My take on our top juniors

Paul Turner. The former New Zealand Warrior is an outstanding addition to the Titans 2022 NRL ranks and shapes as another impressive building block for future success at the Titans.

In 2021 prior to suffering a season ending shoulder injury, Paul Turner plyed in two NRL matches, the first against Manly in Round Five and the second in Round Six against St George a match that saw him score his first NRL try as well as suffer a season ending injury.

In Round Five against Manly, Paul Turner played twenty one minutes off the bench in the halves, running for sixteen metres (six post contact), made a line break and made ten tackles at a 90% tackling efficiency.

Paul Turner played seventy five minutes in Round Six against Canterbury once again starting from the bench and in addition to scoring his first NRL try, ran for fifty one metres (fourteen post contact), broke four tackles and made sixteen tackles of his own at a very tackling efficiency of 94.12%.

Paul Turner made his NRL debut in Round Fifteen of the 2020 season, to become the 249th Warrior, as an 18 year old and whilst he was still on a Development contract. Starting at halfback, Paul Turner ran for seventy two metres (seventeen post contact), broke a team leading seven tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.06 tackles and made twenty tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

In 2021 Paul Turner also started Round One of the Queensland Cup at five eight for the Redcliffe Dolphins against the Mackay Cutters.

Playing all eighty minutes, Paul Turner recorded two try assists, ran for ninety six metres (twenty four post contact), broke four tackles, offloaded the ball once, kicked for forty five metres and made ten tackles at a tackling efficiency of 84.5%.

Paul Turner’s first try assist was a result of him running across field to his right and holding the ball up perfectly to put the Redcliffe right centre into a gap to score untouched. Paul Turner recorded his second try assist in the second half when he looped around the back of the Redcliffe right centre and drew a defender to put his right winger over in the corner.

Paul Turner was one of four players on development contracts who travelled with the NRL squad for the resumption of the 2020 NRL season in May.

Paul Turner was used in the Warriors NRL trial against Melbourne in 2019, and appeared in both NRL trials against the Storm and Wests Tigers in 2020.

Paul Turner also represented the Vodafone Warriors at the NRL Nines in February 2020 playing all eighteen minutes in both of the Warrior matches. In Round One against Newcastle, Paul Turner ran for forty three metres and made three tackles at a 75% tackling efficiency and in Round Two against the Sydney Roosters Paul Turner scored as well as running for thirty five metres and made three tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

In 2019 Paul Turner played a number of matches for the New Zealand Warriors NSW Rugby League Canterbury Cup squad, making an immediate impression as an 18 year old.

Such was his form in 2019 that Paul Turner was awarded the Sonny Fai Medal as the Warriors U20 Player of the Year while he also represented the Junior Kiwis against the Australian Schoolboys in 2019 where he faced Tannah Boyd and David Fifita.

The Whangarei Boys' High School product came out of the Hikurangi Stags before being signed by South Sydney for the 2016 season. That year Paul Turner made eight appearances and scored eight tries for the club's Harold Matthews Cup (under-16) side.

In 2017 Paul Turner was back in New Zealand signing with the New Zealand Warriors. Paul Turner played 12 times for the Warriors U20 side that year and added another 18 appearances in 2018 ultimately playing thirty five times for the Warriors U20 side.

At 180cm and 93kg Paul Turner is more than big enough to handle the NRL but at the same time still has electric speed, both off the mark as well as when going flat out and Paul Turner also has a wicked step at his disposal.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Paul Turner is in terms of running the ball, he has outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus plus category and top end speed which must be considered plus regardless of position. Paul Turner with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control.

It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well. Teams start to focus heavily on Paul Turner when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Paul Turner can exploit.

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

Paul Turner also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Paul Turner is going to do. If Paul Turner sees a gap he is through it before the defensive line can react also when a forward takes the ball up through the centre of the ruck, Paul Turner is always in support and if he gets an off load he can accelerate through the resultant gap.

Paul Turner does not necessarily have a big step but has an outstanding swerve which he uses when confronted with the fullback. Paul Turner will run directly at the fullback to slow his lateral momentum and then swerve around him the second the fullback’s momentum stops or slows.

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

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

Paul Turner will miss the remainder of the 2021 NRL season but will be back ready to go for the 2022 NRL pre-season which will be his first with the Titans and he is also contracted to the Titans for the 2023 season.

Paul Turner has played some brief periods of matches in the centres at the NRL level and possibly could be an outstanding fullback but there is no doubt that Paul Turner’s best position will be in the halves and a half with some size, speed and play making attributes.

When you have a player with the ability to see a number of plays ahead of what is currently happening and has the ball playing and game management skills to take advantage of that you put them in a position to have the balls in their hands as much as possible. Paul Turner is one such player and therefore playing five eight or half seems to be the ideal position for him now and into the future.

Some players in key positions such as in the halves or fullback, want to not lose matches, Paul Turner is on the absolute opposite end of the spectrum, he wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line, wanting to win the game rather than being worried about losing it. Very few players at any level of any sport, even at the professional level, have that sort of mentality. Only a handful of people really thrive under pressure (a lot say they do but..) Paul Turner appears to be one of them.

I must admit I struggled a touch to identify a good NRL player comparison for Paul Turner due to his unique size and speed and well as play making attributes but if you think of a bigger, faster and more elusive verion of Penrith and New South Wales State of Origin half Nathan Cleary, then that is the type of potential that Paul Turner has.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki. The big, strong, powerful centre (and occasional backrower) has moved over from Auckland to attend Keebra Park State High School in time for Term two of the 2021 school year.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki has been in the upper echelon of rugby league players in his age group in New Zealand over the last couple of seasons thus Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki should have no issues with settling into the style that is played in the school boy and junior rugby league ranks in Australia.

In late 2020 Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki started at right centre and scored for the Auckland U16 Representative that defeated a South Island U16 Representative side alongside younger brother Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki scored in the 17th minute when from twenty metres out from the line he ran into a gap, receiving a pass from his left from his fullback and then beating the South Island fullback. Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was then able to bring the ball around to put it down near the posts.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki could have scored a second try just three minutes later when he made a line break down the right touchline diving towards the right corner from two metres out but was hit by the cover defence and taken into touch very close to the right corner post.

Also in 2020 Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was part of the Counties U16 representative rugby side and the U17 Te Mahurnure Representative side as well as playing for Auckland’s Wesley College.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was part of the Warriors Elite Development squad for a number of seasons including in 2019 and 2020, in 2020 playing for the Future Warriors Development Squad against a New Zealand U16 selection and in 2019 won the New Zealand Warriors Junior Development Merit Award.

In 2019 Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was part of the Counties Manukau U15 side that took part of the New Zealand U15 Youth Championships with Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki being named in the All-Tournament U15 Team and in 2018 Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was a member of the Makula Tonga U14 Representative side.

Also in 2019 Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was an invited participant for the New Zealand Junior Kiwi’s Elite Rugby League camp.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki has very good speed off the mark, which I would consider above average for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle.

When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.

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

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki also has a powerful fend which served him well in the NYC competition and in fact has been the reason for at least two of his line breaks this season when his opposing centre has gone high and he has just palmed him off with seemingly little effort. His natural strength is just an impressive attribute.

A real positive for me is that Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.

As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki 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, Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when he chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

Even though he has only recently arrived in Australia Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki will I am sure will be given every opportunity to represent Keebra Park State High School in their various Open School Boy Rugby League competitions in 2021. In relation to club rugby league Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki will be U18 eligible in 2021.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki will also be U18 eligible in 2022 and will push for a position with either Tweed Heads or Burleigh in the 2022 MM Cup competition as well as continuing with Keebra Park State High School.

At 183cm and 102kg Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki is a powerful young man but he is also exceptionally quick and mobile for his size and to be honest is a rare combination of all of those traits. With those traits and the innate ability to find room to move, there on not a doubt that Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki will have every opportunity to stay in the centres long term.

In many respects the way Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki plays on a rugby league field resembles that of Titans NRL outside back Brian Kelly as a speedy, elusive player with some more than reasonable size about him and with some real potential moving forward in both attack and defence as well as a bit of an aggressive streak when the occasion warrants.

Joseph Pouniu. The tall, powerhouse front rower from the North Lakes Kangeroo’s club in Brisbane’s northern suburbs signed a multi-year contract with the Titans in early 2021 after being a stand out junior in Brisbane both at club and representative level for a number of seasons.

In 2020 Joseph Pouniu played for the North Lakes Kangaroos in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition who finished third on the ladder, winning six out of their ten matches. North Lakes scored 242 points and conceded 124 to finish with a points differential of +118.

North Lakes moved through the 2020 Finals series to the Grand Final qualifier against Carina with the match ending in a 22 all draw but Carina went through to the Grand Final as they had scored first in the Preliminary Final.

In the tough match, Joseph Pouniu scored two tries, one on each half as North Lakes season ended in heart breaking fashion prematurely.

Joseph Pouniu’s first try came in just the 7th minute of Preliminary Final. With North Lakes on the attack, Joseph Pouniu was positioned to the left of the play the ball which occurred in the right corner, Joseph Pouniu initially received the ball two passes off the ruck and immediately offloaded to his front row partner who was to his left.

Joseph Pouniu then looped around behind his front row partner (an old fashioned run around) to receive the ball approximately ten metres out, Joseph Pouniu then ran to his left before dummying in the same direction before putting the ball under his arm and bursting through the defensive line to drag two defenders over the line to score ten metres in from the left corner post. Joseph Pouniu then ran the ball back from the subsequent Carina kick-off.

Joseph Pouniu’s second try arrived in the 21st minute of the second half when he barged over from six metres out. Joseph Pouniu got down low for force his way over five metres to the right of the goal posts.

Joseph Pouniu was involved in the 2020 Grand Final qualifier early, taking the first hit-up of the match after Carina kicked the ball off to get the match underway with Joseph Pouniu getting the ball back to close to the twenty metre mark to give North Lakes a solid foundation to get their first set of six underway.

In addition to scoring two tries, Joseph Pouniu also set up one towards the end of the first half. Joseph Pouniu backed up a break by his front row partner and got the offload and was immediately engaged by the defence, Joseph Pouniu however was able to maintain his balance and throw a right arm out the back of his hand off-load to a team mate but they were brought down less than a metre from the try line.

Joseph Pouniu continued on unabated in the second half of the Preliminary Final with a try saving tackle in the early minutes of the half. Defending on the try line, Joseph Pouniu moved quickly to his left to engage and man handle the Carina right centre to prevent a try being scored.

Also early in the second half Joseph Pouniu produced an offload that ultimately led to a try in the corner by the North Lakes left winger. A couple of minutes later Joseph Pouniu put up a spiralling midfield bomb to highlight that all players are halfbacks at heart, and then was the first North Lakes player down field to tackle the Carina fullback.

In the 19th minute Joseph Pouniu continued to work hard, making twelve metres from the second hit-up from a North Lakes penalty restart after Carina had infringed in the play the ball.

In late September 2020 Joseph Pouniu produced another strong match against Moreton Bay starting with taking the 4th hit-up from North Lakes first set of six making twelve metres in the process. Then in the 3rd minute, Joseph Pouniu charged to within a metre of the try line and won a penalty when Moreton Bay stripped the ball with more than one defender in the tackle. Joseph Pouniu then got back to take the hit-up from the penalty restart once again only being dragged down a metre from the line, with North Lakes scoring from the next play.

In the 5th minute Moreton Bay had to commit five defenders to eventually get Joseph Pouniu to the ground and then in the 22nd minute, Joseph Pouniu barged fifteen metres downfield into the Moreton Bay twenty metre area from a penalty restart.

Interspersed with these efforts, Joseph Pouniu hit one of the Moreton Bay front rowers hard stopping him in his tracks less than a metre from the try line to stop him from scoring.

In the second half Joseph Pouniu took the second hit-up after Moreton Bay kicked off and what a hit-up it was. After receiving the ball, Joseph Pouniu charged straight through the middle of the Moreton Bay defensive line, breaking easily through the first line and then under heavy pressure from the cover defence threw a great one arm (right arm) pass to his left to his front row partner who also broke through to take the ball into the Moreton Bay twenty metre area.

Towards the end of the second half, Joseph Pouniu, from around twelve metres out was able to get within a foot of the try line and after Joseph Pouniu produced a quick play the ball, North Lakes scored in the left corner from the next play.

Just five minutes later it was a similar situation, after a strong run that one again finished within less than a metre of the try line, Joseph Pouniu produced another quick play the ball that ended with his front row partner scoring under the posts.

In late August 2020, it was the Redcliffe Dolphins that bore the brunt of Joseph Pouniu’s strength and power, including Joseph Pouniu scoring a try late in the first half.

Joseph Pouniu’s try came around the 24th minute of the first half when he lined up to the right of the play the ball twenty metres out from the try line. When the first receiver took possession, Joseph Pouniu ran an underneath route and charged towards the left corner beating four tackles. Near the try line (and corner post) Joseph Pouniu propped on the spot to let two defenders sail past before veering back to his right and crossing eight metres from the left corner post with two defenders trying in vain to prevent Joseph Pouniu from getting the ball down.

After North Lakes kicked off Joseph Pouniu made the 3rd and 4th tackles of the match and continued to dominate in both attack and defence from there on.

That domination continued in the 6th minute when Joseph Pouniu made a strong run to the left of the ruck before offloading of his left and then Joseph Pouniu backed up to take the next hit-up. Then in the 9th minute Joseph Pouniu off-loaded once again (right arm offload) this time to his right after a strong hit-up from a twenty metre tap restart, with Joseph Pouniu making ten metres before offloading.

In the 16th minute, Joseph Pouniu lined up to the right of the play the ball but after the first received took possession he cut back underneath the play to break four tackles and make around twenty metres to eventually be tackled near the left touchline.

Joseph Pouniu’s dominance continued in the second half with Joseph Pouniu taking the third hit-up off the Redcliffe kick-off to break through the Redcliffe line and then round the Dolphins fullback to his right and was then still able to produce a right arm off-load to his five eight to get North Lakes onto the attack well into Redcliffe territory.

Redcliffe found it near impossible to stop Joseph Pouniu from off-loading the ball and that proved to be the case once again in the 7th minute of the second half when Joseph Pouniu took the ball right into the line but was still able to produce a right arm off-load to his left to send North Lakes on a long attacking raid well into Dolphins territory.

In addition to starting the match well, Joseph Pouniu also finished the match well with a charge to the right of the play the ball starting from inside his own twenty metre area. After initially being brought down by two defenders, Joseph Pouniu was not held and after getting to his feet threw off another defender before exploding off the mark downfield once again rounding the fullback and getting yet another off-load away.

As was the case on multiple occasions in 2019 and 2020, Joseph Pouniu’s impressive defence is over shadowed due to how damaging he is running the ball but a tackle towards the end of the match when he got low and drove his right shoulder into the Redcliffe hooker highlighted that Joseph Pouniu can be just as damaging without the ball as he is with it.

Another team that had their hands full in trying to contain Joseph Pouniu was Souths Acacia Ridge who in early August 2020 struggled and Joseph Pouniu made them pay with a late first half try as well as an outstanding individual try in the early minutes of the second half.

In relation to his try in the first half, Joseph Pouniu lined up on the left side of the field, receiving the ball two passes off the ruck ten metres from the line, Joseph Pouniu simply was not going to be stopped and he crashed over eight metres to the left of the uprights.

In the early moments of the second half, Joseph Pouniu scored a solo try and you would be hard pressed to see a better individual effort. Joseph Pouniu received the ball off the dummy half to the right of the play the ball and burst through the Souths line sixty metres out. After easily outpacing the cover defence, Joseph Pouniu just as easily rounded the Souths fullback and scored an absolutely impressive solo try seven metres to the left of the uprights.

Joseph Pouniu became immediately involved in the match taking the second hit-up after Souths kicked up, making ten metres to get the ball out to the forty metre mark. Joseph Pouniu then backed up to take the 4th hit-up of the match.

Joseph Pouniu followed those two hit-ups with another strong run from the Souths kick-off after North Lakes opening try of the match, making a further fifteen metres. Then in the 9th minute, Joseph Pouniu produced another damaging effort that accounted for an additional twenty five from a run that included six tackle breaks to get the ball to within one metre of the try line with North Lakes scoring from the next play in the right corner.

In the 18th minute Joseph Pouniu burst straight through the centre of the Souths Magpies ruck, making approximately twenty metres before a right arm offload found his locked who was able to continue the North Lakes attack.

Joseph Pouniu’s attack on the Souths defensive line continued in the second half in the 12th minute when he burst into a gap on his own thirty metre mark charging downfield before offloading to his left around twenty five metres out from the try line.

Joseph Pouniu is not just about speed, strength and power, he is also an intelligent young man with that being confirmed in the 28th minute of the second half when Joseph Pouniu produced a one on one strip inside Souths Acacia Ridge’s own twenty metre mark with North Lakes scoring in the right corner two tackles later.

Even though Joseph Pouniu’s defence was overshadowed by his attack, I am certain that the Souths replacement front rower (No. 17) did not see it that way when Joseph Pouniu crunched him with a big front on tackle in the 13th minute of the first half.

In 2019 Joseph Pouniu started in the GBJRL U13 Division One Grand Final and was one of North Lakes try scorers in their Grand Final victory over Logan Brothers with his try coming in the 12th minute of the second half.

Joseph Pouniu was on the left side of the field and received the ball after the ball went through hands from the right with Joseph Pouniu receiving the ball five metres out and diving over ten metres in from the left corner post after getting on the outside of his immediate Logan Brothers opponent.

Joseph Pouniu then ran the ball back from the subsequent kick-off, breaking at least eight tackles in a bumping run to get the ball out to thirty five metres out from the North Lakes line.

In addition to his try, Joseph Pouniu also recorded a Grand Final try assist which came mid-way through the first half. Joseph Pouniu took the ball off the dummy half to the right of the play the ball, after drawing the defence in, Joseph Pouniu threw a long pass to his left to put his left winger over in the left corner. Joseph Pouniu then took the hit-up off the kick off.

Joseph Pouniu’s first contribution in the Grand Final came almost immediately when he made a strong tackle, which was just the second tackle of the match after North Lakes had kicked off.

Joseph Pouniu’s first hit-up of the Grand Final came in the 4th minute when he made fifteen metres when he received the ball to the right of the dummy half to get the ball up to near the halfway mark.

Joseph Pouniu showcased some very good hands ten minutes into the first half. Logan Brother’s kicked-off after North Lakes scored the opening try of the Grand Final with the ball skidding of the green towards Joseph Pouniu, just before it got to him, the ball bounced high above his head. Joseph Pouniu jumped up to take the ball right on the goal line in two hands. Joseph Pouniu then ran the ball back at the Logan Brothers line, getting the ball forty two metres out from his own line, in a run that included five broken tackles.

To round off an impressive first half of the Grand Final, Joseph Pouniu once again made a damaging run from a Logan Brothers kick off and once again Joseph Pouniu dragged defenders all the way back to the forty metre mark.

Even the half time break could not slow Joseph Pouniu down with the young front rower taking the first hit-up from the Logan Brothers kick-off to start the second half. Joseph Pouniu broke two tackles and made twenty metres down the left side of the field just a few minutes later in the 6th minute of the second half.

Then in the 9th minute, Joseph Pouniu skittled Logan Brothers defenders at will, breaking six tackles in a single run of twenty two metres that initially started to the right of a North Lakes scrum win. After receiving the ball, Joseph Pouniu cut back towards the right and getting to metres into Logan Brothers territory.

Joseph Pouniu then have an exclamation mark on his impressive performance in the Grand Final in the 25th minute of the second half when he received the ball on his own line. After dummying to his right, Joseph Pouniu surged downfield, breaking four tackles as he got the ball out to the thirty eight metre mark.

A lot of the analysis of Joseph Pouniu’s Grand Final performance has revolved around his attack but his defence was also outstanding including a tackle mid-way through the second half when Joseph Pouniu monstered the Logan Brothers half back forcing him back ten metres before the referee called held.

In the 2019 GBJRL U13 Grand Final qualifier against Carina, Joseph Pouniu also had a strong match, making an impact in the opening minutes when he made twelve metres, breaking three tackles along the way when he ran the ball to the right of a North Lakes scrum win. Then in the 5th minute Joseph Pouniu made a further run that made fifteen minutes to take the ball out of North Lakes territory and over the halfway mark.

In the 7th minute of the match, Joseph Pouniu showed that he was not just a bash and barge type of player when he engaged the defensive line and got away a good offload to his starting front row partner around the halfway mark.

Just like in the Grand Final, Joseph Pouniu was also dominant defensively in the match against Carina including in just the 4th minute when he made two strong tackles in a row and on both occasions Joseph Pouniu got low to gain leverage and force the Carina attacked backwards after stopping their initial momentum with strong initial contact.

In the 22nd minute, Joseph Pouniu showed great hands when a Carina kick-off was let bounce, the ball bounced back towards the Carina chasers but Joseph Pouniu raced towards the ball and reaching out and initially juggling he ball just as the Carina defence arrived. Then after securing the ball, Joseph Pouniu was still able to get the ball back to near the forty metre mark.

From the second half Carina kick-off, Joseph Pouniu continued to prove difficult to bring down with Joseph Pouniu breaking four tackles to get the ball back to near the forty metre mark. Joseph Pouniu did not slow down as the second half wore on when in the 21st minute of the half, Joseph Pouniu received the ball two passes to the left of the dummy half and from his own forty metre mar, Joseph Pouniu marched the ball twenty five metres into Carina territory.

Josiah Pouniu also had a strong match in July 2019 when he ran rampant against Moreton Bay, including scoring early in the first half. In just the 4th minute of the match, Joseph Pouniu received the ball ten metres out from the Moreton Bay line from the dummy half to the right of the play the ball. Joseph Pouniu, from a near stationary start bumped off two defenders, pushing another backwards before getting the ball down under the posts.

Even though is try came in just the 4th minute of the match, even that was not the first major contribution that Joseph Pouniu had made in the match. In just the 1st minute, Joseph Pouniu got within two metres of the Moreton Bay try line directly in front of the posts, after Moreton Bay had last the ball from their kick-off return.

The in the 3rd minute, in the set of six after North Lakes first try, Joseph Pouniu brought the ball back to the half-way with a strong fifteen metre run after receiving the ball to the right of the dummy half.

Joseph Pouniu continued his strong match in the 9th minute with another run that brought the ball out of his own territory and then in the 16th minute, Joseph Pouniu ran the ball into the defensive line to the right of the play the ball, initially being hit by three Moreton Bay defenders, as Joseph Pouniu continued to fight in the tackle, he spun clockwise and just kept pumping his legs, making ten metres all up before four Moreton Bay defenders had to commit to the tackle to finally get Joseph Pouniu on the ground.

Early in the second half Joseph Pouniu continued to cause havoc for the Moreton Bay defence running off an inside ball to make ten metres to bring the ball out of his own twenty metre area and then in the 16th minute of the second half Joseph Pouniu charged directly through the centre of the Moreton Bay defence, making twenty metres and showcasing impressive speed.

Late in the first half Joseph Pouniu displayed that he is really a half at heart when he last minute of the half he put in a right foot kick to the left corner.

Also in 2019 Joseph Pouniu represented Brisbane Red U13’s in the front row at the Hill Stumer South East Queensland Junior Rugby League Championships, and post those Championships was selected in the South East Queensland Training Squad.

Rarely can you find a young player who is equally at home running on both sides of the ruck but that is what the Titans now have with Joseph Pouniu , he runs a superb inside or outside shoulder line and his excellent footwork enables him to step off either foot to enable him to cut back against the movement of the defensive line to take advantage of gaps back on the inside of his direct opponent.

For a big strong young man, Joseph Pouniu also has above average (to plus) speed, not just off the mark but also when he is in clear space, when he makes a break Joseph Pouniu is more than capable of going the distance and normally easily out paces the cover defence.

Joseph Pouniu is not just a strong runner of the ball he as noted above has excellent footwork prior to the line and also some very good short passing both before the line and when in contact with defenders.

On a lot of his runs Joseph Pouniu rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his outside support.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Joseph Pouniu play his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance.

Defensively Joseph Pouniu has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier regardless of the size of the opponent. Joseph Pouniu sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

Joseph Pouniu good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players on the fringes of the ruck and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork but moving up quickly but at the same time maintaining his balance.

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

Joseph Pouniu will play the 2021 season in the GBJRL U15 Division One competition.

Joseph Pouniu does not just have outstanding size, strength and power, he also possess exceptional speed for a big man. With that combination, Joseph Pouniu has the ideal, physical and skill attributes as well as the correct mentality to be a representative level NRL player in coming years.

Joseph Pouniu was very good in 2019 and even better in 2020 and that augers well for his future development over the coming seasons.

The attributes and mentality attributed to Joseph Pouniu are easily ones that are also attributed to Titans and Queensland State of Origin stand out front rower/lock Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and in fact their playing styles overall are not dis-similar either as are their physical attributes.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki. The ultra-talented hooker has moved over from Auckland to attend Keebra Park State High School in time for Term two of the 2021 school year.

Over the last couple of seasons Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki has been at the forefront of the rugby league talent in New Zealand in his age group and that augers well for Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki getting up to speed in rugby league in Australia very quickly whether that is at the club, school boy or representative level.

In late 2020 Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki started at hooker for the Auckland U16 Representative, even though he was still U15 eligible, that defeated a South Island U16 Representative side alongside older brother Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki. The match saw Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki score a double in Auckland’s big win.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki scored the first of his two tries in the 27th minute when he followed up a charge by one of the Auckland front rowers around three metres out from the line. When he received the offload Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki was stationary but he then exploded off the mark to his right to dive over.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki’s second try arrived in the 53rd minute. After moving into dummy half two metres away from the try line Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki ran out of dummy half to his right to score easily next to the left upright.

In just the 4th minute of the match, Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki could easily have scored what would have given him a hat trick when he ran out of dummy half to his right from six metres out and was seemingly stopped but a second effort from Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki saw him get over the line only to be held up adjacent to the left upright.

2020 also saw Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki start at hooker and score for the New Zealand Warriors U16 side that defeated a New Zealand Invitational U16 side with Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki scoring after crashing over from close range in the Future Warriors Development Squad’s victory 28 - 24 victory.

In October 2020 Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki played in the New Zealand Maori U15 Tournament representing Manurewa and post the completion of that Tournament Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki was named at hooker in the All-Tournament Team and was also named the New Zealand Maori Most Valuable Player.

Like his older brother Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki attended Auckland’s Wesley College and at the 2019 Wesley College Sports Awards night, Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki was named the U15 Best Back.

In 2019, even though he was still U14 eligible Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki was an invited trialist for the U15 Counties Manukau Representative side for the New Zealand National Youth Championships.

2019 also saw Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki represent the Counties Maori U14 and U15 representative sides and in 2018 Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki was part of the Hakula Tonga U13 Representative side.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki is a dummy half with a goal to lead his team around the field and determine when the forwards take the ball up and when the ball is directed out to the backline. Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki looks to lead his forwards onto the ball well and provides a flat pass to enable his forwards to time their run onto the ball. Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki aims to be the team’s general from dummy half and control the pace of the match and the axis from which his team directs their attack and also from what part of the field.

Running with the ball Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki has good speed off the mark, probably in the average category for a hooker but normally runs off the back of a big run from one of his forwards so that he runs when the defensive line is still retreating back to their 10 metre mark.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki is also a solid kicker out of dummy half both in terms of short attacking kicks and longer range tactical kicking. In many ways his kicking from a situational perspective at least is like that of Cameron Smith. Like Smith he is unlikely to be his side’s primary kicking option but if the opportunity presents he will be a 40/20 threat.

Just like he is when he is at dummy half Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki is a leader when he is in the defensive line looking to direct his forwards towards where the ball is likely heading and individually identifying which forward defends which attacker.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki certainly has a tough streak and will look to hit opposing forwards regardless of their size as hard as possible and looks to finish off each tackle with aggression. Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki is also a solid worker when at marker and will chase and look to harass both ball runners and tactical kickers alike.

Another area where Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki has a plus attribute is in relation to his leaderships skills. He is a strong confident personality and that translates to a leader on and off the field, this is a trait that you cannot teach, you either have it or you don’t. Even if he is not the nominated captain on the field he is a leader regardless of which team he is lining up for and acts accordingly. The confidence that his team mates have in Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki is just exceptional.

Even though he has only recently arrived in Australia Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki will I am sure will be given every opportunity to represent Keebra Park State High School in their various Open School Boy Rugby League competitions in 2021. In relation to club rugby league Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki will be U16 eligible in 2021.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki will be U18 eligible in 2020 and will push for a position with either Tweed Heads or Burleigh in the 2022 MM Cup competition and will also be MM Cup eligible in 2023 as well as continuing with Keebra Park in those two years.

Whilst he has played a number of positions Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki has had a significant amount of success at hooker over the last two seasons, including standing out at representative level playing against opponents a year older than him. It is this success and his physical characteristics that suggest that Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki has an exciting future as a rugby league hooker. At 175cm and a growing 75kg Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki has the physical frame to be able to settle at hooker for the long term as well.

A current player with a similar playing style to Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki for me is Melbourne Storm and Queensland State of Origin hooker Harry Gran. Both Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki and Grant have the talent, skill set and motivation to go a long way from a rugby league career perspective even though they are both very young and still learning their craft.

Matthew Logopati. The young man moved over from Canterbury on New Zealand’s South Island in early 2021 to attend Coombabah State High School as well as play for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition, after a storied career in New Zealand.

Matthew Logopati started Round One of the 2021 Langer Cup School Boy competition at left second row against Mabel Park State High School having an impressive match in Coombabah’s big win over the Langer Cup newcomers including an outstanding solo try in the 48th minute of the match.

Matthew Logopati took a hit-up from a Coombabah SHS penalty restart eleven metres from the line. Matthew Logopati ran fractionally to his left but after bumping of the first defender, he cut back towards the left touchline, palming off a number of defenders and breaking through two more tackles to slam the ball down in the right corner.

The first of a number of telling contributions from Matthew Logopati came in the 8th minute when he made thirteen metres through the centre of the giant Mabel Park SHS forward pack to get to the halfway mark. Matthew Logopati also made a fourteen metres run in the 16th minute.

Matthew Logopati then in the 29th minute charged onto the ball to the right of the dummy half before cutting back to his left to make twelve metres before getting away a right arm off-load.

Matthew Logopati showed his all-out effort in the 8th minute when he stopped, turned and dived backwards onto an attacking grubber kick that was put through by Mabel Park then did not concede the tackle, immediately jumping to his feet racing forty metres downfield to put Coombabah SHS onto the attack deep in Mabel Park territory.

Matthew Logopati also started at left second row in Coombabah SHS’s tough Round Two loss against Wavell State High School and in Round Three against PBC State High School Matthew Logopati dropped back to the bench, coming on to play right second row but unfortunately Matthew Logopati went down with put looked like a serious knee injury in the 22nd minute. Prior to going off, Matthew Logopati had some very good moments including a strong run down the right channel in the 15th minute with Matthew logopati then being able to off-load to his left.

After missing Round Three, Matthew Logopati was named on the bench for Round Four against Ipswich State High School and also for Round Five against St Mary’s College Toowoomba.

Matthew Logopati’s first appearance for Runaway Bay in the GCRL U18 Division One competition came when he started from the bench in Round Three against the Nerang Roosters. Matthew Logopati moved into the Seagulls starting side at left second row in Round Four against the Helensvale Hornets.

Round Five saw Matthew Logopati start at right second row against Burleigh producing a strong performance in the Seagulls tough loss including a strong run of thirteen metres in the 7th minute, being stopped less than a metre from the tryline.

The match also saw Matthew Logopati produce a strong tackled in the 51st minute when his contact when he came over the top forcing the ball loose.

In Round Seven against the Ormeau Shearers, Matthew Logopati was named on the bench.

Matthew Logopati started his school boy rugby league career of with Coombabah SHS in the Titans Cup Year 11/12 Division One competition including in Round Five when he was Coombabah’s best in their loss to Marymount College.

In 2020 Matthew Logopati was part of the Future Warriors Elite Development Program and was also named in the U16 New Zealand Residents squad as well as playing for the Canterbury U16 representatice side. Matthew Logopati played his club rugby league prior to moving to Australia with the Lonwood Keas in Canterbury.

The pace and power in terms of how Matthew Logopati runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing defenders who are slow to move up.

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

I would consider that Matthew Logopati’s speed would be considered above average for a second rower but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at. Matthew Logopati also has a very powerful fend especially with his right hand.

The defensive side of his game is similarly effective, Matthew Logopati does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit (well maybe sometimes but not often), but is cold and calculating in where and when he hits. Matthew Logopati drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent and force them off balance or off their running line.

With his strength and technique Matthew Logopati should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of age group or quality of opponent. Matthew Logopati also has some aggression in his game which he will need to ensure that he moderates it and channels it correctly which I am sure will come with additional experience.

Matthew Logopati will complete the 2021 season with Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition as well as for Coombabah State High School. Matthew Logopati in U18 eligible once again in 2021 and should push for an MM Cup spot with either Tweed Heads or Burleigh and will also line-up for Coombabah State High School once again in the GIO and Langer Cup school boy rugby league competitions amongst others.

Matthew Logopati is developing into a solidly built young man with some speed and power, thus I am of the opinion that Matthew Logopati’s best position going forward is where he played in his first season on the Gold Coast being in the second row.

From an NRL player comparison perspective in relation to Matthew Logopati, think of Parramatta Eels and former New Zealand Warriors tough hard aggressive second rower Isaiah Pappalli as a good comparison for Matthew Logopati, both just charge at the line without fear and really try to hit as hard as possible in every tackle.

People watching Matthew Logopati play for the first time may think that he is all speed, power, aggressiveness and strength but whilst he does display those attributes there is a lot more to Matthew Logopati’s game revolving around positioning, awareness, timing and anticipation, but aggression will always be a hall mark of his game.

Ethan Palanga. The young winger who earlier in 2021 was part of the Easts Tigers MM Cup squad, playing a number of their trials, started on the left wing for the Southport Tigers in Round One of the GCRL U18 Division One competition as they took on the Currumbin Eagles.

In the Round One match, one of the impressive attributes of Ethan Palanga’s performance was his ability to pick the correct time to come out of the line in defence when facing an overlap.

The first occasion that Ethan Palanga came out of the line was inside the opening minute of the match when facing a three man overlap Ethan Palanga flew out of the line to hit the Currumbin right centre just as he was trying to pass to his left.

Ethan Palanga came off his left wing once again in the 10th minute when he was defending from a Currumbin scrum feed. Once again Ethan Palanga came out of the line to hit the Currumbin right centre to end the movement to two unmarked players on the outside.

Ethan Palanga also had some good moments running the ball including in the 2nd minute when he ran out of dummy half to his right to get the ball more than ten metres away from his own try line.

Ethan Palanga produced another strong dummy half run in the 57th minute when he once again ran from near his own line directly into the Currumbin defensive line and was awarded a penalty when he was not allowed to his feet for a quick play the ball.

Ethan Palanga also produced a heads up play in the 66h minute when he took a bomb to his wing over his head whilst running towards his own dead ball line. Ethan Palanga immediately turned and charged back to take the restart from the twenty metre mark.

Then in the 4th minute Ethan Palanga proved that he is prepared to do the work when he ran from his left wing to the right side of the field to take a hit-up out of his own twenty metre area.

Ethan Palanga also started on the left wing in Round Two against Runaway Bay and was able to defuse a number of kicks directed to his wing, including in the 29th minute when he was able to take a kick on the full under pressure near his own line, getting down low immediately to unsure that he was not forced backwards into his own in-goal.

After missing Round Three, Ethan Palanga was back on the left wing in Round Four against Burleigh before moving to the right wing in Round Six against Mudgeeraba. Round Seven against Helensvale saw Ethan Palanga drop back to the bench.

Ethan Palanga then moved to the right wing for Round Nine against the Runaway Bay Seagulls.

Ethan Palanga is a powerfully built hard running winger who seems to have a preference to run over an opponent rather than beating them with speed and guile. He however does have the size, strength and power to achieve his goal. Ethan Palanga 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 winger I would argue that Ethan Palanga’s speed is a touch above average for a winger but it plays faster than that as a result of the strength and power that he runs with. Ethan Palanga 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, Ethan Palanga usually lines up on the left wing and at present he seems far more comfortable lining up on that side of the field.

Defensively Ethan Palanga 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 Ethan Palanga does not necessarily have the recovery speed if an attacker beats him for pace and gets on his outside.

Ethan Palanga will finish the 2021 season playing for the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition and may also play a match or two in the GCRL U20 competition.

With his straight line speed and bullocking type of running style Ethan Palanga shapes as an ideal modern day rugby league winger.

New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand International powerhouse winger Ken Maumalo is an ideal comparison for Ethan Palanga. The comparison not only stands up from a playing style perspective but also a physical perspective (although Palanga is a bit smaller from a height perspective) as both are big strong young man learning to make the most of their physical size, speed and power. When he has physically matured and gains added experience Ethan Palanga will be an absolute sight to behold on the end of a rugby league backline.

Zachariah Siulepa. The young front rower has moved over to the Gold Coast from Western Australia to play for the Burleigh Bears in the 2021 GCRL U18 Division One competition, starting Round One of that competition against the Nerang Roosters in the front row.

Zachairiah Siulepa dropped back to start from the bench in Round Two as the Bears took on the Helensvale Hornets coming on late in the first half, playing in the front row and not long after coming on the field Zachairiah Siulepa made his presence felt with a strong tackle on the Helensvale right second rower. The 33rd minute then saw Zachairiah Siulepa monster one of the Hornets interchange forwards with a big front on tackle.

Zachairiah Siulepa almost scored his first try since his move to the Gold Coast when in the 34th minute he rumbled forward from ten metres out from the try line and it took four Helensvale defenders to hold him up over the line adjacent to the left upright.

Zachairiah Siulepa came off the bench once again in Round Three against the Mudgeeraba Redbacks as well as in Round Four agaisnt the Southport Tigers.

Zachairiah Siulepa also started from the bench in Round Five against the Runaway Bay Seagulls and had a big hand in Burleigh’s 25 – 24 victory by scoring a try in each half of the nail biting victory.

After coming off the bench in the 21st minute Zachairiah Siulepa only had to wait two minutes to cross the line for his first try of not just the match but since his arrival from Perth. Zachairiah Siulepa rumbled onto the ball from twelve metres from the line, running straight and hard breaking through three tackles to get the ball down five metres from the right uprights.

Zachairiah Siulepa scored his second try in the dying minutes of the match when he received an inside pass and rumbled eight metres to score next to the right upright.

After initially being named to start from the bench, Zachairiah Siulepa started in the front row in Round Six against the Ormeau Shearers, making the first os his strong runs in the 3rd minute when he rumbled forward making fifteen metres to get the ball to near the halfway mark and he made a further fifteen metres in the 9th minute from the kick-off from Burleigh’s opening try of the match.

Zachairiah Siulepa was back in the starting line-up in the front row in Round Nine against the Helensvale Hornets and scored the opening try of the match in Burleigh’s impressive 28 – 16 victory.

In 2019 Zachairiah Siulepa was part of the Western Australian U15 School Boys side that played in the U15 ASSRL U15 National Championships scoring in Western Australia’s second match of the Championships against Victoria when he got low and was too strong for the Victorian defence close to the try line with Zachairiah Siulepa getting the ball down next to the right upright.

Solidly built with a low centre of gravity, Zachairiah Siulepa has proved to be a very difficult proposition for opposing defences over recent seasons in Western Australia and in the early going on the Gold Coast for Burleigh when he gets back deep and charges onto the ball.

When opponents tries to go higher and tackle him around the chest, Zachairiah Siulepa is able to shrug them off and maintain his momentum forward and as a consequence teams had to commit multiple resources to stop him. The best way to look to combat Zachairiah Siulepa is to tackle him around the legs but even then Zachairiah Siulepa is adept at dropping his shoulder at the opportune moment to make even that type of tackle difficult to execute for the majority of defenders.

For a player of his size and position Zachairiah Siulepa actually has decent speed off the mark but obviously does not necessary have great top end speed. Zachairiah Siulepa shows flashes of the ability to off load the football when engaged with the defensive line but it is not a skill attribute that you see often not are you likely to into the future as that his not his primary role on a rugby league team.

When Zachairiah Siulepa hits you you stay hit, due to his height he is able to drive into the ribs of larger forwards and as his centre of gravity is usually lower than that of the person that he is defending against he is able to negatively impact on their momentum and balance and bring them to ground very quickly and is strong enough to win the wrestle and slow the play the ball down to allow his sides defensive line to re-establish itself before the opposition run their next play.

Zachairiah Siulepa complete the 2021 season with the Burleigh Bears U18 Division One side and he is also U18 eligible in 2022.

Zachairiah Siulepa is relatively short for a front rower but is stout and powerful with a low centre of gravity and thus has been and always will be a front rower every time that he runs onto a rugby league field. Zachairiah Siulepa is a throwback type of front rower from a time where front rowers are not all of these tall types that are prevalent in the present era.

Zachairiah Siulepa being a solidly built young front rower has a similar body shape (all be it bigger overall) to former North Queensland Cowboys, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test front rower Matt Scott, but the similarities do not end with body shape, like Scott, Zachairiah Siulepa takes the ball up into the centre of the ruck without fear and defensively with surprising lateral mobility for a player with his build is also more than an effective defender.

VJ Letalu. The Keebra Park State High School student who is part of the the Titans partnered schools Rugby League Academy Program and was part of the 2021 Gold Coast Invitational U13 King of Country Rugby side that won the Tournament with VJ Letalu starring from fullback.

Whilst he may not have scored himself, VJ Letalu was dominant through out, regularly breaking the line on both sides of the field. VJ Letalu in fact almost did score what would have been a much deserved try when on Day Two against Far North Coast he burst down the left touchline after breaking through the defensive line forty metres out, but unfortunately VJ Letalu was unable to control the ball as he was reaching out to put it down in the left corner.

Post the King of Country Tournament completion, VJ Letalu was named on the wing in the King of the Country All Tournament Team.

In 2020 VJ Letalu played for Keebra Park in the school boy Bronco’s Old Boys Cup Rugby League competition, playing in the final against Marsden State High School, with Keebra Park going down 26 – 6 to their fellow Titans partnered school.

In 2020 VJ Letalu played for the Coomera Cutters in the Gold Coast Rugby League U12 competition.

VJ Letalu 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.

VJ Letalu also can step off both feet exceptionally well and also has a great swerve whilst maintaining his top speed and momentum. VJ Letalu 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 VJ Letalu 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, VJ Letalu’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 VJ Letalu also played up in the line quite often.

In addition VJ Letalu 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 VJ Letalu 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 VJ Letalu’s play making skills continue to evolve, the attacking possibilities are endless.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, VJ Letalu’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 VJ Letalu 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 VJ Letalu does have is ability to force attackers who are in open space to try to beat him down the side line. VJ Letalu 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.

VJ Letalu will play the 2021 season in the GCRL U13 Division One competition for the Coomera Cutters as well as play for Keebra Park State high School in their various school boy rugby league competitions in South East Queensland.

With his size and speed and the ability to burst onto the ball either through the centre of the ruck or wider out when he chimes into the backline, VJ Letalu is ideally suited to playing fullback at a high level. There is no doubt however that VJ Letalu could quite easily also play in the centres or on the wing at a high leve as well.

VJ Letalu 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, Australian 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.

Storm Enoka. The powerhouse flanker or No. 8 was part of the 2021 Gold Coast Invitational U13 King of Country Rugby side that won the Tournament with Storm Enoka scoring a strong try on Day One against the USQ Saints.

Storm Enoka scored in the first half against USQ when he received the ball on the left side of the field twenty eight metres out from the line, immediately getting to the outside of the defensive line and then using a strong left arm fend to keep the defence off him as he charged down the left touchline to score in the left corner.

Storm Enoka recorded a try assist on Day Two against Far North Coast when he ran into space on the right and could have scored himself but five metres from the line passed to his right winger to score in the corner.

In 2020 Storm Enoka played for the Coomera Crushers in the GCDRU U12 competition, having a dominant season across the board including from a try scoring perspective.

Storm Enoka scored a hat trick in Round Four against the Yatala Rams and also scored doubles in three matches, being in Rounds One, Two and Three against the Helensvale Hogs (Rounds One and Three) and Bond Pirates (Round Two). Storm Enoka also scored in Round Five against Surfers Paradise.

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

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

Storm Enoka does not necessarily have a great top end speed, although he is certainly no slouch, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence.

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

In defence Storm Enoka regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.

As could be seen in the Kings of Country Tournament when the opportunity presents Storm Enoka has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent.

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

Storm Enoka also plays rugby league for the Coomera Cutters in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

Storm Enoka is a big strong powerful athlete with the size, speed and strength combination that is perfectly suited to playing in the second row in relation to how rugby league is currently played.

Storm Enoka’s playing style, with his speed and size is not dis-similar to that of Titans Top 30 NRL contracted second rower Darius Farmer. Both Farmer and Storm Enoka are outstanding players with their futures all in front of them.

Chance De Thierry. The Keebra Park State High School student who is part of the Titans partnered schools Rugby League Academy Program and was part of the 2021 Gold Coast Invitational U13 King of Country Rugby side that won the Tournament.

Chance De Thierry played in the second row for the Gold Coast Invitational side but is more of a front rower in rugby league.

In 2020 Chance De Thierry played for Keebra Park in the school boy Bronco’s Old Boys Cup Rugby League competition, playing in the final against Marsden State High School, with Keebra Park going down 26 – 6 to their fellow Titans partnered school.

In 2020 Chance De Thierry played for the Coomera Crushers in the GCDRU U12 competition, including scoring a double in Round Three against the Helensvale Hogs and also scored in Round Four against Yatala and Round Six against PBC. Chance De Thierry also kicked a conversion against the Yatala Rams in Round Four when he converted his own try.

Chance De Thierry is adept at cutting back behind the play the ball area when the markers do not work hard and make ground as a result. Chance De Thierry also has accepted the responsibility of regularly taking the first hit-up from kick offs and was regularly the first forward to take a hit-up after an opposition tactical kick.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Chance De Thierry’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running vector and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of those multiple directional changes. He seems just to run and think at a faster pace than other forwards on the field. These attributes lead to a lot of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself.

Chance De Thierry’s speed is probably a bit above average but it is the speed that he is able to generate from only a few paces which makes it play faster from a defenders perspective. Obviously playing representative level junior rugby has assisted in the development of this particular attribute.

Defensively he hits very hard and had one of the better defensive technique s in the NYC competition this season. Chance De Thierry’s technique revolves around timing and execution. Chance De Thierry’s head is almost always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs. From the matches that I have seen Chance De Thierry also tackles with both shoulders equally effectively.

The impressive thing for me also is that Chance De Thierry never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is quite exceptional for a reasonably inexperienced forward.

Another defensive aspect that I have noted is that Chance De Thierry does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one before. His lateral speed is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

Chance De Thierry will play the 2021 season with the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U13 Division One competition as well as continue to play for Keebra Park in their various South East Queensland school boy rugby league competitions.

Even though I would still prefer to see Chance De Thierry spend some time in the second row it seems almost certain that Chance De Thierry is considered a front row/lock and with his mobility, work ethic, foot work and intelligence in the above average category for all attributes.

In many respects Chance De Thierry has a similar playing style to that of 2021 Titans contracted front rower/lock Jai Whitbread. Both Whitbread and Chance De Thierry are high work rate players who do a lot of the little things on the field that sometimes can go unnoticed.

Alyssus Wills. The Keebra Park State High School student who is part of the Titans partnered schools Rugby League Academy Program and was part of the 2021 Gold Coast Invitational U13 King of Country Rugby side that won the Tournament.

In 2020 Alyssus Wills played for Keebra Park in the school boy Bronco’s Old Boys Cup Rugby League competition, playing in the final against Marsden State High School, with Keebra Park going down 26 – 6 to their fellow Titans partnered school.

In addition to playing for the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL competition, in 2020 Alyssus Wills played for the Coomera Crushers in the GCDRU U12 competition, including scoring in Round Three against the Helensvale Hogs and in Round Four against the Yatala Rams. Alyssus Wills also kicked a conversion in Round Three against the Helensvale Hogs.

For the Coomera Crushers in rugby, Alyssus Wills split his time between inside and outside centre.

Alyssus Wills is a powerfully built young man with a powerful frame and speed, which makes him quite difficult to tackle as he is also adept at dropping his shoulder into defenders as he impacts the defensive line.

There is no subtlety to his game, Alyssus Wills runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off his left foot in occasion prior to impacting the defensive line. One thing that Alyssus Wills does do will however is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line.

Alyssus Wills makes more metres than he should as a result and also forces defending teams to commit multiple defensive assets to stopping his forward progress. Alyssus Wills is also adept at getting a quick play the ball regardless of the number of defenders that are involved in tackling him through sheer hard work and effort.

Like his attacking game, Alyssus Wills’s defensive methodology is simply constructed and enacted. Alyssus Wills moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. Alyssus Wills is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him and for a solidly built young player.

Alyssus Wills moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence. His lateral movement is also actually quite reasonable for a front rower or lock as well.

Alyssus Wills will play the 2021 season with the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U13 Division One competition as well as continue to play for Keebra Park in their various South East Queensland school boy rugby league competitions.

Whilst Alyssus Wills has spent time in the centres, both inside and outside centre, in rugby it seems almost certain that he will line up in the second row in rugby league.

Alyssus Wills has a similar playing style to that of Titans second rower and New Zealand International Kevin Proctor as a second rower who can defend either in the centre of the ruck or a little wider out as a foil for his half or five eight, a defensive minder if you will.

Jose Ito. The young second rower currently plays for the Greenbank Raiders in the Greater Brisbane Junior Rugby League competition and attends Marsden State High School which recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Titans for a former partnership between the two bodies.

In 2020 Jose Ito was part of the Greenbank Raiders side that went down in their U13 GBJRL Grand Final that was played at Rochedale in September 2020.

In 2019 Jose Ito represented the Samoan U12 side at the QPICC Cultural Carnival that was held at Beenleigh having a particularly strong match at the Carnival against Tonga.

Jose Ito’s style of play is that of a wide running back rower with quite good speed for the position. Jose Ito is quick off the mark and can maintain his top speed over a reasonable distance and also has a good fend and can step off both feet both in space and in tight situations.

The side step he has is not a big step but is quick and subtle enough to keep defenders off balance. Jose Ito will also continue to pump his legs once he makes initial contact with the defensive line and will fight for every yard. Once his momentum is stopped, Jose Ito will fight for a quick play the ball to maintain his team’s momentum.

Jose Ito is an aggressive defender whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around the chest after setting a solid base to project his momentum into the ball carrier. Jose Ito also has above average lateral mobility and thus will not be over matched against smaller agile opponents.

2021 will see Jose Ito line-up in a Marsden State High School (Titans partnered school) jersey for the 2021 School Boy Rugby League season and he will be eligible for U14 club and Met East/South East Queensland representative sides. 2021 should also see Jose Ito line-up in the GBJRL U14 competition for the Greenbank Raiders.

Jose Ito has a touch of size about him and also some more than decent speed for his position and thus I believe that he will ultimately find himself lining up in the second row however it is also reasonable to note that Jose Ito will also find himself potentially in the centres on occasion in his junior rugby league career prior to any potential fulltime move to the second row.

The game of New Zealand Warrior and New Zealand International second rower and occasional centre Tohu Harris is probably a more than reasonable and apt comparison from a playing style perspective for the talented Jose Ito.

Nicholas Novakovic. The young second rower started the 2021 season as part of the U17 Souths Sydney Rabbitohs New South Wales Rugby League Harold Matthews side but headed up to the Gold Coast in time to be named on the bench for Nerang in Round Five of the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition as the Roosters took on and defeated the Southport Tigers 34 - 12.

Nicholas Novakovic also came off the bench in Round Six against the Helensvale Hornets operating both in the front row and second row in his time on the field and also came off the bench in Round Seven against Mudgeeraba.

Nicholas Novakovic continued coming off the bench in Round Nine against the Currumbin Eagles as well as in Round Ten against the Runaway Bay Seagulls.

Nicholas Novakovic’s first appearance in the 2021 Souths Sydney Rabbitohs Harold Matthews side came in Round Four when he started from the bench against the Newcastle Knights. Nicholas Novakovic moved to the Souths Sydney starting side in the second row in Round Five against the Norths Sydney Bears celebrating his promotion to the starting side by scoring in the 24th minute of the big Rabbitohs victory.
After missing a number of rounds, Nicholas Novakovic came off the bench in Round Eight against the Central Coast Roosters before once again being promoted to the starting side in the second row for the final round, being Round Nine against the Balmain Tigers.
Nicholas Novakovic 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 Nicholas Novakovic is able to build up significant momentum.

Nicholas Novakovic displays outstanding speed both off the mark and over an extended distance when in the clear for a player his size. Also, when Nicholas Novakovic has impacted the defensive line, he continues to pump his legs and gain extra metres after contact.

As noted, Nicholas Novakovic is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle. Like his footwork Nicholas Novakovic 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.

Nicholas Novakovic’s lateral movement is outstanding for a front rower and he is powerful enough to combat the largest of opponents looking to run through the centre of the ruck. Nicholas Novakovic also has the functional strength to combat attackers on a one on one basis. Nicholas Novakovic’s initial contact is outstanding as is his ability to quickly and effectively put any size attacker on the ground and effectively slow down the speed of the play the ball.

Another impressive aspect of Nicholas Novakovic ’s play from a defensive stand point is the speed at which he gets around the field, in the games that I have seen him play, he is always in and around the ball, constantly getting low to disrupt the momentum of the attackers.

Nicholas Novakovic is also U18 eligible in 2022 and no doubt will push for a spot in the MM Cup squad of either the Burleigh Bears or Tweed Heads Seagulls, should he so choose.

Nicholas Novakovic is a solidly built young man and even though he has played a fair bit of second row in recent seasons, I believe that ultimately Nicholas Novakovic will settle in the front row.

From a player comparison perspective for Nicholas Novakovic, think of someone along the lines of the Melbourne Storm and New Zealand International Kenny Bromwich as a hard working front rower/second rower who will be a solid player regardless of the level of competition he ultimately ends up at but who on any given day can surprise with a game that you would not expect.

Like Kenny Bromwich, Nicholas Novakovic has very underrated late and quick footwork just prior to the line which enables him to push through gaps in the defensive line and making a solid amount of post contact metres regardless of the size of the opposition forward pack.

Quinton Dalton. The former Western Australian junior has moved over to the Gold Coast to play for the Burleigh Bears in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition, with his initial appearance in that competition for the Bears coming in Round Three when he started at halfback against the Mudgeeraba Redbacks.

Quinton Dalton’s GCRL U18 Division One debut could not have gone much better when he scored in the 58th minute in the left corner after he had backed up a long break down the left touchline by his left winger.

Quinton Dalton also recorded a 58th minute try assist when he ran to his left, drawing in one defender fifteen metres from the line and passed to his left to put Jesse Harrison into the resultant gap for the left centre to score out wide.

Quinton Dalton was also involved in the 31st minute when he chased through a Burleigh kick, with the speed of his chase forcing Mudgeeraba to kick the ball dead, thus gaining a goal line drop out restart for his team.

After also starting at halfback in Round Four, Quinton Dalton scored once again against Southport with his try coming in the 54th minute.

Quinton Dalton continued at halfback in Round Five against Runaway Bay and made his presence felt in just the 5th minute when he made a darting run through centre field after he trailed one of his forwards and was ideally placed to receive the off-load.

Quinton Dalton made another half break in the 55th minute when once again he backed up one of his forwards and was able to make an extra fourteen metres after receiving the off-load to get the ball out to forty metres from his own line.

Quinton Dalton then produced a smart piece of play in the 54th minute with a smart grubber kick into the goal on the right side of the field to force Runaway Bay into a drop out with Quinton Dalton taking the drop-out on the full and taking the ball back into the line.

Round Six against the Ormeau Shearers saw Quinton Dalton continue at halfback and record a 6th minute line break when whilst operating on the left side of the field he ran at the line with the ball in both hands dummying twice to his outside before stepping off his left to make fifteen metres before being dragged down five metres from the line.

Quinton Dalton had a more than solid junior career in Western Australia before his move to the Gold Coast including in 2019 being named in the Western Australian U15 representative side.

In attack Quinton Dalton’s speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play live. Any video’s, do not do his speed off the mark justice, watching him play live, it is great to see when he takes off.

Quinton Dalton does not seem to have an extra gear once he is through the defensive line but has the ability to maintain his speed over a long distance, thus the apparent lack of an extra gear in speed has no discernible impact that I have identified.

Coupled with a very good right foot step, Quinton Dalton’s speed enables him to make numerous line breaks. He can and will beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies. He also backs up any line breaks and loves to score tries.

Quinton Dalton’s try in the February 2018 NRL trial against the Broncos can but put down to the analysis above, he took the ball on the left side and the field, stepped and exploded through a gap to score the Titans first try in their tough trial loss.

The area that for me Quinton Dalton has developed the most over the last couple of seasons is in relation to his play making skills, including putting his runners, whether they are backrowers or centres into holes. His enhanced plays making skills has made his speed with his show and go more effective as defensive lines start to focus in his runners and thus leave more space for him.

As games progress Quinton Dalton is very good at identifying tired forwards in the defensive line, and he will ruthlessly exploit that when he sees that. Multiple times this season he has left forwards clutching at air as they began to tire, for that matter it has not been just forwards as the Townsville Blackhawks backline can attest to.

Quinton Dalton has a good short kicking game but he does not have the strongest leg in terms of kicking deep but is accurate enough and regularly finds the ground to enable the chasers to get down field. He will chase hard and usually is one of the first down field to defend. In terms of his short kicking game, he will back himself and put in little kicks over the top or grubber through the defensive line for himself, which causes all sorts of issues for defences due to his speed and desire to get to the ball first.

In defence, due to his size Quinton Dalton is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. Quinton Dalton will also track across field well looking when the ball is turned back inside.

When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the edge of the ruck, he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. Certainly, in the Queensland Cup so far this season the weight training that Quinton Dalton did with the NRL squad has clearly benefitted him.

Quinton Dalton will complete 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League season with Burleigh in the U18 Division One competition, and he is also U18 eligible in 2023 and this may well look to secure an MM Cup spot likely with Burleigh, but Tweed Heads is obviously not out of the question.

Articulating Quinton Dalton’s best position going forward is tough to the extent that in Western Australia Quinton Dalton played literally every position in the backline Noting his exceptional foot work and speed, by the barest of margins I believe that Quinton Dalton’s best position is at fullback however a future at halfback is only behind fullback by the barest of margins.

With his speed of the mark and his exceptional footwork, Quinton Dalton has a playing style that is not dis-similar to the Titans own and Queensland Stat of Origin fullback AJ Brimson. Both Brimson and Quinton Dalton have outstanding footwork and the speed, especially off the mark to exploit the smallest of gaps in a defensive line.

Quinton Dalton is an outstanding young player and is a great addition to the Gold Coast rugby league ranks.

Tawa-Dean Simpkins. The Marsden State High School student who is part of the Titans partnered schools Rugby League Academy Program and was part of the 2021 Gold Coast Invitational U13 King of Country Rugby side that won the Tournament with Tawa-Dean Simpkins starring from outside centre.

Post the Tournament Tawa-Dean Simpkins was named on the wing in the 2021 Kings of Country All Tournament Team.

Tawa-Dean Simpkins had an impressive tournament and was for all intents and purposes unstoppable in the second half of the Invitational teams Day One match against the USQ Saints scoring a second half hat trick. To add to his match Tawa-Dean Simpkins converted his third try by way of a drop kick from directly in front of the posts.

Tawa-Dean Simpkins first try came ten meinutes into the second half. Tawa-Dean Simpkins received the ball on the left after a USQ turnover, thirty five metres out from the line. Once he received the ball Tawa-Dean Simpkins stepped off his right foot to get on the outside of the defence and then he outpaced the cover defence to score mid-way between the goal posts and left corner post.

Tawa-Dean Simpkins second try was a simply outstanding solo effort. From the kick-off after his first try, Tawa-Dean Simpkins took the kick-off on the full twenty metres out from his own line near the left touchline, initially Tawa-Dean Simpkins headed towards the centre of the field but quickly cut back to his left, towards the left touchline. As he neared the defensive line, Tawa-Dean Simpkins dummied to his left to get through the line and then stepped off his right foot to beat the fullback down the touchline and then he was able to easily outpace the cover defenders to score a spectacular eighty metre solo try in the left corner.

Tawa-Dean Simpkins completed his hat trick scoring the easiest of the three of his tries. Tawa-Dean Simpkins was on the end of a backline movement with the ball being spun to the right with Tawa-Dean Simpkins receiving the ball in acres of space and cruising ten metres to score next to the left upright. Tawa-Dean then converted his own try by way way of a drop goal from close to the goal posts.

It was evident from just the second minute of the match on Day One that Tawa-Dean Simpkins was going to have a major impact on the tournament when he made a long line break down the right side of the field.

Tawa-Dean Simpkins also scored on Day Two against Far North Coast when in the second half he received the ball on the end of a backline movement to the Invitational team’s right. When he received the ball Tawa-Dean Simpkins dummied to his right before stepping off his right foot and running twenty five metres untouched to score under the posts.

The Day Two match against Far North Coast also saw Tawa-Dean Simpkins make probably his best run of the competition when he broke seven tackles in a fifty metre run in the second half.

In 2020 Tawa-Dean Simpkins also played touch and was part of the SQBD Sharks U12 side that took part in the 2020 NYC Boys Tournament and was part of the Sharks side that won the Final 4 – 3 against the BC Cobra’s.

Whilst he did not score in the Tournament Final, Tawa-Dean Simpkins scored in each of the five round robin rounds, including doubles in Rounds Two to Four which were against the SWQ Swans, SSC Pineapples and NQ Cyclones respectively. Tawa-Dean Simpkins also scored against the CQ Bulls in Round One and BC Cobra’s in Round Five.

In late 2020 Tawa-Dean Simpkins was named in the 2020 U12 Queensland Youth Academy Squad.

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

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

Tawa-Dean Simpkins does not necessarily have a great top end speed, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back and beyond prior to the arrival of the cover defence.

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

In defence Tawa-Dean Simpkins regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.
When the opportunity presents Tawa-Dean Simpkins has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent. Ultimately though Tawa-Dean Simpkins is a strong defender with a good front on technique and exceptional lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.
In 2021 Tawa-Dean Simpkins will play for the Titans partnered Marsden State High School in their various South East Queensland school boy rugby league competitions.

Tawa-Dean Simpkins is an outstanding rugby league prospect, who can currently play already at a high level in either the second row or in the centres with his speed and power, but as he matures, I belive that ultimately Tawa-Dean Simpkins eventually settles in the second row with the potential to be a representative level one at that.

From a style perspective think of a someone along the lines of Titans star, former Brisbane Bronco, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International second rower David Fifita as an intense aggressive exceptionally talented well-rounded backrower with the ability to break the line by himself or as a result of running a good line, Tawa-Dean Simpkins then like Fifita has more than enough speed to break into space prior to looking for his support players if he can not go all of the way, which they both have the speed to do.

Like David Fifita, Tawa-Dean Simpkins is also an extremely efficient and effective defender who will hit hard when the opportunity presents itself and looks to always dominate his opponents both mentally and physically in all aspects of the game.

Similarly both Tawa-Dean Simpkins and Fifita can play on either the left or right second row positions and both also swap over and play on the other side of the field as well over the course of a game, as both did on multiple occasions in 2020 as well as prior. Also like Fifita, Tawa-Dean Simpkins has the physical ability and mental fortitude to make an impact at the NRL level (representative level too) at a very young age.

Put simply Tawa-Dean Simpkins is just an exceptionally outstanding talent in both rugby and rugby league and the sky is the limit in terms of just how far Tawa-Dean Simpkins can go in his rugby league career and it great that the start of that journey (and hopefully end) may well be with the Titans.