Junior Development

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A brief review of the 2021 QSSRL U15 Championship matches by Titans linked Riley Buchanan:

In May 2021 Riley Buchanan was part of the South Coast U15 QSSRL School Boy representative side, playing the Championship Final against Met West at left second row.

Riley Buchanan made a strong start in the Championship Final when in the 6th minute he made a good run accounting for fifteen metres and promoting the ball into Met West territory.

Riley Buchanan produced some other strong runs, none better than in the 23rd minute when charged onto the ball from the Met West kick-off to the Nayte Saaga try and was awarded a penalty as a result of being hit by a shoulder charge.

At the completion of the Championships, Riley Buchanan was named at left second row in the 2021 QSSRL U15 School Boy Merit Team.

On Day One Riley Buchanan played his usual left second row position and generated a line break in the 30th minute when he charged into a gap receiving the ball from his left from Zane Harrison, unfortunately thirty metres downfield, Riley Buchanan’s pass to his left was knocked down by the Met West fullback.

Riley Buchanan started at right second row on Day Three against Met North and was in the action early taking the second hit-up of the match and was able to get the ball out to the thirty metre mark.

Riley Buchanan also scored on Day Three when in the 27th minute, Riley Buchanan received a good ball from his hooker who had skipped out of dummy half to his right. After he received the ball Riley Buchanan spun 360 degrees clockwise to get the ball down.

Riley Buchanan made twenty metres in the 46th minute when he retrieved the ball from a Nayte Saaga short kick-off to the right side of the field, getting to twenty metres out from the line before the Met North defence could recover.

Riley Buchanan also made a strong defensive play in the match when early in the first half, he along with Isaac Harrison and Jett Bryce combined to hit and hold up a Met North runner ten metres from his own line and force him back eight metres towards his own goal line, with the ball coming loose as the Met North player desperately trying to off-load.

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Titans contracted Josiah Pahulu was outstanding in the front row for the Met West School Boy representative side in this week’s QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships, but he will have no rest as he will captain his Springfield Panthers Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One side as well as starting in the front row against Goodna Blue.


Next Wednesday night in Round One of the School Boy Langer Cup competition, Josiah Pahulu will no doubt be the cornerstone of the Ipswich State High School forward pack.

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A brief review of the 2021 QSSRL U15 Championship matches by Titans Contracted Ray Puru:

Ray Puru started the 2021 U15 QSSRL Championship Final against Met West at fullback and scored in the 31st minute of the Final.

In the 31st minute, Ray Puru looped around to the right behind Zane Harrison, receiving the ball thirty metres out and to put to simply from there Ray Puru was just too quick for the defence blowing through the defensive line and getting the ball down mid-way between the goal posts and right corner post.

Ray Puru would not even have been in a position to score had it not been for another outstanding play of his just a minute prior when he raced to his left to field a Met West attacking grubber kick twenty metres out from his own line. As soon as he took possession, Ray Puru headed back towards centre field before a left foot step took him back towards the right wing, breaking four tackles along the way and making twenty metres.

Ray Puru split the defensive line once again in the 39th minute when he ran onto the ball on the left side of the field, thirty metres out from the line, stepping off both feet to get to ten metres out when he off-loaded to his left to five eight Nayte Saaga who got to within two metres of the line before he offloaded to his left for Jett Bryce to dive over fifteen metres in from the left corner post.

Ray Puru showcased his elite footwork in the 18th minute of the Championship Final when he ran the ball to the right after a South Coast scrum win, stepping off his left foot on three separate occasions in his run that made fourteen metres.

Ray Puru recorded a Championship Final try assist in the 24th minute when he took the ball down a short right blindside ten metres out and popping a good ball to Jac Finnigan who crashed over in the right corner.

Ray Puru started at fullback on Day One of the Championships as South Coast took on Met West with Ray Puru producing a dazzlingly stepping run in the 20th minute when after receiving the ball from the back of a scrum on the right side of the field, Ray Puru produced a series of left foot steps across field, bamboozingly a number of defenders before off-loading to Zane Harrison.

Ray Puru showcased his ball playing ability in the 27th minute when he chimed into the backline on the right side of the field and put right centre Joseph Tupuse away on a thirty run down the right side of the field before he was able to off-load on his inside.

Day Two saw Ray Puru once again start at fullback against Capricornia recording a 39th minute line break when he exploded off the mark from forty metres out from his own line after receiving an off-load whilst standing still. Ray Puru simply exploded through the Capricornia defensive line and got to twenty metres out before being tackled high and justifiably was awarded a penalty.

Also in the 16th minute, Ray Puru made fourteen metres from a winding stepping run after receiving the ball from the dummy half, getting the ball out of his own twenty metre area.

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A brief review of the 2021 QSSRL U15 Championship matches by Titans Contracted Nayte Saaga:

In May 2021 Nayte Saaga was part of the South Coast U15 QSSRL School Boy representative side, starting the Championship Final against Met West at five eight, scoring the 23rd minute. Nayte Saaga scored when he took advantage of a quick play the ball to race at the line after receiving the ball to the left of the play the ball and sprint at the still back peddling defence from twelve metres out. Nayte Saaga only concession to his straight charge was a slight jink of his left foot before crashing over between two defenders who did not have the time to even got off their own line.

Nayte Saaga also had a try assist in the second half when he received an off-load from his left by Ray Puru who had split the line from thirty metres out. After receiving the off-load ten metres out Nayte Saaga who got to within two metres of the line before he offloaded to his left for Jett Bryce to dive over fifteen metres in from the left corner post.

Nayte Saaga made a strong start in the Championship Final when in the 6th minute he made a good run after cutting back to his right and off-loading to his front rower to push forward then early in the second half, in the 26th minute, Nayte Saaga made a darting twelve metre run down a side left blindside.

On Day One against Met West Nayte Saaga started at five eight and was heavily involved in Jett Bryce’s 38th minute try when he put in a chip kick to the left wing which was collected by Izayah Petrichvich who off-loaded in one movement to Jett Bryce to run away to score under the posts. Nayte Saaga then converted the try.

Nayte Saaga produced a smart piece of play in the 11th minute when his kick-off after Met West’s opening try of the match went dead in goal, forcing Met West into a drop out from under the posts, South Coast scored from the subsequent set of six.

In the 29th minute, Nayte Saaga produced a strong run of eighteen metres to get the ball to near to the halfway mark.

Day Two saw Nayte Saaga once again start at five eight against Capricornia, kicking two conversions and displayed his enthusiasm in the opening minute when he chased through a Zane Harrison kick to trap the Capricornia fullback in his own in-goal.

One thing that will stand out when he are watching Nayte Saaga play is his kicking game and in the 16th minute Nayte Saaga kicked a 40/20 that any NRL top level kicked would have been proud off. Nayte Saaga received the ball thirty four metres out from his own line and twenty metres in from the left touchline and put in a hard left foot kick that that he kicked low and hard, going to touch in front of the desperate Capricornia fullback eighteen metres out from the try line.

Nayte Saaga once again started at five eight on Day Three against Met North recording a line break assist in the opening minute of the match when he took the ball to the line on the left side of the field and double pumped sending a short ball to his left to put Jett Bryce into a gap, with the right second rower running forty metres downfield before off-loading himself to Joseph Tupuse.

Nayte Saaga had a second try assist in the 31st minute when he took the ball to the line before throwing a cut-out pass to left centre Joseph Tupuse to rumble fifty metres downfield but unfortunately his inside pass went to ground.

Over the course of the Championships, Nayte Saaga showed that he is an outstanding kicked of the ball whether that be long raking left foot tactical to short chip kicks as well as goal kicking and on Day Two he showed that he can also put in impressive short kick-offs with two short kicks retrieved by team mates. The first short kick-off was from the kick-off to start the second half (it may have been taken by the wind but I will give it to Nayte Saaga) that was retrieved by Zane Harrison and the second was in the 46th minute with Riley Buchanan taking advantage.

Nayte Saaga also kicked a conversion in the first half.

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A brief review of the 2021 QSSRL U15 Championship matches by Titans Contracted Zane Harrison:

Zane Harrison was part of the South Coast U15 QSSRL School Boy representative side, starting the Championship Final against Met West at halfback, scoring one try and setting up another as well as kicking two conversions.

Zane Harrison scored in the 20th minute after a great solo effort that commenced when Zane Harrison took a pass on the right side of the field twelve metres out from the line. Zane Harrison immediately stepped off his right to beat the initial defender before a left foot step beat a second. As he approached the defence that was situated on the try line, Zane Harrison spun counter clockwise in a tackle and get the ball down ten metres to the right of the goal posts.

Zane Harrison also displayed his never say die attitude in the 24th minute when he produced a great chase from a Nayte Saaga tactical kick from mid-field to tackle the Met West fullback just five metres out from his own line.

At the completion of the Championships, Zane Harrison was named at halfback in the 2021 QSSRL U15 School Boy Merit Team.

On Day One against Met West Zane Harrison was at his dangerous best in the 30th minute when he ran across field to his left and threw a great bell to put a charging Riley Buchanan into a gap, unfortunately thirty metres downfield, Riley Buchanan’s pass to his left was knocked down by the Met West fullback.

Day Two saw Zane Harrison shine once again from halfback against Capricornia and continued early with an outstanding fifty five metre kick in the first minute with the Capricornia being trapped in his own in-goal.

Starting at halfback once again Zane Harrison could not have gotten into the action any quicker on Day Three against Met North when he was required to come forward very quickly to take the kick-off on the full after it fell very short. Zane Harrison really did have to get his skates on and charge forward to take the ball on the full just in front of the onrushing Met North forwards.

Zane Harrison had another big game on Day Three against Met North with the halfback recording a try assist and a line break amongst other smart pieces of play.

In the 47th minute, Zane Harrison drifted to his right across field twenty five metres out from the line before throwing a short flat ball to his right to Jac Finnigan who had run a great outside shoulder line.

Zane Harrison’s first half line break was certainly not your typical one, Met North were attacking the South Coast line and on the 5th tackle took the ball to their right and attempted to put in a short grubber kick. Zane Harrison who was defending on the left, trapped the ball with his left foot just seven metres out from his own line, he quickly picked up the ball and as a result of a winding run was able to get to the halfway mark before he was eventually collared.

Zane Harrison also made significant metres in the opening minute of the second half when South Coast five eight Nayte Saaga put in a short kick-off to the right, with Zane Harrison taking the ball on the full just after the ball had travelled the required ten metres and stepped his way to twenty metres out from the line.

Zane Harrison also made a try saving tackle in the first half of the match when he produced a strong tackle on the giant Met North No. 10 just two metres out from the line with Zane Harrison’s tackle forcing the ball loose.

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Titans contracted Nicholas Hilton earlier in the week looked set to start at No. 8 for TSS in their GPS First XV trial against Ipswich Grammar School today in Ipswich but a late change will see him start at No. 7.

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One impressive player that I will be keeping an eye on when TSS paly Ipswich Grammar School in Todays GPS school boy rugby trial is TSS U16A right winger Michael Vains.

The young man who plays is club rugby with Surfers Paradise is one of the best junior outside backs/fullbacks regardless of code on the Gold Coast.

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I am a believer in young rugby league players also being involved in other sports and that is certainly been the case for Keebra Park's Titans Cup U17/18 Division One player Zinzan Kahu.

In addition at also being involved in combat sports, Zinzan Kahu plays rugby for the Coomera Crushers side in the GCRU U18 competition.

Playing No. 10 Zinzan Kahu has already scored twice this season, being in a 27-26 win against the Helensvale Hogs and he also scored in a 19-15 loss to Surfers Paradise.

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Keebra Park may be known as a rugby league school but they also have some talented rugby players at the school including Surfers Paradise No. 8 Khai Millerd-Haimona who recently was selected in the South Coast U15 School Boy Rugby representative side.

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A move over from Western Australia to attend Keebra Park is paying immediate dividends for Joshua Siulepa who was recently named in the South Coast U15 School Boy rugby representative side.

In Western Australia Joshua Siulepa played for the South Perth Lions including coming off the bench in their U15 Grand Final last year even though he was still U14 eligible.

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Titans linked Keebra Park students Tyrus Salanoa and Lama Afu are certainly busing at the moment, last week they were part of the Championship winning QSSRL U15 side with Tyrus Salanoa being named at hooker in the Merit side and now both young men have been selected in the U15 South Coast school boy rugby side.

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Josiah Pahulu had an outstanding match scoring a double and was easily the best player on the field as his Springfield side ran away with the match to win 36-8.

Titans contracted Josiah Pahulu was outstanding in the front row for the Met West School Boy representative side in this week’s QSSRL U18 School Boy Championships, but he will have no rest as he will captain his Springfield Panthers Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One side as well as starting in the front row against Goodna Blue.


Next Wednesday night in Round One of the School Boy Langer Cup competition, Josiah Pahulu will no doubt be the cornerstone of the Ipswich State High School forward pack.

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TSS and Ipswich Grammar School drew 17 all in the trial today.

Titans contracted Isaac Togia will come off the bench tonight for Goodna Black against Norths Blue in Round Six of the Ipswich Rugby League U15 Division One competition.

Then tomorrow he is set to start for the Ipswich Grammar School U15A side in their GPS school boy rugby trial against TSS that has in its team Titans contracted No. 10 Nayte Saaga and 2020 Group 18 U14 Player of the Season Cooper Nelson.
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With Michael Vains prominent the TSS U16A side won the trial 19-10.

One impressive player that I will be keeping an eye on when TSS paly Ipswich Grammar School in Todays GPS school boy rugby trial is TSS U16A right winger Michael Vains.

The young man who plays is club rugby with Surfers Paradise is one of the best junior outside backs/fullbacks regardless of code on the Gold Coast.

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Titans contracted Jaylan De Groot will start at fullback today for Cudgen in the NRRRL First Grade competition against Byron Bay.