My take on our top juniors

[mdrew]

Taylan To’o. The young backrower from Titans partnered Marsden State High School, in late March 2022 signed a three year deal with the Titans which will keep him with the Titans until the end of the 2024 season.

In January 2023 Taylan To’o started in the second row for the Titans U17 side in their annual match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights.

In early December 2022 Taylan To’o took part in a joint training session between the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL off-season training squad.

In late December 2022 Taylan To’o was named in the 2023 Souths Logan Magpies U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad for the second season in a row after Taylan To’o played a number of matches for the Magpies Cyril Connell Cup side in 2022 when he was still U15 eligible.

In early May 2022 Taylan To’o started from the bench for the Titans JTS U16 squad that took on a Northern Rivers Titans U17 squad at Cbus Stadium as a curtain-raiser to the Titans NRL Round Fourteen against the Souths Sydney Rabbitohs with the Titans U16 JTS squad recording a strong victory in front of an appreciative crowd.

In late September 2022 Taylan To’o started from the bench for a Titans U16 side against a Sydney Roosters U16 side at Pizzey Park with the Titans coming away with a resounding 32 – 8 victory at Pizzey Park.

2022 saw Taylan To’o return to Marsden State High School as part of their Hancock Cup School Boy squad and after missing Round One against PBS SHS due to being in New Zealand Taylan To’o was involved in Marsden SHS’s other matches either coming off the bench or starting in the second row, putting in a number of dominating performances.

At the 2022 Marsden SHS Rugby League Specialisation Awards, Taylan To’o was named in the second row in the 2022 Marsden SHS Rugby League Team of the Year.

2022 also saw Taylan To’o represent Met East in the QSSRL U15 School Boy Rugby League Championships.

For the 2022 Souths Logan Magpies U16 Cyril Connell Cup side Taylan To’o started Round One against the Burleigh Bears in the centre before starting Round Three against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls from the bench.

From a club rugby league perspective in 2022 Taylan To’o played for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies in the Brisbane Junior rugby League U15 Division One competition including starting at right second row in the Elimination Final against Brothers.

Taylan To’o also started at right second row in the Week Two Semi-Final against local rivals, Logan Brothers.

The 2022 GBJRL U15 Division One Grand Final saw Taylan To’o named at start at right second row for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies against the Redcliffe Dolphins, with the Magpies scoring a tight four point Grand Final victory.

Earlier in the 2022 GBJRL U15 Division One Taylan To’o scored two tries in Rounds Seven and Ten against Carina and Easts Tigers respectively and Taylan To’o also scored in Round Eleven against the Redcliffe Dolphins.

In September 2022 Taylan To’o was named in the South Queensland Maori U16 Tiena representative squad.

In 2021 Taylan To’o played for Marsden SHS in the Year Eight Renouf Shield School Boy competition, starting at lock in their tough 8 – 4 Grand Final loss to PBC SHS.

Prior to the 2021 Renouf Shield Grand Final Taylan To’o had some strong matches for Marsden SHS in the preliminary rounds including a strong performance in the semi-final against Keebra Park SHS with a 14th minute try assist when Taylan To’o, whilst operating on the left side of the engaged the defensive line around six metres out for the try line before off-loading to his left to put his left centre over to score near the corner.

Taylan To’o showcased his goal kicking skills in Round Seven against Ipswich SHS with three conversions in Marsden SHS’s big win with Taylan To’o showing a relaxed, simple and effective right foot goal kicking technique.

Taylan To’o is a strong, powerful runner of the ball and once he has generated momentum he is very difficult to stop and regularly has been able to drag defenders with him after initial contact has been made, thus making significant post contact metres.

Once he is in space, Taylan To’o actually has very good top end speed, I would consider it above average when analysing his speed from a rugby league forward’s perspective, to add to the difficulties for the defensive line, Taylan To’o runs with a high knee lift and also has a powerful right hand fend.

Defensively the most impressive aspect of Taylan To’o’s play is his ability to make effective tackle after effective tackle. For the Sawtell Panthers in the 2021 Group Two U14 competition Taylan To’o continually made up to three and four tackles in a row on multiple occasions.

Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is Taylan To’o’s initial contact, he uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier immediately upon impact from Taylan To’o.

Taylan To’o is also adept at wrapping up the ball and preventing offloads as he uses his functional strength to engage ball carriers. Defensively in a covering role he is also very effective as even though he is a big strong forward Taylan To’o has very good catch up speed and a solid low tackling technique from a side aspect.

In 2023 Taylan To’o will continue to play for Marsden SHS, moving up to the Walters Cup School Boy Rugby League competition and may also push for playing time in the Langer Cup. Taylan To’o will also continue to play for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies in the GBJRL U16 Division One competition. Taylan To’o will also be in contention for playing time with the Souths Logan Magpies U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

Whilst he very quick for his size, Taylan To’o, with his height and strength looks certain to stay in the forwards for the duration of his rugby league career and with his ever developing ball skills, Taylan To’o will almost certainly play the role of the new age lock who is a link between his team’s forward pack and backline. I am of the belief that Taylan To’o will spend the next couple of seasons in the second row before transitioning to lock full-time.

Taylan To’o is an intriguing and in some ways unique prospect in the Titans JTS Program and with the size, speed and power combination of someone like Penrith Panthers, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International Isiah Yeo as a player who just looks a class apart from the majority of other players on the field. If anything Taylan To’o has more size and speed (a fair bit more speed to be fair) than Yeo.

[mdrew]

Tony Francis. The powerhouse former Marsden State High School centre, five eight or fullback is a Titans contracted youngster who in May 2021 signed an NRL Development contract with the Titans after joining the Titans JTS program in early 2021 that will take Tony Francis up until the end of the 2023 rugby league season.

Tony Francis is undertaking the 2022/23 pre-season with the Titans NRL squad on an NRL Development contract after travelling with the Titans NRL squad to New Zealand for their final 2022 NRL match against the New Zealand Warriors as a non playing reserve. Certainly that was a reward for a strong 2022 Queensland Cup campaign with the Burleigh Bears for Tony Francis.

In early December 2022 Tony Francis took part in a joint training session betweed the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL squad.

Tony Francis undertook the 2021/22 pre-season with the Titans NRL squad as a member of the Titans Rookie Squad looking to impress Justin Holbrook and the other NRL coaches. Tony Francis currently has a full time Titans NRL Development contract and thus train fulltime with the Titans NRL squad over the course of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Tony Francis started training with the Titans after a number of seasons in the Brisbane Bronco’s junior development system after moving to Brisbane from Sydney where he was part of the Manly Sea Eagles Junior Development Program.

Impressively in late July 2022 Tony Francis was named in the centres in the Courier Mail Marsden SHS Team of the 2020’s.

Tony Francis started the Titans first 2022 NRL trial against the Brisbane Bronco’s at Cbus Stadium from the bench coming on in the second half to operate at left centre and to say that Tony Francis was an intimidating presence even against seasoned NRL players would be an absolute understatement.

In his time at left centre Tony Francis ran for forty seven metres (nine post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.99 seconds and made two tackles.

Round Four of the 2022 NRL competition saw Tony Francis named on the Titans extended bench for their match against the Wests Tigers and Tony Francis was also named on the Titans extended bench for Round Five against the Parramatta Eels.

Tony Francis was named to start on the right wing for the Burleigh Bears in Round One of the 2022 competition against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and what a debut the young man had, scoring a double in an outstanding display. Tony Francis’s debut saw him become Burleigh Queensland Cup player No. 378.

Tony Francis’s first ever Queensland Cup try came in just the 4th minute of the match with his first ever touch of the ball when he received a long cut out pass from his left and then Tony Francis flew fifteen metres down the right touchline to put the ball down in the right corner.

Tony Francis completed his double in the 44th minute when after Taine Tuaupiki had chimed into the Burleigh backline on the right side of the field, at the last moment Tony Francis cut back on the inside around three metres from the line and was able to force his way over to score three metres in from the right corner post.

Tony Francis was close to scoring another try in the 15th minute but a swift catch and pass from Taine Tuaupiki did not quite find its mark with Tony Francis in space eighteen metres out from the line and the right corner wide open.

Tony Francis made his first ever Queensland Cup tackle in the 3rd minute when from a Wynnum Manly scrum win the Seagulls left centre attacked down Tony Francis’s side of the field but Tony Francis was up to the task, wrapping up the centre thirteen metres out from the try line.

Playing the entire eighty minutes of the match on the right wing Tony Francis ran for sixty eight metres (eleven post contact), had a line break, broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.5 seconds and made nine tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Tony Francis’s Round One debut performance was good enough to see him named on the bench for the Queensland Rugby League Queensland Cup Round One Team of the Week.

Tony Francis was also named to start on the right wing in Round Two against the Townsville Blackhawks with Tony Francis scoring the match winning try with the last touch of the match. With time running down and the Bears down by two, a scrum was packed around thirty metres out near centre field with a Burleigh feed. Burleigh ran the ball to the right with Taine Tuaupiki taking the ball deep into the line before passing to Tony Francis around four metres out and right on the touchline, Tony Francis then fought his way over whilst being engaged by three defenders to miraculously getting the ball down in the right corner.

Earlier Tony Francis turned the match on its head with a seventy eight metre line break. With Burleigh down 12 – 6 and under immense pressure Tony Francis took it upon himself to flip that situation on its head when from a twenty metre restart Tony Francis ran to his left before straightening up and splitting the Blackhawks line between two defenders. It looked as if Tony Francis would run away to score but he was dragged down from behind just two metres from scoring what would have been a spectacular solo try.

Tony Francis literally could not have had an earlier impact on the match when he took the opening kick-off on the full in the right corner and got the ball back to the twenty metre mark before being awarded a penalty for being held down for too long in the tackle.

Playing the entire eighty minutes on the right wing Tony Francis ran for a team leading 193 metres (fifty four post contact), broke a team leading eight tackles, made a team leading two line breaks, played the ball at an average speed of 4.22 seconds and had a 100% tackling efficiency whilst making three tackles.

After two rounds of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition, Tony Francis led the league in line breaks and was equal second in both the number of tries scored and tackles broken.

Round Three saw Tony Francis continue on the right wing against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Tony Francis scoring the fourth try of his fledging Queensland Cup career in the 50th minute when after receiving a pass from his inside from Taine Tuaupiki three metres from the line and in limited space on the right touchline, Tony Francis dived full length to the ball in his right hand, getting the ball down in the right corner before the defence was able to knock him into touch.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for eighty one metres (twenty five post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.96 seconds and made five tackles at an 87% tackling efficiency.

After three rounds of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition, Tony Francis was second on the try scoring list with four, equal first in line breaks with five and third in tackle breaks with fifteen.

Tony Francis was then named to start on the right wing in the Round Four local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Tony Francis’s first effort with the ball coming in the 6th minute when he ran the ball back from a kick return making ten metres from the thirty metre line to the forty metre line.

Tony Francis then did well in the 11th minute when after he received the ball hemmed in on the right touchline, Tony Francis ran inside away from the touchline beating three tackles in a winding run back towards the posts.

Tony Francis did well once again in the 48th minute when after he received a long cut-out pass from his left Tony Francis, after he cut inside twice after receiving the ball around twelve metres out was able to get within two metres of the try line.

Tony Francis also had some strong defensive moments in the match including in the 9th minute when he came in off his wing to hit the Seagulls left centre to knock the ball loose with a Seagulls dangerous move developing.

Tony Francis also made a crunching tackle in the 42nd minute when he came off his left to hit the Seagulls left centre just two metres from the defensive line. Tony Francis then ran from dummy half from the play the ball restart and fought for every metre from deep inside his own twenty metre area.

Tony Francis also proved that he was more than capable under the high ball with a case in point being in the 28th minute when he leapt high to take a towering bomb on the full that was put up high to his wing.

Tony Francis once again played all eighty metres of the match. Tony Francis ran for seventy nine metres (forty one post contact, being 51.9%), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.05 seconds and made six tackles at a tackling efficiency of 85.71%.

After the opening four rounds of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Tony Francis was equal second on the try scoring list with four tries and also equal second in terms of the number of line breaks with five. Co-incidentally Jojo Fifita was equal in both of those categories with fellow Titan Jojo Fifita.

Tony Francis continued on the right wing in Round Five against the PNG Hunters and once again played all eighty minutes, running for 125 metres (fifty five post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.86 seconds and made four tackles at an 80% tackling efficiency.

After five rounds of the 2022 Queensland Cup season Tony Francis was equal fourth line breaks with fellow Titan Jojo Fifita with five line-breaks.

Tony Francis was once again named on the right wing for Burleigh in Round Seven against the Souths Logan Magpies and in an impressive eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for 143 metres (twenty one post contact) and played the ball at an average of 4.13 seconds.

Tony Francis continued on the right wing in Round Eight against the Mackay Cutters and in his eighty minutes on the field Tony Francis ran for 111 metres (forty five post contact), broke four tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.09 seconds and made five tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Tony Francis continued on the right wing in Round Nine against the Central Queensland Capra’s with Tony Francis scoring in the 53rd minute when he jumped high to take a cut-out pass to his wing and then ran ten metres untouched to score in the corner.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for 151 metres, a team leading sixty six of which were post contact, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.31 seconds and made four tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Tony Francis also started on the right wing in Round Ten against the Easts Tigers and in the 16th minute Tony Francis ran the ball from six metres from his own try line and was able to get the ball to twenty metres out as a result of a winding run.

Tony Francis recorded a line break assist in the 25th minute when he ran the ball from near his right wing position to wide out on the left and after he was held twenty metres from his own line Tony Francis got away a left arm off-load to Lofi Khan-Pereira who burst fifty five metres down the left touchline.

Tony Francis made another bustling run in the 45th minute from inside his own territory and broke two tackles in making twelve metres.

Tony Francis did well from a defensive stand point in the 15th minute when he was faced with an overhead but Tony Francis maintained his composure and took the player with the ball in a ball and all tackle.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for 117 metres (forty nine post contact), broke six tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.68 seconds and made two tackles, missing none.

Tony Francis also started on the right wing in Round Eleven against the Sunshine Coast Falcons with Tony Francis scoring in the 36th minute when he barged over the top of one Falcons defender to score five metres in from the right corner from ten metres out after receiving a pass from his inside from Taine Tuaupiki off a Bears scrum movement to Tony Francis’s right side of the field.

Tony Francis also did well in the 6th minute when with Burleigh under pressure trying to bring the ball out of their own territory Tony Francis came off his wing to take a hit-up and was able to get the ball forty metres out from his own try line.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for 102 metres (forty seven post contact), made a line break, broke five tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.51 seconds and made five tackles at a tackling efficiency of 83.33%.

Tony Francis was named to continue on the right wing in Round Thirteen against the Northern Pride with Tony Francis scoring in the 50th minute when after receiving a pass from his inside ten metres out Tony Francis ran the ball down the right touchline and dove at the try line from around three metres out and got the ball down in the right corner in his outstretched right arm with the remainder of his body in the air over the touchline.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for a team leading 193 metres, a team leading ninety three of which were post contact, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.21 seconds and made two tackles.

Tony Francis also started on the right wing in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets with Tony Francis scoring a powerful try in the 59th minute when after receiving the ball six metres out and on the right touchline, Tony Francis ran over the top of the Jets left centre to crash over to score in the right corner.

In the 14th minute Tony Francis showed that he just does not put his head down when he runs when after taking a hit-up through the centre of the field to get into Ipswich territory Tony Francis got away a good offload to Esarn Marsters while his back was to the try line.

The in the 25th minute a sequence of events continued to highlight Tony Francis’s intelligence. After taking a bomb on the full in the in-goal near the right corner, Tony Francis raced out to the twenty metre mark to take a quick tap and then smartly altered the direction of the attack by passing inside to his left to Lofi Khan-Pereira who made fifteen metres. Then instead of running back to his wing, Tony Francis took the next hit-up to the right of the play the ball to catch the Jets defence offside.

Playing all eighty minutes, Tony Francis ran for ninety three metres (twenty four post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.11 seconds and made six tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Tony Francis was also named on the right wing in Round Fifteen against the Townsville Blackhawks.

Playing the entire match, Tony Francis ran for 128 metres (sixty two post contact), broke four tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.23 seconds and made four tackles at an 80% tackling efficiency.

Tony Francis continued on the right wing in Round Sixteen against the Norths Devils with Tony Francis scoring in the 28th minute when after receiving a great ball from his inside from Taine Tuaupiki, Tony Francis had an easy five metre jog to put the ball down in the right corner.

Playing all eighty minutes, Tony Francis ran for 111 metres, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 2.89 seconds and made three tackles.

Tony Francis continued on the right wing in Round Seventeen being the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Tony Francis scoring in just the second minute of the match when he forced his way over from dummy half from a metre out after running to his left with Tony Francis getting the ball down mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for sixty six metres (nineteen post contact), broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.41 seconds and made five tackles.

Tony Francis continued on the right wing in Round Eighteen against the Mackay Cutters and whilst playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for 167 metres (seventy post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.41 seconds and made three tackles.

Tony Francis was also named on the right wing in Round Nineteen against the PNG Hunters with Tony Francis scoring a double.

Tony Francis scored his first try in the 67th minute when after receiving the ball from his inside from Taine Tuaupiki, Tony Francis was able to score wide out on the right after an eight metre run down the right touchline.

Tony Francis added a second try in the 76th minute with the try being similar to his first try as he was able to exploit the room that he had down the right touchline to score in the corner.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for 145 metres (fifty two post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.87 seconds and made three tackles.

Tony Francis continued on the right wing in Round Twenty against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls scoring a try either side of the halftime break.

Tony Francis scored his first try in the 38th minute when Tony Francis was on the end of a Bears backline movement with Tony Francis receiving the ball around ten metres out with Tony Francis placing the ball down in the right corner with the ball in his right hand after an acrobatic (and required) dive.

Tony Francis completed his double in the 43rd minute when once again Tony Francis was on the end of a Bears backline movement and once again Tony Francis had a bit of work to do after receiving the ball around ten metres out. Almost immediately upon receipt of the ball Tony Francis was engaged by his opposing winger but Tony Francis utilised his strength to force his opponent backwards before getting the ball down in the right corner as two other Seagulls defenders charged across in a wasted effort to stop Tony Francis from scoring.

Playing all eighty minutes Tony Francis ran for 120 metres (forty post contact), broke an equal team leading five tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.58 seconds and made three tackles.

Tony Francis finished the 2022 Queensland Cup regular season with the fifty most line breaks with fifteen.

Tony Francis was named on the right wing for the Burleigh Bears in their Queensland Cup Week One Final against the Norths Devils and in his eighty minutes on the field Tony Francis ran for 121 metres (fifty one post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 4.07 seconds and made seven tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Tony Francis also started on the right wing in Week Two of the Finals against the Central Queensland Carpa’s coming off in the 59th minute with an injury. In his time on the field Tony Francis ran for eighty eight metres (twenty eight post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.92 seconds and made two tackles.

In total in the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Tony Francis played in twenty matches, scoring fourteen tries to finish the season with a strike rate of 70%. Tony Francis also broke sixty one tackles, made fifteen line breaks, ran for 2 427 metres at an average of 121 metres per match and made eighty one tackles at a tackling efficiency of 84.4%.

Tony Francis was named on the bench for the Burleigh Bears in late February 2022 in their first Queensland Cup trial against the Easts Tigers.

In January 2021 Tony Francis was part of the Titans U19 squad that took on the Newcastle Knights in their annual match in Coffs Harbour, starting the match at left centre with the Titans recording an impressive victory 40 – 6 against the Knights.

Tony Francis’s first involvement in the match was when he chased through a Thomas Weaver midfield high kick and crunched the Knights fullback just as he took possession of the ball.

Tony Francis performed exceptionally well in the match, scoring in the second half when he charged onto a pass from Oskar Bryant down a short blind side, running over a defender before getting the ball down under heavy pressure.

Tony Francis proved a handful for the Knights right sided defence on multiple occasions in the match including a bustling first up run when he beat two Knights defenders to make his presence in the match felt. Tony Francis was at it again late in the first half when he surged fifteen metres down field, a majority of which was post contact metres when he ran off a good pass from Oskar Bryant who had darted out of dummy half.

Tony Francis also had some good moments defensively in the match, including a heavy well timed hit on the Knights right centre (No. 3) early in the match. From a Newcastle scrum win the Knights threw the ball out to their right, with a long pass being thrown to the right centre. Tony Francis identified the situation early and come out of the line to hit the Knights centre front on just a fraction after the ball got to the centre. Tony Francis drove his shoulder literally through the centres chest, stopping all of the Knights, and the centres, momentum.

A week after the match against the Newcastle Knights Tony Francis once again lined up for the Titans U19’s starting once again at left centre as they took on a Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts squad with the Titans winning 32 – 20 with no conversions attempted.

Tony Francis did not take long to make an impact in the match, taking a strong hit-up in the opening set of six from the kick with a twelve metre surge down the left side of the field.

Just minutes later, Tony Francis had an even bigger impact on the match when he charged into a gap, receiving a good pass from Jaylan De Groot in the process to charge fifteen minutes to get the ball down five metres in from the left corner after a twelve metre burst.

Tony Francis was again in the action in the 25th minute of the first half with yet another strong charge down the left of twenty metres after being put into a gap by Thomas Weaver.

Tony Francis followed up his 25th minute line break with an even more impressive thirty five metre effort just five minutes later when he rumbled downfield, initially bumping off two defenders who had tried to tackle him chest on. Tony Francis then got rid of two further defenders in quick succession with right arm fends.

Just weeks after Tony Francis suited up for the Titans against Burleigh, Tony Francis was in a Burleigh jersey lining up for the Bears in a Hastings Deering’s Colts trial against the Easts Tigers at Langland’s Park. Starting at left centre, Tony Francis was one of Burleigh’s best, alongside fellow contracted Titan Isaac Matalavea-Booth in the match that ended up in a twenty all draw.

Tony Francis was one of the Bears try scorers when he crossed for a powerful try late in the first half. Tony Francis came back underneath Cameron Brown who had run to his right and passed back to Tony Francis who received the ball ten metres out charging onto the ball and beating three defenders to score ten metres away from the left upright.

Tony Francis also had a first half line break assist, when he showed quick hands to catch and pass to his left to put the Burleigh left winger into space down the left touchline for a thirty metre gain.

Earlier in the match, in the 25th minute to be precise, Tony Francis made a strong ten metre charge when he, like he did for his try, ran on underneath play with Cameron Brown to make a ten metre gain.

Defensively Tony Francis was also very strong in the match including a big front on tackle in the 27th minute of the first half on his opposing centre which forced the Easts Tigers centre sideways.

When he came back onto the field late in the second half, Tony Francis showed his versatility, playing right centre.

The following week in the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts trial against the Tweed Heads Seagulls, Tony Francis was once again in the starting side but this time at right centre and was once again as his damaging best scoring a first half double as Burleigh rounded out their 2021 Hastings Deering’s trial campaign with a solid win.

It took only four minutes for Tony Francis to score his first try of the match. Tony Francis was able to get on the outside of his direct opponent within ten metres of the try line and from there was able to hold the defender off with his left arm whilst maintaining his balance and running line to score two metres in from the right corner post.

Tony Francis’s second try of the first half came in the 20th minute when Tony Francis received the ball on is inside from Jacob Hall and once gain got outside of his opposing defender and bumping off another to get the ball down four metres in from the right corner post.

In the 24th minute Tony Francis continued his outstanding start to the match with a strong twenty metre charge through centre field, breaking three tackles before three additional Tweed Heads had to commit to the tackle to bring Tony Francis down.

Tony Francis came back onto the field for his second stint in the second half, once again at right centre and it came as no surprise when in the 62nd minute Tony Francis proved exceptionally difficult to stop. Tony Francis made a great bullocking run across field that ultimately made twenty five metres down field breaking four tackles before he was put on the ground.

Tony Francis’s strength was highlighted in the 64th minute when he came in off the right side to bend back Tweed Heads Ben Liyou who ran the ball to Tony Francis’s side of the field.

Tony Francis deservedly took the final hit-up of the match with the final siren sounding just as he was going to ground in his own twenty metre area.

In early May 2021 a Titans U19 side travelled to North Queensland to play an U19 Cowboys selection in a curtain raiser to a Cowboys v Broncos NRL match with Tony Francis starting the match at right centre for the Titans.

Round One of the 2021 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Tony Francis start at right centres for the Burleigh Bears when they took on the Easts Tigers with Tony Francis scoring for the Bears in their 42 – 24 opening round victory.

Tony Francis scored in the 30th minute, once again highlighting his speed and power. After some good work on his inside by his forward’s Tony Francis cut to his left to run an underneath route and receive the hand off from TJ Devery. From there Tony Francis literally ran over the Easts fullback to slam the ball down over the line ten metres in from the right corner post.

Whilst he cannot be put down for a try assist Tony Francis was involved in Will Evans 50 minute try all be it in a unique way. On his inside, Cameron Brown identified that there was space to the right and threw a long cut out pass. The ball was not going to reach Tony Francis on the full so in an effort to retain possession Tony Francis tried to trap the ball with his left foot, but instead to stopping the ball dead, the ball spun of his foot to the left and directly into the path of Will Evans who picked up the ball ten metres out and was able to dive over between defenders to score near the right corner.

In the 29th Tony Francis highlighted his explosiveness when he took the tap kick from a Burleigh twenty metre restart, bursting twelve metres downfield with three Easts forwards trying to drag him to the ground.

Tony Francis showed his wide ranging skill set in the 64th minute with a run that started near the left wing and finished on the opposite side of the field. Initially when he received the ball Tony Francis was forty metres out and hemmed in on three sides, Tony Francis pulled back and cut back towards the centre of the field twice, when he was confronted a third time Tony Francis exquisitely put in a left foot chip that he followed through a retrieved on the first bounce before offloading to his left.

Whilst his effort did not produce a try or line break it was just a little window to how much skill this young man has.

Tony Francis produced a more traditional run in the 76th minute when after dummying to his right, Tony Francis put the ball under his arm on the halfway mark and after getting on the outside of his direct opponent made fifteen metres of valuable ground.

Tony Francis made a statement defensively in the 34th minute when he along with TJ Devery made a heavy driving tackle in the East forward unlucky enough to run the ball towards them from a Burleigh kick-off. Tony Francis added to his defensive credentials in the 42nd minute when he made the correct decision to come out of the line when he was facing an overlap to smash the Easts halfback just as he was about to pass to his right and spring the overlap.

The 77th minute saw Tony Francis continue to be strong defensively when a great one on one wrapping tackle on the East left centre nullified a promising Tigers attacking raid.

Tony Francis also started at right centre in the Round Two local derby against the Tweed heads Seagulls and in the 16th minute with Burleigh under pressure, took some of that pressure off coming infield to take a hit-out of his own twenty metre area, with the ten metres that Tony Francis made all hard metres.

Tony Francis made additional hard earned ground in the 25th minute when he broke two tackles on the way to making ten metres down the right side of the field.

Tony Francis moved to left centre for Round Three against the Western Mustangs, scoring in the second half in Burleigh’s thirty point victory. Toby Francis moved into dummy half in the 66th minute five metres out from the try line and five metres in from the left touchline. After picking up the ball Tony Francis ran to his left, down the short blind side and powered his way over in the left corner.

After missing Round Four due to playing for the Titans U19 side, Tony Francis was named to start Round Five against the Northern Pride at left centre however he was a late scratching from the match.

Round Six against the Townsville Blackhawks saw Tony Francis return to the Burleigh side at left centre and he was at his destructive best in the 20th minute with a hard fought eleven metre run to get to forty metres out from his own line, with the majority of the metres that he made being post contact.

Tony Francis made an even better run in the 39th minute when he burst thirty two metres down the left touchline, leaving a number of defenders in his wake and then in the 49th minute Tony Francis made another hard fought twelve metres to the forty metre mark after taking a hit-up to the left of the dummy half.

Tony Francis came desperately close to scoring in the 57th minute after getting down low and running out of dummy half to his left from close range. Somehow the Townsville stopped his centremetres short of the left near the left corner.

After missing a number of weeks, Tony Francis was back at left centre for Round Nine against the Mackay Cutters and was the Bears sole try scorer in their loss. The match saw Tony Francis score Burleigh’s only try of the match in the 41st minute when after receiving the ball twelve metres from the line, he got on the outside of his direct opponent to get the ball down five metres in from the left corner post.

Tony Francis started the previously postponed Round Ten match against Wynnum Manly on the wing.

After a Covid 19 enforced hiatus, Tony Francis was named to start at left centre in Round Sixteen against the Ipswich Jets however Tony Francis started the match at left centre, scoring a try and kicking three conversions from as many attempts including two outstanding left foot conversions from the left touchline including the conversion of his own try.

Tony Francis scored in the 71st minute after a line break by Blake Campbell. Blake Campbell was in fact over the line when he passed to Tony Francis to score in the left corner.

Tony Francis also had a 48th minute line break when from right on his own try line, he intercepted an attempted cut-out pass and was able to make seventy metres down the left touchline before being tackled from behind by the Ipswich cover defence.

Tony Francis’s solid match included a strong run in the 44th minute with a strong sixteen metre effort that got Tony Francis to within two metres of the line.

Tony Francis was also named to start on the left wing in the rescheduled Round Thirteen match against the Sunshine Coast Falcons with Tony Francis converting Damon Somerville’s try in the 24th minute.

Tony Francis continued on the left wing in Round Fourteen against the Northern Pride and scored in the 12th minute from six metres out after good work on his inside by Damon Somerville from a Burleigh scrum win with Damon Somerville giving Tony Francis an easy run to the line.

The match also saw Tony Francis do some good work running the ball out of Burleigh territory including in the 31st minute when he made a strong run from one side of the field to the other making twenty five metres and breaking four tackles.

Then in the 48th minute, Tony Francis made a strong run of fifteen metres after running out of dummy half.

At the 2021 Queensland Rugby League Awards Night Tony Francis finished with three votes for the Hastings Deering’s Colts Player of the Season Award.

In 2020 Tony Francis was part of the Marsden State High School Langer Cup Open A school boy side spending time at both five eight and left centre for the Mako’s.

Tony Francis started Round One of the 2020 Langer Cup at five eight for Marsden State High School against St Mary’s College Toowoomba and also started at five eight in Round Two against Keebra Park. Round Three of the 2020 Langer Cup against Wavell State High School saw Tony Francis line up at five eight once again and in Round Five against PBC.

Tony Francis was also part of the Marsden State High School boy rugby league program in 2019, including playing in the Queensland GIO Cup School Boy Grand Final against Townsville’s Kirwan State High School, with Tony Francis making one memorable line break in the second half down the left side of the field which ultimately led to a try to TC Robati. Unfortunately Marsden SHS went down in the Grand Final to their North Queensland opponents.

Tony Francis was simply dominating over the course of the 2019 school boy season in both the GIO Cup and the Langer Cup school boy cup competitions and a description of some of his multiple impressive moments are noted below:

Playing left centre against PBC, Tony Francis chased through a short stab kick towards the PBC right corner post, Tony Francis wanted the ball more than the three PBC defenders trying to defuse the kick but Tony Francis bustled this way through the take the ball off a head high bounce and after flipping over a PBC defender was able to get the ball down three metres in from the left corner post.

Tony Francis recorded an outstanding try assist against Wavell State High School when he produced an outstanding flick pass off load out of the back of his left arm to his unmarked left winger to score in the left corner.

Against Ipswich State High School, Tony Francis produced in of the most outstanding pieces of play that I saw in school boy rugby league in 2019. Playing at left centre, Tony Francis split the Ipswich SHS right sided defence twenty metres out from his own line with the cover defence coming from everywhere. Tony Francis was initially dragged down just over the halfway mark but the tackler fell off Tony Francis, who smartly get back to his feet whilst surrounded by defenders to continue his run. Tony Francis then drew the Ipswich SHS fullback to send his left winger away untouched to the try line.

One of the first occasions that Tony Francis wore a Marsden jersey was in early 2019 when a Marsden Open side played a trial against a Wests Tigers Development U17 side. Tony Francis had an outstanding match, including a superb long range line break. Tony Francis, playing left centre, took a pass fifty five metres out above his head. Tony Francis produced an outstanding left arm fend to beat the initial attempted tackle before cutting back to his right to beat another. IT was only a last ditch effort that dragged Tony Francis down just short of the line.

2019 also saw Tony Francis represent Met East at the QSSRL U18 Championships where he was impressive with his hard charging runs and one handed off loads, alternating between starting and coming off the bench.

In 2019 Tony Francis also represented Tonga U18’s at the QPIIC Carnival scoring an outstanding try against Samoa. Tony Francis charged onto the ball from a pass from the dummy half to the left of the play the ball from fifteen metres out, dragging two Samoan defenders with him with those two defenders still trying to hold on even as Tony Francis crashed over the line.

Tony Francis has also played some club rugby since his move from Sydney, playing for the Colleges Knights in the Gold Coast District Rugby competition, primarily at outside centre. Some of his tries in club rugby for Colleges Knights when he terrorised the Helensvale Hogs are noted below.

Playing outside centre (No. 13) Tony Francis was operating on the left side of the field when he took receipt of the ball seventy five metres out from the try line in space. Tony Francis highlighted his impressive speed to outpace the sliding defensive line before producing a strong right arm palm to get rid of the Hornets fullback and bring the ball around under the posts to make the conversion a simple one.

Tony Francis was defending on the left side of the field when the Helensvale fullback kicked to try to clear the ball away from his own territory. Tony Francis took the clearing kick on the full forty two metres out from the Hogs line and brushed past two defenders, one with a fend and another with a shoulder into the defender to score in the left corner.

Probably Tony Francis’s best try of the three against Helensvale came once again when he was on the left side of the field. Tony Francis received the ball forty five metres out from the Hogs line whilst he was standing still after it appeared that the attacking play had broken down. Tony Francis exploded off the mark, cutting to his right to beat the first defender, stepping off his right foot to beat the second to break into open space before outpacing the Hogs fullback to dive over to score in the left corner.

Tony Francis moved up to Brisbane in early 2019 after playing for the Manly Sea Eagles in the U16 Harold Matthews Cup competition in 2018 including starting in the Harold Matthews Cup Grand Final against the Parramatta at five eight and scoring as the Sea Eagles won the premiership decider 26 – 18.

Tony Francis’s first match in the 2018 Harold Matthews Cup competition for Manly came in Round Two when he started at left centre against the Parramatta Eels. Tony Francis maintained his place at left centre in Round Two against the Bulldogs and also started there in Round Three against the Central Coast Roosters, a match which saw Tony Francis score his first points of the competition, kicking three conversions.

Tony Francis had a big match in Round Five against the Illawarra Steelers in Round Five from left centre scoring two tries and kicking three conversions for a fourteen point individual haul. Tony Francis then eclipsed that in Round Six against the Canberra Raiders scoring eighteen points from a try and seven conversions and added eight points from a try and two goals against the Balmain Tigers in Round Seven.

Tony Francis moved to five eight for Round Eight against St George kicking a conversions and in Round Eight started at half against the Western Suburbs Magpies adding a try and a conversions to his 2018 points haul.

In Week One of the finals against the Parramatta Eels Tony Francis started at half before moving to five eight for Week Three of the Finals against the Penrith Panthers and as noted above Tony Francis started the Grand Final at five eight.

In total in the 2018 U16 Harold Matthews Cup for the Manly Sea Eagles, Tony Francis played in eleven matches and scored fifty eight points from six tries and seventeen conversions.

Tony Francis’s try against the Balmain Tigers in Round Seven came when after he received the ball in a reasonable amount of space, Tony Francis stepped off his right foot and produced a sild fend to break through the Tigers defensive line and then it was a twenty metre surge to the try line for the left centre.

As noted above Tony Francis also scored in the 2018 Harold Matthews Grand Final. Tony Francis received the ball two passes to the left of the play the ball just to the right of the goal posts twelve metres out. Tony Francis immediately broke two tackles and dragged three other Eels defenders over the line to get the ball down under heavy pressure two metres from the right goal post.

Tony Francis is a powerfully built hard running left centre (and occasional five eight) who seems to have a preference to run over an opponent rather than beating them with speed and guile. Tony Francis however does have the size, strength and power to achieve his goal. Tony Francis runs straight and hard and drops his shoulder into his opposing defender making him difficult to tackle one on one.

In terms of speed for a centre Tony Francis, I would argue that it is above average for a centre in relation to Tony Francis but it plays faster than that as a result of the strength and power that he runs with as well as the fact that for his size Tony Francis has a very good initial burst once he receives the ball.

Tony Francis can beat a defender on the outside or use a step to create an overlap but his most outstanding feature from an attacking perspective is his power and hard straight running and to be fair that is the trait that he uses more often than not.

Defensively Tony Francis is certainly a hard hitter and often looks to come out of the line in an attempt to hit the ball carrier around the same time as they are receiving the ball, consequently he seems more comfortable defending with an up and in methodology but Tony Francis does have the recovery speed if an attacker beats him for pace and gets on his outside, however his plus lateral movement as well as his speed negates some of the concern about an opposing centre getting on his outside, Tony Francis is a able to mirror the movement of his opponent and commit to the tackle at the appropriate moment.

Tony Francis will play the 2023 season in the Queensland Cup competition once again for the Burleigh Bears. It is clear that the Titans think very highly of Tony Francis and there is no doubt that Tony Francis will feature in the Titans 2023 NRL trials with Toby Francis also a near lock to make his NRL debut in 2023.

2023 will also see Tony Francis continue to train fulltime with the Titans NRL squad as a result of his NRL Development contract with Tony Francis’s NRL Development contract going through until the end of the 2023 season.

Even though Tony Francis has played in the halves, mainly five eight and at fullback on occasion in both Sydney for Manly and in Brisbane for Marsden State High School, Tony Francis has played his best rugby league at left centre, and at times on the right, including for the Titans U19 side and Burleigh Colts on 2021 where he can use his size, power and strong right fend to cause havoc wide out on the left or right side of the field, and thus the Titans will give Tony Francis an extended look at centre before even remotely contemplating any positional switch to either the wing or potentially even the second row.

For me with his penchant for looking to run over his direct opponent if necessary and physically intimidating them at every opportunity, Tony Francis has a playing style akin to that of a bigger, stronger, faster and more aggressive version of Titan and former New Zealand Warrior Patrick Herbert with a touch of former Titan and current English Super League centre Konrad Hurrell added in from a pure physicality perspective.

Tony Francis plays with a real mean streak and on occasion can sail close to the wind but when he controls it and channels that aggression in the correct manner, Tony Francis is as close to unstoppable and damaging as a 20 year old centre can be.

[MaroonTitan]

Thanks Mdrew. Hoping that Francis starts the season exclusively at centre for the Bears. How likely is that?

[mdrew]

I certainly hope he does mate, played well on the wing for Burleigh in 2022 but for me Tony Francis is a better centre prospect.

Thanks Mdrew. Hoping that Francis starts the season exclusively at centre for the Bears. How likely is that?

[mdrew]

Kaleb Ngamanu. (Revised). The exciting fullback, centre or winger originally signed with the Titans as a 15 year old all of the way back in 2018 and Kaleb Ngamanu since has signed a contract extension to ensure that the Titans have one of the most outstanding strike players in Queensland regardless of whether you are talking about rugby league or rugby in their outstanding JTS program.

Multiple NRL clubs as well as the Queensland Reds Super Rugby side were chasing Kaleb Ngamanu so it is certainly a mark of confidence that Kaleb Ngamanu extended his deal with the Titans in the face of so many rival offers from both codes.

From a trivia perspective Kaleb Ngamanu is the younger brother of former Queensland Reds Super Rugby and Brisbane Boys College First XV stand outs Jayden and Cullen Ngamanu. The fact that is older brothers played at BBC meant that it was I am sure bitter sweet when Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the TSS First XV that knocked BBC out of the GPS School Boy First XV title race in late 2019 at BBC’s Toowong campus in an outstanding game of school boy rugby that was in the balance until the final minute of the match. Unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was not able to see out the match as a result of a jaw injury that he suffered near half time.

Impressively on November 1, 2022, Kaleb Ngamanu commenced training in the Titans NRL off-season program on a train and trial basis.

In early December 2022 Kaleb Ngamanu took part in a joint training session betweed the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL squad.

Kaleb Ngamanu undertook the 2021/22 pre-season with the Titans NRL squad as a member of the Titans Rookie Squad looking to impress Justin Holbrook and the other NRL coaches in the pre-Christmas portion of the 2021/22 off-season.

It is an absolute coup that the Titans have kept Kaleb Ngamanu in rugby league and away from the clutches of the likes of the Queensland Reds and even better that in late January 2022 Kaleb Ngamanu once again resigned with the Gold Coast Titans for a further two seasons.

In early May 2022 Kaleb Ngamanu was named in the Queensland U19 Rugby League Representative side for their annual match against New South Wales with Kaleb Ngamanu named on the Queensland extended bench for the match.

In late January 2022 Kaleb Ngamanu started at left centre for the Titans U19 side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side.

Kaleb Ngamanu was solid defensively in the match including in the 8th minute when he along with Elijah Lui they prevented a Burleigh try in the left corner when the two Titans players stopped the Bears right winger centremetres from the line and then forced him into touch.

Kaleb Ngamanu made another strong defensive effort in the 64th minute when he brought down his opposite number Tuvalli Khan-Pereira with a scything low tackle less than ten metres from the try line to stop Burleigh’s attacking move dead.

Kaleb Ngamanu made a number of strong runs as well including a good effort in the 11th minute when he made a hard ten metres to get the ball to twenty metres away from his own try line. Kaleb Ngamanu continued his strong match in the 27th minute when a ten metre effort out of his own twenty metre area, bumping off one Bears defender who attempted to tackle Kaleb Ngamanu around the chest.

In late July 2022 Kaleb Ngamanu started at left centre for a Titans U19 side that played their annual match against the North Queensland Cowboys that was played as a curtain raiser at Cbus Stadium to the Titans Round Twenty NRL match against the Canberra Raiders with Kaleb Ngamanu recording a try assist in the 22nd minute when after good work on his inside by Jaylen De Groot, Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball ten metres out from the try line and then drew the fullback to put Keano Kini over in the left corner.

Kaleb Ngamanu made a strong run in the 47th minute when a strong run down a short left blindside with Kaleb Ngamanu making sixteen metres being tackled five metres out with Kaleb Ngamanu doing very well to stay in the field of play with multiple defenders trying in vain to get him into touch.

Kaleb Ngamanu made another strong run in the 52nd minute with a sixteen metre run down a left blindside to get the ball ten metres into North Queensland territory.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s initial significant contribution in the match was form a defensive perspective and came in the 5th minute when Kaleb Ngamanu ran to his right to make a great covering tackle on the Cowboys right winger who had broken away down the touchline.

Round One of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition saw Kaleb Ngamanu named on an extended for the Tweed Heads Seagulls as they took on the Easts Tigers and Kaleb Ngamanu was also named on the Seagulls extended bench for Round Two against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Round Three of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition saw Kaleb Ngamanu named to start on the left wing for his debut match for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Norths Devils with Kaleb Ngamanu having a very very solid Queensland Cup debut.

Playing the entire eighty minutes Kaleb Ngamanu ran for ninety two metres (forty nine post contact), made a line break, played the ball at an average speed of 3.26 seconds and made eight tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Kaleb Ngamanu played his second Queensland Cup match in Round Ten against the PNG Hunters when he started on the left wing. Playing all eighty minutes Kaleb Ngamanu ran for ninety four metres (thirty four post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.28 seconds, made a line break and made three tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued on the left wing in Round Eleven against the Ipswich Jets with Kaleb Ngamanu scoring his career first Queensland Cup try in the 25th minute when he was on the end of a sweeping backline movement to his left wing with Kaleb Ngamanu receiving the ball six metres and flying over to score in the left corner.

Playing all eighty minutes Kaleb Ngamanu ran for 123 metres (forty one post contact), made a line break, broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.79 seconds and made a tackle.

Kaleb Ngamanu was back on the left wing in Round Seventeen being the local derby against the Burleigh Bears with Kaleb Ngamanu scoring in the 53rd minute when after receiving a right arm around the corner off-load from Ioane Seuili, Kaleb Ngamanu had a six metre run down the touchline to dive over to score in the left corner.

Playing all eighty minutes of the match Kaleb Ngamanu ran for seventy six metres (seventeen post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.68 seconds and made three tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre in Round Sixteen against the Townsville Blackhawks as well as Round in Round Seventeen against the Easts Tigers.

In total in the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Kaleb Ngamanu played in four matches, scoring twice. Kaleb Ngamanu also broke two tackles, made four line breaks, made fifteen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency and ran for 387 metres at a per game average of ninety six metres.

Also in late 2021 Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the Titans NRL squad that undertook a joint training session with ninety members of the Titans JTS Program.

In late 2021 it was confirmed that Kaleb Ngamanu would play the 2022 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad and Kaleb Ngamanu is also Colts eligible in 2023.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also named at left centre in the Round Two local derby against the Burleigh Bears with Kaleb Ngamanu making twenty five metres down the left touchline in just the 3rd minute of the match before off-loading to Brent Barnes to his left.

Kaleb Ngamanu showed that he is prepared to be the hard work in the 8th minute when he charged onto the ball deep inside his own twenty metre area, making a strong, hard fourteen metres. Kaleb Ngamanu also made some hard metres in the 44th minute directly from the kick-off to Brent Barnes early second half try. Kaleb Ngamanu executed a further strong run in the 75th minute making twelve metres from a Tweed Heads penalty restart to get the Seagulls into the attacking twenty metre zone.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued at left centre in Round Three against the Townsville Blackhawks with Kaleb Ngamanu coming out of the line with Townsville on the attack ten metres from the try line to smash the Blackhawks fullback with a great driving right shoulder tackle.

Kaleb Ngamanu came out of the line once again in the 52nd minute and smashed his opposite number over the top just twenty metres from the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre in Round Six against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and recorded a 10th minute line break and try assist when from the near the halfway mark Kaleb Ngamanu got on the outside of the Wynnum Manly left sided defence and racing thirty metres downfield before drawing the Wynnum Manly fullback and sending Brent Barnes away to score near the left corner.

Kaleb Ngamanu made a further line break in the 16th minute when he burst away down the left touchline on a twenty metre run after being put away as a result of a Ryan Foran off-load from his inside.

Kaleb Ngamanu made a great try saving tackle in the 39th minute when facing an overlap whilst defending on his own try line Kaleb Ngamanu came out of the defensive line to execute a great ball and all tackle on the Wynnum Manly lock just a metre out from the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued at left centre in Round Six against the Northern Pride scoring a double in the Seagulls big 66 – 0.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s opening try came in the 52nd minute when after receiving the ball from his inside, Kaleb Ngamanu accelerated between two defenders from twelve metres out and smartly in the wet conditions dived early and slid over the try line from three metres out and three metres in from the left corner. In fact Kaleb Ngamanu’s try ended up being an eight point try after he was hit late after crossing the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu completed his double in the 64th minute when after receiving the ball around thirty three metres out down a short left blindside, Kaleb Ngamanu dummied to his left to break the defensive line before a second dummy to his left saw him beat the fullback and dive over three metres in from the left corner post.

Kaleb Ngamanu also recorded a 51st minute line break when from forty metres out and down a short left blindside, Kaleb Ngamanu skipped to the outside of his direct opponent, to break clear. As the cover defence converged on him, Kaleb Ngamanu was able to get the ball away to Brent Barnes who kicked into the in-goal with the kick forced dead by the Northern Pride fullback.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s first significant impact on the match came in the 7th minute with a line break down the left side of the field that came from a Seagulls scrum win around twenty metres out from his own line. Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball from the back of the scrum on the left side of the field, Kaleb Ngamanu then got on the outside of his direct opponent and then dispatched him with a right arm fend. After running around forty metres downfield Kaleb Ngamanu got the ball away to his left to Brent Barnes who then got within ten metres of the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre in the rescheduled Round One match against the Norths Devils and once again scored a double with his first try coming in the 34th minute when he raced away to score after receiving a good off-load from his left from Jaylan De Groot who had broken through the Norths right sided defensive line.

Kaleb Ngamanu completed his double in the 74th minute when he was on hand to ground the ball in-goal when a cross field Thomas Weaver bomb was dropped by the Devils fullback.

Kaleb Ngamanu also recorded a line break assist in the match when in the 40th minute Kaleb Ngamanu ran the ball from deep inside his own territory and after he took on two defenders Kelab Ngamanu was able to executed a right arm off-load to his left to put Brent Barnes away down the left touchline.

Kaleb Ngamanu first significant contribution to the Seagulls victory came in just the 4th minute when he drove his right shoulder into the Devils fullback who was returning a kick with Kaleb Ngamanu driving the fullback back three metres.

Kaleb Ngamanu also made a strong run in the 23rd minute when he ran onto the ball to the left of the play the ball with Kaleb Ngamanu stepping off his left foot which enabled him to make fifteen metres to get the ball over the halfway mark.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued at left centre in the rescheduled Round Seven match against the Souths Logan Magpies.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre in Round Eleven against the Central Queensland Capra’s and scored in the 25th minute after Thomas Weaver took the ball deep into the defensive line and then threw a perfectly weighted short ball to his left to put Kaleb Ngamanu over to score from eight metres out with Kaleb Ngamanu getting the ball down left three metres in from the left corner post.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s first strong run of the match came in just the 3rd minute when Kaleb Ngamanu made fifteen metres down a short left blindside to get the ball to within twenty five metres of the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu made another twenty metres of valuable ground in the 65th minute when after receiving the ball on the halfway mark Kaleb Ngamanu was able to work the ball twenty five metres downfield.

To round out a strong match Kaleb Ngamanu threw the final pass for Brent Barnes’s 76th minute try in the left corner which temporarily gave the Seagulls the lead.

The match saw Kaleb Ngamanu run for a team leading 181 metres.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued at left centre in Round Thirteen against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued at left centre in Round Fifteen against the Northern Pride with Kaleb Ngamanu scoring in a big Seagulls victory.

Kaleb Ngamanu scored in the 54th minute when Jaylan De Groot chimed into the Seagulls backline on the left side of the field and got the ball away to his left to Kaleb Ngamanu twelve metres out with Kaleb Ngamanu holding one defender off him with the right arm fend to score in the left corner.

Kaleb Ngamanu also recorded a try assist in the 28th minute when from twenty metres out on the left side of the field, Kaleb Ngamanu broke through the Northern Pride left side defensive line before when eight metres out Kaleb Ngamanu got an off-load away to his left to put Ryan Foran over to score ten metres in from the left corner post.

Kaleb Ngamanu recorded a second try assist in the 61st minute when Kaleb Ngamanu ran the ball down a short left blindside and got a pass away when twenty five metres out to his left to put Jotham Russell away to score near the left corner.

Kaleb Ngamanu also made a line break in the 24th minute when Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball to the left of a Tweed Heads scrum win with Kaleb Ngamanu receiving the ball thirty two metres out with Kaleb Ngamanu dummying to his left behind surging forward with Kaleb Ngamanu only tackled when he had gotten to six metres out from the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu made another strong run in the 25th minute when he broke three tackles in a twenty five metre run on the left side of the field from an off-load from Ben Liyou to get the ball into Northern Pride territory.

Week One of the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts Final saw Kaleb Ngamanu start at left centre in the Elimination Final against the Easts Tigers with Kaleb Ngamanu taking the second hit-up of the match.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre in the Week Two Final against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

In early January 2021 Kaleb Ngamanu started on the right wing for the Titans U19 side in their annual match against the Newcastle Knights in Coffs Harbour, a match which the Titans dominated, especially in the second half to record an impressive 40 – 6 victory in shockingly hot and humid conditions.

Whilst the ball did not get to his wing often in general play, Kaleb Ngamanu was still very effective in the match through multiple kick returns with Kaleb Ngamanu fielding a lot of the kicks in his direction on the full and he was also very effective running out of dummy half when bringing the ball out of his own territory.

Two instances late in the match highlighted the hard work that Kaleb Ngamanu undertook bringing the ball upfield. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Kaleb Ngamanu came off his wing and charged into the Knights set defensive line, taking the first defender on front on, bumping him off in a twenty metre run that had started when Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball less than ten metres out from his own line.

Just two minutes later in the 25th minute, Kaleb Ngamanu was at it again when he looped around to the other side of the field to once again start his hit-up from less than twenty metres out from his own line and through sheer hard running and leg drive got to the forty metre line before his forward momentum was eventually stopped and he was forced to play the ball.

A week after the match against the Newcastle Knights Kaleb Ngamanu once again lined up for the Titans U19’s starting on the right wing as they took on a Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts squad with the Titans winning 32 – 20 with no conversions attempted.

Kaleb Ngamanu had a more than solid match against the Bears including an outstanding thirty metre run that started just ten metres out from his own line early in the first half. From a Titans scrum win deep in their own half, Kaleb Ngamanu took the ball from Ediq Ambrosyev who had packed in at lock, producing an outstanding right foot step to beat the first defender, with Kaleb Ngamanu beating a second defender with a second right foot step. Kaleb Ngamanu then burst downfield before he was dragged down from behind on the forty metre mark just as he was winding up to get to his top speed.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also a key player in one of the Titans first half tries. Dummy half Oskar Bryant kicked out of dummy half, with the weighting being ideal, forcing the Burleigh fullback to go back into his in-goal. As he was trying to bring the ball back into the field of play, he was hit by Kaleb Ngamanu with the contact forcing the ball loose for Reef Sommerville to simply put his hand on the ball to be awarded a try.

After a more than solid first half on the right wing, Kaleb Ngamanu moved to left centre in the second half and produced some real moments of class from there for the Titans including a 19th minute (of the second half) try assist. Kaleb Ngamanu, playing left centre flew into a gap just thirty metres from his own line, receiving a good ball from Thomas Weaver.

After getting through the Bears line Kaleb Ngamanu accelerated away from any potential Bears cover defenders. After a forty metre run, Kaleb Ngamanu expertly drew the Burleigh fullback, then passing to his right to Jaylan De Groot who had loomed up on his inside.

Kaleb Ngamanu then showcased his positioning skills in the final minute of the match. Even though they were on the wrong end of the scoreboard, Burleigh were still desperately trying to score up until the final siren and thus in the final minute the Bears half put in a grubber kick to the Titans left corner. Kaleb Ngamanu turned and chased the kick back, knocking the ball dead literally out of the clutches of the Bears right winger.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started on the right wing in Tweed Heads final 2021 MM Cup final against the Souths Logan Magpies at Logan. Kaleb Ngamanu moved to left centre early in the second quarter after a Campbell Watchairs ankle injury forced him off the field.

It was from that left centre position where Kaleb Ngamanu threw the last pass to Keano Kini for him to score. The pass that Kaleb Ngamanu threw was to his left and covered around twenty metres and found Keano Kini in full stride and right on his chest. As a result Keano Kini was able to step inside the cover defence to score.

Early in the third quarter Kaleb Ngamanu raced thirty metres down the left touchline after good work on his inside from Keano Kini and Ryan Foran, unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was taken into touch just metres away from the left corner post.

In early May 2021 a Titans U19 side travelled to North Queensland to play an U19 Cowboys selection in a curtain raiser to a Cowboys v Broncos NRL match with Kaleb Ngamanu starting the match at left centre for the Titans.

In November 2020 Kaleb Ngamanu was named in the powerful Tweed Heads Seagulls 2021 MM Cup squad and in Round One Kaleb Ngamanu started at left centre against the Ipswich Jets.

It was an interesting game for Kaleb Ngamanu, for the first sixty five minutes the ball and play always seemed to be on the opposite side of the field, but with the game on the line in the final five minutes with Tweed Heads holding onto a two point lead, all of a sudden the ball and play was everywhere where Kaleb Ngamanu was.

In the 65th minute with the Seagulls defending their own line, Kaleb Ngamanu produced an outstanding tackle on the Jets tearaway left second rower. The Jets second rower had space to build his momentum and charged at the line but Kaleb Ngamanu put him on the ground with a superb low tackle.

The Jets No. 11 second rower felt the power of Kaleb Ngamanu once again just three minutes later in the 68th minute. The Jets had an overlap but Kaleb Ngamanu came out of the line to hit the second rower around the chest just as he was looking up after taking possession of the ball.

Interspersed between those two outstanding tackles was a strong hard run brining the ball out of his own twenty metre area by Kaleb Ngamanu who received the ball off Oskar Bryant to the left of the play the ball making ten valuable metres. The last five metres of the run were on his hands and knees after Kaleb Ngamanu was tripped up not long into his run but Kaleb Ngamanu just kept forcing his way forward.

Such was Kaleb Ngamanu’s performance that he was named as the Seagulls best in the Round One match.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre in Round Two against the Souths Logan Magpies and was outstanding once again in both attack and defence.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s impressive match started to just the 7th minute with a line break of twenty five metres down the left touch line after he was put away by great work on his inside by Keano Kini. Kaleb Ngamanu made another strong run down the left touchline in the 31st minute, making twelve metres before Kaleb Ngamanu was eventually stopped just centremetres short of the line in the left corner.

Kaleb Ngamanu also had some strong runs through the centre of the field, as good as any of those runs was in the 19th minute when from his own territory, Kaleb Ngamanu made eleven metres through the centre of the ruck to give the Seagulls some room to move. Kaleb Ngamanu made a further fifteen metres in the 34th minute of the first half when once again brining the ball out of his own territory.

The half time break did not slow Kaleb Ngamanu down as in the 36th minute he took the second hit up of the second half after the kick-off. The play the ball was only ten metres out from the line but Kaleb Ngamanu was able to bring the ball out to the Twenty metre line after taking on the centre of the Souths Logan defensive line.

With the game in the balance, Kaleb Ngamanu continued to press Tweed Heads case with a strong effort from a tap restart from a penalty, making thirteen metres to get the Seagulls into the Magpies twenty metre area and then in the 67th minute, Kaleb Ngamanu darted out of dummy half to his right making twelve hard fought metres to get Tweed Heads within ten metres of the Souths Logan try line.

Defensively Kaleb Ngamanu was also very strong in the match with a number of tackles standing out including a front on tackle in the 37th minute on his opposite number with Kaleb Ngamanu’s strong initial contact forcing the ball out and putting Tweed Heads back on the attack.

Kaleb Ngamanu almost got himself on the scoreboard in the 51st minute when he took a Souths Logan cross kick on the bounce and looked set to streak away on an eighty metre runaway try but the play was called back for interference on the Souths Logan kicker.

Kaleb Ngamanu once again started at left centre in the Round Three Gold Coast derby against the Burleigh Bears and once again was one of the Seagulls best in their strong derby victory.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s impressive afternoon got underway in just the 6th minute with a perfectly timed and executed driving low tackle after coming out of the line on Burleigh second rower Seth Nikotemo which forced the much bigger player back three metres.

Kaleb Ngamanu added a further great low tackle to his highlight reel in the match with a beautifully executed tackle in the 56th minute of the match when he moved up from a Burleigh scrum win to take down the Burleigh centre less than ten metres out from the Burleigh line and then backed up to make the next tackle.

Kaleb Ngamanu was outstanding defensively against Burleigh but also had some strong runs with the ball with the first of many coming in the 9th minute of the match when he took the ball from the dummy half just a metre out from his own line. Kaleb Ngamanu was able to get the ball out to the ten metre mark with the Burleigh defence rushing at him. Then just four minutes later Kaleb Ngamanu produced another ten metre effort to get the ball away from the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued to show up when his team needed him including in the 34th minute when with Tweed Heads under pressure in their own territory Kaleb Ngamanu surged sixteen metres through the centre of the ruck to get the ball just into Burleigh’s territory.

Late in the first half Kaleb Ngamanu was on hand to continue to put pressure on Burleigh when he along with Ryan Foran was on hand to drag the Burleigh right winger into touch just out from his own line after he took a bomb on the field in the left corner.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also named to start at left centre for Round Four match against the Ipswich Jets and was close to if not the Seagulls best in their big 28 – 24 victory.

Kaleb Ngamanu was into the action early in the match in just the second minute with a strong run to the right of the dummy half before cutting back into the area behind the play the ball to make eleven metres to bring the ball out of the Seagulls twenty metre area.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued his strong start to the match in the 3rd minute with a run that made ten metres to get Tweed Heads within twenty metres of the try line. Just two minutes later, in the 5th minute, Kaleb Ngamanu charged onto the ball to the right of the play the ball before cutting off his right foot to gain sixteen metres.

Late in the first half in the 27th minute Kaleb Ngamanu once again was key in getting Tweed Heads out of their own territory, on that occasion Kaleb Ngamanu made eighteen metres to get the ball across the halfway mark.

Even with the game well and truly won, Kaleb Ngamanu’s effort did not drop off as was evidenced in the 67th minute, when he took a hit-up to the right of the dummy half with the run starting one metre out from his own line and Kaleb Ngamanu bringing the ball out to seventeen metres out from his own line.

It was not just off the play the ball that Kaleb Ngamanu was able to make ground as in the 23rd minute, Kaleb Ngamanu made fifteen metres down a wide left blindside off a Tweed Heads scrum win, with Kaleb Ngamanu then making a further ten metres more to get to the Ipswich forty metre mark later in the same set of six.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also heavily involved in a Tweed Heads try in the 12th minute when Thomas Weaver threw a long pass to his left to find Kaleb Ngamanu who went into the line before passing to his left also to Kuuz Remine who dived over in the left corner. It was the exact same combination of players and essentially the exact same movement in the 32nd minute that led to another Kruz Remine try.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also strong defensively in the match including a sithing low tackle on the Ipswich right second rower (No. 11), cutting him down expertly.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s calmness under pressure was also on display in the match in the 7th minute when he left high to take a cross field bomb on the full under heavy pressure.

Late in the match in the 61st minute Kaleb Ngamanu almost produced a try out of nothing. Ipswich were attacking the Tweed Heads line down their right side but the ball went to ground, Kaleb Ngamanu got to the ball first and toe’d it through and then around the halfway mark kicked the ball off the ground for the second time, unfortunately in the subsequent foot race the ball was knocked forward just ten metres out from the try line.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre in Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies.

After being rested in Round Six, Kaleb Ngamanu was named at left centre for the Seagulls Semi-final against Wynnum Manly and was in the match early, being involved in the Seagulls first tackle of the match when he chased through a Thomas Weaver kick into the left corner.

The ball did not get out to Kaleb Ngamanu’s side of the field through ball movement but Kaleb Ngamanu was still very effective in the match, especially in terms of running out of dummy half. in the 15th minute, Kaleb Ngamanu ran out of dummy half to his right making twenty metres before once again running out of dummy half to his right once again in the 21st minute, on that occasion making fourteen metres to get into Wynnum Manly territory.

Kaleb Ngamanu ran to his right out of dummy half once again in the 25th minute, making a further twelve metres with approximately 60% of those metres made post contact.

Kaleb Ngamanu made a further run out of dummy half in the 33rd minute making thirteen metres to near halfway after going to his right.

Kaleb Ngamanu also recorded two line break assists in the match with the first coming in the 49th minute when after receiving the ball from the base of a scrum ran to his right, putting on a stutter step to get outside one defender and draw the Wynnum Manly right winger to put Elijah Lui away down the left touchline, with the Seagulls left winger eventually being tackled less than ten metres out.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s second line break assist came in the 45th minute when a great short quick pass to his left put Elijah Lui away down the left touchline who then kicked inside for Ryan Foran to retrieve the ball and pass to his right to Jaylan De Groot who dived over under the posts.

Kaleb Ngamanu then produced another strong run of sixteen metres in the 58th minute, which was the third hit-up from the kick off after Elijah Lui’s long range try.

In the 2021 MM Cup Queensland Grand Final against the Townsville Blackhawks, Kaleb Ngamanu once again started at left centre as the Tweed Heads Seagulls made in back to back MM Cup successes by beating Townsville 30 – 24 with Kaleb Ngamanu scoring in the final minute of the match to ensure victory.

With just seconds to go in the match and ten metres out from their own line, Townsville tried to run back a Thomas Weaver grubber but Kaleb Ngamanu got hold of his opponent and stripped the ball in a one on one tackle and ran ten metres to dive over near the left corner to get the Seagulls celebrations under way.

In addition to his try Kaleb Ngamanu also recorded a line break when in the 13th minute from a hit-up from his own twenty he bumped off two would be defenders to get to near the halfway mark before he was brought down.

In the 30th minute Kaleb Ngamanu pulled off a smart piece of play when he charged down a Blackhawks clearing kick to get the ball back for Tweed Heads and in good field position as well.

In February 2021 Kaleb Ngamanu took part in the U18 South Coast Open school boy trials and was named in the centres for the South Coast Open A school boy side as a result of his trial performances. Kaleb Ngamanu was one of two Titans contracted 2021 TSS School Boy Rugby First XV players in the South Coast Squad with the other being Nicholas Hilton.

Kaleb Ngamanu started at left centre for South Coast’s Day One match against Met North and made his initial contribution in the opening minute when he ran back to take a Met North clearing kick on the full when still running back towards his own goal line. Then Kaleb Ngamanu took the third hit-up in that same set.

The in the 5th minute, Kaleb Ngamanu made a run of ten metres from a South Coast scrum win, getting the ball to within twenty metres of the try line and then was awarded a penalty after the Met North defenders held on for too long in the tackle.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued his strong start to the Championships in the 13th minute when he was able to make fifteen metres after he had picked the ball up at dummy half and run to his right. Also in the 24th minute, a stepping Kaleb Ngamanu accounted for twelve more valuable metres.

Defensively Kaleb Ngamanu also had a strong Day One match including in the 16th minute when facing an overlap he came out of the line and drove the Met North half backwards, hitting him just as he received the ball.

Kaleb Ngamanu came out of the line once again in the 37th minute producing a great low tackle on the Met North 14 who had tried to get on his outside.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at left centre on Day Two as South Coast took on Met East and almost immediately made thirteen metres out of his own twenty metre area in just the second minute of the match.

On Day Three against Capricornia Kaleb Ngamanu once again start at left centre and made a forty metre line break down the left touchline after being put into space by Ryan Foran, then as he was confronted by the cover defence, Kaleb Ngamanu got the ball back inside to Ryan Foran.

Kaleb Ngamanu started the Championship Final against Met North at left centre and whilst the ball did not get out to his side of the field too often more than held his own defensively including in the 32nd minute when he defused a Met North bomb under immense pressure.

Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the TSS school boy rugby First XV once again in 2021, playing the season as a full colours player in what was Kaleb Ngamanu’s third season in the TSS First XV. Kaleb Ngamanu was also the 2021 TSS First XV captain.

Kaleb Ngamanu was named as a stand by player in TSS’s opening GPS trials, being a set of round robin trials against Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) and Gregory Terrace.

Kaleb Ngamanu made his first appearance for TSS in late May 2021 for the First XV in TSS’s first full trial against Ipswich Grammar School when he started at inside centre (No. 12).

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at inside centre in TSS’s second 2021 First XV trial against Nudgee College on the Gold Coast and also started in the same position in the final full scale GPS First XV trial against Brisbane Boys College (BBC).

In TSS’s final trial before the commencement of the 2021 GPS First XV school boy rugby season, Kaleb Ngamanu started at inside centre against the TSS Second XV.

Round One of the 2021 GPS school boy rugby First XV competition saw Kaleb Ngamanu line up at inside centre (No. 12) for TSS as they took on Brisbane Grammar School at home with Kaleb Ngamanu contributing two try assists.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s first try assist came in the 10th minute when after he made a long fifty five metre break down the left touchline, Kaleb Ngamanu drew the Brisbane Grammar School fullback and passed to his right to Jye Gray who raced away to score under posts.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s second try assist came in the 58th minute when from twenty seven metres out he put in a chip kick to his left which was perfectly weighted for his left winger to take the ball on the full whilst running at full speed to score comfortably.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also outstanding in others aspects general play in TSS’s 71 – 5 victory with his initial contribution coming inside the opening minute of the match, when he combined from a TSS scrum win with Syris Schmidt to put fullback Jye Gray into space down the left side of the field who then was able to put his winger over in the corner.

Then in the 30th minute Kaleb Ngamanu combined in for all intents and purposes exactly the same way for another TSS try with the only difference being that the move was executed on the right side of the field as opposed to the opening minute when the moved was executed on the left.

As a result of his performance in the match Kaleb Ngamanu was named at inside centre in the Courier Mail GPS First XV Team of Round One and also received a TSS coaches honourable mention.

Round Two away to Anglican Church Grammar School saw Kaleb Ngamanu named at inside centre for the TSS First XV side with Kaleb Ngamanu proving to be a difficult proposition for the Churchie defence on the way to recording two try assists.

The first of Kaleb Ngamanu’s try assists came in the 23rd minute when after slicing through the defence on the right side of the field from thirty metres out, Kaleb Ngamanu then drew the Churchie fullback and passed to his left to Jye Gray who ran away to score under the posts.

Kaleb Ngamanu added his second try assist when in the 67th minute he threw a good cut out ball to Nicholas Hilton who ran a good inside shoulder route to score next to the right upright. Just five minutes earlier in the 62nd minute Kalbe Nagamnu had also broken the line on the right once again and was able to off-load to Nicholas Hilton.

As a result of his performance in the match Kaleb Ngamanu was named at inside centre in the Courier Mail GPS First XV Team of Round Two and also was awarded three points from the TSS First XV coaches for their weekly awards.

After the GPS school boy rugby competition was suspended for a number of weeks, Kaleb Ngamanu started at inside centre for the TSS First XV side that played an internal TSS trial in late August in preparation for the restart of the competition also in late August against Toowoomba Grammar School.

When the 2021 GPS First XV rugby season recommenced in late August, Kaleb Ngamanu started at No. 12 (inside centre) in Round Six against Toowoomba Grammar School making a line break in the 38th minute of TSS’s victory. After receiving the ball on the left side of the field, Kaleb Ngamanu made a fifty metre line break into Toowoomba Grammar School territory. Unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was hurt in the tackle and was unable to take any further part in the match.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at No. 12 (inside centre) in Round Eight against Nudgee College with Kaleb Ngamanu also setting up a try for TSS in the 45th minute when he was able to get halfway through the Nudgee College line and was able to get a good ball away to his left however the ball was knocked down by a Nudgee College defender ten metres from the line, directly in front of the goal posts.

Kaleb Ngamanu also produced a great front one tackle in the 8th minute of the match when he drove his left shoulder into his Nudgee College opponent with Kaleb Ngamanu’s initial contact forcing the ball loose.

Kaleb Ngamanu played his last First XV game for TSS in Round Nine against Gregory Terrace with Kaleb Ngamanu leading the TSS First XV side onto the field as captain and starting the match at outside centre.

The match saw Kelab Ngamanu record a try assist in the 59th minute when after Gregory Terrace lost the ball, Kaleb Ngamanu tracked back to swoop on it and after racing twelve metres downfield Kelab Ngamanu put TSS fullback Jye Gray into a gap to race away to score the match sealing try.

After a tough opening thirty minutes, Kaleb Ngamanu came into his own in the 35th minute with a surging twenty metre on the right side of the field to get the ball into Gregory Terrace territory.

Then in the 39th minute Kaleb Ngamanu was at it again with another run that accounted for twenty metres with Kaleb Ngamanu beating three tackles. Kaleb Ngamanu added another strong run in the 41st minute with the run starting from inside his own in-goal area with Kaleb Ngamanu getting the ball fifteen metres into the field of play with the combination of left foot and right footsteps of Kaleb Ngamanu’s beating four would be defenders.

Kaleb Ngamanu has always been known as an outstanding defender and his final match reinforced that when he made a great low tackle in the 49th minute near mid-field on the charging Gregory Terrace No. 8.

Post the final round of the 2021 GPS First XV competition, Kaleb Ngamanu was named on the bench in the Courier Mail Team of the Season.

At the end of the 2021 season, Kaleb Ngamanu was named at No. 29 in the Courier Mail Top 60 school boys from the GPS Rugby, AIC Rugby and Langer Cup competitions.

Kaleb Ngamanu started Round One of the 2020 MM Cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls on the left wing against the Northern Pride scoring in the 14th minute of the first half as the Seagulls recorded a big first up victory. Unfortunately the Seagulls chase for repeat Queensland and National U18 success in 2020 was hamstrung by the Covid 19 pandemic.

In early July 2020 Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the TSS Senior Squad that undertook a three day rugby camp prior to the commencement of the 2020 GPS School Boy Rugby First XV competition and played the 2020 GPS school boy First XV season as a full colours TSS rugby representative.

Kaleb Ngamanu started at No. 12 (inside centre) as well as being named vice captain for the TSS First XV in their internal trial in mid-July 2020 and also started at inside centre against Nudgee College being the first trial TSS had against another GPS school. Kaleb Ngamanu was also the TSS vice-captain for that trial as well.

Against Nudgee Kaleb Ngamanu had some very good moments including putting in the kick that resulted in the try that put TSS in front for good with two minutes to go. Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball to the right of the break down on around the half way mark and put in a right foot kick along the ground into space behind the Nudgee line, after the ball was retrieved by TSS, Jojo Fifita dived over out wide to seal a TSS 24 – 21 victory.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at No. 12 and was also vice-captain in the TSS First XV’s final trial against Anglican Church Grammar School on the Gold Coast. Kelab Ngamanu made numerous line breaks in the match, including one in the first half off a TSS line out win when he split the Churchie defence running forty metres but he could not quite set up his support runner, being Jojo Fifita.

Also in the first half, Kaleb Ngamanu produced an outstanding series of plays which ended in a TSS try. With Churchie on the attack, Kaleb Ngamanu ripped the ball away from a Churchie attacker, retrieved it and went on a fifty metre run down the left touch line. When he was eventually tackled, Kaleb Ngamanu recycled the ball quickly for Jye Gray to grubber through the disorganised Churchie line to score under the posts.

Round One of the GPS school boy rugby First XV competition proper saw Kaleb Nagmanu start at No. 12 and run on as TSS vice-captain against Brisbane State High School. Round Two against Toowoomba Grammar School saw Kaleb Ngamanu move to outside centre (No. 13), scoring his first try of the season when he backed up on the inside after a one on one steal by Syris Schmidt to run forty metres to score. Kaleb Ngamanu laos made a thirty metre break early in the match which generated momentum for TSS eventually leading to Syris Schmidt slicing through the Toowoomba Grammar School defence to score.

Kaleb Ngamanu started at outside centre and vice-captain once again in Round Three against Brisbane Grammar School recording a critical try assist late in the match when he burst through two defenders down a short blind side charging thirty metres before offloading to his right to his winger to score a key try in a 20 – 15 TSS victory.

In the pivotal 2020 GPS school boy rugby First XV Round Four match against Brisbane Boys College Kaleb Ngamanu moved back to inside centre. In Round Four against Gregory Terrace Kaleb Ngamanu moved back to No. 13 (outside centre) for the home match making a critical break down the right touch line in the dying moments of the match. TSS received a penalty from the next phase which Syris Schmidt kicked after the final siren to secure a 23 – 22 victory. Kaleb Ngamanu received one vote by the TSS coaches in the TSS First XV 2020 Player of the Season voting.

Kaleb Ngamanu continued at outside centre (No. 13) for Round Five against Ipswich Grammar School.

TSS had a Round Six bye but the TSS First XV side played a “trial” against Downlands College with Kaleb Ngamanu starting at No. 13 and was vice-captain once again and was on the winning side as TSS finished their 2020 season with a 50 – 24 victory.

Kaleb Ngamanu also represented TSS in the 2020 GPS schools Athletics Competition as part of the TSS 4 x 100 metre Open Relay team. Kaleb Ngamanu ran the third leg of the relay for TSS who finished 7th in a time of 44.69 seconds.

Kaleb Ngamanu is originally from Western Australia where he played two years of rugby league for the Joondalup Giants who moved over to the Gold Coast at the start of 2016 season, making every post a winner since that time in his junior rugby league career and for that matter in school boy rugby for the Southport School (TSS) including the First XV side and in 2019 signed a new contract with the Titans which will keep him with the club for the next couple of seasons.

One of Kaleb Ngamanu’s most recent matches for the Titans was when he started at fullback for the Titans U16 squad in their early October 2019 match against PNG at Pizzey Park and made a great fist of the fullback role regularly chiming into the Titans back line as they easily accounted for the PNG U16 side 44 – 12.

In January 2019 Kaleb Ngamanu started on the left wing for the Titans U16 side against the Newcastle Knights U16 Harold Matthews squad in Coffs Harbour and was very unlucky not to be awarded a second half try. To be honest I am still unsure why the try was disallowed, Kaleb Ngamanu flashed into the back line from the fullback position on the left hand side of the field and broke through two Knights defenders to seemingly score but the try was disallowed I assume for a lost ball but to be honest, from my vantage point it seemed like a certain try.

Kaleb Ngamanu started the match on the left wing but spent some time at fullback midway through the first half when he swapped positions with Rowan Mansfield for a few minutes. In the second half with Rowan Mansfield injured, Kaleb Ngamanu played the entire half at fullback and showed his outstanding speed when he backed up a long break from Joseph Shannon (who had been put into a hole as a result of a great Bailey Martin pass).

In the first half Kaleb Ngamanu produced three outstanding pieces of play including two try saving tackles, the first when the Knights winger burst through the centre of the ruck and Kaleb Ngamanu tracked back and caught him from behind. His second try saving tackle was made in the left corner when he stopped the Knights winger in his tracks about a metre from the try line when the winger looked certain to score.

With the ball Kaleb Ngamanu made an outstanding break down the left touch line when he got outside his direct opponent as a result of a great ball from half Thomas Weaver whilst playing on the left wing in the first half.

On top of all that Kaleb Ngamanu forced at least three errors that I can recall as a result of sheer hard work and effort.

Kaleb Ngamanu signed a multi-year deal with the Titans in early 2018 after a starring on the left wing for the Titans U15 side in their six tries to three win over the Western Mustangs in March 2018 and late in the 2018 season started on the wing for the Titans U15 as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 with Kaleb Ngamanu scoring an outstanding try in the match.

Kaleb Ngamanu scored in around the 6th minute when he flashed down the left touch line untouched and was able to bring the ball around under the posts. For the try Kaleb Ngamanu kept his width and exploded onto a great cut out ball from Thomas Weaver to score from around 30 metres out showcasing his speed.

In the match Kaleb Ngamanu also had some other highlights including an outstanding fifty metre second half run when he expertly fielded a low kick and split the defence from his own line, but unfortunately just could not find Thomas Weaver with the inside pass.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also involved in the final Titans try scored by Rowan Mansfield. At the time Kaleb Ngamanu was playing right centre, he took a pass from Jye Gray before drawing the Balmain winger and popping a great ball to Rowan Mansfield to send him down the touch line.

Early in 2019, Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the Gold Coast Vikings U16 side that played in the South East Queensland U16 Challenge and post that championship was named in the South East Queensland U16 train on squad.

Kaleb Ngamanu started on the left wing for the Queensland City U16 side in their match against Queensland Country U16’s, playing the entire seventy minutes. Kaleb Ngamanu ran for 45.1 metres in the match and made three tackles at a 75% tackling efficiency. It was just one of those frustrating matches for a winger as the ball just did not go out Kaleb Ngamanu’s way but credit to him, Kaleb Ngamanu certainly went looking to get involved as often as possible.

Kaleb Ngamanu started the 2019 season for the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U16 Division One competition, starting in the centres in Round One against Burleigh and scoring in the match which was his one and only GCRL match of the season.

Kaleb Ngamanu kicked off his 2019 school boy rugby campaign for The Southport School (TSS) in late April 2019 when he was part of the TSS Second XV side that defeated the touring New Zealand School New Plymouth Boys High 36 – 0, starting the match at inside centre. Kaleb Ngamanu then was on the bench for the TSS First XV side that went down 31 – 29 also against New Plymouth Boys High.

Kaleb Ngamanu made his TSS First XV run on debut in a trial against Brisbane State High School in May 2019 with TSS winning 57 – 12.

Kaleb Ngamanu was once against part of the TSS First XV squad for the next set of GPS rugby trials against Brisbane State High School (BSHS) and Gregory Terrace at the TSS campus on the Gold Coast, in late May 2019 with Kaleb Ngamanu named on the bench. TSS won the trial against Gregory Terrace but went down against BSHS in the second match.

Kaleb Ngamanu started TSS’s next trial against Nudgee College in the right wing (No. 14) for the TSS First XV. Kaleb Ngamanu moved to the left wing (No. 11) for the TSS First XV’s next trial against Ipswich Grammar School at Ipswich.

Kaleb Ngamanu started at outside centre for the TSS First XV in their final GPS rugby trial prior to their Round One fixture against Nudgee College with TSS winning 10 - 5 away to Sunshine Coast Grammar School.

In Round One of the 2019 GPS school boy rugby competition season proper, Kaleb Ngamanu started on the right wing for TSS against Nudgee College and was outstanding defensively, both in terms of his initial contact and cover defence.

In the match the ball did not get out to his right wing a great deal but Kaleb Ngamanu did have an outstanding run late in the second half where he dragged a number of Nudgee defenders five or six metres. Kaleb Ngamanu actually crossed the line in the second half but the final pass was called back for being forward. To be fair it was only two or three metres forward.

Kaleb Ngamanu also showcased his hands in Round One taking producing a great contest catch of a TSS box kick under extreme pressure to maintain TSS’s momentum in a pivotal moment of the first half.

Kaleb Ngamanu was also outstanding in Round Two as TSS thrashed Churchie 64 – 7 with Kaleb Ngamanu starting on the right wing but moving into inside centre around the 10 minute mark after an injury.

From that position Kaleb Ngamanu scored his first First XV try of the career. At a set piece about fifteen metres out from the Churchie line, Kaleb Ngamanu originally lined up in the left of the piece but rotated around to the right receiving the ball in space.

Kaleb Ngamanu ran at the opposition defensive line which started to back pedal holding the ball in both hands and after shaping to pass the ball to his right Kaleb Ngamanu ran through the resultant gap in the line to score mid-way between the touch line and goal post on the right hand side of the field.

After finishing Round Two at inside centre, Kaleb Ngamanu started there in Round Three against Brisbane State High School. In the first half Kaleb Ngamanu focussed primarily on ball playing for his outside backs but in the second half ran the ball more and came close to scoring twice.

Kaleb Ngamanu also started at inside centre in Round Four against Toowoomba Grammar School in Toowoomba scoring his second try of the season as well as recording a try assist and also being heavily involved in a few others.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s try assist came in the second half and was as a result of a great sleight of hand from a set play. From a TSS scrum win on the Toowoomba Grammar School twenty metre line Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball to the right of the scrum and produced an outstanding no look pop up pass to his right as the TSS left winger looped around to charge through the resultant gap to score adjacent to the left upright.

Kaleb Ngamanu’s try (his second of the season) came late in the match, Kaleb Ngamanu picked up the ball on from the back of a ruck and drove to his left to score from close range to round out a 62 – 3 TSS route.

Round Five against Brisbane Grammar School saw Kaleb Ngamanu continue at inside centre scoring for the second week in a row and third for the season. Kaleb Ngamanu’s try can only be considered a superb effort. In the 16th minute of the first half, Kaleb Ngamanu received the ball to the right of the ruck and ran diagonally to his right and used a great fend which literally knocked the Brisbane Grammar School fly half (now at Keebra Park), being Connor Te Kani off his feet.

Once that occurred Kaleb Ngamanu ran through the resultant gap to score mid-way between the goal posts and the right corner flag under pressure from two more BGS defenders for a simply outstanding individual try.

In Round Six Kaleb Ngamanu started once again at inside centre against fellow unbeaten school Brisbane Boys College at Toowong in Brisbane in essentially what was the GPS First XV Premiership decider between the only remaining unbeaten schools.

Unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was forced off the field with a cheek bone injury in the early minutes of the second half in TSS’s 23 – 20 victory in front of a massive crowd at Toowong in Brisbane’s west that knocked BBC out of the GPS First XV Premiership race.

The win ensured that TSS were the 2019 GPS School Boy rugby First XV Champions and it is a touch ironic that it came against BBC which was the school that Kaleb Ngamanu’s two older brothers starred for being Cullen and Jayden Ngamanu.

Kaleb Ngamanu in 2019 was also part of the Queensland U18 Reds Academy Rugby side that defeated Victoria 46 – 18 with Kaleb Ngamanu coming off the bench to play on the right wing and mid-way through the second half set up a try when he drew the Rebels fullback and passed back inside to the Reds outside centre to score after a long run down the right touch line.

2018 saw Kaleb Ngamanu’s selection in the South Coast U15 QSSRL side at the completion of the South Coast Trials. Kaleb Ngamanu was subsequently selected in the Queensland Maroon U15 side for the U15 ASSRL Championships.

Other Titans linked boys to make the 2018 U15 South Coast QSSRL squad included front rower Brody Smitka, centre/second rower Ezra Ubaldino and outstanding backrower Bailey Martin.

As a result of his performance at those Championships Kaleb Ngamanu was selected in one of the two Queensland sides for the Australian Championships. Unfortunately Kaleb Ngamanu was injured in the camp just prior to the U15 ASSRL Championships and was unable to take his place in the Queensland Maroon side.

In late 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad for the 2019 U16 South East Queensland Challenge.

Kaleb Ngamanu is also part of the 2019 U16 Queensland Emerging Origin squad and in their opposed session was on the same side as fellow Titans Bailey Martin and Orlando Swain.

When he moved over to the Gold Coast, Kaleb Ngamanu started attending Keebra Park State High School making a big impression in their U13 side even though he missed portions of the 2016 season with an injury. Kaleb Ngamanu however was identified by The Southport School (TSS) and for 2017 transferred there standing out in their U14A GPS rugby side in 2017 in Term Three.

In 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu played club rugby league for the Coomera Cutters and obviously for TSS in terms of school boy rugby and for Queensland II in the Australian U16 Rugby Championships.

For Coomera in the U15 Division One competition in 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu has played in six matches scoring three tries. Kaleb Ngamanu scored a Round One double against the Mudgeeraba Redbacks and scored against Runaway Bay in Round Four.

Kaleb Ngamanu played for the TSS U15A side in 2018 playing in four GPS matches and one match against Downlands College. Kaleb Ngamanu started Round One at outside centre against Anglican Church Grammar School and then missed a number of matches before returning once again at outside centre in Round Six against Gregory Terrace.

In Round Seven against Brisbane Boys College Kaleb Ngamanu moved to the open side flanker position before returning to outside centre for Round Nine against Nudgee College. Kaleb Ngamanu also started at outside centre against Downlands College in TSS’s Round Eight bye week.

Prior to the GPS school boy rugby season proper, Kaleb Ngamanu played in a number of trial matches for TSS. Kaleb Ngamanu started on the bench for the first two trials which were against Far North Coast and Toowoomba Grammar School before moving into the starting side at outside centre for the last four trials against Nudgee, Ipswich Grammar School Ambrose Treacy College and Sunshine Coast Grammar School. In those four appearances in the starting trial sides Kaleb Ngamanu has been partnered in the centres with rugby league youngster Syris Schmidt.

Kaleb Ngamanu also played club rugby on the Gold Coast in 2018 season at the U15 level for the Griffith University Colleges side and started at outside centre in the Grand Final which they won 47 – 19 against the Helensvale Hogs and Cbus stadium as a curtain raiser to the 2018 Rugby International between Argentina and the Wallabies.

Kaleb Ngamanu played in nine matches for the Griffith University Colleges starting two at outside centre (No. 13) including the Grand Final, one at inside centre (No. 12) and the remainder from the interchange bench. In Round Two against the PBC Alleygators Kaleb Ngamanu kicked three conversions in a big win for Griffith University Colleges.

In October 2018 Kaleb Ngamanu was part of the Queensland II side for the Australian U16 Championships. In Round One Kaleb Ngamanu started on the left wing for Qld II in their big 57 – 5 win over Western Australia.

Round Two against Victoria saw Kaleb Ngamanu once again start on the left wing for Queensland II and scored one of Queensland II’s three tries when he flew down the left touch line as Queensland II went down 19 – 17 in a tight encounter.

For the Round Three clash against New South Wales I Kaleb Ngamanu swapped to the right wing but unfortunately Queensland II went down 29 – 17.

The 2017 season Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season saw Kaleb Ngamanu play up an age group in the U15 Division One competition after transferring from Southport to the Coomera Cutters. In the U15 Division One competition, Kaleb Ngamanu played in eight matches scoring 28 points in total from three tries and eight goals, with the tries coming against Southport, Helensvale and Nerang. In the match that he scored against his former club Southport, Kaleb Ngamanu also kicked six goals for a sixteen point haul on the night.

Kaleb Ngamanu also played one match for Coomera in the 2017 U14 Division Two competition (his regular age group) which was against the Robina Raptors, he then backed up to play for his “regular” U15 Division One side later that Friday night.

2017 also saw Kaleb Ngamanu represent the Gold Coast Vikings at the U14 level and from there going on to make the South East Queensland Green U14 side for the Queensland Age Championships that were held in Toowoomba in July last year. In those Championships, Kaleb Ngamanu scored on each of the first four days, in order against Central, Northern South East Queensland White and Central again.

In 2017 Kaleb Ngamanu played for TSS in the GPS U14A competition, starting all eight of TSS’s matches at outside centre except for Round Nine when he started at fullback against Nudgee College. In those eight matches he scored six tries and was awarded the best back award on three occasions, being against Brisbane State High School in Round One, against Ipswich Grammar School in Round Three and against Gregory Terrace in Round Five.

Kaleb Ngamanu scored a Round Six double against Brisbane Grammar School and also scored against Ipswich Grammar School in Round Three, against Brisbane Boys College in Round Four, against Gregory Terrace in Round Five and against Nudgee College in Round Nine.

Kaleb Ngamanu also scored against Downlands College in a “trial” match when TSS had a GPS Round Seven bye.

Kaleb Ngamanu played the 2016 season for the Southport Tigers at the U14 level splitting time between the U14 Division One and Division Two competitions even though he was still eligible to play in the U13 competition.

Kaleb Ngamanu started off his rugby league journey on the Gold Coast with a bang by making the 2016 U13 Vikings squad after impressing in the trials held in the weekend of 16-17 April 2016 where Kaleb Ngamanu played the majority of the trials in the centres after playing almost exclusively at five eight in the Western Australian junior rugby league competition.

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

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

Kaleb Ngamanu had a very solid match for the Titans U15 side at Nerang in March 2018 playing on the left wing outside of JT Manuofetoa who was also outstanding on the day. In fact their combination was responsible for Kaleb Ngamanu’s try that Sunday when they used their numbers perfectly to send Kaleb Ngamanu down the left touch line in the second half for him to score in the corner to open up the Titans lead.

For the Titans I would really have liked to see Kaleb Ngamanu operate in the centres but on the day the exceptionally talented Rowan Mansfield and the a fore mentioned JT Manuofetoa started in the centres and excelled so you can understand Kaleb Ngamanu operating on the wing in the match.

That Sunday morning against the Western Mustangs at Nerang I was also impressed by the amount of runs Kaleb Ngamanu took from dummy half helping the Titans bring the ball out of their own end. The outstanding feature of his paly however for the Titans was his spacing out wide. Kaleb Ngamanu stayed on the touch line and was regularly able to exploit room down the touch line when space was created by JT Manuofetoa and halves, Jed Bignell and Thomas Weaver on his inside.

In terms of chasing attacking kicks Kaleb Ngamanu has a very good leap and uses his forward momentum well to get above defenders, where the majority of the time he looks to catch the ball rather than hit it back to his team’s advantage, in my opinion that is not a bad thing at all.

Kaleb Ngamanu also has very good hands low to the ground on grubber kicks or when defenders drop bombs and uses his reach to get to the ball quickly before defenders. Kaleb Ngamanu will also chase general play kicks with vigour trying to improve the effectiveness of his teams kicking game.

Like all well coached youngsters Kaleb Ngamanu displays a sound defensive technique and a disciplined approach both from an individual and team perspective. From a defensive technique perspective Kaleb Ngamanu uses his shoulder well to disrupt the momentum of the ball carrier and does not “jumper” grab but rather drives through the tackle with his shoulder both in regards to a front on tackle or a side on tackle

In 2023 Kaleb Ngamanu will be eligible to continue with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts side but I would anticipate that Kaleb Ngamanu will spend most if not all of the 2023 season playing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side under new Seagulls coach David Penna.

From a position perspective, even though Kaleb Ngamanu spent the majority of his formative years in Western Australia playing five eight for me I believe that Kaleb Ngamanu will play in the centres long term, specifically left centre, and develop into a smooth moving elusive runner of the ball and quite an efficient and effective defender as well. In saying that I believe that Kaleb Ngamanu will break into the NRL on the wing before moving to the centres after gaining some experience.

Obviously the time spent at five eight in Western Australia and playing GPS First XV School Boy Rugby with TSS has only enhanced his ball skills and assist in creating space for his support players wider out. I just think that Kaleb Ngamanu’s running skills will be better suited to playing in the centres or on the wing rather than imposing added pressure to be a play maker at fullback where it does not necessarily come as naturally as when Kaleb Ngamanu is running the ball out wider of the ruck.

I really am a proponent of youngsters playing multiple different sports, in this case in relation to Kaleb Ngamanu playing rugby at a high level in the GPS school boy rugby First XV competition and there is absolutely no doubt Kaleb Ngamanu’s multiple seasons in that competition accelerated his rugby league development exponentially.

The “second” sport whether it is touch or rugby assists in the skill set development of the player and provides exposure to different critical skill sets, tactical game situations and coaching philosophies amongst other benefits.

From a player comparison perspective, consider the game of North Queensland Cowboy and former Cronulla Sharks fullback and Queensland State of Origin and Australian International winger Valentine Holmes in relation to Kaleb Ngamanu as a player who attacks the game full on and has the speed, timing, anticipation, skill and confidence to make things happen with or without the ball in his hands.

[mdrew]

Larry Siala. The Ipswich based giant of a young man signed a three year contract with the Titans in early 2020 and has a heck of a lot more potential to unlock from his powerful frame.

Larry Siala is already 196cm and 105kg but he is also an outstanding athlete with elite level speed, strength and mobility amongst other impressive physical attributes.

To be fair though, Larry Siala is not just an athlete he is also an outstanding rugby league player with enormous potential as well.

Such is Larry Siala’s potential, various media outlets have compared Larry Siala’s physical attributes and playing style to that of Australian International front rower Payne Haas.

Even Payne Haas himself has said publicly that Larry Siala amazed him with his size, speed, power and skill when he attended a training session that Larry Siala was also attending.

In early December 2022 Larry Siala took part in a joint training session betweed the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL off-season training squad.

In late January 2022 Larry Siala started in the front row for the Titans U18 side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Burleigh MM Cup side and played a major part in William Semu’s 9th minute try. From a restart on the halfway mark, Larry Siala charged onto the ball cutting subtly to his left and once in contact with the defensive line Larry Siala was able to off-load to his left to Seth Nikotemo who made a further fifteen metres before getting the ball away to William Semu who crossed wide out on the left.

In the 35th minute, another great Larry Siala off-load led to another line break when after taking the Burleigh defensive line on and getting the play over halfway Larry Siala whilst in contact with the defensive line got a great off-load away to his left to send William Semu on a twenty two metre charge downfield.

Larry Siala made some great charge with the ball in the match, but possibly his best came in the 40th minute when he charged onto the ball from the kick-off from Josh Lynn’s try, bursting over the twenty metre mark.

Larry Siala was still running hard late in the match including in the 66th minute when after running onto the ball to the right of the play the ball, Larry Siala cut back towards the soft spot behind the play the ball, making sixteen metres, at least ten of which were post contact.

Larry Siala also proved what an outstanding defender he is in the 37th minute when he combined with front row partner Taelon Te Whiu-Hopa to smash one unfortunate Burleigh forward with the ball coming loose of the heavy initial contact.

In late July 2022 Larry Siala was part of the U17 Future Titans Squad that defenders a Titans U18 Northern Rivers Squad 36 – 8 at Cbus Stadium as a curtain-raiser to the Round Twenty NRL match between the Titans and the Canberra Raiders with Larry Siala starting the match in the front row.

In mid-December 2021 Larry Siala was one of the Titans JTS Program players that took part in a joint training session with the Titans NRL squad.

In late October 2021 Larry Siala was named in the Ipswich Jets 2022 U18 MM Cup squad.

After the Jets had a Round One bye Larry Siala was named at left second row for Round Two against the Western Clydesdales with Larry Siala scoring late in the first half in the 34th minute. Initially Ipswich threw the ball to their right but after the ball was worked back to the left, Larry Siala received the ball just ten metres out but standing still. After shaping to pass to his left, Larry Siala ran diagonally back to his right and crashed over to score between three Clydesdales defenders to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Larry Siala continued in the at left second row in Round Three against the Sunshine Coast Falcons as well as in Round Four against the Wide Bay Bulls with Larry Siala proving to be almost unstoppable against the Bulls, including a dominating five minutes from the 49th to 54th minute which included two powerhouse tries.

In the 49th minute Larry Siala ran a straight crash line from close range on the left side of the field off a pass from his right from the dummy half with the two Bulls defenders on their line barely moving as Larry Siala flew over between them to score ten metres in from the left corner post.

Larry Siala scored again in the 54th minute and it was once again from an unstoppable charge. From a Jets play the ball six metres out and near the left corner, Larry Siala ran onto the ball to the right of the play the ball, receiving the ball ten metres from the line. Upon receipt of the pass Larry Siala stepped off his left foot to easily beat one defender before he charged over under the posts with three defenders wishfully thinking that they had had any chance of stopping Larry Siala when they made contact with him.

Larry Siala continued at left second row in Round Five against the Western Clydesdales and scored yet another powerful try from his left second row in the 43rd minute when after the Jets worked the ball to the left side of the field, Larry Siala from around eleven metres out flew onto a short ball from his right and no one and I mean no one was going to stop his as he dived over mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Larry Siala once again started at left second row in Round Six against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and once again put in a dominant performance.

Through the opening six rounds of the 2022 U18 Mal Meninga Cup competition Larry Siala had run for the 10th most metres in the competition being 498 metres at an average of 115 metres per match and also made five line breaks.

Larry Siala also was named to start at left second row in Round Seven against the Wide Bay Bulls however he was a late scratching from the match.

In 2022 Larry Siala was part of the St Edmunds, College Association of Independent Colleges (AIC) First XV school boy rugby squad in the second season in a row, in fact he was named 2022 School Rugby Co-captain, with Larry Siala starting Round One at No. 8 against St Patricks College Shorncliffe.

Larry Siala also started at lock in Round two against Padua College in St Edmonds College’s first home game of the 2022 AIC school boy rugby First XV season.

Larry Siala also started at lock in a great Round Two 8 – 5 victory over Marist Collage Ashgrove with Larry Siala named at flanker in the 2022 AIC Courier Mail Round Two Team of the Week.

Larry Siala also started at lock in the next round in a 17 – 8 win over Iona College with Larry Siala subsequently named in the Round Five AIC School Boy Rugby First XV Courier Mail Team of the Week.

Larry Siala was also dominant from the lock position in Round Five against Padua College as St Edmunds College maintained their unbeaten start to their 2022 season.

Larry Siala was also outstanding at lock in Round Six as St Edmunds College maintained their unbeaten run by defeating Villanova College 27 – 17. Larry Siala’s 2022 AIC School Boy Rugby First XV season came to an end when they went down in the Premiership decider in Round Seven against St Lawrence’s College with Larry Siala scoring St Edmunds College’s only try in the decider.

Larry Siala’s performances across the season saw him named as a reserve in the 2022 AIC School Boy rugby Courier Mail Team of the Season. Larry Siala was also named as one of the best players outside the Top 30 best School Boy Rugby League or Rugby player in the 2022 Courier Mail Top 30 school boys.

Also in 2022 Larry Siala continued to play for Norths in the Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One competition with Larry Siala making his first appearance in Round Nine when he started at lock and scored the opening try of the match against Brothers before adding two more tires to finish the match with an impressive hat trick.

Larry Siala then came off the bench in Round Ten against Redbank Plains with Larry Siala scoring a double in a 34 – 16 victory.

Larry Siala then moved into the starting side at lock in Round Eleven against Ipswich Brothers with Larry Siala scoring one of Norths tries in their victory.

Larry Siala was also named at lock in Round Thirteen against Ipswich Brothers.

Larry Siala then moved to the second row in Week One of the Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One Week One Semi-final against Goodna.

The 2022 Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One Grand Final saw Larry Siala named at start in the second row for Ipswich Norths against Ipswich Brothers.

In September 2022 Larry Siala was selected on the bench for the Queensland Rugby League U17 Queensland City side that played a Queensland Country U17 side in a curtain-raiser to the 2022 Queensland Cup Grand Final.

In his forty one minutes on the field Larry Siala ran for fifty six metres (twenty seven post contact), broke two tackles and made eleven tackles.

In June 2022 Larry Siala was named in the Queensland Rugby U18 Representative side for their annual match against a New South Wales Representative Selection with Larry Siala starting the match from the bench.

In October 2021 Larry Siala was named in the 2021 Queensland Samoan U16 representative side for the 2021 QPICC Cultural Carnival, starting Round One of the Carnival in the front row and scoring against PNG.

In fact Larry Siala started in the front row in all five of his matches at the QPICC Carnival including Samoa’s 22- 12 Grand Final victory against PNG.

In November 2020 Larry Siala was named in the 2021 Ipswich Jets U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad and started from the bench in Round One of that competition as the Jets took on the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

After missing Round Three Larry Siala started in the front row in Round Five against the Burleigh Bears and scored two powerhouse second half tries that few players at any level would have any hope of ever replicating.

Larry Siala’s first try of the match came in the 41st and his second in the 48th minute.

In the 41st minute Larry Siala scored an outstanding solo try when he charged onto the ball from a penalty restart from twenty seven metres out and just charged straight through the Seagulls line and then outpaced the fullback to score ten metres in from the right corner post.

Just seven minutes later in the 48th minute Larry Siala once again charged onto the ball, this time from ten metres out being the second hit-up from an Ipswich penalty restart, breaking one tackle before dragging the fullback across the line with him to score under the posts.

Larry Siala’s initial contribution in the match came from the kick off when he ran the ball back from the kick off making ten post contact metres to get the ball out to the twenty metre mark. Then in the 6th minute Larry Siala made eleven more metres to get Ipswich over the attacking forty metre mark from a penalty restart.

Larry Siala made more metres in the 21st minute when from another penalty restart ten metres out, he contacted the first defender four metres from the line but his continual leg pumping got Larry Siala over the line but four Seagulls defenders held him up.

To round out a spectacular match, Larry Siala once again charged onto the ball from a kick-off return to get the ball all of the way back to his own thirty metre mark.

Post the 2021 Cyril Connell Cup competition, Larry Siala played for North’s Blue in the Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One competition, with his first appearance for North’s Blue coming in Round Two against Brothers Blue with Larry Siala starting the match in the second row.

After missing a number of weeks, Larry Siala started from the bench in Round Six against Brothers White and also came off the bench in Round Ten against the Springfield Panthers. Larry Siala then moved into the starting side at right second row in Round Eleven against Ipswich Brothers.

Round Thirteen against Brothers White saw Larry Siala start in the front row.

In the opening round of the Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One Finals series, Larry Siala started in the second row for North’s Blue against the Springfield Panthers.

Larry Siala also started in the second row in the 2021 Ipswich Rugby League U17 Division One Grand Final as Norths took on Redback Red in the Premiership decider with Larry Siala scoring North’s Blue opening try in the 10th minute of their Grand Final victory.

In April 2021 Larry Siala was named in the Ballymore Cup School Boy Rugby Team of the Tournament at blindside flanker (No. 6) after performing exceptionally well for St Edmunds College over the course of the Tournament.

In 2021 Larry Siala was part of the St Edmunds, College Association of Independent Colleges (AIC) First XV school boy rugby squad, starting Round One at No. 8 against St Patricks College.

Larry Siala also started at No. 8 in Round Two against traditional AIC heavyweights Marist College Ashgrove and had a big match including in the first half being held up over the line after picking the ball up off the back of a ruck and running to his right five metres out from the line.

Round Three saw Larry Siala continue at No. 8 as St Edmunds College took on St Peters Lutheran College in their traditional grudge match with his St Edmunds side recording a tight 14 – 7 victory with the match being in the balance until the final minute.

For the second week in a row Larry Siala was held up over the line in the match after he cut back towards the goal posts from ten metres out bursting through a number of tackles before being held up by two St Peters defenders.

Larry Siala was in the match immediately, getting the ball from the kick-off after getting a tip back after St Edmunds had kicked off. Larry Siala made another strong run just a minute later before getting away an off-load.

Larry Siala also had a strong second half, including making a strong ten metre surge early in the half, palming off one defender before a bustling run of twelve metre from the kick off after St Edmunds second half try.

Larry Siala continued at No. 8 for St Edmunds College in their Round Four match at home against Iona College as well as in Round Five against Padua College before rounding out his season at No. 8 in the final round.

In September 2021, Larry Siala was selected in the Queensland Maroon U16 Rugby side at lock.

Larry Siala also played rugby league for St Edmunds College in 2021, playing in their Confraternity Shield side in late June/early July.

Larry Siala was also part of the St Edmunds College Rugby League First XIII that took part in the AIC First XIII school boy rugby league competition in Term Three of the school year.

Larry Siala started St Edmunds College’s two Day One matches in the front row against St Laurence’s College and St Thomas More College and then also started in the front row in their Quarter Final match against St Mary’s College Woree with St Edmunds College progressing on the back of a 20 – 6 victory. Unfortunately post the Quarter Final victory, the Confraternity Shield was cancelled due to a Covid 19 lockdown.

Larry Siala played the 2020 season when it started in late July in the U15 Ipswich Rugby League Competition starting Round One in the front row as his Norths Blue side defeated Norths Gold 66 – 6 before moving to start in the second row in Round Two as Norths Blue defeated the Redback Plains Bears 28 – 0.

Larry Siala moved back to start in the front row in Round Four as Norths Blue defeated the Redbank Plains Bears 38 – 4 as well as in Round Five when Norths Blue went down 30 – 26 to the Goodna Eagles to record their first loss of the season.

Larry Siala moved back to start in the front row in Round Six as Norths Blue defeated the Redback Plains Bears 22 – 20 and also in Round Seven in a big 56 – 30 win for Norths Blue against Norths Gold. Larry Siala also started in the front row in Round Eight as his Norths Blue side defeated Norths Gold 78 – 4.

Round Nine saw Larry Siala once again line up in the front row for Norths Blue as they went down 32 – 0 to the Goodna Eagles.

The big strong young front rower was one of a number of standouts for the Titans U14 side that defeated the Western Mustangs 32 – 8 in February 2019 at Mudgeeraba and also started in the front row for the Titans U14 side that defeated a Titans NRRRL U14/15 Invitational side 32 – 10 in early October 2019. The match was Larry Siala’s first and definitely not last in a Titans jersey.

On that extremely hot Saturday in February 2019 at Mudgeeraba Larry Siala had a simply outstanding match constantly making ground with the ball through the centre of the ruck and as a result of his late footwork prior to the line made major metres post contact and also got away a few more than impressive off-loads usually one handed right ones at that.

I can also recall a couple of huge hits that he put on a couple of Western Mustangs forwards with a couple of the hits forcing the ball loose as a result of the initial contact by Larry Siala. Larry Siala really did stand out as a young player on the rise in that match.

Larry Siala’s second match for the Titans was when he started in the front row for the Titans U14 side that played a Titans U14/15 Invitational side in late 2019 at Tweed Heads and was outstanding as his Titans U14 side defeated the Titans Invitational side 44 – 10 with Larry Siala regularly making post contact metres through the centre of the ruck.

Larry Siala was selected in the 2019 Ipswich Diggers U14 representative side for the Hill Stumer Championships playing both in the second row and front row in the Diggers three matches that were held at North Ipswich Reserve.

After the completion of the competition, Larry Siala was selected in the 2019 South East Queensland Green U14 squad for the Queensland Age Championships. At the Championships, Larry Siala was named on the interchange bench. Over the course of his four games at the Championships, Larry Siala highlighted his aggressiveness especially in defence spending time in both the front row and second row.

The St Edmunds College (Ipswich) student played in the Ipswich Junior Rugby League competition, in 2019 playing for Norths Ipswich in the U14 age group.

In the 2019 U14 Ipswich pre-season competition Larry Siala played in three matches scoring five tries (167% strike rate), including a hat trick against Goodna Black in Round Three and a Round Two hat trick against Brothers Ipswich White. Larry Siala’s five tries were enough to finish the pre-season as the competitions equal second leading try scorer.

Larry Siala started Round One of the 2019 Ipswich Rugby League U14 competition in the front row, scoring for Ipswich Norths in their 14 – 10 loss to Goodna Black. Larry Siala backed that up by also scoring in Round Two against the Springfield Panthers as Norths won 44 – 0.

Larry Siala made it three tries from as many matches when he scored again in Round Three as Norths defeated Brothers Ipswich 24 – 8. Larry Siala also scored in Round Six against Goodna and Round Eight against Ipswich Brothers.

In total in the 2019 Ipswich Rugby League U14 regular season competition, Larry Siala played in twelve matches scoring eight tries for a 67% strike rate starting all twelve of his matches for Norths in the front row.

In Week One of the Ipswich Rugby League 2019 U14 Finals Series Larry Siala started in the front row for Norths against Goodna with Norths going down 20 -10. Larry Siala also started in the front row in Week Two of the Finals against Brothers Ipswich being their Preliminary Final victory.

In the 2019 U14 Ipswich Rugby League Grand Final Larry Siala started in the front row against Goodna Black with Ipswich Norths going down 14 - 12.

Larry Siala made his Ipswich Rugby League U15 debut in Round Nine of 2019 against Swifts Bluebirds celebrating the occasion by scoring in Norths big 58 – 8 win.

Larry Siala also played school boy rugby and rugby league in 2019 for St Edmunds College in the AIC competitions playing lock in rugby league and was simply a class above the other players in the U14 school boy rugby league competition AIC competition that was played in Term Three of the 2019 school year. In particular Larry Siala was outstanding in Round Four producing a Player of the Match performance in a win against Marist College Ashgrove. Larry Siala was also outstanding against Iona College.

The 2019 AIC school boy rugby league was the first that was played for quite a significant period of time. The primary winter sport at AIC schools was rugby until 2019 when rugby league was re-introduced to AIC schools.

Larry Siala’s St Edmunds College Year Nine side finished the 2019 AIC rugby league competition with five wins from their six matches (one bye) to finish second on the table. St Edmunds College defeated Villanova 38 – 0 in Round One, defeated St Laurence’s College 44 – 4 in Round Two, won 38 – 0 in Round Three against St Patricks College Shorncliffe and Marist College Ashgrove 20 – 14 in Round Four.

Larry Siala and his St Edmunds College side suffered their only loss of the season in Round Six when they were defeated by eventual champions Iona College 22 -8 before finishing their season with a 38 – 4 win in Round Seven against Padua College.

Larry Siala started in the front row in the 2018 U13 Ipswich Grand Final and scored a try as Norths prevailed 26 – 22 in a close contest against Goodna Black.

In total in the 2018 U13 season, Larry Siala played in fourteen matches scoring twenty one tries for a strike rate of an impressive 150%.

In 2017 Larry Siala represented Met West in the QSSRL U12 Championships being his first taste of representative rugby league.

Larry Siala is a tallish front rower with plus speed for his position, in fact his speed would be above average for a forward regardless of position. Larry Siala uses this speed to impact the defensive at top speed. Larry Siala does not necessarily get back deep, but his plus speed off the mark as well as plus top speed enables him to still fit the line hard.

Larry Siala runs very front on at present but will lower his body into the defenders as the commit to the tackle, and through a combination of size, speed and determination regularly bumps the first defender off when they try to tackle Larry Siala around the chest area.

Once he impacts the defensive line Larry Siala also is adept at redirecting his momentum to address the next defender who is coming in the defend him.

In defence Larry Siala regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one and win the wrestling battle to slow down the play the ball.

Larry Siala is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique and decent agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents, his technique is also quite decent for a taller player and he gets low in defence to look to mitigate the possibility of his tackles slipping up around the hard and neck area of shorter opponents.

In 2023 Larry Siala will continue to play for the Ipswich Jets U18 MM Cup squad as well as continuing to play First XV SIC School Boy rugby and rugby league for St Edmunds College.

Larry Siala is a big strong powerful young man who at 15 years old is already 190cm and 100kg with outstanding attributes such as size, strength, speed, mobility and power and as such seems destined to stay in the front row for the duration of what should be a long and prosperous rugby league career.

Joe Ofahenguae of the Wests Tigers and former Brisbane Broncos and Queensland State of Origin side is a solid NRL player comparison for Larry Siala in my opinion, at this stage of his career, both are hard running forwards and both are more athletic and skilful than they are given credit for by casual watchers of rugby league.

For me however Larry Siala has more potential to unlock than the a fore mentioned Wests Tigers NRL player used for comparison purposes and it may be a touch unfair but Larry Siala shows flashes of play that are not dissimilar to those displayed by Brisbane Bronco, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International front rower Payne Haas who as previously noted he has already been compared to in the National media.

Larry Siala understandably has a long way to go to get to the NRL (as does every player in the U15 age group for that matter) but wow he really made me sit up and take notice with his performances for the Titans U14 sides in 2019, Larry Siala was simply dominant in both matches and even in the hot conditions in those matches played a significant portion of the matches without being interchanged.

Larry Siala really is an outstanding talent and the more games that he gets under his belt the more comfortable and confident he will become with that added experience. 2019’s representative exposure with the Ipswich Diggers and South East Queensland Green U14 sides in their respective Championships as well as his matches for the Titans will hold him in good stead for his future endeavours on a rugby league field, starting as early as 2023.

[mdrew]

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui. The younger brother of Titans NRL captain and Queensland State of Origin and Australian International star Tino Fa’asuamaleaui joined the Titans in 2021 and like his older brother came up through the Melbourne Storm and Sunshine Coast Falcons junior development systems.

In great news for Titans fans, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui extended his contract with the Titans for a term that includes the 2024 and 2025 seasons in the Titans NRL Top 30 squad joining older brother Tino in the Titans NRL squad.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui undertook the 2022/23 NRL pre-season with the Titans on a Titans NRL Development Contract with Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui leading the way in the opening sessions from a strength and overall fitness perspective. Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will be on an NRL Development contract over the course of the 2023 season before joining the Tians Top 30 NRL squad in 2024 and 2025.

In early December 2022 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui took part in a joint training session betweed the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL squad that has become a great annual initiative.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui undertook the 2021/22 pre-season with the Titans NRL squad as a member of the Titans Rookie Squad looking to impress Justin Holbrook and the other NRL coaches then in 2023 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will be on a full-time Titans NRL Development contract. Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui also works full time for the Titans in a trainee development role.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui started the Titans first 2022 NRL trial against the Brisbane Bronco’s at Cbus Stadium from the bench. In his time on the field Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for forty six metres (sixteen post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.03 seconds and made nine tackles at a 90% tackling efficiency.

Also in late 2021 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was part of the Titans NRL squad that undertook a joint training session with ninety members of the Titans JTS Program.

In late 2021 it was confirmed that Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui would play the 2022 season with the Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s Colts squad for the second season in a row.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was named to start from the bench for the Burleigh Bears in Round One of the 2022 competition against the Wynnum Manly Seagull however when the Titans players who did not play in Round Two of the NRL dropped back, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui dropped out of the game day seventeen.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was also named on the Bears interchange bench for Round Two against the Townsville Blackhawks, coming into the match mid-way through the opening half for his opening moments in the Queensland Cup.

To say that Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui had an outstanding Queensland Cup debut would be a major understatement. Playing twenty nine minutes Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for an exceptional ninety three metres, forty five of which were post contact, broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 4.13 seconds and made sixteen tackles, missing only one to record a debut tackling efficiency of 94.12%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui also came off the bench in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins playing thirty minutes. In that time Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for seventy seven metres (twenty nine post contact), broke four tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.68 seconds and made nineteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 90.48%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was then named to continue coming off the bench in the Round Four local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls however he was a late scratching from the match.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was then named on the bench for Round Five against the PNG Hunters but like in Round Four he was a late scratching from the match.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was once again named on the bench for Burleigh in Round Seven against the Souths Logan Magpies. In an impressive twenty six minutes on the field Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for sixty eight metres (twenty four post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 2.93 seconds and made twenty tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui made his first Queensland Cup start in Round Eight against the Mackay Cutters when he started in the front row. In his forty seven minutes on the field Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for 109 metres (forty eight post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.77 seconds and made thirty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.75%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui came off the bench once again in Round Ten against the Easts Tigers in the 35th minute to play in the front row with Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui’s first run coming almost immediately when after taking the ball thirty eight metres out he was able to promote the ball to within ten metres of the try line.

Playing twenty eight minutes Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for ninety six metres (forty four post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.69 seconds and made twelve tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui once again started from the bench in Round Eleven against the Sunshine Coast Falcons playing twenty eight minutes in the front row. In those minutes Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for forty eight metres (twenty six post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 4.34 seconds and made twenty three tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui continued from the bench in Round Twelve against the Norths Devils, playing twenty five minutes in the centre of the field. In those minutes Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for sixty seven metres (nineteen post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 4.03 seconds and made fifteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.75%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui made his career first Queensland Cup start in Round Thirteen against the Northern Pride when he started in the front row. Playing thirty three minutes, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for forty seven metres (twenty post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 4.35 seconds and made twenty two tackles at a tackling efficiency of 95.65%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui also started in the front row in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui along with front row partner Tristian Powell making the opening tackle of the match. Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui then along with Taine Tuaupiki held up the Redcliffe lock over the try line in the 3rd minute.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui, playing thirty seven minutes in the front row, ran for ninety four metres (thirty eight post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 4.11 seconds and made nineteen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was also named in the front row in Round Fifteen against the Townsville Blackhawks with Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui involved in the opening tackle of the match after Burleigh had kicked off to get the match underway.

Running with the ball, one of Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui’s best runs came in the 2nd minute when he made sixteen metres to thirty metres away from his own try line after running onto the ball to the left of the play the ball.

In his thirty minutes on the field Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for thirty six metres (twenty one post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 2.79 seconds and made fourteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.33%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui continued in the front row in Round Sixteen against the Norths Devils and in his fifty one metres on the field Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for 133 metres, played the ball at an average speed of 2.61 seconds and made twenty four tackles at a tackling efficiency of 92.31%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui continued from the bench in Round Twenty against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was named on the bench for the Burleigh Bears in their Queensland Cup Week One Final against the Norths Devils and in his twenty seven minutes on the field Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for thirty six metres (nineteen post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.34 seconds and made fourteen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui also came off the bench in Week Two of the Finals against the Central Queensland Capra’s and whilst playing thirty two minutes ran for eighty eight metres (twenty eight post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.57 seconds and made nineteen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui also started from the bench in the 2022 Queensland Cup Preliminary Final against the Redcliffe Dolphins and whilst playing thirty minutes in the front row Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui ran for forty two metres (sixteen post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.37 seconds and made nineteen tackles at a tackling efficiency of 86.36%.

In total in the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui played in fourteen matches, broke eleven tackles, ran for 1 040 metres at an average of seventy four metres per match with 429.4 of those metres post contact and made 264 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 94.6%.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was named on the bench for the Burleigh Bears in late February 2022 in their first Queensland Cup trial against the Easts Tigers also starting from the bench for the Burleigh One side in their early March trial against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui also spent part of the 2020/21 off-season training with the Titans NRL squad alongside older brother Tino.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui’s first action in 2021 came when he started from the bench for Burleigh in their Queensland Cup trial against the Easts Tigers.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui then started in the front row for Burleigh Second’s side in their final 2021 Queensland Cup trial against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

In Mid-March 2021 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was part of the Burleigh Bears Nine’s squad that won the Gold Coast Nine’s Annual Competition with a 22 – 20 Final victory.

Round One of the 2021 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui to start from the bench for the Burleigh Bears when they took on the Easts Tigers however he was a late scratching from the final Seventeen.

In Round Two Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui was named on Burleigh’s extended bench for the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls however came onto the bench late in the week, coming on in the 25th minute of the first half.

The 26th minute saw Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui make his first tackle of the match when he hit Seagulls fullback Brenton Daley-Holten and drove him two metres backwards, then from marker Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui did the same thing to Jaylan To’O post the play the ball.

Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui took his first hit-up in the 30th minute making ten metres to get the ball thirty five metres away from his own try line. Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui made a further strong run on the 32nd minute from the kick-off after Cole Geyer’s try, throwing self-preservation out the window to get the ball twenty two metres out from his own line.

After missing a number of weeks, Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui started Round Five against the Northern Pride at left centre. Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui then started from the bench in Round Six against the Townsville Blackhawks and almost scored with his first touch of the ball when he charged at the line from just two minutes out but just as he was about to put the ball down under the posts, it was knocked from his grasp.

Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui started from the bench in Round Seven against the Central Capra’s and recorded a 58th minute try assist when forty five metres from the line he threw an offload from above his head to Tuvalli Khan-Pereira who raced down the right touchline beating one Capra’s cover defender with a strong left arm fend to score in the right corner.

Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui continued off the bench in Round Eight against the Redcliffe Dolphins and was one of the Bears try scorers in their last minute loss and also came off the bench in Round Nine against the Mackay Cutters and in the Round Eleven local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui was also named on the bench for the previously postponed Round Ten clash against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls however he ended up starting the match in the front row and finished the match as Burleigh’s top tackler with thirty five tackles.

After a Covid 19 enforced hiatus, Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui was named to start from the bench in Round Sixteen against the Ipswich Jets with Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui scoring in the 45th minute when he was able to charge over from six metres out with Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui getting the ball down next to the right upright.

Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui made a line break in the 74th minute when he charged twenty metres down the left channel to get within ten metres of the try line. Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui was able to get to his feet quickly with Burleigh scoring from the play the ball.

Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui was also named to start from the bench in the rescheduled Round Thirteen match against the Sunshine Coast Falcons as well as in Round Fourteen against the Northern Pride.

As the Northern Pride however Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui moved into the starting side on the day of the match and made the most of his starting opportunity by scoring in the 4th minute when he chased through an attacking kick from Cameron Brown to just get to the ball under the posts before it went dead in goal.

In his second stint on the field Iszac Fa’asuamaieaui continued his strong efforts including a strong seventeen metre charge off a Burleigh tap restart from a penalty.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui started the 2020 season as part of the Victorian Thunderbolts U20 Jersey Flegg squad coming off the bench in Round One against the Manly Sea Eagles before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

In 2019 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui was part of the Victorian Thunderbolts U18 SG Ball train on squad but was not part of any of their game day squads in that season.

In 2017 Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui started in the front row for the Sunshine Coast Gold U16 side at the Sunshine Coast representative trials and from there was named on the bench for the Sunshine Coast Falcons U16 representative side.

For a big strong young man, Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui also has above average (to plus) speed, not just off the mark but also when he is in clear space, when he makes a break Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui is more than capable of going the distance and normally easily out paces the cover defence.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui is not just a strong runner of the ball he as noted above has excellent footwork prior to the line and also some very good short passing both before the line and when in contact with defenders.

On a lot of his runs Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his outside support.

Whilst his ball running skills are the first thing that you will likely notice when seeing Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui play his defence is equally effective even though it may not be as noticeable at first glance.

Defensively Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier regardless of the size of the opponent. Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui’s good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players on the fringes of the ruck and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork but moving up quickly but at the same time maintaining his balance.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when he is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

Just like his older brother Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui is a big strong young man with the size and power to play in the centre third of a rugby league field, but also like his brother also is very mobile for his size thus he can also play on the fringes of the ruck at a high level. I envisage however that ultimately Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will settle in the front row as he matures physically.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will start the 2023 season back with the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side but I anticipate that Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will move from being a player that comes off the bench to a regular above average Queensland Cup starting front rower from Round One of the 2023 Queensland Cup competition.

Whilst Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will play for the Titans in the 2023 NRL trials, I do not think that Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui make his NRL debut until 2024 but when he does Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will stay in the NRL and stay there for a long time.

Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui has the size and power of his older brother and in many respects has a similar playing style to Tino as well. It may take Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui a bit longer to reach the heights of his older brother but all the physical and skill pieces are in place for the Titans to have signed a very talented young player with the possible benefit for the Titans NRL squad potentially being only a year or two away from coming to fruition.

I am not suggesting that Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui will wind up being as successful as quickly as Tino but regardless Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui has some more than intriguing potential and the physical attributes to make an impact at the NRL level in coming seasons with the Titans potentially alongside his older brother.

Imagine a Titans NRL forward pack with both Iszac and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui in it, the mind boggles especially when you throw in the names of Moeaki Fotuaika and David Fifita as well.

[Upthetits]

Damn that was a great read, really gets ya excited reading stuff like that.

[mdrew]

Jaylan De Groot. The former Parramatta Eel, but Northern New South Wales junior signed a one year contract with the Titans in late 2020 for the 2021 season that encompassed the final year of his U18 eligibility, but in great news for Titans fans, in late 2021 Jaylan De Groot signed a new three year deal with the Titans.

To add to the positive news around Jaylan De Groot extended his contract with the Titans in February 2021, with his new contract that commences in 2022 being a Titans NRL Development contract in recognition of a number of seasons of outstanding performances. Jaylan De Groot’s current deal with the Titans takes him up until the end of the 2024 season.

On November 1, 2022, Jaylan De Groot once again commenced participating in the Titans NRL off-season program on a train and trial basis.

In early December 2022 Jaylan De Groot took part in a joint annual training session between the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL squad.

Jaylan De Groot undertook the 2021/22 pre-season with the Titans NRL squad as a member of the Titans Rookie Squad looking to impress Justin Holbrook and the other NRL coaches.

Jaylan De Groot started the Titans first 2022 NRL trial against the Brisbane Bronco’s at Cbus Stadium from the bench. Coming on at halftime into the fullback role and what a heck of a second half Jaylan De Groot had, scoring one try and setting up another.

Jaylan De Groot scored in the 58th minute when from ten metres out he charged onto an inside pass from Tremain Spry to force his way over to get the ball down with three defenders hanging off him eight metres in from the right corner post.

Jaylan De Groot’s try assist came in the 43rd minute and in fact it was just his second touch of the ball in the match. Jaylan De Groot took the ball to the right and from inside ten metres out Jaylan De Groot put in a short right foot grubber kick that Tremain Spry picked up to comfortably score.

In total in his forty minutes on the field for the Titans Jaylan De Groot ran for twenty one metres, broke two tackles played the ball at an average speed of 3.16 seconds and made a tackle.

In late July 2022 Jaylan De Groot started on the left wing for a Titans U19 side that played their annual match against the North Queensland Cowboys that was played as a curtain raiser at Cbus Stadium to the Titans Round Twenty NRL match against the Canberra Raiders with Jaylan De Groot scoring a second half double.

Jaylen Dr Groot scored his opening try in the 47th minute when he dived over in the left corner after receiving a good ball from his inside from Ryan Foran.

Jaylen De Groot added a second try in the 53rd minute when he was put over in the left corner by way of a good ball from Keano Kini.

Jaylen De Groot also had a big hand in Keano Kini’s 22nd minute try after he had swapped with Keano Kini to spend time at fullback. As the Titans played the ball forty five metres out and on the left side of the field, Jaylan De Groot who had stationed himself behind the play the ball ran to his left and after receiving the ball from the dummy half, Jaylen De Groot drew in one defender and then got the ball away to his left to Kaleb Ngamanu who subsequently put Keano Kini over in the left corner.

In late January 2022 Jaylan De Groot started at fullback for the Titans U19 side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s Colts side being moving to the left wing in the second half.

Jaylan De Groot finished the match with two try assists, the first coming in the 11th minute. Jaylan De Groot’s try assist movement commenced well inside his own territory with a hit-up from Arama Hau. After engaging the Burleigh defence Arama Hau produced a right arm off-load to Jaylan De Groot who burst through the Burleigh defence before veering to his left as he approached the Bears fullback and then passed back across his body to his left to find a flying Ryan Foran thirty two metres out. As soon as he received the ball Ryan Foran cut off his right foot to beat one defender and then cross the line.

Jaylan De Groot’s second try assist came literally on the final siren when after some great lead up work by the Titans, Jaylan De Groot threw the Burleigh right winger to put Titans left winger Elijah Lui over in the left corner for his first try in a Titans jersey.

Jaylan De Groot was not too far away from scoring himself in the 52nd minute when he raced down the left touchline after Ryan Foran had picked up a Burleigh dropped ball, but near the halfway mark just as he was getting to full pace with no-one in front of him, Jaylan De Groot was ankle tapped from behind.

Jaylan De Groot has always been a fullback with great positional sense and then was displayed once again in the 27th minute when he positioned himself well right on his own try line and to the left of the goal posts to take a Burleigh attacking grubber kick. After taking possession Jaylan De Groot took off to his right, stepping twice off his right foot to get the ball twelve metres out from the try line directly in front of the goal posts.

Also in late 2021 Jaylan De Groot was part of the Titans NRL squad that undertook a joint training session with ninety members of the Titans JTS Program.

In June 2022 Jaylan De Groot was named in the New South Wales U19 side for their match against Queensland U19’s with Jaylan De Groot named on the NSW extended bench for the match.

In late 2021 it was confirmed that Jaylan De Groot would play the 2022 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad and Jaylan De Groot is also Colts eligible in 2023.

Round One of the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Jaylan De Groot named to start at fullback for the Tweed Heads Seagulls as they got their season underway against the Norths Devils however the match was ultimately postponed due to the extreme weather conditions in northern New South Wales.

Jaylan De Groot was also named to start at fullback in the Round Two local derby against the Burleigh Bears with Jaylan De Groot scoring a double and setting up another try in the Seagulls big 40 – 16 victory.

Jaylan De Groot’s opening try came in the 52nd minute when on the five tackle he positioned himself on the right wing and charged forward taking a Thomas Weaver bomb to the right corner on the full. Jaylan De Groot then did a great job getting the ball down in the in-gaol after taking the cross kick above his head before he was taken into touch in-goal.

Jaylan De Groot completed his double in the 73rd minute when from five metres out Jaylan De Groot ran to his right out of dummy half and got between two Bears defenders to score four metres to the left of the uprights.

In just the 3rd minute of the match Jaylan De Groot recorded a try assist when whilst operating on the left field he threw a hard flat face ball to his left to a charging Klese Haas who charged over from five metres out.

Jaylan De Groots’ first touch of the match came inside the opening two minutes when just two metres out from his own try line Jaylan De Groot picked up a dropped Burleigh ball near the left corner. Upon taking possession of the ball Jaylan De Groot ran to his right towards the middle of the field before straightening up and getting the ball eighteen metres away from his own try line.

As he does so well, Jaylan De Groot was hovering around the play the ball in the 25th minute and got into dummy half, running himself to his right when he spotted the Burleigh defence still going backwards with Jaylan De Groot able to make fifteen metres.

Jaylan De Groot was at his elusive best in the 68th minute when after he received that ball from a Seagulls scrum win on the left side of the field twenty two metres out, Jaylan De Groot cut back to his left on a number of occasions, getting the ball to within eight metres of the try line and directly in front of the goal posts after breaking five tackles in his winding run.

In the 48th minute along with Oskar Bryant and Thomas Weaver, Jaylan De Groot was on hand to hold up Burleigh lock Samuel Shannon over the try line.

Jaylan De Groot showed his high level of positioning sense in the 48th minute when he was perfectly place right on his own try line to retrieve a Burleigh attacking grubber kick in the left corner and Jaylan De Groot was even able to bring the ball five metres away from his own try line.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in Round Three against the Townsville Blackhawks and in the 5th minute positioned himself well on the left side of the field to take a grubber kick on the bounce just a metre out from his own line. Once he had secured possession Jaylan De Groot ran to his right back towards the centre of the field and was able to get the ball out past the ten metre mark.

Jaylen De Groot was Tweed Heads saviour in the 9th minute when he hit the Blackhawks hard over the try line to force the ball loose after the hooker had tried to dive over from dummy half.

Jaylan De Groot’s came to the fore once again in the 49th minute when he raced to his left to tackle the Townsville No. 2 who had burst away and appeared set to score but Jaylan De Groot came from the clouds to tackle him from behind.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Six against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and in a sign of the high esteem that he is held in, Jaylan De Groot was named the Seagulls captain for the match.

Jaylan De Groot made a great one on one tackle on the Wynnum Manly right winger who had broken away and looked to take Jaylan De Groot on one on one in space but Jaylan De Groot was up to the challenge and put the winger on the ground.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in Round Six against the Northern Pride scoring a double in the Seagulls big 66 – 0.

Jaylan De Groot’s first try came within the opening minutes of the match when he backed up a break down the left touchline from Thomas Weaver that started deep inside Seagulls territory with Thomas Weaver drawing the fullback and sending Jaylan De Groot on a fifty odd metre run untouched to the try line.

Jaylan De Groot completed his double in the 29th minute when he was on hand to collect an inside kick from Brent Barnes and dive over mid-way between the corner post and goal posts on the left side of the field.

The fact that Brent Barnes was able to break away down the left touchline and kick back inside with the outside of his right foot was as a result of a great Jaylan De Groot cut out pass to his left near the halfway mark which put Brent Barnes into space.

Jaylan De Groot also threw the final pass for a Seagulls 42nd minute try for his right winger to score one of his four tries in the match. Jaylan De Groot then threw the final pass after chiming into the backline on the left and pass to his left to Kaleb Ngamanu who raced twelve metres to score wide out on the left in what turned out to be an eight point try.

Jaylen De Groot also started at fullback in the rescheduled Round One match against the Norths Devils scoring in the 41sst minute when he followed through a Charlie Murray break through the centre of the field with Jaylan De Groot receiving the ball from Charlie Murray around thirty metres out and raced away to score under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot also recorded a 33rd minute try assist when he burst through the Norths right sided defence with a show and go from thirty metres out and then drew the Devils fullback and pass to his right to Kaleb Ngamanu who raced away to score.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Eight against the Western Clydesdales and had a day out scoring four tries in a big 65 – 12 Seagulls victory.

Jaylan De Groot’s opening try came in the 23rd minute when he received the ball from Thomas Weaver who had received the ball from a Seagulls scrum win. After receiving the ball Jaylan De Groot shaped to pass to his outside but instead sliced through the defensive line to dive over four metres in from the left corner post.

Jaylan De Groot added a second try in the 26th minute when he followed through an Oskar Bryant line break to receive the pass from his left and run twenty five metres to score untouched under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot completed his hat trick in the 43rd when after Konrad Tu’u made a break off a Max Liles pass down the left touchline who got the ball back inside to Max Liles who looked like he would run the five metres to score but got caught from behind but just as he was about to hit the ground Max Liles flicked the ball over his right shoulder for Jaylan De Groot to pick up on the bounce to score his third try near the left corner.

Jaylan De Groot then scored his fourth try in the 67th minute when after he received on off-load from Klese Haas Jaylan De Groot raced eighteen metres to score under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot in fact could have had a fifty try but in the 60th minute after chasing through a kick he lost the ball over the try line.

The match also saw Jaylan De Groot record a 3rd minute try assist when Jaylan De Groot chimed into the Seagulls backline through a sweeping movement to the left side of the field. After Jaylan De Groot received the ball from Thomas Weaver thirty five metres out Jaylan De Groot was able to get on the outside of the winger before drawing the fullback to send Konrad Tu’u over in the left corner.

Jaylan De Groot then did very well in the 10th minute when under intense pressure he took a high spiralling bomb under heavy pressure ten metres out from his own line and after stepping off his right foot was able to get the ball twenty nine metres away from the try line.

It was not all about Jaylan De Groot’s attacking game as in the 61st minute with his side on the attack ten metres from the line, the Clydesdales took an intercept but Jaylan De Groot turned and chased and easily made up the ground, attacking the centre after just a thirty metre chase.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in Round Nine against the Ipswich Jets, scoring in the 28th minute of a Seagulls victory.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in the rescheduled Round Seven match off against the Souths Logan Magpies.

In a tough loss Jaylan De Groot’s was the Seagulls best including scoring a smart solo try in the 17th minute. After the Seagulls had spun the ball from the left side of the field to the right, Jaylan De Groot received a pass from his right around ten metres out and proceeded to run to his left. After cutting off his left foot to get into the defensive line Jaylan De Groot put in a short kick from himself just as he was about to be tackled with Jaylan De Groot getting the ball back on the bounce after the ball had travelled around four metres to dived over seven metres in from the left corner post.

Jaylan De Groot also forced a Magpies goal line drop out in the 44th minute when after receiving the ball from his inside from Oskar Bryant when he was twenty five metres out and five metres in from the left touchline, Jaylan De Groot cut back towards the centre of the field before putting in a right foot grubber kick. Jaylan De Groot then chased through his own kick with the Magpies fullback forced to knock the ball dead.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Eleven against the Central Queensland Capra’s and scored in the 42nd minute he back up a Jotham Russell line break through the centre of the field and after Jotham Russell off-loaded the ball his five eight who drew the Capra’s fullback and passed to Jaylan De Groot who raced twenty metres to score under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot almost created a Seagulls try out of nothing in the 68th minute. Jaylan De Groot positioned himself directly behind a Tweed Heads play the ball around twenty five metres out and fifteen metres in from the left touchline. At the last possible moment Jaylan De Groot raced to his left and after receiving the ball from Oskar Bryant at dummy half took the ball deep into the defensive line before passing to his left to Kaleb Ngamanu who got within two metres of scoring a smart try.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback and captain in Round Twelve against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Jaylan De Groot making a strong one on one tackle on the halfway mark on his opposite who had made a line break from deep inside his own territory. Jaylan De Groot then made a further try saving tackle on the giant Redcliffe No. 18 just moments later.

Jaylan De Groot was also involved in a strong tackle in the 3rd minute when along with Jordan Lewis and Ben Liyou, Jaylan De Groot got hold of one of the Dolphin players bringing the ball away from his own line and drove him back ten metres into the in-goal.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in Round Thirteen against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in the Round Fourteen local derby against the Burleigh Bears with Jaylan De Groot scoring a double and also recording a try assist in the solid point win for the Seagulls.

Jaylan De Groot scored his opening try in the 24th minute when after Ryan Foran made a line break down the left touchline, Ryan Foran from thirty metres out put in a right foot kick back to the inside with the outside of his right foot with the ball sitting up perfectly for Jaylan De Groot to collect the ball and run around to score under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot scored his second try in the 67th minute when Jaylan De Groot received the ball to the left of the play the ball down a short left blindside and dummied to his left before running between two defenders with Jaylan De Groot then beating the Burleigh fullback with a right foot step with Jaylan De Groot then bringing the ball around to score under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot’s try assist came in the 37th minute when Jaylen De Groot ran to his left out of dummy half wand when he got to ten metres out from the try line, Jaylan De Groot put in a short right foot grubber kick through the line with Caleb Hodges racing through to collect the ball to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Jaylan De Groot also recorded a line break in the 46th minute when from thirty five metres out and to the left of the play the ball Jaylan De Groot broke through the defensive line before being tripped up from behind with Jaylan De Groot quickly back to his feet before finally being held on the halfway mark.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in Round Fifteen against the Northern Pride with Jaylan De Groot recording a hat trick in a big Seagulls victory.

Jaylan De Groot scored his opening try in the 38th minute when from thirty five metres out, Thomas Weaver ran to his left after receiving the ball and threw the ball back to his right to Jaylan De Groot with the fullback racing through a huge gap and easily beat the cover defence to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Jaylan De Groot added a second try in the 66th minute when Jaylan De Groot lined up directly behind a scrum forty five metres out from the try line, once the Seagulls won the scrum Jaylan De Groot raced to his left, receiving the ball from Thomas Weaver with Jaylan De Groot then racing thirty five metres to score easily under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot completed his hat trick in the 76th minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the play the ball around six metres out Jaylan De Groot ran to his left to get between two defenders to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Jaylan De Groot also recorded a 3rd minute try assist when after joining the Seagulls backline on the left side of the field, Jaylan De Groot took the ball to the line before throwing a cut-out pass to his left to put Jotham Russell over in the left corner.

Jaylan De Groot recorded a second try assist in the 54th minute when Jaylan De Groot chimed into the Seagulls backline on the left side of the field and got the ball away to his left to Kaleb Ngamanu twelve metres out with Kaleb Ngamanu holding one defender off him with the right arm fend to score in the left corner.

Jaylan De Groot added a third try assist in the 78th minute when after backing up a line break down the left touchline by Ryan Foran, Jaylen De Groot received an off-load from his left from Ryan Foran with Jaylan De Groot then beating three tackles in a stepping run before off-loading to his left to put Jotham Russell over for his third try of the match.

Jaylan De Groot also made a good kick return in the 45th minute when after taking the ball from a Northern Pride clearing kick thirty five metres out from his own try line, Jaylan De Groot was able to make twenty metres through the centre of the field.

On the back of his three try and three try assist performance Jaylan De Groot led the Tweed Heads Seagulls with 205 run metres.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Sixteen against the Townsville Blackhawks as well as in Round Seventeen against the Easts Tigers.

Jaylan De Groot finished the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts regular season with seventeen tries to finish in the top five in that that category in the competition, in fact Jaylan De Groot finished second on the try scoring list.

The 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts Week One Elimination Final saw Jaylan De Groot start at five eight for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Easts Tigers with Jaylan De Groot scoring in the 44th minute the Seagulls progressed to Week Two.

With Easts on the attack in the 46th minute Jaylan De Groot when facing an overlap while defending on the right side, Jaylan De Groot stepped up to take an intercept and then was able to race fifty eight metres to score ten metres to the right of the uprights.

Jaylan De Groot also made a line break in the opening minute of the match when on the right side of the field Jaylan De Groot sliced through the defensive line near the halfway mark with Jaylan De Groot tackled near the right touchline after a twenty metre charge.

Jaylan De Groot also forced a goal line drop-out in the 51st minute when from ten metres out and down a short right blindside Jaylan De Groot put in a right foot grubber kick which after rebounding between legs when into the in-goal with the Tigers fullback forced to ground the ball in-goal.

Also in late 2021 Jaylan De Groot was part of the Titans NRL squad that undertook a joint training session with ninety members of the Titans JTS Program.

Jaylan De Groot’s first match in a Titans jersey came in January 2021 when he started at fullback for the Titans U19’s in their annual match against the Newcastle Knights in Coffs Harbour with Jaylan De Groot scoring a second half double for the Titans, both from long range, as the Titans defeated Newcastle 40 – 6 in an outstanding display.

Jaylan De Groot first touch of the ball in a Titans jersey came in just the second minute of the match when he moved to his right to field a Knights clearing kick on the bounce before confronting the oncoming defensive line.

Jaylan De Groot’s opening try of the match came two minutes into the second half and it was a typical Jaylan De Groot try. The play that led to the try started five metres inside the Titans own half. With Jaylan De Groot hovering behind the play the ball, the Titans worked a short blindside to get right centre Reef Sommerville into space down the right wing, as he was confronted by the fullback, Reef Sommerville grubber kicked back inside with the ball bouncing up perfectly for Jaylan De Groot who had followed the play as it developed on the inside. Once he took possession of the ball twenty metres out, no one got close to him as he brought the ball around to place it down under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot’s penchant to backing up and being in the right place at the right time, was highlighted once again late in the second half when he scored his second try. Outstanding offloads earlier in the movement by Jack Cullen and Samuel Shannon put Thomas Weaver into space and when the half was confronted by the Knights fullback, it was none other than Jaylan De Groot who loomed up on Thomas Weaver’s right to receive the ball twenty metres out and from there Jaylan De Groot’s speed easily took him across the line to record his double.

Jaylan De Groot also had an outstanding moment in defence early in the first half. Jaylan De Groot raced to his left as the Knights found space down the right touch line. The Knights right winger cut inside late, but instead to over running the ball, Jaylan De Groot was able to shift his momentum and take the winger ball and all. If the Knights winger had beaten Jaylan De Groot’s tackle, there is no doubt the Knights would have scored.

A week after the match against the Newcastle Knights Jaylan De Groot once again lined up for the Titans U19’s at fullback as they took on a Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts squad at Burleigh Juniors with the Titans winning 32 – 20 with no conversions attempted.

Once again Jaylan De Groot had an outstanding match, being his second in a Titans jersey recording yet another try scoring double as well as multiple other smart positioning and intelligent plays that are fast becoming the norm for Jaylan De Groot.

Jaylan De Groot’s opening contribution to the Titans cause in the match was when he was able to draw the Burleigh right centre after chiming into the Titans backline on the left side of the field with a direct run at him before passing to left to find left centre Tony Francis in space who was then able to charge twelve metres to the line and get the ball down under pressure five metres in from the left corner post.

In the 7th minute of the match, Jaylan De Groot was positioned perfectly to take a Burleigh clearing kick on the full near the left touch line turning back towards the try line and he was able to return the kick twenty metres to put the Titans on the front foot.

Two tackles later Jaylan De Groot moved into dummy half fifty five metres out from the line. Jaylen De Groot darted out of dummy half to the right of the play the ball, dummying to his right before slicing through the middle of the Bears defensive line before a Jaylan De Groot right foot step enabled him to beat the Bears fullback who was defending very shallow. Once he was past the fullback, Jaylan De Groot had an easy forty metre run the line under no pressure to put the ball down under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot’s second try came in the second half when he once again backed up a Titans movement of the left side of the field, through the centre of the ruck. After Kaleb Ngamanu broke through the Bears line seventy metres out, Jaylan De Groot loomed up on Kaleb Ngamanu’s right, receiving the ball thirty five metres out after Kaleb Ngamanu had drawn the fullback, for Jaylan De Groot to put the ball down adjacent to the left upright untouched once again.

Jaylan De Groot also produced a smart play which nearly led to a Titans try in what turned out to be the final play of the first half. As usual Jaylan De Groot was backing up through the centre of the ruck and after a Burleigh defender desperately knocked a pass down with the Titans on the attack, Jaylan De Groot tracked back to retrieve the ball and with the half time siren sounding, from thirty metres out put in an intelligent chip kick which very nearly bounced back over the head of the Burleigh fullback in the in-goal with Ediq Ambrosyev hovering nearby.

One of Jaylan De Groot’s impressive attributes in the match against the Knights was his defensive positioning and that continued a week later against Burleigh, including in the first minute of the second half when he was on hand to knock the ball dead after Burleigh had kicked into the in-goal. Jaylan De Groot got to the ball ahead of a number of Burleigh chasers.

Just seven minutes later, Jaylan De Groot’s positioning skills were displayed once against to defuse an urgent situation when he moved to his right to get to another Burleigh kick into the in-goal to save what appeared to be a certain Bears try. Jaylan De Groot made it three exceptional defensive positional plays in the first sixteen minutes of the second half when he had to change direction and once again defuse a Burleigh kick directly behind the goal posts.

Jaylen De Groot was on hand to defuse a try for a fourth time in the second half when in the 79th minute of the match, Jaylan De Groot positioned himself directly behind the play the ball and was perfectly positioned to take a Burleigh grubber back behind the ruck. Jaylan De Groot was unable to bring the ball back into play but if he was not positioned as he had been, Burleigh would have scored in the match’s final minute.

In early May 2021 a Titans U19 side travelled to North Queensland to play an U19 Cowboys selection in a curtain raiser to a Cowboys v Broncos NRL match with Jaylan De Groot starting the match at fullback for the Titans.

In November 2020 Jaylan De Groot was named in the powerful Tweed Heads Seagulls 2021 MM Cup squad and shapes as one of a number of key attacking figures in that side. Prior to that announcement, Jaylan De Groot had been named in the 2021 Parramatta Eels U18 SG Ball squad, highlighting just how good Jaylan De Groot’s junior career to date has been, thus it is another huge credit to the Titans for getting the young man to stay close to home to further his rugby league career rather than to head to Sydney.

In the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup sides second trial against Burleigh, Jaylan De Groot started the second half at fullback, even though he was wearing the No. 11 jersey. As usual Jaylan De Groot was heavily involved in his stint on the field including two try assists.

Jaylan De Groot’s first try assist came when Seagulls hooker Oskar Bryant ran out of dummy half to the right around eleven metres out from the line, drawing the Burleigh B defender before offloading to Jaylan De Groot who then threw a quick short pass to his right to put Josh Lynn over.

Jaylan De Groot’s second try assist of the match, was a piece of subtle magic. Jaylen De Groot received an inside ball after the ball was thrown to the left of the play the ball. Immediately upon receipt of the ball, Jaylen De Groot dropped the ball onto his right foot from around twenty metres out from the line. The Burleigh fullback attempted to shield the ball over the dead ball line but Jaylan De Groot refused to give up and dived full length around the right side of the fullback to knock the ball back into the in-goal for Kruze Rimene to put both hands on it. (Think Kevin Proctor in the NRL at Cbus last season).

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Tweed Heads final 2021 MM Cup trial against the Souths Logan Magpies at Logan. After starting the first two quarters at fullback, Jaylan De Groot moved to the right wing in the final quarter.

Overall in the match Jaylan De Groot made a line break and also recorded a smart try assist in the final quarter whilst playing on the right wing. Jaylan De Groot’s line break came in the second quarter when he was operating just behind the play the ball. Thomas Weaver took the ball to the left before passing back to his right to Jaylan De Groot who burst through the centre of the ruck only to be dragged down just as he was accelerating away.

Late in the fourth quarter Jaylan De Groot burst down the right touchline after good work on his inside. As he was being hemmed in by the Souths Logan fullback and cover defence Jaylan De Groot grubbered kicked with his right foot inside with the kick perfectly weighted for Riley Lack who was tracking the play on the inside to get downward pressure on the ball to be awarded a try, the final one of the eight that Tweed Heads scored in the match.

In Round One of the 2021 MM Cup competition, Jaylen De Groot started at fullback against the Ipswich Jets. Early in the second half Jaylan De Groot moved to left centre before moving back to fullback late in the match.

Jaylan De Groot second a try in each half of the Seagulls 22 – 20 first up victory the first of which came in just the 5th minute of the match. Thomas Weaver took the ball down a shortish left blindside throwing a long cut out pass when he was forty eight metres out to his left to put Keano Kini away down the left touch line. Keano Kini flew down the left touchline, drawing the fullback and passing back to his left looking for Jaylan De Groot who was backing up on the inside.

The Ipswich Jets right winger got his hand in the way to knock the ball towards the Seagulls try line with Jaylan De Groot retrieving the ball to run ten metres to score nine metres in from the left corner post to cross for the Seagulls first try of the match.

Jaylan De Groot’s second try came early in the second half in the 40th minute of the match. Thomas Weaver put up a bomb to the Seagulls left corner and it was perfectly weighted for Jaylan De Groot to come through with the momentum to take the ball on the full in the in goal to get the ball down a metre from the dead ball line.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Two against the Souths Logan Magpies but moved to the left wing in the second half. In Tweed Heads 32 – 24 victory, Jaylan De Groot scored in the second half and also recorded a try assist in the opening minutes of the match.

Jaylan De Groot scored in the 45th minute when after Thomas Weaver backed up a break out of dummy half by Blake Mozer, drawing the Souths Logan fullback before passing to the left to Jaylan De Groot who was able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot’s try assist came in just the second minute of the match when he received the ball off Thomas Weaver on the left side of the field fifteen metres out from the line, taking the ball towards the defensive line before throwing a great cut-out pass to his left to put Keano Kini away down the left touchline and dive over to score in the left corner.

Jaylan De Groot also had a line break early in the match, when he was part of a set play down the left blind side from a Tweed Heads scrum feed forty metres out from the line. Thomas Weaver received the ball from the back of the scrum with Jaylan De Groot sprinting from the opposite side of the scrum to take Thomas Weaver’s held up pass before dummying to his left and sprinting thirty metres downfield only to be brought down ten metres out.

Jaylan De Groot’s safe hands came to the fore in the 48th minute of the match when Souths Logan kicked to his wing, Jaylan De Groot jumped high to take the ball above his head two metres out from his own line and as soon as his feet touched the ground he took off and was able to get the ball back to the twenty metre mark before finally being tackled.

A strong run in the 63rd minute by Jack Cullen almost produced a second try for Jaylan De Groot when he flew onto the ball in the twenty metre area, getting partially through the Souths Logan line before throwing a right arm off-load to Jaylan De Groot who was backing up on his left with Jaylan De Groot getting within metres of the line. Jaylan De Groot in fact was held down and awarded a penalty which Thomas Weaver then kicked to put Tweed Heads eight points in front with six minutes to go.

Jaylan De Groot once again started at fullback in Round Three in the Gold Coast local derby against the Burleigh Bears and once again was one of the Seagulls try scorers in their impressive victory.

As has become the norm, Jaylen De Groot and Keano Kini swapped positions on a number of occasions over the course of the match.

Jaylan De Groot’s try came in the 44th minute when Thomas Weaver ran down a short left blind side ten metres out from the line and passed back to his right to put Jaylen De Groot into a yawning gap who was able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.

In the 5th minute of the match Jaylen De Groot was well positioned to prevent a Burleigh try when he covered to his left to be on hand to take a short blindside grubber dead in the right corner under heavy pressure from Burleigh chasers.

Jaylan De Groot showed once again in the match that he is always prepared to do the hard work when he got into dummy half and darted to his right, making eighteen metres to get the ball to the halfway mark, breaking two tackles along the way.

Jaylan De Groot was also named to start at fullback for Round Four match against the Ipswich Jets and whilst he did not score, still had a strong contribution to the Seagulls victory.

As usual Jaylan De Groot hunted just behind the play the ball and in the 17th minute Jaylan De Groot got into dummy half, darting out of that position to his left to make twenty metres through the centre of the ruck to get the ball to within twenty metres of the try line.

Jaylan De Groot also produced a strong defensive play in the 22nd minute when after chasing back to corral an Ipswich Jets line break, Jaylan De Groot picked up the Ipswich right second rower (No. 12) and putting him on his back and taking all of the momentum out of the Jets sails.

Fullbacks need to continuously focus on their positioning and it was that attention to detail that meant Jaylan De Groot was positioned correctly in the 67th minute to field a hard grubber on his own line directly adjacent to the right upright. By being in the right position Jaylan De Groot ensured that he was not trapped in the in-goal.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies, scoring once again in the Seagulls 38 – 14 victory.

After being rested in Round Six, Jaylan De Groot was named at fullback for the Seagulls Semi-final against Wynnum Manly and had an outstanding match, including scoring in the second half as the Seagulls qualified for the 2021 MM Cup Grand Final.

Jaylan De Groot’s try came in the 45th minute when he backed up on the inside of Ryan Foran after the Seagulls left second rower had taken an inside kick from left winger Elijah Lui and passed to Jaylan De Groot who dived over under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot was heavily involved throughout the match with his initial major contribution coming in the 15th minute when he took the ball from the dummy half down a short left blind side making eighteen metres, breaking three tackles, getting the ball forty two metres out.

Then in the 21st minute, Jaylan De Groot received the ball once again down the left this time off the back of a Tweed Heads scrum win, making a further twelve metres.

In the 23rd minute Jaylan De Groot was on hand to scoop up a Wynnum Manly dropped ball and return it fifteen metres before being tackled but Jaylan De Groot was held down too long and was awarded a penalty.

Jaylan De Groot showcased his positioning when he whilst tracking backwards in the 25th minute he took a towering Wynnum Manly bomb near the posts to gain a twenty metre restart for the Seagulls.

In the 26th minute, Jaylan De Groot once again proved he was safe at fullback when he retrieved a Wynnum Manly grubber kick safely down low and was able to bring the ball back fifteen metres.

Jaylan De Groot produced a key try saving tackle on the final play of the first half when he got low and stopped the Wynnum Manly hooker just short of the line when he tried to sneak over from dummy half.

In the 2021 MM Cup Queensland Grand Final against the Townsville Blackhawks, Jaylan De Groot once again started at fullback and scored in the first half as the Seagulls won back to back MM Cup Championships by defeating Townsville 30 – 24.

Jaylan De Groot’s try came in the 17th minute when Seagulls hooker Oskar Bryant took off out of dummy half to his right on the halfway mark, slicing through the middle of the Blackhawks defence after veering back towards the area behind the play the ball. After he was through the line, Oskar Bryant drew the fullback before passing to his right to Jaylan De Groot who raced away to score under the posts.

Whilst his try was a key moment in the Seagulls Grand Final victory, in the 67th minute Jaylan De Groot produced the play of the Grand Final with the play not just saving the match for the Seagulls but enabling them to claim victory.

With just three minute s to go in the 67th minute with Tweed Heads staring down the barrel of a tough Grand Final loss, being six points down, Jaylan De Groot took a high spiralling bomb just two metres out from his own line and took the Townsville line on by stepping to his right before veering left before spinning counter clockwise breaking two tackles to get the ball to forty metres out from his own line and then Jaylan De Groot whilst finally being tackled was able to get a right arm off-load away to Oskar Bryant.

Tweed Heads were under pressure early and in the 6th minute, Jaylan De Groot along with Thomas Weaver and Oskar Bryant were able to stem the flow by holding of a rampaging Townsville front rower (No. 8) to stop the Blackhawks from scoring twice in the opening minutes.

Jaylan De Groot’s innate positioning sense was highlighted in the 42nd minute when he raced across to his field to get to a Townsville grubber kick well inside his own in-goal. Jaylan De Groot however was able to beat two players and somehow was able to get the ball out of the in-goal and maintain possession for Tweed Heads.

In the Queensland Rugby League 2021 MM Cup Player of the Year Award Jaylan De Groot was awarded two votes.

Jaylan De Groot made his Hastings Deering’s Colts debut in Round Six for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in their 30 – 18 victory over the Easts Tigers with Jaylan De Groot starting the match at fullback.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Seven against the Norths Devils, scoring his first career Hastings Deering’s Colts try in the Seagulls big victory.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in Round Eight against the Mackay Cutters, kicking a conversion in the Seagulls tough loss and also started at fullback in Round Nine against Wynnum Manly.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in the Round Eleven local derby against the Burleigh Bears.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in the previously postponed Round Ten match against Sunshine Coast with Jaylan De Groot scoring in the 57th and 78th minute.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Twelve against the Central Queensland Capra’s.

After a Covid 19 enforced hiatus, Jaylan De Groot was named to start at fullback in Round Sixteen against the Northern Pride with Jaylan De Groot scoring in the 56th minute of the Seagulls big 48 – 16 victory.

Jaylan De Groot then continued at fullback in the rescheduled Round Thirteen match against the Townsville Blackhawks with Jaylan De Groot converting Brock Priestley’s 44th minute try.

Jaylan De Groot continued at fullback in Round Fourteen against the Western Mustangs and also started at fullback in the Seagulls Week One Final against the Souths Logan Magpies.

At the 2021 Queensland Rugby League Awards Night Jaylan De Groot finished with three votes for the Hastings Deering’s Colts Player of the Season Award.

During a Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts bye week, Jaylan De Groot started for the Cudgen Hornets NRRRL First Grade side at fullback against the Byron Bay Devils.

Round Eight against the Kyogle Turkeys, in another Tweed Heads Colts bye week saw Jaylan De Groot move to the right wing against the Kyogle Turkeys with Jaylan De Groot making an immediate impact by scoring inside the opening minute of the match when he received an off-load thirty metres out and darted downfield to score with a big dive in the right corner.

Jaylan De Groot added a second try in the 24th minute when a bomb was put up towards his right wing with Jaylan De Groot jumping high to take the ball in his right hand and get it down in the right corner.

Jaylan De Groot also started on the right wing in Round Eleven against the Lower Clarence Magpies with Jaylan De Groot scoring one try and setting up another.

Jaylan De Groot scored in the 43rd minute when he was on the end of a Cudgen backline movement, receiving the ball around eight metres from the line with Jaylan De Groot diving over acrobatically in the right corner.

As noted above Jaylan De Groot contributed to a Hornets try in the 18th minute. After Lower Clarence kicked downfield from well inside their own territory, the Hornets fullback got the ball to Jaylan De Groot to space and he burst forty five metres down field. Just inside Magpies territory Jaylan De Groot stepped off his left foot to beat one cover defender before drawing the fullback and getting the ball away to his right to send his right centre away to score under the posts.

In a Tweed Heads Seagulls Colts bye week, Jaylan De Groot was named to start on the left wing in Round Eight of the NRRRL U18 competition for the Cudgen Hornets against the Kyogle Turkeys. Whilst he started the match on the left wing, Jaylan De Groot certainly did not park himself there and wait for the ball to come in his direction, with the Titans contracted youngster popping up all over the field.
Jaylan De Groot started the 2020 season as a key member of the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad.

Jaylan De Groot was named to start at fullback for the Northern Rivers Titans in Round One of the 2020 U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition against the Parramatta Eels at Cudgen however the match was cancelled due to the wet conditions on the North Coast that weekend.

Jaylan De Groot started at fullback in Round Two against the Newcastle Knights and had a big day out scoring four tries as the Northern Rivers Titans thrashed their fellow NRL backed rivals.

Jaylon De Groot’s first of four tries came in the first half. Operating on the left side of the field, Jaylan De Groot received the ball “out the back” from Thomas Weaver, dummied to his left and after pulling the ball back into his body beat the Knights five eight on the outside when he was about ten metres out from the line. As he approached the try line, Jaylan De Groot got down low to force his way over, getting the ball down one handed (right hand) under heavy pressure from two Knights defenders.

In many respects there were similarities in Jaylan De Groot’s three other tries in the match. On all three occasions, Jaylan De Groot was loitering behind the play the ball when the Northern Rivers Titans were bringing the ball of their own territory. For his first try of the three being discussed, Jaylan De Groot backed up a break from Bayley Cox to get the off load thirty metres out from the line, running over the top of the Knights fullback to score on the left side of the field.

Jaylan De Groot backed up a break from Titan Oskar Bryant for his third try of the match running forty metres untouched to score under the posts, to make it three tries in the first half. Jaylan De Groot’s four try of the match in the second half was a fifty two metre under the posts effort as once again he loomed up in support of a Northern Rivers Titans half break through the centre of the ruck.

Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in Round Three against the Central Coast Roosters and started in the custodian role as well in Round Four, scoring a double as the Titans drew with the Greater Northern Tigers.

Jaylan De Groot’s first try against the Greater Northern Tigers was once again as a result of Jaylan De Groot backing up through the centre of the ruck. Daniel Butterini broke through the Tigers defence on the left side of the field and found Jaylan De Groot on the inside to score out wide. Impressively it was Jaylan De Groot who had thrown the pass to Butterini that had initially put the left centre outside of his direct opponent leading to the line break.

Jaylan De Groot was once again on hand after a Thomas Weaver break to beat the Greater Northern Tigers fullback to score his second try of the match.

In the final match before the Covid 19 shut down, being Round Five Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback against the North Coast Bulldogs, with the Northern Rivers Titans drawing the match to finish the abridged 2020 U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition undefeated.

When community rugby league restarted in July 2020 Jaylan De Groot continued playing for the Cudgen Hornets in the NRRRL competition, starting the season in the NRRRL U18 competition before progressing and making his NRRRL First Grade debut going on to play multiple matches on the wing and at fullback for the Hornets.

Jaylan De Groot played multiple matches for the Cudgen Hornets NRRRL First Grade side in 2020 both at fullback and on the right wing becoming an elusive and consistent long range try scorer from both positions.

Noted below are some of Jaylan De Groot’s 2020 NRRRL First Grade tries for the Cudgen Hornets in no specific Round order:

Playing on the right wing against the Bilambil Jets, Jaylan De Groot scored a fifty metre opportunist try. Facing an overlap, Jaylan De Groot came out of the line to put pressure on the Bilambil left centre who subsequently lost the ball as he tried to take the ball quickly and pass to his left to his unmarked winger. Jaylan De Groot scooped the ball up on the first bounce and was easily too fast for the cover defence to run away a dive over under the posts. The try perfectly highlighted Jaylan De Groot’s plus speed off the mark as well as over an extended distance.

Jaylan De Groot scored a further try against Bilambil when he was also playing on the right wing. The ball was spun out to his wing, but by the time that he had received it, Jaylan De Groot had no room to move down the wing. Jaylan De Groot cut back inside beating three Jets defenders with steps off both feet to eventually get the ball down five metres in from the right corner post.

Against Murwillumbah Jaylen De Groot, as he does exceptionally well was loitering directly behind the play the ball, when Cudgen made a break through the centre of the ruck, Jaylan De Groot loomed up in support to take the offload at full speed before rounding the fullback and as has become his custom dived over to score under the posts.

Jaylan De Groot’s aerial skills were on display in a match against the Bilambil Jets when playing at fullback, Jaylen De Groot charged through and took an attacking chip kick on the full on the left side of the field midway between the goal posts and corner post and was able to get the ball down before the Jets defence could react.

Jaylan De Groot also produced one memorable try assist in the 2020 NRRRL First Grade competition. Against Murwillumbah from the fullback position Jaylan De Groot chimed into the backline on the right side of the field and once through the initial defensive line threw what can only be described as outstanding no look pass to his right which found his centre on the chest and from there they were able to sprint away down the right touch line to score in the right centre. Jaylan De Groot’s pass was quite simply exquisite and a pass few could have thrown even in the NRL when going at full speed like Jaylan De Groot was at the time.

In 2020 Jaylen De Groot also played in a number of NRRRL U18 matches for Cudgen including starting on the left wing in the Hornets NRRRL U18 Grand Final victory, with Jaylan De Groot scoring a double in the often spiteful match after starting the match on the left wing.

Jaylan De Groot actually scored the first try of the 2020 NRRRL U18 Grand Final when a long cut out pass from Thomas Weaver found the Cudgen left centre who got the ball onto Jaylan De Groot who crossed out wide and had the foresight to bring the ball around closer the goal posts.

Jaylan De Groot’s second Grand Final try also came in the first half and was the third Cudgen Grand Final try. Jaylan De Groot was on the end of a long cut out pass from Thomas Weaver, receiving the ball about five metres out from the try line in acres of space and was able to bring the ball around an extra five metres from the left corner totally untouched before the Murwillumbah defence looked to cut him off from bringing the ball around any further.

Jaylan De Groot had also scored in the 2020 U18 NRRRL regular season on multiple occasions including scoring against the Bilambil Jets when he scored under the posts after backing up a long break by Cudgen front rower Parker Bryant who had drawn the fullback before offloading to his left to Jaylan De Groot.

In 2020 Jaylan De Groot was also a member of the highly successful PBC Open A Langer Cup school boy squad that won the Grand final against local rivals Keebra Park with Jaylan De Groot starting the Grand Final at fullback.

Jaylan De Groot had scored earlier in the Langer Cup qualifying rounds when he scored against Ipswich State High School. Starting the match at fullback Jaylan De Groot chimed into the PBC backline on the left side of the field receiving the ball from Thomas Weaver, Jaylan De Groot immediately burst through a gap between two Ipswich State High School defenders before beating the fullback with a left foot step and was able to bring the ball around to score under the posts as has become his trademark.

In 2019 Jaylan De Groot was part of the all-conquering U16 Northern Rivers Titans Andrew Johns Cup side that took all before them to go through the 2019 season undefeated, including their Grand Final victory over the Western Rams.

In Round One of the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition Jaylan De Groot started at fullback for the Northern Rivers Titan against the Newcastle Knights, finishing the match with a try and a try assist.

Jaylan De Groot’s Round One try was a long range effort, when he received an offload from Bayley Cox to fly fifty five metres to score under the posts. In relation to his try assist, Jaylan De Groot broke the Newcastle line on the right, drawing the fullback and off-loading to his right to put his right centre over.

Round Two saw Jaylan De Groot once again start at fullback against the Parramatta Eels with Jaylan De Groot once against scoring a try and setting up another. Jaylan De Groot also produced a try saving tackle in the match when he held his ground with the giant Eels right centre charging straight at him. Jaylan De Groot was able to get underneath the ball and hold the Parramatta centre up over the line.

Jaylan De Groot scored under the posts in the match after rounding the Parramatta fullback after receiving a pass from Riley Lack who had broken the Parramatta line down the left side of the field. Jaylan De Groot showed quick hands for his try assist when he was able to keep a quick pass away to his right as the Parramatta left winger was coming in to cut off the ball. Jaylan De Groot hands were too quick however and his pass found his right winger who was able to subsequently score in the right corner.

In Round Three against the North Coast Jaylan De Groot, who as usual started the match at fullback was one of the Northern Rivers Titans try scorers once again when he scored under the posts from ten metres out.

Jaylan De Groot was once against at fullback in Round Four against the Greater Northern Tigers and produced an outstanding line break through the centre of the Tigers ruck before drawing the fullback and passing to his right to send Oskar Bryant over to score.

After also starting at fullback in Round Five, Jaylan De Groot also started at fullback in the Northern Rivers Titans semi-final match against the Penrith Panthers, once again scoring one try and also setting up another as the Titans progressed to the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final.

Jaylan De Groot scored in the right corner after receiving an off load from Oskar Bryant and his try assist came from a result of an outstanding piece of individual play. Jaylan De Groot, from his own territory, chipped over the Penrith defensive line and as the Panthers fullback was coming forward, Jaylan De Groot towed the ball forward off the ground from around forty metres out and weighted the second kick perfectly with the ball pulling up a metres into the in goal. Team mate Thomas Weaver won the race to the ball to dive on the ball adjacent to the right upright.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final Jaylan De Groot started for the Northern Rivers Titans Grand Final winning side against the Western Rams and the young fullback with the Titans in front 12 – 0 produced an outstanding piece of play with ensure the Northern Rivers Titans won the match.

With the Western Rams on the attack, the Rams half back put in a short attacking kick on the right side of the field, Jaylan De Groot was on his try line and got down low to take the kick on the full, immediately sprinting away down the left side of the field. As he was being corralled thirty metres out from his own try line, Jaylan De Groot was able to find Thomas Weaver on his right, who ran seventy metres untouched to secure the match for the Titans.

Post the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup, Jaylan De Groot played for the premiership winning Group 18 U16 Cudgen Hornets side, terrorising his Group 18 U16 opponents on numerous occasions over the course of the 2109 season.

Some of Jaylan De Groot’s 2019 Group 18 U16 highlights and noted below to assist in describing Jaylan De Groot’s playing style:

Against Murwillumbah Jaylan De Groot scored an outstanding long range individual try. Operating on the left Jaylan De Groot, put in a right foot chip kick after taking the ball close to the defensive line. Even though it appeared that the fullback may have had the ball covered, Jaylan De Groot kept the pressure on the fullback through his strong chase. A horror bounce saw the ball bounce away from the Murwillumbah fullback and as a result of his determination, Jaylan De Groot was on hand to retrieve the ball and score an outstanding individual try.

Also against Murwillumbah later in the season, Jaylan De Groot highlighted once again his backing up mentality when he backed up a break directly from a Cudgen penalty tap restart to score.

Against Byron Bay/Lennox Head, Jaylan De Groot proved that he could run good lines when he ran an inside shoulder line on the left side of the field from five metres out to easily slide through the defensive line.

Also against Byron Bay/Lennox Head. Jaylan De Groot showcased his speed when after following through a Cudgen break, he outpaced the cover defence to score after the Hornets player who had made the break put in a kick over the top of the oncoming fullback.

Jaylan De Groot’s ability to be in the right place at the right time were on display against South Tweed when he scored a sixty metre try under the posts after he backed up a Thomas Weaver break to receive the ball from his left when Thomas Weaver drew the Bears fullback.

In wet conditions against South Tweed later in the season in wet and slippery conditions, Jaylen De Groot scored what on first viewing may have seemed to be a reasonably easy try but the amount of water on the field at the time meant that the try was actually quite impressive. Jaylen De Groot got down low and fielded a grubber kick directed to the left corner, once he had taken possession, Jaylen De Groot eluded two defenders with deft and sure footwork to dive over three metres in from the left corner post.

The 2019 Group 18 U16 season also saw Jaylan De Groot heavily involved in tries for others but one try assist in particular stood out. Operating on the left side of the field, Jaylan De Groot backed up a Cudgen break down the left touch line. Jaylen De Groot received the pass inside approximately forty five metres out from the Murwillumbah try line and with cover defence converging from a number of angles, put in an ideally weighted right foot kick for Cudgen to score in the left corner.

In 2019 Jaylan De Groot also attended PBC and played a number of matches on the left wing for PBC in the Langer Cup Open B competition, including in impressive performance, amongst others, in Toowoomba against St Mary’s College, including a clever intercept which he was able to return for a twenty metre gain.

When his team has the ball you will find Jaylan De Groot hovering just behind the play the ball, looking for the smallest of opportunities whether that be a set play when the ball is passed back inside to him from the fringe of the ruck so that Jaylan De Groot can exploit fatigued forwards or being on the spot if a team mate gets his hands free and can offload. Also by positioning himself shallow and directly behind the play the ball, Jaylan De Groot can back-up on the inside no matter which side of the field the ball is transferred to and a line break is made.

When he runs the ball, Jaylan De Groot is exceptionally quick and explosive, with above average l speed, both off the mark and when he gets into open space no one will catch him. Jaylan De Groot also can step off both feet exceptionally well and also has a great swerve whilst maintaining top speed. On occasions this season when he made a break, Jaylan De Groot’s support could not keep up and thus he used his incredible footwork and speed to beat the opposing fullback by himself normally utilising a step or a swerve.

A review of Jaylan De Groot’s speed attribute is interesting, Jaylan De Groot has always been quick but in 2020 as he has grown taller and added muscle mass, his speed, both off the mark and at full pace has also trended upward. Prior to the 2020 season I would have argued that Jaylan De Groot’s speed would have been a touch above average but in 2020 I believe a fair assessment would be that Jaylan De Groot’s speed is verging on the plus category and can potentially kick up even a touch higher as he continues to develop in the Titans JTS program.

In addition Jaylan De Groot also has the ball playing skills to set up his support runners and get them lines to run into when defenders came out of the line to negate his time with the ball in hand. Impressively Jaylan De Groot is equally effective on both sides of the field, both in terms of chiming into the back line as well as playing the second five eight role, the ability to operate in those roles on both sides of the field is quite rare even at the NRL level.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, his timing and anticipation means that Jaylan De Groot gets to a lot of balls on the full and makes a quick decision whether to run the ball flat out back into the oncoming defenders or look to create an opportunity by running across field, once again a rare attribute in the modern game. Regardless Jaylan De Groot is an absolute handful to tackle with his speed and evasion skills.

Defensively in the fullback position if an attacker runs directly at him, Jaylan De Groot will come forward to cut down the time the attacker has to make a decision and he will hit very hard and does not fall for a dummy in those situations.

Jaylan De Groot employs his speed to get up quickly on his opposite number to prevent then building their momentum in their run and even though he was nowhere near the biggest fullback running around will put his body in front of opposing attackers and defend with tenacity.

An impressive attribute that Jaylan De Groot does have is ability to force attackers who are in open space to try to beat him down the side line. Jaylan De Groot will stay inside the attacker and force him in the required direction and then use his timing, closing speed and anticipation to make the tackle, usually forcing the attacker into touch.

Jaylan De Groot will continue to spend the off-seasons training with the Titans NRL squad. Jaylen De Groot will no doubt start the 2023 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad but I would anticipate that it will not take too long for Jaylan De Groot to move up to the Seagulls Queensland Cup side sooner rather than later in 2023.

I also expect that Jaylan De Groot will be part of the Titans NRL trials in early 2023.

Jaylan De Groot has been primarily a fullback for the Cudgen Hornets, the Northern Rivers Titans and Tweed Heads Seagulls in both the MM Cup and Hastings Deering’s Colts competition over the last couple of seasons but spent time on the wing for the Cudgen NRRRL First Grade side in 2020 and also for the 2021 PBC Langer Cup Open A side, but with his ability to pop up at the right time and place and his ability to slice through the defensive line or set up his support runners, I believe that Jaylan De Groot will be given every chance to develop into a talented fullback option with definite NRL (or higher) potential.

Jaylan De Groot could certainly slide over to the wing if necessary and play very well in that position but with his performances over the last two seasons in Titans, club, school boy and representative competitions at fullback, consideration of that particular move seems increasingly unlikely, in the short to medium term at least. I actually think that Jaylan De Groot will break into the NRL for the Titans on the wing before transitioning to fullback after that.

Jaylan De Groot has a touch of Parramatta Eels fullback and New South Wales State of Origin fullback or centre Clint Gutherson in his game from the perspective of his ability to slice through a defensive line, always loitering behind the play the ball and supporting through the centre of the ruck and a fearless approach to fielding kicks and defending as well as running the ball back into the defensive line in relation to kick returns.

Like Gutherson does for Parramatta, Jaylan De Groot is always in and around the play the ball when his team has the ball, whether they are attacking or bringing the ball out of their own territory and seemingly is always in the right place at the right time to exploit even the smallest attacking opportunity through the centre of the ruck.

Jaylan De Groot is just one of those players who may not necessarily be the biggest or strongest or fastest but Jaylan De Groot is certainly one of the smartest and just intuitively knows where to be and what to do when the ball comes his way. Uncanny is the perfect adjective to try to describe how Jaylan De Groot is always in the right place at the right time, all of the time no matter what the situation.

[mdrew]

Klese Haas. The younger brother of Brisbane Broncos, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International front rower Payne Haas joined the Titans NRL 2020/21 pre-season training squad for a portion of the off season at least and at just 20 years old, Klese Haas certainly has the potential to be a very positive addition to the Titans NRL ranks over the coming seasons. Impressively Klese Haas was promoted to the Titans Top 30 squad in late July 2022.

In early December 2022 Klese Haas took part in a joint training session betweed the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL squad.

Klese Haas was named to make his NRL debut in Round Twenty Four of the 2022 season off the bench against the Newcastle Knights to become Titan Number 175. Playing thirty three minutes at right second row, Klese Hass ran for forty two metres (fifteen post contact) played the ball at an average speed of 3.49 seconds and made seventeen tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency, by any measure, a very good debut from Klese Haas.

Klese Haas also started from the bench in the final round of the 2022 NRL Premiership season, being Round Twenty Five against the New Zealand Warriors. Playing twenty eight minutes at right second row Klese Haas ran for forty six metres (twenty post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.97 seconds and made five tackles.

In total in his two 2022 NRL matches, Klese Haas made twenty two tackles at a tackling efficiency of 95.6% and ran for eighty eight metres at an average of forty four metres per match.

Another of Klese Haas’s older brothers, Jonah Haas was previously a member of Titans junior development squads, including playing a number of development matches in Titans colours and was also a very solid No. 8 for the TSS First XV GPS school boy rugby side a number of years ago. Klese Haas also has a younger brother who is attending Keebra Park State High School.

In October 2022 Klese Haas started at lock for the Philippines Rugby League side in their International against Thailand with Klese Haas recording a try assist in Philippines victory. In the 59th minute with the play the ball in the left side of the field and fifteen metres out, Klese Haas received the ball to the right of the play the ball and immediately cut back to his left and after engaging the defensive line Klese Hass got a right arm off-load away to his left to put his winger over in the corner.

In late 2021 Klese Haas signed an NRL train and trial contract with the Titans, commencing the 2022 NRL pre-season with the Titans on 8 November 2021.

Klese Haas started the Titans first 2022 NRL trial against the Brisbane Bronco’s (and older brother Payne) at Cbus Stadium from the bench with Klese Haas coming onto the field late in the match and making a strong first up run and Klese Haas also made a strong first tackle.

Klese Haas made his Queensland Cup debut in Round Twelve of the 2022 competition, starting from the bench against the Mackay Cutters. Playing twenty eight minutes in Queensland Cup debut at right second row Klese Haas ran for forty three metres (twenty six post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.15 seconds and made twelve tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Klese Hass made his Queensland Cup starting debut at right second row in the rescheduled Round Nine match against the Souths Logan Magpies with Klese Haas making his first tackle of the match inside the opening minute. Klese Haas then took his opening hit-up of the match inside two minutes with a seventeen metre run down a right blindside with Klese Haas getting the ball ten metres into Magpies territory.

Playing all eighty minutes Klese Haas ran for eighty six metres (forty five post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.62 seconds and made twenty six tackles at a tackling efficiency of 96.3%.

Klese Haas also started at right second row in Round Fourteen against the Redcliffe Dolphins and whilst playing all eighty minutes of the match, Klese Haas ran for forty eight metres (fourteen post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 4.39 seconds and made thirty three tackles at a tackling efficiency of 97.06%.

Klese Haas continued at right second row in Round Fifteen against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Klese Haas also started at right second row in Round Seventeen being the local derby against the Burleigh Bears and whilst playing all eighty minutes of the match Klese Haas ran for sixty two metres (twenty post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 2.8% and made a team leading thirty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.75%.

Klese Haas continued at right second row in Round Eighteen against the Northern Pride and whilst playing all eighty minutes Klese Hass ran for 104 metres (forty one post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.03 seconds and made twenty three tackles at an tackling efficiency of 92%.

Klese Haas was also named at right second row in Round Nineteen against the Townsville Blackhawks an whilst playing the entire match Klese Haas ran for fifty eight metres (twenty four post contact) broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.37 seconds and made a team leading thirty four tackles at a tackling efficiency of 97.14%.

In total in the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Klese Haas played in six matches making 158 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 95.8% and ran for 403 metres at a per game average of sixty seven metres.

In late 2021 it was confirmed that Klese Haas would play the 2022 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad for the second season in a row.

Also in late 2021 Klese Haas was part of the Titans NRL squad that undertook a joint training session with ninety members of the Titans JTS Program.

Round One of the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Klese Haas named to start at left second row for the Tweed Heads Seagulls as they got their season underway against the Norths Devils however the match was postponed due to the extreme weather conditions in northern New South Wales.

Klese Haas was also named at left second row in the Round Two local derby against the Burleigh Bears and was easily the best player on the field on his way to a great hat trick to lead Tweed Heads to a comprehensive 40 – 16 victory.

Klese Hass just had to wait until the 3rd minute of Hastings Deering’s Colts debut to get on the scoreboard when he burst onto a face ball from Jaylan De Groot to burst over from five metres out and five metres in from the left corner.

Klese Haas added his second try in the 59th minute with a great solo effort. The movement actually started wide out on the right with a Thomas Weaver shot grubber kick through the line that was retrieved by the Seagulls. The ball was then spun out to the opposite side of the field getting to Klese Haas around twenty two metres from the line. Klese Haas, who had received the ball whilst stationary, immediately charge at the line, stepping off his left foot to beat one defender before carrying four (yes four) defenders over the line to get the ball down seven metres in from the left corner post.

Klese Haas then completed his hat trick in the 69th minute with another great solo effort. Klese Haas received the ball around twelve metres out and as he charged at the defensive line dummied to his left before a left arm beat one defender. Klese Haas then easily shrugged off a second defender who had tried to tackle Klese Haas around the chest. Klese Haas then carried another Bears defender over the line to get the ball down ten metres in from the left corner post.

Klese Haas also made a 38th minute line break when he broke away down the left touchline before off-loading to his left to allow Brent Barnes to make a further fifteen metres down the left touchline.

The 49th minute saw Klese Haas record a line break assist when from forty metres and after running at the defensive line, Klese Hass threw a great pass to his left to put Brent Barnes away but the left winger was dragged down from behind just five metres away from the left corner.

In addition to the three runs for his tries Klese Hass also produced some other outstanding efforts including a twelve metre run down the left channel in the 24th minute to get the ball within five metres of the halfway mark.

Klese Haas dominated the Burleigh defence once again in the 62nd minute with a strong seventeen run over the halfway mark with around 60% of Klese Haas’s run coming from post contact metres.

In the 69th minute Klese Haas showed that he does not just put his head down and run when after engaging the Burleigh right sided defence, Klese Haas when just two metres out and whilst in contact with defenders, Klese Haas executed a great right arm flock off-load to Jaylan De Groot who almost snuck over the try line as a result of Klese Haas’s off-load.

The hard work in the gym and while training with the Titans NRL squad was on display in the 20th minute when Klese Hass executed a great front on tackle on Burleigh second rower Sam McIntyre that stopped him dead right on the try line.

Klese Haas continued at left second row in Round Three against the Townsville Blackhawks however he was a late scratching from the match.

Klese Haas was back at right second row in Round Six against the Northern Pride in the Seagulls big 66 – 0 victory.

Klese Haas’s initial significant contribution came in the 15th minute when he charged onto the ball to the left of the play the ball forty metres out from his own line and was able to make sixteen metres after cutting off his right foot and running at a soft spot in the defensive line behind the play the ball. Klese Haas made another strong run in the 39th minute when from inside his own territory Klese Haas was able to break three tackles before off-loading to his left.

Klese Haas made a great line break in the 67th minute when he ran the ball down a short left blindside sixty metres out. Klese Haas used his size and speed to burst through two defenders before a left arm fend got rid of another. After charging fifty metres downfield, Klese Haas was tripped up around ten metres out but was back to his feet without hesitation and got within five metres of the try line.

Klese Haas also started at left second row in the rescheduled Round One match against the Norths Devils with Klese Haas scoring in the 59th minute when he chased through a Thomas Weaver grubber kick into the in-goal with the ball sitting up for Klese Haas to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Whilst he was solid in the first half, Klese Haas really turned up his performance in the second half starting with a strong run in the 44th minute with a fifteen metre run from his own twenty metre mark down the left channel.

Klese Haas then made another strong charge down the left channel in the 55th minute making sixteen metres with at least ten of those metres of the post contact variety. Then in the 64th minute Klese Haas made twenty metres after making a half break to get the ball over the halfway mark with Klese Haas subsequently being awarded a penalty when he was not afforded the opportunity to play the ball quickly.

Klese Haas’s best run of the second half and match as a while came in the 61st minute with a superb line break. Klese Haas burst onto the ball to the left of the play the ball deep inside his own territory with his size, speed and power allowing him two break two tackles before Klese Hass charged downfield before cutting back towards the centre of the field, making sixty metres before three Norths defenders converged on him and putting him to ground after Klese Haas put up one heck of a fight.

Round Eight against the Western Clydesdales saw Klese Haas start at right second row and score a powerhouse try in the 51st minute after he received the ball forty eight metres out Klese Hass shoved his way past two defenders before bursting downfield and stepped off his left foot to easily dispose of the fullback to crash over just to the left of the uprights.

Klese Haas also recorded a 67th minute try assist when after engaging the defensive line around eighteen metres off and directly in front of the goal posts Klese Haas got away a left arm off-load to Jaylan De Groot with three defenders on him with Jaylan De Groot exploiting the space to run away to score under the posts.

Klese Haas’s explosiveness was highlighted once again in the 66th minute when after receiving the ball near the halfway mark on the right Klese Haas cut back to his left and powered through five attempted tackles to make fourteen hard fought metres.

Impressively in the match against the Western Clydesdales Klese Hass ran for a team high 2021 metres.

Klese Haas also started at right second row in Round Nine against the Ipswich Jets.

In early May 2021 a Titans U19 side travelled to North Queensland to play an U19 Cowboys selection in a curtain raiser to a Cowboys v Broncos NRL match with Klese Haas starting the match at right second row in his first match in a Titans jersey.

In 2021 Klese Haas was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad and started round One at right centre against the Souths Logan Magpies. Klese Hass’s initial involvement in the match came in the second minute, when he along with Vinncent Takatake brought down the Souths Logan fullback who had brought the ball out of his own in-goal from a Seagulls attacking kick.

Klese Haas in fact came close to scoring when in the 61st minute a strong run off a Seagulls scrum win accounted for twenty five metres with Klese Haas getting to within three metres of the line.

Klese Haas almost got over the line again in the 66th minute when a strong ten metre effort got Klese Haas to within centremetres of the line.

Klese Haas was due to start at right centre in Round Two in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears however he ended up starting the match at right second row with his first involvement preventing a Burleigh try when he intercepted a Burleigh pass literally right on his own line and was able to bring the ball back thirty metres. If Klese Hass had not intercepted the pass, Burleigh would have scored in the right corner.

Klese Haas added to his contribution to the Seagulls 32 – 24 victory in the 20th minute when he was able to force his way into the Burleigh twenty metre area with a hard fought ten metres of ground.

Klese Hass moved into dummy half in the 28th minute, making twelve metres after running the ball to the right and getting into the twenty metre attacking zone.

Klese Haas got within a metre of scoring his first Colts try in the 44th minute when he received the ball to the right of the play the ball, running in that direction before cutting back to the left and getting to within a metre of the line after breaking three tackles.

Klese Haas proved to be dangerous running with the ball once again in the 61st minute when he packed into a scrum at lock, after picking up the ball from the base of the scrum, Klese Hass ran to the right fending off two would be defenders with his left arm, making twelve metres to get to within two metres of the halfway mark.

Klese Haas also started at right second row in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins.

After missing Round Four due to playing for the Titans U19 side, Klese Haas started Round Five against the Northern Pride at right second row and scored his first Hastings Deering’s Colts try in the Seagulls 40 – 18 victory.

Klese Haas continued his run of starts at right second row in Round Six against the Easts Tigers and in Round Seven against the Norths Devils.

Round Eight against the Mackay Cutters, saw Klese Haas move to right centre and scoring in the Seagulls tough loss.

Klese Haas then moved back to right second row for Round Nine against Wynnum Manly and continued there in the Round Eleven local derby against the Burleigh Bears as well as in the previously postponed Round Ten match against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Klese Haas also started at right second row in the previously postponed Round Eleven match against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

After a Covid 19 enforced hiatus, Klese Haas was named to start at right second row in Round Sixteen against the Northern Pride and was also named at right second row in the rescheduled Round Thirteen match against the Townsville Blackhawks.

Klese Haas continued at right second row in Round Fourteen against the Western Mustangs.

Klese Haas then was named to start at lock in the Seagulls Week One Final against the Souths Logan Magpies.

Klese Haas started in the second row in the Seagulls final 2021 trial against the Burleigh Bears.

In 2020 Klese Haas spent time at both right second row and right centre for Keebra Park State High School in the Langer Cup Open A school boy competition and played his club rugby league for the Bilambil Jets in the NRRRL competition, playing a number of NRRRL First Grade matches as well as matches in the NRRRL U18 competition for the Jets.

Klese Haas started Round One of the 2020 Langer Cup Open A school boy competition in the right second row position for Keebra Park State High School against Wavell State High School scoring late in the match as Keebra Park suffered a surprise first up loss to the north Brisbane based school in the South East Queensland school boy Open A rugby league competition.

Klese Haas’s try against Wavell SHS came when he took the ball from a Keebra Park penalty kick after a drop out infringement from Wavell. Klese Haas took the ball to the right of where the tap kick had taken place, breaking four tackles in his ten metre run to get the ball down a metre to the right of the goal post with an additional two Wavell defenders trying in vain to drag Klese Haas back from getting the ball down over the line.

After being Keebra Park’s 18th man in Round Two of the Langer Cup competition against Marsden State High School and missing Round Three against Ipswich State High School, Klese Haas started at right second row in Rounds Four and Five of the Langer Cup competition against local rivals PBC and St Mary’s College Toowoomba respectively.

In Keebra Park’s big 2020 Langer Cup semi-final victory over Wavell SHS, Klese Haas started at right centre and scored a late second half try, when after receiving the ball, Klese Haas immediately stepped inside his opposite defender before cutting back towards the outside before beating the Wavell SHS fullback who was coming across on the inside to get the ball down five metres in from the right corner post.

Klese Haas also started the 2020 Langer Cup School Boy Grand Final at right centre as Keebra Park went down to local rivals PBC in a high quality match at Langland’s Park in Brisbane.

Post the 2020 Langer Cup Grand Final, Klese Haas was named in the second row in the Courier Mail 2020 Langer Cup Team of the Year and was named the 15th best school boy rugby league/rugby player in South East Queensland in 2020 also by the Courier Mail. In fact the Courier Mail nominated Klese Haas the best Queensland school boy that had not been signed by an NRL club at the start of the Langer Cup competition in 2020.

When Community Rugby League re-started in July 2020, Klese Haas lined up for the Bilambil Jets in the NRRRL competition, playing for the Jets in both the NRRRL First Grade and NRRRL U18 competitions.

In the 2020 NRRRL U18 competition, Klese Hass played in two matches, both coming before the competition was split into the Green and Gold divisions due to Covid 19 and the related border restrictions, with Bilambil playing in the Green Division. Klese Haas started Round One of the initial competition at lock against Ballina and also started at lock in Round Six against the Tweed Coast Raiders.

Klese Haas made his NRRRL First Grade debut off the bench in Round One of the 2020 competition against Ballina before making his first NRRRL First Grade start at centre against the Murwillumbah Mustangs in Round Two. Klese Haas also started in the centres in Round Four against Tweed Coast and Round Five against Cudgen before coming off the bench in Round Six against the Tweed Coast Raiders once again.

Klese Haas has already played International Rugby League when he started from the bench for the Philippines National Rugby League side in a 46 – 16 loss to Italy in Sydney in 2019 at just 17 years of age.

In 2019 Klese Haas played for the Robina Raptors in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division Two competition and was probably the best player in the competition over the course of the 2019 season and had an outstanding match in the Preliminary Final scoring in the Raptors 18 – 16 win over the Currumbin Eagles to progress to the Grand Final.

Klese Haas started the majority of his 2019 U18 Division Two matches for the Robina Raptors at lock including starting in that position in the 2019 U18 Division Two Grand Final against the Burleigh Bears. For me in the Grand Final Klese Haas was the clear stand out player of the match in the 2019 U18 Division Two Grand Final as he was for the vast majority of the 2019 season.

In late 2019 Klese Haas was selected in the 2020 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad but was not part of their 2020 Round One game day seventeen, which unfortunately ended up being the only round of the MM Cup in 2020.

The pace and power in terms of how Klese Haas runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, Klese Haas takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing defenders who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot Klese Haas will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck or wider out and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength and power to drag defenders with him.

I would consider that Klese Haas’s speed would be considered above average for a centre but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at. When playing in the second row Klese Haas’s speed can be considered in the plus category.

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

The defensive side of his game is similarly effective, Klese Haas does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit (well maybe sometimes but not often) but is cold and calculating in where and when he hits. Quite a few of his tackles resulted in a knock on by the opposition as the ball came loose as a result of the impact of the tackle, Klese Haas just hits so hard so regularly and so effectively.

Klese Haas drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent and force them off balance or off their running line.

With his strength, long limbs and defensive technique Klese Haas should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of age group or quality of opponent. Klese Haas also has some aggression (more than some on occasion) in his game which he will need to ensure that he moderates it and channels it correctly which I am sure will come with additional experience. Working to the Titans NRL squad and JTS coaches in the offseason will not hurt with that process at all.

After doing another NRL off-season program with the Titans, I anticipate that Klese Haas will start the 2023 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad for the second season in a row.

At a height of 189cm and weighing in at a solid 100kg with a touch more growth to come in both categories, Klese Haas can understandably play both second row and centre (normally on the right), but ultimately I believe that Klese Haas will develop into a more than solid rugby league second rower with the requisite size in relation to current rugby league trends. Klese Haas also has the body type to add additional muscle mass to his frame without compromising his overall mobility or speed whilst adding strength and power.

Klese Haas broke into the NRL with the Titans late in the 2022 season and with his strong performances for the Titans in his matches, Klese Haas appears to be a lock to start the 2023 season in the NRL with the Titans. It may be that Klese Haas comes off the bench for the Titans in the NRL in 2023 before Klese Haas breaks into the Titans starting line-up in 2024 and beyond.

[mdrew]

Thomas Weaver. (Revised) The extremely talented young half back from the Cudgen Hornets Junior Rugby League club in Northern New South Wales recently signed a new multi-year contract with the Titans and to cap off an outstanding 2019 season Thomas Weaver was named in the New South Wales 2020 Future Blues Squad and in fact I believe was the youngest member of that elite representative squad.

Impressively Thomas Weaver in November 2021 commenced the NRL pre-season with the Titans main NRL squad and spent the 2022 season training full-time with the Titans NRL squad as part of his NRL Development contract before Thomas Weaver moved up to the Titans NRL Top 30 squad until the end of the 2025 rugby league season.

In early December 2022 Thomas Weaver took part in a joint training session betweed the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL squad.

Thomas Weaver started the Titans first 2022 NRL trial against the Brisbane Bronco’s at Cbus Stadium from the bench coming into the match towards the end of the second half with Thomas Weaver recording two tackles when operating on the left side of the field to get a taste of the speed of the NRL.

In Round Thirteen of the 2022 Queensland Cup season Thomas Weaver was named as the 18th man for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in their match against the Central Queensland Capra’s.

Thomas Weaver then made his Queensland Cup debut for the Tweed Heads Seagulls, starting at halfback in Round Fourteen against the Redcliffe Dolphins. Playing all eighty minutes of the match, Thomas Weaver ran for fifty two metres (five post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.93 seconds and made twenty three tackles at a tackling efficiency of 82.14%.

Thomas Weaver continued at halfback in Round Fifteen against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and whilst playing the entire match Thomas Weaver ran for thirty seven metres (three post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.52 seconds and made nineteen tackles. Thomas Weaver also kicked on three occasions making twenty three metres.

In total in the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Thomas Weaver played in two matches kicking for an average of 45,2 metres per match. Thomas Weaver also made forty two tackles at a tackling efficiency of 80.8% and ran for ninety metres at an average of forty five metres per match.

Round Twelve of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition saw Thomas Weaver named as 18th man for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in their match against the Central Queensland Capra’s.

In late July 2022 Thomas Weaver started at halfback for a Titans U19 side that played their annual match against the North Queensland Cowboys that was played as a curtain raiser at Cbus Stadium to the Titans Round Twenty NRL match against the Canberra Raiders with Thomas Weaver kicking three conversions including two outstanding conversions from both touch lines.

In the 11th minute Thomas Weaver kicked a great conversion from the right touchline to convert Keano Kini’s long range try, then in the 27th minute Thomas Weaver swapped sides to convert another Keano Kini try from the left touchline.

Thomas Weaver’s tactical kicking was also impressive against the Cowboys, including in the 3rd minute when from near the halfway mark Thomas Weave put up a towering bomb which came down just in the field of play with the Cowboys fullback subsequently forced back into his in-goal area with Thomas Weaver forcing the goal line drop-out.

In the 53rd minute Thomas Weaver put up a high towering bomb thirty metres out and in the centre of the field with the Cowboys fullback dropping the ball five metres out from his own try line with Jaylen De Groot scoring in the left corner from the subsequent set of six tackles for the Titans.

Then in the 6th minute along with Ryan Foran and Keano Kini, Thomas Weaver made a strong tackle on the North Queensland right second rower to prevent him from scoring just to the left of the uprights on the last tackle.

In late January 2022 Thomas Weaver started at half back for the Titans U19 side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side with Thomas Weaver dictating terms for the Titans as they defeated Burleigh 40 – 12.

Thomas Weaver contributed a try, three try assists, a line break assist and six conversions including a 60th minute conversion from the left touchline.

Thomas Weaver scored in the 56th minute when after good work previously from Tanu Nona (line break) and Josh Lynn, Thomas Weaver loomed up to the right of Nicholas Hilton receiving the ball and racing forty metres to dive over under the posts untouched. Thomas Weaver then converted his own try.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist arrived in the 38th minute when he took the ball to the line around ten metres out and then double pumped a great ball to his right to put Immanuel Kalekale over ten metres in from the right upright. Tom Weaver then stepped up to convert the try he set up.

Thomas Weaver’s second try assist came in the 53rd minute when from around fifteen metres out, Thomas Weaver put in a grubber aimed at the right upright. After the ball narrowly missed that upright the ball sat up perfectly for Josh Lynn to take possession and get the ball down. Not surprisingly Thomas Weaver comfortably converted the try from next to the goal posts.

The third try assist of the match for Thomas Weaver was another try assist from a kick and came in the 60th minute when on the final tackle from approximately seventeen metres out Thomas Weaver kicked to the right wing with Jeremaiah Temapo diving on the bell in the in-goal less than a metre from the dead ball line. Thomas Weaver then stepped up to slot the conversion from right on the right touchline.

Thomas Weaver also recorded a 7th minute line break assist when on the left side of the field, he threw a long cut-out pass to his left to put winger Elijah Lui away down the left touchline.

Thomas Weaver added a further line break assist in the 43rd minute when after taking the ball to the left side of the field, Thomas Weaver threw a good flat cut out pass to his left to Jaylan De Groot who made ten metres down the left touchline to get the ball into the Titans attacking twenty metre zone before he was brought down.

Also in late 2021 Thomas Weaver was part of the Titans NRL squad that undertook a joint training session with ninety members of the Titans JTS Program.

In June 2022 Thomas Weaver was named in the New South Wales U19 side for their match against Queensland U19’s with Thomas Weaver starting the match at five eight with Thomas Weaver scoring sixteen of New South Wales thirty two points from five conversions from as many attempts including a couple from each touchline, a penalty goal and a 25th minute try when he raced through to ground a grubber kick into the in-goal from his halves partner Jonah Pezet to get the ball down a metre in from the dead ball line and under the posts.

Thomas Weaver was named to start the 2022 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deering’s Colts squad and is also Colts eligible in 2023 although no doubt Thomas Weaver will make his Queensland Cup debut for the Tweed Heads Seagulls sooner rather than later over the course of the 2022 season.

Round One of the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition saw Thomas Weaver named to start at halfback and captain of the Tweed Heads Seagulls as they got their season underway against the Norths Devils however the match was ultimately postponed due to the extreme weather conditions in northern New South Wales.

Thomas Weaver was also named at halfback and captain in the Round Two local derby against the Burleigh Bears with Thomas Weaver kicking six conversions from seven attempts including a number of both touch lines in the Seagulls big 40 – 16 victory.

A good example of just how well Thomas Weaver kicked for gaol in the match was his 52nd minute conversion on Jaylan De Groot’s 52nd minute try from the right touchline, a try in fact that Thomas Weaver set out from a cross field kick to the right corner.

Thomas Weaver also recorded two try assists in the match with the first coming in the 16th minute when from the left side of the field Thomas Weaver put in a cross field kick to the right wing with Troy Duckett moving through to take possession and score comfortably.

Thomas Weaver recorded his second try assist in the 52nd minute when one again he put in a cross field kick from the left side of the field to the right and on that occasion Jaylan De Groot took the ball over his head and did well to get the ball down before being pushed into touch in-goal.

Thomas Weaver showed a high level of effort in the 7th minute when after the ball was knocked backwards by the Seagulls on the last tackle, Thomas Weaver ran back to the thirty metre line to take possession and then he put up a high bomb which he chased through, tackling the Burleigh fullback Dion Samuela just three metres out from his own line.

In the 48th minute along with Jaylan De Groot and Oskar Bryant, Thomas Weaver was on hand to hold up Burleigh lock Samuel Shannon over the try line.

The match also saw Thomas Weaver kick well from a tactical perspective including in the 59th minute when from thirty five metres out Thomas Weaver from the right of the play the ball kicked back to his left with the ball finding touch on the final tackle five metres from the left corner.

Thomas Weaver put up another big bomb in the 66th minute from forty metres out with the Burleigh fullback wanting no part of taking the ball on the full with the ball bouncing into touch as a consequence just two metres from the left corner.

Thomas Weaver was named to continue at halfback and captain in Round Three against the Townsville Blackhawks however he was a late scratching from the Seagulls side.

Thomas Weaver was back at halfback in Round Six against the Northern Pride kicking ten goals from eleven attempts in a big 66 – 0 Seagulls victory.

Thomas Weaver also recorded multiple try assists in the match with the first coming in the opening minutes when from deep inside his own territory Thomas Weaver ran to the left side of the field and around eighteen metres out from his own line Thomas Weaver dummied to his left, slicing through the defensive line as a result. Thomas Weaver then drew the fullback and passed back to his inside to send Jaylan De Groot away to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Thomas Weaver’s second try assist arrived in the 15th minute when from around twenty metres out and on the left side of the field Thomas Weaver put up a high bomb towards the right with his right winger racing through to take the kick on the full and then race around to score under the posts.

Thomas Weaver recorded a third try assist in the 39th minute when he kicked from the left side of the field to right with Caleb Hodges outjumping the Northern Pride fullback in the in-goal to score ten metres in from the right corner.

Thomas Weaver almost added another try assist in the 56th minute when from forty metres out he put up a high bomb towards the left corner. The ball was dropped backwards into the in-goal by the Northern Pride fullback but a charging Brent Barnes could not ground the ball.

Thomas Weaver added a line break assist in the 34th minute when down a left blindside Thomas Weaver threw a great cut-out pass to his left to put Brent Barnes away down the sideline with the Seagulls winger getting to within fifteen metres of the try line.

Thomas Weaver also forced a number of line drop-outs, the first coming in the 35th minute when a bomb towards the right corner was taken dead by the Northern Pride defence. Then in the 38th a deft Thomas Weaver grubber to his left was forced in-goal by the Northern Pride right winger.

To cap off a great match Thomas Weaver saved a try in the 36th minute when with the Seagulls deep on the attack, the ball went to ground with the Northern Pride right centre swooping on the ball and raced away. Thomas Weaver came from the clouds to drag the centre down and save what appeared to be a certain try.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback in the rescheduled Round One match against the Norths Devils kicking four conversions from five attempts with his only miss bizarrely coming from directly in front when he sliced the ball wide of the right upright.

The first of Thomas Weaver’s multiple try assists against the Devils in the 59th minute when he received the ball above his head to the left of the play the ball and around fifteen metres out. After taking possession Thomas Weaver ran the ball towards the line and put in a short right foot grubber kick that sat up perfectly for Klese Hass who charged through to take possession and put the ball down mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

A further try assist of Thomas Weaver came in the 79th minute when from the right side of the field and around twenty metres out Thomas Weaver put up a bomb towards the left with the ball coming down just into the in-goal with Kaleb Ngamanu coming through to dive on the ball after it was dropped by the Devils fullback to put downward pressure on the ball mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field.

Thomas Weaver also recorded a line break assist in the 11th minute when he ran to the line and threw a good short ball to his right to put Ryan Foran through a gap with the right second rower surging twenty metres downfield.

Thomas Weaver’s kicking game was impeccable against Norths including in the 45th minute when from thirty metres out Thomas Weaver put up a high bomb that came down less than a metre from the goal line near the right corner with the Tweed Heads chasers getting to the Devils winger just as he took the ball and forced him back into the in-goal to force a goal line drop-out.

Thomas Weaver forced another goal line drop-out in the 75th minute when after taking the ball down a short left blindside Thomas Weaver put in a grubber kick with the outside of his right foot with the Norths left winger trapped in-goal.

Thomas Weaver made it three forced drop-outs in the match in the 78th minute when whilst operating on the left side of the field Thomas Weaver put in another perfectly weighted grubber kick that had to be taken dead by the Devils fullback.

Round Eight against the Western Clydesdales saw Thomas Weaver start at halfback and kick seven conversions from eight attempts before being rested for the final fifteen minutes of the match. Thomas Weaver also kicked a field goal right on halftime.

Thomas Weaver also recorded a try assist in the 16th minute when he put up a bomb towards the left and after the ball was dropped in the in-goal by the Western Clydesdales right winger the ball bounced up for Ryan Foran to take and subsequently put down mid-way between the corner post and goal posts on the left side of the field.

Thomas Weaver made a line break in the 39th minute when after he received an off-load from Ben Liyou near the halfway mark, Thomas Weaver exploded from a standing start and made twenty four metres before being caught.

Thomas Weaver made a second line break in the 61st minute when he ran down the wide right blindside just inside Clydesdales territory and after being hit high Thomas Weaver was able to break away and off-load to the right but when the play broke down the referee awarded a penalty for the high hit on Thomas Weaver.

Thomas Weaver also recorded a line break assist in the 11th minute when he threw a long cut-out pass just inside Clydesdale’s territory to put left winger Konrad Tu’u away with the winger then getting the ball back inside for Ryan Foran to score the first of his two tries.

Thomas Weaver showcased his huge kicking boot in the 56th minute when he put up a huge bomb fifty six metres out and the Clydesdales fullback wanted on part of and let bounce and as the Seagulls chase bore down on him the fullback had to knock the over the dead ball line for a goal line drop out.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback in Round Nine against the Ipswich Jets with Thomas Weaver kicking four conversions from six attempts and a penalty goal in the final minute to seal an eight point Seagulls victory.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback in Round Eleven against the Central Queensland Capra’s, kicking three conversions from five attempts in a heart breaking last minute loss with Thomas Weaver kicking an outstanding conversion from the left touchline late in the match to convert Brent Barnes’s try in the corner to give the Seagulls the lead but the Capra’s scored in the dying seconds to snatch the victory.

Thomas Weaver also recorded a try assist in the 7th minute when after receiving the ball from his right around twenty metres out and in fractionally to the right of the uprights, Thomas Weaver threw an exquisite long cut-out pass to his right that travelled at least twenty metres and hit right winger Malakhi Donovan on the chest in space with the winger able to score in the right corner.

Thomas Weaver recorded a second try assist in the 25th minute when whilst operating to the left of the play the ball, Thomas Weaver took the ball deep into the defensive line and then threw a perfectly weighted short ball to his left to put Kaleb Ngamanu over to score from eight metres out with Kaleb Ngamanu getting the ball down left three metres in from the left corner post.

Thomas Weaver’s short kicking game was also effective in the wet conditions against the Capra’s including in the 6th minute when Thomas Weaver took the ball down a short left blindside and from around twenty five metres out, put in a right foot grubber kick which was knocked on by the Carpa’s fullback with the Seagulls scoring from the subsequent set of six tackles.

To emphasise just how good Thomas Weaver’s short kicking game was, in addition to the kick noted above Thomas Weaver also forced three, yes three line drop outs, with the first coming in the 24th minute when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball Thomas Weaver put in a right foot grubber kick from ten metres out with the kick weighted such that the Central Queensland fullback had no option but to take the ball dead in-goal.

The second occasion where Thomas Weaver forced a goal line drop-out encapsulated just how good Thomas Weaver is. On the fifth tackle, Thomas Weaver received a high pass to the right of the play the ball just thirty metres out and in the centre of the field and was immediately confronted by three charging Capra’s players. Thomas Weaver darted to his right, beating all three before exploding through centre field and whist running at full pace put in an exquisite right foot banana kick towards the right corner which had to be taken over the side line in-goal by the Capra’s fullback just in front of multiple Seagulls chasers.

The third occasion that Thomas Weaver forced a goal line drop-out came in the 75th minute he Thomas Weaver ran the ball down a short left blindside around thirty metres out and once again after going deep into the defensive line (notice a trend) put in a chip kick into the in-goal with Brent Barnes taking the Capra’s winger over the dead ball line.

To round out his match, Thomas Weaver made a great one on one tackle in the 19th minute and the Capra’s five eight who looked as if he had manoeuvred himself through the Seagulls defensive line, but Thomas Weaver brought him down fifteen metres from the try line.

Thomas Weaver was back at halfback for Round Fifteen against the Northern Pride with Thomas Weaver scoring twenty points from a try and eight conversions (plus another that hit the posts from the left touchline) in a big Seagulls victory.

Thomas Weaver scored in the 6th minute when after receiving the ball to the right of a Seagulls scrum win twelve metres out, Thomas Weaver dummied to his right to wrong foot one defender before shrugging off a second defender with Thomas Weaver then getting the ball down in a tackle mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field.

Thomas Weaver then recorded a try assist in the 38th minute when from thirty five metres out, Thomas Weaver ran to his left after receiving the ball and threw the ball back to his right to Jaylan De Groot with the fullback racing through a huge gap and easily beat the cover defence to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Thomas Weaver did exceptionally well in the 12th minute when Thomas Weaver chased down the Northern Pride hooker who had broken through the Seagulls defensive line with Thomas Weaver catching the hooker from behind ten metres out to stop a certain Northern Pride.

Thomas Weaver then did well once again in the 70th minute when twenty five metres out from his own try line, Thomas Weaver was on hand to pick up a dropped ball by the Northern Pride with Thomas Weaver able to progress the ball fifteen metres downfield before being tackled.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback in Round Sixteen against the Townsville Blackhawks with Thomas Weaver recording two try assists and kicking two conversions.

Thomas Weaver recorded his opening try assist in the 9th minute when from the centre of the field and around nine metres out Thomas Weaver putting a right foot grubber kick into the in-goal with Solomon Torrens charging through to get the ball down in the in-goal just to the right of the uprights.

Thomas Weaver recorded his second try assist in the 32nd minute when he took the ball to the defensive line on the left side of the field and sent a short pass away to his left to Ryan Foran who burst between two defenders to score ten metres in from the left corner post.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback in Round Seventeen against the Easts Tigers with Thomas Weaver kicking two conversions from as many attempts.

Thomas Weaver finished the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts regular season with 99 points.

The 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts Week One Elimination Final saw Thomas Weaver start at halfback for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Easts Tigers with Thomas Weaver kicking three conversions from five attempts as the Seagulls progressed to Week Two of the Finals.

Thomas Weaver also set up the match winning try for Jesse Jackson when Thomas Weaver received the ball twenty metres out near the centre of the field and to the right of the play the ball. Thomas Weaver took the Tigers defensive line on and threw an inside ball to Jesse Jackson to crash over next to the right upright.

Thomas Weaver was in fact the reason that the Seagulls were in an attacking position when in the final minute of the match the Tigers halfback grubbered from less than ten metres out from the try line. After the ball hit the right upright Thomas Weaver picked up the ball on the try line and burst fifty five metres downfield with Thomas Weaver setting up Jesse Jackson later in the same set of six tackles.

Thomas Weaver in the 64th minute along with Ryan Foran made a try saving tackle on the Tigers No. 9 when the dummy half tried to sneak over from dummy half. Ryan Foran and Thomas Weaver initially held up the dummy half over the try line before forcing him back into the field of play ten metres from the left corner.

Then from the subsequent play the ball Thomas Weaver held up the Tigers fullback over the try line after he had also tried to force his way over from dummy half.

Thomas Weaver had made an earlier try saving tackle in the 8th minute when he crunched the Easts right second rower (No. 12) just on the try line with Thomas Weaver’s initial contact forcing the ball loose just as the ball was about to be placed over the try line.

The match also saw Thomas Weaver execute a great kick-off in the 38th minute when Thomas Weaver hit the ball hard and low to his left with the ball going into touch thirty metres out from the try line with Seagulls consequently getting the ball back.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback and captain in Week Two of the Finals against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Thomas Weaver kicking two first half conversions from as many attempts.

Thomas Weaver started at halfback in the Seagulls trial against the Easts Tigers in mid-March 2022.

Thomas Weaver finished the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts season as the competition’s 8th leading points scorer with 99 points.

Thomas Weaver was named at five eight for the second half of the Tweed Heads Seagulls opening 2022 Queensland Cup trial against the Souths Logan Magpies.

In early January 2021 Thomas Weaver started at half back for the Titans U19 side in their annual match against the Newcastle Knights in Coffs Harbour and was heavily involved throughout the Titans 40 – 6 victory, crossing for two tries on his way to scoring twenty points when you add in his six conversions. In addition, Thomas Weaver also produced two of the most outstanding try saving tackles that you will ever see as well as a second half try assist and a line break to completely fill up the stats sheet for the Titans.

Thomas Weaver’s first try in the match was a first half effort, when Thomas Weaver ran into a gap down a blind side on the left, receiving a well weighted pass from Samuel Shannon who had run out of dummy half. Thomas Weaver flew through the gap and then rounded the Knights fullback by veering to his left and scoring ten metres in from the left corner post. The key to the try was that as soon as Thomas Weaver got through the gap, he ran directly at the fullback forcing him to bleed away all of the fullback’s momentum and forcing him to become stationary. Once all of the fullback’s momentum was completely halted, Thomas Weaver easily veered around him at full pace to the fullback’s right to score comfortably.

Thomas Weaver’s second try of the match came in the second half when once again he was operating on the left side of the field. Thomas Weaver took the ball and accelerated towards the line before dummying to his left and cutting back towards the right to beat the immediate defender in from of him. Thomas Weaver’s cut back opened up a channel to the line which he exploited, exploding off the mark to race ten metres to score twelve metres from the left upright for a scintillating try.

To add to his exceptional match, Thomas Weaver also recorded a second half try assist when he found himself in space after some impressive short passing on his inside right from Titans forwards, Jack Cullen and Samuel Shannon to open up the defence and give Thomas Weaver the room to operate. Thomas Weaver was then able to accelerate downfield and draw the fullback and pass to his right to Jaylan De Groot who had loomed up on his inside and Jaylan De Groot was too quick for the Knights cover defence to score under the posts.

Thomas Weaver also had a line break in the match, when he the 25th minute of the second half, he received an off-load from Xavier Stowers just ten metres out from his own line. Thomas Weaver was standing still when he received the ball but quickly reached top speed as he burst twenty metres down field to literally turn defence into attack for the Titans.

Thomas Weaver also produced two outstanding defensive efforts in the match which, on each occasion, prevented what appeared to be certain Newcastle tries. Late in the first half Newcastle threw the ball to their right in a sweeping backline movement. The Knights right centre had room to move as well as get up to top speed and charged at the line, Thomas Weaver however took the centre ball and all with the initial contact being only two metres out from the Titans line and bringing him down short of the line in what can only be considered an exceptional tackle.

Thomas Weaver saved a second certain Knights try in the second half of the match, once again on the left side of the field. The Knights five eight got through a gap ten metres out and seemingly just had to easily dive over the line to score, instead Thomas Weaver got to him through sheer determination with his initial contact more than enough to knock the ball from the Knights attackers grasp just as he was about to put the ball down over the line. Once again it was an exceptional effort by Thomas Weaver to get across in cover defence to put pressure on let alone then be able to tackle with sufficient venom to force the ball loose.

At the completion of the Titans U19 match against Newcastle, Thomas Weaver along with Samuel Shannon were named the Titans joint Player of the Match.

A week after the match against the Newcastle Knights Thomas Weaver once again lined up for the Titans U19’s starting at halfback for the second week in a row as the Titans took on a Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts squad with the Titans winning 32 – 20 with no conversions attempted.

Thomas Weaver for the second week in a row was one of the Titans best in the match recording a try assist, a line break and two line break assists as well as being involved in a number of other Titans tries. Like he was against Newcastle, Thomas Weaver was also very heavily involved defensively against Burleigh recording a number of telling tackles on bigger Burleigh forwards.

Thomas Weaver was in the match immediately taking the kick Newcastle kick-off on the full but it was not a regular take, Thomas Weaver jumped high and took the ball above his head, AFL style and in the one movement then sent a perfectly weighted pass to Jack Cullen to take the first hit-up of the match.

Thomas Weaver continued to be a significant contributor to the Titans cause in just the second minute when he got the ball away quickly and efficiently to his left to find Jaylan De Groot in space who then put Tony Francis away for the Titans opening try of the match.

Thomas Weaver’s try assist came in the 20th minute of the match. Thomas Weaver went into dummy half with the Titans on the attack ten metres out from the Burleigh line. From dummy half Thomas Weaver threw a long pass to his left which hit Ryan Foran on the chest outside of the widest Bears defender, Ryan Foran then scored near the left corner untouched.

Thomas Weaver almost had another try assist in the match when after receiving an offload from a charging Isaac Matalavea-Booth, Thomas Weaver had a two man overlap to his left, but his pass was knocked down by a desperate Bears right sided defender.

Prior to his try assist Thomas Weaver split the Burleigh line down the left side of the field. Thomas Weaver received the ball one pass off the back of a Titans scrum win, splitting the Bears defence with a deft left foot step and sprinted twenty metres downfield before being rounded up well into Burleigh territory.

Thomas Weaver’s two line break assists were also recorded in the first half, the first when he led left centre Tony Francis onto the ball and into a gap down the left side of the field in the 25th minute, with Tony Francis almost going the distance after a twenty metre run.

Thomas Weaver recorded his second line break assist late in the first half when he threw an inside pass to interchange forward TJ Devery to split the defence through the middle of the Burleigh ruck.

Thomas Weaver was also heavily involved in one of the Titans second half tries which turned into a long range effort. Thomas Weaver received the ball on his own thirty metre mark, drifting to his left before throwing a superb long cut-out pass hitting Kaleb Ngamanu on the chest as he flew into a gap whilst playing left centre. After a long charge Kaleb Ngamanu drew the Bears fullback to send Jaylan De Groot away untouched to score ins second try of the match.

Obviously Thomas Weaver’s attack gets a lot of the attention but defensively Thomas Weaver was exceptional in early 2021 and this included two further outstanding tackles against Burleigh. Early in the second half Thomas Weaver smashed the much older Bears five eight with an outstanding front on tackle, immediately knocking him off his feet.

Late in the second half, Thomas Weaver’s defence came to the fore yet again when he transitioned to his right to hit the Burleigh right second rower under his ribs. The Burleigh right second rower had received the ball off the back of a Bears scrum win in the Titans twenty and had room to gain momentum but Thomas Weaver put a stop to that with a crunching tackle on his much bigger opponent.

Thomas Weaver’s tactical kicking, which has always been one of his outstanding features, was on display against the Bears when he put up a huge bomb in the first half. The ball came down close to the left touchline with the Bears winger making hash of the attempted catch, with the Titans getting the ball back as a result.

In early May 2021 a Titans U19 side travelled to North Queensland to play an U19 Cowboys selection in a curtain raiser to a Cowboys v Broncos NRL match with Thomas Weaver starting the match at halfback for the Titans.

In November 2020 Thomas Weaver was named in the exceptionally talented Tweed Heads Seagulls 2021 MM Cup squad.

Thomas Weaver started at halfback in Tweed Heads final 2021 MM Cup final against the Souths Logan Magpies at Logan and found himself on the end of a heavy hit early in the match from Sione Fotuaika, who is also Titans contracted when Thomas Weaver looked to take the ball down a short left blind side.

After being on his haunches for a couple of minutes sucking in some deep breaths, Thomas Weaver bounced back quickly to be heavily involved in the Seagulls opening try of the match in their 32 – 4 (no conversions were attempted) victory.

Thomas Weaver received the ball on the left side and put in a high well weighted kick to the left corner. The Souths Logan Magpies right winger could not handle the ball and it fell to Campbell Watchairs who spun away from one defender superbly to dive over in the left corner.

Thomas Weaver also recorded a line break assist in the match in the second quarter when he took the ball to the left before passing back to his right to Jaylan De Groot who burst through the centre of the ruck only to be dragged down just as he was accelerating away.

Thomas Weaver recorded a further line break assist in the 8th minute of the third quarter when he received the ball from Blake Mozer who had packed in at lock and held the ball up as Riley Lack ran a straight decoy line, giving the ball to Keano Kini “out the back” who then made twenty metres downfield utilising his exceptional footwork to beat multiple tackles as a result of being put into the gap by Thomas Weaver.

Thomas Weaver also showcased his outstanding top end speed in the second quarter. Souths Logan Magpies captain and five eight Ezra Mam broke through the Tweed Heads right sided defence and chipped over the fullback with a foot race ensuing. Thomas Weaver started ten metres behind Mam and on the opposite side of the field but within twenty five metres Thomas Weaver had caught and in fact passed Mam in the race to the ball that was pulling up in the in-goal. Ultimately it was Keano Kini who got to the ball first from the left wing but Thomas Weaver’s effortless speed was a sight to behold.

In Round One of the 2021 MM Cup competition, Thomas Weaver started at half back and captained the Tweed Heads Seagulls side against the Ipswich Jets as Tweed Heads scored late to record a 22 – 20 first up victory.

Thomas Weaver was heavily involved in two of the Seagulls tries, the first being in just the 5th minute when he took the ball down a shortish left blindside and throwing a long cut out pass when he was forty eight metres out to his left to put Keano Kini away down the left touch line. Keano Kini got the ball back inside to Jaylan De Groot to score the Seagulls first try of the match.

Thomas Weaver was the catalyst for the Titans first try of the second half which came in the 40th minute of the match. Thomas Weaver, operating on his usual left side of the field, put up a bomb to the Seagulls left corner and it was perfectly weighted for Jaylan De Groot to come through with the momentum to take the ball on the full in the in goal to get the ball down a metre from the dead ball line.

Thomas Weaver was heavily involved in the Titans two point victory from a defensive aspect as well including a key tackle with a minute to go and the Titans under pressure on their own line. Thomas Weaver produced a big front on one on one tackle on the Ipswich left second rower (No. 11) who had caused the Seagulls defence all lots of problems the entire match. If Thomas Weaver’s tackle was not as good as it was, the Seagulls ultimate two point victory may well have not eventuated.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback and captain in Round Two against the Souths Logan Magpies and was perfect with the boot kicking six from six including a key penalty goal in the 63rd minute of the match to push the Seagulls lead out to eight points. Thomas Weaver’s first conversion was an outstanding kick from the left touchline as he converted Keano Kini’s try in just the second minute of the match.

Thomas Weaver also had a big hand in a couple of Tweed Heads tries in the second half. In the 41st Thomas Weaver put up a huge bomb from around forty metres out that spiralled to the Souths Logan left corner and was dropped by the left winger with Tweed Heads scoring through Campbell Watchairs from the play the ball.

Thomas Weaver then threw the last pass for Jaylan De Groot’s 45th minute try. Thomas Weaver backed up a break out of dummy half by Blake Mozer and then drew the Souths Logan fullback before passing to the left to Jaylan De Groot who was able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.

Thomas Weaver also had a line break assist early in the match, when he was part of a set play down the left blind side from a Tweed Heads scrum feed forty metres out from the line. Thomas Weaver received the ball from the back of the scrum with fullback Jaylan De Groot sprinting from the opposite side of the scrum to take Thomas Weaver’s held up pass before dummying to his left and sprinting thirty metres downfield only to be brought down ten metres out.

As it has all this season, Thomas Weaver’s defence was outstanding once gain including a strong front-on tackle in the 6th minute when he took on Souths Logan second rower Vincent Sefo, with the second rower losing the ball in Thomas Weaver’s tackle.

Thomas Weaver also showed his exceptional intelligence in the 30th minute of the match. After Ezra Mam had converted EJ Finau’s try, Thomas Weaver raced to the halfway mark, kicking off as soon as possible, kicking the ball to where Ezra Mam usually stands. Ezra Mam was still trying to get back into position when Thomas Weaver kicked off with the ball going dead in the in-goal to get the ball back for Tweed Heads.

Thomas Weaver once again started at halfback and captain in the Round Three Gold Coast derby against the Burleigh Bears. In addition to kicking five conversions from six attempts, Thomas Weaver also had two try assist in the match, one from a kick and a second from a deft inside pass. In addition Thomas Weaver’s kicking game regularly kept Burleigh on the back foot.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist of the match came in just the second minute when moving to his right he put in a deft grubber kick from ten metres out and even though it appeared that Burleigh fullback Syris Schmidt had grounded the ball, after Seagulls second rower Jayden Wright dived on the ball the referee awarded the try.

Thomas Weaver’s second try assist came in the 44th minute when he ran down a short left blind side ten metres out from the line and passed back to his right to put Jaylen De Groot into a yawning gap who was able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.

As has become the norm when discussing a Thomas Weaver performance his kicking game cannot go unmentioned, including a great chip kick in the 34th minute to the left wing. The kick forced the Burleigh fullback to reach out when he was trying to take the ball on the full with the ball hitting the fullbacks finger tips and going into touch less than a metre out from the try line.

Early in the second half, in the 42nd minute, Thomas Weaver once again put in a great short chip kick directed to the left corner with the kick precisely placed which forced the defenders to knock the ball dead.

Thomas Weaver was also named captain and to start at halfback for Round Four match against the Ipswich Jets, kicking six goals from nine attempts (his three misses were all from the touchline) with a number of his goals coming from right on the touchline including to convert Kruz Remine’s first and fourth tries. Thomas Weaver also recorded two try assist in the Seagulls 48 – 24 victory.

Thomas Weaver’s first ty assist came in the 23rd minute of the first half when he kicked across field to the right corner with Thomas Weaver putting the ball right onto the chest of Campbell Watchairs as he crossed the try line

Thomas Weaver added a second try assist in the second half in the 63rd minute and on that occasion Thomas Weaver produced a perfect kick to the left wing and put it on the chest of Kruz Remine to score his fourth try of the match. The kick was a lot more difficult than it sounded as the ball only got to Thomas Weaver after bouncing twice and then with limited time, very limited, Thomas Weaver kicked the ball off just one step.

The impressive thing about the two kicks was that they were to both wings and both were inch perfect.

In addition to his two try assists, Thomas Weaver was also heavily involved in a number of other Tweed Heads tries including in the 12th minute when Thomas Weaver threw a long pass to his left to find Kaleb Ngamanu who went into the line before passing to his left also to Kruz Remine who dived over in the left corner. It was the exact same combination of players and the exact same play in the 32nd minute that led to another Kruz Remine try.

Thomas Weaver produced a similar pass in the 19th minute, this time to Ryan Foran who ran downfield before passing to his left to Kruz Remine who once again crossed in the left corner.

Thomas Weaver’s kicking game, in addition to his two try assist (noted above) was exceptional all match and was only added to in the 11th minute, when Thomas Weaver’s hard, low kick-off could not be taken by the Jets, going dead with Tweed Heads getting the ball back from an Ipswich goal line drop out.

Thomas Weaver was not just involved in scoring points in the match, he was also involved in saving points when in the 29th minute Thomas Weaver produced a great low one on one tackle on the rampaging Ipswich Jets right second rower (No. 11) just five metres out from his own line.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback in Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies, kicking five conversions from seven attempts in the Seagulls 38 – 14 victory.

After being rested in Round Six, Thomas Weaver was named at halfback for the Seagulls Semi-final against Wynnum Manly and recorded a try assist and made a line break in relation to the same play.

Thomas Weaver moved into dummy half in the 56th minute, with the play the ball just ten metres out from his own line. Thomas Weaver darted down a short left blindside into a big gap. As he approached the Wynnum Manly fullback and halfway mark, Thomas Weaver kicked the ball back inside and it sat up perfectly for Elijah Lui to retrieve the ball and dive over.

Thomas Weaver’s kicking game was on song through the match, including in the 31st minute when he put in a right foot stab kick which was so well weighted and placed that the Wynnum Manly fullback had no choice but to knock the ball dead.

Thomas Weaver kicked well once again in the 39th minute, on that occasions the ball got to Thomas Weaver on the bounce with Wynnum defenders closing in. Thomas Weaver, even though he was being tackled was still able to get a right foot kick away towards the left corner which was knocked on by Wynnum Manly just five metres out from their own line.

In the 2021 MM Cup Queensland Grand Final against the Townsville Blackhawks, Thomas Weaver once again captained the Seagulls side and also started at halfback as the Seagulls won back to back MM Cup Championships after beating the Blackhawks 30 – 24 with Thomas Weaver contributing four conversions from five attempts and a late first half penalty gaol from almost in front.

One of Thomas Weaver’s conversions was a critical one coming with less than two minute on the clock in the 68th minute to tie the match put Tweed Heads in front 26 – 24. Thomas Weaver took the conversion thirteen metres in from the right touchline and it never liked missing as it sailed through the centre of the goal posts.

Tweed Heads were under pressure early and in the 6th minute, Thomas Weaver along with Jaylan De Groot and Oskar Bryant were able to stem the flow by holding of a rampaging Townsville front rower (No. 8) to stop the Blackhawks from scoring twice in the opening minutes.

Thomas Weaver’s kicking game was on song in the 8th minute of the Grand Final when he put in a right foot grubber kick to the left with the Townsville fullback being force in-goal by left second rower Ryan Foran.

Defensively Thomas Weaver was also very good in the Grand Final pulling off a try saving tackle in the 40th minute when he got hold of the jersey of the Townsville fullback five metres out and was able to affect the tackle to stop what looked a certain Blackhawks try.

Deservedly Thomas Weaver was named the MM Cup Grand Final’s Players Player and in the Queensland Rugby League 2021 MM Cup Player of the Year Award Thomas Weaver was awarded seven votes.

In mid-February 2021 Thomas Weaver was named at halfback row in the school boy Oceanic Opens side for the South Coast school boy QSSRL U18 trial against Broadwater. Following the final round of trials, Thomas Weaver was named at half in the 2021 South Coast U18 school boy QSSRL squad.

Thomas Weaver captained the South Coast side at the Championships as well as starting at halfback including in their Day One match against Met North with Thomas Weaver kicking three conversions.

As usual Thomas Weaver controlled the match for South Coast and kicked well, including in the 48th minute when he ran to the line before from ten metres out, putting in a grubber kick for himself, which he was able to regather directly in front of the posts and he was then awarded a penalty for being initially held back.

Thomas Weaver was also his elusive self when running the ball in the match including a dummy and go in the 38th minute when he would have been through the line but for a high tackle which was deservedly penalised.

Probably Thomas Weaver’s biggest contribution in the match came from a defensive perspective. In the 4th minute, Thomas Weaver made a key tackle on the Met North left winger, just two metres out from the try line with Thomas Weaver’s initial contact forcing the ball loose.

Thomas Weaver also started at halfback on Day Two as South Coast took on Met East with Thomas Weaver kicking six goals including an impressive conversion from the right touchline in the 30th minute.

Thomas Weaver captained the South Coast team from halfback in the Championship final against Met North kicking two conversions and also recording a try assist in the match.

Thomas Weaver’s try assist came in the 36th minute. Met North were on the attack five metres from the try line and on the last tackle kicked to their right, Thomas Weaver was on hand to take the hard kick straight at him on the full three metres out from the line and immediately took off down field. Around twenty metres out from his own line, Thomas Weaver drew the Met North fullback and passed to his right to Jye Gray who ran eighty metres to score.

Thomas Weaver was also heavily involved in Ryan Foran’s scoring in the 22nd minute try when he picked up a wickedly bouncing ball and threw a cut-out ball to his left in one motion. Subsequently Ryan Foran ran into space to score wide out on the left. Thomas Weaver then converted the try from wide out on the left.

Thomas Weaver also made some strong defensive efforts in the match including in the 16th minute when he along with Ryan Foran forced Met North back five metres to just out from his own line.

On Day Three against Capricornia Thomas Weaver, who once again started at half back, recorded two try assist and kicked four goals as South Coast remained unbeaten.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist came in just the 3rd minute of the match when he put up a pin point bomb to the left wing for South Coast to cross. Thomas Weaver’s second try assist of the match was as a result of another perfectly weighted bomb to the left corner, with Thomas Weaver converting the try from the touchline.

At the completion of the Championships, Thomas Weaver was named at halfback in the 2021 QSSRL U18 School Boy Merit Team.

In late August 2021 Thomas Weaver was also named at halfback in the 2021 Australian School Boys U18 Merit Team.

2021 also saw Thomas Weaver lined up once again for PBC State High School in the South East Queensland School Boy Langer Cup competition with Thomas Weaver representing PBC at the 2021 Langer Cup launch.

After missing Round One against Ipswich State High School Thomas Weaver as back for Round Two against St Mary’s College Toowoomba, starting at halfback as well as captaining the side.

In PBC SHS’s big 44 – 12 victory Thomas Weaver in addition to kicking six goals from eight attempts, recorded two try assists as he expertly directed PBC around the field.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist of the match came in the 8th minute when he ran the ball to the left, putting the ball onto the chest of Ryan Foran who had run a good outside shoulder route to score three metres in from the left corner post.

Thomas Weaver added a second try assist in the 51st minute when he ran straight at the line after receiving the ball from the dummy half to the left of the ruck and just prior to contact with the St Mary’s line threw a no look short inside ball to fullback Michael Roberts ten metres from the line, with the fullback easily forcing his way over the line mid-way between the corner post and goal posts on the left side of the field.

Thomas Weaver continued at halfback and captain in Round Three against Coombabah State High School and was the catalyst for PBC’s come from behind victory, scoring one try and setting up another in the final ten minutes to get PBC over the line. Thomas Weaver also kicked three conversions from four attempts in win.

Thomas Weaver got PBC’s come back going with a great try assist in the 51st minute when he took the line on down a wide left blindside, stepping off his left to break the line form twenty five metres out before drawing the Coombabah SHS fullback and passing to his right to put his replacement front rower over under the posts.

Thomas Weaver completed the PBC comeback by scoring a great solo try in the 56th minute when once again he ran the ball down the left side of the field, with the effort starting thirty metres out. Thomas Weaver ran at the line before stepping off his left to break the line and then produced another left foot step to leave the Coombabah SHS fullback in his wake and then was able to comfortably put the ball down under the posts.

Thomas Weaver continued at halfback and captain in the Round Four blockbuster against Marsden State High School kicking four goals from five attempts including two from the left touchline in the first half in PBC’s impressive 28 – 22 victory.

Thomas Weaver was also involved in multiple PBC tries including in first the second minute of the match when whilst operating on the left side of the field, he ran the ball to the line before at the last moment putting in a deft right foot grubber kick which sat up perfectly for Reef Sommerville to retrieve and dive over in the left corner.

Thomas Weaver’s second try assist of the match came in the 26th minute when from two passes to the left of the play the ball, Thomas Weaver put up a perfectly weighted bomb to the left corner with Hunter Plogesma able to leap above the defenders to score in the left corner.

Thomas Weaver almost scored himself in the 46th minute when from a PBC scrum win ten metres out and to the left of where the scrum as packed, Thomas Weaver sliced through the Marsden SHS right sided defence but three defenders were able to hold him up over the line.

Thomas Weaver also put in a great kick in the 50th minute when after receiving the ball mid-field twenty metres out and to the right of the play the ball, he kicked back towards the left corner with the Marsden right winger knocking the ball on under pressure from Reef Sommerville.

Thomas Weaver continued at halfback and captain for the much anticipated Round Five local derby against Keebra Park State High School kicking three goals and recording a 10th minute try assist when he put in a pin point kick to the right side of the field with the ball falling perfectly for Michael Roberts who took the ball on the fly and was able to bring the ball around to score a spectacular try under the posts.

Thomas Weaver was named to continue at halfback in Round Six against Mabel Park State high School however he was a late scratching from the match.

After the competition was suspended for a number of weeks due to a Covid 19 lock down, Thomas Weaver was named at halfback and captain for PBC State High School in their semi-final against Keebra Park State High School.

Thomas Weaver put in an assured performance to lead PBC to the 2021 Langer Cup Grand Final, recording two try assists as well as well as converting Jett Forbes first half intercept try.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist came in just the 7th minute of the match when whilst operating on the right side of the field, from around twenty metres out Thomas Weaver put in a right foot stab kick towards the left corner with Jett Forbes the beneficiary when he was able to retrieve the ball and score in the right corner.

Thomas Weaver’s second try assist came in the 45th minute when once again Thomas Weaver put in a right foot stab kick, on this occasion from twelve metres out. The Keebra Park fullback was unable to handle the ball with Brock Priestley diving on the loose ball in the in-goal twelve metres in from the right corner.

Thomas Weaver also put in a great right foot kick in the 20th minute that pulled up in the in-goal with the Keebra Park fullback unable to get the ball back into the field of play before he was stopped by Oskar Bryant and Michael Roberts.

Thomas Weaver was on hand to prevent a Keebra Park try in the 12th minute when he along with Ryan Foran and Keano Kini held up one of the Keebra Park front rowers over the try line.

In the 2021 Langer Cup Grand Final against Marsden State High School, Thomas Weaver was named to start at halfback and captain for PBC and controlled things well especially from a tactical kicking perspective including in the 45th minute when he put in a great right foot grubber kick from fifteen metres out into the in-goal forcing Marsden SHS to restart the match by way of the goal line drop out.

Post the completion of the 2021 Langer Cup competition, Thomas Weaver was named at halfback in the Courier Mail’s 2021 Langer Cup Team of the Season.

Thomas Weaver was then named at halfback and captain for PBC SHS in the Queensland Open School Boys Final (Phil Hall Cup) against St Brendan’s College Yeppoon with Thomas Weaver kicking four conversions in PBC’s huge 62 – 0 victory, including an outstanding 17th and 24th minute conversions from the right touch line.

Thomas Weaver’s short kicking game was also on song in the Grand Final including in the 14th minute when from twelve metres out and just to the right of the goal posts Thomas Weaver put in a right foot stab kick to his right into the in-goal with the St Brendan’s fullback trapped in the in-goal.

Thomas Weaver also recorded a try assist in the Grand Final when in the 46th minute Thomas Weaver took the ball to the line and just five metres out from the line threw a good short ball to his left for Ryan Foran to crash over eight metres in from the left corner post.

At the end of the 2021 season, Thomas Weaver was named at No. 3 in the Courier Mail Top 60 school boys from the GPS Rugby, AIC Rugby and Langer Cup competitions.

In early 2020 Thomas Weaver started at half for the Titans U18 side in their annual match against the Newcastle Knights SG Ball (U18) side in Coffs Harbour. Thomas Weaver had a try assist late in the second half when he put up a bomb towards the left corner which the Northern Rivers Titans scored from.

Kedan Chan-Tung chased through Thomas Weaver’s perfectly weighted bomb, which landed two metres out from the Knights line, leaping over the Knights defence to take the ball on the full around three metres from the Knights line. With no way to get to the line Kedan Chan-Tung flicked the ball out of the back of his right hand to the left side of the field to an unmarked Jahreem Bula who was playing on the left wing to dive over in the left corner untouched.

Thomas Weaver was named to start at half back for the Northern Rivers Titans in Round One of the 2020 U18 Laurie Daley Cup against the Parramatta Eels at Cudgen however the match was cancelled due to the wet conditions on that weekend.

Thomas Weaver started Round Two of the U18 Laurie Daley Cup at half against the Newcastle Knights in Ballina kicking an outstanding nine from nine in the match. Thomas Weaver also showcased his outstanding tactical kicking skills in the match with a 40/20 plus a great forty five metre kick to trap the Knight fullback in his own in-goal.

Thomas Weaver also started at half back in Round Three against the Central Coast Roosters recording three try assists in the Northern Rivers Titans twenty six point victory. Thomas Weaver also kicked one conversion from two attempts in the win.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist of the match was identical to many that he recorded last season. Thomas Weaver took the ball to the left of the field, close to the Central Coast line and threw a great pass to Titans left second rower and favourite target Ryan Foran who ran an outside shoulder route to crash over.

Thomas Weaver recorded a second try assist in the first half when a bomb that he put up to the left corner bounced perfectly for centre Daniel Butterini to put the ball down a metre inside the field of play.

Thomas Weaver’s third and final try assist of the match came in the centre half. He ran the ball to the right of the field shapes to pass but instead stepped off his left foot to break the line and drew the fullback to send Ryan Foran away to score near the left corner.

Thomas Weaver also started at half back in Round Four against the Greater Northern Tigers filling up the stats sheet with a try, a try assist and one goal from as many attempts as well as some strong defence.

In relation to his try, Thomas Weaver ran to the right of the play the ball with the ball in two hands. As he approached the defensive line on a forty five degree angle, Thomas Weaver dummied to his left stepping back inside off his left foot to slice through the Tigers line, when he came to the fullback, Thomas Weaver once again to comprehensively beat the fullback to score mid-way between the side line and goal posts on the left side of the field.

Thomas Weaver recorded a try assist in the first half when he ran to the left and popped a pass back to his right to send fullback Jaylan DeGroot into a big gap to score.

Thomas Weaver also started at half in the Round Five local derby against North Coast having an outstanding match in the twenty six all draw finishing with four try assists and five goals from six attempts including a pressure penalty goal with two minutes remaining in the match in lock the scores up at twenty six all.

The penalty goal in itself was not necessarily in itself a difficult kick with the kick being take from around fifteen metres to the left of the uprights, but with the game in the balance and the Titans unbeaten record on the line, it was certainly a pressure kick that Thomas Weaver easily kicked, showing no sign of nerves. His only miss was from right on the left touch line.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist was scored by Ryan Foran, running to the left side of the field, Thomas Weaver put in a right footed stab kick which North Coast could not handle and Ryan Foran was on hand to score. His second try assist was also from a first half kick. Thomas Weaver clearly aimed for the left upright from seventeen metres out hitting it perfectly and Reef Somerville was on the spot to score next to the left upright.

An impressive aspect in relation to the two kicks that Thomas Weaver put in was that they were to opposite sides of the field, once again displaying just how good Thomas Weaver’s tactical kicking already is.

Thomas Weaver’s third try assist of the first half came when he drifted to his left and popped a great ball to a hard charging Daniel Butterini to burst into a gap and run twenty metres to score on the left side of the field. Thomas Weaver’s fourth and final try assist was a critical on elate in the match when he threw a long cut out pass to his left over the head of defenders to left winger Keegan Pace who scored in the left corner.

Thomas Weaver started training with the Cudgen Hornets U18 NRRRL side in June 2020 and team mates in the side included fellow Titans Bailey Martin, Jack Cullen and Reef Sommerville amongst others.

Thomas Weaver started Round One of the 2020 NRRRL U18 competition at half back as Cudgen travelled to Byron Bay to take on the Devils with Thomas Weaver scoring one of Cudgen’s three tries in their 14 – 10 victory.

Thomas Weaver was easily the best player on the field as Cudgen booked a place in the NRRRL U18 Green Grand Final scoring a double, kicking three conversions, a critical forty metre penalty goal and forcing two line drop outs in a 24 – 16 Preliminary Final win over the Bilambil Jets.

Thomas Weaver’s first try of the match came when he ran out of dummy half, running at a 45 degree angle at the line with the ball out in front of his body in two hands and shaped to pass before sliding through the defensive line to score.

Thomas Weaver received a long pass out of dummy half to score his second try. Once he received the ball from the dummy half Thomas Weaver immediately straightened up his run to slip through the Bilambil line that was sliding across the field to score adjacent to the left upright.

Thomas Weaver was also outstanding in the 2020 NRRRL U18 Green Grand Final, scoring one try, setting up two others, kicking four from five conversions including one from the left touchline in the second half and also kicking a 40/20 which ultimately led to a Cudgen try in the first half.

Thomas Weaver’s try was an opportunist one, when he was on hand to pick up a bouncing ball after the Hornets had put in a grubber kick. The ball was bouncing off a number of legs, before Thomas Weaver scooped it up close to the line. Initially it appeared that Thomas Weaver had been stopped prior to the line but he was able to keep his arm holding the ball off the ground, being his right and then reach out with that arm to put the ball down ten metres in from the right touch line.

Both of Thomas Weaver’s try assist came in the first half and both were as a result of long cut out passes to his left to his support players. Really the only difference between the two passes was that the cut out pass to Jaylan De Groot was a touch longer.

Thomas Weaver made his NRRRL First Grade debut in Round Three when he started at five eight against the Bilambil Jets, recording a try assist and kicking two conversions in the Hornets victory. Thomas Weaver’s try assist came when he took the ball on the right side of the field and put in a grubber kick, which was pounced on by a Cudgen chaser after it rebounded off multiple legs. Both of Thomas Weaver’s conversions were exceptional kicks from the right touch line and were outstanding efforts.

After initially being named to start at five eight Thomas Weaver started from the bench in Round Four of the NRRRL First Grade competition kicking four goals from five attempts including an outstanding kick from the right touch line for his second conversion of the day against Murwillumbah as Cudgen won 28 – 20.

Round Five saw Thomas Weaver start at half back against the Bilambil Jets and scored his career first NRRRL First Grade try as well as kicking a conversion both in the second half as the Hornets went down 22 - 18.

Thomas Weaver also played in Round Eight of the 2020 NRRRL First Grade competition, starting from the bench against the Tweed Coast Raiders, kicking a conversion as the Hornets went down 18 – 14.

In a sign of the faith that Cudgen have in him, Thomas Weaver started at five eight in the Hornets 2020 NRRRL First Grade Elimination Final loss to the Bilambil Jets with Thomas Weaver kicking one from two conversions.

Also in 2020 Thomas Weaver, in his first year at PBC, was part of the PBC Langer Cup Open A school boy rugby league squad, where he operated primarily in the halves on the left side of the field.

Thomas Weaver started Round One of the Langer Cup at half back as PBC took on Ipswich State High School putting in an outstanding display in a PBC 22 – 10 victory, scoring a try, kicking three from three conversions, recording a try assist and throwing the final pass to his left on both occasions for Damon Sommerville’s two tries.

Thomas Weaver scored his try early in the first half and the try was in fact the first of the match. Thomas Weaver took the ball two passes off the ruck on the left side of the field ten metres out from the line, dummying to his outside before slicing through the defence and diving over under pressure from two Ipswich defenders.

The try assist that Thomas Weaver recorded came late in the match and sealed the PBC victory. Thomas Weaver got into dummy half throwing a dummy to his right before breaking through the centre of the ruck from sixty metres out. Thomas Weaver beautifully drew the fullback before sending front rower Xavier Williamson away to score under the post to seal the win. The try was one of the three that Thomas Weaver converted.

Thomas Weaver also started at half back in Round Two against Wavell State High School and filled up the stats sheet once again, recording two conversions and a late match penalty goal which tied the score at 18 all, recording a try assist, forcing a goal line restart and making a first half try saving tackle when he came from the clouds to crash into the Marsden five eight who was set to score Thomas Weaver literally came from nowhere to make the tackle.

Thomas Weavers try assist came early in the match when, operating to the left of the play the ball, Thomas Weaver put in a deft right foot kick from twenty metres out. The ball bounced perfectly up two metres out from the try line for the PBC left winger not to have to break stride to take the ball on his chest and dive over.

PBC’s Round Three Langer Cup match against St Mary’s Toowoomba also saw Thomas Weaver start at half back and kick two conversions from three attempts as PBC maintained their winning start to the 2020 Langer Cup competition.

In addition to his two conversions, Thomas Weaver forced to goal line restarts with short attacking kicks into the left corner which the St Mary’s defence had no choice but to take over the dead ball line. Also late in the first half, Thomas Weaver split the St Mary’s defence from a subtle dummy half to his left. It appears that he would score when he beat the fullback but Thomas Weaver was brought down just short of the line.

Thomas Weaver was also heavily involved in Reef Somerville’s second half try. Thomas Weaver put up an ideally weighted bomb to the right corner. Troy Duckett rose high to take the ball on the full and as he was being pushed back was able to pop the ball to Reef Somerville who crossed in the right corner.

Thomas Weaver also started at half back in the Round Four local derby against Keebra Park scoring one try, creating two others and kicking three from four conversions. Thomas Weaver’s try came late in the first half and at a critical point in the match. With PBC down 14 – 0 and PBC on the attack, Thomas Weaver took the ball on the right of the play the ball and took the line on himself from ten metres out. Thomas Weaver dummied twice to his left before breaking two tackles spinning counter clock wise to get to the line under heavy pressure and twisted further to get the ball down with two Keebra Park defenders hanging off him.

Both of Thomas Weaver’s try assist came in the second half and both were down the left side of the field. In relation to his first try assist, Thomas Weaver received the ball off the dummy half ten metres out from the Keebra Park line just to the left of the uprights and accelerated towards the defensive line before pulling up quickly and stepping subtly to put Daniel Butterini into a gap with a superbly weighted and timed pass.

Thomas Weaver’s second try assist just minutes later was no less impressive, once again with PBC on the attack also around ten metres out from the line, Thomas Weaver once again received the ball off the dummy half and immediately threw a great fifteen metres cut out pass to his left to winger Troy Duckett to score in the left corner. The key to the pass was not just its length it was also the speed it was thrown as the pass got to Troy Duckett so quickly that the Keebra Park right winger had absolutely no time to readjust and get to Troy Duckett before he scored.

Thomas Weaver continued at half back in Round Five against Marsden State High School, kicking four conversions from five attempts, including an outstanding first half effort from the left touch line, with his only miss in the second half also from the left touch line. To be fair the miss only barely missed.

Thomas Weaver also recorded two try assists which where for all intents and purposes identical, with one coming in each half. On both occasions, Thomas Weaver received the ball on the left side of the field, running at the ball to engage the defenders before throwing a long cut out pass to his left to Diane Mariner on both occasions to score in the left corner. The key to both tries was that Thomas Weaver looked to take the line on and thus hold the defenders in place and not just slide to cover the outside support runners.

Thomas Weaver also started at half back for PBC as they qualified for the 2020 Langer Cup final on the back of an impressive 34 – 6 victory over Ipswich State High School kicking five from six conversions and also throwing the final pass for PBC’s opening three tries of the match.

Thomas Weaver’s first try assist came early in the first half when he took the ball right to the line on the left side of the field before throwing a long cut out pass to left winger Troy Duckett who dived over from close range. Thomas Weaver’s third try assist, which came early in the second half was similar to his first with the recipient on that occasion being Deindre Mariner.

Thomas Weaver’s second try assist came in the first half, once again on the left side of the field, after shaping to throw a long pass, Thomas Weaver held the ball up to put fullback Jaylan De Groot into a gap and he was able to step the Ipswich fullback to bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Thomas Weaver started the 2020 Langer Cup Grand Final at half back for PBC as they defeated Keebra Park 16 – 8 in a high quality match kicking a conversion from the left touch line and a key penalty goal early in the second half, recording two try assists and also forcing Keebra Park to restart play on three occasions from drop outs as a result of outstanding attacking kicks, forcing Keebra Park to make the ball dead.

Both of Thomas Weaver’s try assists came in the first half and both on the left side of the field and like multiple other occasions in the Langer Cup in 2020, Thomas Weaver took the ball right to the line before off-loading to his left.

For his first try assist, Thomas Weaver put a great short pass to a charging Daniel Butterini who was running an outside shoulder route into a gap and his second was a long looping cut out pass to Troy Duckett to dive over in the corner.

Understandably Thomas Weaver was named the Player of the 2020 Langer Cup Final.

In the Tally for the Justin Hodges Medal for the Langer Cup Player of the Year, Thomas Weaver received two votes in Round One against Marsden State High School.

In the Courier Mail 2020 Langer Cup Team of the Year, Thomas Weaver was named in starting side at half back and in the Courier Mail 2020 Top 30 South East Queensland school boy rugby/rugby league list Thomas Weaver was named at No. 3 and in fact was the top rated rugby league player with the top two places being taken by rugby players.

In the Queensland School Boys Final against Kirwan State High School Thomas Weaver started at half back as PBC travelled to take on their North Queensland based opponents scoring a second half try and kicking two conversions in PBC’s 24 – 20 loss.

Thomas Weaver’s try came when he was operating on the left side of the field and he received the ball two posses wide of the ruck. Immediately when he received the ball Thomas Weaver ran at the line with the ball out in front of him in two hands, producing a great show and go to beat the defender directly in front of him before getting the ball down in the tackle of the Kirwan fullback fifteen metres in from the left corner post.

In early 2019 Thomas Weaver started at half for the Titans U16’s and captaining the side in their match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights and was involved in the first play of the game being the opening tackle after the kick off on the Knights front rower with team mates, Brody Smitka and Ryan Foran.

Like in previous matches for the Titans Junior Development sides, Thomas Weaver was in the thick of the action against the Knights directing the Titans around the field and scored a good solo try in the second half when he stepped off his left foot about ten metres out from the Newcastle Knights line and beat two or three defenders, plus dragged one over the line to score just to the left of the goal posts for the Titans first try of the match.

Against the Knights Thomas Weaver operated primarily on the left side of the field with five eight Riley Lack operating on the right. When the Titans had a scrum feed, Thomas Weaver played as the first receiver with Riley Lack feeding the scrum.

Just like he has in a number of matches, Thomas Weaver had the ball on a string and included in his outstanding passing game was a great cut out pass to left winger Kaleb Ngamanu who got outside his direct opponent and sprinted down the touch line on a 40 metre run before passing the ball inside to centre Ezra Ubaldino.

I do want to site a specific example or two of Thomas Weaver’s tenacity, late in the first half he put in a great kick from around 30 metres out from the Newcastle line with the ball pulling up a metre short of touch in goal, instead of sitting back resting on his laurels, Thomas Weaver was the first Titan down the field and made the tackle to trap the Knights fullback in the in goal.

It was a similar situation for the Titans captain in the second half, he put in a kick from around forth metres out which held up a metre or so from the touch in goal making the Knights fullback have to play the ball and whilst on that occasions he did get out of his in-goal, once again Thomas Weaver was the first Titan down the field to make the tackle.

Just to round off his outstanding kicking display in the match, one of his kicks for touch in the second half made around fifty metres, it was just an outstanding kick and put the Titans well and truly on the attack.

In June of 2019, Thomas Weaver started at half for the Titans U18 side in their match against North Queensland that was played as the curtain raiser to the Titans/ Warriors NRL match in June, an impressive feat considering that the majority of the players that he was up against were already 18 years old.

In March of 2018 Thomas Weaver captained and started at half back for a Titans U15 Invitational side that defeated a Western Mustangs U15 side six tries to three (no goal kicks were taken) with Thomas Weaver being one of a number of stand outs for the Titans.

In the match against the Western Mustangs he formed a solid combination with five eight Jed Bignell. To be honest, it was clear in that match that Thomas Weaver was the leader of the team, he dictated the Titans tempo and controlled the play well from a game management perspective determining who got the ball, where the play was to and the ultimate aim of the particular set up six tackles and was the Titans primary tactical kicker.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist in the match when he threw an outstanding flat ball to left centre JT Manufeoata who ran into a whole to score out wide in the first half. Thomas Weaver was also the Titans primary tactical kicker in the match.

Late in the 2018 season Thomas Weaver started at half back for the Titans U15 as they defeated a U15 Balmain Tigers touring side 16 – 10 with Thomas Weaver being prominent throughout including throwing a great cut-out ball to winger Kaleb Ngamanu to score in around the 6th minute when he flashed down the left touch line untouched and was able to bring the ball around under the posts to help back Thomas Weaver’s conversion a whole lot easier.

Thomas Weaver was also involved in Rowan Mansfield second half match sealing try against Balmain throwing the first of a chain of passes through five eight Jye Gray to Kaleb Ngamanu who put Rowan Mansfield into a gap down the sideline. Rowan Mansfield used an outstanding in and away to beat the Balmain fullback to score untouched after a seventy metre run just to the right of the goal posts. Once again making Thomas Weaver’s conversion attempt a whole lot easier.

Thomas Weaver almost scored himself in the match when he was backing up an outstanding fifty metre second half run from Kaleb Ngamanu when he expertly fielded a low kick and split the defence from his own line, but unfortunately just could not find Thomas Weaver with the inside pass.

Clearly Thomas Weaver and Kaleb Ngamanu have developed a good rapport which hopefully continues all the way to the NRL.

In Round One of the 2019 U18 Andrew Johns Cup competition Thomas Weaver started at half back for the Northern Rivers Titans in their match against the Newcastle Knights Development Squad and like in matches described above, captained the side and pulled the strings for the Titans in their big 38 – 8 victory and contributed five goals from seven attempts.

Thomas Weaver can really throw a great long pass and showcased that once again for the Titans in Round One when he set winger Matthew Avery away down the left touch line. The match also saw Thomas Weaver force three drop out with outstanding kicks each coming from around thirty metres out from the Newcastle line each pulling up in the Newcastle in goal.

Thomas Weaver also had a first half try assist when he drifted to his right and threw a great short ball to left second rower and fellow Titans contract player Ryan Foran who charged thirty metres to score late in the first half.

Round Two of the 2019 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Thomas Weaver once again line up at half in their match against Parramatta and yet again he had an outstanding match scoring twenty four points from two tries and eight conversions from nine attempts.

Both of Thomas Weaver’s tries were from backing up plays. In his first half try, Thomas Weaver threw a great cut out ball to his left to send winger Jack Field away and then backed up to receive a pass back from the winger to score. Thomas Weaver’s try in the second half came when he backed up a break from interchange forward Byron Jones to score.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist when he drifted to his left and put left second rower Ryan Foran on his way to the try line, a try which was eerily similar to the try that the two put on in Round One against Newcastle.

As in Round One Thomas Weaver also had the ball on a string from a kicking perspective, with both of his first two kicks of the game being outstanding, the first trapping the Parramatta fullback a metre out from his own line where he had to dive to the ground or he would have been either pushed into touch and back into the in-goal in the left corner and the second even better forcing a drop out.

Thomas Weaver’s outstanding game included two try saving tackles in the second half helping to keep the Northern Rivers Titans line intact. On the first occasion he held a Parramatta player up in the left corner after making up an impressive amount of ground and in the second instance, after a long Parramatta break, Thomas Weaver stripped the ball from the Eels centre when he looked set to score.

Thomas Weaver also started at half in the Round Three local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs and added another three try assists to his outstanding 2019 Andrew Johns Cup campaign. Two of his three try assists, one in the first half and the other in the second where eerily similar. Thomas Weaver took the ball down a short blind side close to the North Coast line and on each occasion threw a cut out pass to winger Jack Field (Craig Field’s son) to score.

Thomas Weaver’s other try assist was providing a good pass to left second rower Ryan Foran to crash over. In each of the first three rounds Thomas Weaver and Ryan Foran have combined on the left side of the field for a Ryan Foran try.

In Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters Thomas Weaver started again at half and captain and well once again was special, with five conversion and an incredible six try assists, five from passes and one from a kick.

Thomas Weaver impressively garnered a try assist in each of Titans left centre Keegan Pace’s three first half tries. In Keegan Pace’s first and third tries, Thomas Weaver drifted across field, forcing the Central Coast defence to back pedal and then found a straight running Keegan Pace with a great pass to his left.

The other try assist in the first half for a Keegan Pace try was when Thomas Weaver split the Central Coast defence on his own twenty metres through a hard straight and when confronted with the fullback, Thomas Weaver popped a good ball back across his right shoulder to send Keegan Pace away to score under the posts.

Thomas Weaver was also involved in two tries in the first half for Titans left second rower Ryan Foran. Thomas Weaver and Ryan Foran combined for a try in each of the opening three rounds but combined for two in Round Four.

For Ryan Foran’s first try, Thomas Weaver took the ball quickly to his left about five metres out from the Central Coast line and passed to Ryan Foran who ran an outside shoulder route to score. In the second try, Thomas Weaver ran to his left from a scrum win and again with Ryan Foran running an outside shoulder route found him with a pass for Ryan Foran to run twenty metres to score.

In the second minute of the second half Thomas Weaver got his sixth try assist of the afternoon when be put in a good grubber kick near the posts which the Central Coast defence could not defuse with the Titans pouncing on the mistake to score under the posts.

Thomas Weaver also forced a Central Coast line drop out in the match after a great klick from around forty metres out with Titans left centre Keegan Pace making the tackle in the Central Coast in-goal.

Thomas Weaver also started at half back in Round Five against the Greater Northern Tigers adding five conversions to his points tally and another try assist when he grubbered into the in goal area for Riley Lack to score the first try of the match.

Thomas Weaver could have scored two tries of his own in the second half from scrum moves but on each occasion he was dragged down just short of the line. On each occasion Thomas Weaver Thomas Weaver looped around five eight Riley Lack putting the defensive line under pressure but unfortunately was on each occasion dragged down just shy of the try line.

Thomas Weaver was also dominant in the Northern Rivers Titans semi-final victory over Penrith scoring a double and kicking three conversions from five attempts. In relation to his first try Thomas Weaver was the recipient of an outstanding piece of work from second rower Ryan Foran. Ryan Foran charged down a Penrith kick and passed immediately to Thomas Weaver upon retrieving the ball for Thomas Weaver to sprint forty five metres to score.

Thomas Weaver’s second try came just two minutes after the first. Thomas weaver backed up through the centre of the ruck after an outstanding run from lock Bailey Cox, who offloaded to fullback Jaylan De Groot who was able to find Thomas Weaver to space to race away and score an outstanding team try.

Thomas Weaver could in fact have finished the match with at least a hat trick but was adjudged to have knocked on when attempting to ground the ball from a kick after the siren to conclude the first half.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist in the match. Operating on the left of the field close to the Penrith line, Thomas Weaver took the ball right to the line before popping a good short ball to his left to Ryan Foran to crash over.

In the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Grand Final against the Western Rams Thomas Weaver started at half captaining the side to an 18 – 6 victory, contributing ten points from a try and three conversions from three attempts. Thomas Weaver also had a try assist when he threw a good flat ball for lock Bailey Cox to crash over for the first try of the match.

In the second half, Thomas Weaver scored after receiving a pass from fullback Jaylan DeGroot. DeGroot had field a kick on his own try line with the Western Rams on the attack and then offloaded to Thomas Weaver to sprint ninety metres to score under the posts. As a result of his performance, Thomas Weaver was named player of the final.

Post the victory Thomas Weaver was named at halfback for the New South Wales Country U16 side for their November 2019 three match tour of the United Kingdom and was also named in the 2019 New South Wales U16 36 man train on squad and was one of only four New South Wales Country players in the squad, two others being fellow Titans Riley Lack and Ryan Foran.

Thomas Weaver flew out for the United Kingdom tour from Sydney in mid-November 2019 and started Game One of the tour at half also captaining the side scoring twenty points from an individual perspective from a try and eight goals in a Player of the match performance as New South Wales Country U16’s won big 62 – 0 win over the U17 UK Community Lions. Thomas Weaver also had a try assist with a pin-point kick to Rowan Mansfield’s left wing for the fellow Titan’s contracted player to score.

Thomas Weaver’s try in the match come in the second half when he was operating on the left of the field two passes off the ruck. Thomas Weaver took the ball and immediately dummied to his left before a subtle left foot step put him into space around ten metres out and Thomas Weaver was able to sprint the remainder of the way to dive over adjacent to the left upright and then converted his own try.

Thomas Weaver also started at half in Game Two of the tour as the Country U16 side defeated the Leeds Rhino’s 32 – 10. Thomas Weaver also had his second try assist from kicks in as many games when he grubbered through for Jock Brazell to score after thirty minutes mid-way between the corner post and goal post on the left side of the field.

Thomas Weaver also had another try assist in the match when he threw a good short ball to his left which sent his ball runner on a twelve metre uninterrupted run to the line touching down ten metres from the left upright.

Thomas Weaver added a third try assist in the match late when he put up a bomb to the right corner which could not be held by Leeds with Reef Sommerville picking up the pieces to crash over in the right corner.

In the final match of New South Wales Country U16’s UK tour Thomas Weaver produced yet another dominant performance after captaining the NSW Country side from half back scoring a double and kicking seven tries from nine attempts to score twenty two points as NSW Country defeated the Community Lions 62 – 6.

Both of Thomas Weaver’s tries came in the second half, the first when he split the defence through an individual effort mid-way through the half and the second when he scored after a great offload from Bayley Cox with four minutes remaining.

Thomas Weaver also had a try assist in the match when he scooped up a louse pass before drawing a defender to send fellow Titan Riley Lack on a ten metre run to score.

The New South Wales Country U16 side played a New South Wales U16 Harold Matthews squad as a curtain raiser to the Penrith/Warriors NRL match on a Friday night at Penrith Park in May. Thomas Weaver started the match at half back.

Even though the NSW Country side went down 16 – 6, Thomas Weaver who captained the side was outstanding including converting Country’s only try of the match, which was scored by fellow Titans contracted player, hooker Oscar Bryant.

It was his defence that stood out in the match with Thomas Weaver making two try saving tackles, the first in the first half was a classic cover defending tackle down the right touchline and the second was when he tracked back to stop one of the giant Harold Matthews forwards, Thomas Weaver rounded him up from behind dragging him down with the assistance of fellow Titan Rowan Mansfield.

After that match, Thomas Weaver was selected in the New South Wales U16 side that defeated a U16 Pasifika team 36 – 6 at Belmore Sports Ground on Sunday 9 June with Thomas Weaver starting the match at five eight.

At the Northern Rivers Awards night held in April, Thomas Weaver received the 2019 Players Player Award for the U16 Andrew Johns Cup side. Thomas Weaver then added the Ron Lanesbury Medal to his collection for the 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Player of the Year.

Just a week after the Andrew Johns Cup final Thomas Weaver made his NRRRL U18 debut in Round Three for Cudgen, starting on the wing against Murwillumbah and scored a try and kicked four goals from seven attempts in an outstanding debut as his Cudgen side defeated the Murwillumbah Colts 36 – 0.

In Round Four of the NRRRL U18 competition, Thomas Weaver moved into five eight and kicked three goals from five attempts as Cudgen defeated Byron Bay 26 – 10.

Round Five of the NRRRL U18 competition saw Thomas Weaver start at five eight and he kicked three from three as the Hornets defeated Ballina 18 – 12.

After missing time with an injury Thomas Weaver came back into the Cudgen NRRRL U18 side for their Round Fifteen match against Kyogle which Cudgen won 64 – 0 and kicked three goals in Round Seventeen against Murwillumbah to prove that he was definitely over his injury.

In total in the 2019 NRRRL U18 regular season competition, Thomas Weaver played in eight matches scoring thirty six points from two tries and fourteen goals, with his tries coming against Murwillumbah and Kyogle.

Thomas Weaver added a goal in his point’s tally as Cudgen defeated Lismore Marist Brothers 24 – 10 in Week One of the NRRRL U18 Finals series and was also involved in Week Two of the Finals as Cudgen went down 26 – 20 against Ballina kicking two conversions in the match.

In the Week Three Final, being the NRRRL U18 Preliminary Final Thomas Weaver scored a try and kicked three conversions from as many attempts as Cudgen booked their place in the 2019 U18 NRRRL Grand Final against Ballina with a 24 – 4 win over Byron Bay.

Thomas Weaver came off the bench in the first half of the NRRRL U18 Grand Final plying five eight when he came on as Cudgen went down 24 – 6 to Ballina in a match which was closer than the score line indicates.

Thomas Weaver was also part of the dominant Cudgen 2019 U16 Group 18 side that won their Grand Final 44 – 6 against Byron Bay/Lennox Head.

In 2019 Thomas Weaver was named joint Player of the Year for the Group 18 U16 Junior Rugby League competition with fellow Titan Ryan Foran.

Thomas Weaver was also part of the St Joseph’s College Benora Point school boy rugby league side in 2019 including a member of the side that won the Grand Final of the New South Wales All Schools U16 competition.

The team travelled to Sydney for the 75th year of the competition. After not winning a game in 2018 the Banora Point U16 side defeated Bega 32 - 6 and then Red Bend Forbes who won it last year 18 - 0 in their opening two matches.

A forfeit from the Manly district, Banora Point Mulwaree 18 - 0 in the semi-final. The Grand Final against Wadalba from the Central Coast was a tough contest and after trailing 4 - nil early Benora Point scored two tries for a 10 - 4 victory.

2018 saw Thomas Weaver represent Group 18 in the New South Wales Country Age Championships scoring a try and kicking eight goals in his three Championship matches. Thomas Weaver scored against Group 21 and also kicked six goals in that match to finish with sixteen points and also kicked two goals in a tough 16 all draw with Group Two.

In April of 2018 Thomas Weaver was selected in the Northern Region New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC) U15 side for the New South Wales trials. Thomas Weaver was the half back in the side after being selected from St Joseph’s College Benora Point.

After those CCC U15 trials Thomas Weaver was selected in the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges U15 team for the ASSRL U15 Championships where he was up against the Queensland Maroon and White sides which both contain Titans contracted boys.

Thomas Weaver started at half back for the NSW CCC side in the National U15 Championship Final against Queensland White. Thomas Weaver kicked a conversion in their loss against a Queensland White side for whom fellow Titans contracted player Orlando Swain was one of Queensland’s try scorers.

After the completion of the 2018 season Thomas Weaver and fellow Group 18 U15 team mates headed overseas to play in the Battlefield Challenge to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, a competition that the side won including victories against Emory Moor 12 – 6 and Leigh East 18 – 12.

In a warm up match in England prior to the Tournament they defeated a Hemel Stags U16 side and post the Tournament defeated French side Aude Cathare. A number of other Titans players will also be involved in the tour including Keegan Pace, Jack Cullen and Ryan Foran. On the tour Thomas Weaver won a number of Player of the Match awards such was his dominance across the entire tour.

Thomas Weaver is also an outstanding touch player who has represented his region with distinction in multiple touch competitions and tournaments in both Queensland and New South Wales including last year’s Queensland Championships.

The Titans contracted young half backs 2017 rugby league commitments ended when he was part of a Titans U15 Invitational side that played against a Balmain Tigers side at Cudgen and even though they were defeated the young Titans players put in a great effort on the night against a primarily older Balmain Tigers side.

Thomas Weaver and his U14 Cudgen Hornets side had a great club campaign in the 2017 Group 18 junior rugby league competition going through the U14 competition undefeated with their skill and discipline on show in every match.

The outstanding young Group 18 half back was a constant threat to opposing defences in the New South Wales Country Age Championships early in 2017 where Group 18 were defeated in the U14 Final with Thomas Weaver scoring Group 18’s sole try in the final and then he converted his own try. In two of the preliminary rounds Thomas Weaver kicked two goals apiece including a local derby against Group One to finish with a point’s total of 14 over the course of the NSW Age Championships.

Earlier in 2017 season Thomas Weaver was selected in the Northern Region Combined Catholic Colleges side at half back representing St Joseph’s College Benora Point. In 2015 Thomas Weaver was selected in the New South Wales U12 side for the Australian U12 Championships and that same year after being named Player of the Final for Cudgen in the Group 18 U12 competition was also named as the U12 Group 18 Player of the Season.

Even though Thomas Weaver has plus acceleration off the mark and above average top speed, his primary focus on a football field is to direct his side around the field, putting his side where they need to be to maintain pressure on the opposition. Holding the ball out in front of his body in both hands enables Thomas Weaver to put doubt into the minds of the opposing defensive line and thus Thomas Weaver can dummy and run if there is a gap in the defensive line or put his support runners into gaps.

This trait was in evidence in this year’s Titans 2019 U16 match against Newcastle when he dummied and stepped off his left foot to score the Titans first try of the match.

Thomas Weaver’s decisive nature also means that when the ball needs to get out to his backline he will get it out there quickly to give his outside backs as much space as possible to work with prior to contact with the opposing defensive line. Getting the ball out to the back line quickly is no issue for Thomas Weaver as he has a very good long passing technique which delivers the ball quickly and accurately to the right place.

In defence, due to his size Thomas Weaver is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players and against players with similar size is very aggressive when finishing off his tackles. Thomas Weaver is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side.

Thomas Weaver is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy. I would suggest that he is likely to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level he progresses to into the future.

Thomas Weaver also has a very good short attacking kicking game with a positive being that he will go right to the line before dropping the ball to his foot, add to the fact that he regularly runs with the ball out in front of his body in both hands, he gives defensive lines a lot to consider, is Thomas Weaver going to kick, run or pass, a defensive line that anticipates incorrectly will be scrambling to recover before he makes them pay for their error in judgement.

Like with his goal kicking Thomas Weaver has a real opportunity to be his team’s primary tactical kicking option going forward.

Thomas Weaver is contracted to the Titans until the end of the 2024 season and in 2023 will likely start the season in the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side.

It would not surprise at all that over the course of the 2023 season that Thomas Weaver breaks into the Titans NRL squad for his NRL debut.

From a position perspective with his speed and rapidly developing ball playing, game management and tactical kicking skills, Thomas Weaver has an opportunity to develop into a very talented young player who can play half back at the NRL or representative level at a young age. The more that Thomas Weaver has the ball in his hands the better it is for his entire team as was evidenced multiple times over recent seasons. At 172cm and 74kg Thomas Weaver is not the biggest player by any means but he certainly does not rely on his size to dominate matches, for Thomas Weaver it is all about skill, intelligence and command and control.

Thomas Weaver is just an outstanding player and one that I cannot think of a current NRL player with similar attributes. For comparison purposes however, Thomas Weaver controls and his side around the field and kicks and passes at the Cooper Cronk level.

Like Cronk, Thomas Weaver has a wide variety of skills which he is developing and whilst they may not all develop at the same pace or a linear fashion, they surely will all be above average to plus attributes at least when it is all said and done.

Thomas Weaver does far more however than control play, he will take the defensive line on regularly and to that extent an ideal comparison when Thomas Weaver runs the ball is fellow Titan and Queensland State of Origin fullback AJ Brimson. Both Brimson and Thomas Weaver have explosive speed off the mark (as well as when they reach top speed, which is very quick) as well as outstanding quick twitch feet which enables them to step off both feet with ease with absolutely no loss of momentum at all.

Thomas Weaver is rapidly developing into a very talented young play maker indeed and certainly a player to keep an eye on as he progresses through the Titans junior development ranks to inevitably the NRL. Thomas Weaver is an exceptional talent with a maturity level beyond his young age and shapes as a player who will move into the Titans Top 30 NRL squad in 2023 and potentially in in line for a late 2023 eason NRL debut.

Thomas Weaver will however start the 2023 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queenland Cup side but no doubt Thomas Weaver will spend the majority of the 2023 season in the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side, gaining valuable experience.

The other exceptional trait that Thomas Weaver possesses is outstanding leadership and it is no wonder that the Titans selected Thomas Weaver to captain their U15, U16, U18 and U19 sides over the last three seasons and that he captained the outstanding 2019 U16 Andrew Johns Cup Northern Rivers Titans side, New South Wales Country U16 side and the 2020 U18 Northern Rivers Titans Laurie Daley Cup side, just to name a few. Of course Thomas Weaver also captained the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in 2021 with great success and also the PBC Open A Langer Cup side to their 2021 success as well.

Thomas Weaver’s leadership skills are far more than just being the captain of a top level team, Thomas Weaver has all the hall marks of not just an NRL captain or even a club captain but a representative level one as well, including at the State and International level.

From a leadership perspective in rugby league, the best two leaders I have seen and probably has ever been Cameron Smith and Wally Lewis. Thomas Weaver’s leadership skills are right up there in that same category, he will back his team mates no matter what but at the same time will let them know when they have to change their attitude, behaviour or the way that they are conducting themselves on the field from a playing or attitude perspective as the match progresses.

I am more than comfortable associating the word Inspirational” with Thomas Weaver’s outstanding leadership attributes, it suits him absolutely perfectly even for a player so young.

[mdrew]

Sasefo (Jojo) Fifita. (Revised) The exceptionally talented centre or winger signed with the Titans on a three year contract commencing in 2021 and continued training in the 2021/22 offseason training with the Titans NRL squad when he was fully fit. In exceptionally positive news in late October 2022 saw Jojo Fifita resign with the Titans until the end of the 2025 season.

From a trivia perspective, Jojo Fifita is the second cousin of David Fifita.

I try not to get too intrigued when I see talented young players at the U14 level but sometimes you see a player that just stands out not just from a skill perspective but from also from the perspective of a young player who just seems to innately understand how to play the game, whether it be rugby or rugby league, a natural if you will. That is what I saw when I first saw Jojo Fifita play school boy rugby for the first time when he was 14 years of age a few seasons ago at TSS’s home ground.

I would argue that I have seen only very few players at that young an age that you would put into this category, but I was dragged along early to a 2017 TSS match, in time to see the U14A side play and by the end of that season I was making sure to get there early to see an amazingly talented young TSS centre play named Jojo Fifita.

Obviously you cannot get too carried away as a spectator as so much will change as young players progress such as injuries, schooling competing priorities etc. but Jojo Fifita was a real handful every match that I was lucky enough to see him play for TSS and for that matter has in the multiple TSS matches I have seen in subsequent seasons, including in the GPS First XV school boy rugby competition over the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

In early December 2022 Jojo Fifita took part in an annual joint training session betweed the Titans JTS contracted players and the Titans NRL squad.

Impressively Jojo Fifita was named on the wing in the Prime Ministers XIII for a match against PNG in late 2022 at Suncorp Stadium and whilst playing the entire match on the right wing Jojo Fifita ran for 141 metres, twenty nine of which were post contact and forty nine from kick returns. Jojo Fifita also made two line breaks, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.94 seconds and made four tackles at an 80% tackling efficiency.

Impressively Jojo Fifita was named as the 18th man for the Titans in Round Fifteen of the 2022 NRL season against the Cronulla Sharks.

Impressively in July 2022 Jojo Fifita was named as one of the Top 50 School’s in the GPS First XV School Boy Rugby competition since 2017.

Jojo Fifita made his NRL debut for the Titans in Round Eighteen of the 2022 season on the left wing against the Brisbane Bronco’s and what a great debut it was from Jojo Fifita including a great line break of seventy metres from literally his own dead ball line in the second half.

Playing the entire eighty minutes of the match, Jojo Fifita ran for 208 metres (forty eight post contact), made the a fore mentioned line break, broke five tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.46 seconds and made seven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 87.5%.

Jojo Fifita also started on the left wing in Round Nineteen against the Canterbury Bulldogs with Jojo Fifita scoring the first NRL try of his career when he dived over in the left corner from close range in the 66th minute.

Playing all eighty minutes of the match, Jojo Fifita ran for 114 metres (forty post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.51 seconds and made four tackles at an 80% tackling efficiency.

Jojo Fifita continued on the left wing in Round Twenty against the Canberra Raiders and whilst playing all eighty minutes, Jojo Fifita ran for 100 metres (forty one post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.19 seconds and made eight tackle at an 80% tackling efficiency.

Jojo Fifita continued on the right wing in Round Twenty One against the Melbourne Storm with Jojo Fifita saving a multitude of tries knocking the ball out of the grasp of opponents over the try line, making try saving tackles close to the line to force a double movement to getting under Storm attackers to hold them up over the try line.

Playing the entire eighty minutes of the match Jojo Fifita ran for sixty six metres (twenty seven post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.59 seconds and made fifteen tackles.

Jojo Fifita continued on the right wing in Round Twenty Two against the Manly Sea Eagles with Jojo Fifita scoring in the 21st minute in the right corner after receiving a cut-out pass from his inside from Tannah Boyd.

Playing all eighty minutes Jojo Fifita ran for ninety seven metres, played the ball at an average speed of 3.23 seconds and made eleven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 91.67%.

Jojo Fifita also started on the right wing in Round Twenty Three against the St George Dragons with Jojo Fifita scoring in the 60th minute with a fifteen metre run to score in the right corner after a failed Dragons short goal line drop-out.

Playing all eighty minutes of the match Jojo Fifita ran for 134 metres (forty seven post contact), made a team leading three line breaks, broke five tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.37 seconds and made seven tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Jojo Fifita moved to right centre in Round Twenty Four against the Newcastle Knights an whilst playing all eighty minutes Jojo Fifita ran for 142 metres (fifty nine post contact), broke five tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.46 seconds and made twenty one tackles at an 84% tackling efficiency.

Jojo Fifita also started at right centre in the final round of the 2022 NRL Premiership season, being Round Twenty Five against the New Zealand Warriors. In his eighty four minutes on the field Jojo Fifita ran for 117 metres (forty seven post contact), broke four tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.36 seconds and made twenty tackles at a tackling efficiency of 90.91%.

In total in the 2022 NRL competition Jojo Fifita played in eight matches scoring three tries. Jojo Fifita also broke twenty one tackles, made six line breaks, made ninety three tackles at a tackling efficiency of 85.3% and ran for 982 metres at an average of 122 metres per match.

At the 2022 Gold Coast Titans NRL Awards night Jojo Fifita was named the Titans NRL Rookie of the Year.

In early May 2022 Jojo Fifita was named in the Queensland U19 Rugby League Representative side for their annual match against New South Wales with Jojo Fifita starting the match at left centre and had a strong match especially defensively.

Round Two of the 2022 NRL competition against the New Zealand Warriors saw Jojo Fifita named on the Titans extended bench and Jojo Fifita was also named on the Titans NRL extended bench for the Round Three away match against the Canberra Raiders as well as Round Four against the Wests Tigers and Round Five against the Parramatta Eels.

Round Six against the Manly Sea Eagles saw Jojo Fifita once again named on the Titans NRL extended bench as was the case in Round Seven against the North Queensland Cowboys and Round Nine against the Sydney Roosters.

Jojo Fifita was also named on the Titans extended bench for Round Ten being the NRL Magic Rounds against the St George Dragons and was also named on the Titans extended NRL bench for Round Thirteen against the North Queensland Cowboy as well as in Round Sixteen against the Newcastle Knights.

Jojo Fifita started the Titans first 2022 NRL trial against the Brisbane Bronco’s at Cbus Stadium at left centre before moving onto the left wing in the second half.

In just the 23rd minute Jojo Fifita produced an outstanding piece of play to record a line break assist for Tremain Spry. Just thirty metres out from his own line Jojo Fifita got on the outside of Katoni Staggs and then drew Selwyn Cobbo off his wing and then Jojo Fifita timed his pass to his left perfectly to put Tremain Spry on a seventy metre run to the try line.

In total against the Brisbane Bronco’s Jojo Fifita ran for an impressive 117 metres (twenty five post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 3.56 seconds and made nine tackles, a number of which were great one on one tackles on Katoni Staggs inside the Bronco’s attacking twenty metre area in fact one tackle by Jojo Fifita on Katani Staggs was only around ten metres out when Jojo Fifita cut down Staggs with a great low tackle that afforded him no chance to off-load the ball.

Jojo Fifita was then named on the wing for the first half of the Tweed Heads Seagulls opening 2022 Queensland Cup trial against the Souths Logan Magpies however instead Jojo Fifita was named on the bench for the Titans NRL second and final trial at Redcliffe against the New Zealand Warriors. Unfortunately the match was cancelled due to extensive flooding in South East Queensland on the weekend of the scheduled trial.

Jojo Fifita was named to start on the right wing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in Round One of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition against the Easts Tigers, scoring on debut in a tough four point loss.

In the 25th minute Jojo Fifita received the ball wide out on the right around nine metres out in space and took off towards the right corner, a metre or two out from the line with the cover defence coming across, Jojo Fifita looked to cut back inside off his right foot but slipped in the heavy conditions with two Tigers defenders going straight over the top of him. Jojo Fifita then had the foresight to still make sure that he grounded the ball in the right corner.

In his Queensland Cup debut Jojo Fifita played the entire eighty minutes on the right wing running for an impressive 152 metres, an equal team leading fifty two of which were post contact metres. Jojo Fifita also made two line breaks, broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.66 seconds and made three tackles.

Jojo Fifita took his first hit-up in the Queensland Cup in the 7th minute of the match when he came off his wing to take a hit-up through centre field with Jojo Fifita taking the ball to the right of the play the ball ten metres out from his own try line with continual pumping his legs and making ten metres before being taken to ground. Jojo Fifita was then awarded a penalty when he was not allowed to his feet in a timely fashion.

Then in the 34th minute Jojo Fifita made a strong kick return when after tracking the ball back into his own twenty metre area, Jojo Fifita received the ball from Paul Turner eighteen metres out from his own line and was able to promote the ball to the thirty five metre mark.

A run in the 59th minute showed again that Jojo Fifita is prepared to do the hard work when he came off his right wing to take a hit-up near the mid-field and to the right of the dummy half inside his own twenty metre mark with Jojo Fifita breaking two tackles in a tough hard ten metre gain.

Defensively Jojo Fifita made his first Queensland Cup tackle in just the second minute of the match and then in the 16th minute Jojo Fifita executed a great ball and all tackle on the Easts Tigers left centre when Jojo Fifita was facing an overlap. It was an exceptional defensive play and certainly belies Jojo Fifita’s limited rugby league experience.

Jojo Fifita was also named to start on the right wing in Round Two against the Sunshine Coast Falcons and was once again outstanding including a number of try saving tackles in the Seagulls big win.

Playing the entire eighty minutes, Jojo Fifita ran for seventy six metres (thirty one post contact), broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.69 seconds and recorded a 100% tackling efficiency whilst making eight tackles.

Jojo Fifita continued on the right wing in Round Three against the Norths Devils with Jojo Fifita scoring in the 12th minute when he raced forward and leapt above the Norths left sided defenders to take the cross kick on the full and crash over ten metres in from the right corner.

Playing all eighty minutes of the match, Jojo Fifita ran for a team leading 136 metres (forty six post contact), made a line break, broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.71 seconds and made five tackles.

Jojo Fifita was then named on the right wing in the Round Four local derby against the Burleigh Bears scoring a double in the Seagulls 32 – 18 victory.

Jojo Fifita had to wait just three minutes to score the first of his two tries when he ran onto a long cut-out pass from Paulo Turner to cross untouched in the right corner.

Jojo Fifita added his second try in the 33rd minute and it was a near carbon copy of his try in the 3rd minute when once again Jojo Fifita ran onto a cut out pass from Paul Turner to score untouched in the right corner.

Jojo Fifita did very well from the Burleigh kick-off from his own try when after the ball was knocked back by Tweed Heads Jojo Fifita tracked back six metre into the in-gaol to take possession of the ball and did well to get the ball five metres back into the field of play.

Jojo Fifita showed that he was prepared to do the heavy lifting in the 75th minute when to the left of the play the ball and a metre out from his own try line Jojo Fifita charged forward and was able to break one tackle and impressively get the ball to sixteen metres away from his own try line against an on rushing Bears defence that was hell bent on pinning the Seagulls on their own line. Jojo Fifita’s run immediately put paid to that notion.

Jojo Fifita was also very good defensively against Burleigh including in the 14th minute when came off his wing to smash Bears left centre Sami Sauiluma just as he took possession with a try in the offing. Jojo Fifita’s initial contact knocked the ball loose and saved a certain try.

Jojo Fifita made another good tackle in the 13th minute when he followed through a kick that Burleigh let bounce and just as fellow Titan Lofi Khan-Pereira took possession of the ball, Jojo Fifita smashed him front on.

In the dying moments of the match, Jojo Fifita once again made a strong tackle near his own try line on the Burleigh left centre who had made a line break. Jojo Fifita had dropped back in anticipation of a kick but when the Bears line break was name, Jojo Fifita moved up and just as Sami Sauiluma tried to put in a grubber kick Jojo Fifita was in his face with the attempted kick bounced off Jojo Fifita and went into touch. As Jojo Fifita did not play at the ball, Tweed Heads received possession of the ball.

Playing all eighty minutes Jojo Fifita ran for 102 metres (thirty two post contact), made a team leading two line breaks for his two tries, broke two tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.29 seconds and made six tackles.

After the opening four rounds of the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Jojo Fifita was equal second on the try scoring list with four tries and also equal second in terms of the number of line breaks with five. Co-incidentally Jojo Fifita was equal in both of those categories with fellow Titan Tony Francis.

Jojo Fifita was also named on the right wing for Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks with Jojo Fifita saving a try as a result of a timely intercept with the Blackhawks deep on the attack.

Playing all eighty minutes of the match Jojo Fifita ran for ninety four metres (thirty six post contact), broke a tackle, played the ball at an average speed of 3.86 seconds and made eleven tackles at a tackling efficiency of 91.67%.

Jojo Fifita was named to continue on the right wing in Round Six against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls however he was a late scratching from the match.

After six rounds of the 2022 Queensland Cup season Jojo Fifita was equal fourth line breaks with fellow Titan Tony Francis with five line-breaks.

After missing a number of rounds Jojo Fifita started Round Ten against the PNG Hunters on the right wing and scored in the 52nd minute when he leapt above the Hunters left winger to take a bomb on the full in the in-goal and get the ball down five metres in from the right corner post.

Playing the entire eighty minutes Jojo Fifita ran for eighty one metres (thirty five post contact), played the ball at an average speed of 4.07 seconds and made ten tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Jojo Fifita continued on the right wing in Round Eleven against the Ipswich Jets with Jojo Fifita scoring the Seagulls go ahead try in the 75th minute when after receiving the ball from his inside seven metres out from the line and right on the touchline line, Jojo Fifita cutting inside off his right foot to beat one defender before being hit by two defenders right on the try line with the two defenders flipping Jojo Fifita onto his back over the line. Jojo Fifita however would not be denied and forced the ball in the in-goal over his head.

Playing all eighty minutes Jojo Fifita ran for 104 metres (twenty six post contact), made a line break, recorded a try assist and a line break assist, broke four tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.69 seconds and made five tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

After missing Round Twelve due to Queensland U19 Representative commitments Jojo Fifita was back on the right wing in Round Thirteen against the Central Queensland Capra’s with Jojo Fifita scoring in the 15th minute when he raced twenty metres to score in the right corner after some good work on his inside.

Playing all eighty minutes of the match, Jojo Fifita ran for a team leading 133 metres (twenty seven post contact), recorded a try assist, broke three tackles, played the ball at an average speed of 3.53 seconds and made six tackles at a tackling efficiency of 85.71%.

In total in the 2022 Queensland Cup competition Jojo Fifita played in eight matches and scored seven tries. Jojo Fifita also recorded two try assists, seventeen tackle breaks seven line breaks, made fifty two tackles at a tackling efficiency of 88.1% and ran for 881 metres at an average of 110 metres per match.

In early May 2021 a Titans U19 side travelled to North Queensland to play an U19 Cowboys selection in a curtain raiser to a Cowboys v Broncos NRL match with Jojo Fifita starting the match on the left wing in his first match in a Titans jersey.

Jojo Fifita made his rugby league debut in Round One of the 2021 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition when he started on the right wing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Souths Logan Magpies.

Jojo Fifita’s first hit-up in rugby league came in just the 2nd minute of the match when he took the ball one metre out of his own line to the right of the dummy half, making thirteen metres up field.

Jojo Fifita made his first rugby league line break in the 12th minute when he flew onto a cut-out pass to his right wing, with Jojo Fifita taking the ball on the halfway mark and literally flying down the right wing, running over one defender and easily outpacing the cover defence. When he got to the fullback, Jojo Fifita was able to position is inside support well to get the ball away to Klese Hass on around the twenty metre mark.

In the 25th minute, Jojo Fifita showed that he is willing to do the hard work of bringing the ball out of his own territory when he made twelve metres from a hit-up off to the left of the dummy half to get the ball out to the thirty metre mark.

When the second half started Jojo Fifita was back in the action almost immediately with a bullocking run of twenty metres out of dummy half, with at least 60% of those metres post contact with Jojo Fifita not stopped until he got fifteen metres inside Magpies territory.

In the 45th minute, Jojo Fifita took the second hit-up off the kick-off to Ediq Ambrosyev’s try and was even under heavy pressure able to get the ball out to the twenty metre mark, breaking three tackles and making nine metres.

Late in the match with Tweed Heads chasing the match, Jojo Fifita almost scored a late try. Souths Logan were bringing the ball out of their own territory when Charlie Murray produced a one on one steal and was able to find space to throw a long pass to his right that found Jojo Fifita is space and but for a diving tackle that halted Jojo Fifita by just one leg, he would have dived over in the corner to record his first rugby league try.

Jojo Fifita moved to the left wing in the Round Two local derby against Burleigh with Jojo Fifita scoring his first ever rugby league try in the 3rd minute of the Seagulls 32 – 24 victory.

As noted Jojo Fifita’s try came in the 3rd minute and it was worth the wait. Taine Udjur-Berghan put up a bomb to his left wing and Jojo Fifita came through and jumped above Ronin Rio to take the ball on the full three metres out from the line and he was able to scramble over to get the ball down in the left corner from there.

Jojo Fifita went looking for the ball in the 16th minute when he came off his wing to take a hit-up off the dummy half through the centre of the field, making thirteen metres before he was dragged down on his own twenty metre mark.

Jojo Fifita showed that the skill of a quick (and accurate) catch and pass is transferrable between rugby and rugby league when in the 27th minute whilst under intense pressure caught and passed in the same motion, getting the ball away to his left to Caleb Hodges.

A sequence of efforts in the 37th minute highlighted that Jojo Fifita took to rugby league easily and quickly. First off, Jojo Fifita made a heavy well executed front on tackle on tackle on Blake Campbell that knocked the ball loose with Burleigh on the attack and then from the subsequent set of six, Jojo Fifita came off his left wing to take a hit-up and make fifteen metres, breaking five tackles along the way. The Jojo Fifita went all of the way over to the right side of the field to make fifteen metres more running with the ball.

It was interesting to see that early in the second half Jojo Fifita spent time at left centre, alternating with Caleb Hodges and it was from left centre in the 42nd minute where Jojo Fifita made a hard working seven metres to get the ball more than twenty metres away from his own try line.

Jojo Fifita’s plus speed was on display for all to see with the 50th minute when he turned and chased the Burleigh right winger forty metres before making a big tackle ten metres out from the line. Jojo Fifita gave him a fair start but caught him easily.

Once again in the 59th minute Jojo Fifita displayed that he is not afraid to get his hands dirty when he took the second hit-up from a changeover running through the centre of the field, making ten metres, six of which were post contact.

Jojo Fifita was also heavily involved in Glenn McGradey’s 71st minute try with Jojo Fifita starting the movement on the left which ended with Glenn McGradey scoring on the right. After receiving the ball Jojo Fifita cut back towards centre field, breaking the line there before offloading to Ediq Ambrosyev who then got the ball away to his right to Jaylan To’O who then found Glenn McGradey who scored on the right side of the field.

Jojo Fifita also was named to start on the left wing in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins however he was a late scratching due to injury.

In his last season of school boy rugby in 2020 for the TSS First XV side, Jojo Fifita was once again dominant across multiple matches in the Covid 19 interrupted season. Post the 2020 GPS First XV season, Jojo Fifita was named at Number Six in the 2020 Courier Mail Top 30 South East Queensland School Boy rugby/rugby league players and that was after missing half of the 2020 GPS First XV season with a lower leg injury.

With the 2020 competition in turmoil due to Covid Nineteen the season started with two “Official GPS First XV Trials”, the first being against Nudgee College where Jojo Fifita had a huge match starting at outside centre for the TSS First XV side, including gaining three votes in the 2020 Player of the Year voting.

In the match against Nudgee College Jojo Fifita started the 2020 season off with a bang scoring a double as TSS came from behind to beat Nudgee 24 – 21 in wet and slippery conditions in Brisbane’s north.

Jojo Fifita showcased his speed for his first try when he swooped on an errant Nudgee pass to sprint eighty metres to score. Even in the wet and muddy conditions and holding the ball, Jojo Fifita actually ran away from the Nudgee defenders who were chasing vainly in his wake.

Titans contracted Kaleb Ngamanu was heavily involved in Jojo Fifita’s second try of the match, Kaleb Ngamanu put in a kick from just inside his own territory into space, the TSS right winger was the first to the ball and whilst on his back threw a two handed pass to Jojo Fifita who had also chased through the kick. One he took possession Jojo Fifita was not going to be stopped and he dived over in the right corner to put TSS in front late in the match.

In the second official trial of the 2020 season against Churchie Jojo Fifita also started at outside centre, dominating once again as TSS won for the second straight match 31 – 19. Jojo Fifita may not have scored in the match but some of his ball running was impressive, as was his initial contact in defence.

In Round One of the 2020 GPS First XV competition proper Jojo Fifita, from outside centre scored four tries as TSS ran out 49 – 19 winners against Brisbane State High School and also recorded two votes in the Player of the Year voting. The Australian Rugby coach attended the match and spoke glowingly after the match to the press about just how good Jojo Fifita was, highlighting what a coup it is for the Titans to get Jojo Fifita signed.

Jojo Fifita’s first try of the match came from a quick release of the ball from a ruck with Jojo Fifita receiving the ball fifteen metres out to score in the corner untouched. Jojo Fifita’s second try was just as easy having a simple ten metre run to the line after good work from TSS at the break down.

Jojo Fifita had a lot more work to do for his third try that came from an exciting forty metre run to the line with three BSHS defenders in his wake. Jojo Fifita scored his fourth try when he exploded seventy metres down a very short blind side, rounding the BSHS fullback to score an impressive long range try.

Due to injury Jojo Fifita only played in one more match in 2020, with that coming in Round Four against BBC when he had a great battle with Melbourne Storms Jack Howarth, being awarded three votes in the TSS Player of the Year voting.

Whilst TSS may have lost the match, Jojo Fifita did nothing but enhance his already impressive reputation as a result of his outstanding match against BBC, where he was once again pitted against Melbourne Storm signing jack Howarth. That particular individual battle was worth the trip to the ground alone and for me at least ended in a draw with both players showing that they are talented young players with enormous futures.

At the conclusion of the final round of the 2020 GPS First XV school boy rugby competition, Jojo Fifita was named the TSS First XV Best and Fairest player, which was especially impressive as he had missed a number of matches due to a lower leg injury.

The 2020 TSS First XV coach came out in the local Gold Coast media noting that Jojo Fifita will go down as one of the best players ever to don a TSS First XV jersey.

In 2019 Jojo Fifita commenced the GPS school boy season in the TSS First XV squad, starting TSS’s first trial of the season against Toowoomba Grammar School on the bench. Jojo Fifita came into the starting line at outside centre in TSS’s second trial against touring New Zealand school, New Plymouth Boys High.

Jojo Fifita also started at outside centre (No. 13) in the remainder of TSS’s other First XV trials in 2019 against Brisbane State High School, Nudgee College and Ipswich Grammar School.

Jojo Fifita made his official First XV debut for TSS when he started Round One of the 2019 GPS First XV school boy rugby competition against Nudgee College with an after the siren penalty goal by Hamish Roberts giving Jojo Fifita a winning start to his First XV career as a result of the 21 – 20 victory.

Jojo Fifita started at outside centre once again in Round Two and scored his first career First XV try when he scored in a TSS 64 – 7 victory over Churchie. Jojo Fifita’s first career try came late in the second half when he backed up a break by the TSS left winger and he was on hand to take an inside pass ten metres out and was able to put the ball down in the left corner for what turned out to be the final try of the match.

Starting at outside centre once again in Round Three against Brisbane State High School, Jojo Fifita scored two tries as TSS recorded a 52 – 7 victory and also gaining three votes in the Player of the Year voting.

Both of Jojo Fifita’s tries came in the second half, the first coming when Jojo Fifita was on hand to gather a ball that was dropped by Brisbane State High School. Jojo Fifita scooped the ball up twelve metres out from the line and was immediately engaged by the defence. Jojo Fifita just kept pumping his legs and forced his way over to get the ball down with three defenders hanging off him.

Jojo Fifita’s second try of the match resulted when he backed up a break by the TSS left winger through the centre of the ruck from his own territory. As he came to the fullback the TSS winger put in a short grubber kick, Jojo Fifita who had been backing up on the right sped through to retrieve the ball on the fly to score untouched next to the right goal post.

In Round Four against Toowoomba Grammar School, Jojo Fifita, starting at outside centre added another double to his impressive production including gaining two votes in the Player of the Year voting. Jojo Fifita was also heavily involved in one of TSS’s second half tries when he threw the final pass to his left to Deon Samuela to score in the left corner as TSS cruised to a 65 – 7 victory.

Both of Jojo Fifita’s tries came in the first half, the first being an exceptional individual effort. The ball was spun out to the right and Jojo Fifita flew onto the ball seventy five metres out from the line, bursting through the attempted tackle of two defenders, Jojo Fifita used a left foot step to beat the initial cover defence before a superb left arm fend eliminated the threat of the Toowoomba Grammar School fullback and he was able to easily cover the remainder of the ground to the try line for one the best individual tries that I have seen, regardless of code.

Jojo Fifita’s second try of the match came when he backed up a break by the TSS loose head prop, receiving an inside pass from the front rower for Jojo Fifita to ran the remaining thirty five metres to the try line unopposed.

Jojo Fifita continued his run of starts at outside centre in Round Five against Brisbane Grammar School and continued his run of try scoring matches when he sprinted fifty metres to score in a TSS 78 – 0 victory. Jojo Fifita also provided two try assists to winger Hamish Roberts in the big win as well.

In the pivotal Round Six match at Toowong against Brisbane Boys College, I was one of a crowd of around 5 000 to see TSS surge back from a first half deficit on the back of some incredible Jojo Fifita charges, including one dominating run that led to a try in the second half as TSS defeated BBC 23 – 20 to effectively win the 2109 GPS school boy rugby First XV Championship.

The run I referred to above came early in the second half, initially Jojo Fifita was used as a decoy runner as TSS threw the ball out to the right. Jojo Fifita kept running and made himself available to take an off load after a TSS break back on the inside around fifteen metres out. It would be more than fair to say that BBC defenders were everywhere, but Jojo Fifita set sail for the line and was able to crash over adjacent to the right upright under heavy pressure from three BBC defenders,

Jojo Fifita scored the try right in front of where I was standing and the sound of the impact of the collusion had to be heard to believe.

Jojo Fifita started at outside centre once again in Round Seven against Gregory Terrace scoring from a set play as TSS left Graceville with a 54 – 24 win. From a TSS scrum five metres out from the Gregory Terrace line and set just to the left of the uprights, TSS spun the ball out to the right before the ball was cut back to the left for Jojo Fifita to run a crash line, bursting through the Gregory Terrace to score under the posts.

TSS needed a draw or a win in the final round, being Round Eight against Ipswich Grammar School and in an exciting match where Jojo Fifita started at outside centre TSS held on to draw 29 all against the Ipswich School that was led by Sydney Rooster half Sam Walker. TSS were down 29 – 17 with just minutes to go but scored late to tie the match.

After the completion of the 2019 GPS First XV competition, Jojo Fifita was named in the centres in the 2019 Courier Mail GPS First XV team of the year.

In 2019 Jojo Fifita played for the Queensland Reds U18 Academy (Jojo Fifita was still U16 eligible at the time) in a match at Nudgee College against the New South Wales U18 Gen Blue Academy and earlier in 2019 Jojo Fifita was part of the Queensland Maroon U16 side that played in the U16 Junior Gold Cup National Championships. Jojo Fifita started all of Queensland Maroons matches in the centres.

In 2018 for the TSS U15A side, Jojo Fifita started on the bench for the first two trials which were against Far North Coast and Toowoomba Grammar School before moving into the starting side at fullback for the last three trials against Nudgee, Ipswich Grammar School and Ambrose Treacy College.

In the 2018 GPS school boy U15A season proper, Jojo Fifita started all eight matches at fullback and in Round Five against BBC scored an outstanding 50 metre try splitting the defence to score under the posts.

As a consequence of his outstanding play I went to watch a number of his matches for Sunnybank Blue in the Brisbane Rugby U15 competition in 2018. In that competition, which was split into two, Jojo Fifita played in a total of seven matches and scored an impressive thirteen tries.

In the first half of the season, Jojo Fifita scored a hat trick in Round One against Souths Black and four tries in the first week of the finals against Souths Black as well.

In the second half of the season, Jojo Fifita was just a prolific scoring a hat trick against Easts Gold in Round Three, a double in Round One against Redlands and he also scored against Sunnybank Green.

In his seven matches for Sunnybank Blue in 2018 Jojo Fifita started three at fullback, two at outside centre and two from the bench.

From a representative rugby perspective in 2018 Jojo Fifita was selected in the City U16 side at fullback after starring for Brisbane Green in the preceding Championships.

In 2017, Jojo Fifita started in all eight Rounds of the GPS U14A competition, starting the first three rounds at inside centre before switching to fullback for the remainder of the season. In his eight matches Jojo Fifita scored an incredible fourteen tries, crossing in every match.

Jojo Fifita scored a hat trick in Round two against Toowoomba Grammar School and four doubles which came against Ipswich Grammar School, Brisbane Boys College, Brisbane Grammar School and Churchie, in Rounds Three, Four, Six and Nine respectively.

Jojo Fifita also scored in Round One against Brisbane State High School, Round Five against Gregory Terrace and in Round Eight against Nudgee College.

Jojo Fifita is not just a try scorer and on four occasions last school boy rugby season, he was named at the TSS U14A best back. He was awarded the honour against Toowoomba Grammar School, Brisbane Boys College and Churchie in Rounds Tow, Four and Nine respectively as well as against Downlands College.

To cap off an incredible 2018 U15A season for TSS, Jojo Fifita started at outside centre for TSS when they played a “trial” against Downlands College during their Round Seven bye. In that match, Jojo Fifita scored a staggering seven tries.

The 2015 Gold Coast Academy of Sport Rugby participant and TSS outside centre represented the U13 Brisbane Green side at the 2016 Queensland Age Rugby championships and from there was selected in the City side for their annual clash against a Country U13 side in a curtain raiser to a Queensland Reds Super Rugby clash which the City side won.

In 2016 for the TSS U13A side Jojo Fifita was deservedly nominated for the TSS Best Junior Footballer of the year award after the 2016 GPS season where he scored four tries, including a hat trick against Brisbane Grammar School in Round Five in a comprehensive 52 – 24 victory and also scored in the final match, being Round Nine against Brisbane State High School in a tough loss for TSS. I was lucky enough to also see him play in Round Eight against Anglican Church Grammar School where he was a handful for the Churchie defence every time that he touched the ball.

Jojo Fifita has not been just an outstanding rugby player for TSS but has also been a star in the TSS GPS Track and Field Athletics Team.

In the 2020 GPS Athletics Championships, Jojo Fifita competed in three Open Events included running a time of 10.94 seconds in the 100 metre sprint to finish second, running 21.94 seconds to finish third in the 200 metre sprint and ran the opening leg for TSS in the 4 x 100 metre sprint relay with the team finishing seventh in a time of 44.69 seconds. Fellow Titans Kaleb Ngamanu and Syris Schmidt were also part of the TSS 4 x 100 metre relay team.

In 2019 in the 16 years age group for TSS, Jojo Fifita completed in four events including finishing second in both the 100 metre and 200 metre sprint events. Jojo Fifita ran the 100 metres in 10.85 seconds and ran 22.2 seconds in the 200 metres.

Jojo Fifita also ran the first leg in the 16 Years 4 x 100 metre TSS relay team that finished 6th in a time of 45.18 seconds, Syris Schmidt and Kaleb Ngamanu were also part of the relay team as they were in 2020. Jojo Fifita also finished 5th in the shot put with a best throw of 13.14 metres.

Jojo Fifita had an outstanding Track and Field Carnival in 2018 in the 15 Years age group winning both the 100 metre and 200 metres sprint events in times of 11.06 seconds and 22.37 seconds respectively. At the 2018 Championships Jojo Fifita also ran the first leg of the 4 x 100 metre relay with the TSS side finishing third in a time of 44.83 seconds.

Jojo Fifita was no less impressive in 2017 in the 14 Years competition winning four events and finishing 4th in the shot put competition with a best throw of 12.36 metres.

Jojo Fifita won the 100 metres sprint in a time of 11.59 seconds, ran 22.99 seconds to win the 200 metre sprint, ran the first leg of the 4 x 100 metre relay team that won in a time of 46.68 seconds and also won the long jump with a best jump of 6.17 metres to win that event by in excess of centimetres.

In attack one of the positives in rugby compared to league is the space that centres have, when the ball is given to them early they seem to have a lot more room to move and this is something that Jojo Fifita has exploited this season in eth GPS competition. Against Brisbane Grammar School in Round Five he got the ball early and expertly stepped the opposing centre on the inside and out paced the cover defence to the try line.

Whilst he is a big strong powerful young centre, he also has a myriad of attacking moves, including a great in and away, and also being able to cut back on the inside of his defender if they over commit to the outside, as was evidenced by his three tries against Brisbane Grammar School as well as some good breaks against Churchie.

From what I have seen I would consider that his speed would in the plus category if not in the plus plus category for a centre, add his power and strong fend and you really have a young centre that could develop in anything on a football field.

I concede that I know little about the attacking strategies and philosophies of the TSS rugby coaches but he seems to run slightly better when he lines up on the right hand side of the field, his spacing, line running and ability to beat his opposite number on the inside seems a little more instinctive from that side of the field.

Jojo Fifita must be a five eight’s dream, when he gets the ball early he causes real havoc for the defensive line whether he is playing in the centres or at fullback.

Defensively he hits very hard and constantly is in a position to disrupt the attacking movement of the opposition. Extrapolating his skill set to a rugby league setting, I would suggest that he 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 Jojo Fifita certainly does not shirk contact, both in attack or defence and similarly in committing to the break down in rugby, he will put his head over the ball to protect the ball when TSS have it and also clear out aggressively when looking for the turn over for TSS. The GPS school boy matches are keenly contested regardless of the age group or competition level and the rucks and mauls are not for the faint hearted as young men represent their schools with pride.

For me there so no doubt that Jojo Fifita is an outstanding centre prospect and one that has not just NRL level potential but State of Origin and International level potential and with the way that Jojo Fifita played ins his first and only NRL start in the centres in Round Twenty Five against the New Zealand Warriors, 2023 will see Jojo Fifita start in the centres for the Titans come Round One of the NRL season.

Jojo Fifita just looks a natural on a football field and if he can have a bit of luck with injuries etc. the sky is the limit for the talented young athlete.

On his day (which is often) Jojo Fifita is powerful, exceptionally quick, explosive and elusive but also a bullocking runner who can just break a game open individually and simply dominate for the entire match almost through sheer force of will alone.

[mdrew]

Thomas Wellman. The young man who started at fullback in the Group 18 U15 Grand Final victory for Byron Bay/Lennox Head over the Murwillumbah Colts, played for a Titans U15 NRRRL Invitational selection in a match against a Titans U14 JTS squad at Tweed Heads in September 2022.

Whilst he does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, Thomas Wellman does have above average top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by 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.

Even taking into account what I have said in the paragraph, from a speed perspective Thomas Wellman is an interesting one. It does not appear when he is space that he is moving quickly but players that I consider who have above average speed for an outside back do not gain ground on him, thus clearly Thomas Wellman is a lot quicker than he looks.

When engaged with the defensive line Thomas Wellman also has a reasonable offload and when he breaks through the main defensive line Thomas Wellman is also very effective at setting up his outside support, by drawing the fullback.

Thomas Wellman has a good in and away to complement his other attacking attributes and is effective when attacking close to the try line and knows which routes to run to take advantage of situations where the defensive line has not come up off the try line and thus he is able to push through the defensive line and carry defenders over to score. Thomas Wellman is just a solid attacking player and before you realise Thomas Wellman has made a number of breaks and scored multiple tries.

Defensively the area that is impressive in relation to Thomas Wellman is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wide of the ruck. Defending on the wing Thomas Wellman he sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength into his opponent.

Purely from a skill and physical attribute perspective he seems more suited to a sliding defensive methodology rather than an up and in style. Like with his attacking attributes he is just solid there is really no other word to describe it.

In 2023 Thomas Wellman will move up to the Group 18 U16 competition with Byron Bay/Lennox Head. It would also not surprise to see Thomas Wellman play a number of matches for the Byron Bay Devils in the NRRRL U18 competition in 2023 as well.

Whilst Thomas Wellman played at fullback for Byron Bay Lennox Head in the Group 18 U15 competition in 2022, I believe that Thomas Wellman’s best position will ultimately be on the wing and one that will find the try line on a regular basis.

Former Titan David Mead is for me a more than fair player comparison for Thomas Wellman. Both Mead and Thomas Wellman are effective wingers, quietly effective, who are safe under the high ball, carry the ball well and a regular try scorer who will also score the odd one or two high light reel tries in the corner.

[mdrew]

Arama Hau. The exceptionally talented left second rower or lock (and occasional five eight for the Nerang Roosters) re-signed with the Titans in November 2020 in a coup that will pay huge dividends in coming seasons for the Titans all of the way up to and including the NRL level I am sure and of course for Arama Hau himself.

Impressively in November 2022 Arama Hau commenced training in the Titans NRL 2022/23 off-season on a train and trial basis. The 2022/23 off-season also saw Arama Hau also undertook a number of off-season sessions with the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup squad.

The powerful second rower or lock initially signed a multi-year contact with the Titans in 2019 and all Arama Hau has done since is dominate opposing sides every time that he has taken the field whether than be in representative sides, school boy rugby league sides for Keebra Park State High School and Queensland and Australian School Boys, for the Nerang Roosters in the Gold Coast Rugby League junior age competitions or Burleigh MM and Colts.

In January 2023 Arama Hau started at right second row for the Titans U19 side in their annual match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights.
In early February 2023 Arama Hau was named in the 2023 Queensland Rugby League Emerging Origin U19 squad.

In early December 2022 Arama Hau took part in a joint training session between the Titans JTS squad members and the Titans NRL off-season squad.

In late 2022 Arama Hau was named in the 2023 Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s Colts squad after playing a number of matches for the Bears in the Colts competition when still U18 eligible in 2022. Arama Hau is also Colts eligible in 2024.

In late July 2022 Arama Hau was part of the Titans U19 squad that played a North Queensland Cowboys squad as a curtain raiser to the Titans NRL Round Twenty match against Canberra at Cbus Stadium.

In late January 2022 Arama Hau started at lock for the Titans U19 side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side with Arama Hau making the first of a number of strong runs in just the 5th minute when he made ten hard metres from a hit-up to the right of the dummy half to get the ball thirty metres away from his own try line.

Arama Hau then played a key part in Ryan Foran’s 11th minute try that commenced well inside the Titans own territory with a hit-up from Arama Hau. After engaging the Burleigh defence Arama Hau produced a right arm off-load to Jaylan De Groot who burst through the Burleigh defence before veering to his left as he approached the Bears fullback and then passed back across his body to his left to find a flying Ryan Foran thirty two metres out. As soon as he received the ball Ryan Foran cut off his right foot to beat one defender and then cross the line.

Arama Hau continued his strong start to his match in the 13th minute with a strong fifteen metre effort which saw Arama Hau cutting off his on two separate occasions after taking the ball to the right of the play the ball to get the ball just over the halfway mark.

In his second stint on the field in the second half, Arama Hau in the 63rd minute showcased his ball playing skills when on the right side of the field, Arama Hau took the ball to the line and threw a good flat ball to put Jayden Wright into a gap.

Arama Hau was able to produce another trademark offload in the 75th minute even with his back to the try line when he was able to get his right arm free to get the ball away to Keano Kini.

Arama Hau continued to work hard until the final siren and literally in the last minute, to the right of the play the ball, he ran an underneath route from Thomas Weaver and after initial contact with the defensive line was able to get an off-load away to Oscar Bryant who then threw a long cut-out pass to Jaylan De Groot who subsequently put Elijah Lui over to score in the left corner as the final siren sounded.

In late July 2022 Arama Hau started at lock for a Titans U19 side that played their annual match against the North Queensland Cowboys that was played as a curtain raiser at Cbus Stadium to the Titans Round Twenty NRL match against the Canberra Raiders.

Arama Hau made a strong run in the 17th minute down the right channel from his own twenty metre mark to get the ball to thirty two metres out and then in the 35th minute Arama Hau made another strong hit-up down a short blindside with Arama Hau tackled nine metres out near the right touchline after making nineteen metres.

Arama Hau made another strong run in the 55th minute when he bumped off two would be tacklers in a fifteen metre run through the centre of the failed to get the ball within two metres out the halfway mark after making fifteen metres.

I do not recall seeing a match that Arama Hau has played where he does not get an off-load away and the match against the Cowboys was no different when in the 66th minute Arama Hau attacked the Cowboys line before getting a right arm off-load away to Thomas Weaver ten metres out from the try line.

Arama Hau made one of the better defensive efforts of the match in the 30th minute with a big hit as North Queensland were trying to bring the ball out of their own twenty metre area and then in the 59th minute after the North Queensland replacement dummy half (No. 14) broke through the Titans line, Arama Hau chased hard to catch him from behind just ten metres out from the try line to prevent a near certain Cowboys try.

In mid-December 2021 Arama Hau had the opportunity to train with the Titans NRL squad in a joint training session between the Titans NRL squad and the Titans JTS Program Squads.

In late October 2021 Arama Hau was named in the Burleigh Bears 2022 U18 MM Cup squad for the second season in a row.

Round One of the 2022 MM Cup competition saw Arama Hau named at lock and captain for the Burleigh Bears against the Easts Tigers however the match was rained out due to extreme weather conditions.

Arama Hau was then named to start lock once again in Round Two against the Souths Logan Magpies and also Round three against the Norths Devils with Arama Hau taking the third hit-up after the Norths kick-off.

Arama Hau recorded two try assists against the Devils, the first of which came in 21st minute when after receiving the ball from the dummy half fifteen metres from the line and to the right of the play the ball, Arama Hau fractionally moved to his right and sent a short ball to a charging VJ Semu who crashed over.

Arama Hau’s second try assist came in the 69th minute when he got a good right arm off-load away for Bears fullback Karauria Stokes-Mahara to score under the posts. Arama Hau originally received the ball just inside North’s territory when he ran onto a Joseph Shannon left arm off-load. After receiving the ball Arama Hau stepped of his left foot to beat one defender before Arama Hau straightened up and charged forward getting all of the way to ten metres out before he off-loaded to Stokes-Mahara to score.

Prior to his second try assist Arama Hau, in the 67th minute made a line break when after he received the ball on the right side of the field Arama Hau stepped off his right foot to gain separation making twenty five metres to get within fifteen metres of the try line.

Arama Hau then continued at lock in Round Four against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Arama Hau recording an impressive try assist in the 41st minute. After good work on his inside by Wailer Whaiapu and Josiah Pahulu, Arama Ahu on the left side of the field ran onto a Bailey McConnell pass, charging fifteen metres and then in the tackle of one of the Tigers cover defenders Arama Hau got a great right arm off-load away to Karauria Stokes-Mahara who dived over in the right corner.

Arama Hau produced a great heads up play in the 28th minute when he flew off the try line in defence to rag doll the Wynnum Manly halfback before he could execute any type of kick with Arama Hau forcing the changeover.

Then in the 33rd minute Arama Hau produced a trademark off-load when after charging ten metres into the defensive line to the right of the dummy half and Arama Hau was able to get his right arm free to off-load the ball to Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki.

Mid-way through the second half in the 47th minute Arama Hau executed a big front on hit on the Tigers lock with the ball coming loose as a result of Arama Hau’s heavy initial contact. Arama Hau produced another strong defensive play by way of a great try saving tackle in the 54th minute when along with Joseph Shannon he held up the giant Easts Tigers No. 8 and then forced him back in the field of play.

Such was the quality of Arama Hau’s performance that he was named in the second row in the Courier Mail’s MM Cup Round Four Team of the Week.

Arama Hau was also named at lock for Round Six against the Redcliffe Dolphins however a late tactical change saw Arama Hau start the match at right second row.

Arama Hau’s first strong run of the match came in just the second minute when Arama Hau received the ball to the left of the play the ball eighteen metres out, stepping off his left foot to beat the initial defender that confronted him but Arama Hau just kept pushing forward getting all of the way forward to two metres out near the left corner.

Arama Hau made a further strong charge in the third minute when he broke three tackles in a seventeen metre run down a left blindside. Then in the 7ht minute Arama Hau surged sixteen metres down the left channel to get the ball thirty eight metres away from the try line.

In the 28th minute Arama Hau ran the ball to the right of the play the ball with the run commencing near halfway. Two right foot steps of Arama Hau’s beat Devils defenders with Arama Hau then rumbled eighteen metres downfield however his off-load to his left unfortunately went to ground.

Late in the match Arama Hau almost set up a try for Bailey McConnell when after engaging the Redcliffe right side defensive line Arama Hau got his right arm free to off-load to his left to Bailey McConnell around fifteen metres from the line but the Bears halfback was dragged down just short of the try line.

Arama Hau was also named to start at left second row in the Round Seven local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls however he was a late scratching from the match when he was called up for his Hastings Deering’s Colts debut for Burleigh in Round Two of the Colts competition against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Arama Hau was then named to start at left second row in the rescheduled Round One match against the East Tigers.

Arama Hau had a number of positive defensive moments in the match including in the 11th minute when he tracked a Tigers attacking play to his left and manhandled the Tigers five eight just out from the try line after the five eight had very nearly sliced through the Burleigh defensive line.

The 20th minute saw Arama Hau engage the defensive line once again to the left of the play the ball with Arama Hau making twenty two metres after crossing into Tigers territory, breaking three tackles along the way.

A minute later in the 21st minute Arama Hau was able to promote the ball a further twenty five metres, approximately 60% of which were post contact metre to get the ball over the halfway mark.

Then in the 24tht minute Arama Hau once again charged onto the ball to the right of the dummy half and broke through the defensive line making a further twenty two metres breaking three tackles along the way before getting an off-load away to his right to centre Jayviah Nomotu who was able to promote the ball a further twenty odd metres.

Arama Hau was named at lock for the Burleigh Bears second 2022 trial against the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Arama Hau scoring an outstanding solo try in the 25th minute. Whilst operating down a left blindside and after receiving the ball Arama Hau looked to pass to his left but instead Aram Hau was able to make a line break from twenty five metres out. Arama Hau was then able to outpace Michael Roberts down the left touchline to dive over to score in the left corner.

Arama Hau had previously produced a trademark off-load in the when he went into the line down the left channel and was able to off-load to Zinzan Kahu.

Starting in the 35th minute, Arama Hau was heavily involved in a sequence where Burleigh marched the ball downfield. Initially Arama Hau made fifteen metres down a right blindside from a Burleigh scrum win deep inside their own territory with the run catching the Tweed Heads left side defence off-side.

Arama Hau took the hit-up from the subsequent penalty restart making a further ten metres before Arama Hau was once again awarded a penalty on that occasion after being hit high by the Tweed Heads defence. Arama Hau’s initial hit-up from the Burleigh scrum win started from his own twenty but after the restart from the second penalty Burleigh were on the attack just ten metres from the try line.

Arama Hau also started at lock in Burleigh’s final trial against the Western Clydesdales and scored in the 67th minute when he backed up Keahn Skipps to receive the ball ten metres out and produced a right foot step to beat the fullback and cross the try line ten metes from the left upright.

Arama Hua had actually crossed the line in the 8th minute next to the left upright but the referee ruled that Arama Hau had run behind the team mate and as a result impeded the defence.

In the 12th minute Arama Hau made a strong run to the halfway mark down the right side of the field with Arama Hau making fifteen metres. Then in the 20th minute Arama Hau ran onto the ball to the right of the dummy half making twelve metres before Arama Hau produced a trade mark right arm off-load to his hooker who was able to promote the ball further downfield.

Arama Hau made a further strong run in the 67th minute when he made eighteen metres from a Burleigh scrum win deep inside the Western Clydesdales territory.

Arama Hau produced an exceptional piece of play in the 12th minute when defending two metres from his own try line, Arama Hau produced a great one on one strip and then charged downfield making fifty five metres to immediately put Burleigh on the attack.

In late April 2022 Arama Hau was named in the 2022 Queensland Rugby League U18 Emerging Origin Squad.

In late May 2022 Arama Hau also represented South Coast in the U18 QSSRL School Boy Championships starting Match One against Northern at lock with Arama Hau taking the second hit-up of the match.

Arama Hau then did very well in the 9th minute when he got low and stopped the Northern hooker cold right on the try line after the hooker had tried to burrow over from dummy half from close range.

Arama Hau also started at lock in Match Two against Met North and took the third hit-up of the match, getting the ball to twenty five metres out from his own try line.

Arama Hau then came close to scoring in the 7th minute when after receiving the ball on the bounce to the left of the dummy half Arama Hau ran back to his right and came within centremetres of scoring near the right upright.

At the conclusion of the Championships Arama Hau was named in the 2022 Queensland Open School Boy Rugby League Representative side and just prior to the commencement of the Championships, Arama Hau was named by the Courier Mail as the 48th best U18 Rugby League player in Australia, a number which seemed to me at least to be way way too low for Arama Hau.

Arama Hau started at left second row in Queensland’s opening round of the Championships against the Australian Capital Territory with Arama Hau recording a try assist in the 15th minute he after bursting through a gap from forty metres out, Arama Hau drew the ACT fullback and passed to his right ten metres out to put Jye Gray over to score next to the posts.

Arama Hau also recorded a line break assist in the match when in the 7th minute and thirty five metres from his own try line, Arama Hau executed a great catch and pass down a left blindside to put his winger away on a twenty five metres run down the left sideline.

Arama Hau also made a strong run in the 27th minute when he charged fifteen metres down a left blindside before off-loading in a tackle to his left centre to promote the ball further downfield. Arama Hau also made another strong run in the 34th minute down the left channel, making ten metres to get the ball within forty metres of the try line.

Arama Hau also started at left second row in Match Two being the semi-final against NSW CIS with Arama Hau scoring a great double in a big Queensland victory.

Arama Hau’s opening try came in the 13th minute when he forced his way over in the left corner after receiving the ball eight metres out with Aram Hau sliding across the try line in the wet conditions feet first. Also from a trivia perspective Arama Hau ran with the ball in his left arm but put the ball down over the line in his right.

Arama Hau completed his double in the 28th minute when from eight metres out he charged onto a pass from his right to force his way through three tackles to get the ball down eight metres to the right of the uprights. In fact Arama Hau did very very well to take the pass as he took the ball on his right side below the knees and just a fraction behind him.

Arama Hau also recorded a line break assist in the 19th minute when with NSW CIS on the attack they lost the ball forward directly in front of the posts with Arama Hau picking up the ball confidently just five metres out from the line and charged fifteen metres downfield before producing a great ball to his right in heavy traffic to Jye Gray who made a fifty metre line break downfield.

Arama Hau recorded a further line break assist in the 39th minute when after taking the ball down a left blindside Arama Hau executed a right arm off-load to his left winger who raced away down the touchline before being tackled three metres from the left corner post.

It was not just running the ball where Arama Hau excelled against the NSW CIS as in the 5th minute Arama Hau hustled to his left to make a great covering tackle on the NSW CIS right centre who had threatened to burst straight through the Queensland left sided defensive line with Arama Hau’s strong initial contact forcing the ball loose.

Arama Hau also started at left second row in Queensland U18 ASSRL Championships Grand Final victory over NSW CHS with Arama Hau scoring in the 44th minute when Arama Hau charged onto a good ball into a gap from six metres out and after being tackled around the legs, Arama Hau reached out to get the ball down in his right arm eight metres in from the left corner post.

The first of Arama Hau’s strong runs in the match came in the 7th minute when Arama Hau took on the defensive line from forty metres out from his own try line before getting away a trademark right arm off-load to Jye Gray to promote the ball further.

Arama Hau made another strong run in the 13th minute from the left of a Queensland scrum win twenty metres out from the Queensland try line with Arama Hau making eleven metres. Then just two minutes later in the 15th minute Arama Hau made a further fifteen metres to twenty five metres out of the try line after cutting back underneath Jye Gray who had run to his left.

Yet again in the 29th minute Arama Hau made eighteen more metres to ten metres out from the try line after a charge down the left channel. The in the 39th minute Arama Hau made nineteen metres, breaking three tackles along the way to get the ball thirty seven metres away from the Queensland try line.

Arama Hau made some telling tackles in the final none better however than in the 59th minute when he held up the giant NSW CHS No. 18 over the try line next to the right upright.

Arama Hau’s outstanding performances over the course of the 2022 ASSRL U18 Championships saw Arama Hau named in the Australian School Boys Squad for their Fijian tour with Arama Hau presented with the No. 16 jersey prior to heading to Fiji.

Arama Hau started from the bench for the Australian School Boys in their match against Fiji Schools with Arama Hau coming onto the field late in the first quarter to operate at right second row before Arama Hau moved to left second row later in the Australian School Boys big win.

Post the 2022 ASSRL U18 Championships, the Courier Mail released a revised Top 50 Australian U18 Rugby League Players with Arama Hau being the biggest mover on that list by moving all the up to fifth on that list.

Arama Hau was also noted by the Courier Mail by being named on various other lists including the Best Mobile Big Men and Most Explosive Players.

Round One of the 2022 Langer Cup School Boy competition saw Arama Hau named to start at lock and captain for Keebra Park State High School against Ipswich State High School however he was a late scratching from the match.

Arama Hau was then named at lock for Round Two against Coombabah State High School and recorded a great try assist in just the 7th minute when he chased through a Keebra park SHS mid-field bomb that the Coombabah SHS fullback let bounce. With the ball bouncing high near the try line Arama Hau leapt above the pack and in one movement then off-loaded to his left to Xavier Asi who just had to fall over the line to score Keebra Park SHS’s opening try.

Arama Hau recorded a second try assist in the 58th minute when after receiving the ball fifty five metres out down a short left blindside, Arama Hau dummied to his left to break the line and charged forty five metres downfield before drawing the Coombabah SHS fullback to put his left winger over in the corner to bring up fifty points in the match for Keebra Park SHS.

Arama Hau was also heavily involved in Xavier Asi’s 34th minute try when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball Arama Hau cut back towards the left side of the field, all of the way holding the ball in his left hand before off-loading to his left to Eli Tuli who then was able to put Xavier Asi away to score in the left corner.

It was clear that Arama Hau was going to have a big match inside the opening minute when he took the fourth hit-up of the match to get the ball to forty metres out from his own line.

Arama Hau then took a further strong hit-up in the 17th minute from a Coombabah SHS kick-off and after breaking six tackles Arama Hau was finally stopped just six metres short of the half-way mark.

Arama Hau continued at lock in Round Three against Marsden State High School with Arama Hau involved in the opening tackle of the match after Keebra Park SHS had kicked-off to get the match underway.

Arama Hau put an exclamation mark on an outstanding performance with a 59th minute try assist when from twenty metres out Arama Hau charged onto the ball to the right of the play the ball and away getting to within eight metres of the line was able to get away a right arm off-load to his left to put his hooker after under the posts.

The 13th minute saw a trademark off-load from Arama Hau when from the right of the play the ball Arama Hau made twelve metres to get Keebra Park SHS deep onto the attack before producing a great right arm off-load to his hooker who got the ball to within three metres of the try line.

Arama Hau got off his feet and from the play the ball Arama Hau received the ball to the left of the play the ball directly in front of the posts and then immediately cut back to his left but even in heavy traffic Arama Hau was able to get an off-load away to left as he was going to ground.

Arama Hau made a line break in the 48th minute when from the right of the play the ball near the halfway mark Arama Hau burst through the Marsden SHS defensive line and made an impressive twenty metres before three defenders finally got Arama Hau to ground.

Arama Hau made a further line break in the 55th minute when he made twenty metres after getting through the Marsden SHS defensive line to get the ball over the halfway mark.

Arama Hau made a good effort defensively in the 44th minute when he was able to hold up his opposite number directly under the posts.

Arama Hau’s performance against Marsden SHS was such that he was named at lock in the Courier Mail Langer Cup Round Three Team of the Week.

Arama Hau continued at lock in Round Four against Wavell State High School in a match that was played as a curtain raiser to the Titans v Bronco’s NRL match with Arama Hau leading Keebra park SHS to an 18 – 12 victory with a Player of the Match performance.

Arama Hau’s strong contribution to the victory started in the 21st minute with a strong charge from twenty five metres out and to the right of the play the ball, with Arama Hau rumbling to within five metres of the try line.

Arama Hau made another strong run in the 24th minute when after receiving an off-load from Tyrell Waka-Rhind, Arama Hau cut towards his inside and broke five tackles in a powerful eighteen metre run.

Arama Hau made a further line break in the 41st minute when after taking possession to the left of the play the ball and forty metres out Arama Hau stepped off his right foot before executing a left arm fend to beat a further defender with Arama Hau getting to within eleven metres of the try line near the left touchline.

Arama Hau’s strong match continued in the 55th minute when after making fifteen metres and being engaged by multiple defenders Arama Hau got away a good left arm off-load with his back facing the try line.

Arama Hau also made a number of very effective tackles against Wavell SHS including in the 17th minute when the Wavell SHS right centre broke the defensive line bursting over the halfway mark but Arama Hau raced across to his left and smashed the centre just as he was getting towards his top speed.

Arama Hau also started at lock in Round Five against Redcliffe State High School with Arama Hau showing his strength in the 51st minute to score. Arama Hau received the ball to the left of the paly the ball near the centre of the field around fourteen metres out and ran to his left. After getting rid of one would be defender with a right arm fend, Aram Hau ducked under the attempted tackle of another defender before forcing his way over to score with two defenders on him to get the ball down mid-way between the corner post and goal post on the left side of the field.

Arama Hau had earlier come close to scoring in the 26th minute when he charged down an attempted Redcliffe SHS clearing kick with Arama Hau coming very close to taking possession just out from the Redcliffe SHS try line but the fullback got back just in the nick of time.

Arama Hau made another strong charge in the 27th minute with Arama Hau making twelve metres before getting away a right arm off-load to his right winger.

Arama Hau then did well in the 55th when as Redcliffe SHS were bring the ball out of their own territory Arama Hau executed a one on one strip to put Keebra Park SHS immediately on the attack.

Arama Hau continued at lock and captain in the Round Six local derby against PBC SHS with Arama Hau showcasing his exceptional ball playing skills in the 9th minute when after running at the PBC SHS defensive to the left of the play the ball, Arama Hau dummied to his inside before immediately throwing a great short pass to the opposite side being his left to a charging Eli Tuli to almost break through the PBC SHS defensive line.

Arama Hau made a strong charge of his own in the 19th minute when from five metres inside his own territory Arama Hau charged onto the ball of the left of the play the ball with Aram Hau breaking three tackles as he charged twenty metres into PBC SHS territory.

Then in the 24th minute after Arama Hau was awarded a penalty thirty metres out from the try line, Arama Hau took a quick tap and charged slightly to his left to get the ball to within eleven metres of the try line and ten metres in from the left touchline.

Arama Hau continued his strong match in the 33rd when from deep in his own territory Arama Hau ran onto the ball to the left of the play the ball with Arama Hau cutting back to his right to make a twenty five metre line break that included a 360 degrees counter clockwise spin.

Then in the 37th minute Arama Hau once again charged onto the ball to the left of the play the ball thirty five metres from the try line with Arama Hau only tackled when he got within ten metres of the try line.

Round Seven of the Langer Cup competition saw Arama Hau start at lock against Mabel Park SHS and was heavily involved in Wailer Whaiapu’s 46th minute try with Arama Hau recording a line break assist that led to Wailer Whaiapu’s try. Forty metres out from the line, Arama Hau received the ball to the right of the play the ball and took the ball to the defensive line before throwing an inside ball to his front rower who then charged away, drew the fullback and got the ball away to Wailer Whaiapu who scored under the posts.

Arama Hau then started at lock in Keebra Park SHS’s Langer Cup Quarter Final against Marymount College with Arama Hau along with EJ Finau making the opening tackle of the match after Keebra Park SHS had kicked off. Arama Hau made a further strong tackle in the 6th minute when from a Marymount College penalty tap restart, Arama Hau charged forward and smashed the Marymount College front rower No. 10 with Arama Hau’s heavy hit forcing the front rower to lose the ball.

In the 13th minute Arama Hau ran the ball to the right of the play the ball from forty metres out from his own try line with Arama Hau making twenty metres before getting away a trade mark off-load.

Arama Hau made another strong charge in the 51st minute from a Keebra Park SHS penalty tap restart with Arama Hau receiving the ball twenty five metres out from the try line and charging to five metres out before he was finally stopped by multiple Marymount College defenders. The in the 58th minute Arama Hau made a smart twenty metre run to get the ball to the halfway mark.

Arama Hau also started at lock and captain in the 2022 Langer Cup Semi-Final against PBC SHS with Arama Hau making a strong line break in the 25th minute when Arama Hau burst onto the ball to the right of the play the ball twenty metres out from his own try line with Arama Hau charging forty metres downfield before being brought down by PBC SHS fullback Keano Kini.

At the completion of the 2022 School Boy Langer Cup competition Arama Hau was named at lock in the 2022 Courier Mail Langer Cup Team of the Season. Arama Hau was also named as the sixth best School Boy Rugby League or Rugby player in the 2022 Courier Mail Top 30 school boys.

At the 2022 Keebra Park SHS Sports Awards Arama Hau was named the 2022 Senior Sports Person of the Year. Arama Hau was also named the 2022 Keebra Park SHS Rugby League Most Valuable Player and was also named in the second row in the 2022 Keebra Park SHS Rugby League Team of the Year.

Arama Hau started at left second row in Round Two of the 2022 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition for the Burleigh Bears in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls and what a debut Arama Hau had by scoring a first half double.

Arama Hau’s first Hastings Deering’s Colts try came in the 28th minute when after receiving the ball around twenty two metres from the line Arama Hau charged forward, dummying to his left, before executing a left foot step to beat Jaylan De Groot to score a great debut Colts try six metres in from the left corner post.

Arama Hau completed his double in the 37th minute when he charged onto the ball as it was spun to the right from close to the left touchline with Arama Hau bursting between two defenders ten metres out from the line and after that no one and I mean no one was going to stop Arama Hau from running around to put the ball down under the posts.

In fact Arama Hau almost scored in the 20th minute when after a seven metre run he got over the try line under the posts before being forced back into the field of play.

Arama Hua’s first touch of the ball in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition came in just the second minute of the match. Arama Hau then continued his strong match in the 43rd minute making a tough twelve metres to get Burleigh inside their attacking twenty metre area.

Arama Hau continued his outstanding Hastings Deering’s Colts debut in the 53rd minute when after receiving the ball down a wide left blindside around eight metres from the try line, Arama Hau cut back to his right spinning 360 degrees twice and getting to around a metre out from the line next to the left upright before his forward momentum was halted.

Arama Hau proved that his game is not all about attack in the 54th minute with a crunching left shoulder tackle on his opposite number.

Arama Hau continued at left second row in Round Three against the Western Clydesdales and was heavily involved on Samuel Shannon’s sixth minute try when he engaged the Clydesdales defensive line on the left side of the field from close range and after drawing in a number of defenders Arama Hau was able to get a right arm off-load away which then went through hands until Samuel Shannon crashed over.

Just prior that in the 3rd minute Arama Hau made a strong seventeen metre line break down the left channel to within forty metres of the try line with Arama Hau then awarded a penalty to put Burleigh deeper into attack.

Arama Hau made a further line break in the 19th minute when from near halfway Arama Hau ran onto the ball to the right of the dummy half and in a great run Arama Hau broke an exceptional seven tackles before once again producing a great right arm off-load to his fullback to promote the ball further.

Arama Hau was once again named at left second row for Burleigh in Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies however he was a late scratching after being selected in the Queensland U18 Emerging Origin Squad.

2022 also saw Arama Hau line up for the Nerang Roosters once again in the GCRL U18 Division One competition with Arama Hau starting at halfback in Round Thirteen against the Runaway Bay Seagulls.

Arama Hau recorded a try assist in the 11th minute when from ten metres out and to the left of the play the ball Arama Hau threw a long, hard, flat cut-out pass to his left to put Kyen Murphy over to score in the left corner.

Arama Hau was also heavily involved in Jeremaiah Temapo’s 26th minute try when Arama Hau ran the ball to his left from a Nerang scrum win with Arama Hau throwing an overhead pass to fullback Shannon Donaldson who then got the ball away to Jeremaiah Tempo who beat two defenders to score.

Arama Hau made a line break of his own in the 15th minute when he charged twenty five metres down a short left blindside to get the ball within twenty five metres of the try line.

Arama Hau recorded a further line break in the 37th minute when he ran onto a Xavier Collins off-load from his right with Arama Hau charging twenty five metres into Runaway Bay territory before Arama Hau put in a left foot grubber kick back towards the centre of the field with the kick being knocked on by Runaway Bay. Nerang scored from the subsequent scrum win through Jeremaiah Temapo.

Arama Hau then started from the bench in Round Sixteen against the Burleigh Bears with Arama Hau scoring a long range try in the 36th minutes when whilst defending on the left and just two metres out from his own try line, Arama Hau took a hard Burleigh kick on the full and ran ninety eight metres down the field to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Arama Hau also made a line break in the 29th minute when after receiving the ball from Josh Lynn from a Burleigh kick-off, Arama Hau produced a powerful right arm fend to beat the initial Bears defender with Arama Hau then bursting forty metres down the left touchline but unfortunately his pass inside back to Josh Lynn went to ground.

In January 2021 Arama Hau started from the bench for the Titans U17 side in their annual match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights and was outstanding when he came on with a number of powerful charges as the Titans came away with an impressive 32 – 20 victory with no conversions take and the match played in hot and steamy conditions.

In his time on the field Arama Hau worked on both the left and right sides of the ruck and as noted above produced some outstanding charges, none more impressive one than late in the first half when from the left second row position Arama Hau surged twenty metres downfield with most of the ground that he made being accounted for post contact with the Knights defensive line. Late in the second half, Arama Hau produced another outstanding run, charging fifteen metres downfield after receiving a before the line short off-load from Joseph Shannon.

Early in the second half Arama Hau showcased his own off-loading skills when he produced an outstanding one armed (right arm) off load to Shane Davis-Caldwell with three defenders trying to get him onto the ground. Late in the match, Arama Hau produced another outstanding one armed off-load this left with his left arm when he was able to offload to Shane Davis-Caldwell once again.

Arama Hau put an exclamation mark on his attacking performance with a great twenty metre charge from the Titans set of six after Keano Kini’s try when he knocked Newcastle forwards backwards as he steamed through the centre of the ruck.

Defensively Arama Hau was also very effective, including a try saving tackle mid-way through the second half. The Knights attacker actually got over the Titans line right under the posts, but before he could get the ball down, Arama Hau literally just lifted him off the ground and drove him back and then crunching him into the ground back in the field of play in a display of immense power and strength.

Even late in the match, Arama Hau continued to work hard and with Newcastle looking to bring the ball off their own line, Arama Hau made three impressive tackles in a row to force the Knights to kick from deep inside their own twenty metre area. Arama Hau’s first tackle in the three tackle sequence was a huge front on hit on the Knights second rower No. 11 which stopped him in his tracks. Whipping his head back in the process.

From the subsequent play the ball, Arama Hau monstered the Knights No. 17, rag dolling him backwards and then to complete the sequence Arama Hau took the legs out from under the No. 20 before he had made any ground at all to mean that in the three tackle sequence, Newcastle had not made any ground at all and were definitely on the back foot as a result.

In June 2021 Arama Hau had a distinction of captaining the Titans U17 JTS squad that played at Cbus Stadium against a Titans Northern Rivers U18 selection, with the match being played as a curtain raiser to the Titans Round Fourteen NRL match against the Sydney Roosters.

Arama Hau had an outstanding match including a great off-load after he charged downfield thirty metres before getting his right arm free and offloading to his left to Keano Kini who raced away from forty five metres out to score a spectacular try untouched.

Arama Hau’s first hit-out with the 2021 Burleigh Bears MM Cup side came when he started at lock in the Bears second trial against the Easts Tigers.

Arama Hau had a very impressive trial building into the match in the opening minutes with a great charge in just the 2nd minute of the match, making eight metre post contact. Arama Hau was at it again in the 12th minute of the match when another powerful charge from inside his own territory netted sixteen hard fought metres. As he tried to get to his feet after the strong run Arama Hau was held down thus winning the Titans well deserved penalty.

Arama Hau continued his great running game in the 33rd minute with another strong carry, making a further twelve metres, plenty of which was post contact. Arama Hau impressively in the final minute was still running as hard as he had in the opening minutes, making a further twelve metres in his last hit-out of the match even though the match had been well and truly won by the Titans.

Arama Hau was just as effective defensively in the match including a huge front on tackle on the Easts No. 20 in the 25th minute just saw the ball jolted lose such was the force of Arama Hau’s initial contact on the ball carrier.

Also in the 50th minute, Arama Hau came out of the line when defending on the right of the ruck to smash his opposite number dropping him on the spot as he was trying to bring the ball out of his own territory.

After missing Round One of the 2021 MM Cup competition Arama Hau was named to start at lock for Round Two against the Ipswich Jets and was one of the Bears try scorers in their impressive 44 – 16 victory.

Arama Hau had a strong first half with his try coming in the 10th minute of the match. Arama Hau ran the ball to the right, starting his run from eleven metres out. Arama Hau cut back off his left foot on two occasions getting Arama Hau in the area behind the play the ball and once there Arama Hau straightened out to burst through and score three metres from the left upright.

A minute prior to scoring, Arama Hau was also part of a long Burleigh break down the left side of the field. Arama Hau took the ball off Caleb Gould-Waiariki who was the dummy half and after a bustling ten metre, run off-loaded to Caleb Gould Waiariki who darted thirty metres down field with Arama Hau scoring just two tackles later.

Arama Hau continued his powerful running post his try, including in the 13th minute when he charged to his right, making ten metres before offloading to his right to Tuvalli Khan-Pereira to keep the movement going in the Ipswich Jets twenty metre area.

In the 46th minute, Arama Hau continued to be almost unstoppable with a seventeen metre run from a play the ball restart with at least eleven of those metres post contact as he fought with the Jets defenders who found it difficult to get Arama Hau to the ground.

Arama Hau was at it again in the 63rd minute with a skilful display of his hand/eye co-ordination. With Ipswich on the attack close to the line, the Jets five eight put in a hard grubber kick, Arama Hau got low and scooped the ball up from around ankle height cleanly five metres out and immediately accelerated to get the ball to near the twenty metre mark and take all of the pressure of the Burleigh defence.

Arama Hau just could not be kept out of the match and in the 66th minute, produced a winding run that made ten metres, breaking two tackles along the way to get the ball to the Ipswich twenty metre mark.

Even with the match won, Arama Hau just kept going and in the 69th minute, Arama Hau made twelve more metres to add to his impressive match total, with the effort bringing the ball out to the twenty metre mark.

Arama Hau once again started at lock in the Round Three Gold Coast derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls and for me was the best player on the field on the way to recording a try assist and at least two line break assists.

Arama Hau’s first contribution of the match came in the opening tackle of the match when he monstered Tweed Heads lock Jordan Lewis after Burleigh were penalised for being offside from the kick-off. Arama Hau backed that tackle up by then tackling Jack Cullen who took the next hit-up.

Over the course of the match against the Seagulls Arama Hau provided extremely difficult to get to the ground and that was the case in the 6th minute when Arama Hau was able to get a great one handed off-load for Brody Smitka to promote the ball forward.

Just three minutes later in the 9th minute Arama Hau produced a big run of eighteen metres. Arama Hau was initially hit by the defence after just eight metres but he just kept fighting forward to gain ten post contact metres.

Arama Hau’s huge match continued in the 12th minute with a ten metre charge before a right arm off-load by Arama Hau to Kaden Somerville enabled Burleigh to continue to make ground.

Just five minutes later in the 17th minute saw Arama Hau once again make significant metres, this time twenty metres, breaking three tackles along the journey to get Burleigh just over the halfway mark.

The halftime break did not slow Arama Hau down as in the 41st minute of the match he charged onto the ball to the left of the dummy half for all intents and purposes looking like he was going to take the ball into the defensive line but at the last moment before contact Arama Hau threw a great short ball to his left to C****n Patu in space to record a line break assist.

After Patu was brought down Arama Hau flew onto the ball from Patu’s play the ball engaging the Seagulls defensive line before throwing a great left arm offload to his left to put Travis May into a big gap (another line break assist for Arama Hau) with the Burleigh five eight getting to within ten metres of the try line.

Then in the 53rd minute Arama Hau produced another strong run to the left of the play the ball breaking four tackles on the way to making eighteen metres to get the ball close to the twenty metre mark.

After that exceptional sequence of events most players would have sat back for a couple of minutes but not Arama Hau as in the 57th minute he charged onto the ball on the left side of the field, surging twenty metres including a clockwise spin to break one tackle then Arama Hau threw a great right arm off-load to an unmarked Jeremaiah Temapo to run fifteen metres to score in the left corner.

Arama Hau followed his try assist up in the 63rd minute with yet another strong run on the left before cutting back to the right side of the field and offloading to Tuvalli Khan-Pereira who as able to get the ball to within fifteen metres of the try line. Arama Hau’s run gaining fifteen metres.

Arama Hau was also named to start at lock for Round Four match against the Souths Logan Magpies.

Arama Hau also started at lock in Round Five against the Ipswich Jets. Burleigh were immediately under pressure in the opening moments of the match and but for Arama Hau and team mates, Seth Nikotemo and Tuvalli Khan-Pereira, Ipswich would have opened the scoring in the 4th minute when the Ipswich No. 10 was held up over the line.

Arama then rocked the entire Cbus stadium with a huge hit on the Ipswich lock early in the first half who had run an underneath route running right into the shoulder of Arama Hau who certainly did not miss.

Arama Hau was involved in an even bigger earth trembling collision when in the 58th minute Arama Hau smashed into Ipswich front rower and fellow Titan Josiah Pahulu after a Burleigh kick-off with the contact stopping both players in their tracks, it was great to see and let’s call the outcome a draw!

In the 51st Arama Hau contribution to the Bears comeback victory moved to his running game when he produced a strong run into the defensive before he spun around and got away a right arm offload to Delahia Wigmore who was able to get to within five metres of the try line.

Arama Hau then backed that effort up by taking the hit-up after Wigmore had played the ball, offloading once again, this time to his right, two further passes to the right later, Burleigh scored near the right corner.

Round Six being the final regular season round of the 2021 MM Cup competition saw Arama Hau once again named at lock in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls however he was a late scratching from the match.

In the Queensland Rugby League 2021 MM Cup Player of the Year Award Arama Hau was awarded three votes.

Post the 2021 MM Cup competition, Arama Hau once again played for the Nerang Roosters in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition with his first appearance coming in Round Two of the U18 Division One competition when he interestingly started at five eight against the Currumbin Eagles.

I am not sure whether Arama Hau has ever played at five eight before but he had an outstanding match from the position and could not have started the match any better including fielding the kick off in his own in-goal and then he backed that up by taking the second hit-up of the match to get the ball thirty metres away from his own line.

Arama Hau recorded a try assist in the match in the 42nd minute when he drifted across field to his right and put his right centre Taniela Lotaki into a gap sixteen metres out.

One of the key features of Arama Hau’s match was his off-loading, the Eagles just could not handle it. Arama Hau’s first off-load came in the 7th minute when after taking the line on, Arama Hau was able to get the ball away to his hooker. The in the 12th minute, Arama Hau once again charged at the line to get within two metres before he was able to get his right arm free and off-load to Dorian Lotaki.

Another Arama Hau off-load came in the 29th minute when he ran the ball into the Currumbin defensive line and then was able to get his right arm free to offload to his fullback, Arama Hau stayed alive subsequently getting the ball back from the fullback and then Arama Hau burst through two tackles and once again producing a right arm off-load to get the play going.

Arama Hau took another hit-up in the 42nd minute to the left of the dummy half out to the thirty metre line before once again producing a right arm offload to his fullback to back a further ten metres.

In the 25th minute Arama Hau once again took the Currumbin line on with his effort starting just four metres out from his own line with Arama Hau getting the ball out to the twenty metre line before he was tackled. Arama Hau was subsequently awarded a penalty when he was prevented from getting to his feet. Arama Hau took a quick tap, making a further ten metres, before you guessed it, he offloaded once again with his right arm.

Just three minutes later in the 38th minute, Arama Hau once again produced a right arm offload after engaging the defensive line, on that occasions inside the attacking twenty metre area. In the 48th minute a right arm flock pass from Arama Hau after he had engaged the line from a Nerang scrum win enabled his right centre to make ten metres.

Arama Hau put an exclamation mark on his match in the 57th minute when he charged at the defensive line, making twelve metres before offloading to one of his front rowers with the pass coming less than ten metres from the try line.

Arama Hau started at halfback in Round Three against Runaway Bay and scored as the Roosters recorded a 22- 4 win.

Arama Hau scored once again in Round Four after moving to five eight as his Roosters side defeated the Ormeau Shearers 30 – 14.

In Round Five against the Southport Tigers, Arama Hau came off the bench in the Roosters 34 – 12 victory and also come off the bench in Round Six against the Helensvale Hornets, before moving back into the starting side at five eight in Round Seven against Mudgeeraba.

Arama Hau also continued at five eight in Round Nine against the Currumbin Eagles and scored a double in Nerang’s hard fought loss.

Round Ten against the Runaway Bay Seagulls saw Arama Hau start at right centre and score one of the individual tries of the year to date in the 50th minute.

Arama Hau originally received the ball forty five metres from the line to the right of the play the ball and initially shaped to pass to his right before cutting back to his left. Subsequent left and right foot steps saw Arama Hau beat two defenders and then he produced a great right arm flick offload to his trailing fullback. Arama Hau then kept alive to get the ball back from the fullback ten metres out. Aram Hau then proceeded to beat four defenders to crash over adjacent to the left upright to score a try few others would have even come close to scoring.

Arama Hau moved to halfback against the Burleigh Bears and had a very solid game and almost got his name on the try scoring list in the 15th minute when he charged into the ball from fifteen metres out but Arama Hau was eventually held up under the posts.

The Burleigh match also saw Arama Hau record a 36th minute try assist when he ran to his right before throwing a no look short pass to his right second rower to run into a gap to score near the posts.

Arama Hau showed his intelligence in the 20th minute when after finding himself in dummy half on the final tackle close to the line, put in a short right foot grubber kick to force Burleigh to restart from a goal line drop out.

When rugby league recommenced on the Gold Coast in late August 2021 after the Covid 19 lockdown, Arama Hau was named to start at halfback for Nerang in Round Eleven against the Ormeau Shearers.

Round Twelve against the Southport Tigers saw Arama Hau moved to five eight with Arama Hau putting on a dominating display especially in relation to off-loading the ball with Southport simply unable to stop Arama Hau from getting the ball away.

Arama Hau recorded a try assist in the 14th minute of Nerang’s 46 – 6 victory when he took the ball to the line whilst operating on the right side of the field less than ten metres from the line before popping a good short ball to his right to put his lock forward over to score.

Arama Hau was also heavily involved in Immanuel Kalekale’s 44th minute try. The movement started 100 metres downfield with Southport on the attack. After Southport put in a short grubber kick, Arama Hau picked up the ball on the bounce on his own goal line and raced sixty metres downfield before positioning Jeremaiah Temapo in his inside after he had cut in off his right wing.

After receiving Arama Hau’s inside pass, Jeremaiah Temapo passed to his left to Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki as three Southport defenders converged on him. Dorian Mapusua-Lotaki then ran twenty five metres to cross the line on the right side of the field before bringing the ball around to under the posts and then waiting for Immanuel Kalekale to get there.

The first of many off-loads from Arama Hau came in just the 3rd minute of the match when after making twenty metres from a strong charge through the centre of the ruck to the halfway mark which included a strong left arm fend, Arama Hau produced a good right arm off-load with the ball going to the left side of the field.

Arama Hau added another right arm off-load in the 9th minute after a hit-up on the left side of the field accounted for twenty more metres before getting the off-load away. Then just two minutes later in the 11th minute Arama Hau ran to the left side of the field, breaking the line from fifteen metres out before he was able to produce a great right arm flick off-load to traffic to his lock who got to within a metre of the line. The 13th minute saw Arama Hau off-load once again after he made fifteen metres running to his right.

Then in the 24th minute, Arama Hau made a line break down the left touchline with his run commencing just inside his own territory. When he was confronted by the Southport fullback Arama Hau put in a left foot kick back towards centre field which was retrieved by the Nerang left centre.

Arama Hau produced a smart effort in the 38th minute when after a Southport kick went dead in goal, Arama Hau raced out to the twenty metre line for a quick restart making fifteen metres with the Southport defence still back peddling.

Arama Hau added another off-load in the 40th minute when he took the defensive line on from twenty five metres out, getting to within ten metres of the line before Arama Hau was able to off-load to his right to his lock.

Arama Hau continued at five eight and captain in Round Thirteen against the Helensvale Hornets, recording two try assists as well as kicking a conversion for Nerang’s final try of the match with a solid left foot strike from just to the right of the uprights.

Arama Hau’s opening try assist came in the 18th minute when he moved into dummy half eight metres from the line. After moving subtly to his right he passed in the same direction to put one of his second rowers over next to the right upright.

Arama Hau added a second try assist in the 25th minute when he received the ball still eighty five metres out from the try line to the right of a Roosters scrum win. Arama Hau initially stepped off his right foot and then dummied in the same direction before stepping off his right foot once again to beat two defenders as break through the Helensvale line before drawing the Helensvale fullback and pass to his right to put Taniela Lotaki over in the right corner.

Arama Hau also made a line break in the 28th minute when he ran the ball down a short right blindside making forty metres before once again off-loading to send Taniela Lotaki forty metres further upfield.

Arama Hau made yet another line break in the 53rd minute when he made a winding twenty five metre run that included four dummies and four tackle breaks to get the ball to ten metres inside Helensvale territory.

Arama Hau’s strong match kicked off in the 13th minute when he made fifteen metres after running to the left after a Roosters scrum before off-loading to his left near the halfway mark.

Arama Hau off-loaded once again in the 44th minute when he ran down the left side of the field before producing a right arm off-load whilst in contact with two defenders.

Arama Hau was really showcasing all of his skills against Helensvale and showed off another in the 28th minute when he put in a left foot grubber kick from twenty metres out into the in-goal to his left with the Helensvale fullback subsequently being trapped in-goal.

Arama Hau then started the 2021 GCRL U18 Division One Preliminary Final at five eight and captain for the Roosters against the Ormeau Shearers and scored one of the Roosters tries as they qualified for the 2021 GCRL U18 Division One Grand Final on the back of an 18 – 16 victory.

Arama Hau scored in the 43rd minute when after receiving the ball on the right side of the field twenty metres out from the line, Arama Hau ran diagonally at the line with the ball out of in front of his body in two hands, shaping to pass back inside and also to his outside on a number of occasions. As he approached the defensive line, Aram Hau pulled the ball back in and broke three tackles to score wide out on the right side of the field.

The Preliminary Final also recorded a try assist in the 54th minute. Aram Hau ran onto the ball fifty five metres out from the line and to the left of the play the ball. Upon receipt of the ball Aram Hau cut to his left before straightening up and beating two defenders to break through the line. Arama Hau then ran thirty metres before drawing the Ormeau fullback and passing inside to his right to put Hasley McDonald over under the posts for what was ultimately the match winning try.

Early in the match, in the 7th minute to be exact, Arama Hau was also involved in the Roosters opening try when he threw the final pass on the left side of the field, twenty metres out for his right second rower to score wide out.

In the 2021 Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One Grand Final Arama Hau started at five eight and captained the Roosters side against the Helensvale Hornets and made an immediate impact on the Helensvale side with a monster hit in the opening minutes of the match on the Helensvale left winger who was trying to bring the ball off his own try line.

Arama Hau also recorded an impressive Grand Final try assist in the 45th minute when after receiving the ball on the halfway mark to the left of the play the ball, Arama Hau stepped off his left foot just after receipt of the ball to beat the initial defender before a left arm palm eliminated a second. Arama Hau then burst between two defenders to break into space and as he approached the Helensvale fullback, Arama Ahu stepped off his left and then stepped off his right to position Delahia Wigmore who ran thirty metres to score.

Arama Hau added a second Grand Final try assist in the 50th minute when he burst onto a pass from Dorian Lotaki just ten metres from his own line after the hooker had retrieved a Hornets attacking kick. Arama Hau beat two defenders to break into space and charged downfield. Near the forty metre line Arama Hau was surrounded by three defenders but had the foresight to put in a left foot grubber kick towards the right side of the field which was perfectly weighted for Kyen Murphy to run onto and score a great try.

Arama Hau then recorded a line break assist in the 58th minute when after receiving the ball on the left side of the field, he ran parallel to the Helensvale defensive line, drawing one defender out of the line before throwing a good short ball to his left to put Delahia Wigmore through a big gap.

Arama Hau was also involved in Kyen Murphy’s 35th minute try. Nerang spun the ball to the right with Arama Hau having to dive forward full length to take the ball, half Josh Lynn looped around behind the prone Arama Hau receiving the ball and then Josh Lynn threw a cut out pass to his right to Kyen Murphy in space with the fullback then able to beat three tackles to dive over in the right corner.

The 42nd minute of the Grand Final saw Arama Hau add a line break assist to his impressive match when after charging onto the ball to the left of the dummy half sixty metres from the try line, Arama Hau engaged one defender who tried to tackle him low but Arama Hau was able to maintain his balance and throw a great right arm off-load around the corner to his left to put Delahia Wigmore away with the second rower eventually off-loading for Jeremaiah Temapo to score near the left corner post.

The Grand Final saw Arama Hau make a lot of ground on his own from five eight, including in the 20th minute when he broke five tackles in a weaving run to get the ball inside Helensvale’s twenty metre area before off-loading to his right.

In the 6th minute, after a strong hit-up and off-load by Jeremaiah Temapo, Arama Hau received the ball on the left side of the field from Dorian Mapausua-Lotaki. After receipt of the ball around twenty metres from the line, Arama Hau drew the Helensvale right winger to send Delahia Wigmore away on an eighty metre run down the left touchline to score an outstanding Roosters team try.

In February 2021 Arama Hau took part in the South Coast Open school boy trials and was named on the bench for the South Coast Open A school boy side as a result of his trial performances, however he did not end up playing for South Coast in the Championships.

2021 also saw Arama Hau line up for Keebra Park PBC State High School in the South East Queensland School Boy Langer Cup competition starting Round One at lock against Marsden State High School.

Arama Hau could barely have gotten involved earlier in the match as in just the 2nd minute of the match, Arama Hau charged onto the ball, making twelve metres before getting his right arm free and getting away on off-load ten metres out directly in front of the posts. Arama Hau then took another hit-up just two tackles later.

With Keebra Park under intense pressure in the 8th minute, Arama Hau produced a try saving tackle on Marsden second rower Jieye Mauai who had charged at the try line from close range.

Arama Hau also started at lock in Round Two against Mabel Park State High School, making a strong twelve metre run from the fourth hit-up of the match and then in the 56th minute, Arama Hau made a big run on the left side of the field making fifteen metres before producing a sublime right arm off-load with three defenders on him.

Arama Hau continued at lock in Round Three against Ipswich State High School and had a big match including an initial contribution in the 10th minute when he made a strong fifteen metres over the halfway mark and then was able to off-load. Arama Hau made a further strong run in the 14th minute when he made twelve metres with at least 60% of those metres post contact.

Arama Hau continued his strong match in the second half, including in the 47th minute when he charged through a gap near halfway before off-loading to his left. Keebra Park scored later in the same play when De’ontae Perese received an off-load six metres from the line and put the ball down under the posts.

From the set of six from the above mentioned try, Arama Hau made a further twenty five metres and once again was able to off-load on that occasion to Blake Mozer.

Arama Hau continued at lock in Round Four against St Mary’s College Toowoomba and also started at lock in the Round Five local derby against PBC.

After the competition was suspended for a number of weeks due to a Covid 19 lock down, Arama Hau was named at lock for Keebra Park State High School in their semi-final against PBC State High School with Arama Hau taking Keebra Park’s opening hit-up of the match.

Arama Hau was outstanding for Keebra Park in the match and came close to scoring in the 21st minute when a strong charge resulted in Arama Hau being held up over the line, directly under the posts.

Arama Hau added a line break to his impressive match with a great thirty metre effort through centre field.

At the 2021 Keebra Park State High School Sports Awards Night Arama Hau was named at lock in the 2021 Keebra Park Team of the Year.

In late August 2021, Arama Hau was named in the Queensland City U17 squad for a two match series against a Queensland U17 Country squad with Arama Hau starting the match from the bench.

Playing twenty five minutes Arama Hau ran for ninety eight metres (thirty two post contact), made a line break, broke four tackles and made eleven tackles at a 100% tackling efficiency.

Arama Hau took the field for the Titans in February 2019 for one of their two U15 sides at Mudgeeraba that played round robin matches against each other and the Western Mustangs.

As a result of his performance in that game and over recent seasons, Arama Hau, in early 2019 deservedly signed a contract with the Titans which will keep him with the club for the next couple of seasons at least.

In January 2020 Arama Hau started in the second row for the Titans U16 side that defeated the Newcastle Knights U16 Harold Matthews side in Coffs Harbour in January 2020 18 -14 in wet and slippery conditions.

In February 2020 Arama Hau was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U16 Training Squad but unfortunately the South East Queensland U16 pre-season Challenge was cancelled just days before the Challenge was set to start in Ipswich.

Arama Hau played the 2020 school boy rugby league season as part of the Keebra Park Year Ten Walters Cup side, including starting at left second row in their 14 – 12 semi-final 14 – 12 loss to Marsden State High School. A match that saw Arama Hau score a double with both tries coming in the second half.

Arama Hau’s first try came when he ran down a short blind side, breaking four tackles whilst maintaining his balance to slam the ball down one handed a metre in from the left corner post. In relation to his second try, Arama Hau had initially came back underneath a Keebra Park play to the left but did not get the ball, Arama Hau reset himself to take the hit up from the subsequent play the ball, taking the ball to the right off the dummy half, before cutting back behind the play the ball to charge over to bring Keebra Park within two points late.

Arama Hau also had an outstanding match earlier in the year in the Walters Cup regular rounds against St Mary’s in Round Five, scoring an outstanding try and well as one of the best hit-ups I have seen by a rugby league forward.

Arama Hau’s try came in the second half of Keebra Park’s big 52 – 0 victory. Arama Hau took the ball three passes off the ruck on the left side of the field, bursting through the St Mary’s line and charging seventy metres down the left touch line, easily beating the St Mary’s fullback with pace and was even able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.

As noted, in the match Arama Hau also made one of the best runs that I have seen. In the opening minutes of the match from a tap restart from a Keebra Park penalty, Arama Hau took the ball off the penalty restart charging onto the ball from forty metres out, powering through the initial defensive line and dragging four defenders to within ten metres of the try line. Keebra Park scoring from the ensuing play the ball.

Arama Hau played the 2020 club season with the Nerang Roosters in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition including an outstanding display at lock in Round Nine against Runaway Bay and was the Roosters sole try scorer in the match when he dived to ground the ball with his right hand from a kick from the Nerang dummy half that had rebounded into the in goal area. Arama Hau was in the thick of what was an intense forward battle in the hard fought 10 – 4 loss.

Arama Hau also started at lock as Nerang took on Runaway Bay in the 2020 U16 Division One Major semi-final and scored as well as recording a try assist as Nerang defeated Runaway Bay 36 – 4. Arama Hau’s try assist came early in the first half. Arama Hau took a hit up to the right of the play the ball, cutting back into the area behind the play the ball and offloading a pass out of the back of his left arm to his support runner to score.

Arama Hau’s try also came in the first half when he charged onto a pass from the dummy half to the left and the play the ball, bursting through two defenders at the defensive line to score, fifteen metres in from the left corner post.

In late October 2020, Arama Hau was named in the 2021 Burleigh MM Cup squad.

In late 2019 Arama Hau was part of the Titans U15 side that defeated a touring Balmain Tigers U15 side 38 – 14 with Arama Hau starting the match from the bench, coming on to play in the left second row position.

Over the 2018-19 off season Arama Hau transferred from Helensvale to the Nerang Roosters, starting from the bench in their U15 Division One Round One match against Ormeau but coming into the starting side in Round Two in the second row and maintaining his place in the Roosters starting side for the remainder of the 2019 season.

In total in the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One regular season competition in 2019 Arama Hau played in eleven matches for the Roosters playing the vast majority in the second row scoring three tries, with those tries coming against Helensvale in two separate matches and Ormeau.

In Week Two of the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One Finals series Arama Hau started in the second row against Runaway Bay and also started in the second row in the Preliminary Final as Nerang defeated Helensvale 22 – 18.

In the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One Grand Final Arama Hau was simply outstanding starting at left second row scoring two tries as Runaway Bay prevailed in a hard 36 – 22 win over Runaway Bay. For me Arama Hau was clearly the best player on the field in the Grand Final.

Arama Hau’s first try came in the first half after he received the ball as Nerang threw the ball out to the left, Arama Hau cut back inside as the Runaway Bay defence slid across but they could not stop a great charge from Arama Hau who scored under the posts dragging two defenders over the line with him.

Arama Hau scored his second try in the second half, after he made a long break down the right touchline passing back inside before going into touch. Arama Hau moved into dummy half from the resultant play the ball to dive over down a short blind side from about a metre out to the right of the play the ball.

2019 also saw Arama Hau represent South Coast at the QSSRL U15 Championships in Ipswich with South Coast going through undefeated, with Arama Hau scoring against Met East on Day Three of the Championships when he was able to score under the posts after a typically powerful hit-up which saw Arama Hau drag a number of defenders over the line with him once again.

Arama Hau was also a stand-out performer for Coombabah State High School in their various schoolboy rugby league competitions in 2019 which resulted in his selection in the South Coast school boy U15 representative side for the U15 QSSRL Championships.

In 2018 Arama Hau started in the front row in the Gold Coast Rugby League U14 Division One Grand Final and was on the victorious side as the Hornets defeated Coomera 29 – 12 along with a number of others Titans players.

In the 2018 U14 Division One competition in total, Arama Hau played in eleven matches, scoring his sole try in Round One against Beaudesert and kicked two goals, including one in the match against Beaudesert (converting his own try from memory) to finish the season with eight points.

In 2018 Arama Hau was part of the Helensvale Hornets U14 side that took part in the Tassell Trophy competition in Northern Queensland and scored a try in the final as Helensvale won the competition courtesy of a 40 – 6 win over the Western Lions in the final.

Arama Hau also made a number of representative sides in 2018, including playing for the Gold Coast Vikings U14 side in the South East Queensland Age Championships where he played primarily in the second row and scored against the Ipswich Diggers.

Arama Hau scored one try in the 2018 U14 Championships scoring on Day One as SEQ Green defeated SEQ White 20 – 14, fellow Titans that also scored in that match were Joseph Shannon and Nicholas Hilton.

That was the second occasion Arama Hau had represented the Vikings after being part of the U13 squad in 2017.

Arama Hau was also part of the Helensvale Hornets U14 side that won the Tassell Trophy in 2018 scoring in the Hornets 40 – 6 Tournament final victory over the Western Lions.

Post the South East Queensland U13 Championships in 2017, Arama Hau was selected in the South East Queensland Green side for the Queensland Age Championships and played four matches from the bench including the final against South East Queensland White.
Arama Hau is a powerful runner of the ball who runs with a slight jink, usually off his right foot, in his step prior to impacting the defensive line and from when he receives the ball until he hits the defensive line Arama Hau is able to build up significant momentum.
Arama Hau shows some more than reasonable pace when in the clear for a player his size and certainly in terms of his speed off the mark Arama Hau has some decent speed for a front rower. Also when he has impacted the defensive line he continues to pump his legs and gain extra metres after contact.
As noted he is a solidly built young second rower with outstanding footwork Arama Hau and also shows will show flashes of the ability to off load the ball and with experience this attribute will continue to develop both in terms of when he has impacted the defensive line and prior to contact.
Arama Hau’s lateral movement is outstanding for a big second rower and he is powerful enough to combat the largest of opponents looking to run through the centre of the ruck yet has the mobility to be an effective defender on the fringes of the ruck as well.

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

2023 will see Arama Hau play for the Burleigh Bears in the Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and Arama Hau is also Colts eligible in 2024. It would not surprise however if Arama Hau, through the sheer weight of his performances forces his was into the conversion for a Queensland Cup debut for the Bears late in the 2023 season.

Arama Hau spent time in the front row in 2018 at the U14 representative level but even though I am sure that he could be able to play well in the front row over the next couple of seasons, I am of the opinion that Arama Hua’s ultimate future lies in the second row.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Arama Hau I would consider a player comparison with new Canterbury Bulldogs, former Penrith Panthers and Fiji International destructive left second rower Viliame Kikau as more than appropriate. Both Kikau and Arama Hau are exceptionally destructive on the fringes of the ruck on the left side and take a power of stopping by defences. Similarly both Kikau and Arama Hau have great off-loading skills that can unlock a defence at any time, no matter how well drilled they are.

[mdrew]

Matthew Barrow. The local young local outside back originally from the Jimboomba Thunder junior rugby league club early in 2020 signed a multi-year contract with the Titans after his outstanding 2019 performances for the Thunder and in Gold Coast and South East Queensland junior representative sides, playing mainly on the left wing for each of the above mentioned sides.

In January 2023 Matthew Barrow started on the left wing for the Titans U19 side in their annual match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights.
In late September 2022 Matthew Barrow was named in the 2023 Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 MM Cup squad for the second season in a row.

In late January 2022 Matthew Barrow started on the wing for the Titans U18 JTS side in a match at Pizzey Park against the Burleigh Hastings Deering’s Colts side.

In mid-December 2021 Matthew Barrow had the opportunity to train with the Titans NRL squad in a joint training session between the Titans NRL squad and the Titans JTS Program Squads.

In early November 2021 Matthew Barrow was named in the 2022 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad.

Round One of the 2022 MM Cup competition saw Matthew Barrow named on the left wing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Souths Logan Magpies.

In the 19th minute Matthew Barrow scored the first try of the 2022 U18 Mal Meninga Cup competition when he dived over in the left corner after good lead up work by Keano Kini. In fact Matthew Barrow played the ball and then got back into position quickly on his left wing to take the pass from Keano Kini after the Seagulls fullback had drawn the Souths Logan right winger out of the defensive line.

Matthew Barrow was also named on the left wing for Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins and after the Seagulls had a Round Three bye, Matthew Barrow also started on the left wing in Round Four against the Easts Tigers with Matthew Barrow scoring a second half try in the Seagulls big win.

Matthew Barrow scored in the 46th minute when from near the halfway mark he was put away down the left touchline and then he dummied to his inside to beat the Tigers fullback with Matthew Barrow then able to bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Matthew Barrow almost scored in the 9th minute when he raced towards the left corner from forty metres out after he received a great cut-out ball from Josh Lynn, but just as he seemingly beat the last Tigers defender, Matthew Barrow was ankle tapped from behind around eight metres out and before he was able to regain his feet, Matthew Barrow was grounded just two metres short.

Matthew Barrow made a line break in the 33rd minute when after good work on his inside Matthew Barrow was able to promote the ball thirty metres down the left touchline in the attacking twenty metre zone.

Matthew Barrow positioned himself well in the 31st minute when he tracked back to field a Tigers kick to the right corner. After taking possession of the ball when facing his own goal line Matthew Barrow wheeled around to his right and from just eight metres out from his own line Matthew Barrow was able to bring the ball out fifteen metres to over the twenty metre mark.

Matthew Barrow continued on the left wing in Round Five against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls scoring in the 21st minute when Josh Lynn put in a right foot chip kick towards the left wing which Matthew Barrow took on the full and comfortably put the ball down under little or no pressure.

Matthew Barrow then did well in the 58th minute when just a metre from his own try line he retrieved an attacking grubber kick directed towards his wing and Matthew Barrow then did well to get the ball out to the ten metre mark.

Matthew Barrow continued on the left wing in Round Six against the Norths Devils as well as in Round Seven in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears.

Matthew Barrow started on the left wing, No. 11 for the 2022 Ipswich Grammar School First XV side in Round One of the GPS School Boy Rugby First XV competition against Toowoomba Grammar School and continued on the left wing in Round Two against Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) with Matthew Barrow making two line breaks against Churchie.

Matthew Barrow made the first of his two line breaks in the 58th minute when from a scrum win on the opposite side of the field Ipswich Grammar School spun the ball to the left with Matthew Barrow receiving the ball around forty metres out and was able to progress the ball to within eighteen of the try line down the left touchline.

Matthew Barrow made his second line break of the match in the 67th minute when after he picked up the ball from the back of a ruck that had formed in the centre of the field and sixty metres out from the try line, Matthew Barrow broke through the Churchie defensive line before being tackled twenty metres out. Matthew Barrow was able to lay the ball back after being tackled with Ipswich Grammar School scoring wide out on the left from Matthew Barrow’s recycled ball.

Matthew Barrow continued on the left wing in Round Three against Brisbane Boys College as well as in Round Four against Brisbane Grammar School with Matthew Barrow scoring after just sixty two seconds when he raced twelve metres down the left touchline to score in the corner after the ball was spun from the opposite side of the field by Ipswich Grammar School.

Matthew Barrow also started on the left wing in Round Five against Brisbane State High School and Round Six against Gregory Terrace.

Matthew Barrow also started on the left wing in Round Nine against the Southport School (TSS) with Matthew Barrow scoring in the 47th minute when Matthew Barrow followed through a grubber kick by the Ipswich Grammar School outside centre from near the halfway with Matthew Barrow racing through to retrieve the ball on the bounce and run twenty metres to dive over to score five metres in from the left corner post.

In January 2021 Matthew Barrow started from the bench for the Titans U17 side in their annual match at Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights even though he was still U16 eligible in 2021. Matthew Barrow played on the right wing when he came on as the Titans recorded a well-deserved 32 – 20 victory.

Matthew Barrow’s first touch of the ball came late in the first half when he darted out of dummy half to the left of the play the ball on the half way mark to settle himself into the match in the 28th minute of the first half.

Matthew Barrow is also good defensively in the match, on one occasion early in the second half preventing a try and late in the first half preventing a long Knights run down the left touch line.

Late in the first half, around forty five metres out the Knights left side engineered an overlap that meant Matthew Barrow was facing three attackers, Matthew Barrow made the correct choice to come forward to take the correct attacker thus eliminating the threat.

Early in the second half, Newcastle made a break on Matthew Barrow’s inside, Matthew Barrow turned and chased and just as it looked like Newcastle would score in the left corner, Matthew Barrow came from the clouds so to speak, to tackle the Knights player from behind, knocking the ball loose.

Matthew Barrow finished the match with two line breaks and an impressive game leading 228 metres made running with the ball.

In June 2021 Matthew Barrow started on the left wing for a Titans U17 side that played a Titans Northern Rivers U18 squad at Cbus Stadium as a curtain raiser to the Titans Round Fourteen NRL match against the Sydney Roosters, making two long breaks down the left touchline in the later part of the second half.

The first of the two line breaks that Matthew Barrow made in the second half was a seventy five metre effort after he picked up a dropped ball, with Matthew Barrow getting to within eight metres of the line before he was brought down from behind. Matthew Barrow’s other line break accounted for fifty metres after he was put into space by Keano Kini.

Matthew Barrow was also involved in the Titans U15 Academy matches at Burleigh in March 2020 and post those round robin matches signed his contract with the Titans which will see him part of the outstanding Titans JTS program for the next couple of seasons at least.

In late October 2020, Matthew Barrow was named in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Cyril Connell Cup Academy Squad and when the split occurred Matthew Barrow was named in the Tweed Heads Cyril Connell Cup squad.

Matthew Barrow started at fullback in the first two quarters for the Seagulls in their final 2021 trial against the Souths Logan Magpies before moving to right centre in the third quarter. It was from that right centre position that Matthew Barrow produced a try saving tackle when he came from the clouds to bring down from behind the Magpies five eight who had broken through the line.

In the first two quarters whilst at fullback, Matthew Barrow had to be on his toes with all types of kicks coming his way but on each occasion Matthew Barrow was well positioned and had safe hands taking each type of kick comfortably.

On one occasion in the second quarter Matthew Barrow also chimed into the backline on the right throwing a good long cut-out pass to his right to put his winger into space down the touchline, whilst the winger ultimately forced into touch, it was still a good piece of work by Matthew Barrow.

Matthew Barrow started Round One of the 2021 Cyril Connell Cup at fullback as the Seagulls took on the Ipswich Jets and moved to the left wing for the Round Three local derby against the Burleigh Bears, scoring a double in the Seagulls 33 – 6 victory.

Matthew Barrow’s first try of the match was a long range affair coming in the 29th minute. With Burleigh attacking the line from close range they put in a grubber kick behind Tweed Heads left side defence, fullback Lewis Symonds got to the ball in the in goal darting to his left and getting the ball to Matthew Barrow who raced ninety metres untouched to score.

Matthew Barrow scored his second half try in the 43rd minute and it was a lot less spectacular. Matthew Barrow stayed close to the left touchline, receiving a looping pass which he took and took a step forward putting the ball down for probably the easiest try that he will ever score.

Matthew Barrow’s first contribution for the Seagulls in the match came in the opening minutes of the match when he was in a position to take a Burleigh clearing kick on the full and return the kick running hard into the Bears chasing defensive line.

Matthew Barrow backed that run up with another strong run in the 8th minute when he took the Burleigh kick-off after the Jacob Sa try on the full and charged into the defensive line and immediately fought to get to his feet and consequently was awarded a penalty when he was held down.

Matthew Barrow came off his left wing once again in the 13th minute to take a hit-up in centre field, making ten metres to get the ball out of their own twenty metre area. Matthew Barrow made even more metres in the 36th minute with a run of more than forty metres down the left side of the field, bumping off the first defender who had tried to tackle him front on. Matthew Barrow got within ten metres of the try line before two Burleigh defenders were finally able to break him down.

In the 42nd minute made a further strong run making ten metres and bringing the ball out of the Burleigh twenty metre area and Matthew Barrow was awarded a penalty when he was not allowed to his feet quickly. Being awarded that penalty was telling as from the subsequent kick for touch and set of six, Matthew Barrow scored in the left corner for his second try of the match.

Matthew Barrow rounded out a more than solid match in the 68th minute when he took a Burleigh kick-off from Keahn Skipps field goal, on the full, running the ball back to the Seagulls thirty five metre mark and put Tweed Heads back onto the attack immediately.

Matthew Barrow also produced another highlight reel play and so nearly pulled up a great try saving tackle in the 39th minute. Burleigh made a break through the centre of the field from long range and it looked a certain try but Matthew Barrow came from his left wing to five full length from behind dragging the bell loose just as the Burleigh player was about to score. The referee however called play on with Tana Tuhaka, the Burleigh five eight picking the ball up and diving over. The fact that a try was ultimately awarded should not detract however to the outstanding piece of play from Matthew Barrow.

Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies saw Matthew Barrow once against start on the left wing.

In 2018 and 2019 Matthew Barrow played for the Jimboomba Thunder in the GCJRL U13 and U14 competitions respectively being the outstanding performer in both of those sides including a three try and five goal effort in the 2018 U13 major semi-final 36 – 30 victory over Burleigh finishing the match with a twenty two point individual point haul.

In 2019 Matthew Barrow also represented the Gold Coast Vikings U14 representative side starting on the left wing at the Hill Stumner Championships that were held at Ipswich and post those Championships was named in the South East Queensland Green side for the Queensland U14 Age Championships with his South East Queensland Green side going on to win the Championship Final with Matthew Barrow certainly playing his part in the final with an impressive double showcasing his speed.

Matthew Barrow’s two tries in the 2019 Queensland U14 Age Championship Final both came in the first half and both were scored wide-out in the left corner. Matthew Barrow’s first try which was also the first try of the match came after a good backline movement put Matthew Barrow in space about twenty five metres out.

Matthew Barrow’s initial burst of speed took him past the immediate defender but Matthew Barrow had some work to do close to the line when he broke through a would be around the chest tackle by the Northern fullback who came across to try to knock him into touch about two metres out from the try line.

Matthew Barrow scored his second try of the Championship Final and the half after the half time siren had sounded. Matthew Barrow received a long loop pass to his left wing, which he took twenty metres out and outpaced the cover defence to score in the left corner untouched in a show of his express pace.

Matthew Barrow finished the Championships with a100% strike rate through his four matches which he started on the left wing in all of them, including scoring a double in the Championship Final against Northern in South East Queensland’s 26 – 4 victory that are described above. Jack Barrow also scored in Game One against Central and Game Two against Northern to round out his try scoring at the Championships.

The young left centre or winger (more recently) went on a try scoring blitz in 2017 for the entire GCRL U12 Division Two competition season amassing twenty three tries including four tries on four separate occasions which came in the opening two rounds against Mudgeeraba and Parkwood as well as against Southport and Currumbin and five tries in a Round Three clash against the Coomera Cutters. In Round Two against Parkwood, Matthew Barrow also converted five of his own tries and broke the 100 point barrier for the season finishing with 102.

Matthew Barrow also played one Division One U13 match in 2017 scoring against the Coomera Cutters in his debut match after scoring in the preceding U12 fixture against the same opposition to cap off an impressive day for the young outside back.

Matthew Barrow’s speed plays very well on a rugby league field and he is quite 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.

In addition to his speed Matthew Barrow 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 although his situational awareness and innate understanding of where the touch line is means that he understands when he should cut back inside thus not to risk being forced into touch.

I really like the way that Matthew Barrow runs at full speed regardless of the situation. When he has made a break Matthew Barrow runs at the full back at full pace and does not look to be too cute by trying to out think the opposing fullback. By running at speed directly at the fullback, Matthew Barrow, not only stops the lateral momentum of the fullback but also reduces the time that the fullback has to make a decision on how to defend against Matthew Barrow.

Like most of the modern day wingers Matthew Barrow also has the ability to find the try line in some unlikely situations where it appears that there is no way he could possibly get the ball down without going into touch. His straight line speed would be considered plus plus, Matthew Barrow is just incredibly quick both off the mark and when he is in motion.

Matthew Barrow has very good hands low to the ground on grubber kicks or when defenders drop bombs and uses his reach to get to the ball quickly before defenders. Matthew Barrow will also chase general play kicks with vigour trying to improve the effectiveness of his teams kicking game as well as gaining better field position for his team as the opposition are forced to use up tackles to get out of their own territory.

Matthew Barrow just seems to have the uncanny ability to take advantage of even the most remote opportunity to score, which ultimately is a trait that is naturally occurring rather than a process or mindset that can be taught or developed in any significant way.

In addition Matthew Barrow is also deceptively effective running out of dummy half trying to gain field position when bringing the ball out of their own territory. Normally running to the right of the play the ball (Matthew Barrow is a left winger to be fair), Matthew Barrow just seems to almost always make the initial defender miss.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, similarly Matthew Barrow just seems to make the initial defender miss often. What I also like in terms of kick returns is that Matthew Barrow does not jog after the ball, thus allowing the defence to converge, Matthew Barrow sprints after the ball to collect it and then makes an immediate decision whether to look to run around the defensive line if it is a short line or is staggered or just run the ball directly into the defensive line to make as much ground as possible.

Defensively one area that Matthew Barrow has impressed me is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick opposing outside backs to big strong powerful centres or backrowers running wider of the ruck in his direction.

Matthew Barrow seemingly has more strength that his size and body shape would dictate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

When he is outnumbered from a defensive perspective, Matthew Barrow has the ability to mirror the movement of the attacker with the ball and hold off committing to the tackle, thus forcing the attacker to commit to a course of action (either run the ball themselves or draw Matthew Barrow and pass.

This attribute of Matthew Barrow’s puts the pressure back onto the attacker and puts Matthew Barrow in a far better position to negate the paly himself or at the very least buys Matthew Barrow’s team mates time to come across in cover defence. Matthew barrow is just a smart defender in all types of situations and that holds him in very good stead into the future.

Regardless of where and how he defends Matthew Barrow sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent. Matthew Barrow just intuitively knows how to defend from a timing and technique perspective and rarely loses contact with the attacker once he has engaged them defensively.

Matthew Barrow uses this contact to redirect the momentum of the attacker towards the touch line. Matthew Barrow also gets low and this is able to get underneath any fend that is looking to hold Matthew Barrow off from him initiating contact with the body of his opponent and thus further disrupt his momentum.

Matthew Barrow will start the 2023 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad. Matthew Barrow will also return to Ipswich Grammar School and once again be the starting left winger in the GPS School Boy Ipswich Grammar School First XV side.

From a position perspective, Matthew Barrow has shown with his speed, elusiveness, try scoring ability and solid tackling technique and Matthew Barrow has an opportunity to be a very intriguing wing prospect in coming season.

Matthew Barrow has also spent a fair bit of time in the centres over the course of his junior rugby league career to date, but I think that ultimately Matthew Barrow will end up on the wing, specifically the left wing even though Graham and Matthew Barrow have completely different physical characteristics.

Matthew Barrow is not a giant of a winger from an overall size perspective, relying more on guile and outright speed and elusiveness to be a try scoring threat and to that extent an NRL player comparison to South Sydney Rabbitohs centre or winger Campbell Graham is more than a reasonable one.

Both Graham and Matthew Barrow are not the giant wingers that the modern game seems to currently (or certainly did) crave but they are smart as well as cunning and ultimately very very successful at finding their way to the try line even when on first glance their chances appeared unlikely when they initially received the ball.