Junior Development

[Titanic]

That’s the shortest off-season ever mdrew :-) no rest for the wicked.

[mdrew]

In the 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One Grand Final on Saturday Titans contracted Arama Hau started at five eight and captained the Roosters side against the Helensvale Hornets and made an immediate impact on the Helensvale side with a monster hit in the opening minutes of the match on the Helensvale left winger who was trying to bring the ball off his own try line.

Arama Hau also recorded an impressive Grand Final try assist in the 45th minute when after receiving the ball on the halfway mark to the left of the play the ball, Arama Hau stepped off his left foot just after receipt of the ball to beat the initial defender before a left arm palm eliminated a second. Arama Hau then burst between two defenders to break into space and as he approached the Helensvale fullback, Arama Ahu stepped off his left and then stepped off his right to position Delahai Wigmore who ran thirty metres to score.

Arama Hau added a second Grand Final try assist in the 50th minute when he burst onto a pass from Dorian Lotaki just ten metres from his own line after the hooker had retrieved a Hornets attacking kick. Arama Hau beat two defenders to break into space and charged downfield. Near the forty metre line Arama Hau was surrounded by three defenders but had the foresight to put in a left foot grubber kick towards the right side of the field which was perfectly weighted for Kyen Murphy to run onto and score a great try.

Arama Hau then recorded a line break assist in the 58th minute when after receiving the ball on the left side of the field, he ran parallel to the Helensvale defensive line, drawing one defender out of the line before throwing a good short ball to his left to put Delahia Wigmore through a big gap.

Arama Hau was also involved in Kyen Murphy’s 35th minute try. Nerang spun the ball to the right with Arama Hau having to dive forward full length to take the ball, half Josh Lynn looped around behind the prone Arama Hau receiving the ball and then Josh Lynn threw a cut out pass to his right to Kyen Murphy in space with the fullback then able to beat three tackles to dive over in the right corner.

The 42nd minute of the Grand Final saw Arama Hau add a line break assist to his impressive match when after charging onto the ball to the left of the dummy half sixty metres from the try line, Arama Hau engaged one defender who tried to tackle him low but Arama Hau was able to maintain his balance and throw a great right arm off-load around the corner to his left to put Delahia Wigmore away with the second rower eventually off-loading for Jeremaiah Temapo to score near the left corner post.

The Grand Final saw Arama Hau make a lot of ground on his own from five eight, including in the 20th minute when he broke five tackles in a weaving run to get the ball inside Helensvale’s twenty metre area before off-loading to his right.

In the 6th minute, after a strong hit-up and off-load by Jeremaiah Temapo, Arama Hau received the ball on the left side of the field from Dorian Mapausua-Lotaki. After receipt of the ball around twenty metres from the line, Arama Hau drew the Helensvale right winger to send Delahia Wigmore away on an eighty metre run down the left touchline to score an outstanding Roosters team try.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Philip Hakaraia-Ngamotu who was named the GCRL U16 Division One Player of the Year.

[DIEHARD]

Thanks mdrew. I think we all value our juniors more than ever with the Dolphins now moving into the SEQLD equation.

[mdrew]

In October 2021 Marouna Savage was named in the Burrleigh Bears U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

Marouna Savage was part of the 2019 Gold Coast Vikings U13 Representative Team that took part in the U13 South East Queensland Hill Stumer Championships, coming off the bench in the majority of the Vikings matches in Ipswich.

Marouna Savage’s first taste of representative rugby league came in 2017 when he was part of the Met West U11 side that won the Vic Jensen Cup with Marouna Savage scoring a try in the Final and was named as Player of the Match as Met West defeated South Coast 28 – 12 in Bundaberg.

[mdrew]

In October 2021 Isopo Taunuu was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

Early February 2021 saw Isopo Taunuu made it through the first stage of the South Coast U15 QSSRL trials when he was named in the U15 Broadwater school boy U15 squad. Following the final round of trials, Isopo Taunuu was named in the 2021 South Coast U15 school boy QSSRL squad.

2021 also saw Isopo Taunuu line up for the Keebra Park Year Nine school boy rugby league side, including a solid front row starting performance in early June agaisnt fierce local rivals PBC.

Isopo Taunuu also started the 2021 Hancock Cup Grand Final in the front row, taking the first hit-up of the match from the kick-off as Keebra Park SHS went down 16 – 12 to PBC SHS.

The giant young former Victorian U12 rugby league representative moved up from Melbourne mid-way through the 2020 school year to attend Keebra Park State High School and be part of their Rugby Legue Excellence Program that is in partnership with the Titans, playing the 2020 school rugby league season in Keebra Park’s famous jersey.

[mdrew]

Earlier this month Titus Marsden was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

The Helensvale Hornets junior had an outstanding 2021 season that culminated in the young man being named the 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Player of the Season

[mdrew]

Earlier this month Lama Afu was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

Lama Afu obviously also turned heads at the Broncos with the young man trialling for a spot in their elite Junior Development Program in 2020 but in mid-February 2021 Lama Afu played in the Titans U15 Invitational Trial at Burleigh, a trial which included only the best of the 2021 Titans U15 squad members.

Early February 2021 saw Lama Afu make it through the first stage of the South Coast U15 QSSRL trials when he was named in the U15 Broadwater school boy U15 squad. Following the final round of trials, Lama Afu was named in the 2021 South Coast U15 school boy QSSRL squad.

2021 also saw Lama Afu named in the South Coast Schools U15 Rugby Representative side and in late August 2021 Lama Afu was named in the Queensland Barbarians U15 representative rugby side. After starring for the Queensland Barbarians side, Lama Afu was named at inside centre in the Queensland U15 Rugby Merit side.

Lama Afu was also part of the Keebra Park SHS Walters Cup side in 2021 including starting in the front row in their 30 – 12 Grand Final loss to PBC SHS.

[mdrew]

Great to see Billy Wellard named in the Burleigh Bears U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad earlier this month.

Billy Wellard made his first 2021 appearance in the Red and Blue of TSS in late May 2021 when he started at inside centre for the U15A side in TSS’s first full trial against Ipswich Grammar School. Billy Wellard also started at inside centre in the TSS U15A second trial against Nudgee College as well as in the full scale trial against Brisbane Boys College.

In TSS’s final trial before the commencement of the 2021 GPS school boy rugby season, Billy Wellard started at inside centre against the PBC Alleygators. Then with the TSS U15A side having a Round One bye, Billy Wellard lined up at inside centre in a trial against a South Coast U15 representative side with Billy Wellard also being named vice captain and post match Billy Wellard was named the TSs Best Back in the match.

Round Two away to Anglican Church Grammar School saw Billy Wellard named at inside centre for the TSS U15A side. Then with the majority of TSS sides having a bye week, Billy Wellard was named at inside centre in an away match against Brisbane State High School.

After the GPS school boy rugby competition was suspended for a number of weeks, Billy Wellard was part of the TSS U15A side that played an internal TSS trial in late August in preparation for the restart of the competition also in late August against Toowoomba Grammar School.

When the GPS school boy rugby competition restarted in late August 2021, Billy Wellard was named at inside centre (No. 12) against Toowoomba Grammar School and continued at inside centre in Round Eight against Nudgee College, a match that saw Billy Wellard named as the TSS U15A Best Back. Billy Wellard was also named as the TSS U15 Best Junior Rugby Player.

Billy Wellard also ran out as vice captain and inside centre in Round Nine against Gregory Terrace being the final round of the abridged 2021 school boy rugby season.

In late August 2021 Billy Wellard was named in the Queensland Barbarians U15 representative rugby side.

[mdrew]

Earlier this month, Keebra Park’s Mason Barber was named in the 2021 Burleigh Bears U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

This season Mason Barber played for the Coomera Cutters Junior Rugby League Club in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition, playing primarily at halfback.

Mason Barber had a particularly strong match in Round Ten against Burleigh White scoring a second half try which encapsulates Mason Barbers overall skill set in one sequence of events. Mason Barber initially received the ball around ten metres from the line to the left of the play the ball. After receiving the ball Mason Barber dummied to his left before cutting back to his right to the other side of the play the ball down a short right blind side. Mason Barber sliced through the Burleigh defence before reaching out to get the ball down with his left hand.

Mason Barber was also Coomera’s primary tactical kicker and goal kicker with being a left footer an added bonus.

[mdrew]

2021 saw Reico Ratana play in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition in the Nerang Roosters including starting the 2021 Grand Final against the Helensvale Hornets from the bench and almost scoring in the 35th minute but Reico Ratana was held up ten metres in from the left corner post after a great hole run off a Josh Lynn pass from ten metres out.

Some of Reico Ratana’s best moments in the Grand Final came when he was returning kick-offs with his best kick-off return coming in the 47th minute after a Kyen Murphy try with Reico Ratana taking possession of the ball on his own try line and broke through the Helensvale defensive line by beating two tackles to get the ball out to the thirty metre mark.

[mdrew]

The 2021 season for Charlie Murray:

Charlie Murray made his Queensland Cup debut in Round Thirteen of the 2021 season against the Burleigh Bears. Playing seventeen minutes off the bench, Charlie Murray ran for twenty four metres, played the ball at an average speed of 4.09 seconds and made nine tackles at a 90% tackling efficiency.

Back from Sydney playing with the Parramatta Eels, Charlie Murray played for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts side and he will also be Colts eligible in 2022.

Charlie Murray started at lock in their final 2021 trial against the Burleigh Bears scoring late in the second half as well as a first half try assist and worked as a ball player in his time on the field. As noted above Charlie Murray’s try was the final try scored in the trial.

In the 10th minute of the first half, Charlie Murray received the ball off Ediq Ambrosyev from dummy half on the left side of the field and put up a high cross field pin point bomb to the right corner, with the ball coming down a metre or so from the try line. Tweed heads right winger Troy Duckett as able to time his jump perfectly to get above the Burleigh left winger in Ronin Rio and get the ball down a couple of metres in from the right corner post.

Round One of the 2021 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Charlie Murray start at lock for the Tweed Heads Seagulls when they took on the Souths Logan Magpies and took the fourth hit-up of the match, getting the ball to the halfway.

One of Charlie Murray’s best (and most productive) runs of the match came in the 26th minute when he was able to make twenty three metres to the forty metre mark, breaking three tackles in the impressive effort.

Charlie Murray produced a great try saving effort in the 24th minute when he got low to confront and hold up the Souths Logan hooker who had darted out of dummy half from close range trying to burrow under Charlie Murray.

Late in the match with Tweed Heads chasing the match, Charlie Murray almost produced a try out of nothing. Souths Logan were bringing the ball out of their own territory when he produced a one on on steal and was able to find space to throw a long pass to his right that found Jojo Fifita is space and but for a diving tackle that halted Jojo Fifita by just one leg, he would have dived over in the corner.

Charlie Murray also started at lock in Round Two in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears and recorded an impressive try assist. Charlie Murray received the ball ten metres out and moved subtly to his left and popped a great short ball to put Carsil Vaikai into a gap and the front rower was able to get the ball down under the posts.

Intelligently in the 21st minute, Charlie Murray was able to get possession back for Burleigh after a one on one strip against Samuel Shannon who was looking to bring the ball out of Burleigh’s own territory.

Then in the 63rd minute, Charlie Murray along with Jed Edwards smashed Burleigh’s Ronin Rio front on with the ball coming loose less than ten metres from Burleigh’s own line.

Charlie Murray also was named to start at lock in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins however he was a late scratching from the match.

Charlie Murray was back in the Seagulls starting side at lock in Round Four against the Ipswich Jets, a match that saw him named the Seagulls best, with Charlie Murray running for 182 metres and making twenty four tackles.

Charlie Murray also started at lock in Round Five against the Northern Pride and in Round Six against the Easts Tigers. Against the Easts Tigers Charlie Murray was one of the Seagulls best players, running for 208 metres, eighty nine of which were post contact.

Charlie Murray also started at lock in Round Seven against the Norths Devils and in Round Eight against the Mackay Cutters with Charlie Murray one of the Seagulls try scorers in their tough loss.

Round Nine against Wynnum Manly saw Charlie Murray move to hooker for the Seagulls, handling the position change in his stride. Charlie Murray also started at lock in the previously postponed Round Eleven match against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

At the 2021 Queensland Rugby League Awards Night Charlie Murray finished with seven votes for the Hastings Deering’s Colts Player of the Season Award.

[mdrew]

In 2021 Titans contracted Jac Finnigan played for the Burleigh Bears in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition, playing for Burleigh White and started at left second row in the 2021 U15 Division One Grand Final against Burleigh Maroon.

Inside the opening minute of the Grand Final Jac Finnigan flagged why the Titans signed him when he broke through the Burleigh Maroon defensive line, making thirty five metres after beating to tackles to get to within forty metres of the try line.

[mdrew]

In 2021 Titans contracted Sunny Kama played for the Burleigh Bears in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition, playing for Burleigh Marron and started at right centre in their 2021 U15 Division One Grand Final victory against Burleigh White.

One of Sunny Kama’s best moments in the Grand Final came in the opening minutes of the second half when he split the Burleigh White right sided defensive line. Burleigh Maroon had a scrum feed fifteen metres inside their own territory with Sunny Kama receiving the ball from the lock before cutting to his right before straightening up and slicing between two defenders. Sunny Kama raced away only to to brought down by the Burleigh White fullback around fifteen metres from the try line after an outstanding run of fifty metres.

Whilst the ball did not get out to the right side very often, Sunny Kama went looking for the ball including in the 25th minute when he took a hit-up on the opposite side to where he lined up, making twenty metres and then was tripped up when he was trying to get to his feet quickly to be awarded a penalty.

Sunny Kama was also strong defensively in the Grand Final including in the 18th minute when he came out of the line to smash the Burleigh White fullback who had chimed into the backline much to his detriment.

Sunny Kama also produced a smart piece of play in the 37th minute when he swooped on a Burleigh White dropped ball, picking up the bouncing ball down low and at full speed with Sunny Kama making a further ten metres before he was dragged down from behind.

[mdrew]

In 2021 Titans contracted Nayte Saaga played for the Burleigh Bears in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition, playing for Burleigh White and started at halfback in the 2021 U15 Division One Grand Final, kicking one conversion from two attempts in their loss to Burleigh Maroon with his conversion coming from directly in front of the posts in the 44th minute when he converted Koda Young’s second half try.

Nayte Saaga was involved in the Grand Final in the 1st minute of the match when he ran to his right and brought Jac Finnigan underneath him with Jac Finnigan breaking through the Burleigh Maroon line, making forty metres before he was tackled.

The 8th minute of the Grand Final saw Nayte Saaga record a try assist when from ten metres from the line down a wide left blindside, Nayte Saaga threw a cut-out pass to his left to put Luka Skipps int space with the Burleigh White left centre scoring wide out on the left.

Nayte Saaga showcased his kicking game in the 46th minute of the Grand Final when he put up a towering mid-field bomb which could not be handled by the Burleigh Maroon fullback to put Burleigh White on the attack.