Junior Development

[mdrew]

Exceptionally talented young centre Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr moved over from Auckland and started at right centre for the Southport Tigers in their GCRL U18 Division One Round One match against the Currumbin Eagles.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr had a solid first match on the Gold Coast, including recording a try assist when as soon as he received a pass from his left he popped a short ball to his right to put Elikena Finau into a gap with the lock subsequently running twenty metres to score.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr also made a number of strong charges in the match including two that stood out, with both coming from kick-off returns, the first of which came off the second half kick-up when the ran to his left, breaking three tackles and then from the kick-off after the Elikena Finau try, Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr broke a further two tackles on his kick-off return.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr also started at right centre in Round Two against Runaway Bay and in just the 2nd minute of the match he made a strong burst of fourteen metres from a hit-up to the right of the dummy half with Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr initially receiving the ball just eight metres out from his own line.

Then in the 5th minute Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr broke two tackles when running the ball off a Tigers scrum win, making sixteen strong metres with at least half of those post contact metres. Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr made another strong run from a Southport scrum win in the 7th minute making a further ten metres.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr hard working start to the match continued when he took the second hit-up from the kick-off after the first Southport try making ten metres to get the ball outside of his own twenty metre area.

The 18th minute saw Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr record a line break directly from the kick-off after Southport’s second try. Southport let the kick-off bounce and it actually bounced back towards the oncoming Runaway Bay chasers. Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr charged forward retrieving the ball at full speed and then ran straight through two defenders to get the ball back to the forty metre line.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr continued to highlight that he can run all sorts of routes when in the 22nd minute he came back underneath one of his playmakers running to his left and backing sixteen metres to get within twenty metres of the try line.

Just a minute later in the 23rd minute, Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr ran out of dummy half once again getting within two metres of the line after a strong fourteen metre run after running to his right.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr had a line break assist in the match as well when in the 33rd minute he moved over to the left side of the field for a set move off the back of a scrum, drawing in both his immediate defender as well as the Seagulls right winger to put his own winger away down the left touchline.

Whilst he was one of the most dangerous ball runners in the match, Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr did not ignore his defensive duties, including in the 28th minute when he made a strong tackle on the Seagulls fullback who had run down a short right blindside.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr continued his run of starts at right centre in Round Three against the Ormeau Shearers and scored an impressive double in the 16 all draw.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr continued at right centre in Round Five against the Nerang Roosters and was one of the Tigers try scorers in the match.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr attended Mabel Park State High School upon his arrival from New Zealand, originally being named to start Round One of the 2021 Langer Cup School Boy competition from the bench against Coombabah State High School however Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr ended up starting the match at right centre.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr made a key contribution for Mabel Park State High School in the 25th minute when from a scrum win he was able to rumble forward after receiving the ball on the left, getting to less than a metre from the line. Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr was on his feet in a flash, producing a quick play the ball that the dummy half was able to take advantage of to dive over under the posts.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr moved to left centre for Round Two against Keebra Park State High School and was as good as any player on the field, including recording a try assist in just the 5th minute when he surged down the left channel after receiving the ball twenty metres out from the line. After he received the ball Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr got rid of the Keebra Park right winger and charged downfield getting to within three metre of the line before being taken by the cover defence but even though he was held by the defence Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr as able off-load to his left winger score in the left corner.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr then did not rest in his laurels, taking the hit-up from the subsequent kick-off. Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr made another strong run in the 41st minute when from a Mabel Park SHS scrum win to get the ball out of his own twenty metre area.

Then in the 47th minute, Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr charged onto the ball off a tap restart after Mabel Park received a penalty with Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr making thirteen metres when he charged straight into the giant Keebra Park SHS forward pack.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr produced a great defensive effort in the 25th minute when he highlighted his elite speed to chase the Keebra Park fullback (Elijah Lui) after he had made a long break to round him up quickly just after he had passed the halfway line.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr rounded out his outstanding performance in the match in the 50th minute when he made twenty seven metres after receiving the ball thirty metres from the line.

Atunaisa Pahulu Jnr continued at left centre in Round Three against St Mary’s College Toowoomba and was heavily involved in Mabel Park’s 35th minute try with a great right arm off-load in the lead up prior to the try near the left corner.

[Hail Sezer]

A bit of a write up in today's GCB about Keano Kini (PBC) and Will Semu (Marsden) in the leadup to this evenings Langer Cup clash between PBC and Marsden.

Kini is still only year 11 and Semu is unbelievably year 10, but both are probably two the Titans brightest junior prospects. I'd expect the club will almost certainly be promoting them to full-time deals in 2023 when they finish high school. Mdrew has done some quality write ups on them both.

Other Titans junior contracted players featuring in todays match:

PBC:
Keano Kini (fullback)
Reef Sommerville (centre)
Michael Roberts (wing)
Tom Weaver (halfback & captain)
Jack Cullen (prop)
Tanu Nona (hooker, still only 16)
Brock Priestley (right backrow)
Ryan Foran (left backrow)
Bailey Martin (lock)
Jayden Wright (interchange)

Marsden:
Will Semu (centre)
Xavier Stowers (prop)
Taelon Te-Whiu Hopa (interchange)
Sione Fotuaika (interchange)

Mdrew pls fill me in if I missed any above (which I'm sure I have)

Will be a good clash between two of the competition heavyweights and is live-streamed through the Courier Mail and GCB website at 5:30pm for anyone interested.

[mdrew]

You got them all from PBC and Marsden mate.

Seth Nukotemo, Arama Hau and Immanuel Kalekale will start for Keebra this afternoon with 16 year old Wailer Whaiapu on the bench.

[lonegull]

Great to see the titans proactive in the lcoal market with the juniors, got to say Kalekale looks like he has a big future

[Hail Sezer]

I think I got Semu's age wrong when I said he's year 11.

In fact I think he might only be...year 10? An article form 2020 said he was year 9. Mdrew can you please confirm?

Bc if so, then it is ridiculous the level of football he is playing

edit: Have amended original post to reflect this

[mdrew]

Yes Year Ten for him

I think I got Semu's age wrong when I said he's year 11.

In fact I think he might only be...year 10? An article form 2020 said he was year 9. Mdrew can you please confirm?

Bc if so, then it is ridiculous the level of football he is playing

[mdrew]

Interesting to see former Sydney Roosters second rower Jeff Tatupu start from the bench for the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side on Saturday against Tweed Heads. Jeff Tatupu is also Colts eligible in 2022.

Jeff Tatupu is a former NZ junior who the Roosters brought over to Australia to attend Brisbane’s Wavell SHS. Prior to moving to Sydney for the 2021 SG Ball competition, Jeff Tatupu played for the 2020 Norths Devils MM Cup side.

Jeff Tatupu started the 2021 season as part of the Sydney Roosters SG Ball side with his first appearance coming in Round Five against the Cronulla Sharks when he came off the bench. Jeff Tatupu also came off the bench in Rounds Six (Norths Sydney Bears) and Eight (Parramatta Eels) before breaking into the starting side in the front row in Round Nine against the Canberra Raiders. Jeff Tatupu also started in the front row in the Roosters semi-final loss to the Illawarra Steelers.

In 2020 Jeff Tatupu started from the bench in the one and only round of the MM Cup competition for the Norths Devils.

2020 aslo saw Jeff Tatupu become a member of the Magere East SAS Fox Memorial Premiership side in the Auckland Rugby League competition.

In 2019 Jeff Tatupu played for Wavell State High School in their school boy competitions including the Langer Cup and also played for the Norths Devils in the MM Cup competition starting Round One against the Burleigh Bears from the bench. In fact Jeff Tatupu started all of his 2019 MM Cup matches for Norths from the bench.

Jeff Tatupu has already represented Tao Samoa on a number of occasions including the U18 side in 2020 and in 2018 Jeff Tatupu was a member of the Samoan U16 side and scored in a match against a New Zealand Resident U16 side.

[mdrew]

Over the weekend it was great to see Charlie Murray made his Queensland Cup debut for Tweed Heads in Round Thirteen of the 2021 season against the Burleigh Bears.

Playing seventeen minutes off the bench, Charlie Murray ran for twenty four metres, played the ball at an average speed of 4.09 seconds and made nine tackles at a 90% tackling efficiency.

Back from Sydney playing with the Parramatta Eels, Charlie Murray is playing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts side in 2021 and he will also be Colts eligible in 2022.

Charlie Murray started at lock in their final 2021 trial against the Burleigh Bears scoring late in the second half as well as a first half try assist and worked as a ball player in his time on the field. As noted above Charlie Murray’s try was the final try scored in the trial.

In the 10th minute of the first half, Charlie Murray received the ball off Ediq Ambrosyev from dummy half on the left side of the field and put up a high cross field pin point bomb to the right corner, with the ball coming down a metre or so from the try line. Tweed heads right winger Troy Duckett as able to time his jump perfectly to get above the Burleigh left winger in Ronin Rio and get the ball down a couple of metres in from the right corner post.

Round One of the 2021 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Charlie Murray start at lock for the Tweed Heads Seagulls when they took on the Souths Logan Magpies amd took the fourth hit-up of the match, getting the ball to the halfway.

One of Charlie Murray’s best (and most productive) runs of the match came in the 26th minute when he was able to make twenty three metres to the forty metre mark, breaking three tackles in the impressive effort.

Charlie Murray produced a great try saving effort in the 24th minute when he got low to confront and hold up the Souths Logan hooker who had darted out of dummy half from close range trying to burrow under Charlie Murray.

Late in the match with Tweed Heads chasing the match, Charlie Murray almost produced a try out of nothing. Souths Logan were bringing the ball out of their own territory when he produced a one on on steal and was able to find space to throw a long pass to his right that found Jojo Fifita is space and but for a diving tackle that halted Jojo Fifita by just one leg, he would have dived over in the corner.

Charlie Murray also started at lock in Round Two in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears and recorded an impressive try assist. Charlie Murray received the ball ten metres out and moved subtly to his left and popped a great short ball to put Carsil Vaikai into a gap and the front rower was able to get the ball down under the posts.

Intelligently in the 21st minute, Charlie Murray was able to get possession back for Burleigh after a one on one strip against Samuel Shannon who was looking to bring the ball out of Burleigh’s own territory.

Then in the 63rd minute, Charlie Murray along with Jed Edwards smashed Burleigh’s Ronin Rio front on with the ball coming loose less than ten metres from Burleigh’s own line.

Charlie Murray also was named to start at lock in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins however he was a late scratching from the match.

Charlie Murrray was back in the Seagulls starting side at lock in Round Four against the Ipswich Jets, a match that saw him named the Seagulls best, with Charlie Murray running for 182 metres and making twenty four tackles.

Charlie Murray also started at lock in Round Five against the Northern Pride and in Round Six against the Easts Tigers. Against the Easts Tigers Charlie Murray was one of the Seagulls best players, running for 208 metres, eighty nine of which were post contact.

Charlie Murray also started at lock in Round Seven against the Norths Devils and in Round Eight against the Mackay Cutters with Charlie Murray one of the Seagulls try scorers in their tough loss.

Round Nine against Wynnum Manly saw Charlie Murray move to hooker for the Seagulls, handling the position change in his stride.

[mdrew]

On Sunday Henry Lee continued at right second row for Lismore in Round Ten of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Bilambil Jets with Henry Lee scoring a double.

Henry Lee scored his first try in the 38th minute when he ran a straight crash line from ten metres out down a right blindside after Jye Davis had cut from the openside back to the right blindside.

Henry Lee added his second try in the 60th minute when he received the ball twelve metres from the line, palming off one with his left arm before diving over in the right corner.

[mdrew]

Helensvale’s Brent Barnes scored another double from the fullback position in Round Ten of the GCRL First Grade competition on Saturday evening against the Burleigh Bears with his first try coming in the 26th minute when he backed up a break from his left second rower to score easily on the right side of the field.

Brent Barnes completed his double in the 69th minute from a set move that started from inside his own territory. From a Helensvale scrum win thirty metres out from their own line, Helensvale kicked long downfield, Brent Barnes easily won the race to the ball, retrieving it just metres from the line and subsequently getting the ball down under the posts.

[mdrew]

Cudgen Hornets U18 NRRRL competitions Cooper Camby continued at left centre in Round Ten against the Murwillumbah Mustangs on Sunday and scored in the 50th minute when he received a great right arm off-load from Darcy Townsend eight metres from the line and Cooper Camby was able to get the ball down in the left corner.

[mdrew]

Great to see 16 year old Jury Taewa make his NRRRL U18 debut off the bench for the Bilambil Jets in Round Ten of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Marist Brothers Rams with Jury Taewa playing left second row when he came onto the field.

Jury Taewa was named in the left second row position for the 2021 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side for their Round One match against the Wests Tigers. In a great situation for his family, Jury Taewa’s twin brother Jaylen was the other starting second rower on the right side for the Northern Rivers Titans.

Disappointingly Jury Taewa suffered a head knock in the first half of the match and was unable to take any further part in the match which was an unfortunate situation as Jury Taewa was having a very solid match to that point.

After missing Rounds Two and Three as a result of his Round One head knock, Jury Taewa was back in the Northern Rivers Titans squad for Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters in Lismore as a curtain raiser to the Titans against Warriors NRL trial. Jury Taewa came onto the field mid-way through the first half, playing in his usual left second row position.

Jury Taewa also started from the bench in Round Five against the Newcastle Knights coming on to play left second row mid-way through the first half.

[mdrew]

On Sunday in the NRRRL U18 Round Ten match against the Bilambil Jets, Lismore’s Cooper Love started at hooker and scored in the 14th minute when after receiving an offload from Jye Davis eighteen metres out and in the open side of the ruck, Cooper Love cut back down the blindside and then was able to bring the ball around closer to the goal posts.

[mdrew]

Cudgen’s Jett Forbes continued at right centre in Round Ten of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Murwillumbah Mustangs on Sunday, scoring in the 13th minute when after receiving the ball twelve metres out and on the right side of the field, Jett Forbes was able to hold off his opposite defender and get the ball down with his right arm five metres in from the right corner post.

Jett Forbes also made a line break in the 36th minte when after Murwillumbah attempted to kick for touch from a penalty, Jett Forbes took the ball on the full and flew down the right touchline only to be ankle tapped just as he was accelerating towards the try line.

Jett Forbes could have scored another try in the first half when he took and intercept twenty metres from his own line but he was brought down from behind by Riley Lack not far out from scoring.

[mdrew]

Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colt James Torrens continued at left centre in the Round Eleven local derby against the Burleigh Bears on Saturday afternoon with James Torrens scoring a double and kicking four conversions in the Seagulls 38 – 22 victory with his tries coming in the 34th and 37th minutes.

In the 34th minute James Torrens received the ball eight metres from the line and initially shaped to pass to his left before running the ball himself to get the ball down near the left corner. Then in the 37th minute James Torrens was the beneficiary of some great initial work from Jack Cullen who produced a great one arm off-load for Tweed Heads to break the ball before James Torrens backed up to score an easy try.