Junior Development

[kioli]

A third GC club would make sense, I'd be interested in the likeliest candidates too.

[Mr Bods]

Yeah Kioli, you straight up look at your map and the two teams being Burleigh and Tweed is so lopsided Southern.
Huge opportunity for a 3rd club on the North side.

[ja4220]

It must be a bit of a pain for kids from that Northern End to train and play for Burleigh.
There’s probably an opportunity there for the Coast to have a 3rd QCup team.
Are there any Junior Clubs on the Northern End of the GC that could potentially have the Infrastructure and $$$$ to bankroll a QCup team??
I’d be interested in all Forum Members Views.

Junior Clubs, no way. Senior Clubs, possibly Runaway Bay but even that would be a stretch I’d think. The the other issue is how would that fit in to the QRL expansion plans. I guess there is a bit of a void between Souths Logan and Burleigh, but I’d think they would be looking more to regional areas for expansion.

And it’s not as bad as you think. There will be a group of kids from Coombabah, and Keebra etc, who will just jump on a bus together or the train (or both) etc straight from school. Or they will carpool. Kids that want it will find a way!
And it goes both ways, kids from the southern areas (for the MM programs anyway) will have to travel to Parkwood once a week for training at the Titans.
The thing that concerned me more was the sheer amount of gear that kids would have to take to school. My boy would have to take 3 changes of clothes (School Day Uniform, School Footy Uniform, Club Footy Uniform) 3 pairs of shoes ( Gym/running shoes, Footy Boots and school shoes) plus any extra changes depending on subjects (swimming etc) plus all their books.

[mdrew]

I am with ja4220 a bit here, the strength of the Burleigh and Tweed Heads set ups are outstanding and the boys travel with in the main not a huge amount of issue.

I personally would really like to see a side in the Coomera/Ormeau region potentially join the MM Cup and Hastings Deering's Colts competition which in the short term at least potentially more viable.

When you look at the quality of both the Tweed Heads and Burleigh MM Cup and Colts sides, there is more than enough junior players in those age groups to form a third side on the Coast.

Seriously the Tweed Heads MM side is staggering good, the Burleigh MM side is good as well and both Colts squads are incredibly strong as well.

Junior Clubs, no way. Senior Clubs, possibly Runaway Bay but even that would be a stretch I’d think. The the other issue is how would that fit in to the QRL expansion plans. I guess there is a bit of a void between Souths Logan and Burleigh, but I’d think they would be looking more to regional areas for expansion.

And it’s not as bad as you think. There will be a group of kids from Coombabah, and Keebra etc, who will just jump on a bus together or the train (or both) etc straight from school. Or they will carpool. Kids that want it will find a way!
And it goes both ways, kids from the southern areas (for the MM programs anyway) will have to travel to Parkwood once a week for training at the Titans.
The thing that concerned me more was the sheer amount of gear that kids would have to take to school. My boy would have to take 3 changes of clothes (School Day Uniform, School Footy Uniform, Club Footy Uniform) 3 pairs of shoes ( Gym/running shoes, Footy Boots and school shoes) plus any extra changes depending on subjects (swimming etc) plus all their books.

[mdrew]

talented play makers who will take the ball right to the line before running, passing or kicking are difficult to find but the Titans have a good one in their JTS program with Tweed Heads Seagulls junior and PBC student Tyler Harper.

He is not the biggest player but Tyler Harper is tough and smart and is certainly one player to keep an eye on in coming years.

[mdrew]

Keebra Park feel just short of success in the Langer Cup this season but with returning players such as Titans contracted second rower Seth Nikotemo, Keebra Park are primed to continue their outstanding rivalry with PBC.

Seth Nikotemo at just 16 years old made his Keebra Park school boy Open A debut over the course of this season and has one of the higher ceilings in the entire Titans outstanding JTS program.

Seth Nikotemo also has exceptional leadership skills to go with his second to none determination to succeed.

The Titans have an exceptional talent on their hands in Seth Nikotemo.

[mdrew]

Speed is one rugby league attribute that cannot be taught but nor can the ability to position yourself correctly in both attack and defense.

Those three attributes are just some of the numerous plus attributes that Titans contracted fullback/centre Lachlan Offley has at his disposal and all are set to be on show in 2021 for both Ballina in the Group One U16.5 competition and for the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

[mdrew]

Exceptional athleticism is no guarantee of success in rugby league but when you combine that in a young player with an outstanding rugby league skill side and a desire to succeed that is part of their DNA then it is hard to bet against a young player achieving their dream.

Titans contracted left centre Jahream Bula has all three of those personal attributes and more and is set to take off in 2021 with a trajectory as steep as anyone in the Titans JTS program.

The young man also excelled in basketball for Keebra Park in recent seasons as a shooting guard/small forward as well as representing his school in a number of academic programs.

[mdrew]

An exceptional defensive technique is one quality that is sometimes overlooked by supporters as a critical attribute, but is one that I look for when watching junior rugby league.

In my time watching junior/school boy rugby league I have NEVER seen a young man with as good a tackling technique as Titans contracted Bailey Martin and I mean never. It is not just quality for Bailey Martin but also quantity.

in 2021 Bailey Martin is set to be a key member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad and the PBC school boy side.

[mdrew]

He may be a different type of player than his older brother James but Titan Michael Roberts is an outstanding talent in his own right, in 2020 starting on the right wing for PBC in the Langer Cup Grand Final, right centre for South Tweed in the U16 Group 18 Grand Final and right centre for the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

Michael Roberts will continue to get better and better in the Titans JTS program.

[Mr Bods]

Thanks for the comments. Still think a Northern GC QCup team could be something for the medium term future in time.

[mdrew]

The 2021 Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad looks to have some serious speed in the side. Near the top of that list is Titan Shane Davis-Caldwell who will push for playing time either at fullback or in the centres.

In 2020 Shane Davis-Caldwell helped South Tweed win the Group 18 U16 Grand Final.

[mdrew]

Alexandra Hills State High School had a great run in the 2020 Devere Cup school boy competition with one of the key reasons for their success being Titans contracted 15 year old fullback Zyroam Tarawa-Herlihy.

The young man is an absolute flyer who also has an outstanding swerve that he can execute at top speed.

[mdrew]

The 2021 Keebra Park Open A school boys side looks likely to be an outstanding side, but one young player who I anticipate who will put a huge amount of pressure on the returning forwards is Titans contracted powerhouse Philip Hakaraia-Ngomotu.

Even though he will be only 16 in 2021 Philip Hakaraia-Ngomotu is a big chance at breaking into the Keebra Park top side for the GIO and Langer Cup competitions.

[ja4220]

Seriously the Tweed Heads MM side is staggering good, the Burleigh MM side is good as well and both Colts squads are incredibly strong as well.

So what are your thoughts on this? The way I see it a lot of that talent has moved from the Northern Rivers Program and the Andrew Johns/Laurie Daley cup teams? I realise that this is partially because a lot of the boys have moved to PBC for school, but it seems like a bit of a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. I.E. Stacking the talent in one team and competition.
Is there a significant difference in the quality of those competitions verse the MM comp?