Junior Development

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Bailey Martin was simply outstanding last night for PBC in their Round One Allan Langer Cup win over Marsden.

In his first match in the dummy half role , he was outstanding both in attack and defence. Not bad at all for a 16 year old against players in some cases two years older.

For me Bailey Martin has the best defensive technique in the Titans development system and that was on display last night.

[mdrew]

Latest Junior Development round-up from the Official Site

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2019/...-jnr-rep-wrap/

[Mr Bods]

Sorry Mr Bods,
I assume this is the article that you were referring to when asking about Nikora.
The Sydney Morning Herald

SPORTNRLSHARKS
How Cronulla's star rookie slipped through the Titans' fingers
By Christian Nicolussi
May 8, 2019 — 4.46pm
Early NRL rookie of the year favourite Briton Nikora was snubbed by the Gold Coast Titans as a junior.

In fact, Nikora could not even crack the first team at the famous local Keebra Park High School.

"I was usually in the B team,'' said Nikora, who will try to continue his blazing start to his first year in the NRL when he takes on some of his school mates and the Titans on Thursday night.

Young gun: Cronulla's Briton Nikora.
Young gun: Cronulla's Briton Nikora.

Photo: AAP
If beggars belief that the struggling Titans failed to identify a talent such as Nikora. The gifted Kiwi, who moved to the holiday strip when he was nine, was forced to travel more than 1000 kilometres for a train-and-trial deal with Canberra before he signed a deal with Cronulla.

The Sharks have Nikora signed until the end of 2020, but a new extended deal will be the club's priority based on what they have seen during the opening two months from the kid wearing Luke Lewis' old No.11 jersey.


"I graduated in 2014 from Keebra Park, but I couldn't make their first team," Nikora said. "I don't think they had any faith in me. I came off their production line, sort of.

"I was a bit skinny and little; I was about 70 kilograms. I was in their B team and there wasn't much for me footy-wise after school.

"I was there when AJ Brimson was there, Phillip Sami; JJ Felise was in the starting team. I was playing in the Mal Meninga [under-18s competition], but there was nothing with the Titans.

"I went to Canberra for a train-and-trial and [then] trialled with Cronulla. I just needed to figure out where I would stay.

"Then Cronulla got back to me a week later and said, 'we'll fix you up with a place to stay' and gave me a two-year deal.


"I'm here until the end of next year. But I love it here. It's a nice area, good people."

When Sharks favourite Lewis retired last year, he had a fair idea who would be his successor on the Sharks' right edge.

"The thing I love about him, in my last pre-season, he really applied himself, put on weight, worked hard in the gym, he was always smiling and willing to learn,'' Lewis said.

"On the training park he'd run some really nice lines and built a nice combination with the halves.

"I knew he would be a special player once he got his opportunity.


"I love him, he's been absolutely outstanding. In my eyes, he's been Cronulla's best."

Calls for Nikora to force his way into the New Zealand Test team have already started and while the mid-year blockbuster against Tonga might come too soon, the end-of-year internationals appear a formality. So says Sharks captain Paul Gallen, who is a pretty tough marker.

"He's been outstanding,'' Gallen said. "He had Luke Lewis in front of him the past couple of years so he could have played a few more [NRL] games.

"He has been our best player. Certainly the back end of the year when he has 20-odd first-grade games under his belt, and if he keeps performing the way he has been performing, he will play [for New Zealand]. He is clearly going to be there for the Kiwis the next five to 10 years."

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Copyright © 2019o it does appear that he has deep ties to the Gold Coast, but didn't hit his stride til after he left.
Like I said you can't keep them all. He wasn't in the top 17 at his school.
To his credit, he dug in took a chance and made a fist of it so congratulations.
Once again I apologise. (Although I stand by my points haha)

JA as we discussed in a PM it’s all good man and I enjoy you educating me on how it works and I don’t mind a good bake from an esteemed Fellow Titans Board Contributor. It’s good entertainment when done the right way. That’s what you do.

[mdrew]

In Round Seven of the GCRL Doug Lipp Cup Gab Salvo made his debut in that grade for Runaway Bay when he started on the wing against Ormeau. This season he has also played in one U20 match starting in the centres in Round Five against Mudgeeraba.

[mdrew]

Former PBC student Nelson Grove made his Doug Lipp debut last weekend in Round Seven for Tugun and Burleigh, starting from the bench.

Also this season Nelson Grove has started at hooker for Tugun in the opening two rounds of the U18 Division Two competition.

The aggressive hooker was a more than solid contributor for the outstanding 2018 PBC Open School boy rugby league that won the National GIO Cup competition by defeating Patrician Brothers College Blacktown. Nelson Grove came off the bench in all of PBC’s GIO Cup matches, providing a spark and aggression in the dummy half role when he came on to spell regular starting hooker Jed Edwards.

Nelson Grove only played in one GCRL match in 2018 with that match being for Burleigh against Helensvale in the U17 Division One competition. Nelson Grove is also a former member of the Brisbane Broncos Junior Development system and was so for a number of years.

Nelson Grove had an outstanding 2017 season which included being selected in the Queensland U16 side where he was one of six Burleigh youngsters in the Queensland Side for the State of Origin curtain raiser. 2017 also saw Nelson Grove selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport U16 squad. Previously Nelson Grove has been part of the Brisbane Broncos Junior Development Program.

For the Burleigh Bears in the U16 Division One competition in 2017 Nelson Grove started at lock in their tough 34 – 4 Grand Final loss to the Currumbin Eagles. Over the course of the 2017 GCJRL U16 Division One competition, Nelson Grove played in thirteen matches and scored twenty points which came from four tries and two conversions. Nelson Grove’s tries came against Ormeau, Runaway Bay and Helensvale in two separate late season matches. His conversions came in consecutive mid-season matches against Runaway Bay (when he converted his own try) and against Ormeau.

Nelson Grove also played one match for the Burleigh Bears in the GCJRL U17 Division One competition with that match being against the Ormeau Shearers backing up from the U16 match earlier in the night.

In 2017 Nelson Grove also represented South East Queensland Green at the U16 level in the 2017 Queensland Rugby League U16 Boys Junior Championships. In those Championships, Nelson Grove played in four matches which were against Central, Northern and South East Queensland White, including the final. Nelson Grove’s sole U16 Championship try came on Day Two against Northern.

In 2016 Nelson Grove also started in Burleigh’s Grand Final winning side in the U15 Division One competition and across the 2016 season he scored five tries and kicked 13 goals and a field goal to finish with a total points tally of 47. Nelson Grove had a great start to the 2016 season scoring a hat trick and kicking eight goals in the first round of the season proper against the Ormeau Shearers for a 30 point haul in the match.

Nelson Grove’s other tries in 2016 came against Southport and Helensvale later in the season and in a match in July against Runaway Bay Nelson Grove kicked four goals. Nelson Grove over the course of the 2016 season also played two matches up in the U16 Division One competition and in his debut in that grade scored a try against Helensvale after backing up from the U15 match earlier in the night.

Nelson Grove represented South Coast in the U15 QSSRL Championships in 2016 and from there went on to represent Queensland Maroon at the U15 ASSRL Championships.

[mdrew]

In Round Five of the NRRRL U18 competition, young Kyogle fullback Layne Hardy crossed for a double as the Turkeys defeated Evans Head 20-12.

In just three U18 NRRRL matches this season, Layne Hardy has already scored five tries.

[mdrew]

Round Five of the U18 NRRRL competition saw will of the wisp half Tyrelle Roberts amongst the points once again for Lismore Marist Brothers as they defeated Lower Clarence 28 -22.

In the match he scored a try an kicked two goals.

[mdrew]

Lower Clarence backrower Cooper Many, after scoring a double in the Magpies Round Five NRRRL U18 loss to Lismore Marist Brothers 28-22, has a 100% strike rate through the opening five rounds of the competition.

[mdrew]

Tough Lismore Marist Brothers backrower Brody Jones scored his third try of the 2019 NRRRL U18 season in Round Five on the weekend as the Rams defeated Lower Clarence 28-22.

[mdrew]

Outstanding South Grafton Rebels junior rugby league player Isaac Barker has been named in the 2019 New South Wales Country U14 side after their recent Championships where he played for the Far North Coast side.

In 2018 for South Grafton in the Group One competition, Isaac Barker scored a staggering 31 tries from just 11 matches.

[mdrew]

Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts player Adyn Anguna played his first match in the GCRL U20 competition last weekend being Round Seven for Runaway Bay coming starting on the wing and then backed up to start the following Doug Lipp Cup match in the front row.

He started the opening rounds of the 2019 season in the front row for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side.

[mdrew]

Giant front rower Jordan Tauali’I started from the bench for the PBC Open A Rugby League side in their Round One Allan Langer Cup match against Marsden last night scoring late in the second half, when he charged onto a pass from Titans contracted dummy half Bailey Martin to crash over near the right upright.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Tyler Szepanowski started the season in the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side, playing the opening eight rounds in the front row before being promoted to the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side, starting from the bench in Round Seven last weekend in a 16 all draw with Tugun.

[mdrew]

In relation to Briton Nikora mate, I will put my hand up and say I did not think that he would be so good so quickly, thought he would be a good player, but I absolutely dropped the ball on him.

Also as supporters we have to be a bit wary of reacting to these articles as we have no idea whether the Titans talked to him prior to his move or not. Understandably the article acknowledges him and the Sharks but does not go any further.

I can guarantee you and everyone on this forum that the Titans are working very very hard in relation to junior development but can not keep all of the boys that have played on the Coast, some move on for money (there is incredible money being thrown around by some clubs), some because they see a better opportunity elsewhere, some because their families have links to other NRL clubs etc.

Increasingly more and more are coming back though including Jesse Arthars, Jai Whitbread and Keegan Hipgrace to name a few recent ones, and more and more will follow. At the younger age groups Will Evans has returned amongst others.

The Titans have also picked up Tristian Powell who is playing as well as any U18 player in Queensland at the moment.

I can also guarantee that the Titans spoke to a few boys who have recently moved on and were right in the mix for them to stay. It is not in the media because we are not a club that is a media darling but we were seriously close to keeping a few and for that matter we have. In some of those articles ignore the crap about the Titans not being interested etc, that is flat out wrong!

I know that I am bias but you just have to look at the Tweed Heads MM Cup winning side, more than half are either contracted or have links to the Titans. The likes of Juwan Campain and Carsil Vaikai to name but two are incredible talents, the equal of any in Australia in the U18 age group.

Another indicator is that only four boys from outside Sydney made the NSW U16 Emerging Origin squad this year, three were Titans being Thomas Weaver, Ryan Foran and Riley Lack. Throw in the likes by Bailey Martin who is playing in the PBC Open A side and impressing against players two years older and you can see the Titans are moving forward quickly.

Also look at the outstanding Burleigh Colt side with Jaxson Paulo, Jayden Campbell, Kea Pere, Darius Farmer, Luke Maiden and the previously mentioned Tristian Powell etc to see how bright our future is.

Also Treamin Spry and Ioane Seuili even though they are still U20 eligible are playing exceptionally well in the Queensland Cup for Tweed Heads, Ioane is U20 next year as well which is a scary thought in terms of how good he is going to be. I anticipate Titan Ben Thomas will be the next to make his Queensland Cup debut for Tweed Heads.

When the Queensland U16, U18 and U20 sides are named shortly, please do not get too frustrated if not too many Titans boys are selected as it will NOT be a reflection on the boys or the Titans it will be a reflection on the selectors.

Mdrew-what went wrong in our inability to identify Briton Nikora?

[mdrew]

Ipswich tomorrow night, GG on Saturday, to Brisbane on Sunday and then to schoolboy boy on Wednesday night to watch the future Titans play