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  1. #826
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    James Torrens. The tough young centre was impressive throughout the 2018 season for Northern Rivers in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition as well as in the NRRRL competition for Ballina for whom he played across all three grades of the NRRRL competition including an outstanding NRRRL First Grade debut.

    James Torrens started off the season, performing solidly for Northern Rivers in the inaugural U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition starting in the centres in four matches against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad, North Coast, Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers.

    For the Ballina Seagulls in the NRRRL U18 competition, James Torrens finished the regular season playing in eleven matches and scoring twelve tries. Of those twelve tries, James Torrens scored ten of those in a six game period from late May to late July.

    In that span James Torrens scored a hat trick against Murwillumbah, doubles against Casino RSM and Cudgen and tries against Tweed Coast, Kyogle and Lower Clarence.

    With his twelve try tally James Torrens finished equal second on the U18 NRRRL try scoring list equal with Tweed Coast forward Oscar Clarke and five behind Cudgen centre Liam Cusack.

    James Torrens was part of the Ballina U18 NRRRL Grand Final side that won 30 – 4 to Cudgen with James Torrens starting the Grand Final in his usual left centre position. Throughout the Grand Final James Torrens was a handful for the Cudgen defence, scoring a good try and also making a long break when he fielded a Cudgen grubber kick on his own line and charging downfield on a 60 metre run before the cover defence converged.

    In the Grand Final James Torrens had the responsibility of taking the first hit up from every one of Ballina’s scrum wins, regularly bending the Cudgen defence back and putting the Seagulls on the front foot.

    James Torrens made his NRRRL Reserve Grade debut in June 2018, against Casino RSM and in 2018 went on to play in six Reserve Grade matches in total scoring three tries, including a double against Lower Clarence and also scoring in his second Reserve Grade game against Mullumbimby.

    James Torrens made his NRRRL First Grade debut in late July against Lower Clarence and what a debut he had, scoring a double on a memorable afternoon. James Torrens had scored a double in the earlier Reserve Grade match as well as scoring in the U18 match that same day.

    In 2017 James Torrens represented the East Coast Dolphins in the New South Wales Country U16 Championships and in 2016 represented Group One at the U15 New South Wales Junior Country Championships.

    James Torrens just oozes class on the field he is able to break tackles at will but also understands when it is more appropriate to draw his opponent and pass. He has used this skill set on multiple occasions on the right side of the field. He has a very strong right hand fend which prevents opposing centres getting in on him and forcing him towards the sideline.

    Over the course of the entire season, both at club and representative level James Torrens was outstanding at left centre.

    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.

    James Torrens also has very good hands, on a number of occasions for Ballina in the U18 NRRRL competition this season, he picked up a number of passes from either low down or above his head and then can use his speed off the mark to look to create something for either himself or his team mates.

    Defensively James Torrens hits very hard with above average initial contact being more than sufficient to halt the forward momentum of the ball carrier. James Torrens is constantly is in a position to disrupt the attacking movement of the opposition.

    Extrapolating his skill set to the NRL, I would suggest that James Torrens would be more than capable to adapt and excel in either an up and in or sliding methodology.

    The other point I will make is that James Torrens certainly does not shirk contact, both in attack or defence and seems to revel in the physical aspects of defending.

    James Torrens will be part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad in 2019 and will also be U18 eligible in 2020 and whilst he will play a lot of the season in the NRRRL U18 competition, James Torrens I am sure will add to his one NRRRL First Grade match this season with Ballina.

    James Torrens is a solidly built young man but has the speed, mobility, skill set and mentality to stay in the centres for the duration of his rugby league career.

    From a player comparison perspective for James Torrens think of a young version of Manly centre Steve Matai, as a powerfully built centre who is an aggressive player and one who looks to physically dominate his opposite number in defence as well as being more than effective from an attacking perspective.

  2. #827
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    Kayah Riggs-Noble. The big strong young 17 year old front rower came from the clouds a touch in 2018 not just breaking into the Coombabah State High Side but by seasons end being one of their better performers alongside Titan Carsil Vaikai. Kayah Riggs-Noble started for Coombabah in their 17 – 16 win over Marymount College to qualify for the Queensland GIO Cup quarter finals.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble played the 2018 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition, playing in five matches in that grade with those matches coming against Currumbin, Tweed Heads, Burleigh, Ormeau and Runaway Bay.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble also played in one U19 GCRL match in 2018 that match occurring in Week Two of the Finals. Kayah Riggs-Noble started from the bench as Mudgeeraba were knocked as a result of a 54 – 26 loss to Bilambil.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble also played one MM Cup match and one Hastings Deering’s Colts match in 2018. He made his MM Cup debit in Round Seven against Victoria from the bench and in an impressive feat for a 17 year old made his U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts debit in Round Twenty Four from the bench against the Easts Tigers in a big 52 – 12 win for Burleigh in the competitions final round.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and can offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it. There is no subtlety to his running, it is straight and hard and another positive is that he will not just run upright, he will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped one on one.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble does have quite foot speed when/if he gets into space, probably above average for a front rower but any tries that he scores will come as a result of power running close to the line, with the added benefit that if he does not crash over, Kayah Riggs-Noble will draw in the defence meaning that there will be space out wide for his side.

    In defence Kayah Riggs-Noble uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Kayah Riggs-Noble has a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage when defending against opposing forwards and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble is MM Cup eligible again in 2019 and should be a key member of the Burleigh forward pack in that competition and post that should add to his one Colts appearance this season.

    In relation to the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, Kayah Riggs-Noble, if not involved with the Burleigh MM Cup or Colts squads will play the 2019 season as part of the Mudgeeraba U19 side.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble has played in the front row or lock for the majority of his rugby league career and exclusively there this season and on that basis I cannot see him moving from there into the future.

    For me a solid NRL comparison for Kayah Riggs-Noble is current Wests Tigers and New Zealand International front rower Russell Packer as a front rower who regularly crashes head long into the defensive line but does have some subtle footwork which seems to get largely over looked. As for that matter does his solid defensive technique.

    Kayah Riggs-Noble has made rapid improvement this season and I will be following him closely in coming years to see how his career progresses.

  3. #828
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    Caleb Hodges. (Revised) The Titans linked young former Group 18 centre or winger had an outstanding 2018 season including starting on the wing for the PBC School Boy side that won the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown.

    Caleb Hodges also started from the bench for PBC in the Queensland GIO Cup Final against Kirwan State High School and also having a hand in the success of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in the 2018 season.

    Caleb Hodges joined the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad and PBC this season with an impressive pedigree including representing the U16 New South Wales Indigenous side in 2017 where he started in the second row and also representing Group 18 on numerous occasions in the junior age levels. Caleb Hodges played his club rugby league in the 2017 season for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the U16 Group 18 competition, with a team mates being fellow Titans youngster and PBC student Jordan Tauali’i.

    For the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup competition this season, Caleb Hodges played in four matches scoring for two tries. Caleb Hodges scored his first try in Round Six against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and also scored in Tweed Heads semi-final against Souths Logan.

    Caleb Hodges was named to start on the interchange bench in Round One but did not make the final 17 but came into the Tweed Heads side in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and stayed in the side for the remainder of the season.

    Caleb Hodges started from the interchange bench in Rounds Five and Six and in the centres for Round Seven and the semi-final. Interesting Caleb Hodges was named to start at hooker in Round Six against Wynnum Manly but ended starting from the bench instead in that match.

    Caleb Hodges played his club rugby league on the Gold Coast with the Bilambil Jets and in 2018 played in three grades for the Northern New South Wales based club.

    In the U17 Division One competition, Caleb Hodges played in four matches for Bilambil scoring against Ormeau. Caleb Hodges also made two appearances in the GCRL U19 competition with those matches being against Burleigh and Currumbin.

    Caleb Hodges made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut in May of this year when he came on against Tugun.

    Caleb Hodges was a regular for the PBC Open side’s 2018 GIO Cup campaign starting from the bench in their Queensland GIO Cup final victory over Kirwan State High School and moved to the starting side on the left wing for the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC running out 20 – 12 winners to be crowned the 2018 GIO Cup National Champions.

    Caleb Hodges’s style of play is that of a powerful wide running centre or back rower with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus.

    Caleb Hodges is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful second rower, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

    Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a big strong powerful young player who can cause nightmares for any defensive line. Caleb Hodges seems to line up on the left side of the field more so than the right, but I have no doubt moving forward that he will be able to play on either side of the field, he seems to be just so skilful.

    For a player of his size, he runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball during a game. For a young player, Caleb Hodges seems to have a good understanding of when to off load the ball, currently most of his off loads occur when he is part way through the defensive line and can get his right arm free to pass to his outside support runners.

    Caleb Hodges is aggressive in defence whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football.

    Caleb Hodges’s speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

    Defensively Caleb Hodges has a very good low tackling technique, he is by no means a big player but his defensive low tackling technique is very good, he can defend opposing centres one on one, and is one of the better low tacklers I have seen in junior rugby league. Tackling around the legs seems to have become a lost art, but when done right it is in my opinion it is still the most effective way of defending.

    Caleb Hodges is eligible again for the MM Cup competition in 2019 and has been selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad and will continue to play for the PBC Open school boy in the Langer Cup and GIO Cup competitions as well as with Bilambil in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition.

    Caleb Hodges is perfectly suited to the centres in rugby league and with his speed and elusiveness.

    From an NRL player comparison perspective for Caleb Hodges think of someone along the lines of the Newcastle Knights and Queensland State of Origin centre Dane Gagai as a smooth moving centre who is elusive and difficult to defend against as a result.

    Caleb Hodges just seems to have a natural affinity for rugby league.

  4. #829
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    Solomon Torrens. (Revised) The powerfully built Titans linked young forward moved up to the Gold Coast this year from Northern New South Wales and made an immediate impression at PBC State High School and for me was the best player on the field when PBC defeated Keebra Park 26 – 22 in the Langer Cup (Open Age Group) recently. The match was a high quality affair but Solomon Torrens was a class apart with his powerful running on the fringes of the ruck for PBC.

    Solomon Torrens started that match at lock and was dominant throughout regularly making metres through the centre of the ruck as well as on the right side of the ruck. For me Solomon Torrens performance on the Wednesday night against Keebra Park was the best performance I have seen from a school boy since watching Ryan James destroying everyone when he was in his senior year also at PBC seven or eight years ago now.

    Solomon Torrens started from the bench for PBC in the Queensland GIO Cup Final and the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC leading from the start to become 2018 GIO Cup National Champions on the back of a 20 – 12 victory.

    The former Casino RSM youngster generated a lot of buzz around him as a result of his great season in the U16.5 Group One junior rugby league competition in2017 and it was certainly deserved. As a result Solomon Torrens was selected in the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 MM Cup squad for the 2018 version of the competition.

    For Tweed Heads in the 2018 MM Cup competition Solomon Torrens played in two matches being Rounds One and Two against Norths and Victoria respectively coming off the inter change bench on both occasions.

    After the MM Cup competition reached its conclusion, In addition to playing for PBC Solomon Torrens played for the Bilambil Jets in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition. Round One saw Solomon Torrens start in the front row as the Jets lost 20 – 18 to the Tweed Heads Seagulls. An opponent in that match but a team mate for PBC in the Langer Cup match against Keebra Park was giant Titans linked front rower Jordan Tauali’i .

    Solomon Torrens was back in the U17 Division One competition in Round Three when he came off the interchange bench. In Round Four Solomon Torrens started from the interchange bench for Bilambil and scored in their tough 18 – 10 loss to Currumbin.

    In total in the U17 Division One competition for Bilambil, Solomon Torrens played in six matches scoring two tries which came against Currumbin and Tweed Heads. Solomon Torrens also converted a try against Burleigh to finish the season with 10 points.

    In Round Five of the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, Solomon Torrens deservedly made his GCRL First Grade debut when he started in the centres for the Bilambil Jets in their 26 – 18 loss to the Tugun Seahawks. Making your GCRL First Grade debut at just 17 is an impressive feat.

    For Casino RSM in the 2017 U16.5 Group One JRL competition, Solomon Torrens averaged just under a try a match on his way to scoring nine tries from just eleven matches including a great first two rounds when he scored a hat trick in Round One against Ballina and a Round Two double against Lismore Marist Brothers.

    Prior to his move to Casino RSM, Solomon Torrens played for the Kyogle Turkeys including at 2016 at the U15 level where he scored five tries across 10 ten matches, including a hat trick against Clarence Coast, and also tries against Marist Brothers on two separate occasions. Unfortunately his U15 side has had a difficult season and finished last. Solomon Torrens also played eight matches up in the U16.5 age group, scoring two tries in the process, one being in his first match in that age group against Grafton and the second against Casino RSM.

    Running with the football, Solomon Torrens 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.

    Solomon Torrens has very good speed off the mark but not necessarily great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. The key to his running is his ability to drop his shoulder into the defenders at the right moment, to go along with his late foot work. These attributes make Solomon Torrens very difficult to tackle and he can rarely be stopped one on one.

    Throw in a decent turn of pace off the mark and you have a player who is difficult for a defensive line to combat. Keebra Park had all sorts of trouble defending against him and he seemed to break at least one tackle every time he ran the ball that Wednesday night. He was just an absolute powerhouse over the course of the entire match.

    Defensively Solomon Torrens hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribcage 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, read that Solomon Torrens is very good at winning the wrestling battle in the ruck, he is a naturally strong young man.

    Solomon Torrens defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for. Against Keebra Park he dominated their giant forward pack for large stretches of the match.

    Solomon Torrens really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards and then explodes through his core. Throw in a touch of aggression and you have someone who can dominate a game defensively and is able to seal off one side of the ruck on his own. He will need to continue to work on his strength and lateral movement as he progresses.

    It is scary to think that Solomon Torrens will be eligible again for the MM Cup competition in 2019 when he will be a key member of the Tweed Heads side and will play for Bilambil in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition post the MM Cup if he does not move immediately to the Tweed Heads Colts side.

    Solomon Torrens likely could also play in the second row, but with his ability to make ground through the centre of the ruck and also establish a defensive presence in the same area, a future at lock would seem the most likely scenario from my perspective.

    From a player comparison perspective for Solomon Torrens, someone that I think that he has a similar playing style to is North Queensland Cowboy and New Zealand International Jason Taumalolo as a wrecking ball of a forward who can break open and dominate a game on his own.

    Solomon Torrens just oozes class and the scary thing is that I do not think that he has even come close to realising his potential and likely will not until he plays at a higher level on a more regular basis.

    Playing in the MM Cup this season and for PBC as well as in the GCRL First Grade competition this season is a great base for Solomon Torrens to excel into the future.

    Solomon Torrens start to the 2018 season however, for both the Tweed Heads MM Cup side and PBC has been nothing short of absolutely outstanding and he still has a lot of potential that is yet to translate into production but it will and when it does opponents are in a world of trouble both in terms of how he attack them and hit them defensively.

    I have seen Solomon Torrens play over the last couple of seasons where he was good, but this season he has taken yet another step in his development with the promise of plenty more to come.

  5. #830
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    Jordan Tauali’i. (Revised) Jordan Tauali’i the giant Titans linked front rower and PBC student was a key member this season of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Division One side that was competing in the GCRL competition for the first time with Jordan Tauali’i leading the Seagulls to the finals.

    In the U17 Division One competition for Teed Heads Jordan Tauali’i played in eleven matches including their final’s match.

    In those matches Jordan Tauali’i scored two tries, the first coming in Round One against Bilambil as Tweed Heads celebrated their U17 Division One inclusion with a victory over their closest rivals. Jordan Tauali’i’s other 2018 U17 Division One try was scored against Mudgeeraba in late June.

    In Week One of the U17 Division One finals Jordan Tauali’i started in the front row for Tweed Heads who unfortunately went down 42 – 14 to a Carsil Vaikai led Runaway Bay to end what was an encouraging first season in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One competition.

    Jordan Tauali’i has also played a number of matches for the PBC Open side and in particular was effective from the bench against Marsden State High School at Waterford mid-season in a big PBC win.

    Jordan Tauali’i started the 2018 season as part of the Northern Rivers U18 Laurie Daley Cup side, playing in three matches starting all in the front row and in the “local derby” against North Coast had a great battle against North Coast front rower Lewis Cooper. The ground literally shook such were the hits against each other in that match.

    The three matches that Jordan Tauali’i played in the 2018 Laurie Daley Cup were against North Coast, Central Coast Roosters and the Greater Northern Tigers and he started in the front row in each of those matches.

    Jordan Tauali’i had a very solid 2017 season commencing with representing Group 18 at the U16 level and then progressing through to playing for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side in the New South Wales Country Age Championships.

    Jordan Tauali’i finished the 2017 season by participating in the Titans U16 High Performance Unit camp in Lennox Heads and starting for the Titans in their U16 match against a Western Mustangs U16 selection.

    The Palm Beach Currumbin High School student who is in the Rugby League Excellence program at the school scored two tries for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side earlier this season, both coming in the first round when he scored a double against the Central Coast. East Coast Dolphins U16 team mates included fellow Titans linked youngster Ben Liyou and Kade Hill.

    The 2017 East Coast Dolphins U16 side actually made the New South Wales Country U16 final with Jordan Tauali’i starting the final in the front row. Post the final Jordan Tauali’i was named as a starting front rower in the 2017 New South Wales Country U16 side that toured New Zealand’s South Island convincingly winning both matches. Fellow Titans linked youngsters Ben Liyou and Kade Hill were also part of the New South Wales Country U16 touring side.

    Jordan Tauali’i was born in Auckland and moved with his family in Australian when he was just 18 months old. In addition to playing rugby league Jordan Tauali’i also played two seasons in rugby with the Currumbin Alligators before moving back to rugby league where he has stayed ever since.

    Jordan Tauali’i was also a nominee for the Aquis Sports Person of the Year in 2017. Jordan Tauali’i has also represented Samoa on a number of occasions including in 2015 playing for Samoa U14’s against a Titans U14 Development Squad. The Titans U14’s Development Squad won a hard fought match 28 – 10.

    Jordan Tauali’i 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 he uses to cut back behind the ball to take advantage of defenders who are slow to get back into the defensive line.

    Whilst he does not seem to offload the ball too often, when he does get his arms free Jordan Tauali’i only passes when his support is in a better position, which is a sign of maturity for such a young player. He continually put his hand up all day to take the ball up and due to his agility for a big young man is able to generate quick play the balls so that his team can maintain or generate momentum.

    From a speed perspective for such a big strong young man, Jordan Tauali’i actually has a more than decent first step to generate speed to impact the defensive line and also quick foot work that may come as a surprise to some for a young man his size.

    In defence Jordan Tauali’i uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Jordan Tauali’i is not averse to looking for the big hit (just ask Lewis Cooper) 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 rugby league forwards are.

    Jordan Tauali’i does however show flashes of above average lateral mobility which he uses to his benefit both in attack and defence. Yes is a big young man but Jordan Tauali’i definitely has some mobility.

    Jordan Tauali’i will play the 2019 season in the GCRL U19 competition for Tweed Heads as well as being part of the 2019 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad.

    With his size strength and power Jordan Tauali’i is certainly going to stay in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career, even though he did spend some time in the centres a few years ago.

    The way that Jordan Tauali’i handles himself on the football field reminds me of Sydney Roosters and New Zealand International enforcer Jarrod Warera-Hargraves as a big strong forward with a skill set that belies the intimidating presence that he projects on the field in the most demanding position on a football field, he has plenty of raw talent to work with.

  6. #831
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    Daniel Shannon. (Revised) He is a local Titan’s linked young front rower was part of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad this season as well as in the 2017 season although in 2017 he did not play in any matches. Daniel Shannon has since progressed to the U20 Colts competition with the Burleigh Bears. Daniel Shannon’s two brothers are also outstanding young rugby league players.

    For Burleigh in the 2018 MM Cup competition, Daniel Shannon played in all six matches starting five in the front row and coming off the bench in Round Three in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

    Daniel Shannon scored just the one try in the MM Cup this season which was against Redcliffe in Round Two in an impressive Burleigh win at Pizzey Park.

    Post the MM Cup competition, Daniel Shannon played for Southport and played in nine matches in the U19 competition and three in the Doug Lipp Cup competition.

    Daniel Shannon came into the Southport U19 side in Round Three starting in the front row in a 22 all draw against Bilambil and also started in the front row in seven other matches before his Colts promotion. In Round 16 with the Burleigh Colts side having a bye Daniel Shannon lined up in the front row against Currumbin in a tough 26 – 16 loss.

    Daniel Shannon scored two U19 GCRL regular season tries, the first came in early July against Currumbin and then Daniel Shannon scored his second try in the following round against Mudgeeraba.

    In Week One of the GCRL U19 Finals series, Daniel Shannon started in the front row for Southport as they defeated Bilambil 34 – 8.

    In Week two of the GCRL U19 Finals series, Daniel Shannon once again started in the front row for Southport against Currumbin with the Tigers winning 20 - 14.

    In the U19 Grand Final Daniel Shannon started once again in the front row for Southport against Currumbin but unfortunately Southport went down 34 – 20, Daniel Shannon however was very good for the Tigers that Sunday afternoon.

    Daniel Shannon made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in Round Three this year when he started in the second row for Southport against Bilambil. Daniel Shannon also started in Round Five in fact starting in the centres on that occasion against Helensvale and also played against Mudgeeraba in June.

    It has been an impressive effort from Daniel Shannon to start in the front row in the U19 match in Rounds Three and Five and them back up to start in the Doug Lipp Cup matches immediately after.

    Daniel Shannon was deservedly promoted to the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side for their Round 17 match against Norths starting the match from the bench on a tough day for Burleigh.

    In total in the 2018 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition to date, Daniel Shannon played in four matches, all from the bench.

    Daniel Shannon has also recently been selected in the 2018 Queensland Indigenous U18 side for the QPIIC Championships to be held in October.

    In 2017 Daniel Shannon played for the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition specifically at the U17 and U19 levels. Daniel Shannon also represented the Queensland Indigenous side in 2017 at the QPICC carnival at Beenleigh in October.

    Daniel Shannon has alternated between the U17 Division Two and U19 levels for Southport in 2017, playing six matches in each competition and had a very busy weekend. On Saturday Daniel Shannon lined up for the Southport U19 side coming off the interchange bench in their semi-final loss 21 – 14 to Currumbin and on Sunday started in the front row for Southport in their 21 – 14 Grand Final loss to Burleigh. In the 2017 U17 Division Two competition, Daniel Shannon crossed for two tries on the season, the first coming against Coomera in July and the second in early August against Helensvale.

    In 2016 Daniel Shannon was part of the Gold Coast White CC side for this season, starting the last two matches off the bench. He played the 2015 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks where he scored three tries across the ten matches that he played at the U15 Division One level and he also played seven matches up at the U16 Division Two level, where he mainly came off the bench.

    Daniel Shannon also represented Murri United in the Queensland Murri tournament in late 2015 and was in fact selected in the Queensland U15 Murri side which toured Fiji and won all three of their matches on that tour alongside Jesse Brasslin.

    Running with the football, Daniel Shannon 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.

    Daniel Shannon has a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well although to date in U20 Colts competition he has not shown it much, concentrating more on making ground in the centre of the ruck.

    The key to his running is his ability to drop his shoulder into the defenders at the right moment, to go along with his late foot work. These attributes make Daniel Shannon very difficult to tackle and he can rarely be stopped one on one. Throw in a decent turn of pace off the mark and you have a player who is difficult for a defensive line to combat.

    Defensively Daniel Shannon hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribcage 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, read that Daniel Shannon is very good at winning the wrestling battle in the ruck.

    Daniel Shannon defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for.

    Daniel Shannon really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards and then explodes through his core. Throw in a touch of aggression and you have someone who can dominate a game defensively and is able to seal off one side of the ruck on his own.

    For a front rower his lateral movement is more than reasonable. Daniel Shannon is also quite effective when defending at marker, and does not use it as a chance to have a break and will chase hard from the position.

    Come 2019 Daniel Shannon still has two years of Colts eligibility remaining which is a scary proposition for rival Colts sides for the next two years.

    Based on the outstanding way that the Burleigh Bears have worked with their juniors this year, I would anticipate that Daniel Shannon will also spend at least a portion of the 2019 season with Burleigh in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side.

    Due to his size and strength he I believe will continue to play his football in the front row in the long term although he could likely play in the second row for the next couple of years adequately.

    From a player comparison perspective, think of someone along the lines of New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand International second rower/front rower Adam Blair as a solid hard working forward who has a more than decent off load in him as well as extremely aggressive tackling and running styles.

  7. #832
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    Indiha Saotui-Huta. (Revised) The Titans linked New Zealand born youngster has moved around a little in his junior rugby career to date but make no mistake Indiha Saotui-Huta is a talented outside back in either rugby or rugby league.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta recently started on the wing for the Titans U18 side in their victory over the PNG U18 side.

    This season Indiha Saotui-Huta was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup playing in all six of their matches including their semi-final, starting each on the wing. In his seven matches Indiha Saotui-Huta scored five tries.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta’s first try came in Round Three against the Burleigh Bears. Indiha Saotui-Huta followed that up with tries in Rounds Five and Six against Townsville and Wynnum Manly respectively. Indiha Saotui-Huta completed his 2018 MM Cup try scoring with a double in the final regular season being Round Seven against the Easts Tigers.

    Post the MM Cup competition, Indiha Saotui-Huta played for Mudgeeraba in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition, playing in six matches and scoring eight tries.

    In his first match with Mudgeeraba in the U19 competition Indiha Saotui-Huta scored a double against Bilambil and then backed that up a fortnight later scoring four tries against Beaudesert and then in his last U19 game of the season scored another double this time against Helensvale.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta also played in one Hastings Deering’s Colts match for Tweed Heads late in the 2018 season starting on the right wing in Round Twenty against the Mackay Cutters.

    This season Indiha Saotui-Huta was also part of the PBC Opens Rugby League side that had such a great run in the GIO Cup competition. Indiha Saotui-Huta had a particularly solid match in the Queensland GIO Cup semi-final against Ignatius Park, starting on the left wing and setting up a try for fullback Braydon McGradey.

    In the Queensland GIO Cup final against Kirwan State High School Indiha Saotui-Huta started on the right wing as PBC held off a determined Kirwan State High School side 32 – 26 to qualify for the National GIO Cup Final.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta moved to fullback for the GIO Cup National Final against Patrician Brothers College Blacktown with PBC winning 20 – 12 to become the 2018 GIO Cup National Champions.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta was born and raised in New Zealand but spent from 2013 to 2015 on the Gold Coast where he played both rugby and rugby league. Indiha Saotui-Huta made an immediate impact playing for Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby competition playing in the centres and also represented the Gold Coast Cyclones representative side on a number of occasions.
    In 2015 when his club side played in the Brisbane club rugby competition, Indiha Saotui-Huta finished as the leading points scorer with 147 points.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta returned to New Zealand for the 2016 year, playing two years for the New Plymouth Boys High First XV, playing a number of outstanding matches including scoring against Auckland’s King’s College in 2016 and in 2017 scored against St Pats Silverstream. In 2017 Indiha Saotui-Huta also started for New Plymouth Boys High in a curtain raiser for a Reds v Chiefs Super Fifteen clash in New Zealand. Indiha Saotui-Huta also had an outstanding Rugby Sevens school boy career.

    From a rugby league perspective, Indiha Saotui-Huta represented the U17 Taranaki Sharks rugby league side in 2017 and from there has been identified to take part in the 2018 New Zealand U18 talent squad.

    Whilst in Australia previously Indiha Saotui-Huta only played four rugby league matches, which all came in 2015 for the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the GCJRL U15 Division One competition, from those four matches, he scored for a solitary try which came against Southport.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta is a solidly built young man with a low centre of gravity who has a very good right foot step and right hand fend. For his build, he is very quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will not get caught from behind if he gets into open space. Whilst his speed off the mark cannot be considered explosive he has good top end speed once he gets moving.

    In addition to his speed Indiha Saotui-Huta seems to have the ability to “freeze” his direct opponent with his ability to step off both feet before accelerating around them usually on the touchline side. On the wing, with his low centre of gravity he is able to come in and take runs through the centre of the ruck, and effective runs at that.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta will take off from dummy half and use his elite foot work make a lot of the “tough” yards. It was Indiha Saotui-Huta’s ability to make ground in the centre of the ruck that led to a try for PBC fullback Glenn McGradey in the GIO Cup Queensland semi-final.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta charged out of dummy half engaging three Ignatius Park defenders before popping a great short ball to his fullback who ran fifty metres to score untouched under the posts.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta is also not devoid of ball playing ability as was evidenced when he was playing sevens in 2016 and 2017 in New Zealand.

    From a defensive perspective Indiha Saotui-Huta is a very solid tackler who makes good initial contact and is able to generate momentum through his core and drive into his opponent with enough force to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta has both a solid low tackling technique as well as having the functional strength to make ball and all tackles effectively against the biggest of players looking to target him in the defensive line.

    A positive for Indiha Saotui-Huta is that he does not purely rely on strength and power to hit, timing is also a key attribute to ensure that he arrives at the attacker at around the same time that the ball does, this also reduces the likelihood of injury to himself or the defender getting on his outside setting up a two or one down the sideline.

    Indiha Saotui-Huta will be pushing hard for a spot with either Burleigh or Tweed Heads in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition in 2019 and only a brave person would say that he will not make it. Indiha Saotui-Huta will also be Colts eligible in 2020.
    In Australia for Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast Cyclones Indiha Saotui-Huta primarily at inside centre, but when he moved back to New Zealand Indiha Saotui-Huta played on the right wing for New Plymouth Boys High. In sevens Indiha Saotui-Huta was primarily a middle third player.
    With his ability to stand up his direct opponent and break down the side line with above average speed, I can envisage a future on the wing for the talented Indiha Saotui-Huta.

    For me Indiha Saotui-Huta has the build and also definitely has similar skill attributes to New Zealand Warrior and New Zealand International Gerard Beale especially in terms of how he is able to stand up his opposite number of break a way down the side line as well as coming in a running effectively out of dummy half.

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    Jaxson Paulo. (Revised) The Titans contracted youngster spent a portion of the 2018 season training with the Titans NRL squad on a regular basis at the moment as well as spending the first half of the 2017-18 off season with the Titans NRL squad.

    To cap off a more than solid season in 2018, Jaxson Paulo has recently been selected in the Junior Kiwi’s squad alongside fellow Titans, Darius Farmer, Kea Pere and Moeaki Fotuaika.

    Jaxson Paulo made an outstanding start to the 2018 season as part of the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts side where he started the opening rounds of the competition at left centre.

    In addition to scoring In Round One against the Sunshine Coast Falcons when he crossed untouched after running a good line off a Taine Tuaupiki pass, Jaxson Paulo also set up his winger Reece Tapine for an easy try when he was able to run onto a great pass by five eight Taine Tuaupiki and draw the winger for Reece Tapine to cross untouched in the left corner.

    The work of Jaxson Paulo in the try may have looked easy but it wasn’t. First Jaxson Paulo had to stay in his position when the prescribed play broke down on the inside, anticipate that Taine Tuaupiki was going to beat his direct opponent, stay onside as Taine Tuaupiki broke free and then draw the winger Sunshine Coast Falcons winger who was coming out of the line quickly looking to shut down Jaxon Paulo’s time. Jaxson Paulo executed all aspects of play precisely and timed appropriately.

    Jaxson Paulo’s try came as a result of him staying wide when in broken play five eight Taine Tuaupiki got on the outside of his defender a put a great ball on Jaxon Paulo’s chest for him to score untouched in the left corner.

    In Round Two against Redcliffe Jaxson Paulo also kicked two conversions to have eight points in the early going this season. Point’s tallies don’t tell the whole story however, in short Jaxson Paulo has been outstanding through the opening rounds of the Colts competition this season.

    The Round Three clash against the Tweed Heads Seagulls saw Jaxon Paulo cross for a double in Burleigh’s four point loss to their local rivals, scoring a try in each half and for that matter being outstanding over the course of the entire match.

    Jaxson Paulo’s first try came as a result of a back line move by Burleigh inside Tweed Heads 20 metre line. When the ball got out to Jaxson Paulo on the left side of the field he was able to get outside his opposing centre and hold him off with his right arm to score in the corner.

    Jaxson Paulo’s try in the second half could not have been more different to the first. With Burleigh attacking two metres out from the Seagulls try line, Burleigh hooker Zac McCormack went to a short five metre blind side passing to Jaxson Paulo. Jaxson Paulo received the ball three or four metres out from the try line and about the same distance from the left side line. Jaxson Paulo got low disrupting the centre of gravity of the Seagulls defender to barge over for his second try of the afternoon.

    In total in the Hasting’s Colts competition for Burleigh Jaxson Paulo has played in twelve matches and scored three tries. Jaxson Paulo scored in Round One against Sunshine Coast, Round Six against Western Mustangs and Round Fourteen against Northern Pride.

    From a position perspective, started Burleigh’s first six matches in the centres (specifically left centre), but moved to fullback for Burleigh’s Round Nine match against the Townsville Blackhawks and stayed in the custodian role for the other five Colts matches that he has played in.

    Early in the season Jaxson Paulo was promoted to the Burleigh GCRL First Grade side spending the majority of the season to date there. Jaxson Paulo made his GCRL First Grade debut against Tweed Heads in April.

    In total in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition Jaxson Paulo played in ten matches to date and scored three tries. Jaxson Paulo’s first try came against Runaway Bay in his third GCRL First Grade match and he followed that up by scoring against Ormeau a month later. Jaxson Paulo’s third try came in the final regular season round being Round Seventeen against Tugun in a tough 14 – 12 loss.

    In 2017 Jaxson Paulo made his NYC debut for the Titans after starting off the 2017 rugby league season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side before transitioning to Tweed Heads U20 Colts Challenge before making his NYC debut in Round 22 in a 36-34 loss against the Brisbane Broncos. In that match Jaxson Paulo played 35 minutes making 46 metres from five runs also making two tackles and off-loading the ball on one occasion.

    In addition to his Round Twenty Two debut, Jaxson Paulo played two more NYC matches in 2017 being Round Twenty Five against the Bulldogs and Round Twenty Six against the Sydney Roosters, he started both of those matches on the left wing, playing all 80 minutes on both occasions and scoring against the Bulldogs at Cbus.

    In total in the NYC in 2017, Jaxson Paulo ran for 197 metres from 20 hit-ups and made five tackles. In the Round Twenty Five home clash against the Bulldogs Jaxon Paulo ran for 115 metres making a line break in the process of making those metres.

    After the conclusion of the 2017 club season Jaxson Paulo started on the wing for the New Zealand U18 side in their match against the Australian Schoolboys in September a team mate that afternoon was Titans contracted youngster Darius Farmer. Just prior to that International match Jaxson Paulo scored for New Zealand Taurahere (NZ Australian based players) against the U18 New Zealand Domestic based players.

    Jaxson Paulo whilst he was part of the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad did not feature in any of their matches but started off his 2017 rugby league season in Round One of the U20 Colts Challenge competition starting on the wing in Round One against Souths Logan. Jaxson Paulo only missed one of Tweed Heads U20 Colts matches in 2017 being Round Thirteen a when he was making his NYC debut. Outside of Round Four when he started in the centres Jaxson Paulo has started every match for the Tweed Heads Seagulls on the left wing.

    Jaxson Paulo went on a great try scoring run mid-season for the Tweed Colts side scoring doubles in four consecutive rounds prior to his NYC debut, no wonder he got an NYC debut just after that! In relation to the doubles, Jaxson Paulo scored them against Ipswich in Round Eight, against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Round Nine, against the Burleigh Bears in Round Ten and against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Round Twelve.

    Jaxson Paulo scored his ninth try of the 2017 U20 Colts Challenge competition when he scored in the corner against the Redcliffe Dolphins. This try can be seen at around the 3 minute mark of the highlights package posted on the QRL Official Site.

    The young Keebra Park player played a major part in Keebra Park’s 2016 GIO Cup campaign which unfortunately ended with a tough loss in the National Final and also played well for Gold Coast White in the MM Cup competition where White made it all the way to the semi-final portion of that competition before being defeated 13 – 10 by North’s.

    In the MM Cup competition in 2016 Jaxson Paulo played all bar one of GC Whites matches, missing Round Seven but was back for the quarter final the following week. Jaxson Paulo was also part of the South West team that played in the QSSRL U18 Championships where he was selected on the bench. Jaxson Paulo was also selected in the Team Toa side for a match between New South Wales and Queensland based NZ players. That afternoon, whilst Team Toa was beaten, Jaxon Paulo scored both of Team Toa’s tries.

    For Keebra Park Jaxson Paulo was part of their 2016 GIO Cup campaign including scoring two tries in their Semi-final victory over Ignatius Park. For GC White in the MM competition in 2016, Jaxon Paulo scored four tries, including three in their Quarter Final victory over Ipswich and also another against South’s Logan in Round Six. For GC White, Jaxson Paulo split time between centre and wing, playing the first three rounds in the centres and the remaining matches on the wing, including the two finals matches.

    Jaxson Paulo played the majority of the 2016 season in the centres both for Keebra Park and Gold Coast White in the MM competition and in that position, is a big strong runner of the football. He has however also played in the back row in previous years, including playing there for the U16 Titans Development Squad in a match against Samoa late in 2015 when he came off the interchange bench after an early injury.

    Jaxson Paulo is eligible for the Colts competition once again in 2019 but I would suggest that after an off season training with the Titans NRL squad Jaxson Paulo will spend the entirety of the 2019 season in the Queensland Cup with Burleigh and is more than good enough to sneak an NRL match or two as the 2019 season progresses.

    Prior to this season I was of the opinion that Jaxson Paulo would end up in the centres or even in the backrow but I have been extremely impressed with how he has played at fullback and even though a future in the centres is most likely Jaxson Paulo having a future at fullback certainly cannot be discounted at this point of his career.

    I appreciate that they have different body shapes but for me Jaxson Paulo has a playing style similar to that of Brisbane Broncos winger and occasional fullback Jamayne Isaako, both are just outstanding talents who with time and experience could be anything.

  9. #834
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    Liam Mahoney. The young hooker recently started at hooker for the Titans U18 side in a match against the PNG U18 side at Burleigh.

    Liam Mahoney was more than solid in 2018, his second season in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 competition proving to be an iron man for the Southport Tigers playing in seventeen matches including starting at hooker in the Grand Final. Unfortunately Southport went down to Currumbin in a physical contest 34 - 20.

    In his seventeen U19 matches, Liam Mahoney crossed for two tries the first of which came in Round Six against Helensvale and he flowed that up with a try in Round Seven against Mudgeeraba.

    In 2017 as a 17 year old Liam Mahoney played in twelve U19 matches after moving up from the U17 Division Two competition soon after the start of the season.

    In 2016, Liam Mahoney played in the CC Cup competition for Gold Coast White and also represented South East Queensland at the U16 level in the same year.

    In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Liam Mahoney is extremely efficient in his passing and there is no wasted movement or energy as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand first then pass.

    There is no discernible difference between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

    Where Liam Mahoney is also effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short he is a very good game manager from the hooking position. Liam Mahoney is also a good communicator on the field, he is constantly encouraging his team both in attack and defence.

    Liam Mahoney does not yell and scream, like the other parts of his game, he is calm and composed and uses positive reinforcement rather than yelling and screaming to get his point across to team mates but he does make it clear that he is in charge however.

    Where Liam Mahoney really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his quickness out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step usually off his right foot, although he does not necessary run much out of dummy half per say. The times that he does run though, Liam Mahoney targets forwards who are offside or slow to get back into the defensive line or line-up correctly at marker. If the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space though not necessarily to finish off the movement himself.

    Once in open space Liam Mahoney does not usually have the speed required to finish things off himself but he invariably will make the right decision with the ball in terms of whether to take the tackle or pass to a support player as he works progressively through the options that are available to him.

    Liam Mahoney ’s defence for a hooker is very good, he does not necessarily hit hard but as a result of his good low technique he 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 to drive into opposing forwards. Liam Mahoney ’s intensity and continuous effort means that he will track the ball across the field and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside.

    Liam Mahoney will have two years of Colts Eligibility starting in 2019 and will play in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and may also play some Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches as well for Southport in 2019.

    Liam Mahoney has been a more than solid hooker to date in his rugby league career and there is absolutely no reason for that situation to alter although Liam Mahoney could likely play at half back or even lock like he did on a number of occasions in the CC Cup in 2016 for short periods if required.

    From a player comparison perspective for Liam Mahoney, due to his distribution, running, defence and the speed and intensity that he plays the game at, a playing style akin to Danny Buderis formerly of the Knights is an appropriate comparison I would suggest.

  10. #835
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    Blake Campbell. (Revised) The Titans contracted backrower is held deservedly held in high esteem at the club, a club he has been with since he was 13 years old. Recently Blake Campbell received the 2018 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup Coaches Award.

    This season Blake Campbell started off captaining the Tweed Heads MM Cup side and then has progressed to the Tweed Heads Colts side.

    Along the way Blake Campbell was selected in the Queensland U18 side and came off the bench in that game but unfortunately took a head knock which reduced his playing time on the interstate match.

    Blake Campbell captained the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side was a standout through the competition including an impressive performance against the North’s Devils in Round One and a dominant individual performance in Victoria against the Thunderbolts which included him scoring a double in a big Tweed Heads victory 42 – 10.

    Blake Campbell’s performance in Tweed Heads Round Three win 36 – 6 over the Burleigh Bears was also exceptional.

    In total in the MM Cup competition Blake Campbell started in the second row for all of Tweed Heads seven matches including their final’s loss to Souths Logan. Across the seven matches Blake Campbell scored four tries. In addition to the two tries against Redcliffe previously mentioned, Blake Campbell also scored in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and in Round Six against Wynnum Manly.

    Blake Campbell broke into the Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts side in their Round Eleven match against the Northern Pride starting the match in the second row. All told in the Hastings Deering’s Cup to date in the 2018 season, Blake Campbell has played in nine matches and just like his debut has started all of those matches in the second row.

    Blake Campbell has scored two tries, the first of which came in Round Eighteen against Souths Logan and he also scored against the Mackay Cutters when he ran a good line (outside shoulder route) on the right side of the field to burst through the defence from around ten to twelve metres out and then outpaced the fullback to score.

    In the GCRL U19 competition this season for Runaway Bay Blake Campbell has played just the three matches as a result of his Queensland U18 and Tweed Heads MM and Colts commitments but in his second U19 game of the season he scored a double against Ormeau and in his third U19 match the following weekend Blake Campbell converted one of Runaway Bay’s tries in a win against Mudgeeraba.

    Blake Campbell made his Doug Lipp Cup debut for Runaway Bay against Currumbin in mid-June after playing in the U19 fixture earlier in the day.

    Blake Campbell’s form this season is not a surprise considering his trial form including a standout performance in a trial against the South’s Logan Magpies at Waterford in February. That trial at Waterford was a difficult one for Tweed Heads as they went down to Souths Logan but Blake Campbell was very good that night, and was in every match since.

    To round out an outstanding 2017 campaign Blake Campbell was selected in November to be part of the 2018 Queensland U18 Emerging Origin squad which came together from January 21 to 24 this year for their first training camp. Other training camps are scheduled over the course of the 2018 season prior to the annual match against New South Wales.

    Over the course of the 2017 season Blake Campbell played a number of matches in the MM Cup competition for Tweed Heads Seagulls and also played for the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition.

    For the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the 2017 MM Cup competition Blake Campbell started all six of Tweed Heads matches in the second row and showed his try scoring ability crossing for four tries including a double in Round One against the Ipswich Jets, a try in Round Three against eventual champions the Western Mustangs and his final try of the MM Cup competition came in Round Six in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears.

    In the red, white and blue of Runaway Bay in 2017 Blake Campbell has played eleven matches in the U17 Division One competition and also three matches in the U19 GCRL competition. At the U17 level Blake Campbell scored four tries and kicked four goals for 24 points in total including a Round Two double against Bilambil and also tries late in the season against Helensvale and Mudgeeraba.

    Blake Campbell made his U19 debut in May 2017 against Southport and has also played matches at that level against Mudgeeraba and Southport a second time.

    In 2016 Blake Campbell played his football at the U16 level both in terms of club rugby league and in the CC Cup during the 2016 season. Blake Campbell as also involved in Coombabah State High School’s great GIO Cup campaign where he actually played on the wing in a number of games including a nationally televised match against Townsville’s Kirwan High School.

    Blake Campbell stellar play was rewarded in 2016 when early in the year he was selected in the Queensland Academy of Sport U16 squad, before being named in the interchange bench for the Queensland U16 team in their annual match against New South Wales. Fellow Titans player Laz Sua was also part of the Queensland team that night which took place as a State of Origin curtain raiser. Unfortunately the Queensland side lost 12 – 10.

    In the CC competition for Gold Coast White in 2016, Blake Campbell crossed for four tries two of which came against Gold Coast Green in Rounds Two and Five. Blake Campbell also scored a double in GC White’s semi-final loss to the Toowoomba Clydesdales. In all of his matches in the CC competition for Gold Coast White Blake Campbell started in the second row.

    On more than one occasion in 2017 Blake Campbell was mentioned by Titans High Performance Junior Co-ordinator Jamie McCormack as being one of his team’s best in the weekly update posted on the Titans Official Site during the CC/MM season.

    From a club perspective, Blake Campbell played for Runaway Bay in the U16 Division One competition playing in six matches and contributing seven tries over the course of the 2016 season. Six of his seven tries came from doubles coming against Burleigh on two separate occasions and also against Mudgeeraba, with his seventh try coming against the Helensvale Hornets.

    Blake Campbell was been in the Titans junior development system for a couple of years now, and is one of a number of talented backrowers in our system and certainly in the region. He has represented the Vikings and Kookaburra’s on multiple occasions in the different age groups over the last couple of years and is part of the Gold Coast Rugby League Academy program in 2015, and was part of the Titans U14 development side that drew 32 all against a giant Samoan team at the end of 2014 at Burleigh.

    Blake Campbell is a wide running backrower with a very good turn of speed once he breaks through the line and will outpace all but the quickest cover defenders. He has the ability to use footwork before the line, especially on the ends of the ruck where he has a good in and away as well as a very good fend to complement his footwork.

    On top of those attributes, Blake Campbell is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into thus making the play makers on his team look good. Even though Blake Campbell is good on the edge of the ruck, he takes his share of runs in the middle where he uses foot work prior to the line so as not to absorb huge hits against, usually larger forward packs. He is also a disciplined player who rarely gives away penalties and also has good hands.

    From a speed perspective his speed would easily be considered above average for a backrower and actually quite close to be considered in the plus category, both in terms of speed off the mark as well as sustainable top end speed. Clearly his pace was one of the reasons that the Coombabah coaches played him on the wing on occasion where he certainly did not let anybody down.

    One of Blake Campbell’s tries in Round Two of the MM Cup this season against Victoria highlighted both his strength and speed. Blake Campbell took the ball on the right side of the ruck and took the line on directly, Blake Campbell pushed out of a front on tackle by one of the giant Victorian front rowers and then bounced to the outside, using his speed to get around a number of defenders and also using his speed and a strong left arm fend pushed through a gap between the Thunderbolt left centre and left wing to score an outstanding individual try near the right corner of the field.

    Blake Campbell’s second try against the Victorian Thunderbolts came as a result of his speed. Half Tom Dearden put in a good grubber kick, Blake Campbell timed his run perfectly and outpaced the Victorian cover defence to dive on the ball to score a good second half try for the Seagulls.

    Defensively Blake Campbell looks to wrap up the ball on initial contact, he will not constantly come up with big hits, but will rarely miss tackles and also covers across the field very well, meaning he is usually in good positions to make a tackle if the ball is turned back inside and also to make cover defending tackles if breaks are made wider out.

    Blake Campbell’s strength and mobility also means that he is an effective defender on the fringes (sorry cannot bring myself to use the term edge defender) of the ruck against both big forwards and smaller halves alike.

    Blake Campbell is quick enough to get to most outside backs in cover defence. Due to his speed and positional sense he is usually one of the first players down field in relation to kick chase as well. Blake Campbell’s above average speed is also a reason why he is such a good cover defender.

    Blake Campbell will have two years of Colts Eligibility remaining when the 2019 season starts with Blake Campbell surely be starting with the Tweed Heads Colts side once again.

    Even though Blake Campbell spent some time on the wing in schoolboy rugby league for Coombabah in 2016 for me he has played almost exclusively in the second row in 2017 and so far in 2018 and that is where his future lies as a wide running second rower who knows how to get to the try line as well as a player who will do a lot of the little things well, such as chasing kicks, defending inside passes, leading by example, getting quick play the balls etc.

    From a style perspective think of a young Ryan Hoffman of the Melbourne Storm and former New South Wales State of Origin player as a player comparison for Blake Campbell as a well-rounded backrower with the ability to break the line by himself or as a result of running a good line and then has the pace to finish things off consistently by himself as well as being just as damaging defensively.

    You can also, like Hoffman throw positive leadership skills into the mix when talking about Blake Campbell who certainly has a long NRL (if not higher) career in front of him.

  11. #836
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    Tyler Kent. The young Tingha Tigers second rower moves up to the Gold Coast and has been named in the Burleigh Bears 2019 MM Cup side for next season’s competition.

    Tyler Kent played the 2018 season in the New South Wales Country Group 19 competition for Tingha spending time in both the U18 and First Grade competitions, for all intents and purposes playing in the U18 match and then backing up to start in the First Grade match every weekend.

    Tyler Kent started the 2018 season as part of the Greater Northern Tigers U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad playing all five of their matches including their tough 32 – 26 semi-final loss to Group 9. Tyler Kent started all five matches from the interchange bench.

    For Tingha in the U18 Group 19 competition, Tyler Kent played in twelve matches scoring five tries and kicking a goal (against Inverell) to finish the season with 22 points.

    Tyler Kent started in the second row in the U18 Group 19 Grand Final and scored as the Tigers went down 28 – 18 to the Moree Boomerangs.

    In addition to his U18 Grand Final try Tyler Kent scored in the regular season against the Moree Boars in two separate matches, the Glenn Innes Magpies and the Armidale Rams, with the last two tries coming in consecutive rounds mid-way through the season.

    Tyler Kent played in eleven Group 19 First Grade matches scoring on debut against the Moree Boars and also kicked a conversion against the Moree Boomerangs.

    Tyler Kent has also represented Group 19 in previous years in the U14, U15 and U16 age groups.

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

    Tyler Kent 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.

    Tyler Kent is always the player standing back deep from kick ups to take the first hit up and will charge straight at the line. Tyler Kent also is quite quick for a big strong young bloke, 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, Tyler Kent 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 he 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. Tyler Kent 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.

    As noted Tyler Kent has been named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad and post that competition will, I believe line up for Burleigh in the GCRL U19 competition and also look to press his claims for a Hastings Deering’s Colts opportunity.

    I believe that Tyler Kent’s future lies in the second row when you take into account his size, strength and speed combination.

    Tyler Kent reminds me of former Titans NYC and Burleigh Queensland Cup player and budding referee Sam Swift in terms of his playing style. Like Swift, Tyler Kent has more than decent speed and mobility for a forward and is also a more than effective defender.

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    Jordan Crocker. (Revised) The young front rower from the Toowoomba region is a Titans Rookie Squad member and finished the 2018 season in the Western Mustangs Colts side after starting the 2018 season in the MM Cup competition with the Mustangs.

    Jordan Crocker started the 2018 season for the Western Mustangs MM Cup side and started all six of their matches in the front row.

    Jordan Crocker moved into the Western Mustangs Colts side in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets and come off the bench again in Round Sixteen against Norths and Round Seventeen against Redcliffe before moving into the starting line-up in the second row for Round Eighteen against the Northern Pride.

    Jordan Crocker’s sole Colts try this season came in Round Sixteen against Norths.

    Jordan Crocker has also played ten matches in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition for Southern Suburbs this season including the Finals series.

    In the Preliminary Final against Dalby, Jordan Crocker started in the second row and scored a try in the 17th minute of the second half as Southern Suburbs defeated Dalby 44 – 4 to progress to the Grand Final.

    In the U18 Toowoomba Rugby League Grand Final Jordan Crocker started for Southern Suburbs in the second row against Highfields and Districts scoring a try in each half in the 38 – 10 Southern Suburbs victory.

    In 2017 the tough hard as nails young front rower was a solid contributor in the middle of the field for the Western Mustangs MM Cup winning side including starting in the front row in the Grand Final over South’s Logan 40 - 30 and also starting in the front row in the National U18 final against the Parramatta Eels.

    Jordan Crocker started all eight of the Western Mustangs MM Cup matches in the front row and scored his solitary try in Round Eight in a big 70 – 20 win over the Central Crows.

    Post conclusion of the MM Cup Competition in 2017, Jordan Crocker transitioned back to the Toowoomba Rugby League where he played in six matches at the U18 level for Southern Suburbs including scoring a try against Toowoomba Valleys in his first U18 match of the 2017 season and also a late July try which came in a match against South Burnett.

    Jordan Crocker is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle. There is little subtlety to his game, Jordan Crocker runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off either foot in occasion prior to the initial contact with the defensive line.

    One thing that Jordan Crocker does do will however is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line, he makes more metres than he should as a result and also forces defending teams to commit multiple defensive assets to stopping his progress.

    Jordan Crocker does not have a real off load to his attacking game, but that is not his role, his role is to take the ball into the heart of the opposition’s defensive line and make as many metres as possible.

    Like his attacking game, his defensive attributes and relatively simple, he moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. He is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him and for a solidly built young player, he moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence.

    Jordan Crocker’s lateral movement is quite reasonable for a front rower but he will on occasion have some difficulty with smaller faster stepping opposition players.

    Jordan Crocker will start the 2019 season with the Western Mustangs and has two years of Colts eligibility available to him.

    From a position perspective, due to his solid build, Jordan Crocker will likely to continue to be a front rower or lock as he does not necessarily have the speed to play wider of the ruck.

    From a player comparison perspective, consider someone along the lines of Cronulla Sharks, New South State of Origin and Australian International forward Paul Gallen as a solidly built forward who has become a very effective player.

    Jordan Crocker is a bit bigger physically than Gallen and certainly less of an antagonist on the field but equally effective in terms of making metres through the centre of the ruck.

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    Brenton Daley-Holten. (Updated) The Titans linked back was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad this season but did not play in any of the rounds.

    Like in previous seasons, Brenton Daley-Holten played in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with the Bilambil Jets playing in eleven U19 matches including the finals series. Brenton Daley-Holten’s only regular season points were from a conversion against the Ormeau Shearers.

    In Week One of the GCRL U19 finals series, Brenton Daley-Holten started in the centres for Bilambil as they went down 38 – 8 to Southport.

    Week Two of the finals series saw Bilambil bounce back to defeated Mudgeeraba 54 – 26 with Brenton Daley-Holten starting in the centres and scoring his first try of the season.

    In the Preliminary Final against Currumbin, Brenton Daley-Holten started in the centres once again against as Bilambil went down 36 – 26 to the Currumbin Eagles.

    Brenton Daley-Holten had a great 2017 season which commenced with a spot in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side and from there Brenton Daley-Holten had an outstanding season in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with the Bilambil Jets in the U17 Division One, U19 and first grade competitions.

    Benton Daley-Holten has been with the Titans for a number of years now and has already played multiple matches for Titans junior development squads across a number of age groups.

    For the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in 2017, Brenton Daley-Holten played in all six of their matches, starting the first three matches on the wing and the final three at fullback. Across the six matches Brenton Daley-Holten scored four tries, scoring in Round One against the Ipswich Jets, Round Two against Victoria, Rounds Seven against the Norths Devils and Round Eight against Souths Logan.

    Upon the completion of the 2017 MM Cup competition, Brenton Daley-Holten played for the Bilambil Jets in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition, playing one match at the U19 level which came against Ormeau in July, eleven in the U17 Division One competition including scoring a late season double when he started at fullback. Brenton Daley-Holten’s other U19 tries came against Ormeau on two separate occasions and Mudgeeraba.

    Brenton Daley-Holten made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut on Sunday 23 July 2017 against Runaway Bay scoring a double and the following week scored a hat trick against Currumbin to have a great start to his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade career. All told in 2017 Brenton Daley-Holten played in three Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches scoring five tries.

    In 2016 Brenton Daley-Holten was part of the South Tweed U16 side that won their Group 18 junior rugby league grand final 34-6 over the Bilambil Jets and has played in multiple Gold Coast Titans Development Squad matches over the last couple of seasons.

    From a representative perspective Brenton Daley-Holten also had a very good season in 2016 representing Group 18 at the U16 level and then progressing to being selected in the East Coast Dolphins U16 side for the New South Wales Country age championships where he was selected on the wing and played in all four of their matches, including a semi-final loss to Newcastle. Brenton Daley-Holten has previously represented Group 18 at the U14 level in 2014 where he played a couple of games at five eight.

    Brenton Daley-Holten played the majority of his football in 2016 in the centres, except for time on the wing for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side but in 2017 he has also spent time at fullback, certainly when playing for his club side and in that position, is a strong runner of the football.

    Whilst in does not have blinding speed off the mark, Brenton Daley-Holten does have decent speed overall but I would not consider it at the plus level and can break tackles by running over his direct opposite defender as well as using a very good fend, when he gets to the outside, this prevents defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure rather than being forced towards the sideline.

    One skill that Brenton Daley-Holten does possess when playing in the centre position is a more than decent in and away and he will wait until the last possible minute to step to commit the defender before getting on his outside reducing the time for his direct opponent to react to his movement.

    In terms of his defence, he obviously during the course of this year, defended in multiple positions and in each position Brenton Daley-Holten commits wholeheartedly to every tackle. His initial contact is more than solid and is more than enough to stop the momentum of the ball carrier immediately upon contact.

    Brenton Daley-Holten is also effective at wrapping the ball up and preventing offloads. Due to his current attributes he is more effective when his team is using an up and in style of defensive strategy rather than a sliding methodology.

    In 2019 Brenton Daley-Holten should find himself as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad and will have two years of eligibility in that competition.

    A long term position perspective for Brenton Daley-Holten is a little more clouded, he has played, wing, centre, fullback and five eight so far in club and representative rugby league, but based on his skill and physical attributes, I am leaning towards centre being his best position in the short term, but I would not rule out a move to the back row as Brenton Daley-Holten progresses through the senior rugby league competitions.

    From a player comparison perspective for Brenton Daley-Holten I think that you could look at either of the Morris brothers for a suitable playing comparison , being that of a big strong, fast, powerful centre who as well as being dominant defensively will create things in attack when give the ball early with space for them to create for either themselves or team mates.

    Brenton Daley-Holten had an interrupted 2018 season but that does not in any way impact on his long term projection. This young man is an exceptional talent and is one to keep an eye on in the future.

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    Ben Thomas. (Revised) He is a local Titans contracted youngster who is part of the Titans Rookie Squad and is originally from the Beaudesert Kingfishers Junior Rugby League club who plays in the second row although he has spent some time in the centres in 2017 and in the front row this season for Tweed Heads Colts.

    After taking a knock in a 2018 trial at Waterford where he left the field against South’s Logan it was good to see Ben Thomas start the 2018 season being named in the front row for the opening three rounds of the Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts competition for the Tweed heads Seagulls and in Round Two against the Victorian Thunderbolts in Melbourne scored a second half double in the Seagulls 36 – 16 loss.

    In total in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for Tweed Heads Ben Thomas has played in eighteen matches scoring six tries including the second half double against Victoria noted previously. Ben Thomas also scored a double against the Easts Tigers in Round Twenty One. Ben Thomas’s other tries came in Round Seventeen against Wynnum Manly and in Round Twenty Four against the Easts Tigers.

    Ben Thomas has started in the front row on six occasions, at lock twice and in the second row in his other eleven Colts matches.

    In addition to his matches with Tweed Heads in the Colts competition, Ben Thomas has also made four Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade appearances, making his debut against Tugun in June. Ben Thomas scored in his second First Grade match against Bilambil.

    Ben Thomas started off the 2017 season representing the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup competition before moving to the Tweed Heads U20 Colts Challenge side and also making his NYC debut for the Titans in Round Fifteen against South Sydney.

    In addition to the match against South Sydney in Round Fifteen, Ben Thomas also played in Round Sixteen against the Wests Tigers on both occasions coming off the interchange bench. Ben Thomas only played 26 minutes in Round Fifteen and 24 in Round Sixteen but the experience was I am sure invaluable.

    Against South Sydney Ben Thomas ran for 47 metres on seven hit-ups and also made twelve tackles without missing any. Against the Wests Tigers, Ben Thomas took two hit-ups for fourteen metres and also made eight tackles.

    For Tweed Heads in the MM Cup competition in 2017 Ben Thomas only played in one match but he certainly made the most of it with a second half hat trick in Round Seven against the North’s Devils when he started from the interchange bench.

    Ben Thomas started the first five rounds of the 2017 U20 Colts Challenge competition in the second row for the Tweed Heads Seagulls but missed a fair bit of the season with injury but he was able to make it back for the Round Fifteen clash against the Western Mustangs.

    In the first five rounds Ben Thomas had a big impact scoring four tries including a double in Round Three against Redcliffe and tries in Round Two against Easts and in Round Five against Wynnum Manly. Ben Thomas also scored in all three of Tweed’s final’s matches in 2017 when he scored against Redcliffe, Easts and Norths. In total in 2017 Ben Thomas played in ten U20 Colts matches starting all in the second row, scoring eight tries in the process.

    In 2016 Ben Thomas was part of the Gold Coast White MM side who progressed all the way to the semi-finals before being beaten 13 – 10 by North’s. Ben Thomas scored four tries in the MM Cup competition for Gold Coast White in 2016, scoring doubles in Round Five against Gold Coast Green with both tries coming in the second half and Round Seven against the Easts Tigers.

    Of the eight matches that he played in the MM competition in 2016, Ben Thomas started six from the interchange bench including the two semi-finals. Ben Thomas’s first start was in Round Six against South’s Logan, he also started the Round Seven class against the Easts Tigers before playing the two semi-finals off the bench.

    Upon completion of the MM competition in 2016, Ben Thomas transitioned back to the U17 Division One competition with the Beaudesert Kingfishers, where a team mate was fellow Gold Coast White player and fellow Tians contract local junior Charlie Gee. For the Kingfishers Ben Thomas played in eight matches and scored against Currumbin.

    In 2015, Ben Thomas a stellar year in CC competition finishing with a team leading eight tries across the games and winning the Queensland Cyril Connell Cup player of the year award. As a result of his good form in the CC competition, he was selected on the bench for the Queensland U16 side who went on to defeat NSW in Sydney in a State of Origin curtain raiser. Titan’s team mates that night were winger (now backrower) Reihana Marsh and second rower Darius Farmer.

    Ben Thomas also started at lock for the U16 Titans development squad in their 2015 against Samoa, where with Titans contracted Darius Farmer he was the Titans best for me in conditions best suited for forwards. He was also named best forward when the Titans U15 development squad played the Wests Tigers late in 2014. Balmain forward Paul Sironan was the judge of the player awards that night.

    Ben Thomas is a hard running backrower who is impressive at running good lines on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into thus making the play makers on his team look good. Where he really excels though is his footwork, he has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

    Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, his feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running direction and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of the multiple directional changes. He seems just to run at a faster pace than other forwards on the field.

    These attributes lead to a lot of line breaks and he has the speed to convert them into tries himself. As a result of his foot work he does seem to get hit high reasonably often as defenders are not able to react quickly enough to the change in the directional aspects of his running.

    These critical attributes mean that Ben Thomas is difficult to target and runs at a very fast pace into the defensive line but the fluidity of his directional changes means he is a difficult target to get hold of for defenders. In the Samoan game in late 2015 you could see how his running angles changed as the game progressed from a duration perspective as well as momentum perspective.

    As opposing forwards tire his directional changes go from cutting to the fringes of the ruck to cutting back behind the play the ball as gaps appear as forwards becoming increasingly slower to get back into the defensive line due to fatigue.

    Late in the Round Two Colts competition this season, Ben Thomas took advantage of a gap on the fringes of the ruck to score his second try of the day for the Seagulls. Tweed half Kel Sheather took the ball wide of the ruck, stepped a defender and sent a good inside ball to Ben Thomas who had run a good line into a big gap and was able to outpace the inside defenders and crash over near the posts in the Victorian fullback’s tackle.

    Ben Thomas’s defensive technique revolves around timing and execution. Ben Thomas’s head placement is always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs. Ben Thomas also tackles with both shoulders effectively as well.

    The impressive thing for me also is that Ben Thomas never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is exceptional and quite rare in the modern version of rugby league.

    Another defensive aspect that I have noted is that Ben Thomas does not just make one tackle at a time, he makes a series of tackles one after another all as clinical and effective as the one before. His lateral speed is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

    Ben Thomas is also Colts eligible again in 2019 however I would anticipate that Ben Thomas will bypass that competition and start the season in the God Coast Rugby League First Grade competition to gain more exposure against Men.

    Whilst Ben Thomas has played in the front row (or at least been named there) for the opening rounds of this season I see no reason why he will not stay in the back row where he has played all of his junior football bar some brief stints in the centres in recent seasons.

    Ben Thomas has the look of a very talented youngster with a playing style similar to that of St George Dragons second rower Tyson Fizzell as a powerful and hard runner on the fringes of the ruck and one who also has a hard edge defensively coupled with a very determined attitude.
    Last edited by mdrew; 19-10-18 at 08:52 PM.

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    Deon Samuela. The electric young fullback was outstanding for TSS in the GPS School Boy Rugby First XV competition this season and in a great sign that we can keep him in rugby league, Deon Samuela has been named in the Burleigh 2019 MM Cup squad.

    For the TSS First XV side this season Deon Samuela started at fullback in all eight of their matches scoring three tries including a Round Three double against Toowoomba Grammar School and also a try in Round Nine against Nudgee College.

    Deon Samuela last played rugby league on the Gold Coast at the U15 Division One level in 2016 for Runaway Bay, a year he also represented South Coast at the QSSRL U15 Championships.

    In 2016 for Runaway Bay Deon Samuela played in eight matches in the U15 Division One competition scoring 44 points from four tries and fourteen goals. All of Deon Samuela’s tries came in a two week early season span when he scored doubles in consecutive weeks against the Southport Tigers and the Currumbin Eagles.

    Post the 2016 Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season, Deon Samuela transferred to TSS where this GPS season was a standout for the Gold Coast based school in the U16A competition in 2017.

    Even though he did starting any First XV games for TSS in 2017 Deon Samuela came off the bench on two occasions being against Ipswich Grammar School and Brisbane Grammar School. Against Ipswich Grammar School he made an outstanding break through the centre of the field after retrieving a kick and was unlucky not to score.

    In the Brisbane Grammar School First XV match in 2017 Deon Samuela was on the end of a great TSS back line movement to score in the left corner. Deon Samuela was also part of the Queensland U16 side that won the Australian U16 Championships and was selected at fullback in the 2017 Australian U16 merit side as a result.

    In 2015 Deon Samuela was part of the U14 Titans development squad that defeated Samoa at Burleigh. Whilst he played the majority of his club football at five eight, Deon Samuela played at half for the Titans development squad, Deon Samuela has also represented the Gold Coast in Vikings and Kookaburra’ squads over the last number of years across multiple age groups starting at U13’s.

    Deon Samuela is in some respects a throwback to the 1970’s or 1980’s when fullbacks used to chime into the back line either between the two centres or even between the centre or winger especially in relation to looking to exploit a shorter blind side. When Deon Samuela chimes into a back line he does not look to run into his direct opponent but he runs into the gaps and anticipates where his inside play makers are going to pass the ball.

    From a running perspective, Deon Samuela just seems to glide across the field and it appears effortless, no matter who is chasing him, they will not catch Deon Samuela, I am talking James Roberts type of pace but he has a much more effortless running style to that of the current Brisbane Bronco.

    Deon Samuela does not necessarily have a side step per say, it is more of a swerve and he has a number of variations, with the scary part being that there is absolutely no loss of speed at all, making him incredibly difficult to stop when he is in open space. It is no surprise at all that he was in and around the Australian Men’s Rugby Sevens squad.

    Deon Samuela’s passing skills are also of the highest quality., he can pass equally well from either side of his body and can throw every type of pass imaginable, he can chime into a back line at full pace and then decelerate quickly to maintain his balance a pop a superb short ball to his supports, he can throw a great spiral pass to his backline or he can quickly anticipate the numbers a throw a great cut out pass to exploit over laps.

    Defensively Deon Samuela also stands out, with his closing speed and recovery speed to make an impact on that side of the ball as well. With his speed, Deon Samuela has the luxury of being able to stand a touch deeper than some fullbacks yet still be able to close quickly to negate breaks by reducing the decision making time of the attacking player.

    Deon Samuela’s defence is normally over shadowed by his running game but make no mistake, Deon Samuela is an outstanding defender both in terms of cover defence and front on defence when a forward makes a break through the centre of the field.

    It is great to see Deon Samuela named in the 2019 Burleigh MM Cup squad as that means that he still is giving rugby league serious consideration.

    Deon Samuela is an outstanding ball runner with speed and elusiveness which was displayed on numerous occasions for the TSS First XV side this season and thus a future at fullback in rugby league (or for that matter rugby) seems the most logical outcome.

    For me the perfect player comparison for Deon Samuela is recently retired Melbourne Storm, Queensland State of Origin and Australian test fullback Billy Slater. Like Slater Deon Samuela can either slice through the opposition backline when he receives the ball early, beat forwards in the centre of the ruck with an outstanding side step and acceleration and is a nightmare for opposing defences when he chases short attacking kicks.

    Also like Slater Deon Samuela is an outstanding defender in the fullback position.


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