My take on our top juniors

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Kel Sheather. (Updated) The St Johns College Woodlawn half back in 2017 plyed his trade for the Ballina Seagulls in the NRRRL Northern Rivers Rugby League competition playing both first grade and U18’s this season as well as playing for St College Woodlawn in a number of Schoolboy competitions including the GIO Cup. Kel Sheather set up a great try in the semi-finals of the New South Wales Catholic Cup schoolboy competition when a great kick of his in the wet found the chest of centre Jordan Sly but a late try resulted in a 14 – 10 loss to Sydney’s Holy Cross Ryde.

Kel Sheather also scored a 100 metre try and was singled out for special praise by his coach in Woodlawn’s New South Wales GIO Cup Grand Final victory over Patrician Brothers Fairfield in Sydney in late August.

Kel Sheather in 2017 played ten matches in the U18 NRRRL competition scoring 52 points from five tries and sixteen goals. All of his tries have been scored in different games and came against Tweed Coast on two separate occasions, Byron Bay, Casino RSM and Kyogle. Kel Sheather also played nine NRRRL first grade matches and scored in his third first grade match against Byron Bay.

In 2016 Kel Sheather started from the bench for the Northern Country Combined Catholic College side in the NSW CCC trials. Over the last couple of years, the young halfback has not played a great deal of club rugby league for his club side the Ballina Seagulls but has played a fair amount of matches, including the National GIO Cup competition with St Johns College Woodlawn.

Kel Sheather came to prominence in the green of Woodlawn last year when he was part of the NSW CCC Cup Woodlawn side that made the semi-finals of that competition last year. That side included former Titan Sam Elliot and Zac Beecher who has previously played in the MM Cup competition of the Gold Coast.

In attack his initial burst of speed off the mark is the first attribute that you will notice when you see him play, he has a dynamic initial burst however he does not have an extra gear to move to when he is in open space. Coupled with a very good step off both feet, although he seems to step off his right foot on a more regular basis, his speed enables him to make breaks however his lack of plus top end speed does impact on his ability to score from his own breaks.

Kel Sheather can and will beat defenders in the inside with a step and if the defensive line is staggered a dummy and go, presents multiple headaches for the opposition’s defensive strategies and also backs up well. It is these attributes that means he is a threat to run every time he is at dummy half and opposing defences must that that into account, for if the markers do but work hard or there are slow moving forwards he has the ability to exploit that on each occasion. In previous year’s he has run quite a lot but this year he has seemingly taken a step back and become more of an organising type of halfback, but he still takes on the line when he sees an opportunity.

At present, one area for him to continue to develop is his play making skills, including putting his runners holes gaps. I am not suggesting that play making skills are currently under developed but an improvement in that area will enable his speed and footwork to play better in game situations as defensive lines start to focus in his runners and thus leave more space for him.

From a goal kicking perspective, he is very effective near the posts, his strike rate last year was a touch above 90% and will have his moments where he kicks then in bunches from the sideline as well. I am not sure whether he will be a team’s primary goal kicker going forward, but it is certainly not out of the question that he will not be either.

In defence, due to his size he is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well enough and can hold his own when defending much bigger players. When confronted with forwards running directly at him on the fringes of the ruck he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. He does have an aggressive streak in him when defending and this holds him in good stead when defending against wide running back rowers.

Kel Sheather will play the 2018 as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side and then will likely transition back to the U18 NRRRL competition as its conclusion although if he heads back to the NRRRL with Ballina Kel Sheather will surely spend the remainder of the season in the first grade side.

From a position perspective, whilst he is making a good fist of playing at halfback, I would like to see him spend some time at hooker, he seems to have the attributes to be an effective hooker and I think that his initial burst of speed would be a plus attribute when running out of dummy half. His passing skills are also solid and his aggressive streak in defence would be no hindrance in that position.

I know I am using a bit of an odd example from a player comparison perspective but I think that he could develop into a Kieran Mosley type of player as an effective runner out of dummy half who can cause havoc with defensive structures especially late in halves of games. I appreciate it is an odd choice because I am not aware that he has played a great deal of hooker at all in the past but every time I have seen him play he just screams hooker for me.

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

In addition to his Round Twenty Two debut, Jaxson Paulo played two more NYC matches in 2017 being Round Twenty Five against the Bulldogs and Round Twenty Six against the Sydney Roosters, he started both of those matches on the left wing, playing all 80 minutes on both occasions and scoring against the Bulldogs at Cbus. In total in the NYC in 2017, Jaxson Paulo ran for 197 metres from 20 hit-ups and made five tackles. In the Round Twenty Five home clash against the Bulldogs Jaxon Paulo ran for 115 metres making a line break in the process.

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

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

Jaxson Paulo went on a great try scoring run mid-season for the Tweed Colts side scoring doubles in four consecutive rounds prior to his NYC debut, no wonder he got an NYC debut just after that! In relation to the doubles, Jaxson Paulo scored them against Ipswich in Round Eight, against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Round Nine, against the Burleigh Bears in Round Ten and against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Round Twelve. Jaxson Paulo scored his ninth try of the U20 Colts Challenge competition when he scored in the corner against the Redcliffe Dolphins. This try can be seen at around the 3 minute mark of the highlights package posted on the QRL Official Site.

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

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

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

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

Whilst in does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, Jaxson Paulo does have decent top end speed once he gets moving and can break tackles by running over his direct opposite defender as well as using a very good fend, when he gets to the outside, this prevents defenders from getting he under his ribs and thus he can maintain his running line under defensive pressure.

When he plays second row, he has got very good feet, in terms of not just charging straight at the set defensive line. He uses foot work before and after the defensive line to assist in breaking tackles and as the video shows he is adept at offloading in traffic. In terms of his attacking skills, he has the skills at this point in time to play either centre or second row.

In terms of his defence, he obviously during the course of this year, has defended both in the edge of the ruck and well as in the middle of the ruck. He was effective in both situations. One area that game him some slight issues was defending against smaller quicker centres, when defending out in the backline, but in saying that he is still quite effective as a defender in the backline. His initial contact is solid, especially when he is defending in the centres, and is more than enough to stop the momentum of the ball carrier. He is also effective at wrapping the ball up and preventing offloads. Due to his current attributes he is more effective when his team is using an up and in style of defensive strategy.

Jaxson Paulo will be part of the Burleigh Bears U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts Challenge side in 2018 and will be Colts eligible once again in 2019.

I think that ultimately he ends up in the back row, but not necessarily immediately, I certainly think that for the next couple of years, he will still be able to handle playing in the centres, but I think that by the time he gets to the senior level, he will likely transition to the back row full time where he will be a tall, rangy, mobile, wide running backrower who will also be a solid goal kicker.

From a style perspective, one player who comes to mind is retied Sydney Roosters back rower Craig Fitzgibbon I think that Jaxson Paulo ends up around the same size with a similar skill set and long term project as Craig Fitzgibbon that being as a running backrower, who can fill a centre position if necessary.

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

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

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

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

Brenton Daley-Holten made his Gold Coast Rugby League A Grade debut on Sunday 23 July against Runaway Bay scoring a double and the following week scored a hat trick against Currumbin to have a great start to his Gold Coast Rugby League A Grade career. All told in 2017 Brenton Daley-Holten played in three Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade matches scoring five tries.
In 2016 Brenton Daley-Holten was part of the South Tweed U16 side that won their Group 18 junior rugby league grand final 34-6 over the Bilambil Jets and has played in multiple Gold Coast Titans Development Squad matches over the last couple of seasons.

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

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

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

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

In terms of his defence, he obviously during the course of this year, defended in multiple positions and in each position Brenton Daley-Holten commits wholeheartedly to every tackle. His initial contact is more than solid and is more than enough to stop the momentum of the ball carrier immediately upon contact. He is also effective at wrapping the ball up and preventing offloads. Due to his current attributes he is more effective when his team is using an up and in style of defensive strategy rather than a sliding methodology.

Brenton Daley-Holten made incredible strides over the course of the 2017 season and the scary thing is that he is still eligible to play in the MM Cup in 2018 and has been named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls squad.

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

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

This young man is an exceptional talent and is one to keep an eye on in the future.

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Jayden Sveistrup. The big strong young local Gold Coast front rower or second rower had an exceptional 2017 rugby league season, starting the year in the local Gold Coast competition and progressing through the MM Cup competition to the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts Challenge side. Not a bad effort at all for a still 17 year old playing in the centre of the field.

In the MM Cup competition for Burleigh Jayden Sveistrup came into the side in Round Three against the Central Queensland Capra’s and stayed in the side for the remainder of the MM Cup campaign for Burleigh coming off the interchange bench in all bar Round Five against the Northern Pride when Jayden Sveistrup started in the front row.

In relation to his time in the U20 Colts Challenge competition, Jayden Sveistrup made his debut in Round Twelve against South Logan off the interchange bench and also came off the bench in Round Thirteen against Wynnum Manly scoring a try as well. Jayden Sveistrup was in the starting line-up for the first time the following week in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets.

When he was not been representing the Burleigh Bears Jayden Sveistrup played for the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition. For the Southport Tigers Jayden Sveistrup played eleven U19 matches scoring three tries which came in games against Runaway Bay, Tugun and Beaudesert. Jayden Sveistrup has also played one match at the Doug Lipp Cup level which was against Burleigh in July and also in July Jayden Sveistrup also played one match in the U17 Division Two competition scoring against Coomera.

In attack Jayden Sveistrup is a straight runner of the football and there is little subtly to his game, it is get the ball and run straight ahead to gain as much ground as possible and get a quick play the ball. On occasion he does use some footwork prior to the line but in the main it is head down and run straight. If defences do not target his legs Jayden Sveistrup will drag defenders with him as he continues to pump his legs and continue to fight until the tackle is finished, then he will fight to get a quick play the ball. He just needs to make sure that he maintains his composure when fighting to get to his feet.

Jayden Sveistrup can off load the football but usually seems cautious not to make a mistake, which based on the way that he has been asked to play, it is a wise choice. His hands are actually quite decent and thus I think that he has some untapped potential to ball play a little more, but he is still eligible for U18’s in 2017 so he has plenty of time.

In defence the critique is simple, Jayden Sveistrup relishes the contact in the centre of the ruck, he hits hard and often and looks to dominate and intimidate his opposition full stop. He tackles hard and is big and strong enough to win the wrestle on the ground and slow the play the ball down. Jayden Sveistrup’s lateral movement is reasonable, but is not strength and thus he is more effective in defence when he is in the centre of the ruck.

After such an impressive 2017 campaign it is scary to think that Jayden Sveistrup is eligible again for the MM Cup competition in 2018.

Even though Jayden Sveistrup has spent some time in the second row of the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast U19 competition in the long term front row is the ideal position for Jayden Sveistrup with his size and strength.

From a player comparison perspective, think of someone along the lines of Sydney Roosters and New Zealand test player Jarred Warea-Hargreaves and a big strong powerful front rower. Jayden Sveistrup has a huge amount of potential and hopefully for him everything comes together and he can develop into the best player he can be there is certainly a lot of raw ability and untapped potential to work with.

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Cooper Woods. (Updated) The classy young Grafton Ghosts fullback had a great 2017 campaign for the Grafton Ghosts starring for the U18 Group Two side as well as playing a number of first grade matches primarily on the wing in the Danny Wicks coached side which was awarded the Claytons Cup as the most outstanding New South Wales Country Rugby League Club.

In the Group Two U18 Durbridge Family Trophy Cooper Woods finished the regular season as the leading try scorer and points, scoring 118 points in total from twelve tries and 35 goals. Cooper Woods scored a hat trick against Bellingen and doubles against Coffs Harbour and Macksville. Against Coffs Harbour in late July Cooper Woods scored a try and kicked eight goals in the match.

Cooper Woods played just the one first grade match in the 2017 season which came against Macksville in July when he started on the wing and also scored in a solid Grafton win and he also played four reserve grade matches scoring against Orara Valley and against Woolgoolga kicked seven goals. The 2017 season is the third season that Cooper Woods has played in the U18 competition after he made his U18 debut whilst still eligible for U16’s in early 2015 against the Sawtell Panthers including scoring on debut going on to score four tries that season.

Cooper Woods is no stranger to playing up in competition level after making his Group Two Tooheys New Shield First Grade debut for the Ghosts in May 2016 against Sawtell, going on to play five first grade matches in total. In 2016 Cooper Woods also played four Reserve grade matches scoring 30 points from tries against Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga a match in which he also kicked five goals. In the U18 competition in 2016, Cooper Woods scored 82 points from seven tries and 27 goals.

Cooper Woods is an athletic fullback with an effortless running style who presents as a gifted athlete with speed and also an understanding of where the gap is going to be. Due to his elusiveness and speed he seems almost impossible to stop one on one with his ability to change direction very quickly without the loss of any forward momentum. Cooper Woods is also developing the ability to play as a second five eight and sweep around the back of the ruck and either take the line on himself or pass to his outside support when he receives the ball “out the back”.

In addition Cooper Woods is always around the centre of the ruck when his side is coming out of their own half looking to take the pressure off his own forward pack where he uses his exceptional footwork to target the gaps between the forwards. Cooper Woods’ positioning enables him to field a lot of kicks on the full and then he accelerates towards the defensive lien where he normally looks to gain as much ground as possible rather than looking to run around the defensive line. When the opposition puts in a short attacking kick, Cooper Woods will attack the ball rather than wait to see what happens and invariably he makes the right decision.

Defensively in the fullback position Cooper Woods makes the tackles that need to be made. If an attacker runs directly at him, he 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. Cooper Woods will stay inside the attacker and force him in the needed direction and then use his timing and anticipation to make the tackle, usually forcing the attacker into touch.

In 2018 Cooper Woods shapes as a permanent member of the Grafton Ghosts first grade side in 2018.With former NRL player Danny Wicks as the captain Coach of the Ghosts First Grade side Copper Woods will also be around some experienced people who know what it takes to succeed in the NRL.

Even though Cooper Woods has spent some time in the centres and on the wing in first and reserve grade I like his game at fullback where he can see the entire field and judge where and when he can best impact the game.

For me an NRL player with a similar playing style of Cooper Woods is Melbourne Storm fullback Cameron Munster. Like Munster Cooper Woods presents as a near complete fullback, he can chime into the backline between the centres, play as a second five eight and also use his footwork through the centre of the ruck. In addition he is a talented defender both on terms of cover defence as well as taking attackers front on in open space.

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Tahne Robinson. (Updated) The young Casino RSM half who has already donned a Titans jersey in Titans junior development matches a couple of years ago was a stand out for Casino RSM in the NRRRL First Grade competition this season even though he was still eligible for U18’s. Unfortunately for Tahne Robinson and his Casino RSM team mates they were defeated 32-20 in their NRRRL semi-final by the Tweed Coast Raiders. Tahne Robinson towards the end of last year was named the NRRRL Rookie of the season.

The former St Mary’s College Casino student was also selected in the MCC 18 years Presidents Rugby League team in 2017. Tahne Robinson over his junior career has made numerous Group One Junior Representative sides as well.

Tahne Robinson only played in one U18 NRRRL match in 2017 season but he made the most of it, scoring 18 points from a try and seven goals against Mullumbimby in April. Tahne Robinson played thirteen Novaskills NRRRL First Grade matches scoring nine tries and a conversion over those matches. In addition to the double in the final regular season round against the Tweed Coast Raiders, Tahne Robinson scored a double in mid-July against Mullumbimby.

Earlier in 2017 season Tahne Robinson was named at half back for the East Coast Dolphins U18 side in the New South Wales Country Championships. Tahne Robinson played the 2016 season in the U18 NRRRL Competition with Casino RSM and finished as the leading points scorer in the competition with 106 points which came from four tries and 45 goals.

Tahne Robinson is only slight of build even when up against players in his own age group but looks even smaller against men. Do not take his lack of size in any way as a lack of ability or courage, he has a lot of both, which is on display each time he runs onto the field. With the ball he is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports. Tahne Robinson is particularly adept at using the blind side when he sees an opportunity.

Tahne Robinson has an exceptional show and go and step has scored a number of tries in 2017 in first grade using these traits including his first try against the Tweed Coast Raiders late in the 2017 season. Once he is open space his above average speed off the mark allows him to gain separation from the defence and enables him the time to make the correct decision with the ball.

From kicking perspective Tahne Robinson has a very good short tactical kicking game especially in relation to grubber kicks into the in goal area where he is able to weight the ball well. From a goal kicking perspective Tahne Robinson displays both range and accuracy and has the opportunity going forward to be a team’s first choice goal kicking option.

In defence, due to his size he is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players and against players with similar size is very aggressive when finishing off his tackles. He is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side to move up in a straight line and make hard initial contact with the ball runner.

Tahne Robinson is good enough to push for playing time in the Queensland Cup Colts competition in 2018 but will likely play this season in the NRRRL First Grade competition for Casino RSM where he will be one of the competition stand outs even though he will play the entire NRRRL season as a teenager.

Tahne Robinson always has been and always will be a half back when playing rugby league although he would likely be able to full in at hooker should the need arise.

From a player comparison perspective think maybe a Gary Freeman type player as someone who will give everything on the field regardless of their size and will not back down and has the organisational, leadership and game management skills that will give him an opportunity to succeed regardless of his size is an appropriate player comparison for Tahne Robinson. Like Freeman, Tahne Robinson also seems to have a bit of mongrel in his game as well and he will not back down from any challenge that presents itself.

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Sua Aiiloilo. (Updated)The giant young former Keebra Park front rower was back on the Gold Coast linking with the Titans and played for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the 2017 MM competition then moved on to play a number of matches for the Burleigh Bears in the U20 Colts Challenge competition before heading back to New Zealand.

Sua Aiiloilo played for Haeata Community College from Canterbury in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in 2017. For those Championships Sua Aiiloilo was named as one of the ten players to watch by the New Zealand National Talent Manager David McMeeken curtesy of the New Zealand Official Rugby League website made the following observation:

Sua Aiiloilo – Haeata Community Campus – “A big, powerful, prop forward who returns home to a newly established team playing in the Development grade, Haeata Community Campus, after a season with the Gold Coast Titans”

Sua Aiiloilo and his Haeata Community Campus team mates were defeated 32-12 in their first match in the 2017 New Zealand National Secondary Schools Development Tournament by Onehunga High School on Monday 4 September but bounced back in Round two on Tuesday 5 September against Papakura High School with Sua Aiiloilo at his rampaging best to score a hat trick in a Haeata Community Campus 30 - 16 win including the first and last tries of the Round Two match. Round Three saw Haeata Community Campus defeat Francis Douglas memorial College 28 – 20.

In the semi-finals of the NZ National Secondary Schools Development Tournament Haeata Community Campus went up against Trident High School from Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty Region winning 14 -10 enabling them to progress to the next round of the Development Tournament Finals. In the final Haeata Community Campus were up against Marcellin College from Auckland with the result being a tough loss for Haeata Community Campus 30 – 8 however Sua Aiiloilo was named the Most Valuable Player of the final.

Sua Aiiloilo played in all six of Tweed Heads MM Cup matches starting the first three rounds in the front row and coming off the bench in the final three. Sua Aiiloilo then started the U20 Colts Challenge competition with Burleigh playing in five matches in total before he headed back to New Zealand. Sua Aiiloilo started on five occasions from the interchange and in Round Three against the Western Mustangs he started in the front row.

After a stint with Keebra Park Sua Aiiloilo returned to New Zealand in 2016 and attended St Thomas of Canterbury College on New Zealand’s south island and represented the South Island Scorpions in the 2016 New Zealand National Youth Tournament starting in the front row in all of their matches including a match against the Akarana falcons who were led by Titans NYC player and fellow New Zealander Zae Wallace.

2016 was the second occasion that Sua Aiiloilo represented the South Island Scorpions as he also represented them at the U15 level in 2014. Sua Aiiloilo also represented the Canterbury Bulls in the Open Age New Zealand National Premiership not bad at all for a 17 year old and from media reports dominated the Canterbury School Rugby League competition last year.

In relation to club rugby league Sua Aiiloilo played for the Celebration Lions in the Maserati Cup scoring eight tries including four in a match against the Aranui Eagles, with his other tries coming against Aranui Eagles in another match and against the Northern Bulldogs, Halswell Hornets and Pananui Tigers.

In attack Sua Aiiloilo is a straight runner of the football and there is little subtly to his game, it is get the ball and run straight ahead to gain as much ground as possible and get a quick play the ball. On occasion he does use some footwork prior to the line but in the main it is head down and run straight. If defences do not target his legs Sua Aiiloilo will drag defenders with him as he continues to pump his legs and continue to fight until the tackle is finished, then he will fight to get a quick play the ball. He just needs to make sure that he maintains his composure when fighting to get to his feet.

Sua Aiiloilo can off load the football but usually seems cautious not to make a mistake, which based on the way that he has been asked to play, it is a wise choice. His hands are actually quite decent and thus I think that he has some untapped potential to ball play a little more both before the line or whilst he is in contact with the defensive line.

In defence the critique is simple, Sua Aiiloilo relishes the contact in the centre of the ruck as could be seen in the MM Cup and U20 Colts Challenge competitions, he hits hard and often and looks to dominate and intimidate his opposition full stop. He tackles hard and is big and strong enough to win the wrestle on the ground and slow the play the ball down.

I only saw a small bit of one of his games in the Open Division of the recent game via live streams, but even in those games he defended using the same methodology that he uses in junior football, thus clearly he does not get intimidated at all. His lateral movement is reasonable, but is not a strength and thus he is more effective in defence when he is in the centre of the ruck.

I am not sure where he will play in 2018 but it would be great to see him back on the Gold Coast playing for either Burleigh or Tweed Heads in the Colts competitions. Front row is the ideal position for Sua Aiiloilo with his size, strength and power coupled with his intensity of effort.

The power and intensity of Canterbury Bulldog and New South Wales State of Origin forward David Klemmer is mirrored by Sua Aiiloilo he is just an intimidating presence on a football field and a young player who will only to continue to get better and better as he gains more experience there is certainly a lot of raw ability and untapped potential to work with.

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Kaleb Fuimaono. The big strong young former North Queensland Cowboys front rower has joined the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup side for the 2018 season after two season in the NYC competition for the Cowboys.

In the 2017 NYC competition for the Cowboys Kaleb Fuimaono played in twenty two matches, starting eighteen in the front row and four from the interchange bench. In total Kaleb Fuimaono was on the field in a NYC Cowboys jersey for 918 minutes, took 158 hit-ups to make 1 451 metres and made 379 tackles at a solid tackling efficiency of 93.21%.

Kaleb Fuimaono’s 2017 NYC per game averages included playing 42 minutes, taking 7.2 hit-ups for 66 metres and making 17.2 tackles. Kaleb Fuimaono scored two tries in 2017 which came against the Canberra Raiders in Round One and against the Broncos in Round Two. On four occasions Kaleb Fuimaono ran for in excess of 100 metres including running for 107 metres in Round Nineteen against the Rabbitohs and against the Newcastle Knights in Round Eight made twenty five tackles.

In the NYC competition in 2016,Kaleb Fuimaono played sixteen matches for the Cowboys with similar per game averages to that he achieved in 2017.

At 190cm and 102kg Kaleb Fuimaono is a tall strong young front rower who runs hard and straight and does not take a backward step, for the North Queensland Cowboys NYC side last season he constantly ran into the heart of some giant forward packs. One thing that did impress me was that he did not just put his head down and run into the first defender he saw, he would actually have a plan in relation how he should take a hit up rather than setting himself up as a target for the defensive line.

On a number of occasions he cut back behind the play the ball to take advantage of defenders who were slow to get back into the defensive line, similarly he also ran wider on occasion to target the smaller defenders, when opposition sides started to compress their defensive line when Ipswich had the momentum on their side.

Whilst he did not offload the ball too many times, Kaleb Fuimaono did get his arms free but only passed when his support was in a better position. He 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.

The New Zealand born Kaleb Fuimaono has continued to get bigger and stronger over the last few years and impressively has also been able to maintain has above average speed for his position, in fact I would consider his speed for a front rower to be in the plus category.

In defence Kaleb Fuimaono regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one. He is not averse to looking for the big hit but does have a good front on defensive technique and decent agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents. Kaleb Fuimaono has the size, strength and power to seal off sections of the field in defence and impressively can sustain that dominance for the majority of a match.

As noted above Kaleb Fuimaono has joined the Burleigh Bears Queensland Cup squad for the 2018 season where he will look to break into an experienced forward pack. I would anticipate that the 2018 season will be a year of transition for Kaleb Fuimaono and he will probably move in and out of the Burleigh Queensland Cup side as he gets used to the rigours of the Queensland Cup competition.

The 21 year old Kaleb Fuimaono is a tall strong powerful player who could quite easily play either in the second row or front row for the next couple of season but due to how he plays I can for see a future in the front row for the former New Zealand born Easts Tigers junior.

From a style perspective, think along the lines of the James Tamou of the Penrith Panthers as a tall front rower with good footwork both in attack and defence.

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Jake Frame. The 22 year old Grafton Ghosts half back had an outstanding 2017 season in the Tooheys Group Two competition in Northern New South Wales which culminated in a 32 – 12 Grand Final victory over local rivals the South Grafton Rebels. Jake Frame is no stranger to wearing a Titans jersey with the young man playing a season in the MM Cup competition a few seasons ago.

For the Grafton Ghosts in the Group Two First Grade competition in 2017 Jake Frame played in fifteen matches, primarily starting at half back scoring seven tries in the process. Jake Frame had an outstanding end to the regular season from a try scoring perspective scoring four tries in the final three rounds including double against Woolgoolga and tries against Coffs Harbour and Orara Valley. Earlier in the 2017 season Jake Frame also scored against Sawtell in two separate matches and Bellingen. Jake Frame also played one Group Two Reserve Grade match in 2017.

With the ball he is a very good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports. Jake Frame is adept at drawing an opposing defender out of the defensive line and then putting his support runner through the resulting gap. In terms of his speed, I would suggest that an appropriate definition of Jake Frame’s speed would be that he is quick off the mark but does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space.

Jake Frame will back his judgement and take the game on especially when the game is on the line. Assisting his play is the fact that he makes the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide quickly. His passing game is solid but seems to be slightly better when he is passing to the right side of the field.

Jake Frame has a good short kicking game but he does not have the strongest leg in terms of kicking deep but is accurate and regularly finds the ground to enable the chasers to get down field to enhance his team’s field position.

Defensively Jake Frame is quite a strong player for his size with good 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. Jake Frame 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.

Jake Frame in 2018 will line up for his third season in First Grade for the Grafton Ghosts who will be looking to repeat their 2017 premiership success in 2018.

Through his junior rugby league career with the Grafton Ghosts in Northern New South Wales, when playing in the MM Cup competition as part of the Titans Junior Development set-up and now in the ranks of senior rugby league Jake Frame has always played at half back and he will continue to do so while he plays the greatest game of all.

The NRL player comparison for Jake Frame was very simple, with his aggressive in your face style of play, Gary Freeman seems to be a perfect fit if you are looking to compare Jake Frame’s style to someone who played in the NRL.

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Beau Cordtz. The New Zealand born and raised custodian had two outstanding season with the South Sydney Rabbitohs NYC side in 2016 and 2017 but in 2018 he will be wearing the black and white of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side.

The Auckland born youngster moved over to Australia for the start of the 2016 NYC season after graduating from St Paul’s College Auckland in 2015. For St Pauls College Beau Cordtz played in two National School Bot winning sides and played a fair but of five eight prior to his move to fullback when he came over to Australia.

In the 2017 NYC competition for South Sydney Beau Cordtz played in twenty one matches, starting at fullback in eighteen, one on the wing and he also came off the interchange bench twice. In total Beau Cordtz was on the field in the NYC for 1 594 minutes, took 261 hit-ups to make 2 787 metres and made 105 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 77.78%. In nineteen of his twenty one matches Beau Cordtz played all 80 minutes.

Beau Cordtz’s 2017 NYC per game averages included playing 76 minutes, taking 12.4 hit-ups for 132.7 metres and making 5 tackles. Beau Cordtz scored twelve tries including doubles in Rounds Six and Twelve against the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels respectively.

On fourteen occasions Beau Cordtz ran for in excess of 100 metres in a match and of those he ran for in excess of 200 metres on four occasions including running for 219 metres against the Melbourne Storm in Round Eleven.

In 2016 Beau Cordtz played in three NYC matches for the Rabbitohs starting two at five eight and one on the wing and in Round Twenty Three of 2016 ran for 150 metres against the Warriors and in Round Nine of 2016 whilst playing at five eight made 31 tackles against the Wests Tigers.

Beau Cordtz is just a smooth mover, he can create for himself or others and if a defensive line does not chase a kick in one straight line the young Kiwi flyer will simply cut them apart. Beau Cordtz ’s speed is in the plus plus category and when accompanied with exceptional body control and balance he is a handful for defensives especially when the defensive line is not set. Just like his explosive speed off the mark, Beau Cordtz ’s body and body control are in the plus plus category as is his ability to step off both feet and can, just like Benji Marshall in his heyday, step multiple times in a small time frame and area to change both his direction and momentum as well as defenders.

Beau Cordtz also has exceptional hands when defending against kicks especially when low short attacking kicks are put in, Beau Cordtz attacks the ball at full speed aiming to get there prior to the arrival of the attacks and look to make ground while the opposition are still in an attacking mode. Once or twice Beau Cordtz made at least 30 metres or so after retrieving the ball in the in goal area and similarly gets back into the field of play from seemingly impossible positions.

Defensively Beau Cordtz is more than strong enough to confront any attacker who has broken through the initial defensive line and if he is caught out of position has the dynamic closing speed to address this situation efficiently and effectively. When a break has been made, Beau Cordtz ’s primary objective is to more forward to reduce the time available for the attacker to work through is options. Beau Cordtz is also effective at maintaining his composure and taking the player with the ball and not fall for any dummies, he makes an opposing team earn the ground that they make.

In 2018 the 21 year old Beau Cordtz will line up as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad looking for playing time either at fullback or on the wing.

From a position perspective from what I have seen Beau Cordtz is a fullback pure and simple with fullback in the modern game being one of the most important positions on the field, Beau Cordtz presents as a dynamic game changing type of fullback.

From an NRL player comparison perspective, when seeing Beau Cordtz in full flight you are seemingly looking at a mirror image for New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand test International fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Like Tuivasa-Sheck, Beau Cordtz has blazing speed and balance when he has the ball in his hands. Simply put he looks like he is gliding across the field, Beau Cordtz also has an extra gear to accelerate to and literally just explodes through gaps. When he is either returning a kick or hunting around the centre of the ruck looking for am off load, Beau Cordtz just accelerates to full speed in a split second and leaves multiple defenders grasping at thin air.

[mdrew]

Hiale Roycroft. The2017 Queensland U20 second rower will line up for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Queensland Cup competition after playing three season in the NYC competition. In 2015 Hiale Roycroft was part of the Broncos NYC side but has spent the last two NYC season with the North Queensland Cowboys.

In 2017 Hiale Roycroft was part of the Queensland U20 side and came off the interchange bench for the Maroons, team mates that night included Titans Phillip Sami, AJ Brimson and Apitia Neoma. In 2014 the former Aspley junior also represented the Maroons this time at the U16 level when his side took on a New South Wales Country side. In 2014 Hiale Roycroft won the Te’e Levu award at the Greater Brisbane Junior Rugby League Awards night.

In the 2017 NYC competition for the Cowboys Hiale Roycroft played in fifteen matches, starting all bar one match in the second row in his other match being the Cowboys final he started from the interchange bench. In total Hiale Roycroft was on the field in a NYC Cowboys jersey for 943 minutes, took 108 hit-ups to make 1 006 metres and made 405 tackles at a very impressive tackling efficiency of 93.52%. In twelve of his nineteen matches Hiale Roycroft played all 80 minutes.

Hiale Roycroft’s 2017 NYC per game averages included playing 63 minutes, taking 7.2 hit-ups for 67 metres and making 27 tackles. Hiale Roycroft’s sole 2018 NYC try came in Round Three against the Manly Sea Eagles. On two occasions in 2017 in the NYC competition Hiale Roycroft ran for in excess of 100 metres including a 114 metre effort in Round Four against the Titans and in Round Twenty Four against the Cronulla Sharks he made an impressive 36 tackles. In fact in thirteen of his fifteen matches in 2017 Hiale Roycroft made in excess in 20 twenty tackles.

In 2016 Hiale Roycroft played in eighteen NYC matches for the Cowboys, running for 1 597 metres and making 445 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 93.5%. His 2016 NYC per game averages included playing 70 minutes, taking 8.7 hit-ups making 88.72 metres and 24.72 tackles. Hiale Roycroft scored two NYC tries in 2016 which came against the Parramatta Eels in Round Eight and the Manly Sea Eagles in Round Sixteen. Hiale Roycroft made his NYC debut in 2015 playing for the Brisbane Bronco’s, all three from the interchange bench late in the season whilst he was still eligible for U18 rugby league.

At 181cm and 101kg Hiale Roycroft is a nuggetty powerful hard running backrower who really does look to run straight over people, however towards the end of his NYC career he did use more footwork prior to the line and was improving at running on the fringes of the ruck, rather than straight up the centre. Hiale Roycroft has decent to above average top end speed but he does take a little bit of time to get up to his top speed. I would suggest his speed is above average for a back rower.

Hiale Roycroft also has a very good left hand fend to add to his stocky frame and good strength. His low centre of gravity and power make him a difficult proposition to defend against, regardless of where he lines up in attack.

Defensively Hiale Roycroft hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribs and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. He also has a touch of aggression in his play and definitely finishes off each tackle that he is involved in. He is equally adept at defending in the centre of the ruck as he is defending on the fringes and his initial contact is more than sufficient to make an impact on the ball carrier. Towards the end of the year, his defensive technique seems to have improved and he set a good stable base with his lower body, which he them used to explode into the attacker.

As noted above Hiale Roycroft has joined the Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad for the 2018 season where he will look to break into an experienced forward pack. I would anticipate that the 2018 season will be a year of transition for Hiale Roycroft and he will probably move in and out of the Burleigh Queensland Cup side as he gets used to the rigours of the Queensland Cup competition.

From an ultimate position perspective, the 21 year old Hiale Roycroft has firmly established himself as a powerful young backrower with some very aggressive tendencies.

From a style perspective, a player that stands out with a similar playing style, especially in terms of attack is former Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panther Sika Manu as a tough nuggetty back rower with decent footwork prior to the line to add to solid speed for a backrower and someone who is very aggressive in defence.

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Eli Levido. The Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup side in 2018 under former Titans NYC coach Ben Woolf will have an influx of youth including 22 year old former North Sydney Bears, New South Wales Intrust Super Premiership half back Eli Levido. Eli Levido had a brief taste of the NRL when he started at five eight in South Sydney’s first trial in 2017 against Manly.

Eli Levido started off his rugby league career in the Hunter region before being picked up by the Wests Tigers NYC side from the Cessnock Goannas. Eli Levido left the Wests Tigers mid-way through the 2015 season to play for South Sydney as subsequently North Sydney in the New South Wales Intrust Super Premiership in 2016 and 2017.

The 183cm, 87kg youngster had an outstanding season for the Bears in 2017, starting at half back in 23 matches scoring 140 points from seven tries and 56 goals at 64.4%. In total in the NSW Intrust Super Premiership in 2017, Eli Levido ran for 1 389 metres, had the ball in his hands over 1 400 times, forced 10 drop outs, had 14 try assists, made 14 line breaks and made 244 tackles at a tackling efficiency of 79%.

Eli Levido’s 2017 NSW Intrust Super Premiership per game averages included running for 60.4 metres, kicking for 99.4 metres and making 10.61 tackles.

Even though Eli Levido has plus acceleration off the mark and above average top speed, his primary focus on a football field is to direct his side around the field, putting his side where they need to be to maintain pressure on the opposition. Holding the ball out in front of his body in both hands enables Eli Levido to put doubt into the minds of the opposing defensive line and thus me can dummy and run if there is a gap in the defensive line or put his support runners into gaps.

Eli Levido’s decisive nature also means that when the ball needs to get out to his back line he will get it out there quickly to give his outside backs as much space as possible to work with prior to contact with the opposing defensive line. Getting the ball out to the back line quickly is no issue for Eli Levido as he has a very good long passing technique which delivers the ball quickly and accurately to the right place.

Eli Levido also has a very good short attacking kicking game with a positive being that he will go right to the line before dropping the ball to his foot, add to the fact that he regularly runs with the ball out in front of his body in both hands, he gives defensive lines a lot to consider, is he going to kick, run or pass, a defensive line that anticipates incorrectly will be scrambling to recover before the Logan Brothers makes them pay for their error in judgement.

Defensively Eli Levido tackles well low and that is seemingly his main tactic against wide running forwards rather than trying to tackle them ball and all and potentially being bumped off. In the NSW Intrust Super Premiership last season he was constantly battered by huge forwards running at him but he held his own on each occasion. His quick feet and sense of timing and anticipation enable him to see plays developing in front of him quickly and he is able to adjust and look to shut down the attacking play prior to it fully developing. In short he is quite a solid defender in the half back position.

Eli Levido is also very vocal in the defensive line as well constantly talking and pushing his side to get the defensive line set and ensure that the initial contact makes on impact on the attacking play that is being run against them.

The former Wests Tigers NYC player should immediately push for playing time in the Queensland Cup in 2018 in fact it would not surprise at all to see him start at half back for Tweed Heads come Round One and pushing for a spot with the Titans in future seasons.

With his scheming nature and kicking ability especially in relation to short attacking kicks Eli Levido is an ideal rugby league half back and one who also has the strength of personality to command the respect of his team mate to lead them around the field and also ensure that they stick to the type of game plan that they need to be successful over the course of a match.

Mitchell Moses of the Parramatta Eels with his wide ranging and developing skill set is for me a very good player comparison for the talented yet under rated Eli Levido including the way that he commands the ruck in attack, his very good short kicking game and his sniping runs.

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Cheyne Whitelaw. In 2017 Cheyne Whitelaw was named in the New South Wales Intrust Super Premiership team of the year and the New South Wales Residents side but the 23 year old former Australian School Boy representative North Sydney Intrust Super Premiership front rower and South Sydney Rabbitohs contracted player will be part of a youthful Tweed Heads Seagulls Queensland Cup squad in 2018 under the tutelage of former Titans NYC coach Ben Woolf.

The 182cm, 100kg 23 year old front rower had an outstanding season for the Bears in 2017, starting in the front row in twenty one matches scoring two tries. In total in the NSW Intrust Super Premiership in 2017, Cheyne Whitelaw ran for 2 184 metres with 685 of those metres post contact being 31.36%, made sixteen tackle breaks and made 810 tackles at an exceptional tackling efficiency of 92.2%. Cheyne Whitelaw’s 2017 NSW Intrust Super Premiership per game averages included running for 104 metres on 11.6 hit-ups and making an impressive 37 tackles.

Cheyne Whitelaw was contracted to the South Sydney NRL squad in 2015 and 2016 and in fact played in the Charity Shield for the Rabbitohs in both of those years, prior to that Cheyne Whitelaw spent three season in the NYC competition with South Sydney. Cheyne Whitelaw played for the Australian School Boys in 2013 and also represented New South Wales U18’s in the same year.

Running with the football, Cheyne Whitelaw has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them. Cheyne Whitelaw does not have great speed off the mark or necessary great high end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. Cheyne Whitelaw actually does have a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well.

Defensively Cheyne Whitelaw is a solid hitter, usually aiming for just under the ribs and first intention is to lock up the ball to prevent offloads. One area where is quite effective whether he is defending on the fringes of the ruck or in the centre of the ruck including when he is defending at marker, is against smaller attackers who look to use their foot work. Cheyne Whitelaw has quite reasonable lateral mobility for a forward and due to the fact that he also is not that tall, usually is able to wrap up the smaller attackers without his tackles slipping up to around the head or neck too often.

His ability to successfully defend against these types of attackers as well as having the technique to defend against larger forwards is one of a number of reasons that I consider that a future in the NRL feasible in the near future. I would anticipate that the Titans will look very closely at this young front rower in coming seasons if he can stay injury free.

Cheyne Whitelaw should immediately push for playing time in the Queensland Cup in 2018 in fact it would not surprise at all to see him start in the front row come Round One in March. He shapes as a very good pick-up for the Seagulls and shows the benefits for both Tweed Heads and the Titans in the feeder club arrangement that is in place.

At 22 years old Cheyne Whitelaw is just starting to come into his own and whilst he may not have ideal size for the front row position in modern day rugby league he is certainly tough and hard working enough to eliminate size as an obstacle to his NRL dream.

From a player comparison perspective, one player with a similar playing style from my perspective is Parramatta Eels front rower Nathan Brown, as a solid forward who will probably never be a star but will be a solid contributor to a team’s forward pack.

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Daniel Shannon. (Updated) He is a local young front rower was part of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad and also played for the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition specifically at the U17 and U19 levels. Even though he was named in the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side, Daniel Shannon did not feature in any of their matches this season. Daniel Shannon also represented the Queensland Indigenous side in 2017 at the QPICC carnival at Beenleigh in October.

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

In 2016 Daniel Shannon was part of the Gold Coast White CC side for this season, starting the last two matches off the bench. He played the 2015 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks where he scored three tries across the ten matches that he played at the U15 Division One level and he also played seven matches up at the U16 Division Two level, where he mainly came off the bench. He also represented Murri United in the Queensland Murri tournament late last year, and was in fact selected in the Queensland U15 Murri side which toured Fiji and won all three of their matches on that tour alongside Titans High Performance Unit member Jesse Brasslin.

In attack Daniel Shannon runs hard and straight and does not take a backward step regardless of how often he is hit, he will continually get back and take another hit up, on occasion taking multiple hit ups per set of six. He does not have a great deal of foot work prior to or at the line and this is something he will likely work on during the current CC and club season. A similar situation exists for his off-loading. A linear development in both footwork and/or offloading will increase his effectiveness exponentially.

In defence Daniel Shannon is not an overly big hitter but definitely makes solid initial contact with the ball carrier and is very effective at targeting the area around the football in order to reduce the possibility of off loads occurring. For a front rower his lateral movement is reasonable but he will on occasion, have difficulty against smaller faster players like a majority of front rowers and needs to ensure that he keeps his arms down against them especially late in games, when fatigue becomes a factor. He is also quite effective when defending at marker, and does not use it as a chance to have a break and will chase hard from the position.

Moving towards the 2018 season Daniel Shannon is eligible once again for the MM Cup competition and has been named in the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad. Once that competition is finished he will line up for Southport in the GCRL U19 competition and will likely also spend some time in the Gold Coast First Grade competition.

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

From a player comparison perspective, think of someone along the lines of Brisbane Broncos and New Zealand International front rower Adam Blair as a solid hard working front rower.

[mdrew]

Thomas Weaver. The young half backs 2017 rugby league commitments ended when he was part a the Titans U15 Invitational side that played against a Balmain Tigers side at Cudgen and even though they were defeated the young Titans players put in a great effort on the night against a primarily older Balmain Tigers side. Thomas Weaver and his U14 Cudgen Hornets side had a great club campaign in the 2017 Group 18 junior rugby league competition going through the U14 competition undefeated with their skill and discipline on show in every match.

The outstanding young Group 18 half back was a constant threat to opposing defences in the New South Wales Country Age Championships earlier this year where Group 18 were defeated in the U14 Final with Thomas Weaver scoring Group 18’s sole try in the final and then he converted his own try. In two of the preliminary rounds Thomas Weaver kicked two goals apiece including a local derby against Group One to finish with a points total of 14 over the course of the Championships.

Earlier this year Thomas Weaver was selected in the Northern Region Combined Catholic Colleges side at half back representing St Joseph’s College Benora Point. In 2015 Thomas Weaver was selected in the New South Wales U12 side for the Australian U12 Championships and that same year after being named Player of the Final for Cudgen in the Group 18 U12 competition was also named as the U12 Group 18 Player of the Season.

Even though Thomas Weaver has plus acceleration off the mark and above average top speed, his primary focus on a football field is to direct his side around the field, putting his side where they need to be to maintain pressure on the opposition. Holding the ball out in front of his body in both hands enables Denver Taylor to put doubt into the minds of the opposing defensive line and thus he can dummy and run if there is a gap in the defensive line or put his support runners into gaps.

Thomas Weaver’s decisive nature also means that when the ball needs to get out to his back line he will get it out there quickly to give his outside backs as much space as possible to work with prior to contact with the opposing defensive line. Getting the ball out to the back line quickly is no issue for Thomas Weaver as he has a very good long passing technique which delivers the ball quickly and accurately to the right place.

In defence, due to his size Thomas Weaver is obviously not going to come up with the big hit but reads the play well and can hold his own when defending much bigger players and against players with similar size is very aggressive when finishing off his tackles. Thomas Weaver is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side.

Thomas Weaver is also a very good goal kicker with both good range and accuracy. I would suggest that he is likely to be his side’s primary goal kicker regardless of the level he progresses to into the future. Thomas Weaver also has a very good short attacking kicking game with a positive being that he will go right to the line before dropping the ball to his foot, add to the fact that he regularly runs with the ball out in front of his body in both hands, he gives defensive lines a lot to consider, is he going to kick, run or pass, a defensive line that anticipates incorrectly will be scrambling to recover before he makes them pay for their error in judgement.

Thomas Weaver will play the 2018 junior rugby league season with the Cudgen Hornets in the Group 18 U15 competition who will be looking to repeat their premiership success once again in 2018 as well as playing for St Joseph’s College Benora Point. I would also expect that Thomas Weaver will be in line for selection in the Northern District New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges U15 side for their trials for ultimate selection in the NSW CCC U15 side for the U15 ASSRL Championships in 2018 the prize.

From a position perspective with his speed and rapidly developing ball playing, game management and tactical kicking skills, Thomas Weaver has an opportunity to develop into a very talented young player who could play either half back or five eight equally well.

Mitchell Moses of the Parramatta Eels with his wide ranging and developing skill set is for me a very good player comparison for the talented Thomas Weaver including the way that he commands the ruck in attack. Like Mitchell Moses, Thomas Weaver has a wide variety of skills which he is developing and whilst they may not all develop at the same pace or a linear fashion, they surely will all be above average to plus attributes when it is all said and done.

Thomas Weaver is rapidly developing into a very talented young play maker indeed and certainly a player to keep an eye on as he progresses through the Titans junior development ranks.