go to the line before delivering the ball.

In terms of running the ball, it is not something that Demante Murray necessarily did a lot of in 2018 for Hamilton Boys High, but when he does run he has above average speed off the mark and a subtle side step.

My previous sentence is going to be a key to how successful Demante Murray will be continued refinement of his running game is going to make his passing game and the game of his outside supports even more effective as defences must commit a resource to Demante Murray especially when his side are in the attacking 20 metre line.

His kicking game will almost certainly be the thing that stands out when people watch a game in which Demante Murray is playing both in terms of his tactical kicking and his goal kicking. In relation to his tactical kicking it is long and accurate and his bombs generate significant height and spin.

In short his goal kicking would be NRL standard already, Demante Murray has outstanding range and accuracy and his goal kicking won Hamilton Boys High a number of matches including the Super 8 Schoolboy final against Napier Boys High.

Defensively Demante Murray is a solid one on one defender who will put his shoulder into the tackle and will mirror the movement of his direct opponent and adjust on the move prior to committing to the tackle.

In rugby the No. 10 always has a lot of traffic directed at them especially giant opposition flankers and No. 8’s thus there can be no doubt that Demante Murray has the courage and skill set to be a very effective defender regardless of the size of the opponent running at him.

Demante Murray will play the 2019 Gold Coast Rugby League season with Burleigh in the U18 Divisions.

Demante Murray played No. 10 for Hamilton Boys High in New Zealand but since his move to the Gold Coast to play for Burleigh in the U18 competitions has played primarily in the centres.

Demante Murray’s tactical kicking game and ability to direct play for me seems best suited to either five eight or fullback in rugby league so it will be very interesting to see where he settles in the long term.

An NRL player comparison perspective for Demante Murray is an intriguing one, I think for me the most appropriate player comparison would be North Queensland Cowboy Te Marie Martin, both are elusive runners, can kick and both have underappreciated game management skills.

Demante Murray is an intriguing prospect and it is scary to think that there are so many talented school boy rugby players in New Zealand that have to head overseas for an opportunity.

The talent level in the school boy rugby First XV competitions is out of this world and if you ever have the opportunity to see any even if you are not a rugby fan, it certainly would be worth it.

ALX25

19-06-19, 09:56 PM

??????????

I believe it is because a pretty handy Gold Coast junior who was with the Titans has been signed by the Broncos.

Also pretty demoralising article in the Courier Mail about all the signings...

Bayside Titan

19-06-19, 11:00 PM

I believe it is because a pretty handy Gold Coast junior who was with the Titans has been signed by the Broncos.

Also pretty demoralising article in the Courier Mail about all the signings...

Which player is that mate. Yeah on Tuesday in the CM I read two of the better Coast boys were Broncos. Coats one of them.

mdrew

21-06-19, 05:01 PM

Josiah Pahulu. The powerful Ipswich youngster is currently a member of the 2019 Queensland U15 Emerging Origin Squad and was one of the standouts for the Titans U15 sides in their February 2019 matches against another Titans side and the Western Mustangs at the U15 level at Mudgeeraba where he started at lock and produced an outstanding display.

In the match, Josiah Pahulu scored a barnstorming try against the other Titans side, taking the ball off the dummy half on the right side of the field and crashing over from around ten metres out.

Josiah Pahulu made another powerful run of about thirty metres later in the day when he took a short pass inside his own twenty metre line and smashed his way to around the half way line before being brought down in a tackle that required multiple defenders.

Josiah Pahulu also had two try assists in his matches, both coming from off-loads close to the opponents try line, on each occasion the support player was able to score reasonably easily. The first pass was popped out around one a metre from the line with Josiah Pahulu engaged with three defenders and the second was when he got halfway through the line before offloading.

As a result of his performance in that game and over recent seasons, Josiah Pahulu, in early 2019 signed a two year contract with the Titans.

Early in the 2019 season Josiah Pahulu trialled for a spot in the Met West U15 rugby league side and to say he was dominant at the trials would be an understatement including an outstanding try when he received an inside ball easily broke through the defensive line before scoring under the posts.

Josiah Pahulu represented Met West, where for me was the stand out Met West player at the U15 QSSRL Championships, in particular Josiah Pahulu was outstanding in matches against Peninsula and Met East. Subsequently Josiah Pahulu was selected in the Queensland White side for the U15 ASSRL Championships.

In 2018 Josiah Pahulu played for Springfield Panthers Black in the Ipswich U14 competition playing in ten matches and scoring eight tries including a try in the Grand Final that his Springfield side was able to win 24 – 4 against Redbank Plains.

2018 also saw Josiah Pahulu represent Met West at the U14 level and from there he was selected in the South East Queensland U14 side for the Queensland Age Championships, where he played all four of their matches starting each in the front row.

In 2017 Josiah Pahulu represented the Ipswich Diggers at the U13 level and prior to that Josiah Pahulu represented Toa Samoa in a two day tournament in Auckland.

The pace and power in terms of how he runs the ball is the outstanding feature of Josiah Pahulu’s game, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot Josiah Pahulu will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him.

I would consider that Josiah Pahulu’s speed would be considered about average for a backrower but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at. In terms of when he operates in the front row his speed would be considered above average for that position.

Josiah Pahulu is also very effective close to the opposition try line with his ability to burst through tackles. If the defenders do not rush off their line he will just drag them across the try line with brute force and power.

With his continued development of which running lines he can utilise, such as running an inside shoulder line when close to the opposition try line Josiah Pahulu will become even more effective and will be an asset to the entire team as defences compress to combat his running thus leaving more room our wide for his play makers to exploit.

The defensive side of his game is similarly impressive, Josiah Pahulu does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit, but is calculating in where and when to hit. Quite a few of his tackles resulted in a knock on by the opposition as the ball came loose as a result of the impact of the tackle, he just hits so hard.

Josiah Pahulu drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent. With his strength and technique he should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of the quality of opponent that he is up against.

Josiah Pahulu will play the remainder of the 2019 season with the Springfield Panthers in the Ipswich U15 competition as well as representing the U15 Queensland White at the upcoming ASSRL U15 Championships to be held at Redcliffe.

Josiah Pahulu has spent time in the second row in previous season but I believe going forward that he will find his niche at either lock or in the front row and be a dominant one at that.

Josiah Pahulu is for me as near a carbon copy for Brisbane Broncos forward Tevita Pangai Jnr as you will ever see. Both are unbelievably powerful players who can smash through a defensive line themselves and then have the outstanding speed and mobility to convert their own breaks.

In defence both have strength, power and an outstanding front on tackling technique which means an opposition player will know that they have been hit and hit hard.

I would argue however that Josiah Pahulu is far less prone to penalties or errors that Tevita Pangai Jnr due to his relative calmness on the field which should not however be mistaken for anything but a cold calculating mind set.

The Titans have a very special player on their hands with Josiah Pahulu, of that there can be absolutely no doubt, no doubt at all.

mdrew

24-06-19, 06:11 PM

Jaiden West. (Revised) He is a Titans contracted local young fullback originally from the Nerang Roosters club for whom he played the 2018 season with in the U16 Division One competition. Jaiden West started at fullback in the GCRL U16 Division One Grand Final as Nerang defeated Currumbin 24 – 8.

Jaiden West also attends PBC as part of their Rugby league Excellence Program and was a standout for PBC in their two point 2018 Walters Cup victory over Keebra Park at Pizzey Park. That night he terrorised the Keebra Park defence especially the right side.

In 2019 Jaiden West was once again part of the PBC side including starting on the right wing in the Langer Cup derby against Keebra Park and had an impressive match scoring a first half try and also making a great try saving tackle late in the second half on Keebra Park left wing Thomas Vickery.

Jaiden West’s try in the match, highlighted his speed, he received the ball after good inside work from Toby Sexton, sprinting down the right side line and dived over under pressure from the Keebra Park half.

In the second half with Keebra Park looking to get back into the match, Thomas Vickery had a lot of room down the left touchline, but Jaiden West came from the clouds to collar him and drag him into touch.

Jaiden West started Round One of the 2019 GCRL U18 Division One competition for Nerang, before they withdrew from the competition.

Jaiden West was named in the Tweed heads Seagulls MM Cup squad, but did not play in any matches but is eligible for that competition once again in 2020.

In Round One of the 2018 Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition, Jaiden West started at fullback in the Roosters 60 – 0 victory over Runaway Bay and crossed for one of the Roosters tries on the opening Friday night of the season.

In total in the 2018 U16 Division One competition this season for Nerang Jaiden West played in nine matches including the finals series scoring three tries and kicking five goals to finish the season with 22 points.

In addition to his Round One try Jaiden West scored mid-season against Runaway Bay, a match which also saw him kick his five goals, and he also scored in Nerang’s Major semi-final victory over Currumbin.

In 2015 Jaiden West started on the wing for the Titans U13 development squad in a match against a Toowoomba U14 selection in the same year was part of the U13 Gold Coast Vikings representative squad and in 2014 represented South Coast at the U12 level in the Queensland Primary School tournament.

Jaiden West did not get many opportunities on the wing for the development squad as the players inside him like Rixon Andrew, Damon Somerville and Matamatagi Ripley had a field day against the U14 Toowoomba representative selection, meaning the ball did not get out him as much as it usually would in a game. In saying that though he maintained his discipline and did not go chasing the ball but maintained his correct positioning throughout the course of the match.

Jaiden West is a smooth runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. When returning kicks, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

The one thing Jaiden West also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, Jaiden West has a very good step back inside especially off his right foot when running to the left and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, Jaiden West’s quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

In defence Jaiden West has good strength, and certainly looks to come forward to stop the attack before it has time to fully develop once a break has been made. Jaiden West also has the ability to show the attacker the sideline and is confident that his speed will enable him to get across to make the tackle which he invariably does.

Jaiden West is still MM Cup eligible in 2020 when he should be a key member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls side that will be looking to repeat their success in 2019.

Jaiden West has primarily been a fullback for the majority of his junior rugby league career to date and even though I am sure that he could handle playing in the centres or on the wing, fullback seems to be his ideal position going forward.

From a player comparison perspective for Jaiden West, think along the lines of New South Wales State of Origin and Manly stand out Tom Trbojevic as a taller player with speed and strength.

mdrew

27-06-19, 04:09 PM

Codey McLaughlin. (Revised) He deservedly started the 2019 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad playing in all twelve of Tweed Heads matches to date, splitting time between starting on the bench and starting in the front row for the Seagulls.

Codey McLaughlin started the first two rounds of the season from the interchange bench before moving into the starting side for Round Three against Burleigh and also started in the front row in Round Five against Wynnum Manly.

Codey McLaughlin’s first Colts try of the season came in Round Four against Central Queensland and he also scored in Round Eleven when he followed through a short attacking kick out of dummy half from Josh Sexton to dive on the ball near the touch in goal.

In a Hastings Deering’s Colts bye week, Codey McLaughlin started from the bench and scored for Runaway Bay as they defeated Southport 40-26 in Round Seven of the Gold Coast Rugby League U20 competition.

His try was a good one too, late in the second half, Cody McLaughlin took a hit up to the left of the play the ball around ten metres out from the Southport line. It looked for all money that he was held and he even got his right arm free over his head looking to offload (he had be turned around and was facing his own try line), but instead he spun around breaking away from the three defenders that had hold of him to crash over.

Codey McLaughlin also scored in Round Twelve of the GCRL U20 competition matches when he scored out wide on the left side of the field untouched after some good work inside of him after starting the match in the front row.

Codey McLaughlin was part of the 2018 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM side and post that competition has played in the GCRL U19, Doug Lipp Cup and First Grade competitions for Runaway Bay.

In the 2018 MM Cup competition for Tweed Heads, Codey McLaughlin played in five matches starting all five from the interchange bench and scoring twice. Codey McLaughlin’s first try came in Round Two against Victoria and he followed that with a try in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks.

For the 2018 U19 Runaway Bay side post the MM Cup competition Codey McLaughlin played in twelve regular season matches scoring six tries. Codey McLaughlin scored a Round Fourteen double against Mudgeeraba and also scored in Round Fifteen against Burleigh and well as in Round Seventeen against Beaudesert. Earlier in the season Codey McLaughlin scored against Bilambil and Ormeau to round out his seasons try scoring.

In the Doug Lipp Cup competition for Runaway Bay Cody McLaughlin played five regular season matches including starting Round Sixteen against Helensvale in the second row and Round Seventeen in the centres against Beaudesert, debuting against Currumbin and April.

Codey McLaughlin scored two regular season Doug Lipp Cup tries including scoring in just his second game at that level against Tugun and also scored in his starting debut against Helensvale in Round Sixteen.

In Week One of the GCRL Finals series, Codey McLaughlin started in the second row as well as scoring for Runaway Bay in their 40 – 12 win over Burleigh in the Doug Lipp Cup competition.

In Week Two of the GCRL Finals series, Codey McLaughlin started in the second row for Runaway Bay once again in their 25 – 4 win against Beaudesert.

Codey McLaughlin also started in the second row for Runaway Bay in the 2018 Doug Lipp Cup Preliminary Final against Currumbin with Runaway Bay going down by a solitary point 17 – 16 in a hard fought contest.

Codey McLaughlin made his deserved GCRL First Grade debut in late June 2018 coming off the bench for Runaway Bay against Tugun.

Codey McLaughlin played the 2017 season with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCRL U17 Division One competition including starting at five eight in Helensvale’s 34 – 20 Grand Final victory over Ormeau. Over the course of the U17 Division One 2017 season Codey McLaughlin played in thirteen matches scoring four tries in the process with the tries coming against Southport, Mudgeeraba, Runaway Bay and Burleigh.

For Gold Coast Green in the CC Cup competition in 2016, Codey McLaughlin played in all eight matches, starting the seven regular season games at right centre, but he started the quarter final on the right wing. Over the course of the CC season he scored three tries which came against the Easts Tigers in Rounds One and Six and also against Toowoomba in their quarter final loss, he also kicked two conversions in a Round Two win against local rivals Gold Coast White.

In addition in 2016 Codey McLaughlin also represented South East Queensland White in the Queensland Age Championships at the U16 level, and on Day Two scored a try and kicked two conversions in a win against South East Queensland Green and on Day Three kicked three conversions in a big 42-24 victory over the Northern Marlins.

From an attacking perspective, Codey McLaughlin has a wide running mindset for a backrower with a very good turn of speed once he breaks through the line. Like all good running backrowers though, he takes his share of runs in the middle of the ruck but he is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into although he is not averse to running straight over people if the need arises either.

From the games that I have seen him play Codey McLaughlin normally runs to the right side of the field, and will run wider out and look to come back on the inside shoulder of the opposition defence on the edge of the ruck, looking for situations where the opposition inside defenders are slow to come across.

His determination is one aspect that enables him to be in the right place at the right time. He is a hard runner and does not give up on the run until the opposition puts him on the ground, as a consequence, he makes a lot more metres for his team than he has a right to and with his determination he will also on occasion break clear of the defenders totally. I would consider that he runs ‘tough’ with the ball in his hands.

For Tweed Heads in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, Codey McLaughlin defends both in the edge of the ruck and well as through the middle. Codey McLaughlin has been quietly effective in both situations from both a quality and quantity perspective.

Codey McLaughlin’s initial contact is solid and is more than enough to stop the momentum of the ball carrier and effect tackles one on one. He is also effective at wrapping the ball up and preventing offloads.

While Codey McLaughlin hits he hits hard, but I would not call it aggressive per say, but he is just tough in his approach to his defence. I do not necessarily think that Codey McLaughlin’s defensive work will stand out because he is not going to come up with a huge hit which will get the crowd on its feet, but he will do a lot of work and will likely always finish at or near the top of the tackle count regardless of the level and standard of football he is playing.

Codey McLaughlin will play the remainder of the 2019 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side and will also be Colts eligible in 2020.

Earlier in his junior rugby league career Codey McLaughlin played a lot in the centres and even spent some time at fullback but this season, especially in relation to playing for Runaway Bay in the U19 GCRL competition has played almost exclusively at lock, and he has looked very good there.

From a style comparison perspective for Codey McLaughlin, the current NRL player that stands out for me is New South Wales State of Origin and St George front rower Paul Vaughan.

mdrew

28-06-19, 04:48 PM

Thomas Vickery. The young utility started the 2019 season of starting at five eight in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

Thomas Vickery tried his guts out the entire match and setup the Northern Rivers Titans sole try of the match late in the second half. Thomas Vickery was operating on the left side of the field and threw a great cut-out pass to left winger Jahvis Kendall who went over untouched and was even able to bring the ball around by about ten metres or so to make the conversion easier for Thomas Vickery.

Round Two saw Thomas Vickery move to right centre for the Northern Rivers Titans match against the Parramatta Eels.

Round Three saw another position change for Thomas Vickery when he started at fullback against the North Coast Bulldogs in Grafton and converted Cooper Many’s second half try near the left upright.

Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters saw Thomas Vickery on the move again, moving back to right centre where he played in Round Two and converted two of the Northern Rivers Titans three tries.

In Round five against the Greater Northern Tigers Thomas Vickery stayed at centre and added four goals to his points tally in the competition.

Post the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition Thomas Vickery started in the U18 NRRRL competition for Murwillumbah kicking four goals as the Colts started their season off with a 36 – 4 victory over the Evans Head Bombers.

In Round Two Thomas Vickery added a try and two goals as Murwillumbah went down 18 – 16 to the Lower Clarence Magpies a side which contained Titans contract stand out Ethan Foster.

To date in the NRRRL U18 competition, Thomas Vickery has played in eleven matches to date scoring 66 points from three tries and twenty seven goals.

In addition lt his Round Two try against Lower Clarence, Thomas Vickery has also scored against Tweed Coast in two separate matches.

Thomas Vickery played his first NRRRL First Grade match of the 2019 in Round Eight against Mullumbimby scoring in a Mustangs 28 – 10 victory.

Thomas Vickery has also played in one NRRRL Reserve Grade match this season early this month against Tweed Coast, scoring in that match.

Thomas Vickery was also part of the Keebra Park Langer Cup squad in 2019 including starting on the left wing in the Gold Coast derby against PBC and scoring a first half hat trick. For all intents and purposes all three tries were similar with Thomas Vickery staying on his touch line and showing impressive speed down the touch line to score, including on one occasion when he got a clip across the ear for his troubles after he had put the ball down.

In 2018 Thomas Vickery played two matches for the Northern Rivers Titans Laurie Daley Cup squad, being Round One against the Newcastle Knights when he started on the wing and in Round Four when he started in the centres against the Central Coast Roosters.

Thomas Vickery had a big game against the Central Coast Roosters scoring a double and also kicking a conversion for a ten point match haul.

In Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers Thomas Vickery added a try and four goals to his season points tally in a tough four point loss.

Post the 2018 Laurie Daley Cup competition, Thomas Vickery played for Murwillumbah in the NRRRL competition, playing in the U18, reserve grade and first grade competitions over the course of the 2018 season.

Thomas Vickery played his first NRRRL First Grade match of the 2019 season in Round Eight scoring against Mullumbimby.

In the U18 competition, Thomas Vickery played in eight matches in 2018 scoring twenty points which was made up of two tries and six goals. Both of his tries came against Evans Head in August, a match which also saw him kick four goals to finish with a match total of sixteen points, which accounted for 80% of his season total.

Thomas Vickery played three NRRRL Reserve Grade matches in 2018 as well and in his reserve grade debut for Murwillumbah scored a double against Cudgen.

Thomas Vickery made his deserved NRRRL First Debut as a 17 year old Casino RSM in April and went on to play in eleven First Grade matches, scoring his first try in his third match against Mullumbimby. Thomas Vickery followed that up with a double later in the season against Evans Head, a match which also saw him kick a conversion.

Thomas Vickery is not the biggest rugby league player running around but do not take his lack of size in any way as a lack of ability or courage, he has a lot of both, which is on display each time he runs onto the field. With the ball he is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports.

Thomas Vickery is adept at drawing an opposing defender out of the defensive line and then putting his support runner through the resulting gap. In terms of his speed, I would suggest that an appropriate definition of his speed would be that he is quick off the mark but does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space.

In previous seasons when I have seen him play he sometimes took the line on himself too much, but the times that I have seen him play more recently Thomas Vickery has become more selective about when to pass and when to run. Thomas Vickery’s passing game is solid but seems to be slightly better when he is passing to the right side of the field.

Thomas Vickery is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side both in attack and defence. Thomas Vickery also has a touch of aggressiveness about his play on occasion which showed in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Round two match against the Parramatta Eels early in 2019.

Thomas Vickery is not the biggest player but even when defending in the front line will tackle using his shoulder which assists when defending against larger forwards operating on the fringes of the ruck.

Whilst not the biggest Thomas Vickery is strong and tough enough to effectively tackle one on one against opposing halves and with his solid speed and foot work he can cover a lot of ground as he tracks the ball across the field. Thomas Vickery is certainly not going to be a liability in defence for his team and is more than willing to take on bigger forwards.

When defending at fullback Thomas Vickery forces the opposition to make a decision with the football rather than letting the attackers come to him with time on their side and at fullback has very safe hands and will get to a lot of kicks on the full thus enabling his team to start their set of six with good field position, courage is also not an issues for the young Gold Coast junior.

Thomas Vickery played multiple positions for the Northern Rivers Titans U18 side this season including five eight, centre and fullback but ultimately I believe that he ends up as a fullback in the senior rugby league ranks.

Thomas Vickery will play the remainder of the 2019 season in the NRRRL competition with Murwillumbah and even though he has started in the NRRRL U18 competition, I would anticipate that Thomas Vickery will play a lot of NRRRL First Grade for the Mustangs in an NRRRL First Grade competition which with an influx of players this season is a competition of quite a high standard.

Thomas Vickery will also continue to play for Keebra Park in the Langer Cup and GIO Cup competitions, and based on his performance against PBC should continue to feature prominently in those competitions.

From a player comparison perspective in relation to Thomas Vickery, think of someone along the lines of current Newcastle Knights and former St George Dragons fullback Kurt Mann as just a solid, safe and dependable player across the board who can play a variety of positions in the backline from fullback all the way through to the halves.

mdrew

02-07-19, 05:01 PM

Sam Stone. The former local junior and Junior Kangaroo was a mid-season signing from Newcastle and is contracted to the Titans until the end of the 2020 season.

Sam Stone made his NRL debut with the Newcastle Knights in 2017, playing in sixteen matches, he added two more NRL matches in 2018 to take his total to date to eighteen.

In his sixteen NRL matches in 2017, Sam Stone ran for 585 metres (36.6 metres per game), scored two tries, had two line breaks and made 353 tackles (22 per match) at a tackling efficiency of 92.89%.

In his two NRL matches in 2018, Sam Stone ran for 101 metres (50.5 metres per game) and made forty tackles (twenty per game) at a tackling efficiency of 95.24%.

Prior to signing with the Titans, Sam Stone played for Newcastle in the New South Wales Canterbury Cup side.

After signing with the Titans in late June Sam Stone began his time back on the Gold Coast starting in the second row for Burleigh in Round Fifteen of the Queensland Cup against Townsville.

In the match, Sam Stone played all 80 minutes, running for 91 metres (36 post contact), broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.85 seconds and made twenty seven tackles at an impressive tackling efficiency of 96.49%.

The pace and power in terms of how Sam Stone runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot Sam Stone will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through and for a young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him.

I would consider that Sam Stone’s speed would be considered above average for a backrower but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at.

Sam Stone’s offloading ability is also improving as he refines his game. Earlier in his junior career, he was almost too good at offloading compared to his team mates as he would pop some passes that they were not expecting but as he has matured and the quality of the opposition and his own team has increased so has the selective nature of his offloading.

The defensive side of Sam Stone’s game is similarly impressive, He does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit, but is calculating in where and when to hit. Sam Stone drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent.

Sam Stone sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum to complete the tackle.

Sam Stone is contracted to the Titans until the end of the 2020 and will play out the 2019 season with Burleigh in the Queensland Cup competition and it also would not surprise if he gets an NRL game or to with the Titans later in the season so that they can see just what they have with Sam Stone.

Sam Stone’s 194 cm, 102 kg frame is ideal for him to continue playing in the second row where he has played his entire career, including his eighteen NRL matches to date.

A current NRL player with a similar playing style for me is Sam Stone’s former team mate being Newcastle Knights second rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon. Like Fitzgibbon Sam Stone shapes as a talented young second rower who just needs the right opportunity to highlight his burgeoning skill set.

mdrew

04-07-19, 03:36 PM

Yorel Alapaki. The young hooker or second rower moved over from Auckland to play in 2019 with the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition, starting Round One at hooker.

Yorel Alapaki then moved to lock for Round Two against Currumbin. Yorel Alapaki scored his first try on the Gold Coast in Round Three against Runaway Bay as Southport prevailed 26 – 14 and kicked his first goal in Round Five.

In total for Southport in the GCRL U18 Division One competition Yorel Alapaki played in seven matches alternating between lock and hooker, scoring six point as noted above.

Yorel Alapaki has now moved back to Auckland playing his first match back in New Zealand for Marist Saints against Manurewa Allstars in mid-June.

In 2018 Yorel Alapaki played in the Auckland Junior Rugby League U16 competition for Marist Saints. 2018 also saw Yorel Alapaki, who is also an accomplished softball player, represent Howick College in the 2018 New Zealand National Secondary Schools Development Tournament.

In that competition, Yorel Alapaki played in five matches with those matches being against Sir Edmund Hillary College, Onehunga High School twice, Naenae College and Whangaparaoe College. Yorel Alapaki started all five matches at lock for Howick College and scored in both finals matches being against Onehunga High School and Whangaparaoe College.

Yorel Alapaki’s try against Onehunga High School was a case where he just wanted to score more than the defence wanted to stop him. The Howick College centre on the right, Francis Morrison, cut back inside and ran across field, Yorel Alapaki ran straight at a hole in the defensive line and upon receiving the pass barged his way over adjacent to the right upright dragging a couple of defenders with him.

Yorel Alapaki’s try against Whangaparaoe College could not have been more different to the one discussed above. Yorel Alapaki took a hit-up on the left side of the field about sixty five metres out from the try line and after breaking through the defensive line by running over a defender outpaced the Whangaparaoe College cover defence to score an impressive try.

Late in 2018 Yorel Alapaki was the co-captain of the Auckland Niue U16 side that played an Auckland U16 side, starting that match in the second row. In 2018 Yorel Alapaki was also captain of the Northern side in the New Zealand Development Rugby League Finals held in March.

Yorel Alapaki also represented the Cook Islands in the U18 Rugby League Oceania Sevens tournament scoring against the Solomon Islands in Round Four.

In 2017 Yorel Alapaki represented the Akarana Falcons U15’s at the New Zealand National Age Championships playing in matches against the Auckland Vulcans and the Northern Swords.

Yorel Alapaki is a solidly built young man with deceptive speed, both off the mark and at the top end. From hooker he can take off quite quickly and is difficult to tackle as a result of his low centre of gravity thus he makes a lot of post contact metres.

Close to the line Yorel Alapaki is decisive in terms of when to run and when he does he gets down low and pumps his legs.

From a passing perspective, both out of dummy half and in general play Yorel Alapaki has a simple passing technique from both sides of his body which leads to accurate and long passes both off the ground and when playing “out the back”.

When he is playing in the backrow Yorel Alapaki runs hard and uses good running lines rather than late footwork to counter the defensive line. In New Zealand Yorel Alapaki primarily operated on the left side when he played in the second row.

When engaged with the defensive line Yorel Alapaki continues to fight for every metre through the use of his upper body strength and constant pumping of his legs, similarly he always fights for a quick play the ball.

Defensively Yorel Alapaki hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. He also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in.

Yorel Alapaki is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier, he sets a good stable base with his lower body.

Yorel Alapaki played the start of the 2019 season as part of the young Southport Tigers U18 Division One side and will be U18 eligible once again in 2020 although whether he returns to Australia or continues to play for Marist Saints in New Zealand remains to be seen..

Over his junior rugby league career in New Zealand Yorel Alapaki played in every position in the forward pack bar front row, but looking at how he plays I would anticipate that Yorel Alapaki will eventually settle in the hooking role over the coming seasons although that is definitely not set in stone.

In the short to medium term however, as much as I don’t want to say it, Yorel Alapaki may be the ideal interchange player, being one that can come on and play either hooker or in the second row effectively and play big minutes in either position as well.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, with his size, speed and tenacity, for me Yorel Alapaki has a playing style akin to Newcastle Knight and former New South Wales State of Origin player Jamie Buhrer. Both can spend some time either at dummy half or in the second row and not let their team down at either position.

mdrew

04-07-19, 05:35 PM

Cooper Bai. The powerful young lock or second rower from the Burleigh Bears Junior Rugby League club was part of the Titans U13 side that took on a Western Mustangs side at Mudgeeraba in February this year. From a trivia perspective, Cooper Bai is the son of former Titans, Melbourne Storm and PNG International winger Marcus Bai.

Early in the 2019 season Cooper Bai was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U13 squad starting in the second row for the Vikings. After the completion of the competition, Cooper Bai was selected in the South East Queensland U13 training squad.

Cooper Bai started in the second row for Burleigh in Round One of the GCRL U13 Division One competition against Coomera but also spent time in the centres this season for Burleigh.

In total for Burleigh in the 2019 GCRL U13 Division One competition to date, Cooper Bai has played in seven matches scoring four tries including a Round Six double against Currumbin as well as tries in Rounds One and Three against Coomera and Nerang respectively.

In 2018 Cooper Bai played for Burleigh in the U12 Division One competition playing in twelve matches, scoring thirty points from three tries and nine goals, including scoring Burleigh’s only try in their 28 – 6 U12 Division One Grand Final loss to Helensvale. Copper Bai started the Grand Final in the second row, scoring in the first half for the Bears.

In addition to his Grand Final try Cooper Bai scored against Runaway Bay and Coomera. Interestingly, all of his nine conversions were kicked in separate matches over the course of the 2018 season.

2018 also saw Cooper Bai captain the Marymount Catholic Primary School side in the NRL Development Cup Final played at Suncorp Stadium with the Gold Coast school running out 16 – 12 winners against Cairns West Primary School.

Cooper Bai started the match at lock and scored Marymount’s first try when he cut back inside the Cairns West defence to score under the posts to level the score up at 6 all in the first half.

Cooper Bai is a big strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Cooper Bai also has a very good passing game. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Cooper Bai is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide.

From a speed perspective has above average to plus speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, Cooper Bai will not be caught from behind other than from only the fastest of opponents and Cooper Ba is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback. The only possible question about Cooper Bai’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the plus category as he matures and inevitably fills out.

Defensively Cooper Bai uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

For me when I saw him play for Burleigh this year Cooper Bai was the defensive leader of the three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Cooper Bai on an individual level has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.
Cooper Bai will play the remainder of the 2019 season with the Burleigh U13 Division One side and no doubt is in line for junior representative honours in years to come.

Cooper Bai is a big strong powerful young man with some real speed for his size and therefore seems an ideal fit in the second row on a rugby league field. I do not however that Cooper Bai did play a couple of matches for Burleigh in the centres this season and will likely continue to do so for the next couple of seasons at least.

For me a current rugby league player with similar attributes and a similar playing style is Manly Sea Eagles backrower Joel Thompson, as a big strong player who can transition between centre and second row although I think that just like Joel Thompson, Cooper Bai’s skill set plays slightly better in the second row taking all things into account.

mdrew

08-07-19, 03:35 PM

Darius Farmer. (Revised) He is a young second rower originally from Ipswich who signed with the Titans initially as a 15 year old and has previously represented Queensland at the U16 level in 2015 with Titans team mate Ben Thomas, starting in the second row in the annual interstate match. Darius Farmer originally signed with the Titans in 2015 after being part of the Sydney Roosters Junior Summer Training squad in 2014.

Darius Farmer started from the interchange bench in the Titans first NRL trial this season against the Norther Queensland Cowboys on the Sunshine Coast.

In Round One of the 2019 Queensland Cup competition, Darius Farmer came off the bench for Burleigh against PNG playing 26 minutes, took two hit-ups for 26 metres, 11 post contact, broke two tackles, had a play the ball average of 3.48 seconds and made nine tackles missing only one.

Darius Farmer made his second Queensland Cup appearance of the season in Round Ten for Burleigh as they thrashed the Northern Pride 43 – 0. Starting from the bench Darius Farmer played 23 minutes, ran for 44 metres (an impressive 50% of those post contact) on five hit-ups, broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 4.19 seconds and made ten tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Darius Farmer also started from the bench in Round Eleven of the Queensland Cup for Burleigh as they defeated Central Queensland. Darius Farmer played 29 minutes, running for 35 metres (16 post contact), played the ball at an average of 4.25 seconds and made four tackles.

After Round One Darius Farmer moved back to the Burleigh Colts Hastings Deering’s Colts U20 side for Rounds Two and Three starting in the second row on both occasions.

Darius Farmer was then promoted to the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side starting in the second row in Round Three of that competition for the Bears in their 28 – 8 win over Currumbin.

Darius Farmer also started in the second row in Round Four against Bilambil and in fact scored his first career GCRL First Grade try. With Burleigh attacking close to the Bilambil line, Darius Farmer flew onto the ball from around two metres out to crash over the top of three defenders to get the ball down.

In total in the Gold Coast Rugby League season to date Darius Farmer has played in five Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches.

In 2019 Darius Farmer was also selected in the Gold Coast Vikings First Grade side for the South East Queensland U20 Challenge but in the end was not part of the side that won the competition due to his elevation to the Burleigh Queensland Cup side.

Darius Farmer has had an outstanding 2018 season including making his Queensland Cup debut in Round 18 off the bench for the Burleigh Bears in their 40 – 28 loss to Redcliffe coming on in around the 24th minute of the second half making a couple of solid tackles including one try saving tackle late as Redcliffe looked certain to score. Prior to his introduction into the match, Darius Farmer was deservedly acknowledged by commentator Scott Sattler for his outstanding talent and associated potential.

In his debut Queensland Cup match in Round Eighteen against Redcliffe Darius Farmer played 19 minutes, running for 14 metres, six post contact from two hit-ups and made eleven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 84.62%.

Prior to his Queensland Cup call up Darius Farmer has spent the majority of the 2018 season playing for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition, but has also played a number of matches for the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side the last of which was in Round 17 against the Norths Devils.

Due to injury Darius Farmer missed the start of the 2017 season but played the majority of the season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side but also made his NYC debut with the Titans as well as representing New Zealand U18’s with Titans team mate Jaxson Paulo.

Darius Farmer started in the second row for New Zealand in their match against the Australian School Boys in September in New Zealand playing on the left side of the field with Jaxon Paulo who played on the left wing. Even though New Zealand lost the International Darius Farmer matched up well with Australian School Boy star David Fifita who lined up on the right hand side of the field for the Australian Schoolboys.

Prior to the International match against the Australian School Boys Darius Farmer represented the New Zealand U18 Taurahere side (NZ eligible players playing in Australia) against the New Zealand Residents U18 side. Darius Farmer was one of four Titans players named in the Taurahere side with the others being Jaxson Paulo, Reihana Marsh and Moeaki Fotuaika, although only Darius Farmer and Jaxon Paulo played in the match with both then progressing to the New Zealand U18 side.

Darius Farmer made his NYC debut with the Titans in Round Twenty against Penrith, almost scoring with his first touch of the ball after coming off the interchange bench and in Round Twenty-Two Darius Farmer started at lock against the Broncos. In 2017 Darius Farmer went on to play in Rounds Twenty Five and Twenty Six against the Bulldogs and Roosters respectively, on both of those occasions starting off the interchange bench.

In total in the NYC competition Darius Farmer was on the field for 150 minutes, ran for 170 metres from twenty hit-ups and made forty four at a tackling efficiency of 72%. Darius Farmer’s 2017 NYC per game averages included playing 37.5 minutes, running for 43 metres and making eleven tackles.

Darius Farmer’s best match from a running perspective was against the Panthers on his NYC debut when he ran for 78 metres and in Round Twenty Six against the Roosters he made thirteen tackles in limited minutes.

Darius Farmer missed the MM Cup competition but after spending the 2016 off season training with the Titans NYC squad including playing a couple of NYC trials for example against the Melbourne Storm at Langland’s Park, Darius Farmer was back for the start of the U20 Colts Challenge competition and played in twelve matches for Tweed Heads in that competition starting in the second row in every match that he played except for Round Four when he started at lock. Darius Farmer scored twice in the Colts competition including scoring in just the third minute of the Round One clash against South’s Logan. His other try came in Round Five against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

During the 2016 season Darius Famer played for the Gold Coast White MM side scoring a try in Round Three against the Easts Tigers. He started all of the matches he played for Gold Coast White in the second row. In addition he also made his QCup Colts debut for the Ipswich Jets in Round 15 scoring a hat trick against Toowoomba and starting in the centres. Darius Farmer started in the centres as well for the other three games that he played for the Ipswich Jets in the Colts competition, being from Rounds 23 to 25 and in Round 24 against the Tweed Heads Seagulls scored a double.

Darius Farmer is a tall, rangy exceptional athlete and this can be seen when be he is running with the football. In his carries he rarely takes a hit up without movement, he uses foot work prior to the line to look to break through as well as cutting either cutting back in behind the play the ball or cutting out towards the smaller defenders on the fringes of the ruck.

Darius Farmer runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line quite often, certainly more so than you would expect for a backrower taking the ball through the centre of the ruck. One reason for this is that he is a smart footballer, he does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle.

Darius Farmer does not necessarily have a great top end speed, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence. Darius Farmer would be one of the faster back rowers running around in Queensland as can be evidenced by the fact that he handled the centre position well at the QCup Colts level.

Playing on the right hand side of the field seemingly more often, means that his right foot step and his fending using his left hand are the effective attributes, but based on his physical attributes, his skill set and his understanding of how to play the game means that I have no doubt that these attributes are transferrable to playing on the left hand side of the field.

In defence Darius Farmer regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.

As could be seen in the U16 development squad game a couple of season ago now, when the opportunity presents Darius Farmer has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent.

Ultimately though Darius Farmer is a strong defender with a good front on technique and good lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.

Darius Farmer will also be pushing for spot in the Titans Top 30 NRL squad in 2020, a season in which he will also certainly be a regular starting second rower in the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side, and a difference maker at that if he is not in the Titans NRL game day 17.

I would expect that due to his size, speed and skill attributes that Darius Farmer will continue to play in the back row for the foreseeable future and even though he seems to play more on the right side of the field at present, there is nothing to suggest he will not transition into a player who can play on both sides of the ruck equally effectively.

I appreciate that Darius Farmer played some Queensland Cup Colts matches for the Ipswich Jets as a 17 year old previously in the centres and was very effective there but I do not envisage that was in any way a sign of things to come.

In fact Darius Farmer has gotten bigger and stronger over the last couple of seasons training with the Titans NRL squad, but impressively has not lost any of his outstanding speed and mobility.

From a player comparison perspective, the young Canterbury Bulldogs version of Sonny Bill Williams springs to mind as an appropriate comparison, when you see the combination of the skill set he possesses and the athletic ability, add in a touch of aggression and you have a young player of immense potential who plays the game seemingly at a different pace to most of the players around him.

The Titans are building a core group of young forwards such as Moeaki Fotuaika, Keegan Hipgrave, Jai Arrow and Jai Whitbread amongst others.

Darius Farmer may just be the next player to join that “core” group of young forwards in Titans colours for the foreseeable future.

mdrew

09-07-19, 02:00 PM

Karl Oloapu. The outstanding five eight/ centre was one of numerous stand out Titans U14 players in their match earlier this season against the Western Mustangs at Mudgeeraba.

In the match that the Titans won 32 – 8 (no conversions were taken), Karl Oloapu played in the left centre position and formed a lethal combination on the left with left second rower William Semu.

Impressively in early 2019 Karl Oloapu started at five eight for the Met East U15 side at the QSSRL U15 Championships, including starting their in the final against South Coast. Not bad at all for a young man playing against players a year older and at such as high level.

Karl Opoapu played the 2019 season for Redcliffe in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition playing in xx matches.

Karl Opoapu also represented the Brisbane Red U14 side at the 2019 Hill Stumer Championships playing at half back and scored an impressive try in their Day One match against Brisbane Blue. He was operating on the left, after receiving the ball, Karl Opoapu stepped off his left foot and then crashed through three defenders to score under the posts.

After the completion of the competition, Karl Opoapu was selected in the South East Queensland U14 Green squad for the Queensland Age Championships.

Karl Oloapu played for SEQ Green at the Championships at five eight and was simply outstanding across all four of their matches, recoding multiple try assists with his ability to see the entire field from five eight as well as always being a couple of steps of the opposition, both figuratively and literally.

In 2018 Karl Oloapu played in the GBJRL U13 Premier Division for the Redcliffe Dolphins and started at five eight in their tough 26 – 12 Grand Final loss to Carina who had in their line-up William Semu.

In late 2018 Karl Oloapu represented Queensland Maori U14’s at the QPICC carnival and the former Wellington New Zealand youngster was also selected in the U13 South East Queensland Merit side.

In attack Karl Oloapu’s plus speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play live. He also has an extra gear once he is through the defensive line, and has the ability to maintain his speed over a long distance.

In short with his plus speed, Karl Oloapu can make a break himself and then has the speed to finish the break off by himself because his support players have a heck of a time trying to stay with him when he is in open space.

Karl Oloapu can and will beat defenders in the inside or outside with a step off either foot and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies and back-ups well.

Put simply Karl Oloapu is a very difficult proposition for any defence that comes up against him.

As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Karl Oloapu is a very good defender regardless of position. Karl Oloapu will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all.

Karl Oloapu is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Karl Oloapu seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when he comes out of the line.

Karl Oloapu will play the 2019 season with Redcliffe in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition.

Even though Karl Oloapu played the majority of his club rugby league in 2018 at five eight for the Dolphins, he played in the centres for the Titans U14 side against the Western Mustangs and by the barest of margins that is where that I believe his best position will be on a rugby league field even though I must admit that his play for South East Queensland Green at five eight may cause my opinion to alter back and forth on a regular basis.

Karl Oloapu’s playing style resembles that of Melbourne Storm, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International Cameron Munster.

Both are explosive players equally effective in both attack and defence and in most respects it does not matter what number jersey they are wearing, they are just outstanding players.

mdrew

11-07-19, 04:52 PM

Damon Somerville. The former Titans Development Squad member is off contract with the Broncos at the end of this season and it would be great to see him back with the Titans sooner rather than later.

Damon Somerville started the 2019 season with Burleigh in the MM Cup competition, playing in all six of their matches, spending time at both centre and second row. Damon Somerville started in the centres in Rounds One and Five against Norths and Souths Logan respectively, starting in the second row in his remaining four fixtures.

Damon Somerville ended the 2019 MM Cup campaign with two tries with those tries coming in Round Two against Ipswich and Round Four against the Townsville Blackhawks.

Damon Somerville also was part of the South Coast U18 QSSRL side but unfortunately was injured in the QSSRL U18 Championships.

Damon Somerville is also part of the Burleigh U18 Division One side this season but has only played a limited number of matches as a result of the arm injury suffered playing for South Coast.

The 2018 Queensland U16 Emerging Origin Squad member is part of the PBC Rugby League Excellence Program and has been a Burleigh Heads Junior his entire career. Damon Somerville’s younger brother Kaden is contracted to the Titans.

Damon Somerville was an ever present for the PBC side last season playing a key role for the PBC Open side that won the National GIO Cup competition. Damon Somerville primarily came off the bench for PBC playing left second row when he came on.

Damon Somerville in 2018 played four matches in the GCRL U16 Division One competition for Burleigh and certainly made an impact on his way to scoring five tries, including a hat trick against Mudgeeraba and tries against Nerang and Currumbin.

Damon Somerville also played one match at the U17 Division One level which was against Mudgeeraba in May 2018. In that match Damon Somerville was one of the Burleigh try scorers.

Damon Somerville first wore a Titans jersey in 2014 when he started at five eight for the Titans U13 Development Squad in a match against a Toowoomba U14 selection and that morning at Pizzey park he cut Toowoomba apart including scoring a try under the posts with a great show and go splitting the Toowoomba defence from about 40 metres out.

Earlier this season Damon Somerville was part of the Gold Coast Vikings side that played in the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition. In 2017 Damon Somerville was part of the South Coast U15 side that competed in the U15 QSSRL competition, playing four matches in the centres and from there was selected in the U15 Queensland Maroon side for the U15 ASSRL Championships.

For Queensland Maroon, Damon Somerville played in four matches and scored against Queensland White and ACT.

In 2014 Damon Somerville was part of the Queensland Rugby League U12 side. A team mate in that side was Titans contracted and fellow PBC student Ediq Ambrosyev. Damon Somerville has also represented Gold Coast Viking at the U13 and U14 levels to round out an extensive representative resume.

For a centre, Damon Somerville is a big strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Damon Somerville also has a very good passing game especially to his right side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Damon Somerville is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide.

From a speed perspective Damon Somerville has above average speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, he will not be caught from behind other than from only the fastest of opponents and he is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback.

The only possible question about Damon Somerville’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the above average to plus category as he matures and inevitably continues to fill out.

Defensively Damon Somerville uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

For me when I saw him play for either PBC or Burleigh Damon Somerville was the defensive leader of the three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Damon Somerville on an individual level has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

Damon Somerville will play out the 2019 season as part of the Burleigh U18 Division One side and for PBC in their various school boy competitions including the Langer Cup and GIO Cup.

Damon Somerville is also MM Cup eligible in 2020 when he will surely be a key member of the Burleigh squad for that competition. I have no doubt that after the completion of the 2020 MM Cup competition, Damon Somerville will make the move quickly to the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition.

Damon Somerville has played primarily in the centres and five eight throughout his junior rugby league career but has spent a lot of time in the second row in the last season or two, especially for PBC and the Burleigh MM Cup squad.

For me though it is far too early to write Damon Somerville off in terms of not being able to stay in the centres long term.

A player with a similar playing style for me for Damon Somerville would be Cronulla Sharks centre Ricky Leutele, they are both around the same size and look to use their size and speed to their advantage to dominate the opponent directly in front of them.

mdrew

13-07-19, 06:46 AM

Thomas Weaver. (Revised) The talented young half back from Cudgen in Northern New South Wales recently signed a new two year contract with the Titans and earlier this year started at half for the Titans U16’s and captaining the side in their match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights and was involved in the first play of the game being the opening tackle after the kick off on the Knights front rower with team mates, Brody Smitka and Ryan Foran.

Like in previous matches for the Titans Junior Development sides, Thomas Weaver was in the thick of the action against the Knights directing the Titans around the field and scored a good solo try in the second half when he stepped off his left foot about ten metres out from the Newcastle Knights line and beat two or three defenders, plus dragged one over the line to score just to the left of the goal posts for the Titans first try of the match.

Against the Knights Thomas Weaver operated primarily on the left side of the field with five eight Riley Lack operating on the right. When the Titans had a scrum feed, Thomas Weaver played as the first receiver with Riley Lack feeding the scrum.

Just like he has in a number of matches, Thomas Weaver had the ball on a string and included in his outstanding passing game was a great cut out pass to left winger Kaleb Ngamanu who got outside his direct opponent and sprinted down the touch line on a 40 metre run before passing the ball inside to centre Ezra Ubaldino.

I do want to site a specific example or two of Thomas Weaver’s tenacity, late in the first half he put in a great kick from around 30 metres out from the Newcastle line with the ball pulling up a metre short of touch in goal, instead of sitting back resting on his laurels, Thomas Weaver was the first Titan down the field and made the tackle to trap the Knights fullback in the in goal.

It was a similar situation for the Titans captain in the second half, he put in a kick from around forth metres out which held up a metre or so from the touch in goal making the Knights fullback have to play the ball and whilst on that occasions he did get out of his in-goal, once again Thomas Weaver was the first Titan down the field to make the tackle.

Just to round off his outstanding kicking display in the match, one of his kicks for touch in the second half made around fifty metres, it was just an outstanding kick and put the Titans well and truly on the attack.

In June of this year, Thomas Weaver started at half for the Titans U18 side in their match against North Queensland that was played as the curtain raiser to the Titans/ Warriors NRL match in June, an impressive feat considering that the majority of the players that he was up against were already 18 years old.

In March of 2018 Thomas Weaver captained and started at half back for a Titans U15 Invitational side that defeated a Western Mustangs U15 side six tries to three (no goal kicks were taken) with Thomas Weaver being one of a number of stand outs for the Titans.

In the match against the Western Mustangs he formed a solid combination with five eight Jed Bignell. To be honest, it was clear in that match that Thomas Weaver was the leader of the team, he dictated the Titans tempo and controlled the play well from a game management perspective determining who got the ball, where the play was to and the ultimate aim of the particular set up six tackles and was the Titans primary tactical kicker.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist in the match when he threw an outstanding flat ball to left centre JT Manufeoata who ran into a whole to score out wide in the first half. Thomas Weaver was also the Titans primary tactical kicker in the match.

Late in the 2018 season Thomas Weaver started at half back for the Titans U15 as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 with Thomas Weaver being prominent throughout including throwing a great cut-out ball to winger Kaleb Ngamanu to score in around the 6th minute when he flashed down the left touch line untouched and was able to bring the ball around under the posts to help back Thomas Weaver’s conversion a whole lot easier.

Thomas Weaver was also involved in Rowan Mansfield second half match sealing try against Balmain throwing the first of a chain of passes through five eight Jye Gray to Kaleb Ngamanu who put Rowan Mansfield into a gap down the sideline. Rowan Mansfield used an outstanding in and away to beat the Balmain fullback to score untouched after a seventy metre run just to the right of the goal posts. Once again making Thomas Weaver’s conversion attempt a whole lot easier.

Thomas Weaver almost scored himself in the match when he was backing up an outstanding fifty metre second half run from Kaleb Ngamanu when he expertly fielded a low kick and split the defence from his own line, but unfortunately just could not find Thomas Weaver with the inside pass.

Clearly Thomas Weaver and Kaleb Ngamanu have developed a good rapport which hopefully continues all the way to the NRL.

In Round One of the U18 Andrew Johns Cup competition this season, Thomas Weaver started at half back for the Northern Rivers Titans in their match against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad and like in matches described above, captained the side and pulled the strings for the Titans in their big 38 – 8 victory and contributed five goals from seven attempts.

Thomas Weaver can really throw a great long pass and showcased that once again for the Titans in Round One when he set winger Matthew Avery away down the left touch line. The match also saw Thomas Weaver force three drop out with outstanding kicks each coming from around thirty metres out from the Newcastle line each pulling up in the Newcastle in goal.

Thomas Weaver also had a first half try assist when he drifted to his right and threw a great short ball to left second rower and fellow Titans contract player Ryan Foran who charged thirty metres to score late in the first half.

Round Two of the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Thomas Weaver once again line up at half in their match against Parramatta and yet again he had an outstanding match scoring twenty four points from two tries and eight conversions from nine attempts.

Both of Thomas Weavers tries were from backing up plays. In his first half try, Thomas Weaver threw a great cut out ball to his left to send winger Jack Field away and then backed up to receive a pass back from the winger to score. Thomas Weaver’s try in the second half came when he backed up a break from interchange forward Byron Jones to score.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist when he drifted to his left and put left second rower Ryan Foran on his way to the try line, a try which was eerily similar to the try that the two put on in Round One against Newcastle.

As in Round One Thomas Weaver also had the ball on a string from a kicking perspective, with both of his first two kicks of the game being outstanding, the first trapping the Parramatta fullback a metre out from his own line where he had to dive to the ground or he would have been either pushed into touch and back into the in-goal in the left corner and the second even better forcing a drop out.

Thomas Weaver’s outstanding game included two try saving tackles in the second half helping to keep the Northern Rivers Titans line intact. On the first occasion he held a Parramatta player up in the left corner after making up an impressive amount of ground and in the second instance, after a long Parramatta break, Thomas Weaver stripped the ball from the Eels centre when he looked set to score.

Thomas Weaver also started at half in the Round Three local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs and added another three try assists to his outstanding 2019 Andrew Johns Cup campaign. Two of his three try assists, one in the first half and the other in the second where eerily similar. Thomas Weaver took the ball down a short blind side close to the North Coast line and on each occasion threw a cut out pass to winger Jack Field (Craig Field’s son) to score.

Thomas Weaver’s other try assist was providing a good pass to left second rower Ryan Foran to crash over. In each of the first three rounds Thomas Weaver and Ryan Foran have combined on the left side of the field for a Ryan Foran try.

In Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters Thomas Weaver started again at half and captain and well once again was special, with five conversion and an incredible six try assists, five from passes and one from a kick.

Thomas Weaver garnered a try assist in each of Titans left centre Keegan Pace’s three first half tries. In Keegan Pace’s first and third tries, Thomas Weaver drifted across field, forcing the Central Coast defence to back pedal and then found a straight running Keegan Pace with a great pass to his left.

The other try assist in the first half for a Keegan Pace try was when Thomas Weaver split the Central Coast defence on his own twenty metres through a hard straight and when confronted with the fullback, Thomas Weaver popped a good ball back across his right shoulder to send Keegan Pace away to score under the posts.

Thomas Weaver was also involved in two tries in the first half for Titans left second rower Ryan Foran. Thomas Weaver and Ryan Foran combined for a try in each of the opening three rounds but combined for two in Round Four.

For Ryan Foran’s first try, Thomas Weaver took the ball quickly to his left about five metres out from the Central Coast line and passed to Ryan Foran who ran an outside shoulder route to score. In the second try, Thomas Weaver ran to his left from a scrum win and again with Ryan Foran running an outside shoulder route found him with a pass for Ryan Foran to run twenty metres to score.

In the second minute of the second half Thomas Weaver got his sixth try assist of the afternoon when be put in a good grubber kick near the posts which the Central Coast defence could not defuse with the Titans pouncing on the mistake to score under the posts.

Thomas Weaver also forced a Central Coast line drop out in the match after a great klick from around forty metres out with Titans left centre Keegan Pace making the tackle in the Central Coast in-goal.

Thomas Weaver also started at half back in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers adding five conversions to his points tally and another try assist when he grubbered into the in goal area for Riley Lack to score the first try of the match.

Thomas Weaver could have scored two tries of his own in the second half from scrum moves but on each occasion he was dragged down just short of the line. On each occasion Thomas Weaver Thomas Weaver looped around five eight Riley Lack putting the defensive line under pressure but unfortunately was on each occasion dragged down just shy of the try line.

Thomas Weaver was also dominant in the Northern Rivers Titans semi-final victory over Penrith scoring a double and kicking three conversions from five attempts. In relation to his first try Thomas Weaver was the recipient of an outstanding piece of work from second rower Ryan Foran. Ryan Foran charged down a Penrith kick and passed immediately to Thomas Weaver upon retrieving the ball for Thomas Weaver to sprint forty five metres to score.

Thomas Weaver’s second try came just two minutes after the first. He backed up through the centre of the ruck after an outstanding run from lock Bailey Cox, who offloaded to fullback Jaylan De Groot who was able to find Thomas Weaver to space to race away and score.

Thomas Weaver could in fact have finished the match with a hat trick but was adjudged to have knocked on when attempting to ground the ball from a kick after the siren to conclude the first half.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist in the match. Operating on the left of the field close to the Penrith line, Thomas Weaver took the ball right to the line before popping a good short ball to his left to Ryan Foran to crash over.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final against the Western Rams Thomas Weaver started at half captaining the side to an 18 – 6 victory, contributing ten points from a try and three conversions from three attempts. Thomas Weaver also had a try assist when he threw good flat ball for Titans lock Bailey Cox to crash over for the first try of the match.

In the second half, Thomas Weaver scored after receiving a pass from fullback Jaylan DeGroot. DeGroot had field a kick on his own try line with the Western Rams on the attack and then offloaded to Thomas Weaver to sprint ninety metres to score under the posts. As a result of his performance, Thomas Weaver was named player of the final.

Post the victory Thomas Weaver was named at halfback for the New South Wales Country U16 side for their November two match tour of the United Kingdom and was also named in the 2019 New South Wales U16 36 man train on squad and was one of only four New South Wales Country players in the squad, two others being fellow Titans Riley Lack and Ryan Foran.

The New South Wales Country U16 side played a New South Wales U16 Harold Matthews squad as a curtain raiser to the Penrith/Warriors NRL match on a Friday night at Penrith Park in May. Thomas Weaver started the match at half back.

Even though the NSW Country side went down 16 – 6, Thomas Weaver who captained the side was outstanding including converting Country’s only try of the match which was scored by fellow Titans contracted player, hooker Oscar Bryant.

It was his defence that stood out in the match with Thomas Weaver making two try saving tackles, the first in the first half was a classic cover defending tackle down the right touchline and the second was when he tracked back to stop one of the giant Harold Matthews forwards, Thomas Weaver rounded him up from behind dragging him down with the assistance of fellow Titan Rowan Mansfield.

After that match, Thomas Weaver was selected in the New South Wales U16 side that defeated a U16 Pasifika team 36 – 6 at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday 9 June with Thomas Weaver starting the match at five eight.

At the Northern Rivers Awards night held in April, Thomas Weaver received the 2019 Players Player Award for the U16 Andrew Johns Cup side.

A week after the Andrew Johns Cup final Thomas Weaver made his NRRRL U18 debut in Round Three for Cudgen, starting on the wing against Murwillumbah and scored a try and kicked four goals from seven attempts in an outstanding debut as his Cudgen side defeated Murwillumbah 36 – 0.

In Round Four of the NRRRL U18 competition, Thomas Weaver moved into five eight and kicked three goals as Cudgen defeated Byron Bay 26 – 10.

Round Five of the NRRRL U18 competition saw Thomas Weaver start at five eight and he kicked three from three as the Hornets defeated Ballina 18 – 12.

2018 saw Thomas Weaver represent Group 18 in the New South Wales Country Age Championships scoring a try and kicking eight goals in his three Championship matches. Thomas Weaver scored against Group 21 and also kicked six goals in that match to finish with sixteen points and also kicked two goals in a tough 16 all draw with Group Two.

In April of 2018 Thomas Weaver was selected in the Northern Region New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) U15 side for the New South Wales trials. Thomas Weaver was the half back in the side after being selected from St Joseph’s College Benora Point.

After those trials Thomas Weaver has been selected in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges U15 team for the ASSRL U15 Championships where he will be up against the Queensland Maroon and White sides which both contain Titans contracted boys.

After the completion of the 2018 season Thomas Weaver and fellow Group 18 U15 team mates headed overseas to play in the Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, a competition that the side won including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12.

In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Keegan Pace, Jack Cullen, Ryan Foran, Byron Jones and Bailey Cox. On the tour Thomas Weaver won a number of Player of the Match awards.

Thomas Weaver is also an outstanding touch player who has represented his region with distinction in multiple touch competitions and tournaments in both Queensland and New South Wales including last year’s Queensland Championships.

The Titans contracted young half backs 2017 rugby league commitments ended when he was part a the Titans U15 Invitational side that played against a Balmain Tigers side at Cudgen and even though they were defeated the young Titans players put in a great effort on the night against a primarily older Balmain Tigers side.

Thomas Weaver and his U14 Cudgen Hornets side had a great club campaign in the 2017 Group 18 junior rugby league competition going through the U14 competition undefeated with their skill and discipline on show in every match.

The outstanding young Group 18 half back was a constant threat to opposing defences in the New South Wales Country Age Championships early in 2017 where Group 18 were defeated in the U14 Final with Thomas Weaver scoring Group 18’s sole try in the final and then he converted his own try. In two of the preliminary rounds Thomas Weaver kicked two goals apiece including a local derby against Group One to finish with a points total of 14 over the course of the Championships.

Earlier in 2017 year Thomas Weaver was selected in the Northern Region Combined Catholic Colleges side at half back representing St Joseph’s College Benora Point. In 2015 Thomas Weaver was selected in the New South Wales U12 side for the Australian U12 Championships and that same year after being named Player of the Final for Cudgen in the Group 18 U12 competition was also named as the U12 Group 18 Player of the Season.

Even though Thomas Weaver has plus acceleration off the mark and above average top speed, his primary focus on a football field is to direct his side around the field, putting his side where they need to be to maintain pressure on the opposition. Holding the ball out in front of his body in both hands enables Thomas Weaver to put doubt into the minds of the opposing defensive line and thus he can dummy and run if there is a gap in the defensive line or put his support runners into gaps.

This trait was in evidence in this year’s Titans U16 match against Newcastle when he dummied and stepped off his left foot to score the Titans first try of the match.

Thomas Weaver’s decisive nature also means that when the ball needs to get out to his back line he will get it out there quickly to give his outside backs as much space as possible to work with prior to contact with the opposing defensive line. Getting the ball out to the back line quickly is no issue for Thomas Weaver as he has a very good long passing technique which delivers the ball quickly and accurately to the right place.

In defence, due to his size Thomas Weaver is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players and against players with similar size is very aggressive when finishing off his tackles. Thomas Weaver is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side.

Thomas Weaver is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy. I would suggest that he is likely to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level he progresses to into the future.

Thomas Weaver also has a very good short attacking kicking game with a positive being that he will go right to the line before dropping the ball to his foot, add to the fact that he regularly runs with the ball out in front of his body in both hands, he gives defensive lines a lot to consider, is Thomas Weaver going to kick, run or pass, a defensive line that anticipates incorrectly will be scrambling to recover before he makes them pay for their error in judgement.

Like with his goal kicking Thomas Weaver has a real opportunity to be his team’s primary tactical kicking option going forward.

Once he returns from injury Thomas Weaver play the remainder of the 2019 rugby league season with the Cudgen Hornets in the U18 NRRRL competition even though he is still eligible for the Group 18 U16 competition as well as playing for St Joseph’s College Benora Point in their various school boy competitions. Thomas Weaver will also tour the UK with the New South Wales Country U16 side in October/November.

It will be interesting to see whether Thomas Weaver plays the 2020 season in the MM Cup competition, most likely with Tweed Heads or plays in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition with the Northern Rivers Titans.

From a position perspective with his speed and rapidly developing ball playing, game management and tactical kicking skills, Thomas Weaver has an opportunity to develop into a very talented young player who can play either half back at the NRL or representative level. The more that Thomas Weaver has the ball in his hands the better it is for his entire team as was evidenced multiple times this season.

Thomas Weaver is just an outstanding player and one that I cannot think of a current NRL player with similar attributes. For comparison purposes however, Thomas Weaver controls and his side around the field and kicks and passes at the Cooper Cronk level.

Like Cronk, Thomas Weaver has a wide variety of skills which he is developing and whilst they may not all develop at the same pace or a linear fashion, they surely will all be above average to plus attributes at least when it is all said and done.

Thomas Weaver does far more however than control play, he will take the defensive line on regularly and to that extent an ideal comparison when Thomas Weaver runs the ball is Cronulla Sharks and New Zealand International half Shaun Johnson.

Thomas Weaver is rapidly developing into a very talented young play maker indeed and certainly a player to keep an eye on as he progresses through the Titans junior development ranks.

The other exceptional trait that Thomas Weaver possesses is outstanding leadership and it is no wonder that the Titans selected Thomas Weaver to captain their U15 and U16 sides over the last two seasons and that he captained the outstanding 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Northern Rivers Titans side this season and well as the New South Wales Country U16 side.

mdrew

18-07-19, 05:05 PM

Brent Barnes. The former Gold Coast Titans Junior Development Squad member, including captaining the Titans U14 side in 2015 has moved around a bit in recent years including spending time in Sydney as part of the Parramatta Eels 2018 SG Ball side and previously was part of the Broncos Development establishment.

Brent Barnes also represented South Coast in the U15 QSSRL Championships in 2016 and from there went on to represent Queensland Maroon at the U15 ASSRL Championships where he was named in the Australian U15 Merit Side.

In 2017 Brent Barnes represented Queensland Murri U16 in their annual match against New South Wales Kurri.

Late last year however Brent Barnes returned to the Gold Coast and has made an impact with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCRL U20 and Doug Lipp Cup competitions.

Earlier in 2019 Brent Barnes was selected in the South Coast U18 school bot side but did not play for South Coast in the QSSRL U18 Championships and also played a MM Cup trial with Norths in Brisbane.

After linking back with Helensvale Brent Barnes started the 2019 season at right centre for the Hornets U20 side before moving to five eight.

Brent Barnes had an outstanding Round Ten match in the U20 competition scoring four tries against Mudgeeraba.

Brent Barnes first try was a long range effort when he received the ball early and get on the outside of his direct opponent and race 60 metres to score. His second try followed an outstanding chip and chase from Jayden Campbell who drew the fullback to send Brent Barnes on his way.

His third try was a set play from a scrum, Jayden Campbell received the ball from the back of the scrum and immediately kicked behind the Mudgeeraba defensive line from twenty metres out for Brent Branes to retrieve and put the ball down.

His fourth try and his only one in the second half was one built from strength, from around ten metres out from the try line, he shrugged off the first defender before splitting two defenders and dragging them across the line to score near the right corner flag.

Brent Barnes also scored in Round Twelve against Currumbin when he ran a hard straight line for Cameron Brown to find him with a good pass.

Brent Barnes made it seven tries from as many U20 matches in Round Fourteen in Helensvale’s 30-22 loss to Burleigh. Playing five eight as he has in the last couple of weeks, Brent Barnes received the ball on the right side of the field about twelve metres out from the Burleigh line.

Brent Barnes beat the initial defender with a powerful right arm fend before darting over as three Burleigh defenders closed in on him. Even though he has played primarily fullback, wing or centre in his career to date, Brent Barnes is making a good fist of the five eight position.

In total for Helensvale in the 2019 GCRL U20 competition, Brent Barnes has played in seven matches scoring seven tries.

Brent Barnes made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in Round Twelve against Currumbin scoring on debut with his try coming when he found space down the right touchline line and beat the fullback with a good in and away.

Brent Barnes scored his second Doug Lipp Cup try from as many matches with an outstanding individual effort in Round Fifteen against the Bilambil Jets.

Playing right centre Brent Barnes received the ball seventy metres out from the try line in space and then accelerated around the Bilambil left sided defence (James Roberts style) before cutting back inside off his left foot when it looked for all money like the Bilambil fullback and another cover defender was going to box him in before easily outpacing the remaining defenders to score an outstanding solo try.

Brent Barnes has also played in a handful of GCRL U18 Division One matches this season, including a double in Round Eight against Currumbin and also scoring in Round Nine against Ormeau.

Once you have seen Brent Barnes run with the ball on a football field, you probably will not see anyone move as well as he does. He has an effortless running style seemingly gliding over the field and has what can only be considered plus plus speed both from an acceleration and top speed perspective, I am talking James Roberts type speed.

Brent Barnes is a silky smooth runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. In the centre position, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

When he gets the ball early from his inside play makers, Brent Barnes is incredibly difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, he is also a powerful runner who has the power to also break tackles through sheer power and not just rely on his speed to beat his direct opponent.

The one thing Brent Barnes also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, Brent Barnes has a very good step back side and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, his quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength even though he has the capacity to do so when necessary.

Defensively Brent Barnes is solid rather than exceptional but will commit to the initial contact and also has the speed to use the sideline to his advantage and also turn and chase if the need arises.

Brent Barnes will play out the 2019 season with Helensvale playing in both the GCRL U20 and Doug Lipp Cup competitions and will surely look to link with either Burleigh or Tweed Heads for the 2020 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition. Brent Barnes is also Colts eligible in 2021.

Brent Barnes played a lot of his early rugby league at fullback but in recent seasons has played wing, including for Parramatta in the U18 SG Ball competition and centre this season for Helensvale. Brent Barnes has also played five eight this season which I think will ultimately assist him to reach his full potential in though I do not think that he will ultimately end up there.

At five eight Brent Barnes will get the opportunity to develop his play making skills as well as getting a lot of larger forwards running at him then he would if he was in the centres or at fullback.

A couple of season ago I would have argued that Brent Barnes’s future lies at fullback, but I must admit his play this season for Helensvale at right centre has made me alter my opinion.

With his lightning speed, balance and body control I can see Brent Barnes maintaining his position in the centres into the future although there is no doubt that he could also play at fullback or on the wing at a very high level as well.

Watching Brent Barnes at full speed with his ability to change direction without losing an ounce of speed, it is impossible for me not to see a mirror image for former Titan James Roberts. Both are just exceptional to terms of running with the ball and the ease in which they maintain their top speed over an extended distance.

A lot of things have to go right for Brent Barnes to achieve his potential and get an opportunity in the NRL but this season he has made strides that get him closer to getting a shot at reaching his potential and getting there.

mdrew

19-07-19, 03:44 PM

Cameron Brown. (Revised)He is a talented young half who was heavily involved late in the 2018 season with the Burleigh Bears Colts side and is playing just as well if not better in the 2019 Colts competition for Burleigh this season.

Cameron Brown was played in all fifteen of Burleigh’s Hastings Deering’s Colts matches to date this season scoring seven tries.

One of Cameron Brown’s tries came in Round Ten against the Northern Pride. Cameron Brown had come off the bench to play the dummy half role and was able to dive over from close range to his right in the second half to score.

Cameron Brown also scored in Round Eleven against the Central Capra’s when he followed through his own bomb and retrieved the ball after it was mishandled to score under the posts for Burleigh’s first try.

Cameron Brown had an outstanding match in Round Fifteen against Ipswich constantly sniping at the Jets defensive line and scored a try of his own when he intercepted a pass to run ninety metres to score, with no defender able to keep up with him over the journey.

Cameron Brown also recorded another try assist when he grubbered for Reece Tapine to score and was also heavily involved in tries for Lofi Khan-Periera and Will Evans.

Cameron Brown also scored in Round Seventeen against Tweed Heads as a result of a good individual effort. He received the ball to the right of the play the ball around fourteen metres out from the line and after shaping to pass to his backline to his right, stepped off his right foot to get through the initial defensive line and then used another right foot step to round the fullback to score under the posts.

In addition to the tries noted above Cameron Brown has also scored against Norths in Round One, the Western Mustangs in Round Eight and Redcliffe in Round Nine.

From a position perspective so far this season, Cameron Brown has played half, five eight (one match being Round Five against Souths Logan), hooker and came off the bench in one match being Round Ten against the Northern Pride.

Cameron Brown started at half in Round One against Norths, before moving to hooker for Rounds Two and Three against Ipswich and Tweed Heads respectively.

In total Cameron Brown has started eleven matches at half, one at five eight, one from the bench and the other two matches at hooker.

In an early season Hastings Deering’s Colts competition bye week, Cameron Brown, instead of having the weekend off started at five eight for Helensvale in their GCRL Round Seven U20 match against Mudgeeraba and scored in the Hornets 38 – 32 victory.

Cameron Brown also started at five eight in Round 12 of the GCRL U20 competition, scoring a double against Currumbin. Both tries highlighted Cameron Brown’s ability to run the ball and he also had a try assist when he put Brent Barnes through a gap on the right side of the field.

Cameron Brown came into the Burleigh Colts side in Round Eleven of 2018 against Easts starting from the interchange bench and went on to play an additional nine Colts matches, splitting time between starting in the halves and from the interchange bench. Cameron Brown started five matches, the first being in Round Twelve against the Mackay Cutters.

Cameron Brown scored four Colts tries in 2018, including a Round Twenty Four double against Easts and tries in Round Twenty and Eighteen against Victoria and Redcliffe respectively. Whether or not it really means anything, all of Cameron Brown’s tries came in matches where he started.

Cameron Brown has played for Helensvale for a number of seasons and this year was no different lining up for the Hornets in the GCRL U19 competition. In the U19 competition, Cameron Brown played in nine matches, scoring seven tries.

Cameron Brown had an outstanding start to the U19 competition this season, scoring in his first five matches including a double against Southport and tries against Beaudesert, Currumbin and Ormeau in two separate matches. Cameron Brown also scored a late season try against Bilambil.

Late in 2017 Cameron Brown was named in the Burleigh 2018 MM Cup squad but he did not play in any MM Cup matches this season.

For Helensvale in the 2017 GCRL U17 Division One competition Cameron Brown played in thirteen matches in total including starting at half back in the Hornets 34 – 20 Grand Final win over Ormeau scoring to cap off a great match. In addition to his try in the Grand Final Cameron Brown scored another ten tries to finish third on the try scoring ladder for the U17 Division One competition including scoring a hat trick against Mudgeeraba in May and a double in June against Grand Final opponents Ormeau. Cameron Brown also scored in Helensvale’s other finals match which was against Bilambil.

Cameron Brown is only slight of build but do not take his lack of size in any way as a lack of ability or courage, he has a lot of both, which is on display each time he runs onto the field. With the ball he is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports. Cameron Brown is adept at drawing an opposing defender out of the defensive line and then putting his support runner through the resulting gap.

In terms of his speed, I would suggest that an appropriate definition of Cameron Brown’s speed would be that he is quick off the mark but does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space.

Cameron Brown will back his judgement and take the game on especially when the game is on the line. Assisting his play is the fact that Cameron Brown makes the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide quickly.

In previous seasons when I have seen him play he sometimes took the line on himself too much, but the times that I have seen him play this season Cameron Brown has become more selective about when to pass and when to run. His passing game is solid but seems to be slightly better when he is passing to the right side of the field.

Cameron Brown has a good short kicking game but he does not have the strongest leg in terms of kicking deep but is accurate and regularly finds the ground to enable the chasers to get down field to enhance his team’s field position.

Defensively I like the way that he takes the line on, Cameron Brown is aggressive and attacks the ball carrier rather than waiting for the attackers to come to him. He clearly looks to limit the time opposition players have to generate momentum before they get to him.

Against players similar in size or reasonably close to it, Cameron Brown is very aggressive and makes sure that he finishes off every tackle in an effort to win every one on one individual battle against his opponent.

Cameron Brown will finish the 2019 season with Burleigh in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and will also be Colts eligible in 2020.

I would think that regardless of what level of competition rugby league takes Cameron Brown that he will be in a No. 7 jersey as a tough feisty half back. Gaining experience at hooker however can only be a positive for Cameron Brown as he would a coach’s dream in terms of being able to cover multiple positions equally effectively.

For me a current NRL player with a similar playing style to that in Cameron Brown is Sydney Roosters five eight Luke Keary being that of a solid talented all round half who will surprise a defensive line with some very good short balls when it looks for all money like he is going to run himself.

Also like Keary, Cameron Brown has more speed that defensive lines give him credit for and that is a recipe for disaster.

mdrew

23-07-19, 04:53 PM

Jovahn Te Aroiti. He played three matches off the bench for the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in 2019 being Rounds Two, Four and Five against Townsville, Central Queensland and Wynnum Manly respectively.

Post the MM Cup competition Jovahn Te Aroiti played for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition playing matches in four separate competitions being the U18 Division One, U20, Doug Lipp Cup and First Grade competitions.

In the U18 Division One competition Jovahn Te Aroiti has played in eight matches. In the U20 competition Jovahn Te Aroiti has played in one match and in the Doug Lipp Cup competition Jovahn Te Aroiti has played in three matches.

In the First Grade competition Jovahn Te Aroiti made his debut in late June against Southport in his only match to date.

The young front rower had an outstanding season in 2018 including starting in the front row for the PBC Open schoolboy side as they beat all comers to win the National GIO Cup competition with a victory over Patrician Brothers College Blacktown in the National Final.

Jovahn Te Aroiti was also a Premiership winner in the 2018 Brisbane U17 Rugby Premiership playing for the Nerang Bulls in that competition, interestingly spending time in the centres there.

In 2017 Jovahn Te Aroiti played for Helensvale in the GCRL U16 Division One competition playing in thirteen matches and he also played in one U17 Division One match against Runaway Bay.

In the 2015 season, Jovahn Te Aroiti alternated between playing for his proper age group being U14’s and playing up an age group in the U15’s. At the U14 Premier level he scored one try and at the U15 level he scored two tries across Division 1 and Division 2.

Jovahn Te Aroiti also started on the bench for the Titans U14 development squad in their recent match against Samoa. When he came on, he played in the second row.

Jovahn Te Aroiti also represented the Vikings, Kookaburra’s and South East Queensland U14’s during the 2015 season, starting in the second row for those representative sides in their various competitions.

In attack, regardless of the position he is playing, Jovahn Te Aroiti is quick and strong and has good footwork to beat opposition defenders and then has very good speed, not necessarily speed off the mark, but definitely has good top end speed once he gets moving.

Jovahn Te Aroiti can run from dummy half and his strength and speed does compensate if there are no gaps in the defensive line. Once tackled he immediately starts fighting to get a quick play the ball in an effort to maintain momentum.

In terms of wider positions, such as in the back row or at centre, he can and will take on defenders and look to run over them, when he stays wide, like he did for PBC good things happen for his team.

Defensively Jovahn Te Aroiti is more than strong enough to defend in the middle of the ruck and quick enough to defend on the fridges. In the centre of the ruck he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards.

When defending out wide, he is better in an up and in type defensive scheme rather than a sliding defensive structure. Jovahn Te Aroiti is also extremely fit thus getting back into the defensive line is no issue for him over the course of the entire game.

Jovahn Te Aroiti will play the remainder of the 2019 season with Runaway Bay likely in multiple grades like he has done to date and is Colts eligible in both 2020 and 2021.

Even though Jovahn Te Aroiti spent 2018 season playing in the front row for PBC’s successful GIO Cup campaign and this season in the front row for Runaway Bay I believe that he has the speed, mobility and the understanding to run the appropriate line to make a fist of the second row position long term.

With his intriguing skill set the NRL player I can see from a playing comparison perspective is North Queensland’s versatile John Asiata. Both have intriguing skills and a hardness to their play that compels others to follow their lead.

mdrew

24-07-19, 04:51 PM

Oskar Bryant. The young hooker signed a contract with the Titans after an outstanding season with the Andrew Johns Cup premiership winning U16 Northern Rivers Titans side and his subsequent selection in the New South Wales Country U16 side.

In the U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition, Oskar Bryant started at hooker in all of the Northern Rivers Titans matches also scoring four tries including a double against the Greater Northern Tigers and tries against Central Coast and Newcastle.

Post that competition, Oskar Bryant was selected at hooker in the New South Wales Country U16 side and started at hooker for them as they took on the U16 New South Wales Harold Matthew Cup representative side in a curtain raiser to the Penrith/Warriors NRL match at Penrith Park.

Oskar Bryant will also be part of the New South Wales Country U16 side that will embark on a two match tour of the United Kingdom in November this year.

Oskar Bryant was Country’s sole try scorer in the match when he dived over from close range in the second half to the Country within two points. Oskar Bryant also received the Players Player Award post-match.

After that match, Oskar Bryant was selected in the New South Wales U16 side that defeated a U16 Pasifika team 36 – 6 at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday 9 June with Oskar Bryant starting he match on the bench.

Post the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition, Oskar Bryant moved directly to the NRRRL U18 side even though he was still U16 eligible, starting from the bench in Round Three and scoring a double against Murwillumbah to cap an outstanding debut. Oskar Bryant also scored in Round Five against Ballina when once again he started from the bench.

Oskar Bryant made his first NRRRL U18 start in Round Fourteen against Byron Bay starting the match against the Devils at hooker and scoring as well.

Oskar Bryant kicked his first NRRRL U18 goals in Round Eleven when he kicked three goals for as many attempts for Cudgen as they drew 18 all with Casino RSM.

In total in the 2019 NRRRL U18 competition to date this season Oskar Bryant has played in eight matches, scoring twenty two points from four tries and three goals.

Prior to 2019 Oskar Bryant represented Group 18 twice, at the U15 level in 2018 and in the U14’s in 2017.

Oskar Bryant is an extremely talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects of the modern day hooker, those being his distribution out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Oskar Bryant is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

In the games that I have seen there is no discernible difference between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also Oskar Bryant can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Oskar Bryant is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short Oskar Bryant is a very good game manager from the hooking position.

Where Oskar Bryant really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has exceptional footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet.

Oskar Bryant wins a lot of penalties by running at forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space and has the pace to make it difficult for the cover defence to get to him.

Around the try line Oskar Bryant is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself for the try line or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs. Due to the pace that Oskar Bryant plays the game at and his speed he is always available in terms of backing up in the centre of the ruck, when forwards get their arms free.

His defence for a hooker is exceptional, for a smaller forward Oskar Bryant is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive opposing forwards backwards and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down.

Oskar Bryant’s intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside. Oskar Bryant literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck.

Oskar Bryant will play out the 2019 season with Cudgen and will likely to continue to play in the NRRRL U18 competition but also may spend some time in the Group 18 U16 competition as well.

It will be interesting to see where Oskar Bryant lines up in 2019, will he be part of the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad or will Oskar Bryant play for Tweed Heads in the MM Cup competition.

Oskar Bryant is an outstanding dummy half both in terms of his distribution and his running and there is no doubt that he will stay there long term.

Oskar Bryant is by no means a big rugby league player but is a tough, hard all effort type of dummy half and on that basis a player comparison to Cronulla Sharks hooker Blayke Brailey is a more than fair and appropriate one from my perspective.

mdrew

29-07-19, 04:25 PM

Stanley Jackson. (Revised) The powerful young right sided second rower is a former Titans U14 development squad member who until recently continued to elevate his game with the incredible Logan Brothers Club in Brisbane’s south.

Over the 2018/19 off season Stanley Jackson was named in the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad but in the end he was not involved in any of their matches.

The next time that Stanley Jackson was sighted was when he turned out for Gatton in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition.

In his eleven matches to date in that competition Stanley Jackson has been as close to unstoppable as you can get on the way to scoring thirteen tries.

Stanley Jackson scored a Round Thirteen hat trick against Wattles and also scored doubles in three consecutive matches in May and June with those matches being against Toowoomba Valleys, Wattles and South Burnett.

Stanley Jackson made his Toowoomba Rugby League First Grade debut in Round Sixteen coming off the bench against Souths, with the debut coming after he had played in two Reserve Grade matches debuting against Toowoomba Brothers in June and also playing in Reserve Grade against Highfields.

It was exciting to see Stanley Jackson playing on the Gold Coast and dominate in his second GCRL 2018 U17 Division One match for Helensvale as they defeated Mudgeeraba 58-16 in Round Ten. In the Round Ten match he was unstoppable on his way to scoring four tries.

Stanley Jackson’s first match for Helensvale was in Round Nine against Runaway Bay when he started in the second row.

Earlier this season Stanley Jackson was part of the Easts Tigers MM Cup side, playing all seven of their matches. He started one match at lock being Round One against Central Queensland, one in the second row, four in the front row and one from the interchange bench.

I did not see all of his MM Cup matches this season but he certainly was outstanding for Easts in their Round Seven match against Tweed Heads and even though the Tigers were defeated Stanley Jackson stood up well to the powerful Tweed Heads Seagulls forward pack.

Stanley Jackson scored tries in Rounds Five and Six against Redcliffe and Northern Pride respectively.

Stanley Jackson was a standout for Logan Brothers U16’s in 2017 and in one game against Carina that I saw was at his rampaging best as Logan Brothers put Carina to the sword with Stanley Jackson being prominent on the right side for Logan Brothers both in attack and defence.

Earlier in 2017 Stanley Jackson was part of the Brisbane Red U16 representative side for the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition.

In 2015 Stanley Jackson started in the front row for the Titans U14 development squad in their 28-10 win against Samoa. He also captained his U14 Logan Brothers club side in their GBJRL grand final that same year at Nundah against Wynnum Manly.

Stanley Jackson made numerous representative sides in 2015 including U14 Stingers and U14 South East Queensland for the Queensland age championships in June, starting in the front row for both of those representative sides. Previously Stanley Jackson has been part of the Titans, Broncos and Cowboys development squads.

Stanley Jackson is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which he uses to cut back behind the play the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

In the GBJRL grand final in 2015 Stanley Jackson played a major role in South’s Logan wrestling back the momentum from Wynnum Manly in the second half by running straight and hard into a Wynnum defensive line that had their tails up after closing the gap on the score board.

Where Stanley Jackson’s game has really developed over the last couple of seasons his ability to play wider of the ruck, which is where he is primarily playing for the U16 Logan Brothers Premier Division side this season. With his size and strength wider of the ruck Stanley Jackson attracts defenders and thus is in a position to use his ball skills to set up his outside supports early in a match.

When defences start to try to anticipate that Stanley Jackson is going to pass then he can use his size and power to cash through the defensive lien as no defender is going to be able to handle him one on one by themselves.

Logan Brothers run a number of set plays to the right side of the field to look to exploit Stanley Jackson being on that side such as their “Melbourne” play and Stanley Jackson is the centre piece of all of them.

In defence Stanley Jackson uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Stanley Jackson is not adverse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most front rowers are.

It is clear from how his team mates respond to him that Stanley Jackson is a leader on the field and clearly is a hard trainer due to the fact that he was still going at the same pace at the start of the grand final as he was at the end even though he seemed to take a knock early in the game but came back on when his team needed him on a very hot day against a quality opposition who had the momentum at that critical stage of the game.

Also you are not made captain of any Logan Brothers side unless you show leadership attributes and also train hard and remain dedicated.

Stanley Jackson will play out the 2019 season with Gatton in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition and will most likely add to his one First Grade game to date.

I will be very interested where Stanley Jackson plays in 2020 as he has the ability to be a stand out in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition no matter what team he plays for.

With his above average speed and his continuing rapidly developing ball skills it is part not to see Stanley Jackson being a dominant second rower all the way up to the NRL level for this exceptionally talented young man.

From a style perspective, think along the lines of a faster, far more athletic version of Jarrod Warera-Hargraves of the Roosters from a size and power perspective but having the ball skills of Sonny Bill Williams.

I always thought that Stanley Jackson had a big future in rugby league and nothing that I have seen in recent seasons has changed my opinion, the sky is the limit.

mdrew

30-07-19, 06:31 PM

Zac McCormack. The exceptionally talented former Coombabah State High School student is as talented a young player as you would wish to see. The young man who graduated last year from Coombabah as the dux of the school is a Broncos scholarship holder but is a Gold Coast local so where there is life there is hope in relation to one day seeing Zac McCormack wearing a Titans jersey.

To date in 2019 Zac McCormack has played for Burleigh in the GCRL U20 competition as well as for the Bears in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition.

Zac McCormack started on the bench in Round One of Hastings Deering’s Colts competition against Norths and has also come off the bench in his six other Hastings Deering’s Colts matches this season.

To date in the 2019 GCRL U20 competition, Zac McCormack has played in five matches scoring three tries, including a double against Runaway Bay also scoring early in the in the season against Southport.

In 2018 Zac McCormack started the season with the Burleigh MM Cup squad starting at hooker in all six of their matches and scoring in Rounds Four and Six against Souths Logan and the Western Mustangs respectively.

Zac McCormack played in paly match of the 2018 Hastings Deering’s Colts season off the bench in Round Fourteen against the Northern Pride, going on to play three more Colts matches, all off the bench.

Zac McCormack also played four matches in the GCRL U19 competition in 2018, scoring against Ormeau in May.

Zac McCormack has had an outstanding 2017 campaign for Burleigh in both the MM Cup competition and more recently the U20 Colts Challenge competition where he has spent some time at half back as well as hooker. Not bad at all for a young man of 17 who is still eligible for the MM competition in 2018. Zac McCormack also played a number of matches at the U17 Division One and U19 levels in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition for Runaway Bay.

In the 2017 MM Cup competition for Burleigh Zac McCormack played in all five of the Bears matches, starting the first three rounds at hooker and coming off the inter change bench for the final three. Zac McCormack had the honour of captaining the Burleigh side in Round Three.

Zac McCormack made his U20 Colts Challenge debut starting at hooker in Round Five of 2017 against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and also started at hooker in Round Sixteen. Zac McCormack played in four additional Colts matches coming off the inter change bench between his two starts including scoring in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets.

Zac McCormack played six matches for Runaway Bay in both the U17 Division One and U19 Gold Coast Rugby League competitions over the course of the 2017 season. In the U17 Division One competition Zac McCormack scored against Ormeau and in the U19 competition he scored against the Bilambil Jets.

In 2016 Zac McCormack was the starting hooker for the Queensland U16 side and has made numerous other representative sides over the years including playing for Gold Coast Green in eh CC Cup competition in 2016.

Zac McCormack is a dummy half with a goal to lead his team around the field and determine when the forwards take the ball up and when the ball is directed out to the backline. Zac McCormack looks to lead his forwards onto the ball and provides a flat pass to enable his forwards to time their run onto the ball. Zac McCormack aims to be the team’s general from dummy half and control the pace of the match and the axis from which his team directs their attack and also from what part of the field.

Running with the ball Zac McCormack has reasonable speed off the mark, probably in the average category for a hooker but normally runs off the back of a big run from one of his forwards so that he runs when the defensive line is still retreating back to their 10 metre mark.

Just like he is when he is at dummy half Zac McCormack is a leader when he is in the defensive line looking to direct his forwards towards where the ball is likely heading and individually identifying which forward defends which attacker. Zac McCormack certainly has a tough streak and will look to hit opposing forwards regardless of their size as hard as possible and looks to finish off each tackle with aggression. Zac McCormack is also a solid worker when at marker and will chase and look to harass both ball runners and tactical kickers alike.

Another area where Zac McCormack has a plus attribute is in relation to his leaderships skills. He is a strong confident personality and that translates to a leader on and off the field, this is a trait that you cannot teach, you either have it or you don’t. Even if he is not the nominated captain on the field he is a leader regardless of which team he is lining up for and acts accordingly. The confidence that his team mates have in Zac McCormack is just extraordinary.

Zac McCormack is still eligible for the Hastings Deering’s Colts Cup competition in 2020 and for me at least he should be a real chance at making his Queensland Cup debut next season. Zac McCormack is more than capable is handling that standard and for that matter excelling.

Even though Zac McCormack has played a number of matches at half back for Burleigh in 2017 season, I firmly believe that with his game management, distribution and leadership skills Zac McCormack will have a long and distinguished career at hooker.

From a rugby league playing comparison perspective Zac McCormack has a similar playing and leaderships style to that of former Australian Test Captain Cameron Smith, in that he is a leader on the field, is very good at leading his team around the field a very under rated kicker from the dummy half position and a very good defender.

mdrew

31-07-19, 05:13 PM

Lochlyn Sheldon. (Revised) The talented front rower or lock missed the opening rounds of the 2019 season with injury but came back into the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side for their Round Eight ANZAC Day match against the Western Mustangs starting at lock for the Bears. Lochlyn Sheldon also started at lock in Rounds Nine and Ten against Redcliffe and the Northern Pride respectively.

In a Gold Coast Rugby League bye week, Lochlyn Sheldon was back in the Burleigh Colts side for Round Sixteen against Souths Logan, starting at lock and scoring his first Colts try of the year. Close to the Souths Logan line, Burleigh hooker Lachlan Turnbull ran to his right and Lochlyn Sheldon ran back towards the paly the ball on an underneath route and crashed over after he received the inside pass.

Lochlyn Sheldon also started at lock in Round Seventeen against Tweed Heads scoring Burleigh’s first try of the match when he ran onto a short pass from his left from hooker Lachlan Turnbull to easily crash over from close range.

Lochlyn Sheldon in 2019 received a quick promotion to the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side making his 2019 GCRL First Grade debut from the bench as the Bears defeated Currumbin 22 – 20 in Round Nine.

Lochlyn Sheldon moved into the Burleigh GCRL First Grade starting line-up in the left second row position for their Round Ten match against Runaway Bay scoring a double which were in fact the first two tries that Burleigh scored.

For his first try Lochlyn Sheldon received the ball down a short left blind side to dive over a couple of metres from the left corner post. Lochlyn Sheldon showed some outstanding pace for his second try a few minutes later. Burleigh made a break on the half way mark and Lochlyn Sheldon showed impressive pace to loom up on the inside to take the ball and run twenty metres to score.

In total in the 2019 GCRL First Grade competition , Lochlyn Sheldon has played in six matches scoring the two tries noted above.

Lochlyn Sheldon was an ever present in the front row for the Burleigh Bears early in the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts side in 2018, starting in the front row in their first nine of their matches before being promoted to the Gold Coast Rugby League Burleigh First Grade side.

Lochlyn Sheldon is not going to score many tries but did score in Round Three of 2018 in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

In 2018 Lochlyn Sheldon made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut for Burleigh starting from the bench in Round Six when the Bears defeated Bilambil 40 – 10. Lochlyn Sheldon played eight matches for Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition in 2018.

Lochlyn Sheldon had a very good 2017 season on the field for Burleigh in the MM Cup competition and for Runaway Bay across multiple grades in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition. In addition, Lochlyn Sheldon played one match for the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts Challenge side which was in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets, that afternoon Lochlyn Sheldon made his debut from the interchange bench and scored a second half try in a positive debut Colts match.

For Burleigh in the 2017 MM competition, Lochlyn Sheldon captained the side and started in five of their six matches in the front row and came off the interchange bench in Round Three. Lochlyn Sheldon crossed for three tries over the six matches, scoring in Round One against Redcliffe, in Round Three against North’s and also in Round Six in the local derby against Tweed Heads Seagulls a match in which Burleigh won and a match that also included a number of Tians linked players on both sides.

For Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League Competition, Lochlyn Sheldon played twelve matches in the U19 competition, eleven in the Doug Lipp Cup including starting the Grand Final at lock (Unfortunately Runaway Bay were defeated 13 – 6 by Beaudesert) and one match in the A grade making his A Grade debut in August against Ormeau.

Across his twelve matches in the 2018 U19 competition, Lochlyn Sheldon scored five tries all coming in a stellar four game period mid-season where he scored double against Mudgeeraba and also tries in that period against Beaudesert, Burleigh and Bilambil.

Lochlyn Sheldon made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in June 2018 against Bilambil and went on to make eleven appearances for Runaway Bay in that competition scoring three tries which came against Ormeau, Tugun and Bilambil. In five of his eleven Doug Lipp Cup matches, Lochlyn Sheldon played in the U19 contest and then backed up to play the Doug Lipp Cup fixture immediately after the conclusion of the previous match.

Lochlyn Sheldon was named player of the carnival for the 2016 Confraternity Shield as well as being named in the second row for the Queensland Independent Colleges (QIC) Secondary Schools rugby league side after playing for Gold Coast based Aquinas College in the carnival which was held in September 2016.

Fellow Aquinas College student Lachlan Douglas was also named in the all carnival side in the front row. Lachlan Douglas is currently part of the 2018 Burleigh U20 Hastings Deering’s squad.

Previously Lochlyn Sheldon has made multiple representative sides, including the Queensland U13 side, South Coast U15’s where he was named player of the match on Day Two against Darling Downs, Qld Marron U15’s from which he made the U15 Australian Merit Team with Titans linked Konrad Edwards and also the Queensland U16 side in 2015, which also contained Titans Ben Thomas and Darius Farmer.

Lochlyn Sheldon was part of the Brisbane Broncos elite development squad for a number of years, but unfortunately for him he was not able to gain a contract with the Broncos, which was good news for the Titans.

Running with the football, Lochlyn Sheldon has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them.

Lochlyn Sheldon does not have great speed off the mark or necessary great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. He actually does have a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well.

Where there has been a clear development in Lochlyn Sheldon’s game has been he is ability to off load prior to contact with the defensive line in a 2017 Round Three MM match against the North’s Devils Lochlyn Sheldon popped a great short ball to Noah Lolesio off his right hip who crossed untouched for one of his four tries that afternoon at Pizzey Park.

Defensively Lochlyn Sheldon is not a big hitter, usually aiming for just under the ribs and first intention is to lock up the ball to prevent offloads. One area where is quite effective whether he is defending on the fringes of the ruck or in the centre of the ruck including when he is defending at marker, is against smaller attackers who look to use their foot work.

Lochlyn Sheldon has quite reasonable lateral mobility for a forward and due to the fact that he also is not that tall, usually is able to wrap up the smaller attackers without his tackles slipping up to around the head or neck, and thus giving away penalties. His ability to successfully defend against these type of attackers as well as having the technique to defend against larger forwards is one of a number of reasons that I consider that a future in the second row is probable.

Lochlyn Sheldon will probably not stand out during a game but will work hard both in attack and defence and leave all the eye catching things like big hits, line breaks and one handed off loads to other forwards who will benefit from his hard working style.

Lochlyn Sheldon will finish the 2019 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition but may well play additional Hastings Deering’s Colts matches as Burleigh head towards the finals in that competition.

Whilst he has alternated between second row and front row over previous junior seasons, I would anticipate that based on his build and skill set that starting as early as next season Lochlyn Sheldon will likely transition to the second row full time. Lochlyn Sheldon likely could play front row in an emergency type situation but second row seems like a more natural fit for him from my perspective at least.

From a player comparison perspective, one player with a similar playing style from my perspective is former Titans second rower and current Titans coaching staff member Anthony Laffranchi, as a solid hard working forward who will probably never be a star but will be a solid contributor to a team’s forward pack.

Likely there will be players with more natural ability that will not go as far in rugby league as Lochlyn Sheldon will, simply because he will make the most of the ability he has through sheer hard work and effort.

mdrew

01-08-19, 05:18 PM

Tyler Szepanowski. (Revised) The big tall young former St Brendan’s College front rower signed with the Titans mid-way through the 2017 season and is currently a member of the Titans Rookie Squad.

Like he did in 2018 Tyler Szepanowski started the 2019 season in the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side, playing the opening eight rounds in the front row before being promoted to the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side, starting from the bench in Round Seven in a 16 all draw with Tugun.

Tyler Szapanowski made his 2019 GCRL First Grade starting debut in Round Eleven against Bilambil when he started in the front row and also started in the front row in Round Sixteen against Tugun and Round Seventeen against Runaway Bay.

In total in the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for Burleigh to date this season Tyler Szapanowski has played in eight matches

In total in the 2019 GCRL First Grade competition for Burleigh this season to date Tyler Szapanowski played in seven matches, starting in three and coming off the bench in the remaining matches.

Tyler Szepanowski started the 2018 season in the Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts squad starting his opening ten matches in the front row before being promoted to the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side where he has stayed since that time.

In the GCRL First Grade competition Tyler Szepanowski made his debut against Southport in June and went on to play in seven matches and scored his first and to date only try against Tugun in late July. For Burleigh in the GCRL First Grade side Tyler Szepanowski on the majority of occasions has come off the bench but he has started one or two matches at lock towards the end of the season.

In 2017 Tyler Szepanowski was part of the Central Queensland Capra’s U18 squad after having a solid season in Schoolboy rugby league in 2016. The young front rower was the St Brendan’s College Co-captain a great achievement for the young man who came to the school from Moranbah and also was part of the St Brendan’s side that made the 2016 Final of the Confraternity Shield where they played Ignatius Park in that final.

Tyler Szepanowski was approached by the Titans after the Capra’s Round Three match against the Burleigh Bears MM side in 2017 at Browne Park and is probably the first player the Titans have signed with a Prussian heritage.

For the Central Queensland Capra’s MM side in 2017 Tyler Szepanowski started in five of their six matches, in each of his starts Tyler Szepanowski played in the front row. Tyler Szepanowski only missed the final round being Round Six.

Tyler Szepanowski scored two tries in the five matches with his tries coming in Rounds One and Two against the Central Crows and Redcliffe Dolphins. Tyler Szepanowski also captained the Capra’s in their Round Five matches against eventual MM champions the Western Mustangs.

At the completion of the MM competition in 2017, Tyler Szepanowski moved to playing first grade in the Rockhampton Rugby League competition with Brothers Rockhampton making his First Grade debut in late April against the North’s Chargers. In total Tyler Szepanowski played in thirteen Rockhampton RL First Grade matches and scored his sole first grade try in June against Woorabinda.

Tyler Szepanowski started all of his first grade matches in the second row. Late in the 2017 season, Tyler Szepanowski also played one match in the Rockhampton Rugby League U20 competition with the match being against Brothers Rockhampton.

At the Rockhampton Senior Rugby League awards in late 2017 Tyler Szepanowski was named at the Rockhampton Rugby League First Grade Rookie of the Year.

Tyler Szepanowski who trailed for the Parramatta Eels Harrold Matthews side in 2015 won the Coaches Award at the 2016 St Brendan’s Sports Awards night and represented the Queensland Capra’s in the CC Cup competition in 2016 and also Capricornia U15 side in 2014 at the QSSRL U15 Championships.

The young front rower who currently weighs around the 101kg mark has what I would consider plus speed for a front rower, in fact his speed would be above average for a forward of any position. He uses this speed to impact the defensive at top speed. Tyler Szepanowski does not necessarily get back deep, but his plus speed off the mark as well as plus top speed (for a front rower) enables him to still hit the line hard.

Tyler Szepanowski runs very front on but will lower his body into the defenders as the commit to the tackle, and through a combination of size, speed and determination regularly bumps the first defender off when they try to tackle Tyler Szepanowski around the chest area.

Once he impacts the defensive line Tyler Szepanowski also is adept at redirecting his momentum to address the next defender who is coming in to hit him.

When he is close to the line he seems to have an extra gear again and crashes into the defensive line low and hard and is very difficult to stop. He scores a high proportion of his tries coming from situations where he took on a set defensive line from reasonably close range and was able to carry defenders across the line.

I have not seen too many off loads from him in relation to when he has engaged the line, the majority of his offloads have come from situations where his momentum is stopped but Tyler Szepanowski is able to get an arm free, usually his right arm and then pop the ball out the back.

In defence Tyler Szepanowski regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one. He is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique and decent agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents.

Tyler Szepanowski’s technique is also quite decent for a taller player and he gets low in defence to look to mitigate the possibility of his tackles slipping up around the hard and neck area of shorter opponents when he is looking to initiate contact.

Tyler Szepanowski will also track the ball across the field and just needs to ensure that he stays vigilant when the ball is moved further out and continue to cover the inside channel so that he is not caught out of the ball is passed back inside.

At this stage he has the speed to compensate and close the distance to the attacker quickly but as he progresses in the upper age groups he just needs to ensure that he is in the right position, and to be fair he is in the right position the vast majority of the time.

Tyler Szepanowski will finish the 2019 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition and will look to progress to the Queensland Cup competition in 2020.

With his build (190cm and 101kg) and style of play, I can envisage Tyler Szepanowski playing in the front row as he continues his junior rugby league career although he will likely to continue to spend some time in the second row while he continues to develop physically.

From a style perspective, think along the lines of the James Tamau of the Penrith Panthers as a tall front rower with good footwork both in attack and defence and he is also a leader on the field who can set the direction and tempo for his team by leading from the front in the most demanding position on a football field regardless of the age group or level of competition.

mdrew

06-08-19, 04:34 PM

Tyrhys Williams. (Updated) He is a young backrower hailing from Casino in Northern New South Wales and was part of the Titans development squad based in the area in 2015.

Tyrhys Williams started the 2019 season playing in Round One of the GCRL U18 Division One competition for Nerang but post their demise, moved to Murwillumbah playing his first match for the Mustangs in Round Seven of the NRRRL U18 competition as Murwillumbah overcame Byron Bay 25 – 24.

This season Tyrhys Williams has also played NRRRL U18 matches against Tweed Heads, Kyogle and Lismore Marist Brothers.

In 2018 Tyrhys Williams started the season off playing in four matches for Northern Rivers in the U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition starting in the centres in all four contests.

Tyrhys Williams only played in one Group One U16.5 match in 2018 but made the most of it by scoring a hat trick and kicking two goals for Casino RSM in a big win against Lismore Marist Brothers.

Also in early 2018 Tyrhys Williams started on the wing for the New South Wales Kurri U16 side in their annual match against Queensland Murri U16’s.

In 2017 Tyrhys Williams was selected in the Group One U15 representative side for the New South Wales Country age championships.

The Casino High School student started off the 2017 Group One U15 season with Ballina playing two matches for the Seagulls scoring a double against Lismore Marist Brothers and also scoring against Clarence Coast. Tyrhys Williams then transferred to Casino RSM for the remainder of the 2017 season.

With Casino RSM in the 2017 U15 competition, Tyrhys Williams played in another six matches including scoring five tries in his first match for Casino RSM against Clarence Coast and the following week Tyrhys Williams scored against Kyogle. Tyrhys Williams also played seven matches for Casino RSM in the U16.5 competition. On five of those occasions Tyrhys Williams backed up after playing in the U15 match earlier in the day.

In those U16.5 matches Tyrhys Williams scored two tries which came in consecutive weeks with both matches being against the Grafton Ghosts where he played against Titans linked Jake Ryan and Ben Liyou.

In 2016 Tyrhys Williams was selected in the centres for the U14 Group One representative side which participated in the New South Wales Age Championships. In late 2015 he was named in on the bench for the development squad in a match against Samoa, but unfortunately did not participate in the match.

Tyrhys Williams started off the 2016 season with Casino RSM in the U14 Group One Junior Rugby League competition before making a mid-season move to the Kyogle Turkeys where he finished the season. For Casino RSM at the start of the season, Tyrhys Williams crossed for ten tires in just six matches, including four against Lismore Marist Brothers and doubles in consecutive matches in May against his soon to be new team Kyogle and Ballina.

Tyrhys Williams is a very calm player on the field even though he plays the game at a very high speed and is most effective on the edge of the ruck. His style of play is that of a wide running back rower with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus, and I am talking the speed of an outside back not a backrower where he plays.

Tyrhys Williams is exceptionally quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

Defences had all sorts of trouble trying to contain him in his club football over the last couple of seasons, both in terms of him taking the ball up into the centre of the ruck, but he was almost untouchable when he ran on the fringes of the ruck and he used his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a step off both feet and a very good in and away as well as simply running over people. Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a young player in Tyrhys Williams who causes nightmares for a defensive line.

For a backrower of his size, Tyrhys Williams runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball during a game. I have not seen a great deal of him off loading the football, but the ball skills that he possess would suggest this particular will develop into a plus skill over time, although at this stage of his career it is not a necessity.

Tyrhys Williams is aggressive in defence whether defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football.

His speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half. I have noted that he is aggressive, but not to the extent that he will give away penalties, he just wants to win every one on one battle. He is also a very good cover defender.

Due to his speed and athleticism Tyrhys Williams covers across the field well, thus putting him in a good position to make the tackle when the ball is turned back inside from the halves. One thing that seemed to be the case for me was that he appears to be very quiet on the field, but as Tyrhys Williams gets more accustomed to the players around him this may change.

Moving forward to the 2020 season, Tyrhys Williams will move up to the U20 ranks if he chooses to try his hand at the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition if not he is more than capable of making the immediate transition to the NRRRL First Grade competition.

From a player comparison perspective, I am a little reluctant to say so but the Canterbury Bulldogs version of Sonny Bill Williams springs to mind as an appropriate comparison, when you see the combination of the skill set he possesses and the athletic ability, add in a touch of aggression and you have a young player of immense potential who plays the game seemingly at a different pace to most of the players around him.

Tyrhys Williams just looks like he is a young man who was born to play rugby league.

mdrew

06-08-19, 07:20 PM

Simon Pratt. The Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad this season was very young one with a number of players from the successful 2018 U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad moving up this season.

One player was outstanding St Johns College Woodlawn second rower Simon Pratt from the Casino RSM club who started Round One of the competition at lock against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad. In the match, Simon Pratt who captained the side was heavily involved throughout both in attack and defence.

After missing Round Two Simon Pratt was back in his customary lock position for the Round Three match against the Northern Coast Bulldogs and also started there in Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters and Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers.

In Round Five, Simon Pratt scored the Titans first try when he ran onto a good pass from hooker Zac Hicks to crash over from close to the line.

In April 2019 Simon Pratt was selected in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) Lismore Diocese U18 side for the NSW CCC selection trials held in Sydney in May.

After the completion of the Laurie Daley Cup competition Simon Pratt started for Casino RSM in the NRRRL U18 competition, to date playing in seven matches scoring against Tweed Heads and Kyogle.

Simon Pratt made his deserved NRRRL U18 debut at just 17 years old in Round Sixteen against Lismore Marist Brothers and also played in First Grade in Round Seventeen against Evans Head.

In 2018 Simon Pratt played in five matches for Northern Rivers in the Andrew Johns Cup competition, scoring one try.

Post that competition Simon Pratt played in eleven matches for Casino RSM in the Group One U16.5 competition scoring eight tries, including scoring doubles against Ballina in two separate matches. He also scored against Lismore Marist Brothers in two matches, Kyogle and Clarence Coast.

Simon Pratt also played two matches for the New South Wales Country U16 side in 2018 with those matches being against PNG and Lismore and a Titans U16 side in Cudgen.

In 2017 Simon Pratt played eight matches, including the Grand Final for Casino RSM in the U15 Group One Junior Rugby League competition scoring just the once which came against Lismore Marist Brothers mid-season. Simon Pratt started in the second row in all eight of his matches.

2017 also saw Simon Pratt represent Group One at the U15 level in the New South Wales Country Age Championships starting all three of his matches in the second row and from St Johns College Woodlawn was selected in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges U15 Northern Region squad once again in the second row. A team mate in the NSW CCC U15 side was Titans contracted outstanding young half back Thomas Weaver.

In 2017 Simon Pratt played eight matches, including the Grand Final for Casino RSM in the U15 Group One Junior Rugby League competition scoring just the once which came against Lismore Marist Brothers mid-season. Simon Pratt started in the second row in all eight of his matches.

2017 also saw Simon Pratt represent Group One at the U15 level in the New South Wales Country Age Championships starting all three of his matches in the second row and from St Johns College Woodlawn was selected in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges U15 Northern Region squad once again in the second row. A team mate in the NSW CCC U15 side was Titans contracted outstanding young half back Thomas Weaver.

The young hard running backrower usually lines up on the right hand side of the field and runs with speed into the defensive line. Even though he is not small Simon Pratt is not the biggest young backrower you will ever see, but he is all effort in attack and will constantly run the ball into the heart of the opposition forward pack regardless of how big they are.

Simon Pratt is a smart runner though to the extent that he does use good foot work prior to the defensive line to help negate his lack of size and he also has very good leg drive once initial contact has been made. Simon Pratt also fights hard when tackled to ensure he gets a quick play the ball to maintain the momentum for his side.

Defensively Simon Pratt looks to wrap up the ball on initial contact, he will not constantly come up with big hits, but is certainly capable of hitting hard when the opportunity presents itself, but will rarely miss tackles and also covers across the field very well, meaning he is always in a good position to make a tackle if the ball is turned back inside and also to make cover defending tackles if breaks are made wider out.

Simon Pratt is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier. His lateral speed is very good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards and Simon Pratt is able to effectively mirror their movements to wrap them up in the tackle.

Simon Pratt will play out the 2019 season with Casino RSM in the NRRRL U18 competition and may also add to his two NRRRL First Grade matches.

Simon Pratt will still be eligible for the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition in 2020 but it would not surprise to see Simon Pratt play in the MM Cup in Queensland or head down to Sydney to play in the U18 SG Ball competition.

From an ultimately position perspective with his combination of size, speed and strength Simon Pratt seemingly has the ideal skill set to be a very effective second rower as he progresses up the junior rugby league ranks.

From a player comparison perspective if you watch the Brisbane Broncos Matt Gillett play he hopefully get an appreciation of how Simon Pratt plays, that being of a hole running tough tackling second rower.

mdrew

07-08-19, 04:42 PM

Leevai Sutton. Powerfully built winger Leevai Sutton was part of the Titans U18 side that defeated New South Wales Country U18’s 14-12 on a wet (very wet) Saturday afternoon at Cudgen late last year.

In 2019 Leevai Sutton has been playing for Souths Logan in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, starting thirteen of his fourteen matches to date on the wing, he started Round Sixteen against Burleigh at fullback, and has missed the last couple of rounds through injury I believe.

In his thirteen matches to date, Leevai Sutton has scored eight tries including a purple patch from Rounds Eight to Twelve when he scored in five straight matches with those matches being in order against, Wynnum Manly, Sunshine Coast, the Ipswich Jets, the Western Mustangs and Tweed Heads.

Leevai Sutton was also scored this season against Norths in Round Three, Redcliffe in Round Four and Mackay in Round Fifteen.

Leevai Sutton has also kicked eighteen goals, including kicking four goals in Round One against Central Queensland an three in a Round Three match against Norths.

The 2018 Souths Logan MM Cup winger has been an impressive performer since moving over from Western Australia (New Zealand born) for the start of the 2016 season to attend Ipswich State High School and progress in developing rugby league career on the East Coast.

In the 2018 MM Cup season Leevai Sutton played in ten matches for Souths Logan starting all on the wing including the Queensland MM Cup final against Norths and the National U18 final against the Penrith Panthers.

Leevai Sutton finished the 2018 U18 season with six tries including scoring a hat trick in Round Two against the Northern Pride. Leevai Sutton also scored in Round Four against the Burleigh Bears and scored in both Queensland Finals being against Tweed Heads and Norths.

Leevai Sutton also was involved in one U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts U20 match this season, starting from the bench in Round Twenty Four against Ipswich.

Leevai Sutton also played in one match for Souths in the GBRL Senior Southside One competition and one match in the 2018 “In Safe Hands Cup BRL A Grade” competition being in Round Nineteen against the Easts Tigers.

At the recent QPICC Tournament Leevai Sutton represented the Samoa U18 who won their opening two matches on the second day of the Tournament.

In 2017 Leevai Sutton represented Met West in the QSSRL U18 Championships playing all of Met West’s matches in the centres.

Leevai Sutton’s last season in Western Australia was in 2015 when he played for the Rockingham Sharks in the U16 competition scoring eight tries, kicking twenty two goals and a field goal for 77 points on the season as a 15 year old.

In the Western Australian U14 competition in 2014 Leevai Sutton had an outstanding season scoring thirty one tries and kicking fifty goals for a 224 point haul from just sixteen matches.

The young man is very difficult to stop once he is in motion, his speed, power and body height all contribute to this. On the wing when he can wind up and build momentum he looks to run over his direct opponent rather than try to run around them. In fact in the majority of occasions it is Leevai Sutton that actually initiates the contact and I do not recall seeing a player being able to run over his direct opponent with absolutely no loss of momentum.

From a speed perspective I would argue that his speed is a tick above average for a winger but obviously the key attribute from an attacking perspective is how hard he hits the defensive line. Like his overall speed Leevai Sutton’s lateral mobility is probably just a tick above average. Leevai Sutton with his size and strength is also able to make a lot of ground after contact with his ability to absorb the defensive contact and maintain his balance and body control.

When he is close to the line Leevai Sutton is able to absorb a significant amount of punishment and still hold his running line thus he is able to score close to the side line without being pushed over the sideline regardless of the number of defenders looking to do so. The ability to absorb contact is on display when Leevai Sutton comes into the centre of the ruck to take the ball up into the teeth of the defensive line.

Defensively for a big strong powerful young man, Leevai Sutton actually has good discipline for such a young player and in the main stays on his man rather than coming in and looking for the big hit. Do not get me wrong he will on occasion aim to smash the opposing outside if they do not see him coming but in the main he is quite disciplined and looks to ensure his opposing winger does not get on his outside looking to use their speed against him.

Leevai Sutton will play the 2019 season in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and will also be Colts eligible in 2020 if he has not broken into the Queensland Cup or higher before then.

Whilst there is no doubt that Leevai Sutton could also play in the centres, with his speed, finishing ability and hard running out of dummy half staying on the wing is where Leevai Sutton is seemingly best placed to have a long and fruitful rugby league career including at the NRL level.

For me Leevai Sutton has a playing style similar to that of Brisbane Broncos winger and occasional fullback Jamayne Isaako, both are just outstanding talents who with time and experience could be just about anything on a rugby league field.

mdrew

08-08-19, 02:51 AM

Layne Hardy. The outstanding fullback started the 2019 season off with a bang scoring often in the 2019 NRRRL U18 competition and to date has a strike rate of 60% through fifteen matches.

Layne Hardy scored a Round One doubles against Ballina, also scored against the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Round Three and followed that up with a double in Round Five against Evans Head as well as scoring in Round Eleven against Ballina, Round Sixteen against Lower Clarence and Round Seventeen against Lismore Marist Brothers.

2019 is the second season that Layne Hardy has played in the U18 NRRRL competition after playing two matches in 2018, including scoring a double on debut against Casino RSM.

In 2018 Layne Hardy played in eleven matches for Kyogle in the Group One U16.5 competition scoring eight tries and kicking four goals for a total point’s haul of forty.

The talented young Kyogle Turkeys fullback was outstanding when he starred for 2018 Northern Rivers against Newcastle in Round One in the U16 Andrew Johns Cup including scoring a great second half try from a Tyrelle Roberts chip in their 22 – 12 victory.

In total in the Andrew Johns Cup in 2018, Layne Hardy played in all five of the Northern Rivers matches and in addition to the Round One ty against Newcastle, Layne Hardy also scored against the Central Coast Roosters.

Layne Hardy’s selection in the Northern Rivers side in 2018 was the second season in a row that he achieved representative selection as in 2017, he was selected at fullback for the Group One representative side for the New South Wales Age Championships.

In those championships, Layne hardy started all three of Group One’s matches at fullback scoring three tries in the process with all three tries coming in Group One’s Round One match against Group 19.

In relation to his club rugby league in 2017, Layne Hardy represented the Kyogle Turkey’s in the Group One U15 competition, contributing 36 points from seven tries and four goals. Layne Hardy had an outstanding start to the 2017 season, scoring in his first three matches, which were against Clarence Coast and against Casino RSM in two separate matches.

In late June 2017, Layne Hardy scored a double against Clarence Coast and followed that up a week later when he scored once again against Casino RSM. Layne Hardy final try came late in the season against Ballina. From a goal kicking perspective all of Layne Hardy’s goals came in different matches towards the conclusion of the season.

In 2014 Layne Hardy attended school in Kyogle and starred for Kyogle Primary School as part of their Matt King Shield side who finished as runners up with Layne Hardy being named the competitions Best and Fairest.

Layne Harding is a smooth runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. When returning kicks, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

In Round One of the 2018 Andrew Johns U16 Cup against Newcastle Layne Hardy showed his impressive acceleration and speed when he outpaced the defence to retrieve a deft chip kick from Northern Rivers half back Tyrelle Roberts.

In what was a planned moved, Tyrelle Roberts stood two passes wide of the ruck on the right hand side of the field and chipped back across his body, Layne Hardy timed his run perfectly and retrieved the ball and outpaced the Newcastle cover defence to score a crucial second half try.

Also in Round One against Newcastle, Layne Hardy regularly chimed into the backline, usually on the right side of the field and either made ground himself or set up his outside support, on one occasion setting up right winger Kailis Fourmile-Bolt for a try scoring run to the right corner.

The one thing Layne Harding also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, he has a very good step back side and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, his quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

Defensively in the fullback position Layne Hardy understandably he does not a huge amounts of tackles but the ones he makes are the ones that need to be made. If an attacker runs directly at him, he will come forward to cut down the time the attacker has to make a decision and he will hit very hard.

An impressive attribute that Layne Hardy does have he is ability to force attackers in the clear to try to beat him down the side line. He will stay inside the attacker and force him in the needed direction and then use his timing and anticipation to make the tackle, usually forcing the attacker into touch.

Against Newcastle in the 2018 Andrew Johns Cup in Round One this attribute was on display late in the match with Newcastle only six points behind. Layne Harding pulled off a great try saving tackle in the right hand corner of the field closest to the grand stand when it looked for all money like the Newcastle winger would score in the corner and possibly tie to game up. Layne Hardy got across nicely to tackle the Newcastle winger into touch and alleviate the threat.

Layne Hardy will play out the 2019 season with the Kyogle Turkeys in the NRRRL U18 competition and is U18 eligible again in 2020.

My understanding is that Layne Hardy did not try out for the U18 Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup side this season, but hopefully that will change in 2020, he certainly has the ability to make a big impact in the side.

Layne Hardy has primarily been a fullback for the majority of his junior rugby league career to date and even though I am sure that he could handle playing in the centres or on the wing, fullback seems to be his ideal position going forward.

From a player comparison perspective, think along the lines of a younger Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International fullback Darius Boyd as a fullback with above average pace and footwork who is also courageous when it comes to his defensive duties and retrieving and returning kicks.

mdrew

08-08-19, 03:28 PM

Kayah Riggs-Noble. The big strong young 18 year old front rower came from the clouds a touch in 2018 not just breaking into the Coombabah State High Side but by seasons end being one of their better performers alongside Titan Carsil Vaikai. Kayah Riggs-Noble started for Coombabah in their 17 – 16 win over Marymount College to qualify for the Queensland GIO Cup quarter finals.

In 2019 to date, Kayah Riggs-Noble has played in two matches for Souths Logan in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, both off the bench with those matches being Rounds Nine and Fifteen against Sunshine Coast and the Mackay Cutters respectively.

Kayah Riggs-Noble played the 2018 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition, playing in five matches in that grade with those matches coming against Currumbin, Tweed Heads, Burleigh, Ormeau and Runaway Bay.

Kayah Riggs-Noble also played in one U19 GCRL match in 2018 that match occurring in Week Two of the Finals. Kayah Riggs-Noble started from the bench as Mudgeeraba were knocked as a result of a 54 – 26 loss to Bilambil.

Kayah Riggs-Noble also played one MM Cup match and one Hastings Deering’s Colts match in 2018. He made his MM Cup debit in Round Seven against Victoria from the bench and in an impressive feat for a 17 year old made his U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts debit in Round Twenty Four from the bench against the Easts Tigers in a big 52 – 12 win for Burleigh in the competitions final round.

Kayah Riggs-Noble is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and can offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it. There is no subtlety to his running, it is straight and hard and another positive is that he will not just run upright, he will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped one on one.

Kayah Riggs-Noble does have quite foot speed when/if he gets into space, probably above average for a front rower but any tries that he scores will come as a result of power running close to the line, with the added benefit that if he does not crash over, Kayah Riggs-Noble will draw in the defence meaning that there will be space out wide for his side.

In defence Kayah Riggs-Noble uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Kayah Riggs-Noble has a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage when defending against opposing forwards and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck.

Kayah Riggs-Noble will play out the 2019 season with Souths Logan in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and is Colts eligible also in 2020 and 2021.

In relation to the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, Kayah Riggs-Noble, if not involved with the Burleigh MM Cup or Colts squads will play the 2019 season as part of the Mudgeeraba U19 side.

Kayah Riggs-Noble has played in the front row or lock for the majority of his rugby league career and exclusively there this season and on that basis I cannot see him moving from there into the future.

For me a solid NRL comparison for Kayah Riggs-Noble is current Wests Tigers and New Zealand International front rower Russell Packer as a front rower who regularly crashes head long into the defensive line but does have some subtle footwork which seems to get largely over looked. As for that matter does his solid defensive technique.

Kayah Riggs-Noble has made rapid improvement over the last two seasons and I will be following him closely in coming years to see how his career progresses.

mdrew

08-08-19, 04:04 PM

Laz Sua. (Revised). Laz Sua started the 2019 season as part of the Souths Logan Hastings Deering’s Colts side playing in five matches for the Magpies before heading back to play in the GCLR First Grade competition with the Ormeau Shearers with his first match being in Round 16 against Currumbin when he came off the bench. Laz Sua also came off the bench in Round Seventeen.

Laz Sua made his first start since coming back to Ormeau in Round Eighteen when he started at hooker against Southport.

Laz Sau started off the 2019 season with the Souths Logan Magpies U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side, playing his first match in Round Three against Norths when he started the match in the front row.

In total for Souths Logan Laz Sua played in five Hastings Deering’s Colts matches this season, starting three in the front row, one at lock being Round Five against Burleigh and one from the interchange bench which was in Round Six against the Northern Pride.

The powerful nuggetty young Gold Coast local had an outstanding 2018 season. Even in the 2018 pre-season Laz Sua was in outstanding form. In Tweed Heads MM trial against Souths Logan at Waterford, the Seagulls were on the back foot for the first two quarters but Laz Sua’s introduction made a significant difference and when he was on the field he provided momentum through his hit-ups and defensive starch and that was just a trial!

In the MM Cup season proper in 2018 Laz Sua started in the front row of all seven of Tweed Head’s matches including their semi-final against South’s Logan. Laz Sua did not score any tries in the MM Cup this season, but was rewarded for his outstanding effort in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks when he converted Tweed Heads final try in a big 72 – 6 victory.

After Tweed Heads finals elimination, Laz Sua moved directly to the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side starting in his debut in the front row in Round Ten against Ipswich and came off the bench in Round Eleven against the Northern Pride who were top of the table at that point. Round Twelve saw Laz Sua once again start on the bench. He was also on the bench for the Seagulls in Rounds Thirteen and Seventeen to Twenty Four.

Laz Sua moved to the Gold Coast Rugby League competition in Round Eight of that competition, coming off the interchange bench for the Ormeau Shearers who unfortunately suffered a 74 – 12 loss to a rampaging Bilambil Jets side. In total Laz Sua played in five GCRKL First Grade matches in 2018.

In 2017 in addition to playing for Keebra Park, Laz Sua was selected in the South Coast U18 side and from there was selected in the Queensland U18 Open Schoolboy side for the ASSRL Championship including scoring a try on Day Three in a 28-18 loss to New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges.

Laz Sua and his Keebra Park Open team mates had an outstanding 2017 GIO Cup campaign with the Gold Coast based school winning the National final with Laz Sua starting the final in eth second row and playing on the left side of the field against Westfield’s Sports High School.

Laz Sua was also a member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side for the 2017 version of that competition and played for Queensland Samoa U18 squad for the QPICC tournament that was held in October 2017.

Laz Sua played in club football in 2017 with the Ormeau Shearers across a number of competitions including the U17 Division One competition, U19’s, the Doug Lipp Cup and five first grade matches. In the U17 Division One competition, Laz Sua played in five matches scoring three tries including a double against Burleigh with his other try coming against Mudgeeraba. In the U19 competition, Laz Sua has played in nine matches scoring against Runaway Bay in June and also kicking a late conversion against Mudgeeraba.

Laz Sua made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in June against Tugun and celebrated by scoring on debut. Playing first grade at any level as a 17 year is no mean feat and Laz Sua achieved that feat on Sunday June 18 2017 when he came on from the interchange bench against Currumbin. His other first grade matches came against Runaway Bay, Bilambil, Currumbin again and Southport.

During the 2016 season Laz Sua was selected as a result of his good form to represent Queensland at the U16 level. Unfortunately for Laz Sua he only got a handful of minutes on the field when he came on late and played in the dummy half role.

In relation to his club rugby league on the Gold Coast in 2016 he played six matches for the Ormeau Shearers club in the U16 Division One competition and scored three tries in limited action, including scoring against eventual premiers Burleigh on two separate occasions and also against Helensvale.

For Gold Coast White in the CC Cup competition in 2016, Laz Sua played in all six of their games, splitting his time evenly between starting at hooker and at lock. He started at hooker in Rounds One, Six and Seven and started at lock in the other three games. He also crossed for two tries which came in Rounds One and Two, against Souths Logan and Gold Coast Green respectively.

In addition, after the completion of the 2016 season he was a late replacement in the Team Toa side where he came off the bench in their loss to a NSW New Zealand side. In 2016 he was also a member of the QAS squad and in 2015 made the Queensland Maroon U15 side for the ASSRL U15 championships after playing a leading role for South Coast at the U15 QSSRL championships where he played the majority of his matches in the centres.

In attack, regardless of the position he is playing, he is quick and strong and has good footwork to beat opposition defenders and then has very good speed, not necessarily speed off the mark, but definitely has good top end speed once he gets moving. In relation to his play at hooker his passing is reasonably crisp, especially to the right side, but on occasion he passes in two movements, the first being a straightening motion with a distinct second motion being the delivery of the pass, on other occasions he does pass directly from the ground in one fluid motion, like he would be doing as a rugby half.

Laz Sua does like to run from dummy half and his strength and speed does compensate if there are no gaps in the defensive line. Once tackled he immediately starts fighting to get a quick play the ball in an effort to maintain momentum.

In terms of wider positions, such as in the back row or at centre, he can and will take on defenders and look to run over them, when he stays wide, like he did for Keebra good things happen for his team.

Defensively Laz Sua is more than strong enough to defend in the middle of the ruck and quick enough to defend on the fridges. In the centre of the ruck he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards.

When defending out wide, he is better in an up and in type defensive scheme rather than a sliding defensive structure. Laz Sua is also extremely fit thus getting back into the defensive line is no issue for him over the course of the entire game.

Laz Sua will play out the 2019 season with the Ormeau in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition gaining invaluable experience against men. Laz Sua is still Colts eligible in 2020 and it will be interesting to see if he chooses to play for one of the two Gold Coast clubs, or goes back to Souths Logan.

The big question for he is where Laz Sua’s long term future lies. I know that he has played a fair bit of front row this year for Souths Logan and in 2018 in the MM Cup and Colts but there are skills in his game which suggest a future in a wider playing position such as in the back row is the ideal position for him.

Laz Sua has a diverse range of skills to take advantage of and with a reduction of the inter change currently being fore shadowed a player of his type will become very valuable. Regardless of the position that he is playing, Laz Sua also has outstanding endurance and shapes as an 80 minute player now.

He may not be as big as the player I am using as a playing comparison but for me Laz Sua has a playing style similar to North Queensland’s versatile John Asiata. Both have intriguing skills and a hardness to their play that compels others to follow their lead.

mdrew

08-08-19, 06:01 PM

Kel Sheather. (Revised) Ballina Seagulls 19 year old half Kel Sheather started Round One of the New South Wales Country U23 competition at half for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Central Coast Roosters.

In the match, Kel Sheather did not have too many chances with the ball but was outstanding defensively, especially in relation to two plays in the first half. The first was when faced with a big overlap, he flew out of the line at the Central Coast half forcing a mistake and saving a try.

In the second instance, Kel Sheather tracked a Titans clearing kick and hit the Central Coast fullback in an outstanding front on tackle, jolting the ball loose, with the Titans scoring in the next set of six.

In the match Kel Sheather kicked one conversion which was a great kick from the left touchline.

In Round Two against the Greater Northern Tigers Kel Sheather also started at half once again and kicked three conversions in a good Northern Rivers Titans win. He also started at half in the Northern Rivers Titans U23 side’s semi-final against the South Coast Dragons finishing the match kicking three conversions form four attempts in their twenty point loss.

As in previous seasons, Kel Sheather played for the Ballina Seagulls in the NRRRL First competition but due to the presence of Jamie Lyon as captain/coach and five eight, Kel Sheather in fact started in the centres in Round One against Kyogle and contributed a try to Ballina’s 40 – 18 victory over the Turkey’s.

With Jamie Lyon coming on board as Ballina’s NRRRL First Grade captain/coach, Kel Sheather has moved to the centres for the majority of the season playing in thirteen matches to date, scoring five tries. Kel Sheather has missed a number of matches recently due to injury.

Kel Sheather’s tries have all come in separate matches against Kyogle twice, Lismore Marist Brothers, Northern United and Cudgen.

The talented young half was still eligible to play in the MM Cup competition in 2108 and in fact was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad but in fact has by-passed the U18 competition all together and commenced the 2018 season as the starting half back for the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Colts side and scored a good try in Round One against the North’s Devils when he split the North’s defence from around ten metres out when operating on the left side of the field.

Kel Sheather also started Rounds Two where he had a try assist and Three against Victoria and Burleigh respectively at half back. Kel Sheather has primarily played on the left side of the field so far this season for the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Round Three against Burleigh once again saw Kel Sheather lead Tweed Heads around the field well especially in the second half with the Seagulls coming from behind to beat their local rivals by four points with two late tries.

In total for Tweed Heads in the 2018 Colts competition, Kel Sheather played in eleven matches scoring two tries. In addition to the try noted above against Victoria, Kel Sheather also scored against Wynnum Manly in Round Six.

Kel Sheather started his first eight U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts matches at half back, the last being in Round Eight against the Western Mustangs. In his other three matches being against Ipswich in Round Ten, Redcliffe in Round Thirteen and Wynnum Manly in Round Seventeen, Kel Sheather has started from the interchange bench.

Kel Sheather also played a number of matches in the 2018 NRRRL competition for Ballina making his NRRRL First Grade debut in June and scoring against Casino RSM. In his eight NRRL First Grade regular season matches in 2018 Kel Sheather scored 32 points from four tries and eight goals.

Kel Sheather was also heavily involved in 2018 Ballina’s NRRRL First Grade final’s series, culminating in Ballina playing the Tweed Coast Raiders in the 2018 NRRRL First Grade Grand Final with Ballina going down 24 – 4 against the Tweed Coast Raiders in a physical contest in Ballina.

Kel Sheather started the Grand Final at five eight and operated primarily on the right side of the field for Ballina. He did not get too many chances in attack but acquitted himself well defensively against a Tweed Coast forward pack that sent a lot of traffic his way.

Kel Sheather had a huge match late in the regular season against Lower Clarence in Round Seventeen scoring two tries and kicking eight goals for an individual point’s haul of 24. Kel Sheather’s other regular season tries came in Round Seventeen against Lismore Marist Brothers and Round Seven against Casino RSM.

Kel Sheather also played one 2018 NRRRL U18 match being in May against the Tweed Coast Raiders and that day he then backed up for the First Grade match later in the afternoon.

The 2018 season was the second season in which Kel Sheather has been involved in the NRRRL First Grade competition after playing in nine matches in 2017, scoring one try.

The St Johns College Woodlawn half back in 2017 plyed his trade for the Ballina Seagulls in the NRRRL Northern Rivers Rugby League competition playing both first grade and U18’s this season as well as playing for St College Woodlawn in a number of Schoolboy competitions including the GIO Cup. Kel Sheather set up a great try in the semi-finals of the New South Wales Catholic Cup schoolboy competition when a great kick of his in the wet found the chest of centre Jordan Sly but a late try resulted in a 14 – 10 loss to Sydney’s Holy Cross Ryde.

Kel Sheather also scored a 100 metre try and was singled out for special praise by his coach in Woodlawn’s New South Wales GIO Cup Grand Final victory over Patrician Brothers Fairfield in Sydney in late August 2017.

Kel Sheather in 2017 played ten matches in the U18 NRRRL competition scoring 52 points from five tries and sixteen goals. All of his tries have been scored in different games and came against Tweed Coast on two separate occasions, Byron Bay, Casino RSM and Kyogle. Kel Sheather also played nine NRRRL first grade matches and scored his sole try in his third ever first grade match against Byron Bay.

In 2016 Kel Sheather started from the bench for the Northern Country Combined Catholic College side in the NSW CCC trials. Over the last couple of years, the young halfback has not played a great deal of club rugby league for his club side the Ballina Seagulls but has played a fair amount of matches, including the National GIO Cup competition with St Johns College Woodlawn.

Kel Sheather came to prominence in the green of Woodlawn in 2017 when he was part of the NSW CCC Cup Woodlawn side that made the semi-finals of that competition last year. That side included former Titan Sam Elliot and Zac Beecher who has previously played in the MM Cup competition of the Gold Coast.

In attack his initial burst of speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play, he has a dynamic initial burst however he does not have an extra gear to move to when he is in open space. Coupled with a very good step off both feet, although he seems to step off his right foot on a more regular basis, Kel Sheather’s speed enables him to make breaks however his lack of plus top end speed does impact on his ability to score from his own breaks.

Kel Sheather’s initial burst off the mark was the primary reason for his try in Round One against the North’s Devils. He received the ball on the left side of the play the ball about ten metres out from the North’s line. Kel Sheather ran across field with the ball out in front of him in both hands and when the North’s defensive line hesitated not knowing whether he would run or pass, Kel Sheather stepped off his left foot and exploded through a small gap to score with the North’s fullback trying in vain to make the tackle as Kel Sheather dived across the line to score near the left upright.

Kel Sheather can and will beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies and also backs up well.

It is these attributes that means Kel Sheather is a threat to run every time he is at dummy half and opposing defences must that that into account, for if the markers do but work hard or there are slow moving forwards he has the ability to exploit that on each occasion, like he did against North’s.

A good left foot step in Round Two against the Victorian Thunderbolts highlighted the effectiveness of his step to create opportunities. With a couple of minutes to go in the match, Kel Sheather took the ball on the field (where he has primarily played) stepped off his left foot to elude a defender who had rushed out of the line and then popped a good short inside ball to Ben Thomas who scored near the posts. The try from Kel Sheather’s perspective involved good footwork in limited space and then appropriate timing, direction and weight on his pass to set up Ben Thomas for the try.

In previous year’s he has run quite a lot but last year and so far this season he has seemingly taken a step back and become more of an organising type of halfback, but he still takes on the line when he sees an opportunity as was evidenced in Round One against North’s.

At present, one area for him to continue to develop is his play making skills, including putting his runners holes gaps. I am not suggesting that play making skills are currently under developed but an improvement in that area will enable his speed and footwork to play better in game situations as defensive lines start to focus in his runners and thus leave more space for him.

Kel Sheather continues to refine his passing especially to his left and has thrown a number of good passes this season, none more so than a good long spiral to left centre Lee Turner which put him outside his defender and then Lee Turner just had to draw the winger and pass Gerard Ah Nau for his first try in the left corner and his first in Seagulls colours since his move from Group 20.

From a goal kicking perspective, he is very effective near the posts, his strike rate last year was a touch above 90% and will have his moments where he kicks then in bunches from the sideline as well. I am not sure whether he will be a team’s primary goal kicker going forward, but it is certainly not out of the question that he will not be either.

In defence, due to his size he is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the fringes of the ruck he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. He does have an aggressive streak in him when defending and this holds him in good stead when defending against wide running back rowers.

Kel Sheather is still Colts eligible in 2019 and may wish to test himself once again in the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition with the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

From a position perspective, Kel Sheather made a good fist of half back with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side in 2018 and in the NRRRL First Grade competition and clearly has made great strides in his game management and ball playing skills and thus there is no reason to consider a move from half back.

Whilst Kel Sheather has played in the centres this season for Ballina in the NRRRRL First Grade competition with Jamie Lyon coming on board, his future certainly lies closer to the action.

With his evolving game management and ball playing skills to compliment his running game a player comparison to young Melbourne Storm half back Brody Croft is not unwarranted. Like Croft Kel Sheather is also a very good goal kicker as well as tactical kicker.

Kel Sheather certainly has an intriguing skill set and has come on in leaps and bounds this season in Colts and has adapted to the size and speed of the older players he is up against very quickly indeed.

Kel Sheather certainly has had to deal with a very steep learning curve this season in the centres but he has handled it with aplomb which bodes well for the future.

mdrew

09-08-19, 02:24 PM

Jordan Sly. After an outstanding 2018 NRRRL U18 season Ballina’s Jordan Sly moved to the Evans Heads Bombers for the 2019 season seeing plenty of NRRRL First Grade action in both the centres and second row.

Jordan Sly’s debut for Evans head came in Round One of the NRRRL First Grade competition against Murwillumbah and he made a great start to his NRRRL First Grade career, scoring on debut. Since that time, Jordan Sly has played an additional thirteen NRRRL First Grade matches and added goals against Lismore Marist Brothers and Byron Bay.

In 2018 Jordan Sly produced a Man of the Match performance for Ballina in the NRRRL U18 Grand Final as they defeated Cudgen 30-4.

Jordan Sly finished as the 2018 NRRRL U18 competitions leading point’s scorer with 142 regular season points from eight tries and 55 goals from thirteen matches.

Jordan Sly scored a double against Lismore Marist Brothers and with the boot had some big matches kicking eight goals twice with those matches being against Murwillumbah and Marist Brothers where he finished the match with 24 points when he add in his two tries.

The former St John’s College Woodlawn student has an exceptional 2017 rugby league campaign that including being part of the Ballina Seagulls U18 side that won the U18 NRRRL grand Final 28 -18 over Casino RSM and starting in the centres for Woodlawn as they won the New South Wales GIO Trophy Final with a 36 -26 win over Patrician Brothers Fairfield.

For the Ballina Seagulls in the 2017 U18 NRRRL competition, Jordan Sly finished both as one of the top try scorers and points scorers with 122 points in the regular season. Jordan Sly from a try scoring perspective scored a hat trick against Mullumbimby and a double against Murwillumbah. In the match against Mullumbimby, Jordan Sly also kicked eight goals for twenty eight points for the match. Against Evans Heads in July, Jordan Sly scored 18 points from a try and seven goals and he also kicked six goals against Casino RSM in June.

Jordan Sly also scored a number of tries over the course of the season for St Johns College Woodlawn including a ty in the New South Wales GIO Trophy Final against Patrician Brothers College Fairfield and also against Sydney School Holy Cross Ryde in another School boy competitions semi-final.

Due to his size and speed Jordan Sly is almost impossible to stop one on one in the competitions that he has played in so far in his career, with his favourite move being an in and away to beat his opposing number on the outside and then using his acceleration to break the game apart. Jordan Sly does not just have top end speed, he has very good acceleration off the mark as well and is coupled with a solid fend meaning defensive players cannot get into the tackle before defensive help arrives.

On the majority of occasions Jordan Sly runs with the ball out in front of his body with both hands means defences cannot key in whether he is going to run or pass or for that matter which foot he is going to step off. This obviously creates a significant degree of doubt in the minds of defenders and led to situations where either his direct opponent or other defenders rushed out of the line, creating space which Jordan Sly was able to exploit across the NRRRL U18 competition this season.

Defensively Jordan Sly can defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wide of the ruck. Jordan Sly more than strong enough to handle his defensive duties. Jordan Sly uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

Defending out in the centres, Jordan Sly sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent. Purely from a skill and physical attribute perspective he seems more suited to a sliding defensive methodology rather than an up and in style, but this is more conjecture from me rather than a fact based argument.

Jordan Sly is still U20 (Colts) eligible in 2020 and it will be interesting to see after a season in the NRRRL competition playing against men will wet his appetite to head up to the Gold Coast to push for a spot with either the Tweed Heads or Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts squad come 2020.

Jordan Sly is just a talented athlete with size and speed and as he fills out his strength and power will continue to develop. Jordan Sly has a frame that can add a fair degree of muscle mass yet maintain his speed, a potent combination.

Jordan Sly is ideally suited to playing in the centres, especially with his speed and projects as a strike centre moving forward, although he can certainly handle playing in the second row as well.

Joseph Manu from the Sydney Roosters for me has a similar skill set to Jordan Sly as a young player who has all of the skill and physical attributes, specifically speed and strength to succeed in rugby league, he just needs more experience and he has certainly gotten some this season playing in the NRRRL First Grade competition.

mdrew

09-08-19, 03:10 PM

Titan Vaikai. (Revised) The superbly named big, strong young front rower from the Runaway Bay junior rugby league club had a solid 2018 rugby league season across school boy, club and representative competitions,, including starting in the front row for a Titans U15 Invitational side against the Western Mustang at Nerang in March 2018 with the Titans winning the match six tries to three.

Titan Vaikai also started from the bench for the Titans U15 side as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 later in 2018.

This season Titan Vaikai moved to Brisbane Grammar School on a rugby scholarship and he is currently playing in the front row in their GPS School boy First XV.

Titan Vaikai however has played in three GCRL U16 Division One matches for Runaway Bay with the first of those matches coming in May against Southport. This season Titan Vaikai has also played in matches against Burleigh, Coomera and Mudgeeraba.

For Runaway Bay in the 2018 Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition Titan Vaikai started in the front row in all fifteen of the matches that he played including Finals series matches, scoring three tries along the way.

Titan Vaikai’s tries came against Robina and in consecutive weeks against Burleigh and Ormeau.

Titan Vaikai started in the front row in all four of Runaway Bay’s finals matches including starting in the front row in the U15 Division One Grad Final, unfortunately Runaway Bay went down to Ormeau 38 – 20.

In Week One of the finals Runaway Bay went down to Ormeau 28 – 12, then bounced back to win 34 – 24 in Week Two against Burleigh before defeating Coomera 58 – 14 in the Preliminary Final to qualify for the U15 Division One Grand Final.

Titan Vaikai also played one match in the 2018 U16 Division One competition this season which was against Mudgeeraba in June. Titan Vaikai had played in the U15 Division One match earlier in the night.

The former Coombabah State High School student represented South Coast at the U15 QSSRL Championships early in 2018.

In addition to playing for Runaway Bay in the 2018 GCRL U15 Division One competition, Titan Vaikai play club rugby on the Gold Coast for the Griffith University Colleges U15 side and was the team’s co-captain with his side winning the premiership with a 47 – 19 victory over the Helensvale Hogs in a match that was curtain raiser to the Wallabies v Argentina test at Cbus stadium.

In total for Griffith University Colleges, Titan Vaikai played in twelve matches, starting ten matches and coming off the bench twice. Titan Vaikai started seven matches at lock, including the Grand Final, two matches at tight head prop and one at loose head prop and scored one try which was against Wollongbar/Alstonville in Round One.

The young Coombabah State High School student was a strong contributor in his schools Hancock Cup campaign in 2017 and was also a strong presence for Runaway Bay in the GCJRL U14 Division Once competition.

In the 2017 U14 Division One competition for Runaway Bay in 2017 Titan Vaikai played in ten matches and even though he did not score in that competition he none the less was a strong presence. Titan Vaikai also played two matches in the U15 Division Two competition for Runaway Bay playing against Helensvale on both occasions and in their second encounter scored his sole try of the 2017 season.

Titan Vaikai represented the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side early in the 2017 season and consequently made the South East Queensland U14 train on squad and from there was selected in the South East Queensland White U14 side for the Queensland Age Championships.

Titan Vaikai is a big strong young front rower who is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and has shown flashes of the ability to offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it.

For a big front rower Titan Vaikai does actually have quite decent speed and footwork, certainly above average for a player of his size, although he does not necessarily use it all of the time but certainly enough to push through the defensive line on occasion.

His good footwork enables Titan Vaikai to step prior to the line, creating little half breaks which enhances his ability to off-load the football. In the Titans U15 game, Titan Vaikai was more than just a workhorse and used his deft foot work, mentioned above, to bend the Toowoomba defensive line back regularly on a very very hot afternoon.

In defence Titan Vaikai is a big hitter of that there is no doubt and every tackle that he makes is felt by the ball runner and he is also good from a wrestling perspective once the tackle has been completed. Titan Vaikai is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will understandably have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half.

His calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck. Titan Vaikai can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself as was evidenced in the Titans U15 game.

At times in games Titan Vaikai really does prevent opposing gaining any ground at all through the centre of the ruck. It is now a matter of extending the duration of his ruck dominance.

Titan Vaikai has taken up a three year full rugby scholarship at GPS school, Brisbane Grammar starting this season and will be a very good addition to their developing rugby program where he will play in the front row.

t is a great opportunity for the young man and post his school years will have options in both rugby league and rugby to consider. Brisbane Grammar school has a solid tradition of bringing Gold Coast rugby league boys through their rugby program.

In addition to Titan Vaikai, Brisbane Grammar School have also brought in Gold Coast Rugby League player Connor Te Kani, JT Manuofetoa , Kruse Remine and Xavier Collins.

Last season Dennis Waight (ACT Brumbies) and Dee Jarn Asi (North Queensland Cowboys), both of whom have previously played matches for Titans Development Squads were part of the Brisbane Grammar School First XV at outside centre and fly half respectively and previously Emile Tuimavave has been a Brisbane Grammar School First XV player as a prop.

It is great to see however that Titan Vaikai has continued to play for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast rugby league competition this season.

From a player comparison perspective for Titan Vaikai consider a comparison from a playing perspective style to young Newcastle Knights front row twins Daniel and Jacob Saifiti as a big strong young man, who if he continues to work hard on his mobility and stamina as Titan Vaikai gains experience may be able to harness all of the considerable physical and skill attributes that he has at his disposal.

mdrew

09-08-19, 03:38 PM

Kade McDonald. In recent season a number of youngsters from the Western Australian region have moved over to the Gold Coast to continue their rugby league career and 2019 was no different with South Perth Lions utility Kade McDonald moving over to be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad starting Rounds One and Two against the Western Mustangs and Townsville Blackhawks respectively at fullback.

After the opening two rounds of the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition Kade McDonald came off the bench for Currumbin in the GCRL U20 competition and certainly made an impact when he came on scoring a hat trick as Currumbin prevailed 29-24 in a close match against Burleigh.

Kade McDonalds first try came when the ball was spun out wide to the right by Currumbin close to the Burleigh line, when Kade McDonald received the ball he stepped off his right foot to breach the defensive line. For his second try Kade McDonald would space down the right try line to score in the corner.

Kade McDonald’s third and final try was as a result of a piece of individual brilliance, with the scores locked at 22 all, Burleigh went for a short kick off, Kade McDonald took the ball on the full and spun back to towards the left touch line confusing the defence before sprinting untouched seventy metres to score the match sealing try for Currumbin.

Post that match Kade McDonald moved back to Western Australia to play in the Western Australian Smarter than Smoking First Grade Premiership competition with the South Perth Lions, being the same club he played with prior to moving to the Gold Coast.

Since his return to Western Australia Kade McDonald has played in eleven matches, his first coming in early May against the Rockingham Sharks. Kade McDonald took a little bit of time to find his feet but in the last three weeks has rediscovered his try scoring groove scoring a double in each match, including last weekend against the Joondalup Giants, and in the rounds prior against the Freemantle Roosters and Willagee Bears.

Kade McDonald’s other tries since his return have been in matches against the Willagee Bears, Joondalup Giants, Ellenbrook Rabbitohs and North Beach Sea Eagles.

Kade McDonald played a lot of rugby league in 2018 starting the season as part of the Western Pirates U18 SG Ball side. In that competition, Kade McDonald played in the opening three rounds Starting round One against Parramatta at half, in Round Two against North Sydney on the wing and in Round Three at five eight against the Central Coast Roosters. Kade McDonald scored a try and kicked a conversion against the Roosters and kicked a conversion against Parramatta.

In the 2018 Western Australian Rugby League competition for the South Perth Lions, Kade McDonald played in both the Pirates Youth Cup U18 competition and the Smarter than Smoking First Grade Premiership.

In the 2018 Western Australian U18 competition, Kade McDonald finished as the competitions leading, try scorer, goal kicker and overall point’s scorer scoring 208 points from just fourteen matches to average 14.86 points per match.

Kade McDonald scored twenty three tries only missing out from crossing in one match which was against the North Beach Sea Eagles (he did kick two conversions in that match however). Kade McDonald scored hat tricks against the Joondalup Giants and North Beach Sea Eagles and doubles against the North Beach Sea Eagles in two matches, Kalamunda Bulldogs in two matches and the Joondalup Giants.

With the boot Kade McDonald kicked twelve goals in a July match against the Joondalup Giants and eleven early in the season also against the Giants.

In the Pirates Youth Cup U18 Grand Final last year, Kade McDonald scored a try and kicked six goals for a sixteen point haul in a thrilling 31 – 30 win against the Kalamunda Bulldogs.

In the Western Australian U18 competition in 2017 Kade McDonald played in nine matches scoring 140 points from nineteen tries and thirty two goals. Kade McDonald in fact made his U18 debut in 2016 as a 16 year old and even back then it was clear that he was a player of substantial promise.

2018 also saw Kade McDonald make his Western Australian First Grade debut and what a debut season he had, finishing with eighteen tries from just twenty matches, finishing as the competitions second leading try scorer and the Rookie of the year honours.

Kade McDonald, playing on the wing (where he played the majority of his first grade matches in 2018) scored a double on debut against the Freemantle Roosters and also scored a mid-season double against the Roosters as well. The remainder of Kade McDonalds Western Australian First Grade tries came in individual matches for South Perth.

Kade McDonald is by no means a big rugby league player and relies on his speed and mobility to create opportunities on the field. His speed off the mark, acceleration and top end speed are all in the plus category.

If Kade McDonald sees a gap he is through it before the defensive line can react. His plus speed manifests itself in two distinct ways, first when returning kicks, Kade McDonald regularly gets the ball on the full and then explodes through the smallest of gaps in the defensive teams kick chase and secondly when a forward takes the ball up through the centre of the ruck, Kade McDonald is always in support and if he gets an off load he can accelerate through the resultant gap.

Kade McDonald does not necessarily have a big step but has an outstanding swerve which he uses when confronted with the fullback. He will run directly at the fullback to slow his lateral momentum and then swerve around him the second the fullback’s momentum stops or slows.

As a defender, like his attack due to his smaller size, Kade McDonald relies on his speed, timing and technique. Kade McDonald has an outstanding low tackling technique which he uses against all players running at him and he will move forward from the fullback to cut down the time that the opposition has to make a decision with the ball.

Kade McDonald started Round One and Two of the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition at fullback and is also Colts eligible in 2020 so it will be interesting to see if he gives the East Coast another go or stays in Western Australia..

In 2018 in the Western Australian U18 competition, Kade McDonald played mainly at half or five eight, in the First Grade competition on the wing and in three different positions in three separate matches for the Western Pirates in the SG Ball competition.

Kade McDonald is not the biggest player running around by any means and with how most teams are using wingers these days I think that Kade McDonald will end up at fullback, in the halves or even at hooker this season and beyond.

Dare I say it, early in his senior rugby league career, Kade McDonald may well be an ideal interchange player, being one that can come on a play multiple positions such as in the halves, fullback, hooker or wider out on the wing if necessary and add some speed, enthusiasm and evasiveness to the side when he comes on regardless of the position that he would occupy.

From a player comparison perspective, taking into account that I think that he will ultimately play in the halves I can see aspects of the play of South Sydney and former New South Wales State of Origin and Australian half Adam Reynolds in the play of Kade McDonald all be it that Kade McDonald has more speed, both off the mark and at the top end than Reynolds (in fact a lot more speed to be totally honest).

When I am talking speed off the mark I am talking Jake Granville or Matt Parcell type speed if not a touch more, thus my thoughts are that Kade McDonald may be able to spend some time at hooker especially as the opposing teams forwards begin to tire towards the end of each half.

mdrew

09-08-19, 05:17 PM

Ryan Rivett. (Revised) One of the more exciting young play makers in the Titans TEDS program is Burleigh half Ryan Rivett who is January of this season was part of the Titans U18 side that played a Newcastle Knights U18 SG Ball side in Coffs Harbour.

Ryan Rivett started at half for the Burleigh MM Cup side in their Round One match with the Norths Devils with Ryan Rivett contributing a try in in Burleigh’s great comeback to draw 38 all with the Devils.

Ryan Rivett started all six of Burleigh’s MM Cup matches at half, and had an outstanding match in Round Six against the previously unbeaten Wynnum Manly Seagulls scoring a try, kicking three goals and also the game winning field goal with less than two minutes on the clock.

Ryan Rivett’s try resulted from a piece of individual brilliance. The ball was spun to the right of the field, Ryan Rivett received the ball with pressure to his right, he stepped quickly back inside to get through the initial defensive line before scoring under extreme pressure from Wynnum Manly defenders.

Post the MM Cup competition Ryan Rivett played for Burleigh in the new GCRL U18 Division One competition starting Round One against Currumbin at half, scoring a try and kicking three goals in the match.

Ryan Rivett also scored a try and kicked three goals in Round Two against Helensvale and followed that up by kicking five goals in Round Four against Ormeau and four goals in Round Six against Runaway Bay.

In total before injury struck, Ryan Rivett played in five U18 Division One matches for Burleigh scoring 38 points from two tries and fifteen goals.

Ryan Rivett was also a stand out in 2019 for PBC early, including playing a starring role in their Round One Langer Cup victory over Marsden State High School, including scoring in the second half when he stepped back inside off his right foot to break through the initial defensive line before diving over.

Ryan Rivett also started at half in Round Two of the Langer Cup competition one again at half as PBC defeated St Mary’s 18-12. PBC were not at their best but Ryan Rivett still led the side around the field will and kicked well both from a tactical and attacking perspective.

Unfortunately injury cruelled his season and Ryan Rivett is not likely to play again until 2020.

Early in the 2019 season, Ryan Rivett was selected in the South West U18 side for the QSSRL U18 Championships after the South Coast trials starting at half for that side.
The Titans contracted half spent the 2018 season playing for Burleigh in the U16 Division One competition but also got an opportunity in the U17 Division One competition as well.

Ryan Rivett started at half back and scored a hat trick for the Titans U16 side in a 60 – 10 win over PNG at Pizzey Park and was named by the coaches as the player of the match. Ryan Rivett also started in the halves for the Titans U16’s in their 30 – 10 to New South Wales Country U16’s and kicked a second half conversion in the match.

In the U16 Division One competition, Ryan Rivett played in twelve matches including the finals series scoring 101 point from eight tries, thirty four goals and a field goal (kicked against Southport).

From a regular season try scoring perspective, Ryan Rivett scored a double against Runaway Bay and also scored against Helensvale, Mudgeeraba in two separate matches and against Southport.

Ryan Rivett’s best goal kicking match was against Mudgeeraba in June when he kicked six and on three occasions he kicked four goals in a match.

In Week Two of the U16 Division One Finals series, Ryan Rivett started at half back for Burleigh as they defeated Helensvale 24 – 18. In the Friday night match Ryan Rivett scored a try and kicked four from four.

In Week Three of the GCRL Finals series being the Preliminary Finals, Ryan Rivett was certainly busy. On the Friday night he started at half back in the U16 Division One match, scoring as Burleigh went down 28 – 26 to Currumbin.

Ryan Rivett then started at five eight for the Burleigh U17 Division One side, scoring a try and kicking three second half conversions but unfortunately Burleigh went down to a rampant Runaway Bay side 34 – 22 to end their season.

Ryan Rivett made his U17 Division One debut against Mudgeeraba in late May 2018 starting the match at half back and running riot on the way to scoring a hat trick. In his second and final U17 Division One match of 2018 Ryan Rivett kicked two goals against Helensvale.

Ryan Rivett has also recently been selected in the 2018 Queensland Indigenous U16 side for the QPIIC Championships to be held in October in Beenleigh.

Ryan Rivett was part of the Gold Coast Vikings White U16 side that played in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge early in the season and recently was named joint winner of the GCRL U16 Representative Player of the Year.

The nippy young Burleigh Bears half back’s outstanding 2017 season culminated in him putting on a Titans jersey for the Titans U15 side that took on a Balmain Tigers selection at Cudgen late last year, 2017 also saw Ryan Rivett be part of the Gold Coast Academy of Sport Excellence Program.

Over the course of the GCJRL 2017 U15 Division One competition for Burleigh Ryan Rivett played in thirteen matches scoring five tries, kicking nine goals and a field goal for 39 points on the 2017 season. All of Ryan Rivett’s tries came in individual matches against Southport on two occasions, Coomera on two occasions and Helensvale.

Ryan Rivett’s field goal came late in the season against Coomera. Ryan Rivett started off the season as Burleigh goal kicker, kicking four in a match against Southport and the following week, three against Coomera. All of his season’s goals came in the first four rounds of the competition.

In attack, Ryan Rivett generally plays an understated role, focussing more on the distribution and game management aspects of his role as a half. A key attribute to how Ryan Rivett plays is his ability to organise and direct his team around the field as well as adjusting his game to the specific situations encountered within a game.

Ryan Rivett will though take the line on when the opportunity arises however, but as noted his best attribute is that of a game manager with the ability to draw defenders out of the line and put his runners into the subsequent hole that is generated. Ryan Rivett has decent speed off the mark and quick twitch feet in confined space but does not have explosive acceleration or high top end speed.

From a kicking perspective Ryan Rivett has a solid kicking game, with reasonable distance and accuracy on all types of kicks, from kicking for field position or from an attacking perspective as well as tactically for field position. I am sure that moving forward focussing on his kicking skills will be a key focus area both from a distance and accuracy perspective.

In defence, due to his size Ryan Rivett is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players through sheer force of will. He is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side both in attack and defence.

Ryan Rivett transitioned to the U18 Division One competition in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition for Burleigh post the MM Cup competition and is also MM Cup eligible in 2020 where he will be a key member of the Bears side.

From a long term position perspective, based on his skill set and size, halfback seems to be Ryan Rivett’s ideal position going forward and a talented game manager at that. After saying what I just said it would be interesting to see how Ryan Rivett would solid at hooker with his decent speed off the mark and his solid kicking and passing game.

From a player comparison perspective, think along the lines of Manly half Daly Cherry Evans as an intelligent skilful player who will be the catalyst for most of the good things that his team does and is faster between the ears than his foot speed.

mdrew

12-08-19, 04:03 PM

Dion Tavita-Matavale. Over the course of the 2019 Ipswich Rugby League U20 competition to date Dion Tavita-Matavale has been the standout player and currently has scored eight tries more than the next contender for the top try scorer award.

For Brothers Ipswich in the U20 competition this season Dion Tavita-Matavale has currently scored twenty tries from just twelve matches (167%) only twice not crossing the line in a match. Dion Tavita-Matavale scored a mid-season hat trick against the Redbank Plains Bears and has scored four hat tricks including against Redback on three occasions and also against the Goodna Eagles.

Dion Tavita-Matavale has been on a tear lately scoring eleven of his twenty tries in the last four rounds.

This season also saw Dion Tavita-Matavale make his Ipswich Rugby League A Grade debut when he came on against Norths Ipswich in May and in late June played his second A Grade match against the Swifts Bluebirds.

Dion Tavita-Matavale has also played in four Ipswich Rugby League Reserve Grade matches scoring in his first against the West End Bulldogs.

In 2018 Dion Tavita-Matavale played in nineteen U19 matches in the Ipswich Rugby League competition scoring thirteen tries and kicking sixty five goals to finish the season with 182 points.

Dion Tavita-Matavale also played in six Ipswich Reserve Grade matches in 2018 finishing with one try.

The young Northern Suburbs Ipswich Tigers centre has had outstanding 2017 campaign including being involved in the Ipswich Jets MM Cup squad which is not bad at all for a 17 year old who is still MM eligible in 2018.

Dion Tavita-Matavale played one game for the Ipswich Jets MM cup side which came in Round One against the Tweed Heads Seagulls when he started on the right wing.

For the Northern Suburbs Ipswich Tigers in the 2017 First National Premier U17 competition in the Ipswich Rugby League, Dion Tavita-Matavale scored three tries from fifteen matches and also kicked 26 goals for a total points haul in the season of 64. Dion Tavita-Matavale’s tries all came early in the 2017 season in three consecutive matches against Redbank Plains Red, Brothers Blue and the West End Bulldogs. Dion Tavita-Matavale’s influence extended far beyond his try scoring statistics however.

Due to his size and speed Dion Tevita-Matavale is almost impossible to stop one on one in the competitions that he has played in so far in his career, with his favourite move being an in and away to beat his opposing number on the outside and then using his acceleration to break the game apart. Dion Tevita-Matavale does not just have top end speed, he has very good acceleration off the mark as well and is coupled with a solid fend meaning defensive players cannot get into the tackle before defensive help arrives.

On the majority of occasions Dion Tevita-Matavale runs with the ball out in front of his body with both hands means defences cannot key in whether he is going to run or pass or for that matter which foot he is going to step off. This obviously creates a significant degree of doubt in the minds of defenders and led to situations where either his direct opponent or other defenders rushed out of the line, creating space which Dion Tevita-Matavale was able to exploit across the Ipswich Rugby league competition this season.

Defensively Dion Tavita-Matavale can defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wide of the ruck. Dion Tavita-Matavale more than strong enough to handle his defensive duties. Dion Tavita-Matavale uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

Defending out in the centres, Dion Tevita-Matavale sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent. Purely from a skill and physical attribute perspective he seems more suited to a sliding defensive methodology rather than an up and in style, but this is more conjecture from me rather than a fact based argument.

Dion Tavita-Matavale is still Colts eligible in 2020 and it will be interesting to see whether he pushes for a spot in the Ipswich Jets Hastings Deering’s Colts squad.

Without doubt, Dion Tavita-Matavale has the speed and power to stay in the centres long term and whilst he may not score a significant number of tries will certainly attract defenders and also be a solid defensive centre as well.

Joseph Manu from the Sydney Roosters for me has a similar skill set to Dion Tavita-Matavale as a young player who has all of the skill and physical attributes, specifically speed and strength to succeed in rugby league.

mdrew

12-08-19, 07:19 PM

Toby Sexton. The Gold Coast local who has just signed a three year contract with the Titans has had an outstanding 2019 season, including captaining the PBC Open side, being named 18th man for the Queensland U18 side, being selected in the Australian School Boys side after starring for the Queensland School Boys side and of course signing with the Titans.

Toby Sexton started the 2019 season playing for Tweed Heads in the MM Cup competition starting at half back in all of their nine matches including both the Queensland Grand Final victory over Wynnum Manly and the National U18 Final victory over the Illawarra Steelers.

In those nine matches Toby Sexton’s sole try came in the National Final against Illawarra and over the course of the season he kicked thirty seven goals to finish with 78 points. On two occasions in 2019 Toby Sexton kicked nine goals in a match being in Round One against the Western Mustangs when he kicked nine from ten and in Round Six against the Mackay Cutters when he kicked nine from twelve.

Toby Sexton will play for the Australian School Boys side in their one off match at Redcliffe Stadium against a New Zealand U19 side in a curtain raiser to the Queensland Cup Grand Final.

Toby Sexton also played in the MM Cup in 2018 also for Tweed Heads, starting all seven of their games at five eight, including their semi-final loss to Souths Logan. In those seven matches Toby Sexton scored five tries, including scoring in the semi-final. Toby Sexton also scored against Norths in Round One, Victoria in Round two, Townsville in Round Three and Wynnum Manly in Round Six.

From a goal kicking perspective in 2018 Toby Sexton kicked forty two goals, kicking nine goals in a match on two occasions with those being in Round Five against Townsville and in Round Six against Wynnum Manly.

Toby Sexton in 2019 had a heavy schedule playing for PBC, in the MM Cup and representative commitments thus he did not play in any club matches on the Gold Coast. In 2018 however Toby Sexton played in two matches for Currumbin in the U17 Division One competition kicking six goals in his first match against Mudgeeraba and then backing that up by kicking three in a June 2018 match against Burleigh.

In 2018 Toby Sexton was also a key member of the PBC Open Rugby League side that took all before them winning both the Queensland GIO Cup Final and the National GIO Cup Final. Like this season Toby Sexton was PBC’s primary goal kicker.

Toby Sexton also played well for PBC in their 2017 GIO Cup campaign including kicking a goal in their tough 22 – 20 Queensland semi-final loss to Marsden State High School.

Over the course of the 2017 U16 Division season, Toby Sexton finished at the competitions leading point’s scorer with 85 points from three tries, thirty six goals and a field goal which came against Helensvale in May. Toby Sexton’s three tries came from a double early in the season against Runaway Bay and a late season try against Runaway Bay as well.

With the boot in 2017 Toby Sexton had a couple of big matches including kicking seven goals in Round One against Southport and six in a mid-season match against Ormeau as well as five goals in a match on three other occasions.

In 2015 Toby Sexton represented South Coast U15’s and from there was selected at five eight for the Queensland White side for the ASSRL U15 Championships. On Day One of the championships Toby Sexton kicked three goals in a win over New South Wales Combined Independent Schools and on Day Six kicked four in a big win over ACT.

In attack Toby Sexton’s calling card is his organisational and passing skills more so than his running game. His speed would probably considered average for a half/five eight but he will throw a dummy and run when opposing defences are focussed on his support runners and provide him with opportunities. Toby Sexton also does not have quick twitch feet, thus his step is more average than say a plus side step like AJ Brimson’s.

Toby Sexton also has a good long passing game thus enabling the ball to get out to his back line quickly when they are set deep. He develops a good spiral on the ball and is able to lead his outside backs onto the ball through putting the ball out in front of them. Toby Sexton will also take the ball to the line and delay the pass as long as possible to his support runners when necessary in an effort to prise open gaps in the defensive line.

Assisting his play is the fact that Toby Sexton makes the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide or when the ball needs to be turned back inside. In short he looks to dictate what the defensive line needs to do to combat his sides attack rather than waiting to see how the opposition is looking to defend at a particular time in a game.

One aspect that is notable is how he directed the team around the field in difficult conditions and he looked to manage the game to take account of those conditions. Toby Sexton always maintains his composure on the field and does not yell or scream but obviously gets his message across to his team mates with a calm presence.

Toby Sexton is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy, his statistics over the last two seasons for both PBC and Tweed Heads in the MM Cup clearly bear that out. Like his general play kicking which is also outstanding, I would suggest that he is a real chance to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level progressing into the future.

Defensively Toby Sexton has decent size for a half or five eight, and probably would be considered an average sized player if not a touch more for his age and position. This is a facet which assists in him being an effective defender for his position both in terms of initial contact and the ability to wrap up the ball to prevent offloads.

Toby Sexton will play the 2020 season in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, likely with Tweed Heads but playing for Burleigh is definitely not out of the question either. I would also anticipate that Toby Sexton will also likely get an opportunity at the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade level and potentially even in the Queensland Cup to start to test himself against men a few of whom will have had previous Queensland Cup and/or NRL experience.

One thing is for sure though and that his Toby Sexton will spend the entire off season with the Titans NRL squad and thus the timeline that I envisage above may very well be far too conservative.

From a position perspective, Toby Sexton plays the same way whether he is wearing the No.6 or No. 7 jersey and there is no way known that a coach would consider moving him away from the halves.

Toby Sexton is just so calm and assured on the field and just seems to have a lot of time to do what he wants, whether that is run, pass or kick and to that extent Toby Sexton is more than a bit like Cooper Cronk.

Toby Sexton is probably the calmest junior rugby league player that I have seen on the field and it is no wonder that a number of coaches have identified his leadership qualities and put him in that position in their teams in relation to club, school and representative sides.

Toby Sexton certainly has the leadership attributes and demeanour to be an NRL captain if not a representative level one in the coming years.

It is great to see a current Australian School Boys and Queensland U18 squad member player elect to sign with the Titans, it is certainly proof that the Titans Development system is working and of course the fact that Toby Sexton is a local junior is an added outstanding bonus.

mdrew

15-08-19, 05:20 PM

Keano Kini. The dynamic half is a Titans contracted youngster and New Zealand U16 representative from Auckland New Zealand who played this season for Marist Saints in the Auckland U16 Open Rugby League competition. Keano Kini moved to the Marist Saints from the Northcote Tigers where he had previously played his entire junior rugby league with before the 2019 season. Keano Kini attends Auckland’s Rosmini College.

In the 2019 Auckland U16 Open competition, Keano Kini has had some outstanding matches this season, including scoring twenty eight points from three tries and kicking eight goals against Mangere East Hawks and eighteen points from two tries and five goals against the Te Atatu Roosters.

Being Marist Saints primary goal kicker meant that Keano Kini was one of the Auckland U16 Open competitions leading point’s scorers over the course of the 2019 season.
Keano Kini started at half for Marist Saints in their 24- 12 semi-final win over the Waitemta Seagulls to progress to the Auckland U16 Open Grand Final.

In the 2019 Auckland U16 Open Grand Final Keano Kini started at half for Marist Saints against the Pakuranga Kingz with Marist Saints coming away with a 22 – 8 victory, with Keano Kini kicking three conversions from four attempts.

Keano Kini also set up Marist Saints first try of the Grand Final. Early in the first half, Keano Kini, was operating on the right side of the field two off the ruck. After receiving the ball is space, Keano Kini ran at the line with the ball out in front of his body in two hands, accelerating as he went. Impressively Keano Kini ran at the gap between two defenders, drawing both before popping a great short ball to his right for his fullback to surge over.

Also in 2019 Keano Kini started at half and kicked a conversion for the Auckland U16 side in their NRL curtain raiser in May this year against an U16 Future Warriors side.

Keano Kini was part of an Auckland side that toured Australian in July 2019 playing a number of matches including a match on the Gold Coast against a Keebra Park select side.

In 2018 Keano Kini represented the Akarana Falcons at the New Zealand U15 National Youth Tournament including kicking four conversions on Day One against the Wellington Orca’s.

Rugby League recognition is not new to Keano Kini who in 2016 was named MVP of the U13 2016 ARL Jets camp, also making the merit squad from the camp and playing for the Auckland U13 side.

2016 also saw Keano Kini named MVP of the Auckland Rugby League Regional Representative season.

In addition to also dabbling in rugby Keano Kini is also an outstanding athlete being named U13 Auckland Athlete of the year for his exploits in other sports such as tennis and athletics.

Incredibly Keano Kini attended a Titans meet and great session in 2014 at the home of the Northcote Tigers. Obviously the Titans players there made a positive impression that day.

Even though Keano Kini has plus acceleration off the mark and above average top speed, his primary focus on a football field is to direct his side around the field, putting his side where they need to be to maintain pressure on the opposition.

Holding the ball out in front of his body in both hands enables Keano Kini to put doubt into the minds of the opposing defensive line and thus he can dummy and run if there is a gap in the defensive line or put his support runners into gaps or for that matter get the ball out to his back line as quickly as possible.

Getting the ball out to the back line quickly is no issue for Keano Kini as he has a very good long passing technique which delivers the ball quickly and accurately to the right place. Keano Kini’s decisive nature also means that when the ball needs to get out to his back line he will get it out there quickly to give his outside backs as much space as possible to work with prior to contact with the opposing defensive line.

In defence, due to his size Keano Kini is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can more than hold his own when defending much bigger players and against players with similar size is very aggressive when finishing off his tackles and slowing the resultant play the ball down. Keano Kini is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side.

Keano Kini is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy and as a consequence I would suggest that he is likely to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level he progresses to into the future.

Keano Kini also has a very good short attacking kicking game with a positive being that he will go right to the line before dropping the ball to his foot, add to the fact that he regularly runs with the ball out in front of his body in both hands, he gives defensive lines a lot to consider, is Keano Kini going to kick, run or pass, a defensive line that anticipates incorrectly will be scrambling to recover before he makes them pay for their error in judgement.

Like with his goal kicking Keano Kini has a real opportunity to be his team’s primary tactical kicking option going forward.

Keano Kini’s season with Marist Saints in the Auckland Rugby League U16 Open competition came to a positive conclusion with their Grand Final victory and going forward Keano Kini should also be part of the Akarana Falcons side that takes part of the 2019 New Zealand National Youth Championships U17 tournament later in the year.

It will be interesting to see where Keano Kiri plays in 2020, will he move over to the Gold Coast where he would be in line to play in the MM Cup competition for either Tweed Heads or Burleigh and attend PBC or Keebra Park or does Keano Kiri stay in New Zealand for another year where he will be in line to play in the New Zealand National U17 Youth Championships for the Akarana Falcons was well as in the Auckland Rugby League U17 competition.

Keano Kini has played half for the duration of his young career to date and there is nothing in the way that he plays to indicate any necessity for that situation to change.

My NRL player comparison for Keano Kini is fellow New Zealander, Cronulla Sharks and New Zealand International Shaun Johnson as a comparison from a playing stand point. Like Shaun Johnson, Keano Kiri has a wicked side step and plus acceleration.

No one can predict the future but how Keano Kini’s game develops over the coming years will be something that I will be keeping a very close eye on especially in relation to his ball playing and game management skills which will be outstanding supplements to Keano Kiri’s outstanding attacking skills.

mdrew

20-08-19, 05:00 PM

Jonah Whitlam-Rose. The young Titans linked hooker played for South Tweed in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition at the U16 level in 2018 and is a player with a maturity and leadership qualities beyond his years that are on display every time he runs onto a field.

Jonah Whitlam-Rose started the 2019 season of starting at hooker in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

Whilst he started the match at hooker, Jonah Whitlam-Rose ended up playing the last part of the match at half and went close to scoring in the matches last couple of minutes but unfortunately he was held up over the line after taking off from dummy half.

Round Two of the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition saw Jonah Whitlam-Rose once again line up at hooker in their match against Parramatta as he did in Round Three against the North Coast Bulldogs.

In Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters Jonah Whitlam-Rose started from the bench as he did in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers.

When he came on against the Greater Northern Tigers, Jonah Whitlam-Rose made a big difference, spending time both at hooker and half. In addition to making a big break out of dummy half mid-way through the second half, Jonah Whitlam-Rose threw a great cut-out pass to his right to Jahvis Kendall to score out wide untouched.

Post the Laurie Daley Cup competition Jonah Whitlam-Rose played for Murwillumbah in the U18 NRRRL competition, scoring his first try in a Round Six win against Casino RSM 22 – 16.

In total for Murwillumbah in the NRRRL U18 competition Jonah Whitlam-Rose played in sixteen matches, scoring eight tries scoring against Byron Bay and in Round Seventeen scored against Byron Bay and in Round Eighteen against Tweed Heads.

Jonah Whitlam Rose’s other 2019 NRRRL U18 tries included a double against Tweed Heads and also tries against Casino RSM, Byron Bay, Tweed Coast and Lismore Marist Brothers.

Jonah Whitlam-Roses season ended on Sunday in the U18 NRRRL Elimination Final when Murwillumbah went down 26 – 10 to Byron Bay.

Jonah Whitlam-Rose made his NRRRL First Grade debut in Round Twelve coming off the bench for Murwillumbah as they defeated Evans Heads 52 – 16 with Jonah Whitlam-Rose marking the occasion by scoring on debut.

In 2018 Jonah Whitlam-Rose captained the Northern Rivers U16 Andrew Johns Cup side taking them to the finals in the first year of the competition. In the competition he started at hooker and captained the side in each of their five matches and scored a double in Round One against the Newcastle Knights U16 Development Squad in an outstanding display of dummy half running.

Representative honours are nothing new for the St Joseph’s College Banora Point student, he represented Group 18 at the NSW Country U15 Championships in 2017 in three matches scoring a hat trick against Group 19 and in 2016 represented Group 18 at the U14 level in two matches.

From an attacking stand point, Jonah Whitlam-Rose has solid distribution skills in relation to his passing skills to either side of his body and uses a solid, repeatable passing technique to ensure consistency, thus enabling his forwards and play makers to have confidence that his passes will find the mark with the appropriate velocity and angle attached on every occasion.

Where Jonah Whitlam-Rose really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has very good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet.

Around the try line Jonah Whitlam Rose is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs. He scored a number of tries this season both from running from dummy half close to the line as well as backing up forwards and getting the offload. When in open space Jonah Whitlam-Rose is very quick and can finish off his own breaks all be it over reasonably short distances, a rare skill for a hooker.

From a defensive perspective he is a very solid tackler who makes good initial contact and is able to generate momentum through his core and drive into his opponent with enough force to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. He has both a solid low tackling technique as well as having the functional strength to make ball and all tackles effectively against the biggest of forwards looking to target him in the defensive line.

He is also very quick out of the marker position and will get to forwards how are running one out before they can generate any momentum. In short he defends like a backrower and certainly if he finds himself on the fringes of the ruck, Jonah Whitlam-Rose has the lateral movement and anticipation to also defend against smaller quicker halves looking to exploit a perceived speed advantage.

2019 was Jonah Whitlam-Rose’s last being U18 eligible and in 2020 if he stays in the NRRRL will surely be an NRRRL First Grade regular for Murwillumbah but it would not surprise at all if he throws his hat in the ring for an opportunity with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad.

With his speed and elusiveness out of dummy half coupled with his leadership ability and ability to lead and direct his side around the field, Jonah Whitlam-Rose is ideally suited to the hooking role.

Even though he is a touch stockier and not quite as quick off the mark, Jonah Whitlam-Rose reminders me from a playing style perspective of North Queensland Cowboys hooker Jake Granville. Both can get their sides on the front foot with a timely run out of dummy half but both also have the ability to lead their sides forwards onto the ball.

I would argue though that Jonah Whitlam-Rose is more selective in his dummy half runs than Granville and always run with a plan in mind rather than running just for the sake of it.

mdrew

22-08-19, 04:04 PM

Matthew Kinchin. (Updated) The Runaway Bay front row/lock has quietly put together a very solid 2019 season spanning the GCRL U20, Doug Lipp Cup and First Grade competitions.

Even though he was U18 eligible this season, Matthew Kinchin started off the season in the GCRL U20 competition, to date playing in six matches and scoring against Currumbin and Southport in Round Nineteen last weekend.

Matt Kinchin’s try in that match came as a result of him diving over from dummy half down the shortest blind that you will ever see, I am serious when I say that the ball was played within a foot of the touchline. Matthew Kinchin dummied to pass to his right before putting the ball down in the left corner. Matt Kinchin had in fact set up the break which led to the play the ball so close to the line with a deft pass down the left side of the field.

Matthew Kinchin also had a try assist in the match when he got through the line about twenty metres out and got the ball away to the fullback to score.

Matthew Kinchin progressed to the Doug Lipp Cup competition making his debut in early June and has gone on to play in nine more Doug Lipp Cup matches.

Matthew Kinchin made his GCRL First Grade debut the same day that he made his Doug Lipp Cup debut and has since played two more GCRL First Grade matches with those matches being against Southport and Currumbin.

Against Currumbin in Round Twenty last weekend Matthew Kinchin started at lock in both the Doug Lipp Cup match and the First Grade match.

In 2018 Matthew Kinchin played eleven matches in the GCRL U17 Division One competition scoring four tries.

In the U16 Division One competition in 2017, Matthew Kinchin scored three tries from his eleven matches including a Round One try against Ormeau and tries in separate matches against Helensvale. In relation to his matches in the U17 Division One competition Matthew Kinchin on all three occasions played in the U17 match after playing in the U16 match earlier.

In the U17 Division One competition also in 2017 Matthew Kinchin scored in his third and final match against Mudgeeraba.

In 2017 Matthew Kinchin also represented Gold Coast Vikings Green in the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition and after that competition was selected in the South East Queensland U16 Training Squad.

Previous seasons has seen Matthew Kinchin make a number of U14 representative sides including the Vikings and South East Queensland. Matthew Kinchin also started on the bench for the Titans U14 Development Squad late in 2015 against a giant Samoan side, a match which the Titans won 28 - 10.

In attack Matthew Kinchin is not going to break a large amount of tackles, or off load a miracle pass but he will go about his role which is to make ground in the middle of the ruck in an understated fashion.

Matthew Kinchin does not have quick feet in terms of a step before the line but does use some subtle movement so as not to present himself purely as a straight running target. He just works hard including fighting to get quick play the balls over taking the ball up.

In defence Matthew Kinchin is not necessarily a big hitter, preferring to make sure that the tackle is made and is very effective both in terms of initial contact and also coming in a wrapping up the football, he also covers inside well when balls are turned back inside on the fringe of the ruck, even late in games when he has every right to be worn out, but Matthew Kinchin somehow wills himself to get there and make the tackle.

When at marker Matthew Kinchin works hard and always gets out of marker quickly to put pressure on the kicker, but then somehow gets back quickly to take his turn to bring the ball out from his own territory.

The one thing that will stand out once you have watched Matthew Kinchin play in a number of games is the amount of defence he does. After watching him in a couple of games, you will just shake your head, because you will notice that it is the Number 8 or 10 making yet another tackle.

Matthew Kinchin will probably not stand out as he progresses up the age groups, which has nothing to do with his ability, it is just the way he plays the game. He will take hit ups and tackle all day and do all of the little things necessary to help his team succeed, including working hard out of the marker position.

Matthew Kinchin will have two years of U20 Colts eligibility starting in 2020 and it is hard to envisage a scenario where he will not be in either the Tweed Heads Seagulls and Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s Colts squad in 2020.

In terms of position, Matthew Kinchin is a front rower or lock full stop nothing else needs to be said.

From a player comparison perspective a player with an incredibly similar playing style is new Gold Coast Titan Jarred Wallace as a front rower who will probably take a little while to develop but will be a hard working player who knows his role within a team and does not deviate from it regardless of the circumstances of the match.

Matthew Kinchin may never be a star but will work hard to a team player and get the most of his ability. Young players with more natural ability will fall by the way side while Matthew Kinchin will not due to his professionalism and understanding of his role and his understanding and adherence to it.

mdrew

23-08-19, 12:46 PM

Ethan Foster. (Revised) The powerhouse youngster was earlier this season part of the Titans U18 side that played a trial against the Newcastle Knights U18 SG Ball side in Coffs Harbour, in the match Ethan Foster proved very difficult for the Knights to handle especially on the fringes of the ruck.

Ethan Foster who signed a Titans development contract in 2017 started the 2019 season at right second row in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

Overall Ethan Foster was probably the Northern Rivers Titans best in the match, just shading lock Simon Pratt. Ethan Foster was very effective defensively and even though in attack he did not get the ball in space was regularly able to bump off the first defender and make significant ground after contact.

In Round Two Ethan Foster moved from his right second row position to start at lock in their match against the Parramatta Eels. Like in Round One against Newcastle Ethan Foster did not have too many opportunities in attack but did make a number of telling runs with positive post contact metres and defensively was more than sound especially in the first half when defending on his try line.

Round Three saw Ethan Foster start in a third position in as many rounds starting in the front row against the North Coast Bulldogs.

In Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters Ethan Foster started from the bench but was outstanding when he was on the field including a powerful try. Ethan Foster took the ball front dummy half around ten metres out from the Central Coast line in the left corner.

Ethan Foster charged into the Central Coast defence, and was able to drag four defenders over to score an impressive try that was a result of sheer determination.

Ethan Foster also started from the bench in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers.

Post the 2019 U18 Laurie Daley Cup, Ethan Foster was back playing for the Lower Clarence Magpies in the U18 NRRRL Cup competition including scoring a double in Round Fourteen against Evans Head and a scored a double and kicked three goals in Round Sixteen against Kyogle.

In total in the 2019 NRRRL U18 competition, Ethan Foster played in fourteen matches scoring nine tries and kicking four goals for a season’s point’s tally of forty four.

Ethan Foster scored three doubles which came against Lismore Marist Brothers, Evans Head and Kyogle and also scored in matches against Kyogle, Casino RSM and Evans Head.

With the boot, Ethan Foster kicked his first goal of the season against Evans Head in early July and followed that up with three goals in a match against Kyogle, a match that saw him also score a double to finish that particular match with fourteen points.

Ethan Foster’s 2018 playing debut was starting in the centres for the Northern Rivers U16 Andrew Johns Cup side who went on to defeat Newcastle 22 – 12 on a wet and cold morning in Northern New South Wales in Round One of that competition.

Prior to his signing with the Titans, Ethan Foster had also been invited to be part of the Newcastle Knights Junior Development program.

In the 2018 Andrew Johns Cup competition for Northern Rivers Ethan Foster played in all four of Northern Rivers matches, starting two in the centres and two in the second row. In those four matches, Ethan Foster scored three tries, scoring a double in Round Three against the Central Coast Roosters and in Round Four against the Greater Northern Tigers.

The two tries in Round Three against the Central Coast were simply outstanding including his second try when he took the ball from around 40 metres out and just smashed his way through the defensive, stepped past the fullback and outpaced the cover defence.

In the Group One U16.5 competition this season Ethan Foster played thirteen matches for Clarence Coast including the finals series finishing as the competitions leading point’s scorer with 139 points from sixteen tries, thirty seven goals and a field goal. Ethan Fosters sixteen tries also meant that he finished as the Group One U16.5 competitions leading try scorer.

On five occasions Ethan Foster scored two tries in a match, with those matches being against Kyogle, Casino RSM (on two occasions), Lismore Marist Brothers and Ballina. Only once was Ethan Foster kept scoreless in the Group One U16.5 competition in 2019 which was in an early season match against Ballina.

With the boot Ethan Foster kicked eight on a match against Lismore Marist Brothers in late May, finishing the match with twenty four points when you add in his two tries and on three occasions, against Kyogle, Ballina and Casino RSM he kicked four goals in a match.

On the first weekend of the Group One U16.5 final series this season, Ethan Foster scored a double and kicked four from four in a 24 – 16 win for Clarence Coast over Casino RSM.

Unfortunately for Ethan Foster and his Group One U16.5 Clarence Coast team mates they were defeated by Casino RSM in the Grand Final.

Ethan Foster also played four U18 NRRRL regular season matches for Lower Clarence making his debut against Lismore Marist Brothers in late April. Ethan Fosters first U18 NRRRL points came in his fourth match win he kicked a conversion against the Ballina Seagulls.

Ethan Foster has recently been named in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 squad for the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition.

In 2017 Ethan Foster represented Group One U15’s at the New South Wales Age Championships. In those Championships Ethan Foster started in the centres in all three matches, scoring a double of Round One in a big win against Group 19.

The big strong young Titans contracted centre/second rower has made a seamless move from the Grafton Ghosts junior rugby league club to the Clarence Coast at the start of the 2016 season in the Group One Junior Rugby League. Over the last couple of seasons at Clarence Coast, he has teamed with the talented Julian Torrens to form a lethal pairing who have pushed Clarence Coast up the ladder in recent seasons.

For the Clarence Coast Magpies in 2017 Ethan Foster scored fourteen tries from eleven matches to be the competitions leading point’s scorer. Ethan Foster started the season off with a hat trick against Kyogle and scored another hat trick later in the season against Marist Brothers. Ethan Foster also kicked three conversions to finish the U15 season off with 62 points.

Ethan Foster also made his U16.5 Group One JRL debut in 2017 when he lined up in that age group against Ballina in early June after playing in the U15 clash earlier in the day.

In 2016 Ethan Foster topped the try scoring list in the U14 competition with an incredible 33 tries from just 16 matches. Ethan Foster also kicked 27 goals to also finish top of the points scoring list with 186 points. Ethan Foster scored four tries in a match on two separate occasions against Lismore Marist Brothers and also scored six hat tricks which came against Ballina, Kyogle twice, and Casino RSM twice and also against Grafton.

Ethan Foster also had some big matches with the boot in 2016 including kicking five conversions in a match against Marist Brothers and on three occasions kicked four conversions in a match. 2016 is not an anomaly in terms of try scoring, in 2015 for Grafton at the U13 level he scored 14 tries across ten matches, including hat tricks against the South Grafton Rebels and Kyogle and doubles against his new team Clarence Coast and Casino RSM.

Ethan Foster plays his schoolboy rugby league for MacLean High School and was part of their U14 CHS side that defeated Evans Head High School in the first round of the competition in MacLean in 2016, in fact he was the U14 MacLean High School rugby league captain that year.

Ethan Foster opened the scoring for MacLean High School in only the second minute with an unstoppable run from about 20 metres out and carried a couple of defenders across the line to score and crossed again later in the first half off a great short ball from Julian Torrens after front rower and former Titans development squad member Elijah Winitana make a rampaging run and got a quick play the ball.

Ethan Foster scored again early in the second half, again charging through the defence. MacLean won the match 46 – 4. In September 2016, Ethan Foster and his Maclean High School U14 team mates dominated the U14 DEX round robin competition, with empathetic victories over South Grafton HS and McCauley College. Ethan Foster was named player of the series.

Ethan Foster is a big strong powerful young man who really does run flat out into the defensive line. In previous seasons he did not really use any foot work prior to the line but will drop his shoulder into the opposing defenders and will continually pump his legs in an effort to rain as much ground as possible, in first grade some forwards drop to the ground immediately when contact is made looking for the quick play the ball, but Ethan Foster does not subscribe to that theory at all, he continues to pump his legs, and will on a regular basis break free of that contact through effort and determination alone.

Even though it is a small sample size, I saw a different methodology when Ethan Foster ran the ball in the Andrew Johns Cup competition this season. Playing in the centres in two of the matches, Ethan Foster ran with more of a “jink” in his stride on occasion cutting back towards where the ball was coming from. I am talking just subtle movement which nicely straightened up the attack when the ball was being sent out wide.

Ethan Foster has exceptional speed off the mark and when he gets into open space has above average top end speed for a forward and can finish off a lot of breaks by himself.

Where he is quite effective is close to the line where Ethan Foster just powers through defenders to cross the line. When his team start to use him as decoy he will become an even bigger asset to his team as at the moment defensive lines key into him when he is running, leaving space out wide. He will also take a majority of the hit-ups off kick offs as well.

When he does run wider of the ruck Ethan Foster is more than good at running the right line, he will run at gaps rather than just trying to run over the opposition.

Defensively the situation is similar Ethan Foster is a big strong powerful young man and he uses that to hit very hard and is more than capable of handling even the biggest of opposing forwards one on one.

Ethan Foster will go for long stretches of games dominating the centre of the ruck (for that matter on the fringes as well) and is able to limit the ground made by opposing forward packs almost single handedly. Ethan Foster is also adept at slowing the play the ball down.

Ethan Foster is also very mobile for his size and is good at mirroring the movement of smaller players and rarely seems to get caught on the back foot due to his above average lateral mobility for his size.

Ethan Foster when defending against smaller players does an outstanding job and maintaining a lower body position with his legs underneath him which allows him to not be unbalanced when committing to the tackle and also enables him to rapidly change direction if the opponent is looking to use footwork against him.

Ethan Foster is still eligible for the U18 NRRRL competition in 2020 and will likely to continue to play with the Lower Clarence Magpies as well as spending his second season with the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup side.

In terms of position, over the last couple of season before this one, Ethan Foster played both in the centres and in the second row but this season seemingly has made the move to second row permanently.

From a player comparison perspective it is a big call but he really does have a frame that enables explosive and powerful running of the ball and thus I am going to sight former Titan, Canberra Raider and now Central Capra’s Dave Taylor as a player that Ethan Foster runs like.

Ethan Foster runs like when Dave Taylor was motivated, his initial acceleration for a big player is exceptional as his speed when he impacts the defensive line, the difference is that Ethan Foster is always motivated to do his best for his team and will no doubt realise his immense potential and harness his phenomenal skill set in the coming years.

It is great to see the Titans getting a few players from Northern New South Wales signed especially when you consider that in last year’s New South Wales Country Origin side eight players had links to the Northern Rivers region.

The Titans are slowly but surely building and developing a talented group of young players in their ranks and Ethan Foster is as good as any of them.

Ethan Foster is just a talented powerful player with a significant amount of untapped potential still to be harnessed and a very impressive complete skill set at his disposal.

Bayside Titan

23-08-19, 01:32 PM

Mdrew do you think that Ethan Foster could go alright in ISC ? Also what height is he ??

mdrew

23-08-19, 01:40 PM

He is around the 180cm mark mate, I would think that he would need another year or so before the ISC.

The positive that I see in regards to Etan Foster is that for a big strong young player he realised early that you can not just rely on physical attributes.

Mdrew do you think that Ethan Foster could go alright in ISC ? Also what height is he ??

Bayside Titan

23-08-19, 01:57 PM

He is around the 180cm mark mate, I would think that he would need another year or so before the ISC.

The positive that I see in regards to Etan Foster is that for a big strong young player he realised early that you can not just rely on physical attributes.

Cheers mate.

Also I have been looking through your posts , but is there any ( Ethan could be one of them ) players that are there abouts like David Fafita and Haas at all in terms of size and ability ?? Is Farmer in that mould etc ??

mdrew

23-08-19, 02:02 PM

Looking at forwards there is no doubt that Darius Farmer is close to the NRL and another is Juwan Compain who I think that at 18 can play NRL as early as next year.

You also have Ioane Seuili who started in the centres for the first half of the Queensland Cup but has moved to the second row for Tweed Heads in the last couple of weeks and proved that he belongs. To some degree he has gone under the radar but he has spent the entire season playing Queensland Cup at 18/19.

Other forwards potentially only a year or two away are front rower Luke Maiden, second rower Tristian Powell (playing front row in Colts) and Ben Liyou who has already been training with the NRL squad.

The players above are at the U18 and U20 level mate.

Cheers mate.

Also I have been looking through your posts , but is there any ( Ethan could be one of them ) players that are there abouts like David Fafita and Haas at all in terms of size and ability ?? Is Farmer in that mould etc ??

mdrew

26-08-19, 04:10 PM

Ryan Foran. The young Murwillumbah Colts and Titans contracted second rower has already donned a Titans jersey this season when he started for the Titans U16 side in their match against the Newcastle Knights Harold Matthews squad in Coffs Harbour in January.

Ryan Foran should next don a Titans jersey when the Titans U16’s play PNG at Burleigh in early October this year.

Ryan Foran started the match at left second row and played on the left side of the field for the match and in fact was named as the Titans best in hot conditions.

Ryan Foran was also part of the Titans U15 side that defeated the Western Mustangs six tries to three in March 2018 at Nerang. Just like in this seasons match against the Knights, Ryan Foran started in the second row playing on the left side of the ruck in the first half and then switched to the right side when he came back on in the second highlighting his versatility.

Ryan Foran also started at left second row for the Titans U15’s late last year when they defeated a Balmain Tigers U15 touring side 16 – 10 at Cudgen.

Along with fellow Murwillumbah Colts U15 player and Murwillumbah High School student Riley Lack, Ryan Foran signed a Titans contract in 2018.

In Round One of the 2019 U18 Andrew Johns Cup competition this season, Ryan Foran started in his usual left second row position for the Northern Rivers Titans in their match against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad and scored a great first half try when he ran a great outside shoulder route and received a good short ball from Thomas Weaver to run thirty metres to score basically untouched.

Round Two of the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Ryan Foran once again line up in the left second row position in their match against Parramatta and scored a similar try to what he scored in Round One, once again running a good outside shoulder route and receiving a good pass from half Thomas Weaver.

Round Three against the North Coast Bulldogs saw Ryan Foran start at left second row for the third match in a row but in the first minute took a knock and it looked like his match was over early. Thankfully Ryan Foran was able to come back onto the field later in the first half and scored a typical try of his when he combined on the left with half Thomas Weaver to score. In all three rounds so far to two have combined for tries in very similar fashion.

Ryan Foran also scored in the second half when he charged forty metres down the left touch line to score after receiving a great offload from lock Bailey Cox. Ryan Foran could have scored four in the match, after just failing to handle a difficult pass with the line open and late in the second half was denied a try when he was held up over the North Coast line.

As usual in Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters Ryan Foran started at left second row and scored a first half double. Both tries were similar in nature, with Ryan Foran running an outside shoulder route and being provided with a pass from half Thomas Weaver.

For his first try Ryan Foran crashed over from around five metres out and the second was scored from a Titans scrum win around twenty metres out from the Central Coast line when Ryan Foran split the defensive line and won the race to the try line.

For the fifth round in a row Ryan Foran started at left second row in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers and scored once again when he ran off a pass from the dummy half Jordan Gallagher to crash over in the left corner from around four metres out.

Ryan Foran almost had a second, when from a Titans fed scrum ten metres out from his own line, Ryan Foran took the ball first off the scrum, bursting through the defence on an eighty seven metre run only to be dragged down two metres out. The Northern Rivers Titans scored two plays later through front rower Noah Johannssen.

Once again Ryan Foran was outstanding at left second row for the Titans in their 26 – 14 semi-final victory over Penrith especially defensive on the left side of the ruck. In attack Ryan Foran scored yet again and the try again was as a result of his great understanding of the field with Thomas Weaver. The Titans half took the ball to the line and pop a good shot ball to Ryan Foran who ran a good outside shoulder route to crash over from short range.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final against the Western Rams Ryan Foran started in the left second row position in the Northern Rivers Titans 18 – 6 victory.

Post the victory Ryan Foran was named on the second row for the New South Wales Country U16 side for their November two match tour of the United Kingdom and was also named in the New South Wales U16 36 man train on squad and was one of only four New South Wales Country players in the squad, two others being fellow Titans Thomas Weaver and Riley Lack.

The New South Wales Country U16 side played a New South Wales U16 Harold Matthews squad as a curtain raiser to the Penrith/Warriors NRL match on a Friday night at Penrith Park in May. Ryan Foran started the match at left second row.

Impressively less than 48 hours later Ryan Foran lined up for Murwillumbah in their 25 – 24 NRRRL U18 Round Seven win over Byron Bay.

After that match, Ryan Foran was selected in the New South Wales U16 side that defeated a U16 Pasifika team 36 – 6 at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday 9 June with Ryan Foran starting the match from the bench and came very close to scoring in the second half when he ran onto a pass from Thomas Weaver only to be dragged down just short of the line.

The week after being part of the U16 Northern Rivers Titans side that won the Andrew Johns Cup Ryan Foran made his U18 NRRRL debut when he came on for Murwillumbah in their 36 – 0 loss to Cudgen in Round Three of the NRRRL competition.

Ryan Foran scored his first tries in the U18 NRRRL competition in Round Eight against the Tweed Heads Seagulls, scoring a double as Murwillumbah won 28 – 14.

In total in the U18 NRRRL regular season Ryan Foran played in ten matches scoring three tries. In addition to his Round Eight double Ryan Foran also scored in Round Twelve against Lower Clarence.

Ryan Foran’s 2019 NRRRL U18 season ended when his Murwillumbah side were defeated 26 – 10 by Byron Bay in the U18 Elimination Final.

After the completion of the 2018 season Ryan Foran and fellow Group 18 U15 team mates headed overseas to play in the Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, a competition that the side won including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12.

In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Keegan Pace, Jack Cullen, Ryan Foran, Reef Sommerville, Keegan Pace and Byron Jones.

To cap off an impressive junior representative year in2018, Ryan Foran was selected in the New South Wales Combined High Schools (CHS) U15 side for the U15 ASSRL Championships and lined up against a number of Titans boys in the two Queensland sides being Queensland Maroon and Queensland White and the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges side which contained Titans contracted half back Thomas Weaver amongst other Titans linked players. Titans contracted fullback or centre Rowan Mansfield was a team mate in the NSW CHS U15 side as is fellow Murwillumbah High School student Riley Lack.

Ryan Foran was one of ten Titans contracted U15 players that were involved in the 2018 U15 ASSRL Championships.

At the Championships Ryan Foran played in four matches being against Queensland Maroon, New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges twice and New South Wales Combined Independent Colleges, scoring against NSW CCC in his third match of the Championships.

In 2017 Ryan Foran started in the second row for the Group 18 U14 side that competed in the New South Wales Country Rugby League U14 Championships playing three matches against Maitland, Group One and Newcastle in the Northern Plate Final.

Fellow Titans linked youngsters in the 2017 Group 18 U14 side was outstanding Titans contracted half back Thomas Weaver who was also a team mate of Ryan Foran when he played for the Titans U15 Invitational side against the Western Mustangs in early 2018.

For his age group Ryan Foran is a tall athlete and this can be seen when be he is running with the ball. In his hit ups he carries the ball with pace and is very good at running on the fringes of the ruck.

Ryan Foran uses foot work prior to the line to look to break through as well as cutting either cutting back in behind the play the ball or cutting out towards the smaller defenders on the fringes of the ruck.

One trait that stands out every time that you see him play is that he runs with speed into the defensive line and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line on a number of occasions. Ryan Foran does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms in the tackle.

In relation to the defensive aspects of his game Ryan Foran is an exceptional cover defender. With his above average to plus speed for his position he is able to track the ball across the field and be in a position to make the cover defending tackle if breaks are made.

From a front on tackling perspective Ryan Foran has a solid repeatable technique which he can use against attackers of any size. The keys to his technique are his timing and anticipation as well as correct head placement. So many defenders in either rugby or rugby league have no idea about head placement but Ryan Foran is not one of them.

Another impressive aspect from a defensive stand point for Ryan Foran is the fact that he came make multiple tackles one after another and then still be in position to track the ball across the field, he has exceptional stamina from an aerobic capacity stand point including the ability to consistently sprint short distances time and again in a short time span whilst maintaining his positioning on the field.

It will be interesting to see where Ryan Foran plays in 2020, will he play for the 20120 Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 New South Wales Country Laurie Daley Cup or will he play for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup. It is certainly an interesting dilemma for Ryan Foran and the Titans.

Post either the MM Cup or the Laurie Daley Cup Ryan Foran should be a stand out in the NRRRL U18 competition for Murwillumbah and will be U18 eligible again in 2021.

Similarly will Ryan Foran continue his schooling at Murwillumbah State High School or will he move to PBC to play in the GIO Cup competition, again an interesting choice.

Ryan Foran will also tour the UK with the New South Wales Country U16 side in October/November later this year.

Ryan Foran has a bit of height about him and the frame to add muscle mass over the coming seasons without compromising his speed or lateral mobility, to that end it is likely that he will stay in the second row for the coming seasons and one that is comfortable operating on either side of the ruck .

Ryan Foran has a similar playing style to that of Sydney Roosters and New South Wales State of Origin second rower Angus Creighton player normally on the left side of the ruck and who can defend either in the centre of the ruck or a little wider out as a foil for his half and five eight.

mdrew

30-08-19, 10:35 AM

Kaleb Ngamanu. (Revised) He is a Gold Coast based youngster originally from Western Australia where he played two years of rugby league for the Joondalup Giants who moved over to the Gold Coast at the start of 2016 season, making every post a winner since that time in his junior rugby league career and for that matter in school boy rugby for the Southport School (TSS) including the First XV side and has recently signed a new contract with the Titans which will keep him with the club for the next couple of seasons.

In January of this year Kaleb Ngamanu started on the left wing for the Titans U16 side against the Newcastle Knights in Coffs Harbour and was very unlucky not to be awarded a second half try. To be honest I am still unsure why the try was disallowed, he flashed into the back line on the left hand side of the field and broke through two Knights defenders to seemingly score but the try was disallowed I assume for a lost ball.

Kaleb Ngamanu started the match on the left wing but spent some time at fullback midway through the first half when he swapped positions with Rowan Mansfield for a few minutes. In the second half with Rowan Mansfield injured, Kaleb Ngamanu played the entire half at fullback and showed his outstanding speed when he backed up a long break from Joseph Shannon (who had been put into a hole as a result of a great Bailey Martin pass).

In the first half Kaleb Ngamanu produced three outstanding pieces of play including two try saving tackles, the first when the Knights winger burst through the centre of the ruck and Kaleb Ngamanu tracked back and caught him from behind. His second try saving tackle was made in the left corner when he stopped the Knights winger in his tracks about a metre from the try line when the winger looked certain to score.

With the ball Kaleb Ngamanu made an outstanding break down the left touch line when he got outside his direct opponent as a result of a great ball from half Thomas Weaver whilst playing on the left wing in the first half.

On top of all that Kaleb Ngamanu forced at least three errors that I can recall as a result of sheer hard work and effort.

Kaleb Ngamanu signed a multi-year deal with the Titans in early 2018 after a starring on the left wing for the Titans U15 side in their six tries to three win over the Western Mustangs in March 2018 and late in the 2018 season started on the wing for the Titans U15 as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 with Kaleb Ngamanu scoring an outstanding try in the match.

Kaleb Ngamanu scored in around the 6th minute when he flashed down the left touch line untouched and was able to bring the ball around under the posts. For the try Kaleb Ngamanu kept his width and exploded onto a great cut out ball from Thomas Weaver to score from around 30 metres out.

In the match Kaleb Ngamanu also had some other highlights including an outstanding fifty metre second half run when he expertly fielded a low kick and split the defence from his own line, but unfortunately just could not find Thomas Weaver with the inside pass.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also involved in the final Titans try scored by Rowan Mansfield. At the time Kaleb Ngamanu was playing right centre, he took a pass from Jye Gray before drawing the Balmain winger and popping a great ball to Rowan Mansfield to send him down the touch line.

Early this season, Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the Gold Coast Vikings U16 side that played in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge and post that championship was named in the South East Queensland U16 train on squad.

Kaleb Ngamanu started the 2019 season for Coomera in the GCRL U16 Division One competition, starting in the centres in Round One against Burleigh and scoring in the match which was his one and only GCRL match of the season.

Kaleb Ngamanu kicked off his 2019 school boy rugby campaign for TSS in late April when he was part of the TSS Second XV side that defeated touring New Zealand School New Plymouth Boys High 36 – 0, starting the match at inside centre. Kaleb Ngamanu then was on the bench for the TSS First XV side that went down 31 – 29.

Kaleb Ngamanu made his TSS First XV run on debut in a trial against Brisbane State High School in May with TSS winning 57 – 12.

Kaleb Ngamanu was once against part of the TSS First XV squad for the next set of GPS rugby trials against Brisbane State High School and Gregory Terrace at the TSS campus, in late May with Kaleb Ngamanu named on the bench. TSS won the trial against Gregory Terrace but went down against BSHS in the second match.

Kaleb Ngamanu started TSS’s next trial against Nudgee College in the right wing (No. 14) for the TSS First XV. Kaleb Ngamanu moved to the left wing (No. 11) for the TSS First XV’s next trial against Ipswich Grammar School at Ipswich.

Kaleb Ngamanu started at outside centre for the TSS First XV in their final GPS rugby trial prior to their Round One fixture against Nudgee College with TSS winning 10-5 against Sunshine Coast Grammar School.

In Round One of the GPS school boy rugby competition, Kaleb Ngamanu started on the right wing for TSS against Nudgee College and was outstanding defensively for TSS, both in terms of initial contact and cover defence.

The ball did not get out to his right wing a great deal but Kaleb Ngamanu did have an outstanding run late in the second half where he dragged a number of Nudgee defenders five or six metres. Kaleb Ngamanu actually crossed the line in the second half but the final pass was called back for being forward. To be fair it was only two or three metres forward!!

Kaleb Ngamanu also showcased his hands in Round One taking producing a great contest catch of a TSS box kick under extreme pressure to maintain TSS’s momentum in a pivotal moment of the first half.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also outstanding in Round Two as TSS thrashed Churchie 64 – 7 with Kaleb Ngamanu starting on the right wing but moving into inside centre around the 10 minute mark after an injury.

From that position Kaleb Ngamanu scored his first First XV try of the career. At a set piece about fifteen metres out from the Churchie line, Kaleb Ngamanu originally lined up in the left of the piece but rotated around to the right receiving the ball in space.

Kaleb Ngamanu ran at the opposition defensive line which started to back pedal holding the ball in both hands and after shaping to pass the ball to his right before running through the resultant gap in the line to score mid-way between the touch line and goal post on the right side of the field.

After finishing Round Two at inside centre, Kaleb Ngamanu started there in Round Three against Brisbane State High School. In the first half Kaleb Ngamanu focussed primarily on ball playing for his outside backs but in the second half ran the ball more and came close to scoring twice.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at inside centre in Round Four against Toowoomba Grammar School in Toowoomba scoring his second try of the season as well as recording a try assist and also being heavily involved in a few others.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s try assist came in the second half and was as a result of a great sleight of hand from a set play. From a TSS scrum win on the Toowoomba Grammar School twenty metre line Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball to the right of the scrum and produced an outstanding no look pop up pass to his right as the TSS left winger looped around to charge through the resultant gap to score adjacent to the left upright.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s try (his second of the season) came late in the match, Kaleb Ngamanu picked up the ball on from the back of a ruck and drove to his left to score from close range to round out a 62 – 3 TSS route.

Round Five against Brisbane Grammar School saw Kelab Ngamanu continue at inside centre scoring for the second week in a row and third for the season. Kaleb Ngamanu’s try can only be considered a superb effort. In the 16th minute of the first half, Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball to the right of the ruck and ran diagonally to his right and used a great fend which literally knocked the Brisbane Grammar School fly half (Connor Te Kani) off his feet.

Once that occurred Kaleb Ngamanu ran through the resultant gap to score mid-way between the goal posts and the right corner flag under pressure from two more BGS defenders.

In Round Six Kaleb Ngamanu started once again at inside centre against fellow unbeaten school Brisbane Boys College at Toowong in Brisbane in essentially what was the GPS First XV Premiership decider between the only remaining unbeaten schools.

Unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was forced off the field with a cheek bone injury in the early minutes of the second half in TSS’s 23 – 20 victory in front of a massive crowd at Toowong in Brisbane’s west.

Kaleb Ngamanu in 2019 was also part of the Queensland U18 Reds Academy Rugby side that defeated Victoria 46 – 18 with Kaleb Ngamanu coming off the bench to play on the right wing and mid-way through the second half set up a try when he drew the Rebels fullback and passed back inside to the Reds outside centre to score after a long run down the right touch line.

2019 also saw Kaleb Ngamanu named on the wing for the Queensland City U16 side in their match against Queensland Country U16’s in a curtain raiser to the Queensland Cup Grand Final but injury may impact on his ability to play in the match unfortunately.

2018 saw Kaleb Ngamanu’s selection in the South Coast U15 QSSRL side at the completion of the South Coast Trials. Kaleb Ngamanu was subsequently selected in the Queensland Maroon U15 side for the U15 ASSRL Championships.

Other Titans linked boys to make the 2018 U15 South Coast QSSRL squad included front rower Brody Smitka, centre/second rower Ezra Ubaldino and outstanding backrower Bailey Martin.

As a result of his performance at those Championships Kaleb Ngamanu was selected in one of the two Queensland sides for the Australian Championships. Unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was injured in the camp just prior to the U15 ASSRL Championships and was unable to take his place in the Queensland Maroon side.

In late 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad for the 2019 U16 South East Queensland Challenge.

Kaleb Ngamanu is also part of the 2019 U16 Queensland Emerging Origin squad and in their opposed session was on the same side as Bailey Martin and Orlando Swain.

When he moved over to the Gold Coast, Kaleb Ngamanu started attending Keebra Park State High School making a big impression in their U13 side even though he missed portions of the 2016 season with an injury. Kaleb Ngamanu however was identified by The Southport School (TSS) and for 2017 transferred there standing out in their U14A GPS rugby side in 2017 in Term Three.

In 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu played club rugby league for the Coomera Cutters and obviously for TSS in terms of school boy rugby and for Queensland II in the Australian U16 Rugby Championships.

For Coomera in the U15 Division One competition in 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu has played in six matches scoring three tries. Kaleb Ngamanu scored a Round One double against the Mudgeeraba Redbacks and scored against Runaway Bay in Round Four.

Kaleb Ngamanu played for the TSS U15A side in 2018 playing in four GPS matches and one match against Downlands College. Kaleb Ngamanu started Round One at outside centre against Anglican Church Grammar School and then missed a number of matches before returning once again at outside centre in Round Six against Gregory Terrace.

In Round Seven against Brisbane Boys College Kaleb Ngamanu moved to the open side flanker position before returning to outside centre for Round Nine against Nudgee College. Kaleb Ngamanu also started at outside centre against Downlands College in TSS’s Round Eight bye week.

Prior to the GPS school boy rugby season proper, Kaleb Ngamanu played in a number of trial matches. He started on the bench for the first two trials which were against Far North Coast and Toowoomba Grammar School before moving into the starting side at outside centre for the last four trials against Nudgee, Ipswich Grammar School Ambrose Treacy College and Sunshine Coast Grammar School . In those four appearances in the starting trial sides Kaleb Ngamanu has been partnered in the centres with rugby league youngster Syris Schmidt.

Kaleb Ngamanu also played club rugby on the Gold Coast this season at the U15 level for the Griffith University Colleges side and started at outside centre in the Grand Final which they won 47 – 19 against the Helensvale Hogs and Cbus stadium as a curtain raiser to the Rugby International between Argentina and the Wallabies.

Kaleb Ngamanu played in nine matches for the Griffith University Colleges starting two at outside centre (No. 13) including the Grand Final, one at inside centre (No. 12) and the remainder from the interchange bench. In Round Two against the PBC Alleygators Kaleb Ngamanu kicked three conversions in a big win for Griffith University Colleges.

In October 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the Queensland II side for the Australian U16 Championships. In Round One Kaleb Ngamanu started on the left wing for Qld II in their big 57 – 5 win over Western Australia.

Round Two against Victoria saw Kaleb Ngamanu once again start on the left wing for Queensland II and scored one of Queensland II’s three tries as they went down 19 – 17 in a tight encounter.

For the Round Three clash against New South Wales I Kaleb Ngamanu swapped to the right wing but unfortunately Queensland II went down 29 – 17.

The 2017 season Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season saw Kaleb Ngamanu play up an age group in the U15 Division One competition after transferring from Southport to the Coomera Cutters. In the U15 Division One competition, Kaleb Ngamanu played in eight matches scoring 28 points in total from three tries and eight goals, with the tries coming against Southport, Helensvale and Nerang. In the match that he scored against his former club Southport, Kaleb Ngamanu also kicked six goals for a sixteen point haul on the night.

Kaleb Ngamanu also played one match for Coomera in the U14 Division Two competition (his regular age group) which was against the Robina Raptors, he then backed up to play for his “regular” U15 Division One side later that Friday night.

2017 also saw Kaleb Ngamanu represent the Gold Coast Vikings at the U14 level and from there going on to make the South East Queensland Green U14 side for the Queensland Age Championships that were held in Toowoomba on July last year. In those Championships, Kaleb Ngamanu scored on each of the first four days, in order against Central, Northern South East Queensland White and Central again.

In 2017 Kaleb Ngamanu played for TSS in the GPS U14A competition, starting all eight of TSS’s matches at outside centre except for Round Nine when he started at fullback against Nudgee College. In those eight matches he scored six tries and was awarded the best back award on three occasions, being against Brisbane State High School in Round One, against Ipswich Grammar School in Round Three and against Gregory Terrace in Round Five.

Kaleb Ngamanu scored a Round Six double against Brisbane Grammar School and also scored against Ipswich Grammar School in Round Three, against Brisbane Boys College in Round Four, against Gregory Terrace in Round Five and against Nudgee College in Round Nine.

Kaleb Ngamanu also scored against Downlands College in a “trial” match when TSS had a GPS Round Seven bye.

Kaleb Ngamanu played the 2016 season for the Southport Tigers at the U14 level splitting time between the U14 Division One and Division Two competitions even though he was still eligible to play in the U13 competition.

Kaleb Ngamanu started off his rugby league journey on the Gold Coast with a bang by making the 2016 U13 Vikings squad after impressing in the trials held in the weekend of 16-17 April 2016 where he played the majority of the trials in the centres after playing almost exclusively at five eight in the Western Australian junior rugby league competition.

Kaleb Ngamanu is a smooth powerful runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. In the centre position, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

When he gets the ball early from his inside play makers, Kaleb Ngamanu is incredibly difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, he is also a powerful runner who has the power to also break tackles through sheer power and not just rely on his speed to beat his opponent.

Kaleb Ngamanu had a very solid match for the Titans U15 side at Nerang in March playing on the left wing outside of JT Manuofetoa who was also outstanding on the day. In fact their combination was responsible for Kaleb Ngamanu’s try that Sunday when they used their numbers perfectly to send Kaleb Ngamanu down the left touch line in the second half for him to score in the corner to open up the Titans lead.

For the Titans I would really have liked to see Kaleb Ngamanu operate in the centres but on the day the exceptionally talented Rowan Mansfield and the a fore mentioned JT Manuofetoa started in the centres and excelled so you can understand Kaleb Ngamanu operating on the wing in the match.

That Sunday morning against the Western Mustangs at Nerang I was also impressed by the amount of runs Kaleb Ngamanu took from dummy half helping the Titans bring the ball out of their own end. The outstanding feature of his play however for the Titans was his spacing out wide. Kaleb Ngamanu stayed on the touch line and was regularly able to exploit room down the touch line when space was created by JT Manuofetoa and halves, Jed Bignell and Thomas Weaver on his inside.

In terms of chasing attacking kicks Kaleb Ngamanu has a very good leap and uses his forward momentum well to get above defenders, where the majority of the time he looks to catch the ball rather than hit it back to his team’s advantage, in my opinion that is not a bad thing at all.

Kaleb Ngamanu also has very good hands low to the ground on grubber kicks or when defenders drop bombs and uses his reach to get to the ball quickly before defenders. Kaleb Ngamanu will also chase general play kicks with vigour trying to improve the effectiveness of his teams kicking game.

Like all well coached youngsters Kaleb Ngamanu displays a sound defensive technique and a disciplined approach both from an individual and team perspective. From a defensive technique perspective Kaleb Ngamanu uses his shoulder well to disrupt the momentum of the ball carrier and does not “jumper” grab but rather drives through the tackle with his shoulder both in regards to a front on tackle or a side on tackle

Kaleb Ngamanu will play the 2020 Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season with the Coomera Cutters in the U18 Division One competition and will be more than likely also be part of either the Tweed Heads Seagulls or Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad in 2020.

Kaleb Ngamanu will also continue to play school boy rugby with TSS, next season once against in their First XV once again likely at inside centre.

From a position perspective, even though Kaleb Ngamanu spent the majority of his formative years in Western Australia playing five eight for me I believe that he will play in the centres long term and develop into a smooth moving elusive runner of the ball and quite an efficient and effective defender as well.

Obviously the time spent at five eight in Western Australia will only enhance his ball skills and assist in creating space for his support players wider out. I just think that Kaleb Ngamanu’s running skills will be better suited to playing in the centres or on the wing rather than imposing added pressure to be a play maker at fullback where it does not necessarily come as naturally as when he is running the ball out wider of the ruck.

I really am a proponent of youngsters playing multiple different sports, in this case in relation to Kaleb Ngamanu rugby at a high level in the GPS school boy competition and in the GCRU club competition.

The “second” sport whether it is touch or rugby assists in the skill set development of the player and provides exposure to different critical skill sets, tactical game situations and coaching philosophies amongst other benefits.

From a player comparison perspective, consider the game of former Cronulla Sharks fullback and Queensland State of Origin and Australian International winger Valentine Holmes in relation to Kaleb Ngamanu as a player who attacks the game full on and has the speed, timing, anticipation, skill and confidence to make things happen with or without the ball in his hands. No NFL dreams please Kaleb!

mdrew

03-09-19, 03:54 PM

Tyrelle Roberts. (Revised). Formerly of Casino half Tyrelle Roberts moved in the off-season to Lismore Marist Brothers starting the season in the Rams U18 NRRRL side, having a break out match in Round Four scoring 18 points, made up of a try and seven goals as Lismore defeated Evans Head 58 – 0.

In total for Lismore Marist Brothers in the NRRRL U18 regular season competition this season Tyrelle Roberts played in seventeen regular season matches, scoring 132 points from eight tries and fifty goals including an outstanding Round Seventeen match when he scored twenty eight points from a try and twelve goals against Kyogle.

Tyrelle Roberts also had a big game in Round Eighteen against Evans Head scoring eighteen points from a double and five goals in a big 50 – 4 win.

Tyrelle Roberts 132 points and fifty goals was enough for him to finish second in each tally for the 2019 NRRRL U18 season.

Tyrelle Roberts 2019 NRRRL U18 campaign came to an end in Week Two of the Finals as Lismore Marist Brothers went down 36 – 28 to Byron Bay but he went out with a bang scoring two tries and kicking four conversions from five attempts in the match.

Tyrelle Roberts actually set up and scored the first of his two tries. He received the ball on the right and put his right centre through a gap with a great cut out pass to his right before backing up to receive the ball back to run thirty metres to score in the first half.

Tyrelle Roberts try in the second half and second try of the match was yet another brilliant individual effort. Tyrelle Roberts received a pass from his fullback who had gotten half way through the line, and immediately kicked forward from seventy metres out, with the kick being so good that it sat up on its end a metre out from the line so that Tyrelle Roberts did not have to break stride to retrieve it and score a spectacular solo try.

The young former Casino RSM half had an outstanding year in 2017 in the Group One U15 competition and as a consequence was selected in the Northern Rivers U16 side for the 2018 Andrew Johns Cup competition.

Tyrelle Roberts in fact started at half back in their Round One clash against the U16 Newcastle Knights Development squad with Northern Rivers defeating Newcastle 22 – 12 in difficult slippery conditions.

In the Round One match Tyrelle Roberts kicked three goals from four attempts and also set up a try for exciting young fullback Layne Hardy with a deft chip in the second half. The only goal attempt that Tyrelle Roberts missed was after the fulltime siren from right on the right hand touch line.

In total for Northern Rivers in the Andrew Johns Cup Tyrelle Roberts started at half back on all five of their matches scoring twenty two points in the process, coming from eleven goals, including three goals in matches against Newcastle, Central Coast and the Greater Northern Tigers.

Post the Andrew Johns Cup, Tyrelle Roberts went back to the Group One U16.5 competition, to play for Casino RSM.
Tyrelle Roberts finished the 2018 Group One U16.5 competition as its equal second leading try scorer (behind Titans stand out Ethan Foster), top goal kicker and leading points scorer, one in front of Ethan Foster.

In total in his thirteen Group One U16.5 matches in 2018 Tyrelle Roberts scored 140 points from eleven tries and forty eight goals.
Tyrelle Roberts scored a May hat trick against Ballina and scored an April double against Lismore Marist Brothers. He also scored tries against Clarence Coast twice, Lismore Marist Brothers and Ballina twice.

With the boot, Tyrelle Roberts kicked seven against Lismore Marist Brothers to score twenty two points in the match when you add in his double and Tyrelle Roberts kicked six goals in matches against Ballina and Kyogle. In the Ballina Tyrelle Roberts also scored a hat trick to finish the match with twenty four points.

At the completion of the 2018 season Tyrelle Roberts started at half for a Group One U16 side in a match at Cudgen against a Western Mustangs selection in a curtain raiser to a U15 match between the Titans and Balmain and scored one of the best tries that I have ever seen when he chipped twice from seventy metres out to score and exceptional try.

In 2017 Tyrelle Roberts finished the season as the Group One U15 competition’ leading points scorer and fourth leading try scorer. In total in 2017 Tyrelle Roberts scored 84 points from ten tries and twenty two goals. Tyrelle Roberts’s ten tries came from just eleven matches and included doubles against Clarence Coast early in the season and against Clarence Coast later in the season.

From a goal kicking perspective, Tyrelle Roberts kicked six from seven in a July match against Kyogle and five in a match against Clarence Coast when he also scored a double to finish the match with eighteen points.

Tyrelle Roberts also played one U16.5 competition match in 2017 which came against Lismore Marist Brothers in early June where he backed up after playing in the U15 match earlier on the Saturday afternoon.

From an attacking perspective at this stage of his career Tyrelle Roberts is more of a runner of the ball rather than necessarily being an organiser but certainly there are flashes that show Tyrelle Roberts is more than capable of being an organiser and leading his side around the field.

At this stage of his career however Tyrelle Roberts’s initial reaction seems to be to look to take the line on himself with above average to near plus speed off the mark as well as exceptional evasive skills to complement his speed off the mark, Tyrelle Roberts is especially effective later in halves when the big forwards start to visibly fatigue as thus he has more room to move.

In the second half of last year, Tyrelle Roberts started to balance his game a little more and started to become more of a distributor and play maker. Tyrelle Roberts has always had this ability but as he has progressed up in age groups you can see that he understands the game and his role in it with a more balanced approach to strategy and the game plan.

Interesting in Round One for the Northern Rivers U16 side in 2018 on a number of occasions against Newcastle, Tyrelle Roberts in fact lined up as the second receiver outside of Josh Bowden and on the occasions where he was the second receiver good things happened for Northern Rivers.

On the first occasion, Tyrelle Roberts threw a great cut out pass to winger Kailis Fourmile-Bolt for a long break down the right side touch line. The second occasion led to a try assist when a deft chip kick across his body led to a great try to outstanding young full back Layne Hardy from Kyogle at a critical juncture in the match.

Tyrelle Roberts short kicking skills are also of an extremely high standard as has been evidenced on multiple occasions in the last two years in both club and representative matches.

Defensively Tyrelle Roberts is a feisty young man whose attitude in defence consistently defies his size. He will take on any size opponent and even against the biggest of opponents will get in front of them and aim to hit them as hard as possible. Against opponents closer to his size Tyrelle Roberts will aggressively make the tackle and let his opponent know about it on the ground.

Tyrelle Roberts will play the 2020 season with Lismore Marist Brothers in the U18 NRRRL competition and if he chooses to try out Tyrelle Roberts would have a good shot at being selected in the 2020 U18 Northern Rivers Titans Laurie Daley Cup squad for their early season competition.

From a position perspective, Tyrelle Roberts is only small in stature but with his organisational skills developing and speed off the mark nearing the plus category I believe that his best position as he transitions to senior rugby league is in the half back position.

For me Tyrelle Roberts has a similar playing style to that of former Titan and current English Super League player Albert Kelly. Like Kelly Tyrelle Roberts has the speed off the mark to be able to exploit gaps and also has a bit of unpredictability about him which keeps defensive lines honest especially when he runs with the ball in two hands out in front of his body towards the defensive line.

With continued development of his play making and passing skills Tyrelle Roberts certainly has intriguing potential for the future and playing in the Group One competition means that he sits squarely in the Titans catchment area and an area that has provided a rich nursery for the Titans in recent times.

mdrew

04-09-19, 04:48 PM

Brody Jones. (Revised) In 2017 the tough young Lismore Marist Brothers second rower’s rugby league season finished with him attending the Titans U16 High Performance Academy camp in Lennox Heads in late 2017 where he played for the Titans in their match against a Western Mustangs U16 side that was also attending the high performance camp.

In 2019 Broody Jones once again played in the NRRRL U18 competition starting at lock in Round One in a Lismore Marist Brothers 28 – 16 victory over Cudgen.

In total in the NRRRL U18 regular season in 2019 Brody Jones played in seventeen matches for Lismore Marist Brothers scoring four tries with three of those tries coming in consecutive rounds against Casino RSM, Evans Head and Lower Clarence. Brody Jones other try came in late June against Tweed Coast.

Brody Jones started at lock in Week One of the NRRRL U18 Finals Series but his side went down 24 – 10 to Cudgen.

Brody Jones’s 2019 NRRRL U18 campaign came to an end in Week Two of the Finals as Lismore Marist Brothers went down 36 – 28 to Byron Bay with Brody Jones being one of Lismore Marist Brothers try scorers when he scored through the centre of the ruck.

Brody Jones made his deserved NRRRL First Grade debut in Round Six against Ballina, playing against Jamie Lyons with the Rams going down 46 – 0 in the match. Brody Jones had played in the U18 fixture earlier in the day.

Brody Jones scored his first NRRRL First Grade try in Round Eight against Northern United in just his second NRRRL First Grade match and played his third match a week later against Byron Bay being his last NRRRL First Grade match of the 2019 season.

In 2018 in the NRRRL U18 competition Brody Jones played in thirteen regular season matches for Lismore Marist Brothers scoring an impressive nine tries along the way for a strike rate of 69.23%.

Brody Jones scored a hat trick against Kyogle mid-season and the week prior scored a double against Murwillumbah. Brody Jones also had a good try scoring run late in the season when he scored in consecutive rounds against Casino RSM, Lower Clarence and Tweed Coast. Brody Jones’s remaining try came in Round Three once again against Tweed Coast.

Brody Jones played for Lismore Marist Brothers in two different competitions in 2107 being the U16.5 Group One Junior Rugby League competition and the NRRRL competition at the U18 level.

For Lismore Marist Brothers in the 2017 Group One U16.5 competition, Brody Jones played in twelve matches for the 4th placed Rams scoring three tries including two in two weeks against Ballina and Clarence Coast and later in the season Brody Jones scored against Casino RSM.

In total Brody Jones also played four matches at the U18 level in the 2017 NRRRL competition with his first match coming in early April against the Tweed Coast Raiders which included the outstanding young forward Oscar Clarke.

In 2016 Brody Jones was selected on the bench for the U15 New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges Northern Region side for their annual trials.

Brody Jones is a powerful aggressive ball runner who is adept at using late and quick footwork just prior to contact line which he hits with power and force in absolutely every hit up that he makes dropping his shoulder into the first defender that is looking to make the initial contact.

His ability to get low to engage the defenders with his shoulder rather than allowing them to get in and under his ribs and also a substantial leg drive means that he drives defenders backwards even after they had engaged Brody Jones with significant force rather than allowing them to impact on his momentum.

Once he is in space, Brody Jones actually has very good speed for a second rower, I would consider it above average when analysing his speed from a rugby league forward’s perspective, to add to the difficulties for the defensive line, he runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful fend.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Brody Jones his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Brody Jones has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards. Brody Jones sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

Defensively Brody Jones hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. He also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in.

Brody Jones is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier’s momentum.

Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is his initial contact, Brody Jones uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier. Brody Jones is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as he uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers.

Defensively in a covering role Brody Jones is also very effective as even though he is a big strong forward he has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.

Brody Jones’s good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork by moving forward in a measured and calculating manner.

Brody Jones is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Brody Jones played the 2019 season for Lismore Marist Brothers in the U18 NRRRL competition, his last in the U18 age group.

I will be intrigued to see if Brody Jones tries out for the Tweed Heads Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts side in 2020, he is certainly more than good enough to make an impact. If not Brody Jones should play a lot of NRRRL First Grade for Lismore Marist Brothers.

With his size, strength, speed and aggressive streak Brody Jones has the ideal build and mentality to forge a success career in the second row on a rugby league field.

Extrapolating what Brody Jones brings to an NRL side leads me to a player comparison to aggressive Titans forward Keegan Hipgrave. Like Hipgrave, Brody Jones seems to really enjoy the competitive aspects of rugby league and he also clearly likes the physical contact as well.

mdrew

05-09-19, 03:50 PM

Ben Thomas. (Revised) He is a local Titans contracted youngster who spent the 2018-19 off-season training with the Titans NRL squad.

Ben Thomas started from the interchange bench in the Titans first NRL trial this season against the North Queensland Cowboys on the Sunshine Coast and had more than a number of positive contributions when he came on.

Ben Thomas started Round One of the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts U20 competition in the front row for Tweed Heads in their Round One match with the Western Mustangs and scored Tweed Heads first try of the match in the 21st minute of the first half as Tweed Heads prevailed 18 – 14.

Ben Thomas added to his 2019 try scoring tally in Round Four against Central Queensland scoring a double both from close range where he was able to use his strength to get across the line on each occasion.

Ben Thomas also scored in Round Nine against Redcliffe when operating on the left he ran a good inside/outside line into a gap and rumbled thirty five to score out wide on the left.

In total in the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition, Ben Thomas played in seventeen matches before injury struck, scoring four tries including a try in the second last minute in Round Twenty against Ipswich which led to Tweed Heads escaping the match with a 24 all draw.

Ben Thomas also had a try assist in the match when he broke through he Ipswich defence whilst playing left second row, running forty metres before drawing the fullback.

After taking a knock in a 2018 trial at Waterford where he left the field against South’s Logan it was good to see Ben Thomas start the 2018 season being named in the front row for the opening three rounds of the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition for the Tweed heads Seagulls and in Round Two against the Victorian Thunderbolts in Melbourne scored a second half double in the Seagulls 36 – 16 loss.

In total in the 2018 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for Tweed Heads Ben Thomas has played in eighteen matches scoring six tries including the second half double against Victoria noted previously. Ben Thomas also scored a double against the Easts Tigers in Round Twenty One. Ben Thomas’s other tries came in Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly and in Round Twenty Four against the Easts Tigers.

Ben Thomas has started in the front row on six occasions, at lock twice and in the second row in his other eleven Colts matches.

In addition to his matches with Tweed Heads in the Colts competition, Ben Thomas has also made four Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade appearances, making his debut against Tugun in June. Ben Thomas scored in his second First Grade match against Bilambil.

Ben Thomas started off the 2017 season representing the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup competition before moving to the Tweed Heads U20 Colts Challenge side and also making his NYC debut for the Titans in Round Fifteen against South Sydney.

In addition to the match against South Sydney in Round Fifteen, Ben Thomas also played in Round Sixteen against the Wests Tigers on both occasions coming off the interchange bench. Ben Thomas only played 26 minutes in Round Fifteen and 24 in Round Sixteen but the experience was I am sure invaluable.

Against South Sydney Ben Thomas ran for 47 metres on seven hit-ups and also made twelve tackles without missing any. Against the Wests Tigers, Ben Thomas took two hit-ups for fourteen metres and also made eight tackles.

For Tweed Heads in the MM Cup competition in 2017 Ben Thomas only played in one match but he certainly made the most of it with a second half hat trick in Round Seven against the North’s Devils when he started from the interchange bench.

Ben Thomas started the first five rounds of the 2017 U20 Colts Challenge competition in the second row for the Tweed Heads Seagulls but missed a fair bit of the season with injury but he was able to make it back for the Round Fifteen clash against the Western Mustangs.

In the first five rounds Ben Thomas had a big impact scoring four tries including a double in Round Three against Redcliffe and tries in Round Two against Easts and in Round Five against Wynnum Manly. Ben Thomas also scored in all three of Tweed’s final’s matches in 2017 when he scored against Redcliffe, Easts and Norths. In total in 2017 Ben Thomas played in ten U20 Colts matches starting all in the second row, scoring eight tries in the process.

In 2016 Ben Thomas was part of the Gold Coast White MM side who progressed all the way to the semi-finals before being beaten 13 – 10 by North’s. Ben Thomas scored four tries in the MM Cup competition for Gold Coast White in 2016, scoring doubles in Round Five against Gold Coast Green with both tries coming in the second half and Round Seven against the Easts Tigers.

Of the eight matches that he played in the MM competition in 2016, Ben Thomas started six from the interchange bench including the two semi-finals. Ben Thomas’s first start was in Round Six against South’s Logan, he also started the Round Seven class against the Easts Tigers before playing the two semi-finals off the bench.

Upon completion of the MM competition in 2016, Ben Thomas transitioned back to the U17 Division One competition with the Beaudesert Kingfishers, where a team mate was fellow Gold Coast White player and fellow Tians contract local junior Charlie Gee. For the Kingfishers Ben Thomas played in eight matches and scored against Currumbin.

In 2015, Ben Thomas a stellar year in CC competition finishing with a team leading eight tries across the games and winning the Queensland Cyril Connell Cup player of the year award. As a result of his good form in the CC competition, he was selected on the bench for the Queensland U16 side who went on to defeat NSW in Sydney in a State of Origin curtain raiser. Titan’s team mates that night were winger (now backrower) Reihana Marsh and second rower Darius Farmer.

Ben Thomas also started at lock for the U16 Titans development squad in their 2015 against Samoa, where with Titans contracted Darius Farmer he was the Titans best for me in conditions best suited for forwards. He was also named best forward when the Titans U15 development squad played the Wests Tigers late in 2014. Balmain forward Paul Sironan was the judge of the player awards that night.

Ben Thomas is a hard running backrower who is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into thus making the play makers on his team look good. Where he really excels though is his footwork, he has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, his feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running direction and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of the multiple directional changes. He seems just to run at a faster pace than other forwards on the field.

These attributes lead to a lot of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself. As a result of his foot work he does seem to get hit high reasonably often as defenders are not able to react quickly enough to the change in the directional aspects of his running.

These critical attributes mean that Ben Thomas is difficult to target and runs at a very fast pace into the defensive line but the fluidity of his directional changes means he is a difficult target to get hold of for defenders. In the Samoan game in late 2015 you could see how his running angles changed as the game progressed from a duration perspective as well as momentum perspective.

As opposing forwards tire his directional changes go from cutting to the fringes of the ruck to cutting back behind the play the ball as gaps appear as forwards becoming increasingly slower to get back into the defensive line due to fatigue.

Late in the Round Two Colts competition this season, Ben Thomas took advantage of a gap on the fringes of the ruck to score his second try of the day for the Seagulls. Tweed half Kel Sheather took the ball wide of the ruck, stepped a defender and sent a good inside ball to Ben Thomas who had run a good line into a big gap and was able to outpace the inside defenders and crash over near the posts in the Victorian fullback’s tackle.

Ben Thomas’s defensive technique revolves around timing and execution. Ben Thomas’s head placement is always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs. Ben Thomas also tackles with both shoulders effectively as well.

The impressive thing for me also is that Ben Thomas never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is exceptional and quite rare in the modern version of rugby league.

Another defensive aspect that I have noted is that Ben Thomas does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one before. His lateral speed is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

Unfortunately Ben Thomas had his 2019 season cut short with a shoulder injury that required surgery but he should be fit and ready to go for the start of the 2020 season where I would anticipate that Ben Thomas will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad.

Hopefully Ben Thomas will also get an opportunity to train with the Titans NRL squad in the off season for the second year in a row.

Whilst Ben Thomas has played in the front row (or at least been named there) for a fair portion of this season I see no reason why he will not stay in the back row where he has played all of his junior football bar some brief stints in the centres in recent seasons.

Ben Thomas has the look of a very talented youngster with a playing style similar to that of St George Dragons second rower Tyson Fizzell as a powerful and hard runner on the fringes of the ruck and one who also has a hard edge defensively coupled with a very determined attitude.

mdrew

06-09-19, 02:43 PM

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie. An intelligent hard working, rampaging second rower would be an apt description of Kuyan Roberts-Laurie. I appreciate that sometimes those adjectives do not appear to go together but they certainly do when describing Kuyan Roberts-Laurie.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie came into the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup side in Round Three against the North Coast Bulldogs, starting from the bench and making an impact when he came on in the second half, playing in the right second row position.

In Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters Kuyan Roberts-Laurie moved into the starting side in the second row and also started in the second row in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers.

Against the Greater Northern Tigers Kuyan Roberts-Laurie played in the left second row position and was outstanding over the course of the entire match and was rewarded for his whole hearted effort with a solid try when he crashed over out wide in the second half, slamming the ball down with his left arm under pressure from Greater Northern Tigers defenders.

Post the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition Kuyan Roberts-Laurie played for Byron Bay in the NRRRL competition, playing primarily in the First Grade and U18 competitions after moving from the Ballina Seagulls in the off season.

In the 2019 NRRRL U18 competition Kuyan Roberts-Laurie played in fourteen regular season matches scoring ten tries including doubles in consecutive rounds being Rounds Five and Six against Tweed Heads and Kyogle respectively and also scoring a double in Round Sixteen against the Tweed Coast Raiders.

In addition to his three doubles Kuyan Roberts-Laurie also scored in regular season matches against Lismore Marist Brothers, Tweed Heads, Lower Clarence and Evans Heads in consecutive matches in June.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie 2019 U18 NRRRL season did not end after the regular season as he produced an outstanding display including a scoring a typically powerful try to lead Byron Bay to a 26 – 10 Elimination Final victory over Murwillumbah.

His try in the match emphasised Kuyan Roberts-Laurie’s strength, speed and power. He received the ball two off a Byron Bay scrum win on the left of the field and produced a big right arm fend to get on the outside of the defence before producing another devastating right arm fend on the cover defending fullback to crash over five metres from the left corner post in a show of sheer brute force and power.

In Week Two of the NRRRL U18 Finals Kuyan Roberts-Laurie was once again to the fore scoring yet again as Byron Bay progressed to the U18 NRRRL Preliminary Final as a result of a 36 – 28 victory over Lismore Marist Brothers.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie took the ball down a short left blind side leaving the initial defender on the ground in his wake before crashing through two further defenders to score out wide in the eight point win.

In the Preliminary Final against Cudgen which Byron Bay lost 24 – 4 Kuyan Roberts-Laurie was the most dangerous Byron Bay as they fell one win short of a Grand Final berth.

In the NRRRL First Grade competition, Kuyan Roberts-Laurie played in ten matches making his NRRRL First Grade debut for Byron Bay against Evans Head and scoring his one and only First Grade try in the final regular season round being Round Eighteen against Ballina.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie also played one NRRRL Reserve Grade match in 2019 which came against Kyogle in Round Two.

In 2018 the former Ballina State High School student and the Ballina Seagulls rugby league club made his NRRRL First Grade debut at the age of just 17 years old.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie made his NRRRL First Grade debut in Round Seven against Murwillumbah and went on to play in ten NRRRL First Grade matches and scored his first first grade try against Evans Head in July and the following week kicked a conversion against Lower Clarence.

In the 2018 U18 NRRRL competition, Kuyan Roberts-Laurie played in twelve regular season matches starting all in the second row and scoring seven tries. In addition to a double against Murwillumbah, Kuyan Roberts-Laurie scored against Casino RSM, Cudgen, Kyogle and Lower Clarence.

In the 2018 NRRRL U18 Grand Final Kuyan Roberts-Laurie started in the second row as was simply outstanding scoring a superb try as Ballina defeated Cudgen 30 – 4.

2018 also saw Kuyan Roberts-Laurie play in one NRRRL Reserve Match which came against Evans Head in July.

Earlier in 2018 Kuyan Roberts-Laurie played four matches for Northern Rivers in the New South Wales Country U18 Laurie Daly Cup competition. Kuyan Roberts-Laurie started Round one from the interchange bench against the Newcastle Development Squad and also came off the bench in Round Five.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie came into the Northern Rivers starting side in Round Three against the North Coast and maintained his starting second row spot for the match against the Central Coast Roosters in Round Four.

In 2017 Kuyan Roberts-Laurie was named in the New South Indigenous U16 side that played their Queensland counter parts containing Titans linked Jesse Braslin. Kuyan Roberts-Laurie started the match from the interchange bench and a team mate was fullback and fellow Titans linked youngster Malachi Roberts.

In 2016 Kuyan Roberts-Laurie was also one of the better performers for the Group One U15 side who took part in the NSW Country Age Championships. For the Group One U15 side, Kuyan Roberts-Laurie scored two tries across the three games he played including scoring in a 20 – 10 victory over Group 19 and also scoring Group One’s sole try early in the first half of a 4 all draw against Group 21.

For the Ballina Seagulls in the 2016 Group One U15 competition, Kuyan Roberts-Laurie scored ten tries in twelve matches including doubles against Marist Brothers, Kyogle and Grafton.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie seems equally at home running on both sides of the ruck but that is what a team has with Kuyan Roberts-Laurie, he runs a superb outside shoulder line and his excellent footwork enables him to step off either foot to enable him to cut back against the movement of the defensive line to take advantage of gaps back on the inside of his direct opponent if an inside defender is slow to come across in defence.

From his time in the centres Kuyan Roberts-Laurie has above average speed, not just off the mark but also when he is in clear space, when he makes a break Kuyan Roberts-Laurie is more than capable of going the distance and normally out paces the cover defence on the way to the try line.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie is not just a strong runner of the ball he as noted above has excellent footwork prior to the line and also some very good short passing both before the line and when in contact with a defender.

On a lot of his runs Kuyan Roberts-Laurie rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his support players.

Defensively Kuyan Roberts-Laurie has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. Kuyan Roberts-Laurie sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum and lack of leverage against them.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie’s good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker opponents and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.

Kuyan Roberts-Laurie is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacking play especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

2019 was Kuyan Roberts-Laurie’s last being U18 eligible and in 2020 if he stays in the NRRRL will surely be an NRRRL First Grade regular for Byron Bay for the second season in a row but it would not surprise at all if he chases a spot in the 2020 Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad, he is more than good enough to not just make that squad but be a key member of it as well.

Even though he is currently playing in the second row, Kuyan Roberts-Laurie has spent time in his earlier junior rugby league career in the centres and understandably so with his speed. I can understand however why coaches moved him to the second row and that is where Kuyan Roberts-Laurie is more than likely to stay from now on.

For me Kuyan Roberts-Laurie has a touch of Brisbane Broncos and Queensland State of Origin second rower David Fifita about him. Like Fifita Kuyan Roberts-Laurie just flat out runs hard but when you examine his running style more closely it is clear that Kuyan Roberts-Laurie has a specific plan each time that he runs the ball and ruthlessly carries that plan out much to the detriment of the opposition.

mdrew

09-09-19, 09:07 AM

Oscar Clarke. (Revised) The ultra-talented young Tweed Coast Raiders forward has been outstanding over recent seasons including in 2016 season when he was named as the Group 18 Junior Representative Player of the year after he starred for the Group 18 U16 side, he was also named as the U16 Group 18 most consistent player in that year.

Oscar Clarke’s first match of 2019 was in Round Twelve of the NRRRL First Grade competition when he came on for the Tweed Coast Raiders against Northern United and he was also involved in Round Thirteen against Lismore Marist Brothers.

Oskar Clarke’s first match of 2019 was in fact in Reserve Grade in Round Twelve against Northern United and then be backed up to play in the First Grade match later in the day.

Oscar Clarke was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2018 MM Cup side but did not play any matches in that competition that season.

For the Tweed Coast Raiders in the 2018 NRRRL competition, Oscar Clarke was involved in all three senior grades over the course of the 2018 season.

In the 2018 U18 NRRRL competition’s regular season, Oscar Clarke played in eleven matches finishing the season with twelve tries which placed him equal second with centre Ballina James Torrens on the try scoring tally, five behind Cudgen centre Liam Cusack.

Oscar Clarke scored an early season hat trick against Lismore Marist Brothers and mid-season scored doubles in consecutive rounds against Lower Clarence and Ballina.

Oscar Clarke’s U18 NRRRL season came to an end in week two of the finals when Tweed Coast went down 22 – 14 to the Lower Clarence Magpies.

This season Oscar Clarke also played in one Reserve Grade match which was against Murwillumbah in July.

After playing three NRRRL First Grade games in 2017, Oscar Clarke added three more to that number in 2018 and also scored his first career NRRRL First Grade try when he scored against Northern United in his second NRRRL First Grade match this year after playing his first against Murwillumbah. Oscar Clarke’s third NRRRL First Grade match this season was played against Casino RSM.

Oscar Clarke’s 2017 season started off well with Oscar Clarke being selected in the East Coast Dolphins U18 Development Squad for the New South Wales Age Championships. Oscar Clarke who played both in the front row and second row over the course of the 2017 season represented the East Coast Dolphins U16 team in 2016 as well. Earlier in 2017 the former Kingscliff High School student was selected in the North Coast Open Rugby League side for the New South Wales Combined High Schools trials.

Oscar Clarke finished 2017 as the leading try scorer in the Novaskill’s U18 NRRRL competition with fifteen tries from only fourteen matches played. Oscar Clarke has scored three hat tricks which have come against Byron Bay, Evans Heads and Lismore Marist Brothers.

On Saturday June 3 2017 Oscar Clarke made his NRRRL first grade debut as a 17 year old against Mullumbimby and played two further first grade matches in 2017 which were against Byron Bay in July and against Casino RSM in August 2017.

The young hard running backrower usually lines up on the right hand side of the field and runs with speed into the defensive line. Oscar Clarke is not the biggest young forward you will ever see, but he is all effort in attack and will constantly run the ball into the heart of the opposition forward pack regardless of how big they are.

Oscar Clarke is a smart runner though to the extent that he does use good foot work prior to the defensive line to help negate his lack of size and he also has very good leg drive once initial contact has been made. He also fights hard when tackled to ensure he gets a quick play the ball to maintain the momentum for his side.

Even against the some of the sides in the 2017 New South Wales Age Championships that had massive forward packs, including Newcastle, he was the most effective Dolphins forwards throughout the Championships.

In addition, Oscar Clarke has enough speed to be an effective runner of the football being able to run the ball on the edges of the ruck. Oscar Clarke is not exceptionally quick but quick enough to rush defenders to make a decision of when to commit to the tackle.

I would consider Oscar Clarke a strong effective tackler who looks to use the angle of the attackers runs to his advantage, redirecting their momentum. His above average lateral mobility also enables him to not be over matched when defending against smaller quicker players on the edge of the ruck. In the context of defending in the centre of the ruck a continued focus on increasing his functional strength will enable him to better handle the biggest of forwards one on one, but I have no doubt with his dedication and the tools that are available to him, this will be easily addressed.

Oscar Clarke seems to have the type of frame that could add muscle without compromising his speed or lateral movement attributes. His head placement always seems to be correct, thus reducing the possibility of injury to himself and increasing the effectiveness of the tackle.

I really hope that Oscar Clarke will look to get an opportunity in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in 2020 with the Tweed Heads Seagulls and from there the sky is the limit for this outstanding talent. Oscar Clarke has the skill and temperament to progress very quickly through the rugby league ranks all of the way to the NRL and potentially even beyond.

I would think that Oscar Clarke can continue to alternate between front row and second row over the next season or so but ultimately I believe that he will end up in the second row long term where his burgeoning skill set can be best utilised.

A player comparison with Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test second rower Matt Gillett is fair and appropriate.

Oscar Clarke is an effective runner of the ball with a deceptive off-load and is a harder hitter in defence that he is sometimes given credit for, he can on occasion be a devastating defender.

In short Oscar Clarke is a talented all round forward who has a big future in the game, if he can stay injury free

mdrew

09-09-19, 04:47 PM

Jake Martin. (Revised) The Grafton Ghosts centre continues to play solidly regardless of the standard of the opponent and that was the case again in 2018 playing for the Grafton Ghosts in the Tooheys New Group Two competition.

As a result of his performances over the course of recent seasons, Jake Martin signed a two year deal with the Titans which will take him through his final U18 season in 2019 and his first year in the Colts age group in 2020.

Jake Martin’s first match in Titans colours since signing his two year contract was in January of this year when he lined up as part of the Titans U18 squad taking on their U18 SG Ball Newcastle Knights opponents in Coffs Harbour. Jake Martin started the match on the left wing for the Titans.

Jake Martin was the starting left winger for the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in their 2019 Round One 58 – 18 victory over the Western Mustangs.

In total in the 2019 MM Cup competition, Jake Martin played in five matches starting all on the left wing including both their semi-final and Grand Final victory over Wynnum Manly as well as the National U18 Grand Final against Illawarra.

After the competition of the MM Cup competition, Jake Martin headed back down to Grafton to play for the Ghosts, scoring a double his first match back in the Group Two U18 competition in Round Three in an 18 all draw with Sawtell.

In total in the 2019 Group Two U18 competition, Jake Martin played in eight matches, scoring four tries, including the Round Three double against Sawtell and also scored against Woolgoolga and South Grafton.

In early June Jake Martin made his 2019 Group Two Reserve Grade debut against Orara Valley scoring in that match.

In Round Thirteen Jake Martin played his first Group Two First Grade match of the season as Grafton defeated Macksville 22 – 10 after playing in the U18 match earlier in the day.

Jake Martin started off the 2018 season representing North Coast in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition, playing in two matches, starting both on the wing, with those matches coming against the Greater Northern Tigers and the Newcastle Knights Development Squad. In that first match against the Greater Northern Tigers Jake Martin scored to mark a positive debut.

For the Grafton Ghosts in the Group Two competition in 2018, Jake Martin wore the blue and white in all three grades. In the Group Two U18 competition, Jake Martin played in nine matches scoring four tries including tries in the regular season against Coffs Harbour and Sawtell.

Jake Martin also played in four 2018 Group Two Reserve Grade games, making his debut against Coffs Harbour in May of this year. In those four Reserve Grade matches, Jake Martin had a 50% strike rate with his tries coming against Sawtell and Macksville.

Few 17 year olds make their First Grade debuts regardless of level or region, but in April 2018 Jake Martin joined that exclusive list when he came on for Grafton against Macksville.

Over the course of the 2017 season represented the Grafton Ghosts in the U18 Group Two competition and in the U16.5 Group One junior rugby league competition. Along with fellow Grafton Ghosts player, Ben Liyou, Jake Martin attended a Titans weekend Elite Academy camp held at Lennox Heads.

In the 2017 U18 Group Two competition, Jake Martin played in six matches (not bad at all considering he was still U16 eligible) and in those six matches scored three tries including a double against local rivals the South Grafton Rebels and also against Coffs Harbour in July. Jake Martin also played eight matches in the Group One U16.5 competition scoring late in the season against Casino RSM.

In the blue and white of the Grafton Ghosts U15 side in 2016 Jake Martin scored seven tries in twelve matches including scoring four in a match against Clarence Coast in June 2016. His other tries came against Lismore Marist Brothers on two separate occasions and Ballina. Jake Martin also represented the U15 Group One side in the NSW Age Championships in the centres.

Jake Martin has an extensive representative junior rugby league representative resume including representing Group One at the U14 and U15 levels in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Whilst Jake Martin does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, he does have decent top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by getting on the outside of his opponent and using a solid fend when he gets to the outside, thus preventing defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure. When engaged with the defensive line Jake Martin also has a reasonable offload.

Defensively one area that he has impressed me is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wider of the ruck. Jake martin seemingly has more strength that his size would dictate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

Regardless of where he defends Jake Martin sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent even though by no means could he be considered a big centre.

Another area in relation to his defence that has impressed me the most is his ability to defend close to his own try line. As noted above Jake Martin seemingly has more strength that his size would indicate, and he uses this strength to move up off his own try line redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term at least.

Jake Martin just intuitively knows how to defend from a timing and technique perspective and rarely loses contact with the attacker once he has engaged them.

Jake Martin’s U18 eligibility is at an end and thus in 2020 I would anticipate that Jack Martin will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad.

From an ultimate position perspective, I think that as he progresses towards senior rugby league, Jake Martin will ultimately end up as a solid dependable winger with above average skills across the board.

Jake Martin is never going to be a try scoring centre or winger who can break tackles with his size, strength or speed, but he is a very effective defensive outside back with enough speed and tackling technique to be able to efficiently and effectively defend both in a sliding or up and in defensive methodology.

From a player comparison perspective someone along the lines of former Brisbane Broncos and England International centre Jack Reed for a player comparison for Jake Martin as an effective all round centre, in terms of an outside back who may not have the “perfect” attributes for a modern day player but will surprise in terms of his effectiveness even though he does not have one plus attribute to specifically focus on.

mdrew

10-09-19, 03:59 PM

Jordan Tauali’i. (Revised) Jordan Tauali’I started the 2019 season of starting in the front row in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad after being named on the bench earlier in the week.

For Round Two against the Parramatta Eels Jordan Tauali’I was once gain named on the bench but started for the second round in a row and held his own against a giant Parramatta Eels forward pack.

In Round Three Jordan Tauali’I was named on the bench for the third week in a row but also for the third week in a row he started the match in the front row.

In the match Jordan Tauali’I did a lot of work especially in attack, regularly making ground after contact and showed some good stamina in hot conditions at Foster Concurry.

In total for the 2019 U18 Northern Rivers Titans Laurie Daley Cup side Jordan Tauali’I played in six matches starting all in the front row.

Post the Laurie Daley Cup Jordan Tauali’I played for the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 side in the NRRRL U18 competition playing in a total of eleven matches, scoring six tries.

Jordan Tauali’I scored a double against Murwillumbah and also scored in matches against Casino RSM, Byron Bay, Lower Clarence and Cudgen.

Jordan Tauali’I made his NRRRL First Grade debut in Round Nine for Mullumbimby against Byron Bay in June going on to play in three matches in the NRRRL top grade.

Jordan Tauali’I also played for PBC in their Open squad, including starting from the bench in their Round One Allan Langer Cup match against Marsden State High School scoring late in the second half, when he charged onto a pass from Titans contracted dummy half Bailey Martin to crash over near the right upright to seal the PBC victory.

Jordan Tauali’I also started in the front row after being named earlier in the week on the bench for PBC in their massive Langer Cup derby against Keebra Park in June and was very active in the match early before his match was cut short with what looked like an ankle or knee issue in the first half.

Jordan Tauali’I also started in the front row for PBC in their Queensland GIO Cup quarter final win over St Mary’s High School Toowoomba 50 – 6 where he was very busy in the early exchanges and also started in the front row as PBC went down 23 – 22 to Marsden State High School in their Queensland GIO Cup semi-final.

Jordan Tauali’i the giant PBC student was a key member in 2018 season of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Division One side that was competing in the GCRL competition for the first time with Jordan Tauali’i leading the Seagulls to the finals.

In the U17 Division One competition for Teed Heads Jordan Tauali’i played in eleven matches including their final’s match.

In those matches Jordan Tauali’i scored two tries, the first coming in Round One against Bilambil as Tweed Heads celebrated their U17 Division One inclusion with a victory over their closest rivals. Jordan Tauali’i’s other 2018 U17 Division One try was scored against Mudgeeraba in late June.

In Week One of the U17 Division One finals Jordan Tauali’i started in the front row for Tweed Heads who unfortunately went down 42 – 14 to a Carsil Vaikai led Runaway Bay to end what was an encouraging first season in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition.

Jordan Tauali’i has also played a number of matches for the PBC Open side and in particular was effective from the bench against Marsden State High School at Waterford mid-season in a big PBC win.

Jordan Tauali’i started the 2018 season as part of the Northern Rivers U18 Laurie Daley Cup side, playing in three matches starting all in the front row and in the “local derby” against North Coast had a great battle against North Coast front rower Lewis Cooper. The ground literally shook such were the hits against each other in that match.

The three matches that Jordan Tauali’i played in the 2018 Laurie Daley Cup were against North Coast, Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers and he started in the front row in each of those matches.

Jordan Tauali’i had a very solid 2017 season commencing with representing Group 18 at the U16 level and then progressing through to playing for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side in the New South Wales Country Age Championships.

Jordan Tauali’i finished the 2017 season by participating in the Titans U16 High Performance Unit camp in Lennox Heads and starting for the Titans in their U16 match against a Western Mustangs U16 selection.

The Palm Beach Currumbin High School student who is in the Rugby League Excellence program at the school scored two tries for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side earlier this season, both coming in the first round when he scored a double against the Central Coast. East Coast Dolphins U16 team mates included fellow Titans linked youngster Ben Liyou and Kade Hill.

The 2017 East Coast Dolphins U16 side actually made the New South Wales Country U16 final with Jordan Tauali’i starting the final in the front row. Post the final Jordan Tauali’i was named as a starting front rower in the 2017 New South Wales Country U16 side that toured New Zealand’s South Island convincingly winning both matches. Fellow Titans linked youngsters Ben Liyou and Kade Hill were also part of the New South Wales Country U16 touring side.

Jordan Tauali’i was born in Auckland and moved with his family in Australian when he was just 18 months old. In addition to playing rugby league Jordan Tauali’i also played two seasons in rugby with the Currumbin Alligators before moving back to rugby league where he has stayed ever since.

Jordan Tauali’i was also a nominee for the Aquis Sports Person of the Year in 2017. Jordan Tauali’i has also represented Samoa on a number of occasions including in 2015 playing for Samoa U14’s against a Titans U14 Development Squad. The Titans U14’s Development Squad won a hard fought match 28 – 10.

Jordan Tauali’i is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which he uses to cut back behind the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

Whilst he does not seem to offload the ball too often, when he does get his arms free Jordan Tauali’i only passes when his support is in a better position, which is a sign of maturity for such a young player. He continually put his hand up all day to take the ball up and due to his agility for a big young man is able to generate quick play the balls so that his team can maintain or generate momentum.

From a speed perspective for such a big strong young man, Jordan Tauali’i actually has a more than decent first step to generate speed to impact the defensive line and also quick foot work that may come as a surprise to some for a young man his size.

In defence Jordan Tauali’i uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Jordan Tauali’i is not averse to looking for the big hit (just ask Lewis Cooper) but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most rugby league forwards are.

Jordan Tauali’i does however show flashes of above average lateral mobility which he uses to his benefit both in attack and defence. Yes is a big young man but Jordan Tauali’i definitely has some mobility.

Jordan Tauali’i will look to be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts side come the start of the 2020 rugby league season.

With his size strength and power Jordan Tauali’i is certainly going to stay in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career, even though he did spend some time in the centres a few years ago.

The way that Jordan Tauali’i handles himself on the football field reminds me of Sydney Roosters and New Zealand International enforcer Jarrod Warera-Hargraves as a big strong forward with a skill set that belies the intimidating presence that he projects on the field in the most demanding position on a football field, he has plenty of raw talent to work with.

mdrew

11-09-19, 03:56 PM

Kalani Going. The New Zealand born second rower moved over to Australia chasing his NRL dream with the Canberra Raiders but now continues that dream on the Gold Coast with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Queensland Cup.

In Round One of the 2019 Queensland Cup competition, Kalani Going started in the second row for Tweed Heads against PNG, playing the entire 80 minutes. In the match he recorded a try assist, ran for 56 metres (seventeen post contact) and made thirty nine tackles at a tackling efficiency of 97.5%.

Round Two against Townsville saw Kalani Going once again play the entire 80 minutes in the second row and was the Channel Nine Player of the match after scoring, breaking ten tackles, running for 102 metres (27 post) contact, making two line breaks and making twenty three tackles.

In Round Three against Burleigh, Kalani Going started in the second row playing the entire 80 minutes, running for 93 metres (33 post contact) and making twenty six tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

In Round Four Kalani Going started in the second row against the Central Queensland Capra’s playing the entire 80 minutes. In the match he recorded he ran for 134 metres (sixty three post contact) and made twenty two tackles.

In Round Five Kalani Going kept up his record of starting in the second row and playing the entire 80 minutes against Wynnum Manly. In the match he ran for 27 metres (10 post contact), had a line break and try assist, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.05 seconds and made twenty eight tackles.

In Round Six against the Mackay Cutters Kalani Going came off the interchange bench, playing twenty nine minutes, running for 70 metres (22 post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.85 seconds and made fourteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 82.35%.

In Round Seven against Redcliffe Kalani Going started in the second row after being named on the bench earlier in the week and played the entire 80 minutes. In that time he ran for 31 metres (eight post contact), broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.95 seconds and made twenty eight tackles at a tackling efficiency of 89.2%.

In Round Eight Kalani Going started in the second row and scored his second try of the season against the Ipswich Jets and as usual played the entire 80 minutes. In that time Kalani Going ran for 101 metres (36 post contact), broke two tackles, had a line break, played the ball at an average of 2.9 seconds and made twenty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 83.33%.

Kalani Going had a huge match in Round Ten against the Easts Tigers, as usual playing the entire 80 minutes. In that time, Kalani Going led the team in metres gained, 169 and post contact metres 76, he also broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.91 seconds and made seventeen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 94.4%.

In Round Eleven against the Northern Pride Kalani Going played the entire 80 minutes in the second row, running for 39 metres (nine post contact), played the ball at an average of 3.17 seconds and made thirty one tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.94%.

Round Twelve against Souths Logan saw Kalani Going, in his 80 minutes on the field run for 109 metres (26 post contact), make a line break, break six tackles, play the ball at an average speed of 3.49 seconds and make twenty one tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency. The match also saw Kalani Going score his second try of the season.

Kalani Goings try came as a result of him running an outside route when Tweed Heads were on the attack, he received the ball on the outside shoulder of his direct defender and slid through from around ten metres out to score around ten metres away from the right corner flag.

In a tough Round Thirteen loss to the Sunshine Coast Falcons, Kalani Going once again played all 80 minutes at right second row, running for 64 metres (23 post contact), playing the ball at an average speed of 3.89 seconds and making thirty tackles at an 80% tackling efficiency.

In Round Fourteen against the Hunters, in his 80 minutes on the field, Kalani Going ran for 69 metres (twenty three post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 2.86 seconds and made thirty one tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.94%.

Kalani Going had a try assist in the match when after a twenty metre run down field passed inside to Tremain Spry who had put him into a big gap seconds earlier.

In Round Fifteen against Ipswich, as usual Kalani Going played the entire match, running for 93 metres (32 post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.31 seconds and had a team leading thirty seven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 94.87%.

Round Sixteen against Wynnum Manly saw Kalani Going playing all 80 minutes in the second row, running for 98 metres (38 post contact), breaking five tackles, playing the ball at an average speed of 4.28 seconds and making twenty five tackles at a tackling efficiency of 82.59%.

In Round Seventeen, Kalani Going was only able to play seventeen minutes against Burleigh before being taken off injured. In that time he ran for eight metres, played the ball at an average speed of 4.36 seconds and made seven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 87.5%.

After missing Round Nineteen Kalani Going started from the bench in Round Twenty against the Ipswich Jets playing 34 minutes. Kalani Going ran for 73 metres ( 31 post contact), broke a team leading six tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 2.89 seconds and made twelve tackles at a 75% tackling efficiency.

Kalani Going started at lock in Round Twenty One against Easts playing only 21 minutes before injury struck, he did however score in that time as well as running for 74 metres (25 post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.88 seconds and had a 100% tackling efficiency.

Kalani Going scored a powerful try, he received the ball to the right of the play the ball about fifteen metres out from the line and instead of trying to use fancy footwork to beat the fullback, literally just ran straight over him to score adjacent to the right upright.

Kalani Going started Tweed Heads Elimination Final in Week One of the Queensland Cup Finals on the bench as Tweed Heads were eliminated by Redcliffe.

In his thirty minutes on the field, Kalani Going ran for forty one metres (twelve post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at a an average speed for 2.94 seconds and had a 100% tackling efficiency whilst making his fourteen tackles.

In total in the Queensland Cup in 2019, Kalani Going played twenty matches, scoring four tries, made six line breaks, had four line break assists, offloaded the ball ten times, made 457 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 89.1% and ran for 1 554 metres.

Kalani Going’s 2019 Queensland Cup per game averages included playing an average of 63 minutes, running for 77.7 metres and making 22.85 tackles.

Kalani Going made his 2018 Queensland Cup debut off the bench in Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly on Stradbroke Island, playing 32 minutes, running for 75 metres, 22 post contact and also had an offload. Defensively he made twenty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 90.9% for a more than solid debut.

Round 18 saw Kalani Going move into the starting line-up in the second row against the Souths Logan Magpies. Playing the entire 80 minutes the second rower ran for 109 metres, with an impressive 50 of those post contact. Kalani Going also made six tackle breaks and an offload. Defensively he made 30 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88.24%.

In Round 19 against the Townsville Blackhawks Kalani Going started in the front row playing the entire 80 minutes running for 87 metres, 31 post contact, made one tackle break and made 32 tackles.

Kalani Going also started in the front row in Round 20 against the Mackay Cutter playing 37 minutes, running for 80 metres, 32 post contact and made 17 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 77.27%.

Round 21 saw Kalani Going once again start in the front row against XX and he made the most of his 35 minutes on the field for in Round 21 of the Queensland Cup on the weekend. He ran for an impressive 102 metres, 30 of which were post contact, had five tackle breaks and made 17 tackles.

To date through his first five Queensland Cup matches, Kalani Going has been on the field for 254 minutes, running for 455 metres and has made 120 tackles. Kalani Going was also been credited with seventeen tackle breaks and two offloads.

His per game averages include playing 51 minutes, running for 91.2 metres and making 24 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 84.4%.

The former Canberra Raiders NYC captain started this season off in the New South Wales Intrust Super Cup with the Mounties playing in eight matches prior to his move north. Kalani Going started six of his eight matches from the bench, starting Round Eight against the Wyong Roos in the centres and Round Nine against the Warriors in the second row.

Kalani Going’s last match before his move north was against the Newtown Jets in Round Fifteen.

The powerful 178cm 98kg former New Zealand Junior Kiwi scored once with the try coming in Round Two against the Wyong Roos. Kalani Going in the 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup ran for 611 metres, 237 of those post contact (38.79%) and made 140 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 83.9% whilst being on the field for 371 minutes.

On two occasions Kalani Going played the entire 80 minutes, being in Rounds Eight and Nine. Kalani Going also had a line break and thirteen tackle breaks. Kalani Going’s New South Wales Intrust Super Cup per game averages included playing 36.5 minutes, running for 76.4 metres and making 17.5 tackles.

On three occasions Kalani Going ran for more than 100 metres in a match including running for 105 metres in Round Nine against the Warriors. From a defensive perspective, Round’s Eight and Nine against the Wyong Roos and New Zealand Warriors respectively, Kalani Going made 28 tackles.

The table below compares Kalani Goings 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup statistics to those in the Queensland Cup since his move to the Gold Coast:

2018 NSW Cup 2018 Q Cup 2019 Q Cup

Games played 8 5 20

Minutes per game 36.5 51 63

Runs per game 8.3 9.6 8.2

Metres made per game 76.4 91.2 77.7

Tackles per game 17.5 24 22.85

Prior to his Queensland Cup debut off the bench for Tweed Heads against Wynnum Manly in 2018, Kalani Going played one match for Tweed Heads in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition off bench in Round Ten against Burleigh just after arriving on the Gold Coast.

Kalani Going gets back deep and really just runs flat out into the defensive line normally with limited lateral movement prior to contact. As he is approaching the defensive line Kalani Going will drop his shoulder into the defender who is looking to make the initial contact and also runs with a high knee life. Kalani Going has strength in his core which enables him to continue to make ground after contact.

Kalani Going also has, for a second rower above average speed, not necessarily off the mark but certainly when his is in motion and his speed also plays better as a result of his power running style especially when he is running wide of the ruck targeting the smaller defenders there.

Whilst he may not necessarily score a lot of tries himself he does contribute significantly as Kalani Going regularly causes havoc when he has engaged the defensive line and with a quick play the ball there is on occasion space out wide for his team to look to exploit.

Kalani Going is aggressive in defence whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football.

His speed and lateral movement means that Kalani Going will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

Kalani Going will continue in the Queensland Cup with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in 2020 and I am sure will continue to get a long look from the Titans in terms of where he may fit in their plans.

Even though he spent a portion of the 2018 New South Wales Intrust Super Cup season in the centres with the Mounties, with his solid frame and his low centre of gravity which makes him difficult to tackle and envisage a future in the NRL (should be get an opportunity) in the second row for Kalani Going.

He may not (definitely not) be as big as Canberra Raider and Queensland State of Origin second row Josh Pappali but Kalani Going plays rugby league the same way.

Kalani Going is a powerful ball of muscle who is difficult to tackle front on and with his low centre of gravity is able to get into the bodies of forwards running at him and really cut them in half.

For me Kalani Going has made big strides in the attacking aspects of his game in 2019 and it cannot hurt in his quest for an NRL opportunity with the Titans.

mdrew

11-09-19, 04:18 PM

Jai Whitbread. (Revised) The former Gold Coast Titans and Northern Rivers junior was signed late last year by the Titans on a Top 30 two year contract and deservedly so after standout performances for the Brisbane Broncos NYC side in 2016 and 2017 as well as a storied school boy rugby career with the Southport School (TSS) in the GPS First XV School boy rugby competition where he played primarily at outside centre.

As a local junior it was great to see Jai Whitbread make his NRL debut for the Titans in 2018 when he came off the bench in Round 18 against the Sydney Roosters making a more than positive impression in limited minutes on the field.

In total in his NRL debut in 2018 Jai Whitbread played 18 minutes running for 32 metres, 10.5 of those post contact and made nine tackles at a tackling efficiency of 81.8% in a solid debut for the 186cm 107kg Titans junior and South Tweed Bears product.

Jai Whitbread’s second NRL match came in Round Five of 2019 season against Penrith and he played a key role in the Titans 30 – 24 victory. In his 38 minutes on the field Jai Whitbread ran for 93 metres, 34 post contact, played the ball at an average speed of 3.13 seconds and made 23 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 95.8%.

Jai Whitbread was also on the bench for the Titans in Round Six against the Newcastle Knights, playing 39 minutes, running for 130 metres (37 post contact), broke three tackles and made twenty two tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

In Round Seven against the Wests Tigers, starting from the bench again Jai Whitbread played thirty five minutes, ran for 66 metres (29 post contact) and made thirty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 96.77%.

Jai Whitbread was back in the Titans NRL side for their Round Ten match against Canterbury, once again starting on the bench. In his 27 metres on the field, Jai Whitbread ran for 95 metres (41 post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.27 seconds and made eighteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 81.81%.

In his first career NRL start (he started at lock), Jai Whitbread had a very solid outing in Round Eleven against Manly playing 35 minutes. In that time he ran for 106 metres (41 post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an exceptional average of 2.96 seconds and made twenty two tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Jai Whitbread made his second career NRL start in Round Twelve at lock in a two point loss to North Queensland, playing just 18 minutes. In those 18 minutes Jai Whitbread ran for 37 metres (eleven post contact) and made seventeen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Jai Whitbread was back on the bench for Round Thirteen against the Brisbane Broncos but continued his impressive form in his 41 minutes on the field. In those minutes, he ran for 73 metres (13 post contact), broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.12 seconds and made twenty nine tackles at a tackling efficiency of 96.67%.

Jai Whitbread also started from the bench in Round Fourteen against the New Zealand Warriors, playing thirty metres, running for 74 metres (34 post contact), breaking a tackle, playing the ball at an average speed of 3.42 seconds and making twenty five tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92.59%.

In his third NRL start in Round Fifteen against Manly when he started at lock, Jai Whitbread played 39 minutes, running for 83 metres (twenty five post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.23 seconds and made thirty two tackles at a tackling efficiency of 91.93%.

Round Seventeen of the NRL saw Jai Whitbread move back to the bench for the match against Penrith and playing twenty nine minutes after coming on at half time. In that time, Jai Whitbread ran for 97 metres (38 post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.33 seconds and make twenty tackles at an impressive tackles efficiency of 96.26%.

Jai Whitbread resumed his starting lock position in the NRL in Round Eighteen against the Melbourne Storm playing 53 minutes where he ran for 94 metres (23 post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.4 seconds and made twenty eight tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.33%.

Jai Whitbread moved back to the bench for Round Nineteen against the Brisbane Broncos, playing forty nine minutes, running for 99 metres (34 post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed for 2.94 seconds and made thirty four tackles at a tackling efficiency of 87.18%.

Jai Whitbread started at lock in Round Twenty away to the Sydney Roosters playing 65 minutes, running for 113 metres (45 post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.41 seconds and made forty tackles at an impressive 97.56% tackling efficiency.

Round Twenty One against the St George Dragons saw Jai Whitbread start in the front row, playing 58 minutes, running for 109 metres (48 post contact), playing the ball at an average speed of 3.15 seconds and making an exceptional forty three tackles at a 97.72% tackling efficiency.

Jai Whitbread started from the bench in Round Twenty Two against Parramatta playing 37 minutes, running for 79 metres (31 post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.31 seconds and made twenty three tackles at a tackling efficiency of 95.8%.

In Round Twenty three against the Melbourne Storm Jai Whitbread came off the bench once again playing thirty two minutes, running for 31 metres (fourteen post contact, played the ball at an average of 2.87 seconds and made seventeen tackles at a 94.4% tackling efficiency.

Away to the Newcastle Knights in Round Twenty Four Jai Whitbread came off the bench to play fifty minutes, running for 94 metres (39 post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.11 seconds and made 37 tackles at a perfect 100% tackling efficiency.

Jai Whitbread also started from then bench for the Titans last NRL match of the season being Round Twenty Five against the St George Dragons playing just twenty three minutes.

In that time Jai Whitbread ran for 66 metres (25 post contact), played the ball at an average speed for 2.99 seconds and made seventeen tackles at a 94.4% tackling efficiency.

In total in the NRL in 2019, Jai Whitbread played eighteen matches, playing 792 minutes, running for 1 547 metres, broke seventeen tackles, off loaded the ball twice and made 477 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.2%.

Jai Whitbread’s 2019 NRL per game averages included playing 44 minutes, running for 86 metres from 9.1 hit ups and making 26.5 tackles.

Jai Whitbread started the 2019 season proper coming off the bench for the Burleigh Queensland Cup side in their 10 – 0 win over PNG. In his 38 minutes on the field Jai Whitbread took ten carries for 116 metres, 57 post contact (49.14%), broke two tackles and had a play the ball average of a more than decent 3.22 seconds.

Defensively Jai Whitbread had a tackling efficiency of 95.24% making 20 effective tackles, missing only one.

Jai Whitbread also came off the bench in Round Two against the Ipswich Jets and had a big game including scoring a first half try. Jai Whitbread showed some good speed off the mark to take the ball around twelve metres out from the line and showed good speed off the mark to split the Jets defence to score under the posts.

In his forty six minutes on the field, Jai Whitbread ran for 111 metres (29 post contact, had a team leading two line breaks, broke four tackle, played the ball at an average of 3.1 seconds all whilst making eleven tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

In Round Three of the Queensland Cup against Tweed Jai Whitbread started from the bench for the third match in a row but made the most of his 34 minutes on the field, in that time Jai Whitbread made 81 metres (34 post contact) from nine hit-ups, broke a tackle, played the ball in an average time of 2.9 seconds and made an impressive 29 tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

After being in the 21 man Titans NRL squad for a number of weeks, Jai Whitbread made his first Queensland Cup start of the season in Round Five when he started at lock in their 38 - 22 win against Souths Logan and scored his second 2019 try in the process.

Jai Whitbread played a season high 63 minutes, ran for 153 metres (51 post contact), broke the line on two occasions, broke a team leading nine tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.19 seconds and made a team leading twenty six tackles at a tackling efficiency of 96.30%.

In relation to his try, Jai Whitbread received the ball from the dummy half about ten metres out from the Souths Logan line, when he made contact with the defensive line, Jai Whitbread spun clock wise 360 degrees to break through the initial contact before he pushed past the Magpies fullback to score just to the right of the goal posts.

After his performances in the opening two rounds of the 2019 Queensland Cup for Burleigh Jai Whitbread was deservedly rewarded by being named on the Titans extended bench for Round Two in the NRL against the Cronulla Sharks.

In total in the Queensland Cup in 2019, Jai Whitbread played 189 minutes in four matches, scored two tries, broke sixteen tackles, ran for 464 metres and made 86 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 96.2%.

Even though Jai Whitbread was still eligible to play U20’s in 2018 he started the season with the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side, starting ten of his 12 matches to date from the interchange and starting two being Rounds 13 and 14 against Ipswich and the Northern Pride respectively.

Jai Whitbread scored his sole try to date in Round Three against Tweed Heads and also getting a try assist in that match when he broke through the Tweed Heads defensive line before passing to half back Jamal Fogerty to score.

Jai Whitbread broke the Tweed Heads line right through the middle of the ruck on about his own 20 metre line and showed quite good pace especially on the wet and muddy field to draw the fullback and pass to his right to Fogerty near the half way line.

Jai Whitbread’s try against the Tweed Heads Seagulls can be put down solely to perservence. A long break was made and the ball spun wide late in the first half but Jai Whitbread, who once again showed quite decent speed kept up with the play nicely and was rewarded for his efforts when he received an inside pass from Jamal Fogerty, Jai Whitbread had the presence of mind to also bring the ball around to score close to the left upright.

In Round Four against the South’s Logan Magpies, Jai Whitbread suffered concussion like symptoms and had to be replaced when he was hit by a shoulder charge by Souths Logan interchange and Brisbane Bronco’s contracted front rower, Thomas Flegler who was immediately sent off. Jai Whitbread was however named for Burleigh’s Round Five match against the Central Queensland Capra’s.

Over the course of the recent off-season, Jai Whitbread started on the interchange bench in all of the Titans NRL trials and was one of the Titans best in their NRL trial loss to the Brisbane Bronco’s in Toowoomba as well as a solid performer against the Warriors on the Sunshine Coast a fortnight later.

So far in the Queensland Cup this season through his thirteen matches Jai Whitbread has played 444 minutes for Burleigh, making 1 092 metres, 357 of those post contact (32.69%) and made 220 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 90.1%.

Jai Whitbread is averaging 34 minutes, just over seven hit-ups for 78.8 metres and 17 tackles. Jai Whitbread has also been credited with fifteen tackle breaks and a line break (the one that led to Jamal Fogerty’s try in Round Three) a try assist this season and four offloads.

Jai Whitbread had a standout match in Round Thirteen against the Ipswich in his first starting appearance having career highs (at that time) in multiple categories including minutes (70), running metres (166) and tackles (31).

In Round 19 a week after his NRL debut Jai Whitbread was outstanding for the Bears as they defeated Central Queensland 24 – 14. Starting from the bench Jai Whitbread played 36 minutes, running for a career high 146 metres, 57 post contact, also a career high, broke three tackles and made 16 tackles at a tackling efficiency of a perfect 100%.

In Round One against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in his debut Queensland Cup match, Jai Whitbread played 32 minutes, making 57 metres from six hit-ups, 13 of those post contact and sixteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88.89%.

In Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins, Jai Whitbread played 33 minutes, making 94 metres from twelve hit-ups, 34 of those post contact and fifteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88.25%.

In addition to his try and try assist in Round Three against the Tweed Heads Seagulls, Jai Whitbread played 33 minutes, making 79 metres from six hit-ups, 16 of those post contact and fifteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 100% in a more than solid display in wet and windy conditions at Tweed Heads in a solid Burleigh victory 32 – 12 where fellow Titans NRL contracted youngster Tyrone Roberts-Davis also scored for Burleigh.

In Round Four Jai Whitbread started on the interchange bench for the fourth match in a row this time against a giant South’s Logan Magpies pack and played 34 minutes, running for 77 metres, twenty two of those post contact on nine carries and made 13 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92.86%, yet another solid game for the South Tweed junior even taking into account being knocked out by a deemed shoulder charge. Jai Whitbread was also credited with one tackle break.

The table below compares Jai Whitbread’s 2018 and 2019 per game averages:

2018 Q Cup 2018 NRL 2019 Q Cup 2019 NRL

Games played 13 1 4 18

Minutes per game 34.25 18 47.3 44

Runs per game 7.8 6 9.2 9.1

Metres made per game 84 32 116 86

Tackles per game 16.92 9 20.5 26.5

In 2017 Jai Whitbread was the 18th man for the New South Wales U20 State of Origin side and in 2018 was named in the starting side but withdrew as a result of a hand injury. Jai Whitbread in addition to his rugby league commitments is studying a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Phycology so he is also a very intelligent young man.

Jai Whitbread who originally hails from the Tamworth region of New South Wales and played his junior rugby league with the South Tweed Bears in the Group 18 junior rugby league competition and played a First Grade trial with the Broncos in February 2017 when he came off the bench against the Ipswich Jets in Ipswich.

In 2017 Jai Whitbread played in twenty three matches for the Broncos NYC side including their finals matches, starting twenty one of those matches in the front row and the other two matches being Rounds Four and Five from the interchange bench. On those matches Jai Whitbread scored two tries which came against the Wests Tigers in Round Eleven and against Newcastle in the Bronco’s first final match this season.

Jai Whitbread’s 2017 per match averages included 118 running metres on 12 hit-ups and 26 tackles (90% tackling efficiency) in just over 55 minutes. On sixteen occasions Jai Whitbread ran for more than 100 metres including an incredible effort in Round Eleven against the Wests Tigers when he ran for 201 metres. On sixteen occasions also Jai Whitbread made more than twenty tackles including Round Eleven against Wests Tigers when he made 47 tackles. Over the course of the 2017 NYC season Jai Whitbread also made six line breaks and off loaded the ball on seven occasions.

In 2016 whilst still U18 eligible, in fact he represented New South Wales U18 that year, Jai Whitbread made twenty one NYC appearances for the Broncos starting in the front row thirteen matches and coming off the interchange bench in eight more. His 2016 per match season averages included 78 running metres on 8.5 hit ups and 21 tackles (92% tackling efficiency) in 45 minutes.

Jai Whitbread’s two 2016 NYC tries came in Round Eight against the Rabbitohs and Rounds Twenty Six against the Sydney Roosters. His best running metre performance in 2016 was in Round Twenty Two against the Dragons and defensively Jai Whitbread in Round Seventeen made 35 tackles with no misses against the Melbourne Storm.

The 186cm 107kg Jai Whitbread was a former Titans contracted junior from just south of the Border and played for New South Wales at the U16 and U18 levels and also CC and MM Cup for Gold Coast based squads in previous seasons. At the start of the 2016 season Jai Whitbread was signed by the Broncos after a successful GPS rugby career with the Southport School where he played three years in the school’s First XV and making a number of GPS representative sides. Interestingly Jai Whitbread played school boy rugby in the centres but in rugby league has played either front row, lock or second row exclusively.

Jai Whitbread is a hard running forward who is very good at running the right line including both and inside shoulder and outside shoulder line and consistently hits the pass off either the dummy half or play maker flat thus generating his best possible speed and momentum to hit the defensive line at full speed.

Where he really excels though is his footwork, Jai Whitbread has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

Jai Whitbread’s try in Round Two of the 2019 Queensland Cup competition against the Ipswich Jets perfectly illustrated the analysis noted above.

Jai Whitbread is adept at cutting back behind the play the ball area when the markers do not work hard and make ground as a result. When the Broncos NYC side were in the attacking area, Jai Whitbread was regularly used to draw the defence into the centre of the ruck thus stretching the defensive line out wide to allow the backline more room to move. Jai Whitbread also accepted the responsibility of regularly taking the first hit-up from kick offs and was regularly the first forward to take a hit-up after an opposition tactical kick.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Jai Whitbread’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running vector and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of those multiple directional changes. He seems just to run and think at a faster pace than other forwards on the field. These attributes lead to a lot of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself.

Jai Whitbread’s speed is probably a bit above average but it is the speed that he is able to generate from only a few paces which makes it play faster from a defenders perspective. Obviously playing high level school boy rugby for TSS has assisted in the development of this particular attribute.

Defensively he hits very hard and had one of the better defensive technique s in the NYC competition this season. Jai Whitbread’s technique revolves around timing and execution. Jai Whitbread’s head is almost always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs. From the matches that I have seen Jai Whitbread also tackles with both shoulders equally effectively.

The impressive thing for me also is that Jai Whitbread never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is quite exceptional for a reasonably inexperienced forward.

Another defensive aspect that I noted during the 2017 season was that Jai Whitbread does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one before. His lateral speed is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

In addition Jai Whitbread continues to display the leadership attributes that you like to see in a player/person, not just in junior rugby league, but across any level of our game and the community. He shapes as someone who has the attributes to be not just an NRL captain but also a club captain one day and a well-respected one at that. A better role model you will not find.

As noted Jai Whitbread has signed a Top 30 contract and cemented a spot in the Titans top Seventeen this season and with the improvement that he showed in his first NRL season there is no reason to suggest that he will not play an expanded role in 2020 under Justin Holbrook.

Even though I would still prefer to see Jai Whitbread spend some time in the second row it seems almost certain that Jai Whitbread is considered a front row/lock and with his mobility, work ethic, foot work and intelligence in the above average category for all attributes.

In many respects Jai Whitbread has a similar playing style to that of two other former Gold Coast youngsters who are now back on the Gold Coast after stints with the Broncos that being Jai Arrow and Keegan Hipgrave.

Like both Keegan Hipgrave and Jai Arrow, Jai Whitbread is a mobile yet powerful forward who is not just a tackling machine but also a player who has far more to his attacking game than just putting his head down and running straight into the defensive line.

Make no mistake the three mentioned including Jai Whitbread and the outstanding Moeaki Fotuaika are the future of the Gold Coast Titans forward pack for the next ten years or so. They are all hard working, skilful young men with leadership skills who you can look to build an NRL club around.

mdrew

12-09-19, 03:55 PM

Ji Van Heerwaarden. The big strong young second rower originally from the Glenn Innes Magpies club in the New England Group 19 competition moved up to the Gold Coast for the 2018 season linking with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the 2018 MM Cup competition.

In 2019 Ji Van Heerwaarden played primarily for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Hastings Deering’s Colt competition, playing in nineteen consecutive matches including their Elimination Final loss to the Mackay Cutters after coming into the side in Round Three against Burleigh.

Ji Van Heerwaarden as noted above started from the bench in Round Three and moved into the starting side in the front row in Round Five against Wynnum Manly. Ji Van Heerwaarden maintained his starting spot through to Rounds Twenty Two and Twenty against Easts and Souths Logan respectively when he started from the bench.

Ji Van Heerwaarden’s sole 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts try came in Round Sixteen against Wynnum Manly.

Ji Van Heerwaarden also played one match for Currumbin in the GCRL U20 competition including starting from the bench and scoring a double in Round Seventeen against Southport. Both tries were a result of sheer will power, Ji Van Heerwaarden charged at the line and just wanted to score more than the defence wanted to stop him.

Ji Van Heerwaarden made in GCRL First Grade debut in May against Bilambil coming off the bench on that occasion.

In 2018 Ji Van Heerwaarden only played in one MM Cup match last season being in Round One against Norths when he started in the front row.

In the Gold Coast Rugby League competition he played for the Currumbin Eagles and went his first thirteen U19 matches without scoring but chose the perfect time to score when he scored a double in Currumbin’s 34 – 20 Grand Final victory over Southport after starting the match in the front row.

In 2018 Ji Van Heerwaarden also made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut coming off the interchange bench for Currumbin and Round Fifteen against Ormeau. He also came off the bench in Round Sixteen against Tugun.

Ji Van Heerwaarden played the 2017 season in the Group 19 U18 competition where he was one of the standout players. Across the ten matches that he played for Glenn Innes in the U18 competition, Ji Van Heerwaarden scored nine tries including a great end to the season when he scored four tries in his final three matches including a double in Glenn Innes’s final loss.

In the final two rounds of the regular season U18 competition, Ji Van Heerwaarden also scored against the Moree Boomerangs and the Inverell Hawks. Earlier in the season, Ji Van Heerwaarden scored a double against the Moree Boars and also scored in the first two rounds against the Tingha Tigers and Armidale Rans respectively. In June of 2017 Ji Van Heerwaarden made his Group 19 First Grade debut when he started against the Moree Boars after playing in the U18 clash earlier in the day.

Ji Van Heerwaarden is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which he uses to cut back behind the play the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

Where Ji Van Heerwaarden’s game has really developed over the last couple of seasons his ability to play wider of the ruck, which is where he is primarily playing for the U18 Glenn Innes side this season. With his size and strength wider of the ruck Ji Van Heerwaarden attracts defenders and thus is in a position to use his ball skills to set up his outside supports early in a match.

When defences start to try to anticipate that Ji Van Heerwaarden is going to pass then he can use his size and power to cash through the defensive lien as no defender is going to be able to handle him one on one by themselves.

In defence Ji Van Heerwaarden uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Ji Van Heerwaarden is not adverse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most front rowers are.

Ji Van Heerwaarden is Hastings Deering’s Colts eligible once again to 2020 where I would expect that once again he will be a key member of the Tweed Heads side. Based on his maturity and hard work I would also anticipate that in 2020 Ji Van Heerwaarden will also add to the one GCRL First Grade match that he played this year.

Ji Van Heerwaarden has a bit of height to go along with some more than decent speed for a forward and I would anticipate that whilst he will also spend some time in the from row, Ji Van Heerwaarden is for the short to medium term at least, is best suited to staying in the second row.

A current NRL player with a similar playing style for me is Newcastle Knights rookie second rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon. Like Fitzgibbon Ji Van Heerwaarden shapes as a talented young second rower who just needs the right opportunity to highlight his interesting skill set.

mdrew

12-09-19, 04:42 PM

Brent Woolf. (Revised) Former Mudgeeraba Redbacks junior Brent Woolf played in his first Queensland Cup match for a year and his first for Tweed Heads, when he started at hooker in Round Eighteen against the Central Queensland Capra’s playing forty eight minutes.

In that time, Brent Woolf ran for seventy metres (eleven post contact), had a try and line break assist, broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.01 seconds and made twenty two tackles at a 91.67% tackling efficiency.

Brent Woolf started Round Nineteen against the Mackay Cutters from the bench playing 39 minutes in the dummy half role when he came on. In that time Brent Woolf ran for twenty one metres (three post contact), played the ball at an average of 3.92 seconds per play the ball and made seventeen tackles missing only one for a tackling efficiency of 94.44%.

Round Twenty against Ipswich also saw Brent Woolf also come off the bench playing 28 minutes in the dummy half role. In that time Brent Woolf ran for five metres, played the ball at an average speed of 3 seconds and made an impressive nineteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 86.36%.

Brent Woolf also had a try assist in the second half when he produced a good short ball out of dummy half to his right close to the line for Ioane Seuili to crash over to give Tweed Heads a lead that they did not surrender.

Brent Woolf also came off the bench in Round Twenty One against Easts playing 51 minutes in the dummy half role when he came on. Brent Woolf ran for 35 metres (two post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 2.26 seconds and made 22 tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Brent Woolf made his 2019 Queensland Cup starting debut at half (he had been named on the bench but came into the starting side late) in Round Twenty Two against Souths Logan going onto the play 68 minutes. From half Brent Woolf ran for 42 metres (seven post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.92 seconds and made six tackles.

Brent Woolf played all 80 minutes of the Round Twenty Three match against the Northern Pride at half, running for 81 metres (23 post contact), broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.13 seconds and made twenty six tackles at a tackling efficiency of 94.82%.

Bent Woolf started at half in Tweed Heads Elimination Final loss in Week One of the Queensland Cup finals played 62 minutes.

Brent Woolf ran for thirty three metres (eight post contact), played the ball at an average speed for 5.31 seconds and made twenty five tackles at 96.2% tackling efficiency. One play that Brent Woolf made that is not part of his statistics way was an exceptional first half try saving tackle in the right corner.

In total in the Queensland Cup in 2019, Brent Woolf played a part in seven matches, starting one at hooker, three at half back and three matches from the interchange bench. Brent Woolf played 376 minutes, had two try assists and three line break assists, three off loads, made 137 tackles at a 90.4% tackling efficiency and ran for 291 metres.

Brent Woolf’s 2019 Queensland Cup per game averages for Tweed Heads included playing 53.7 minutes, running for 41.7 metres and making 19.6 tackles.

Brent Woolf played the 2018 season with the Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup even though he was still eligible for the Colts competition. The former Brisbane Broncos NYC player moved north after playing for the Broncos NYC side in 2017 and also two Queensland Cup matches for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

Brent Woolf came into the 2018 Townsville Blackhawks Queensland Cup side in Round Three and went on to play in seventeen matches starting the majority from the interchange bench and scoring two tries including one against his father’s team being Tweed Heads in Round Five in Townsville.

In 2018 Brent Woolf ran for 808 metres, kicked for 240 metres, forced two drop outs, had four try assists, seven offloads and made 360 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 89.89%.

Brent Woolf’s 2018 Queensland Cup per game averages include playing 36.6 minutes, running for 47.53 metres and making twenty tackles.

The table below compares Brent Woolf’s 2018 and 2019 Queensland Cup per game averages:

2018 Q Cup 2019 QCup
Games played 17 7

Minutes per game 36.6 53.7

Runs per game 5.7 3.9

Metres made per game 47.53 41.7

Tackles per game 20 19.6

In 2017 in the Holden Cup with the Brisbane Broncos Brent Woolf played in nine matches before injury struck. In those nine matches the 172cm and 80kg Brent Woolf scoring two tries with his first try coming in Round Four against the Canberra Raiders and his second against the Sydney Roosters in Round Thirteen.

Of his nine matches 2017 NYC matches Brent Woolf started three at hooker and the other six from the inter change bench and in his first start in Round Four against the Raiders Brent Woolf played the entire 80 minutes.

In total across his nine NYC matches for the Broncos in 2017, Brent Woolf ran the ball on 44 occasions making 324 metres including three line breaks, had four try assists and made 199 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88%. Brent Woolf’s 2017 NYC per game averages included being on the field for 45 minutes, taking 5 runs for 36 metres and making 22 tackles.

In Round Six against the Sydney Roosters Brent Woolf ran for 74 metres from just seven carries and in seven of his nine matches Brent Woof made in excess of twenty tackles in a match including making 32 tackles with just two missed tackles in a Round Twelve match against the New Zealand Warriors, those 32 tackles came in just 53 minutes.

Brent Woolf prior to his NYC debut in 2017 had a distinguished junior rugby league career with some of his achievements being starting at hooker for Queensland U16’s in 2014 and Queensland U18’s in 2016.

Brent Woolf was also named in the Australian U15 Order of Merit side after the 2013 ASSRL Championships where be represented Queensland U15 School Boys. Prior to moving up to Brisbane to play for the Brisbane Broncos Brent Woolf was a standout performer for the Mudgeeraba Red Backs in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition.

Brent Woolf is very good at making the right decision whether the go himself or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs. He may not necessarily run that often from dummy half but when he does it is invariably the correct decision that Brent Woolf has made.

When in open space Brent Woolf is very quick and can finish off his own breaks all be it over reasonably short distances.

Brent Woolf is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

Brent Woolf passes well from both sides of his body. His passing to the left is still a little better than to the right, but over the last couple of seasons he made positive strides in that regard, thus there is no reason to expect anything other than continued progression as Brent Woolf continues to gain experience in the hooking position.

One thing that Brent Woolf does well in dummy half is not taking his eye off ball until it is in his hands. I know that that sounds like common sense, but even in first grade the number of fumbles that occur from the dummy half is far too high and change the course of a game.

Another skill that he continued to develop over the last couple of season is kicking out of dummy half. He is not a long kick, but is effective at finding the ground with his kicks. Brent Woolf was an effective kicker in terms of game management, what I mean by that is that late in games when his team were up or needed a breather he kicked for touch in those instances, which showed a high level of maturity and game management skills.

Brent Woolf defends in the middle of the ruck and is an effective low tackler and is adept at wrapping the ball up. He is also very good defending at marker in terms of harassing the opposition kickers. He is not going to wow you with his defence because you will not see big hits, but you will see an efficient and effective defender. He has very good endurance and projects as a hooker who will be able to play 80 minutes without interchange.

Brent Woolf will play the 2020 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Queensland Cup competition.

Brent Woolf at just 22 really does seem an ideal candidate for an NRL Development contract especially as he can play in the halves as well as hooker.

When he was playing for Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast Brent Woolf did spend some time playing at half back but certainly over the last couple of seasons for the Broncos NYC side and Townsville Brent Woolf has played exclusively at hooker including in the Queensland U18 side.

That does not mean however that he has lost the ability to play in the halves as was evidenced by his last couple of Queensland Cup matches this season. Brent Woolf shapes as the ideal interchange player at the NRL level initially but certainly has the ability to have a long and successful career in the NRL as a starting calibre player either at hooker or half back.

Some people may consider him a defence first type of player but from my perspective that is only because Brent Woolf is such a selective runner out of dummy half. Rarely do you see him get caught by one of the markers when he runs, he is just too smart for that to occur with any regularity.

In terms of NRL players with a similar playing style for comparison purposes for Brent Woolf, think of someone along the lines of Brisbane Bronco Jack Turpin as a tough aggressive hooker/half who leads by example in terms of doing the little things on the field.

mdrew

13-09-19, 01:18 PM

Jacob Tekii – (Revised) He is a local young half back who started his club football for the Coomera Cutters in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition before moving to Runaway Bay for the 2019 season.

Early in 2019 Jacob Tekii started at five eight in the opening two rounds of the MM Cup competition for Burleigh with those matches being against Norths and Ipswich.

For Runaway Bay in 2019, Jacob Tekii played in five U18 Division One matches with his sole try coming in early May against Southport.

Jacob Tekii also played two U18 Division Two matches in 2019 scoring against Tugun in late May being his first Division Two match of the season.

In 2018 Jacob Tekii played for the Cutters in the GCJRL U17 Division Two competition scoring an impressive 128 points from four tries and fifty six goals. Jacob Tekii’s tries came in individual matches against Beaudesert on three occasions and also against Jimboomba.

With the boot Jacob Tekii had a big matches in 2018, including kicking thirteen goals against Jimboomba in late May and eight against Jimboomba once again in early August, he also scored a try in that match.

Jacob Tekii played for the Gold Coast Yellow U16 Vikings side in 2016 who were unbeaten in the pre-season competition including victories over Brisbane Grey 12 - 10, Brisbane Blue 24 – 4 and Ipswich 22 - 12 with Jacob Tekii playing five eight and being the primary goal kicker.

In the Round Two match against Brisbane Blue, Jacob Tekii contributed a try and two conversions to GC Yellow’s 24 points. This coming weekend Jacob Tekii and his team mates will be at Redcliffe when they take on Brisbane Red in the penultimate round of the competition. The final round will see the Gold Coast derby between CG Vikings White and Yellow.

In 2017 Jacob Tekii played for the Coomera Cutters in the U15 Division One competition scoring eighteen points from eleven matches. All three of Jacob Tekii’s tries came in the one early season match against the Currumbin Eagles and all three of his goals came late in the season against the Burleigh Bears.

Jacob Tekii also made a number of representative sides in 2015, including the Vikings and South East Queensland White U13’s for the Queensland age championships in July of that year. He had a very good competition for South East Queensland White, including scoring a double in their 48-4 victory over the Northern Marlins. Titans High Performance Unit member Ediq Ambrosyev also scored a double in that match. Jacob Tekii also started at half back for the Titans U13 Development Squad in their 2015 victory over a U14 Toowoomba Development Squad.

In attack, his speed off the mark is one attribute that you will notice when you see him play. Jacob Tekii does not seem to have an extra gear once he is through the defensive line, but has the ability to maintain his speed over a long distance, thus the apparent lack of an extra gear in speed has no discernible impact on the quality of his play. Coupled with the ability to step off both feet, his speed and deception with his ball handling skills, enables him to make numerous line breaks himself and create many more for his team mates.

Whilst the comments above are directed towards his individual ability to break a game open, a key attribute to how he plays is his ability to organise and direct his team around the field as well as adjusting his game to the specific situations within a game. An example of what I am referring to could be seen in the U13 Development Squad game in 2015, as the Titans side got on top and the outside backs, such as Damon Somerville, Rixon Andrew, Matamatagi Ripley etc. were running riot he did not even look to run himself, instead he put the team first and got the ball out wide cleanly and efficiently.

In that same game in 2015, after a break by centre Matamatagi Ripley Jacob Tekii had every right to look to go himself as there was only one opposition in front of him with the line open, but again he made sure of the try by drawing the defender and passing to backrower Jayde Williams giving him a clear run to the line with a nicely timed and directed pass instead of being selfish and going for the line himself.

Jacob Tekii has a very good kick on him and seemingly also has good accuracy to go with the power that he generates. His kicking game suggest he will be a real 40/20 threat as he matures and progresses through the age groups, he also gets his kicks away quickly thus not allowing the defenders to put an undue amount of pressure on him.

Also his power generates very good height on his bombs. He does have some subtly though in his kicking, he is adept at grubber kicking into the opposition in goal line as well as putting appropriate weight on his chip kicks, in an effort to get a repeat set of tackles. In short he is a very good tactical kicker, who is above average in all aspects and flashes plus ability in a few attributes such as range and weighting of the kicks.

Jacob Tekii is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy, although when he is kicking from wider one, he sometimes tries to kick the ball too hard and his accuracy suffers as a result. Like his general play kicking, I would suggest that he is a real chance to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level progressing into the future.

Jacob Tekii is a very good defender for the half back position, this includes against opposing halves who will try to use footwork and evasion to beat him or against big wide running forwards. No matter who is running at him, his timing, strength, lateral movement and technique are all well above average even verging on plus, not just for his position but for his age group in general. His defence is an area that stands out when you watch him play in person.

From my perspective at least Jacob Tekii defends like a second rower, which means his team’s defensive strategy can be accommodated to account for the fact that a “defensive minder” is not a critical requirement for any team with Jacob Tekii in it and on the side of the field that Jacob Tekii is defending.

Moving forward Jacob Tekii is MM Cup eligible again in 2020 and post that competition will play for Runaway Bay in the U18 Division One competition.

From a long term position perspective, I have no doubt that Jacob Tekii has already found his position, that being a halfback or five eight, where he combines a good skill set, leadership and maturity level to have the opportunity to become a very good rugby league player in future years.

From a player comparison perspective thing maybe someone like the Titans own Ashley Taylor as a young play maker who whilst having all the skills necessary for a future in the halves at the NRL level also shows the ability to alter his game based on what his team needs during the course of a match and whose kicking game can have a major impact both from a tactical and goal kicking perspective.

mdrew

13-09-19, 03:31 PM

Syris Schmidt. (Revised) He is a local young five eight originally from the Ormeau Shearers club on the Gold Coast who after attending Keebra Park High School for a number of years took up a rugby scholarship with TSS last year playing in their U15A side and this year will play for the Gold Coast based School in their First XV in the GPS school boy rugby competition with a team mate being Titans contracted centre Kaleb Ngamanu.

After starting the majority of TSS’s First XV 2019 GPS trials at fly half (No. 10), Syris Schmidt started there in Round One against Nudgee College and had a solid game in their heart stopping after the final siren one point win.

Syris Schmidt also started at five half in Round Two against Churchie producing an assured performance highlighted by some deft short passing and some raking left foot tactical kicking. For his performance, Syris Schmidt was awarded one point in the 2019 TSS First XV Rounds Two points award by the First XV coach.

Syris Schmidt continued his solid form in Round Three once against starting at No. 10 against Brisbane State High and was very effective defensively and also started at No. 10 in Round Four against Toowoomba Grammar School, producing an assured display.

Round Five against Brisbane Grammar School also saw Syris Schmidt in the No. 10 jersey for the TSS First XV scoring his career first GPS First XV try in the match.

In the critical Round Six match against BBC Syris Schmidt had limited ball playing time due to the rushing defence but more than held his own as TSS remained undefeated on the back of a 23 – 20 away win.

Syris Schmidt added a try assist in Round Seven in a big 54 – 24 win against Gregory Terrace when he put up a pin point left foot kick which literally went the entire width of the field and was perfectly weighted.

Syris Schmidt started the critical Round Eight match against Ipswich Grammar School once again at fly half as TSS won the GPS First XV Premiership after drawing 29 all.

Syris Schmidt will be part of the TSS squad that tours Japan shortly.

In 2018, in relation to club rugby league on the Gold Coast, Syris Schmidt played for Ormeau in the U15 Division One competition, playing ten matches and finishing with a strike rate of 90%.

Syris Schmidt scored a hat trick in Round Five of 2018 against Coomera and added a Round Four double against Mudgeeraba. Syris Schmidt, in 2018, also scored in Rounds Six, Seven, Nine and Eleven against Runaway Bay, Robina and Runaway Bay twice more.

Syris Schmidt represented South Coast in the 2018 QSSRL U15 Championships and has been named in the U15 Queensland White side for next week’s ASSRL U16 Championships where team mates were Titans contracted Ezra Ubaldino and Brody Smitka.

Syris Schmidt played the GPS 2018 season with the TSS U15A side spending time at inside centre, outside centre and fly half playing in all of TSS’s matches.

In the 2017 GPS rugby season for the TSS U14A side, Syris Schmidt played in seven matches. Syris Schmidt started the season on the bench for the TSS U14A side making his TSS Rugby debut in Round One against Brisbane Stet High School.

Syris Schmidt broke into the TSS U14A starting line-up in Round Eight against St Joseph’s Nudgee College starting the match at No. 10 (fly half) and was named Best Back in his starting debut. Syris Schmidt also started in Round Nine this time at inside centre against Churchie.

In 2017 for the Ormeau Shearers, Syris Schmidt played eight matches in the U14 Division One competition, scoring seven tries and kicking a conversion to finish with 26 points. Syris Schmidt scored four tries in a match against Runaway Bay and a double against Nerang.

Syris Schmidt represented Keebra Park in the Renouf Cup competition in 2016. Syris Schmidt also represented the U13 Vikings side that went through the Hill Stumer Championships undefeated and also represented South East Queensland Green at the U13 level in the Queensland Age Championships which were held in Toowoomba.

In 2015 Syris Schmidt represented Queensland at the U12 level. For the Queensland U12 side, he scored two tries across the competition that Queensland won, including scoring a try against Western Australia in their round 3 victory and another against Victoria in their 52 – 0 semi-final victory.

For Ormeau in the U13 GCJRL competition in 2016, Syris Schmidt finished as the leading try scorer with 22 tries from ten matches, two in front of Keebra Park team mate Tuvallo-Afoa Khan Pereira. Syris Schmidt scored six tries in a match against Currumbin and also scored two hat tricks which came against Jimboomba and Runaway Bay.

For South East Queensland Green in the Queensland Age Championships in 2016, Syris Schmidt scored four tries, including a hat trick on Day Two in a big 44 – 4 win over the Northern Marlins and he also scored on Day Three in a 40 – 10 victory over SEQ White.

For the U13 Vikings, he played an under stated role leading his team around the field but on Day Two against Ipswich, after mainly setting up his support runners, he started to run more in the second half including a superb play late in the match where he drifted across the field and threw a great dummy before accelerating through the Ipswich defensive line to score under the posts.

In relation to Schoolboy rugby league, Syris Schmidt also had a great year in 2015 for Keebra Park culminating in him being selected at five eight in the Keebra Park team of the year. Playing for the U13 Renouf Cup side, Syris Schmidt scored five tries across the Rounds, including against Ipswich SHS in Round Two, two tries against Marsden in Round Five, a try against local rivals PBC in Round Six and in the Round of 16 had a great game against Ipswich once again when he split the line to score from 40 metres out with his first touch and also late in the match popped a great ball to Tuvallo-Afoa Khan-Pereira to score.

In attack, he is a five eight who is a dynamic runner of the football who excels in taking on the defensive line with deft footwork around the ruck, looking to seek out bigger slower forwards when they are caught on the edge of the ruck.

Syris Schmidt also has a very good dummy which continues to be effective regardless of the frequency of its use as it is indistinguishable in process from when he is going to actually pass the ball.

Syris Schmidt does not however have blinkers on, and when his backline is set deep, he can see an overlap or a another play developing he will get the ball out quickly and effectively, using his solid passing skills from both sides of his body, where he will put the football out in front of his runners. Syris Schmidt is able to impart a good spin on the ball, thus can get good distance on his passes whilst maintaining accuracy from both sides of his body.

Assisting his play is the fact that Syris Schmidt makes the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide quickly. One aspect that is notable when you see him play is how he directs the team around the field, he is in charge of when and where the forwards run and also when he wants the ball to spread it out wide to his backline.

For his age group, he has a prodigious kick on him and seemingly also has good accuracy and presents as a future 40/20 threat. Also his prodigious boot generates significant height on his bombs, and I mean they are huge bombs and again are seemingly quite accurate, his ceiling is that of his team’s primary tactical kicker moving forward, both from a field position and attacking perspective.

It also helps that Syris Schmidt is a left foot kicker and his time at No. 10 in rugby has developed his kicking skills to the plus category quickly and he also has a quick release mitigating the possibility of a charge down.

Defensively he has decent size for a five eight, a facet which assists in him being a very effective defender for his position, in fact he is an asset to his team’s defensive pattern to the extent that he has the strength and technique to more than hold his own one on one against wide running forwards.

Playing no. 10 or at inside centre in school boy rugby has also assisted his defensive development. Loose forwards come off the back of the ruck or maul and traditionally target the channel defended by either the inside centre or fly half, where obviously Syris Schmidt is stationed the majority of the time.

Moving to the 2020 season, Syris Schmidt will barring injury be the No. 10 once again for the TSS First XV side.

It is great to see him continue to play both codes as the skills he is developing in both codes is no doubt immensely assisting in his development in both codes as the skills are complementary in nature, especially around tactical kicking and game management. Playing a high level of school boy rugby at either No. 10 or inside centre can only enhance and accelerate his rugby league developmental curve (if he chooses rugby league of course).

Syris Schmidt plays his football currently at the five eight position both in terms of club and representative football and certainly has the skills to stay there long term. He has all of the skills that you would want from your five eight, he can run the ball very well, he is a very good distributor and game manager and is also a very good general play kicker.

From a player comparison perspective, I am going to make a big call but he really does play the game like Darren Lockyer with more speed than when Darren Lockyer moved to five eight. Syris Schmidt really does present on the field as a natural gifted young player who does not take his natural ability for granted.

mdrew

13-09-19, 05:23 PM

Ioane Seuili. (Revised) The former South’s Logan Magpies centre is a Titans contracted player who spent the off-season training with the Titans NRL squad after a 2018 season which by any measure was simply outstanding.

Ioane Seuili’s 2019 season was if I am being honest was even better than 2018 and that was not an easy feat to pull off considering how good he was in 2018.

To add to his 2019 season Recently Ioane Seuili has been named in the New Zealand U19 side to play the Australian School boys on the Queensland Cup Grand Final day at Redcliffe Oval, hopefully his shoulder injury he sustained in Week One of the Queensland Cup Finals heals quickly so that Ioane Seuili can represent New Zealand.

Ioane Seuili started from the interchange bench in the Titans first NRL trial this season against the North Queensland Cowboys on the Sunshine Coast after playing for the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side in their Queensland Cup trial the week prior against the Souths Logan Magpies.

In the 2019 Queensland Cup season proper Ioane Seuili started the season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls, starting on the right wing in Round One against the PNG Hunters at Tweed Heads even though he had two years of Colts eligibility remaining.

In his 80 minutes on the field in Round One Ioane Seuili for 105 metres from nine runs, 46 of those metres post contact (43.81%), had an offload, broke two tackles and had an impressive play the ball average of 3.26 seconds as well as one off-load. Defensively Ioane Seuili made two tackles as well.

Ioane Seuili also started on the wing in Round two of the Queensland Cup against the Townsville Blackhawks playing all 80 minutes once again on the right wing. In those 80 minutes, he ran for 110 metres, 25 post contact, had two tackle breaks and played the ball at an average of 4.05 seconds.

In the Round Two match Ioane Seuili made two long runs, both coming in the first half. On the first occasion he took a long high kick in wet conditions, split the defence and ran thirty metres down the left touchline before being dragged down.

On the second occasion Ioane Seuili stayed outside of his man and after taking a cut out pass from Tweed five eight Lindon McGrady burst thirty metres down the left touch line once again before being caught by the cover defence. Highlighting his maturity was that Ioane Seuili came in field prior to being tackled to ensure that even in the wet conditions he would not be taken into touch.

Ioane Seuili also produced a heads up play in the second half. Instead of trying to pick up a dropped ball in the wet conditions on the fly, Ioane Seuili instead stopped to ensure that he took possession of the ball rather than give Townsville field position if he made an error at a critical juncture in the match.

In Round Three against Burleigh, Ioane Seuili started on the right wing again, playing the entire 80 minutes, running for 87 metres (30 post contact) with 31 of those metres in relation to kick returns. Ioane Seuili also broke a team leading five tackles, played the ball in an average time of 3.7 seconds and made three tackles at a 75% tackling efficiency.

One of Ioane Seuili’s tackles was on Burleigh Troy Leo when he dragged him down from behind, if Ioane Seuili did not make the tackle Troy Leo would have had a 70 metre run to the try line.

In Round Four for the third time in four Queensland Cup appearances Ioane Seuili ran for in excess of100 metres from his right wing position for Tweed Heads in their 26 – 12 win over the Capra’s. In his 80 minutes on the field Ioane Seuili ran for 105 metres (33 post contact), 50 metres of which were from kick returns. Ioane Seuili also had a line break assist, a try assist, a team leading four tackle breaks, played the ball in an average time of 4.16 seconds and made a tackle.

In Round Five against Wynnum Manly Ioane Seuili once again played the entire 80 minutes, running for 94 metres (35 post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.79 seconds and made a career high (to date) fifteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.75%.

In Round Six of the Queensland Cup on Saturday night for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Titan Ioane Seuili moved from the right wing to play at left centre and had a very good match, playing the entire 80 minutes, running for 130 metres (47 post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.7 seconds, and made fourteen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Ioane Seuili played Round Seven against Redcliffe at left centre for the second week in a row, playing the entire 80 minutes. Ioane Seuili led the Seagulls in both run metres (143) and post contact metres (57). He also broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed for 3.42 seconds and made twelve tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92.3%.

In Round Eight of the Queensland Cup Ioane Seuili played left centre for the third match in a row for Tweed Heads against the Ipswich Jets and as usual played the entire 80 minutes. In that time he ran for 78 metres (35 post contact), made a line break, played the ball at an average of 3.42 seconds and made three tackles at a 75% tackling efficiency.

In Round Nine of the Queensland Cup, Ioane Seuili started his third match in a row at left centre once again playing the entire 80 minutes against Norths. He ran for 112 metres (an impressive 58 post contact), broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.3 seconds and made ten tackles.

Round Ten also saw Ioane Seuili play all 80 minutes at left centre against the Easts Tigers, running for 103 metres (37 post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 4.29 seconds and made five tackles.

Round Eleven also saw Ioane Seuili play all 80 minutes at left centre against the Northern Pride, running for 62 metres (22 post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.52 seconds and made six tackles.

Ioane Seuili scored his career first Queensland Cup try in Round Twelve against Souths Logan from the left centre position. Playing the entire 80 minutes, Ioane Seuili ran for 130 metres (46 post contact), made a line break, had a line break assist, a try assist, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.87 seconds, had two offloads and made nine tackles at a tackling efficiency of 81.82%.

In relation to his try Ioane Seuili received the ball around five metres out from the Souths Logan line and got on his opposing defenders outside and was able to crash over in the left corner under pressure from two defenders.

In relation to his try assist, Ioane Seuili used his quick hands to catch and pass to his winger as the Souths Logan right winger was coming up to him to look to shut down the movement.

In a tough Round Thirteen loss against the Sunshine Coast Falcons, Ioane Seuili playing left centre in his 80 minutes, ran for 71 metres (sixteen post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.01 seconds and made ten tackles.

Ioane Seuili played on the left wing in Round Fourteen against the PNG Hunters once again playing the entire 80 minutes. In that time Ioane Seuili ran for 144 metres (46 post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.63 seconds and had a 100% tackling efficiency.

Ioane Seuili moved to the right wing for Round Fifteen against Ipswich, scoring his second career Queensland Cup try when he jumped high to take a bomb keeping his feet before spinning counter clock wise to put the ball down in the right corner mid-way through the first half.

Playing all 80 minutes, Ioane Seuili ran for 77 metres (thirty post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.72 seconds and made five tackles.

Ioane Seuili was back in the centres for Round Sixteen against Wynnum Manly playing all 80 minutes, running for seventy metres (twenty six post contact), playing the ball at an average speed of 3.69 seconds and making twelve tackles at a tackling efficiency of 85.71%.

After missing Round Seventeen Ioane Seuili started from the bench in Round Eighteen of the Queensland Cup against Central Queensland and in his forty nine minutes on the field recorded his first career double with both tries coming in the second half.

Ioane Seuili’s first try was a five metre effort when he crossed out wide on the right (he came on to play right wing), with the second try coming when he backed up through the centre of the field to run thirty five metres untouched in Tweed’s big win.

In addition to his double, Ioane Seuili ran for 108 metres (31 post contact), had a team leading two line breaks, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.07 seconds and made twelve tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92.31%.

Round Nineteen against the Mackay Cutters saw Ioane Seuili start from the bench playing 59 minutes, running for 58 metres (11 post contact), broke four tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.44 seconds and made nineteen tackles at a 86.38% tackling efficiency.

Round Twenty saw a positional switch with Ioane Seuili starting in the second row against Ipswich, his first match in that position for at least a number of seasons, if not longer. Ioane Sueili also scored his fifth try of the season in the match when he charged onto a short pass close to the lien from dummy half Brent Woolf to crash over try mid-way through the second half that put Tweed Heads ahead permanently.

In his first Queensland Cup match starting in the second row Ioane Seuili played 60 minutes, ran for 60 metres (19 post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.27 seconds and made seventeen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 85%.

Ioane Seuili maintained his starting place in the second row for Tweed Heads pivotal Round Twenty One match against the Easts Tigers having a huge game including scoring his 6th try of the season.

In addition Ioane Seuili played the entire 80 minutes, ran for 129 metres (27 post contact) had a team leading five tackle breaks and a team leading three line breaks, played the ball at an average speed of 3.32 seconds and made nineteen tackles at a 91.48% tackling efficiency.

Ioane Seuili’s try came as a result of him running a great line from his right second row position straight into a gap around forty metres out from the Easts line. Ioane Seuili then swerved around the fullback (I would not call it a step) to score an impressive try under the posts.

Ioane Seuili started his third match in the second row in Round Twenty Two against Souths Logan scoring his 7th try of the season in a great display spanning the entire 80 minutes. Ioane Seuili ran for 110 metres (33 post contact), had a line break, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.3 seconds, pulled off a one on one steal and made twenty three tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92% as he continued his impressive transition to the second row.

Ioane Seuili’s try came in the second half of the match, he received the ball on the right of the play the ball from the dummy half and was immediately confronted with a defender rushing up, Ioane Seuili stepped off his left foot and then stepped off his left foot again back behind the play the ball before charging over after the defence moved across the field.

Ioane Seuili started Round Twenty Three in the second row against the Northern Pride but due to an injury spent a significant portion of his 80 minutes on the field on the right wing.

In his time on the field, Ioane Seuili ran for 164 metres (48 post contact), broke four tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.04 seconds and made eleven tackles.

In his first Queensland Cup Final being the Week One Elimination Final against Redcliffe, Ioane Seuili had a huge match before dislocating his shoulder in the 65th minute of the match.

In addition to scoring Tweed Heads first two tries Ioane Seuili ran for 66 metres from the right second row position (27 post contact), made two line breaks and four tackles breaks, played the ball at an average speed of 3.46 seconds and made twelve tackles.

Ioane Seuili’s first try of the Elimination Final came when he ran onto a pass from the first receiver rambling over from three metres out. In relation to his second try, Ioane Seuili ran to the right of the play the ball, receiving the ball from the dummy half, whilst running an inside shoulder line to score about ten metres from the right upright.

In total in the Queensland Cup in 2019, Ioane Seuili played in twenty Three matches playing 1 753 minutes. Ioane Seuili played the entire eighty minutes on nineteen occasions. In his twenty three matches, Ioane Seuili scored nine tries, had five try assists, broke fifty four tackles, broke the line on twelve occasions, made 221 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 74.9% and ran for 2 329 metres.

Ioane Seuili’s 2019 Queensland Cup per game averages included playing 76.22 minutes, running for 101.3 metres and making 9.61 tackles.

The table below compares Ioane Seuili’s 2018 and 2019 Queensland Cup per game averages:

2018 Q Cup 2019 Q Cup

Games played 1 23

Minutes per game 80 76.22

Runs per game 15 13

Metres made per game 86.5 101.3

Tackles per game 7 9.61

The former Keebra Park student started the 2018 season in the South’s Logan MM Cup side that won the Queensland Grand Final, started in the centres for the Queensland U18 side (They went down 16 – 10 to NSW), progressed to the South’s Logan Hastings Deering’s Colts side and then made a deserved Queensland Cup debut, and of course signing with the Titans through to spending the off season training with the Titans NRL squad and subsequently becoming a Titans Development player.

In the 2018 MM Cup competition, Ioane Seuili started all ten of South’s Logan’s matches in the centres, including the Queensland Finals and the National final against Penrith. In total Ioane Seuili scored four tries with those tries coming in rounds Two, Three, Five and Six against the Northern Pride, Norths, Wynnum Manly and Central Queensland respectively.

Ioane Seuili made his Queensland Cup debut in Round 15 of 2018 against Redcliffe, starting on the wing and playing the entire 80 minutes for the Souths Logan Magpies. In the match he made an impressive five tackle breaks to pace the Magpies in that category in the match, ran for 86.5 metres from fifteen runs, with 18 of those metres post contact (20.81%). Ioane Seuili also made seven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 70%.

Post his Queensland Cup debut, Ioane Seuili moved to the Souths Logan Hasting’s Deering’s U20 Colts side coming into the side in Round Seventeen against Central Queensland. In total he played in seven U20 Colts matches including the Magpies Final’s loss to the Northern Pride, starting all in the centres and scoring in Round Twenty Four being the final regular season round against Ipswich.

Ioane Seuili played for Souths Logan in the MM Cup competition in 2017 before turning out form the Ormeau Shearers in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

For the Ormeau Shearers in 2017 Ioane Seuili has played in three first grade matches and elven at in the Doug Lipp competition including scoring a try against the Bilambil Jets in early July. Ioane Seuili made his first grade debut in June against Runaway Bay and has also turned out against Bilambil and Burleigh.

For South’s Logan in the 2017 MM Cup competition Ioane Seuili played in three matches being Round two where he started in the centres, Round Three also starting in the centres and Round Four when Ioane Seuili started at fullback. Ioane Seuili scored in Round Two against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and also in Round Three the following week against the Central Crows.

In 2017 Ioane Seuili was selected in the South Coast Open Rugby League squad and was also been a key member of Keebra Park’s push in the GIO Cup competition culminating in their Queensland GIO Cup final victory against Marsden.

Ioane Seuili started in the centres for Keebra Park in the National GIO Cup Final against Westfield Sports High and scored as Keebra Park won 25 – 12.

Ioane Seuili also had a great 2016 season which culminating in his selection in the Queensland U16 side where he started in the centres against New South Wales.

In the 2016 CC Cup Ioane Seuili played the season for the Souths Logan Magpies and had an outstanding campaign including starting at fullback in the CC Grand Final held at Langland’s Park Stones Corner where he in addition to kicking the first two conversions for the Magpies, scored a good try when he barged through the Townsville Stingers defence.

In addition to the 2016 CC Cup Grand Final Ioane Seuili had some outstanding matches in the CC competition including scoring a hat track against the Easts Tigers and also scoring in South Logan’s semi-final victory over the North’s Devils.

During the 2016 season Ioane Seuili played six Gold Coast Senior Rugby League matches for Ormeau which is an outstanding achievement. In 2015 Ioane Seuili was part of the Queensland U15 side that performed so well in the ASSRL Championships including scoring a hat trick on Day One against New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges and also scored on Day Four against New South Wales Combined Independent Schools. Ioane Seuili has also represented Samoa at junior levels.

For a centre, Ioane Seuili is a big strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Ioane Seuili also has a very good passing game especially to his right side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Ioane Seuili is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide.

From a speed perspective has above average speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, he will not be caught from behind other than from only the fastest of opponents and he is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback. The only possible question about Ioane Seuili’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the plus category as he matures and inevitably fills out.
Defensively Ioane Seuili uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

For me when I have seen him play for Souths Logan Ioane Seuili was the defensive leader of the three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Ioane Seuili on an individual level has the body control and anticipation to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

Ioane Seuili spent the 2018 offseason training with the Titans NRL side and played in the first NRL trial against North Queensland and he should also train this coming off season with the Titans on an NRL Development contract.

I fully expect that even though Ioane Seuili will still be U20 eligible in 2020, he will at some point make his NRL regular season debut next season for the Titans and also continue to play for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side.

Ioane Seuili played primarily in the centres throughout his junior rugby league career but after spending time at both centre and wing for Tweed Heads in the Queensland Cup competition moved to the second row and made an immediate impact there.

To be honest Ioane Seuili’s impact in the second row has revised my thoughts that Ioane Seuili is a pure centre and acknowledge that Ioane Seuili’s likely future is in the second row and a very talented one at that.

In short Ioane Seuili since last season has gained a fair bit of size but importantly that size has not impacted his speed or mobility but definitely has improved his strength and power which is now translating nicely to his new role at right second row for Tweed Heads in the Queensland Cup.

A player with a similar playing style for me for Ioane Seuili would be Brisbane Broncos and Queensland State of Origin star David Fifita, they are both around the same size now and look to use that size and speed to their advantage to dominate the opponent directly in front of them both in attack and defence.

The Titans have a very very good player on their hands with Ioane Seuili, of that there is absolutely no doubt and one that has a very real chance of getting to the NRL level sooner rather than later and staying there when he arrives.

mdrew

16-09-19, 03:44 PM

Repoama Morris-Ponga. The young Auckland New Zealand born hooker has moved over to the Gold Coast to continue his rugby league career in 2018 playing the season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast U19 competition.

In early 2019 Repoama Morris-Ponga moved from Burleigh in Runaway Bay.

With his new club Repoama Morris-Ponga had a huge match in Round Ten when he scored four tries as the Seagulls defeated Mudgeeraba.

Repoama Morris-Ponga’s first try came about when he ran out of dummy half from close range to the right of the play the ball to crash over. His second and third tries came from Repoama Morris-Ponga backing up to score.

In relation to his second try the ball was spun out to the right where centre Char Peters broke the line before cutting back inside to find Repoama Morris-Ponga who ran fifteen metres to score. Repoama Morris-Ponga backed up one of his forwards who got an offload away close to the line in the second half to cross.

Repoama Morris-Ponga’s fourth and final try was a bit different. Runaway Bay took a quick tap from a penalty around twelve metres out from the Mudgeeraba line, Repoama Morris-Ponga received the ball and looked to pass to his left but no-one was in the correct position, instead he took the line on, stepping off his left foot and breaking three tackles to score close to the left upright.

In Round Eleven against Currumbin Repoama Morris-Ponga added a double to his try scoring tally against Currumbin. His first try came after a quick play the ball on the last tackle, Repoama Morris-Ponga burst out of dummy half to his left to scramble over from about ten metres out.

For his second try of the match Repoama Morris-Ponga scored from a lot closer. From a play the ball less than a metre short of the Currumbin line, Repoama Morris-Ponga shaped to pass to his right but instead dived over to his left to score in a huge gap.

Repoama Morris-Ponga continued his try scoring exploits in Round Twelve against Burleigh when after a quick play the ball, he darted out of dummy half to his right to score.

Repoama Morris-Ponga added another try in Round Sixteen against Burleigh and also scored in Round Nineteen against Southport.

Repoama Morris-Ponga’s try in Round Nineteen came when he took advantage of a Southport player caught on the ground at the play the ball, Repoama Morris-Ponga went to his left where the Southport player was caught on the ground and used the confusion in the defensive line that caused to dive over from short range.

In total in the 2019 GCRL U20 competition Repoama Morris-Ponga played in fourteen regular season matches, including the opening three rounds for Burleigh before his transfer to Runaway Bay scoring eleven tries. In addition to the tries noted above Repoama Morris-Ponga also scored against Helensvale and Southport.

In the opening two weeks of the GCRL U20 Finals series, Repoama Morris-Ponga started at hooker in Runaway Bay’s two wins against Helensvale 27 – 20 in Week One and 19 – 18 in Week Two against Mudgeeraba.

In the GCRL U20 Preliminary Final against Currumbin Repoama Morris-Ponga also started at hooker as Runaway Bay were eliminated from the competition going down 20 – 16 to Currumbin.

For Burleigh, Repoama Morris-Ponga scored in Round Three against Currumbin.

Repoama Morris-Ponga made his Doug Lipp Cup debut when he came off the bench against Bilambil in Round Thirteen.

Repoama Morris-Ponga is a former student of powerhouse Auckland Rugby league school, Mount Albert Grammar School (MAGS) and played for the New Lynn Rugby League in Auckland in his junior rugby league days.

Repoama Morris-Ponga has also represented the Cook Islands on a number of occasions including in late November 2017 in the Pasifika Youth Cup at the U18 level and in fact scored on Day One against New Zealand Maori. Repoama Morris-Ponga has also represented the Cook Islands in rugby, being part of the Cook Islands U18 World Sevens Tournament in 2017.

Repoama Morris-Ponga is by no means a big rugby league player and relies on his speed and mobility to create opportunities on the field. His speed off the mark, acceleration and top end speed are all in the plus category. If Repoama Morris-Ponga sees a gap he is through it before the defensive line can react.

His plus speed manifests itself in two distinct ways, first when returning kicks, Repoama Morris-Ponga regularly gets the ball on the full and then explodes through the smallest of gaps in the defensive teams kick chase and secondly when a forward takes the ball up through the centre of the ruck, Repoama Morris-Ponga is always in support and if he gets an off load he can accelerate through the resultant gap.

Repoama Morris-Ponga does not necessarily have a big step but has an outstanding swerve which he uses when confronted with the fullback. He will run directly at the fullback to slow his lateral momentum and then swerve around him the second the fullback’s momentum stops or slows.

As a defender, like his attack due to his smaller size, Repoama Morris-Ponga relies on his speed, timing and technique. Repoama Morris-Ponga has an outstanding low tackling technique which he uses against all players running at him and he will move forward from the fullback to cut down the time that the opposition has to make a decision with the ball.

Repoama Morris-Ponga will play the 2020 season with Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition.

With his speed and elusiveness out of dummy half Repoama Morris-Ponga shapes as the ideal hooker in rugby league.

From a player comparison perspective think someone along the lines of North Queensland Cowboys hooker Jake Granville as a player with speed out of dummy half especially when he takes off down the blind side.

mdrew

16-09-19, 04:26 PM

Luke Jurd. He joined the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad for the 2019 season after spending a number of seasons with the Cronulla Sharks in their lower grades including the now defunct NYC competition.

Luke Jurd came into the Tweed Heads side in Round Nine starting at five eight against Norths after being named on extended benches in previous rounds.

In total in the Queensland Cup for Tweed Heads, Luke Jurd played in twelve matches, including starting six matches at five eight, four at half and the remainder from the interchange bench scoring a single try in the process which came against Wynnum Manly in Round Sixteen.

Luke Jurd played 751 minutes, running for 687 metres (57.3 metres per game), made 163 tackles (12.6 tackles per game), forced six line drops outs, had four try assists, broke the line on three occasions, had twenty tackle breaks and kicked for 1 426 metres (118.83 metres per game) including kicking for 412 metres in Tweeds Elimination Final loss to Redcliffe.

Luke Jurd started the 2019 season playing for Currumbin in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition, and in Round One against Southport, started at half and scored a try and kicked three from three.

Luke Jurd operated primarily on the right side for Currumbin and his try came from a dummy and run from around ten metres out from the Southport line as he dragged two defenders over the line with him.

In total for Currumbin in the 2019 GCRL First Grade competition Luke Jurd played in five matches starting the vast majority of those at half or five eight and scoring eighteen points from three tries and three goals.

Luke Jurd’s tries came against Southport, Burleigh and Tugun and all three of his goals coming in an early season match against Southport.

In 2018, Luke Jurd played for the Cronulla Sharks U20 Jersey Flegg side, playing in every match that Cronulla were involved in being twenty matches including four finals matches, including starting the Grand Final that Cronulla won 22 – 12 against Penrith from the interchange bench.

Luke Jurd started Cronulla’s first twelve matches at five eight before moving to the interchange bench for Cronulla’s remaining twelve 2018 matches including their four finals matches.

Coming off the interchange bench, Luke Jurd played a variety of positions including in the halves, hooker and even spent some time in the backrow for the Cronulla Sharks.

Luke Jurd scored two 2018 U20 Jersey Flegg tries, the first coming in Round Thirteen against the Canterbury Bulldogs and the second in Round Twenty Four against the Wests Tigers.

Late in 2018 Luke Jurd toured South Africa with the Australian Universities Rugby League side and scored in their first tour match against a West Province XIII side in Cape Town in a big 72 – 6 Australian Universities victory.

Luke Jurd was part of the New South Wales University side that were beaten by Queensland Universities 52 – 12 earlier in 2018 but played well enough to be selected in the Australian side alongside his brother as one of only a handful of New South Welshmen in the Australian side.

In 2017 Luke Hurd was in fact named to make his New South Wales Intrust Super Cup debut with the Newtown Jets but unfortunately had to withdraw from the match late in the week due to injury.

In attack Luke Jurd has a touch above average speed off the mark but does not necessary have an extra gear in open space, but he is able to sustain his top speed over considerable distance. In confined space, he has very good footwork, including a good step off both feet.

Luke Jurd can beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies.

As games progress Luke Jurd is very good at identifying tired forwards in the defensive line, and he will target them accordingly. A great trait that Luke Jurd already displays is that he will play what is in front of him rather than just play to a set game plan, which is a sign of a young player with a good understanding of the game.

When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the edge of the ruck, Luke Jurd will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. Due to his speed off the mark Luke Jurd is also a very good cover defender as he tracks the ball across the field and has a solid low tackling technique from the side

Luke Jurd will play the 2020 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side as he looks to impress new Titans coach Justin Holbrook.

Luke Jurd has played in the halves the majority of his career in the New South Wales Junior Representative competitions and it appears likely that that is where he will play in 2020 for Tweed Heads, but it would also not surprise if Luke Jurd spends sometime in the dummy half role over the course of the 2020 season.

Gold Coast Titans Ryley Jacks for me is a similar type of player to Luke Hurd, both are solid players who can play either of the halves positions and both have the where with all and confidence to also be an effective dummy half should the need arise.

mdrew

16-09-19, 06:45 PM

Juwann-Claude Wetere. The powerhouse young Runaway Bay Seagulls centre had a great match for the Titans U13 Invitational side in their 40 – 12 win over the Western Mustangs at Mudgeeraba with Juwann-Claude Wetere starting the match at left centre.

Juwann-Claude Wetere contributed a double (it could have been a hat trick, sorry I lost count and from my angle it was difficult to see across to het opposite corner) including a long range effort when he ran off a great ball from Titans five eight Coby Black who had pocked his nose through the defensive line before offloading to his left to Juwann-Claude Wetere.

Early in the 2019 season Juwann-Claude Wetere was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U13 squad for the Hill Stumer Championships where he played right centre.

Juwann-Claude Wetere started at five eight in Round One of the GCRL U13 Division One competition for Runaway Bay against Currumbin and made an impressive start to the season scoring four tries as his Seagulls side defeated Currumbin 52 - 0.

Juwann-Claude Wetere also scored early season tries against Southport in Round Two and Helensvale in Round Four. In Round Six Juwann-Claude Wetere was outstanding on his way to scoring a hat trick and in Round Thirteen added a double against Ormeau and added a further double in Round Fourteen against Coomera.

In total in the GCRL U13 Division One competition Juwann-Claude Wetere scored fifteen tries from just eleven matches to finish the regular season with a 136% try scoring strike rate.

Juwann-Claude Wetere played just the six matches for Runaway Bay in the 2018 GCRL U12 Division One competition but in those matches finished with a strike rate of 117%, scoring in all bar one match which was against Helensvale in June.

Juwann-Claude Wetere scored doubles against Ormeau and Southport and also scored Currumbin, Coomera and Burleigh Maroon. Juwann-Claude Wetere also kicked one goal over the course of the season, with that goal coming against Currumbin in June.

Even though Juwann-Claude Wetere has played a fair bit of five eight this season in club rugby league for Runaway Bay, I do prefer when he runs the ball rather than necessarily focussing on play making. Juwann-Claude Wetere has good size and on his day is a powerful and determined runner who will crash through tackles with sheer force of will.

Juwann-Claude Wetere runs with power and even though he does run straight on he will drop his body into the first defender and will bump off the first tackler regularly with limited loss of momentum.

In terms of speed, Juwann-Claude Wetere has what I would consider above average speed for a five eight or centre and whilst he does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space, he has the ability to sustain his top speed for the duration of his runs.

In terms of beating a defender other than with power, Juwann-Claude Wetere has a good in and away and can hold defenders off his body with a strong fend with either hand and is also able to drift across the field looking to set up his support runners if/when a hole develops in the defensive line.

For a centre Juwann-Claude Wetere is a big strong young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Juwann-Claude Wetere also has a very good passing game especially to his left side. When the ball is passed out to the back line, Juwann-Claude Wetere is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide, thus I can understand why his club coach is playing him at five eight this season.

Defensively Juwann-Claude Wetere uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

For me when I saw him play Juwann-Claude Wetere is the defensive leader of his teams three quarter line and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

Juwann-Claude Wetere on an individual level has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

Juwann-Claude Wetere will play the 2019 season with Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U13 Division One competition.

Even though Juwann-Claude Wetere has the size to play in the backrow, when you have someone with his size and speed attributes, you give them every opportunity to stay in the centres and there is no doubt that he will likely play there for his entire rugby league career.

Certainly this season for Runaway Bay in the GCRL U13 Division One competition Juwann-Claude Wetere played five eight but if anything that will only improve his skill set to stay in the centres long term.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, Juwann-Claude Wetere has similar traits to Sydney Roosters and New South Wales star centre Latrell Mitchell. Like Mitchell, Juwann-Claude Wetere is a big strong powerful centre who will not be beaten in a one on one contest in attack or defence.

Juwann-Claude Wetere is just a powerful young man now only just learning how to translate and direct that natural strength and power consistently on a rugby league field.

mdrew

17-09-19, 05:23 PM

Jahvis Kendall. The young Tugun Seahawks and PBC centre started the 2019 season of starting on the left wing in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

In the match Jahvis Kendall did not get a lot of ball coming his way but did well with what he got and was on hand to score the Northern Rivers Titans only try in the match late in the second half. Jahvis Kendall stayed on his left wing and received a good cut out pass from Titans five eight Thomas Vickery and crossed untouched and was even able to take the ball closer to the posts for the conversion which was subsequently kicked by Thomas Vickery.

Round Two of the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition saw Jahvis Kendall once again line up on the wing in their match against Parramatta in Sydney, but unfortunately he had limited opportunities in the match.

Round Four saw Jahvis Kendall back in the side for the match against the Central Coast Roosters starting on the right wing which is also where he started in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers scoring out wide after a great cut out pass from Jonah Whitlam-Rose.

Post the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition, Jahvis Kendall played for Tugun in the GCRL U18 Division One and Two competitions playing the majority of his matches in the centres although I note that he did start one match in the second row.

In total in the GCRL U18 Division Two competition Jahvis Kendall played two matches scored fourteen points from three tries and a conversion all of which came in an early May match against Burleigh.

After the the GCRL U18 competition was restructured during the season Jahvis Kendall played six matches for Tugun in the U18 Division One competition.

Jahvis Kendall represented Group 18 on a regular basis in his junior rugby league career, including playing on the wing for the Group 18 U15 side in 2017 in the New South Wales Country U15 Championships in matches against Maitland, Group 19 and Group 2 and kicked a conversion against Group 19.

2017 also saw Jahvis Kendall represent Group 18 in an U16 match against Group One in a curtain raiser to a New South Wales Country U23 V Scotland match with Jahvis Kendall starting the match on the wing.

In 2016 Jahvis Kendall represented Group 18 at the New South Wales Country U14 Championships scoring a try and kicking two goals in a match against Group 21 and also playing in the centres against Newcastle.

Even though he does not have great top end speed Jahvis Kendall is quick enough to take advantage of any space that he is given down the touchline by opposing wingers. One good thing about his play in attack is that he stays on his wing and is regularly outside his opposite number allowing his inside players to be able to find him in attack and in the games that I have seen he stays back and does not over run the players that are inside of him.

Jahvis Kendall seems to be aware of his skill set as he does not take chances with the sideline and does his utmost to ensure that he is not taken over the sideline and knows when to cut back inside rather than taking his opposite number on along the touchline.

In terms of defence, Jahvis Kendall is solid and seemingly understands the attributes of his opposite number to the extent that he alters his defensive positioning if he is against speedy, elusive wingers and against larger wingers.

In 2020 Jahvis Kendall will look to push for a spot in the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad.

Over the course of his junior rugby league career, Jahvis Kendall has split his playing time between the wing and in the centres. Ultimately however I anticipate that Jahvis Kendall will ultimately play the majority of his rugby league career on the wing.

Interestingly in 2019 Jahvis Kendall also spent some time playing in the second row in the GCRL U18 competition.

I am reminded of the Titans own Anthony Don when I watch Jahvis Kendall play, he may not be as good in the air as Don (not sure anyone in the NRL is) but like Don he is not the fastest winger running around but invariably is in the right position at the right time to take advantage of any opportunities that present and like Don, Jahvis Kendall typically plays on the right side of the field.

mdrew

17-09-19, 05:42 PM

Thomas Vickery. The young utility started the 2019 season of starting at five eight in Round One for the Northern Rivers Titans in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad.

Thomas Vickery tried his guts out the entire match and setup the Northern Rivers Titans sole try of the match late in the second half. Thomas Vickery was operating on the left side of the field and threw a great cut-out pass to left winger Jahvis Kendall who went over untouched and was even able to bring the ball around by about ten metres or so to make the conversion easier for Thomas Vickery.

Round Two saw Thomas Vickery move to right centre for the Northern Rivers Titans match against the Parramatta Eels.

Round Three saw another position change for Thomas Vickery when he started at fullback against the North Coast Bulldogs in Grafton and converted Cooper Many’s second half try near the left upright.

Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters saw Thomas Vickery on the move again, moving back to right centre where he played in Round Two and converted two of the Northern Rivers Titans three tries.

In Round five against the Greater Northern Tigers Thomas Vickery stayed at centre and added four goals to his points tally in the competition.

Post the 2019 Laurie Daley Cup competition Thomas Vickery started in the U18 NRRRL competition for Murwillumbah kicking four goals as the Colts started their season off with a 36 – 4 victory over the Evans Head Bombers.

In Round Two Thomas Vickery added a try and two goals as Murwillumbah went down 18 – 16 to the Lower Clarence Magpies a side which contained Titans contract stand out Ethan Foster.

In the 2019 NRRRL U18 competition, Thomas Vickery played in fifteen matches scoring ninety six points from four tries and forty goals. In only one U18 NRRRL match in 2019 did Thomas Vickery not get his name on the scoreboard with Cudgen being the side that held Thomas Vickery scoreless.

In addition to his Round Two try against Lower Clarence, Thomas Vickery has also scored against Tweed Coast in two separate matches and also against Ballina in early July.

With the boot, Thomas Vickery kicked five goals in a late July match against Cudgen, kicked four twice, being against Evans Head and Byron Bay and kicked three goals in a match on six occasions.

Thomas Vickery’s forty goals was enough to see him finish as the NRRRL U18 competitions third leading goal kicker and his ninety six points meant that he finished 4th in the total points scored category.

Thomas Vickery played his first NRRRL First Grade match of the 2019 in Round Eight against Mullumbimby scoring in a Mustangs 28 – 10 victory.

Thomas Vickery has also played in three NRRRL regular season Reserve Grade matches in 2019 with his debut coming early in August against Tweed Coast, scoring in that match.

Thomas Vickery also started on the wing for Murwillumbah in the Week Two Reserve Grade Final’s and scored as Murwillumbah went down 14 – 6 to the Tweed Coast Raiders. Thomas Vickery also scored in his third NRRRL Reserve Grade match which was against Byron Bay in early August.

Thomas Vickery also started on the wing in the NRRRL Reserve Grade Preliminary and was one of Murwillumbah’s try scorers as they bowed out after going down 26 – 24 to Casino RSM.

Thomas Vickery was also part of the Keebra Park Langer Cup squad in 2019 including starting on the left wing in the Gold Coast derby against PBC and scoring a first half hat trick. For all intents and purposes all three tries were similar with Thomas Vickery staying on his touch line and showing impressive speed down the touch line to score, including on one occasion when he got a clip across the ear for his troubles after he had put the ball down.

Thomas Vickery also started on the left wing for Keebra Park in their Queensland GIO Cup quarter final win over Coombabah State High School 42 – 12 as well as their GIO Cup Queensland semi-final loss to Wavell State High School.

In 2018 Thomas Vickery played two matches for the Northern Rivers Titans Laurie Daley Cup squad, being Round One against the Newcastle Knights when he started on the wing and in Round Four when he started in the centres against the Central Coast Roosters.

Thomas Vickery had a big game against the Central Coast Roosters scoring a double and also kicking a conversion for a ten point match haul.

In Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers Thomas Vickery added a try and four goals to his season points tally in a tough four point loss.

Post the 2018 Laurie Daley Cup competition, Thomas Vickery played for Murwillumbah in the NRRRL competition, playing in the U18, reserve grade and first grade competitions over the course of the 2018 season.

Thomas Vickery played his first NRRRL First Grade match of the 2019 season in Round Eight scoring against Mullumbimby.

In the U18 competition, Thomas Vickery played in eight matches in 2018 scoring twenty points which was made up of two tries and six goals. Both of his tries came against Evans Head in August, a match which also saw him kick four goals to finish with a match total of sixteen points, which accounted for 80% of his season total.

Thomas Vickery played three NRRRL Reserve Grade matches in 2018 as well and in his reserve grade debut for Murwillumbah scored a double against Cudgen.

Thomas Vickery made his deserved NRRRL First Debut as a 17 year old Casino RSM in April and went on to play in eleven First Grade matches, scoring his first try in his third match against Mullumbimby. Thomas Vickery followed that up with a double later in the season against Evans Head, a match which also saw him kick a conversion.

Thomas Vickery is not the biggest rugby league player running around but do not take his lack of size in any way as a lack of ability or courage, he has a lot of both, which is on display each time he runs onto the field. With the ball he is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports.

Thomas Vickery is adept at drawing an opposing defender out of the defensive line and then putting his support runner through the resulting gap. In terms of his speed, I would suggest that an appropriate definition of his speed would be that he is quick off the mark but does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space.

In previous seasons when I have seen him play he sometimes took the line on himself too much, but the times that I have seen him play more recently Thomas Vickery has become more selective about when to pass and when to run. Thomas Vickery’s passing game is solid but seems to be slightly better when he is passing to the right side of the field.

Thomas Vickery is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side both in attack and defence. Thomas Vickery also has a touch of aggressiveness about his play on occasion which showed in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Round two match against the Parramatta Eels early in 2019.

Thomas Vickery is not the biggest player but even when defending in the front line will tackle using his shoulder which assists when defending against larger forwards operating on the fringes of the ruck.

Whilst not the biggest Thomas Vickery is strong and tough enough to effectively tackle one on one against opposing halves and with his solid speed and foot work he can cover a lot of ground as he tracks the ball across the field. Thomas Vickery is certainly not going to be a liability in defence for his team and is more than willing to take on bigger forwards.

When defending at fullback Thomas Vickery forces the opposition to make a decision with the football rather than letting the attackers come to him with time on their side and at fullback has very safe hands and will get to a lot of kicks on the full thus enabling his team to start their set of six with good field position, courage is also not an issues for the young Gold Coast junior.

Thomas Vickery played multiple positions for the Northern Rivers Titans U18 side this season including five eight, centre and fullback but ultimately I believe that he ends up as a winger in the senior rugby league ranks.

It will be interesting to see where Thomas Vickery plays in 2020, he may stay on the Gold Coast and push for a Hastings Deering’s Colts spot with either Tweed Heads (most likely) or Burleigh or may head back to the NRRRL competition where he should be a First Grade mainstay for Murwillumbah.

From a player comparison perspective in relation to Thomas Vickery, think of someone along the lines of current Newcastle Knights and former St George Dragons fullback Kurt Mann as just a solid, safe and dependable player across the board who can play a variety of positions in the backline from fullback all the way through to the halves.

mdrew

18-09-19, 03:38 PM

Nelson Grove. The aggressive young hooker was a more than solid contributor for the outstanding PBC Open School boy rugby league that won the National GIO Cup competition in 2018 by defeating Patrician Brothers College Blacktown. Nelson Grove came off the bench in all of PBC’s GIO Cup matches, providing a spark and aggression in the dummy half role when he came on to spell regular starting hooker Jed Edwards.

Nelson Grove played the 2019 season with Tugun playing in both the U18 Division On and Two and Doug Lipp Cup competitions for the Seahawks.

Nelson Grove started off the 2019 season in the U18 Division Two competition for Tugun playing in two matches prior to a reshuffle in the competition saw Tugun move up to the U18 Division One ranks. In that competition Nelson Grove played in six matches including scoring against Runaway Bay in May.

Nelson Grove made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in early May against Burleigh going into play an additional three Doug Lipp Cup matches which were against Bilambil, Southport and Mudgeeraba.

Nelson Grove only played in one GCRL match in 2018 with that match being for Burleigh against Helensvale in the U17 Division One competition. Nelson Grove is also a former member of the Brisbane Broncos Junior Development system and was so for a number of years.

Nelson Grove had an outstanding 2017 season which included being selected in the Queensland U16 side where he was one of six Burleigh youngsters in the Queensland Side for the State of Origin curtain raiser. 2017 also saw Nelson Grove selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport U16 squad. Previously Nelson Grove has been part of the Brisbane Broncos Junior Development Program.

For the Burleigh Bears in the U16 Division One competition in 2017 Nelson Grove started at lock in their tough 34 – 4 Grand Final loss to the Currumbin Eagles. Over the course of the 2017 GCJRL U16 Division One competition, Nelson Grove played in thirteen matches and scored twenty points which came from four tries and two conversions. Nelson Grove’s tries came against Ormeau, Runaway Bay and Helensvale in two separate late season matches. His conversions came in consecutive mid-season matches against Runaway Bay (when he converted his own try) and against Ormeau.

Nelson Grove also played one match for the Burleigh Bears in the GCJRL U17 Division One competition with that match being against the Ormeau Shearers backing up from the U16 match earlier in the night.

In 2017 Nelson Grove also represented South East Queensland Green at the U16 level in the 2017 Queensland Rugby League U16 Boys Junior Championships. In those Championships, Nelson Grove played in four matches which were against Central, Northern and South East Queensland White, including the final. Nelson Grove’s sole U16 Championship try came on Day Two against Northern.

In 2016 Nelson Grove also started in Burleigh’s Grand Final winning side in the U15 Division One competition and across the 2016 season he scored five tries and kicked 13 goals and a field goal to finish with a total points tally of 47. Nelson Grove had a great start to the 2016 season scoring a hat trick and kicking eight goals in the first round of the season proper against the Ormeau Shearers for a 30 point haul in the match.

Nelson Grove’s other tries in 2016 came against Southport and Helensvale later in the season and in a match in July against Runaway Bay Nelson Grove kicked four goals. Nelson Grove over the course of the 2016 season also played two matches up in the U16 Division One competition and in his debut in that grade scored a try against Helensvale after backing up from the U15 match earlier in the night.

Nelson Grove represented South Coast in the U15 QSSRL Championships in 2016 and from there went on to represent Queensland Maroon at the U15 ASSRL Championships where a team mate was Brent Barnes against other Gold Coast based players in that team.

Where Nelson Grove really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has very good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet. Around the try line he is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself or pass, where he gets down low and drives with his legs.

Nelson Grove is solid all round hooker who distributes effectively to both sides of the ruck. He is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass. He passes well from both sides of his body. One thing that he does well in dummy half is not taking his eye off ball until it is in his hands, read that he does not make many handling errors.

Nelson Grove defends in the middle of the ruck and is an effective low tackler and for his size quite an aggressive defender. He is also very good at getting out of marker quickly to harass the opposition kickers. Nelson Grove is not going to wow you with his defence because you will not see big hits, but you will see an efficient and effective defender and a talker.

Nelson Grove will likely look to break into either the Burleigh or Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad in 2020 and if not will play for Bilambil in the GCRL U20 or First Grade competitions.

Hopefully Nelson Grove is not lost to rugby league as he may not be the biggest, strongest or most skilful player running around but he is one of the toughest and hardest working.

Nelson Grove has spent a fair bit of his junior rugby league career in the backrow but as a result of how he has handled the dummy half role for PBC this season I would think that hooker has become the ideal position for Nelson Grove not withstanding that he could potentially handle playing some minutes in the second row if necessary.

From a player comparison perspective for Nelson Grove, due to tenacity, a playing style and comparison akin to current Titans and former New South Wales State of Origin hooker Nathan Peats would be appropriate from a aggression, courage and determination perspective.