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  1. #1096
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    Lockie McLaughlin. The young Grafton Ghosts second rower is part of the Titans 2020 Group One Academy squad that is training on a weekly basis in Ballina in Northern New South Wales, Ghosts team mate Joshua Donovan-Skinner is also part of the Titans squad.

    The Grafton High School student played the 2019 Group One U13 season with the Grafton Ghosts and started in his sides 24 – 16 Grand Final victory over the Clarence Coast Magpies scoring in the Premiership victory when he burst down the left side of the field and outpaced the Magpies cover defence to score . As a result of his outstanding performance in the match Lockie McLaughlin was deservedly named Player of the Grand Final.

    In the 2019 Group One U13 competition Lockie McLaughlin played in eleven matches including the finals series scoring twelve tries (109% strike rate) and kicked a conversion when he converted his own try against South Grafton in early June. His twelve tries meant that Lockie McLaughlin finished the 2019 Group One U13 season as the competitions fifth highest try scorer and second highest try scoring forward.

    Lockie McLaughlin scored a Round One hat trick against Lismore Marist Brothers and added a further hat trick against Lismore Marist Brothers later in the season. Lockie McLaughlin also scored a double against South Grafton as well as scoring in matches against Ballina, Casino RSM and against South Grafton in the 2019 Preliminary Final.

    In 2018 Lockie McLaughlin played in thirteen matches in the Group One U12 competition finishing the season with twenty four points comprising of four tries and the same number of goals with his four tries coming from doubles against Casino RSM and South Grafton.

    The pace of Lockie McLaughlin when he runs the ball is the outstanding feature of his game, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses 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 Lockie McLaughlin will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through and for a young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him.

    I would consider that Lockie McLaughlin ’s speed would be considered above average for a backrower 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.

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

    Lockie McLaughlin 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 to complete the tackle.

    Lockie McLaughlin will play the 2020 season in the Group One U14 competition with the Grafton Ghosts as well as playing for Grafton High School in various Northern New South Wales High School boy rugby league competitions including the DEX Shield. Lockie McLaughlin should also be part of the Group One U14 representative side for the 2020 New South Wales Country Age Championships that will be held late in the year.

    Lockie McLaughlin has the frame to add additional muscle without compromising his speed and shapes as an impressive second row prospect as his junior rugby league career develops.

    Lockie McLaughlin reminds me of Titans second rower Sam Stone, both are similar from a body shape perspective as well as the way that they play the game and both still have room and time to add muscle and grow into their frame’s without losing any of their speed or mobility overall which is a hall mark in their game.

  2. #1097
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    Makau Waiapu. The young Coomera Cutters forward was part of the Titans U13 side that defeated the Western Mustangs 40 – 12 at Mudgeeraba in February in hot and steamy conditions.

    Early in the 2019 season Makau Waiapu was named in the Gold Coast Vikings U13 squad for the South East Queensland Hill Stumer Championships where he started in the front row.

    Makau Waiapu started the opening three rounds of the GCRL U13 Division One competition in the front row for Coomera.

    In total in the GCRL U13 Division One regular season competition Makau Waiapu played in eleven matches primarily in either the front row or second row, scoring ten tries including scoring four tries in Round Nine against Runaway Bay and a Round Fourteen double also against Runaway Bay.

    Makau Waiapu also scored in Round Two against Ormeau, Round Twelve against Helensvale.

    In the first week of the Finals series, Makau Waiapu started in the second row and scored as Coomera defeated Southport 46 – 24.

    Makau Waiapu also started in the second row in Week Two of the Finals against Burleigh with the Cutters season coming to an end with their loss.

    2018 saw Makau Waiapu play in the Gold Coast Rugby League U12 Division One competition for the Coomera Cutters, playing primarily in the second row. In his thirteen matches, including finals, Makau Waiapu amassed sixteen points from three tries and two goals.

    Makau Waiapu’s three tries came in the opening three rounds against Mudgeeraba, Currumbin and Burleigh Maroon. In the Round One match Makau Waiapu kicked his first conversion and kicked his second in June against Burleigh White.

    Makau Waiapu does not necessarily get back deep to run onto the ball but uses his above average speed off the mark to generate significant speed and momentum to hit the defensive line with. When he breaks into open space Makau Waiapu has above average to plus top end speed for his position and will not try to get too fancy in open space, if he does not have support to draw and pass to, Makau Waiapu will take the fullback on and look to run directly over him and if he is tackled look to get a quick play the ball rather than to try for a spectacular play.

    When standing a little wider of the ruck, Makau Waiapu can run multiple routes including both an inside or outside shoulder route depending on the defensive methodology of the opposition and also uses his lateral mobility to cut back on the inside of his play maker to great effect if the central ruck defenders do not track the ball across field. Even when running in the centre of the ruck however Makau Waiapu ’s feet are always moving and he never sets himself up as an easy target for the defensive line to target.

    Defensively the best way that I can describe his tackling style is that he tackles hard, Makau Waiapu has an exceptional front on tackling technique in relation to both his head and body placement and he is able to generate significant force into his opponents body, he really does explode into the ball carrier and is aware of his fellow defenders and if one is going low he will go high and visa versa.

    When defending against smaller nippier runners on the edge of the ruck, Makau Waiapu gets low and mirrors their lateral movement aiming the subsequent tackle around the waist rather than the chest area where it is easy for tackles to slip up to around the head area.

    Makau Waiapu will play the 2020 season with the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U14 Division One competition and will also be in line for selection in the 2020 Gold Coast Vikings U14 representative side.

    With his size and speed combination to is hard to envisage Makau Waiapu playing anywhere but the second row as his rugby league career goes from strength to strength.

    I would argue that former Brisbane Broncos, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International back rower Matt Gillett is a very good comparison with the way that Makau Waiapu plays. Like Gillett Makau Waiapu is a hard running hard tackling young man with great leadership skills and a tough hard aggressive clinical edge to every aspect of his game.

  3. #1098
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    Brady Turner. The Murwillumbah youngster is currently part of the Titans 2018/19 Group 18 U14 Development Squad after playing the 2018 season in the Group 18 U13 competition.

    Brady Turner started in the second row for a Titans NRRRL U14/15 Invitational side that went down 32 – 10 to a Titans U14 side at Tweed Heads in an entertaining and high quality match.

    In September 2019 Brady Turner was named the Group 18 U14 Player of the year after an outstanding campaign in the Group 18 U14 competition and in early in October was part of a Titans U14/15 NRRRL side that played the Titans U14 Gold Coast/Brisbane Academy side in a development match at Tweed Heads Piggabeen ground.

    Brady Turner played the 2019 season with Murwillumbah in the Group 18 U14 competition and was selected in the Group 18 for the U14 age group at the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships held in Port Macquarie starting in the second row for the Group 18 U14 side with Brady Turner scoring in Group 18’s second match of Day One as they went down 26 – 20 to Group Four.

    Seeming running more to the left side of the field, Brady Turner runs a very good outside shoulder route and rather than trying to step his opposite number will really look to initiate the contact and then use his strength to hold the defender off his body to either push through the tackle or draw in the next defender to create space for his outside support.

    Brady Turner also 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. His speed could probably be considered above average for a centre but when he plays in the back row.

    Defensively Brady Turner has a hard edge to his play and his initial contact is more than sufficient to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier either in the centres or when defending in the forwards. Brady Turner sets a very good base which he uses to explode into the ball carrier looking to use their own momentum against them.

    Brady Turner’s good situation awareness also enables him to be well positioned when he is defending against smaller quicker players and he endeavours to minimise the time available for the opposing attacker to generate speed and to utilise their footwork, he is also able to change direction quickly to adjust to the directional changes of the attacker especially when Brady Turner is marking up against multiple attackers running in his direction where he will hold his ground to let the play to develop in front of him before committing to a specific defensive course of action.

    Brady Turner will play for Murwillumbah in the 2020 Group 18 U16 competition and push for a spot in the 2020 U16 Northern Rivers Titans Andrew Johns Cup squad that once again should be an outstanding side.

    With his size and speed combination to is hard to envisage Brady Turner playing anywhere but the second row as his rugby league career progresses towards its ultimate destination.

    In relation to identifying an NRL player that compares favourably from a playing comparison perspective for Brady Turner you need to look no further than Sydney Roosters and New South Wales State of Origin second rower Angus Creighton as a player who will look to run into gaps in the defensive line with speed and timing and who can defend either in the centre of the ruck or a little wider out as a foil for his half and five eight, a defensive minder if you will.

  4. #1099
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    Bo Peisley. The South Tweed youngster was part of the Titans U14 squad that played a Western Mustangs selection in February at Mudgeeraba and also in 2019 was part of the Group 18 U14 representative side being named at half back for the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships with Bo Peisley kicking two conversions in Group 18’s second match of Day One as they went down 26 – 20 to Group Four.

    Late in the 2019 season Bo Peisley was named the 2019 Group 18 U14 representative season’s best back at the Group 18 Presentation Night.

    In attack Bo Peisley’s calling card is his organisational and passing skills more so than his running game. His speed would probably considered average to a tick above for a half/five eight but he will throw a dummy and run when opposing defences are focussed on his support runners and provide him with opportunities.

    Bo Peisley also does necessarily not have quick twitch feet, thus his step is more average but is effective as he is selective about when he uses it. Bo Peisley maintains his composure on the field at all times and does not yell or scream but obviously gets his message across to his team mates with a calm assured presence.

    Bo Peisley also has a good long passing game thus enabling the ball to get out to his back line quickly when they are set deep. Bo Peisley develops a good spiral on the ball and is able to lead his outside backs onto the ball through putting the ball out in front of them.

    Bo Peisley will also take the ball to the line and delay the pass as long as possible to his support runners when necessary. Bo Peisley looks to dictate what the defensive line needs to do to combat his sides attack rather than waiting to see how the opposition is looking to defend at a particular time in a game.

    Defensively whilst not being the biggest player running around, Bo Peisley is effective as a result of his sound low tackling technique where he can quickly bring down attackers due to the fact that he will go in low, he is also adept at tracking the ball across field to be in the right place if outside attackers cut back inside.

    Bo Peisley will play the 2020 season with the South Tweed Bears in the Group 18 U15 competition and should also represent Group 18 at the U15 level in 2020.

    From a position perspective, Bo Peisley has spent his entire career in the halves and will surely continue there for the foreseeable future although he could also potentially fill in at hooker if the need arises.

    For me a current NRL player with a similar playing style to that of Bo Peisley is current English Super League and former Penrith Panther, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International five eight James Maloney, being that of a solid talented organising five eight or half who will surprise a defensive line with some very good short balls when it looks for all money like he is going to run himself.

    In would argue however that Bo Peisley is a better defender and less agitating version of James Maloney though.

  5. #1100
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    Tyrelle Waters. One of the most impressive young players in the 2019 Group One U13 competition was Clarence Coast Magpie Tyrelle Waters who finished the season as the competitions equal leading try scorer with fifteen tries from just thirteen matches (115% strike rate) equal with fellow Titan Joshua Donovan-Skinner. Joshua Donovan-Skinner also kicked two goals (against South Grafton and Casino RSM) to finish the 2019 season with a total points haul of 64.

    Tyrelle Waters is part of the Titans 2020 Group One Academy squad that is training on a weekly basis in Ballina in Northern New South Wales.

    Tyrelle Waters scored a mid-season hat trick against Kyogle and added doubles against Lismore Marist Brothers and Kyogle in Rounds One and Two and scored a further double against Casino RSM later in the season. Tyrelle Waters also scored in matches against South Grafton and Grafton twice, Ballina and Casino RSM.

    In 2018 Tyrelle Waters played in fourteen matches in the Group One U12 competition finishing with a 100% strike rate with fifteen tries. He also kicked three goals in finish the 2018 U12 Group One season with sixty six points. Included in his try scoring tally in 2018 were hat tricks against South Grafton and Ballina and two doubles against Lismore Marist Brothers.

    Tyrelle Waters was also one of Clarence Coast’s try scorers in the 2018 Group One U12 Grand Final as the Magpies defeated Lismore Marist Brothers in a 20 -18 thriller with Tyrelle Waters starting the match in the second row.

    In 2018 Tyrelle Waters also played in one U13 match which came against Lismore Marist Brothers in late May.

    Tyrelle Waters style of play is that of a 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, and I am talking the speed of an outside back not a backrower.

    Tyrelle Waters is exceptionally 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, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

    Defences had all sorts of trouble trying to contain him in his club football over the last couple of seasons, both in terms of him taking the ball up into the centre of the ruck, but he was almost untouchable when he ran on the fringes of the ruck and uses his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a step off both feet and a very good in and away as well as simply running over people. Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a young player in Tyrelle Waters who causes nightmares for a defensive line.

    Tyrelle Waters runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball during a game. I have not seen a great deal of him off loading the football to date, but the ball skills that he possess would suggest this particular will develop into a plus skill over time, although at this stage of his career it is not a necessity. Tyrelle Waters attention to detail would also strongly suggest that he will continue to develop his off-loading and ball skills across the board.

    Tyrelle Waters is aggressive in defence whether defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes or even wider out 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.

    Tyrelle Waters 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, but not to the extent that he will give away penalties, he just wants to win every one on one contest. Tyrelle Waters is also a very good cover defender as a result of his speed and tenacity.

    Due to his speed and athleticism and for that matter hard work and determination Tyrelle Waters covers across the field well, thus putting him in a good position to make the tackle when the ball is turned back inside from the halves as is the case so often in the modern game.

    Tyrelle Waters will play the 2020 season in the Group One U14 competition with the Clarence Coast Magpies and should also be part of the Group One U14 representative side for the 2020 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

    In relation to an NRL player that compares favourably to Tyrelle Waters from a playing style comparison perspective a smaller framed version of former Brisbane Bronco, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test Player Sam Thaiday may well be apt. Like Thaiday Tyrelle Waters plays rugby league with almost reckless abandon is certainly is an all effort type of player with deceptive speed for a forward and a big motor.

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    Keaton Stutt. The South Grafton Rebels hooker is currently part of the Titans 2020 Group One Academy squad that is training on a weekly basis in Ballina in Northern New South Wales.

    In the 2019 Group One U14 competition Keaton Stutt played in ten matches for the South Grafton Rebels, including their Grand Final loss to Ballina, scoring a total of 46 points, made up of three tries and seventeen goals. Keaton Stutt scored a mid-season double against Casino RSM and added a try against the Clarence Coast Magpies later in the season.

    Keaton Stutt’s seventeen goals were enough for him to finish second on the Group One U14 goal kicking tally. Keaton Stutt kicked five goals in a match on two occasions, coming in consecutive matches in June against the Lismore Marist Brothers Rams and Casino RSM. In the match against Casino RSM Keaton Stutt also scored a double to finish the match with an individual point’s tally of eighteen, his highest of the 2019 season.

    2019 also saw Keaton Stutt represent the Group One Taipans at the New South Wales Country U14 Age Championships at Port Macquarie starting all three of the Taipan’s matches at hooker and scoring in Group One’s first match of Day Two against Group 21. Keaton Stutt’s other matches at the Championships were against Maitland on Day One and Central Coast in Group One’s second match of Day Two.

    In 2018, the Grafton High School student played in ten matches for the South Grafton Rebels finishing the season with thirty six points from three tries and twelve goals. All three of his tries came in separate matches being against Clarence Coast, Lismore Marist Brothers and Grafton and with the boot Keaton Stutt kicked four goals in July 2018 against Kyogle.

    Keaton Stutt is a multi-sport athlete who is also a state level field hockey player for New South Wales and has played soccer at a high level in the past as well.

    Keaton Stutt is an extremely talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects that a modern day hooker must have to be successful, those being his distribution and game management out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck where he is far more effective than people would think when they first see him play.

    Keaton Stutt may be small but he certainly defends well above his weight. Some people and opponents may look at Keaton Stutt and immediately discount him because of his size, which would be a serious error for anybody to make.

    In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Keaton Stutt is extremely efficient 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 first then pass.

    There is no discernible difference that I have been able to identify between his passing from either side of his body, and his passes are crisp and flat and also Keaton Stutt can pass a more than reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball looking to stretch the defensive line.

    Where Keaton Stutt is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward enabling them to run onto the ball ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short Keaton Stutt is a very good game manager from the hooking position. Keaton Stutt is also a good communicator on the field, he is constantly encouraging his team both in attack and defence as well as of course leading the way in both aspects.

    Keaton Stutt does not yell and scream on the field, like the other parts of his game, he is calm and composed and seems to use positive reinforcement rather than yelling and screaming to get his point across to team mates but he does make it clear that he is in charge however.

    Where Keaton Stutt really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has good footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step usually off his right foot, although he does not necessary run much out of dummy half. The times that Keaton Stutt does run though, Keaton Stutt targets forwards who are offside or slow getting back into the defensive line, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space.

    Once in open space Keaton Stutt does not usually have the speed required to finish things off himself (although he cannot be considered slow by any means) but he invariably will make the right decision with the ball in terms of whether to take the tackle or pass to a support player.

    Keaton Stutt’s defence for a hooker is very good for a smaller framed player, 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 long term potential. Keaton Stutt does not necessarily hit hard but due to his very good low tackling technique he can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, Keaton Stutt sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive into opposing forwards.

    His intensity and continuous effort means that Keaton Stutt will track the ball across the field and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside. Keaton Stutt literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck even though he is always the smallest forward on the field. He is also very good at getting out of dummy half quickly to put pressure on the opposing teams kickers in all parts of the field.

    Keaton Stutt will play the 2020 season in the Group One U15 competition with the South Grafton Rebels as well as playing for Grafton High School in various Northern New South Wales High School boy rugby league competitions including the long running and important DEX Shield.

    Keaton Stutt should also be part of the Group One U15 representative side for the 2020 New South Wales Country Age Championships held late in the year representing Group One for the second year in a row.

    Keaton Stutt is not big from a body frame perspective but has big heart to go along with speed out of dummy half, the ability to distribute effectively out of dummy half to both sides and tenacity in defence that cannot be taught. It is for those reasons that I see Keaton Stutt maintaining his current hooking position as his career progresses although he could potentially spend time at half back if the need arises as well.

    Keaton Stutt is just an all action type of player, no attacker is too big or too fast to tackle, no defender is too big to run at and no effort is too hard or too small to make. Through sheer heart and determination Keaton Stutt has a real opportunity to make an impact in rugby league let alone the skill that he also has at his disposal.

    From a player comparison perspective for Keaton Stutt, due to his distribution, running, defence and intensity that he plays the game at, a playing style and comparison akin to the hooking version of former Manly Sea Eagle, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International Geoff Toovey is appropriate even down to his size with less arguing with officials however but the same all-out intensity, effort and will to win.

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    Antioch Faitala-Mariner. The winger was part of a Titans U15 side that played against another Titans U15 side and a Western Mustangs U15 selection at Mudgeeraba in February of this year and subsequent to those matches signed a contract linking the winger to the Titans for the next couple of seasons at least.

    The powerful young winger hails from the Easts Tigers club in Brisbane’s East and played one match for the GBJRL U15 Division One Tigers side this season before moving up to play the remainder of the 2019 season with the Tigers in the GBJRL U16 Division One side scoring two tries in his thirteen matches in that competition.

    To be selected to move up to the U16 Division One side is a real feather in Antioch Faitala-Mariner’s cap as the U15 Division One side went all the way to the Grand Final but the Easts Tigers hierarchy identified that he could handle the step up in age and they were proved correct with their assessment over the course of the 2019 season.

    Antioch Faitala-Mariner also played rugby in 2019, playing for Brisbane State High School in the GPS U15A competition and was also selected in the Queensland Maroon side for the 2019 Queensland Junior U15 Gold Cup competition.

    Antioch Faitala-Mariner played for the Easts Tigers in the 2018 GBJRL U14 Premier Division competition in 2018 including starting in the Grand Final that Easts won 26 – 20 against a Norths Devils side that included fellow Titan contracted U15 player, centre Shannon Subritzky-Stewart.

    In 2018 Antioch Faitala-Mariner was also part of the South East Queensland Green U14 side that took part of the Queensland U14 Age Championships and started on the wing in the final that ended in a 16 all draw against South East Queensland White. In total for the 2018 South East Queensland U14 Green side, Antioch Faitala-Mariner played in all four of their matches starting all of them on the wing.

    In rugby Antioch Faitala-Mariner represented Met East in the Queensland U12 Rugby Championships in 2016 and was named as their player of the match against Sunshine Coast on Day Two of those Championships.

    Plus plus straight line speed with outstanding balance and body control are the primary attributes that Antioch Faitala-Mariner possesses on a football field. It would be extremely unfair to purely put Antioch Faitala-Mariner’s success down to purely his speed, he is also has a very good in and away with a solid right fend.

    One thing that Antioch Faitala-Mariner also does well is change the axis of the attack just prior to receiving the ball, when at full speed Antioch Faitala-Mariner would adjust the angle of his run immediately prior to receiving the ball and target the gap between his opposition winger and the outside centre and with his speed Antioch Faitala-Mariner was regularly able to explode through the resultant gap. When returning kicks Antioch Faitala-Mariner hunt’s across field before cutting back and looking to exploit a fractured defensive line with speed and power.

    Regardless of where he receives the ball Antioch Faitala-Mariner is an exceptional 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 is make it very difficult for the opposing defender to get a clean shot at him and if Antioch Faitala-Mariner gets the ball from a kick, if the defensive line is not straight in the chase he can make significant ground both before and after contact.

    Seemingly like all modern day outside backs Antioch Faitala-Mariner has exceptional balance, spacial awareness and body control enabling him to score some amazing tries along the touchline with for all intent sand purposes the only part of his body in the field up play is the hand that he uses to put the ball down.

    With his speed off the mark and elusiveness Antioch Faitala-Mariner should also be very productive running out of dummy half where he can gain immediate separation from the marks with his speed and then gain momentum with his power and make ground as a result through the centre of the ruck, especially when brining the ball out of his own territory.

    Defensively Antioch Faitala-Mariner 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. Other defenders keyed off him in terms of whether to use an up and in methodology and slide to the outside.

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

    2020 will see Antioch Faitala-Mariner play for the Easts Tigers in the GBJRL U16 Division One competition and is also a likely selection in one of the three Brisbane Stingers U16 squads for the South East Queensland U16 pre-season Challenge commencing in February 2020 where the Brisbane Stingers sides will play in matches against two Gold Coast Vikings U16 sides as well as an Ipswich Diggers selection.

    In relation to rugby in 2020 Antioch Faitala-Mariner will line-up for the Brisbane State High School U16A side in the GPS school boy rugby competition and may also get an opportunity the school’s First XV side such is skill set and maturity both physically and mentally.

    I am a real fan of the GPS school boy rugby competition and Antioch Faitala-Mariner’s rugby league development can only be enhanced with his involvement in that outstanding competition.

    With his speed and try scoring ability Antioch Faitala-Mariner seems destined to be an outstanding rugby league winger who has the potential to be an NRL regular reasonably quickly and potentially a representative one as well if things break his way.

    In many respects potentially the best NRL player comparison for Antioch Faitala-Mariner is the Titans own recently resigned Phillip Sami. Like Sami, Antioch Faitala-Mariner is an exciting ball runner who should also be a prolific try scorer at the NRL level including multiple exciting spectacular and long range ones as well as being an outstanding kick returner and under rated defender on the wing

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    Nic Torrens. The young front rower started for the Titans U14/15 Invitational side went down 32 – 10 to a Titans Brisbane/Gold Coast based U14 side in early October and was one his sides best in the high quality match at Tweed Heads.

    For Clarence Coast in the 2019 Group One U15 competition Nic Torrens played in thirteen matches including finals scoring forty eight points from eight tries and an identical number of goals with two of those tries coming in Clarence Coast’s 14 – 10 Grand Final win over Ballina. Nic Torrens was in fact named player of the Grand Final such was his dominance throughout the match.

    In addition to his Grand Final double Nic Torrens also scored doubles in three separate matches against Casino RSM. With the boot Nic Torrens kicked three goals late in the season against Lismore Marist Brothers.

    Nic Torrens also had an outstanding 2019 season with MacLean High School dominating in the DEX Shield competition including one match against Grafton High School in which Nic Torrens was as close to unstoppable as I have seen a player be in a match.

    2019 also saw Nic Torrens represent Group One at the NSW Country U15 Age Championships playing three matches in the front row, scoring against Group 19 in Group One’s second match of a busy Day One of the Championships.

    In November 2019 Nic Torrens travelled to Sydney to take part in the New South Wales U16 Talented Aboriginal Athlete Program.

    In 2018 in the Group One U14 competition Nic Torrens played in fifteen matches for Clarence Coast scoring sixty two points from three tries and twenty five goals. Nic Torrens tries included tries in Round One and two against Casino RSM and Kyogle respectively and a try in Clarence Coast’s 26 – 24 Preliminary Final loss to Ballina.

    From a goal kicking perspective Nic Torrens kicked four goals in a match on three occasions including in Rounds One and Two and towards the conclusion of the season against Grafton.

    In 2018 Nic Torrens also played four matches in the Group One U15 competition making his debut and scoring in Round One against Casino RSM. Nic Torrens other 2018 U15 Group One matches were against Ballina, South Grafton and Lismore Marist Brothers. On each occasion that Nic Torrens played a Group One U15 match in 2018 he had played in the U14 fixture earlier in the day.

    Nic Torrens is a big strong powerful young man and uses these attributes when he runs with the ball, he will take the line on and look to drop his shoulder into the defender who is looking initiate contact.

    Nic Torrens can also off load the football both before the line and when he is being tackled, he seems to be one of those players with the innate ability to get his hands free, or more accurately his right hand free.

    Nic Torrens is always the player standing back deep from kick ups to take the first hit up and will charge straight at the line asking for and giving no quarter. Nic Torrens also is quite quick for a big young bloke, both in terms of explosive speed off the mark and agile from a footwork perspective but also with speed over an extended distance. Once he gets into space, it is only going to be backs and the quickest of those that will catch him.

    Defensively for a taller young player Nic Torrens 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 outstanding lateral movement to mirror the attacker’s movement and make the tackle in a ball and all fashion.

    Nic Torrens is not a big hitter per say but will drive with his legs to stop the momentum of the ball carrier effectively in the centre of the ruck. In short his initial contact and technique is very effective against opponents of all sizes.

    In 2020 Nic Torrens will play for Clarence Coast in the Group One U16.5 competition and may also get a run or two for the Lower Clarence Magpies in the NRRRL U18 competition.

    From a representative perspective Nic Torrens has been named in the twenty five player 2020 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad and come the start of that competition early in 2020 should be one of the team’s prime movers.

    Nic Torrens played a lot of rugby league in the front row this season both in club and representative rugby league but I am not convinced that he should be pigeon holed there. Nic Torrens, yes is a big strong young man, but he has outstanding speed and athleticism and a burgeoning skill set and as a consequence I believe that Nic Torrens has an opportunity to next a career in rugby league in the second row.

    With his size, speed and skill combination, Nic Torrens has a similar playing style to South Sydney Rabbitohs (former North Queensland Cowboy) and Queensland State of Origin second rower Ethan Lowe, both and big and strong but have the speed, agility and mobility over all to be outstanding representative level second rowers.

    The Northern New South Wales region is a hot bed of rugby league talent which the Titans have certainly tapped into and made their own in recent seasons and Nic Torrens is certainly one reason why the region is held in such high regard by not just Titans JTS staff but the entire NRL scouting network

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    Mason Moloney. The Northern New South Wales youngster was part of the Titans U14 squad that played a Western Mustangs selection in February at Mudgeeraba, starting the match at five eight and also in 2019 was part of the Group 18 U14 representative side being named at five eight for the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

    Mason Moloney started at five eight in both of Group 18’s matches on Day One against Central Coast and Group Four. Mason Maloney also played the 2019 season in the Group 18 U14 competition with the Bilambil Jets.

    In attack Mason Moloney’s calling card is his organisational and passing skills more so than his running game. His speed would probably considered average for a half/five eight but he will throw a dummy and run when opposing defences are focussed on his support runners and provide him with opportunities.

    Mason Moloney also does not have quick twitch feet, thus his step is more average than say a plus side step like AJ Brimson’s but when you run at the right time like Mason Moloney invariably does it is equally effective.

    Mason Moloney also has a good long passing game thus enabling the ball to get out to his back line quickly when they are set deep. Mason Moloney develops a good spiral on the ball and is able to lead his outside backs onto the ball through putting the ball out in front of them. He will also take the ball to the line and delay the pass as long as possible to his support runners when necessary.

    Assisting his play is the fact that Mason Moloney makes the decision what to do with the ball quickly thus enabling the ball to get out wide or when the ball needs to be turned back inside. In short Mason Moloney looks to dictate what the defensive line needs to do to combat his sides attack rather than waiting to see how the opposition is looking to defend at a particular time in a game.

    Mason Moloney is not a giant on the field and in fact in the majority of the matches that he is involved with he is one of the smallest but defensively he is quite aggressive and tries to get up quickly when confronted with a wide running forward, looking to initiate contract prior to the forward gaining too much momentum. Mason Moloney will not necessarily hit them hard but is effective at slowing the attack and then he gets back into the line quickly.

    Against players his own size, read the opposing halves Mason Moloney is more than effective at cutting down their time and space and does not let them get on his outside and in those instances handles his defensive assignments more than adequately.

    Mason Moloney will play the 2020 season with the Bilambil Jets in the Group 18 U15 competition and should also once again represent Group 18 this time at the U15 level in 2020 at the New South Wales Age Championships.

    Mason Moloney seems ideally suited to playing in the halves (either five eight or half) with his ability to direct his side around the field quickly and efficiently and also to adhere to the game plan prescribed by the coaching staff.

    Mason Moloney has a similar playing style and traits to new Huddersfield Giant and former Titan and Canberra Raider Aiden Sezer in his game, both a solid players from a skill perspective who can move their side around the field efficiently and players who have deceptive speed off the mark that they utilise to great effect when the running option is the most appropriate or when the opposition assumes that Mason Moloney will pass rather than consider running the ball.

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    Noah Waldock. 2018 New South Wales U12 rugby league representative Noah Waldock (from St Francis Xavier College Ballina) continued his rise in the junior rugby league ranks in 2019 with a great season for the Ballina Seagulls in the Group One U13 competition finishing his impressive season third on the try scoring list with thirteen tries from eleven matches (118% strike rate), second on the goal kicking tally (thirteen goals) and second overall from a points scoring perspective (seventy eight points).

    Noah Waldock is currently part of the Titans 2020 Group One Academy squad that is training on a weekly basis in Ballina in Northern New South Wales and hopefully this is just the start of a long and fruitful association with the Titans.

    Noah Waldock had a great 2019 Group One U13 Round One scoring a hat trick and kicking a conversion against South Grafton and followed that up with a Round two double against Casino RSM. Noah Waldock added further doubles against Clarence Coast and Casino RSM later in the season as well as scoring in matches against Lismore Marist Brothers (three separate matches including finals) and Kyogle.

    From a goal kicking perspective, Noah Waldock kicked three goals against Lismore Marist Brothers and kicked two conversions in matches against Casino RSM, Clarence Coast and Grafton over the course of the 2019 season.

    In 2019 Noah Waldock also played five matches in the Group One U14 competition making his debut in May against Clarence Coast. Noah Waldock played in the U13 match immediately prior to all five of his U14 appearances this season.

    In 2018 Noah Waldock Scored thirty six points from seven U12 Group One matches scoring eight tries (114% strike rate) and kicking two goals. Six of his tries came from doubles against Lismore Marist Brothers, Casino RSM and Grafton.

    Noah Waldock is an agile ball runner who relies on his outstanding speed and elusiveness to make it difficult for larger opponents to line him up rather than brute strength. When lining up at fullback he always makes himself available for offloads in the centre of the ruck where his quick twitch feet can cause some damage as opposing forwards start to tire.

    Noah Waldock has above average speed but not absolute blazing speed, relying instead on his positioning to compensate. When he retrieves the ball Noah Waldock makes a decision quickly about where to look to run around a staggered defensive line or to run straight in an effort to take the yards on offer.

    An aspect of his play that is very good is Noah Waldock’s ability to chime into the back line and use his elusiveness to slip through the line, when he comes into the back line, it seems to be mainly when the attacking play is being directed towards the left hand side of the field. I note also that as soon as he breaks into space Noah Waldock starts working through his options in relation to whether he should run himself or look to set up his support players.

    Also his hands at fullback are safe for a young player regardless of the type of kick put towards him. His other calling card is his positioning, he always seems to be the right place at the right time, to defuse bombs, attacking short kicks, potential 40/20 kicks etc. Noah Waldock can on occasion get caught a little shallow but relies on his timing and anticipation to compensate when tracking balls that have been kicked when the intention of going over his head.

    From a goal kicking perspective, Noah Waldock has outstanding leg strength and outstanding accuracy which suggests that he will likely to be his side’s primary goal kicking option regardless of level. I would equate his goal kicking to that of current Titans first choice goal kicker Michael Gordon.

    Noah Waldock will take a hit defensively when needing to make the tackle in the last line of defence and will focus exclusively on the ball carrier, forcing the attacking player to make the decision of what to do with the ball, rather than proving the attacker the avenue to make an easier decision.

    Noah Waldock is also adept at using the sideline to restrict the attacking options of any opponent who makes a break. To be more effective defensively Noah Waldock will need to add additional muscle to his frame as he only has a slight build at present, although he does have some height and seemingly has the body type to add muscle mass without compromising his speed and elusiveness.

    Noah Waldock does also have exceptional hands when short attacking kicks are put in and is elusive enough when he retrieves the ball to get out of the touch in goal when it appears that that task is unlikely in fact once or twice in 2019 Noah Waldock took the ball from his own in goal nearly the length of the field.

    Noah Waldock will play the 2020 season in the Group One U14 competition with the Ballina Seagulls and should also be part of the Group One U14 representative side for the 2020 New South Wales Country Age Championships to be held in late 2020.

    With his outstanding timing and speed Noah Waldock is a lock to play in the back line in rugby league with the only question of whether that is in the centres, wing or fullback. From a purely personally perspective, I believe that he is ultimately best suited to playing at fullback with his decisive running in relation to kick returns and his outstanding acceleration when he is hunting through the centre of the ruck.

    The player comparison is not perfect from a purely style perspective (especially running style) but Noah Waldock has the top end speed, acceleration, positioning and elusiveness of Sydney Roosters, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International fullback James Tedesco.

    Like Tedesco when Noah Waldock gets the ball you sit up just that much straighter just waiting to see what he will do and you are rarely disappointed with what Noah Waldock produces at any given time. I do note again that their running styles are fundamentally different however but the results are certainly not.

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    Tyreece Bowman. The Bilambil Jets youngster was part of the Titans U14 squad that played a Western Mustangs selection in February at Mudgeeraba and also in 2019 was part of the Group 18 U14 representative side being named at fullback for the 2019 New South Wales Country Age Championships.

    In the New South Wales Country Age Championships Tyreece Bowman started both of Group 18’s U14 matches at fullback with both of those matches played on Day One of the Championships being against Central Coast and Group Four.

    In 2019 Tyreece Bowman played for the Bilambil Jets in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League U14 competition.

    For a rangy type of player Tyreece Bowman is very quick off the mark and when the ball is being brought out of his teams half he is always around the forwards looking for off loads but as evidenced by one of his tries he also can play the way a lot of the current fullbacks play when they receive the football “out the back” from the half or five eight.

    In those circumstances, currently he runs more than he passes, but he is playing at the U14 level and I have no doubt that his passing skills will improve as he maturing and gets more experience in older age groups and possible representative games.

    Tyreece Bowman presents as a silky smooth player, who looks like he glides across the field picking and choosing his time to get involved and wants to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line, as evidenced by the match against Marsden where he was the match winner on that day.

    In terms of his defence, one thing that stood out to me is when the opposition makes a break Tyreece Bowman moves forward looking to cut down the time of the attacking player, which is quite impressive for such a young player. Due to his height, he is good also at defending the high ball.

    Tyreece Bowman will play the 2020 season with the Bilambil Jets in the Group 18 U15 competition and should also represent Group 18 once again at the U15 level in late 2020.

    Tyreece Bowman is a talented player whether he is playing at fullback or in the centres but with his size and speed combination potentially his best position will ultimately be at fullback but that is definitely not set in stone.

    I initially thought Tyreece Bowman would be a very good centre, and I am sure with his natural ability he would/will be, but with the skills he possesses and the way the modern game of rugby league is played, fullback seems to be his best position into the future but as noted above that is not a given by any means.

    Tyreece Bowman obviously has a long way to go, but I am looking forward to seeing him play over the coming years and seeing how he progresses as he possesses all of the skills and physical attributes to be a very good rugby league player both now and down the track.

    From a player comparison perspective, I will once again qualify my comments that when I am making a player comparison I am talking about a playing style rather than potential career path. For me Tyreece Bowman has a little bit of recently retired South Sydney Rabbitoh, Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test centre/fullback Greg Inglis in his game.

    Like Inglis Tyreece Bowman has speed and power when running the ball (and defensively for that matter) as well has just having the uncanny knack of making the initial defender miss the first up tackle on a regular basis.

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    Zac Johnson. The young Helensvale Hornets five eight or second rower (or occasional front rower) backed up his outstanding 2018 campaign with further assured performances in 2019.

    For Helensvale in the 2019 Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One regular season competition, Zac Johnson played in five matches spending time both in the second row and in the front row as well as five eight late in the season, scoring two tries and also kicking a field goal against Ormeau and another against Runaway Bay. Zac Johnson also kicked a field goal in 2018, three field goals over two seasons is an impressive achievement in any grade or age group.

    In Week One of the U15 Division One Finals series Zac Johnson started at five eight and scored as the Hornets defeated Ormeau 20 – 14 and added three conversions from as many attempts as Helensvale went down 22 – 18 to Nerang in the Preliminary Final in their season finale.

    For the Helensvale Hornets U14 Division One side in 2018, Zac Johnson played primarily in the second row including in their 29 – 12 Grand Final victory over Coomera. Team mates in the 2018 Grand Final winning side were fellow Titans contracted players, fullback/centre Kobie Mackey-Taylor and fullback/centre Te Haeta Takamore just like they were in the U15 Division One Preliminary Final this season.

    In total for the Helensvale Division One U14 side in 2018, Zac Johnson played in thirteen matches finishing with thirty one points from three tries, nine goals and the field goal, one of three mentioned previously which was kicked late in the 2018 season against the Ormeau Shearers.

    In 2018 Zac Johnson also played in one U15 Division Two match which was against Currumbin in late June and two U15 Division One matches the first being against the Jimboomba Thunder in late July.

    Zac Johnson was also part of the Helensvale U14 side that won the Tassell Trophy in 2018 scoring a try and kicking a conversion in the Hornets 40 – 6 Tournament final victory over the Western Lions. In fact Zac Johnson was named Player of the Final after a dominant display for the Hornets.

    On the basis that ultimately I believe that Zac Johnson will end up in the second row, that is where my analysis is focussed.

    Zac Johnson is a wide hard running backrower who runs a good line on the fringes of the ruck and constantly picks the right holes to run into thus making the play makers on his team look good. Where he really excels though is his footwork, obviously playing in the backline has assisted greatly.

    Zac Johnson also 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.

    Even when he is taking a hit up in the centre of the ruck, Zac Johnson’s feet are always moving and he is constantly making slight corrections to his running direction and he is also able to maintain his speed regardless of the multiple directional changes.

    As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Zac Johnson is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard, but he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing attacker and wrapping him up ball and all. Zac Johnson is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing players gets on the outside.

    From a team defensive methodology stand point, Zac Johnson seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage.

    Zac Johnson will play the 2020 Gold Coast Rugby League season in the U16 Division One competition for Helensvale and is also a likely selection in one of the two Gold Coast Vikings U16 squads for the 2020 South East Queensland U16 pre-season Challenge commencing next February against Brisbane and Ipswich sides.

    Zac Johnson played a number of positions this season for Helensvale, including five eight and even in the front row but for me Zac Johnson will ultimately settle in the second row but the experience that he is gaining at five eight is invaluable in terms of his future progression no matter in which position he ultimately establishes himself.

    From a player comparison perspective for Zac Johnson, think along the lines of someone like Cronulla Sharks, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International second rower Wade Graham as a player who played some junior rugby league at five eight before settling in the second row and developing into a solid ball playing forward who can pop a short pass to his supports both prior to the line or when engaged with the defensive line a sell as a solid defender on the fringes of the ruck.

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    Deniro Seumanutafa. The giant Nerang Roosters and Keebra Park front rower had a huge season in the Gold Coast Rugby League U15 Division One competition this season culminating in a Grand Final hat trick as the Roosters defeated Runaway Bay 36 – 22 in an intense high quality and hard fought forward battle.

    Over the course of the 2019 GCRL U15 Division One competition Deniro Seumanutafa scored thirteen tries from eleven matches (118% strike rate) to finish as the competitions leading try scorer, one ahead of his nearest rival.

    In addition to his 2019 Grand Final hat trick Deniro Seumanutafa scored doubles against Ormeau in Round One and Runaway Bay in Round Three. Later in the 2019 season in consecutive matches in June Deniro Seumanutafa added doubles against Helensvale and Runaway Bay with his remaining two tries coming in matches against Ormeau and Runaway Bay. Invariably when Deniro Seumanutafa scored his first try in 2019 a second would invariably follow at some point later in the match.

    In 2018, his first on the Gold Coast after his move down from Brisbane Deniro Seumanutafa scored twelve tries from fourteen matches including a mid-season hat trick against Ormeau. Deniro Seumanutafa finished the 2018 season on a roll scoring in each of his last five matches, starting that span with a double against Burleigh and then added tries in matches against Mudgeeraba, Coomera, Ormeau and Coomera once again this time in the U14 Division One Finals series.

    Earlier in the 2018 season Deniro Seumanutafa scored a double against Beaudesert for his first tries on the Gold Coast and then followed that up a week later by scoring against Burleigh.

    In Brisbane prior to his move to the Gold Coast Deniro Seumanutafa played for the Norths St Joseph’s Junior Rugby League Club in Brisbane’s northern suburbs representing them for a number of seasons in the front row.

    Running with the football, Deniro Seumanutafa has decent footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight, but uses his footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them. Deniro Seumanutafa does reasonably decent speed off the mark and that assists in his ability to hit the defensive line hard and with momentum.

    Deniro Seumanutafa does not have another gear once through the defensive line but continues to pump his legs and fights for every metre and does have has decent off load when he has impacted the defensive line as well. Due to his power Deniro Seumanutafa is able to break free of any wrestling on the ground from the defensive side, regularly able to generate a quick play the ball for his team to feed off and maintain momentum that he generated.

    Deniro Seumanutafa knows only one way and that is straight ahead and can offload once he has impacted the defensive line or has crashed through it, in addition he is quite effective when his team is attacking close to the try line. He can either take the ball himself, and when Deniro Seumanutafa gets low he is very difficult to stop or he can run as a decoy and attract defenders away from the real axis of attack.

    For a big front rower Deniro Seumanutafa does actually have quite decent speed and footwork, certainly well above average for a player of his size. Deniro Seumanutafa does however seem to carry the ball in his right hand away from his body which whilst it can make offloading easier once he engages the defensive line it can lead to a number of dropped balls when opposing defenders engage him.

    The key to his running is that Deniro Seumanutafa stays low and does not present himself to be an easy target for defences and will drop his shoulder into the defensive line, but his all out running style does mean Deniro Seumanutafa can fatigue on occasion but regardless he can be absolutely devastating.

    Another area that people can overlook is in relation returning kick offs, and this is another area that Deniro Seumanutafa excels in. Deniro Seumanutafa is good at timing his run when his team mate takes the kick off, usually able to be in time for a flat pass and then just charges into the oncoming defensive line, bending it backwards and invariably crossing the twenty metres line to give his side good starting field position for their set of six tackles.

    To put it simply Deniro Seumanutafa just literally just wears opposing defensive lines down with his constant hard running into the defensive line. The effort opposing forwards (multiple at a time on may occasions) have to put into tackling him over the course of a match simply starts to break them both physically and mentally as time and again they have to confront Deniro Seumanutafa as he charges at them with the same ferocity that he did at the start of the match. Clearly while this situation favours Deniro Seumanutafa it also favours his entire team, both from a motivation and results perspective.

    Defensively Deniro Seumanutafa hits very hard and usually aims for around the area where the upper edge of the ball is carried and can lead to a number of dropped balls. Deniro Seumanutafa 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.

    Deniro Seumanutafa really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards and then explodes through his core into his opponent.

    Deniro Seumanutafa 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. 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.

    Deniro Seumanutafa can defensively handle literally 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 as a result of bone rattling defence. My mind boggles at what damage Deniro Seumanutafa could have done before shoulder charges were understandably eliminated from the game.

    Deniro Seumanutafa will play the 2020 season with the Nerang Roosters in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition as well as being a likely selection in one of the two Gold Coast Vikings U16 sides for the 2020 South East Queensland U16 pre-season challenge.

    Deniro Seumanutafa will also represent Keebra Park in 2020 in the South East Queensland Langer Cup competition and will also push for a spot in the Open A side for Keebra Park’s 2020 GIO Cup campaign.

    Deniro Seumanutafa is a big, strong powerful young man who has outstanding speed and mobility (including lateral mobility) for his size as well as stamina and will continue to ply his trade on a rugby league field in the front row s his career progresses and develops.

    Deniro Seumanutafa’s older brother Devontai is currently contracted to the Bulldogs and played in the 2019 Jersey Flegg U20 competition in the front row as well as one match in the Canterbury Cup when he came off the bench but with the Titans new association with Keebra Park it is more likely than not that players like Deniro Seumanutafa and his brother will line up for the Titans in coming seasons and that is an extremely desirable outcome to say the absolute least.

    It is not the ideal playing style comparison but there are certainly aspects to the play of Deniro Seumanutafa that line up rather nicely with Melbourne Storm and New Zealand International front rower Jesse Bromwich.

    Both Bromwich and Deniro Seumanutafa are big strong powerful players who can just dominate opposing big strong powerful front rowers in attack and defence regardless of the competition level and for their size are explosive and exceptionally mobile front rowers with surprising stamina, a lethal combination for a front rower in modern day rugby league with its limited interchange and interpretation and strict adherence to the ten metre rule.

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    Isaac Matalavea-Booth. The giant young front rower from Auckland New Zealand headed over to the Gold Coast in early November 2019 chasing his rugby league dream and to play for the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side in 2020 and well as attend Keebra Park for his senior year of school.

    Not long after arriving in Australia Isaac Matalavea-Booth signed a one year contract with the Titans to immediately become part of the impressive Junior Titans system (JTS).

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth was outstanding in 2019 for Auckland’s Pakuranga College and at the 2019 SAS College Rugby League Awards Night was named in the front row in the 2019 Premier First XIII Team of the Year which was a deserved acknowledgement of his performances for Pakuranga College and even more meritorious considering Isaac Matalavea-Booth was just 17 years old throughout the season.

    From a club rugby league perspective in 2019 in New Zealand, Isaac Matalavea-Booth played for the Manurewa Club in the Auckland U17/18 Open competition playing in thirteen matches scoring five tries and kicking a conversion to finish the 2019 season with twenty two points.

    One of his thirteen games one was the Auckland Rugby League U17/18 Grand Final with Isaac Matalavea-Booth starting in the front row for Manurewa, but unfortunately they went down 22 – 14 to the Marist Saints in a high quality physical (very) encounter.

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth also represented the Tao Samoa U18 side this season in their annual match against the New Zealand U18’s starting in the front row and also started in the front row for the Tao Samoa U16’s against New Zealand U16’s in 2018. In fact the first time that Isaac Matalavea-Booth represented Tao Samoa was at the U13 level in 2014 and also represented Tao Samoa at the U15 level in 2016 I believe.

    In 2019 Isaac Matalavea-Booth who previously was part of the New Zealand Warriors Development Academy represented the Auckland based Counties Manukau Stingrays representative side in the New Zealand National Youth U17 Tournament starting in the front row in all five of their matches including their semi-final victory over the Akarana Falcons and the U17 National Youth Final victory 24 – 20 against the South Island Scorpions.

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth scored two tries in the pool portion of the 2019 U17 National Youth Tournament with those tries coming in Match One against the Wellington Orcas and Match Three against the Northern Swords.

    In 2017 Isaac Matalavea-Booth represented Counties Manukau at the U15 National Youth Tournament starting in the front row in his two matches for the Stingrays.

    The tall strong young front rower runs hard and straight and does not take a backward step, for example for the Tao Samoa U18 late this season, Isaac Matalavea-Booth constantly ran into the heart of the New Zealand U18 forward pack who were huge and were hitting very hard in the tackle. One thing that did impress me was that he did not just put his head down and run into the first defender he saw.

    On a number of occasions Isaac Matalavea-Booth cut back behind the play the ball to take advantage of defenders who were slow to get back into the defensive line, similarly he also ran wider on occasion to target the smaller New Zealand U18 defenders, when New Zealand started to compress their defensive line when Tao Samoa had the momentum on their side.

    With his size and height Isaac Matalavea-Booth has an outstanding ability to off-load the ball particularly when he is running to his left. Isaac Matalavea-Booth is able to regularly get his right arm free and get it out in front and above his head and pop the ball to runners coming through on his left.

    On a number of occasions when he was playing for the Tao Samoa U18 side this season against New Zealand U18’s Isaac Matalavea-Booth used the skill set noted above to producing outstanding offloads, including one leading directly to a Tao Samoa try and another when the support runner was dragged down just short. Both of the offloads noted occurred around forth metres out from the New Zealand line.

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth continually put his hand up all day to take the ball up and has a very quick play the ball so that his team can maintain the momentum he is able to generate.

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth has continued to get bigger and stronger over the last few years and impressively has also been able to maintain has above average speed for his position, in fact I would consider his speed for a front rower of his height and size to be impressively nearing the plus category, certainly above average.

    Defensively Isaac Matalavea-Booth 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.

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth is not averse to looking for the big hit but also does have a good front on defensive technique and decent agility and lateral movement when looking to tackle smaller opponents. Isaac Matalavea-Booth has the size, strength and power to seal off sections of the field in defence and impressively can sustain that dominance for the entire match regularly.

    As noted Isaac Matalavea-Booth will play for the Burleigh Bears MM Cup side in 2020 and has already started training with the Bears as well as attending Keebra Park State High School and will be part of their Langer Cup and GIO Cup school boy rugby league campaigns. At this stage I am not sure which Gold Coast Rugby League club Isaac Matalavea-Booth will play for in the 2020 GCRL U18 Division One competition which is shaping as a very strong competition.

    It also would not surprise if Isaac Matalavea-Booth gets a call up at some stage of the 2020 season to the Burleigh U20 Hastings Deering’s Colts squad, he certainly would not look out of place in that competition from a size or skill perspective.

    For a young player Isaac Matalavea-Booth already has garnered a fair bit of representative rugby league experience at a high level through representing Tao Samoa at the U16 and U18 levels as well as playing for Counties Manukau in multiple New Zealand National Youth Competitions.

    This experience will stand him in good stead in Australia with Burleigh in the 2020 MM Cup competition as well as Keebra Park‘s big school boy matches including the local rivalry against PBC as well as against emerging power Coombabah State High School.

    It is players like Isaac Matalavea-Booth and the other young Titans players that are already at Keebra Park that should make the recent association between the Titans and Keebra Park so exciting for Titans fans both now and into the future. There is no doubt that the association between the two entities will help to “future proof” the Titans and help get the best juniors on the Gold Coast to continue to link with the Titans.

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth has spent his entire rugby league career in New Zealand encompassing club, school boy and representative rugby league in the front row and that will not change when the 193cm, 107kg powerhouse of a young man plays on the Gold Coast next season for the Titans, Burleigh and Keebra Park.

    From an NRL playing comparison style perspective for Isaac Matalavea-Booth, think along the lines of the Regan Campbell-Gillard of the Parramatta Eels (former Penrith Panther) and former New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International as a big tall front rower with good footwork both in attack and defence.

    Isaac Matalavea-Booth is also a leader on the field who can set the direction and tempo for his team by leading from the front through his powerful hit-ups in the most demanding position on a football field with a calmness and assurance that belies his age.

    Young players like Isaac Matalavea-Booth take a leap of faith when they move countries and back their ability to break into an NRL sides Development System and already Isaac Matalavea-Booth has been able to attract the attention of the Titans who have gotten in and signed Isaac Matalavea-Booth before he gets a lot more attention from other NRL clubs when the 2020 MM Cup competition kicks off in February 2020.

    When people see Isaac Matalavea-Booth for the first time up close, they will see a giant of a young man but they will be even be more impressed with just how good he is when they see him on a rugby league field

  15. #1110
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    JT (John Thomas) Manuofetoa. (Updated) He is a powerful young centre or second rower from the Ormeau Shearers junior rugby league club on the Gold Coast who was part of the Shearers U16 Division One Grand Final winning side in 2019, scoring a double in the victory. JT Manuofetoa was named to start the Grand Final on the bench end ended up starting and starring at right centre.

    JT Manuofetoa is currently with the Brisbane Bronco’s but with the Titans doing such a great job in bringing young local junior back into the fold, anything is certainly possible.

    In 2019 JT Manuofetoa moved to Brisbane Grammar School and started all eight of their GPS school boy rugby matches at outside centre (No. 13) with his debut in Round Two against Ipswich Grammar School after Brisbane Grammar School had a Round One bye.

    In 2018 JT Manuofetoa was named to start in the second row for U16 Queensland City side for their match against Queensland City but was unfortunately ruled out of the match in the end.

    In early 2018 JT Manuofetoa started at left centre for the Titans U15 side in their six tries to three victory over the Western Mustangs at Nerang. Over the course of the match JT Manuofetoa combined well with Kaleb Ngamanu.

    JT Manuofetoa was also part of the Ormeau U14 Division One side in 2017 that defeated Burleigh in the 2017 Grand Final 31 – 16. JT Manuofetoa actually started the Grand Final at five eight.

    Over the course of the 2017 GCJRL U14 Division One season, JT Manuofetoa played in thirteen matches for the Shearers, scoring eight tries including a final’s double against Runaway Bay. JT Manuofetoa had a great end to the regular season scoring in each of the last four rounds.

    In 2016 JT Manuofetoa played at fullback for the all-conquering U13 Gold Coast Vikings side as well as being named in the centres for South East Queensland Green U13’s.

    For the Ormeau Shearers in the U13 Division One competition in 2016, JT Manuofetoa played in ten matches and scored an impressive 17 tries for the season to finish third on the try scoring tally behind Shearers team mate Syris Schmidt who topped the list. At a team level, Ormeau had a very successful year culminating in a 34 – 22 Grand Final victory over Runaway Bay.

    JT Manuofetoa started the Grand Final at fullback. As noted JT Manuofetoa scored seventeen tries including an incredible span of five matches where he scored 14 tries alone including four against Helensvale, hat tricks against Helensvale again and Nerang and doubles Currumbin and Burleigh Heads. Earlier in the 2016 season he also scored a double against Jimboomba.

    Previous seasons has seen JT Manuofetao make a number of representative sides, for example in 2014 he represented the South Coast U11 QPSRL side which won the Queensland championships and scored two tries against Wide Bay and in 2015 he played for the Queensland Invitational side which finished third in the Australian U12 championships, and across the pool matches scored four tries, one each against ACT, WA, SA and NT.

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

    Like one or two others mentioned recently he runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line quite often, certainly more so than you would expect for a backrower taking the ball through the centre of the ruck.

    JT Manuofetoa does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle. He does not necessarily have a great top end speed, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence.

    There are a few big strong fast young centres/backrowers in his age group on the Gold Coast and JT is right up there in terms of speed. If anything he looked like his speed had improved over the course of the 2016 season meanly that the opportunity to continue in the outside backs rather than any future transition to the back row is potentially lessened.

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

    Where his greatest impact on a game is going to be is his defence. JT Manuofetoa has a great tackling technique and a hard hitting aggressive style to go with it. I think that in every game that I have seen him play, including representative games he has made a huge impact defensively. It is not a reckless style where he runs in trying to pull off the biggest hit possible, it is a calculating style where he uses a great technique to hit the opposition just under the rib cage to devastating effect.

    Moving to the 2020 JT Manuofetoa has been named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls MM Cup squad and post that competition will continue to play for the Ormeau Shearers in the GCRL U18 Division One competition.

    JT Manuofetoa will also continue to play GPS First XV rugby for Brisbane Grammar School.

    From a long term position perspective, I believe that he will continue to alternate between centre and second row in the short to medium term but when all is said and done I think that he will develop into a big strong powerful runner of the ball with an intimidating defensive mindset most likely in the second row but that is certainly not set in stone.

    From a player comparison perspective, a player who could be considered to have a similar playing style is Brisbane Broncos backrower Matt Gillett as a skilled 80 minute backrower who stands out due to his determination and intensity both with the ball and defensively. This young guy is a very talented young rugby league player (and rugby player for that matter) with a very bright future ahead of him.


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