Junior Development

[Hail Sezer]

Great Official Site articles on the Titans Super Saturday:

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...itans-video-2/

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...day-a-success/

Thanks for sharing mate this is great.

Not sure I agree with the high quality games that Jamie observed but I suppose that is what you'd expect when the players are a bit rusty and there isn't much real-game cohesion. Was still entertaining nonetheless and such a good initiative.

Also nice to re-live a few of Tom Weaver's involvements, who was the best player on the park by a fair margin. Will Semu's long range try was pretty epic too.

Look forward to our 19's playing the Cowboys, we need to get one back on them after last year

[lonegull]

great highlights great to see, I was wondering who the centre was thanks HS for mentioning Semu

[mdrew]

Round One of the 2022 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition last weekend saw Harry Chadburn start at fullback for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Macquarie Wests Tigers in Sydney’s West with Harry Chadburn scoring in the 17th minute when he was on hand to take a Zane Harrison right foot stab grubber kick to the left side of the field which sat up perfectly for Harry Chadburn to take possession at full speed and then Harry Chadburn was able to bring the ball around to dive over under the posts.

Harry Chadburn also kicked a great conversion from the left touchline in the 24th minute to convert a great try in the left corner by Blake Togo-Murphy. Harry Chadburn was in fact involved in setting up the try when after chiming into the backline on the left and after taking an out of the back pass from Zane Harrison, Harry Chadburn was able to draw one defender and pass to his left to centre Ricco Waititi who then put Blake Togo-Murphy over in the left corner.

It was not just in attack where Harry Chadburn had an outstanding match, he also executed the tackle of the day with a superb low diving try saving tackle in the 22nd minute when he flew across to his right to cut down a surging Wests Tigers left centre who looked destined to score.

Harry Chadburn’s impressive match reached its conclusion with a heads up play right on the final siren. The Northern Rivers Titans kicked off with seconds to go in the match and leading 22 – 20. Immediately upon taking possession from the kick off the Wests Tigers fullback chipped over the top of the oncoming Titans defensive line but Harry Chadburn had anticipated that possibility and executed a great cover defending tackle to shut the Wests Tigers “hail Mary” play down and confirm the Northern Rivers Titans victory.

[mdrew]

Titans partnered Keebra Park SHS has added a specialist coach this year with former student and current Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup front rower JJ Collins joining the already impressive coaching staff.

[mdrew]

In late January 2022 Dominique Sandow started at fullback for the Titans U18 side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Burleigh MM Cup side with Dominique Sandow showing some very good skills including hand/eye co-ordination in the 26th minute when he moved forward quickly from the fullback position to take a spiralling bomb on the full very well. Dominique Sandow moved to five eight towards the end of the match.

[mdrew]

Last Saturday’s Round One of the 2022 U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition saw Jaylen Taewa start at right second row for the Northern Rivers Titans side against the Macquarie Wests Tigers in Sydney’s west with Jaylen Taewa making his first hit-up of the math inside the Northern Rivers Titans opening set of six match from the kick-off.

Jaylen Taewa hurled himself at the Wests Tigers defensive line once again in the 28th minute with a fourteen metre charge to the right of the play the ball from deep inside his own territory.

Jaylen Taewa showcased his strong initial contact when defending in the 37th minute with a big front on tackle on the Wests Tigers lock forward. Jaylen Taewa made another strong tackle in the 46th minute with a strong front on hit on the Wests Tigers giant left centre (No. 3).

Jaylen Taewa in the 41st minute did well, along with Stevie O’Connor and Harvey Moase to hold up over the try line the Wests Tigers lock who had tried to force his way over the try line from close range out of dummy half.

[mdrew]

Great to see young former Titan Kea Pere back on the Gold Coast to play for Burleigh in the Queensland Cup.

[mdrew]

Round One of the 2022 U16 Andrew Johns Cup saw Zane Harrison start as halfback and captain for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Macquarie Wests Tigers in Sydney with Zane Harrison operating on the left side of the field. The match saw Zane Harrison almost score in the 42nd minute but after a great winding run that saw him beat three defenders, Zane Harrison unfortunately lost the ball over the try line after he had received an off-load from Kennyon-Elasia-Thomas who had split the Wests Tigers defence.

Zane Harrison however did record a 17th minute try assist when from around eighteen metres out and to the left of the play the ball, Zane Harrison put in a right foot stab grubber kick to his left which sat up perfectly for Harry Chadburn to take possession at full speed and then Harry Chadburn was able to bring the ball around to dive over under the posts.

Zane Harrison took the Wests Tigers defence on himself in the 10th minute of the match when after he received the ball to the left of the play the ball, Zane Harrison dummied to his left before cutting off his left foot making ten metres.

Zane Harrison’s tactical kicking game was also very good throughout the victory including in the 47th minute when a clearing kick deep inside his own territory bounced back towards the on charging Northern Rivers Titans players chasing the kick and was taken by hooker Hudson Towell who then got the ball away to Thomas Bowles who then kicked forward once again.

Zane Harrison also produced some outstanding defence in the match including a great desperate try saving low covering tackle on a flying Wests Tigers No. 3 in the 38th minute. Then three minutes later in the 41st minute Zane Harrison made a strong one on one tackle on the Wests Tigers fullback who was returning a kick and then Zane Harrison was at it again shortly after with a strong covering low tackle on the Wests Tigers right centre who looked like he may score.

Zane Harrison made another big tackle in the 57th minute with a strong one on one front on tackle on the Wests Tigers No. 9 who charged at the try line from close range from a Wests Tigers penalty restart. Zane Harrison’s initial contact the Wests Tigers hooker dead in his tracks.

[mdrew]

After spending the 2021 season with the Easts Tigers, Kea Pere has moved back to the Gold Coast and in 2022 is part of the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side.

Kea Pere started in the second row for the Titans first NRL trial of 2020 against Burleigh at Pizzey Park and certainly made a positive impression running for eighty nine metres (twenty four post contact), broke two tackles, had a line break assist and made thirty one tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.94%.

Kea Pere started from the interchange bench for Burleigh in their final Queensland Cup trial against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Kea Pere started Round One of the 2020 Queensland Cup competition for the Burleigh Bears at right centre after initially being named on the bench against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls. Kea Pere played all eighty minutes in the match, running for thirty eight metres (thirteen post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 5.56 seconds and made twelve tackles.

In late June 2020 Kea Pere was part of the Titans side that played an eleven on eleven match against the Bronocs at Suncopr Stadium prior to the same sides NRL match, with the match ending in a 16 all draw.

In early July 2020 Kea Pere was part of a Titans side that played a Cronulla Sharks side in a nine a side match as a curtain raiser to the same teams playing Round Eight of the NRL on the Gold Coast. Kea Pere was a stand out in the match scoring a hat trick in the 24 all draw. Playing on the left side of the field Kea Pere scored the Titans final three tries, all coming in the second half.

Kea Pere started from the interchange bench in the Titans first NRL trial in 2019 season against the Norther Queensland Cowboys on the Sunshine Coast after playing for the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side in their Queensland Cup trial the week prior against the Souths Logan Magpies.

In 2019 Kea Pere played in six matches for the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side starting the season in the backline before moving to the second row for the first time in Round Ten against the Northern Pride.

Kea Pere started Rounds One, Five and Six against Norths, Souths Logan and Wynnum Manly respectively on the wing and Rounds Eight and Nine against Redcliffe and the Western Mustangs in the centres.

Amongst other try assists was one in Round Nine against Redcliffe, playing left centre Kea Pere came out the line with Redcliffe poised to score to take an intercept ten metres from his own line before offloading on the half way mark to his left for Reece Tapine to score.

In his first match in the second row in Round Ten against the Northern Pride, Kea Pere scored probably the easiest try that he will ever score when late in the match when operating on the right he received a pass from Allan Lockwood in acres of space to stroll across untouched out wide. Kea Pere’s other 2019 Hastings Deering’s Colts try came in Round Six against Wynnum Manly.

Kea Pere also made three appearances for the Burleigh Bears GCRL First Grade side in 2019 starting all three matches being Rounds Nine, Ten and Eleven against Currumbin, Runaway Bay and Bilambil on the wing.

In 2017 Kea Pere started for the Queensland U18 side on the wing and in 2018 played four Queensland Cup matches for the Easts Tigers.

After starting the 2018 season in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for the Easts Tigers, Kea Pere made his Queensland Cup debut in Round Five against the Redcliffe Dolphins and in fact scored on debut and scored his second Queensland Cup try the following weekend in Round Six against the Northern Pride.

In his four Queensland Cup matches, Kea Pere started all four in the centres playing the entire 80 minutes on each occasion.

In total this season in the Queensland Cup Kea Pere has been on the field for 320 minutes, running for 417 metres, 113 of those post contact (27.1%), made thirteen tackle breaks, two line breaks and in Round Eight against Norths had a try assist.

Defensively Kea Pere has made 39 tackles at a tackling efficiency of a more than credible 92% through his four Queensland Cup matches.

Kea Pere’s 2018 Queensland Cup per game averages include playing 80 minutes, running for 104.4 metres and making 9.75 tackles.

On two occasions Kea Pere has run for in excess of 100 metres in a match, being his debut in Round Five against Redcliffe when he ran for 114 metres and then in Round Six against the Northern Pride he ran for 123 metres for his career high to date. Defensively Kea Pere made twelve tackles in Round Seven against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Noted below are details of some of the key moments of Kea Pere’s 2018 Queensland Cup season.

As previously noted, Kea Pere scored in his Queensland Cup debut against Redcliffe. Playing left centre, Kea Pere received the ball five metres out from the Dolphins line. From a standing start Kea Pere beat a Redcliffe defender on his outside, dummied to his winger to his left and dived over to score under pressure from two Redcliffe defenders.

The flowing week against the Northern Pride, once again from the left centre position, Kea Pere received the bell nine metres out from the Northern Pride line and immediately came back on the inside shoulder of the immediate Pride defender, then cut back towards the left corner, diving over with two Northern Pride defenders hanging off him.

Kea Pere added a double against the Burleigh Bears as well in the 2018 Queensland Cup. Playing on the left wing, for his first try, Kea Pere stayed right on the sideline, receiving the ball three metres out from the line, breaking a last ditch effort to take him over the side line to score. For his second try, Kea Pere was on hand to retrieve an attacking kick to score wide out on the left side of the field once again.

Kea Pere’s 2018 Queensland Cup statistics also included a try assist which came against Norths. From the left entre position, Kea Pere immediately cut back inside after receiving the ball before stepping off his right foot twice to create space back towards the left touchline and offloading to his left second rower who scored wide out.

Kea Pere has only played five Colts games this season due to injury, scoring two tries which came in the opening two rounds against the Central Queensland Capra’s and the Mackay Cutters respectively.

In 2017 whilst still eligible for the MM Cup competition, Kea Pere played in fifteen NYC matches for the Melbourne Storm coming into the side in Round Nine against St George, starting the match from the interchange bench. Kea Pere started six matches from the interchange bench one in the centres being Round Fourteen against Cronulla and the remainder on the wing, starting his first match on the wing in Round Eleven against South Sydney.

In his fifteen NYC matches in 2017, Kea Pere scored four tries which came in Rounds Eleven, Thirteen, Eighteen and Twenty against South Sydney, Newcastle, Parramatta and Canberra respectively.

[mdrew]

Good to see Grafton Ghosts junior Billy Kilduff named on the extended bench for the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side in their Round Two match on Saturday against local rivals, the North Coast Bulldogs.

[mdrew]

After missing Round One of the 2022 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition Tyrelle Waters was named on the left wing for the Northern Rivers Titans for the Round Two local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs on Saturday morning at Murwillumbah.

Tyrelle Waters was part of the Titans 2020/21 Group One Academy squad that was training on a weekly basis in Ballina in Northern New South Wales and in November 2020 Tyrelle Waters will start once again training with the Titans development squad from the Group One region under the direction of former Titans NRL player Ken Elgey.

Tyrelle Waters started Round One of the 2021 Group One U15 competition at halfback as the Clarence Coast Magpies took on the Ballina Seagulls and scored one of the Magpies two tries as they defeated the Seagulls 12 – 10.

Tyrelle Waters also started at halfback in Round Two against the South Grafton Rebels kicking a conversion in the Magpies 24 – 12 victory. Round Three against the Ballina Seagulls also saw Tyrelle Waters start at halfback and he also started at halfback in Round Four against Lismore Marist Brothers as well as in Round Five against the Grafton Ghosts.

Tyrelle Waters continued at halfback in Round Six against the Ballina Seagulls.

In May 2021 Tyrelle Waters took part in the New South Wales Combined High School’s U15 rugby league trials, representing the Presidents XIII, scoring on Day Two against Sydney Red.

In late June 2020 Tyrelle Waters started training with his Clarence Coast Magpies club side in preparation for the late start of the Group One U14 junior rugby league competition. Round One saw Tyrelle Waters start for the Magpies at half back and score as Clarence Coast defeated the South Grafton Rebels 24 – 10.

After Clarence Coast’s Round Two match was postponed, Tyrelle Waters was back at half back for Round Three against Ballina and made it two tries from as many matches, scoring as Clarence Coast defeated Ballina 24 – 8. Tyrelle Waters also started at half back as Clarence Coast defeated Ballina 26 – 0 in Round Five.

Round Six against Tyrelle Waters saw move to five eight against Casino RSM and the talented young man scored as the Magpies recorded a 28 – 0 victory. Round Ten saw Tyrelle Waters start at half back and score as well as kick a conversion as the Magpies defeated Ballina 52 – 6.

In total in the 2020 Group One U14 regular season Tyrelle Waters scored four tries and kicked a conversion for an eighteen point haul from five matches.

Tyrelle Waters started the 2020 Group One U14 Grand Final at half back as the Magpies took on the Grafton Ghosts scoring as the Magpies became 2020 Premiers on the back of a 30 – 16 comeback victory.

One of the most impressive young players in the 2019 Group One U13 competition was Clarence Coast Magpie Tyrelle Waters who finished the season as the competitions equal leading try scorer with fifteen tries from just thirteen matches (115% strike rate) equal with fellow Titan Joshua Donovan-Skinner. Joshua Donovan-Skinner also kicked two goals (against South Grafton and Casino RSM) to finish the 2019 season with a total points haul of 64.

Tyrelle Waters scored a 2019 mid-season hat trick against Kyogle and added doubles against Lismore Marist Brothers and Kyogle in Rounds One and Two and scored a further double against Casino RSM later in the season. Tyrelle Waters also scored in matches against South Grafton and Grafton twice, Ballina and Casino RSM.

In 2018 Tyrelle Waters played in fourteen matches in the Group One U12 competition finishing with a 100% strike rate with fifteen tries. He also kicked three goals in finish the 2018 U12 Group One season with sixty six points. Included in his try scoring tally in 2018 were hat tricks against South Grafton and Ballina and two doubles against Lismore Marist Brothers.

Tyrelle Waters was also one of Clarence Coast’s try scorers in the 2018 Group One U12 Grand Final as the Magpies defeated Lismore Marist Brothers in a 20 -18 thriller with Tyrelle Waters starting the match in the second row.

In 2018 Tyrelle Waters also played in one U13 match which came against Lismore Marist Brothers in late May. Tyrelle Waters had played in the U12 match earlier in the day.

[mdrew]

The already powerful 2022 Burleigh MM Cup side is even stronger with Titans contracted front rower Josiah Pahulu set to line up in the Bears Maroon and White this season.

The coaching staff are going to have a tough job fitting all of the talented young men in the game day 17.

[mdrew]

After missing Round One of the 2022 U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition Ty Kilpatrick was named on the interchange bench for the Northern Rivers Titans for the Round Two local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs this coming Saturday.

In early October 2020 the front rower was part of a Titans Group 18 U16 Invitational side that played a trial match against a Titans squad with the match being played at Cbus Stadium, giving the young players a great experience with an added bonus that the players wore Titans jerseys.

In June 2021, Ty Kilpatrick was a member of the Titans U17 Northern Rivers Academy side that drew 28 all with a Titans JTS U16 side at Cbus Stadium in a curtain raiser to the Titans NRL fixture against Manly.

In Round One of the NRRRL U18 competition, Ty Kilpatrick started in the front row for the Cudgen Hornets as they got their season under way with a solid victory.

Ty Kilpatrick also started in the front row in Round Two against Casino RSM and had an impressive second stint on the field in the second half. Not long after returning to the field in the 42nd minute, Ty Kilpatrick made three tackles in a row and then in the 53rd put a great shot in the Casino left second rower.

Ty Kilpatrick continued in the front row in Round Four in the local derby against the Bilambil Jets as well as in Round Five against Byron Bay. Round Eight against the Kyogle Turkeys, saw Ty Kilpatrick shift to the bench against the Kyogle Turkeys.

Ty Kilpatrick moved back into the starting side in the front row for Round Ten against the Murwillumbah Mustangs.

In the 2020 Group 18 U16 competition Ty Kilpatrick played for the Cudgen Hornets. The 2020 U16 Group 18 Cudgen Hornets finished the regular season winning two games and losing eight, along the way scoring 138 points and conceding 244 to finish with a -106 points differential. Post the season Ty Kilpatrick was named the Cudgen Hornets Group 18 U16 Best Forward and was also named as the joint Cudgen Hornets Junior Representative Player of the 2020 season.

Ty Kilpatrick also played a number of matches for the Cudgen Hornets NRRRL U18 side in 2020 coming into the side after the competition was split into two (Northern and Southern Conferences) due to the Queensland border restrictions. Ty Kilpatrick’s first match was off the bench against the Murwillumbah Mustangs in the “new” Round One and he also started from the bench in Round Two against Bilambil.

Ty Kilpatrick started the next three rounds at left centre being against Bilambil (Round Three), Tweed Coast (Round Four) and Murwillumbah in Round Five.

In Round Six against the Tweed Coast Raiders, Ty Kilpatrick moved back to start from the bench and Ty Kilpatrick also started from the bench in the 2020 NRRL U18 Major Semi-final against the Murwillumbah Mustangs.

Ty Kilpatrick came off the bench in the 2020 NRRRL U18 Grand Final playing right second row as the Hornets defeated Murwillumbah 28 – 16 in a bad tempered match.

Ty Kilpatrick started the 2020 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad starting all four of the matches the Titans played in the front row and was also named to start Round One in the front row against the Parramatta Eels but that match was washed out due to heavy rain in the lead-up to the match.

Ty Kilpatrick started in the front row against the Newcastle Knights (Round Two), the Central Coast Roosters (Round Three), the Greater Northern Tigers (Round Four) and the North Coast Bulldogs in Round Five.

In 2019 Ty Kilpatrick played for the Group 18 U15 representative side at the New South Wales Country Age Championships, playing primarily coming off the bench and also represented Group 18 in 2018 at the U14 level.

[mdrew]

After missing Round One of the 2022 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition Riley Buchanan has been named at right second row for the Northern Rivers Titans for the Round Two local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs on Saturday morning.

The northern New South Wales youngster was a member of the Titans Tweed Heads based junior academy but as a result of his 2021 season signed an official contract with the Titans in late September 2021.

In late January 2022 Riley Buchanan was named to start in the front row for the Titans U16 side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Sydney Bulldogs.

In mid-December Riley Buchanan had the opportunity to train with the Titans NRL squad in a joint training session between the Titans NRL squad and the Titans JTS Program Squads.

Riley Buchanan will start the 2022 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad for their New South Wales Country wide competition and will be a key member of the Northern Rivers Titans forward pack when the season kicks off in early 2022.

In early January 2021 Riley Buchanan was part of a small group of Titans 2021 U15 players who after attending a Titans camp, trained with the Titans NRL squad, then in mid-February 2021 Riley Buchanan played in a Titans U15 Invitational Trial at Burleigh, a trial which included only the best of the 2021 Titans U15 squad members.

In May 2021 Riley Buchanan was part of the South Coast U15 QSSRL School Boy representative side, playing the 2021 U15 QSSRL 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 understandably named at left second row in the 2021 QSSRL U15 School Boy Merit Team.

On Day One of the 2021 QSSRL U15 Riley Buchanan played his usual left second row position for South Coast 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 with a try in the offing.

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 before being brought to ground..

Riley Buchanan 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.

In early June 2021 Riley Buchanan started at right second row for the PBC Year Nine school boy rugby league side in their victory against Keebra Park and he was one of the try scorers for PBC when in the 35th minute Riley Buchanan made a straight charge onto the ball from eight metres out to the right of the dummy half with Riley Buchanan’s run proving too much to handle with Riley Buchanan crashing over five metres from the left upright.

2021 saw Riley Buchanan play for PBC in the Walters Cup competition, including starting the Grand Final against Keebra Park State High School from the bench with Riley Buchanan handling the occasion well in PBC’s Grand Final victory against their traditional rivals.

In 2020 Riley Buchanan played right second row for the Tweed Heads Seagulls U14 side in the Group 18 junior rugby league competition with the Seagulls going through the ten regular season rounds undefeated, scoring 316 points and conceding just 64 to finish the regular season with +252 points differential from their ten matches to record an average winning margin of just above twenty five points.

As a result of their outstanding season the Tweed Heads Seagulls U14 side qualified for the Grand Final against the Tugun Seahawks. Tweed Heads prevailed in the 2020 decider 30 – 4 with Riley Buchanan starting the Grand Final at right second row and being heavily involved throughout, including a strong run in the early minutes of the match, with Tweed Head scoring two play the balls later after Riley Buchanan’s quick play the ball.

Riley Buchanan also scored in the Grand Final when he scored next to the right goal posts in the first half. With Tweed Heads playing the ball two metres out from the try line, Riley Buchanan charged onto the ball to the right of the play the ball and dragged three defenders with him over the try line to get the ball down adjacent to the right upright.

Post the season Riley Buchanan was nominated to the Tweed Heads Seagulls Junior Rugby League’s International Player with the Most Potential.

In early October 2020 Riley Buchanan was part of the Titans NRRRL U14/U15 Invitational squad that played a match against a Titans Gold Coast based U14 side, with the match being played at Cbus Stadium, giving the young players a great experience and in a Titans jersey as well.

In 2020 Riley Buchanan played in the Northern New South Wales Cochrane Cup school boy competition representing Banora Point High School in the U14 age group in the one day competition which was held at St Johns College Woodlawn’s campus, with Riley Buchanan being nominated as one of Banora Point’s best in their four matches. Banora Point won one and lost three matches on the day.

Riley Buchanan also played Oztag in 2020 making the U14 Boys Queensland Fury side for the Queensland Oztag Super Series after representing the Tweed Coast Giants. In late 2020 Riley Buchanan was named in the 2021 Tweed Coast Giants U14/15 Boys Oztag squad.

In 2019 Riley Buchanan was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Black side that took on Tweed Heads Seagulls White in the Group 18 U13 Grand Final, starting the match at left second row scoring an outstanding long range individual solo try in the first half.

Riley Buchanan was operating on the left side of the field and received the ball two passes off the ruck seventy metres out from the Seagulls White line. Riley Buchanan used his speed and size to burst between two defenders before rounding the fullback with speed to his left and then Riley Buchanan outpaced the cover defence to score ten metres to the left of the uprights.

Riley Buchanan was just as damaging in the second half of the Grand Final including a strong run early in the half of seventeen metres to the right of the dummy half to get the ball to near the halfway.

Midway through the second half Riley Buchanan produced another strong effort three passes to the left off the back of a scrum, making sixteen metres, most post contact, to get the ball to within twenty metres of the try line. Towards the end of the second half, Riley Buchanan once again ran the ball from a scrum win making eleven metres to get within nine metres of the try line.

Riley Buchannan also had a strong 2019 Group 18 U13 Preliminary Final scoring for the Seagulls as they qualified for the Grand Final with his try coming in just the 8th minute of the match. Operating on his usual left side of the field, Riley Buchanan scored another outstanding long range solo try.

As in the Grand Final, Riley Buchanan received the ball on the left side of the field, seventy metres out breaking through three initial attempted tackles before outpacing the Jets cover defence to get the ball down midway between the corner post and goal posts on the left side of the field.

Riley Buchanan came close to scoring in the 5th minute of the Preliminary Final when he charged onto the ball twenty metres out, breaking five tackles on the way to getting to within two metres of the line before the desperate Jets defence was able to halt his forward progress.

Riley Buchanan just five minutes later in the 10th minute made twenty hard fought metres taking the hit-up from the kick-off after his long range try. Riley Buchanan initially received the ball on his own ten metre line and was able to give his side good field position by getting the ball out to his own thirty metre mark.

Midway through the second half Riley Buchanan once again gave the Seagulls good field position when he ran onto the ball to the left of the dummy half making twenty five metres to get the ball five metres into Bilambil territory and just two minutes later Riley Buchanan made a further seventeen metres to get the ball into the twenty metre attacking zone.

Riley Buchanan capped off a great Preliminary Final performance in the 24th minute of the second half with yet another left side of the field run that made twenty five metres with Riley Buchanan eventually being stopped ten metres out from the try line.

Late in the 2019 Group 18 U13 regular season Riley Buchanan had a stringing match against the Jets once again, scoring three tries and assisting in another as Tweed Heads recorded a strong win.

Riley Buchanan scored his first try in just the 2nd minute of the match with a type of try that has almost become his signature, being a long range solo try. In this instance, Riley Buchanan attacked sixty three metres out from the line, once again on the left side of the field. After bursting through two initial attempts to tackle him, Riley Buchanan beat another defender with a right arm fend and had the pace to bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Riley Buchanan’s second try came in the 13th minute when from thirty five metres out, Riley Buchanan ran the ball down a short left blindside off the back of a Seagulls scrum win, beating six tackles and as he did for his first try, Riley Buchanan was able to bring the ball around to place it under the posts.

Riley Buchanan’s hat trick was completed in the 19th minute of the first half and once again was a long range try. Riley Buchanan got outside of his direct opponent on his left on the halfway mark before stepping the Jets fullback and for the third time in the match put the ball down directly under the goal posts.

Riley Buchanan very nearly scored a fourth try in the match but after a fifty metre run down the left touchline offloaded to his left around two metres out from the line. It is likely that Riley Buchanan would have scored if he had kept the ball but instead Riley Buchanan made certain that his team would score by offloading to his team mate who was guaranteed to score in the left corner from close range.

In addition to his exceptional running with the ball, Riley Buchanan used his size and strength in defence as well including a big driving tackle over the top of Tweed White’s right second right which bent the young man backwards.

Riley Buchanan also played for Tweed Heads in the 2018 U12 Group 18 Grand Final.

Also in 2019 Riley Buchanan played a game or two of club rugby with the Coolangatta Tweed Baa Baa’s and amongst others scored in Round Three against the Gold Coast Eagles.

[mdrew]

A couple of weeks ago at the Titans JTS “Super Saturday”, Titans contracted Matthew Barrow started on the right wing for the Titans U17/18 side when they took on the Burleigh MM Cup squad at Pizzey Park.