JTS to NRL; the Titans juniors transition lounge

[Hail Sezer]

That could be right but there is obviously a weakness in the organisation in not having proper reviewing and authorisation processes in place of any media articles which are sent out on behalf of the Titans irrespective of when it is sent.

The article is pretty poor in my opinion and would obviously rub Boyd up the wrong way which is not what is needed.

I don’t think it’s that deep mate, I get where you’re coming from but I highly doubt Boyd reads an article on the Titans website let alone gets upset about someone in the media team forgetting to add his name to a sentence. The point of it was to talk about Tom Weaver’s season.

Let’s not blow it out of proportion

[Hail Sezer]

The Titans have today shared through social media confirmation of Keano Kini going full time with the NRL squad for 2023, which we already knew

For anyone wondering - he’s on a development contract. Also on a development contracts are Ben Liyou, Tony Francis (year 2) and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui.

[Whats Doing]

The Titans have today shared through social media confirmation of Keano Kini going full time with the NRL squad for 2023, which we already knew

For anyone wondering - he’s on a development contract. Also on a development contracts are Ben Liyou, Tony Francis (year 2) and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui.

It will be interesting where we place Keano in the scheme of things over the next couple of years with Campbell, AJ, Foran, Weaver, Tanah, Sexton, as he is a special talent and there are a number of clubs ready to pounce if not managed properly

[Hail Sezer]

For the second year in a row, Keano Kini has been awarded the Langer Trophy Player Of The Year.

This year he shares it with Broncos youngster Karl Oloapu, who is also a terrific young prospect.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/quest...11f16505eb2b81

[Hail Sezer]

Looking toward 2023, I've broken the below into two sections; Full-time with NRL in 2023, and Pre-season with NRL (or "train and trial" as the Titans keep confusingly calling them). All players are products of, or current members of, the Titans JTS system (which I think is now called Future Titans so I should probably start getting that right )

The latter i've reduced the summaries about but given an overview of where they're at, what their pathway potentially looks like and my thoughts on their potential.

Red=full time contract beginning whichever year

Full-Time with NRL in 2023:

Tom Weaver
19, Halfback, Tweed
NRL Top 30 for 2023
2022 Season: Met expectations. Given his age and position the progression to Qcup is generally a bit steeper and this is compounded for Tom because he's well undersized at that level. He had a very good HDC season but the highlight of his year would've been the NSW U19's match.
Things to like: Highly competitive, high IQ, understands and applies a lot of the subtle traits a halfback needs particularly off the ball. Seems to get a team to spots fairly comfortably and can control tempo well. Just all round strong fundamentals, a high level of ball skill and he's relatively quick on his feet too.
Things to work on to get to NRL level: Size. He needs to be bigger but he's also only 19 years old, and so will naturally fill out over the coming years. The defensive side of his game needs a lot of improvement IMO too, but the good thing is he isn't lacking in confidence there and applies himself well..he's just not physically big or strong enough sometimes to make his contact stick or be effective in the tackle. Also, halfback is generally a long-road position to NRL regualr and generally they just need more and more time playing quality opposition to learn situational play. This will just come with experience playing Qcup.
What do I expect in 2023?
A full season of Qcup. Personally, I'm not expecting an NRL debut from Tom unless he plays lights out at Qcup from the start. A big part of this is because of Tanah Boyd and Toby Sexton still being options as well.

Ben Liyou
21, Middle, Tweed
2022 Season: Met expectations. I would've liked to see some more Qcup from him and thought his form warranted it, but he only played one game.
Things to like: Consistent, high-effort, no-frills player. Big body. He's not athletically blessed like a lot of other young middles but the guy is just big and tough. Works very hard and by all accounts is a presence at training with his effort and application to being better. Defends tough and has enough length to wrap players up effectively.
Things to work on to get to NRL level: Variety in his game. He plays a bit straight up and down at the moment which is fine, but adding more to the toolkit will help. He's a middle so much like I said with Iszac, just needs more time playing Qcup and adjusting to that level of physicality. It's hard to assess his defence techincally because he hasn't been tested around the ruck/marker/getting to A at a high level yet either, which as we know brings a lot of middles unstuck at NRL level.
What do I expect in 2023?
A full season of Qcup and a potential NRL debut off the bench based on the current roster. I think one of him or Iszac may be provided that opportunity likely in the case of injuries or suspensions.

Keano Kini
18, Fullback/Five-Eighth, Tweed
NRL Development Contract for 2023
2022 Season: Exceeded expectations. Keano couldn't really have done much more playing at Schoolboy (for PBC) and U18 level. His accolades include:
-QLD Schoolboys player of the tournament
-Aus Schoolboys starting fullback
-Langer Trophy player of the year (for the second year in a row..)
Things to like: Been watching Keano since he was 16 and he's just absolutely electric. Great footwork, accelerates like he's shot out of a cannon, hits the contact hard, can ballplay short and long either side (former touch and tag footy star in Auckland). Highly evasive runner of the ball and can play both through the middle and on either edge. Always active and looking to inject himself. I don't say this lightly, but Keano is the best U18 prospect I've ever seen in the Titan's system and I would say many would rate him the best U18 talent/schoolboy player in Australia this year.
Things to work on to get to NRL level: Despite the above, he's never played a game of Qcup. And that's a different beast that asks a lot more of a fullback than schoolboy footy. Defensively he was fine against schoolboys but whether that translates up the grades against bigger bodies we're yet to see. Can he compete effectively for the high ball at a tougher level? Can he keep up with the pace and stay engaged on both sides of the ball? Is he able to influence a game in the same way with the ball? Can he organise a defensive line effectively from the back? Can he defend at a level against men? A lot of questions still to be answered but he can only play what's in front of him, which up until this point he's done extremely well. He's a bit undersized with his height but I'm yet to see this really be an issue.
What do I expect in 2023?
A fast progression to Qcup. He physically will mature a lot over the next few years so how this develops will probably play a part in how he adapts at each level. If he plays a decent amount of Qcup and proves he's capable, he's ticked a major box in his development well before when we would ordinarily expect a player his age to.

NRL Pre-season for 2023:

Ryan Foran
19, edge backrower, Tweed
Pre-season with NRL for 2023, NRL Top 30 for 2024
What to expect for 2023: Best case for Ryan is a full season of Qcup playing outside his mate Tom Weaver. Going full-time with NRL straight into the top 30 for 2024 means he's still a work in progress but he's got two very important seasons coming up to prep himself and show he's got NRL in him.

Jaylan De Groot
19, Fullback/Wing, Tweed
Pre-season with NRL for 2023, NRL Development Contract for 2024
What to expect for 2023: Similar to Ryan Foran, Jaylan needs to get as much game time in Qcup as he possibly can. He's undersized and this needs to be his priority in the off-season. I'm personally a huge fan of how De Groot plays the game but the question for me is where does he end up positionally. I really think it could be anywhere from 1-6.

Oskar Bryant
19, Hooker, Tweed
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: I'm not sure on Oskar's health, he had a pretty nasty leg break late in the season for Tweed Colts. If he's good to go for 2023, he needs as much time in Qcup as possible. Putting size on needs to be his priority in order to handle the defensive workload. His ability with the ball is already there.

Vaka Sikahele
20, Hooker/Lock, Burleigh
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Vaka needs to prove he's Qcup capable and can stay healthy. The last 2 seasons he has been plagued by injury and hasn't had the chance to get any momentum going. A move to lock could also be on the cards. A full pre-season followed by a full season with Burleigh Qcup is what he needs to prove he's worth a full-time contract.

Kaleb Ngamanu
19, Centre/Wing, Tweed
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Kaleb surprised a few by playing a few games of Qcup in 2022. Like a few others on this list, he needs more of this and to prove he's got enough there to make that next step. Highly enthusiastic, never lacking involvement and very physical. Not the biggest centre/winger but seems to make up for it. He was 18th man for QLD U19's. I expect majority of 2023 is spent in Qcup for Kaleb.

Josiah Pahulu
18, Middle, Burleigh
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Big things. Josiah is an extremely talented young prop who captained his Ipswich SHS side to a national title as the best schoolboy team in the country this year. Aus Schoolboys rep. Has a lot of traits that translate well up the grades. High effort, leads from the front, great leg speed, hits hard and carries through contact very strong. Low centre of gravity with a very quick PTB. Details, effort plays and leadership on the field...this bloke has displayed it all so far. I am extremely hopeful Josiah has already signed a full-time development contract for at least 2024 because we need to lock him in. Sorry..back to my expectation for him for '23 - more Qcup than you'd expect from an 18 year old middle and a MOTM performance in the U19's origin where he captains the QLD side.

Seth Nikotemo
18, Edge Backrower, Burleigh
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Keebra park and QLD Schools Backrower, Nikotemo is your prototype backrow athlete...big, strong, physical and athletic. Seth has some wonderful attributes to his game but IMO needs to sharpen up a few defensive habits and bring a bit more with the ball in hand. I expect him to play the season in the HDC U21's comp.

Arama Hau
18, Edge Backrower, Burleigh
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Keebra Park captain and Aus Schoolboys selection has iced off a nice 2023 for Hau who really had a breakout year. He's probably best know for a broad skillset with an offload and some ball playing but also possesses footwork and a strong carry. Aggressive defender who doesn't mind a bit of biff. His effort play and discipline is what really improved this year and if he continues this trend he will see more time with NRL squad. I expect him to be signed to a full-time contract for 2024 at least, likely a Development deal. I also expect him to play at least 5 games in Qcup.

Immanuel Kalekale
18, Middle, Burleigh
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Immanuel is at Keebra Park and also made the QLD Schoolboys side. He was brought over from Auckland a few years ago. Big human. Carries the ball well. IMO he needs to improve his conditioning and defensive effort and efficiency to be considered for a full-time contract. I expect him to play a full season of the HDC U21's comp in 2023.

Jayden Wright
19, Edge Backrow/Centre, Tweed
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Tall, rangey and capable of playing backrow and centre. He was injured most of 2022 but he's improved a lot over the last few years and an NRL pre-season could make him an interesting prospect. I expect him to play mostly HDC for 2023 but wouldn't be surprised if he played some games in qcup.

Max Liles
18,5/8, Tweed
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Honestly, I've never focused too much on Max's game so wouldn't want to do him the disrespect of pretending I have or underselling his ability I'll tag mdrew in for this one.

Tanu Nona
18, Hooker, Tweed
NRL pre-season 2023
What to expect for 2023: Been a huge fan of this kid for years. PBC captain this year and a good size for a hooker who by all accounts posseses some elite leadership qualities. Good runner of the ball. Distributes well. Bigger body so handles defending the middle well and as such played some lock. Just seems a very natural footballer. I really think he is a smokey to play some Qcup in 2023.

There ya have it, folks. I hope this is useful to anyone who will be observing the pre-season and keeping a close or distant eye on the above Titans junior prospects in season 2023. I do apologise in advance if any of the above information is incorrect or off the mark, and I'd encourage anyone to correct me if so and I can fix it up. Please keep in mind a lot of this is purely my opinion on players after observing them for a few years.

All of the above players are long-term Titans juniors who have proven themselves at junior level and it is incredibly exciting to see so many get an opportunity for an NRL pre-season. Hopefully get to see these baby Titans feature in a pre-season trial match as well

[mdrew]

Great post HS. Mex Liles played a number of matches for Tweed Colts this season whilst still U18 eligible and I think that he plays the majority of the 2023 in Colts as well. He is a Matt Burton clone.

[hungryjacks]

Epic write up, just leaving a comment to let you know its much appreciated.

[lonegull]

Thanks HS definitely some talent there and we are starting to see the hard work pay off that Jamie McCormack has put into the junior pathways

[Upthetits]

Good read, thanks for that mate.

Really hope the titans can develope some of this guys into 10 year first graders for this club.

Crazy to think Penrith have their own team in the nsw comp so every player already knows the system and can fill into the first grade squad as required. Not split over different clubs like we are with burkeigh and tweed. Hard to compete with that

[The Birdman]

Great job as always HS. Much appreciated!

[jacksonm]

Fantastic summary. Appreciate the effort

[Hail Sezer]

Titans have recently posted a video doing an interview with Keano Kini:

https://www.titans.com.au/news/2022/...nrl-challenge/

[Titanic]

IN my opinion, mdrew and HS are two men who typify the Titans core ... the Forum is lucky to have such people who make it so much more than the whinge and cringe outlet that so many other clubs have. Thanks, I very much appreciate your commitment to the community plus the breadth, depth and balance of your observations.

[lonegull]

IN my opinion, mdrew and HS are two men who typify the Titans core ... the Forum is lucky to have such people who make it so much more than the whinge and cringe outlet that so many other clubs have. Thanks, I very much appreciate the breadth, depth and balance of your observations.

Well put titanic couldn't have said it any better mate, their knowledge and input into the forum is second to non and where would we be without them both on here

[ozynorts]

IN my opinion, mdrew and HS are two men who typify the Titans core ... the Forum is lucky to have such people who make it so much more than the whinge and cringe outlet that so many other clubs have. Thanks, I very much appreciate your commitment to the community plus the breadth, depth and balance of your observations.

Totally agree with this. It is always great to read some first hand insights on these up and coming talents. Thanks to you both.