Junior Development

[mdrew]

Well done to Titans Logan based development squad member Keegan Vandenberg for being named 2015 GBJRL U13 representative player of the year, he just beat out another Logan development squad member fullback Rixon Andrew who is off to Coombabah High on the coast this year. Our future is looking bright. The Logan based development squad is going from strength including the introduction of a few more Logan Brothers players this year.

[RenegadeGC]

Expect to see Max Dowd in the No. 10 jersey for TSS for this years GPS rugby season. To date he has played rugby at fullback and league at five eight.

Broke his arm, so not sure how long he will be out for. Unfortunate for the MM White side. But with AJ Brimson and Bostyn there as well Im sure they will be fine

[mdrew]

The more I hear about young Kyogle player Onyx Gamble the more impressed I become. He seems likely to be involved in our NRRRL development squad and is garnering a sold reputation as a young dynamic player in the Group One junior rugby league. I will down in the area for the start of the Group One junior rugby league and am looking forward to seeing members of our junior development system in action. Gamble finished the 2015 season with eleven tries for the season but the second half of the season his development progress was exceptional. Looking forward to seeing more of him. When seen last season he showed flashes of some real potential.

A long way to go but the Titans are really looking at talented young players. The real positive in the current development environment is not just looking at talented young rugby league players but decent young men. There will be plenty of challenges ahead with the massive cheque book of the Broncos but seriously the Titans are really moving in the right direction. If we can break the Broncos cheque book mentality we are looking at a very positive environment, especially if the Broncos continue to target NYC players from other clubs such as Tevita Pangai Jnr, we are in a great position to take advantage. Patience is the key. I know that I am just a faceless voice on an internet forum, but we are really starting to head in the right direction in relation to Junior development and starting to get the right people involved.

[gothabull]

The more I hear about young Kyogle player Onyx Gamble the more impressed I become. He seems likely to be involved in our NRRRL development squad and is garnering a sold reputation as a young dynamic player in the Group One junior rugby league. I will down in the area for the start of the Group One junior rugby league and am looking forward to seeing members of our junior development system in action. Gamble finished the 2015 season with eleven tries for the season but the second half of the season his development progress was exceptional. Looking forward to seeing more of him. When seen last season he showed flashes of some real potential.

A long way to go but the Titans are really looking at talented young players. The real positive in the current development environment is not just looking at talented young rugby league players but decent young men. There will be plenty of challenges ahead with the massive cheque book of the Broncos but seriously the Titans are really moving in the right direction. If we can break the Broncos cheque book mentality we are looking at a very positive environment, especially if the Broncos continue to target NYC players from other clubs such as Tevita Pangai Jnr, we are in a great position to take advantage. Patience is the key. I know that I am just a faceless voice on an internet forum, but we are really starting to head in the right direction in relation to Junior development and starting to get the right people involved.

Thanks for the updates mdrew sounds very positive

[Titanic]

I know that I am just a faceless voice on an internet forum, but we are really starting to head in the right direction in relation to Junior development and starting to get the right people involved.

Don't downplay the role that you play for this group of supporters, most of whom have no chance to even get a glimpse of what's happening at the junior levels and your insights keep us (well me at least) abreast of the most valuable assets our club have.

[Bayside Titan]

Don't downplay the role that you play for this group of supporters, most of whom have no chance to even get a glimpse of what's happening at the junior levels and your insights keep us (well me at least) abreast of the most valuable assets our club have.

Agree with Titanic here 100%. Keep it up mate.

[Toads]

Yup, just to echo what others have mentioned. You're probably the biggest contributor to this forum, mdrew. There's no other source on the net that I know of in regards to our junior development. Without your input a lot of us would be none the wiser.

[mdrew]

It will be interesting to see how Titans junior development squad trialist Sam Wilmot does in the 2016 season. As a result of his play in the front row for Wide Bay in junior representative rugby league( I believe that he was named best forward for the Wide Bay side) last year, he received an invitation to trial for the U14 development squad in their match against Samoa at the end of last year. Even though he was initially named to start on the bench for the match, he ended up starting the match, partnering Stanley Jackson in the front row. In that match he was quite successful and stood out from the perspective of his work rate and footwork prior to the line. He is a shorter stockier type of player so he may end up in the back row, but he did quite well in the trial and it will be interesting to see how he fairs at the U15 level this year.

[mdrew]

A young player to follow for the 2016 season is talented young backrower Drekwon Brown. The former Ipswich youngster has played the last couple of seasons in the GBJRL competition with the South junior rugby league club based in the western suburbs of Brisbane at Acacia Ridge where he was on the bench in the U15 grand final against a Logan Brothers side that had in their starting line up Titans linked players, front rower Geordie Brand and hooker Jackson Keil.

In the U14 development squad game he can off the bench (he was in jersey 22) and really made a huge deference playing in the back row being a major contributor in the Titans win. Outside of fullback Brent Barnes in my opinion he was the Titans best player and certainly the best forward on the field and certainly made a huge impression on me.

[mdrew]

Congratulations to Titans linked winger Lui Lockington of the Cairns based Edmonton Storm club for being named in the Northern Pride Mal Meninga Cup squad for the upcoming competition.

[mdrew]

It will be interesting to see where Jamie McCormack plays Ben Valeni this year in the MM competition. Prior to last year Ben was predominantly a centre but last year, including in relation to representation football he played a bit in the second row, where he played some games for South West in the second row in the QSSRRL U18 competition. He probably does not have the size that you immediately consider for a modern day backrower, it least at present, but he does have the speed and evasive skills to be a very effective runner on the edge of the ruck, through in some aggressiveness in defence and you have yet another interesting young player. The issue for him though is that probably the two most competitive positions in the MM Green squad are centre and second row.

With the first trials coming up it will be very interesting to see how it all pans out. There will be a few very talented young players who will miss out for Round One of the MM competition for MM Green. This may be mitigated however if a few of the MM boys impress in the NYC trials and start the season there.

[mdrew]

Isreal Oti is another intriguing young prospect from the MM Green squad, where he will likely be in the mix for a back row berth. In 2014 he captained his Gold Coast Green CC side from the second row and had previously made a few junior representative sides at five eight, thus as you would expect he has very good ball skills for a player with his size. He is a player who leads from the front and thus it is no surprise that numerous coaches see him as a leader.

The MM Green side looks an extremely talented group and hopefully they have a good season. The number of boys training with the NYC side will hold them in good stead, both for the MM season and subsequent when I am sure that the majority of the team transition to QCup Colts before some potentially get an opportunity late in the NYC season.

[crusher1]

Arvo mdrew not long now infact 2 more sleeps for the CC and MM boys and NYC can't wait
best of luck to all involved......

[RenegadeGC]

Isreal Oti is another intriguing young prospect from the MM Green squad, where he will likely be in the mix for a back row berth. In 2014 he captained his Gold Coast Green CC side from the second row and had previously made a few junior representative sides at five eight, thus as you would expect he has very good ball skills for a player with his size. He is a player who leads from the front and thus it is no surprise that numerous coaches see him as a leader.

The MM Green side looks an extremely talented group and hopefully they have a good season. The number of boys training with the NYC side will hold them in good stead, both for the MM season and subsequent when I am sure that the majority of the team transition to QCup Colts before some potentially get an opportunity late in the NYC season.

Slight correction.. Im pretty sure the MM Whites is coached by Jamie McCormack and Greens by Mark Ross. No doubt this squad will be feeling a little pressure to perform very very well considering the amount of NYC and contracted players in the side.

[palmbeachpariah]

Slight correction.. Im pretty sure the MM Whites is coached by Jamie McCormack and Greens by Mark Ross. No doubt this squad will be feeling a little pressure to perform very very well considering the amount of NYC and contracted players in the side.

yeh ross has green