Junior Development

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A brief summation of Titans contracted Seth Nikotemo’s performance at the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships for South Coast:

Seth Nikotemo started South Coast’s Day One match against Met North at right second row and scored in just the 11th minute of the match when he ran into a gap wide on the right, diving over to score ten metres in from the right corner post.

His 11th minute try was certainly not Seth Nikotemo’s first contribution in the match, that occurred in the 6th minute when his first hit-up of the match got him to within six metres of the try line.

Seth Nikotemo was also a key contributor to South Coast’s strong defensive effort in the match including in the 42nd minute when a strong tackle on the Met North left centre forced the ball loose to stop all of the momentum that they had built up.

Seth Nikotemo started the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Championship Final at right second row and took the first South Coast of the match from a penalty restart.

Seth Nikotemo started the Championship Final against Met North at right second row and in the 18th minute made a strong run of thirteen minutes to get to within five metres of the try line.

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Last weekend for Tweed Heads Darius Farmer moved into the Tweed Heads starting side in Round Eight of the Queensland Cup against the Easts Tigers, starting the match in the front row and playing forty minutes as well as scoring one of the Seagulls tries in their big win.

Darius Farmer scored in the 41st minute when he charged onto the ball to the right of the play the ball just two metres from the line, bursting throught two tackles to get the ball down next to the left upright.

Darius Farmer was heavily involved in Tremain Spry’s second try of the match which came in the second half. With Easts running the ball, Darius Farmer smashed the Tigers halfback front on with the ball immediately coming loose, Joseph Vuna swooped on the ball, running around forty metres before getting away on overhead pass to his right to an unmarked Tremain Spry who easily scored under the posts.

In addition to his try, Darius Farmer ran for ninety one metres (thirty post contact), broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.54 seconds and made nine tackles at a 90% tackling efficiency.

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A brief summation of Titans contracted Will Semu’s performance at the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships for Met East:

William Semu started from the bench in Met East’s Day One match against the Sunshine Coast, slotting into left centre when he came on and got his Championships off to a great start by scoring in the 16th minute when he was on the end of a Met East passing movement with William Semu crashing over in the left corner.

William Semu started at left centre on Day Three of the Championships against Met West and made a powerful charge in the early minutes making ten metres after he ran out of dummy half to the right. Just a few minutes later William Semu made eleven metres from a penalty restart. Then late in the first half William Semu made a strong sixteen metre charge down the left touchline taking the ball ten metres into Met West territory.

The half time break did not slow William Semu down as early in the second half he made a superb charge cutting back to his right towards the play the ball from ten metres out, eventually being put to ground less then a metres from the try line. William Semu then played the ball quickly with Met East scoring as a result.

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Good to see Titans contracted Tristian Powell maintain his place in the Burleigh Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side at lock for this weekend's Round Four match against the Southport Tigers.

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Titans contracted Jeremaiah Tamepo is part of the South Cost school boy rugby side that are currently playing in the Queensland Secondary Schools Rugby Championships.

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Toby Sexton continued at halfback for Tweed Heads in Round Eight of the Queensland Cup last weekend and whilst playing the entire match was in everything, recording two try assists, a line break and a line break assist.

Toby Sexton’s first try assist came when he threw an “out the back” pass to put Jayden Campbell into space in the first half and then in the second half, Toby Sexton came back underneath Liam Hampson who had run to his right, with Toby Sexton breaking through the line and drawing the fullback and passing to his right to put Brayden McGrady over under the posts.

In addition to everything else, Toby Sexton ran for sixty two metres, played the ball at an average speed of 3.91 seconds and had a 100% tackling efficiency whilst making fifteen tackles.

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A brief summation of Titans contracted Kaleb Ngamanu’s performance at the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships for South Coast:

Kaleb Ngamanu started at left centre for South Coast’s Day One match against Met North and made his initial contribution in the opening minute when he ran back to take a Met North clearing kick on the full when still running back towards his own goal line. Then Kaleb Ngamanu took the third hit-up in that same set.

The in the 5th minute, Kaleb Ngamanu made a run of ten metres from a South Coast scrum win, getting the ball to within twenty metres of the try line and then was awarded a penalty after the Met North defenders held on for too long in the tackle.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued his strong start to the Championships in the 13th minute when he was able to make fifteen metres after he had picked the ball up at dummy half and run to his right. Also in the 24th minute, a stepping Kaleb Ngamanu accounted for twelve more valuable metres.

Defensively Kaleb Ngamanu also had a strong Day One match including in the 16th minute when facing an overlap he came out of the line and drove the Met North half backwards, hitting him just as he received the ball.

Kaleb Ngamanu came out of the line once again in the 37th minute producing a great low tackle on the Met North 14 who had tried to get on his outside.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre on Day Two as South Coast took on Met East and almot immediately made thirteen metres out of his own twenty metre area in just the second minute of the match.

On Day Three against Capricornia Kaleb Ngamanu once again start at left centre and made a forty metre line break down the left touchline after being put into space by Ryan Foran, then as he was confronted by the cover defence, Kaleb Ngamanu got the ball back inside to Ryan Foran.

Kaleb Ngamanu started the Championship Final against Met North at left centre and whilst the ball did not get out to his side of the field too often more than held his own defensively including in the 32nd minute when he defused a Met North bomb under immense pressure.

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A brief summation of Titans contracted Michael Roberts performance at the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships for South Coast Maroon:

Michael Roberts started South Coast Maroon’s Day One match at right centre, scoring in the 11th when he ran into a gap five metres out and was able to bring the ball around to put it down near the posts.

Michael Roberts also started at right centre on Day Two against Met North and also scored for the second day in a row but he was held up over the try line in the 3rd minute after a ten metre effort.

Michael Roberts continued at right centre on Day Three against Darling Downs and proved once again that he is a legitimate strike weapon, scoring in the 16th minue five metres in from the right corner post after a twenty metre burst.

Michael Roberts scored his second try early in the second half when he received the ball wide on the right before he cut back inside, as he contacted the defensive line near the line, Michael Roberts spun counter clockwise to get the ball down in the right corner.

Michael Roberts also completed a hat trick mid-way through the second half but he was held-up over the line.

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A brief summation of Titans contracted Ryan Foran’s performance at the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships for South Coast:

Ryan Foran started at left second row in South Coast’s Day One match against Met North getting into the action in just the 2nd minute he took South Coast’s first hit-up of the match after team mate Kaleb Ngamanu had taken a Met North clearing kick on the full inside his own territory.

Ryan Foran also started at left second row on Day Two as South Coast took on Met East and scored in the 10th minute whne he ran twenty metres off a Nicholas Hilton off-load and was able to bring the ball around to put it down near the goal posts.

On Day Three against Capricornia Ryan Foran once again start at left second row and had a line break assist when he was able to get a great ball away to his left to Kaleb Ngamanu who made a forty metre line break down the left touchline, then as he was confronted by the cover defence, Kaleb Ngamanu got the ball back inside to Ryan Foran.

Ryan Foran also started at left second row in the Championship Final against Met North, scoring in the 22nd minute when after great work on his inside by Thomas Weaver who had picked up a wickedly bouncing ball and threw a cut-out ball to his left in one motion. Subsequently Ryan Foran ran into space to score wide out on the left.

Ryan Foran also made some stong defensive efforts in the match including in the 16th minute when he along with Thomas Weaver forced Met North back five metres to just out from his own line.

At the completion of the Championships, Ryan Foran was named at left second row in the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Merit Team.

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Jayden Campbell continued at fullback in Round Eight of the Queensland Cup last weekend for Tweed Heads against the Easts Tigers and once again was outstanding including scoring once again and also recording a try assist and two line break assists.

Jayden Campbell scored when he looped around the back of the Tweed Heads movement to the right, receiving an “out the back” pass from Toby Sexton flying straight through a gap twenty five metres out. Jayden Campbell produced a prodigious left foot step to easily beat the fullback and run around to score under the posts.

Jayden Campbell’s try assist came when he chimed into the Seagulls backline as they spun the ball to the right, with Jayden Campbell taking the ball into the line and passing to his right to put Tremain Spry into a big gap twenty metres out, with Tremain Spry then producing a right foot step to beat the Tigers fullback to score.

Jayden Campbell also had a line break in the match. After receiving the ball five metres out from his own line, Jayden Campbell literally running around the Easts left side defence, flying down the right touchline making seventy five metres before being brought to ground twenty metres from the line.

In addition to everything else, Jayden Campbell ran for a team leading 264 metres (thirty two post contact), broke a team leading six tackles, playing the ball at an average speed of 3.16 seconds and made three tackles, missing none.

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A brief summary of Titans contracted Thomas Weaver’s performance at the QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships:

Thomas Weaver captained the South Coast side at the Championships as well as starting at halfback including in their Day One match against Met North with Thomas Weaver kicking three conversions.

As usual Thomas Weaver controlled the match for South Coast and kicked well, including in the 48th minute when he ran to the line before from ten metres out, putting in a grubber kick for himself, which he was able to regather directly in front of the posts and he was then awarded a penalty for being initially held back.

Thomas Weaver was also his elusive self when running the ball in the match including a dummy and go in the 38th minute when he would have been through the line but for a high tackle which was deservedly penalised.

Probably Thomas Weaver’s biggest contribution in the match came from a defensive perspective. In the 4th minute, Thomas Weaver made a key tackle on the Met North left winger, just two metres out from the try line with Thomas Weaver’s initial contact forcing the ball loose.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback on Day Two as South Coast took on Met East with Thomas Weaver kicking six goals including an impressive conversion from the right touchline in the 30th minute.

Thomas Weaver captained the South Coast team from halfback in the CHampinship final against Met North kicking two conversions and also recording a try assist in the match.

Thomas Weaver’s try assist came in the 36th minute. Met North were on the attack five metres from the try line and on the last tackle kicked to their right, Thomas Weaver was on hand to take the hard kick straight at him on the full three metres out from the line and immediately took off down field. Around twenty metres out from his own line, Thomas Weaver drew the Met North fullback and passed to his right to Jye Gray who ran eighty metres to score.

Thomas Weaver was also heavily involved in Ryan Foran’s scoring in the 22nd minute try when he picked up a wickedly bouncing ball and threw a cut-out ball to his left in one motion. Subsequently Ryan Foran ran into space to score wide out on the left. Thomas Weaver then converted the try from wide out on the left.

Thomas Weaver also made some stong defensive efforts in the match including in the 16th minute when he along with Ryan Foran forced Met North back five metres to just out from his own line.

At the completion of the Championships, Thomas Weaver was named at halfback in the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Merit Team.

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Great to see that Jedd Windle is set to making his NRRRL First Grade debut in the second row for Byron Bay in this weekends Round Five match against Cudgen.

Jedd Windle’s first appearance for the 2021 Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup side came in Round Two when he started from the bench against local rivals the North Coast Bulldogs at Nambucca Heads. Jedd Windle moved into the starting side in the second row in Round Three against the Greater Northern Tigers. Jedd Windle was then named on the Northern Rivers Titans extended bench for their Round Four match in Lismore against the Central Coast Roosters.

Jedd Windle then started from the bench in Round Five against the Newcastle Knights.

Jedd Windle is also playing rugby in 2021, playing for the Lennox Head Trojans in the Far North Coast U18 competition, starting Round One against Casurina Beach at No. 8.

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Giant front rower Andreas Mariner who is a 2020 Auckland U16 representative, came to Australia early this year to attend Keebra Park SHS where he was been a key part of their Titans Cup Year 11/12 Division One side.

Andreas Mariner also plays in the Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One competition for the Springfield Panthers and will start in the front row tonight in Round Six against Goonda Blue where his front row partner will be Titans contracted Josiah Pahulu.

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Titans contracted Seth Nikotemo was impressive earlier this week at right second row for the South Coast School Boy representative side and no doubt next Wednesday will surely start for Keebra Park SHS in their Round One Langer Cup blockbuster against fellow Titans partnered school Marsden SHS.

Before that however Seth Nikotemo is set to come off the bench for Runaway Bay in Round Four of the GCRL U18 Division One competition as the Seagulls face off against Helensvale.

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After some solid performances off the bench for Runaway Bay in the GCRL U18 Division One competition Matthew Logopati is set to start in the second row on the weekend in Round Four as the Seagulls take on Helensvale.

Matthew Logopati has also stood out for Coombabah SHS in the Titans Cup U17/18 Division One competition this season.