Junior Development

[mdrew]

Powerhouse 18 year old youngster James Torrens will start from the bench this afternoon for the Tugun Seahawks GCRL First Grade side in their Round Five match against Runaway Bay.

[mdrew]

The Cudgen Hornets U18 NRRRL side for todays match is a young one with 16 year old's Harvey Moase and Tanu Nona starting in the halves against the Tweed Coast Raiders.

[mdrew]

Titans linked Lockie McLaughlin started at lock and scored a double for the Grafton Ghosts in their Round Seven Group One U14 match on Saturday as the Ghosts beat their local rivals the South Grafton Rebels 22-0.

[Bayside Titan]

Hey Mdrew. Do you think that the standard of junior footy has suffered as a result of the pause due to COVID? I’m doing an assignment and just looking for some thoughts on this.
Thanks in advance.

[mdrew]

I personally don't mate, yes the first couple of rounds across all levels were up and down but now I would say it is as good if not better than other years. One of the reasons is that with fewer games there is less fatigue as the season goes on.

One competition being the NRRRL U18 competition is probably the best standard that I have ever seen.

One negative however is that just like the NRL, injuries have been more prevalent especially in the older levels such as U18's and Open school boy competitions. That situation is a touch harder to make a judgement. Is it that the lack of a proper pre-season is impacting or that the soft tissue injuries that would normally have occurred in the pre-season have this season happened in the season proper and thus more noticable.

One definate point is that the schoolboy and club games are packed closer in together, as they had to be. The Titans however are aware of this and no doubt look to ensure the players do not burnout.

My final point is that due to the pandemic and lot of U18 or U20 players are getting opportunities in the senior age groups thus accelerating their development.

Hey Mdrew. Do you think that the standard of junior footy has suffered as a result of the pause due to COVID? I’m doing an assignment and just looking for some thoughts on this.
Thanks in advance.

[mdrew]

Grafton Ghosts youngster Jye Boehme had an outstanding match on Saturday in Round Seven of the Group One U15 competition scoring four tries as Grafton defeated local rivals the South Grafton Rebels 46 - 0.

[Randomologist]

Just saw Ryan Rivett is now contracted with the Sharks if that's interesting to anyone.

[Bayside Titan]

I personally don't mate, yes the first couple of rounds across all levels were up and down but now I would say it is as good if not better than other years. One of the reasons is that with fewer games there is less fatigue as the season goes on.

One competition being the NRRRL U18 competition is probably the best standard that I have ever seen.

One negative however is that just like the NRL, injuries have been more prevalent especially in the older levels such as U18's and Open school boy competitions. That situation is a touch harder to make a judgement. Is it that the lack of a proper pre-season is impacting or that the soft tissue injuries that would normally have occurred in the pre-season have this season happened in the season proper and thus more noticable.

One definate point is that the schoolboy and club games are packed closer in together, as they had to be. The Titans however are aware of this and no doubt look to ensure the players do not burnout.

My final point is that due to the pandemic and lot of U18 or U20 players are getting opportunities in the senior age groups thus accelerating their development.

Thanks mate...

[mdrew]

Yes mate will move to Sydney for next season. For me it is a sign of the strength of the JTS program and there are so many good kids that other teams will come in with big offers.

Unfortunately not all can be kept but the Titans have been great at keeping the vast majority.

Just saw Ryan Rivett is now contracted with the Sharks if that's interesting to anyone.

[mdrew]

Grafton Group One U13 centre Beau Hartmann, after scoring a hat trick last weekend added a double on Saturday in Round Seven of the competition as the Ghosts defeated their local rivals, the South Grafton Rebels 32 – 18. Beau Hartmann then backed up to start on the bench for the U14 match between the two sides.

[mdrew]

South Grafton Rebels Group One U13 five eight Cooper Armfield-Stevens had a busy day on Saturday. He started at five eight in the U13 match against the Grafton Ghosts scoring a double and kicked three from three and then backed up to start the U14 match between the two sides at fullback.

[mdrew]

Titans linked Henry Lee made his deserved NRRRL First Grade debut in Round Six of the 2020 competition on Sunday when he started in the centres and scored as the Rams went down 34 – 22 to Northern United. His older brother and former Titans NYC player Isaac Lee started the match in the second row and his father, former Cronulla front rower Danny Lee was the Lismore coach.

Henry Lee was named to start from the interchange bench for the Northern Rivers Titans in Round One of the 2020 U18 Laurie Daley Cup against the Parramatta Eels at Cudgen however the match was cancelled due to the wet conditions that impacted northern New South Wales that weekend early in the year.

Henry Lee started Round Two of the U18 Laurie Daley Cup from the bench against the Newcastle Knights in Ballina providing a high level of enthusiasm when he came on and was named as the 18th man for the Round Five local derby against North Coast although he did not take the field in the match.

Post the Laurie Daley Cup competition Henry Lee played the 2020 NRRRL U18 competition with the Marist Brothers Rams including starting Round One at left second row against Casino RSM and also started in the left second row position in Round Two against Ballina as well as in Round Three against Byron Bay, Round Four against Casino RSM and Round Five against Ballina.

[mdrew]

Titans linked Damon Coldwell made his deserved NRRRL U18 debut for Ballina on Sunday on the left wing in Round Six as the Seagulls went down 26 – 12 to Casino RSM.

The outstanding young flyer kicked off his 2020 season being named in the centres for the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side in their Round One match at Cudgen against the Parramatta Eels however the match was cancelled due to the wet conditions prevailing that weekend in northern New South Wales.

Damon Coldwell started in Round Two of the U16 Andrew Johns Cup at left centre against the Newcastle Knights in Ballina scoring in the second half of the Titans 28 – 22 victory. Damon Coldwell showed admirable patience to score. Five eight Travis May put in a short grubber which was bouncing around near the try line with multiple players trying to get their hands on the ball. Instead of just trying to grab it Damon Coldwell held his nerve to wait until the right moment to grab the ball and crash over five metres from the left corner post.

Damon Coldwell also started at left centre in Round Three against the Central Coast Roosters and in Round Four against the Greater Northern Tigers scoring his second try of the season late in the Round Four match. Damon Coldwell had stayed on the left side of the field and received a long cut out pass from Northern Rivers Titans hooker Tanu Nona to score in the left corner.

Damon Coldwell also started at left centre in the Round Five local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs scoring once again after breaking into space around forty metres out to score in the left corner. As he was heading towards the left corner, the North Coast fullback was coming across Damon Coldwell straightened up slightly to hold the fullback in place before veering back to his left to score in the left corner with the North Coast fullback clutching at thin air.

For the 2020 Group One U16.5 competition Damon Coldwell moved to the Ballina Seagulls and started at five eight in Round One as the Seagulls defeated Casino RSM. Damon Coldwell moved to left centre for Round Three and made the most of the move, scoring a double as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast 18 – 12.

Damon Coldwell added a further double in Round Four when he started at left centre as Ballina defeated Kyogle 38 – 10. Starting at left centre in Round Five, Damon Coldwell added a further try as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast.

Starting at right centre in Round Six saw Coldwell add a hat trick to his impressive 2020 season as Ballina defeated the Kyogle Turkeys 38 – 22.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Rowan Mansfield started in the centres and scored his second try of the NRRRL U18 season in Sunday as his Ballina Seagulls side went down 26 – 12 to Casino RSM.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Arama Hau scored a double this afternoon for the Keebra Park Walters Cup school boy side in their semi-final against Marsden State High School.

Unfortunately Keebra Park went down 14-12.