Junior Development

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Daniel Butturini’s U18 NRRRL U18 season came to an end as his Murwillumbah side were defeated 26-10 in their Elimination Final on Sunday but his First Grade campaign is still alive after he came off the bench to help Murwillumbah to progress on the back of their 40-6 win over Casino RSM.

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Second row prospect Kuyan Roberts Laurie continued his outstanding 2019 season by leading his Byron Bay U18 NRRRL side to a 26-10 win over Murwillumbah in their Elimination Final on the weekend, with the hard running young man also scoring in the win.

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Titans contracted left second rower Ryan Foran’s U18 NRRRL season came to an end on the weekend as his Murwillumbah side went down in their Elimination Final 26-10 to Byron Bay.

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The Cudgen Hornets U18 NRRRL side that won their Major Semi-Final 24-10 against Lismore Marist Brothers had a distinct Titans feel to it with 16 year old’s Thomas Weaver (goal), Keegan Pace and Jack Cullen all involved in the win.

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Gold Coast Junior Rugby League player and 2019 Gold Coast Vikings U14 representative Jacob Sa was one of the try scorers for the TSS U14A GPS school boy side that defeated Brisbane Grammar School 36-5 on Saturday.

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Runaway Bay front row/lock Matthew Kinchin has quietly put together a very solid 2019 season spanning the GCRL U20, Doug Lipp Cup and First Grade competitions.

Even though he was U18 eligible this season, Matthew Kinchin started off the season in the GCRL U20 competition, to date playing in six matches and scoring against Currumbin and Southport in Round Nineteen last weekend.

Matt Kinchin’s try in that match came as a result of him diving over from dummy half down the shortest blind that you will ever see, I am serious when I say that the ball was played within a foot of the touchline. Matthew Kinchin dummied to pass to his right before putting the ball down in the left corner. Matt Kinchin had in fact set up the break which led to the play the ball so close to the line with a deft pass down the left side of the field.

Matthew Kinchin also had a try assist in the match when he got through the line about twenty metres out and got the ball away to the fullback to score.

Matthew Kinchin progressed to the Doug Lipp Cup competition making his debut in early June and has gone on to play in nine more Doug Lipp Cup matches.

Matthew Kinchin made his GCRL First Grade debut the same day that he made his Doug Lipp Cup debut and has since played two more GCRL First Grade matches with those matches being against Southport and Currumbin.

Against Currumbin in Round Twenty last weekend Matthew Kinchin started at lock in both the Doug Lipp Cup match and the First Grade match.

In 2018 Matthew Kinchin played eleven matches in the GCRL U17 Division One competition scoring four tries.

In the U16 Division One competition in 2017, Matt Kinchin scored three tries from his eleven matches including a Round One try against Ormeau and tries in separate matches against Helensvale. In relation to his matches in the U17 Division One competition Matt Kinchin on all three occasions played in the U17 match after playing in the U16 match earlier.

In the U17 Division One competition also in 2017 Matt Kinchin scored in his third and final match against Mudgeeraba.

In 2017 Matt Kinchin also represented Gold Coast Vikings Green in the South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition and after that competition was selected in the South East Queensland U16 Training Squad.

Previous seasons has seen Matt Kinchin make a number of U14 representative sides including the Vikings and South East Queensland. Matt Kinchin also started on the bench for the Titans U14 Development Squad late in 2015 against a giant Samoan side, a match which the Titans won 28 - 10.

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When the 2019 Group Two U18 Major Awards came out one Grafton Ghosts player being Elliott Speed topped three of them being the Most Valuable Player, Top Point’s Scorer and Top Goal kicker and impressively the young man who is also an outstanding field hockey player is U18 eligible again in 2020.

In the 2019 Group Two U18 competition, Elliott Speed played in nine matches scoring 82 points from seven tries and 27 goals.

His tries included a Round One hat trick against Sawtell, a double against Woolgoolga and tries in consecutive rounds in July against Macksville and South Grafton.

With the boot Elliott Speed had some big matches, none bigger than against Woolgoolga when he kicked nine (he scored a double that match as well for a 26 point haul) and kicked six goals also against Woolgoolga later in the season.

The Titans have a great relationship with Grafton with the likes of Ben Liyou and Jake Martin currently in the TEDS program and of course they are the junior club of Titans cult hero Anthony Don.

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Hooker Repoama Morris-Ponga has proved to be an outstanding try scorer this season in the GCRL U20 competition for Runaway Bay and in Round 19 scored his 11th try from just 13 matches as Runaway Bay defeated Southport 62-8.

His try came when he took advantage of a Southport player caught on the ground at the play the ball, Repoama Morris-Ponga went to his left where the Southport player was caught on the ground and used the confusion in the defensive line that caused to dive over from short range.

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Latrell Howe continued his outstanding 2019 season in the GCRL U20 competition last weekend in Round 19 starting at fullback and scoring his 16th try from just 11 matches as Burleigh defeated Helensvale 24-22 to stay in second place on the ladder.

Playing five eight Latrell Howe took the ball to the right of the play the ball about twenty five metres out, putting in a short attacking kick on the ground and following through the retrieve the ball and score a good individual try.

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Titan Eli Morgan played his first U20 GCRL match of the season on the weekend when he started at lock for Burleigh in their Round 19 24-22 win over Helensvale.

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Great to see Titan Ryan Rivett back from injury and will be on the bench for Burleigh in their Week Twi final against Southport this weekend.

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PBC went down 23-22 in Golden Point to Marsden SHS in their GIO Cup Queensland Semifinal this afternoon.

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Former Titans junior development squad member Matthew Canning made his GCRL First Grade debut last weekend in Round Twenty when he started at half for Runaway Bay in their big win against Bilambil.

He has spent the season playing for Runaway Bay in the GCRL U20 competition playing in eleven matches and scoring 40 points from four tries and 12 goals.

In addition to a double against Southport he has also scored against Currumbin and Mudgeeraba.

With the boot he kicked five goals in Round One against Mudgeeraba, four in Round Two against Southport and three late in the season against Helensvale.

Matthew Canning is U20 eligible again in 2020.

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Young Runaway Bay five eight Tira Rua has had an outstanding last two rounds in the GCRL U20 competition scoring seven tries in those two matches including a hat trick in Round 19 last weekend against Southport in a 62-8 win and in Round 17 he scored four tries against Helensvale.

Some of the tries were simply outstanding efforts including a couple of long range ones and all showcased blistering speed, evasive skills and body control.

Impressively he is still U18 eligible this season.

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Joe Tusa made his first start for the Burleigh GCRL U20 competition since his and his brother’s move down from North Queensland recently when he started in the centres for the Bears in their 24-22 win over Helensvale.