Junior Development

[mdrew]

Great Official Site Article from the Official Site in relation to the joint NRL and JTS training session on Monday.

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2021/...ith-nrl-squad/

[mdrew]

In June 2021 Titans contracted Taelon Te Whiu-Hopa was part of a Titans U17 squad that played a Titans U18 Northern Rivers squad at Cbus Stadium as a curtain raiser to the Round Fourteen NRL match between the Titans and the Sydney Roosters.

Taelon Te Whiu-Hopa made some strong runs in the match with none better than mid-way through the second half when he made twenty five metres through the centre of the ruck and then with defenders draped on him, Taelon Te Whiu-Hopa was still able to get away a right arm off-load.

[Hail Sezer]

Michael Roberts has signed with Redcliffe for 2023, I assume on a development contract.

Wayne Bennett was and still is pretty close with James Roberts IIRC, so I’m not surprised. Wishing him all the best.

[Titanic]

The way it turned out for his brother under Bennett i.e. failed at the 'Ponies and at Souffs then he will need more than just good luck.

[Whats Doing]

Michael Roberts is a talent. Shame he left as he certainly had a ton of ability.

[mdrew]

2022 will see Grafton Ghosts junior second rower and former Titans JTS Member Lockie McLaughlin attend Keebra Park SHS and also line up for the Easts Tigers in the U16 Cyril Connell Cup competition.

[mdrew]

Another young player set to take the Gold Coast School Boy Rugby League competition by storm in 2022 is outstanding fullback/centre prospect Joshua Donovan-Skinner.

The Grafton Ghosts junior will line-up for the Keebra Park SHS Walters Cup side in 2022 and also play for the Easts Tigers U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

In 2021 Joshua Donovan-Skinner was named the Grafton Ghosts U15 Group One Best Player.

[mdrew]

In June 2021 Titans contracted William Semu started at left second row for a Titans U17 side that played a Titans Northern Rivers U18 squad at Cbus Super Stadium as a curtain raiser to the Titans Round Fourteen NRL match against the Sydney Roosters.

Amongst a multitude of outstanding pieces of domination, William Semu scored three tries including a long range forty metre try in the second half after Keano Kini engaged the defensive line and got a great one arm off-load away to put William Semu into space with William Semu surging away to score untouched.

In addition to his long range second half try, William Semu scored twice in the first half, the first of which came when after receiving the ball from his left from Keano Kini in space twenty out from the line, William Semu spun clockwise to gain separation from two defenders and charge towards the left corner. At the last moment, William Semu cut off his left foot to get between two defenders and get the ball down eight metres in from the left corner.

William Semu’s second try of the first half was a result of him leaping above the defence to take the ball on the pull and crash over five metres in from the left corner post after Bailey McConnell had put up a bomb towards the left corner, with the ball coming down two metres from the line.

I have no doubt that those three tries are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to William Semu scoring at Cbus Stadium in a Titans jersey.

[mdrew]

Mudgeeraba's Jaxon Nio-Aporo had a big 2021 with the Redbacks.

Initially he started out in the U18 Division One competition with the Redbacks and at the end of seasons awards was named the U18 Division One Best Forward and Players Player.

The young lock was also awarded the Darius Boyd Award.

Jaxon Nio-Aporo also played a number of Doug Lipp Cup matches at fullback for the Redbacks.

[mdrew]

After a 2021 season that ended in injury half/five eight Connor Te Kani will be looking to bounce back in 2022.

Connor Te Kani had a strong start to the 2021 season in the Langer Cup School Boy competition for Keebra Park SHS until injury struck.

[mdrew]

It was great to see Tom Weaver take time out of training with the Titans NRL squad in late 2021 to attend the Tweed Heads Seagulls U12 Awards Presentation and was on hand to hand out the awards.

What an impressive young man.

[lonegull]

It was great to see Tom Weaver take time out of training with the Titans NRL squad in late 2021 to attend the Tweed Heads Seagulls U12 Awards Presentation and was on hand to hand out the awards.

What an impressive young man.

These little things go a long way in gaining fans and supporters, I can bet you all the kids who were their are now titans fans

[mdrew]

Recently young Bilambil Jets U18 NRRRL half Kai Smallwood was awarded the Percy Smallwood Award for the 2021 Bilambil Jets player with the most potential.

[mdrew]

Carlos Tarawhiti, the big, strong powerful front rower from Auckland has moved over to the Gold Coast and in 2022 will play for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts side and Carlos Tarawhiti is also Colts eligible in 2023.

Impressively, in 2021 Carlos Tarawhiti who was still U18 eligible played in the New Zealand National Youth U20 competition for the Auckland Blue’s including starting in the inaugural Grand Final in the front row as his Auckland side went down 18 – 14 against Central Districts.

In fact Carlos Tarawhiti started all of his 2021 New Zealand U20 competition matches for the Auckland Blue’s in the front row and whilst he was outstanding at charging at the defensive line, probably Carlos Tarawhiti’s best moment of the competition came in a match against the South Island Scorpions when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball and approximately fifteen metres out, Carlos Tarawhiti stepped off his right foot to beat an onrushing defender.

Once he had stepped inside the Scorpions defender, Carlos Tarawhiti straightened up and put in a right foot grubber kick into the in-goal. Carlos Tarawhiti followed the ball through and was on hand to make the tackle in the fullback and trap him in the in-goal area.

From 2018 to 2020 Carlos Tarawhiti was part of the Future Warriors Program including playing for the Warriors SG Ball U18 side in 2020 as a 17 year old. Carlos Tarawhiti started the opening two rounds of the 2020 SG Ball season off the bench, with those matches being against the Victorian Thunderbolts in Round One and the Canberra Raiders in Round Two.

Also in 2020 the former Botany Downs College student was part of the Katahitanga U17 side at the New Zealand Maori tournament, starting the final in the front row and scored a strong try in the 43rd minute. Carlos Tarawhiti received an inside pass approximately twenty five metres out from the line and beat two defenders, the first with a left arm fend and the second with a right arm fend and then Carlos Tarawhiti raced away to dive over under the posts.

Carlos Tarawhiti also had a big representative year in 2019 when he was part of the Counties Manukau U17 representative side and also started two matches in the front row for the Future Warriors U16 side with those matches against the Newcastle Knights and an Auckland Vulcans side that contained Titans contracted Keano Kini.

[mdrew]

Recently Levi Dangerfield was named the 2021 Cudgen Hornets U16 Group 18 Best Back.

Levi Dangerfield was named on the interchange bench for the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side for their Round One match against the Wests Tigers and worked hard in the centre of the ruck in their first up loss.

Levi Dangerfield moved into the starting side in the left second row position in Round Two against local rivals the North Coast Bulldogs in Nambucca Heads. Round Three saw Levi Dangerfield move from right second row to left centre as the Northern Rivers Titans took on the Greater Northern Tigers, scoring the final try of the match in the Northern Rivers Titans 30 – 16 victory.

Levi Dangerfield scored in the dying seconds of the match when he was able to dive on the ball in the in-goal to score just prior to the final siren sounding. The towering spiral kick that was put up by Kye Cooper could not be taken on the full by the defence and Levi Dangerfield was able to dive on the ball in the in-goal to score just prior to the final siren sounding.

Levi Dangerfield showed that he enjoyed the extra space at left centre in the first half when he broke thre tackles and was then able to offload in heavy traffic.

Levi Dangerfield continued at left centre in Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters, a match that was played as a curtain raiser to the Titans against Warriors NRL trial in Lismore. In the final round of the 2021 U16 Andrew Johns Cup being Round Five Levi Dangerfield was named as the 18th man for the Northern Rivers Titans.

In Round Seven of the NRRRL U18 competition, Levi Dangerfield started from the bench for the Cudgen Hornets in Round Seven against the Marist Brothers Rams, playing on the right side of the field when he came on.

Levi Dangerfield also came off the bench in Round Eight against the Kyogle Turkeys, playing in the right second row position when he came on and also came off the bench in Round Ten against the Murwillumbah Mustangs to play on the left wing.