My take on our top juniors

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Carsil Vaikai. (Revised) The big strong young Titans contracted Runaway Bay Seagull second rower or lock continues to develop his game at an exceptional rate. From a trivia perspective Carsil Vaikai has been selected in the Australian Mixed Netball side highlighting his stamina and athleticism.

Earlier this season, Carsil Vaikai played for the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side playing in six of their matches, including their semi-final loss to eventual champions South’s Logan. Carsil Vaikai started at lock in the Seagulls first four matches, before missing Round Six. Carsil Vaikai came back into the side in Round Seven off the bench and also came off the bench against Souths Logan in Tweed Heads semi-final loss.

Carsil Vaikai scored one try in the MM Cup competition which came in Round Three against the Burleigh Bears. On that occasion, he received the ball from the dummy half to the left of the play and crashed over from around ten metres out carrying two Burleigh defenders across the line.

Post the MM Cup competition, Carsil Vaikai is playing for Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League U17 Division One completion. In Round One against Ormeau Carsil Vaikai started at lock in Runaway Bay’s 24 – 14 win over Ormeau. Round Two saw Carsil Vaikai once again start at lock against Bilambil.

Carsil Vaikai moved to Runaway Bay from Helensvale at the start of the 2017 season, and played the majority of the 2017 season with Runaway Bay in the U16 Division One competition, but also played four matches in the U17 Division One competition where he made an immediate impact.

In the U16 Division One competition in 2017 Carsil Vaikai played in fourteen matches scoring his sole try against his former club in July and in the last regular season round Carsil Vaikai converted a late Runaway Bay try. Carsil Vaikai also played four matches in the U17 Division One competition and across those four matches scored three tries including a try on debut against Burleigh and also tries against Ormeau and Helensvale. On all four occasions that Carsil Vaikai played in the U17 competition he was backing up after playing in the U16 competition earlier in the night.

Carsil Vaikai was also part of the Gold Coast Vikings Green U16 side that played in the 2017 U16 pre-season competition, scoring against Ipswich in Week Four in a tough 42 – 6 loss. Carsil Vaikai scored in Week Three when Gold Coast Green defeated Brisbane Grey at North Ipswich Reserve.

Carsil Vaikai had a solid season in 2016, at club, schoolboy and representative level, including representing the South Coast U15 side at the QSSRL State U15 championships. For his Helensvale Hornets club side he crossed for three tries in eight matches in the U15 Division One competition, with the tries coming against Runaway Bay, Beaudesert and eventual premiers Burleigh. He also played one match up at the U16 Division One level also against eventual premiers Burleigh in May 2016.

As noted he was selected in the 2016 South Coast U15 side that went through the U15 QSSRL competition undefeated through their four matches in the competition. Other Titans linked members of the U15 South Coast side included five eight Jessie Brasslin. Carsil Vaikai also started in the second row when the Titans U15 side were narrowly defeated 22 – 18 by a Balmain Tigers side in a trial game on the Gold Coast.

Carsil Vaikai runs exceptionally hard but with a degree of subtlety to his running style, and he will not just run upright, he will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped easily or by a single defender. Due to his speed and size, when he is running on the fringes of the ruck, he as handful and also has a very good fend.

When playing in the second row, Carsil Vaikai seemed from my perspective to play on the left side of the ruck on the majority of occasions, including in representative matches. Whilst he is also very effective taking hit ups in the centre of the ruck, when you have someone with his size and speed, I think that getting him to run a little wider is a more effective utilisation of his skill set both from an individual and team perspective.

Carsil Vaikai also has some off-loading skills both in terms of off-loading prior to contact with the defensive line as well as when he is in contact with it.

In terms of his speed, I would consider it above average for a second rower but it would be considered plus for front rower, in short Carsil Vaikai is a very good athlete, with size, strength, speed and power. If he is not tackled around the legs, Carsil Vaikai’s strength means that he will continue to make ground after contact due to his never say die attitude.

Defensively Carsil Vaikai hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribs and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls. He defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for as a result of his aggressive tackling style.

Carsil Vaikai really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards. Throw in a touch of aggression and you have someone who can dominate a game defensively and is able to seal off one side of the ruck on his own for stretches of a game.

Moving forward with the remainder of the 2018 season, Carsil Vaikai will play for Runaway Bay at the U17 Division One level and also is likely to get some matches in the U19 competition as well. Carsil Vaikai will be eligible again for the MM Cup competition in 2019.

From a long term position perspective I believe that Carsil Vaikai ultimately stays at lock. Carsil Vaikai can certainly play in the front row now, and play very well, but I would much prefer for him to play exclusively at lock or in the second row for the near future to take advantage of his speed and hard running on the fringes of the ruck.

From a player comparison perspective, consider someone along the lines of the St George lock Jack De Bellin as a big strong mobile forward who hits the defensive line hard as well as the opposition when they are running the ball.

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Kyle Petersen. He is a big strong raw boned young country born and raised second rower from the Titans affiliated Western Mustangs who had an impressive MM Cup campaign this season.

For the Western Mustangs in the MM Cup this season Kyle Petersen played in all six of their matches, scoring four tries along the way. Kyle Petersen had an outstanding start to the MM Cup season scoring a double in Round One in a 34 all draw against Victoria and then backed that up in Round Two with a try against Ipswich. Kyle Petersen also scored later in the season in Round Seven against MM Cup Champions Souths Logan.

Kyle Petersen started in five of the Western Mustangs six matches coming off the inter change bench against the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Round Five. In the three games prior (Western Mustangs had a bye in Round Two) Kyle Petersen started in the second row and the two games post, he started at lock with Titans contracted Connor Williams coming into the second row.

Post the MM Cup Kyle Petersen has been playing for Southern Suburbs in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition. He has played four U18 matches scoring three tries including a double against Warwick and the following week scored against Pittsworth. Team mates in the Southern Suburbs side are Titans linked second rower Connor Williams and centre Alex Dunneman.

Kyle Petersen has also played in three TRL First Grade matches as well. He made his TRL First Grade debut in late April against Gatton and has also been involved in First Grade on two other occasions. On each occasion that he has in First Grade he backed up from the U18 match earlier in the day.

Kyle Petersen is a hard running forward who is very good at running the right line including both and inside shoulder and outside shoulder line and consistently hits the pass off either the dummy half or play maker flat thus generating his best possible speed and momentum to hit the defensive line at full speed. Where he really excels though is his footwork, Kyle Petersen has very good late and quick foot work which enables him to change direction quickly allowing him to readjust where he is running to take advantage of either a late developing hole in the defensive line or where the defensive line is repositioning late.

Kyle Petersen is adept at cutting back behind the play the ball area when the markers do not work hard and make ground as a result. When the Western Mustangs MM Cup side were in the attacking area, Kyle Petersen was regularly used to draw the defence into the centre of the ruck thus stretching the defensive line out wide to allow the backline more room to move.

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

Kyle Petersen’s speed is probably a bit above average but it is the speed that he is able to generate from only a few paces which makes it play faster from a defenders perspective.

Kyle Petersen’s defensive technique revolves around timing and execution. Kyle Petersen’s head is almost always correctly positioned and he always drives with his shoulder and never just jersey grabs. From the matches that I have seen Kyle Petersen also tackles with both shoulders equally effectively.

The impressive thing for me also is that Kyle Petersen never seems to bounce off the ball when he makes a front on tackle meaning his target area and the ability to hit the area on a regular basis is quite exceptional for a reasonably inexperienced forward.

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

Kyle Petersen will play out the 2018 season in the Toowoomba Rugby League competition where I assume that he will continue to be involved in both the U18 and First Grade sides. It will also be interesting to see if he is given an opportunity in the Western Mustangs Hastings Deering’s Colts side later in the year. He will almost certainly be part of that side in 2019 and 2020.

Kyle Petersen is a big strong young powerful second rower and shapes to stay in that position for the duration of his rugby league career. I guess there would be a temptation to move Kyle Petersen to the front row but with his ability beat a defender on the fringes of the ruck with subtle footwork or to just run straight over him, I believe that he is more suited to the second row.

With his solid frame and strength Kyle Petersen reminds me from a player comparison perspective of St George Dragons forward Leeson Ah Mau. Both are big strong and tough and lot quicker from a speed perspective than people seem to think. Also both Ah Mau and Kyle Petersen do not submit in tackles easily, constantly pumping their legs and then trying to get as quick a play the ball that they can.

If Kyle Petersen can keep refining his skills and stay committed to a potential rugby league career, he will be a very very intriguing player indeed.

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Jaiden West. (Revised) He is a local young fullback from the Nerang Roosters club for whom he is currently playing in the U16 Division One competition. Jaiden West also attends PBC as part of their Rugby league Excellence Program and was a standout for PBC in their two point Walters Cup victory over Keebra Park at Pizzey Park recently. That night he terrorised the Keebra Park defence especially the right side.

In Round One of the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition, Jaiden West started at fullback in their 60 – 0 victory over Runaway Bay and crossed for one of the Roosters tries on the opening Friday night of the season.

In 2015 Jaiden West started on the wing for the Titans U13 development squad in a match against a Toowoomba U14 selection in the same year was part of the U13 Gold Coast Vikings representative squad and in 2014 represented South Coast at the U12 level in the Queensland Primary School tournament.

Jaiden West did not get many opportunities on the wing for the development squad as the players inside him like Rixon Andrew, Damon Somerville and Matamatagi Ripley had a field day against the U14 Toowoomba representative selection, meaning the ball did not get out him as much as it usually would in a game. In saying that though he maintained his discipline and did not go chasing the ball but maintained his correct positioning throughout the course of the match.

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

The one thing Jaiden West 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, Jaiden West has a very good step back inside especially off his right foot when running to the left and if the inside defenders are not quick enough to cover across he has the speed to make a clean break in those circumstances.

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

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

Jaiden West will play for both the Nerang Roosters U16 Division One side and the PBC Year Ten side for the remainder of the 2018 campaign and that will entail quite a number of matches for the talented young custodian.

Jaiden West has primarily been a fullback for the majority of his junior rugby league career to date and even though I am sure that he could handle playing in the centres or on the wing, fullback seems to be his ideal position going forward. Certainly his performance against Keebra Park clearly supports my assertion.

From a player comparison perspective for Jaiden West, think along the lines of Cowboys fullback Lachlan Coote as a fullback with above average pace (maybe even a tick above that) and footwork who is also courageous when it comes to his defensive duties and retrieving and returning kicks. I believe that once he stops growing Jaiden West will probably end up a touch taller than Coote which can only assist under the high ball.

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Isaac Lee. (Revised) He is a tall rangy centre/second rower originally from Lismore Marist Brothers in the Northern River Regional Rugby League and has been with the Titans for a number of years now.

This season Isaac Lee has been a key member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side and over the last couple of weeks has really started to hit a patch of outstanding form.

To date in 2018 for the Seagulls Colts side through the opening ten rounds, Isaac Lee has been involved in six matches, coming into the side in Round Three on the interchange bench against the Burleigh Bears. After Tweed Heads had a Round Four bye, Isaac Lee was in the starting line for Round Five and has there ever since. In Rounds Five and Seven Isaac Lee started in the second row but in Rounds Six Eight Ten Eleven and Twelve against Wynnum Manly the Western Mustangs Ipswich Jets Northern Pride and xxx respectively Isaac Lee started in the centres.

To date in 2018 Isaac Lee has scored three tries coming in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and in Round Seven against the Easts Tigers when he scored after making a break down the left side of the field and in Round Ten in a 52 – 22 wing against the Ipswich Jets.
From a trivia perspective he is the son of former Cronulla Sharks front rower Danny Lee, all be it he is a completely different body shape and playing style to his front row father.

For the 2017 Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side Isaac Lee started in the centres in all six matches and scored against Victoria in Round Two, against the Western Mustangs in Round Three and in Round Six scored against local rivals the Burleigh Bears.

Upon completion of the 2017 MM Cup competition, Isaac Lee transitioned immediately to Tweed Heads U20 Colts Challenge side and a had great Round One scoring a hat trick inside 20 minutes in the first half against Souths Logan in Round One. Isaac Lee also started in the centres in Round Two before he missed Rounds Three to Six with injury before coming back into the side in Round Seven starting in the centres.

In addition to his hat trick in Round One, Isaac Lee scored a double in Round Ten against the Burleigh Bears and also scored in Rounds Thirteen to Sixteen against Easts, Redcliffe, the Western Mustangs and South Logan respectively.

Isaac Lee was also involved in all three of the Seagulls 2017 finals matches starting on the interchange in Week One of the finals against Redcliffe and on the wing in Weeks two and Three of the finals against Easts and Norths. In those two finals matches Isaac lee scored a double against Norths and also scored Easts in Week Two. In total in the Colts competition in 2018 for Tweed Heads Isaac Lee scored twelve tries to average a try a match.

Isaac Lee started five matches in the centres, four in the second row, two on the wing and one from the interchange bench highlighting his versatility. Isaac Lee had previously spent some time at fullback in the NRRRL competition in previous seasons.

In the NRRRL competition in 2016, Isaac Lee played for the Lismore Marist Brothers Rugby League club at both the U18 and Novaskill NRRRL First Grade level. In the U18 competition where Isaac Lee alternated between centre and fullback, he scored ten tries from twelve matches including doubles against the Murwillumbah Colts and the Ballina Seagulls.

Isaac Lee made his First Grade debut on June 5 2016 against Cudgen and played in four other matches scoring a try against the Tweed Coast Raiders in his third match in the top grade. In the First Grade competition Isaac Lee alternated between fullback, wing and centre in his five matches.
Isaac Lee also represented NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Northern U18’s in 2016 and played for St Johns College Woodlawn in numerous Schoolboy competitions throughout New South Wales.

In addition to starting at centre in the late 2015 U16 development squad game against Samoa, he also played in the U15 development squad game against the Balmain Tigers late in 2014, where he was named best back by Balmain Tigers coaching and development staff in their loss.

Over the course of the last couple of years you can see the difference, additional size has made, not in relation to the style of play but to Isaac Lee’s effectiveness as a hard running centre. He has always been a straight running centre, who is not afraid to run over rather than around his opponent, but with increased size and strength his effectiveness has increased exponentially. He regularly gets half way through the line and with his length is very effective in getting his hands free to off load, including offloading with one hand and has a decent fend to complement his offloading abilities.

Normally though due to his length and speed he regularly attracts multiple defenders leaving opportunities for him to set up his outside support. Due to his length, he is effective both in attacking high attacking kicks as well as defusing them. He is better with high kicks rather than kicks along the ground.

Defensively his increased strength has meant that he is even more effective in the defensive aspects of the game, and can handle one on one situation’s against wide running opposition backrowers as well as smaller faster opposition backline players with his combination of strength and speed. He seems to rarely over commit in defence allowing the play to develop in front of him before committing to any particular defensive strategy.

The above paragraph would suggest that Isaac Lee is more suited to a sliding defensive methodology, but he is also able to defend using an up and in style of defensive strategy just as effectively. This ability to alternative between the two key defensive methodologies, depending on, the state of the game and where the game is situated on the field is an invaluable attribute for a potential NRL player to have.

Isaac Lee will play the balance of the 2018 season with the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and will also be eligible for that competition again in 2019. It would not surprise if the Titans look to transition him to the GCRL First Grade competition to give him experience against men just as they have done with fellow Titans Rookie Squad members Jaxson Paulo, Allan Lockwood, Callum Boomer and most recently Taine Tuaupiki.

Isaac Lee spent a significant portion of his junior rugby league career in the centres and even spent some time at fullback in the NRRRL First Grade competition in 2016 but this season is playing more and more in the second row and with continued physical development looks certain to stay there in the long term.

I would suggest however that he could still well in the centres for the next year or two at least if necessary. It is interesting that Isaac Lee started this season in the second row but recently has moved back to the centres.

For me a current NRL player with a similar skill set and playing style is to Isaac Lee is Penrith Panthers young gun Isiah Yeo as a multi-talented player who continues to develop his game through shear hard work.

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Indiha Saotui-Huta. (Revised) The New Zealand born youngster has moved around a little in his junior rugby career to date but make no mistake Indiha Saotui-Huta is a talented outside back in either rugby or rugby league.

This season Indiha Saotui-Huta was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup playing in all six of their matches including their semi-final, starting each on the wing. In his seven matches Indiha Saotui-Huta scored five tries.

Indiha Saotui-Huta’s first try came in Round Three against the Burleigh Bears. Indiha Saotui-Huta followed that up with tries in Rounds Five and Six against Townsville and Wynnum Manly respectively. Indiha Saotui-Huta completed his 2018 MM Cup try scoring with a double in the final regular season being Round Seven against the Easts Tigers.

Indiha Saotui-Huta was born and raised in New Zealand but spent from 2013 to 2015 on the Gold Coast where he played both rugby and rugby league. Indiha Saotui-Huta made an immediate impact playing for Surfers Paradise in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby competition playing in the centres and also represented the Gold Coast Cyclones representative side on a number of occasions.
In 2015 when his club side played in the Brisbane club rugby competition, Indiha Saotui-Huta finished as the leading points scorer with 147 points.

Indiha Saotui-Huta returned to New Zealand for the 2016 year, playing two years for the New Plymouth Boys High First XV, playing a number of outstanding matches including scoring against Auckland’s King’s College in 2016 and in 2017 scored against St Pats Silverstream. In 2017 Indiha Saotui-Huta also started for New Plymouth Boys High in a curtain raiser for a Reds v Chiefs Super Fifteen clash in New Zealand. Indiha Saotui-Huta also had an outstanding Rugby Sevens school boy career.

From a rugby league perspective, Indiha Saotui-Huta represented the U17 Taranaki Sharks rugby league side in 2017 and from there has been identified to take part in the 2018 New Zealand U18 talent squad.

Whilst in Australia previously Indiha Saotui-Huta only played four rugby league matches, which all came in 2015 for the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the GCJRL U15 Division One competition, from those four matches, he scored for a solitary try which came against Southport.

Indiha Saotui-Huta is a solidly built young man with a low centre of gravity who has a very good right foot step and right hand fend. For his build, he is very quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will not get caught from behind if he gets into open space. Whilst his speed off the mark cannot be considered explosive he has good top end speed once he gets moving.

In addition to his speed Indiha Saotui-Huta seems to have the ability to “freeze” his direct opponent with his ability to step off both feet before accelerating around them usually on the touchline side. On the wing, with his low centre of gravity he is able to come in and take runs through the centre of the ruck, and effective runs at that. He will take off from dummy half and use his elite foot work make a lot of the “tough” yards.

Indiha Saotui-Huta is also not devoid of ball playing ability as was evidenced when he was playing sevens in 2016 and 2017.

From a defensive perspective Indiha Saotui-Huta is a very solid tackler who makes good initial contact and is able to generate momentum through his core and drive into his opponent with enough force to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. Indiha Saotui-Huta has both a solid low tackling technique as well as having the functional strength to make ball and all tackles effectively against the biggest of players looking to target him in the defensive line.

A positive for Indiha Saotui-Huta is that he does not purely rely on strength and power to hit, timing is also a key attribute to ensure that he arrives at the attacker at around the same time that the ball does, this also reduces the likelihood of injury to himself or the defender getting on his outside setting up a two or one down the sideline.

In Australia for Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast Cyclones Indiha Saotui-Huta primarily at inside centre, but when he moved back to New Zealand Indiha Saotui-Huta played on the right wing for New Plymouth Boys High. In sevens Indiha Saotui-Huta was primarily a middle third player.

With his ability to stand up his direct opponent and break down the side line with above average speed, I can envisage a future on the wing for the talented Indiha Saotui-Huta.

It may sound like an odd comparison based on what has been said above but for me Indiha Saotui-Huta has the build of a mini Solomon Kata but with his speed and footwork he also definitely has similar skill attributes to New Zealand Warrior and New Zealand International Gerard Beale especially in terms of how he is able to stand up his opposite number of break a way down the side line.

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Samuel Shannon. (Revised) The big strong young Titans contracted backrower from the Southport Tigers junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast had an outstanding U16 South East Queensland U16 pre-season competition for the Gold Coast Vikings White side earlier this season after being a more than solid performer on the Gold Coast in recent seasons both from a club and representative perspective.

Samuel Shannon is currently playing for the Southport Tigers in the GCRL U16 Division One competition and started Round Two against the Burleigh Bears at lock (Southport had a Round One bye) with Southport winning 22 - 4. Samuel Shannon capped up a great start to the season with a try for the Tigers.

In 2017 Samuel Shannon was selected in the Queensland White U15 side for the ASSRL U15 Schoolboys Championships after playing for South Coast in the QSSRL U15 Championships held in Cairns. Samuel Shannon started primarily from the bench for South Coast after making the side from Robina State High School.

In 2017 Samuel Shannon played for the Southport Tigers in the U15 Division One GCJRL competition and performed strongly including scoring a double in Round Two against the Helensvale Hornets. In total in 2017 Samuel Shannon played eight matches scoring five tries to have a solid season in black and orange.

The pace and power in terms of how Samuel Shannon runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, he takes the ball to the line with speed and quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to targets the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

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

I would consider that his speed would be considered above average for his position but plays faster as a result of him timing his runs so well that the dummy half can present a flat pass to him and also as a result of the power that he runs at. Samuel Shannon also runs a very good inside shoulder line to add variety to his running game.

With his low centre of gravity coupled with his speed and power, Samuel Shannon is a difficult proposition for defensives and is able to draw in multiple defenders and still get a quick play the ball to gain forward momentum for his side on a regular basis.

The defensive side of his game is similarly impressive, Samuel Shannon does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit, but is calculating in where and when to hit. He drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent.

Samuel Shannon sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum through his shoulders. In short Samuel Shannon is an outstanding defensive player both from a technique and initial contact perspective.

Samuels Shannon’s initial contact is outstanding and more than enough to stop or redirect the momentum of the ball carrier and he is also able to his functional strength to slow the play the ball down sufficiently to allow his team’s defensive line to re-establish itself for the next play the ball.

Samuel Shannon will play out the 2018 GCRL U16 Division One season with Southport and will also be part of the Titans U16 side that is scheduled to play matches against PNG and New South Wales Country in September. It would also not surprise if he got one or two matches for Southport in the U17 Division One competition as well this season. He is both physically and mentally mature enough to handle the step up in age group.

Samuel Shannon currently presents as a strong hard running powerfully built lock forward and that will likely continue as he progresses through the junior rugby league ranks on the Gold Coast. For me at least playing lock is different to playing in the front row and I am more than pleased to see Samuel Shannon playing at lock where his skill set for me at least is far better suited.

Samuel Shannon is far more than just a bash and barge type and can certainly develop into a difference maker in coming years.

James Fisher-Harris of the Penrith Panthers with his power coupled with his non-stop movement when running the ball into the defensive line as well as the intensity in his defence is an apt NRL player comparison for Samuel Shannon.

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Logan Cootes. (Revised) He is a big strong Titans linked local young front rower who has been a try scoring machine in the opening half a dozen rounds of the U19 GCRL competition for the Mudgeeraba Redbacks.

Earlier this year Logan Cootes was part of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side but was not involved in any matches.

In the first five matches that he has played in the U19 competition, all of which he has started in the front row, Logan Cootes has scored seven tries. Logan Cootes scored in Round One against Ormeau and since that time has scored doubles in three consecutive matches, being Rounds Three, Five and Six against Runaway Bay, Bilambil and Burleigh respectively.

When you add in a conversion of one of his own tries in Round Three against Runaway Bay, you have a front rower who has already scored 30 points in the 2018 U19 season.

In 2017 Logan Cootes played in the MM Cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls as well as for the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the GCJRL U17 Division One competition.

For Tweed Heads in the 2017 MM Cup competition, Logan Cootes played in five of the six matches. Logan Cootes started the first two rounds from the interchange bench before breaking into the starting line-up in Round Three against the eventual MM Cup Champions the Wester Mustangs. Logan Cootes was also in the starting line-up in Rounds Six and Seven before missing Round Eight. Round Seven saw Logan Cootes cross for his only try of the 2017 MM Cup competition when he scored against the North’s Devils.

For the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the U17 Division One competition this season, Logan Cootes played in nine matches, scoring five tries, including doubles in consecutive matches in June against Bilambil and Runaway Bay and in late July, Logan Cootes also scored against Runaway Bay again. Logan Cootes also played for Coombabah State High School in the Super Six and GIO Cup School boy competitions.

The big strong young Mudgeeraba Red backs front rower was over the course of the 2016 GIO Cup competition a powerhouse for Coombabah in their charge to the Queensland finals which they unfortunately lost to Keebra in a golden point thriller. For Coombabah he formed a very good front row partnership with former Titans NYC front rower Luke Mastraionni and they continually made metres in the centre of the field against bigger and older forward packs, the game against Townsville’s Kirwan High School was a prime example of this. Another member of the underrated Coombabah pack was another Titans contracted player in second rower David Butler.

For the Mudgeeraba Red Backs in the 2016 U16 Division One club competition, he scored five tries across eight matches and also added two goals which came in the last match of the season against Southport. Interestingly all of his tries came in the last four matches of the regular season, including a double against Southport and also tries against Burleigh, Southport again and Ormeau. For Gold Coast Green in the 2016 CC Cup, Logan Cootes scored three tries being against Easts Tigers in Round One and again against the Tigers in Round Five and also crossed against Gold Coast White in Round Two.

Logan Cootes only missed one match in the CC competition which as in Round Three and started every other match for GC Green, including their semi-final loss to Toowoomba. Logan Cootes also represented South East Queensland at the U16 level during the 2016 season, coming off the bench in a majority of those games.

From an attacking perspective he is a big young man who will run straight and hard, but at this stage of his junior career he does not have a great deal of footwork to utilise prior to the line to prevent defences from focussing on him without the threat of late changes of direction. Due to his size however he can absorb a lot of punishment and continue to make ground, but he is a little susceptible to gang tackles.

Where he does show flashes of ability is in relation to offloads. During games Logan Cootes will pop some very good passes to his supports but he will continue to work on being more selective in his offloads. Regardless he does not shirk contact and seems the more physical the contest the more he enjoys himself.

In defence Logan Cootes is not an overly big hitter but definitely makes solid initial contact and is very effective at targeting the football in order to reduce the possibility of off loads. For a front rower his lateral movement is solid meaning that he can make tackles against smaller attackers running out of dummy half or on the back of off loads. Due to his aerobic fitness and relentless attitude, Logan Cootes covers inside well when balls are turned back inside on the fringe of the ruck, even late in games when he has every right to be worn out, but he somehow wills himself to get there and make the tackle when needed.

When at marker Logan Cootes works hard and always gets out of marker quickly to put pressure on the kicker, but then will be one of the first forwards back to take his turn to bring the ball out from his own territory. Logan Cootes is also disciplined in his defensive attitude and rarely gets penalised for holding down or having his hands on or near the football. His aim is to win the defensive battle and then be ready to make the next tackle.

Logan Cootes will play out the 2018 season with the Mudgeeraba Redbacks in the GCRL U19 competition and will be Colts eligible for two years from 2019 and he should be in the Burleigh Colts squad then.

Due to his size and solid foot speed and lateral mobility I am certain that he will stay in the front row, a position that he has seemingly always played.

From a player comparison perspective, I would consider a player along the lines of current Titans front rower and Captain Ryan James as a big strong hard working front rower who looks to get a quick play the ball every time he takes a hit up and also ones that tries to dominate in defence. Like James, Logan Cootes can also surprise and score tries in bunches as well.

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Jordan Crocker. (Revised) The young front rower from the Toowoomba region is a Titans Rookie Squad member and is currently involved in the Western Mustangs Colts side.

Jordan Crocker started the 2018 season for the Western Mustangs MM Cup side and started all six of their matches in the front row.

Jordan Crocker has also played two matches in the Toowoomba Rugby League U18 competition, coming off the interchange bench on both occasions for Southern Suburbs. Jordan Crocker has played in Round One against Toowoomba Valleys and Round Five against Gatton.

In Round 13 of the Colts competition this weekend Jordan Crocker has been named on the bench for Western Mustangs match against the Easts Tigers.

In 2017 the tough hard as nails young front rower was a solid contributor in the middle of the field for the Western Mustangs MM Cup winning side over the course of the 2017 season including starting in the front row in the Grand Final over South’s Logan 40 - 30 and also starting in the front row in the National U18 final against the Parramatta Eels.

Jordan Crocker started all eight of the Western Mustangs MM Cup matches in the front row and scored his solitary try in Round Eight in a big 70 – 20 win over the Central Crows.

Post conclusion of the MM Cup Competition in 2017, Jordan Crocker transitioned back to the Toowoomba Rugby League where he played in six matches at the U18 level for Southern Suburbs including scoring a try against Toowoomba Valleys in his first U18 match of the 2017 season and also a late July try which came in a match against South Burnett.

Jordan Crocker is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle. There is no subtlety to his game, he runs straight and hard, with the only concession to this being a slight step off his right foot in occasion prior to impacting the defensive line. One thing that he does do will however is continuing to pump his legs once his initial momentum is halted by the defensive line, he makes more metres than he should as a result and also forces defending teams to commit multiple defensive assets to stopping his progress.

Jordan Crocker does not have a real off load to his attacking game, but that is not his role, his role is to take the ball into the heart of the opposition’s defensive line and make as many metres as possible.

Like his attacking game, his defensive attributes and relatively simple, he moves up and hits the ball carrier as hard as he can, as often as he can, full stop. He is best suited to defending in the centre of the ruck and that is where you will almost always find him and for a solidly built young player, he moves well in terms of moving up and back in defence. Jordan Crocker’s lateral movement is reasonable for a front rower but he will on occasion have some difficulty with smaller faster stepping opposition players.

Jordan Crocker will play out the 2018 season as part of the Toowoomba Southern Suburbs U18 side alongside fellow Titans Connor Williams and Alex Dunneman and may also get an opportunity in their First Grade side.

Jordan Crocker has gotten his opportunity with the Western Mustangs U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts side in Round 13 this weekend against Easts.

From a position perspective, due to his solid build, Jordan Crocker will likely to continue to be a front rower or lock as he does not necessarily have the speed to play wider of the ruck.

From a player comparison perspective, consider someone along the lines of Cronulla Sharks, New South State of Origin and Australian International forward Paul Gallen as a solidly built forward who has become a very effective player. Jordan Crocker is a bit bigger physically than Gallen and certainly less of an antagonist on the field but equally effective in terms of making metres through the centre of the ruck.

[mdrew]

Shallin Fuller. Updated. The live wire young halfback originally from Woodenbong in Northern New South Wales has been an impressive player for the Beaudesert Kingfishers for the last couple of seasons in both the U19 and Doug Lipp Cup competitions after moving up from the Kyogle Turkeys for the start of the 2016 season.

Through the opening rounds of the 2018 season Shallin Fuller has played in four U19 matches and four Doug Lipp Cup matches.

In the U19 competition in his four matches to date, where he has started all at half back, Shallin Fullers tries have come against Helensvale and Burleigh in Rounds Three and Four respectively.

In the Doug Lipp Cup competition, Shallin Fuller may have played in just four matches but is the competitions leading try scorer with nine. Shallin Fuller had a big Round One scoring a hat trick against Southport and also has three doubles which have come in Rounds Three, Four and Six against Tugun, Currumbin and Ormeau respectively.

In the Doug Lipp Cup Shallin Fuller has started at half back in Rounds Four and Six and from the interchange bench in Rounds One and Third, backing up from the U19 match earlier on two occasions.

This season Shallin Fuller was also part of the Gold Coast Vikings U19 squad that won the South East Queensland U19 Challenge with the live wire young half outstanding including a dominant performance against Ipswich and recently was selected in the SEQ U18 squad as a result.

For the U19 Kingfishers in the 2017 season Shallin Fuller has scored a competition leading sixteen tries from just twelve matches and over a four week span from late June to late July he scored ten tries, including four tries on Sunday against Tugun and doubles against Southport, Bilambil and Burleigh. Earlier in the season, Shallin Fuller also scored doubles against Burleigh in Round One and Runaway Bay in Rounds Four. Shallin Fuller has also played two matches for Beaudesert in the Doug Lipp Cup scoring in his debut against Southport backing up after the U19 fixture where he also scored.

The young half who is also a talented touch player participated in the National Youth Touch Competition last year. In the 2016 season for the Kingfishers in the U17 Division One GCJRL competition, Shallin Fuller scored thirteen tries from just eleven matches including a hat trick against Nerang and four doubles which came against Burleigh on two separate occasions, Nerang and Currumbin.

In the 2015 season he played in the U16.5 competition for Kyogle alternating between half back and five eight, but due to other commitments he only played in seven matches scoring two tries and kicking three goals for a total points tally of 14 for the season, the tries he scored were against Ballina and Lismore Marist Brothers. He also played schoolboy rugby league for Woodenbong Central High School.

In attack he has plus to plus plus speed off the mark, it really is quite exceptional 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.

The majority of his tries do not come from long breaks, they come from either darting close to the line with the opposition defensive line back peddling or backing up a forward and exploding through the defensive line and outpacing the fullback.

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 and in a stronger overall competition however there is nothing to suggest that these type of play making skills will not develop over time. 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, he is more comfortable with playing what is in front of him rather than just play to a set game plan. Playing a more structured type of game does on occasion cause him issues as this is not his natural inclination, thus he did struggle a little playing five eight for Kyogle but it was also a reason why he was very successful when he came off the bench as an impact player.

As noted he is by no means a big player and is more of an instinctive player than one that thrives under a structured game plan but if he can settle into a team that allows him to take the line on when he sees an opportunity I think that he can really thrive. Obviously there is a balance between running himself and distributing the ball but if he can find that balance, which is not easy, he will do well. I think that he has found the perfect place with the U19 Kingfishers side, their solid forward pack has enabled Shallin Fuller to operate behind a forward pack that consistently has the opposition moving backwards. He also does not mind at all putting in short attacking kicks for himself regardless of where he is on the field.

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. I have mentioned his size, but Shallin Fuller looks like he has put on some muscle over the offseason which has had a positive impact defensively.

Due to his speed off the mark Shallin Fuller is also a very good cover defender as he tracks the ball across the field and is also very good at tracking back to defend against short attacking kicks put in behind his team’s defensive line.

Shallin Fuller will play out the remainder of the 2018 season with the Beaudesert Kingfishers in the Gold Coast Rugby League U19 and Doug Lipp Cup competitions. I really would like to see what Shallin Fuller could do in the Colts competition in 2019 if he chooses to go that route.

For Kyogle he alternated between half back and five eight and was even used as an impact player off the bench in a couple of games, but seemingly has found a home at half back for Beaudesert over the last two seasons where he continues to benefit from the crisp distribution out of dummy half by Titans linked hooker Charlie Gee.

A player comparison for Shallin Fuller is an interesting one and for a good comparison I am going back a while but for the people that saw former Gold Coast Seagull and Manly halfback Paul Shaw play you have someone in Fuller who is similar as a player who was dynamic when running the ball but also someone who was not as effective in a structured environment.

Obviously with the changes to the inter change Shallin Fuller is not going to be able to play as a Super Sub like how Paul Shaw made his name, but as noted if he can find a balance between being a game manager and distributor and playing on instinct, he will do very well.

[mdrew]

Thomas Farragher. (Revised) The young Kyogle half back has already been in and around Titans development squad after spending time in recent seasons training with the Titans.

To date in 2018 Thomas Farragher has played in two competitions for the Kyogle Turkeys. After the competition of the Andrew Johns Cup Thomas Farragher played a match for the Turkeys in the Group One U16.5 competition which was against Ballina.

Post that match Thomas Farragher has moved up to the U18 NRRRL competition, playing two matches in that competition with his debut coming against Murwillumbah and his other match being against Casino RSM. Playing in that competition as a 16 year old is quite an impressive feat for the young man.

Early in the season Thomas Farragher was part of the Northern Rivers U16 side that participated in the Andrew Johns Cup. In that competition Thomas Farragher played in three matches, coming off the bench on all three occasions, being Round One against the Newcastle Development Squad, Round Four against the Central Coast Roosters and Northern Rivers finals match against the Western Rams.

In those matches Thomas Farragher played primarily as a backup in the halves and hooker.

Early in the 2017 season Thomas Farragher was part of the U15 New South Wales Combined High Schools trials and was the starting five eight for the Group One U15 representative side and the New South Wales Combined High Schools U15 side. Thomas Farragher late last received a Northern New South Wales local sports champion award for his performances over the course of the 2017 rugby league season.

In 2017 season Thomas Farragher played eight matches in the Group One U15 JRL competitions scoring eight tries to average a try a match including an early season double against Lismore Marist Brothers and he also scored tries against Casino RSM and Ballina.

In 2016 the young Kyogle Turkeys halfback had a solid start to his club season which culminated in his selection in the Group One U14 side that competed in the New South Wales Country Age championships in Forster. In those championships he played in all three of Group Ones matches including their 58 – 0 win over Group 19 on Saturday and both of their Sunday matches against Central Coast and their Northern Trophy final loss to Group 21. Over the course of the three matches that Group One played, he scored two tries which came against Group 19 on Saturday and then scored his team’s only try on their 20 – 6 loss against Central Coast early on Sunday morning.

Thomas Farragher 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. Thomas Farragher 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 as he develops the play in front of them, making to easier for his support runners to get a clear passage through the line, especially when a defender comes out of the line and commits to Thomas Farragher.

Thomas Farragher will also wait until the last possible moment to release the football. His best attribute in his passing game is the speed, timing and accuracy when he passes to his outside backs. He 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 Thomas Farragher 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.

Where he projects very well is in the defensive aspects of rugby league, in essence Thomas Farragher 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. No matter who is running at him, his timing, strength, lateral movement and technique are all well above average even verging on plus, not just for his position but for his age group in general.

His defence is an area that stands out when you watch Thomas Farragher play in person. He, from my perspective at least defends like a second rower, which means his team’s defensive strategy can be accommodated to account for the fact that a “defensive minder” is not a critical requirement for any team that has Thomas Farragher defending in the front line.

Thomas Farragher will continue to play in the NRRRL U18 competition for Kyogle for the duration of this season.

From a position perspective I cannot see any reason that Thomas Farragher would not continue to play at halfback for the foreseeable future. He will also I am sure be in contention for representative honours at the U18 level in 2018.

From a player comparison perspective, I can really see aspects of the play of former Titan and Manly utility Cameron Cullen as a player who provides a spark in both attack and defence when he is on the field.

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Caleb Hodges. (Revised) The young former Group 18 centre or second rower has had an outstanding start to the 2018 season, including playing for the PBC side in their Langer Cup victory over Keebra Park and also having a hand in the success of the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup side in the 2018 season.

Caleb Hodges joined the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad and PBC with an impressive pedigree including representing the U16 New South Wales Indigenous side in 2017 where he started in the second row and also representing Group 18 on numerous occasions in the junior age levels. Caleb Hodges played his club rugby league in the 2017 season for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the U16 Group 18 competition, with a team mates being fellow Titans youngster and PBC student Jordan Tauali’i.

For the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the MM Cup competition this season, Caleb Hodges played in four matches scoring for two tries. Caleb Hodges scored his first try in Round Six against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls and also scored in Tweed Heads semi-final against Souths Logan.

Caleb Hodges was named to start on the interchange bench in Round One but did not make the final 17 but came into the Tweed Heads side in Round Five against the Townsville Blackhawks and stayed in the side for the remainder of the season.

Caleb Hodges started from the interchange bench in Rounds Five and Six and in the centres for Round Seven and the semi-final. Interesting Caleb Hodges was named to start at hooker in Round Six against Wynnum Manly but ended starting from the bench instead in that match.

Caleb Hodges’s style of play is that of a powerful wide running centre or back rower with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus. Caleb Hodges is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful second rower, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a big strong powerful young player who can cause nightmares for any defensive line. Caleb Hodges seems to line up on the left side of the field more so than the right, but I have no doubt moving forward that he will be able to play on either side of the field, he seems to be just so skilful.

For a player of his size, he runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball during a game. For a young player, Caleb Hodges seems to have a good understanding of when to off load the ball, currently most of his off loads occur when he is part way through the defensive line and can get his right arm free to pass to his outside support runners.

Caleb Hodges is aggressive in defence whether he is defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes, and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football. His speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half.

I have noted that he is aggressive and seems to want to win every one on one battle and he invariably does. He does however tend to drift inside and defend in the centre of the ruck as games progress rather than hold his spacing on the edges of the ruck, but heck that seems to be more to do with enjoying the physical aspects of rugby league and wanting to be in the thick of the action. Caleb Hodges also innately knows when a big hit in defence is needed to lift his team.

Caleb Hodges is eligible again for the MM Cup competition in 2019 and this season will continue to play for the PBC Open school boy in the Langer Cup and GIO Cup competitions.

Caleb Hodges is perfectly suited to the centres in rugby league and even though with his speed he could certainly play in the second row playing wider out in the centres is the ideal position for the young man in the short term at least.

Euan Aitken of the St George Dragons with his power running coupled with his non-stop movement when running the ball into the defensive line as well as the intensity in his defence is an apt player comparison for the ultra-talented Caleb Hodges. Even though he is still very young there some aspects of the play of Caleb Hodges which stand out regardless of the level that he is playing at currently.

Caleb Hodges is just a solid ball of muscle who just seems to have a natural affinity for rugby league.

[mdrew]

Lochlyn Sheldon. (Revised) The Titans Rookie Squad member has been an ever present in the front row for the high flying Burleigh Bears in het Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts side this year, starting in the front row in all nine of their matches. Lochlyn Sheldon is not going to score many tries but did score in Round Three this season in the local derby against the Tweed Heads Seagulls.

Lochlyn Sheldon made his Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade debut for Burleigh starting from the bench in Round Six when the Bears defeated Bilambil 40 – 10. Lochlyn has been named to start at lock in Round Seven alongside fellow Titans Rookie Squad members Darius Farmer, Api Noema-Matenga and Kai O’Donnell when the take on the Tugun Seahawks on Sunday.

Lochlyn Sheldon had a very good 2017 season on the field for Burleigh in the MM Cup competition and for Runaway Bay across multiple grades in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition. In addition, Lochlyn Sheldon played one match for the Burleigh Bears U20 Colts Challenge side which was in Round Fourteen against the Ipswich Jets, that afternoon Lochlyn Sheldon made his debut from the interchange bench and scored a second half try in a positive debut Colts match.

For Burleigh in the MM competition, Lochlyn Sheldon captained the side and started in five of their six matches in the front row and came off the interchange bench in Round Three. Lochlyn Sheldon crossed for three tries over the six matches, scoring in Round One against Redcliffe, in Round Three against North’s and also in Round Six in the local derby against Tweed Heads Seagulls a match in which Burleigh won and a match that also included a number of Tians linked players on both sides.

For Runaway Bay in the Gold Coast Rugby League Competition, Lochlyn Sheldon played twelve matches in the U19 competition, eleven in the Doug Lipp Cup including starting the Grand Final at lock (Unfortunately Runaway Bay were defeated 13 – 6 by Beaudesert) and one match in the A grade making his A Grade debut in August against Ormeau.

Across his twelve matches in the U19 competition, Lochlyn Sheldon scored five tries all coming in a stellar four game period mid-season where he scored double against Mudgeeraba and also tries in that period against Beaudesert, Burleigh and Bilambil. Lochlyn Sheldon made his Doug Lipp Cup debut in June against Bilambil and went on to make eleven appearances for Runaway Bay in that competition scoring three tries which came against Ormeau, Tugun and Bilambil. In five of his eleven Doug Lipp Cup matches, Lochlyn Sheldon played in the U19 contest and then backed up to play the Doug Lipp Cup fixture.

In 2016, Lochlyn Sheldon was named player of the carnival for the 2016 Confraternity Shield as well as being named in the second row for the Queensland Independent Colleges (QIC) Secondary Schools rugby league side after playing for Gold Coast based Aquinas College in the carnival which was held in September 2016. Fellow Aquinas College student Lachlan Douglas was also named in the all carnival side in the front row.

Previously Lochlyn Sheldon has made multiple representative sides, including the Queensland U13 side, South Coast U15’s where he was named player of the match on Day Two against Darling Downs, Qld Marron U15’s from which he made the U15 Australian Merit Team with Titans linked Konrad Edwards and also the Queensland U16 side in 2015, which also contained Titans Ben Thomas and Darius Farmer.

Lochlyn Sheldon was part of the Brisbane Broncos elite development squad for a number of years, but unfortunately for him he was not able to gain a contract with the Broncos, which was good news for the Titans.

Running with the football, Lochlyn Sheldon 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. He 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. He actually does have a decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well.

Where there has been a clear development in Lochlyn Sheldon’s game has been he is ability to off load prior to contact with the defensive line in the Round Three MM match against the North’s Devils Lochlyn Sheldon popped a great short ball to Noah Lolesio off his right hip who crossed untouched for one of his four tries that afternoon at Pizzey Park.

Defensively Lochlyn Sheldon is not a big 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.

Lochlyn Sheldon 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, and thus giving away penalties. His ability to successfully defend against these type 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 second row is probable.

Lochlyn Sheldon will probably not stand out during a game but will work hard both in attack and defence and leave all the eye catching things like big hits, line breaks and one handed off loads to other forwards who will benefit from his hard working style.

Lochlyn Sheldon has transitioned fulltime to the U20 Colts ranks in 2018 with Burleigh and will play out the 2018 season there and will be Colts eligible once again in 2019 as well as training with the Titans Rookie Squad.

Lochlyn Sheldon will also get more opportunities in the Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade competition as the season progresses. The Bears/Titans have played a number of Colts eligible players in the local First grade competition this season with Burleigh to give them exposure against men. Fellow Titans Rookie Squad members such as Allan Lockwood, Jaxson Paulo, Mikey Williams and Darius Farmer amongst others have already through this experience like Lochlyn Sheldon.

Whilst he has alternated between second row and front row over previous junior seasons, I would anticipate that based on his build and skill set that starting as early as next season Lochlyn Sheldon will likely transition to the second row full time. Lochlyn Sheldon likely could play front row in an emergency type situation but second row seems like a more natural fit for him from my perspective at least.

From a player comparison perspective, one player with a similar playing style from my perspective is former Titans second rower and current Titans coaching staff member Anthony Laffranchi, as a solid hard working forward who will probably never be a star but will be a solid contributor to a team’s forward pack.

Likely there will be players with more natural ability that will not go as far in rugby league as Lochlyn Sheldon will, simply because he will make the most of the ability he has through sheer hard work and effort.

[mdrew]

Blake Cullen. (Revised) The young front rower from the Toowoomba region is a Titans Rookie Squad member and is currently playing for the Hastings Deering’s U20 Western Mustangs Colts side.

Blake Cullen has played in all ten of the Western Mustangs Colts matches this season starting all at lock bar Round Four against the North’s Devils when he started in the front row.

Blake Cullen’s sole Hastings Deering’s Colts try thus far this season came in Round Eleven against the South’s Logan Magpies.

The big strong burly young front rower was part of the Western Mustangs 2017 U18 Mal Meninga Cup winning team starting in their Grand Final winning side in the front row when they defeated South’s Logan 40 – 30 early in 2017. Blake Cullen also started in the front row for the Western Mustangs when they played against the Parramatta Eels in the U18 national final with Parramatta winning on the day.

Over the course of the 2017 MM Cup season, Blake Cullen started in the front row in all eight of the Western Mustangs matches including the semi-final against the Easts Tigers and the MM Cup Grand Final against Souths Logan. In those eight matches Blake Cullen scored two tries, the first coming in Round Two against the Mackay Cutters and the second in Round Six against Victoria.

Blake Cullen also played one U20 Colts match in 2017 for the Western Mustangs when he came off the bench in Round Two against the Ipswich Jets.

After the MM Cup competition was completed, apart from the one match that former Pittsworth State High School student played in the Colts competition, Blake Cullen plyed his trade with Pittsworth in the Toowoomba Rugby League Competition. Blake Cullen played six matches in the U18 competition and five in the Hutchies A Grade Cup competition.

On each of the five occasions that Blake Cullen played first grade, Blake Cullen backed up after playing in the U18 match earlier in the day. It is even more impressive when you consider that Blake Cullen started in both the U18 and A Grade matches in the front row. In the 2017 season, Blake Cullen’s sole try was in the U18 competition against Wattles.

Blake Cullen is a powerful runner of the football, who knows only one way and that is straight ahead and can offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it. There is no subtlety to his running, it is straight and hard and another positive is that he will not just run upright, Blake Cullen will drop his should into the defender making it difficult if not impossible for him to be stopped one on one. He does though have quite foot speed when/if he gets into space, probably above average for a front rower.

In defence Blake Cullen is happy to go for the big hit with his target zone around the rib cage rather than the chest area thus mitigating the risk of the tackle slipping up around the head. He is obviously suited to defending in the centre of the ruck rather that the fringes and will have some trouble with nippy runners out of dummy half.

It has been indicated to me that Blake Cullen is a very hard dedicated worker in training. His 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.

Blake Cullen will play out the 2018 season with the Western Mustangs U20 Colts squad and is eligible for that competition again in 2019. Blake Cullen will also continue to train with the Titans Rookie Squad.

Blake Cullen has been a player who has been in the centre of a rugby league field his entire rugby league career and with his strength and toughness will surely continue playing either at lock or in the front row where ever his career in rugby league takes him.

From a player comparison point of view, I think that a fair comparison from a style of play perspective would be former New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand International front rower Sam Rapira, as tough hard runner forward who does everything at 100 mph and takes a committed defensive line to stop him.

[mdrew]

Tyler Szepanowski. (Updated) The big tall young former St Brendan’s College front rower signed with the Titans mid-way through the 2017 season and is currently a member of the Titans Rookie Squad as well as playing for the talented Burleigh Bears Hastings Deering’s U20 Colts squad. Tyler Szepanowski has started in the front row in all eleven of Burleigh’s Colts matches this season including their six point win over Ipswich this afternoon.

In 2017 Tyler Szepanowski was part of the Central Queensland Capra’s U18 squad 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 in that final.

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 won 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 101kg 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 out the remainder of the 2018 season with the Burleigh Bears in the U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts competition and will be Colts eligible again in 2019 in the final year of his Titans contract.

Tyler Szepanowski may also get an opportunity in the Burleigh Bears Gold Coast Rugby League First Grade side. The Bears/Titans have played a number of Colts eligible players in the local First grade competition this season with Burleigh to give them exposure against men.

Fellow Titans Rookie Squad members such as Allan Lockwood, Jaxson Paulo, Mikey Williams, Lochlyn Sheldon and Darius Farmer amongst others have already through this experience as they are being prepared for the Queensland Cup competition.

With his build (190cm and 101kg) 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.

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Luke Kofutua. The former Western Australian raised youngster has taken the opportunity to move across to the Gold Coast to continue his sporting career at Keebra Park and made an immediate impact being selected on the bench for the South Coast U15 QSSRL side after the early season trials.

Even though he is still eligible to play at the U15 age group, Luke Kofutua has started off the 2018 season in the U16 Division One competition with the Southport Tigers and started Round Two(Southport had a Round One bye) against Burleigh from the interchange bench in Southport’s 22 – 4 victory in a hard fought clash. Since his debut match Luke Kofutua has played in all of Southport’s other matches in the U16 Division competition, starting all off the bench.

In Western Australia, Luke Kofutua was a talented junior rugby player from Perth’s Thornlie State High School and in 2017 was selected in the Western Australian U14 State Championship rugby side. Luke Kofutua played No. 8 for the Kalamunda Junior Rugby club in Perth at the U14 level in 2017. Kalamunda were defeated in the Preliminary final 13 – 5 of that competition last year.

Luke Kofutua is a powerful wide running back rower with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus. Luke Kofutua is quite quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again which is a plus attribute for such a strong powerful No. 8

Luke Kotutua’s speed thus makes it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space. Couple Luke Kofutua’s hard running style with a very good fend and you have a big strong powerful young player who can cause nightmares for any defensive line regardless of the code.

Defensively the most impressive aspect of Luke Kofutua’s play is his ability to make effective tackle after effective tackle. In the Perth Junior Rugby competition he continually made up to three and four tackles in a row on multiple occasions and then clean out in the rucks and mauls and then he was also the first Epping player to take the ball up. Whilst his stamina is impressive, so is his initial contact, he uses his strength and leverage to hit the ball carrier hard forcing momentum changes to the ball carrier.

One match in the South Coast U15 QSSRL trials was outstanding, he came out of the line and smashed the Coombabah ball carrier (a more than talented youngster in his own right) with a superb front on tackle perfectly highlighting his timing toughness and technique regardless of his non-rugby league background.

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

Luke Kofutua will play the remainder of the 2018 season with the Southport Tigers in the U16 Division One competition and will also play for Keebra Park Year Ten side in their various school boy competitions including the Walters Cup where they will be up against PBC on a regular basis.

From a purely rugby league perspective the extremely talented Western Australian rugby No. 8 looks and plays like an outstanding second rower who can either play in the centre of the field or on the fringes as the game dictates and be equally effective in both situations.

The perfect NRL player comparison for Luke Kofutua is South Sydney Rabbitoh’s boom youngster and former School boy rugby star, Angus Creighton. Like Creighton, Luke Kofutua is a big strong powerful young man with more speed that people will initially give him credit for until this see him play of course that is.

Also like Angus Creighton, Luke Kofutua is a very good off loader of the ball both before the defensive line and whilst he is in contact with it and defensively he is a strong presence with a solid repeatable front on tackling technique with a touch of aggressiveness involved as well.

Luke Kofutua is one of a couple of Western Australian youngsters who have moved over to the Gold Coast. Another young player to come over is former South Perth Lions second rower Wailer Whaiapu who was earlier this year selected in the Gold Coast Vikings U13 Invitational trial squad.