Keegan Hipgrave. The former Gold Coast and Nerang Roosters junior was a 2017 mid-season acquisition for the Titans from the arch rival Brisbane Broncos, playing a handful of 2017 NYC and Queensland Cup matches before making his NRL debut in the Titans tough final round loss to the Sydney Roosters in late 2017. Since his arrival Keegan Hipgrave has gone on to play in twenty seven NRL matches in Titans colours with the prospect of plenty more to come in 2020 and beyond.
The former Australian School boy representative and Palm Beach Currumbin student had an outstanding NRL debut for the Titans in 2017 running for 123 metres on thirteen hit-ups for a 9.5 metre per carry average and he also made 23 tackles to cap off the young firebrand’s debut.
In 2019 Keegan Hipgrave played just seven NRL matches for the Titans with his first match being against Souths Sydney in Round Three and his last in Round Thirteen against the Broncos. Keegan Hipgrave played his first four NRL matches in 2019 off the bench and his final three starting in the second row with his first 2019 NRL start coming in Round Eleven against Manly.
In total in the NRL in 2019 Keegan Hipgrave played a total of 275 minutes (out of a possible 560), ran for 459 metres (113.1 post contact), broke twelve tackles, had an offload and made 128 tackles at an 82.4% tackling efficiency.
Keegan Hipgrave’s 2019 per game NRL averages included playing 37.3 minutes, running for 65.6 metres and making 19.3 tackles. Thus per eighty minutes, Keegan Hipgrave, in 2019, ran for 140.7 metres and made 41.39 tackles.
In Round Eight against North Queensland Keegan Hipgrave ran for 101 metres and in Rounds Twelve and Thirteen against North Queensland and Brisbane respectively Keegan Hipgrave made twenty eight tackles.
In 2018 Keegan Hipgrave made nineteen appearance in the NRL for the Titans, in those matches running for 1 168 metres (397 post contact), broke nineteen tackles, offloaded the ball on three occasions and made 413 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 87.5%.
Keegan Hipgrave’s 2018 per game NRL averages included running for 61.48 metres and making 24.84 tackles.
The table below compares Keegan Hipgrave’s 2017, 2018 and 2019 NRL per game averages:
2017 NRL 2018 NRL 2019 NRL
Games played 1 19 7
Minutes per game 54 45.3 37.3
Metres made per game 123 61.48 65.6
Tackles per game 23 24.84 19.3
In 2017 along with his NRL debut Keegan Hipgrave played seven matches in the Queensland Cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls and was also awarded the 2017 Players Player award at their Presentation night. Keegan Hipgrave made his Queensland Cup debut for Tweed Heads in Round Sixteen against the Townsville Blackhawks when he came of the inter change bench. In that match Keegan Hipgrave played 67 minutes, ran for 78 metres and made fourteen tackles for a solid Queensland Cup debut.
Of his seven matches in the Queensland Cup in 2017 season Keegan Hipgrave started four at lock and the remaining three from the inter change bench. In total in the Queensland Cup in 2017 Keegan Hipgrave played 370 minutes, ran for 687 metres and made 165 tackles.
Keegan Hipgrave’s per match 2017 Queensland Cup averages included playing 53 minutes, running for 98 metres and making 24 tackles. On four occasions Keegan Hipgrave ran for in excess of 100 metres in a match including a 135 metre performance in Round Twenty Five against the PNG Hunters. On three occasions Keegan Hipgrave made more than 20 tackles in a match including in Round Twenty Two against the Easts Tigers when he made 40 tackles in just 53 minutes of playing time.
When he joined the Titans mid-season in 2017, Keegan Hipgrave played in four NYC matches prior to his elevation to the Tweed Heads Queensland Cup side and then onto his NRL debut. Keegan Hipgrave made his Titans NYC debut against the North Queensland Cowboys in Round Thirteen including scoring after starting from the interchange bench. Keegan Hipgrave started the following week at lock and scored this time against the Warriors.
Prior to moving to the Titans Keegan Hipgrave played in five NYC matches for the Broncos in 2017. Earlier in the 2017 season Keegan Hipgrave was part of the Brisbane Broncos Auckland Nines squad playing in three of their four matches I believe.
Combining his statistics from both the Titans and the Broncos NYC sides in 2017 Keegan Hipgrave played in nine matches, ran for 907 metres, ran the ball 87 times and made 183 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 95%. His 2017 NYC per game averages included running for 101 metres from 10 carries and 20 tackles.
Keegan Hipgrave had an injury interrupted 2016 NYC season with the Broncos playing in only nine matches scoring three tries which came against the Penrith Panthers in Round Three and a double against the Titans in Round Five. In total in the 2016 NYC competition Keegan Hipgrave ran for 980 metres from 91 hit-ups, made four line breaks and 184 tackles. His per game averages included 109 metres from ten runs and twenty tackles.
In 2015 for the Broncos NYC side even though he was still eligible for U18’s Keegan Hipgrave played in twenty five matches running for 2 755 metres and made 536 tackles. He averaged 110 metres and 23 tackles across those twenty five matches.
Keegan Hipgrave has had an outstanding representative rugby league career to date including earlier this season captaining the Queensland U20 State of Origin side, he also made the side in 2016. In 2015 Keegan Hipgrave captained the Queensland U18 side and in 2014 from PBC State High School was an Australian School boy representative. In 2015 Keegan Hipgrave was the joint winner of the Brisbane Broncos Players Player award.
Keegan Hipgrave has also played in both the MM and CC Cups for Gold Coast based sides and also represented the Gold Coast in multiple Vikings under age representative sides over the course of his junior rugby league career.
The 182cm 101kg former Australian Schoolboy is a powerful aggressive ball runner who is adept at using late and quick footwork just prior to contact line which he hits with power and force in absolutely every hit up that he makes dropping his shoulder into the first defender that is looking to make the initial contact. His ability to get low to engage the defenders with his shoulder rather than allowing them to get in and under his ribs and also a substantial leg drive means that he drives defenders backwards even after they had engaged him with significant force rather than allowing them to impact on his momentum.
In terms of ball skills, Keegan Hipgrave was able to regularly get his right hand free to deliver offloads when engaged with the defensive line especially when he was running one pass up the ruck and deliver some very good offloads to his support runners.
Once he is in space, Keegan Hipgrave actually has very good speed, I would consider it above average when analysing his speed from a rugby league forward’s perspective, to add to the difficulties for the defensive line, he runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful fend.
Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Keegan Hipgrave his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance. Defensively Keegan Hipgrave has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards. Keegan Hipgrave sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.
Defensively Keegan Hipgrave hits very hard and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. He also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in. He is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carriers momentum.
Defensively the most impressive aspect of Keegan Hipgrave’s play is his ability to make effective tackle after effective tackle. For the Titans over the last two NRL seasons he continually made up to three and four tackles in a row on multiple occasions and still back up looking to take a hit up the next set of six tackles.
Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is his initial contact, he uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier. Keegan Hipgrave is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as he uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers. Defensively in a covering role he is also very effective as even though he is a big strong forward he has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.
Keegan Hipgrave good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork.
Keegan Hipgrave is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.
Keegan Hipgrave will immediately come into NRL calculations in 2020 in Round One away to the Canberra under new coach Justin Holbrook.
Keegan Hipgrave has essentially played in the front row or at lock for the majority of his career to date outside of three matches in the second row for the Titans in 2019, but I would much prefer the 182cm 101kg power house play a touch more on the fringes of the ruck where he can use his speed and foot work more to his team advantage. Regardless he is a powerful intense aggressive Gold Coast local junior who looms as an outstanding member of the Titans 2020 NRL squad.