My take on our top juniors

[mdrew]

Jack Barrow. (Updated) The young front rower from the Jimboomba Thunder is yet another young played from the all-conquering U13 Vikings side from the 2016 season to impress for both club and representative sides over the last couple of seasons.

The Emmuas College student also represented the South East Queensland White U13 side in the Queensland Age Championships in 2016 where he started from the bench in their matches in Toowoomba against the likes of the Central Crows and Northern Marlins.

In the 2017 GCJRL competition Jack Barrow played for the Jimboomba Thunder in the U14 Division Two competition. Over the course of the 2017 season Jack Barrow played in eleven matches scoring fourteen tries and kicking a conversion to finish the season with 58 points. In May 2017 Jack Barrow scored five tries in a match against Ormeau (converting one of his tries), in Round One he crossed for four tries against Beaudesert and late in eth season Jack Barrow scored a hat trick against Robina. Jack Barrow’s other tries came against Burleigh and Coomera.

In 2016 Jack Barrow played for the Jimboomba Thunder in the U13 Division One competition where he played a total of eight matches, crossing for try late in the season against Currumbin. For the Vikings Jack Barrow started both of their matches against the Stingers Red and White teams on Saturday and then came off the bench on the Sunday in a big win against Ipswich. In that match Jack Barrow along with fellow front rower Brody Smitka were injected into the match in the second half and gained a lot of momentum for their side with their power running through the centre of the ruck.

Jack Barrow is a hard running player who never seems to just put his head down and runs straight, he always uses a slight step prior to contacting the defensive line, coupled with the fact that he drops his shoulder into defenders, means that he is a bit of a handful to tackle and he is not often knocked back onto his heals. He is also good at maintaining his momentum after impacting the defensive line.

Jack Barrow has a high work rate and I would suggest that he would normally be at or near the top of his team’s statistics in terms of the number of hit ups he makes and on occasion runs a very good inside shoulder route to supplement his other attacking attributes. Jack Barrow does not off-load the ball much however and probably never will be one based on how he asked to play the game that is taking the ball into the heart of the opposition defensive line.

Defensively Jack Barrow aims hits very hard and usually hits around the top of the ball region and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls by using wrestling techniques well. Over the course of the 2017 season his speed and mobility seemed to have increased and as a consequence he was better able to mirror the opposition attackers more effectively.

2018 will see Jack Barrow line up for the Jimboomba Thunder in the U15 Division Two competition on the Gold Coast with fellow Vikings representative centre Campbell Gray.

From a position perspective with his skill set, I believe that in the future no positional change away from the front row is warranted for the Jimboomba youngster.

From a player comparison perspective, someone with a similar playing style would be the Titans own Luke Douglas as a front rower who will in many cases be overlooked but will give their all on the field. Players like Jack Barrow are not necessarily the biggest, strongest, fastest or most dynamic players and will likely take a while to reach their full potential, and the odds may be stacked against them but then again that is what dreams are made of. It is hard not to cheer for someone who puts in so much effort every time he walks onto a football field.

[mdrew]

Kai O’Donnell. (Updated) The young second rower who is part of the Titans High Performance Unit had a great 2017 season with Burleigh in MM and Colts competitions and South Coast in the QSSRL U18 competition moved down from the North Queensland region to continue to pursue his rugby league career in 2016.

The former North Queensland Cowboys Academy member has been a strong addition to the junior rugby league ranks on the Gold Coast after making his First Grade debut in the Mackay A Grade competition in 2016. 2016 also say Kai O’Donnell play for the Mackay Cutters in the MM Cup competition and he was named in the Cutters squad for 2017 but moved down to the Gold Coast to attend PBC as part of their rugby league excellence program.

For Burleigh in the MM competition in 2017 Kai O’Donnell played in all six of Burleigh’s matches scoring in Round Four against the South’s Logan Magpies. Kai O’Donnell started the first two MM Rounds at lock, then came off the interchange bench in Round Three before starting in the second row for the final three rounds.

Upon competition of the MM Cup competition Kai O’Donnell transitioned to the Burleigh Colts side where he played in six matches prior to injury. Kai O’Donnell started three matches being Rounds One, Six and Seven in the second row, Rounds Four and Five at lock and started from the inter change bench in Round two. Kai O’Donnell actually captained the side in Round Four against Souths Logan.

Kai O’Donnell may have played in only six matches but he scored five tries in that time including a hat trick inside 22 minutes against Ipswich in Round Seven and he also scored in Round Two against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and Round Six in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

In relation to School boy rugby league in 2017 Kai O’Donnell was part of the South Coast U18 QSSRL side that took all before them and from there was selected in the second row for the Queensland U18 side for the ASSRL U18 Championships from PBC.

In addition to playing a number of matches in the MM Cup competition, 2016 saw Kai O’Donnell start off for Proserpine in the Mackay U18 competition where he played in six matches scoring four tries including a double against Wests Mackay in his last match in the U18 competition before his promotion to the Proserpine First Grade side.

Kai O’Donnell made his Mackay First Grade debut in the centres on 23 July 2016 against North’s and celebrated his debut with a try. Kai O’Donnell scored his second try in First Grade in his third First Grade match against South’s. Kai O’Donnell made such an impact in First Grade for the Brahmans that he was awarded First Grade Rookie of the Year as well as being named the First Grade Best Back on the season at the 2016 Whitsunday Rugby League Awards night.

From a school boy rugby league perspective in 2016, Kai O’Donnell captained the Proserpine High School Open Rugby League team in 2016 including leading his team to victory in the final of the State-wide Queensland Country Cup Carnival beating local rivals Sarina High School in the final 25 – 18 in extra time. Kai O’Donnell was named player of the final and was noted by his coach Andrew Jolly as being an inspirational leader. Kai O’Donnell also represented the Northern Region in the U18 QSSRL Championships playing in all four of their matches which were against Met West, Capricornia, Sunshine Coast and South Coast in May 2016.

For a young player with an already strong frame, Kai O’Donnell has the type of build which suggests that he can continue to add more muscle mass without compromising his already above average speed. Kai O’Donnell is also able to get to his terminal velocity quite quickly and with his wing span when he is playing in the centres he is able to keep defenders from gaining significant contact under his rib cage which enables Kai O’Donnell to maintain his running line for a longer period of time enabling him to either position his outside support or even break clear of the tackle entirely.

In relation to playing in the second row, Kai O’Donnell is also effective and runs with movement on each occasion that he takes a hit up and is adept at lowering his shoulder onto the defender to make tackling him a difficult proposition for a defensive line. Kai O’Donnell due to his higher centre of gravity and less actual bulk is more suited to running on the edges of the edge where he can best utilise his speed and mobility for his team.

Defensively I like the intensity that Kia O’Donnell approaches his defensive duties with. In the centres he is his backlines defensive quarterback and other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside. On an individual level Kai O’Donnell has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation and execution.

Kai O’Donnell has two years of eligibility left in the Colts competition and will start in the second row for the Burleigh Bears Colts side as well as train as part of the Titans High Performance Unit and U20 squads.

From an ultimate position perspective, I appreciate that Kai O’Donnell broke into the Proserpine Braham’s First Grade side in the centres where he excelled but I think that ultimately Kia O’Donnell ends up in the second row as a rangy above average athlete for the position ,a position that he filled with distinction in 2017.

North Queensland Cowboy and 2016 State of Origin debutant Gavin Cooper is a strong wide running backrower who for me Kia O’Donnell has a similar playing style to. Like Gavin Cooper early in his career, including with the Titans, Kai O’Donnell can play in the centres and do so very effectively but as he continues to mature physically I think that his most effective position will be in the second row all be it will the ability to fill in in the centres on occasion if the need arises during a match.

[mdrew]

Elijah Winitana – (Updated) He is a young front rower or second rower from the Group One area of Northern New South Wales who pulled on a Titans jersey in late 2015 in the U14 development squads against Samoa where he started on the interchange bench and came on and played in the front row. In 2016 Elijah Winitana represented Group One in their U15 representative side for the New South Wales Junior Country Championships where he started in the back row alongside another Titans development squad member in Ben Liyou. For Group One, who made the quarter finals Elijah Winitana crossed for a try in their first match against Group 19. He also was one of the best for McLean High School in their various school boy campaigns.

In 2017 Elijah Winitana played in the U16.5 Group One Junior Rugby League competition for the Clarence Coast Magpies scoring six tries from eleven matches. All of his tries came in separate matches and in a span of three matches from mid-July to early August Elijah Winitana scored in each match against Marist Brothers, Grafton and Ballina.

In 2016 Elijah Winitana played for the Clarence Coast Magpies in the Group One U15 Junior Rugby League competition, playing in twelve matches and scoring ten tries in the process. Only once did Elijah Winitana score more than one try in a match which came in May against Kyogle, but he had an extraordinary run when in the span of ten matches, Elijah Winitana scored in nine of them. Elijah Winitana was the top forward try scorer in the U15 competition.

When playing club football or Group One junior representative football, Elijah Winitana does look like he has good size for the front row position, but when he played for the U14 Titans development squad, granted he was playing against a massive and I mean massive Samoan U14 side he certainly was the smallest of the front rowers who played in that match.

In attack Elijah Winitana runs very hard and straight. In club football in Group One he has been almost unstoppable over the last couple of seasons leading the way for the magpies with his powerful running into the opposing forward packs in the competition. Impressively as he has gone up in age group he has adjusted his running to take into account the opposition. Elijah Winitana changed from just very straight to either using cutting back behind the play the ball or using some footwork prior to the line, a sign of a smart young player.

For a young front rower he has actually quite decent speed once he gets into the clear. Elijah Winitana is a bit of a tear a way and just charges flat out into the defensive line and with on occasion limited footwork prior to the defensive line however towards the end of last season Elijah Winitana started to incorporate more foot work into his game which stopped defences keying in on him and forced them to make a decision as to where he was going to impact the defensive rather than lining him up from a reasonable distance away.

In defence he is not a big hitter, but is quite aggressive during the tackle, preferring to make sure that the tackle is made and is very effective both in terms of initial contact and also coming in a wrapping up the football. Elijah Winitana also covers inside well. When at marker he works hard and always gets out of marker quickly to put pressure on the kicker. Elijah Winitana is not flashy but does a lot of the tough defensive work in the centre of the field.

Elijah Winitana is eligible again for the Group One U16.5 competition in 2018 and may also get some opportunities in the U18 NRRRL competition as well as continuing to play his schoolboy football for McLean High School.

From a position perspective, I note that he has played almost exclusively in the front row to date, except for some second row experience with the Group One U15 representative side, but moving forward I would envisage that a move to the second row would best suit his size and skill set.

From a player comparison perspective, a player that would be a good comparison is Sam Thaiday of the Brisbane Broncos as a forward who runs and tackles with a hint of aggression in his game and an all-out style. Similarly Sam Thaiday can probably play front row if needed but is far better suited to the second row.

[mdrew]

Lochlyn Sheldon. (Updated) The young front rower/ second rower and Titans High Performance Unit member had a very good 2017 season on the field for Burleigh in the MM Cup competition and for Runaway Bay across multiple grades in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition. In addition, Lochlyn Sheldon played one match for the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts Challenge side which was in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets, that afternoon Lochlyn Sheldon made his debut from the interchange bench and scored a second half try in a positive debut Colts match.

For Burleigh in the MM competition, Lochlyn Sheldon captained the side and started in five of their six matches in the front row and came off the interchange bench in Round Three. Lochlyn Sheldon crossed for three tries over the six matches, scoring in Round One against Redcliffe, in Round Three against North’s and also in Round Six in the local derby against Tweed Heads Seagulls a match in which Burleigh won and a match that also included a number of Tians linked players on both sides.

For Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League Competition, Lochlyn Sheldon played twelve matches in the U19 competition, eleven in the Doug Lipp Cup including starting the Grand Final at lock (Unfortunately Runaway Bay were defeated 13 – 6 by Beaudesert) and one match in the A grade making his A Grade debut in August against Ormeau.

Across his twelve matches in the U19 competition, Lochlyn Sheldon scored five tries all coming in a stellar four game period mid-season where he scored double against Mudgeeraba and also tries in that period against Beaudesert, Burleigh and Bilambil. Lochlyn Sheldon made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in June against Bilambil and went on to make eleven appearances for Runaway Bay in that competition scoring three tries which came against Ormeau, Tugun and Bilambil. In five of his eleven Doug Lipp Cup matches, Lochlyn Sheldon played in the U19 contest and then backed up to play the Doug Lipp Cup fixture.

In 2016, Lochlyn Sheldon was named player of the carnival for the 2016 Confraternity Shield as well as being named in the second row for the Queensland Independent Colleges (QIC) Secondary Schools rugby league side after playing for Gold Coast based Aquinas College in the carnival which was held in September 2016. Fellow Aquinas College student Lachlan Douglas was also named in the all carnival side in the front row.

Previously Lochlyn Sheldon has made multiple representative sides, including the Queensland U13 side, South Coast U15’s where he was named player of the match on Day Two against Darling Downs, Qld Marron U15’s from which he made the U15 Australian Merit Team with Titans linked Konrad Edwards and also the Queensland U16 side in 2015, which also contained Titans Ben Thomas and Darius Farmer.

Lochlyn Sheldon was part of the Brisbane Broncos elite development squad for a number of years, but unfortunately for him he was not able to gain a contract with the Broncos, which was good news for the Titans.

Running with the football, Lochlyn Sheldon has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them. He does not have great speed off the mark or necessary great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. He actually does have a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well.

Where there has been a clear development in Lochlyn Sheldon’s game has been he is ability to off load prior to contact with the defensive line in the Round Three MM match against the North’s Devils Lochlyn Sheldon popped a great short ball to Noah Lolesio off his right hip who crossed untouched for one of his four tries that afternoon at Pizzey Park.

Defensively Lochlyn Sheldon is not a big hitter, usually aiming for just under the ribs and first intention is to lock up the ball to prevent offloads. One area where is quite effective whether he is defending on the fringes of the ruck or in the centre of the ruck including when he is defending at marker, is against smaller attackers who look to use their foot work.

Lochlyn Sheldon has quite reasonable lateral mobility for a forward and due to the fact that he also is not that tall, usually is able to wrap up the smaller attackers without his tackles slipping up to around the head or neck, and thus giving away penalties. His ability to successfully defend against these type of attackers as well as having the technique to defend against larger forwards is one of a number of reasons that I consider that a future in the second row is probable.

Lochlyn Sheldon will probably not stand out during a game but will work hard both in attack and defence and leave all the eye catching things like big hits, line breaks and one handed off loads to other forwards who will benefit from his hard working style.

Lochlyn Sheldon has transitioned fulltime to the U20 Colts ranks in 2018 to play for Burleigh where he will have two years of eligibility as well as training with the Titans High Performance Unit.

Whilst he has alternated between second row and front row over previous junior seasons, I would anticipate that based on his build and skill set that starting as early as next season Lochlyn Sheldon will likely transition to the second row full time. Lochlyn Sheldon likely could play front row in an emergency type situation but second row seems like a more natural fit for him from my perspective at least.

From a player comparison perspective, one player with a similar playing style from my perspective is former Titans second rower and current Titans coaching staff member Anthony Laffranchi, as a solid hard working back rower who will probably never be a star but will be a solid contributor to a team’s forward pack.

Likely there will be players with more natural ability that will not go as far in rugby league as Lochlyn Sheldon will, simply because he will make the most of the ability he has through sheer hard work and effort.

[mdrew]

Kruze Rimene. (Updated) He is a local young fullback who had a solid 2017 season for Runaway Bay at the U14 Division One level and also was rewarded with selection in the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side and from there went on to represent South East Queensland Green in the Queensland Age Championships held in Toowoomba.

For Runaway Bay in 2017 Kruze Rimene played in twelve U14 Division One matches scoring seven tries. Kruze Rimene scored doubles against Nerang, Ormeau and Burleigh with his other try coming in a finals loss to eventual premiers Ormeau.

In 2016 Kruze Rimene was selected in U13 Gold Coast Vikings side where he played on the wing in the Hill Stumer Championships. As a result of his play in those Championships Kruze Rimene was selected in the South East Queensland White U13 team for the Queensland Age Championships where once again he was selected on the wing.

For Runaway Bay in the U13 Division One competition in 2016, Kruze Rimene played in Eight matches in the regular season, finishing with 14 tries, including two hat tricks which came against Jimboomba and Ormeau in a semi-final. Kruze Rimene also crossed for double against Mudgeeraba in the first regular season round and also against Currumbin and Burleigh Heads. Kruze Rimene also scored eight tries in seven grading matches in the 2016 pre-season. For the U13 Gold Coast Vikings Kruze Rimene scored against both Brisbane sides being Stingers Red and Stingers White on Day One of the championships.

Kruze Rimene is a smooth well balanced runner of the football, who looks like he glides across the field picking and choosing his time to get involved from the fullback position and clearly wants to have the ball in his hands as often as possible.

Kruze Rimene is exceptionally quick off the mark and when the ball is being brought out of his teams half he is always around the forwards looking for off loads, or taking the ball up himself, as evidenced in the U14 Vikings matches where on a couple of occasions he took advantage of tiring forwards to make ground in the centre of the ruck. For the Vikings he also came in regularly to take a run out of dummy half to give his forwards a rest.

It is not just his speed off the mark that is so impressive, it is the extended distance that he can maintain his top speed. I would not say that his speed would be in the plus category but certainly could be considered above average. Once Kruze Rimene is through the initial defensive line, he has an extra gear as well to outpace any cover defence.

Making his speed even more difficult to deal with for defences is his foot work, he is able to change direction very quickly which enables him to take advantage of a staggered defensive line when returning kicks. In the instances when he runs, he will dummy, step and accelerate quickly. I can see no discernible difference in relation to the quality of his step regardless of what foot he steps off.

Defensively he is an aggressive defender who will look to come forward when a break has been made to cut down the decision making time of the attacking team he will hit hard in the tackle. He also will not take a dummy either. He uses the sideline very well from a defensive stand point. Kruze Rimene will always stay inside the attacker presenting him with the sideline and then once the attacker has committed to the side line, he will use his speed and momentum to force the attacker into touch.

The 2018 season should see Kruze Rimene play at the U15 Division One level for Runaway Bay and he will also push for a South Coast U15 jersey as well.

From a long term position perspective, Kruze Rimene could undoubtly play a number of positions, including fullback and wing at a high level, but based on the evidence of what I have seen, a long term future at fullback would be the way to go, where he can be a real difference maker for his side.

From a player comparison perspective, a player along the lines of Penrith Panther Matt Moylan is an appropriate comparison as a skilful player who has all of the skills and temperament to be able to turn a game on its head with scintillating football and make difficult tasks look easy. He just seems to have all the time in the world to make a decision when he has the ball.

[mdrew]

Titan Vaikai. (Updated) The superbly named big, strong young front rower from the Runaway Bay junior rugby league club has had a solid 2017 rugby league season across school boy, club and representative competitions.

The young Coombabah State High School student was a strong contributor in his schools Hancock Cup campaign and was also a strong presence for Runaway Bay in the GCJRL U14 Division Once competition. Titan Vaikai is part of the Titans high performance unit as well.

Titan Vaikai represented the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side early in the 2017 season and consequently made the South East Queensland U14 train on squad and from there was selected in the South East Queensland White U14 side for the Queensland Age Championships.

In the U14 Division One competition for Runaway Bay in 2017 Titan Vaikai played in ten matches and even though he did not score in that competition he none the less was a strong presence. Titan Vaikai also played two matches in the U15 Division Two competition for Runaway Bay playing against Helensvale on both occasions and in their second encounter scored his sole try of the 2017 season.

Titan Vaikai is a big strong young front rower who is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and has shown flashes of the ability to offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it. For a big front rower Titan Vaikai does actually have quite decent speed and footwork, certainly above average for a player of his size, although he does not necessarily use it all of the time. His good footwork enables Titan Vaikai to step prior to the line, creating little half breaks which enhances the ability to off-load the football.

In defence Titan Vaikai is a big hitter of that there is no doubt and every tackle that he makes is felt by the ball runner and he is also good from a wrestling perspective once the tackle has been completed. Titan Vaikai is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will understandably have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half.

His calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck. Titan Vaikai can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself. At times in games he really does prevent opposing gaining any ground at all through the centre of the ruck. It is now a matter of extending the duration of his ruck dominance.

Titan Vaikai will play the 2018 season with Runaway Bay at the U15 Division One level and also be in contention for a spot in South Coast U15 School boy side as well as representing Coombabah State High School in their various School boy competitions.

From a position perspective, his physical attributes and skill set indicates that a continued future in the front row is a near certainty as he progresses up the junior and school boy ranks.

From a player comparison perspective for Titan Vaikai consider a comparison from a playing perspective style to young Newcastle Knights front rower Sam Mataora as a big strong young man, who if he continues to work hard on his mobility and stamina as he gains experience may be able to harness all of the considerable physical and skill attributes that he has at his disposal.

[Sunny86]

Keep up the good work mdrew looking forward to the update on darius

[mdrew]

About a week away mate just revising the initial draft

Keep up the good work mdrew looking forward to the update on darius

[Sunny86]

Cheers mate the whole family enjoys reading your reviews on him both here and bac in nz

[mdrew]

JT (John Thomas) Manuofetoa. (Updated) He is a powerful young fullback/centre/backrower from the Ormeau Shearers junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast who was part of the Shearers U14 Division One side in 2017 that defeated Burleigh in the 2017 Grand Final 31 – 16. JT Manuofetoa actually started the Grand Final at five eight.

Over the course of the 2017 GCJRL U14 Division One season, JT Manuofetoa played in thirteen matches for the Shearers, scoring eight tries including a final’s double against Runaway Bay. JT Manuofetoa had a great end to the regular season scoring in each of the last four rounds.

In 2016 JT Manuofetoa played at fullback for the all-conquering U13 Gold Coast Vikings side as well as being named in the centres for South East Queensland Green U13’s.

For the Ormeau Shearers in the U13 Division One competition in 2016, JT Manuofetoa played in ten matches and scored an impressive 17 tries for the season to finish third on the try scoring tally behind Shearers team mate Syris Schmidt who topped the list. At a team level, Ormeau had a very successful year culminating in a 34 – 22 Grand Final victory over Runaway Bay. JT Manuofetoa started the Grand Final at fullback. As noted JT Manuofetoa scored seventeen tries including an incredible span of five matches where he scored 14 tries alone including four against Helensvale, hat tricks against Helensvale again and Nerang and doubles Currumbin and Burleigh Heads. Earlier in the 2016 season he also scored a double against Jimboomba.

Previous seasons has seen JT Manuofetao make a number of representative sides, for example in 2014 he represented the South Coast U11 QPSRL side which won the Queensland championships and scored two tries against Wide Bay and in 2015 he played for the Queensland Invitational side which finished third in the Australian U12 championships, and across the pool matches scored four tries, one each against ACT, WA, SA and NT.

JT Manuofetoa is a tall, rangy exceptional athlete and this can be seen when be he is running with the football. In his carries he rarely takes a hit up without movement, he uses foot work prior to the line to look to break through as well as cutting either cutting back in behind the play the ball or cutting out towards the smaller defenders on the fringes of the ruck.

Like one or two others mentioned recently he runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line quite often, certainly more so than you would expect for a backrower taking the ball through the centre of the ruck.

JT Manuofetoa does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle. He does not necessarily have a great top end speed, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence.

There are a few big strong fast young centres/backrowers in his age group on the Gold Coast and JT is right up there in terms of speed. If anything he looked like his speed had improved over the course of the 2016 season meanly that the opportunity to continue in the outside backs rather than any future transition to the back row is potentially lessened.

Playing on the right hand side of the field seemingly more often, means that his right foot step and his fending using his left hand are the more effective attributes, but based on his physical attributes, his skill set and his understanding of how to play the game means that I have no doubt that these attributes are transferrable to playing on the left hand side of the field.

Where his greatest impact on a game is going to be is his defence. JT Manuofetoa has a great tackling technique and a hard hitting aggressive style to go with it. I think that in every game that I have seen him play, including representative games he has made a huge impact defensively. It is not a reckless style where he runs in trying to pull off the biggest hit possible, it is a cold, calculating style where he uses a great technique to hit opposing forwards just under the rib cage to devastating effect.

Moving to the current season JT Manuofetoa will play for Ormeau at the U15 Division One level and will also certainly be part of the South Coast U15 school boy side as well as playing his school boy rugby league for Coombabah High School.

From a long term position perspective, I believe that he will continue to alternate between the outside backs, including fullback and second row in the short to medium term but when all is said and done I think that he will develop into a big strong powerful runner of the ball with an intimidating defensive mindset most likely in the second row but that is certainly not set in stone. I will note that he did not play a lot of second row at all in 2016 or 2017 but I still anticipate that is where he will ultimately end up in the long term.

From a player comparison perspective, a player who could be considered to have a similar playing style is Brisbane Broncos backrower Matt Gillett as a skilled 80 minute backrower who stands out due to his determination and intensity both with the ball and defensively. This young guy is a very talented young rugby league player with a very bright future ahead of him.

[mdrew]

Darius Christie. (Updated) He is a local young utility back who played the 2017 GCJRL season with the Burleigh Bears U14 Division One side after transferring over from Runaway Bay for whom he played the 2016 with, he also played his school boy football for Keebra Park.

In 2017 with Burleigh Darius Christie averaged just under a try a match in his way to scoring ten tries from just eleven matches. Darius Christie started in the centres for Burleigh in their tough 31 – 16 Grand Final loss to an exceptional Ormeau Shearers side. Over the course of the 2017 season Darius Christie scored hat tricks against Runaway Bay and Ormeau and also a double against Nerang.

For Runaway Bay Darius Christie played the 2016 season at the U13 Division One level, where he played in ten matches scoring thirteen tries including hat tricks against Mudgeeraba and Jimboomba and in addition to the Grand Final double Darius Christie also scored a double against Ormeau in another finals match. Darius Christie also played five matches up in the U14 Division One competition and three in the U14 Division Two competition where he scored four tries, including a double against Nerang and also tries against Ormeau and Burleigh Heads.

In attack Darius Christie’s plus speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice. He also has an extra gear once he is through the defensive line, and has the ability to maintain his speed over a long distance. In short with his plus speed, he can make a break himself and then has the speed to finish the break off himself, because his support players have a heck of a time trying to stay with him in open space.

Darius Christie can and will beat defenders in the inside or outside with a step off either foot and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies and back-ups well.

Darius Christie has a good short kicking game but he does not have the strongest leg in terms of kicking deep but is accurate enough and regularly finds the ground to enable the chasers to get down field. I do not believe that he will have the leg strength going forward to be his side’s primary tactical kicker but will likely be his side’s primary attacking kicker when close to the try line.

Darius Christie will chase hard and usually is one of the first down field to defend. In terms of his short kicking game, he will back himself and put in little kicks over the top or grubber through the defensive line for himself, which causes all sorts of issues for defences due to his speed and desire to get to the ball first.

In defence Darius Christie is not a big hitter but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. He will also track across field well looking when the ball is turned back inside. When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the edge of the ruck, he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives.

Moving to the 2018 season Darius Christie will continue play for a very talented Burleigh Bears U15 Division One side and also be in line for a South Coast U15 jersey as well as continuing to represent Keebra Park.

From a playing position perspective, I am very conflicted, prior to this year Darius Christie spent a lot of playing time either at halfback or fullback but he played a lot of centres during 2016 and 2017 seasons and played effectively in that position as well. Ultimately though I think (just) that he ends up at fullback where his speed and elusiveness attributes and his developing play making skills would translate most appropriately.

From a player comparison perspective, think of the Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test Player Darius Boyd as a player with more speed than a lot of people give him credit for a good elusiveness and solid play making skills as well.

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Alexander Dunemann. (Updated) The talented young centre or five eight was part of the Western Mustangs MM Cup winning 2017 side that won the Queensland final with a 40-30 win over Souths Logan with the young man scoring the Western Mustangs second try in that match. Alexander Dunemann signed a Titans scholarship contract and played in every match in the Western Mustangs successful MM Cup campaign as well in 2017.

Alexander Dunemann came off the bench in Round Two but was in the starting side for the remainder of the MM Cup competition, playing all bar Round Eight in the centres, in Round Eight Alexander Dunemann started at five eight. Alexander Dunemann also started in the centres in the National Final against Parramatta but moved to five eight when Travis Turnbull was injured. In that final Alexander Dunemann set up a try for fullback Denzel Burns with a deft left foot chip.

Post the MM Cup Competition Alexander Dunemann played in the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League competition, playing three matches for South Suburbs, scoring in his first match in the competition against South Burnett and kicking a goal in a late season match against the Warwick Cowboys. Alexander Dunemann also played in a 2017 TRL Presidents Cup match as well.

Alexander Dunemann had a solid season in the U16 Toowoomba Junior Rugby League competition in 2016. For the Kingaroy Red Ants in 2016 Alexander Dunemann scored 14 tries and kicked 10 goals across 15 games, including four in a match against South’s and three doubles which came against Dalby, Pittsworth and Gatton.

Alexander Dunemann’s calling card from an attacking perspective is his passing and game management abilities, these were on show in the TJRL U16 competition over the course of the 2016 season when he directed his Kingaroy side around the paddock. In terms of his running game, he is not going to be known as someone that is going to beat a defender with speed, but he does very good foot work that he uses to good effect in tight spaces.

Alexander Dunemann has a very good step off both feet and can put together combinations of steps over a short distance to break free of situations where he is seemingly surrounded by defenders. Also maybe it’s only me, but he seemed to rarely take a big hit when running through the centre of the ruck.

Going back to his speed briefly, as noted Alexander Dunemann is not super quick, but he does have some speed off the mark, which is complemented by the fact that he runs at the right moment, for example when he is drifting across field he will dummy and run when defenders anticipate the pass rather than focussing on him running the ball. His running skills compliment his ability to put runners into holes rather than the other way around.

Alexander Dunemann’s kicking game is very accurate, and even though he is not a big player he can generate very good distance on his kicks whilst at the same time not losing any accuracy, thus he finds the ground for a lot of his kicks. He can also kick pin point bombs, allowing plenty of time for his chasers to get to the ball as it is coming down close to the try line. An added bonus in relation to his kicking game is that he is a left foot kicker.

Defensively Alexander Dunemann tackles well low and that is seemingly his main tactic against wide running forwards rather than trying to tackle them ball and all and potentially being bumped off. Against the bigger packs in the MM Cup competition, he was constantly battered by huge forwards running at him but he held his own all season.

His quick feet and sense of timing and anticipation enable him to see plays developing in front of him quickly and he is able to adjust and look to shut down the attacking play prior to it fully developing and being executed. In short he is quite a solid defender regardless of the position that he is occupying.

Alexander Dunemann has been named in the 2018 Western Mustangs U120 side and starting this season has two years of eligibility in that competition remaining.

Prior to the 2017 season, I admit I really only considered Alexander Dunemann as a five eight but with his play in the centres in the MM Cup competition and at fullback in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition a reassessment at least needs to be considered.

Whilst I still believe that five eight is his best position with his ball playing and game management skills to go with his ability to take the line on himself a longer term future at fullback is certainly not out of the question.

From a player comparison perspective for Titans linked Alexander Dunemann, think of the Titans own Kane Elgey as a developing ball player and game manager with very good speed and evasion in confined space. It will be interesting to see where he fits into the Titans junior development plans going forward in terms of whether they see him at five eight in the centres or even at fullback.

[mdrew]

Jordan Lewis. The talented Ormeau Shearers youngster has moved around a bit from a position perspective including representing the Gold Coast Vikings at the U13 level in the back row but in 2017 at half, the young man had an outstanding season finishing with 117 points from ten tries, thirty eight goals and a field goal in the GCJRL U14 Division One competition including starting at half back, scoring a try, kicking three conversions and a field goal in the U14 Division One Grand Final against victory over Burleigh.

From a try scoring perspective, Jordan Lewis scored four tries in a match in early June kicking five goals in that match to finish with 26 points as well and in May against Runaway Bay in May he scored a hat trick and kicked seven goals for 26 points as well. Jordan Lewis also kicked seven conversions in a victory over Nerang in Round One of the competition and five goals against Runaway Bay in the Preliminary Final.

In 2017 Jordan Lewis represented the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side where he was selected at hooker and from there he was selected in the South East Queensland U14 White side for the Queensland Age Championships which were held in Toowoomba in July 2017.

In 2016 Jordan Lewis primarily came off the interchange bench for the U13 Vikings side including scoring on Day Two in a 58 – 6 victory over the Ipswich Diggers a match in which Titans linked front rower Brody Smitka was outstanding. After those Championships which were held at Carina Jordan Lewis was selected to represent South East Queensland Green at the Queensland Age Championships.

Jordan Lewis is not necessarily the quickest half running around but he does have some reasonable speed off the mark, which is complemented by the fact that he runs at the right moment, for example when he is drifting across field he will dummy and run when defenders anticipate the pass rather than focussing on him running the ball. Jordan Lewis’s ability to put runners into holes complements his ability to run with the ball.

Jordan Lewis’s defence for a half is very good for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders into his opponent and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down. His intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside.

Jordan Lewis will play the upcoming 2018 once again with Ormeau Shearers in the GCJRL U15 Division One competition and he also is in line for a spot in the U15 South Coast QSSRL side with the trials for that squad commencing shortly. The South Coast U15 QSSRL squad should be very strong.

A final position perspective is an interesting one, in previous seasons Jordan Lewis spent a fair bit of time in the second row but this season he played in various positions including half back and hooker making a good fist of them as well. On that basis it is hard to go past Jordan Lewis staying at half for at least the short term.

Jordan Lewis may also get an extended opportunity to make his mark at hooker over the coming years. Dare I saw it, but Jordan Lewis looks like the perfect NRL interchange player with his developing ability to play in the halves, at hooker and as a running back rower.

From a rugby league player comparison perspective, I think that the play of Canterbury Bulldogs and New Zealand International five eight Keiran Foran is a good comparison for Jordan Lewis, as a solidly built, strong running, hardworking half with under rated play making skills.

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Ezra Ubaldino. (Updated) He is a local young centre who at the start of this season transferred from the Currumbin Eagles to the Burleigh Bears where he played in the U15 Division GCJRL competition even though the PBC student was still eligible for the U14 age group. Ezra Ubaldino was part of the Titans U15 side that played a Balmain Tigers selection late in 2017 with the young man being outstanding in that match. Ezra Ubaldino is also part of the PBC Rugby League excellence program and in 2018 will be part of a talented U15 side alongside the likes on backrower Bailey Martin.

Ezra Ubaldino played nine matches for Burleigh in the GCJRL U15 Division One competition including their semi-final campaign scoring three tries in the process. Ezra Ubaldino scored a double against the Southport Tigers and late in the season also scored against the Coomera Cutters. Ezra Ubaldino also played one match for Burleigh in the U15 Division Two competition against the Ormeau Shearers in May 2017.

2016 saw Ezra Ubaldino represent the Gold Coast Vikings at the U13 level where they went through the Hill Stumer Championships undefeated and from there Ezra Ubaldino was selected in the South East Queensland White side for the Queensland Age Championships. For the Vikings in 2016 Ezra Ubaldino was selected in the centres but for South East Queensland White he was selected in the second row.

At the 2016 Hill Stumer Championships held at Carina, Ezra Ubaldino played in all three of the U13 Vikings matches including scoring a great hat trick in the Sunday game against Ipswich including two long range efforts in a 58 – 6 victory for the Gold Coast youngsters.

In 2014, Ezra Ubaldino represented South Coast in the QPSRL U11 competition, a competition that South Coast dominated and went on to win, scoring 132 and conceding only 12 across the five matches. In those championships, Ezra Ubaldino scored three tries, one each against Capricornia, Sunshine Coast and Met West. Runaway Bay centre Connor Te Kani and Ormeau five eight Syris Schmidt were also part of that South Coast side and all three have continued to take positive steps with their development and look to have a lot of potential to work with moving forward.

The pace and power in terms of how Ezra Ubaldino runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing defenders who are slow to move up. When the opposition are on the back foot Ezra Ubaldino will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck or wider out and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength and power to drag defenders with him.

I would consider that his speed would be considered above average for a centre but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at. Ezra Ubaldino also has a very powerful fend especially with his right hand.

Against Ipswich in the U13 Hill Stumer Championships in 2016 Ezra Ubaldino made a long break down the left hand touch line with no support, when confronted by the fullback, Ezra Ubaldino smartly changed the ball into his left arm and produced a great right hand fend when the Ipswich fullback went to tackle him high, knocking the Ipswich fullback to the ground with one push. Ezra Ubaldino then continued on to score a great solo try in the left corner, being one of three that he scored on the day.

The defensive side of his game is similarly effective, Ezra Ubaldino does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit (well maybe sometimes but not often), but is cold and calculating in where and when he hits. Quite a few of his tackles resulted in a knock on by the opposition as the ball came loose as a result of the impact of the tackle, he just hits so hard. He drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent and force them off balance or off their running line.

With his strength and technique Ezra Ubaldino should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of age group or quality of opponent. Ezra Ubaldino also has some aggression in his game which he will need to ensure that he moderates it and channels it correctly which I am sure will come with additional experience.

Moving forward to the 2018 season, even though Ezra Ubaldino is still eligible for the U15 competition he may once again play up an age group in the U16 Division One competition for Burleigh Heads. Ezra Ubaldino will also be in line for selection in the South Coast U15 school boy side for the QSSRL U15 championships later in the year from PBC. The South Coast U15 QSSRL side shapes to be an exceptionally talented side with size strength speed and power in every position.

From a position perspective prior to this season I would have argued that Ezra Ubaldino’s long term future lies in the second row but after his performances in the centres this season playing primarily against players a year older than him, I now have to change my thinking and based on the 2017 season a long term future in the centres is certainly on the cards.

From a player comparison perspective think of former Titans NYC player Daniel Brownbill as a player with similar attributes and who exhibits similar strength, power and speed.

People watching Ezra Ubaldino play for the first time may think that he is all speed, power and strength but whilst he does display those attributes there is a lot more to his game revolving around positioning, awareness, timing and anticipation.

The future is certainly bright on the Gold Coast with young players like Ezra Ubaldino coming through the ranks.

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Ezra Talau. The young Ormeau Shearers centre had a solid 2017 season in the Gold Coast JRL U15 Division Two competition, averaging a try a match through his seven matches. The former Sydney junior is currently training with the Gold Coast Vikings U16 squad which will be split into two teams for the upcoming South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition. Ezra Talau was the only Ormeau Shearer’s player named for the Vikings U16 squad.

For the Shearers Ezra Talau scored seven tries and kicked a conversion to finish the season with 30 points. Ezra Talau scored in the first regular season round against Nerang and also scored in eth last regular season round against Helensvale. In between in consecutive matches against Helensvale Green, Ezra Talau scored a double and a hat trick. Ezra Talau’s sole conversion came late in the season against Nerang.

In 2017 Ezra Talau also played one match in the U16 Division Two competition which was against Currumbin in June and he then backed up to play for his U15 side the next day.

In terms of his attacking play Ezra Talau is a smooth runner of the ball who has above average top end speed and good evasiveness to get on the outside of his opposing defender with a decent fend that enables him to keep all but the strongest outside backs at a distance and away from his body although his speed off the mark is not necessarily his best attribute.

Ezra Talau has quite a good step, predominately off the right foot, so he certainly has the skills to adjust his running line as he gains more experience and develops a better rapport with his team’s play makers in his inside. As he gains more experience, Ezra Tala’s ability to set up his outside support will also improve, he has the strength to get on the outside of his opposing centre and can pop a good ball to his winger either prior to contact or once the winger has engaged him.

Ezra Talau he really does look to come out of the line and hit his opposing centre as hard as possible to cut off the attacking play before it has time to fully develop. He does not let the play unfold in front of him, he looks to disrupt as early as possible.

With his size and defensive tendencies when defending in the centres, Ezra Talau is more suited to an up and in defensive methodology compared to a sliding system, where quicker opposing centres look to get on his outside and use their pace against him however Ezra Talau has above average top end speed which he uses to turn and chase.

In addition to his Gold Coast Vikings U16 duties Ezra Talau will play the 2018 GCJRL season with the Ormeau Shearers in the U16 Division Two competition and may also get some opportunities in the U17 Division Two competition.

From an ultimate position perspective, I think that in the short term Ezra Talau has a real opportunity to stay in the centres.

Taane Milne who starred for Fiji in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and who recently signed with the Wests Tigers is for me at least the ideal player comparison for Ezra Talau.