My take on our top juniors

[mdrew]

Gad (Semu) Tata. In early February 2024 Gad Tata was named in the final Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad.

Gad Tata arrives on the Gold Coast from the Bay of Plenty region with Gad Tata attending Katikati College.

Prior to his arrival on the Gold Coast the young centre had an impressive representative resume in New Zealand including playing for the Coastline region at the 2023 New Zealand Rugby League National Youth Championships and in 2022 playing for the 2022 Kotahitangu U15 Representative side.
One of the reasons Gad Tata is so successful on a football field is his exceptional speed and elusiveness, he is the fastest player I have ever seen on a field and when you add in his elusiveness, he is a nightmare for opposing defences. In relation to his elusiveness the thing that makes it play even better is his ability to change direction with no loss of speed, this enables him to use the sideline exceptionally well with an in and away, all three of his first half tries against Ipswich in Round Thirteen last weekend are a testament to this skill.
When the opposing defender’s momentum slows just for a split second, Gad Tata is away down the sideline and will not get caught and also regularly also beats the fullback who no matter how fast they are cannot recover the ground.
Gad Tata is also adept at making ground out of dummy half. Once he has picked the ball up he simply explodes out of there and targets a gap between opposing forwards and looks to accelerate through it. If the defenders look to jersey grab or make an arm tackle, Gad Tata simply bursts through it and into the space behind the ruck.
Gad Tata is not a big player at all and the obvious question is whether he is strong enough to handle the defensive side of rugby league at the higher levels, I would argue that the answer is absolutely yes. In defence against the bigger outside backs running around, Gad Tata looks to cut down the time that they have to gain momentum thus eliminating the size differential as a defensive aspect to take into consideration.
At the opposite end of the spectrum when opposing a quick winger, Gad Tata will show them the side line and use his speed advantage to force the opponent towards the touch line, with their only real option to slow and try to come back inside towards Gad Tata and the cover defence.
From a courage stand point Gad Tata also passes any objective measurement that can be considered when evaluating this criterion. He will stand his ground under the high ball and is one of the first players to take a run out of dummy half when the ball needs to be brought out of his side’s own end.
Gad Tata also has the speed to show his opponent the sideline and cut him down and has the recovery speed to turn and chase if a break is made either on his side of the field or for that matter the other side.

Gad Tata started the 2024 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 CC Cup squad before Gad Tata will move onto club and school boy rugby league in Queensland.

In New Zealand, outside a handful of matches at lock Gad Tata played exclusively in the centres and that is where I am of the opinion where Gad Tata’s future lies.

Gad Tata is not a giant of a centre but is tall and has speed to burn and well as outstanding balance and body control thus a player comparison to Titans winger Lofi Khan-Pereira is not unreasonable at all.

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Billy Tonkin. Round One of the 2024 MM Cup competition saw Billy Tonkin start from the bench for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Billy Tonkin scoring in the 65th minute when after receiving a long cut-out pass from his left sixteen metres out from the try line, Billy Tonkin stepped inside off his right foot to beat one defender and get the ball down wide out on the right side of the field.

Round Two of the 2024 U19 Mal Meninga (MM) Cup competition saw Billy Tonkin move into the starting side at right centre for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Brisbane Tigers.

In 2023 Billy Tonkin was an ever present at inside centre (No. 12) for the TSS First XV GPS School Boy Rugby side. In 2022 Billy Tonkin started at inside centre for the TSS Second XV.

In 2021 Billy Tonkin was part of the Burleigh Bears Cyril Connell Cup squad with Billy Tonkin primarily coming off the bench for the Bears that season.

Billy Tonkin 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 Billy Tonkin is unlikely to be caught by the opposition cover defence.

Due to his size and speed Billy Tonkin is very difficult 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.

Billy Tonkin does not just have top end speed, he also has very good acceleration off the mark as well. His fend is decent and as Billy Tonkin puts on more muscle it will become more effective due to his long reach, meaning opposing defensive players cannot get close enough to combat him by impacting on his balance and running line in one on one situations before defensive help arrives.

With his height and reach Billy Tonkin should also be able to refine his ability to offload the ball in tackles, making him even harder to defend against . Obviously as a result of his height he is good under the high ball both in attacking and defensive situations and for his height is comfortable fielding the ball low to the ground from grubber kicks into or through the line.

Defensively Billy Tonkin is solid at wrapping the ball up and will continue 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 he keeps his tackles down against opposing centres who are usually not as tall. Billy Tonkin does however slide well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well.

2024 saw Billy Tonkin commence the season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U19 MM Cup squad.

Billy Tonkin has played the majority of his rugby league career to date in the centres and with his combination of size, speed, strength and power Billy Tonkin has a legitimate chance to stay in the centres long term. If Billy Tonkin however out grows the centre position in the future a move to the second row could be a real difference maker for Billy Tonkin’s future.

I appreciate that I am going back quite a while with this comparison but with his ability to run the ball in one hand and good footwork prior to the line, an apt comparison for Billy Tonkin may well be Queensland State of Origin great Gene Miles especially early in his career when he played in the centres before he moved into the second row. Billy Tonkin is just difficult to tackle full stop, end of story.

[mdrew]

Aiden Gersh. In late September 2023 Aiden Gersh was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad with Aiden Gersh part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 squad that defeated the Greater Northern Tigers in their first 2024 trial.

Round One of the 2024 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Aiden Gersh named in the front row for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Newcastle Knights with Aiden Gersh running onto the ball to the left of the dummy half in the 2nd minute to get the ball from forty metres from the try line to within twenty eight metres.

Aiden Gersh also started in the front row in Round Two against the Central Coast Roosters with Aiden Gersh scoring in the 56th minute when after running onto a great short ball from his right from Billy Mulheron, Aiden Gersh charged twelve metres and carried the Central Coast fullback over the try line with him to get the ball down three metres to the left of the goal posts.

A minute earlier in the 55th minute Aiden Gersh charged onto the ball to the left of the dummy half to carry the ball from his own twenty three metre mark out to the thirty seven metre mark.

Aiden Gersh also started in the front row in Round Four against the Northern Tigers with Aiden Gersh making the fourth hit-up of the match from the left of the play the ball to carry the ball from ten metres inside his own territory to two metres into Tigers territory.

The 15th minute saw Aiden Gersh make a strong kick-off return to get the ball out to the thirty two metre mark and a tackle later from the right of the play the ball Aiden Gersh was able to make a further fourteen metres to within three metres of the halfway mark, breaking a tackle along the way.

In the 52nd minute after receiving an off-load fourteen metres from the try line charged towards the try line only to be tripped up just two metres short and just to the right of the goal posts. Then in the 56th minute Aiden Gersh made a good Tigers goal line drop-out return back to the twenty seven metre mark with Aiden Gersh running straight over the top of one defender in his journey.

Defensively Aiden Gersh made a big driving right shoulder tackle on his opposing front rower in the centre of the field and thirty two metres from the try line.

Aiden Gersh continued in the front row in the Round Five local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs with Aiden Gersh coming close to scoring in the 59th minute but unfortunately Aiden Gersh lost the ball over the try line when directly under the posts after a hard straight run from the right of the play the ball from six metres from the try line.

Aiden Gersh made his initial run of the match inside the opening minute when from the left of the play the ball Aiden Gersh bustled his way from twenty metres from the try line to within five metres before being brought to ground in front of the posts with at least 70% of Aiden Gersh’s metres being post his contact with the North Coast Bulldogs defensive line.

The 4th minute saw Aiden Gersh make a strong kick-off return to get the ball to the nineteen metres mark with Aiden Gersh making another good kick-off return in the 16th minute to get the ball to the twenty three metres mark. Then in the 13th minute from the left of the play the ball Aiden Gersh ran the ball from twenty two metres to within eleven metres of the try line.

Aiden Gersh also started in the front row in the rescheduled Round Three match against the St George Dragons with Aiden Gersh scoring in the 15th minute with a hit and clockwise spin after running onto the ball from six metres out to score for metres to the left of the goal posts.

After taking the opening hit-u[p of the match to get the ball to the eighteen metres mark, Aiden Gersh made a second kick-off return in the 4th minute to get the ball to the twenty two metre mark. Then in the 39th minute from the right of the play the ball Aiden Gersh carried the ball from forty seven metres from the try line to thirty four metres out.

The Mullumbimby youngster commenced training with the Titans JTS 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 Aiden Gersh 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 for the players from both Titans squads.

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

In 2023 Aiden Gersh continued to play for the Mullumbimby Colts in the Group 18 U15 competition with Aiden Gersh named the 2023 Colts U15 Best Back and Aiden Gersh also received the Players Player Award.

In 2022 Aiden Gersh played for the Mullumbimby Giants in the Group 18 U14 competition with Ryder Nelson being named the 2022 Mullumbimby Giants U14 Best Defensive Player. Impressively 2022 was Aiden Gersh’s first year of playing rugby league.

Aiden Gersh also played rugby league for Mullumbimby High School and in the U14 Buckley Shield School Boy Rugby League Competition Aiden Gersh put in several Player of the match performances, including against Newcastle’s Kurri Kurri High School and Erskine Park High School neat Penrith in Sydney’s West. Aiden Gersh’s first match for Mullumbimby High School came in Round One of the 2022 U14 Buckley Shield School Boy Competition came in a victory against Ballina Coast High School.

Aiden Gersh also represented Mullumbimby High School and with fellow 2022 Titans JTS U14 Group 18 Elite Academy squad member Ryder Nelson was a member of the winning 4 x 100 relay team at the North Coast Athletics Carnival. Aiden Gersh along with Ryder Nelson then went on to run the 4 x 100 metre relay event at the New South Wales Schools Age Athletic Championships.
Aiden Gersh is a powerful runner of the ball who runs with a slight jink, usually off his right foot, in his step prior to impacting the defensive line and from when he receives the ball until he hits the defensive line Aiden Gersh is able to build up significant momentum.
Aiden Gersh displays outstanding speed both off the mark and over an extended distance when in the clear for a player his size. Also when Aiden Gersh has impacted the defensive line he continues to pump his legs and gain extra metres after contact.
As noted Aiden Gersh is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle. Like his footwork Aiden Gersh will show flashes of the ability to off load the ball and with experience this attribute will continue to develop both in terms of when he has impacted the defensive line and prior to contact.
Aiden Gersh’s lateral movement is outstanding for a front rower and he is powerful enough to combat the largest of opponents looking to run through the centre of the ruck. Aiden Gersh also has the functional strength to combat attackers on a one on one basis. His initial contact is outstanding as is his ability to put any size attacker quickly and effectively on the ground and effectively slow down the speed of the play the ball.
2024 will see Aiden Gersh continue to play for the Murwillumbah Colts in the Group 18 U16 Junior Rugby League competition in just his third year of playing rugby league. Aiden Gersh will also continue to play rugby league for Mullumbimby High School in a stacked school boy rugby league team. Aiden Gersh started the 2024 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

Aiden Gersh has played the majority of the last couple of seasons either at lock or in the front row as a solidly built powerful young man, and thus Lincoln Mitchell is likely to stay in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career.

From a player comparison perspective for Aiden Gersh, think of someone along the lines of New Zealand International and Redcliffe Dolphin Kenny Bromwich as a hard working forward who is more than a solid player but will also on occasion flash some plus skills and speed.

Like Kenny Bromwich, Aiden Gersh has very underrated late and quick footwork just prior to engaging the defensive line which enables Aiden Gersh to push through gaps in the defensive line and making a solid amount of post contact metres regardless of the size of the opposition forward pack.

[mdrew]

Chase Penna. In late September 2023 Chase Penna was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad with Chase Penna part of the Northern Rivers Titans side that defeated the Greater Northern Tigers in their first 2024 trial.

Round One of the 2024 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Chase Penna named at lock for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Newcastle Knights with Chase Penna doing well in the 16th minute when with the Titans defending on their own try line the Knights put in a short grubber kick into the in-goal but Chase Penna anticipated the kick and moved backwards to collect the ball off the ground eight metres into the in-goal area, but Chase Penna wanted more and continued to run to his left and was able to get the ball four metres back into the field of play near his left touchline.

Chase Penna then started from the bench in Round Two against the Central Coast Roosters with Chase Penna coming onto the field in the 23rd minute.

Chase Penna made multiple strong runs against Central Coast including a good sequence in the 50th minute when after running onto the ball to the left of a twenty metre restart and making ten metres, Chase Penna ran onto the ball two tackles later two passes to the left of the play the ball to get the ball to within thirty metres of the try line before getting an off-load away to his left to keep the play going.

Chase Penna then started from the bench in Round Four against the Northern Tigers and after coming onto the field mid-way through the second half Chase Penna did well in the 55th minute when after carrying the ball from the halfway to fortress from the try line to the right of the dummy half Chase Penna executed a right arm flock pass whilst in contact with the defensive line to his right to Ryder Nelson who subsequently put Tye Hogan-Collins away down the right touchline. Two tackles later Chase Penna got an additional off-load away when ten metres out from the try line.

Chase Penna continued from the bench in the Round Five local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs with Chase Penna scoring in the 38th minute when after taking possession of the ball ten metres to the left of the play the ball Chase Penna dummied to his left before stepping off his left foot and after also using a left arm fend to beat a defender Chase Penna executed a goose step before crashing over to score ten metres in from the right corner post. Chase Penna then carried the ball from the subsequent North Coast kick-off to get the ball out to the twenty two metre mark.

Chase Penna made the first of his two line breaks in the 19th minute when Chase Penna ran onto an off-load from Billy Mulheron from his right on the halfway mark with Chase Penna running to within twenty three metres of the try line but unfortunately his pass from his right went to ground.

Chase Penna made his second line break in the 45th minute and once again it was as a result of a Billy Mulheron off-load with Chase Penna charging through a gap after receiving the ball six metres inside his own territory to run the ball through the centre of the field and into North Coast territory.

The 41st minute saw Chase Penna carry the ball to the right of the play the ball from thirty metres from his own try line to forty three metres out after dummying to his right and then in the 50th minute also from the right of the dummy half Chase Penna was able to crash and barge his way from twenty two metres from the try line to six metres out before getting a right arm off-load away to his left.

Chase Penna also started from the bench in the rescheduled Round Three match against the St George Dragons with Chase Penna operating in the dummy half role after coming onto the field late in the first half.

In the 39th minute Chase Penna ran out of dummy half to his left from thirty four metres from the try line and after crashing and barging his way to within ten metres of the try line Chase Penna was able to get his right arm free and get an off-load away to his right to Bully Mulheron.

In early November 2022 Chase Penna commenced training with the Titans JTS U14 Group 18 Academy. And in early December 2022 Chase Penna played in a trial match for the Titans U14 Group 18 Academy in Ballina against the Titans U14 Group One Academy with both teams wearing Titans jerseys.

In late September 2022 Chase Penna was part of a Titans U14 side that played a Titans U15 Invitational NRRRL side at Piggabeen in Tweed Heads with the Titans U14 side prevailing in a high quality contest.

Chase Penna played his club rugby league in 2022 with the Tweed Heads Seagulls U14 side in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition. In the 2022 Group 18 U14 competition the Tweed Heads Seagulls had a 50% record, winning five matches and losing five, with the Seagulls scoring 186 points and conceding 150 to finish with a +36 points differential.

Chase Penna is not the biggest forward running around but runs the ball like the rest of his game, tough and uncompromising. Chase Penna gets back deep and charges onto the ball from the dummy half with Chase Penna able to generate significant forward momentum and speed prior to engaging the defensive line with Etan Alcorn displaying no thoughts of self-preservation as he hits the defensive line by way of dropping his shoulder into the first defender looking to engage him.

Chase Penna does have a degree of subtly in relation to running the ball at the defensive line with Chase Penna utilising slight sideways movement to both his left and right to ensure that he is not an easy target for defenders, thus Chase Penna has a slightly unconventional and awkward running style which enables him to break tackles on a regular basis.

Defensively Chase Penna has an exceptional front on tackling technique that includes appropriate head placement and an overall simple and repeatable technique including when Chase Penna is under stress and/or fatigue. Chase Penna’s tackling technique also enables him to engage attackers with either shoulder which also contributes to Chase Penna’s judicious head placement when making a front on tackle.

2024 will see Chase Penna move up to the U16 Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition, once again with the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Chase Penna also potentially playing a number of matches in the NRRRL U18 competition for the Seagulls as well in 2024.

Chase Penna is a solidly built young man with a low centre of gravity and also the requisite speed and late footwork to potentially develop into a solid hard working rugby league backrower including potentially at lock. Chase Penna started the 2024 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Chase Penna, I can really see aspects of the play of Titans NRL utility forward Erin Clark as a player who provides a spark in both attack and defence when Chase Penna is on the field with a feisty and aggressive take no prisoner’s nature in the way that Chase Penna plays from both an attacking and defensive perspective.

[mdrew]

Tama (Te Ahorangi) Darlington. The 2023 Waitako New Zealand U18 representative was named at halfback for the Burleigh Bears in Round One of the 2023 U19 Mal Meninga (MM) Cup against the Souths Logan Magpies with Tama Darlington converting Jett Bryce’s 13th minute try from four metres to the left of the goal posts to record his first official points in Australia.

Tama Darlington did well defensively in the 68th minute when he along with Sunny Kama and Brady Turner tackled and then held the Souths Logan left centre up and force him four metres back into the Magpies in-goal area. Tama Darlington then did even better defensively when along with Sunny Kama, he held up the Souths Logan left second rower (No. 11) over the try line midway between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field to stop a Magpies try.

Tama Darlington then started from the bench in Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Tama Darlington coming onto the field to operate in the dummy half role in the 42nd minute and in the 45th minute Tama Darlington ran out of dummy half to his left to run the ball from twenty metres from his own try line to thirty two metres out.

Tama Darlington is a slightly built half/hooker who is more of an organising type of player rather than a running player at this stage of his career. Tama Darlington can be seen directing his forwards when and where to run and seemingly makes it clear that Tama Darlington is in charge of directing the team around the field and adhering to the game plan.

Tama Darlington’s passing from both sides of his body is crisp and accurate and also when passing to both sides Tama Darlington generates good spin and distance whilst maintaining accuracy.

Tama Darlington does not take the line on that often but based on his play in the 2019 MM Cup competition and for Burleigh this season, he can and will take on forwards when he sees that they are isolated in the edges of the ruck, although his passing percentage would be much higher than his running percentage, at an estimate I would say 85% passing, 15% running.

Tama Darlington just seems to have a knack of knowing when to pass, what type of pass to throw and also be able to weight the pass very well from either dummy half or one off the ruck.

Tama Darlington seems to be quite quick off the mark and seems to have a good right foot step, when he gets into space Tama Darlington really does work progressively though his options as he does not seem to have the top end speed to finish off breaks himself.

Where Tama Darlington projects very well is in the defensive aspects of rugby league, in essence he is a very good defender for the half back position and by extrapolation hooker, this includes against opposing halves who will try to use footwork and evasion to beat him or against big wide running forwards. Against forwards running directly at him, Tama Darlington has a good compact low tackling technique and rarely looks to tackle above the waist.

2024 sees Tama Darlington start the season off as part of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad with Tama Darlington then moving to club rugby league on the Gold Coast.

Tama Darlington is a bit of a spark plug and with his nimble feet, passing skills and take no prisoners attitude Tama Darlington is clearly comfortable playing at halfback or in the dummy half role but if forced to make a decision I would think that ultimately Tama Darlington will settled at hooker.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Tama Darlington think maybe someone like the St George Dragons, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International hooker or half Ben Hunt, especially in terms of Tama Darlington’s passing game and his show and go when Tama Darlington has the ball. Also like Hunt, Tama Darlington is a strong tactical kicker of the ball and a solid goal kicker as well as overall game manager.

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Mason Broadhurst. The young fullback/centre currently attends the Titans partnered Rockhampton Grammar School.

In late 2023 Mason Broadhurst was named in the 2024 Central Queensland Capra’s U17 Cyril Connell Cup Squad.

Round Four of the U17 CC Cup competition saw Mason Broadhurst start on the left wing for the Central Queensland Capra’s against the Mackay Cutters with Mason Broadhurst scoring in the 56th minute when after the ball was spun from a Capra’s scrum win on the opposite side of the field Mason Broadhurst received the ball eighteen metres out from his own try line with Mason Broadhurst then getting on the outside of his opposite winger to race away down the left touchline to score untouched ten metres in from the left corner post.

Mason Broadhurst’s speed plays very well on a rugby league field and he is quite quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will not get caught from behind if he gets into open space.

In addition to his speed Mason Broadhurst seems to have the ability to “freeze” his direct opponent with his ability to step off both feet before accelerating around them usually on the touchline side although his situational awareness and innate understanding of where the touch line is means that he understands when he should cut back inside thus not to risk being forced into touch.

I really like the way that Mason Broadhurst runs at full speed regardless of the situation. When he has made a break Mason Broadhurst runs at the full back at full pace and does not look to be too cute by trying to out think the opposing fullback. By running at speed directly at the fullback, Mason Broadhurst, not only stops the lateral momentum of the fullback but also reduces the time that the fullback has to make a decision on how to defend against Mason Broadhurst.

Like most of the modern day wingers Mason Broadhurst also has the ability to find the try line in some unlikely situations where it appears that there is no way he could possibly get the ball down without going into touch. His straight line speed would be considered plus plus, Mason Broadhurst is just incredibly quick both off the mark and when he is in motion.

Mason Broadhurst has very good hands low to the ground on grubber kicks or when defenders drop bombs and uses his reach to get to the ball quickly before defenders. Mason Broadhurst will also chase general play kicks with vigour trying to improve the effectiveness of his teams kicking game as well as gaining better field position for his team as the opposition are forced to use up tackles to get out of their own territory.

Mason Broadhurst just seems to have the uncanny ability to take advantage of even the most remote opportunity to score, which ultimately is a trait that is naturally occurring rather than a process or mindset that can be taught or developed in any significant way.

In addition Mason Broadhurst is also deceptively effective running out of dummy half trying to gain field position when bringing the ball out of their own territory. Normally running to the right of the play the ball (Mason Broadhurst is a left winger to be fair), Mason Broadhurst just seems to almost always make the initial defender miss.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, similarly Mason Broadhurst just seems to make the initial defender miss often. What I also like in terms of kick returns is that Mason Broadhurst does not jog after the ball, thus allowing the defence to converge, Mason Broadhurst sprints after the ball to collect it and then makes an immediate decision whether to look to run around the defensive line if it is a short line or is staggered or just run the ball directly into the defensive line to make as much ground as possible.

Defensively one area that Mason Broadhurst has impressed me is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick opposing outside backs to big strong powerful centres or backrowers running wider of the ruck in his direction.

Mason Broadhurst seemingly has more strength that his size and body shape would dictate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

When he is outnumbered from a defensive perspective, Mason Broadhurst has the ability to mirror the movement of the attacker with the ball and hold off committing to the tackle, thus forcing the attacker to commit to a course of action (either run the ball themselves or draw Mason Broadhurst and pass.

This attribute of Mason Broadhurst’s puts the pressure back onto the attacker and puts Mason Broadhurst in a far better position to negate the paly himself or at the very least buys Mason Broadhurst’s team mates time to come across in cover defence. Mason Broadhurst is just a smart defender in all types of situations and that holds him in very good stead into the future.

Regardless of where and how he defends Mason Broadhurst sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent. Mason Broadhurst just intuitively knows how to defend from a timing and technique perspective and rarely loses contact with the attacker once he has engaged them defensively.

Mason Broadhurst uses this contact to redirect the momentum of the attacker towards the touch line. Mason Broadhurst also gets low and this is able to get underneath any fend that is looking to hold Mason Broadhurst off from him initiating contact with the body of his opponent and thus further disrupt his momentum.

Mason Broadhurst will continue to play rugby league for Rockhampton Grammar School in 2024.

Thus with his tall frame, good positioning and ability to pick the correct time to chime into the backline I believe that Mason Broadhurst’s best position is at fullback, although his skill set suggests that Mason Broadhurst could also play either centre or on the wing more than comfortably.

Mason Broadhurst is not a giant of a centre/fullback or winger from an overall size perspective, relying more on guile and outright speed and elusiveness to be a try scoring threat and to that extent an NRL player comparison to South Sydney Rabbitohs and New South Wales State of Origin centre Campbell Graham is more than a reasonable and appropriate one.

Both Graham and Mason Broadhurst are not the giant centre/winger or fullback that the modern game seems to currently (or certainly did) crave but they are smart as well as cunning and ultimately very very successful at finding their way to the try line even when on first glance their chances appeared unlikely when they initially received the ball.

[mdrew]

Tyson MacDonald. Tyson MacDonald signed a multi-year contract with the Gold Coast Titans in early 2024.

Round One of the 2024 U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup competition saw Tyson MacDonald named on the Souths Logan Magpies extended bench for their home match against the Burleigh Bears.

Tyson MacDonald was then named on the left wing for the Magpies in Round Three against the Brisbane Tigers with Tyson MacDonald running the ball to the right of the play the ball in the 16th minute from ten metres from his own try line before cutting off his right foot to target the area behind the marker and carry the ball to the twenty five metre mark as a result.

Tyson MacDonald did well in the 33rd minute when after running back inside his own ten metres area to collect a Tigers kick seven metres from his own try line near the left touchline Tyson MacDonald ran the ball towards the centre of the field to get the ball out to the twenty two metre mark.

Tyson MacDonald produced a smart piece of play in the 39th minute when a cut out pass was thrown in his wing and with the ball arriving very low Tyson MacDonald instead of taking the risk of trying to catch the low ball kicked the ball in mid-air with his left foot from ten metres from the try line and on the left touchline with the Tigers fullback knocking the ball on a metre from his own try lien trying to collect Tyson MacDonald’s left foot kick.

Tyson MacDonald did well defensively in the 12th minute when after initially holding up the Brisbane Tigers right centre over the try line, Tyson MacDonald then forced the centre back into the field of play and subsequently over the left touchline.

Whilst defending in his left wing in the 43rd minute with a great take of a high Tigers kick to his wing with Tyson MacDonald leaping above his opposing winger who also contested the ball to take the ball on the full less than a metre from his own try line and five metres in from the left touchline.

Tyson MacDonald also made a good take of a Tigers kick-off on the full with Tyson MacDonald moving forward to take the kick-off low down on the full under pressure twenty three metres from his try line and ten metres in from the left touchline.

Tyson MacDonald then came off the bench to operate on the left wing in Round Five against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Tyson MacDonald scoring in the 47th minute when after the Magpies spun the ball to the left, Tyson MacDonald was confronted by his opposing winger looking to engage him as he received the ball but Tyson MacDonald deftly spun clockwise as he took possession of the ball to beat the opposing winger with Tyson MacDonald then having a two metre run to put the ball down in the left corner.

Tyson MacDonald also made a line break in the 49th minute when after receiving an off-load from his inside on the halfway mark Tyson MacDonald made a line break down the left touchline and got to within twenty eight metres from the try line with Tyson MacDonald doing well to stay in the field of play as he was tackled by the Seagull cover defence.

Tyson MacDonald then started from the bench in Round Five against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Tyson MacDonald coming onto the field in the 39th minute to operate on the left wing.

Tyson MacDonald then moved back into the Magpies starting line-up on the left wing for Round Six against the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Tyson MacDonald making a good kick return in the 20th minute when after taking the ball on the full thirty four metres from his try line Tyson MacDonald was able to return the kick to within four metres of the halfway mark.

Tyson MacDonald also did well in the 32nd minute when after jumping high to take a cut-out pass above his head in both hands sixteen metres out and on the left touchline Tyson MacDonald did well to stay inside the field of play and even get the ball to within five metres of the try line.

In 2023 Tyson MacDonald in addition to playing for Ipswich Grammar School in the School Boy Rugby GPS U15A competition Tyson MacDonald was selected in the U15 Emerging Reds South East Queensland Representative side on the right wing (No. 14) with Tyson MacDonald scoring against Brisbane White at the Queensland U15 State Rugby Championships.

Tyson MacDonald was also part of the Met West U15 School Boy Representative Rugby side that won the 2023 Queensland School Boy Rugby U15 Championships with Tyson MacDonald scoring from the right wing (No. 14) for Met West against Met North.
One of the reasons Tyson MacDonald is so successful on a football field is his exceptional speed and elusiveness, he is the fastest player I have ever seen on a field and when you add in his elusiveness, he is a nightmare for opposing defences. In relation to his elusiveness the thing that makes it play even better is his ability to change direction with no loss of speed, this enables him to use the sideline exceptionally well with an in and away, all three of his first half tries against Ipswich in Round Thirteen last weekend are a testament to this skill.
When the opposing defender’s momentum slows just for a split second, Tyson MacDonald is away down the sideline and will not get caught and also regularly also beats the fullback who no matter how fast they are cannot recover the ground.
Tyson MacDonald is also adept at making ground out of dummy half. Once he has picked the ball up he simply explodes out of there and targets a gap between opposing forwards and looks to accelerate through it. If the defenders look to jersey grab or make an arm tackle, Tyson MacDonald simply bursts through it and into the space behind the ruck.
Tyson MacDonald is not a big player at all and the obvious question is whether he is strong enough to handle the defensive side of rugby league at the higher levels, I would argue that the answer is absolutely yes. In defence against the bigger outside backs running around, Tyson MacDonald looks to cut down the time that they have to gain momentum thus eliminating the size differential as a defensive aspect to take into consideration.
At the opposite end of the spectrum when opposing a quick winger, Tyson MacDonald will show them the side line and use his speed advantage to force the opponent towards the touch line, with their only real option to slow and try to come back inside towards Tyson MacDonald and the cover defence.
From a courage stand point Tyson MacDonald also passes any objective measurement that can be considered when evaluating this criterion. He will stand his ground under the high ball and is one of the first players to take a run out of dummy half when the ball needs to be brought out of his side’s own end.
Tyson MacDonald also has the speed to show his opponent the sideline and cut him down and has the recovery speed to turn and chase if a break is made either on his side of the field or for that matter the other side.

In addition to playing in the 2024 U17 Cyril Connell Cup competition (Tyson MacDonald is also CC Cup eligible in 2025) with the Souths Logan Magpies, Tyson MacDonald will return to Ipswich Grammar School in 2024 and whilst Tyson MacDonald will likely start the 2024 GPS School Boy Rugby season in the Ipswich Grammar School U16A side but do not be surprised if Tyson MacDonald makes his GPS School Boy Rugby First XV debut for Ipswich Grammar School in 2024, such is Tyson MacDonald’s level of maturity, physical attributes and overall skill level.

Tyson MacDonald has played on the wing (primarily right wing) in rugby and ultimately I believe that Tyson MacDonald will also line up on the wing (likely left wing) as his rugby league career progresses in the coming years. In addition to likely being a try scoring winger with the capacity to score freakish tries in the corner regardless of competition level, Tyson MacDonald also has the size, speed, strength and power to be very effective at taking yardage carries from deep inside his own territory to help out his forward pack when they are under duress as they attempt to come off their own try line.

North Queensland Cowboys and Queensland State of Origin winger Murray Taulagi is for me an accurate playing style comparison for Tyson MacDonald as both Tyson MacDonald and Taulagi run the ball hard from an attacking perspective and hit just as hard defensively.

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Kaea Cribb. In 2024 Kaea Cribb will line up for the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition with Kaea Cribb also U18 eligible in 2025. The 2024 Trials saw Kaea Cribb line up at fullback for the Eagles.

Kaea Cribb will also attend PBC SHS in 2024 and will push for immediate playing time in the PBC SHS School Boy Rugby League Langer Cup Open A side.

Kaea Cribb arrived on the Gold Coast from the Waikato region of New Zealand in 2023 Kaea Cribb started at fullback for the Aotearoa Whannui U16 Representative side against an Auckland U16 Invitational Selection. 2023 also saw Kaea Cribb play for Waikato U16’s in the New Zealand U16 National Rugby League Championships including scoring a try and kicking a conversion from fullback against the Auckland Vulcans in a 20 – 10 Waikato victory.

In late 2023 as a 16 year old Kaea Cribb was part of the Waikato Chiefs U18 Development Camp with Kaea Cribb starting from the bench in a trial at that camp against the Auckland Blues. In 2023 Kaea Cribb played his School Boy First XV Rugby for St Johns College Hamilton.

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

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

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

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

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

2024 will see Kaea Cribb line up in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition with the Currumbin and Kaea Cribb is also U18 eligible in 2025. 2025 should see Kaea Cribb push for MM Cup selection with either the Burleigh Bears or the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Kaea Cribb also MM Cup eligible in 2026.

With his speed which has been clocked at a touch over 11 seconds for the 100 metre sprint Kaea Cribb shapes as a player who could play multiple positions but looks destined to be an electric fullback on rugby league.

Kaea Cribb just looks like he is playing at a pace far quicker than the players around him and dare I say it I can see similar attributes to that of the player that of Queensland State of Origin and Newcastle Knights star fullback Kalyn Ponga.

Kaea Cribb has the same explosiveness off the mark as Ponga as well as a similar sense of timing, anticipation and plus top end speed present, like Ponga, Kaea Cribb is just as natural on a field.

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Cooper Humphries. In late September 2023 Cooper Humphries was named in the 2024 Burleigh Bears U17 Cyril Connell Cup squad.

Round One of the 2024 CC Cup competition saw Cooper Humphries named on the Burleigh extended bench against the Souths Logan Magpies.

Cooper Humphries started at hooker for the Burleigh Bears in the Round Seven local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls and in just the 4th minute Cooper Humphries proved to be a threat running out of dummy half with a run to his left from six metres inside his own territory to eight metres into Seagulls territory.

Cooper Humphries also ran out of dummy half to his left in the 8th minute and as a result was able to run the ball from thirty six metres to within twenty five metres of the try line. Cooper Humphries also ran out of dummy half in the 44th minute when after running to his right Cooper Humphries was able to get the ball from thirty three metres from his try line to within the three metres of the halfway mark.

From three passes to the right of the play the ball in the 54th minute and right metres inside his own territory Cooper Humphries ran the ball through the centre of the field to get ten metres inside Tweed Heads territory and a tackle later from the left of the play the ball Cooper Humphries made an additional ten metres to carry the ball to within twenty metres of the try line. Cooper Humphries rounded out a strong match in the 56th minute with a run to the left of the play the ball to get the ball from thirty seven metres from the try line to twenty four metres out.

Cooper Humphries also was defensive presence for Burleigh including in the 6th minute with a heavy ball and all tackle on one of the Seagulls front rowers twenty metres from the try line and in the centre of the field. Cooper Humphries also did well defensively in the 11th minute when he was involved in grabbing the Tweed Heads left winger three metres from the try line and in front of the post and then dragging him back into the in-goal to force a Seagulls goal line drop-out.

In late September 2022 Cooper Humphries was named in the 2023 Burleigh Bears U16 Cyril Connell Cup representative squad with Cooper Humphries being part of the Bears first 2023 CC Cup trial against the Souths Logan Magpies at Burleigh Juniors at the Annual Titans Super Saturday series of matches.

In early October 2023 Cooper Humphries was named in the 2023 U16 Queensland Murri Representative side.

Cooper Humphries is a former member of the Parramatta Eels Junior Development Program.

Cooper Humphries is an extremely talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects of the modern day hooker, those being his distribution out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Cooper Humphries is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

Cooper Humphries’s passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Cooper Humphries is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short Cooper Humphries is a very good game manager from the hooking position.

Where Cooper Humphries really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has exceptional footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet.

Cooper Humphries wins a lot of penalties by running at forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space and has the pace to make it difficult for the cover defence to get to him.

Around the try line Cooper Humphries is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself for the try line or pass, where Cooper Humphries gets down low and drives with his legs.

Due to the pace that Cooper Humphries plays the game at and his speed Cooper Humphries is always available in terms of backing up in the centre of the ruck when forwards get their arms free. When he gets an off load in the centre of the ruck Cooper Humphries just takes off and is through any gaps before the opposition get itself back in any semblance of order.

Cooper Humphries’s defence for a hooker is quite outstanding, for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, Cooper Humphries sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive opposing forwards backwards and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down.

Cooper Humphries’s intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside or an opposition second rower runs back inside on an inside shoulder route. Cooper Humphries literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck, match after match with each tackle coming with solid initial contact.

Cooper Humphry’s started the 2024 season with the Burleigh Bears in the U17 Cyril Connell Cup competition before transitioning to the GCRL U18 Division One competition for the Bears as well as playing school boy rugby league.

Cooper Humphries projects as a modern day hooker who will be able to play 80 minutes without interchange at the higher competition levels, including senior levels and be effective both in attack and defence throughout the entire match.

With his ability to run out of dummy half at the right time and also be a strong defender in the centre of the ruck, the way Cooper Humphries plays in the dummy half role is not dis-similar to how Titans NRL hooker Sam Verrills plays.

Both Verrills and Cooper Humphries are exceptionally quick out of dummy half but their ability to make ground from dummy half is a complimentary skills compared to their elite distribution to either side of their body from the play the ball and their strong defence in the centre of the field all whilst playing extended minutes in the dummy half position.

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Karter Iva. Karter Iva started in the front row for a Future Titans U14 Invitational side that played a touring New Zealand U14 side at Tweed Heads in July 2023 with the Titans prevailing in a high quality, hard fought match.

Karter Iva’s initial strong hit-up of the match came in just the 3rd minute of the Grand Final when from the left of the play the ball Karter Iva from thirty metres out from his own try line was able to get the ball to within six metres of the halfway mark.

Then in the 14th minute of the match from the left of the play the ball and eight metres inside New Zealand territory Karter Iva crashed and barged his way to within eighteen metres of the try line, breaking three tackles along the journey.

The 24th minute then saw Karter Iva make a strong kick-off return to get the ball out to the twenty two metre mark against heavy opposition from the New Zealand forward pack.

In September 2023 Karter Iva played for a Titans U14 Invitational side that played against another Titans U14 Invitational side in a match in Ipswich (North Ipswich Reserve) which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great game day experience for all of the players (and families) involved.

Karter Iva started the trial in the front row for Titans Blue against Titans White with Karter Iva scoring an outstanding long range solo try in the 8th minute when with the play the ball forty five metres from the try line Karter Iva charged onto the ball to the right of the dummy half and as he approached the defensive line Karter Iva stepped off his right foot to burst through the Titans White defensive line through the area behind the play the ball. Karter Iva then at top speed stepped off his right foot to beat the Titans White fullback to put the ball down six metres to the left of the goal posts.

Karter Iva put Titans Blue in a position to win the trial (which they did) when with a minute remaining in the match in the 59th minute with Titans White attacking inside Titans Blue territory Karter Iva raced out of the defensive line and took an intercept thirty metres from his own try line with Karter Iva then charging downfield to within twenty eight metres of the try line before being brought to ground twenty eight metres out. Cornelius Kelsall scored for Titans Blue later in the same set of six tackles in the dying seconds to break a 16 all draw to enable Titans Blue to “win” the Invitational trial 20 – 16.

In the 12th minute of the trial after charging onto the ball to the left of the play the ball Karter Iva carried the ball from the halfway mark to thirty eight metres from the try line before getting a right arm off-load away. Then in the 14th minute and from the right of the play the ball Karter Iva carried the ball through the centre of the field from thirty metres from the try line to nineteen metres out.

Karter Iva continued his strong match in the 47th minute with two good runs. Initially Karter Iva carried the ball from thirty eight metres from the try line to twenty four metres out after running onto the ball to the right of the play the ball then a tackle later Karter Iva carried the ball to within two metres of the try line after receiving a pass twelve metres out.

Karter Iva followed up in the 50th minute with a yardage carry to the right of the play the ball that saw Karter Iva get the ball from six metres out from his own try line to twenty metres out. Karter Iva made a further strong carry of the ball from inside his own territory in the 55th minute with Karter Iva able to run the ball from thirty metres from his own try line to forty three metres out after taking possession of the ball thirty metres out.

Karter Iva played for the Coomera Cutters in 2023 in the GCRL U14 Division One competition including starting in the front row in the Grand Final with Karter Iva scoring in a tough 19 – 18 extra time loss against the Runaway Bay Seagulls.

Karter Iva scored in the 30th minute with a long range barnstorming effort. After receiving the ball from his left still seven metres inside his own territory, Karter Iva charged forward with the ball in his right hand lifting his hand (and the ball) above his head to beat the Runaway Bay left winger near the halfway mark, with Karter Iva charging towards the try line and then Karter Iva beat the fullback with a powerful left arm fend twenty metres out and charged away to put the ball down for one of the better solo tries that I have ever seen twelve metres in from the right corner post.

Karter Iva was also heavily involved in Cornelius Kelsall’s 33rd minute try with Karter Iva charging onto the ball to the left of the dummy half to get the ball to within nineteen metres of the try line after making fifteen with Karter Iva then getting away a great right arm off-load away to his left to Cornelius Kelsall who raced to his left to score in the left corner after beating a number of Seagulls defenders.

Karter Iva made his presence felt in the Grand Final in the 6th minute with a carry from twenty metres from his try line to thirty four metres out after running onto the ball to the left of the dummy half. Then in the 17th minute from the left of the play the ball Karter Iva produced a strong run that saw him propel the ball from twenty four metres out to within nine metres of the try line.
Karter Iva followed up with a run to the right of the play the ball in the 19th minute to get the ball from thirty three metres from his own try line to within two metres of the hallway mark. The 23rd minute saw Karter Iva charge onto the ball to the left of the play the ball from thirty metres out from his own try line and after spinning counter clockwise after engaging the Seagulls defensive line Karter Iva was able to gain separation to propel the ball six metres inside Runaway Bay territory. Then a tackle later from the right of the dummy half Karter Iva promoted the ball from forty four metres out from the opposition try line to twenty seven metres out after running straight through the centre of the field.

Also in the 28th minute from the left of the play the ball Karter Iva produced an outstanding yardage carry to promote the ball from twenty two metres out from his own try line to within five metres of the halfway mark. The 36th minute then saw Karter Iva make a strong kick-off return to get the ball out to the twenty eight metre mark.

Karter Iva continue his outstanding Grand Final in the 53rd minute with an effort from the right of the dummy half to get the ball from five metres inside his own territory to ten metres into Runaway Bay territory. Karter Iva rounded out a very strong match in the 3rd minute of extra time as Karter Iva carried the ball to four metres into Seagulls territory after taking possession of the ball to the right of the play the ball and ten metres inside his own territory.

2023 also saw Karter Iva selected in the Queensland Samoa U14 representative side for the QPICC Annual Cultural Carnival with Karter Iva named in the front row in Round One against PEGA U14 Invitational with Karter Iva scoring in a solid Qld Samoa 26 – 6 first up victory.

Karter Iva also started in the front row in Round Two against the Cooks Islands with Karter Iva scoring once again in a Queensland Samoa 18 – 10 victory.

Karter Iva made it three tries from as many matches after starting in the front row and scoring once again in Round Three against Queensland PNG. Karter Ivan continued in the front row in Round Four against Queensland Māori.

Karter Iva finished the 2023 QPICC Carnival as the U14 Division’s equal third leading try scorer with three tries.

In early November 2023 Karter Iva was named in the 2023 U14 Southside Bangers squad for a match against a Velocity All Stars U14 side.

As well as playing rugby league Karter Iva is also a representative level basketball player in the Logan region.

Karter Iva is a big strong hard running young forward who really punishes defensive lines with his strength and power when running with the ball. For a big young man Karter Iva also has the ability to run wider of the ruck targeting the smaller defenders.

I would argue that Karter Iva speed for a front rower/lock is above average bordering on plus and with that Karter Iva runs with exceptional pace, strength and power and regularly drops his shoulder into the initial defender in the opposition defensive line looking to make the tackle on him.

Karter Iva also has a powerful fend with either arm and Karter Iva does not look to just hold off his opponent but actually look to push them physically away from his body. The final piece of the puzzle for Karter Iva is developing his off-loading skills and whilst he has shown flashes of this skill attribute with continued experience and selectivity the ability to off load both prior to the line and once engaged will certainly come with time and experience.

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

Karter Iva speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half. I have noted that Karter Iva is aggressive and seems to want to win every one on one battle and to be fair Karter Iva invariably does.

2024 will see Karter Iva move up to the U15 age group in the GCRL U15 Division One competition with U15 School Boy rugby league representative honours definitely not out of the question for Karter Iva in 2024.

Karter Iva is a big strong front rower who seems destined to stay in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career but in saying that Karter Iva has more than decent speed, mobility and footwork and thus is more than just a one dimensional front rower who just runs straight.

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

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Toby Britton. In September 2023 Toby Britton played for a Titans U14 Invitational side that played against another Titans U14 Invitational side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience.

In 2023 Toby Britton played for the Souths Magpies in the 2023 GBJRL U14 Division One competition and after missing Round One Toby Britton started at hooker in the remainder of the Magpies matches including the Grand Final against Logan Brothers. Toby Britton scored in Round Fourteen against the Waterford Demons for his only try of the season.

Toby Britton also played for the Magpies in 2022 GBJRL U13 Division One competition playing at hooker and scoring a double in Round Nine against Redlands.

Toby Britton is an extremely talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects of the modern day hooker, those being his distribution out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Toby Britton is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

Toby Britton’s passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Toby Britton is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short Toby Britton is a very good game manager from the hooking position.

Where Toby Britton really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has exceptional footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet.

Toby Britton wins a lot of penalties by running at forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space and has the pace to make it difficult for the cover defence to get to him.

Around the try line Toby Britton is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself for the try line or pass, where Toby Britton gets down low and drives with his legs.

Due to the pace that Toby Britton plays the game at and his speed Toby Britton is always available in terms of backing up in the centre of the ruck when forwards get their arms free. When he gets an off load in the centre of the ruck Toby Britton just takes off and is through any gaps before the opposition get itself back in any semblance of order.

Toby Britton’s defence for a hooker is quite outstanding, for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, Toby Britton sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive opposing forwards backwards and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down.

Toby Britton’s intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside or an opposition second rower runs back inside on an inside shoulder route. Toby Britton literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck, match after match with each tackle coming with solid initial contact.

2024 will see Toby Britton play for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies in the GBJRL U15 Division One competition with QSSRL U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative Honour also possible for Toby Britton in 2024.

Toby Britton projects as a modern day hooker who will be able to play 80 minutes without interchange at the higher competition levels, including senior levels and be effective both in attack and defence throughout the entire match.

With his ability to run out of dummy half at the right time and also be a strong defender in the centre of the ruck, the way Toby Britton plays in the dummy half role is not dis-similar to how Titans NRL hooker Sam Verrills plays.

Both Verrills and Toby Britton are exceptionally quick out of dummy half but their ability to make ground from dummy half is a complimentary skills compared to their elite distribution to either side of their body from the play the ball and their strong defence in the centre of the field all whilst playing extended minutes in the dummy half position.

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Darnel Stagg. In September 2023 Darnel Stagg played for a Titans U14 Invitational side that played against another Titans U14 Invitational side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience.

Darnel Stagg started the trial at five eight for Titans Blue against Titans White with Darnell Stagg recording a try assist in the 48th minute as a result of a long cut-out pass to his left from twelve metres out to put Chris Viamili over to score in the left corner.

Darnel Stagg made a line break in just the 2nd minute of the trial when from the left of a Titans Blue scrum feed with the scrum in centre field Darnell Stagg received the ball from the back of the scrum six metres out from his own try line and after running to his left and throwing a dummy in the same direction, Darnell Stagg slicing between two defenders and carried the ball to within fourteen metres of the halfway mark before being brought to ground.

Darnell Stagg also recorded a line break assist in the 3rd minute when after receiving the ball on the halfway mark and to the left of the play the ball Darnell Stagg threw a hard flat cut-out pass to his left to put his winger away down the left touchline.

Darnell Stagg recorded a second line break assist in the 26th minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the dummy half, Darnell Stagg ran the ball right to the defensive line and when thirty six metres from the try line Darnell Stagg popped a good short ball to his left to Judah Marsden who burst through a gap to get within twelve metres of the try line.

In 2023 Darnel Stagg played for the Souths Magpies in the 2023 GBJRL U14 Division One competition with Darnell Stagg finishing the season as the competition’s leading points scorer with 138 points from eight tries and fifty three goals from just twelve matches to average 11.5 points per match.

Starting all of his matches for the Magpies at halfback, including the Grand Final against Logan Brothers Darnel Stagg scored doubles against the Waterford Demons in Rounds Seven and Fourteen and also scored in Round Four against Tigers, Round Twelve against Norths and against Logan Brothers in Round Six and the Grand Final.

Darnel Stagg had some huge matches with the boot including kicking twelve from thirteen conversions in Round One against Carina. Darnel Stagg also kicked ten conversions in Round Fourteen against Waterford, eight conversions in Round Two against Aspley and five conversions in Round Four against Easts.

On an individual level Darnel Stagg scored twenty eight points in Round Fourteen against Waterford from two tries and ten conversions and twenty four points in Round One against Carina from twelve conversions.

In 2022 Darnel Stagg played for Innisfail in the Far North Queensland U13 Nate Myles Cup competition with Darnel Stagg splitting time between five eight and fullback with Darnel Stagg finishing the season as the competition’s leading points scorer with 162 points from seventeen tries and forty seven conversions.

Darnel Stagg scored four tries in Round Ten against Redlynch and hat tricks in Round Six against Ivanhoe and Round Seven against Mareeba. Darnel Stagg also scored doubles in Round Five against the Tully Tigers and Round Thirteen against Redlynch.

From a goal kicking perspective Darnel Stagg kicked eight conversions in Round Six against Ivanhoe, six conversions in Round Seven against Mareeba and five conversions in Round Ten against Redlynch.

On an individual level Darnel Stagg scored twenty eight points from three tries and eight conversions in Round Six Ivanhoe, twenty six points from four tries and five conversions in Round Ten against Redlynch and Twenty four points from three tries and six conversions in Round Seven against Mareeba.

Darnel Stagg has above average speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus category and top end speed which can probably be classified in the above average range.

Darnel Stagg with his speed is able to exploit gaps in the defensive line with a very good step off either foot with incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control.

Darnel Stagg has very good timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Darnel Stagg also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Darnel Stagg is going to do.

Darnel Stagg has a very good kick on him and also has good accuracy to go with the power that he generates. His kicking game suggests he will be a real 40/20 threat as he matures and progresses. Darnel Stagg also gets his kicks away quickly thus not allowing the defenders to put an undue amount of pressure on him.

Darnel Stagg does have some subtly though in his kicking, he is adept at grubber kicking into the opposition in goal line as well as putting appropriate weight on his chip kicks, in an effort to get a repeat set of tackles. In short Darnel Stagg is a very good tactical kicker, who is above average in all aspects and flashes plus ability in a few attributes such as range, weighting of the kicks and of course direction.

It is more that conceivable that Darnel Stagg is going to be a 40/20 threat in the coming seasons, the fact that he gets his kicks away quickly with such depth and accuracy also adds to this more than reasonable hypothesis.

Defensively Darnel Stagg is a very strong young man for his size with solid 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. Darnel Stagg also has a very good low tackling technique which is simple, repeatable and effective against all size opponents.

2024 will see Darnel Stagg play for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies in the GBJRL U15 Division One competition with QSSRL U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative Honours also more than possible for Darnel Stagg in 2024.

With his ability to see the entire field as if he has a bird eye view of it and his ability to guide and direct his side around the field, adhering precisely to the game plan, Darnel Stagg is ideally suited to controlling a side from the half back position. I must admit however that Darnel Stagg would also do well at hooker with his speed, passing and also the ability to kick out of dummy half.

Adam Reynolds of the Brisbane Bronco’s has for me a playing style that people can use as a comparison for Darnel Stagg. Like Reynolds, Darnel Stagg is only reasonably slight of build but has a more then decent step and enough speed, especially off the mark to gain separation from the defensive line and also like Reynolds, Darnel Stagg is also a very good kicker of the ball in all aspects, including goal kicking.

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Harrison McDowell. 2024 saw Harrison McDowell return to play for Gatton in the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League U15 competition.

In September 2023 Harrison McDowell played for a Titans U14 side that played against another Titans U14 side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience.

Harrison McDowell started the trial at fullback for Titans White against Titans Blue with Harrison McDowell making a line break in the 54th minute when with the play the ball in the centre of the field and thirty eight metres out from his own try line Harrison McDowell ran to his right out of dummy half and ran straight through the heart of the defensive line to run the ball to within twenty mine metres of the try line.

Earlier in the trial in the 15th minute Harrison McDowell ran to his right out of dummy half to bring the ball ten metres out of his own territory to twenty two metres out from his own try line.

In 2023 Harrison McDowell played for the Laidley Lions in the Ipswich Rugby League U14 competition with Harrison McDowell finishing as the competition’s equal second leading try scorer with thirteen tries.

Harrison McDowell scored an impressive four tries in Round Nine against Redback Blue and scored doubles in Round Two against Norths Tigers Gold, Round Four against the Springfield Panthers and Round Five against Redback Red. Harrison McDowell also scored in Round One against Brothers White, Round Seven against Norths Tigers Blue and Round Thirteen against the Springfield Panthers.

The Faith Lutheran College student started Round One at lock against Brothers White and Round Two from the bench against Norths Tigers Gold before starting the remainder of his matches for Laidley at fullback.

Harrison McDowell is a smooth 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. When returning kicks, 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.

The one thing Harrison McDowell 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, Harrison McDowell has a very good step back inside especially off his right foot when running to the left 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, Harrison McDowell’s quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time. In short, Harrison McDowell is a very talented attacking player who looks to beat his opponent with speed and guile rather than purely by brute strength.

In addition Harrison McDowell also has the ball playing skills to set up his support runners and get them lines to run into when defenders came out of the line to negate his time with the ball in hand. He obviously was a key target for defences but Harrison McDowell understands that he cannot do it all himself and thus became adept at drawing defenders out of the line and putting his support runners into the subsequent hole.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, his timing and anticipation means that he gets to a lot of balls on the full and makes a quick decision whether to run the ball flat out back into the oncoming defenders or look to create an opportunity by running across field.

In defence Harrison McDowell has good strength, and certainly looks to come forward to stop the attack before it has time to fully develop once a break has been made. Harrison McDowell also has the ability to show the attacker the sideline and is confident that his speed will enable him to get across to make the tackle which he invariably does.

Defensively if an attacker runs directly at him, Harrison McDowell will come forward to cut down the time the attacker has to make a decision and he will hit very hard. An impressive attribute that he does have he is ability to force attackers in the clear to try to beat him down the side line.

2024 will see Harrison McDowell play for the Laidley Lions in the Ipswich Rugby League U15 competition with U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative Honours also possible for Harrison McDowell for Met West in 2024 at the QSSRL U15 School Boy Rugby League Championships.

Even though Harrison McDowell played one match at lock for Laidley in 2023 Harrison McDowell projects as a hard running, ball playing and defensively safe fullback who also has very good hands when fielding any type of kick that comes his way.

Thus with his tall frame, good positioning and ability to pick the correct time to chime into the backline I believe that Harrison McDowell’s best position is at fullback, although his skill set suggests that Harrison McDowell could also play either centre or on the wing more than comfortably.

Nick Meaney of the Melbourne Storm is similar to Harrison McDowell in relation to his playing style and traits, both Meaney and Harrison McDowell move well across the ground being gifted ball runners with above average speed and evasive traits as well as being solid defensively even though they certainly are not the biggest players running around in any given match. Both Harrison McDowell and Meaney can also play a variety of positions in the back line and play them all at a very high level comfortably.

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Hunter Brown. In September 2023 Hunter Brown played for a Titans U14 Invitational side that played against another Titans U14 Invitational side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience.

Hunter Brown started the trial from the bench for Titans White against Titans Blue with Hunter Brown coming onto the field in the 15th minute.

Hunter Brown scored for Titans White in the 39th minute when he ran to his right out of dummy half from less than a metre from the try line to burrow his way over to score under the posts.

In 2023 Hunter Brown played for the Souths Magpies in the 2023 GBJRL U14 Division One competition starting all of the Magpies matches at lock including the Grand Final against Logan Brothers.

Over the course of the 2023 GBRJL U14 Division One season Hunter Brown scored three tries with Hunter Brown scoring his first try in Round Two against Aspley, Hunter Brown also scored in Rounds Seven and Fourteen against the Waterford Demons.

Hunter Brown also played for the Magpies in 2022 GBJRL U13 Division One competition playing primarily in the second row.

Hunter Brown is a big powerful young man who whilst using his size to his advantage by running hard and straight, he does have quite decent footwork prior to the defensive line, which Hunter Brown 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 Hunter Brown’s game has really developed over the last couple of seasons his ability to play wider of the ruck, which is where he is primarily playing for the Magpies this season. With his size and strength wider of the ruck Hunter Brown attracts defenders and thus is in a position to use his ball skills to set up his outside supports early in a match. When defences start to try to anticipate that Hunter Brown is going to pass then he can use his size and power to crash through the defensive line as no defender is going to be able to handle him one on one by themselves.

In defence Hunter Brown uses his size and strength to make very solid initial contact and certainly Hunter Brown can take on all opposing forwards one on one. Hunter Brown 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 or locks are.

2024 will see Hunter Brown play for the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies in the GBJRL U15 Division One competition with U15 QSSRL School Boy Rugby League Representative Honours also more than possible for Hunter Brown in 2024.

Hunter Brown has spent his entire junior career to date in the forwards and Hunter Brown will no doubt continue to play there, it is only a question of whether Hunter Brown operates as a lock or front rower or as a second rower wider of the ruck, it will very early in his career but for me playing as a hybrid lock or front rower seems to be the most feasible situation moving forward for Hunter Brown.

With a solid frame and low centre of gravity a player comparison to Penrith Panthers Premiership front rower Moses Leota is not an unreasonable comparison in relation to Hunter Brown’s playing style. Hunter Brown has the same fearless hard charging, take no prisoners running style and attitude as the Panthers and Samoan International front rower.

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Henry Willis. In September 2023 Henry Willis played for a Titans U14 side that played against another Titans U14 side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience.

Henry Willis started the trial at right second row for Titans Blue against Titans White with Henry Willis making perhaps his best run of the match in the 50th minute from the right of the play the ball to carry the ball from thirty metres from his own try line to within seven metres of the halfway mark with Henry Willis then executing a lightening quick play the ball.

2023 also saw Henry Willis play in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition for Logan Brothers with Henry Willis starting in the second row for all of his matches including the Grand Final against the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies.

Henry Willis’s sole try of the 2023 season came in Round One against Norths.

The long striding Henry Willis is at his best when he is operating in the fringes of the ruck where he can exploit gaps in the defensive line with his size and speed. When he runs Henry Willis is all arms, legs, knees and elbows and with his long stride and strong fend Henry Willis is a difficult proposition for defenders to handle in the context of getting him to the ground.

Henry Willis’s leg drive and determination also enables him to be equally effective in relation to operating in traffic where he gets his body height low he can shrug off would be tacklers by dropping his shoulder into the defender just as he starts to commit to the tackle, Henry Willis can then redirect his momentum and proceed down the field post contact.

In terms of overall speed, whilst a touch above average for his position, Henry Willis when in space will be caught by cover defenders but he is quick enough to maintain separation until Henry Willis has progressively worked through his options and invariably makes the right decision with the ball.

Defensively Henry Willis is adept at wrapping up the ball carrier and his initial contact is underrated as his primary function and goal is to wrap up the ball to prevent off loads. His stamina is such that you will see Henry Willis make multiple tackles in a short space of time and then immediately make himself available to take a hit up.

2024 will see Henry Willis continue to play for Logan Brothers in the GBJRL U15 Division One competition.

With his size and speed combination it would appear a certainty that Henry Willis will line up in the second row every time that he runs onto a rugby league field.

With his mobility and hardworking mentality Henry Willis’s playing style reminds me of new Zealand Warriors and former Queensland State of Origin, Brisbane Bronco’s and Penrith Panthers second rower Kurt Capewell.

Both Henry Willis and Capewell are hardworking players who give everything they have every time that they step onto a rugby league field doing a lot of the little things well and will sometimes be unfairly overlooked by everyone but their team mates and coaching staff.

Neither Capewell or Henry Willis will necessarily stand out from the perspective of making a spectacular line break or scoring a try but both will do a lot of the little things which sometimes can be over looked but are key to the success of the team that they are playing for.