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.