Junior Development

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Jakequan Roberts-Walsh continued at fullback for Northern United in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Jakequan Roberts-Walsh picking up a Seagulls kick three metres out near the left touchline with Jakequan Roberts-Walsh running the ball towards the centre of the field and broke two metres to get the ball twelve metres away from his own try line.

Jakequan Roberts-Walsh made an additional solid kick return in the 15th minute when after tracking back to take a Tweed Heads kick ten metres out from his try line and after Jakequan Roberts-Walsh danced in the centre of the field, Jakequan Roberts-Walsh ran to his left and after getting on the outside of the Seagulls defensive line, Jakequan Roberts-Walsh put in a right foot grubber kick thirty metres out from the try line but the kick was blocked by a Seagulls defender.

Then in the 37th minute from the left of a Northern United scrum win Jakequan Roberts-Walsh received the ball ten metres out from his own try line and after running at a back peddling defensive line, Jakequan Roberts-Walsh put in a right foot grubber kick in for himself when twenty metres out, Jakequan Roberts-Walsh kicked the ball off the ground once again but then was held back by a Tweed Heads defender and was subsequently awarded a penalty on the halfway mark.

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Ayden Byrnes continued at hooker for the Murwillumbah Mustangs in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Bilambil Jets with Ayden Byrnes running out of dummy half to his left from twenty five metres out from his own try line in the 9th minute with the speed of Ayden Byrnes run out of dummy half catching the Bilambil defensive line off-side.

Then in the 15th minute after running out of dummy half to his right before cutting back to his left Ayden Byrnes got the ball from thirty eight metres out from his own try line to the halfway mark. Ayden Byrnes also ran out of dummy half to his left in the 36th minute to run the ball from thirty eight metres out to within six metres of the try line before off-loading to his left to Bo Peisley.

Ayden Byrnes also ran out of dummy half in the 50th minute when after running to his left Ayden Byrnes was able to carry the ball from thirty metres out from his own try line to within four metres of the halfway mark with Ayden Byrnes executing a quick play the ball to keep Murwillumbah on the front foot.

Ayden Byrnes made a good tackle in the 8th minute with a big front on hit on the Bilambil left second rower No. 11 to dump him onto his back to the right of the goal posts and seven metres from the try line to take all of the momentum out of the Jets attack. Ayden Byrnes made another good front-on tackle in the 24th minute in the Murwillumbah front rower No. 8 twenty two metres out from the Bilambil try line.

The conclusion of the 2023 NRRRL U18 regular season saw Ayden Byrnes finish as the competitions third leading try scorer with ten tries.

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In late September 2023 Vivian Solomon-Ferguson was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

The Casino RSM Cougars youngster was part of the Titans JTS Elite Development Program and was part of the Titans 2022 U14 JTS High Performance Academy Group One squad that commenced training in November 2022 in Ballina on a weekly basis.

In early December 2022 Vivian Solomon-Ferguson played for the Titans U14 Group One Academy squad in a trial against the Titans U14 Group 18 Academy squad in a trial match at Ballina with both teams wearing Titans jerseys with the Titans U14 Group One Academy defeating the Group 18 Titans Academy Side in a high quality encounter.

Vivian Solomon-Ferguson then continued on with the Titans Development Squad attending four additional sessions in February 2023 as part of a Titans Tweed – Ballina combined Development Squad that the Titans established.

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Ricco Waitititi continued at right centre for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against Northern United with Ricco Waitititi recording the first of his two try assists in the 30th minute when after receiving the ball on the right side of the field Ricco Waitititi ran the ball from thirteen metres from the try line to within eight metres of the try line with Ricco Waitititi then drawing the Northern United left winger to put his right winger over to score in the corner.

Ricco Waitititi recorded his second try assist in the 56th minute when after receiving the ball down a short left blindside on the halfway mark, Ricco Waitititi ran ten metres downfield before drawing a defender and off-loading to his left to Micah Leaupepe Perkins who beat the fullback to score in the left corner.

Inside the opening minute of the match Ricco Waitititi ran the ball from the left of the dummy half to get the ball from twenty three metres out from his own try line to thirty seven metres out.

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In 2023 Aiden Gersh continued to play for the Mullumbimby Colts in the Group 18 U15 competition with Aiden Gersh named the 2023 Colts U15 Best Back and Aiden Gersh also received the Players Player Award.

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Bo Peisley continued at halfback for the Murwillumbah Mustangs in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Bilambil Jets with Bo Peisley scoring a try and kicking two conversions with Bo Peisley kicking his first conversion from directly in front of the goal posts in the 17th minute. Bo Peisley then converted his own try from in front of the posts in the 59th minute.

Bo Peisley scored in the 59th minute when he backed up a Mustangs line break down the right touchline to receive the pass and run sixteen metres to put the ball down under the posts untouched. Bo Peisley then converted his own try.

Bo Peisley also recorded a line break assist in the 22nd minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the dummy half five metres inside his own territory Bo Peisley threw a cut-out pass to his left to put his left centres away down the left touchline.

In the 44th minute Bo Peisley followed through a grubber kick and grabbed the Bilambil right winger and forced him back into the in-goal to require the Jets to restart the match through a goal line drop-out.

The conclusion of the 2023 NRRRL U18 regular season saw Bo Peisley finish as the competitions leading points scorer with 102 points.

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In 2023 even though Dylan Butcher was still U16 eligible Dylan Butcher played a number of matches for the Mullumbimby Giants U18 NRRRL side including starting at left second row and putting in a good performance against the Murwillumbah Mustangs. Dylan Butcher also started at left second row in Round Fourteen against the Ballina Seagulls.

At the completion of the NRRRL U18 season Dylan Butcher was the co-winner of the 2023 Mullumbimby Colts U18 Most Consistent Award.

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Lachlan Offley continued at fullback for the Ballina Seagulls in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Byron Bay Devils with Lachlan Offley making a line break in the 40th minute when after moving into dummy half with the play the ball a metre from his own try line and a metre in from the right touchline, Lachlan Offley ran to his left and after getting to near the centre of the field Lachlan Offley straightened up and ran past two defenders to charge downfield and after being tripped up from behind two metres from the halfway mark Lachlan Offley bounced back to his feet being finally being stopped a metre inside Byron Bay territory.

Earlier in the 6th minute Lachlan Offley picked up a Devils lost ball three metres out from his own try line on the left side of the field and after running the ball back towards the centre of the field Lachlan Offley was able to relieve the pressure and get the ball out to the twenty three metre mark.

The conclusion of the 2023 NRRRL U18 regular season saw Lachlan Offley finished as the competitions second leading try scorer with nine tries.

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Riley Buchanan continued in the front row for the Bilambil Jets in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Murwillumbah Mustangs with Riley Buchanan making his presence felt with a dominant tackle that was the second tackle of the match to drive one of the opposing front rowers six metres backwards twenty metres out from the Murwillumbah try line.

Riley Buchanan made a line break in the 38th minute when after running an underneath route to the right of the play the ball thirty metres out from his own try line, Riley Buchanan burst through the teeth of the Mustangs defensive line. Riley Buchanan was almost tripped up as he charged between defenders but Riley Buchanan was able to regain his balance and charged to within twenty metres of the try line, directly in front of the goal posts.

Also, in the 21st minute from a Bilambil penalty restart Riley Buchanan ran onto the ball twenty six metres out from his own try line and was able to get the ball out to the forty metre mark.

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Good to see Titans partnered Keebra Park SHS are now the Queensland All School's U15 Touch State Champions with their win today, a few Titans contracted boys in the side.

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Titans contracted Santino Pekepo-Tevaga was part of the Qld Samoa U16 side that defeated NSW Samoa 10-0 yesterday.

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Riley Buchanan was recently named the 2023 NRRRL U18 Bilambil Jets Most Consistent Player.

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Micah Leaupepe Perkins continued at left centre for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against Northern United with Micah Leaupepe Perkins scoring once again in the 56th minute when after Ricco Waitititi drew one Northern United defender, he passed to his left to Micah Leaupepe Perkins forty metres out from the try line and when still thirty five metres out, Micah Leaupepe Perkins was able to fend off the Northern United fullback with a straight right arm and then run down the left touchline to score in the left corner.

Micah Leaupepe Perkins also made a line break in the 11th minute when after taking possession of the ball two passes to the left of the play the ball, Micah Leaupepe Perkins received the ball just four metres out from his own try line with Micah Leaupepe Perkins then bursting between two defenders to get the ball to twenty nine metres out from the try line.

Micah Leaupepe Perkins had a very eventful first minute of the match when from his kick-off to the right Northern United made a line break down the Seagulls right touchline with Micah Leaupepe Perkins racing across field and after the Northern United five eight put in a chip kick for himself near the halfway mark, Micah Leaupepe Perkins was able to beat him to the ball twenty metres out from the try line.

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Creedence Donovan continued at five eight for the Bilambil Jets in Round Sixteen of the NRRRL U18 competition against the Murwillumbah Mustangs with Creedence Donovan scoring in the 11th minute with Creedence Donovan also initiate the movement that saw him score. From the right of the play the ball forty metres out from his own try line, Creedence Donovan ran at the Mustangs defensive line and at the last moment, passed inside on a set play to Tyrese Bowman who broke through the defensive line and then when forty metres out from the try line Tyrese Bowman drew the Murwillumbah fullback and passed the ball back to his left to Creedence Donovan who raced away to score under the posts.

In the 48th minute from the left of the play the ball and sixteen metres out from the try line in the centre of the field Creedence Donovan put in a right foot chip kick towards the left corner with the ball taken over the touchline in the in-goal area to require a Murwillumbah goal line drop-out to restart the match.

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2023 saw AJ Hickling play in the Koori Knockout U17 competition with the Bundjalung Baygal Warriors U17 side.