My take on our top juniors

[mdrew]

Bodhi Banister. The multi-talented five eight played for the Helensvale Hornets in 2017 including starting at five eight in their 32 -12 Grand Final victory over Runaway Bay in the U16 Division Two competition. In that match his brother Taj started in the centres. Bodhi Banister scored a key try in the Grand Final with his brother also scoring in the match.

Over the course of the 2017 U16 Division Two competition, Bodhi Banister played in fourteen matches scoring eleven tries and kicking five goals to finish with 54 points, to edge out his brother who scored 48, Taj however did score twelve tries so both have a degree of bragging rights.

Bodhi Banister started off the season with a bang scoring doubles in the first three weeks against Ormeau, Runaway Bay and Nerang. Later in the 2017 Bodhi Banister also scored doubles against Runaway Bay and Ormeau for a second time. With ten of his eleven tries coming from doubles, once he scored one try in a match it was almost certain that he would get a second.

In 2017 Bodhi Banister also played two matches for the Hornets in the U16 Division One competition against Burleigh and Runaway Bay and four in the U17 Division One competition including scoring against Southport in his first match at that level.

Bodhi Banister also played at five eight for the PNG Kokomos U16 team in the 2017 QPICC carnival that was held in Beenleigh in October 2017. PNG went on to win the U16 carnival with Bodhi Banister scoring against Tonga and a crucial try against Queensland Maori to put PNG in front.

When the ball is passed to him early, Bodhi Banister straightens the attack up well and does not run himself or his support out of room. Even though he has speed in the centre position, he does look for his outside support when confronted with the fullback, even though he is more than capable of beating fullbacks one on one if need be.

Bodhi Banister seemingly has an innate ability to make the right decision when he has the football, in terms of running or passing and when he passed he got the ball out to his outside backs quickly giving them room to move. His passing to the right from five eight looked a little more fluid and natural than when he passed to the left hand side of the field although I note that I am dealing with a limited sample size. In saying that however when he runs with the ball Bodhi Banister looked like a natural ball runner and intuitively knows where to run and accelerate through gaps in the defensive line.

Bodhi Banister will take what the defence gives him, when the defence is sliding he will cut inside and when the defence is playing an up and up style he has the speed and footwork to get on the outside of his direct opponent. He also has very good hands and can use his speed off the mark to look to create something for either himself at five eight.

Defensively Bodhi Banister does not necessarily stand out, which is a good thing to the extent that he is an effective defender and does not jumper grab but does use his shoulder when committing to the tackle. Purely from a skill and physical attribute perspective he seems more suited to a sliding defensive methodology rather than an up and in style, but this is more conjecture from me rather than a fact based argument. His lateral movement also enables him to be an effective defender when defending at five eight against opposing halves who try to exploit the edges of the ruck with footwork.

Bodhi Banister will play the 2018 season with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCJRL U17 competition.

For me Bodhi Banister is currently more of a running five eight than an organising type of player, and even though he will surely improve his play making skills the more he plays five eight, I just think that his running ability to always continue to be better than his play making and game management abilities thus I would argue that you should not try to alter a players natural tendencies, thus I would suggest that Bodhi Banister ultimately ends up as a very talented, quick centre and one who also has some developed skills to set up his outside supports when the opportunity presents.

From a player comparison perspective for Bodhi Banister, think along the lines of Manly centre/five eight Dylan Walker from a style perspective as a talented player who whilst he is better running with the ball himself does have some skills in terms of being able to set up his outside backs.

[mdrew]

Jesse Braslin. (Updated) The young hooker or half who is a member Titans High Performance Unit member may only be small in stature but has a big heart on the football field, which has been identified both at club and representative level over the course of the 2016 and 2017 rugby league seasons. Jesse Braslin was part of the Gold Coast Green U16 side that competed in the U16 South East Queensland pre-season competition in February of 2017.

Jesse Braslin has played the 2017 GCJRL season with the Helensvale Hornets at the U16 Division One level, scoring two tries through eleven matches with the tries coming against Ormeau in May and Runaway Bay in July. Helensvale in the U16 Division One competition finished the regular season third and won their elimination semi-final 33-16 against Runaway Bay with Jesse Braslin starting at five eight for the Hornets. Unfortunately Helensvale were defeated in the Preliminary Final by a red hot Currumbin Eagles side that went on to defeat Burleigh 34 -4 in the Grand Final.

In the 2016 club season with Helensvale, Jesse Braslin started the U15 Division One grand final at five eight against Burleigh but unfortunately the Hornets were defeated 44-0 on that night by a red hot Burleigh side this time. Over the course of the ten matches that Jesse Braslin played in the Green and Yellow of the Hornets in 2016 he crossed for two tries, the first was in the first match of the season proper against Currumbin with the second coming against Runaway Bay towards the end of the season. Jesse Brasslin also played for the Titans U15 side in their annual match against the Balmain Tigers, unfortunately the Titans lost that match 22-18.

Jesse Braslin has also made a number of representative sides over the last couple of seasons, including being part of the Queensland Murri U15 side last year that went on a two match tour of Fiji, with the side winning both matches. He made the U15 side after representing Murri United. Earlier this season he then represented the Queensland Murri U16 side in their annual match against New South Wales Kurri U16, with that match ending in a 16 all draw. Jesse Braslin started at hooker in that match and tackled his heart out like he always does.

In late 2016 Jesse Braslin was selected in the Queensland Murri U16 side after playing well again for Murri United at their annual carnival. To round out his representative commitments, earlier in 2016 he represented South Coast at the Queensland U15 State Schools championships from Coombabah State High School, from there he was selected in the Queensland Maroon side for the Australian U15 championships. In 2014 he represented South East Queensland at the U14 level and was part of the Gold Coast Academy of Sport 2016 rugby league intake.

Even though he has played matches this season at five eight, half and hooker, the comments below relate to Jesse Braslin’s play at hooker, as ultimately I think that that will be his best position moving forward towards the senior ranks.

He is a talented all be it small all-round hooker, who excels at the critical aspect of distribution of the football and game management out of dummy half. In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, he is efficient and effective in his passing and there is no wasted movement or energy as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

There is no discernible difference between Jesse Braslin’s passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat. He certainly is not the biggest or fastest hooker but he will look to run from dummy half when the opportunity presents but he is not going to be a big running threat moving forward.

His defence for a hooker is solid, he is certainly on the small side but that is no hindrance to how he currently plays the game, nor to his ability to reach his true long term potential. He does not hit hard from a contact perspective but due to his very good low technique Jesse Braslin can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body to absorb the impact when confronting large forwards.

Jesse Braslin’s intensity and constant effort means that he will track the ball across the field and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside as well as tackle all match. He literally looks to tackle everything that moves in the centre of the ruck even though he is normally one of the smallest forwards on the field, and I mean always, he is also one of the toughest though.

Moving forward he will play the 2018 season at the U17 Division One level in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League competition for the Helensvale Hornets and may also play a match or to up in the U19 competition as well.

Jesse Braslin certainly projects as an 80 minute player, who will be known for his organisational and distribution skills as well as his courage and determination. He will undoubtedly be appreciated by his team mates due to his calm and measured approach to how he plays rugby league and the courage he shows in leading by example when taking on much larger opposition continually.

From a player comparison perspective, due to his size and tenacity, a playing style and comparison akin to current Titans and New South Wales State of Origin hooker Nathan Peats would be appropriate from a style, leadership courage and determination perspective.

[mdrew]

Joshua Paiyo. The young Helensvale Hornets and PNG QPICC U16 representative front rower played a lot of rugby league in 2017 including playing twenty six matches for the Hornets across four separate competitions on the Gold Coast as well as representing PNG. In the QPICC carnival PNG won the U16 Division with Joshua Paiyo and Cruise Ten captaining the squad to their victory with Joshua Paiyo scoring a number of tries including against Queensland Maori and Tonga.

From a trivia Joshua Paiyo is the son of former Kumuls hooker Elias Paiyo whose 22 year old World Cup points scoring record was recently exceeded by second rower Reece Martin.

Joshua Paiyo played in fifteen U16 Division Two matches including starting in the centres and scoring a double in Helensvale’s 32 – 12 Grand Final victory over Runaway Bay. In addition to the Grand Final double, Joshua Paiyo scored eight further tries in 2017 including a hat trick in the final regular season round against Ormeau. Joshua Paiyo also kicked a single conversion which he kicked against Coomera to finish with 42 points on the season.

In 2017 Joshua Paiyo also played three matches in the U16 Division One competition scoring against Runaway Bay. He also played five U17 Division One matches and one U17 Division Two match, on a number of occasions backing up after playing a match earlier in the weekend.

Joshua Paiyo he is a big strong front rower who is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and has shown flashes of the ability to offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it. For a big front rower he does actually have quite decent speed and footwork, certainly well above average for a player of his size. This good footwork enables Joshua Paiyo to step prior to the line, creating little half breaks which enhances the ability to off-load the football.

Joshua Paiyo is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will understandably have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half. Joshua Paiyo’s calling card though is the strength and power to effectively engage the opposing forward early in their run and use his natural strength to win the forward battle in the centre of the ruck.

Joshua Paiyo can defensively handle any one on one battle that presents itself. At times in games he really does prevent opposing gaining any ground at all through the centre of the ruck. It is now a matter of extending the duration of his ruck dominance.

Joshua Paiyo will play the 2018 season with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCJRL U17 competition and will be line to represent PNG again in the annual QPICC carnival in October 2018 in the U18 age group.

Joshua Paiyo is a front rower moving forward and is best suited to playing in the centre of the ruck.

From a player comparison perspective think of the Canterbury Bulldogs Sam Kasiano as a big strong front rower who has more speed and mobility than it would appear when looking purely looking at his stature. Joshua Paiyo may take a bit of time to develop and if he can keep working on his stamina and mobility there are certainly tools to work with.

[mdrew]

Taj Banister. The try scoring centre played for the Helensvale Hornets in 2017 including starting in the centres in their 32 -12 Grand Final victory over Runaway Bay in the U16 Division Two competition. In that match his brother Bodhi started at five eight with both brothers scoring in the match.

Over the course of the 2017 U16 Division Two competition, Taj Banister played in fifteen matches scoring twelve tries to edge out his brother who scored eleven. Taj Banister scored doubles against Nerang and Coomera and scored in each of Helensvale’s finals matches.

Whilst he does not have blinding speed off the mark, Taj Banister 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. One skill that Taj Banister does possess is a decent in and away and he will wait until the last possible minute to step to commit the defender before getting on his outside.

Taj Banister is not the biggest centre running around, but he does seem to have good functional strength to go along with his toughness, and will certainly look to come out of the line to stop the attack before it has time to fully develop. Taj Banister will show his opposite number the sideline and is confident that his speed will enable him to get across to make the tackle at the appropriate time.

Taj Banister will play the 2018 season with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCJRL U17 competition.

Into the future I think that he will have the opportunity to stay at centre long term. The combination of his physical attributes and skill set would indicate that there is no necessity to move at present.

In many respects the way Taj Banister’s play resembles that of Melbourne Storm centre Curtis Scott as a classy outside back with the ability to come into the centre of the field to do some hard running and someone who is underrated defensively.

[mdrew]

Kade Hill. (Updated) He is a young half/five eight from the Murwillumbah Colts junior rugby league club who play in the Group 18 junior rugby league competition, and who is part of our junior development set up in the NRRRL region and attended a Titans Elite Academy Camp that was held for 18 young Titans contracted players at Lennox Heads.

Over the course of the 2017 season Kade Hill along with two other Titans linked youngsters in second rower Ben Liyou and Jordan Tauali’i stood out for the East Coast Dolphins U16 side which made the New South Wales Country U16 Age Championship final and also along with his two team mates made the New South Wales Country U16 side that were undefeated on a two match tour of New Zealand’s South Island playing an U17 Canterbury selection as well as a West Coast selection in Greymouth. Kade Hills was able to cross for a double in their semi-final victory over the Bidgee Bulls and recently he was named the Group 18 U16 Player of the Year.

During the 2016 season, Kade Hill represented Group 18 at the U15 level where he played at half back partnering talented five eight Mitchell Malone. Kade Hill as also part of the Titans squad that played the Balmain Tigers in an U15 trial match on the Gold Coast late in 2016.

For Group 18 in 2016, Kade Hill played in two matches being against Group 21 and Group Three over the course of the 18/19 June weekend and scored a good solo try on the Sunday against Group Three. Kade Hill also represented the North Coast in a match against the Hunter Region in the New South Wales Greater Northern Rugby League Exchange competition scoring a very good individual try in the process showcasing his speed off the mark and deft right foot step.

In 2015 Kade Hill represented Group 18 in that year being in the U14 age group. He played his schoolboy rugby league with Murwillumbah High School in Northern NSW. He is a multi-sport athlete, as he also plays cricket where he seems to be a decent spin bowler and plays touch football as well.

In attack he has above average to plus speed off the mark but does not necessary have an extra gear in open space, but he is able to sustain his top speed over considerable distance. In confined space, he has very good footwork, including a good step off both feet. He can 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.

At present, one area for him to continue to develop is his play making skills, including putting his runners, whether they are backrowers or centres into holes. With experience however there is nothing to suggest that these type of play making skills will not develop over time as we are talking about still young blokes here. As games progress he is very good at identifying tired forwards in the defensive line, and he will target them accordingly. Presumably as a result of his time playing touch football, Kade Hill plays what is in front of him rather than just play to a set game plan, which is a sign of a young player with a good understanding of the game.

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 edge of the ruck, he will get in front of them and use his shoulder in an effort to contain them until defensive help arrives. Due to his speed off the mark he is also a very good cover defender as he tracks the ball across the field and has a solid low tackling technique from the side.

Moving forward to the 2018 season, he will play the season at the U18 level with the Murwillumbah Colts as well as continuing to play school boy rugby league. Kade Hill will also be line to represent Group 18 at the U18 level for their series against Group One etc. for an opportunity to make the East Coast Dolphins U18 side for the New South Wales Country U18 Championships.

From a position perspective, with his footwork, speed off the mark and developing play making skills, he certainly has the attributes to stay in the halves, either at five eight or half. I do not think that he has ever played there but I would be intrigued to see how he would go at fullback, purely from a physical and skill attribute perspective rather than an analysis of his current play.

From a player comparison perspective, think of the Titans own Kane Elgey as a developing ball player and game manager with very good speed and evasion in confined space. At this stage in his career Kade Hill does not have the size of Kane Elgey but he still has plenty of growing and filling out to do.

[mdrew]

Paigge Taipari-Maxwell. The 2017 season was the first playing rugby league on the Gold Coast for the Runaway Bay Seagulls centre and he made an impression, playing in three different competitions over the course of the season, including starting in the centres for Runaway Bay in their 32 -12 Grand Final loss to Helensvale in the GCJRL U16 Division Two competition. Prior to his move to the Gold Coast for the 2017 season Paigge Taipari-Maxwell played school boy rugby for New Zealand powerhouse New Plymouth Boys High School.

In total in the U16 Division Two competition for Runaway Bay, Paigge Taipari-Maxwell played in twelve matches scoring five tries and kicking three goals to finish the season with twenty six points. All of his tries came in different matches and where against Mudgeeraba, Ormeau (in consecutive weeks), Coomera, Nerang and Beaudesert.

Paigge Taipari-Maxwell also played three matches in the U16 Division One competition with those matches being against Ormeau on two occasions and Burleigh. Paigge Taipari-Maxwell also played four matches in the U17 Division One competition, scoring against Ormeau in his last match in that Division in 2017. His other U17 Division One matches were against Ormeau for a second time, Burleigh and Bilambil.

Paigge Taipari-Maxwell ’s main ability when you see him play is his foot work, it is absolutely outstanding in the centres. He can step off both feet and put multiple combinations of steps together in a short space of time and a small radius to get out of difficult situations and still make ground.

Paigge Taipari-Maxwell ’s speed off the mark would have to be considered above average and whilst his top end speed may not necessarily be elite he can sustain it over an extended distance. He also has a solid low centre of gravity type build and also a decent fend complicating the task of defending against him.

Regardless of where Paigge Taipari-Maxwell receives the ball he is a sound attacking player. If he gets an off load from a forward through the middle he is through the gap before the defence can react, if he gets the ball in space out wide he makes it difficult for the opposing defender to get a clean shot at him. Seemingly like all modern day outside backs Paigge Taipari-Maxwell has exceptional body control enabling him to score some impressive tries along the touchline.

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

Paigge Taipari-Maxwell has the body control to redirect quickly and mirror the movement of the opposing attackers and anticipate what vector the attack comes from and understands when to allow the attacking play to develop in from of him and when to come out of the line to disrupt the attacking play prior to its formation and execution.

Paigge Taipari-Maxwell will play the 2018 season with the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the GCJRL U17 competition.

From a position perspective, Paigge Taipari-Maxwell has the requisite size strength speed and power to continue play in the centres for the duration of his rugby league career.

A current NRL player with a similar skill set and playing style to Paigge Taipari-Maxwell is Penrith Panthers and New Zealand International centre Dean Whare.

[mdrew]

Matthew Hindmarsh. The Helensvale Hornets had a solid campaign for the Hornets in the GCJRL U16 Division Two competition including starting in the centres in their 32 – 12 Grand Final victory over Runaway Bay.

Matthew Hindmarsh did not score in the Grand Final but over the course of his fifteen matches in the U16 Division Two competition he did score for twelve tries including a hat trick against Coomera and doubles against Nerang, Beaudesert and Jimboomba. Matthew Hindmarsh also played one match in the U16 Division One competition in 2017 which was against Runaway Bay in July 2017.

Matthew Hindmarsh has the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him on the outside. When he gets the ball early from his inside play makers, he is difficult to deal with one on one, as whilst his speed has already been noted, he is also a hard runner who can break tackles through strength and not just rely on his speed to beat his opponent.

The one thing Matthew Hindmarsh 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, Matthew Hindmarsh has a very good step back side and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances. Similarly when an opposing defender looks to come out of the line quickly to put pressure on him, Matthew Hindmarsh’s quick twitch feet means that he can step off either foot quickly to negate the attempt to cut down his time.

In defence Matthew Hindmarsh has good strength, but will certainly look to come out of the line to stop the attack before it has time to fully develop. He will show his opposite centre the sideline and is confident that his speed will enable him to get across to make the tackle. As he fills out and gains more experience Nathan Hindmarsh will become more effective defensively, not that there is all that much wrong with how he defends at present certainly in relation to the standard he is playing at.

Matthew Hindmarsh will play the 2018 season with the Helensvale Hornets in the GCJRL U17 competition.

Matthew Hindmarsh has been a centre throughout his rugby league career and I can see a future in the centres for the talented youngster.

From a player comparison perspective think of someone like former Brisbane Broncos and English test centre Jack Reed as a hard running hard tackling centre who is a strong presence in a team’s back line.

[mdrew]

Brody Smitka. (Updated) Brody Smitka was part of a Titans U15 Invitational side that played their annual match against a Balmain Tigers selection in Cudgen late last year and has recently been named in the Queensland U15 2018 Emerging Origin Squad that just finished their first camp on the Sunshine Coast.

The local young front rower from the Helensvale Hornets junior rugby league on the Gold Coast was part of the U14 Gold Coast Vikings side that went through the 2017 Hill Stumer championships undefeated after victories against Stingers Red and White sides and the Ipswich Diggers.

Post those championships Brody Smitka was selected in the U14 South East Queensland Green side for the Queensland Age Championships which were played in Toowoomba and scored on Day Three in a big win over South East Queensland White.

The U14 Vikings was the third representative side that Brody Smitka has made, after he was part of the dominant U13 Vikings side in 2016 and the South Coast U12 schoolboys side in 2015 which also went through their competition undefeated, he made the South Coast U12 side from Coomera Anglican College. Also this season Brody Smitka was part of the 2017 Gold Coast Academy of Sport Rugby League Excellence Program.

Brody Smitka played the 2017 Gold Coast Junior Rugby League season with the Helensvale Hornets primarily in the U15 Division One side although he did play one match for Helensvale in the U14 Division Two competition in July where he dominated Nerang to score a double.

In the U15 Division One competition in 2017, Brody Smitka started in sixteen matches including starting in the front row in their 34 – 10 Grand Final loss to Nerang. In those sixteen matches Brody Smitka scored five tries including a great first two rounds of the season when he scored four of his five tries including a hat trick in Round two against Southport and scoring against Burleigh in the season opener. In the U15 Division One Preliminary Final also against Burleigh Brody Smitka scored his fifth try of the year.

Brody Smitka is a reasonably tall young guy but when he runs he does look to put his shoulder into the defensive line rather than just straight up which would make him susceptible to being driven back, aiding in his running style is that he actually gets back and runs onto the ball hard rather than looking only to get to top pace once he has received the ball.

Last year for Helensvale Brody Smitka seemed to play a little wider of the ruck where enabled him to off load the ball more but on Sunday he was very effective playing in the role that the coaches had set for him in the second half. Brody Smitka is always on of the first forwards to take the hit up and works hard while he is on the field.

Defensively for a taller young player he is adept at getting low and setting a good base so that he can drive with his legs into the attacker. For his taller height he is quite disciplined in terms of not hanging an arm out when defending against a smaller quicker attacker and uses his reasonable lateral movement to look to mirror the attacker’s movement and make the tackle. Brody Smitka is not a big hitter but will drive with his legs to stop the momentum of the ball carrier effectively in the centre of the ruck.

In 2018 Brody Smitka will still be eligible to play in the U15 age group on the Gold Coast but like in previous seasons he may play in the U16 competition. Brody Smitka will also be in line to represent Couth Coast at the U15 school boy level in what shapes as an exceptionally talented South Coast side.

Where Brody Smitka ultimately ends up from a position perspective is an intriguing question. At present he has the height and size to play in the front row, but he shows flashes of the ability to play as a second rower I would argue mainly because he has above average speed for a front rower and whilst he has a bit of height, I am not sure whether he will be able to put on the bulk needed to play in the front row long term. Also with the solid ball skills that Brody Smitka has I can see a compelling argue to suggest that his ultimate position will be in the second row as a big tall reasonably quick second rower.

If you look at the play of Newcastle Knights second rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon, I think you will get an appreciation of how Brody Smitka plays his football in that he will stay in the centre of the field defensively but in attack he has the skills to operate on the edge of the ruck and has decent off-loading skills if the opportunities present.

I think that as he progresses, the followers of junior rugby league on the Gold Coast will see a hard working player with some decent skills thrown in for good measure. He will not likely to stand out in terms of big hits or line breaks or miracle one handed off loads but regardless he will be an effective player, an honest hard working player if you will.

[mdrew]

Jack Boswell. The nippy young Runaway Bay Seagulls half back highlighted his durability over the course of the 2017 GCJRL season playing a total of twenty six matches in the Red, White and Blue. Jack Boswell played fifteen matches in the U16 Division Two competition including starting at half back in their 32 -12 Grand Final loss to Helensvale where he kicked two conversions, six matches in the U16 Division One competition and five in the U17 Division One competition.

In the U16 Division Two competition Jack Boswell finished the season with a total points tally of 110 from twelve tries and thirty one goals. Over the course of the 2017 season Jack Boswell scored three doubles which came against Coomera, Jimboomba and Currumbin in the Preliminary Final. Goal kicking wise Jack Boswell kicked four goals in a match on three separate occasions.

With the ball Jack Boswell is a good distributor and will take the ball to the line in an effort to set up his supports. He 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 his speed would be that he is quick off the mark but does not have an extra gear when he breaks into open space.

Jack Boswell will not die wondering and will back his judgement and take the game on. 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 all round.

Jack Boswell has a good short kicking game but he does not have the strongest leg in terms of kicking deep. Jack Boswell is also very vocal on the field always talking and encouraging his side both in attack and defence.

Jack Boswell is not the biggest player but even when defending in the front line will tackle using his shoulder which helps when defending against larger forwards operating on the fringes of the ruck. Whilst not the biggest he is strong and tough enough to effectively tackle one on one against opposing halves and with his solid speed and foot work he can cover a lot of ground as he tracks the ball across the field. Jack Boswell is certainly not going to be a liability in defence for his team and is more than willing to take on bigger forwards.

Jack Boswell will play the 2018 season with the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the GCJRL U17 competition.

For me, Jack Boswell’s ultimate future lies at half back where he can use his solid footwork and his above average passing skills to put his supporting players into gaps created in the defensive line. Jack Boswell’s game management skills have also taken a step forward and he looks like he is growing into a leader on the field as well.

For me a current NRL player with similar attributes from a skill and playing style perspective is Australian International and soon to be St George Dragons half back Ben Hunt. Like Hunt Jack Boswell is equally adept at taking the line on as he is at setting up his support runners and is definitely not a liability in defence.

[mdrew]

Clarke Vorhauer. The young centre from the Mudgeeraba Redbacks Junior Rugby League club on the Gold Coast played the 2017 season in the U14 Division Three competition including starting in the centres in the Grand Final against Parkwood, unfortunately for Clarke Vorhauer and his team mates Parkwood won the Grand Final 22 – 8.

Over the course of the 2017 Clarke Vorhauer averaged a try a match through fifteen matches, including four in Round One against Coomera and doubles against Parkwood, Helensvale, Burleigh and Beaudesert as the 2017 season progressed.

Whilst Clarke Vorhauer does not have a great deal of speed off the mark, he 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 engaged with the defensive line Clarke Vorhauer also has a reasonable offload and when he breaks through the main defensive line he is also very effective at setting up his outside support, by drawing the fullback.

Defensively Clarke Vorhauer is able to defend against any size opponent, from small quick outside backs to big strong powerful backrowers running wide of the ruck. He seemingly has more strength that his size would indicate, 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. Clarke Vorhauer sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent.

Clarke Vorhauer will play the 2018 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the GCJRL U15 competition.

Even though he may not have the “measurables” of typical modern day centres Clarke Vorhauer has a skill set that gives him a chance to stay in the centres long term.

From a player comparison perspective consider someone along the lines of North Queensland Cowboys centre Kane Linnett as a solid centre who is a very effective defender but not necessarily one who is going to be near the top of any try scoring list.

[mdrew]

Tyler Szepanowski. (Updated) The big tall young St Brendan’s College front rower who signed with the Titans mid-way through the 2017 season was part of the Central Queensland Capra’s U18 squad for the 2017 season after having a solid season in Schoolboy rugby league in 2016. The young front rower was the St Brendan’s College Co-captain a great achievement for the young man who came to the school from Moranbah and also was part of the St Brendan’s side that made the 2016 Final of the Confraternity Shield where they played Ignatius Park.

Tyler Szepanowski was approached by the Titans after the Capra’s Round Three match against the Burleigh Bears MM side in 2017 at Browne Park and is probably the first player the Titans have signed with a Prussian heritage.

For the Central Queensland Capra’s MM side in 2017 Tyler Szepanowski started in five of their six matches, in each of his starts Tyler Szepanowski played in the front row. Tyler Szepanowski only missed the final round being Round Six. Tyler Szepanowski scored two tries in the five matches with his tries coming in Rounds One and Two against the Central Crows and Redcliffe Dolphins. Tyler Szepanowski also captained the Capra’s in their Round Five matches against eventual MM champions the Western Mustangs.

At the completion of the MM competition in 2017, Tyler Szepanowski moved to playing first grade in the Rockhampton Rugby League competition with Brothers Rockhampton making his First Grade debut in late April against the North’s Chargers. In total Tyler Szepanowski played in thirteen Rockhampton RL First Grade matches and scored his sole first grade try in June against Woorabinda. Tyler Szepanowski started all of his first grade matches in the second row. Late in the 2017 season, Tyler Szepanowski also played one match in the Rockhampton Rugby League U20 competition with the match being against Brothers Rockhampton.

At the Rockhampton Senior Rugby League awards in late 2017 Tyler Szepanowski was named at the Rockhampton RL First Grade Rookie of the Year.

Tyler Szepanowski who trailed for the Parramatta Eels Harrold Matthews side in 2015 who the Coaches Award at the 2016 St Brendan’s Sports Awards night and represented the Queensland Capra’s in the CC Cup competition in 2016 and also Capricornia U15 side in 2014 at the QSSRL U15 Championships.

The young front rower who currently weighs around the 100kg mark has what I would consider plus speed for a front rower, in fact his speed would be above average for a forward of any position. He uses this speed to impact the defensive at top speed. He does not necessarily get back deep, but his plus speed off the mark as well as plus top speed enables him to still fit the line hard.

Tyler Szepanowski runs very front on but will lower his body into the defenders as the commit to the tackle, and through a combination of size, speed and determination regularly bumps the first defender off when they try to tackle Tyler Szepanowski around the chest area. Once he impacts the defensive line he also is adept at redirecting his momentum to address the next defender who is coming in the defend him.

When he is close to the line he seems to have an extra gear again and crashes into the defensive line low and hard and is very difficult to stop. He scores a high proportion of his tries coming from situations where he took on a set defensive line from reasonably close range and was able to carry defenders across the line. I have not seen too many off loads from him in relation to when he has engaged the line, the majority of his offloads have come from situations where his momentum is stopped but he is able to get an arm free, usually his right arm and then pop the ball out the back.

In defence he 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, his technique is also quite decent for a taller player and he gets low in defence to look to mitigate the possibility of his tackles slipping up around the hard and neck area of shorter opponents.

Tyler Szepanowski will also track the ball across the field and just needs to ensure that he stays vigilant when the ball is moved further out and continue to cover the inside channel so that he is not caught out of the ball is passed back inside. At this stage he has the speed to compensate and close the distance to the attacker quickly but as he progresses in the upper age groups he just needs to ensure that he is in the right position, and to be fair he is in the right position the vast majority of the time.

Tyler Szepanowski will play the 2018 season with the Burleigh Bears in the U20 Hastings Deerings Colts competition and will be Colts eligible again in 2019 in the final year of his Titans contract.

With his build (190cm and 99kg) and style of play, I can envisage Tyler Szepanowski playing in the front row as he continues his junior rugby league career although he will likely to continue to spend some time in the second row while he continues to develop physically.

From a style perspective, think along the lines of the James Tamau of the Cowboys as a tall front rower with good footwork both in attack and defence and he is also a leader on the field who can set the direction and tempo for his team by leading from the front in the most demanding position on a football field regardless of the age group or level of competition.

[mdrew]

Ben Edwards. The young Ormeau half played for the Shearers across three competitions in 2017, playing twelve matches including the Grand Final in the U16 Division Two competition, three matches in the U16 Division One competition and one in the U17 Division One competition.

From a try scoring perspective, Ben Edwards had a solid U16 Division Two campaign scoring ten tries, including four in a match in July against Nerang and an early season double against Coomera.

Ben Edwards is quite an elusive runner of the ball and some good foot work in confined space. He will take on the line regularly and has a very good step off both feet but his left foot step seems to be the preferred step based on the games that I have seen at least. Ben Edwards is always around the ball and thus is always available to back up a break by a forward or when they get their hands free.

His passing game is what I would consider above average and he will drift across the field looking for runners to run into holes and has the ability to hold the defensive line in place.

Ben Edwards will also wait until the last possible moment to release the football, this could be seen on the weekend where he would take the ball to the line looking for space to get his support players in gaps as they are developing in the defensive line. His best attribute in his passing game is the speed, timing and accuracy when he passes to his outside backs.

Ben Edwards gets a very good spiral on the ball from both sides of his body and leads his outside attackers into the ball, enabling them to maintain the momentum of their run. A key attribute to how he plays is his ability to organise and direct his team around the field as well as adjusting his game to the specific situations within a game.

Ben Edwards is a very good defender for the half back position, this includes against opposing halves who will try to use footwork and evasion to beat him or against big wide running forwards. Ben Edwards will get from of even the largest ball carrier and use his determination to hold the attacker primarily using a solid low tackling technique against larger forwards running a little wider of the ruck.

Ben Edwards will play the 2018 season with the Ormeau Shearers in the GCJRL U17 competition.

From a long term position perspective, I think that Ben Edwards will more than likely stay at half.

For me Ben Edwards has a similar playing style to that of former St George and Canberra half back Josh McCrone who has recently signed with the Toronto Wolfpack. Like McCrone, Ben Edwards is a steady player who has a solid all round skill set.

[mdrew]

Tuy Schieb. The young Mudgeeraba Redbacks fullback was one of a number of stand outs in the GCJRL U14 Division Three competition and started at fullback and scored a try in the Redbacks 22 – 8 Grand Final loss to the Parkwood Sharks.

Over the course of the U14 Division Three season in 2017, Tuy Schieb scored 132 points from just thirteen matches coming from nineteen tries and twenty eight goals. Tuy Schieb had an outstanding start to the 2017 season scoring eight tries over the first three rounds including scoring five against Helensvale and also a double against Helensvale the week earlier.

Tuy Schieb was a nightmare for Helensvale over the course of the season as he scored hat trick against them in June as well. In total against Helensvale, Tuy Schieb scored 52 points against the Hornets in just three games from ten tries and six conversions meaning 53% of his tries and 40% of his points overall came against the Hornets alone.

In addition to the tries noted above Tuy Schieb also scored doubles Burleigh and Beaudesert. With the boot Tuy Schieb also had some good matches, including kicking five conversions in a mid-winter contest against Burleigh and four goals in matches against Parkwood and Beaudesert.

Tuy Schieb is an agile runner of the football who relies on his speed and elusiveness to make it difficult for larger opponents to line him up. It is interesting though to the extent that when he is open space, it does not look like he is running quickly, but he clearly is as he is rarely run down when he is in open space, including in the Grand Final last year when he broke through the line.

When lining up at fullback Tuy Schieb always makes himself available for offloads in the centre of the ruck where he has good footwork to beat forwards, including a good stutter step that ‘freezes’ the defensive line and then he can use his speed off the mark to make ground. I would not say that his speed is in the plus category, but once he gets to top speed I think that it would be in the above average category.

One thing that impresses me is that Tuy Schieb does not jog after the ball when it is kicked down field, he will flat out sprint to get there either on the full or as quickly as possible, thus eliminating the effectiveness of the oppositions kicking game. When he retrieves the ball he makes a decision quickly about where to look to run around a staggered defensive line or to run straight in an effort to make as much ground as possible.

Tuy Schieb he has good hands and does not often lose control of the ball and he also has a good leap, thus is able to normally get above the chasers to defuse bombs, and as noted earlier he has good hands, thus he is also efficient at defusing grubber kicks as well where a positive trait is that he will attack the ball rather than being passive and waiting for the ball to come to him.

Defensively if an attacker runs directly at him, Tuy Schieb 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. Tuy Schieb 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.

Tuy Schieb will play the 2018 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the GCJRL U17 competition.

Throughout his junior rugby league career to date Tuy Schieb has played in the fullback position and there is no reason to suggest that that is not where he will stay going forward. He is solid under the high ball, attacks short kicks, runs the ball back with determination and looks to move forward to limit the attackers time when defending.

For me Tuy Schieb’s playing style resembles that of Brisbane Broncos fullback Darius Boyd as a key contributor from the fullback position who has a diverse skill set.

[mdrew]

Blake Mozer. (Updated) Blake Mozer is an exceptionally talented young hooker from the Runaway Bay Seagulls junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast and is the young brother of Titans linked back rower Billy Mozer who will play for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup this season. Both brothers also attend Keebra Park State High School and are part of the Rugby League Excellence Program there.

Blake Mozer is part of the Titans U14 Development which has been training once a month since 24 November 2017. In total the Titans U14 Development Squad will have eight sessions run by two well respected coaches..

Blake Mozer played the 2017 GCJRL season with the Runaway Bay Seagulls in the U13 Division One competition playing a total of thirteen matches all at hooker and in the process scored ten tries and also converted one of his tries in a Round Two clash against Burleigh Maroon. In the match noted already being against Burleigh Maroon, Blake Mozer in fact scored a hat trick to cap off a great match. Blake Mozer also scored a double in an early season clash against Jimboomba and late in the year scored a double against Nerang. Blake Mozer also scored against Nerang in a semi-final clash.

For Keebra Park State High School Blake Mozer was part of the Renouf Cup squad that backed up their 2016 success with another dominant 2017 Renouf Cup competition defeating Coombabah State High School 20 – 18 in the final. Blake Mozer was named Player of the Match primarily for his big defensive effort.

In the 2016 U12 Division One grand final Blake Mozer started at hooker for Runaway Bay and in fact as their sole try scorer in their 10 – 6 loss to Helensvale in the 2016 Grand Final. Over the course of the 2016 season, Blake Mozer was Runaway Bay’s top scorer and finished third overall in the competition in that category. He crossed for ten tries and also kicked three goals for a total point’s tally of 46. Blake Mozer scored a hat trick against Southport and also a double against Currumbin. In addition he also played one match up at the U13 Division One level during the season.

From Keebra Park Blake Mozer was selected at hooker in the 2016 U12 South Coast side for the Queensland U12 championships which were held on the Gold Coast in July where South Coast finished third and from there was selected in the Queensland U12 side, also at hooker along with fellow Keebra student front rower Xavier Collins.

Unfortunately for Blake Mozer he was only able to play a couple of matches for South Coast before suffering a championship ending dislocation injury on Day Three but still impressed enough to make the Queensland side from his limited opportunities. Blake Mozer was also part of Keebra Park’s successful Renouf Cup side in 2016, no small feat as he was playing against boys a year older than himself.

Blake Mozer is solid all round hooker who distributes effectively to both sides of the ruck. He is efficient in his passing and there is very little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements where the dummy half first stands then passes. He passes well from both sides of his body. One thing that he does well in dummy half is not taking his eye off ball until it is in his hands, read that he does not make many handling errors.

Blake Mozer also does not take a couple of steps out of dummy half and then pass, he will either pass from the spot of the play the ball or he will run. Also in scrum situations Blake Mozer regularly packs in at lock and thus is also the primary distributor from those situations as well.

In terms of his passing Blake Mozer generates better spin and subsequent distance when he is passing to the left hand side of the field at present. Although the difference between the sides is not significant in the context of altering his future projection as a hooker from a distribution perspective.

Blake Mozer has good speed off the mark but the key to his running game is running at the right time, if anything he could possibly run a touch more than he does but the positive is that he is very selective about when he runs.

Blake Mozer defends in the middle of the ruck and is an effective low tackler and for his size is quite an aggressive defender. He is also very good at getting out of marker quickly to harass the opposition kickers. Defensively you will see an efficient and effective defender and a talker. Blake Mozer also constantly seems to be talking and “encouraging” his fellow forwards.

Blake Mozer will play the 2018 season once again with the Runaway Bay Seagulls who like the 2017 season will, along with Helensvale, one of the teams to beat, he will also again be a key player for Keebra Park as they play in their multiple school boy competitions in his age group.

From a position perspective, with his passing skills and quick first step out of dummy half, I believe that Blake Mozer is already settled in his long term position of hooker and one that will be more known for his distribution skills rather than his running out of dummy half.

From a player comparison perspective think someone along the lines of Andrew McCullough of the Brisbane Broncos as a hard working player with leadership skills and someone that his team mates would appreciate playing with due to his infectious enthusiasm and willingness to do what is best for his team. Blake Mozer probably will end up with a little more pace out of dummy half than McCullough however.

[mdrew]

Ethan Wilson. The elusive Parkwood Sharks centre showed that he was a try scorer from the centre position for the Sharks in the U14 Division Three competition in 2017 scoring seventeen tries from twelve matches. Ethan Wilson started in the centres scoring a try and also kicking a goal in Parkwood’s 22 – 8 Grand Final victory over the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in September 2017.

Ethan Wilson also added one try from three matches in the U14 Division Two competition, with the try coming against Beaudesert in May 2017. In that same match Ethan Wilson also kicked four goals to finish the match with twelve points.

In the U14 Division Three competition, Ethan Wilson did not score in only two matches which were against Mudgeeraba on both occasions. Ethan Wilson did score against Mudgeeraba however in the Grand Final. Over the course of the 2017 U14 Division Three competition Ethan Wilson scored hat tricks against Burleigh and Helensvale and doubles against Coomera, Helensvale, Beaudesert and Burleigh, with the last three doubles coming in consecutive matches.

Ethan Wilson was also the Sharks primary goal kicker during 2017 finishing with thirty five goals for a total points haul of 138 points, to lead the competition. Ethan Wilson had some big matches with the boot including eight in a match against Helensvale (he also scored a hat trick) and six against Burleigh where he also scored a hat trick. Ethan Wilson also kicked five goals in the U14 Division Two competition.

Ethan Wilson is a quick centre with a fluid running style with a classic centres build with the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside. In term of his play, the in and away is his bread and butter, he has very good speed off the mark and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle. When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, he usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload.

Ethan Wilson has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if he is pushing to the outside too early. What Ethan Wilson is also adept at doing is timing his pass to his outside supports if the outside defender looks to come in and help defend him allowing an overlap to develop.

Ethan Wilson will not necessarily hit hard in defence, but he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. He is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations. From a team defensive methodology stand point, Ethan Wilson seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage.

Ethan Wilson will play the 2018 season with the Parkwood Sharks in the GCJRL U15 competition.

With his ability to find the try line even under heavy pressure I am thinking that wing may just be Ethan Wilson’s best position moving forward, but it certainly not set in stone that he cannot stay in the centres long term.

For me with his ability to slip through gaps in the defensive line especially close to the line and a solid repeatable defensive technique, Ethan Wilson has a playing style similar to that of new Titans recruit centre Dale Copley as a solid reliable centre who find is way to the try line on a regular basis.