My take on our top juniors

[mdrew]

Cai Garrett. The outstanding young centre or second rower commenced training with the Titans Northern Rivers U14 Academy in mid-November with the initial session held in Ballina.

In early March 2023 Cai Garrett was named on the wing in the Lismore Diocesan U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative Team to attend the Northern Country selection trials at South West Rocks out of St Johns College Woodlawn. Impressively Cai Garrett is still U14 eligible in 2023. In May 2023 Cai Garrett was then named in the 2023 NSW CCC Country U15 Rugby League Representative side.

2023 also saw Cai Garrett line up once again for the Ballina Seagulls in the Group One U14 competition with Ballina defeating the Kyogle Turkeys 44 – 4 in the Grand Final.

2023 also saw Cai Garrett represent the Far North Coast U14 Rugby Representative side at the 2023 New South Wales Country U14 Championships with Cai Garratt starting at outside centre (No. 13) with Cai Garrett scoring a hat trick against Illawarra and also scoring in a match against Eastwood.

In the 2023 Far North Coast Rugby competition, even though he was still U14 eligible Cai Garrett lined up for Wollongbar Alstonville in the U15 competition starting Round One at fly half and scoring a double against Ballina.

Cai Garrett then moved to inside centre (No. 12) and scored against Lismore City in Round Seven and the Byron Shire Rebels in Round Eight. Cai Garrett continued at inside centre in Round Nine against Ballina with Cai Garrett scoring in a big Wollongbar Alstonville victory.

Cai Garrett then scored a hat trick in a Round Eleven mid-week match against Lismore City before also scoring against Byron Bay. Cai Garrett followed up with a hat trick late in the season against the Evans Head Killer whales.

Cai Garrett did however play some matches in the 2023 U14 Far North Coast Rugby competition for Wollongbar Alstonville including scoring a double off the bench in Mid-July against Casaurina Beach.

Cai Garrett also represented Far North Coast at the 2023 New South Wales Junior Rugby 7’s Championships with Cai Garrett named the Far North Coast Rugby U15 7’s Players Player.

Round One of the 2022 Group One U13 competition saw Cai Garrett start in the second row for the Ballina Seagulls against Lismore Marist Brothers and what an opening round it was for Gai Garrett as he crossed for a staggering five tries.

Cai Garrett also started in the second row in Round two against the Grafton Ghosts and added a double to his 2022 try scoring tally.

Cai Garrett continued in the second row in Round Three against Casino RSM with Cai Garrett scoring four more tries in another dominant display.

After Round Four was postponed due to poor weather Cai Garrett scored once again in Round Five against the South Grafton Rebels. Cai Garrett then added a double in Round Six against the Grafton Ghosts.

Cai Garrett was also at his rampaging best in Round Nine against the South Grafton Rebels, scoring another four tries. Cai Garrett also scored in Round Thirteen against the Clarence Coast Magpies.

In Week One of the 2022 Group One U13 Finals series Cai Garrett started in the second row for the Ballina Seagulls against the Kyogle Turkeys with Cai Garrett in a Seagulls 24 – 12 victory which propelled Ballina directly into the Grand Final.

Cai Garrett also started in the second row in the 2022 Group One U13 Grand Final with Cai Garrett scoring a double as the Seagulls defeated the Kyogle Turkeys 24 – 14.

Cai Garrett finished the 2022 Group One U13 season as the competition’s leading try scorer with thirty one tries and the competition’s second leading points scorer with 124 points.

Cai Garrett also played rugby in 2022 playing for Wollongbar/Alstonville in the U14 Far North Coast rugby competition alternating between inside centre and fullback.

Cai Garrett scored a hat trick in Round Two against Ballina as well as in Round Nine against Casino and also scored in Round Five against Casuarina Beach, Round Six against Lennox Head and Round Ten against Casuarina Beach with Cai Garrett adding a Round Eleven double against Lennox Heads after starting at fullback against the Trojans.

Cai Garrett then moved to outside centre (No. 13) and scored against Ballina. Cai Garrett was then back at fullback and scored a double and kicked a conversion against Casino. Cai Garrett then moved again to outside centre in Round Sixteen with Cai Garrett scoring a hat trick in the Final’s match against Casuarina Beach.

Cai Garrett played in eleven 2021 Group One U12 matches for Ballina scoring a staggering thirty three tries to finish with a 300% try scoring strike rate. Understandably Cai Garrett finished as the competitions leading try scorer, finishing fifteen tries in front of the 2021 Group One competitions second leading try scorer.

Impressively Cai Garrett only failed to score in one match in the Group One U12 competition in 2021 which came against Casino RSM in Round Twelve. Cai Garrett started all eleven of his matches for Ballina in the second row.

Cai Garrett amazingly scored five tries in a match on three separate occasions in 2021, being in Round Four against the South Grafton Rebels, Round Nine against the Marist Brothers Rams (he also converted one of his own tries for his only conversion of 2021) and Round Thirteen against the Grafton Ghosts.

Cai Garrett also scored four hat tricks in 2021 including in three matches in a row from Round Six to Round Eight against the Clarence Coast Magpies, Grafton Ghosts and Casino RSM respectively.

Cai Garrett scored two tries in a match against Clarence Coast in Round One, against the Kyogle Turkeys in Round Three and in Round Five against Casino RSM.

In short when Cai Garrett scored his first try of a match in the 2021 Group One U12 competition for the Ballina Seagulls, he invariably when on to score more.

The 2021 try scoring season was not an aberration for Cai Garrett as in 2020 in the Group One U11 season also for the Ballina Seagulls Cai Garrett scored a once again competition leading eighteen tries including a hat trick in Ballina’s 36 – 10 Grand Final victory against the Kyogle Turkeys, when Cai Garrett starting the Grand Final in the centres.

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

Where Cai Garrett’s game has really continued to develop over the 2020 and 2021 seasons is his ability to play wider of the ruck. With his speed and strength wider of the ruck Cai Garrett attracts multiple defenders and thus is in a position to use his developing ball skills to set up his outside supports early in a match.

When defences start to try to anticipate that Cai Garrett is going to pass then he can use his speed to crash through the defensive line as no defender is going to be able to handle him one on one by themselves and I mean no defender.

In defence Cai Garrett uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Cai Garrett is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck.

Cai Garrett will play the 2024 season with the Ballina Seagulls in the Group One U15 competition where once again Cai Garrett will no doubt be one of the better players in the competition in Ballina’s Blue and White. Cai Garrett will also continue to attend St John’s College Woodlawn and play in their various School Boy Rugby League competitions in northern New South Wales, School Boy Rugby League U15 representative honour for Cai Garrett is also on the cards for Cai Garrett in 2024 for the second season in a row.

If you were looking to build a modern day rugby league second rower, you could not have a better template to work with than Cai Garrett as he has the requisite size, strength, speed and power to be a difference maker. Cai Garrett has also spent time in the centres in both rugby and rugby league but I am of the belief that ultimately Cai Garrett winds up in the second row.

Gold Coast Titans tough, hard and fast second rower David Fifita is a more than reasonable comparison for Cai Garrett. Both Fifita and Cai Garrett are strong and powerful but at the same time have outstanding speed and hit the line very very hard and can either run over the top of a defender or at the gap between two defenders.

[mdrew]

Isaiah Te Pairi. In late 2023 Isaiah Te Pairi attended a Titans U14 Elite Development Camp.

In 2023 Isaiah Te Pairi lined up for the Easts Tigers in the BJRL U13 Division One competition with Isaiah Te Pairi starting all bar one of his matches in the centres, with Isaiah Te Pairi starting at fullback in the other match in Round Three against Carina.

Over the course of the 2023 BJRL U14 Division One competition for the Tigers Isaiah Te Pairi scored twelve tries with Isaiah Te Pairi scoring a hat trick in Round One against Norths. Isaiah Te Pairi also scored doubles against Aspley in Round Five, Albany Creek in Round Eight and Redcliffe against Round Nine.

Isaiah Te Pairi also scored in Round Three against Carina and Rounds Four and Eleven against Souths.

Isaiah Te Pairi started in the centres and scored a double in the Tigers 38 – 14 2023 GBJRL U13 Division One Grand Final victory against the Albany Creek Crushers.

Starting the Grand Final at right centre Isaiah Te Pairi scored his opening try when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball Isaiah Te Pairi, from thirty five metres out from his own try line, used a brutal left arm fend to beat his direct opponent and after charing down the right touchline Isaiah Te pairi executed a good in and away to beat the Albany Creek fullback down the right touchline with Isaiah Te Pairi then able to bring the ball around to put it down under the goal posts.

Isaiah Te Pairi completed his double in the second half with a hard straight ten metre charge after receiving a pass from his inside to crash over to score ten metres in from the right corner post.

Isaiah Te Pairi also recorded a try assist when after making a line break down the right channel from inside his own territory Isaiah Te Pairi charged to within twenty metres of the try line to draw the Crushers fullback and get a pass away to his left to put his support player over to score.

At the conclusion of the 2023 GBJRL U13 Division One season Isaiah Te Pairi was named the 2023 GBJRL U13 Division One Easts Tigers Best Back.

In August 2023 Isaiah Te Pairi was named in the South Queensland Māori U14 Teina Representative squad and was subsequently named in the Queensland Maori U14 side for the QPICC Carnival with Isaiah Te Pairi starting at right centre in Round One against Queensland Niue.

Isaiah Te Pairi made a line break in the 37th minute when after doing exceptionally week to take a pass from his left down low just above his ankles and maintain his balance Isaiah Te Pairi, from eight metres inside his own territory made a line break down the right touchline and get the ball to within twenty six metres of the try line.

In the 2nd minute of the match from four metres from his own try line and to the right of the play the ball Isaiah Te Pairi did well to carry the ball out to the thirteen metre mark. Then in the 30th minute from the left of the play the ball and five metres inside Fiji territory Isaiah Te Pairi ran the ball to his right and was able to make fifteen metres and break two tackles with 65% of his metres gained being post contact.

Isaiah Te Pairi continued at right centre in Round Two against Queensland Niue.

Isaiah Te Pairi also started at right centre in Round Three against Queensland PEGA Tonga Invitational with Isaiah Te Pairi picking up a dropped Tonga ball forty metres out from his own try line and was able to get the ball six metres into Tonga territory.

Isaiah Te Pairi continued at right centre in Round Four against Queensland Samoa.

Isaiah Te Pairi also started at right centre in Māori’s Semi-Final against the Cooks Islands.

In early November 2023 Isaiah Te Pairi was named in the Southside Titans Velocity All Stars U13 squad.

In May 2023 Isaiah Te Pairi was named in the Brisbane Junior Rugby U13 Representative squad.

2023 also saw Isaiah Te Pairi play his school boy rugby league with Mabel Park SHS after moving over from Marsden SHS.

In late 2022 Isaiah Te Pairi represented the Queensland Samoa U12 representative side at the QPICC Cultural Carnival.

Isaiah Te Pairi is not just a representative level rugby league player (Met East U12 school boys and Qld U12’s in 2021 that won their National Championship), but also an exceptionally talented rugby player with the Logan Saints in the Brisbane Junior Rugby competition, including starting on the bench in the Grand Final against the Ipswich Rangers, basketballer and netballer.

Isaiah Te Pairi is just a freak of a talent, Isaiah Te Pairi literally has it all, size, speed, elusiveness, strength, power and most of all the intelligence to combine all of these attributes into an exceptional rugby league strike centre.

Isaiah Te Pairi has very good speed off the mark, which I would consider above average to plus for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which Isaiah Te Pairi uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle in any one on one situation.
When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Isaiah Te Pairi usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.
Isaiah Te Pairi has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if the defender is pushing to the outside too early.
Isaiah Te Pairi also has a powerful fend which has served him well in recent seasons with his natural strength is just another impressive attribute in his ****nal.
A real positive for me is that Isaiah Te Pairi can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, Isaiah Te Pairi certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.
As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Isaiah Te Pairi is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and Isaiah Te Pairi is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all.

Isaiah Te Pairi is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Isaiah Te Pairi seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when Isaiah Te Pairi chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

2024 will see Isaiah Te Pairi continue at Mabel Park SHS as well as continue to play club rugby league in the Greater Brisbane Junior Rugby League competition for the Brisbane Tigers in the U14 Division One competition.

Isaiah Te Pairi is an exceptional talent at left centre and no doubt Isaiah Te Pairi has NRL level and higher potential as an elite strike centre. Make no mistake Isaiah Te Pairi is the real deal.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, Isaiah Te Pairi has similar traits to Sydney Roosters and New Zealand International star centre, five eight or fullback Joseph Manu. Like Manu, Isaiah Te Pairi is a big strong powerful and immensely skilful player who will not be beaten in a one on one contest in attack or defence.

Pure and simple, Isaiah Te Pairi is an absolutely immense rugby league talent.

[mdrew]

Alex Ruiz. In late 2023 Alex Ruiz attended a Titans U14 Elite Development Camp.

Round One of the 2023 School Boy Renouf Cup competition saw Alex Ruiz start from the bench in Round One for Keebra Park SHS against Wavell SHS. Alex Ruiz also started from the bench in Round Two against Ipswich SHS as well as in Round Five against Mabel Park SHS.

Alex Ruiz also came off the bench in Round Six against St Mary’s College Toowoomba with Alex Ruiz coming off the bench to operate in the dummy half role with Alex Ruiz scoring in the 17th minute when a smart run out of dummy half to his right to dive over to score from close range ten metres in from the left corner post.

Alex Ruiz also made a line break in the 34th minute when after receiving an off-load twenty five metres out from his own try line Alex Ruiz darted to his left and to get the ball seven metres into St Mary’s territory.

Alex Ruiz also started off the bench in the Round Seven Gold Coast School Boy derby against PBC SHS, coming on in the 15th minute to operate in the dummy half role and in the 23rd minute from the marker position Alex Ruiz crunched the PBC SHS dummy half who was taking too long to release the ball to force a knock on twenty five metres from the try line.

Alex Ruiz also continued to play for the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U14 Division One competition in 2023.

2022 saw Alex Ruiz continue to play for the Coomera Cutters in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League U13 Division One competition, leading the Cutters to a Grand Final appearance against the Burleigh Bears with Alex Ruiz starting the Grand Final at hooker with Alex Ruiz putting in a Player of the Match performance in Coomera’s hard fought 18 – 16 Grand Final victory.

Alex Ruiz scored the opening try of the Grand Final in the 5th minute of the match when after moving into dummy half with the play the ball around three metres out and to the left of the uprights, Alex Ruiz ran out of dummy half to his left and after being hit by multiple defenders still two metres out from the try line, Alex Ruiz spun counter clockwise and was then able to reach out with the ball in his right hand to get the ball down on the try line six metres to the left of the uprights.

Alex Ruiz was also heavily involved in Coomera’s final try of their 18 -16 Grand Final victory in the 40th minute when with the play the ball just three metres out and just to the right of the uprights, Alex Ruiz ran to his right out of dummy half turning the ball back inside to Fabion Cowan who ran back against the grain to the opposite side of the play the ball before turning the ball inside to a charging Siu Pulepule who crashed over the top of a number of Bears defenders to get the ball down.

Alex Ruiz made a great play in the 55th minute when from twenty six metres out from the try line, Alex Ruiz ran to his right out of dummy half and put in a smart left foot grubber kick and then chased his own grubber kick to tackle the Burleigh fullback a metre out from the try line with Coomera holding a slender two point lead.

Alex Ruiz made some smart (and good) runs out of dummy half in the Grand Final but perhaps the most critical of Alex Ruiz’s efforts out of dummy half came in the 58th minute of the match after Burleigh had been tackled less than a metre out from the Coomera try line on the final tackle to force a change over. With the changeover play the ball occurring less than a metre out and with Coomera clinging onto a two point lead Alex Ruiz darted out of dummy half to his right and kept low so as not to be forced back in-goal with Alex Ruiz able to will himself six metres downfield in the face of a desperate Burleigh defensive line.

2022 also saw Alex Ruiz line up for Keebra Park SHS in the Bronco’s Old Boys competition including starting at lock in the Grand Final 8 – 6 loss to Wavell SHS. For Keebra Park SHS in the Bronco’s Old Boys competition Alex Ruiz split time between lock and hooker.

Alex Ruiz is also a handy rugby player including at the U12 representative level in 2021.

Where Alex Ruiz really excels though is his outstanding, quick and late footwork, Alex Ruiz’s very good late and quick foot work enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Alex Ruiz’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight adjustments to his running angle and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of the multiple directional changes. Alex Ruiz seems just to run at a faster pace than other forwards on the field. These attributes lead to a number of line breaks and Alex Ruiz has the speed to convert them into tries himself in the majority of situations.

Alex Ruiz’s speed is probably a touch above average for a forward but it is the speed that he is able to generate from only a few paces which makes it play faster from a defenders perspective as he gets to the defensive line quicker than the defenders anticipate and thus they are unable to set themselves properly for the initial contact. This means that Alex Ruiz can bend the line back regularly even though he is not the biggest forward running around.

When in the dummy half role, Alex Ruiz is a solid distributor who generates good spin on the ball when passing to either side of the ruck and passes off the ground in one fluid movement which enables him to get good accuracy and distance on his passes spreading the ball to the fringes of the ruck quickly.

From a running out of dummy half perspective, Alex Ruiz explodes out of dummy half, staying low to take advantage is his natural strength and low centre of gravity and like when he takes a hit up when playing in the second row, Alex Ruiz’s feet are always moving and always looks for a quick play the ball.

Alex Ruiz’s defensive technique revolves around timing and execution probably more that strength or power. Alex Ruiz’s head is always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder into the attacker and never just jersey grabs.

Alex Ruiz also tackles with both shoulders equally effectively as well. The impressive thing for me also is that Alex Ruiz never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is exceptional. This is no fluke in relation to Alex Ruiz, this is clearly as a result of an outstanding technique as well as determination and dedication to his craft.

Alex Ruiz’s lateral speed and mobility is quite good due to his quick twitch feet and thus he is effective at defending against smaller dynamic runners out of dummy half as well as half backs and five eights running of the fringes looking to isolate forwards.

2024 will see Alex Ruiz move up to the GCRL U15 Division One competition with the Coomera Cutters. Alex Ruiz will also continue at Keebra Park SHS as part of the school Elite Rugby league Specialisation Program with Alex Ruiz moving up to the Walters Cup School Boy Rugby League Program in 2024.

I am a touch conflicted as to where ultimately Alex Ruiz’s best position is, Alex Ruiz certainly has the potential to be an outstanding running forward on the fringes of the ruck but at the same time is a more than competent dummy half already and obviously would get better and better in that role in terms of distribution and when to run with more time in the dummy half role.

With his ability to play quality minutes both as a running forward as well as at dummy half, Melbourne Storm and New Zealand International Brandon Smith shapes as a more than reasonable NRL player comparison for Alex Ruiz. Both Alex Ruiz and Smith are solidly built players who charge head long into the defensive line but also have a capacity to handle effectively long minutes at dummy half from both a ball distribution and running perspective. Also like Smith, Alex Ruiz can also play at lock, and play very well in that position as well.

[mdrew]

Ryder Nelson. In late September 2023 Ryder Nelson was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

In early June 2023 Ryder Nelson started on the right wing for the TSS U15A School Boy rugby side for their GPS trial against Brisbane Boys College and a week prior Ryder Nelson also started on the right wing in a trial against Toowoomba Grammar School.

Round One of the 2023 GPS School Boy Rugby U15A competition saw Ryder Nelson start on the right wing (N0. 14) against Ipswich Grammar School in Round Two against St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace as well as in Round Three against Brisbane State High School and Round Four against Brisbane Grammar School.

Ryder Nelson then moved to fullback for Round Five against Brisbane Boys College and continued at fullback in Round Six against Anglican Church Grammar School and Round Seven against Toowoomba Grammar School. Ryder Nelson was also named at fullback in the final round being Round Nine against St Joseph’s College Nudgee.

2023 also saw Ryder Nelson represent the Northern Region U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative side at the New South Wales Combined High School trials (CHS).

2023 saw Ryder Nelson continue to play for the Mullumbimby Giants in the Group 18 U15 competition with Ryder Nelson starting at fullback in the Grand Final against Byron Bay Lennox Head.

At the completion of the 2023 season Ryder Nelson received the Grant Cook Memorial Award for being the Mullumbimby Colts Highest Points Scorer.

Ryder Nelson was also named the 2023 Mullumbimby Colts U15 Group 18 Best Back.

The Mullumbimby Colts highly talented outside back commenced training with the Titans JTS Elite Academy Program and was part of the Titans 2022 U14 JTS High Performance Academy Group 18 squad that commenced training in November 2022.

In early December 2022 Ryder Nelson played for the Titans U14 Group 18 Academy against the Titans U14 Group One Academy in a trial match at Ballina with both teams wearing Titans jerseys in a great initiative by the Titans JTS founder and co-ordinator Jamie McCormack.

In early December 2021 Ryder Nelson played in Titans U14 Development Squad matches with the two Titans Development Squads playing each other and in early January 2022 Ryder Nelson attented a Titans JTS Elite U15 Development Camp on the Gold Coast even though Ryder Nelson was still U14 eligible in 2022.

In 2022 Ryder Nelson played for the Mullumbimby Giants in the Group 18 U14 competition with Ryder Nelson being named the 2022 Mullumbimby Giants U14 Best Attacking Player after a stellar campaign which saw Ryder Nelson one of the top if not the top try scorer in the entire Group 18 U14 competition.

Ryder Nelson also played rugby league for Mullumbimby High School in 2022 and in the U14 Buckley Shield School Boy Rugby League Competition Ryder Nelson recorded an eighty metre intercept try against Newcastle’s Kurri Kurri High School.

Ryder Nelson also represented Mullumbimby High School and with fellow 2022 Titans JTS U14 Group 18 Elite Academy squad member Aiden Gersh was a member of the winning U14 4 x 100 relay team at the North Coast Athletics Carnival. Ryder Nelson along with Aiden Gersh then went on to run the U14 4 x 100 metre relay event at the New South Wales Schools Athletic Championships.

Ryder Nelson also played for the Mullumbimby Giants in 2021 in the Group 18 U13 competition with Ryder Nelson receiving the Best and Fairest Award at the 2021 Mullumbimby Colts U13 Awards Presentation. Like in 2022 Ryder Nelson was also one of the top try scorers in the 2021 Group 18 U13 competition.

Ryder Nelson has very good and explosive speed off the mark, which I would consider above average to plus for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which Ryder Nelson uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle in any one on one situation.
When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Ryder Nelson usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.
Ryder Nelson has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if the defender is pushing to the outside too early.
Ryder Nelson also has a powerful fend which has served him well in recent seasons with his natural strength is just another impressive attribute in his ****nal.
A real positive for me is that Ryder Nelson can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, Ryder Nelson certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.
As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Ryder Nelson is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and Ryder Nelson is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all.

Ryder Nelson is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Ryder Nelson seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when Ryder Nelson chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

2024 will see Ryder Nelson play for the Murwillumbah Colts in the Group 18 U16 competition with Ryder Nelson also likely to play a number of matches for the Murwillumbah Mustangs U18 NRRRL side as well.2024 will see Ryder Nelson continue to attend the The Southport School (TSS) where Ryder Nelson will line up for the TSS U16A GPS School Boy side, with Ryder Nelson also pushing for a TSS First XV debut over the course of the 2024 GPS School Boy Rugby competition.

Ryder Nelson is an exceptional talent both at fullback and at left centre and at present Ryder Nelson has NRL level talent at both. It could well be that Ryder Nelson settles at centre in the short term before moving permanently to fullback later in his career.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, Ryder Nelson has similar traits to Sydney Roosters and New Zealand International star centre, five eight or fullback Joseph Manu. Like Manu, Ryder Nelson is a big strong powerful and immensely skilful player who will not be beaten in a one on one contest in attack or defence.

Ryder Nelson is just a powerful young man now only just learning how to translate and direct that natural strength and power consistently on a rugby league field. Make no mistake, Ryder Nelson is a freakish, generational type rugby league talent.

[mdrew]

Xavier Takatainga. Round One of the 2023 School Boy Rugby League Renouf Cup saw Xavier Takatainga start at right second row against Wavell SHS

Round Two of the 2023 School Boy Renouf Cup competition saw Xavier Takatainga start in the second row for Keebra Park SHS against Ipswich SHS with Xavier Takatainga then coming off the bench in Round Three against Marsden SHS and in Round Four against Redcliffe SHS as well as Round Five against Wavell SHS.

Xavier Takatainga also started off the bench in the Round Seven Gold Coast School Boy derby against PBC SHS with Xavier Takatainga outstanding as he scored two tries through running a good in and away.

Xavier Takatainga played for the Runaway Bay Seagulls in 2023 in the GCRL U14 Division One competition including starting on the right wing and scoring in the 19 – 18 extra time Grand Final victory against the Coomera Cutters.

In the 8th minute Runaway Bay fullback Ezrah Tangianu put in a cross kick from the left side of the field towards the goal posts and after the ball bounced in the in-goal, the ball ricocheted off a number of legs before Xavier Takatainga was able to dive on the loose ball to score four metres to the right of the goal posts to score the first try of the Grand Final.

Xavier Takatainga also started on the right wing in the Week Two Final against the Southport Tigers with Xavier Takatainga making a good covering tackle in the 2nd minute to force his opposing winger into touch just five metres out from the try line.

In October 2023 Xavier Takatainga was named in the 2023 QPICC Cook Islands U14 representative side with Xavier Takatainga coming off the bench in Round Four and scoring a double against Queensland PNG.

Xavier Takatainga also started from the bench in Cook Islands Semi-Final against Queensland Māori.

The 2023 QPICC U14 Grand Final saw Xavier Takatainga start from the bench for the Cook Islands against Queensland Samoa in a Cooks Islands 10 – 4 Grand Final victory.

In 2022 Xavier Takatainga moved up from the State of Victoria to attend Keebra Park SHS Elite Rugby League Specialisation Program on a rugby league scholarship with Xavier Takatainga making an immediate and highly impressive impact at Keebra Park SHS as part of their Bronco’s Old Boys School Boy squad with Xavier Takatainga starting in either the front row or second row in all of Keebra Park SHS’s matches, including starting at right second row in the Grand Final against Wavell SHS.

Prior to his arrival on the Gold Coast Xavier Takatainga played for the Werribee Bears in the Victorian Junior rugby League competition.

The pace and power in terms of how he runs the ball is the outstanding feature of Xavier Takatainga’s game, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but Xavier Takatainga does not just put his head down and rush forward, Xavier Takatainga uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to target the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot Xavier Takatainga will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through them and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him to make significant metres post-contact.

I would consider that Xavier Takatainga’s speed would be considered about average for a backrower (plus when he is playing in the front row) but plays faster as a result of Xavier Takatainga 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 Xavier Takatainga runs at when taking the ball into the defensive line.

Even though Xavier Takatainga gets back a long way and charges onto the ball to generate speed, he actually has good speed off the mark and utilises that trait when he runs out of dummy half or when he takes an off load with limited momentum.

Regularly Xavier Takatainga gets a quick play the ball as in a lot of his charges he gets partially through the defensive line but it is also due to his functional strength and powerful leg drive. On occasion players who fight for every metre, such as Xavier Takatainga that impacts on the play the ball, but that is not the case with Xavier Takatainga as a result of his core strength as he can move defenders off him by using the power in his legs and twisting appropriately.

Xavier Takatainga is also very effective close to the opposition try line with his ability to burst through tackles. If the defenders do not rush off their line Xavier Takatainga will just drag them across the try line with brute force and power.

With his continued development of which running lines he can utilise, such as running an inside shoulder line when close to the opposition try line Xavier Takatainga will become even more effective and will be an asset to the entire team as defences compress their line to combat his running thus leaving more room our wide for his play makers to exploit.

Simply put Xavier Takatainga is a brute of a ball runner. With his strong powerful frame, low centre of gravity and bullocking front on running side Xavier Takatainga is an intimidating runner who excels in terms of returning the ball from kick off and drop outs when he is able to build up momentum and the fact that he never slows his speed when he hits the line.

The defensive side of his game is similarly impressive, Xavier Takatainga does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit but is calculating in where and when to hit. Quite a few of his tackles resulted in a knock on by the opposition as the ball came loose as a result of the impact of the tackle, he just hits so hard.

Xavier Takatainga drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent. With his strength and technique Xavier Takatainga should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of the quality of opponent that he is up against.

Impressive Xavier Takatainga is one of a rare breed of bigger forwards that can defend equally as well in the centre of the ruck and on the fringes. With his lateral mobility Xavier Takatainga can mirror the movement of attackers and is able to change direction quickly whilst maintaining balance and body control.

Having a sound repeatable defensive technique also aids Xavier Takatainga in being able to effectively defend against a variety of different types of attackers in multiple game situations. Similarly Xavier Takatainga is a start young man and he is not fooled or distracted by attempted feints by the attacking team and Xavier Takatainga concentrates on his role in the defensive line and is also able to diagnose attacking plays directed at him and is able to quickly work through his options and make the correct defensive read.

2024 will see Xavier Takatainga’s reputation continue to grow as he moves up to the Keebra Park SHS Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League squad as well as continue to play his club rugby league on the Gold Coast for the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the GCRL U15 Division One competition.

In 2022 Xavier Takatainga split his time playing both in the front row and second row but ultimately, I believe that Xavier Takatainga will line up more often than not in the front row on a rugby league field although potentially Xavier Takatainga will spend time in the second row before transitioning to the front row on a full-time basis as Xavier Takatainga progresses towards the senior ranks of rugby league.

Titans own boom front row prospect Josiah Pahulu (although Xavier Takatainga is taller) is an apt and more than accurate NRL player comparison for Xavier Takatainga. Both Pahulu and Xavier Takatainga are big, strong and tough front rowers who can absorb a lot of punishment when they are running the ball hard into the defensive line and still maintain their running line (and a good right arm off-load on occasion as well) and both Pahulu and Xavier Takatainga can also dish it out defensively with some ferocious and cold calculated defensive hits and then win the wrestling battle on the ground to slow the play the ball down.

[mdrew]

Jett Rimaputa. Jett Rimaputa returned to Keebra Park SHS starting in the centres in Round Three of the 2023 School Boy Rugby League Renouf Cup competition against Marsden SHS.

Jett Rimaputa then moved to left second row in Round Four against Redcliffe SHS before moving back to the centres in Round Five against Mabel Park SHS with Jett Rimaputa scoring in the left corner in the 33rd minute after running ten metres after getting an off-load from his inside from William Hamblin.

Jett Rimaputa also started at left centre in Round Six against St Mary’s College Toowoomba with Jett Rimaputa making the first of his two line breaks in the 16th minute down the left touchline when after receiving a pass from his inside from William Hamblin, Jett Rimaputa raced down the left touchline from twenty metres out from his own try line to within thirty metres of the St Mary’s try line for getting an off-load away to his left to his winger.

Jett Rimaputa made his second line break in the 49th minute with a thirty metre burst down the left touchline to carry the ball into St Mary’s territory. Also in the 29th minute Jett Rimaputu, after being put into space by William Hamblin was able to run down the left touchline from nineteen metres inside his own territory to within twenty eight metres of the St Mary’s try line.

Jett Rimaputa also started in the centres in the Round Seven Gold Coast School Boy local derby against PBC SHS with Jett Rimaputa making a line break in the 9th minute when after receiving an off-load from his inside from Dynari Aiolupo, Jett Rimaputu charged down the left touchline beofre drawing the PBC SHS fullback and when on the halfway mark Dynari Aiolupo passed the ball to his right to Denzel Silby who made a further twenty five metres downfield.

In May 2023 Jett Rimaputa was named in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby U14 Representative squad.

At the 2023 Queensland Country Rugby Championships Jett Rimaputa started on the bench for the U14 South Queensland Boys Representative side in Round One against Central Queensland Boys. Jett Rimaputa then moved into the starting side at inside centre in Round Three against the Queensland Country Barbarians side.

Jett Rimaputa was on the move once again in Round Four against North Queensland with Jett Rimaputa starting on the left wing and scoring. In the 2023 Queensland Country U14 Final Jett Rimaputa came off the bench and scored as South Queensland defeated Central Queensland to be named Championship winners.

At the completion of the Championships Jett Rimaputa was named in the 2023 Queensland Country U14 Representative side.

In 2022 Jett Rimaputa attended Keebra Park SHS and started at right centre in all of Keebra Park SHS’s matches in the Bronco’s Old Boys School Boy Rugby League competition including their tough 8 – 6 Grand Final loss against Wavell SHS.

Jett Rimaputa also played rugby in 2022 including being named in the Gold Coast Cyclones U13 Representative side and post the Queensland Country Championships Jett Rimaputa was selected in the South East Queensland Country U13 Representative side. Jett Rimaputa played his club rugby on the Gold Coast for the Helensvale Hogs in the GCRU U13 competition splitting time between inside and outside centre (No 12 or No. 13).

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 Jett Rimaputa is able to exploit. When he gets the ball early Jett Rimaputa is able to the opposing centre on the inside and out pace the converging cover defence. Whilst he is a big strong powerful young centre, Jett Rimaputa 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 one of his tries against Ipswich Grammar School.

From what I have seen I would consider that his speed would in the plus category for a centre, add his power and strong fend and you really have a young centre who could develop in anything on a football field. Jett Rimaputa must be a five eight’s dream, when he gets the ball early he seems to cause real havoc for the defensive line.

Defensively Jett Rimaputa hits very hard and constantly is in a position to disrupt the attacking movement of the opposition. Extrapolating his skill set to league, 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 he 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 his side has it will clear out aggressively when looking for the turn over.

Jett Rimaputa just oozes class on the field he is able to break tackles at will but also understands when it is more appropriate to draw his opponent and pass. Similarly defensively Jett Rimaputa clearly has a strong appreciation of the defensive aspect of the game in that he knows when to come in and when to slide and let the play develop prior to committing. Granted I have not seen a great deal of Jett Rimaputa but he seems to be able to line up on both sides of the field and as a result could also play on the wing and even it fullback moving forward. Heck Jett Rimaputa at fullback would open up some interesting attacking possibilities for his team that is for sure.

Jett Rimaputa has very good and explosive speed off the mark, which I would consider above average to plus for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which Jett Rimaputa uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle in any one on one situation.
When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Jett Rimaputa usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.
Jett Rimaputa has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if the defender is pushing to the outside too early.
Jett Rimaputa also has a powerful fend which has served him well in recent seasons with his natural strength is just another impressive attribute in his ****nal.
A real positive for me is that Jett Rimaputa can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, Jett Rimaputa certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.
As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Jett Rimaputa is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and Jett Rimaputa is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all.

Jett Rimaputa is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Jett Rimaputa seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when Jett Rimaputa chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

2024 will see Jett Rimaputa move up to the Keebra Park SHS School Boy Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League squad as well as continue to play rugby with the Helensvale Hogs in the GCRU U15 Rugby competition.

Jett Rimaputa is a big, tall, strong, athletic and powerful young man with speed to burn and as such is an outstanding strike centre prospect in rugby league. I have been lucky enough to see some very talented junior rugby league (and rugby) players over the years and Jett Rimaputa is certainly right up there with the absolute very best of them.

With his height and speed Jett Rimaputa looks like a natural born centre with the ability to be a legitimate strike centre and there are very few of them running around regardless of age group or competition. There is also little doubt that Jett Rimaputa would also be a revelation at fullback with the opportunity to see the entire field and pick and choose when to inject himself into a match on his terms.

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

[mdrew]

Isaiah Veve-Fretton. Isaiah Veve-Fretton played for the Runaway Bay Seagulls in 2023 in the GCRL U14 Division One competition including starting in the front row in the 19 – 18 extra time Grand Final victory against the Coomera Cutters with Isaiah Veve-Fretton making the initial run of the match from the kick-off to carry the ball out to the twenty three metre mark to get the ball rolling for Runaway Bay.

The 8th minute then saw Isaiah Veve-Fretton run onto the ball to the left of the dummy to carry the ball from twenty seven metres out from the try line to nineteen metres with Isaiah Veve-Fretton then getting a right arm off-load away to his left to Brady Antonik. Then from a Runaway Bay penalty restart in the 22nd minute charged onto the ball twenty four metres out to get to within ten metres of the try line breaking two tackles along the way with around 65% of the metres that Isaiah Veve-Fretton being post contact.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton rounded out a strong match in the 52nd minute with a charge from the right of the play the ball from thirty seven metres out from his own try line to get the ball to twenty one metres out.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton also started in the front row in the Week Three Preliminary Final against the Burleigh Bears.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton continued in the front row in the Week Two Final against the Southport Tigers.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton also started in the front row in the Week One Major Semi-Final against the Burleigh Bears with Isaiah Veve-Fretton scoring a powerhouse double with Isaiah Veve-Fretton scoring his opening try in the 33rd minute with a try next to the left upright after a twelve metre charge from the left of the dummy half.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton completed his double in the 42nd minute with a three metres charge at the try line from the left of the play the ball with Isaiah Veve-Fretton getting the ball down eight metres in from the left corner post.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton made a strong kick-off return to get the second half underway with Isaiah Veve-Fretton getting the ball out to the twenry seven metre mark.

2023 also saw Isaiah Veve-Fretton selected in the Queensland Samoa U14 representative side for the 2023 QPICC Carnival

In May 2023 Isaiah Veve-Fretton was named in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby U14 Representative squad.

In August 2023 Isaiah Veve-Fretton was named in the South Queensland Māori U14 Tuakana Representative squad.

In 2022 Isaiah Veve-Fretton moved up to the Gold Coast to take up a Keebra Park SHS Rugby League Scholarship to become part of the Titans partnered school’s Rugby League Specialisation Program from Maitland near Newcastle in New South Wales just north of Sydney.

In 2022 for Keebra Park SHS Isaiah Veve-Fretton played a number of matches off the bench in the Bronco’s Old Boys School Boy Rugby League competition, including starting from the bench in the Grand Final against Wavell SHS with Isaiah Veve-Fretton coming off the bench to operate in the front row in the first half. Isaiah Veve-Fretton continued operating in the front row in the second half of the Grand Final.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton also made a big impact in rugby upon his arrival on the Gold Coast from Maitland including playing at lock (No. 4) for the Gold Coast Cyclones U13 Representative side including scoring against the Darling Downs in the Queensland Country U13 Championships. From a club rugby perspective in 2022 Isaiah Veve-Fretton played for the powerful Helensvale Hogs Rugby Club in the GCRU U13 competition also at lock.

Prior to moving up to the Gold Coast Isaiah Veve-Fretton played for the West Maitland Junior Rugby League Club including at the U12 level in 2021 where he single handily dominated a number of matches, including from a try scoring perspective.

For a big front rower Isaiah Veve-Fretton does actually have quite decent speed, mobility and footwork, certainly well above average for a player of his size and age. This good footwork enables Isaiah Veve-Fretton to step prior to the line, usually back towards the centre of the ruck targeting the area behind the play the ball with Isaiah Veve-Fretton creating little half breaks which enhances the ability to off-load the football.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton’s core body strength also enables him to make significant ground after contact dragging defenders with him and if an opposition does not get hold of his legs, Isaiah Veve-Fretton is apt to break free of the initial defenders all together and continue his charge downfield.

With his size and speed combination Isaiah Veve-Fretton also is adept at getting a quick play the ball once he is brought to ground, Isaiah Veve-Fretton literally just pushes away the defenders and gets to his feet and gets on with the game through the quick play the ball.

In defence Isaiah Veve-Fretton is happy to go for the big hit often but not to the detriment to his team. Isaiah Veve-Fretton is actually quite selective about when to go for the big hit as against making sure the tackle is completed. Isaiah Veve-Fretton is also very good at locking the ball up in the tackle to prevent the possibility of an off-load occurring.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will understandably have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half although his lateral movement is quite good for a front rower and Isaiah Veve-Fretton is also disciplined to keep his arms for straying too high in the tackle.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton’s calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck. Isaiah Veve-Fretton can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself over the course of a match.

At times in games Isaiah Veve-Fretton really does prevent opposing gaining any ground at all through the centre of the ruck. It is now a matter of extending the duration of Isaiah Veve-Fretton’s ruck dominance.

2024 will see Isaiah Veve-Fretton move up to the Keebra Park SHS Hancock Cup School Boy rugby League squad as well as continue to play his club rugby league with the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the GCRL U15 Division One competition. Isaiah Veve-Fretton will also continue to play rugby with the Helensvale Hogs in the GCRU U15 Rugby competition.

Isaiah Veve-Fretton has played in the front row for the entirety of his young junior rugby league career to date and moving forward in rugby league it seems more than likely, in fact near certain that Isaiah Veve-Fretton will continue in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career no matter how far it takes him.

With his height and running style I believe a player comparison with North Queensland Cowboys and former New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International front rower Jordan McLean is more than appropriate in relation to Isaiah Veve-Fretton.

Both McLean and Isaiah Veve-Fretton are big, tall, strong and powerful runners of the ball who run very much front on into the defensive line but do drop their body into the first defender that confronts them enabling them to make significant post contact metres before being brought down, a circumstance that is usually requiring of more than one defender to accomplish appropriately and for their size both are able to generate quick play the balls on a regular basis.

Big strong young front rowers who also have very good mobility from both a straight line speed and lateral perspective are difficult to find regardless of age group or competition level but the Titans have certainly found one in Isaiah Veve-Fretton and one that in a limited time on a rugby league field on the Gold Coast has shown flashes of immense and impressive potential.

[mdrew]

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga. The Palmerston North student and representative level basketballer signed with the Titans mid-way through the 2023 season.

In October 2023 Santino Pekepo-Tavaga was named in the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad.

In late September 2023 Santino Pekepo-Tavaga started at left centre for the Titans U16 side in their Antony Laffranchi Cup victory against the Balmain Tigers in Northern New South Wales with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga putting in a strong performance and proved to be very difficult for the Tigers right sided defence to handle when Santino Pekepo-Tavaga was running the ball.

2023 also saw Santino Pekepo-Tavaga selected in the Queensland Samoa U16 representative side for the 2023 QPICC Carnival with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga starting at left centre in Round One against PEGA Invitational.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga also started at left centre in Round Two against Queensland PNG and in Round Three against Queensland Niue.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga continued at left centre in Round Four against Queensland Māori with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga scoring in a solid Samoa victory.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga also started at left centre in Queensland Samoa’s Semi-Final against the Cook Islands with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga scoring a double as Samoa progressed to the Grand Final.

The 2023 QPICC U16 Grand Final saw Santino Pekepo-Tavaga start at left centre for Queensland Samoa against Queensland PEGA Tonga Invitational with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga scoring in a big Samoa Grand Final victory.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga scored an outstanding long range solo try in the 9th minute when after receiving the ball after Samoa spun the ball wide to the left forty two metres out from the try line, Santino Pekepo-Tavaga dummied to his left with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga then stepping off his left foot to beat his opposing centre with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga then utilising a left arm fend to beat the same centre and second time before Santino Pekepo-Tavaga carried the Tonga fullback over the try line with him to get the ball down eight metres in from the left corner post.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga almost set up a Samoa try in the 9th minute when after a hard straight twelve metre run, Santino Pekepo-Tavaga was able to get his right arm free and get an off-load away to his left but the pass went to ground with a try in the offing.

In just the 2nd minute of the match Santino Pekepo-Tavaga ran onto the ball to the right of the play the ball on the halfway mark and was able to make twelve metres with Santino Pekepo-Tavaga breaking one tackle along the way.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga finished the 2023 QPICC Carnival as the U16 Division’s equal second leading try scorer with four tries and as a result also finished as the U16 Division’s equal fourth leading points scorer.

In early 2023 Santino Pekepo-Tavaga lined-up in the centres for the Manawatu U16 Rugby League Representative side.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga also played both basketball and rugby for Palmerston North.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga is a tall young man but he is exceptionally quick, with a lot of his tries coming from long range efforts originating from his own territory, as once he gets into the clear Santino Pekepo-Tavaga is unlikely to be caught by the opposition cover defence.

Due to his size and speed Santino Pekepo-Tavaga is almost impossible to stop one on one in the competitions that he has played in so far in his career, with his favourite move being an in and away to beat his opposing number on the outside and then using his acceleration to break the game apart.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga does not just have top end speed, he has very good acceleration off the mark as well. Santino Pekepo-Tavaga’s fend is already solid and as he puts on more muscle it will become more effective due to his long reach, meaning opposing defensive players cannot get close enough to combat Santino Pekepo-Tavaga one on one before defensive help arrives.

With his height and reach Santino Pekepo-Tavaga should also be able to develop the ability to offload in tackles, making him even harder to defend. Obviously as a result of his height (and basketball experience) Santino Pekepo-Tavaga is good under the high ball both in attacking and defensive situations.

Defensively Santino Pekepo-Tavaga is solid at wrapping the ball up and just needs to refine his technique as he progresses and also when to come out of the line in an effort to limit the time and space of the opposition as well as ensuring that due to his height Santino Pekepo-Tavaga keeps his tackles down against opposing centres who are usually not as tall.

Santino Pekepo-Tavaga does however slide well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well. Santino Pekepo-Tavaga will need to continue to get stronger and maintain his speed to stay at centre, and potentially become a legitimate strike centre, but there is nothing in Santino Pekepo-Tavaga’s performances to date that suggests that he will not be able to.

2024 will see Santino Pekepo-Tavaga line up for the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

With his height and ball skills from playing basketball Santino Pekepo-Tavaga is a very intriguing rugby league outside back prospect with the size, speed and skill set to play a variety of positions including on the wing at fullback and in the centres.

With his height and speed Santino Pekepo-Tavaga has a playing style akin to that of talented Canterbury Bulldogs and former Penrith Panthers and current New South Wales State of Origin and Samoan International fullback or centre and former Australian school boy’s rugby league sensation Stephen Crichton. Both Creighton and Santino Pekepo-Tavaga have height and speed as well as the ability to negotiate their way through congestion when at first glance there did not appear to be any room to move at all. Both Creighton and Santino Pekepo-Tavaga also have outstanding hands from a ball control, passing and kick retrieval perspective.

The scary part is that both Santino Pekepo-Tavaga and Creighton have the capacity to add additional muscle mass (a fair bit too in Santino Pekepo-Tavaga’s case) without at all impacting on their speed, balance and body control. Both Creighton and Santino Pekepo-Tavaga also have outstanding hand eye co-ordination and spacial awareness to add to all of the other outstanding attributes that they both have at their disposal.

With continued rugby league experience under his belt, Santino Pekepo-Tavaga could be a very very special talent indeed for the Titans.

[mdrew]

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson. During the 2023 season Donte Tahuhu-Wilson signed a three year JTS contract with the Titans which will see Donte Tahuhu-Wilson contracted with the Titans until the end of the 2025 season.

In October 2023 Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was named in the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson also CC Cup eligible in the 2025.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson lined up in a Titans jersey for the first time in mid-April 2023 when Donte Tahuhu-Wilson started from the bench for a Titans U16 JTS squad that played a touring Auckland U16 side at Cbus Stadium as a curtain-raiser to the Titans NRL Round Seven match against the Brisbane Bronco’s.

After coming onto the field to operate at fullback in the 23rd minute of the match Donte Tahuhu-Wilson scored an impressive double in a solid Titans 28 – 16 victory.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson scored his first try in the 33rd minute when Donte Tahuhu-Wilson ran onto an inside ball from Jimmy McCombie to the left of the dummy half. After receiving the ball twelve metres out Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was hit hard when still eight metres out but was able to maintain his balance and dart over to score eight metres to the left of the goal posts.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson completed his double in the 57th minute when after Taylan To’o was put into a big gap by Kaleb Smith, Taylan To’o rumbled downfield down the right channel to within twenty metres from the try line and then got a pass away to his right to Donte Tahuhu-Wilson who flew down the right touch line to score untouched in the right corner to complete the scoring in the solid Titans 28 – 16 victory.

Just after coming onto the field in the 23rd minute Donte Tahuhu-Wilson made his presence immediately felt with a darting and stepping run to get the ball to the twenty metre mark. Then in the 31st minute from the right of the play the ball Donte Tahuhu-Wilson made a yardage carry from fourteen metres out from his own try line through the centre of the field to twenty three metres out against a fast moving defensive line.

Then in the 55th minute from the right of a Titans scrum win twenty two metres out from the try line Donte Tahuhu-Wilson, after receiving the ball from the back of the scrum, dummied to an inside runner to the right of the scrum and then got a good pass away to his right to Xhai Wearea who was able to get within five metres of the try line before being stopped.

In late September 2023 Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was part of the Titans U16 side in their Anthony Laffranchi Cup victory against the Balmain Tigers in Northern New South Wales in wet and windy conditions.

In early June 2023 Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was named in the New Zealand Māori U15 side after representing Hokianga Storm Whatitiri at the 2023 New Zealand Māori Rugby League Championships.

2023 also saw Donte Tahuhu-Wilson represent Canterbury U16’s at the New Zealand South Island Championships.

In early September 2023 Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was part of the St Thomas College of Canterbury School Boy side that took part in the New Zealand Secondary School’s Rugby League Tournament with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson starting from the bench in Match One against Kelston Boys High as well as in Match Two against Mt Albert Grammar School. Donte Tahuhu-Wilson continued from the bench in Matches Three and Four against St Pauls College and Southern Cross Campus respectively.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson then started and scored in the Premiership Final victory against St Pauls College in the 15th minute when after Donte Tahuhu-Wilson played the ball a metre from the try line and three metres in from the right touchline, the St Thomas dummy half tried to force his way over to the right of the play the ball and as he was being dragged over the touchline, he desperately flung the ball back inside. Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was able to jump and take possession of the ball in two hands above his head and immediately exploded towards the try line by way of a right foot step to dive over to score in the right corner.

Also in 2023 Donte Tahuhu-Wilson represented New Zealand Māori (from Ngai Tahu) at the U15 Pasifika Youth Cup held in New Zealand.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson started the 2023 Pasifika Youth Cup Grand Final at fullback for New Zealand Māori against New Zealand Samoa with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson recording a try assist in the 8th minute when after chiming into the Māori backline on the left side of the field, Donte Tahuhu-Wilson ran the ball to within eighteen metres of the try line before throwing a hard, flat cut-out pass to his left to put his winger on the outside of his direct opponent and over to score in the left corner.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson’s initial involvement of the Grand Final came in just the second minute when after collecting a Samoa clearing kick on the bounce thirteen metres out from his own try line near the right touchline Donte Tahuhu-Wilson ran the ball to his left back towards the centre of the field before being tackled twenty two metres out.

Also in the 2nd minute of the Grand Final Donte Tahuhu-Wilson backed up a line break by one of his forwards and after receiving the ball from an off-load from his right Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was able to make sixteen metres to get the ball from thirty five metres from the try line to within nineteen metres.

In the 16th minute after collecting a Samoa clearing kick on the bounce twelve metres out from his own try line near the right touchline Donte Tahuhu-Wilson ran the ball to his left back towards the centre of the field before being tackled twenty three metres out from his own try line with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson then awarded a penalty for being hit in a high tackle.

In the 49th minute Donte Tahuhu-Wilson ran to his left out of dummy half from ten metres inside his own territory and after bouncing away from one defender Donte Tahuhu-Wilson cut back to his right and was as a result able to get ball two metres inside Samoan territory before being brought to ground.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson did well defensively in the 17th minute with a good one on one tackle on the Samoan right centre No. 4 who was brought down by Donte Tahuhu-Wilson with a good low right shoulder tackle twenty metres out from the try line after he had made a line break.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson also started at fullback in the semi-final against the Cook Islands with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson kicking a conversion with a good left foot strike in the 17th minute from mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Earlier in the 6th minute of the match Donte Tahuhu-Wilson, from the centre of the field ran out of dummy half to his left from twenty seven metres from the try line and after stepping off his left foot Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was able to carry the ball to within ten metres of the ty line.

At the conclusion of the Pasifika Youth Cup Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was named at fullback in the 2023 U15 Pasifika Youth Cup Carnival Team.

Also in late 2023 Donte Tuhuhu-Wilson, at the 2023 Canterbury Schools Sports Awards Presentation Night was named the Best All-round Young Sportsman (Multi-Sports) of the Year.

In 2022 Donte Tahuhu-Wilson attended an U14 camp that the Titans ran in New Zealand with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson being named by the Titans Development Staff as the camp’s Most Valuable Player. Donte Tahuhu-Wilson also tested exceptionally well at the camp including recording the highest vertical jump of all participants. Donte Tahuhu-Wilson also attended New Zealand camps run by other NRL clubs as well including the Melbourne Storm where he also stood out due to his athletic ability.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson is from the Canterbury region of New Zealand ,attending St Thomas of Canterbury College and playing for the Hornby Hornets Rugby League club and in addition to making numerous Canterbury regional representative sides Donte Tahuhu-Wilson was named in the New Zealand Māori U13 Merit side in 2021 and the New Zealand Māori U14 Merit side in 2022.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson contributes speed, elusiveness and a spark to his team’s attacking methodology with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson’s ability not to just run the ball himself but play as a second receiver and ball play for his team mates on the fringes of the ruck, with impressively for a junior player Donte Tahuhu-Wilson having the skill set to ball play on either side of the field.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson can literally do it all in terms of attacking from the fullback position, Donte Tahuhu-Wilson can chime into a backline and either slice through a gap or draw a create an overlap and pass to his support on his outside. When his team are bringing the ball out of their own territory Donte Tahuhu-Wilson hunts around behind the play the ball looking to exploit the situation when an opposition defender does not close any gaps quick enough.

This is also in addition to Donte Tahuhu-Wilson’s kick return ability with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson doing everything possible to get to long tactical kicks on the full with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson then sizing up the situation quickly and running the ball straight back instead of running across the field to make as much ground as possible.

Donte Tahuhu-Wilson is also very good when defending against high attacking kicks by jumping high and taking the ball on the full into his chest. Donte Tahuhu-Wilson also attacks opposition grubber kicks by moving forward and taking possession with significant forward momentum.

From a defensive perspective Donte Tahuhu-Wilson moves forward quickly when a line break is made in front of him with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson’s intention being to reduce the time for his opponent to make a decision what to do and in those circumstances Donte Tahuhu-Wilson does not take any dummy and focusses solely on the player with the ball. When Donte Tahuhu-Wilson is required to move across in cover defence Donte Tahuhu-Wilson will show is opponent the sideline before accelerating across field looking to take his opponent into touch, which he does on a regular basis.

2024 will see Donte Tahuhu-Wilson start the season in the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad with Donte Tahuhu-Wilson also CC Cup eligible in the 2025.

With the skill set that he has Donte Tahuhu-Wilson could not doubt play a number of positions but with his speed, timing and anticipation, Donte Tahuhu-Wilson seems the perfect fit at fullback, both now and into the future.

Melbourne Storm and former New South Wales State of Origin’ fullback (utility) Ryan Papenhuyzen is a more than solid comparison for Donte Tahuhu-Wilson both in terms of speed and elusiveness as well as body type. Both Donte Tahuhu-Wilson and Papenhuyzen are just electric running the ball and in relation to their overall impact and toughness on a rugby league field that belies their smaller stature.

[mdrew]

Denzel Silby. Round One of the 2023 School Boy Renouf Cup competition saw Denzel Silby start on the left wing in Round One for Keebra Park SHS against Wavell SHS with Denzel Silby carry the ball from the left of a Keebra Park SHS scrum win from thirty seven metres from his own try line to four metres into Wavell SHS territory.

Denzel Silby also started on the left wing for Round Two against Ipswich SHS.

Denzel Silby continued on the left wing in Round Three against Marsden SHS in Denzel Silby kicking a conversion in the 5th minute from ten metres in from the left touchline to convert Ike Billish’s try.

Denzel Silby also made a line break in the 4th minute with a good run down the left touchline from thirty three metres out from his own try line to the halfway mark.

Denzel Silby did well defensively in the 21st minute to race out of the defensive line when defending on his own try line and facing an overlap to hit the Marsden SHS right centre and force a forward pass.

Denzel Silby then moved to the bench for Round Four against Redcliffe SHS with Denzel Silby scoring a great solo try in the 33rd minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the play the ball around thirty three metres from the try line, Denzel Silby exploded through the Redcliffe SHS defensive line and just kept going to score nine metres to the left of the uprights.

Denzel Silby then started at lock in Round Five against Mabel Park SHS with Denzel Silby making a good run in the 9th minute when after picking up the ball from the back of a Keebra Park SHS scrum win ten metres out from his own try line, Denzel Silby ran to his left to get the ball out to the thirty metre mark.

Denzel Silby then moved to five eight in Round Six against St Marys Toowoomba with Denzel Silby scoring a try and kicking three conversions with Denzel Silby kicking his initial conversion in the 10th minue from directly in front of the goal posts. Denzel Silby then kicked his second conversion in the 17th minute from ten metres in from the left touchline before adding a third conversion in the 22nd minute from next to the left upright.

Denzel Silby scored in the 43rd minute when after picking up the ball from the back of a Keebra Park SHS scrum win in the centre of the field and ten metre out from his own try line, Denzel Silby ran to his left and after running between two defenders, Denzel Silby charged away and was able to outpace the cover defence to score eight metres to the right of the goal posts.

Denzel Silby continued at five eight in the Round Seven School Boy local derby against PBC SHS with Denzel Silby scoring in the 42nd minute when after charging onto the ball to the right of the play the ball ten metres from the try line, Denzel Silby veered to his right to beat the PBC SHS fullback and score ten metres in from the right corner post.

Denzel Silby also made a line break in the 9th minute when after backing up a line break by Jett Rimaputu down the left touchline, Denzel Silby received the off-load from his left from Jett Timaputu and was able to make a twenty six metre run downfield.

In late 2023 Denzel Silby was named as an emergency in the Coomera Chiefs 2024 U15 Boys Oztag team for the 2024 Queensland State Oztag Championships.

Denzel Silby also played Oztag in 2023 with Denzel Silby named in the 2023 Super Series Queensland Rebels U14 Representative squad. Denzel Silby was also named in the 2023 Queensland Schools Oztag Year Eight All Stars School Merit Team.

Denzel Silby started the 2022 Gold Coast Junior Rugby League U13 Division One Grand Final at five eight for the Coomera Cutters as they defeated the Burleigh Bears 18 – 16 to become the 2022 Premiers in a high quality match.

Denzel Silby kicked his first conversion of the Grand Final in the 6th minute from six metres to the left of the uprights to convert Alex Ruiz’s try out of dummy half.

Denzel Silby made a great run in the 26th minute when after receiving the ball from the dummy half to the left of the play the ball and forty two metres out from his own try line, Denzel Silby stepped off his left foot and ran back to his right before a great Denzel Silby left arm fend getting rid of a defender with Denzel Silby then running over the halfway mark before shrugging off another defender before off-loading the ball to his inside.

With the Grand Final delicately poised with just five minutes to go and with Coomera up by just two points Denzel Silby took possession of the ball to the left of the play the ball from a cut-out pass with Denzel Selby making twelve metres to get the ball from forty metres out to twenty six metres out.

Denzel Silby also showcased his defensive ability in the Gran Final in the 10th minute with a great low tackle in a charging Burleigh front rower (No. 8) just as the Bears player was about to charge through a big gap near the halfway mark.

A minute earlier in the 9th minute of the Grand Final along with Marlee Smith, Denzel Silby hit one of the Burleigh front rowers (No. 10 on this occasion) in a great joint front on tackle forty metres out from the Cutters try line with the fore of the contact immediately forcing the ball loose.

Denzel Silby continued his strong defensive match in the 28th minute when whilst defending on the left, Denzel Silby raced out of the defensive line with Burleigh on the attack just twenty metres out with Denzel Silby hitting the Bears right second rower just as the ball arrived with Denzel Silby throwing the second rower to ground. Denzel Silby was actually penalised for some reason, maybe for tackling too hard, not sure what else it could have been.

2022 also saw Denzel Silby also line up for Keebra Park SHS in the Bronco’s Old Boys competition including starting in the Grand Final in the centres against Wavell SHS with Denzel Silby kicking a great conversion from the sideline to convert Keebra Park SHS’s opening try of the match.

Denzel Silby also played Oztag in 2022 and was named in the Southern Storm U13 Oztag Representative side for the 2022 Junior National Oztag Championships held in Coffs Harbour after playing for the Coomera Chiefs U13 side at the 2022 Queensland Junior State Cup.

I really like the way that Denzel Silby plays in attack, he will try different things and play what is in front of him rather than stick to the same tactics over and over again. In many respects Denzel Silby is very unpredictable when he gets the ball, he is adept at running himself when presented with an appropriate opportunity and has a very good turn of speed off the mark and similarly can throw some superb passes to his support runners if they find themselves running into a gap.

Currently Denzel Silby is probably a touch better runner of the ball then ball player and Denzel Silby can step off both feet and is quite strong for his size and will shrug off larger defenders if they try to go high and try to wrap up the ball without committing to the tackle properly or with an incorrect tackling technique.

Denzel Silby is able to drift across field and then just takes off through any gaps in a staggered defensive line. When he looks to take advantage of an overlap on the blind side and is adept at drawing in outside defenders to give his winger a clear path to the line by creating a two on one situation.

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

Denzel Silby also runs with the ball out in front of his body in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what he is going to do before the play is executed or develops in front of them.

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

Denzel Silby has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on his side of the field.

Defensively Denzel Silby uses his size to good effect, he drives with his shoulder into his opponent and has very good timing in terms of when to come out of the line and certainly has the speed to readjust and chase if his timing is slightly off and his opposing player gets on his outside.

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

2024 will see Denzel Silby continue to play for the Coomera Cutters in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition. Denzel Silby will also continue to play for Keebra Park SHS moving up to the Hancock Cup School Boy Rugby League competition.

Denzel Silby can play either five eight or centre but I am leaning more (just) towards a permanent spot at five eight over centre in relation to Denzel Silby.

For me with his ability to slip through gaps in the defensive line especially close to the line and a solid repeatable defensive technique, Denzel Silby has a playing style similar to that of Canterbury Bulldogs, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International five eight (and occasional centre) Matt Burton as a more than solid and reliable player who finds his way to the try line on a regular basis an also like Burton Denzel Silby is a very good kicker of the ball in multiple different match situations and areas of the field.

Like Burton, Denzel Silby will regularly display tantalising flashes of exquisite skill whether that is in relation to a deft kick, scything run, beautiful pass or a determined kick chase at a time that is pivotal to his side’s ultimate success.

Denzel Silby stands out as an exceptional compliment to the players around him and has a game that makes the players around him better regardless of how good they already were.

Denzel Silby is just a footballer’s footballer who just does all of the little things on a rugby league field well and probably is under appreciated by all but his team mates and coaching staff.

[mdrew]

Tipene Moyes. In April 2023 Tipene Moyes played in the New Zealand Māori U13 Tournament with Tipene Moyes named in the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the Championships. Then in late October 2023 Tipene Moyes was named in the New Zealand Māori U13 Representative side to play in the 2023 New Zealand Rugby League Pasifika Youth Cup.

The 2023 U15 New Zealand Pasifika Youth Cup Grand Final saw Tipene Moyes start at left second row for New Zealand Māori against Tonga with Tipene Moyes kicking two conversions in a big New Zealand Māori victory.

Tipene Moyes’s first conversion of the Grand Final was a great right foot strike from the right touchline. Tipene Moyes kicked his second conversion 13th minute from mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Tipene Moyes was heavily involved in NZ Māori’s first try of the Grand Final in the 3rd minute when after maori put up a high bomb the Tonga fullback tried to trap the ball with his foot but the ball ricocheted into the grasp of Tipene Moyes twenty five metres out and in the centre of the field. After taking possession of the ball Tipene Moyes stepped off his right foot and then got an off-load away to his left to his fullback who subsequently got a pass away to his left for the NZ Māori left winger to score in the corner.

Tipene Moyes almost scored himself in the 13th minute when after charging onto the ball to the right of the dummy half from thirteen metres out, Tipene Moyes stepped off his left foot and after being tackled short of the try line reached out with the ball in his right hand but the referee ruled that Tipene Moyes had grounded the ball just short of the try line five metres to the left of the goal posts.

Tipene Moyes also made a line break In the 22nd minute from the right of the play the ball with Tipene Moyes charging onto the ball from eight metres inside his own territory and after breaking through two defenders on the halfway mark, Tipene Moyes charged downfield before being tackled thirty two metres out from the try line.

Day One of the 2023 U13 Pasifika Youth Cup saw Tipene Moyes start at left second row New Zealand Māori against the Cook Islands with Tipene Moyes scoring in the 34th minute wit ha straight hard run from eight metres out after receiving a smart pass from his right from Rico Ford to score four metres to the right of the goal posts.

Tipene Moyes also made a line break in the 9th minute with a hard straight charge from thirty metre out from his own try line and to the left of the play the ball and after breaking three tackles Tipene Moyes charged down the left touchline and carry the ball fifty metres downfield to within twenty metres of the try line.

Tipene Moyes also recorded a try assist (of sorts) in the 6th minute when with the Cook Islands bringing the ball off their own try line Tipene Moyes hit the Cook Islands No. 9 with a driving right shoulder tackle, lifting him up and driving him onto his back three metres from the try line with the ball coming loose and rolling into the in-goal. The Māori halfback was the first to react and dive on the ball in the in-goal.

Also on Day One of the 2023 U13 Pasifika Youth Cup Tipene Moyes started at left second row against Tonga with Tipene Moyes kicking two conversions, the first of which came in the 18th minute from five metres to the right of the goal posts. Tipene Moyes’s second conversion was an outstanding right foot kick from the right touchline in the 25th minute.

Tipene Moyes made a line break in the 23rd minute when whilst defending literally on his own try line and the Tonga play the ball less than a metre out, Tipene Moyes darted off his try line and was able to intercept the pass from the Tonga dummy half and charged down the left touchline and rumble downfield to within twelve metres from the try line at the opposite end of the field near the left touchline.

Tipene Moyes also recorded a line break assist in the 20th minute when after taking possession of the ball ten metres out from his own try line and to the left of the play the ball Tipene Moyes drew the Tonga right winger and passed to his left to put his left centre on a long run down the left touchline.

Tipene Moyes made an impression on the match after taking the second hit-up of the match to the left of the play the ball to get the ball out to the thirty metre mark. Then in the 6th minute from two passes to the left of the play the ball Tipene Moyes carried the ball from forty five metres out from the try line to within thirty metres.

At the completion of the competition Tipene Moyes was named in the second row in the 2023 Pasifika Youth Cup U13 Festival Team.

In 2023 Tipene Moyes lined up for Logan Brothers in the GBJRL U13 Division One competition with Tipene Moyes finishing the season as the competitions regular season leading try scorer with twenty three tries whilst splitting time between starting in the second row and lock. Tipene Moyes was also the regular season competitions second leading points scorer with 132 points from his twenty three tries and nineteen conversions.

Tipene Moyes scored an amazing five tries in Round Thirteen against Souths and also scored four tries against Souths in Round Six. Tipene Moyes also scored hat tricks in Round One against Greenback and Round Four against the Redcliffe Dolphins and also scored doubles in Round Eight against the Norths Devils and Round Fourteen against Aspley. Tipene Moyes also scored in Rounds Two and Nine against Carina and Round Ten against the Easts Tigers.

From a goal kicking perspective Tipene Moyes kicked four conversions from as many attempts in Round Five against Albany Creek and three conversions in Round One against Greenbank and Round Eight against Norths, Tipene Moyes kicked two conversions on three sperate occasions as well.

Tipene Moyes also played a number of matches for Logan Brothers in the BJRL U14 Division One competition with his first match coming in Round Seven against Wests Arana Hills with Tipene Moyes starting on the wing and scoring for Logan Brothers. Tipene Moyes started on the wing in all of his U14 Division One match except for Week One of the Finals when he started from the bench.

In addition to scoring in Round Seven, Tipene Moyes also scored in Round Nine against Easts and Week One of the Finals against Norths.

Tipene Moyes then started on the wing in Logan Brothers 26 – 22 Preliminary Final victory against the Norths Devils.

Tipene Moyes also started on the wing, scoring a double in Logan Brothers 2023 GBJRL U14 Division One Grand Final victory against the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies.

In 2023 Tipene Moyes played in the School Boy Rugby League Bronco’s Old Boys competition for Marsden SHS including starting in the 2023 Grand Final at lock against Mabel Park SHS and in October 2023 Tipene Moyes was named in the second row in the 2023 Marsden SHS School Boy Rugby League Team of the Year.

In late 2023 Tipene Moyes was named in the New Era U13 side to play the U13 Velocity All Stars with Tipene Moyes starting the match at left second row.

Tipene Moyes produced a strong run in the 7th minute to make seventeen metres down the left channel and break two tackles to carry the ball to within twenty three metres of the try line.

Tipene Moyes also executed a test book big tackle in the 23rd minute with a driving right shoulder tackle in the centre of the field and thirty five metres from the try line.

Tipene Moyes is another young player who has excelled in both rugby league and rugby who in 2022 was named in the QRSS U12 Rugby League Boys Representative Team after representing South Coast as well as the Brisbane Junior Rugby U12 Representative Program.

Tipene Moyes was also named in the Queensland Māori Tuakana U12 Rugby League Merit Team in 2022.

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

Tipene Moyes runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line quite often, certainly more so than you would expect for a backrower taking the ball through the centre of the ruck. One reason for this is that he is a smart footballer, Tipene Moyes does not try to run over defenders, but Tipene Moyes runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle.

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

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

In defence Tipene Moyes regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not always one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.
When the opportunity presents Tipene Moyes has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent. Ultimately though Tipene Moyes is a strong defender with a good front on technique and good lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.

2024 will see Tipene Moyes move up to the School Boy Rugby League Renouf Shield competition with Marsden SHS. Tipene Moyes will also continue to play for Logan Brothers in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition in 2024 and like in 2023, Tipene Moyes may also play a number of matches in the Logan Brothers U15 Division One side.

In his own age group, in both school and club rugby league Tipene Moyes was dominant in the backrow and whilst Tipene Moyes was equally impressive on the wing for Logan Brothers playing in a higher age group in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition, Tipene Moyes, going forward shapes as an outstanding rugby league second row prospect.

With his power, size and speed, Tipene Moyes has a very close similarity in playing style to the Titans own Queensland second rower David Fifita. Both Fifita and Tipene Moyes are outstanding and brutal runners of the ball on the fringes of the ruck (and wider) and both also can more than handle themselves in relation to their defensive duties both from an initial contact and tackling efficiency perspective.

[mdrew]

Blaine Adams. 2023 saw Blaine Adams play for Keebra Park SHS in the School Boy Bronco’s Old Boys competition with Blaine Adams starting at halfback in all of Keebra Park SHS’s matches including their semi-final.

At the 2023 Keebra Park SHS Sports Specialisation Awards Presentation Blaine Adams was named at five eight in the 2023 Keebra Park SHS School Boy Rugby League Team of the Season with Blaine Adams also being named the 2023 Year Seven Most Valuable Player. Blaine Adams was also named the 2023 Keebra Park SHS Junior Sportsman of the Year.

2023 also saw Blaine Adams start at fullback for the South Coast School Boy U12 Rugby League Representative side at the Queensland Championships with Blaine Adams subsequently named in the Queensland School Boy U12 Rugby League side.

In South Coast’s first match of the Championships on Day One against Northern Blaine Adams recorded a 21st minute try assist when after receiving the ball to the right of the dummy half Blaine Adams ran the ball to within twelve metres of the try line and after engaging one defender Blaine Adams got a great right arm flick off-load away to his right to send Fabian Pese away down the right touchline to dive to score in the right corner.

In the 18th minute after receiving an off-load thirty metres from his own try line Blaine Adams cut through the centre of the field as he carried the ball to three metres inside Northern territory. Then in the 19th minute after fielding a Northern kick on the full eighteen metres out from his own try line and ten metres in from the left touchline, Blaine Adams ran the ball back towards the centre of the field and after straightening up Blaine Adams broke three tackles as he got the ball to the halfway mark.

Blaine Adams also started at fullback in Match Two against South West with Blaine Adams with Blaine Adams scoring a try, setting one up and also making a line break.

Blaine Adams scored in the 21st minute when after receiving the ball from an off-load ten metres out from the try line in front of the goal posts, Blaine Adams ran to his right then stepped off his right foot to straightened up and after bursting through two would be defenders Blaine Adams got the ball down eight metres to the right of the goal posts.

Blaine Adamas recorded his try assist in the 13th minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the dummy half and thirty six metres from the try line, Blaine Adams stood up his opposing defender before beating him on his outside with Blaine Adams then charging downfield before drawing the fullback and passing to his left to Mason Szerszyn who put the ball down in the left corner.

Blaine Adams also made a line break in the 30th minute with a staggering run that saw Blaine Adamas break eight tackles. After receiving the ball two passes to the left of the play the ball twenty five metres from his own try line near the left touchline, Blaine Adams ran back towards the centre of the field and through sheer strength and power beat tackle after tackle before being brought to ground thirteen metres from the try line near the right touchline.

In the 7th minute Blaine Adams after retrieving a South West clearing kick twenty two metres from his own try line and in the centre of the field ran to his left to get the ball thirty eight metres out from his own try line before being awarded a penalty after being hit by a high tackle.

Blaine Adams also started at fullback in Match Three against the Sunshine Coast and in the 35th minute after taking a Sunshine Coast clearing kick on the full thirty eight metres from his own try line Blaine Adams returned the kick through the centre of the field and ran forty seven metres downfield before being tackled just fifteen metres out from the try line.

Blaine Adams continued at fullback in Match Four against Peninsula with Blaine Adams recording a try assist in the 13th minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the play the ball ten metres out from the try line but still on the left side of the field, Blaine Adams continued to run to his left and when he got in front of the posts Blaine Adams threw a long high cut-out pass to his left which found Mason Szerszyn on the first bounce with Mason Szerszyn beating the Peninsula cover defence to score in the left corner.

Blaine Adams also started at fullback in the Semi-final against Met East with Blaine Adams making a line break in the 5th minute when after chiming into the South Coast backline to the left of the play the ball forty metres from the try line Blaine Adams dummied to his left before going through the resultant gap to charge down the left touchline. Blaine Adams stepped off his left foot to beat the Met East fullback before being caught from behind less than a metre from the try line and five metres to the left of the goal posts.

Blaine Adams also recorded a line break assist in the 12th minute when after taking possession of the ball to the left of the dummy half, Blaine Adams threw a long high cut-out pass to his left from twenty metres out to Mason Szerszyn who raced down the left touchline only to be taken into touch three metres out from the left corner post.

Blaine Adams did well defensively in the 36th minute when along with Sam Moorley, Blaine Adams was able to hold up the giant Met East left second rower over the try line four metres to the right of the goal posts.

Blaine Adams had also done well defensively earlier in the match in the 18th minute when after racing to his left Blaine Adams was able to hold up the Met East winger over the try line in the corner to prevent him from scoring.

Blaine Adams then started the 2023 Queensland U12 School Boy Rugby League Championship Final at fullback against Northern with Blaine Adams recording a try assist in the 12th minute when from the centre of the field and around twelve metres from the try line Blaine Adams threw a long cut-out pass to his left to his left winger who was able to dart over to score nine metres in from the left corner post.

In April 2023 Blaine Adams played for E Tu at the New Zealand U13 Māori Championships with Blaine Adams primarily operating at fullback for the Māori Representative side. Then in late October 2023 Blaine Adams was named in the New Zealand Māori U13 Representative side to play in the 2023 New Zealand Pacific Youths Championships.

After starting from the bench for New Zealand Māori in the 2023 U13 Pacific Youth Cup Grand Final against Tonga Blaine Adams came on at halftime to operate on the right wing in the second half.

Day One of the 2023 U13 Pasifika Youth Cup saw Blaine Adams start from the bench for New Zealand Māori against the Cook Islands with Blaine Adams operating at left centre in the second half.

In the 44th minute after taking a Cook Islands kick-off on the bounce near the left touchline twenty three metres out from his own try line Blaine Adams ran the ball towards the centre of the field with Blaine Adams then straightening up his run to carry the ball to within twelve metres of the halfway mark.

Also on Day One of the 2023 U13 Pasifika Youth Cup Blaine Adams started from the bench against Tonga with Blaine Adams operating on the left wing after coming off the bench in the 33rd minute.

In late 2023 Blaine Adams was named in the New Era U13 side to play the U13 Velocity All Stars with Blaine Adams starting the match on the left wing.

In late 2023 Blaine Adams was named in the Coomera Chiefs 2024 U14 Boys Oztag team for the 2024 Queensland State Oztag Championships.

In late 2023 Blaine Adams played in the 3TTAG U12 Tournament with Blaine Adams named the U12 Championships Most Valuable Player.

Blaine Adams contributes speed, elusiveness and a spark to his team’s attacking methodology with Blaine Adams’s ability not to just run the ball himself but play as a second receiver and ball play for his team mates on the fringes of the ruck, with impressively for a junior player Blaine Adams having the skill set to ball play on either side of the field.

Blaine Adams can literally do it all in terms of attacking from the fullback position, Blaine Adams can chime into a backline and either slice through a gap or draw a create an overlap and pass to his support on his outside. When his team are bringing the ball out of their own territory Blaine Adams hunts around behind the play the ball looking to exploit the situation when an opposition defender does not close any gaps quick enough.

This is also in addition to Blaine Adams’s kick return ability with Blaine Adams doing everything possible to get to long tactical kicks on the full with Blaine Adams then sizing up the situation quickly and running the ball straight back instead of running across the field to make as much ground as possible.

Blaine Adams is also very good when defending against high attacking kicks by jumping high and taking the ball on the full into his chest. Blaine Adams also attacks opposition grubber kicks by moving forward and taking possession with significant forward momentum.

From a defensive perspective Blaine Adams moves forward quickly when a line break is made in front of him with Blaine Adams’s intention being to reduce the time for his opponent to make a decision what to do and in those circumstances Blaine Adams does not take any dummy and focusses solely on the player with the ball. When Blaine Adams is required to move across in cover defence Blaine Adams will show is opponent the sideline before accelerating across field looking to take his opponent into touch, which he does on a regular basis.

2024 will see Blaine Adams continue at Keebra Park SHS moving up to the Renouf Shield School boy Rugby League competition.

Blaine Adams, in 2023 played both at halfback and fullback, and whilst I ultimately believe that Blaine Adams will settle in the fullback position, I believe that for at least the next couple of seasons Blaine Adams will continue to alternate between the two positions which will be great for his development.

From my perspective, a talented, unselfish attacking player with similar attributes to Blaine Adams is North Queensland Cowboys fullback/five eight Scott Drinkwater. Like Drinkwater, Blaine Adams has great acceleration to go along with a wicked sidestep off both feet, and the play making skills to make opposition teams pay if defences look to focus too much on Blaine Adams rather than his support runners or if individual defenders come out of the line too quickly.

[mdrew]

Fabian Pese. 2023 saw Fabian Pese play for Keebra Park SHS in the School Boy Bronco’s Old Boys competition with Fabian Pese starting at five eight in all of Keebra Park SHS’s matches, however Round Six against Stretton State College saw Fabian Pese start at lock with Fabian Pese also starting at lock in their semi-final.

2023 also saw Fabian Pese start at five eight for the South Coast School Boy U12 Rugby League Representative side at the Queensland Championships with Fabian Pese subsequently named in the Queensland School Boy U12 Rugby League side.

In South Coast’s first match of the Championships on Day One against Northern with Fabian Pese starting at five eight and scoring a double in a big first up victory for South Coast.

Fabian Pese scored his first try in the 5th minute when after taking possession of the ball twenty two metres out and to the left of the play the ball, Fabian Pese stepped inside off his left foot to break through the defensive line with Fabian Pese veering to his left and after outpacing the Northern fullback Fabian Pese dived over to score four metres to the left of the goal posts. Fabian Pese then was able to convert his own try.

Fabian Pese completed his double in the 21st minute with a with a fourteen metre burst down the right touchline to score in the right corner after receiving a great right arm flick off-load from his inside from Blaine Adams.

Fabion Pese also started at five eight in Match Two against South West with Fabion Pese scoring in the 3rd minute when after receiving the ball six metres out from the try line and to the left of the play the ball, Fabian Pese stepped twice off his left foot and once off his right to step his way past multiple defenders to score ten metres to the left of the goal posts.

Fabion Pese also recorded a try assist in the 9th minute with a cut out pass to his left from six metres out to put his left centre Mason Szerszyn over to score wide out on the left.

Fabian Pese also started at five eight in Match Three against the Sunshine Coast with Fabian Pese forcing a Sunshine Coast goal line drop-out in just the 2nd minute of the match when after taking possession of the ball twenty metres from the try line and to the left of the play the ball, Fabian Pese paused before turning to face the right touchline and off a step put in a right foot chip towards the left corner with the ball coming down a metre from the try line with the Sunshine Coast left winger who caught the ball on full forced back into the in-goal area.

Fabian Pese also started at five eight in Match Four against Peninsula.

Fabian Pese also started at five eight in the Semi-final against Met East with Fabian Pese scoring in the 27th minute when after taking possession of the ball to the left of the dummy half when eight metres out from the try line, Fabian Pese dummied to his left before stepping off his left foot to beat two defenders. Fabian Pese was tripped from behind after stepping inside but quickly got back to his feet and after continuing to run to his right Fabian Pese carried two more defenders over the try line with him get the ball down three metres to the right of the goal posts.

Fabian Pese then started the 2023 Queensland U12 School Boy Rugby League Championship Final at five eight against Northern.

In late 2023 Fabian Pese was named in the New Era U12 side to play the U12 Velocity All Stars with Fabian Pese starting the match at five eight.

Fabian Pese made a line break in the 13th minute when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball forty metres from the try line Fabian Pese dummied to his right before slicing between two defenders to carry the ball to twenty metres from the try line before being tackled by the fullback.

Fabain Pese also made a strong tackle on his opposite five eight in the 38th minute with Fabian Pese’s heavy initial contact forcing his opponent backwards to forty metres from the try line.

Fabian Pese 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, Fabian Pese is incredibly difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, he is also a powerful runner who has the power to also break tackles through sheer power and not just rely on his speed to beat his opponent.

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

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

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

2024 will see Fabian Pese continue at Keebra Park SHS moving up to the Renouf Shield School boy Rugby League competition.

Fabian Pese, with his ability to run the ball and his ball playing ability to be a great link between his forwards and backs, looks an ideal modern day rugby league lock.

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

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

[mdrew]

Jasiah Ioane. 2023 saw Jasiah Ioane play for Keebra Park SHS in the School Boy Bronco’s Old Boys competition with Jasiah Ioane starting in the front row in all of Keebra Park SHS’s matches including their semi-final.

At the 2023 Keebra Park SHS Sports Specialisation Awards Presentation Jasiah Ioane was named in the front row in the 2023 Keebra Park SHS School Boy Rugby League Team of the Season.

2023 also saw Jasiah Ioane start in the front row for the South Coast School Boy U12 Rugby League Representative side at the Queensland Championships with Jasiah Ioane subsequently named in the Queensland School Boy U12 Rugby League side.

In South Coast’s first match of the Championships on Day One against Northern Jasiah Ioane was a young man on a mission in the early minutes of the match with a number of big hits in defence.

In the 17th minute from two passes to the right of the play the ball Jasiah Ioane made a strong yardage carry which saw Jasiah Ioane promote the ball from ten metres out from his own try lien to twenty five metres out. Then in the 38th minute Jasiah Ioane ran onto the ball to the left of a South Coast restart on the halfway mark and broke three tackles as Jasiah Ioane carried the ball to within twenty five metres of the try line.

Jasiah Ioane also started in the front row in Match Two against South West with Jasiah Ioane scoring a double.

Jasiah Ioane scored the first of his two tries in the 31st minute with a charge from two passes to the left of the play the ball from fourteen metres out with Jasiah Ioane executing a right foot step to wrong foot one defender before crashing through two attempted tackles to get the ball down four metres to the right of the goal posts.

Jasiah Ioane added a second try four minutes later in the 35th minute with a twelve metre charge from a South Coast penalty restart to crash over to score five metres to the right of the goal posts. In fact it was a big run from Jasiah Ioane that got the penalty for South Coast when from forty two metres from the try line Jasiah Ioane burst onto the ball to the left of the play the ball with Jasiah Ioane breaking five tackles as he rumbled through the centre of the field before being awarded the penalty for being held down too long by the South West defenders.

Earlier in the match in the 17th minute from two passes to the left of the play the ball Jasiah Ioane made a strong yardage carry that saw him promote the ball from sixteen metres out from his own try line to thirty seven metres out with Jasiah Ioane then able to get an off-load away to his left to Mason Szerszyn.

Jasiah Ioane also started in the front row in Match Three against the Sunshine Coast with Jasiah Ioane scoring a double for the second match in a row.

Jasiah Ioane scored the first of his two tries in the 3rd minute when as soon as Jasiah Ioane took the ball twelve metres out from the try line and two passes to the left of the play the ball Jasiah Ioane was hit by one of the Sunshine Coast front rowers, Jasiah Ioane ran of the top of him before pushing away from a second before Jasiah Ioane burst through five would be defenders to get the ball down ten metres to the right of the goal posts.

Jasiah Ioane completed his double in the 9th minute in the 9th minute when with the play the ball less than a metre from the try line and directly in front of the goal posts, Sam Moorley ran to his left out of dummy half and passed back to his right to Jasiah Ioane who speared over to score under the posts.

Jasiah Ioane continued in the front row in Match Four against Peninsula with Jasiah Ioane running onto the ball to the left of the dummy half in the 21st minute to carry the ball from twenty seven metres out from his own try line to forty one metres out with Jasiah Ioane then able to get an off-load away to his left. Then in the 31st minute from two passes to the right of the play the ball and thirty metres from his try line Jasiah Ioane was able to carry the ball to within three metres of the halfway mark.

Jasiah Ioane also started in the front row in the Semi-final against Met East with Jasiah Ioane scoring in the 15th minute when Jasiah Ioane burst over from close range off a Sam Moorley run to his right out of dummy half and an inside ball to Jasiah Ioane who crashed over to get the ball down under the posts.

In the 4th minute of the match from a Met East penalty restart Jasiah Ioane broke a tackle as he carried the ball from eleven metres out from his own try line to twenty three metres out. Then in the 32nd minute from a restart in the centre of the halfway mark Jasiah Ioane made ten metres before being awarded a tackle for being held down. Jasiah Ioane then ran the ball from the subsequent penalty restart and was able to make a further ten metres before getting a left arm off-load away to Sam Moorley.

Jasiah Ioane then started the 2023 Queensland U12 School Boy Rugby League Championship Final in the front row against Northern with the first of a number of strong runs by Jasiah Ioane coming in the 5th minute with an effort from two passes to the right of the play the ball that saw Jasiah Ioane carry the ball from forty metres from the try line to twenty eight metres out.

The 10th minute saw Jasiah Ioane run onto the ball from a halfway restart and after bumping off one would be defender Jasiah Ioane got the ball to the forty metre mark before being awarded a penalty. Jasiah Ioane then made a further ten metres from the subsequent penalty restart. Then in the 18th minute Jasiah Ioane ran onto the ball to the right of the play the ball and was able to carry the ball from twenty metres to five metres from the try line breaking three tackles over the journey.

In late 2023 Jasiah Ioane was named in the New Era U12 side to play the U12 Velocity All Stars with Jasiah Ioane starting the match in the front row with Jasiah Ioane making the fourth hit-up of the match to carry the ball from thirty six metres from his own try line to the halfway mark after running onto the ball to the right of the play the ball.

In the 15th minute from a New Era penalty restart Jasiah Ioane ran the ball from thirty two metres from the try line to the forty four metre mark. Then in the 35th minute after taking possession of the ball to the left of the dummy half Jasiah Ioane broke an impressive five tackles as he carried the ball from nineteen metres out from his own try line to thirty one metres out.

Jasiah Ioane rounded out a strong match in the 46th minute with another strong run from a New era penalty restart to run the ball from the halfway mark to within thirty four metres from the try line.

From a club rugby league perspective Jasiah Ioane plays for the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition.

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

An area where Jasiah Ioane has really improved over the last season is in relation to his off-loads in previous seasons he did not off load too much but this season he really has been able to get his arms free and get away some telling off-loads. Jasiah Ioane continually put his hand up all day to take the ball up and has a very quick play the ball so that his team can maintain momentum.

One area that he did not seem to use too often this year but does seem to have the capacity to develop based on his size, skills and footwork is the ability to off load before the line, an example of what I am meaning is how the Canterbury Bulldogs forward pack uses those small offloads prior to the line. Jasiah Ioane has shown glimpses of having the skills to utilise the same skills if the opportunities arise, developing this skill with only enhance his effectiveness.

In defence Jasiah Ioane uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Jasiah Ioane is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique, maintaining decent leverage and reasonable agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents on the edge of the ruck.

Although clearly he is more effective in the centre of the ruck, as most front rowers are, Jasiah Ioane’s raw natural strength means that he is also dominant when looking to slow the play the ball down by winning the wrestling battle on the ground.

2024 will see Jasiah Ioane continue at Keebra Park SHS moving up to the Renouf Shield School boy Rugby League competition as well as continuing to play for the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League U13 Division One competition.

Jasiah Ioane is a front rower in rugby league both now and into the future, full stop.

In many respects Jasiah Ioane has a similar playing style to that of Titans and Queensland State of Origin front rower Moeaki Fotuaika. Both Fotuaika and Jasiah Ioane are solidly built young front rowers with deceptive speed, late subtle deceptive footwork and vastly under rated ball skills as well as defensively they are both very good as well.

Also both Fotuaika and Jasiah Ioane are extremely hard workers, unassuming and dedicated to being the best that they can be, both on and off the field.

[mdrew]

Maddox Leapai. 2023 saw Maddox Leapai play for Mabel Park SHS in the School Boy Bronco’s Old Boys School Boy Rugby League competition with Maddox Leapai starting in the front row in all of Mabel Park SHS’s matches including in Mabel Park SHS’s impressive 32 – 10 Grand Final victory against Marsden SHS.

2023 also saw Maddox Leapai start in the front row for the Met East School Boy U12 Rugby League Representative side at the Queensland Championships with Maddox Leapai subsequently named in the Queensland School Boy U12 Rugby League side.

Maddox Leapai started in the front row in Met East’s first match of the Queensland Championships against North West with Maddox Leapai scoring inside the opening minute of the match when after running onto the ball two passes to the right of the play the ball when twelve metres from the try line and in front of the goal posts Maddox Leapai continued to run to his right before straightening up his run by way of a right foot step five metres from the try line with Maddox Leapai bursting through four defenders to get the ball down four metres to the right of the goal posts.

The 16th minute saw Maddox Leapai charge onto the ball two passes to the left of the play the ball to carry the ball from eight metres inside his own territory to six metres into North West territory. Then in the 21st from the second half kick-off Maddox Leapai was able to get the ball out to the forty one metre mark with a great run.

Maddox Leapai also started in the front row in Match Two against Capricornia and Match Three against the Darling Downs.

Maddox Leapai continued in the front row in Match Four against Northern with Maddox Leapai making the fourth hit-up of the match to get the ball out to the forty two metre mark. Then in the 4th minute Maddox Leapai ran onto the ball to the right of the play the ball to carry the ball from five metres inside his own territory to six metres into Northern territory.

Maddox Leapai followed up with another strong run in the 9th minute from two passes to the left of the play the ball with Maddox Leapai stepping off his right foot to beat one defender after receiving the ball twenty eight metres from his own try line and get the ball to the forty two metre mark.

From a penalty restart in the 35th minute Maddox Leapai was able to carry the ball from thirteen metres from the try line to within two metres. Then in the 38th minute from five metres inside his own territory Maddox Leapai was able to get the ball to fourteen metres inside Northern territory before getting a right arm off-load away.

Maddox Leapai also started in the front row in the Semi-final against South Coast with Maddox Leapai running an underneath route from the left of the play the ball inside the opening minute of the match to carry the ball from nine metres inside his own territory to six metres inside South Coast territory.

The 9th minute saw Maddox Leapai run another underneath route to the left of the play the ball with Maddox Leapai able to run the ball from twenty two metres from the try line to within ten metres and then Maddox Leapai was able to get a right arm off-load away out the back.

Then in the 25th minute Maddox Leapai produced an outstanding yardage carry when after running onto the ball from literally on his own try line and to the left of the play the ball Maddox Leapai crashed and barged his way thirteen metres out from his try line.

Maddox Leapai then started in the front row in the 3 v 4 play-off against Capricornia with Maddox Leapai running an underneath route to the left of the play the ball in the 31st minute to carry the ball from forty metres out to twenty eight metres out from the try line. Then in the 36th minute from a Met East penalty restart Maddox Leapai ran straight over the top of one defender as he carried the ball through the centre of the field from forty metres from the try line to twenty eight metres out.

2023 also saw Maddox Leapai play a number of games for Logan Brothers in the GBJRL U13 Division One competition even though Maddox Leapai was still U12 eligible.

The young front rower acts as the heartbeat of his team through the centre of the field. Ever reliable, Maddox Leapai gets on with his job with minimal fuss. Whilst Maddox Leapai runs hard at the defensive line he has some subtly about his running style and Maddox Leapai has an outstanding off-load which Maddox Leapai able to execute when engaged by multiple defenders.

In 2023 Maddox Leapai once again dominated the competition because of his game breaking plays with his offloads, line breaks and tackle busts. The opposition repeatedly struggled to get Maddox Leapai down to the ground, with his quick play-the-balls resulting in plenty of momentum for his playmakers.

Maddox Leapai has a huge engine, playing more minutes than just about every other prop in the competition and Maddox Leapai also proved to be incredibly reliable and consistent throughout the 2022 season.

Maddox Leapai’s line speed in defence sets the standard which the rest of his teammates follow and Maddox Leapai’s heavy initial contact also is outstanding. After moving up quickly, Maddox Leapai drives hard into the opposition forward with his shoulder and Maddox Leapai will then finish off the tackle on the ground, winning the wrestle as they say to slow down the momentum of the opposition play the ball and subsequent attacking play.

Defensively Maddox Leapai also tracks the ball across the field well to ensure that he is in position to make the tackle if the opposition play makers bring a ball runner back underneath. That is something that not all young forwards do on a regular basis.

2024 will see Maddox Leapai continue at Mabel Park SHS with Maddox Leapai moving up to the Renouf Shield School Boy Rugby League competition. Maddox Leapai will also return to Logan Brothers in 2024 to play in the GBJRL U13 Division One competition.

Like his older brother Alex, Maddox Leapai was born to be a rugby league front rower, and a very good one at that.

The easy, and to be honest accurate player comparison for Maddox Leapai is in fact the afore mentioned older brother Alex Leapai.