Junior Development

[mdrew]

After an injury interrupted start to the 2021 season, Titans contracted Brock Lennox will start at inside centre for the TSS U16B side this Saturday in Round One of the GPS school boy rugby competition against Brisbane Grammar School.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Larry Siala will start in the second row tomorrow night for Norths in Round Eleven of the Ipswich U17 Division One competition against Brothers.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Josiah Pahulu has played a lot of matches this season already for the Titans, Ipswich and Ipswich State High School and he plays another one tonight when he lines up in the second row for the Springfield Panthers in Round 11 of the Ipswich RL U17 Division One competition when they take on Goodna.

[mdrew]

Kyogle youngster Damian Wilson, who was part of a Titans NRRRL U18 side that played a Titans JTS U17 squad at CBus Stadium continued in the second row in Round 11 of the NRRRL First Grade competition against Byron Bay this weekend.

[mdrew]

With the entire Hastings Deering's Colts competition having a bye week, it is great to see a couple of Titans contracted Colts eligible players getting a further opportunity against men in the GCRL First Grade competition with Burleigh as the Bears take on Mudgeeraba.

Lofi Khan-Pereira will start on the wing and Tristian Powell in the front row.

[mdrew]

Ashton Harley who started for the Titans Northern Rivers U18 side against the Titans U17 JTS squad at CBus a couple of weeks ago has played in multiple positions for the Kyogle Turkeys U18 NRRRL side this season is set to start in the second row in Round 11 on the weekend against Byron Bay.

This season Ashton Harley has also started at lock and hooker.

[mdrew]

One young player who has had am impressive start to the 2021 season is Helensvale Hornet and Coombabah SHS student Jay Blazek.


In late October 2020, Jay Blazek was named in the 2021 Burleigh MM Cup squad and came off the bench in their first 2021 MM Cup trial against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Jay Blazek came into the Burleigh Bears 2021 MM Cup side in Round Four when he started at right centre against the Souths Logan Magpies and also started at right centre in Round Five against the Ipswich Jets.

Jay Blazek made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut off the bench for Helensvale in Round Seven against the Southport Tigers and also came off the bench in Round Nine against the Burleigh Bears as well as in Round Ten against the Currumbin Eagles.

In Round One of the 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition Jay Blazek started at lock as well as captaining the Helensvale side and scored the Hornets final try in their 20 – 14 win over the Ormeau Shearers.

Jay Blazek scored in the 43rd minute when he backed up a long break from his left centre to score in the left corner. Jay Blazek positioned himself well to score, initially he was backing up in the inside but when the centre cut inside, Jay Blazek moved from right to left to ensure that he had a clear run to the line.

Jay Blazek also started at lock in Round Two against Burleigh, scoring a double in the Hornets impressive victory.

Jay Blazek scored his first try in the 43rd minute from a Helensvale scrum win ten metres in front of the left upright. Jay Blazek picked the ball up from the back of the scrum immediately running to his right, beating the initial tackle before moving parallel to the defensive line. Jay Blazek dummied to his right before straightening up to cross fifteen metres from the right upright.

Jay Blazek added his second try in the 54th minute when he scooped up a Burleigh loose pass forty two metres from the try line and running away to put the ball down under the posts.

Jay Blazek was outstanding for Helensvale in Round Five starting at lock against the Mudgeeraba Redbacks contributing a try to the Hornets 50 – 10 victory with his try coming in the 14th minute. After Helensvale were awarded a penalty twenty metres from the line, Jay Blazek took the tap restart quickly with the Redbacks defensive line still retreating.

To get past the initial defenders, Jay Blazek stepped off his right foot and then almost immediately off his left but just before the line he was tripped off in a desperate tackle but has not held and got to his feet in an instant to get over the line adjacent to the left upright.

Jay Blazek’s exceptional match also included three try assist with the initial one coming in just the 2nd minute of the match when he threw a cut-out pass to his left to put Dredin Goldsmith into a big gap for the centre to easily score.

Jay Blazek recorded his second try assist in the 32nd minute when after taking a quick tap from a penalty from sixty five metres from the line, Jay Blazek darted fifteen metres downfield before drawing a defender and passing to his left to his fullback to run away to put the ball down under the posts untouched.

Jay Blazek’s third and final try assist of the match came in the 36th minute when after breaking through the line himself he drew the fullback, passing to his left to put halfback Koen Stambera after to score under the posts.

Jay Blazek has heavily involved in another Helensvale try in the 51st minute when after picking up a Mudgeeraba lost ball seventy metres from the line, ran to his right and was seemingly tackled but the referee deemed that he was not held and Jay Blazek was on his feet quickly to continue to run before cutting back towards centre field and off-loading to Zac Johnson to set up a try further downfield.

Jay Blazek continued t lock and captain in Round Six against the Nerang Roosters, recording a line break in the 10th minute when he just burst through the centre of the Nerang forward pack, making forty five metres. Jay Blazek showed his speed in the 6th minute of the match with a great chase and tackle from behind after the the Nerang fullback had made a long break down his left touchline.

After his two try performance in Round Two of the U18 Division One competition earlier in the day, Jay Blazek came off the bench for Helensvale in their Round Two GCRL U20 match against Burleigh.

Jay Blazek moved into the Helensvale U20 starting side at fullback in Round Four against Runaway Bay but moved back to the bench for Round Five against the Currumbin Eagles.

In Round One of the 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League pre-season competition, Jay Blazek started at five eight for the Helensvale U20 side that played round robin matches against Burleigh and Runaway Bay.

Jay Blazek moved to centre for Round Two of the pre-season competition and scored as the Hornets defeated the Shearers.

Jay Blazek started Round One of the 2021 Langer Cup School Boy competition at lock for Coombabah State High School against Langer Cup newcomers Mabel Park State High School scoring in the 41st minute when he backed up a break by front rower Quezan Eteru to race away to score untouched under the posts.

Jay Blazek also started at lock row in Coombabah SHS’s tough Round Two loss against Wavell State High School as well as in Round Three against PBC State High School.

Jay Blazek was also named at lock for Round Four against Ipswich State High School.

[mdrew]

When the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade season commenced in mid-April with the pre-season competition, Brent Barnes was part of the first ever Helensvale Hornets side in play in the GCRL First Grade competition.

In Round One of the pre-season competition, Brent Barnes started at right centre for the Helensvale and whilst they had a touch loss to Tugun in their pre-season opener, there were some bright spots including Brent Barnes second half try. After Helensvale kicked off, Brent Barnes was the first player down field and looked set to make the tackle, but instead stole the ball one on one on the twenty metre mark and after holding off one Seahawks defender was able to score midway between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field. The try was one of the two that Brent Barnes scored in the match.

Brent Barnes also started at right centre in Round Two of the pre-season competition against Mudgeeraba and in Round Three against Runaway Bay.

With the Helensvale Hornets having a Round One bye, Brent Barnes started for the Hornets U20 side in their Round One match against the Ormeau Shearers.

Brent Barnes also started at right centre in Round Two against the Burleigh Bears, scoring in the 65th minute when he backed up a break from Hornets fullback Josh Evans who put in a short kick that Brent Barnes retrieved and ran twenty metres to score untouched.

Brent Barnes started once again at right centre in Round Four against Runaway Bay before moving to fullback in Round Six against the Tugun Seahawks.

Brent Barnes made his 2021 GCRL First Grade debut in round Five on the right wing against the Mudgeeraba Redbacks.

Brent Barnes moved to fullback in Round Six of the GCRL First Grade competition, relishing the extra space by scoring an outstanding solo try against the Tugun Seahawks.

Brent Barnes produced his individual effort in the 10th minute when he received the ball twenty five metres out and to the right of the dummy half. After receiving the ball, Brent Barnes immediately stepped off his right foot back towards the play the ball. A second right foot step left two defenders behind and then he stepped off his right foot, straitening his run to get between two defenders before veering to his left to easily round the Tugun fullback to dive over.

Brent Barnes continued at fullback in Round Seven against Southport, scoring a double in the Hornets ten point loss with his first try coming in the 52nd minute when he received an inside ball on the right side of the field bursting through the line. Brent Barnes was tripped up just short of the line but was able to role over to get the ball down.

Brent Barnes added his second try in the 55th minute when he chased through a short chip kick and even though four defenders were converging on the ball, Brent Barnes flashed thorough to take the ball on the bounce and then was able to run around to put the ball down under the posts.

Brent Barnes scored another double from the fullback position in Round Ten 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 his 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.

Understandably Brent Barnes continued at fullback in Round Ten against the Currumbin Eagles.

In April 2021, Brent Barnes was named in the U20 Gold Coast Vikings First Grade South East Queensland Chairman’s Challenge initial squad. Brent Barnes captained the Gold Coast U20 Representative Side as was as starting both matches in the centres.

[mdrew]

This weeks Ballina Seagulls NRRRL U18 side has a heck of a lot of players with links to the Titans for their Round Ten match against the Bilambil Jets.

Rowan Mansfield (fullback), Lachlan Offley (right wing), Kye Cooper (right centre), Damon Coldwell (left centre), Jesse Beauchamp (halfback), Kyhan Weir (front row) and Nicholas Troy (left second row) will all start for Ballina.

[mdrew]

Powerhouse second row, centre or lock (and rugby outside centre) Isaac Togia who hails from the Ipswich region signed a multi-year contract with the Titans in early 2021 and let there be no doubt, the Titans have snared a seriously talented young player in Isaac Togia.

In 2021 Isaac Togia once again lined up for Goodna in the Ipswich Rugby League U15 Division One competition, operating primarily in the second row.

As he did in 2020 Isaac Togia had some big matches for Goodna Black including a two try effort in Round Two as Goodna defeated Norths Blue 62 – 0. Isaac Togia also scored a double in Round Seven against Brothes Blue.

Isaac Togia moved to the second row in Round Eight against Swifts and made a huge Friday night scoring five tries and converting Goodna’s final try of the match in their 78 – 6 victory.

Isaac Togia is set to start tonight from the bench in Round Eleven against Swifts.

[mdrew]

The Nerang Roosters U18 Division One backline certainly is set to have a lot of strike power in it for tomorrow's Round Ten against Runaway Bay with Titans Jeremaiah Tamepo (right centre) and Arama Hau (five eight) joined by the Mapusau-Lotaki brothers, Taniela and Dorian at left centre and on the left wing respectively.

[mdrew]

Whilst the focus tomorrow for me will be on the Titans players in the TSS First XV side, their opponents in Brisbane Grammar School have a number of players with connections to the Gold Coast including local rugby league players Titan Vaikai and Xavier Collins who are Grammar's starting front row pair.

The other plyer with Gold Coast links is outside centre and Brisbane Grammar School Rugby Captain Campbell Watchairs who earlier this season was a member of the Queensland MM Cup winning Tweed Heads Seagulls side.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Josiah Pahulu scored a double tonight for the Springfield Panthers in their 26-8 victory. He was easily the best player on the field.

[mdrew]

With the Hastings Deering's Colts competition having a bye week, it is great to see Seagulls Colts player Carsil Vaikai named to start in the front row for the Runaway Bay Seagulls against the Tugun Seahawks tomorrow in Round Ten of the GCRL First Grade competition.

[mdrew]

Titans contracted Jaylan De Groot will start on the wing tomorrow for Cudgen in the NRRRL First Grade competition against Lower Clarence.