My take on our top juniors

Brock Lennox. The local young outside back from the Helensvale Hornets early in 2020 signed a contract with the Titans for the next couple of seasons at least after his series of outstanding 2019 season performances for the Hornets and in Gold Coast and South East Queensland junior age representative sides.

Brock Lennox was also involved in the Titans U15 Academy matches at Burleigh in early 2020 and post those round robin matches signed his contract with the Titans which will see the young centre part of the Titans JTS program for the next couple of seasons at the very least.

Brock Lennox moved to the Southport School (TSS) in 2020 and in late July started at inside centre (No. 12) in the TSS U15A side in their first school boy rugby trial against another GPS school, being Nudgee College, with the trial being held in Brisbane with Brock Lennox converting TSS’s sole try of the match.

Brock Lennox moved to outside centre (No. 13) for the TSS U15A’s final trial against Churchie and kicked a conversion in the dying minutes to seal a 12 – 5 TSS victory.

Round One of the GPS school boy rugby U15A competition proper saw Brock Lennox start at outside centre (No. 13) for TSS against Brisbane State High School.

In Round Two Brock Lennox started at fullback and kicked four conversions as TSS outlasted Toowoomba Grammar School in a high scoring affair. Brock Lennox also started at fullback in Round Two against Brisbane Grammar School and Round Three against Brisbane Boys College where he converted TSS’s only try of the match.

Brock Lennox maintained his run of starts at fullback in Round Four against Gregory Terrace converting TSS’s sole try of the match and also started at fullback in Round Five against Ipswich Grammar School.

Post the TSS GPS rugby season Brock Lennox was named as the TSS U15 goal kicking champion for his efforts in the TSS U15A side.

In late October 2020, Brock Lennox was named in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Cyril Connell Cup Academy Squad.

In 2019 Brock Lennox played for the Helensvale Hornets in the GCJRL U14 Division One competition finishing the season as one of the competitions leading goal kickers and points scorers overall as he has for a number of seasons in yellow and green. It was a similar situation in 2018 in the GCRL U13 Division One competition for Brock Lennox.

In 2019 Brock Lennox also represented the Gold Coast Vikings representative U14 side at the Hill Stumer Championships starting at left centre that were held at Ipswich and post those Championships was named in the South East Queensland White side for the 2019 Queensland U14 Age Championships. Brock Lennox was the Gold Coast Vikings leading point’s scorer at those Championships.

For Queensland White at the Queensland Championships, Brock Lennox played in all four of their matches primarily at left centre and kicked five goals including two in the Championships third v fourth 16 – 14 play-off win against Central to round out an impressive 2019 representative season for the Titans contracted centre.

Brock Lennox also kicked two goals in Game One against Northern and one in Game Three against South East Queensland Green when he converted the try of fellow Titans contracted player, second rower Philip Hakaraia-Ngamotu.

In 2018 Brock Lennox played for Merrimac High School in the NRL Gold Coast Titans Year 7/8 Challenge and was in fact named player of the competition after a number of outstanding displays for the Gold Coast based school.

Brock Lennox is a tallish, 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 Brock Lennox’s play, the in and away is his bread and butter.

Brock Lennox has very good speed off the mark and can break to the outside quickly with no loss of momentum, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes Brock Lennox a difficult proposition to tackle. Overall Brock Lennox’s speed for a centre is probably in the above average range, but he is quick off the mark and can utilise a step and a swerve with little to no loss of his speed or momentum.

Brock Lennox has more tools though than just an in and away, Brock Lennox 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.

Also when opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Brock Lennox usually is able to maintain his balance as well as maintaining his running line and keeps an arm free, looking to offload usually with his right arm.

What Brock Lennox is also quite 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. If the defender cheats out however, Brock Leenox has the nouce to bring the ball back into his body and slide through the resultant gap.

An additional attacking feature that I like when I watch Brock Leenox play is the way that he straightens up the point of attack well when the ball is spun out to his left side of the field. Instead of continuing to head across field potentially compressing backline and forcing them to the touch line, Brock Lennox straightens up his running line immediately after receiving the ball thus giving his outside supports more room to move.

The outcome of that action is that the defence which is normally sliding from inside out is frozen in place as they are confronted with the change in the attacking vector which in term changes the advantage to Brock Lennox and his team mates.

In those instances, Brock Leenox immediately moves from running the ball against multiple defenders to taking on a stationary opponent one on one which opens up the ability of Brock Lennox to utilise a step or swerve whilst at the same time retaining the option of passing to the outsaide supports but also opening up the ability of his inside support runners to become involved when they otherwise would not have had the ability to.

Brock Lennox will not necessarily hit hard per say from a defensive perspective, but he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. Brock Lennox 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, Brock Lennox seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage although Brock Lennox has also shown the ability to come out of the line to halt a play before it completely develops if the opportunity presents itself over the course of a match.

Brock Lennox is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy including from out to the side line where he does not look to try to kick the ball too work but relies on his routine and process to get the appropriate result.

I would suggest that Brock Lennox is likely to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level he progresses to into the future after kicking a high percentage across all levels of rugby league in 2020 and earlier.

Brock Lennox is set to play for the Helensvale Hornets in the GCJRL U16 Division One competition in 2021 when the Gold Coast Rugby League competition resumes and Brock Lennox will also line up for TSS once again, in 2021 in the GPS U16A competition and may also get an opportunity with the First XV squad.

Brock Lennox is a tall quick young man with speed, balance and body control and with those attributes, Brock Lennox has a real opportunity to develop into a very impressive long term centre prospect. I note however that Brock Lennox was also very very good at fullback for TSS GPS U15A school boy rugby competition in 2021 and playing fullback in rugby can only enhance his rugby league skill set.

With his size, speed, balance and body control attributes Brock Lennox has a playing style comparable to that of St George Dragons centre, wing or fullback Zac Lomax. Both have a tallish wiry frame and move very well both forward and laterally. Similiarly both Lomax and Brock Lennox whilst wiry and strong young men and seem to be on occasion very underrated in this critical aspect of rugby league.

Brent Woolf. (Revised) The Former Mudgeeraba Redbacks junior will spend the 2020/21 off-season on a train and trial contract with the Titans.

Brent Woolf’s first official hit out of the 2020 season came when he started at hooker for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in their Queensland Cup trial win over the Souths Logan Magpies at Tugun in mid-February.

Brent Woolf also started at hooker for Tweed Heads in their Queensland Cup trial against the Burleigh Bears.

Brent Woolf started Round One of the 2020 Queensland Cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls at hooker against the Northern Pride playing fifty one minutes in the match. Brent Woolf ran for fifty two metres (sixteen post contact), kicked once for twelve metres, broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 2.95 seconds and made twenty six tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92.86%.

With the cancellation of the 2020 Queensland Cup competition Brent Woolf played the season in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in their inaugural GCRL First Grade competition including starting Round One for the Redbacks at lock against the Runaway Bay Seagulls.

Brent Woolf also started at lock in Round Two against the Tugun Seahawks but Round Three saw him move to hooker for the match against Southport scoring in the Redbacks loss. Brent Woolf put into dummy half two metres out from the line, skipping out of dummy half to his right shaping to try a long pass, instead, Brent Woolf stepped off his right foot back towards the play the ball, diving over between two defenders.

Brent Woolf also started at hooker in the Redbacks Round Five match against the high flying Burleigh Bears as well as in Round Six against the Ormeau Shearers when he scored a second half try as well as a first half try assist.

Brent Woolf scored after getting into dummy half close to the Ormeau line. Brent Woolf darted out of dummy half to his right before propping and cutting back to the left and diving over. Brent Woolf’s try assist was as a result of a long pass to his right close to the Ormeau line to put Will Brimson into space for an under the posts try.

After his Round Six herorics Brent Woolf also started at hooker for Round Seven against the Currumbin Eagles scoring for the second match in a row as well as being heavily involved in a first half Mudgeeraba Try when after following through a bomb gained possession of the ball before throwing a long cut out ball to his right to find his winger in space who was able to score out wide.

Brent Woolf’s first half try was a long range solo affair, he went into dummy half around forty metres out from the line and darted out of dummy half to his right, after dummying to his right, Brent Woolf cut back behind the play the ball area finding a big gap and ran the distance to the try leterally untouched.

Brent Woolf also started at hooker in Round Nine against the Southport Tigers and in the final regular season round of the 2020 Gold Coast Rugby Leauge First Grade competition, being Round Ten, Brent Woolf started at hooker for the Redbacks against the Burleigh Bears.

In Mudgeeraba’s 2020 GCRL Semi-final against Runaway Bay Brent Woolf once again started at hooker.

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 of the 2019 Queensland Cup competition against the Central Queensland Capra’s playing forty eight minutes on that occasion.

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 Queensland Cup

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 2021 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Queensland Cup competition if he does not break into the Titans squad. Brent Woolf’s first matches in 2021 should be for the Titans in their NRL trials.

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 in the junior rugby league age groups 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 almost exclusively at hooker including in the Queensland U18 side.

That does not mean however that Brent Woolf 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, Brent Woolf 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.

Corey Denniss. The former Newcastle Knight and Souths Sydney Rabbitoh will spend the 2020/21 off-season training with the Titans NRL squad on a train and trial deal.

At an imposing 193cm and 99kg, Corey Denniss will add size and speed to the Titans outside back stocks. If Corey Denniss does not make the Titans NRL squad in 2021, he will play for the Burleigh Bears in the 2021 Queensland Cup competition.

Corey Denniss made his NRL debut as a 19 year old in 2016 against the Canberra Raiders, going on to play in seven NRL matches that year and adding a further eleven NRL matches in 2018 as well as playing in the Canterbury Cup for the Knights in 2017 and 2018.

In the NRL in 2016 Corey Denniss played in seven matches for the Newcastle Knights, scoring three tries for a 42.86% strike rate. In addition Corey Denniss ran for 554 metres (79.2 metres per game), had a try assist, broke the line on three occasions and made forty five tackles at a 79.34% tackling efficiency.

In his eleven NRL matches for the Knights in 2018, Corey Dennis scored one try, had two try assists, ran for 959 metres (87 metres per game), and made 132 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 81.84%.

For Newcastle in the Caneterbury Cup in 2017 Corey Denniss played in eleven matches, scoring two tries, running for 876 metres (79.7 metres per game), had a try assist, broke the line on three occasions and made seventy six tackles at an 86.55% tackling efficiency.

In the Canterbury Cup in 2018 for the Knights, Corey Denniss played a further nine matches, scoring two tries, running for 873 metres (97.09 metres per game), had two try assists, broke the line twice and made seventy nine tackles at a tackling efficiency of 84.1%.

Corey Denniss signed with Souths Sydney in time for the 2019 season and also was part of the Souths Sydney set up in 2020, playing the one and only round of the 2020 Canterbury Cup season. In that Round One match, Corey Dennis ran for 125 metres, made three tackle breaks and made twenty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 87%.

In his first season with Souths Sydney in 2019, Corey Denniss played in just five Canterbury Cup matches, in those matches he ran for 279 metres (55.94 metres per game) and made forty four tackles at a tackling efficiency of 73.88%.

Corey Denniss is a big strong super quick centre with an effortless 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, something that is rare in the modern game. Corey Denniss has used this skill set on multiple occasions on the right side of the field. He has a very strong fend which prevents opposing centres getting in on him and forcing him towards the sideline.

Even though he has size, strength and power in the centre position, Corey Denniss 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 and certainly does on occasion when he outpaces his support players.

When the defence is sliding Corey Denniss will cut inside and when the defence is playing an up and up style he has the plus speed and agile footwork to get on the outside of his direct opponent and beat him for speed to exploit the gap created.

In terms of his speed, in all aspects it would be considered at the above average in terms of speed off the mark, top end speed and sustainability. Another aspect where he is also very good is his ability to run out of dummy half. His size strength speed and power coupled with his plus footwork enables Corey Denniss to make a significant amount of ground out of dummy half and also gives his forward a breather.

Defensively Corey Denniss is constantly is in a position to disrupt the attacking movement of the opposition in either code. Corey Denniss is more than capable of defending 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.

As noted above Corey Denniss will spend the upcoming off season training with the Titans NRL squad and if he does not make the Titans final squad, Corey Denniss will play for the Burleigh Bears in the 2021 Queensland Cup competition.

With his frame and speed, Corey Denniss has the ability to play both in the centres and on the wing, but ultimately with his defensive ability I think that Corey Denniss has more than enough ability to hold down a place in the centres in an NRL backline.

With his size, straight line speed and aggressive fend, Corey Denniss can be more than faviourably compared from a playing perspective to Penrith Panthers centre Brent Naden, both being big, tall fast moving centres with a strong fend.

Andre Niko. The former Canberra Raider will spend the 2020/21 off-season training with the Titans NRL squad on a train and trial deal.

At an imposing 193cm and 97kg, Andre Niko will add size and speed to the Titans outside back stocks. If Andre Niko does not make the Titans NRL squad in 2021, he will play for the Burleigh Bears in the 2021 Queensland Cup competition.

Andre Niko came through the Canberra Raiders junior system including playing in the Raiders SG Ball U18 side and then through the NYC, before having an outstanding 2019 Canterbury Cup season with the Mounties, being the Raiders feeder club.

In the 2019 Canterbury Cup competition, Andre Niko played in eighteen matches, spending time at fullback, on the wing and in the centres, scoring thirteen tries (72.22% strike rate) and kicking sixty nine goals (77.2% conversion rate) to finish the season with an impressive 190 points.

In his 2019 Canterbury Cup matches, Andre Niko ran for 1 608 metres (89 metres per game), forced a line drop out, had four try assists, made thirteen line breaks and made fifty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 67.39%.

A review of some of Andre Niko’s tries are noted below:

Against Souths Sydney Andre Niko looped around to the left side of the field from his right wing position taking the ball from a cut out pass ten metres out from the line. Andre Niko immediately bumped off the first defender before engaging the Souths Sydney fullback a metre out from the try line and as two further defenders engaged him, Andre Niko spun clockwise to ground the ball five metres in from the left corner post.

In the same match against Souths Sydney, Andre Niko was playing on the left wing when he took possession of a cutout pass low as the ball bounced just before him. From a standing start Andre Niko sprinted ten metres to score in the left corner.

Against the Magpies, Andre Niko kept focussed on his left wing, when his left centre was fighting in a tackle. His team mate popped a short pass seemingly out of nowhere but Andre Niko’s focus meant tht he was available to take the offlaod corssing from two metres out and he was able to break the ball around ten metres closer to the goal posts as a result of his concentration and focus.

In a match against the Magpies, Andre Niko probably scored the easiest try of his career when he had a twelve metres untouched run to score in the left corner after receiving an offload.

Against Wenthworthville, Andre Niko scored a cheeky long range try. Andre Niko was put away down the left touchline, receiving the ball sixty five metres out from the line. Initially it looked like Andre Niko would draw the fullback and pass to his inside support, but instead he dummied as the fullback tried to get in between him and his inside support to run away to score untouched.

Andre Niko scored a tough try in the left corner against Blacktown Workers when he dived over under heavy pressure from two defenders who hit him s he was in the air, but Andre Niko was able to maintain his grip on the ball as he was hit in mid-air.

Andre Niko added a powerful try against Penrith when he was put into space down the left touchline after receiving a cut-out pass sixteen metres out from the Pantehrs line. Instead of trying to step the fullback who was coming across, Andre Niko instead ran straight over him to crash over in the left corner.

In the same match against Penrith Andre Niko scored a simple try from ten metres out when he strolled voer after being on the end of a Mounties backline movement.

Andre Niko scored another easy try in the left corner against the Magpies, when he was on hand to take an offload from his inside to jog eight metres in score.

Andre Niko proved against the Tigers that perserverence pays off. Andre Niko chased through a bomb which looked like it was going to be easily taken by the fullback. Instead it was dropped cold and Andre Niko who had kept chasing even though it looked a forelorn hope, took possession and was able to dive over under the posts.

Against the Newcastle Knights, Andre Niko had to jump high to take a long cut-out pass to his left wing, the pass took an age to get to him and as he took possession, Andre Niko had a defender in his face. Andre Niko was able to break the tackle with a strong left arm fend and score in the corner from eight metres out.

Andre Niko also had a couple of impressive try assists over the course of the 20219 season, two are noted below to provide context to the analysis of Andre Niko’s play which will be detailed in subsequent paragraph’s.

Andre Niko threw an outstanding right arm inside flick pass to his fullback after a long run down the left touchline against the Magpies.

Andre Niko had an even better try assist later in the 2019 season against Newcastle. After making a long run down the left touchline, Andre Niko, when he was being hemmed in by the defence, produced a perfectly weighted right foot banana kick from twenty five metres out that slowed down in the ingoal for his second rower to dive on the ball adjacent ot the left goal post.

Andre Niko is a powerfully built hard running outside back who seems to have a preference to run over an opponent rather than beating them with speed and guile. Andre Niko however does have the size, strength and power to achieve his goal.

Andre Niko runs straight and hard and drops his shoulder into his opposing defender making him difficult to tackle one on one. In terms of speed for a centre I would argue that it is average for a centre but it plays faster than that as a result of the strength and power that Andre Niko runs with.

Andre Niko can beat a defender on the outside or use a step to create an overlap but his most outstanding feature from an attacking perspective is his power and hard straight running. From the games that I have seen, he usually lines up on the left side of the field and certainly at present he seems far more comfortable lining up on that side of the field.

Defensively Andre Niko is certainly a hard hitter and often looks to come out of the line in an attempt to hit the ball carrier around the same time as they are receiving the ball, consequently he seems more comfortable defending with an up and in methodology as he does not necessarily have the recovery speed if an attacker beats him for pace and gets on his outside.

As noted above Andre Niko will spend the upcoming off season training with the Titans NRL squad and if he does not make the Titans final squad, Andre Niko will play for the Burleigh Bears in the 2021 Queensland Cup competition.

In his time with the Canberra Raiders, Andre Niko has spent time at fullback, centre and wing, and ultimately I think that the latter is his best position. From the wing (he has played both on the left and right flanks) Andre Niko can use his size and power to maintain his balance and body control whislt going for the corner and is big and strong enough to either run out of dummy half or take a hit-up off the dummy half to gain ground for his team when they are coming out of their own half.

Andre Niko’s playing style has a more than passing resemblance to that of St George left winger Mikaele Ravalawa, with both being more than happy to run directly over their direct opponent even though both have the speed and mobility to beat them with a variety of other attacking moves if they wished to do so.

Wailer Whaiapu. The Gold Coast local young forward from the Southport Tigers and Keebra Park State High School student early in 2020 signed a contract that will keep him with the Titans for the next couple of seasons.

In 2020 Wailer Whaiapu was part of the Keebra Park school boy Hancock Cup side, playing at lock including impressive performances in Round Four against PBC and Round Five against Forest Lake State High School.

Unfortunately injury meant that Wailer Whaiapu missed the 2020 club season with the Southport Tigers but he was able to play for the Titans U15 squad as they took on a Titans Group 18 Invitational U16 Side at Cbus Stadium in early October 2020. Wailer Whaiapu was quite outstanding defensively in the centre of the ruck for the Titans, hitting the Group 18 side hard and often.

In late October 2020, Wailer Whaiapu was named in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Cyril Connell Cup Academy Squad.

Wailer Whaiapu had and outstanding 2019 (and earlier) season including stand out performances for the Southport Tigers, in Gold Coast and South East Queensland U14 junior age representative sides as well as for Keebra Park State High School in their various school boy rugby league competitions across South East Queensland.

Wailer Whaiapu was also involved in the Titans U15 Academy matches at Burleigh in early 2020 and post those round robin matches signed his contract with the Titans which will see him part of the Titans JTS program for the next couple of seasons at the very least.

In 2018 and 2019 Wailer Whaiapu played for the Southport Tigers in the GCJRL U13 and U14 Division One competitions respectively as well as for Keebra Park in their various school boy competitions in South East Queensland.

In 2019 Wailer Whaiapu also represented the Gold Coast Vikings U14 representative side, being named on the bench at the Hill Stumer Championships that were held at Ipswich and post those Championships was named in the South East Queensland Green side for the Queensland U14 Age Championships, starting the majority of those matches against Central, Northern and South East Queensland White (twice) from the bench, coming onto play in the centre of the field.

In 2018, his fist year at the school, Wailer Whaiapu (Year Sevenat the time) was named at lock in the Keebra Park Rugby League Team of the Year. Fellow Titans contracted player Te Haeta Takamore (Year Eight) was named on the wing in that side as well. In previous years the likes to Titans NRL squad member Tannah Boyd has had the honor of being named in the Keebra Park Team of the Season for any given year.

Wailer Whaiapu is not just a talented sportsperson, he is also has showcased his academic aptitude by being involved in various school boy academic pursuits with Keebra Park State High School including in a National History competition in 2019 where Wailer Whaiapu was part of the Keebra Park team that took part.

Wailer Whaiapu moved over from Perth in Western Australia for the start of the 2018 season after being named in the Western Australian U12 school side in 2017 when he was a student at Ashburton Drive Primary School with Western Australia finishing sixth at the U12 National Championships.

In his last season in Western Australia being the 2017 season, Wailer Whaiapu played for the South Perth Lions in the Western Australian U12 competition playing in eleven matches and finishing with thirty two points from eight tries to finish with a 73.73% strike rate on the season.

Wailer Whaiapu 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.

Wailer Whaiapu’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 these circumstanes Wailer Whaiapu has both the physical attrutes and desire and intensity to get to his feet quickly to generate a quick play the ball to keep his side’s forward momentum going.

In terms of ball skills, Wailer Whaiapu is 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, Wailer Whaiapu 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, Wailer Whaiapu runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful fend that he uses regularly.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Wailer Whaiapu his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Wailer Whaiapu has a hard 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.

Wailer Whaiapu sets a very good base with his lower body which he uses to look to use his opponents own momentum against them when he hits them and puts them off balance.

Defensively Wailer Whaiapu hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls by winning the wrestle on the ground. Wailer Whaiapu also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that Wailer Whaiapu is involved in. Certainly the opposition knows they have been hit when Wailer Whaiapu hits them.

Wailer Whaiapu is set to play for the Southport Tigers in the GCJRL U16 Division One competition in 2021 as well as for Keebra Park from a school boy perspective and will be pushing for a spot in Keebra Park’s Langer and GIo Cup Open A squads.

Wailer Whaiapu is a big strong powerful young man who for his size is quite mobile with above average speed for a forward and uses both power and footwork to be very efficient and effective in both attack and defence.

Wailer Whaiapu also seemingly has the frame to add additional muscle mass without compromising his speed and mobility especially in terms of lateral movement.

In relation to the speed and power that Wailer Whaiapu runs into the defensive line coupled with late footwork and the ability to offload the ball both prior to the line and whilst in contact, Wailer Whaiapu has a style reminiscent to 2020 Penrith Panthers recruit (2019 Sydney Rooster) and New Zealand and Cook Islands International forward Zane Tetevano.

Also like Tetevano Wailer Whaiapu gives total effort every minute that he is on the field and throws self-preservantion of the window when he is bringing the ball out of his own territory in an effort to give his side the best field position possible.

Jayden Campbell. (Revised) In late 2019 the son of Titans cult hero Preston Campbell signed a three year contract with the Titans in 2020 after spurning serious interest from a number of Sydney based NRL clubs.

Jayden Campbell started from the bench for the Titans in their first NRL trial of 2020 against the Burleigh Bears at Pizzey Park and made an outstanding impression at fullback on Titans coaching staff and supporters with the undoubted play of the match.

With only minutes to go and the Titans on the attack ten metres out from the Burleigh line, Bears left centre (and fellow Titan) Will Evans took an intercept racing down the left touch line. It looked for all money like Will Evans would score but Jayden Campbell, who was playing fullback, flew from the other side of the field to bring Will Evans down a metre short from the line. Will Evans subsequently lost the ball as he got up to try to play the ball quickly with Jayden Campbell heavily involved to force the error and save what looked a certain Burleigh try.

Jayden Campbell was also heavily involved in Jonas Pearson’s second half try, being the Titans second of the match. Jayden Campbell got into dummy half and threw a great cut out ball in one motion that travelled around twelve metres to his left down a short blind side to put Jonas Pearson into space and ultimately score.

In total in his time at fullback in the match for the Titans, Jayden Campbell ran for forty seven metres (eleven post contact), had a line break assist, a try assist being the Jonas Pearson try noted above, broke three tackles as well as finishing the match with a 100% tackling efficiency including that amazing come from the clouds tackle on a flying Will Evans.

Jayden Campbell started Round One of the 2020 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for the Burleigh Bears at fullback showcasing his elite foot work against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls also captaining the side scoring a try and kicking four from four conversions as Burleigh started their campaign with a solid first up victory.

When the 2020 Gold Coast Rugby League competition restarted in August, Jayden Campbell was part of the Burleigh Bears side that was looking to repeat their 2019 Premiership success starting Round One of the GCRL First Grade competition at fullback.

In Burleigh’s 32 – 4 Round One victory, Jayden Campbell was his usual elusive self and finished the match with a line break, a try assist and he also kicked one conversion from as many attempts.

Jayden Campbell set up Burleigh’s first try of the match, he joined the backline on the right side of the field with Burleigh close to the line and threw a long cut out pass to his right to fellow Titan Lofi Khan-Periera who was able to stand up his direct opponent to score in the corner.

Jayden Campbell was also heavily involved in one of Will Evan’s two tries. With Southport on the attack, they put through a grubber kick. Jayden Campbell retrieved the ball five metres out from his own try line and then split the Southport defence with two outstanding left foot steps. Jayden Campbell was eventually brought down forty metrs out from the Southport line but the damage was done with Will Evans scoring from the resultant play the ball.

After missing multiple weeks Jayden Campbell started at fullback in Round Eight against the Southport Tigers contributing two try assists as Burleigh kicked a late field goal to prevail 23 - 22.

Jayden Campbell’s first half try assist was an impressive effort. Jayden Campbell took off out of dummy half to the right of the play the ball only to cut back to the right stepping twice off his left foot as he was running parallel to the defensive line. A dummy and a right foot step saw Jayden Campbell split the line and draw the fullback to send the Burleigh right winger away.

For his second try assist of the match which came in the second half Jayden Campbell threw a long cut out pass to the right from close to the Southport try line to send the Burleigh winger over in the right corner.

Round Nine saw Jayden Campbell once again at fullback for Burleigh against the Currumbin Eagles and once again producing a piece of magic to set up a Burleigh try and was heavily involved in another.

Early in the first half, Jayden Campbell received the ball two passes to the right of a Burleigh scrum win, thirty five metres out from the Currumbin line, skipping to his right to get outside his immediate opponent and then throwing a dummy to beat the defender looking to come in, after getting through the initial line, Jayden Campbell was able to get the ball away as he was being tackled for Jamie Anderson to score in the right corner.

As noted above Jayden Campbell was also heavily involved in another Burleigh try in the first half, when he broke the Currumbin line and after he was dragged down, Jayden Campbell got to his feet, playing the bal quickly for Burleigh to spin the ball out to the opposite side of the field for Allan Lockwood to score.

In the final regular season round of the 2020 Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition, being Round Ten, Jayden Campbell started at fullback as the Bears defeated the Mudgeeraba Redbacks scoring a try and kicking four goals. Jayden Campbell’s try came down a short left side blind side close to the line. Jayden Campbell received the ball off the dummy half around four metres out and got down low and burrowed under the defence to score.

In Burleigh’s 2020 Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade Semi-final Jayden Campbell started at fullback against the Southport Tigers scoring yet again when after loitering around the ruck when Burleigh have the ball we was on hand to retrieve a bouncing ball from a Josh Rogers grubber kick to score under the posts. Jayden Campbell also kicked two goals as Burleigh qualified for the 2020 GCRL First Grade Grand Final on the back of a 20 – 16 victory.

Jayden Campbell also started at fullback for the Burleigh Bears against the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the 2020 Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade Grand Final converting Burleigh’s first try of their Grand Final loss.

In the Gold Coast Bulliten’s 2020 Gold Coast Rugby League Team of the Year, Jayden Campbell was named on the wing.

Jayden Campbell started at fullback for the 2019 Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side in Round One in their 24 all draw with Norths with Jayden Campbell kicked three from four conversions and a last minute penalty goal to tie the match up and finish an outstanding Burleigh comeback after they found themselves 24 – 6 down early on.

Jayden Campbell scored his first try of the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts 2019 campaign in Round Three against Tweed Heads when in the second half he sliced through the Seagulls defence to score near the right corner post. Jayden Campbell had received the ball when he chimed into the back line and sliced through the back peddling defensive line with ease.

After spending two rounds in the Gold Coast Rugby League U20 competition, and starring with five tries, Jayden Campbell moved back into the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side on the right wing in Round Eight against the Western Mustangs staring on the wing and scoring a hat trick and kicking two goals as Burleigh ran riot to win 52 – 10.

Jayden Campbell was simply outstanding in the match, his first try came when he flashed down the right touchline to score untouched, it was not that simple however, the pass to put him in space, was not the best and it bounced about a metre away from Jayden Campbell who scooped it up without breaking momentum to score. If Jayden Campbell slowed down to take the ball the opportunity would have been lost.

Jayden Campbell’s second try came as a result of a cross field kick from Burleigh five eight Shallin Fuller, Jayden Campbell put pressure on the Western Mustangs winger who could not take the ball cleanly and Jayden Campbell was on the spot to dive on the ball.

Jayden Campbell’s third and final try was a piece of sheer brilliance. Burleigh had a scrum feed coming out of their own area, Jayden Campbell took the pass off the back of the scrum on the left side of the field and instead of just taking the hit-up produced two magical steps (reminiscent of his father) off his left foot to break after the Western Mustangs defence and then sprinted sixty metres up field to score under the posts. Let’s be clear the Western Mustangs defence turned and chased but Jayden Campbell was already long gone.

Jayden Campbell continued his rich vein of try scoring form in Round Nine of the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition scoring a hat trick as the Bears defeated Redcliffe 50 – 6. One his tries was down the right touch line when from good work inside he had a corridor to cross.

Another one of Jayden Campbell’s tries highlighted his ability to linger in the centre of the ruck waiting for an opportunity, Shallin Fuller made a break and Jayden Campbell was on hand on his inside to sprint fifty metres to score under the posts.

Jayden Campbell also had two try assists in the match, for the first Jayden Campbell threw a great cut-out ball for Reece Tapine to cross in the left corner and second was when he drew the Redcliffe fullback this time on the right to set up Colts debutant Trey Peni to score.

In Round Ten of the Colts competition, Jayden Campbell once again started at fullback for the Bears and once again scored as well as kicking three conversions in a big Burleigh win. His try was not the typical Jayden Campbell 2019 breathtaking effort.

Early in the match, Jayden Campbell found himself at dummy half about a metre out from the Pride line, and took the ball himself to his left to score out wide on the right.

Jayden Campbell did produce an individual piece of business in the match however. Late in the first half, the Northern Pride put in a kick which for all money looked like it was going to be a 40/20 but Jayden Campbell got to the ball just as it was going to go out, throwing the ball in the air back in the field of play, and kicking back in field to take the ball on the full.

Jayden Campbell continued his outstanding form in Round Eleven against the Central Queensland Capra’s scoring a brilliant try once again, had a try assist and converted two tries.

Jayden Campbell was playing up in the line and received the ball in space on Burleigh’s left around twelve metres out from the Capra’s line. Jayden Campbell produced two outstanding steps both off his left foot to beat four defenders to get sight of the try line and then dived over with two Capra’s defenders unable to stop him.

Jayden Campbell’s try assist resulted in a try to Colts debutant Will Evans, Jayden Campbell joined the Burleigh backline when the ball went to their right side and then threw a great cut-out pass to Will Evans who crossed untouched.

Jayden Campbell continued his points scoring exploits in Round Twelve against Sunshine Coast, scoring a first half try, kicking a conversion and kicking the game winning field goal in the second last minute of the match.

Jayden Campbell’s try against Sunshine Coast was once again a piece of individual brilliance. The Falcons put up a mid-field bomb, after the ball bounced Jayden Campbell kicked the ball through before retrieving the ball and easily out sprinting the cover defence over fifty metres to score under the posts.

Jayden Campbell was calm and composed kicking the field from in front about thirty metres out. After some good work down the right side of the field including a line break by Will Evans, Jayden Campbell received the ball two quick play the balls later to slot the game winning field goal.

Jayden Campbell may not have scored in Round Thirteen against the Easts Tigers but that does not mean that he was any less dangerous. In particular Jayden Campbell had two outstanding line breaks. The first was when he flashed through the centre of the ruck to take a great off-load from fellow Titan Luke Maiden and run fifty metres downfield breaking a number of tackles.

Jayden Campbell’s other impressive play in the match came when he took a clearing kick on the full. He broke through the initial line but then was corralled and pushed back by three defenders, somehow he broke free from those defenders and made fifteen more metres before being finally tackled.

Round Sixteen of the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Jayden Campbell add two tries (both in the first half) and a conversion to his burgeoning 2019 Colts points tally. Jayden Campbell’s first try was as a result of him supporting through the centre of the field and receiving the ball after second rower Eli Morgan had made a break and after drawing the fullback passed to Jayden Campbell to score under the posts untouched.

Jayden Campbell was also untouched when he scored his second try of the day. Once again Jayden Campbell was loitering in the centre of the field and after receiving an inside pass from Shallin Fuller, accelerated through a gap before putting on an outstanding right foot step to easily beat the fullback to once again score under the posts.

Jayden Campbell also had a try assist when late in the match he ran across field to his right before putting right centre Will Evans into a big gap.

Jayden Campbell also scored in Round Seventeen against Tweed Heads when he flew onto a good pass from five eight Shallin Fuller around forty metres out and veering to his right to score untouched.

Jayden Campbell had a huge Round Nineteen match from fullback for Burleigh scoring a hat trick and kicking four goals as the Bears defeated Redcliffe 46 – 12.

Jayden Campbell scored his first try in intriguing circumstances, Redcliffe made a break from deep inside their own territory, the Redcliffe ball runner had a support player on his inside, but Jayden Campbell kept on his inside and as he passed to his support, Jayden Campbell stepped forward to intercept the pass and run sixty five metres to score untouched.

Jayden Campbell did not just score his second try he set up the break that led to it. Jayden Campbell, operating on the left side threw a great cut out pass to his right for Braden Amundsen to run down the right touch line and then backed up on the inside to receive the pass back from Braden Amundsen to score with the try spanning sixty five metres.

Like his second try, Jayden Campbell set up the break that led to the try and then scored it, Jayden Campbell threw a great cut out pass to his left to fellow Titan Lofi Khan-Periera ran thirty metres down the left touch line before kicking back inside for Jayden Campbell to dive on the ball in the in goal.

Jayden Campbell also had a try assist in the first half that spanned 110 metres, Jayden Campbell retrieved the ball literally on the dead goal line, before exploding down field and then produced a great left arm off load whilst being tackled by two defenders to Lofi Khan-Periera who had backed up on the inside to run fifty metres to score.

Jayden Campbell had yet another stellar match in Round Twenty against the Western Mustangs scoring a double and kicking six goals.

It would come as no surprise to find out that Jayden Campbell’s first try was the result of a piece of individual brilliance. Jayden Campbell received the ball on the left side of the field about fifty five metres out from the Mustangs line and proceeded to carve up the defence executing three steps off his left foot in quick succession before a sublime right foot step put Jayden Campbell in space and his speed did the rest.

In relation to his second try, Jayden Campbell took the ball off the dummy half running down a reasonably short blind side down the right side of the field, the ensuing right foot step from Jayden Campbell put him in space and then Jayden Campbell accelerated between two defenders coming across to score under the posts.

Jayden Campbell also had two try assists in the match, the first coming when he spilt the Mustangs defence on a kick return in the first half and after beating the fullback it looked like he would run seventy five metres to score but instead he passed to Cameron Brown who had loomed up on his left for Cameron Brown to run away to score.

Jayden Campbell’s second try assist came in the second half when he found space down the right side of the field, sending a great long pass to unmarked Burleigh right winger Trey Peni to cross untouched.

Jayden Campbell added a further try and four goals in Round Twenty One against the Northern Pride off a set play late in the match. With Burleigh on the attack, Shallin Fuller received the ball to the right of the play the ball and immediately put in a high chip kick back behind the ruck. Jayden Campbell clearly knew it was coming and glided through the centre of the ruck before jumping and taking the kick one handed with his right hand in the in goal to score.

Jayden Campbell scored once again in Round Twenty Two against the Sunshine Coast Falcons to maintain his unbelievable try scoring streak in 2019, Jayden Campbell also added a conversion in the match and scored yet another try and kicked three conversions in Round Twenty Three against Central Queensland.

Jayden Campbell’s try can be put down directly to sleight of hand and deception. Jayden Campbell floated around the back of the ruck and started to follow the ball as it was passed out to the right, Jayden Campbell’s running line was directly behind the Bears, five eight.

At the last second Jayden Campbell changed his line to run less an a metre to the right of the five eight to receive a short ball and explode through the line before the defence even knew he was there. From there Jayden Campbell ran fifty metres at an around 45 degree angle to score in the right corner showing his elite speed.

Jayden Campbell added a further try, as well as three conversions and a field goal right on half time in Burleigh’s Week One major Semi-final loss to Wynnum Manly. In relation to his try, Jayden Campbell went into dummy half, passing the ball to his right to Shallin Fuller who split the defence before passing back inside to Jayden Campbell who had an uninterrupted twenty metre to score under the posts.

In Week Two of the Finals, Jayden Campbell scored eighteen of Burleigh’s forty two points from a try and seven goals from as many attempts. Jayden Campbell scored the first try of the match from what looked like a set move.

Burleigh five eight Shallin Fuller received the ball to the right of the play the ball close to the try line and immediately kicked back to the play the ball. Jayden Campbell ran through the ruck to swoop on the ball and after almost colliding with the left goal post scored yet another try.

Jayden Campbell’s incredible 2019 season came to an end in Burleigh’s 23 – 16 Preliminary Final loss to the Sunshine Coast Falcons. Starting in his usual fullback position Jayden Campbell scored yet another try and also added two conversions.

As usual Jayden Campbell’s try was a spectacular one, initially it looked like Sunshine Coast may be the team that would score when they made a break down the left side of the field but a pass went to ground. Jayden Campbell retrieved the ball forty eight metres out from the line and proceeded to run around the Falcons defence to score in the left corner.

In total in the 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition Jayden Campbell played in twenty matches (missing only Rounds Five and Six) scoring 198 points from twenty three tries and fifty three goals with Jayden Campbell finishing as the competitions leading try scorer and overall point’s scorer leading both categories by a fair margin.

Jayden Campbell’s incredible performance led to him finishing with a 115% strike rate and an average of 9.9 points per game.

Jayden Campbell was also a 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts Player of the Year nominee as a result of his outstanding season finishing second in the voting with twenty six points, two behind the eventual winner of the award.

Deservedly Jayden Campbell was also named the 2019 Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts Player of the Year.

After starting the 2019 season off playing in the Burleigh Colts side at fullback, Jayden Campbell moved back to the Gold Coast Rugby League U20 competition for Round Three against Runaway Bay starting at half for Helensvale and quickly proving he was too good for that competition after a dominant display which saw him score a hat trick and kick two goals as the Hornets defeated Runaway Bay 28 - 22.

Jayden Campbell’s first try was down to his outstanding footwork. With Helensvale on the attack the ball as spun out to the left to Jayden Campbell who stepped off his left foot to split the Runaway Bay defence, he then basically stopped on the spot in front of the fullback to freeze him in place then dived over the line near the left upright.

Jayden Campbell’s second try came in the second half. Helensvale had the ball on around the half way mark, Jayden Campbell took the ball from the dummy half and moved across field to the left with the ball held out in front in both hands, Jayden Campbell them accelerated through a gap and rounded the fullback with more of a swerve than a step to score an outstanding try.

Jayden Campbell’s third try and certainly his most visually outstanding came late in the match, when he backed up in the middle of the field around seventy metres out from Runaway Bay’s line, receiving the pass he exploded up field and then without missing a stride chipped the fullback to score a great try.
Jayden Campbell also had a second half try assist when he kicked to the left corner for a Helensvale try to Hornets centre Ben Glutz.

In Round Five of the 2019 GCRL U20 competition Jayden Campbell started at five eight and was a key reason that Helensvale came back from 24 – 0 down to defeat Burleigh 28 – 24, scoring two tries and kicking four goals in the process.

In relation to his first try, Jayden Campbell received the ball off the dummy half on a short blind side on the left side of the field, he sprinted at the line and the last minute put in a kick which rebounded off the chest of Burleigh right centre George Santos-Motuapuaka back into his hands. Jayden Campbell sprinted through the dis-organised defence and then ran straight through the Burleigh fullback to score, with the try coming in the first half.

Jayden Campbell’s second try came in the second half and once again on the left side of the field (Helensvale’s left side). Jayden Campbell initially took the line on himself, after using a fend to beat the first Burleigh defender Jayden Campbell skipped back to his right to give himself separation from the defensive line both from a space and time perspective. Jayden Campbell then put in a grubber kick which rebounded off the legs of one of the Burleigh defenders back into his arms for him to score after an outstanding individual effort.

Like in his first half try the ball rebounded perfectly into Jayden Campbell’s arms, after exploding through the line, Jayden Campbell produced a wicked left foot step to comprehensively beat Burleigh fullback O’Shea Hannaway to score.

Even though all Hastings Deering’s Colts sides had a Bye in Round Fourteen, Jayden Campbell suited up for Helensvale in Round Twelve of the GCRL U20 competition at five eight. He may not have scored in the Hornets win but ended the match with three try assists.

All three of his try assists came in the first half, with the first being when he chipped for himself around sixty metres out and after retrieving the ball drew the fullback and passed to his right to send Brent Barnes away.

Another try assist 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.

Jayden Campbell’s other try assist resulted when he followed through a chip kick from hooker Alex Drewe, Jayden Campbell rounded the fullback who just had hold of his jersey. There is no doubt that Jayden Campbell could have pulled away to score but instead passed to his left winger to score.

During the Hasting Deering’s Colts Round Eighteen bye week, Jayden Campbell was back in the Helensvale U20 side starting at five eight and added to his try scoring tally with another try as the Hornets defeated Runaway Bay 32 – 26 in Round Fifteen. The try in fact was the game winning try with Jayden Campbell chasing through a grubber kick to easily be the first to the ball to score under the posts and seal the Hornets victory.

Jayden Campbell then backed up to start Round Sixteen of the Doug Lipp Cup at five eight scoring two tries as Helensvale went down 30 – 20 to Tugun.

Jayden Campbell’s first try was a long range intercept over ninety five metres, with Jayden Campbell streaking away for score under the posts with no chasers in sight after taking the intercept as Tugun spun the ball to their left.

Jayden Campbell scored his second try when he recovered a Helensvale bomb which bounced back towards the Hornets and straight into Jayden Campbell’s hands, from there Jayden Campbell ran to his right literally around the Tugun defence to score to the right of the up rights.

Jayden Campbell also scored a double in Round Seventeen of the GCRL U20 competition against Runaway Bay.

Jayden Campbell 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 playing a number of matches for the Titans including matches against PNG and New South Wales Country U18’s a match that saw him score one of the Titans tries. 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 at fullback in Round Twenty Four on Saturday 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 Jayden Campbell 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 2018 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 2018 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 outstanding 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 above average 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 late 2018 season 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 Jayden Campbell 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 in fact once or twice in 2019 Jayden Campbell took the ball from his own in goal the length of the field.

Jayden Campbell had a year of U20 Colts eligibility remaining in 2020 and started in Round One of that competition before the season’s cancellation.

Prior to the 2020 season it was hard to see a circumstance where Jayden Campbell was not permanently in the Burleigh Queensland Cup squad or dare I saw it in the Titans NRL side such is his talent and maturity.

Jayden Campbell’s Queensland Cup debut and potential NRL debut will now have to wait until the 2021 season but I am extremely confident that it will definitely come over the course of the 2021 season. Without a doubt Jayden Campbell will be heavily involved in the Titans 2021 NRL trials, likely spending time both at fullback and on the wing.

I will admit that prior to the 2019 season, I thought that Jayden Campbell would ultimately end up on the wing, but his play at fullback in the MM Cup competition in 2018 and 2019 and how he has played for Burleigh in the Colts competition in 2019 and the Titans first 2020 NRL trial has forced a serious rethink and Jayden Campbell seems destined to end up as a lightning quick elusive fullback with more than enough ball playing skills to play as a second receiver in attack on either side of the field.

Jayden Campbell is bigger than his famous cult hero father, especially in relation to height and also in overall size at 183cm and 75kg but outside of that there are similarities in terms of playing style, courage and tenacity between the father and son.

For me however a comparison to former Cronulla Sharks and New South Wales State of Origin fullback David Peachey is more than appropriate and also very accurate, especially in relation to running style and carrying the ball in one hand away from his body when he runs.

Both have Peachey and Jayden Campbell have strength and courage that belie their size and both just have an amazing knack of finding the try line on a regular basis as well as making the impossible look routine, something that Jayden Campbell has done in almost every game that he played in the last couple of seasons.

Like his father Jayden Campbell does not let his smaller statute define him and he attacks all aspects of the game with a fearless and confident attitude no matter what the circumstance or situation of the match.

Jayden Campbell has serious speed and if there was a sprint race between Josh Addo Carr, James Roberts and Jayden Campbell, I would bet my house on young Jayden Campbell to come away victorious.

Damon Coldwell. The region just south of the New South Wales border has been an outstanding rugby league nursery for many years and over recent seasons has really been a hot bed for the Titans from a junior development perspective. Another youngster to add to that list is Titans linked big strong left centre or winger Damon Coldwell.

The outstanding young flyer kicked off his 2020 season being named in the centres for the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side in their Round One match at Cudgen against the Parramatta Eels however the match was cancelled due to the wet conditions prevailing that weekend in northern New South Wales.

Damon Coldwell started in Round Two of the U16 Andrew Johns Cup at left centre against the Newcastle Knights in Ballina scoring in the second half of the Titans 28 – 22 victory. Damon Coldwell showed admirable patience to score. Five eight Travis May put in a short grubber which was bouncing around near the try line with multiple players trying to get their hands on the ball. Instead of just trying to grab it Damon Coldwell held his nerve to wait until the right moment to grab the ball and crash over five metres from the left corner post.

Damon Coldwell also started at left centre in Round Three against the Central Coast Roosters and in Round Four against the Greater Northern Tigers scoring his second try of the season late in the Round Four match. Damon Coldwell had stayed on the left side of the field and received a long cut out pass from Northern Rivers Titans hooker Tanu Nona to score in the left corner.

Damon Coldwell also started at left centre in the Round Five local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs scoring once again after breaking into space around forty metres out to score in the left corner. As he was heading towards the left corner, the North Coast fullback was coming across Damon Coldwell straightened up slightly to hold the fullback in place before veering back to his left to score in the left corner with the North Coast fullback clutching at thin air.

For the 2020 Group One U16.5 competition Damon Coldwell moved to the Ballina Seagulls and started at five eight in Round One as the Seagulls defeated Casino RSM. Damon Coldwell moved to left centre for Round Three and made the most of the move, scoring a double as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast 18 – 12.

Damon Coldwell added a further double in Round Four when he started at left centre as Ballina defeated Kyogle 38 – 10. Starting at left centre in Round Five, Damon Coldwell added a further try as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast.

Starting at right centre in Round Six saw Coldwell add a hat trick to his impressive 2020 season as Ballina defeated the Kyogle Turkeys 38 – 22. In Round Seven Damon Coldwell made the most of coming off the bench, scoring a double in a big 58 – 24 win over Casino RSM.

In Round Eight of the Group One U16.5 competition Damon Coldwell was back in the Ballina starting side at fullback and contributed a double to the Seagulls 38 – 0 victory over Casino RSM. Damon Coldwell moved to five eight for Round Nine as Ballina defeated Casino RSM 36 – 10. In Round Ten Damon Coldwell was back in the centres as Ballina went down 28 – 17 to the Clarence Coast Magpies.

In total in the 2020 Group One U16.5 regular season competition Damon Coldwell scored twelve tries from eight matches to finish with a 150% strike rate.

Damon Coldwell started in the centres in the 2020 Group One U16.5 Grand Final against the Clarence Coast Magpies scoring a hat trick as Ballina went down by two points in a tight encounter 28 - 26.

A number of Damon Coldwell’s 2020 Group One U16.5 tries are described below to give people a sense of the strength, speed, power and tactical sense that Damon Coldwell possesses.

Against the Kyogle Turkeys whilst playing left centre, Damon Coldwell came back underneath his five eight around ten metres out from the line. Stepping off his left foot to beat the first Turkey’s defender who had stopped when the ball came back inside. Damon Coldwell then stepped off his right foot to straighten his run and then powered over to put the ball down under the goal posts.

Against the Clarence Coast Magpies, Damon Coldwell’s effort to chase through a Ballina bomb was rewarded when he was on hand to retrieve the ball when it was dropped by the fullback. Damon Coldwell was in fact dragged down two metres short of the line but was able to break free of the defender before he hit the ground, thus Damon Coldwell was able to legitimately get to his feet and bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Damon Coldwell got into dummy half against Clarence Coast around a metre out from the try line and even though the Magpies defence know that he was going to got for the line, when Damon Coldwell charged out of dummy half to the right of the play the ball, the two defenders had no chance to stop him.

Also against Clarence Coast, Damon Coldwell chased through a grubber kick and beat the defenders to the ball, diving on the ball fifteen metres in from the left corner post.

Against Casino RSM, whilst playing left centre Damon Coldwell was on the end of a Ballina backline movement when he scored possibly the easiest try of his career when he received the ball a metre out in a lot of space to score in the left corner.

Showcasing his ability to play on both sides of the field, Damon Coldwell was playing right centre against Casino RSM when he chased through a short attacking kick to get to the ball first to score five metres in from the right corner post.

In a match against Clarence Coast whilst playing left centre, Damon Coldwell cut inside to receive the ball behind his five eight running directly through the centre of the Magpies ruck before using his speed to veer to his left around the fullback to score untouched from forty metres out.

Once again playing left centre, Damon Coldwell received a long cut out pass five metres out from the line and engaged the Kyogle Turkeys right winger who tries to tackle him front one. After shrugging off the defender, Damon Coldwell pushed to the outside to score with centremetres to spare in the left corner.

Damon Coldwell once again against Casino RSM when he backed out a break down the left, receiving the ball around ten metres out from the line and he did well to hold his balance as he was hit by the Casino RSM fullback just as he was putting the ball down in the left corner.

Whilst playing fullback in Round Eight against Casino RSM, Damon Coldwell moved into dummy half with the play the ball two metres out from the line. Damon Coldwell ran down a left side blind side, dummying to his outside to draw the defenders to his support runners and then Damon Coldwell had an easy run to score.

Also in Round Eight, Damon Coldwell was all over the field and was on the right touch line when he followed through a winding run by the Ballina left second rower to take the off load to jog eight metres to score ten metres in from the right corner post.

Damon Coldwell showed his spatial awareness when he scored in the left corner against Clarence Coast. As Ballina were throwing the ball in his direction, Damon Coldwell positioned himself outside the Magpies last defender and once he got the ball Damon Coldwell accelerated away to score in the left corner.

Once again against Clarence Coast, Damon Coldwell showcased his good hands, when he held onto a difficult off load he got from his right and very close to him (he was playing left centre) to dive over from close range.

As he did on a number of occasions in 2020 Damon Coldwell once again was on hand to easily score from the left centre position when he followed thorugh a grubber kick from William James against the Kyogle Turkeys.

Damon Coldwell scored an outstanding power based try against Clarence Coast. Damon Coldwell mis-timed his cut back run, eventually receiving the ball when he was stationary around ten metres out from the Magpies line. Damon Coldwell engaged the defensive line around five metrs out and even when he appeared to be held close to the line, just kept fighting the tackle until he was able to push over close to the left upright.

In a Round Seven match against Casino RSM Damon Coldwell’s quick hands were once again on display when he plucked a hard long pass out of the air when it looked like it was going to sail a long way over his head to then run six metres to score out wide on the right.

A hard straight crash line from Damon Coldwell whilst palying left centre resulted in another Damon Coldwell try when he ran through the outstretched arms of a Kyogle Turkey’s defender from about eight metres out.

Also against Kyogle, as he did on more than one occasion in the 2020 Group One U16.5 competition, Damon Coldwell was on hand to beat the Turkeys defenders to the ball when he followed through a William James grubber kick that was directed to the Ballina left side attack.

From the above descriptions it would seem that Damon Coldwell is purely a try scorer but that is not the case, with the best example of that being in Round One against Casino RSM when Damon Coldwell played the entire match at five eight. From five eight, where he operated on the left side of the field, Damon Coldwell recorded two try assists when he took the ball to the line before sending flat passes to his left to support runners.

That same match saw Damon Coldwell also forced two goal line frop outs, when precise kicks of his could not be brought out of their own ingoal by the Casino RSM fullback. Impressively one kick was a short chip kick and the other a longer kick from thirty odd metres out that pulled up perfectly in the ingoal.

Damon Coldwell made his deserved NRRRL U18 debut for Ballina on the left wing in Round Six of the 2020 season as the Seagulls went down 26 – 12 to Casino RSM. Damon Coldwell moved in the centres in Round Seven against Casino RSM, having a huge match, scoring a hat trick as the Seagulls recorded a 32 – 16 victory. Damon Coldwell also started in the centres in Round Nine in a 24 – 12 wing over Byron Bay.

Damon Coldwell was a key contributor, scoring a double from the left centre position, as Ballina progressed to the 2020 NRRRL Gold Grand Final on the back of a 52 – 18 Preliminary Final victory over Casino RSM.

In the 2020 NRRRL U18 Gold Grand Final Damon Coldwell started at left centre for Ballina as they took on the Marist Brothers Rams involving himself in just the third minute of the match when he made a long break down the left touchline before throwing a right arm flick pass inside. It was a sign of things to come for Marist Brothers as Damon Coldwell went on to score a hat trick in Ballina’s 30 – 18 victory.

In fact Damon Coldwell could have been credited with a fourth try after he was adjudged to be held up after being put away by Rowan Mansfield. Replays seemed to suggest that Damon Coldwell had in fact gotten the ball down, but the referee and touch judge saw it differently.

Whilst he was deemed held up after being put into space by Rowan Mansfield, the two combined for an almost identical play not much later in the match. Rowan Mansfield took the line on down a wide left blind side, getting through the line before offloading to his left to Damon Coldwell who easily beat the Marist Brothers fullback to score near the left corner.

Damon Coldwell scored his second Grand Final try when he ran into a gap on the left jogging fifteen matres to score. Damon Coldwell completed his hat trick in the second half when moved into dummy half a metres out from the Marist Brothers line. The play the ball was literally centremetres from the left touchline, and it appeared that there was no room there. Damon Coldwell had other idea’s however and was able to force his way over down the incredibly short blind side.

Damon Coldwell played an incredible amount of football in 2018 both rugby league and rugby and 2019 it was a similar for the Ballina Coast High School student with his selection in the Titans 2018/19 Group 18 U15 Development Squad kicking off a busy but productive 2019 rugby league season.

Late in 2019 Damon Coldwell played for a Titans combined U14/U15 NRRRL Invitational side against a Titans U14 Gold Coast/Brisbane based side with the Titans U14 side prevailing 32 – 10 in a high quality encounter.

Damon Coldwell was also a solid contributor to the Titans U15 side that played a fellow Titans side and Western Mustangs side at Mudgeeraba in February 2019 in a round robin series of matches in shockingly hot conditions.

2019 also saw Damon Coldwell named in the Australian Secondary School U15 side for the ASSRL U15 Championships, starting Day One from the bench coming on to score a second half double as the Invitational side defeated Northern Territory 36 – 6.

Both tries came with Damon Coldwell playing right centre, his first when Damon Coldwell got outside his direct opponent near the try line and was able to stretch out his right arm out to score in the right corner.

In relation to his second try of the match, Damon Coldwell ran a great straight crash line to split the defence from around twelve metres out and easily round the Northern Territory fullback to score midway between the uprights and the right corner post.

Damon Coldwell’s 2019 Group One U15 rugby league campaign got off to an impressive start in Round One when he scored a double for Lismore Marist Brothers as they defeated Clarence Coast 20 - 14.

In total for Lismore Marist Brothers in the 2019 Group One U15 competition Damon Coldwell played in seven matches scoring nine tries for a season total point’s tally of 36 and an impressive try scoring strike rate of 129%.

In addition to his Round One double, Damon Coldwell also scored doubles against Casino RSM on two separate occasions and also scored in matches against the Kyogle Turkeys and Ballina in the 2019 regular season.

Damon Coldwell also scored in Week One of the Finals series as Lismore Marist Brothers went down 42 – 10 to Clarence Coast, a match which saw his 2019 season end in that age group.

Damon Coldwell also played four regular season matches in the Group One U16.5 competition in 2019, scoring his first try in that competition in Round Eleven against Clarence Coast.

Damon Coldwell added a further U16.5 try in Week One of the Finals in a 32 – 0 Lismore Marist Brothers victory over the South Grafton Rebels but unfortunately Damon Coldwell was on the losing side as Marist Blue went down 12 – 4 to Ballina in the Grand Final.

Some of Damon Coldwell’s tries in both the Group One U15 and U16.5 competitions over the course of the 2019 season are highlighted below to provide context for the subsequent discussion about Damon Coldwell’s playing attributes, specifically in relation to Damon Coldwell’s attacking outstanding attributes:

Playing at right centre against Clarence Coast, Damon Coldwell received the ball from the dummy half on the right side of the field about forty metres out from the line and broke two tackles with right arm fends on the way to the line to score.

Playing five eight against Casino RSM, Damon Coldwell received the ball on the left side of the field two passes off the ruck twenty metres out from the line. Damon Coldwell ran at the defence on a 45 degree angle with the ball held out in front of his body in two hands. As he came to the defensive line Damon Coldwell dummied to his left and sliced through the resultant gap to score untouched. After crossing the try line Damon Coldwell cheekily brought the ball around to put it down under the posts evading multiple Casino RSM defenders on the way.

Playing right centre against the Clarence Coast Magpies, Damon Coldwell received the ball off the dummy half a few metres out from the line in the real corner of the field. Immediately upon receiving the ball Damon Coldwell cut back to his left by way of a left foot step, close to the play the ball to crash over from close range.

Playing five eight against Clarence Coast Damon Coldwell received the ball from the dummy half around fifteen metres from the line to the left of the play the ball accelerating immediately to drag three defenders over the line with him.

A rampaging run from the left centre position against Casino RSM of thirty metres down the left touch line which included breaking three tackles led to an outstanding try long range try for Damon Coldwell.

After coming off the bench against Casino RSM into the left centre position Damon Coldwell stayed out wide near the left touch line receiving a great pass from his five eight to run ten metres to score untouched in the left corner.

Against Ballina in the Group One U15 competition Damon Coldwell was defending at left centre. As Ballina threw the ball to their right, Damon Coldwell positioned himself to take an intercept and showcased his speed to run sixty metres to score untouched.

Against Central Coast Damon Coldwell went into dummy half when a team mate was brought down a metre out from the try line. Damon Coldwell threw a big dummy to his right before diving over close to the play the ball with two defenders hanging off him.

Playing right centre against Casino RSM, Damon Coldwell scored a simple try from around five metres out scoring after an impressive Lismore Marist Brothers back line movement.

Against the Kyogle Turkeys in the 2019 Group One U15 competition Damon Coldwell produced an outstanding fifteen metre run from the left centre position including stepping back inside near the line and dragging three Turkey’s defenders over the line with him to score in the left corner.

Damon Coldwell was loitering behind the play the ball against Ballina and was on hand to receive an inside pass just behind where the ball was played. Even though he was stationary when he received the ball Damon Coldwell highlighted his explosive acceleration to take off and crash through a number of tackles to score adjacent to the left up-right from four metres out.

Damon Coldwell scored an outstanding individual try against Casino RSM in the Group One U15 competition when he ran from dummy half to the left around thirty five metres out. Damon Coldwell broke through the initial Casino RSM defensive line with a subtle dummy to his left before stepping off his right foot to beat a second defender. Damon Coldwell then accelerated between two defenders leaving them clutching at thin air before beating a fifth defender by dummying past the fullback to score a scintillating try in the left corner.

With the Casino RSM defence scrambling after a long Lismore Marist Brothers break, Damon Coldwell, playing left centre received the ball from the dummy half down a shortish left blindside and took advantage of the confusion in the defensive line to easily cross after a ten metre run (read jog) to score near the left corner.

Damon Coldwell scored an outstanding individual try against the South Grafton Rebels. Damon Coldwell took the ball off the dummy half down a short blind side on the right of the field and produced an outstanding chip with his right foot from ten metres out and with the subsequent regather was able to barge his way over from close range to score in the right corner with two South Grafton defenders hanging off him.

Damon Coldwell was named on the interchange bench for the Group One U15 Taipans representative side for the New South Wales Country Age Championships that were held in Port Macquarie in late September2019.

Damon Coldwell scored in Group One’s Northern Plate 40 – 10 win over Group 19 and scored again in Group One’s Northern Plate semi-final loss 38 – 12 to Central Coast.

In May 2019 Damon Coldwell was named in the NSW Country U15 Gold side for the NSW Rugby Age Championships after representing the Far North Coast Dolphins in the 2019 NSW Country Championships held in Lismore.

Damon Coldwell also represented Ballina Coast High School in multiple school boy rugby league competitions in 2019 including being part of the Ballina Coast High School side that won the 2019 U15 Titans Cup when they won all four of their matches on the same day and in fact Damon Coldwell was named player of the day such was his dominance.

Ballina Coast’s wing were against Alstonville High School 11 – 10 in Round One, St Joseph’s Banora Point 20 – 4 in Round Two, Woodlawn College 12 – 6 in the semi-final and Alstonville once again 18 – 6 in the Grand Final.

2018 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, Damon Coldwell 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, Damon Coldwell can throw a great spiral pass to his backline or Damon Coldwell can quickly anticipate the defensive 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 in 2021 is surely an immediate and key selection in the 2021 U18 Laurie Daley Cup Northern Rivers Titans squad and also will play for the Ballina Seagulls in the 2021 NRRRL U18 competition. Even though Damon Coldwell will be eligible to play for Ballina in the Group One U16.5 competition once again in 2021 it is likely that he will spend the majority of the 2021 season if not all of it in the NRRRL U18 competition where he played a number of matches in 2021.

A NRRRL Reserve Grade ot First Grade debut is also not out of the question for Damon Coldwell in 2021 for Ballina.

Damon Coldwell is also a member of the 2021 Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup Squad.

The 2018 and 2019 season’s saw Damon Coldwell play in the centres and on the wing in both rugby and rugby league but with his size and power, outstanding speed, body control and balance, I would think that Damon Coldwell will be given every opportunity to stay in the centres long term, specifically left centre whih he where he spent the majority of the 2021 season.

I note for completeness that Damon Coldwell also spent some time at five eight for Lismore Marist Brothers in 2019 and Ballina in 2020, although I believe that this was more as a result of the coaches wanting the ball in his hands (which is more than fair enough) as much as possible rather than an indicator of where Jamal Laurie’s positional future may lie.

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.

It was interesting to see Damon Coldwell spend time at fullback in 2020 and looking at his skill attributes and his speed and power I can see why coaches are looking to see how Damon Coldwell goes there. Whilst I ultimately think that Damon Coldwell will settle in the centres in coming seasons, moving him to see how Damon Coldwell goes at fullback could well prove to be a master stroke.

For me, when he is fit and firing Souths Sydney Rabbitohs and former Sydney Roosters and New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International Latrell Mitchell is the best centre (let’s forget his time at fullback in early 2020 for Souths Sydney) in the game at present and therefore is a more than apt comparison for the exciting Damon Coldwell.

Both Mitchell and Damon Coldwell play at left centre (although Damon Coldwell did also spend time at right centre this season and fullback and five eight) and the skill set, power and sheer potential are eerily equilivant. Like Mitchell, Damon Coldwell presents intriguing possibilities as a powerful ball running fullback and there is no doubt he will be given opportunities to refine his game there in coming seasons.

Damon Coldwell has as much raw talent and potential as any young centre that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing play.

Lachlan Offley. The scintillating Ballina Seagulls fullback or centre had an incredible 2019 season in the Group One U14 competition including being part of the Seagulls Grand Final winning side, a side that was named the Group One Junior Rugby League Team of the Year after going through the 2019 season undefeated.

In early in October 2019 Lachlan Offley was part of a Titans U14/15 NRRRL Invitational side that played a Titans U14 Gold Coast/Brisbane Academy side in a development match at Tweed Heads playing well as the NRRRL side went down 32 – 10 in an entertaining and high quality match. Lachlan Offley started the match at fullback and proved a handful every time that he touched the ball for the defensive line.

Lachlan Offley was also involved in the Titans U15 Academy matches at Burleigh in early 2020 in hot and steamy conditions and post those round robin matches against two other Titans teams signed a contract with the Titans which will see him part of the Titans JTS program for the next couple of seasons at least.

In March 2020 the Alstonville High School student travelled to the Kadina High School Campus to compete at the Northern Rivers Zone 15 Years Boys Rugby League Trials. Post those trials Lachlan Offley was selected into the Northern Rivers Zone 15 Years Boys Rugby League Team. 2020 also saw Lachlan Offley trial for the Northern Rivers Zone 15 Years Boys Touch Team.

When the Group One rugby league competition recommenced in July 2020, Lachlan Offley started Round One of the competition in the right centre position and scored for Ballina as they went down 16 – 14 to Casino RSM.

In Round Two of the Group One U15 competition, Lachlan Offley moved from right centre to fullback and had a big match scoring a hat trick and kicking a conversion as Ballina defeated the South Grafton Rebels 28 – 0. Lachlan Offley finished the Round two match with an individual points haul of fourteen points.

Lachlan Offley also started at fullback in Round Three as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast 18 – 12.
Lachlan Offley added a further two tries in Round Four when he started at fullback as Ballina defeated Kyogle 28 – 6 and scored once again in Round Five against Clarence Coast from the fullback position in a 44 – 10 win.

Lachlan Offley also started at fullback in Round Six and scored a double in a scintillating display as the Seagulls defeated Grafton 32 – 22 and continued in the custodian role in Round Seven against Casino RSM.

Lachlan Offley also started at fullback in Round Eight against Casino RSM scoring a double as the Seagulls went down 36 – 18. Lachlan Offley also started at fullback, scoring once again as Ballina defeated South Grafton 38 – 14.

Round Ten of the 2020 Group One U15 competition saw Lachaln Offley start at fullback and score as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast 32 – 10.

In total in the 2020 Group One regular season U15 competition Lachlan Offley scored thirteen tries (130% strike rate) and kicked a conversion to finish the regular season with fifty four points.

Lachlan Offley started at fullback in the 2020 Group One U15 Grand Final against Casino RSM.

Lachlan Offley made his Group One U16.5 debut off the bench in Round Seven for Ballina as they defeated Casino RSM 58 – 24 and also came off the bench in Round Eight as Ballina defeated Casino RSM 38 – 0 as well as in Round Ten as Ballina went down 28 – 17 to the Clarence Coast Magpies.

Lachlan Offley started from the bench in the 2020 Group One U16.5 Grand Final against the Clarence Coast Magpies.

In 2019 for the outstanding Ballina side that went through the 2019 season undefeated Lachlan Offley scored a staggering 122 points from just ten matches to average 12.2 points per game.

Lachlan Offley scored twenty seven tries scoring in every match to finish with a ridiculous strike rate of 270% to finish the season as the competitions leading try scorer (five ahead of fellow Titan Kye Cooper) and second leading point’s scorer overall.

Lachlan Offley scored an incredible five tries in a midseason match against Kyogle and scored six doubles, including doubles in each of the first three rounds of the competition which were against South Grafton, Casino RSM and Clarence Coast respectively. Lachlan Offley’s other hat tricks came against Clarence Coast and Lismore Marist Brothers later in the season.

Lachlan Offley added a double against South Grafton late and also scored against Grafton on two occasions. With the boot Lachlan Offley primarily converted his own tries including kicking two conversions in Round Two against Casino RSM (one of his many hat trick matches).

A couple of matches stood out for me at least in 2019 for Lachlan Offley with those matches coming against Marist Brothers Lismore and the Kyogle Turkeys.

Against Marist Brothers Lismore Lachlan Offley had a huge day on his way to scoring three outstanding tries. The first try that I wanted to highlight was Lachlan Offley’s first try of the match, after making a break from sixty metres out down the left touch line, Lachlan Offley produced an outstanding double step (like a Benji Marshall in his prime high step) to bamboozle the fullback, eventually beating him on the inside ten metres out with Lachlan Offley putting the ball down for one of the best tries that I have ever seen three metres in from the left corner post.

Lachlan Offley scored another try in the match, this time on the right side when he received the ball from a Ballina backline movement twenty two metres out and was able to round the fullback through sheer speed to score in the right corner. The final highlighted try started when Lachlan Offley ran a great line into a gap fifty metres out and was found by Kye Cooper. After getting through the defensive line untouched, Lachlan Offley produced a great in and away to beat the fullback and bring the ball around to score under the posts.

A further 2019 Group One U14 match that I wanted to highlight that showcases Lachlan Offley’s skill set was a late 2019 season match against Kyogle, where three of Lachlan Offley’s tries highlight how lucky the Titans are to have him signed for the next couple of seasons.

Showcasing his speed in the match against Kyogle, Lachlan Offley flew through when chasing a grubber kick to score under the posts. That description does not sound particularly impressive but the speed and desire that Lachlan Offley showed was outstanding. It looked certain that the Turkeys had the ball covered but Lachlan Offley just wanted it more.

Lachlan Offley produced an outstanding left arm fend to break through the defensive line on the left side of the field and then easily outpaced the fullback and the third try to highlight was yet another long range effort, this time from sixty metres out, Lachlan Offley got on the outside of the defensive line sprinting down the left touch line before breaking through the tackle of the Kyogle fullback with strength, highlighting that Lachlan Offley has a lot more to his game than speed, a heck of a lot more.

Lachlan Offley was also outstanding in the 2019 Group One U14 Grand Final that Ballina won 40 – 6 agaisnt South Grafton with Lachlan Offley starting the match at fullback and scoring a double in the Premiership victory.

Lachlan Offley’s first try of the 2019 Grand Final when he chased through a Kye Cooper long kick off a Ballina tap penalty to receive a perfect bounce to dive over in the left corner, from what was surely a set move in the first half.

Lachlan Offley also scored in the second half when he ran onto a short ball from Key Cooper down the left side of the field and he was able to easily beat the cover defence with his speed to score in the big win.

Lachlan Offley also played in five Group One U15 matches in 2019 and was not overawed by playing up an age group as in those five matches he finished with a strike rate of 140% after scoring seven tries.

Lachlan Offley scored in his Group One U15 debut against Clarence Coast in May 2019 and then scored doubles in his final three U15 matches of the season which were against Lismore Marist Brothers, Kyogle and Clarence Coast.

Post the Group One season, Lachlan Offley was named at fullback for the 2019 Group One U14 representative side that played in the New South Wales Country Age Championships at Port Macquarie with Lachlan Offley scoring in Group One’s 14 all draw against Maitland on Day One, match that saw Group One progress as a result of scoring first in the match.

In 2018 Lachlan Offley proved that his 2019 season was not an isolated occurrence by finished the Group One U13 season with 110 points from twenty one tries to once again record a strike rate of well in excess of 100% and thirteen goals.

Lachlan Offley scored four tries twice in 2018 being against Clarence Coast and Casino RSM. Lachlan Offley also scored a late season hat trick against Kyogle and scored doubles against Grafton, South Grafton and Clarence Coast. Lachlan Offley’s remaining 2018 tries came against Kyogle, Grafton, Casino RSM and Lismore Marist Brothers.

With the boot in 2018 Lachlan Offley kicked three goals in Round Two against South Grafton (scored a double in the match also) and kicked two in four other matches which were against Casino RSM and Lismore Marist Brothers twice against each, with his remaining goals coming against Kyogle and Grafton.

Lachlan Offley is not just an outstanding rugby league player and also excels in athletics and swimming being named school (Alstonville High) and North Coast Age Champion in both 2018 and 2019. Lachlan Offley has also finished in the top 10 in the in the Northern Rivers Zone cross country Championships in the last two years.

In 2019 in athletics, Lachlan Offley qualified for the New South Wales State Age Championships in the 400 metres after running 57.67 seconds at his Zone Championships. In Swimming Lachlan Offley qualified for the New South Wales State Age Championships in the 50 and 100 metre freestyle and 50 metre breaststroke events.

In 2018 Lachlan Offley represented Alstonville High School at the North Coast Combined High Schools Athletics Championships participating in both track and field events in the U13 age group.

Amongst other results Lachlan Offley finished second in in the Discus with a throw of 29.02 metres, seventh in the 800 metres in 2 minutes 45.45 seconds, seventh in the 100 metres sprint in 13.86 seconds, seventh in the 200 metres sprint in 27.90. Lachlan Offley was also part of the Astonville High School 4 x 10 metres relay team that finished fourth in a time of 56.35 seconds.

Lachlan Offley also represented Alstonville High School at the 2019 North Coast Combined High Schools Athletics Championships participating in both track and field events in the U14 age group.

Amongst other results Lachaln Offley finished fifth in the 100 metres running 12.18 seconds in the final after posting 12.44 in his heat. Lachlan Offley also finished fifth in the 200 metre final in a time of 25.51 seconds after recording 25.88 in his heat.

Lachlan Offley also finished second in the 400 metres in a time of 57.67 seconds and jumped 5.49 metres to finish third in the long jump.

Lachlan Offley is exceptionally quick and explosive, with absolutely outstanding speed, easily in the plus category, both off the mark and when he gets into open space, teams in the Group One U14 and U15 Competitions in recent seasons just could not handle him when he had the ball in his hands.

Lachlan Offley also can step off both feet exceptionally well and also has a great swerve whilst maintaining his top speed and momentum. Lachlan Offley when he makes a break, alters his line to run directly at the fullback to stop his lateral momentum, once the opposition fullback’s momentum has stopped Lachlan Offley has then has them at his mercy and can use one of the multiple options that he has to beat the fullback all ends up.

On many occasions when he made a break, Lachlan Offley’s 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 Lachlan Offley also played up in the line quite often.

In addition Lachlan Offley 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. He obviously was a key target for defences but Lachlan Offley 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 Lachlan Offley’s play making skills continue to evolve, the attacking possibilities are endless.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, Lachlan Offley’s 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 he is an absolute handful to tackle with his speed and evasion skills.

Defensively in the fullback position Lachlan Offley 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 Lachlan Offley does have is ability to force attackers who are in open space to try to beat him down the side line. Lachlan Offley 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 2021 season will see Lachlan Offley line up once again in Ballina Seagulls colours in the Group One U16.5 competition and Lachlan Offley should also get multiple opportunities in the Ballina Seagulls U18 NRRRL squad. Kye Cooper is also a member of the 2021 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup Squad.

Regardless of the number on his back Lachlan Offley is an exciting runner of the ball combining speed, elusiveness, evasion, balance and body control. To that extent I believe that ultimately Lachlan Offley’s best position is 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 Lachlan Offley identifies as he works through his options.

Obviously however it is clear from watching him play that Lachlan Offley can also comfortably play at a high level both on the wing and in the centres, I just think that ultimately fullback will end up being his best position.

Lachlan Offley just looks like he is playing at a pace far quicker than the players around him and dare I say it I can see similar attributes to that of New South Wales State of Origin and Manly stand out Tom Trbojevic as a taller player with speed and strength as well as the ability to be a regular try scorer.

Lachlan Offley has the same explosiveness off the mark as Trbojevic and his sense of timing, anticipation and plus top end speed present as similar to Trbojevic as well, he is just as natural on a rugby league field.

mdrew is already outrageously busy. How is he going to deal with us having an NRLW team as well with Girl Juniors to keep us informed about.

The Keebra Park Girls Academy is out of this world from a quality stand point, the Titans would immediately have the best female nursery in the country when we get an NRLW side.

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Originally Posted by Mr Bods

mdrew is already outrageously busy. How is he going to deal with us having an NRLW team as well with Girl Juniors to keep us informed about.

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Originally Posted by mdrew

The Keebra Park Girls Academy is out of this world from a quality stand point, the Titans would immediately have the best female nursery in the country when we get an NRLW side.

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Burleigh are also doing great things with the girls as well. Really investing in developing juniors and bringing more girls in to the game.

PBC are doing a lot with girls AFL, are they doing anything at all with girls NRL??

Seth Nikotemo. The local junior and Keebra Park student signed a multi-year contract with the Titans in 2019 after being one of the best juniors for his age group on the Gold Coast for multiple season’s prior.

Since signing with the Titans Seth Nikotemo has gone from strength to strength with the Titans, Keebra Park, representative sides, including the Gold Coast Vikings and the South Coast U15 representative school boy side in 2019 and his junior club, the Runaway Bay Seagulls.

In 2020 Seth Niketimo captained the Keebra Park Open Titans Cup side including in a Round Two win against Marymount College.

Playing left second row Seth Niketimo also scored in the Round Two match when he chased through a kick that was put up on the half way mark, Seth Nikotemo retrieved the ball 40 metres out dummied past the initial defender before running directly over the Marymount fullback. Seth Niketemo fact lost his balance and literally crawled the last six metres to score.

Seth Nikotemo made his Langer Cup debut off the bench for Keebra Park off the bench against PBC playing in the left second row position when he came on. Seth Nikotemo also started from the bench in Round Five against St Mary’s College Toowoomba, playing on the right when he came on and scored a try in each half in an outstanding performance.

Seth Nikotemo’s first try was as a result of an outstanding straight power run from ten metres out. Connor Te Kani was operating on the right and received the ball two passes off the ruck and ran the ball paralell to the defensive line and threw a short no look pass to a straight running Seth Niketemo who went straight through a gap to score from ten metres out.

Seth Nikotemo’s second try came late in the match once again down the right side of the field. On the last tackle, Blake Scott took the ball down a short blind side, off laoding to Seth Nikotemo who was standing still at the time, he was able to step off his right foot but was held by one leg but Seth Nikotemo was able to reach out and put the ball down with his right arm to score a much deserved double.

Seth Nikotemo also started on the bench as Keebra Park qualified for the 2020 Langer Cup Grand Final on the back of a big win over Wavell State High School operating on the right side of the field when he came on early in the first half.

Seth Nikotemo was on the bench for Keebra Park in the 2020 Langer Cup Grand Final as they went down 16 – 8 to PBC in a high quality match, but he did not make it onto the field.

Seth Nikotemo played the 2020 Gold Coast Rugby League with Runaway Bay in the U16 Division One competition and was dominant in a number of matches including Round Six against Helensvale and Round Eight against Ormeau. Seth Nikotemo was outstanding in Round Eight against Ormeau operating on the left including an impressive break around the half way line before off loading to his left to his left centre who scored one of his three tries.

In late October 2020, Seth Nikotemo was named in the 2021 Burleigh MM Cup squad.

The big strong young Titans contracted forward had a more than solid 2019 season for both Runaway Bay and Keebra Park State High School as well as for the Titans U15 side in their matches which book ended Seth Nikotemo’s successful 2019 rugby league season.

Seth Nikotemo was part of the Titans U16 side that defeated the Newcastle Knights U16 Harold Matthews side in Coffs Harbour in January 2020, 18 -14 in wet and slippery conditions with Seth Nikotemo being heavily involved in the forward battle in the middle of the field. In the conditions the match ended up being a tough hard fought forward battle which suited Seth Nikotemo just fine and it certainly showed in his performance.

Seth Niketemo also started in the second row of the Titans U15 side that defeated a Balmain Tigers U15 touring side 34 – 16 in early October 2019 performing strongly in the impressive Titans win and was near, if not the Titans best on the night.

One of Seth Nikotemo’s most recent matches for the Titans was when he started in the second row for the Titans U16 side in their annual match against the Newcastle Knights Harold Matthews Cup (U16) side in January 2020 in Coffs Harbour with the Titans coming away with a hard fought 18 – 14 victory.

In February 2020 Seth Nikotemo was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad for the 2020 U16 South East Queensland Pre-season Challenge where he would have been a certain selection in one of the two Gold Coast Vikings squads that were due to participate but the Challenge was cancelled in the week leading up to the start of the Challenge.

For Runaway Bay in the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One competition Seth Nikotemo played in eleven regular season matches scoring his first try in Round Thirteen against Ormeau and following that up with a try in Round Fourteen being the last regular season round against Helensvale.

Seth Niketemo also kicked two goals from as many attempts in the regular season with both coming against Helensvale in early June in a Seagulls victory with from my recollection both goals coming in the second half.

In Week Two of the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One finals Seth Nikotemo started for Runaway Bay against Nerang teaming with fellow Titan Joseph Shannon in the front row as Runaway Bay progressed to the Grand Final on the back of a 20 – 0 Friday night win.

In the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One Grand Final Seth Nikotemo started the match in the front row once again with Joseph Shannon, scoring an outstanding first half try for the Seagulls. In the end though Runaway Bay went down 36 – 22 to Nerang in a tense physical encounter especially in the forwards.

In relation to his try in the 2019 U15 Division One Grand Final Seth Niketemo charged onto the ball off the dummy half around eighteen metres out from the try line to the right of the play the ball cutting back behind the play the ball just a fraction almost immediately upon receipt of the ball and such was his speed that Seth Niketemo broke through the initial defensive line before it could start to move up in a coherent fashion and the fullback was no match for him either as Seth Niketemo crashed over mid-way between the left corner post and goal posts.

Seth Nikotemo made his GCRL U16 Division One debut in Round Fourteen against Helensvale when he came off the bench after playing and scoring in the U15 Division One match earlier in the evening. Seth Niketemo handled the step up in age group with aplomb.

2019 also saw Seth Nikotemo represent the South Coast U15 side that played in the QSSRL U15 Championships held in Ipswich with South Coast going through the Championships undefeated and Seth Nikotemo played a key role in that positive outcome.

In 2018 the former 2016 Queensland U12 representative started the season for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U14 Division One competition before moving to the U15 Division One competition with the Seagulls before the half way mark of the season.

In the GCRL U14 Division One competition in 2018, Seth Nikotemo played in seven matches scoring in the final regular season round against Ormeau and also late in the season kicked a conversion against Burleigh.

Seth Nikotemo made his 2018 U15 Division One debut in June of that year against Burleigh and went on to play in ten matches. Seth Nikotemo started all of Runaway Bay’s U15 Division One Finals matches on the bench including the Grand Final and scored as the Seagulls went down 38 – 20 to a powerful Ormeau Shearers side.

Running with the football, Seth Nikotemo 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 although you can see that when he gets fired up all subtlety and thoughts of self-preservation goes out the window and he becomes a giant wrecking ball.

Seth Nikotemo 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. Seth Nikotemo actually does have a decent off load usually with his right hand when he has impacted the defensive line as well and regularly showcases this in game situations.

In game situations Seth Nikotemo is also showcasing his ability to offload prior to the defensive line, a skill that he has developed and incorporated is recent seasons.

Defensively Seth Nikotemo can certainly hit very hard, usually aiming for just under the ribs and first intention is to lock up the ball to prevent offloads.

Seth Nikotemo has more than reasonable lateral mobility for a forward and due to the fact that he bends his hips when looking to make a tackle he is 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. Seth Nikotemo can however get fired up and really cause havoc defensively.

Seth Nikotemo will play the 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League season with the Runaway Bay Seagulls at the U18 Division One level and is shaping to be a key member of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side in 2021 as well.

Seth Nikotemo will also be a key member of the Keebra Park side in their school boy competitions in 2021 specifically the Langer Cup and GIo Cup. Of course the closer relationship now between the Titans and Keebra Park cannot but help keep Seth Nikotemo a Titan for the long haul with that certainly being a very desirable scenario.

Seth Nikotemo has been a front rower a fair bit this season but with his ability to hit the defensive line with speed and power along with similar attributes in defence, I think that Seth Niketomo has a real chance of playing second row into the future.

From an NRL player comparison perspective in relation to Seth Nikotemo, 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 tough mobile front rower who hits the defensive line hard when he runs as well as the opposition when they are running the ball.

Like Vaughan, Seth Nikotemo is a throwback to the old style of forward who does not try to be too fancy, just effective, very effective. With his hard working attitude, Seth Nikotemo also has the leadership skills to be a potential NRL captain one day.

Arama Hau. The powerful second rower signed a multi-year contact with the Titans in 2019 and all he has done since is dominate opposing sides every time that he takes the field whether than be in representateive sides, school boy rugby league or for the Nerang Roosters in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

Arama Hau took the field for the Titans in February 2019 for one of their two U15 sides at Mudgeeraba that played round robin matches against each other and the Western Mustangs.

As a result of his performance in that game and over recent seasons, Arama Hau, in early 2019 deservedly signed a contract with the Titans which will keep him with the club for the next couple of seasons at least.

In January 2020 Arama Hau started in the second row for the Titans U16 side that defeated the Newcastle Knights U16 Harold Matthews side in Coffs Harbour in January 2020 18 -14 in wet and slippery conditions.

In February 2020 Arama Hau was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad but unfortunately the Sout East Queensland U16 pre-season Challenge was cancelled just days before the Challenge was set to start in Ipswich.

Arama Hau played the 2020 school boy rugby league season as part of the Keebra Park Year Ten Walters Cup side, including starting at left second row in their 14 – 12 semi-final 14 – 12 loss to Marsden State High School. A match that saw Arama Hau score a double with both tries coming in the second half.

Arama Hau’s first try came when he ran down a short blid side, breaking four tackles whilst maintaining his balance to slam the ball down one handed a metre in from the left corner post. In relation to his second try, Arama Hau had initially came back underneath a Keebra Park play ot the left but did not get the ball, Arama Hau reset himself to take the hit up from the subsequent play the ball, taking the ball to the right off the dummy half, before cutting back behind the play the ball to charge over to bring Keebra Park within two points late.

Arama Hau also had an outstanding match earlier in the year in the Walters Cup regular rounds against St Mary’s in Round Five, scoring an outstanding try and well as one of the best hit-ups I have seen by a rugby league forward.

Arama Hau’s try came in the second half of Keebra Park’s big 52 – 0 victory. Arama Hau took the ball three passes off the ruck on the left side of the field, bursting through the St Mary’s line and charging seventy metres down the left touch line, easily beating the St Mary’s fullback with pace and was even able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.

As noted, in the match Arama Hau also made one of the best runs that I have seen. In the opening minutes of the match from a tap restart from a Keebra Park penalty, Arama Hau took the ball off the penalty restart charging onto the ball from forty metres out, powering through the initial defensive line and dragging four defenders to within ten metres of the try line. Keebra Park scoring from the ensuing play the ball.

Arama Hau played the 2020 club season with the Nerang Roosters in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition including an outstanding display at lock in Round Nine against Runaway Bay and was the Roosters sole try scorer in the match when he dived to ground the ball with his right hand from a kick from the Nerang dummy half that had rebounded into the in goal area. Arama Hau was in the thick of what was an intense forward battle in the har fought 10 – 4 loss.

Arama Hau also started at lock as Nerang took on Runaway Bay in the 2020 U16 Division One Major semi-final and scored as well as recording a try assist as Nerang defeated Runaway Bay 36 – 4. Arama Hau’s try assist came early in the first half. Arama Hau took a hit up to the right of the play the ball, cutting back into the area behind the play the ball and offloading a pass out of the back of his left arm to his support runner ot score.

Arama Hau’s try also came in the first half when he charged onto a pass from the dummy half to the left and the play the ball, burting through two defenders at the defensive line to score, fifteen metres in from the left corner post.

In late October 2020, Arama Hau was named in the 2021 Burleigh MM Cup squad.

In late 2019 Arama Hau was part of the Titans U15 side that defeated a touring Balmain Tigers U15 side 38 – 14 with Arama Hau starting the match from the bench, coming on to play in the left second row position.

Over the 2018-19 off season Arama Hau transferred from Helensvale to the Nerang Roosters, starting from the bench in their U15 Division One Round One match against Ormeau but coming into the starting side in Round Two in the second row and maintaining his place in the Roosters starting side for the remainder of the 2019 season.

In total in the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One regular season competition in 2019 Arama Hau played in eleven matches for the Roosters playing the vast majority in the second row scoring three tries, with those tries coming against Helensvale in two separate matches and Ormeau.

In Week Two of the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One Finals series Arama Hau started in the second row against Runaway Bay and also started in the second row in the Preliminary Final as Nerang defeated Helensvale 22 – 18.

In the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One Grand Final Arama Hau was simply outstanding starting at left second row scoring two tries as Runaway Bay prevailed in a hard 36 – 22 win over Runaway Bay. For me Arama Hau was clearly the best player on the field in the Grand Final.

Arama Hau’s first try came in the first half after he received the ball as Nerang threw the ball out to the left, Arama Hau cut back inside as the Runaway Bay defence slid across but they could not stop a great charge from Arama Hau who scored under the posts dragging two defenders over the line with him.

Arama Hau scored his second try in the second half, after he made a long break down the right touchline passing back inside before going into touch. Arama Hau moved into dummy half from the resultant play the ball to dive over down a short blind side from about a metre out to the right of the play the ball.

2019 also saw Arama Hau represent South Coast at the QSSRL U15 Championships in Ipswich with South Coast going through undefeated, with Arama Hau scoring against Met East on Day Three of the Championships when he was able to score under the posts after a typically powerful hit-up which saw Arama Hau drag a number of defenders over the line with him once again.

Arama Hau was also a stand-out performer for Coombabah State High School in their various schoolboy rugby league competitions in 2019 which resulted in his selection in the South Coast school boy U15 representative side for the U15 QSSRL Championships.

In 2018 Arama Hau started in the front row in the Gold Coast Rugby League U14 Division One Grand Final and was on the victorious side as the Hornets defeated Coomera 29 – 12 along with a number of others Titans players.

In the 2018 U14 Division One competition in total, Arama Hau played in eleven matches, scoring his sole try in Round One against Beaudesert and kicked two goals, including one in the match against Beaudesert (converting his own try from memory) to finish the season with eight points.

In 2018 Arama Hau was part of the Helensvale Hornets U14 side that took part in the Tassell Trophy competition in Northern Queensland and scored a try in the final as Helensvale won the competition courtesy of a 40 – 6 win over the Western Lions in the final.

Arama Hau also made a number of representative sides in 2018, including playing for the Gold Coast Vikings U14 side in the South East Queensland Age Championships where he played primarily in the second row and scored against the Ipswich Diggers.

Arama Hau scored one try in the 2018 U14 Championships scoring on Day One as SEQ Green defeated SEQ White 20 – 14, fellow Titans that also scored in that match were Joseph Shannon and Nicholas Hilton.

That was the second occasion Arama Hau had represented the Vikings after being part of the U13 squad in 2017.

Arama Hau was also part of the Helensvale Hornets U14 side that won the Tassell Trophy in 2018 scoring in the Hornets 40 – 6 Tournament final victory over the Western Lions.

Post the South East Queensland U13 Championships in 2017, Arama Hau was selected in the South East Queensland Green side for the Queensland Age Championships and played four matches from the bench including the final against South East Queensland White.
Arama Hau is a powerful runner of the ball who runs with a slight jink, usually off his right foot, in his step prior to impacting the defensive line and from when he receives the ball until he hits the defensive line Arama Hau is able to build up significant momentum.

Arama Hau shows some more than reasonable pace when in the clear for a player his size and certainly in terms of his speed off the mark Arama Hau has some decent speed for a front rower. Also when he has impacted the defensive line he continues to pump his legs and gain extra metres after contact.

As noted he is a solidly built young second rower with outstanding footwork Arama Hau and also shows will show flashes of the ability to off load the ball and with experience this attribute will continue to develop both in terms of when he has impacted the defensive line and prior to contact.

Arama Hau’s lateral movement is outstanding for a big second rower and he is powerful enough to combat the largest of opponents looking to run through the centre of the ruck yet has the mobility to be an effective defender on the fringes of the ruck as well.

Another impressive aspect of Arama Hau’s play from a defensive stand point is the speed at which he gets around the field, for a player of his size, Arama Hau has more than decent speed and mobility.

For the 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League Arama Hau will play for Burleigh in the MM Cup and post that competition will line up for Nerang Roosters in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition and will also be U18 eligible in 2022. Arama Hau will also be at short odds to break into the Keebra Park Open A rugby league side for the 2021 GIO and Langer Cup school boy competitions.

Arama Hau spent time in the front row in 2018 at the U14 representative level but even though I am sure that he will continue to be able to play well in the front row over the next couple of seasons, I am of the opinion that Arama Hua’s ultimate future lies in the second row.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Arama Hau I would consider a player comparison with Penrith Panthers destructive left second rower Viliame Kikau as more than appropriate. Both are exceptionally destructive on the fringes of the ruck on the left side and take a power of stopping by defences.

Another NZ rep player making the jump, with Vaka Sikahele signing with our JTS and Burleigh for 2021.