Junior Development

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Even though he is still U16 eligible, Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki started at lock in Round Two of the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition for Nerang on the weekend as the Roosters as they took on the Currumbin Eagles.

Whilst he started the match at lock Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki also played a fair bit of dummy half in both halves of the match.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki did well in the 10th minute when he backed up through the centre of the ruck to get the off-load and get to twenty metres out from the line before being brought down from behind.

Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki backed up once again in the 13th minute when after taking the off-load forty metres out, he got to just eighteen metres through sheer effort before finally being put on the ground by the Currumbin defence.

Even though he as playing against players in the main two years older than him, Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki was certainly not out of place and he proved that in the 34th minute with a strong front on tackle on the Currumbin lock, stopping him in his tracks just five metres away from the try line.

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Harvey Moase also started at halfback in Round Two of the U18 NRRRL competition yesterday for the Cudgen Hornets against Casino RSM kicking four conversions, including one from five metres in from the left touchline in the 11th minute and recording two try assists in the Hornets solid victory.

Harvey Moase’s first try assist was recorded in the 21st minute when he ran the ball down a short left blindside ten metres out and throwing a cut out pass to put his support runner over in the left corner.

Harvey Moase added his second try assist of the match in the 28th minute when he took the ball to the line and threw a short ball to his inside to put Darcy Townsend through the line and subsequently score.

Harvey Moase made a strong run of his own in the 58th minute when he received the ball on the right but ran a winding route back to the left, breaking five tackles before off-loading the ball.

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Haizyn Mellars started on the left wing for Nerang on the weekend in Round Two of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Currumbin Eagles and scored for the second match in a row when in the 49th minute when he ran over the top of the Currumbin fullback to get the ball down in the left corner after initially receiving the ball ten metres out down a short left blindside.

Haizyn Mellars could have scored a second try just minutes later when good work from Jeremaiah Tamepo saw Haizyn Mellars set to race away down the left touchline but unfortunately he could not reign the ball in.

Haizyn Mellars also made a 6th minute line break when he burst twenty five metres down the left touchline after being put away by Jeremaiah Tamepo. Haizyn Mellars made another line break in the 30th minute when he burst fifteen metres down the left touchline before being tackled ten metres out and was awarded a penalty for being subject to a lifting tackle.

Haizyn Mellars produced a smart piece of play in the 20th minute when he took an attacking kick on the full on the last tackle near the left touchline and immediately was able to pass the ball on the inside before he was taken into touch.

It was not just in an attacking sense that Haizyn Mellars was good in the air as was evidenced in the 22nd minute when he leapt high in his in-goal in defuse a bomb under pressure and then Haizyn Mellars wasted no time in racing the ball back to the twenty metre mark for the restart and was able to make eight metres as a result.

Haizyn Mellars took the ball on the full once again from a defensive perspective again in the 42nd minute, on that occasion however just out from his own line and then Haizyn Mellars fought his way eighteen metres downfield to get in the ball to near the hallway and was subsequently awarded a penalty when he was not afforded the opportunity to get to his feet quickly.

Haizyn Mellars was also strong defensively in the match including in the 18th minute when he came off his left wing to hit the Currumbin right centre just ten metres out when he was facing a two man overlap. Impressively Haizyn Mellars then raced back from marker to help hold up the Currumbin right second rower over the line.

Haizyn Mellars added a strong ball and all tackle in the 21st minute on his opposite number of Currumbin threatening ten metres out from the line.

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Great to see Titans contracted Thomas Weaver representing PBC at the launch of the 2021 Langer Cup school boy competition this afternoon.

[Titanic]

Great to see Titans contracted Thomas Weaver representing PBC at the launch of the 2021 Langer Cup school boy competition this afternoon.

A happy face doesn't do it justice

[Mr Bods]

Great to see Titans contracted Thomas Weaver representing PBC at the launch of the 2021 Langer Cup school boy competition this afternoon.

This is year one of a five year journey contemplating in the great TWeaver taking us to GF Glory

[mdrew]

The electric Jett Forbes started at right centre yesterday for the Cudgen Hornets in Round Three of the NRRRL U18 competition against Casino RSM and once again showcased his elite speed scoring an outstanding solo try and also recording a try assist, line break other than in relation to his try and line break assist.

Jett Forbes scored in the 23rd minute, a what a try it was. Jett Forbes received the ball from his inside seventy metres away from the line and immediately got on the outside of the Casino RSM left sided defence and flew down the right touchline, with his feet admittedly going very close to the touchline on a couple of occasions. Jett Forbes however was able to step in the field of play and bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Jett Forbes other line break and try assist came on the same play in the 55th minute when from a Cudgen scrum win on the halfway mark Jett Forbes had to retrieve the ball on the bounce, dummying to his left and producing a left foot step to get through the line beating two defenders in the process. Jett Forbes slipped out of another tackle before offloading to five eight Max Liles to run away to score.

The 27th minute saw Jett Forbes record a line break assist when from another Cudgen scrum win he beat one defender with a left arm palm before drawing the Casino RSM winger and sending a pass to his right to send Toby Carpenter away down the sideline.

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Titans contracted Kyhan Weir continued in the front row in Round Three of the NRRRL U18 competition on Sunday for the Ballina Seagulls against the Tweed Coast Raiders scoring his first try of the season all be it only playing the first half. Kyhan Weir was rested for the second half with Ballina leading 22 – 0.

Kyhan Weir scored in the 6th minute of the match when he charged onto the ball from four metres out and to the left of the dummy half. Kyhan Weir was just too big and strong for the defence easily bursting through the line to put the ball down under the posts.

Kyhan Weir’s first contribution in the match came in just the 2nd minute when he charged eighteen metres through the centre of the Tweed Coast forward pack. Then in the 9th minute Kyhan Weir, after a strong run produced a great right armed off-load then just a minute after that produced a left arm flick off-load highlighting his skill set to both sides of his body.

Later on Sunday afternoon In Round Three of the NRRRL First Grade competition, Kyhan Weir made his NRRRL First Grade debut when he came off the bench against the same opponents as in his U18 match.

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Round Two of the GCRL U18 Division One competition on the weekend against the Currumbin Eagles saw Nerang’s Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki move to right centre after starting Round One at lock.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki had an outstanding match against the Eagles, including scoring in the 42nd minute of the match. Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki received a pass from Arama Hau who had drifted across to his right, with Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki hitting a hole sixteen metres out. Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki easily pushed off the first Eagles defender before initiating contact with another defender and spinning clockwise to break the contact before beating the fullback and then Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was able to bring the ball around closer to the posts.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki recorded a line break assist when in the 38th minute, after beating one defender Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki produced a right arm flock pass to his winger to race down the right touchline only for the winger to bundled into touch just short of the try line.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki did well in the 11th minute when he somehow was able to stay in the field of play down the right touchline after being passed the ball with no room to move. Somehow Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was able to maintain his balance and stay away from the touchline even after contact, breaking three tackles in the process.

The 29th minute saw Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki make an impressive twelve metres including breaking two tackles after cutting back to his left after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki added another strong run to his outstanding match in the 32nd minute when he was able to get out of his own twenty metre area after running out of dummy half to the right from just two metres out from his own line. Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki added a strong fighting twelve metre run in the 57th minute.

Whilst Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was outstanding running the ball, he was equally effective defensively including in the 14th minute when he smashed the Currumbin left winger who was trying to return a Nerang chip kick.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki produced another great defensive hit in the 19th minute when he smashed the Currumbin fullback just as he was taking possession with the ball flying loose as a result of Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki’s initial contact. Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki then made ten metres from the second tackle after the turnover that he generated from the big tackle.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was not finished terrorising the Currumbin defence there when in the 22nd minute when the Currumbin left second rower the ball down a short blindside he ran directly into Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki’s right shoulder and was stopped dead two metres away from the try line.

Just three minutes later in the 25th minute, Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki was on hand to hold up the Eagles left centre over the line. Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki saved another try in the 34th minute when once again he held up the Currumbin left centre, on this occasion ten metres from the right goal post.

Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki’s outstanding defence continued in the second half including a strong tackle from the second half kick-off.

The Currumbin left centre bore the brunt of Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki’s strength once again in the 41st minute when Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki hit the centre, immediately stopping him in his tracks then driving him three metres backwards. Then from marker Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki followed the next run, producing a driving left shoulder low tackle.

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In 2021 Titans contracted Arama Hau is playing once again for Nerang in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with his first appearance coming in Round Two on the weekend of the U18 Division One competition when he started at five eight against the Currumbin Eagles.

I am not sure whether Arama Hau has ever played at five eight before but he had an outstanding match from the position and could not have started the match any better including fielding the kick off in his own in-goal and then he backed that up by taking the second hit-up of the match to get the ball thirty metres away from his own line.

Arama Hau recorded a try assist in the match in the 42nd minute when he drifted across field to his right and put his right centre Taniela Lotaki into a gap sixteen metres out.

One of the key features of Arama Hau’s match was his off-loading, the Eagles just could not handle it. Arama Hau’s first off-load came in the 7th minute when after taking the line on, Arama Hau was able to get the ball away to his hooker. The in the 12th minute, Arama Hau once again charged at the line to get within two metres before he was able to get his right arm free and off-load to Dorian Lotaki.

Another Arama Hau off-load came in the 29th minute when he ran the ball into the Currumbin defensive line and then was able to get his right arm free to offload to his fullback, Arama Hau stayed alive subsequently getting the ball back from the fullback and then Arama Hau burst through two tackles and once again producing a right arm off-load to get the play going.

Arama Hau took another hit-up in the 42nd minute to the left of the dummy half out to the thirty metre line before once again producing a right arm offload to his fullback to back a further ten metres.

In the 25th minute Arama Hau once again took the Currumbin line on with his effort starting just four metres out from his own line with Arama Hau getting the ball out to the twenty metre line before he was tackled. Arama Hau was subsequently awarded a penalty when he was prevented from getting to his feet. Arama Hau took a quick tap, making a further ten metres, before you guessed it, he offloaded once again with his right arm.

Just three minutes later in the 38th minute, Arama Hau one again produced a right arm offload after engaging the defensive line, on that occasions inside the attacking twenty metre area. In the 48th minute a right arm flock pass from Arama Hau after he had engaged the line from a Nerang scrum win enabled his right centre to make ten metres.

Arama Hau put an exclamation mark on his match in the 57th minute when he charged at the defensive line, making twelve metres before offloading to one of his front rowers with the pass coming less than ten metres from the try line.

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Another player with Titans links that was part of the Langer Cup launch was Wavell State High School's Tyrell Waka-Rhind.

The young hooker came off the bench for the Titans U17 side early this year against Newcastle and was one of the Titans try scorers.

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It was good to see Kovi Ngan-Woo make the most of his start in the front row for the Bilambil Jets on Sunday in Round Three of the NRRRL U18 competition against Northern United.

Kovi Ngan-Woo scored in just the second minute of the match when he charged straight through the Northern United defensive line from ten metres to crash over mid-way between the corner post and goal posts on the left side of the field.

Kovi Ngan-Woo had already started the match strongly by taking the second hit-up of the match, making a solid fourteen metres. Then from the kick-up after his second minute try, Kovi Ngan-Woo once again charged at the Northern United line, making ten more metres.

Kovi Ngan-Woo made further metres from another kick-off (Kai Smallwood try) in the 34th minute, making fifteen metres when he charged straight at the giant Northern United forward pack.

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After starting the opening two rounds of the NRRRL U18 competition at left centre, Bilambil’s Caleb Case moved to left second row for Round Three against Northern United scoring a try and breaking the Northern United line on two other occasions.

Caleb Case’s try came in the 53rd minute of the match when he burst through a gap fifty five metres out from the line and was far too quick for the Northern United cover defence to put the ball down ten metres from the left upright.

Caleb Case broke the Northern United line on the first occasion in the 13th minute when he moved into dummy half thirty metres out from his own line and a metre in from the right touchline. Caleb Case picked up the ball and darted down the right touchline making forty five metres before being tackled by the Northern United fullback.

Caleb Case’s second line break of the match came in the 49th minute, when once again he charged through a gap, making thirty metres before the Northern United fullback was able to stop him.

Caleb Case’s afternoon got off to a good start in the opening set of six when after a strong 4th hit-up of the match he was able to get away on off-load.

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Hikoirangi Paki started at fullback in Round Two against Runaway Bay on the weekend and scored since his early 2021 move from Auckland.

In the 16th minute he was on the end of a Southport movement to the right. Hikoirangi Paki received the ball in space ten metres from the try line and headed towards the right corner. At the last moment Hikoirangi Paki cut back towards his left as two Seagulls defenders went flying by to dive over.

In the 23rd minute Hikoirangi Paki almost scored his second try of the match when he got within a metre of the try line after receiving the ball on the right side of the field fifteen metres out before cutting back towards the goal posts.

Hikoirangi Paki also did well defensively in the match including in the 41st minute when he was able to hold up the Runaway Bay left second rower with Southport holding a narrow lead.

[mdrew]

Bilambil Jet’s Kai Smallwood continued his run of starts at halfback on Sunday in Round Three of the NRRRL U18 competition against Northern United having an exceptional match in the Jets big 44 – 4 win.

For me, Kai Smallwood was easily the best player on the field, scoring two tries and recording three try assists as well as kicking six conversions to finish with an individual points haul of twenty points, being 45% of Bilambil’s total points in the match.

Kai Smallwood scored his first try in the 20th minute of the match with Kai Smallwood passing the ball to his right and then backing up on the inside to receive the ball back and then Kai Smallwood was able to run thirty metres untouched to put the ball down under the posts.

Kai Smallwood added his second try in the 32nd minute when once again he was operating on the right,. Kai Smallwood ran the ball down a short right blind side, running at the lien from ten metres out. Kai Smallwood dummied to his right before slicing through the line to score five metres in from the right corner post.

Kai Smallwood’s initial try assist came in just the 11th minute when he received the ball on the left side of the field, dummying to his inside before popping a good short pass to his left to put Connor Jenner into a gap five metres out with the second rower diving over.

Kai Smallwood added his second try assist in the in the 17th minute. After receiving the ball on the right, Kai Smallwood double pumped his pass to put Jye Brady into a gap with the lock running twenty metres to score.

The 47th minute say Kai Smallwood record his third try assist when he threw a long cut out pass to his right that was taken by Jye Brady who comfortably scored.

Kai Smallwood could have had a fourth try assist when he drifted to his left to put Cooper Jenner into a gap five metres out in the first half but his final pass was called forward.