My take on our top juniors

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Tavake Tau’a’alo. The powerful front rower attended Keebra Park State High School in 2022 as part of the Keebra Park SHS Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League side.

Tavake Tau’a’alo started Round One against Ipswich SHS in the front row and also started in the front row in Round Two against Redcliffe SHS.

Tavake Tau’a’alo started Round Four of the Hancock Cup in the front row against Mabel Park State High School with Tavake Tau’a’alo playing a key role in Keebra Park SHS’s 20 – 18 victory by way of a last minute penalty goal with Tavake Tau’a’alo playing a kay role in winning the penalty for Keebra Park SHS.

The match saw Tavake Tau’a’alo score two of Keebra Park SHS’s three tries with the first coming in the 13th minute when after charging onto the ball to the left of the play the ball around twelve metres out, Tavake Tau’a’alo broke through two tackles before stepping off his left still around eight metres out and then carried four defenders towards the line before reaching out to get the ball down after reaching forward with the ball in his right hand.

Tavake Tau’a’alo scored his second try in the 34th minute when he ran an inside shoulder route from the right of the play to charge over to score under the posts from ten metres out.

Tavake Tau’a’alo almost scored another try in the 33rd minute when from ten metres out Tavake Tau’a’alo got within a metres of the try line next to the left upright before four defenders finally brought him to the ground.

Tavake Tau’a’alo’s first strong run of the match came in the 8th minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the play the ball around thirty two metres out, Tavake Tau’a’alo looked held still twenty five metres out but he forced his way out of a three person tackle through sheer will, before carrying four more defenders to within eleven metres of the try line.

Then in the 36th minute after Mabel Park SHS were penalised for being offside from a kick-off Tavake Tau’a’alo who had taken the kick-off on the full back near his own try line raced to the halfway mark to take a tap and even against a set defensive line Tavake Tau’a’alo was able to make thirty metres, breaking numerous tackles along the way.

As noted above Tavake Tau’a’alo was heavily involved in winning a penalty in the dying minutes to give Keebra Park SHS the victory. With time running down Keebra Park SHS were awarded a penalty around twenty metres out, Tavake Tau’a’alo took a quick tap and got the ball to around four metres out from the try line and was awarded a penalty when he quick tap caught multiple Mabel Park SHS defenders offside.

In 2021 Tavake Tau’a’alo represented Tonga at the QPICC Carnival and was named the Tongan U14 Player of the Carnival.

Tavake Tau’a’alo is a big strong powerful aggressive young man and uses these attributes when he runs with the ball, Tavake Tau’a’alo will take the line on and look to drop his shoulder into the defender who is looking initiate contact.

Tavake Tau’a’alo can also off load the football both before the line and when he is being tackled, he seems to be one of those players with the innate ability to get his hands free, or more accurately his right hand free.

Tavake Tau’a’alo is always the player standing back deep from kick ups to take the first hit up and will charge straight at the line. Tavake Tau’a’alo also is quite quick for a big young man, both in terms of explosive speed off the mark and agile from a footwork perspective but also with speed over an extended distance.

In defence, Tavake Tau’a’alo can certainly hit very hard and for a solidly built player has quite decent endurance thus allowing him to get back quickly into the defensive line play after play. Where Tavake Tau’a’alo is also very good, due to his good athletic skills is for a front rower is effectively tackling smaller attackers in the centre of the ruck. Tavake Tau’a’alo does not fall for dummies and is difficult to step as he mirrors the lateral movement of the attacker to effectively wrap up the opposing player.

In 2023 Tavake Tau’a’alo will move up to the Keebra Park State High School Walters Cup School Boy Rugby League side.

Tavake Tau’a’alo, for his size and strength is exceptionally quick and mobile, whilst maintaining his strength and power and even though he is outstanding on the fringes of the ruck, Tavake Tau’a’alo will without a doubt develop into a powerhouse front rower with exceptional speed, mobility and power for the position.

From a player comparison perspective for Tavake Tau’a’alo, think of someone along the lines of a young version of Sydney Roosters and New Zealand International Jarred Warea-Hargreaves and a big strong powerful front rower who is as skilful as he is intimidating.

Tavake Tau’a’alo has a huge amount of potential and hopefully for him everything comes together and he can develop into the best player he can be there is certainly a lot of raw ability and untapped potential for him to work with.

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Tomasi Vaitai. The powerful second rower attended Keebra Park State High School in 2022 as part of the Keebra Park SHS Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League side.

Tomasi Vaitai started Round One at left second row against Ipswich SHS and made a strong run in the 42nd minute when he made a thirty metre line break down the left channel with his run starting ten metres inside his own territory.

Tomasi Vaitai started Round Three of the Hancock Cup at left second row against Mabel Park State High School and in just the 6th minute made a great charge down the left channel, getting the ball to twenty metres out from the try line.

Just a minute later in the 7th minute Tomasi Vaitai came close to scoring after he cut inside off his right foot after receiving the ball on the left side of the field around twelve metres only to be stopped within a metre of the try line.

Tomasi Vaitai did well once again in the 12th minute when he charged onto the ball from a Keebra Park SHS penalty restart twenty five metres out with Tomasi Vaitai getting to within twelve metres of the try line.

Tomasi Vaitai plays his club rugby league with the Goodna Rugby League club in the 2022 Ipswich U14 Division One competition.

Tomasi Vaitai also played for Goodna in 2021 and scored a try and kicked a conversion as his Goodna Blue side defeated Goodna Black in the Ipswich U13 Division One 2021 Grand Final.

Tomasi Vaitai is a powerful runner of the ball who runs with a slight jink, usually off his right foot, in his step prior to impacting the defensive line and from when he receives the ball until he hits the defensive line Tomasi Vaitai is able to build up significant momentum.

Tomasi Vaitai shows some more than reasonable pace when in the clear for a player his size and certainly in terms of his speed off the mark Tomasi Vaitai has some decent speed for a front rower. Also when Tomasi Vaitai has impacted the defensive line he continues to pump his legs and gain extra metres after contact.

As noted Tomasi Vaitai is a solidly built young second rower with outstanding footwork Tomasi Vaitai and also shows will show flashes of the ability to off load the ball and with experience this attribute will continue to develop both in terms of when Tomasi Vaitai has impacted the defensive line and prior to contact.

Tomasi Vaitai’s lateral movement is outstanding for a big second rower and he is powerful enough to combat the largest of opponents looking to run through the centre of the ruck yet has the mobility to be an effective defender on the fringes of the ruck as well.

Another impressive aspect of Tomasi Vaitai’s play from a defensive stand point is the speed at which he gets around the field, for a player of his size, Tomasi Vaitai has more than decent speed and mobility.

Tomasi Vaitai is U14 eligible in 2022 and in 2023 will move up to the Keebra Park State High School Walters Cup School Boy Rugby League side as well as play at the U15 level in relation to club rugby league in Ipswich with the Goodna Junior Rugby League Club.

Tomasi Vaitai is a big strong young man but at the same time possess exceptional speed and mobility of a player of his size as thus is seemingly an ideal candidate to be considered a young rugby league second rower with outstanding potential.

From an NRL player comparison perspective I would consider a player comparison for Tomasi Vaitai with Penrith Panthers and Tongan International destructive second rower Viliame Kikau as more than accurate and appropriate. Both Tomasi Vaitai and Kikau are exceptionally destructive on the fringes of the ruck and take a power of stopping by defences who have to allocate multiple resources to achieve that task, if in fact they can.

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Qubin Anderson. The talented ball playing lock attended Keebra Park State High School in 2022 as part of the Keebra Park SHS Renouf Cup School Boy Rugby League side.

Round One against Ipswich SHS saw Qubin Anderson start at lock with Qubin Anderson scoring inside the opening minutes when from a play the ball in front of the posts Qubin Anderson received the ball off the dummy half to the right. Qubin Anderson executed a stutter step to get to his right and then Qubin Anderson dummied to his right before he sliced between two defenders to score five metres in from the right corner post for a type of try that is quickly becoming a trademark of Qubin Anderson’s game.

Qubin Anderson started Round Two against Redcliffe State High School at lock with Qubin Anderson scoring in the 18th minute when from twelve metres out and to the right of the dummy half Qubin Anderson shaped to pass to his left but instead stepped off his right foot to slice through the defensive line and dive over to score ten metres to the right of the uprights.

Qubin Anderson also started at lock in Round Three against Marsden SHS with Qubin Anderson scoring an outstanding solo try in the 10th minute in Round Four against Mabel Park SHS.

Qubin Anderson received the ball to the right of the play the ball fifty five metres out, stepping off his right foot and then almost immediately off his left to break through the Mabel Park SHS defensive line. Qubin Anderson then easily rounded the fullback by running to his right and scoring a great solo try in the right corner.

Qubin Anderson arrived at Keebra Park SHS by way of Canterbury New Zealand where he was a junior age representative.

Qubin Anderson is a smooth powerful runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. In the centre position, he has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

When he gets the ball early from his inside play makers, Qubin Anderson is incredibly difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, he is also a powerful runner who has the power to also break tackles through sheer power and not just rely on his speed to beat his opponent.

The one thing that Qubin Anderson also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, he has a very good step back side and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, his quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

Defensively Qubin Anderson is solid at wrapping the ball up and slides well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well.

2023 will see Qubin Anderson move up to the Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League competition for Keebra Park SHS.

Qubin Anderson, with his ability to run the ball and his ball playing ability to be a great link between for forwards and back, looks an ideal modern day lock.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Qubin Anderson think along the lines of someone like Souths Sydney Rabbitohs and New South Wales State of Origin lock Cameron Murray.

Like Murray, Qubin Anderson is developing into a very solid ball playing forward who can pop a short pass to his supports both prior to the line and when engaged with the defensive line as well as running the ball effectively as well.

Qubin Anderson just looks to be a natural footballer with an innate ability to know where and when to pass the ball as well as having a hard edge in defence.

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Israel Lotaki. In 2022 Israel Lotaki was a stand-out for the Keebra Park State High School side in the School Boy Renouf Cup competition operating almost exclusively at left centre.

Round One against Ipswich SHS saw Israel Lotaki start at left centre with Israel Lotaki scoring in the 24th minute when he took an intercept around seventy metres out. Israel Lotaki got up into the Ipswich SHS line, taking the intercept and breaking away from two attempted tackles. After racing away the Ipswich SHS halfback grabbed Israel Lotaki’s left arm but Israel Lotaki got himself loose and raced away to score under the posts.

Israel Lotaki executed a brutal front on tackle in the 20th minute when the Ipswich SHS halfback ran the ball to his right from a scrum. Near the halfway mark, Israel Lotaki came out of the line and absolutely smashed him front on with Israel Lotaki’s heavy initial contact seeing the ball flew loose.

Israel Lotaki started at left centre, although he also spent time at right centre in Round Two against Redcliffe State High School.

Israel Lotaki scored his first try of the match in the 15th minute when after receiving a pass from his left from Kingston Seve, Israel Lotaki raced sixty five metres downfield to score under the posts after utilising a left foot step to easily beat the Redcliffe SHS fullback.

Israel Lotaki scored his second try in the 30th minute and it will probably be one of the easiest that he ever scores when after Israel Lotaki received a great ball from his left for Harvey Smith Israel Lotaki had to just fall over the try line with no defender to sight to score five metres in from the right corner.

Israel Lotaki scored a third try in the 33rd minute when after taking possession of the ball fifty five metes out Israel Lotaki pushed off one Redcliffe SHS defender and charged down the left touchline with Israel Lotaki bringing the ball around towards the posts but instead of just putting the ball down Israel Lotaki took on a Redcliffe SHS defender in the in-goal under the posts. I must admit it appeared that the defender may hold Israel Lotaki up but he shrugged him off to get the ball down under the posts.

Israel Lotaki also started at left centre in Round Three against Marsden State High School.

From an attacking perspective Israel Lotaki is a straight hard runner when he has the ball in hand, he runs a “crash” line if you will. Israel Lotaki has also shown the ability to run both an inside and outside shoulder route and he runs both with pace and power and attracts multiple defenders to try to bring him down, a quick play the ball is also a key feature of Israel Lotaki’s play.

When he impacts the defensive line Israel Lotaki drops his shoulder into the defenders and regularly bumped off multiple defenders in a single run. Another key attribute which was mentioned earlier is that he is also a talented all be it an underrated distributor when defenders look to come in on him to shut down the play.

Israel Lotaki understands that his style of play means that he attracts multiple defenders and he has become adept at delayed sleight of hand passes right at the defensive line which meant that the defensive line could not react to the aspect change in time to prevent ground being made by the support runner.

Due to his strength and fend Israel Lotaki regularly gets on the outside of his opposite defender forcing the winger to make a decision as to whether to come in on him or stay with his direct opponent. If defenders come in on him, Israel Lotaki has the quick hands to get the pass away prior to contact.

Israel Lotaki also is big and strong enough as well as having very good core strength and balance to absorb the contact and still get the pass to his winger whilst maintaining his running line so that he does not force his outside supports closer to the touch line than they need to be. This also forces defenders to make a quick decision in relation to how they address this situation that they are confronted with.

If the opposing winger stays out, Israel Lotaki is definitely quick enough to break into open space although I would not say that he has plus speed, but Israel Lotaki is more than quick enough to gain separate from the cover defence. When you look at Israel Lotaki’s build he may not look like he has a lot of speed, but he definitely does. Israel Lotaki may not necessarily be the quickest off the mark but has very good acceleration once he is moving and can sustain his top pace over an extended period.

Devastating would be the appropriate way to describe the defensive style of Israel Lotaki, he regularly comes out the line to literally smash the attacker coming at him. When an attacker is running directly at Israel Lotaki he will explode quickly out of his stance coming forward quickly thus preventing the opposing defender from either getting a pass wider out or for that matter bracing himself for the upcoming contact.

A lot of bigger outside backs attempt to come out of the line a few occasions a match when the opportunity presents itself but Israel Lotaki seemingly does it four or five times a match. As a result of his timing and anticipation it is not often that an attacking can either skip to the outside or get a pass away to a support runner. Israel Lotaki just seems to have that knack of arriving just as his opponent receives the ball.

In saying what I have above however when necessary Israel Lotaki is able to slide out and wait for the play to develop in front of him and is able to hold his momentum to the outside well in case his direct opponent looks to cut back inside as he is sliding out. Either way Israel Lotaki has a solid defensive technique in relation to side on tackles and can also turn and chase in cover defence if necessary.

In 2023 Israel Lotaki will move up to the Hancock Cup School Boy competition for Keebra Park State High School.

With his height and speed Israel Lotaki looks like a natural born centre with the ability to be a legitimate strike centre and there are very few of them running around regardless of age group.

Isreal Folau is the player that Israel Lotaki reminds me of on the rugby league field. Like Folau, Israel Lotaki seemingly has it all, size strength speed and power as well as the ability to harness it all and exploit it on the field in a variety of game situations especially when the ball is in his hands.

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Harvey Smith. The electric young halfback attended Keebra Park State High School in 2022 as part of the Keebra Park SHS Renouf Cup School Boy Rugby League side.

Round One against Ipswich SHS saw Harvey Smith start at halfback with Harvey Smith recording a try assist in the 10th minute when Harvey Smith received the ball to the right of the play the ball thirty five metres out, initially dummying to an inside runner before throwing a long cut-out pass to his right to put his right winger down the touchline to score in the corner.

What a start to the match Harvey Smith had with his kick-off spinning wickedly in the air and going into touch around twenty metres out to put PBC SHS on the attack immediately with Qubin Anderson scoring just two tackles later.

Harvey Smith started Round Two against Redcliffe State High School at halfback with Harvey Smith once again filling up the stats column by scoring a try, kicking seven conversions and recording three try assists.

Harvey Smith scored in the 21st minute and what a great solo try it was. Harvey Smith received the ball to the right of the play the ball around forty metres out and darted straight through the centre of the defensive line before beating the Redcliffe SHS fullback with a right foot step to score next to the right upright. Harvey Smith then stepped up to convert his own try.

In addition, the first of Harvey Smith’s try assists came just over one minute into the match when after receiving the ball near the centre of the field and inside the attacking twenty metre area, Harvey Smith took to steps to his right to settle his balance before throwing a long, hard, flat cut-out pass to his right to put his right centre into a wide expanse of space to score untouched ten metres in from the left corner.

Harvey Smith recorded his second try assist in the 30th minute when from the right of the play the ball Harvey Smith took the ball deep into the defensive line and when he was within a metre of the line Harvey Smith threw a great pass to his right to Israel Lotaki who literally had to just fall over to score.

Harvey Smith then added a third try assist in the 51st minute when from five metres inside his own territory Harvey Smith ran to his left after the ball was played near centre field and threw a long cut [out pass to his left to his left winger who raced down the left touchline to score in the corner.

Harvey Smith started Round Three against Mabel Park State High School at halfback and had as good a match as I have ever seen from a young play maker with Harvey Smith scoring a hat trick, setting up three more tries and also kicking seven conversions including an outstanding conversion from the left touchline in the 10th minute to convert Qubin Anderson’s outstanding solo try.

Harvey Smith scored inside the first minute of the match when after Mabel Park SHS turned the ball over on the second tackle of the match, Harvey Smith received the ball from the dummy half to his left around ten metres out and immediately dummied both to his inside and out before sliding between two defenders. Harvey Smith stepped off his left looking to beat the fullback but after being engaged by the Mabel Park fullback Harvey Smith fought through the tackle to get the ball down mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field. Harvey Smith then stepped up to convert his own try.

Harvey Smith’s second try came in just the 8th minute when after receiving the ball from his left from Qubin Anderson around fourteen metres out and in space, Harvey Smith dummied to his right before slicing through a gap and scoring once again mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field. Harvey Smith then stepped up to convert his own try once again.

Harvey Smith completed his hat trick in the in the 29th minute when from a Keebra Park SHS win ten metres out Harvey Smith ran to his right after receiving the ball from the base of the scrum from Qubin Anderson. As he approached the Mabel Park SHS defensive line Harvey Smith shaped to pass to his right but instead sliced through a gap to score five metres in from the right corner post.

The first of Harvey Smith’s try assists came in the 13th minute when on the right side of the field, Harvey Smith got on the outside of his direct opponent, then drawing in a further defender and off-loading to his right to put Jacoebi Murphy into space with the right centre running twenty metres to score ten metres in from the right corner post.

Harvey Smith’s second assist came in the 47th minute when after being put into a gap on halfway by Kingston Seven Harvey Smith drew the Mabel Park SHS fullback and passed to his right to put his winger over in the corner.

Harvey Smith also recorded a 43rd minute line break assist when whilst operating on the right side of the field near the halfway mark Harvey Smith ran deep into the defensive line and threw a long, hard cut-out pass to his right to put his winger away down the right touchline.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Harvey Smith is in terms of running the ball, he has outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus plus category and top end speed which must be considered above average regardless of position.

Harvey Smith with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control. It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well.

Teams start to focus heavily on Harvey Smith when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Harvey Smith can exploit with a multitude of different types of passes.

Harvey Smith has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Harvey Smith can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can react and readjust.

Harvey Smith also runs with the ball in both hands at the defensive line which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Harvey Smith is going to do.

Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Harvey Smith cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Harvey Smith is an exceptional tactical kicker with range and accuracy, he can put up pin point bombs and perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. In short if you can name a type of rugby league kick, Harvey Smith can execute it with precision.

Harvey Smith is also an outstanding goal kicker already with exceptional range and accuracy and there is no doubt at all that Harvey Smith has all of the goal kicking attributes to any team’s primary goal kicker moving forward into the future.

Defensively Harvey Smith is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus Harvey Smith is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

Harvey Smith has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on Harvey Smith’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Harvey Smith is an outstanding defender.

Another area where Harvey Smith has a plus attribute is in relation to his leaderships skills. Harvey Smith is a strong confident personality and that translates to a leader on and off the field and you can see that the other players gravitate towards him.

This is a trait that you cannot teach, you either have it or you don’t. Even if he is not the nominated captain on the field Harvey Smith is a leader regardless of which team he is lining up for and acts accordingly both on and off the field.

Harvey Smith is also an outstanding Oztag player and has represented at the state level.

2023 will see Harvey Smith move up to the Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League competition for Keebra Park State High School.

I am a touch conflicted in terms of where Harvey Smith’s best position on a rugby league field is (or ultimately will be). I could legitimately make an argument that Harvey Smith’s best position is at halfback/five eight as the more he has the ball in his hands the better, but also at fullback where Harvey Smith could see the entire field and pick and choose where and when he should get involved to maximise his impact for his team’s benefit.

If push comes to shove, I will lean ever so slightly towards Harvey Smith ending up at halfback or five eight but there is no doubt Harvey Smith also has immense potential at fullback as well.

With his speed off the mark, elusiveness and innate play making ability in the halves, Harvey Smith’s playing style is eerily similar to that of Sydney Roosters boom rookie five eight Sam Walker. Both Harvey Smith and Walker just seem to have all of the time in the world to make their decisions and just seem to be playing at a speed far in excess to players around them and also a play or two in front of them as well.

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Seth Gundry. The local fullback was named in the 2022 South Coast U15 School Boy side for the QSSRL Championships and started Match One against Northern at fullback before moving to the right wing for the second half.

Another junior the Rabbitohs have signed.

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Zachariah Williams. The Lower Clarence Magpies centre or second rower was a strong performer in the 2022 NRRRL U18 competition and proved to be a dangerous attacking threat on the right side of the field for the Magpies.

After Lower Clarence had a Round One bye Zachariah Williams started Round Two and Three at right second rower and scored in the 19th minute in Round Two against the Kyogle Turkeys when after receiving a good ball from his inside from five eight Kaleb Hope around ten metres out from the try line Zachariah Williams was too big and strong for the defence to get the ball down ten metres in from the right corner post.

After a number of rounds were postponed due to wet weather in northern New South Wales Zachariah Williams moved to right centre in Round Seven and Round Eight against the Bilambil Jets with Zachariah Williams scoring his second try of the season in the 15th minute when from ten metres out Zachariah Williams received a pass from the back of a Magpies scrum win and charge over to score ten metres in from the right corner post.

In Round Nine when Zachariah Williams also started at right centre against Casino RSM and Zachariah Williams had a big match scoring twenty of the Magpies points from a hat trick and four conversions.

Zachariah Williams scored his opening try in the 12th minute when from fifteen metres out Zachariah Williams ran into a gap, getting a good short ball from his left from his halfback with Zachariah Williams raving through and then was able to bring the ball around closer to the posts, putting the ball down three metres to the right of the uprights.

Zachariah Williams scored a second try in the 15th minute when he backed up a line break from his halfback Hugh Inmon, receiving the ball around forty two metres out with Zachariah Williams then beating the cover defence to score near the right corner.

Zachariah Williams completed his hat trick in the 28th minute when once again he backed up a Magpies line break on this occasion by lock Riley Anderson with Zachariah Williams receiving the ball and running twenty five metres to score adjacent to the right upright.

The match also saw Zachariah Williams throw the final pass for his right winger to score in the corner in the 42nd minute.

The pace and power in terms of how Zachariah Williams runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, Zachariah Williams 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 Zachariah Williams 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 Zachariah Williams’s speed would be considered above average for a second rower 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. When playing in the second row Zachariah Williams’s speed can be considered in the plus category.

Zachariah Williams also has a very powerful fend especially with his right hand as traditionally Zachariah Williams has lined up on the left side of the field whether Zachariah Williams is playing in the centres or in the second row.

The defensive side of his game is similarly effective, Zachariah Williams 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, Zachariah Williams just hits so hard so regularly, so effectively and with precision.

Zachariah Williams 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, long limbs and defensive technique Zachariah Williams should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of age group or quality of opponent. Zachariah Williams also has some aggression (more than some on occasion) 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.

Whilst I appreciate that Zachariah Williams played very well for the Lower Clarence Magpies in the centres in the 2022 NRRRL U18 competition, with his size and speed with a touch more growth and development to come in both categories, Zachariah Williams, I believe will develop into a more than solid rugby league second rower with the requisite size in relation to current rugby league trends. Zachariah Williams also has the body type to add additional muscle mass to his frame without compromising his overall mobility or speed whilst adding strength and power.

A player with a similar playing style for me for Zachariah Williams would be Parramatta Eels and New South Wales State of Origin second rower Ryan Matherson as a tall young man with some speed and power in his running game.

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Dynari Aiolupo. The talented centre attended Keebra Park State High School in 2022 as part of the Keebra Park SHS Bronco’s Old Boys School Boy Rugby League side as part of Keebra Park SHS’s Elite Rugby League Academy.

From a club rugby league perspective Dynari Aiolupo played for Redback Plains in the Ipswich Rugby League U14 competition in 2022.

For a centre, Dynari Aiolupo is a big strong, tall young man who does not rely just on his size and speed and using his natural running gait and balance to either engage the opposing defenders and off load, run either an inside or outside shoulder route or an in and away to slow the forward momentum of the defender and accelerate on the outside.

For a player of his size, Dynari Aiolupo also has a very good passing game, when the ball is passed out to the back line, Dynari Aiolupo is very good at straitening up the attacking vector of his team and pass to his outside supports if they have room to move further out wide as a result of the defence pushing in.

From a speed perspective Dynari Aiolupo has above average speed for both his size and position and when he breaks into open space, he will not be caught from behind other than from only the fastest of opponents and he is also very good at positioning his support players when he gets to the fullback. The only possible question about Dynari Aiolupo ’s speed is whether it will stay at or near the plus category as he matures and inevitably fills out.
Defensively Dynari Aiolupo uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing centre gets on his outside.

Dynari Aiolupo on an individual level has the body control and anticipation to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack will come from and innately understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when and if to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation.

In 2023 Dynari Aiolupo will move up to the Keebra Park State High School Renouf Cup School Boy Rugby League side as well as play for Redbank Plains in the Ipswich Rugby League U15 Division One competition. Dynari Aiolupo will also push for selection in the South Coast U15 School Boy QSSRL Rugby League Representative side.

Dynari Aiolupo has played in various positions in the Ipswich Rugby League competition including in the forwards but Dynari Aiolupo seems have found a home in the centres for Keebra Park SHS and that for me is the best position for Dynari Aiolupo moving forward.

With his size, speed and power Dynari Aiolupo’s playing style is not dis-similar to that of standout Penrith Panther rookie NRL centre Izac Tago, both just ooze class and potential and just have something about them when you watch them play the game.

[mdrew]

Cavell Tuilaepa. The powerfully built second rower attended Keebra Park State High School in 2022 as part of the Keebra Park State High School Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League side in their Elite Rugby League Academy.

Cavell Tuilaepa started Round One of the 2022 Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League competition at right second row against Ipswich SHS and recorded two try assists with one coming in each half. Both of Cavell Tuilaepa’s try assists were similar in both nature and execution.

On both occasions Cavell Tuilaepa received the ball to the right of the play the ball and took the ball to the defensive line before throwing a good short pass to his right to a support runner, on each occasion putting them through a gap to score from around twenty metres out.

Cavell Tuilaepa also started Round Two against Redcliffe SHS at right second row as well as Round Three against Mabel Park State High School, on both occasions performing strongly.

In 2021 Cavell Tuilaepa represented Samoa at the U14 QPICC Carnival including being part of the Samoa side that defeated Queensland Maori 16 – 14 in the Grand Final.

Big, strong, fast and powerful are the words that immediately come to mind when watching Cavell Tuilaepa play rugby league. From an attacking perspective Cavell Tuilaepa is a straight hard runner when he has the ball in hand but Cavell Tuilaepa does have some deft and subtle footwork that he uses prior to engagement with the opposition defensive line.

Cavell Tuilaepa has shown the ability to run both an inside and outside shoulder route impressively on both sides of the field and Cavell Tuilaepa runs both routes with pace and power and attracts multiple defenders to try to stop him on each occasion. When Cavell Tuilaepa impacts the defensive line he drops his shoulder into the defenders and regularly bumps off multiple defenders in a single run that leads to multiple post contact metres being gained.

Cavell Tuilaepa has a vicious and aggressive tackling style he really looks to come out of the line and literally smash his opposite number as hard as possible and on a regular basis. Cavell Tuilaepa does however have more than decent lateral mobility which enables him to readjust if his opposite number gets on the outside and Cavell Tuilaepa, once he gets moving have above average straight line speed which enables him to close the distance to the attacker.

Cavell Tuilaepa, in 2023 will move up to the Keebra Park State High School Walters Cup School Boy Rugby League side and will push for selection in the South Coast U15 School Boy QSSRL Rugby League Representative side.

Cavell Tuilaepa is a big strong young man but at the same time possess exceptional speed and mobility of a player of his size as thus Cavell Tuilaepa is seemingly an ideal candidate to be considered a young rugby league second rower with outstanding potential.

Cavell Tuilaepa is a big strong second rower will surprising speed, mobility and elusiveness for his size and strength and as a consequence an NRL player comparison to North Queensland Cowboys and former Wests Tigers second rower Luciano Leilua is not unreasonable in relation to Cavell Tuilaepa. Cavell Tuilaepa has a similar level of aggressiveness to the Cowboys second rower in both attack and defence.

[mdrew]

Kaleb Hope. The exceptionally talented five eight or centre was one of the stand-out newcomers to the 2022 NRRRL U18 competition and took the competition by storm for the Lower Clarence Coast Magpies.

After Lower Clarence had a Round One bye, Kaleb Hope started at five eight in Round two against the Kyogle Turkeys, scoring a try and kicking a conversion. Kaleb Hope scored in the 15th minute when after Kyogle were penalised ten metres out from the Magpies line, Kaleb Hope took a quick tap and raced through the middle of the Turkeys defence and then Kaleb Hope was able to outrun a desperate chase by the Kyogle fullback to dive over in the left corner after a ninety metre run.

Kaleb Hope also recorded a 19th minute try assist in Round Two against the Kyogle Turkeys when Kaleb Hope took the ball deep into the defensive line to the right of the play the ball and throw a good short ball in the same direction to Zachariah Williams who received the ball around ten metres out from the try line, Zachariah Williams was then too big and strong for the Turkeys defence to get the ball down ten metres in from the right corner post.

After missing a number of rounds, including some that were washed out Kaleb Hope started at five eight in Round Nine against Casino RSM, with Kaleb Hope having a big match scoring a hat trick.

Kaleb Hope scored his opening try in the 24th minute when Kalbe Hope moved into dummy half with the play the ball just to the right of the uprights and around thirteen metres out. After Kaleb Hope took possession he dummied to this right and before running himself, getting through a big hole in the defensive line to put the ball down adjacent to the right upright.

Kaleb Hope scored his second try in the 45th minute when with the play the ball right on the right touchline Kaleb Hope lined up as the first receiver but the pass from the dummy half forced Kaleb Hope to turn and run back to twenty metres from the try line to collect the ball. From there Kaleb Hope produced a wicked left foot step to beat the initial defender before showing elite speed to beat a number of other defenders and get the ball down mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field.

Kaleb Hope completed his hat trick in the 57th minute and it was certainly worth the wait. Kaleb Hope was defending in the centre of the field and twenty metres out from his own try line when the Casino RSM halfback attempted to put a chip kick over his head but Kaleb Hope jumped high and took the kick in his outstretched right hand and as soon as his feet hit the ground Kaleb Hope raced eighty metres to score under the posts.

Kaleb Hope also threw the final pass late in the second half for replacement front rower Toby Austin to crash over mid-way between the corner post and goal posts on the left side of the field. From around ten metres from the line Kaleb Hope took the ball to the defensive line before throwing an inside ball to Toby Austin who barged his was over much to the delight of his team mates.

It was just one of those match where everything that Kaleb Hope touched turned to gold, including in the 38th minute when his kick-off could not be handled by Casino RSM with the ball bouncing dead in-goal to force a goal line drop-out.

Kaleb Hope continued at five eight in Round Ten against the Ballina Seagulls with Kaleb Hope scoring the Magpies only try of the match in the 45th minute when after the Magpies were tackled around three metres out and to the left of the uprights, Kaleb Hope moved to the left of the paly the ball.

After demanding and receiving the pass from the dummy half, Kaleb Hope dummied to his left before executing two exquisite steps off his left foot to bamboozle a number of Seagulls defenders with Kaleb Hope able to dive over mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field with barely a hand being laid upon him.

Kaleb Hope started the 2022 season as part of the Greater Northern Tigers U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad and played in all five of the Greater Northern Tigers matches, starting the opening four rounds at five eight before moving to right centre in Round Five against the Western Rams.

For the Greater Northern Tigers in the 2022 U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition Kaleb Hope scored thirty two points from three tries and ten conversions.

Kaleb Hope scored in Rounds One, Three and Five against the North Coast Bulldogs, the Northern Rivers Titans and Western Rams respectively.

With the boot Kaleb Hope kicked four conversions against the North Coast Bulldogs in Round One, a conversion against the Central Coast Roosters in Round Two, three conversions in Round Three against the Northern Rivers Titans, a conversion in Round Four against the Newcastle Knights and Kaleb Hope converted his own try in Round Five against the Western Rams.

Kaleb Hope moved up to the Clarence Coast region after playing for the Glenn Inness Magpies in the Group 19 Rugby League competition where he spent a lot of time at fullback.

From a representative rugby league perspective, Kaleb Hope played for the Group 19 U14 junior rugby league representative side at the New South Wales Country Age Championships in 2019.

Kaleb Hope is a big strong super quick five eight or centre with an effortless running style with a classic centres build with the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is rare in the modern game. His has used this skill set on multiple occasions on the right side of the field. Right centre is the only position that I have seen him play for his club side.

Kaleb Hope has a very strong left hand fend which prevents opposing centres getting in on him and forcing him towards the sideline. Even though he has size, strength and power in the centre position, he does look for his outside support when confronted with the fullback, even though he is more than capable of beating fullbacks one on one if need be and certainly does on occasion when he outpaces his support players.

When the defence is sliding Kaleb Hope will cut inside and when the defence is playing an up and up style he has the plus speed and agile footwork to get on the outside of his direct opponent and beat him for speed to exploit the gap created. In terms of his speed, in all aspects it would be considered at the plus level in terms of speed off the mark, top end speed and sustainability.

Another aspect where he is also very good is his ability to run out of dummy half. Kaleb Hope’s size strength speed and power coupled with his plus footwork enables him to make a significant amount of ground out of dummy half and also give his forward a breather.

Defensively his game is built on intimidation, Kaleb Hope will come in when the opportunity presents itself and hit very hard around the chest, you can see the opposing centre looking where he was positioned as the ball was moved out to the back line also Kaleb Hope’s plus speed enables him to recover if he is beaten on the outside.

Currently Kaleb Hope is better to an up and in defensive methodology but I would argue that is more to do with how coaches want him to play rather than any concern that he cannot be effective in a sliding defensive scheme. With his speed, timing and strength, why not take advantage of his ability to intimidate his opposing centre.

Scaringly for opponents, Kaleb Hope is still U18 eligible in 2023 and should he wish so, Kaleb Hope will push for a spot in the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad as well as continuing for the Lower Clarence Magpies in the NRRRL U18 competition and possibly at higher levels as well.

For me Kaleb Hope is a strong powerful centre with plus speed and footwork and has the skills to stay at centre in the long term and more than that has the skills to potentially become a legitimate strike centre and they are a rare breed to say the least.

Kaleb Hope has played a lot of five eight in 2022 at both club and representative level and whilst I still believe that on the balance of probabilities that he will end up in the centres, Kaleb Hope’s play at five eight is definitely cause for pause on my assessment however.

The skills and experience that he is currently picking up at five eight is going to be of huge benefit going forward even if Kaleb Hope ends up in the centres in the long term. To throw another curve into the mix, Kaleb Hope’s skill set would play exceptionally well at fullback. In short the possibilities for Kaleb Hope are endless.

Regardless of the age group or level, you do not often see a player with such a combination of Kaleb Hope’s speed, size, strength and power compared to his peers, couple that with an innate understanding of how to play rugby league and you have a young player with immense potential waiting to be tapped in the coming years in Kaleb Hope.

With his outstanding skill set coupled with his size and speed combination Kaleb Hope is simply a player of immense potential and the play of Parramatta Eels five eight Dylan Brown is a more than fair and accurate comparison from a playing style perspective.

Both Brown and Kaleb Hope have the ability to play to a set game plan as well as playing what is in front of them and unlike some current NRL halves have the youthful courage to look to win a match rather than trying not to lose it.

Many young players pop up on an annual basis with incredible potential but few are able to work hard enough or have the degree of luck with injuries necessary to harness and exploit it, few would argue however that Kaleb Hope will do everything possible to not just make it to the NRL but dominate once he gets there.

[Whats Doing]

MDrew

I note that Phillip Coates from Marymount College who is the younger brother of Xavier made the Confraternity Shield team of the competition. Do you know much about him as to make that team is a pretty good effort

[mdrew]

MDrew

I note that Phillip Coates from Marymount College who is the younger brother of Xavier made the Confraternity Shield team of the competition. Do you know much about him as to make that team is a pretty good effort

Not a huge amount mate, I have seen him a couple of times and in some respects he is similiar to his bother with size and speed. The Marymount College boys have a great work and team ethic so he will be one to keep an eye on.

Xavier to a degree was a bit of a late bloomer in scouts eye's (not mine) and maybe Phillip is the same.

[mdrew]

Kaleb Smith. The Gold Coast local lock from Palm Beach Currumbin (PBC) State High School was selected in the 2022 Queensland Maroon U15 Queensland School Boy Rugby League Representative Side for the Australian Championships after representing South Coast at the Queensland U15 School Boy Championships that were held at Cbus Stadium.

Kaleb Smith started from the bench in the opening match of the Championships against NSW CHS with Kaleb Smith coming off the bench mid-way through the opening half with Kaleb Smith operating as a link between the Qld Maroon forwards and backline.

Kaleb Smith also started from the bench in Match Two against NSW CCC coming on mid-way through the first half to operate at lock. Kaleb Smith then moved into the starting side at lock in Queensland Maroon’s heart breaking golden point extra time semi-final loss against NSW CIS.

The Queensland Maroon U15 ASSRL School Boy side was not the first representative side that Kaleb Smith has made as in 2019 Kaleb Smith was named in the Queensland U12 Primary School Boy Rugby League Representative side.

Kaleb Smith is a smooth strong runner of the ball who seems to glide across the field effortlessly and certainly has an extra gear in relation to the speed he possesses as well as plus speed off the mark. In the centre position, Kaleb Smith has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern game.

When he gets the ball early from his inside play makers, Kaleb Smith is incredibly difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, Kaleb Smith is also a strong ball runner who has the power to also break tackles through sheer power and not just rely on his speed to beat his opponent.

The one thing that Kaleb Smith also seems to be able to do well, is to step back inside without the loss of his speed or forward momentum, opposing defenders seem to push out quickly when he has the ball expecting him to look to beat them on their outside, if they come across to far, Kaleb Smith has a very good step back side and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across Kaleb Smith has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, Kaleb Smith’s quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short he is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

Defensively Kaleb Smith is solid at wrapping the ball up and slides well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well.

2023 will see Kaleb Smith progress to the Palm Beach Currumbin SHS’s Walters Cup School Boy rugby league side.

Kaleb Smith, with his ability to run the ball and his ball playing ability to be a great link between for forwards and back, looks an ideal modern day rugby league lock forward.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Kaleb Smith think along the lines of someone like Souths Sydney Rabbitohs and New South Wales State of Origin lock Cameron Murray.

Like Murray, Kaleb Smith is developing into a very solid ball playing forward who can pop a short pass to his supports both prior to the line and when engaged with the defensive line as well as running the ball effectively as well.

Kaleb Smith just looks to be a natural footballer with an innate ability to know where and when to pass the ball as well as having a hard edge in defence.

[mdrew]

Judah Marsden. The exceptionally talented lock plays for the Helensvale Hornets and has been a stand-out of the Hornets in the Gold Coast Rugby League U13 Division One competition.

Judah Marsden has had some exceptional matches for the Hornets this season including an outstanding match against the Southport Tigers which saw Judah Marsden score multiple tries as well as record two line breaks.

Judah Marsden scoring his opening try of the match when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball around sixty metres out, Judah Marsden utilising a strong left arm fend to beat one defender before running over the top of two defenders near the halfway mark to charge into open space down the left touchline with Judah Marsden beating the Tigers fullback with another powerful left arm fend to score in the right corner.

Judah Marsden scored his second try when he charged onto the ball from six metres out and to the right of the play the ball with Judah Marsden proving to be just too big and strong for the defence to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Judah Marsden completed his hat trick as a result of another strong run, on this occasion from twenty five metres out and to the left of the play the ball, with Judah Marsden breaking six tackles to score ten metres to the left of the uprights.

Judah Marsden added a fourth try with a twenty metre surge to the try line after running onto the ball to the right of the play the ball with Judah Marsden getting the ball down adjacent to the left upright.

Judah Marsden has played exceptionally well in multiple matches this year and below I try to capture some (definitely not all) of his best moments in both the U13 GCRL Grading competition as well as the GCRL U13 Division One competition.

Against the Burleigh Bears, Judah Marsden scored two powerhouse tries as well as a twenty five metre line break when after receiving the ball three passes to the left of a Helensvale scrum win, Judah Marsden utilised a left arm fend to beat defenders.

Judah Marsden scored his opening try from thirty five metres out and three passes to the left of the play the ball with Judah Marsden used three right arm fends to beat defenders as he raced down the right touchline. Judah Marsden was in fact tackled just short of the try line but was able to roll over with momentum to get the ball down in the left corner.

Judah Marsden’s second try was a close range effort when he ran out of dummy half to his left to crash over mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Judah Marsden added three more tries and a try assist against the Ormeau Shearers with his opening try as a result of a thirty metre run on the left side of the field after Judah Marsden had taken possession on the bounce from his inside with Judah Marsden bursting straight through the defensive line with Judah Marsden then able to bring the ball around to under the goal posts.

Judah Marsden second his second try when he ran down a left blindside from ten metres out with Judah Marsden running over the top of two defenders to get the ball down five metres in from the right corner post.

Judah Marsden added a third try with a run from ten metres out from the left of the play the ball with Judah Marsden cutting back to his right after taking possession and broke four tackle in a powerful run to get the ball own under the posts.

Judah Marsden also recorded a try assist when after running the ball down a short left blindside from forty metres out, Judah Marsden drew the Shearers and then passed to his right to put his support runner away to score under the post.

Judah Marsden’ first line break was as a result of a sixty charge through the centre of the field with Judah Marsden breaking five tackles before off-loading to his halfback.

Judah Marsden’s second line break was a sixty five metres charge down the left channel before being tackled twenty metres out from the try line.

Judah Marsden’s strong 2022 season was also evident against the Runaway Bay Seagulls with Judah Marsden adding a double to his already impressive list of 2022 tries with the first of Judah Marsden’s tries coming when Judah Marsden ran onto the ball thirty five metres out and to the left of the play the ball. Judah Marsden stepped off his right foot before shrugging off two defenders with Judah Marsden then executing a right arm fend to beat a fourth defender with Judah Marsden then stepping off his left foot to beat the Seagulls right winger before Judah Marsden pushed off the fullback to score mid-way between the corner post and goal post on the right side of the field.

Judah Marsden’s second try came from a dummy half run to his right with the play the ball five metres out and ten metres in from the left touchline. After running to his right, Judah Marsden stepped off his right foot cutting back to the area behind the play the ball with Judah Marsden beating four defenders in a very short space of time to score five metres in from the left corner post.

The Beaudesert Kingfishers are another team to feel Judah Marsden’s sting with Judah Marsden scoring on four occasions against them with Judah Marsden also adding a line break which came very close to making it five tries in the match.

Judah Marsden’s opening try against Beaudesert was an outstanding solo effort that commenced on the halfway mark with Judah Marsden utilising multiple left arm fends to beat defenders as he surged down the left touchline before Judah Marsden stepped of his left foot to beat the fullback with Judah Marsden then bringing the ball around to score under the posts.

Judah Marsden’s second try was a thirty five metre effort when he ran the ball to the left of the play the ball with Judah Marsden executing a left arm fend to beat the Kingfishers right winger before a second left arm fend beat the fullback with Judah Marsden racing down the left touchline before stepping inside just before the left corner as two defenders came across with Judah Marsden’s step enabling him to get past them to score three metres in from the left corner post.

Judah Marsden added a third try with a twenty two metre run from the right of the play the ball when after Judah Marsden took possession of the ball on the first bounce with Judah Marsden running to his right before shaping to pass in the same direction. Judah Marsden then straightened up on his run to break through four tackles to dive over five metres to the right of the uprights.

Judah Marsden scored his fourth try and what an outstanding try it was. Beaudesert were on the attack and put in a grubber kick which Judah Marsden collected cleanly in from of the posts and two metres out from his own try line. Upon collecting the ball, Judah Marsden ran to his right, bumping off one would be defender before Judah Marsden raced ninety eight metres downfield to score under the posts.

Judah Marsden almost scored a fifty try when from forty two metres out, Judah Marsden utilised a right foot step to beat one defender before veering to his right to beat the fullback only to be caught from behind two metres out in front of the posts.

Judah Marsden also plays rugby and in 2022 Judah Marsden played for his school rugby side, being Kings Christian College at the U13 School Boy Ballymore Cup with Kings Christian College going through the competition undefeated, including winning their Division Grand Final 48 – 0 with Judah Marsden being named the 2022 Ballymore Cup U13 Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.

In 2021 Judah Marsden was named in the 2021 Queensland Har E Wha Maori U12 Merit Team.

Judah Marsden is an outstanding athlete and this can be seen when he is running with the football. In his carries Judah Marsden 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.

Judah Marsden 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. One reason for this is that he is a smart footballer, Judah Marsden does not try to run over defenders, but Judah Marsden runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle.

Judah Marsden does not necessarily have a great top end speed, but he is certainly more than fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence.

Judah Marsden’s best timed speed during a match was 33.2km per hour in Round One of the 2020 NRL competition for the Brisbane Bronco’s against the North Queensland Cowboys.

Playing on the left hand side of the field seemingly more often (although he can certainly play on the right), means that his left foot step and his fending using his right hand are the 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 right hand side of the field.

In defence Judah Marsden regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not always one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.
When the opportunity presents Judah Marsden has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent. Ultimately though Judah Marsden is a strong defender with a good front on technique and good lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.
Judah Marsden is also a solid goal kicker but it is too early to make a concrete determination as to whether Judah Marsden will be a team’s primary goal kicking option, but at the very least Judah Marsden should be a very solid back-up option.

Judah Marsden will finish the 2022 Gold Coast Rugby League season with the Helensvale Hornets in the U13 Division One competition before moving up to the U14 Division One competition in 2023.

Judah Marsden will also continue to play school boy rugby with Kings Christian College.

Judah Marsden plays primarily at lock for the Hornets, no doubt with a roving commission to inject himself where and when he sees an opportunity and I have no doubt that this scenario will continue in the future.

The question is what is Judah Marsden’s best position? For me it really does not matter what the answer to that question is. As long as Judah Marsden gets the ball where and when he wants it, nothing else really matters. Understandably the Helensvale Hornets U13 Division One coach lined Judah Marsden up at lock to have Judah Marsden as close to the action as possible.

Ultimately I think that Judah Marsden will continue at lock where he may well just redefine how the lock forward position is played.

Regardless of what position Judah Marsden ends up playing, he is some sort of elite talent and very very quickly is right up there in terms of being one of my favourite players in the entire Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition.

From a player comparison perspective for Judah Marsden, the best I can identify is a combination of the Titans very own David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. You can take the best parts of their game and combine them together and you will have some idea of Judah Marsden’s current dominance.

[mdrew]

Aaron Singh-Goesel. In early August 2022 Aaron Singh-Goesel was deservedly named as one of the four 2022 Tom Searle Scholarship winners at a ceremony attended by the likes of Greg Ingles.

Aaron Singh-Goesel started the 2022 season as a member of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad with Aaron Singh-Goesel playing in all seven of the Northern Rivers Titans matches including starting in the front row in both of the Northern Rivers Titans finals being the semi-final against the Dragons and the Grand Final win against the Wests Tigers.

Aaron Singh-Goesel scored twice for the Northern Rivers Titans in the 2022 U16 Andrew Johns Cup with Aaron Singh-Goesel scoring his first try in the 29th minute of Round One against the Wests Tigers and in the 48th minute of Round Four against the Centre Coast Roosters.

Aaron Singh-Goesel’s try against the Wests Tigers was as a result of strong run to the left of the play the ball with Aaron Singh-Goesel charging at the defensive line from twelve metres out and after Aaron Singh-Goesel impacted the defensive line Aaron Singh-Goesel spun 360 degrees counter clockwise and continued on to get the ball down under the posts.

In Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters, Aaron Singh-Goesel charged onto the ball from six metres out and to the left of the play the ball with Aaron Singh-Goesel crashing over to score five metres to the left of the uprights.

2022 also saw Aaron Singh-Goesel start from the bench for a Titans Northern Rivers U17 side that played a Titans JTS squad at Cbus Stadium in a Titans NRL curtain-raiser.

Even though he was still U16 eligible Aaron Singh-Goesel played a number of matches for the Murwillumbah Mustangs in the 2022 NRRRL U18 competition with Aaron Singh-Goesel making his first appearance off the bench in Round Seven against the Byron Bay Devils. Aaron Singh-Goesel made three more appearances off the bench before Aaron Singh-Goesel made his first start in Round Thirteen against Casino RSM with Aaron Singh-Goesel starting the match in the second row.

Aaron Singh-Goesel scored his first NRRRL U18 try in Round Nine against the Tweed Heads Seagulls when in the 30th minute Aaron Singh-Goesel followed through a bomb towards the right win and after the ball was knocked forward by Tweed Heads Aaron Singh Goesel was on hand to take possession and then was able to bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Aaron Singh-Goesel also attended Murwillumbah High School in 2022 and played for them in a number of New South Wales School Boy rubgy league competitions.

Aaron Singh-Goesel is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which Aaron Singh-Goesel uses to cut back behind the play the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

Where Aaron Singh-Goesel’s game has really developed over the last couple of seasons his ability to play wider of the ruck, which is where he is primarily playing for the Northern Pride this season. With his size and strength wider of the ruck Aaron Singh-Goesel attracts defenders and thus is in a position to use his ball skills to set up his outside supports early in a match. When defences start to try to anticipate that Aaron Singh-Goesel is going to pass then he can use his size and power to crash through the defensive line as no defender is going to be able to handle him one on one by themselves.

In defence Aaron Singh-Goesel uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Aaron Singh-Goesel is not adverse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck, although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most front rowers are.

Whilst Aaron Singh-Goesel played the entire 2022 U16 Andrew Johns Cup season in the front row, I personally believe that Aaron Singh-Goesel has the speed and mobility to operate very effectively in the second row, at the very least in the short to medium term. No doubt Aaron Singh-Goesel is already has significant potential as a front rower, I believe that Aaron Singh-Goesel’s speed and mobility is currently better suited to the second row.

Aaron Singh-Goesel will play the 2023 season in the NRRRL U18 competition for the Murwillumbah Mustangs and is also likely to be a member of the 2023 Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad with Aaron Singh-Goesel also being U18 eligible in 2024.

The NRL player comparison for Aaron Singh-Goesel is one of the easiest I have ever considered with his game eerily similar to that of North Queensland Cowboy and former Queensland State of Origin player Coen Hess, both a tall powerfully built players with outstanding speed and mobility for their size.

I think that sometimes big powerful players like Hess and Aaron Singh-Goesel are unfairly critiqued if they don’t make breaks or score every time that they touch the ball heck opposing teams are always keyed into the danger that they pose and adjust accordingly.