Palm Beach Currumbin State High were crowned National Schoolboy champions for the fourth time on Wednesday, defeating Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown 18-16 in the final.

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With the hometown crowd behind them at Cbus Super Stadium, they scored first and led 8-4 going into halftime.

Patrician Brothers, who went into the final undefeated, took the lead in the second half with tries to lock Tyson Sanglang and winger Chas Riddle in the space of four minutes.

Down eight with 10 to play, PBC got within four when second rower Reuben Tamariki scored his second of the game.

They won it with two minutes remaining when winger Beau Hartmann leapt high to retrieve a Zane Harrison bomb to score the winner.

Harrison, a Tweed Heads junior contracted to the Titans, was named Player of the Match and Peter Sterling Medalist for player of the competition.

PBC was the first Queensland school to win the tournament, beating St Gregory’s Campbelltown in the final almost exactly 23 years ago – their side that day featuring a 16-year-old Ben Hannant.

The win moves them ahead of arch-rivals Keebra Park State High (three titles) as the most successful school in the state.

For Patrician Brothers, it’s their seventh national final defeat, the most of any school. Their lone title came in 2012 with a side that included Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Bryce Cartwright.

PBC’s win continues a great run for Queensland schools in the competition, winning seven of the last 10 national finals.1 Before 2013, Queensland schools had only won four times in total.

Palm Beach Currumbin 18 (Reuben Tamariki 2, Beau Hartmann tries; Zane Harrison 3 goals) def. Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown 16 (Cameron Bamblett, Chas Riddle, Tyson Sangalang tries; Charlie Elaro 2 goals) at Cbus Super Stadium.

Ipswich State High won the second NRL Schoolgirls Cup with a dominant 28-6 win over Hills Sports High later in the day.

Hills Sports were playing in their second national final, losing in 2023 to Mabel Park State High.

Led by captain Shalom Sauaso, Ipswich ran over the top of their opponents in the second half, scoring 16 unanswered points. Winger Kaiah Hansell scored a hat trick, while Sauaso was named Player of the Match.

Sauaso, who has already played Super W for the Reds, is contracted to the Broncos and could easily play in the NRLW right now. The best prospect I’ve seen watching junior female footy in the last six or so years. She can also kick goals from the sideline.

Ipswich State High 28 (Kaiah Hansell 3, Shalom Sauaso, Lishainah Ulugia tries; Sauaso 4 goals) def. Hills Sports High 6 (Danielle Seckold try; Manua Moleka goal) at Cbus Super Stadium.

🏉 Four remain in Jersey Flegg

Canberra and Canterbury will play for a spot in the 2024 Grand Final in this weekend’s major semi-final.

The Raiders, who finished as minor premiers, come into the game off a bye, while the Bulldogs took down the Panthers 32-6 in last weekend’s Qualifying Final.

Penrith moved into the elimination match against Cronulla, who stormed into the finals thanks to a seven-game winning streak and then eliminated Newcastle 22-6 in Week 1.

The Sharks will be led by halfback Riley Pollard, a Panthers junior who joined the club this season.

Finals Week 1 - Results
Canterbury 32 (Taye Cochrane 2, Danny Gabrael, Damon Marshall, Ratu Rinakama tries; Cassius Tia 6 goals) def. Penrith 6 (Billy Phillips try; Jett Cleary goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: Cameron Turner. HT: CBY 14-0. Tackles: Billy Phillips 39 (PEN), Fahmy Toilalo 33 (CBY). Run metres: Nick Murphy 251 (PEN), Fahmy Toilalo 185 (CBY).

Cronulla 22 (Kristian Dixon, Chaz Jarvis, Riley Pollard, Te Wehi Waitere tries; Riley Pollard 3 goals) def. Newcastle 6 (Logan Aoake try; Connor Votano goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: Mitch Currie. HT: CRO 16-0. Tackles: Jacob Davis 38 (NEW), Chaz Jarvis 37 (CRO). Run metres: Harley Walker 124 (NEW), Kristian Dixon 193 (CRO).

Finals Week 2 - Fixtures
Sun 15 Sept - Canberra vs. Canterbury, 11 am, Leichhardt
Sun 15 Sept - Penrith vs. Cronulla, 3 pm, Leichhardt
Both games will be streamed on NSWRL.tv

🏉 Pattie named Flegg’s best

Raiders’ hooker Owen Pattie was named Jersey Flegg Player of the Year at the Brad Fittler Medal Awards last week.

He played 15 games for the minor premiers before moving up to their NSW Cup side, where he’s named to play again this weekend.

A Rockhampton junior, Pattie joined the Raiders in 2023 after two seasons with the CQ Capras junior sides.

Previous winners
2018 Beau Fermor (Newcastle)
2019 Charlie Staines (Penrith)
2022 Jack Cole (Penrith)
2023 Max McCathie (Sydney)

🏉 Silktails go winless

In their inaugural season in the Jersey Flegg, Fiji’s Kaiviti Silktails failed to register a win.

Up against very strong opposition each week, the Silktails will be disappointed not to have snatched a win or two at home in 2024.

They went close on several occasions - against Souths in Round 2 (20-14), Canterbury in Round 15 (18-14) and twice against the Warriors in Round 14 (16-0) and Round 20 (16-4).

In the end, they finished last with 24 losses from 24 games.

It’s the first winless season in the Jersey Flegg since 2006, when the Central Coast Rip (yes, Rip), lost 22 and drew one from their 23 matches. They ended the season with a points differential of -846, conceding 1102 points.

They also went winless the year before, going 0 from 24 and conceding 1300 points, including a famous 102-8 loss to St George Illawarra.

In Queensland’s statewide Colts competition, two sides failed to win a game - the Ipswich Jets in 2021 and the Northern Pride last year, both finishing 0-14.

🏉 NYC back?

Some thoughts on the news that broke a few weeks back about the reintroduction of the National Youth Competition.

As a Cowboys fan, my first thought was “good”. With no Colts, the Queensland teams have nowhere good to send players who aren’t ready for Cup. Local A Grade is a step down in facilities, training and competition. A lot of players left Queensland to play in the Jersey Flegg this year.

If the comp is re-introduced and player welfare is to be taken seriously (ha) then it should not take precedence over the Qld and NSW Cup in terms of player development.

That seems very obvious but in the early days of the NYC, it was promoted as a direct pathway into first grade. This was of course bad. Over time, clubs realised and by the end of its run it was very clearly below Cup in terms of importance.

I also wouldn’t air games on Fox or Nine at all but this comp was originally canned due to money so that’s not going to happen.

Oh, and bring back the yellow ball.

The Schoolboy Cup finals in both conferences are now set after Waka Hammond led Hallam Secondary College to the biggest upset of the season.

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In the Peter Mulholland Cup play-in game, Hallam defeated Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield, the 2022 national runners-up, 20-17 thanks to Hammond’s last-second solo try.

Hammond played seven games for the Storm’s Harold Matthews side earlier this year, predominately at halfback, scoring five tries and kicking 24 goals.

Fairfield was the lowest ranked of the eight NSW/ACT qualifiers, meaning a trip to Melbourne to play Storm Cup winners Hallam.

It was reported that this was both the first time a Victorian school had qualified for the Mulholland Cup finals and the first time a Victorian school had beaten a northern school but that’s not the case.

Victoria University Secondary College played in last year’s quarter-finals, although under a different qualifying format. Hallam themselves have a win over a NSW school, having defeated Illawarra Sports High 46-12 in 2017.

What may be true (according to my records, anyway), is that this is the first time a Victorian school has defeated a Sydney school in the NRL Schoolboy Cup.

In 2023, Hallam became the first Victorian school to win the NRL Schoolboy Trophy, the second-tier competition, when they defeated Wagga Wagga’s Kildare College 26-6.

They now enter the finals proper and will face Central Coast Sports College at Campbelltown Stadium on 7 August.

All four finals will be played on that day at Campbelltown, with Holy Cross Ryde opening the day against Endeavour Sports High.

Holy Cross topped Pool A undefeated, while Endeavour won Pool D, dropping just one game - a 20-14 loss to Bass High in May.

Cup favourites Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown face Erindale in the third game of the day. Both schools smashed their way through their pools, Blacktown scoring 138 points and conceding 10, Erindale scoring 118 and 30.

The final game of the day sees Hunter Sports High play Bass High. Bass finished second in Pool D after their upset win over Endeavour. Hunter finished 2nd behind Erindale in Pool C.

Defending conference and national champions, Westfields Sports High, missed the finals. They failed to win a game and finished last in Pool A.

2024 Peter Mulholland Cup - Finals Week 1
Wednesday, 7 August - Campbelltown Sports Stadium
10am Holy Cross Ryde vs. Endeavour Sports - Qualifying Final
11:20am Central Coast Sports vs. Hallam Secondary - Elimination Final
12:40pm Patrician Brothers Blacktown vs. Erindale - Qualifying Final
2pm Hunter Sports vs. Bass High - Elimination Final

Allan Langer Trophy - South East Queensland

Gee Cup winners Stretton State College will play in the Allan Langer Trophy finals for the first time after defeating Marymount College in the eighth-placed play-in game.

Replacing Caloundra State High, who finished winless in last place, they’ll face Palm Beach Currumbin in the quarter-finals on 7 August.

PBC finished the pool phase strong with a big win over rivals Keebra Park to finish in third.

Undefeated Ipswich State High will open the day at Bishop Park against seventh-placed Redcliffe State High. The schools played in Round 4, with Ipswich winning 24-16.

Second-placed Keebra Park takes on sixth-placed Mabel Park in game two. Keebra defeated Mabel 12-4 in Round 6, in between losses to Ipswich and PBC.

Wavell State High and Marsden State High will close out the day’s action. Wavell beat Marsden 24-12 when the two schools met in June.

2024 Allan Langer Trophy - Quarter Finals
Wednesday, 7 August - Bishop Park
10:30am Ipswich SHS vs. Redcliffe SHS
12pm Keebra Park SHS vs. Mabel Park SHS
2:45pm Palm Beach Currumbin SHS vs. Stretton State College
4:15pm Wavell SHS vs. Marsden SHS

Aaron Payne Cup - North Queensland

St Patrick’s Mackay finished the pool phase strong after a slow start to the season. They went undefeated in their final three games, knocking off Townsville’s Kirwan and Ignatius Park, to finish second in Pool A.

That sets up a semi-final clash with Ignatius, the third time the schools will meet in 2024. Ignatius won 20-4 in Round 3, while St Pat’s returned serve last week, winning 22-8.

Kirwan’s loss to St Pat’s was their only stumble as they topped Pool A. They’ll meet Pool B winners St Augustine’s Cairns in the other semi.

St Augustine’s dominated their pool, going undefeated, scoring 302 points and conceding just 16. Kirwan poses a much tougher test than anything they’ve faced in 2024 but they take 82-0 and 78-0 wins into the match.

That game will be played as a curtain-raiser to the Cowboys-Broncos Round 23 fixture.

2024 Aaron Payne Cup - Semi-Finals
Thursday, 8 August
12pm St Patrick’s Mackay vs. Ignatius Park, venue TBA
Saturday, 10 August
3:10pm Kirwan SHS vs. St Augustine’s Cairns, Qld Country Bank Stadium

Dolphins Cup - Central Queensland

After a week off waiting for the others to catch up, the Dolphins Cup semis will get underway at Rockhampton’s Rugby Park on 6 August.

St Brendan’s Yeppoon, who finished first, will face fourth-placed Emmaus College in the day’s first game. St Brendan’s won 26-4 when they met in Round 2.

Second-placed Cathedral College meet Rockhampton Grammar School. Cathedral’s only loss in 2024 came to RGS in Round 2, losing 20-6.

2024 Dolphins Cup - Semi-Finals
Tuesday, 6 August - Rugby Park
4pm St Brendan’s Yeppoon vs. Emmaus College
5:15pm The Cathedral College vs. Rockhampton Grammar

NRL Schoolgirls Cup

The final series for the Northern Conference has also been decided and will be held next week. I can’t find any updated information about the Southern Conference. Their pool phase ended in June but I’ve seen nothing since then.

Mabel Park State High are the defending national champions. They’ll play Marsden State High in the second South East Queensland semi-final, a curtain-raiser to the Round 23 Titans-Sharks NRL fixture at Cbus Super Stadium.

Northern Conference - Semi-Finals
Central Queensland - Rugby Park, Tuesday 6 August
2pm Emmaus College vs. Shalom College
3pm The Cathedral College vs. Rockhampton Grammar

South East Queensland
Wednesday, 7 August
1:30pm Ipswich SHS vs. Keebra Park SHS, Bishop Park
Friday, 9 August
3:50pm Marsden SHS vs. Mabel Park SHS, Cbus Super Stadium

North Queensland - Thursday, 8 August
1:15pm St Patrick’s Mackay vs. Mackay SHS, venue TBA
2:30pm Kirwan SHS vs. Trinity Bay SHS, Jack Manski Oval

Schoolboy Cup - Final Standings
For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Allan Langer Trophy
1 Ipswich SHS (14 points), 2 Keebra Park SHS (10), 3 Palm Beach Currumbin SHS (9), 4 Wavell SHS (7), 5 Marsden SHS (6), 6 Mabel Park SHS (6), 7 Redcliffe SHS (4), 8 Caloundra SHS (0).

Aaron Payne Cup
Pool A: 1 Kirwan SHS (9 points), 2 St Patrick’s Mackay (8), 3 Ignatius Park (7), 4 Trinity Bay SHS (0).
Pool B: 1 St Augustine’s Cairns (12), 2 Mackay SHS (8), 3 Holy Spirit Mackay (0), 4 Mareeba SHS (0).

Dolphins Cup
1 St Brendan’s Yeppoon (8 points), 2 The Cathedral College (8), 3 Rockhampton Grammar (6), 4 Emmaus College (4), 5 Shalom College (4).

Peter Mulholland Cup
Pool A: 1 Holy Cross Ryde (6 points), 2 Central Coast Sports (4), 3 Farrer MAHS (2), 4 Westfields Sports (0).
Pool B: 1 Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown (6), 2 Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield (4), 3 All Saints’ Maitland (2), 4 Matraville Sports (0).
Pool C: 1 Erindale College (6), 2 Hunter Sports (4), 3 Hills Sports (2), 4 Illawarra Sports (0).
Pool D: 1 Endeavour Sports (4), 2 Bass High (4), 3 St Gregory’s Campbelltown (4), 4 St Dominic’s Penrith (0).
Storm Cup: 1 Hallam Secondary (8), 2 Vic Uni Secondary (6), 3 The Grange P-12 (4), 4 Mt Ridley College (1), 5 Manor Lakes P-12 (1).

Schoolgirl Cup - Finals Standings

Northern Conference
Pool A: 1 Ipswich SHS (8 points), 2 Marsden SHS (8), 3 Mabel Park SHS (8), 4 Keebra Park (4), 2 St James’ Spring Hill (2).
Pool B: 1 The Cathedral College (6), 2 Emmaus College (4), 3 Shalom College (2), 4 Rockhampton Grammar (0).
Pool C: 1 St Patrick’s Mackay (8), 2 Kirwan SHS (4), 3 Mackay SHS (0), 4 Trinity Bay SHS (0).

The 2024 Australian Schoolboys and Schoolgirls sides have been named following this week’s National Championships in Coffs Harbour.1

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The week wrapped up with two dominant finals victories.

NSW Combined Catholic Colleges defeating NSW Combined High Schools 40-12 in the boys’ final, and Queensland holding NSWCHS scoreless 16-0 in a rematch of last year’s girls’ final.

It’s the second consecutive boys’ title for NSWCCC and their 18th overall, while Queensland secured their first championship victory after losing in last year’s inaugural girls’ final.

NSWCCC prop Cody Hopwood was named boys’ Player of the Championship, with Queensland five-eighth Shalom Sauaso being named the girls’ best.

2024 Australian Schoolboys
1 Jack ATTARD (St Dominic’s College Kingswood - NSWCCC)
2 Luke TUIALII (Erindale College, Wanniassa - ACT)
3 Nikora WILLIAMS (Endeavour Sports High, Caringbah - NSWCHS)
4 Sam STEPHENSON (Palm Beach Currumbin State High - QRSS)
5 Mason BARBER (Keebra Park State High, Southport - QRSS)
6 Mitchell WOODS (St Patrick’s College, Strathfield - NSWCIS)
7 Toby RODWELL (Newington College, Stanmore - NSWCIS)
8 Alex CHALLENOR (St Aloysius College, Cronulla - NSWCCC)
9 Lachlan COINAKIS (Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown - NSWCCC)
10 Cody HOPWOOD (All Saints’ College, Maitland - NSWCCC)
11 Jacob HALANGAHU (Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown - NSWCCC)
12 Zac GARTON (Caloundra State High - QRSS)
13 Thomas DELLOW (Endeavour Sports High, Caringbah - NSWCHS)
14 Jared HAYWOOD (Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown - NSWCCC)
15 Simione LAIAFI (Bass High, Bass Hill - NSWCHS)
16 Ryda TALAGI (Westfields Sports High, Fairfield West - NSWCHS)
17 Tyson SANGALANG (Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown - NSWCCC)
18 Lincoln FLETCHER (The Hills Sports High, Seven Hills - NSWCHS)

Coach: Tim White (Holy Cross College, Ryde - NSWCCC)
Manager: Tim Wykes (Lightning Ridge Central School - NSWCHC)
Assistant Coach: Ash Barnes (Erindale College, Wanniassa - ACT)
Trainer: Michael Fisher (Marist Catholic College, Penshurst - NSWCCC)

Jacob Halangahu, Nikora Williams, and Cody Hopwood become two-time representatives after making the side in 2023. Hopwood is one of seven of the victorious NSWCCC side to be selected.

2024 Australian Schoolgirls
1 Kayla HENDERSON (Crestwood High, Baulkham Hills - NSWCHS)
2 Gabriella SAVAGE-FA’AOSO (Dickson College - ACT)
3 Indie BOSTOCK (Warilla High - NSWCHS)
4 Phoenix-Raine HIPPI (Ballina Coast High - NSWCHS)
5 Mercedez TAULELEI-SIALA (Ipswich State High - QRSS)
6 Shalom SAUASO (Ipswich State High - QRSS)
7 Olivia VA’ALELE (The Hills Sports High, Seven Hills - NSWCHS)
8 Seriah PALEPALE (Bass High, Bass Hill - NSWCHS)
9 Raewyn OLOMALII (Marsden State High, Waterford West - QRSS)
10 Alice SHANNON (Mabel Park State High, Slacks Creek - QRSS)
11 Pauline SULI-RUKA (Westfields Sports High, Fairfield West - NSWCHS)
12 Amanii MISA (Mabel Park State High, Slacks Creek - QRSS)
13 Trinity TAUANEAI (Bass High, Bass Hill - NSWCHS)
14 Mahlie CASHIN (Central Coast Sports College, Kariong - NSWCIS)
15 Ella WALKER (The Hills Sports High, Seven Hills - NSWCHS)
16 Reegan HICKS (Australian Christian College, Moreton - QRSS)
17 Stella LEWIS (Newman Senior Technical College, Port Macquarie - NSWCCC)
18 Liesl HOPOATE (Mount Carmel Catholic College, Varroville - NSWCCC)

Coach: Patricia Raikadroka (The Hills Sports High, Seven Hills - NSWCHS)
Manager: Karra-Lee Nolan (Warilla High - NSWCHS)
Assistant Coach: Elle Moss (St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba - QRSS)
Trainer: Veronica White (Palm Beach Currumbin State High - QRSS)

NSWCHS’ Kayla Henderson and Indie Bostock, and Queensland’s Alice Shannon and Reegan Hicks make the side for the second consecutive year. Despite winning the tournament, Queensland have just six representatives to NSWCHS’ eight.

Boys’ 16-18 Championships
Champions: NSWCCC
Player of the Championships: NSWCCC 10 Cody Hopwood (All Saints’ College, Maitland)

Pool A: 1st NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (4 points), 2nd Queensland Representative School Sport (2 pts), 3rd Combined Affiliated States (0 pts)
Pool B: 1st NSW Combined High School (2 points, +6), 2nd NSW Combined Independent Schools (2 pts, -2), 3rd ACT Secondary Schools (2pts, -4)

Day 1
NSWCIS 34 (Heinz Lemoto 3, Rex Bassingthwaighte, Kahu Capper, Heamasi Makasini, Toby Rodwell tries; Mitchell Woods 3/7 goals) def. NSWCHS 24 (Zailen Campbell-Cook 2, Kade Reed, Lorenzo Talataina, Nikora Williams tries; Nikora Williams 2/5 goals).
Players of the Match: NSWCHS 12 Darcy Smith (Kincumber High); NSWCIS 11 Heinz Lemoto (The Scots College).

NSWCCC 30 (Lucas Borg 2, Jared Haywood, Jack Hilliar, Jhett Sydir tries; Jack Attard 4, Cooper Black goals) def. QRSS 26 (Zac Garton 2, Charlie Dickson, Zac Herdegen, Saifiti Junior Saifiti tries; Zane Harrison 3 goals).
Players of the Match: NSWCCC 17 Fletcher O’Doherty (St Mary’s College Gateshead); QRSS 11 Zac Garton (Caloundra SHS).

Day 2
ACT 20 (Braydan Darmody, Harry Hudson, Cooper Johnston, Luke Tuialii tries; Braydan Darmody 2 goals) def. NSWCIS 8 (Cyrus Bloomfield, Heamasi Makasini tries).
Players of the Match: NSWCIS 12 Josiah Fesolai (Central Coast Sports College); ACT 7 Jonah Anderson (Erindale College).

QRSS 20 (Mason Barber, Zac Garton, Elijah McKay, Sam Stephenson tries; Zane Harrison 2 goals) def. CAS 16 (Lockyer-Azile Foliola, Darius Rogers, Micah Warena tries; Waka Hammond 2 goals).
Players of the Match: QRSS 7 Zac Harrison (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS); CAS 1 Matthew Kereti (The Grange P-12 School).

Day 3
NSWCCC 38 (Cody Hopwood 2, Jope Rauqe 2, Lachlan Dooner, Jared Haywood, Andes Johansson tries; Jack Attard 4, Wil Rosenbaum goals) def. CAS 0.
Players of the Match: NSWCCC 15 Jack Hilliar (All Saints’ College Maitland); CAS 9 Lockyer-Azile Foliola (Victoria Uni Secondary College)

NSWCHS 26 (Zailen Campbell-Cook 2, Lincoln Fletcher, Darcy Smith, Lorenzo Talataina tries; Kade Reed 2, Nikora Williams goals) def. ACT 10 (Patrick Dawson, Yuri Hromow tries; Braydan Darmody goal).
Players of the Match: NSWCHS 15 Lincoln Fletcher (Hills Sports High); ACT 4 Luke Tuialii (Erindale College).

Day 4 - Rest Day

Day 5
3rd vs. 3rd Selection Match
CAS 22 (Izaac Batey, Zeph Faumuina, Daniel Moananu, Joseph Vela tries; Waka Hammond 3 goals) def. ACT 10 (Jamie Cowling, Luke Tuialii tries; Brayden Darmody goal).
Players of the Match: CAS 14 Deacon King (Mt Ridley Secondary College); ACT 1 Braydan Darmody (St Edmund’s College Canberra).

Semi Final 1
NSWCCC 28 (Cooper Black, Cody Hopwood, Jope Rauqe, Wil Rosenbaum, Jacob Halangahu tries; Jack Attard 3, Cooper Black goals) def. NSWCIS 16 (Rex Bassingthwaighte 2, Samuel Polley tries; Kahu Capper, Mitchell Woods goals).
Players of the Match: NSWCIS 5 Rex Bassingthwaighte (SHORE School North Sydney); NSWCCC 12 Jacob Halangahu (Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown).

Semi Final 2
NSWCHS 26 (Toby Winter 3, Kade Reed tries; Nikora Williams 4, Kade Reed goals) def. QSSR 24 (Xzavier Timoteo 2, Mason Barber, Elijah McKay tries; Zane Harrison 4 goals).
Players of the Match: QRSS 5 Saifiti Junior Saifiti (Ipswich SHS); NSWCHS 6 Lorenzo Talataina (Hills Sports High).

Day 6
Championship Final
NSWCCC 40 (Jack Attard 2, Lucas Borg, Lachlan Dooner, Jack Hilliar, Wil Rosenbaum, Josiah Vaha’akolo-Fifita tries; Jack Attard 6, Jack Thompson goals) def. NSWCHS 12 (Michael Nassar, Lorima Rokosuka, Nikora Williams tries).
Player of the Final: NSWCCC 1 Jack Attard (St Dominic’s College Kingswood).

1st Selection Match
QRSS 28 (Zac Garton 2, Sunny Kama 2, Mason Barber tries; Zane Harrison 4 goals) def. ACT 10 (Jacob Mau-Pohiva, Luke Tuialii tries; Braydan Darmody goal).
Players of the Match: ACT 16 Byron Cahill (Erindale College); QRSS 6 Zac Herdegen (Wavell SHS).

2nd Selection Match
NSWCIS 60 (Rex Bassingthwaighte 3, Tylan Black-Berryman 2, Jai Callaghan 2, Kahu Capper 2, Toby Rodwell, Lachlan Simpson, Mitchell Woods tries; Kahu Capper 2, Mitchell Woods 2, Toby Rodwell, Lachlan Simpson goals) def. CAS 6 (Kye Fiaui, Lockyer-Azile Foliola try; Waka Hammond, Jethro Scanlan goals).
Players of the Match: CAS 15 Micah Warena (Hallam Secondary College); NSWCIS 6 Mitchell Woods (St Patrick’s College, Strathfield).

Most Valuable Players
ACT 9 Mitchell Brophy (Erindale College, Wanniassa)
CAS 9 Lockyer-Azile Foliola (Victoria Uni Secondary College, Deer Park)
NSWCCC 12 Jacob Halangahu (Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown)
NSWCHS 13 Thomas Dellow (Endeavour Sports High, Caringbah)
NSWCIS 7 Toby Rodwell (Newington College, Stanmore)
QRSS 11 Zac Garton (Caloundra State High)

Squads
ACT: 1 Braydan Darmody; 2 Kruger Roache; 3 Harry Hudson; 4 Luke Tuialii; 5 Cooper Johnston; 6 Jamie Cowling; 8 Jacob Ma’u-Pohiva; 9 Mitchell Brophy; 10 Andrew Muir; 11 Brock Apolevski; 12 Yuri Hromow; 13 Isaiah Nauer; 14 Jonah Alaia; 15 Billy Hollands; 16 Byron Cahill; 17 Samuel Green; 18 Lucas McPherson; 19 Troy Codey; 20 Patrick Dawson. Coach: Ash Barnes.

CAS: 1 Matthew Kereti; 2 Chae Sinclair; 3 Zeph Faumuina; 4 Joseph Vela; 5 Jethro Scanlan; 6 Waka Hammond; 7 Darius Rogers; 8 Alipate Vaka; 9 Lockyer-Azile Foliola; 10 Shalom Uatisone; 11 Elijah Po Ching; 12 David Tuariki; 13 Izaac Batey; 14 Deacon King; 15 Micah Warena; 16 Daniel Moananu; 17 Phoenix Woods; 18 Ezekiel Tausili; 19 Kye Fiaui; 20 Jayden Matatumua. Coach: Shannon Love.

NSWCCC: 1 Jack Attard; 2 Lucas Borg; 3 Andes Johanssen; 4 Wil Rosenbaum; 5 Lachlan Dooner; 6 Cooper Black; 7 Jhett Sydir; 8 Alex Challenor; 9 Lachlan Coinakis; 10 Cody Hopwood; 11 Josiah Vaha’akolo-Fifita; 12 Jacob Halangahu; 13 Tyson Sangalang; 14 Jared Haywood; 15 Jack Hilliar; 16 Lucas Rossi; 17 Fletcher O’Doherty; 18 Roman Tuaimau; 19 Jack Thompson; 20 Jope Rauqe. Coach: Damien Quinn.

NSWCHS: 1 Michael Nassar; 2 Lorima Rokosuka; 3 Nikora Williams; 4 Toby Winter; 5 Zailen Campbell-Cook; 6 Lorenzo Talataina; 7 Kade Reed; 8 Simione Laiafi; 9 Aaron Keppie; 10 Campbell Munn; 11 Pheonix Godinet; 12 Darcy Smith; 13 Thomas Dellow; 14 Matty McEwen; 15 Lincoln Fletcher; 16 Peter Taai; 17 Patrick Carey; 18 Beau Hill; 19 Ryda Talagi; 20 Jordan Hamlin. Coach: Brett Kelly.

NSWCIS: 1 Tylan Black-Berryman; 2 Cyrus Bloomfield; 3 Heamasi Makasini; 4 Kahu Capper; 5 Rex Bassingthwaighte; 6 Mitchell Woods; 7 Toby Rodwell; 8 Tanner Mahon; 9 Alex Conti; 10 Devonte Vaotu’ua; 11 Heinz Lemoto; 12 Josiah Fesolai; 13 James Finegan; 14 Lachlan Simpson; 15 Samuel Polley; 16 Lancelot Tovio; 17 Thomas McKenna; 18 Dayne Fallon; 19 Christian Pasikala; 20 Jai Callaghan. Coach: John Williams.

QRSS: 1 Mason Barber; 2 Sunny Kama; 3 Sam Stephenson; 4 Phillip Coates; 5 Saifiti Jr Saifiti; 6 Zac Herdegen; 7 Zane Harrison; 8 Kanaan Magele; 9 Jai Bowden; 10 Elijah Keung; 11 Zac Garton; 12 Jared Horne; 13 Jac Finigan; 14 Hayden Watson; 15 Xzavier Timoteo; 16 Zac Kumbamong; 17 Charlie Dickson; 18 Maddox Goodwin; 19 Elijah McKay; 20 Seth Gundry. Coach: Geoff Eggert.

Girls’ 17-18 Championships
Champions: QRSS
Player of the Championships: QRSS 6 Shalom Sauaso (Ipswich SHS)

Pool A: 1st NSW Combined High School (6 points), 2nd ACT Secondary Schools (4 pts), 3rd NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (2 pts), 4th Northern Territory (0 pts)
Pool B: 1st Queensland Representative School Sport (6 pts), 2nd NSW Combined Independent Schools (4 pts), 3rd Victoria (2 pts), 4th Western Australia (0 pts)

Day 1
NSWCHS 50 (Natalia Hickling 2, Indie Bostock, Koffi Brookfield, Lacey Cross, Grace Dabin, Tahlia O’Brien, Alana O’Loughlin, Seriah Palepale, Tori Shipton tries; Olivia Va’alele 5 goals) def. ACT 0.
Players of the Match: NSWCHS 19 Ella Walker (Hills Sports High); ACT 18 Hollie Shepherd (Erindale College).

NSWCCC 30 (Rhian Yeo 2, Jessica Brightwell, Macey Cox, Emily Dietrich, Annelise Hall, Liesl Hopoate tries; Georgie Barrett goal) def. NT 0.
Players of the Match: NSWCCC 13 Stella Lewis (Newman Senior College); NT 19 Mawgan Keats (SEDA College).

QRSS 18 (Jennifer Kimber 2, Amanii Misa, Nazlyn Waaka-Rhind tries; Chloe Pallisier goal) def. NSWCIS 6 (Olivia Saley try; A Hagan goal).
Players of the Match: QRSS 13 Amanii Misa (Mabel Park SHS); NSWCIS 9 Mahlie Cashin (Central Coast Sports College).

VIC 26 (Summer Luamanu 2, Paige Diaz, Mona Taleo, Louisa Tearetoa, Tianah Te’o tries; Tianah Te’o goal) def. WA 0.
Players of the Match: VIC 1 Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai (Narre Warren South P-12); WA 12 Caitlin Loader (Rockingham Senior High).

Day 2
QRSS 36 (Mercedez Taulelei-Siala 3, Mariah Brown, Jennifer Kimber, Zoe Robson, Shalom Sauaso, Alice Shannon tries; Chloe Pallisier 2 goals) def. WA 0.
Players of the Match: QRSS 7 Chloe Pallisier (The Glennie School); WA 7 Leokadia Tairea (Gilmore College).

NSWCIS 14 (Mahlie Cashin, Dior O’Davis, Millie Parker tries; Modesty Tefeuni goal) def. VIC 6 (Summer Luamanu try; Summer Luamanu goal).
Players of the Match: NSWCIS 1 Ella Knowles (Central Coast Sports); VIC 6 Summer Luamnau (Westall Secondary College).

NSWCHS 38 (Grace Dabin 3, Lacey Cross, Kayla Henderson, Phoenix-Raine Hippi, Seriah Palepale, Ella Walker tries; Kiara McGregor 3 goals) def. NT 0.
Players of the Match: NSWCHS 9 Koffi Brookfield (Kiama High); NT 22 Cecilia Misob (Palmerston Senior College).

ACT 12 (Gabriella Savage-Fa’aoso, Magdalena Velovski tries; Hollie Shepherd 2 goals) def. NSWCCC 8 (Stevie Botham 2 tries).
Players of the Match: NSWCHS 11 Rhian Yeo (Holy Spirit College Bellambi); ACT 13 Makenna Ravouvou (Darmalan College).

Day 3
ACT 18 (Angelina Costa, Makenna Ravouvou, Eliza Taylor, Magdalena Velovski tries; Hollie Shepherd goal) def. NT 0.
Players of the Match: ACT 6 Sabrina Marela (Erindale College); NT 21 Rania Shelford (Centralian Senior College).

NSWCHS 12 (Tahlia O’Brien, Seriah Palepale tries; Kiara McGregor, Olivia Va’alele goals) def. NSWCCC 4 (Kiana Vatabua try).
Players of the Match: NSWCHS 13 Trinity Tauaneai (Bass High); NSWCCC 6 Sienna Montgomery (St Peter’s Catholic College Tuggerah).

QRSS 28 (Mercedez Taulelei-Siala 2, Zoe Robson, Alice Shannon, Danielle Tutakangahua tries; Chloe Pallisier 2, Shalom Sauaso 2 goals) def. VIC 0.
Players of the Match: QRSS 10 Alice Shannon (Mabel Park SHS); VIC 16 Leilani Weatherby (Manor Lakes P-12 College).

NSWCIS 42 (Olivia Saley 2, Regan Simpson 2, Ellie Brander, Addie Hagan, Ava Lavender, Bella Morris, Bonnii Porter tries; Modesty Tefeuni 3 goals) def. WA 0.
Players of the Match: NSWCIS 17 Regan Simpson (New England Girls School); WA 4 Briar Kawau (Gilmore College).

Day 4 - Rest Day

Day 5
4th vs. 4th Selection Match
NT 18 (Savannah Bolt, Cecilia Misob, Nelly Thomas tries; Cecilia Misob 3 goals) def. WA 4 (Tia Hauraki try).
Players of the Match: WA 18 Manawanui Tuhakaraina (Cronulla High); NT 4 Marley Morgan (Palmerston College).

3rd vs. 3rd Selection Match
NSWCCC 28 (Macey Cox, Emily Dietrich, Tarnee Ingram, Stella Lewis, Kiana Vatabua tries; Emily Dietrich 4 goals) def. VIC 0.
Players of the Match: VIC 1 Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai (Narre Warren South P-12); NSWCCC 4 Liesl Hopoate (Mt Carmel Catholic College).

2nd vs. 2nd Selection Match
NSWCIS 12 (Ava Lavender 2, Bronte Ryan tries) def. ACT 0.
Players of the Match: ACT 9 Reese Vidler (Erindale College); NSWCIS 13 Ellie Brander (Central Coast Sports College).

Day 6
Championship Final
QRSS 16 (Mariah Brown, Keira Rangi, Zoe Robson tries; Chloe Pallisier 2 goals) def. NSWCHS 0.
Player of the Final: QRSS 6 Shalom Sauaso (Ipswich SHS)

Most Valuable Players
ACT 13 Makenna Ravouvou (Daramalan College, Dickson)
NSWCCC 13 Stella Lewis (Newman Senior Technical College, Port Macquarie)
NSWCHS 13 Trinity Tauaneai (Bass High)
NSWCIS 9 Mahlie Cashin (Central Coast Sports College, Kariong)
NT 22 Cecilia Misob (Palmerston Senior College)
QRSS 13 Amanii Misa (Mabel Park SHS)
VIC 10 Kamanu Li’i Dennis (Hoppers Crossing Secondary College)
WA 12 Caitlin Loader (Rockingham Senior High)

Squads
ACT: 1 Sienna Gerstenberg; 2 Gabriella Savage-Fa’aoso; 3 Ella Kelly; 4 Magdalena Velovski; 5 Eliza Taylor; 6 Sabrina Marela; 7 Lahni Hall; 8 Angelina Costa; 9 Reese Vidler; 10 Teuila Ah Key; 11 Uta Uatisone Poka; 12 Stevie Serafin; 13 Makenna Ravouvou; 15 Alyrah Cole; 16 Lara Carroll; 17 Kezia Hughes-Watts; 18 Hollie Shepherd; 19 Alysha Eti; 20 Annabelle Mickelson. Coach: Connor Bush.

NSWCSS: 1 Macey Cox; 2 Emily Dietrich; 3 Stevie Botham; 4 Liesl Hopoate; 5 Kiana Vatabua; 6 Sienna Montgomery; 7 Georgie Barrett; 8 Annelise Hall; 9 Tarnee Ingram; 10 Elizabeth Montgomery; 11 Rhian Yeo; 12 Summer Dowell; 13 Stella Lewis; 14 Malaki Poa; 15 Christine Katoa-Tongia; 16 Ava Glassie; 17 Heidie Brownlie; 19 Ellie Barnett; 20 Jessica Brightwell; 24 Summer Barton. Coach: Scott Ashcroft.

NSWCHS: 1 Kayla Henderson; 2 Natalia Hickling; 3 Indie Bostock; 4 Phoenix-Raine Hippi; 5 Herewaka Pohatu; 6 Aylah McColloch; 7 Kiara McGregor; 8 Seriah Palepale; 9 Koffi Brookfield; 10 Ryvrr-Lee Alo; 11 Pauline Suli-Ruka; 12 Tahlia O’Brien; 13 Trinity Tauaneai; 14 Tori Shipton; 15 Alana O’Loughlin; 16 Grace Dabin; 17 Lucy Luamanu; 18 Oliva Va’alele; 19 Ella Walker; 20 Lacey Cross. Coach: Alec Bush.

NSWCIS: 1 Ella Knowles; 2 Milla Caine; 3 Olivia Saley; 4 Bronte Ryan; 5 Modesty Tefeuni; 6 Addie Hagan; 7 Mia Montgomery; 8 Bonnii Porter; 9 Mahlie Cashin; 10 Evie Gimbert; 11 Dior O’Davis , 12 Millie Parker; 13 Ellie Brander; 14 Bella Morris; 15 Taya Floyd; 16 Mikaela Bowen; 17 Regan Simpson; 18 Sonaiva Kini-Samuelu; 19 Jennifer Tuilagi; 20 Ava Lavender. Coach: Joe Besgrove.

NT: 1 Nelly Thomas; 2 Mickayla Martin; 3 Tamalia Gillett; 4 Marley Morgan; 5 Sharne Edwards; 6 Aaliyah Whyte; 7 Jazmin Lord; 8 Hilda Sigakole; 9 Matilda Seden; 10 Savannah Bolt; 11 Adi Jiokaveti Kawa; 18 Stewani Tawai; 19 Mawgan Keats; 20 Fotini Maillis; 21 Rania Shelford; 22 Cecilia Misob; 24 Zanna Roach; 27 Tamika Tonson; 28 Honey Chastain; 30 Oliva Silcock. Coach: Biana Scymgour.

QRSS: 1 Zoe Robson; 2 Nazlyn Waaka-Rhind; 3 Jennifer Kimber; 4 Deleni Paitai; 5 Mercedez Taulelei-Siala; 6 Shalom Sauaso; 7 Chloe Pallisier; 8 Armani-Lea Auvae; 9 Raewyn Olomalii; 10 Alice Shannon; 11 Tiresa Leasuasu; 12 Reegan Hicks; 13 Amanii Misa; 14 Danielle Tutakangahau; 15 Keira Rnagi; 16 Orianna Clark; 17 Eta Sikahele; 18 Harlem Walker; 19 Mariah Brown SHS); 20 Dominika Baleinagasau. Coach: Deanna Turner.

VIC: 1 Sammy-Lee Gunn-Tauai; 2 Kyana Gordon , 3 Jada Patelesio; 4 Lourdez Sakaria; 5 Mona Taleo; 6 Summer Luamanu; 7 Tianah Te’o; 8 Manaia Cooper; 9 Louisa Tearetoa; 10 Kamanu Li’i Dennis; 11 Kassidy Kahotea; 12 Paige Diaz; 14 Kelela Havea; 15 Esther Kaitani; 16 Leilani Weatherby; 17 Rosabella Asiata; 18 Faalaniga Nimo; 19 Niah-Telesia Tukino; 20 Pearl Magatogia. Coach: Brian George.

WA: 1 Sydney Kaukau; 2 Tia Hauraki; 4 Briar Kawau; 5 Valeria Banza; 6 Indianna Timms; 7 Leokadia Tairea; 8 Jancey Mato; 9 Willow Leach; 10 Raukura Tukiwaho; 11 Manaia Thomas; 12 Caitlin Loader; 13 Chloe Amataiti; 14 Isabella Hopping; 15 Mileekah Williams; 16 Lalirra Dane; 17 Tiffany Phoneyiem; 18 Manawanui Tuhakaraina; 19 Jessica Kaukau. Coach: John Hough.

The 2024 16-18s Australian Schools Championships kicked off on Sunday (7 July) at Bellingen Park.

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Originally scheduled to be played at Coffs Harbour International Stadium, the first two days of the competition were moved 25 minutes south to Bellingen due to rain.

Play resumed at Coffs Harbour on Tuesday for Day 3 (the final day of pool games) and looks set to finish there on Friday with good weather forecast for the rest of the week. Just in time, as Bellingen Park was turning into a mud pit.

In Coffs, for what I’m assuming is also a weather-related reason, the games were played across the width of the field, with new 10-metre lines added in blue over the existing field lines from last Friday’s Sharks-Titans NRL game.

The pitch was in great condition, though.

I've caught up on all six of the boys’ 16-18s pool games but haven’t had time to watch the girls’ side, so my bad for the lack of coverage on that.

Game 1: NSWCIS 30 - 24 NSWCHS (Pool B)
CIS jumped out to a 24-0 lead with halves Toby Rodwell and Mitchell Woods having a hand in several tries, with Woods also kicking a 40/20. CHS switched on in the second half, scoring five tries to get within two before a last-minute CIS try to Heinz Lemoto sealed it. It was Lemoto’s third of the game.

NSWCIS 34 (Heinz Lemoto 3, Rex Bassingthwaighte, Kahu Capper, Heamasi Makasini, Toby Rodwell tries; Mitchell Woods 3/7 goals) def. NSWCHS 24 (Zailen Campbell-Cook 2, Kade Reed, Lorenzo Talataina, Nikora Williams tries; Nikora Williams 2/5 goals). Players of the Match: NSWCHS 12 Darcy Smith (Kincumber High); NSWCIS 11 Heinz Lemoto (The Scots College).

Game 2: NSWCCC 30 - 26 QSS (Pool A)
Down 26-12 with eight minutes to play, CCC stormed home with three tries to snatch the win and, ultimately, top Pool A. Queensland led 16-6 at halftime, conceding a try in the final play of the first half. Zac Garton was Queensland’s best, scoring twice. CCC winger Lucas Borg crossed for the winner in the 59th minute, his second of the game.

NSWCCC 30 (Lucas Borg 2, Jared Haywood, Jack Hilliar, Jhett Sydir tries; Jack Attard 4/4, Cooper Black 1/1 goals) def. QSS 26 (Zac Garton 2, Charlie Dickson, Zac Herdegen, Saifiti Junior Saifiti tries; Zane Harrison 3/5 goals). Players of the Match: NSWCCC 17 Fletcher O’Doherty (St Mary’s Gateshead); QSS 11 Zac Garton (Caloundra SHS).

Game 3: ACT 20 - 8 NSWCIS (Pool B)
The ACT pulled off the upset of the competition so far defeating CIS by 14 points. Leading 16-8 at halftime, they kept CIS scoreless in the second half, the only try coming through fullback Braydan Darmody, who ran 90 metres off a knock-on.

ACT 20 (Braydan Darmody, Harry Hudson, Cooper Johnston, Luke Tuialii tries; Braydan Darmody 2/4 goals) def. NSWCIS 8 (Cyrus Bloomfield, Heamasi Makasini tries; Mitchell Woods 0/2 goals). Players of the Match: NSWCIS 12 Josiah Fesolai (Central Coast Sports); ACT 7 Jonah Anderson (Erindale College).

Game 4: QSS 20 - 16 CAS (Pool A)
Queensland survived a scare from the Combined Affiliated State to secure second spot in Pool A. A great showing from the underdog CAS side, who trailed just 6-4 going into halftime. Queensland were up 20-4 late when halfback Darius Rogers, younger brother of Broncos’ half Josh, scored in the 54th minute. His halves partner Lockyer-Azile Foliola crossed shortly after but time expired just after the conversion.

QSS 20 (Mason Barber, Zac Garton, Elijah McKay, Sam Stephenson tries; Zane Harrison 2/4 goals) def. CAS 16 (Lockyer-Azile Foliola, Darius Rogers, Micah Warena tries; Waka Hammond 2/3 goals). Players of the Match: QSS 7 Zac Harrison (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS); CAS 1 Matthew Kereti (The Grange P-12 School).

Game 5: NSWCCC 38 - 0 CAS (Pool A)
CCC opened Day 3 with a big win, ending the Affiliated States’ hopes of finals action. The game was over at halftime with CCC leading 28-0. Prop Cody Hopwood and winger Jope Rauqe both scored doubles.

NSWCCC 38 (Cody Hopwood 2, Jope Rauqe 2, Lachlan Dooner, Jared Haywood, Andes Johansson tries; Jack Attard 4/5, Wil Rosenbaum 1/2 goals) def. CAS 0.

Game 6: NSWCHS 26 - 10 ACT (Pool B)
After Day 2’s big upset win over CIS, the ACT needed to win, draw or, at the very least, not lose by 15+, to play in Thursday’s semi-finals. Things were looking positive at halftime with the scores level at 10-all before CHS scored 16 unanswered points and knocked them out on points differential.

NSWCHS 26 (Zailen Campbell-Cook 2, Lincoln Fletcher, Darcy Smith, Lorenzo Talataina tries; Kade Reed 2/3, Nikora Williams 1/2 goals) def. ACT 10 (Patrick Dawson, Yuri Hromow tries; Braydan Darmody 1/2 goals).

Here’s how the pools finished:
A: 1st NSWCCC (4 points), 2nd QSS (2 pts), 3rd CAS (0 pts)
B: 1st NSWCHS (2 points, +6), 2nd NSWCIS (2 pts, -2), 3rd ACT (2pts, -4)

Wednesday 10 July is a rest day for both boys’ and girls’ competitions with play resuming on Thursday 11 July with the boys’ semi-finals and girls’ consolation games. The girls’ final is already set with QSS, who topped Pool B, facing Pool A winners NSWCHS.

Schedule - Thursday 11 July
Boys 16-18s
9am CAS vs. ACT
10:15am NSWCCC vs. NSWCIS (Semi-Final 1)
11:30am NSWCHS vs. QSS (Semi-Final 2)

Girls 17-18s
12:45pm Northern Territory vs. Western Australia
1:40pm NSWCCC vs. Victoria
2:35pm ACT vs. NSWCIS

On Friday 12 July, the boys’ final kicks off at 11:40am and the girls’ at 1:10pm. The Australian Schoolboys and Schoolgirls sides will be named shortly after at 2:45pm.

🏉 Jersey Flegg Cup

It’s been a month since the last newsletter, so let’s have a look at where things stand in the Jersey Flegg.

1st Canberra (14 wins, 3 losses, +242)
The Raiders are still leading the competition, winning all four of their games over the last month and are on a six-game winning streak. In Round 16, they left it late to beat Parramatta, scoring in the 67th minute to win 18-16. Last weekend, they defeated the fifth-placed Knights 30-14 at home.

2nd Canterbury (13 wins, 4 losses, +251)
The Bulldogs remain in pursuit of the minor premiership, matching the Raiders over the past month with four wins. They are also on a six-game streak. They currently have the best defence in the competition, holding Melbourne to zero and the Warriors to six over the last two rounds.

3rd Penrith (11 wins, 6 losses, +169)
The Panthers were third a month ago and remain there after a good month in which they went 3-1. The loss came in Round 15 to Newcastle, 24-4. In Round 17, they posted the biggest win of the season so far, crushing the Tigers 62-0. They face a big test in Canberra this weekend.

4th Manly (11 wins, 6 losses, +113)
The Sea Eagles have had a great month, going 4-0 and jumping from seventh into the top four. They took care of four sides below them on this streak, averaging 34.5 points per game. Last week, they held on for a 20-16 win over Melbourne, despite scoring three tries to the Storm’s four.

5th Newcastle (10 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw, +54)
Like Penrith, the Knights were fifth then and are fifth now after a 3-1 month. They were on a four-game winning run before going down 30-14 to the competition leaders this past weekend.

6th Wests Tigers (9 wins, 8 losses, -23)
The Tigers were fourth a month ago but have gone 1-3 since, including that massive loss to Penrith in Round 17. Last weekend, they were beaten by the Sharks, who now sit just three points behind them with a game in hand.

7th St George Illawarra (8 wins, 9 losses, +37)
The Dragons have jumped from ninth to seventh after picking up two wins from their last four. Could be pushing closer to the Top 5 if not for a disappointing 20-18 loss to Souths in Round 17. They hold a positive points differential despite their losing record which could help in a few week’s time.

8th Cronulla (7 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw, -29)
Cronulla were second last four weeks ago but now sit six points outside the Top 5 with their catchup game against the Silktails still to play. They’ve won three of their last four and get a chance to see how they measure up against the Bulldogs this weekend.

9th South Sydney (7 wins, 9 losses, 1 draw, -208)
The Rabbitohs have won just once this past month, their lone win from their last seven games. They were battered 46-0 by Parramatta in Round 18 (the second time this season they’ve been kept scoreless) and hold an abysmal points differential.

10th Sydney Roosters (7 wins, 10 losses, +28)
It’s been a tough season for last year’s runners-up, who have dropped to 10th thanks to a six-game losing streak. They’ve already used a competition-high 47 players this season.

11th Parramatta (7 wins, 10 losses, 0)
The Eels were 12th a month ago on the back of a four-game winning streak but their progress stagnated with back-to-back losses to Canberra and Newcastle. They rebounded last weekend with a big win over Souths which got their points differential to zero. They finish the season with four straight home games.

12th Melbourne (7 wins, 10 losses, -24)
The Storm have dropped two spots over the last month, winning just once in their last five, a victory over the bottom-placed Silktails in Fiji. They’ll need a big run to get close to the Top 5.

13th Warriors (5 wins, 11 loses 1 draw, -170)
A month ago, the Warriors were hot on a three-game winning streak. Since then, they’ve lost four straight. They’re 10 points outside the finals places but only play two current Top 5 sides on their run home.

14th Kaiviti Silktails (0 wins, 16 losses, -440)
The Silktails had just sacked their head coach Wes Naiqama a month ago but are still winless under interim boss Timoci Duve. They suffered close defeats to the Warriors and Bulldogs before three big defeats in recent weeks. They have four home games left to play in Fiji, their best shot to snag a win.

Top try scorers: 15 Matthew Hill (MEL); 14 Regan Carr (CAN); 13 Ben Rumble (SGI); 10 Danny Gabrael (CBY); 10 Nick Murphy (PEN); 10 Siulagi Pio (MEL); 10 Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro (NEW); 9 Mohamed Alameddine (PAR); 9 Broden Konz (MAN); 9 Kane Rushton (CAN).

Top point scorers: 148 Ashton Ward (SGI); 112 Te Hurinui Twidle (PAR); 110 Cassius Tia (CBY); 98 Kristian Dixon (CRO); 90 Jirah Liddiard (PEN); 80 Josh Durkin (SYD); 73 Kallum Weatherall Stacey (MAN); 68 Zakauri Clarke (WST); 66 Mitch Henderson (CAN); 62 Regan Carr (CAN).

Upcoming fixtures – Round 19
12/7 Cronulla vs. Canterbury, PointsBet, 5:45pm
13/7 Kaiviti Silktails vs. St George Illawarra, Churchill, 12pm
13/7 Penrith vs. Canberra, BlueBet, 12pm
13/7 Parramatta vs. Warriors, Lidcombe, 1pm
14/7 Manly vs. Newcastle, 4 Pines, 12pm
14/7 South Sydney vs. Melbourne, Coogee, 1pm
14/7 Sydney Roosters vs. Wests Tigers, Wentworth, 1:15pm

🏉 Schoolboy Cup

The Schools’ competitions are on their mid-season break due to the national championships and school holidays. Queensland is set to resume next week, with three rounds still to play. The New South Wales competition will restart in two weeks, with just four pool games remaining.

Allan Langer Trophy – South East Queensland
After the first four rounds, Ipswich SHS and Keebra Park SHS are the only undefeated teams and will play each other next week in Round 5. Defending Langer Trophy champs Palm Beach Currumbin have had a slow start, with two wins and two losses, and still have their big rivalry game with Keebra coming up in Round 7. At the bottom of the table, Caloundra SHS and Redcliffe SHS are winless. The top seven teams play finals, so their Round 6 game should decide who finishes seventh.

Ladder: 1 Ipswich SHS (8pts), 2 Keebra Park SHS (8), 3 Mabel Park SHS (6), 4 Marsden SHS (4), 5 Palm Beach Currumbin SHS (4), 6 Wavell SHS (2), 7 Caloundra SHS (0), 8 Redcliffe SHS (0).

Aaron Payne Cup – North Queensland
Kirwan SHS have been the dominant side in Pool A, going undefeated so far and scoring 106 points over three games. Ignatius Park and St Patrick’s Mackay should both go through, with fourth-placed Trinity Bay still without a win.

St Augustine’s Cairns are also undefeated and leading Pool B. They’ve scored 126 points and conceded 10 in their three games. They’ll only need to hold off Mackay SHS and Holy Spirit Mackay as fourth-placed Mareeba SHS are playing for zero points this season.

Pool A: 1 Kirwan SHS (6pts), 2 Ignatius Park (4), 3 St Patrick’s Mackay (2), 4 Trinity Bay SHS (0).
Pool B: 1 St Augustine’s Cairns (6pts), 2 Mackay SHS (4), 3 Holy Spirit Mackay (2), Mareeba SHS (0).

Dolphins Cup – Central Queensland
Just two rounds left in the Dolphins Cup and things are pretty tight, with four of the five schools on four points. It’s a four-team finals series, so fifth-placed Emmaus College has a big two weeks ahead with two home games. St Brendan’s, who are first, have a bye in Round 4.

Ladder: 1 St Brendan’s Yeppoon (4pts), 2 The Cathedral College (4), 3 Rockhampton Grammar (4), 4 Shalom College (4), 5 Emmaus College (2).

Peter Mulholland Cup – NSW / ACT / Victoria
The revamp of the competition this year has proven to be a success with two of the four previous Seeded Pool schools already eliminated. In previous years, the four “best” schools were in a pool where all four qualified for the finals, with only one school qualifying from each other pool.

Reigning national champs Westfields Sports were the first victim of the reshuffle, eliminated from Pool A after just two games. Holy Cross Ryde and Central Coast Sports took the top two spots, while Westfields will play fellow winless school Farrer MAHS in Round 3.

Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown has cruised through Pool B so far, smashing Matraville Sports 50-0 and rivals Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield 36-0. In the final pool game, they’ll play All Saints’ Maitland, who sit third and need a win to leapfrog Pats Fairfield into second.

Erindale College and Hunter Sports High have progressed in Pool C, with Erindale going undefeated, scoring 120 points in three games. Hill Sports is another seeded pool casualty, losing their first two games. They play their final game in Round 3 against winless Illawarra Sports.

Bass High can finish second in Pool D with a big win over winless St Dominic’s College in Round 3. They started the competition with an upset win over Endeavour Sports before a loss to St Gregory’s Campbelltown. Endeavour rebounded to top the pool.

Hallam Secondary College won the Storm Cup convincingly, going unbeaten and scoring 180 points in their four games. They’ll play the lowest placed second-placed team in a finals play-in match. As of today, that would be Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield.

Pool A: 1 Holy Cross Ryde (6pts), 2 Central Coast Sports (4), 3 Westfields Sports (0), 4 Farrer MAHS (0).
Pool B: 1 Patrician Blacktown (4pts), 2 Patrician Fairfield (4), 3 All Saints’ Maitland (2), 4 Matraville Sports (0).
Pool C: 1 Erindale College (6pts), 2 Hunter Sports (4), 3 Hills Sports (0), 4 Illawarra Sports (0).
Pool D: 1 Endeavour Sports (4pts), 2 St Gregory’s Campbelltown (4), 3 Bass High (2), 4 St Dominic’s Penrith (0).
Storm Cup: 1 Hallam Secondary (8pts), 2 Vic Uni Secondary (6), 3 The Grange P-12 (4), 4 Mt Ridley (1), 5 Manor Lakes P-12 (1).

🏉 Ignatius Park, St Patrick’s Mackay take out Confro
Over the Queensland school holidays, the annual Confraternity Carnival took place in Townsville. Run annually since 1980, the Carnival features Catholic and Independent schools from throughout the state.

Ignatius Park College won the boys’ competition, their eighth title, while St Patrick’s College Mackay won the girls’, their first.

St Pat’s held on for an 8-4 win in the girls’ decider of The Cathedral College Rockhampton, interchange forward Lucy McKendry scoring the winning try.

Ignatius Park defeated Padua College Kedron 20-16, despite scoring three tries to Padua’s four. The tournament was Padua’s first league games this year, having only just switched after their union season ended.

Boys Merit Team: 1 Lincoln Baker (Ignatius Park), 2 Rhys Woolcott (St Augustine’s Cairns), 3 Sean Green (Marist Ashgrove), 4 Sean Weir (Ignatius Park), 5 Bruce Baudu (Ignatius Park), 6 Damon Humphrys (Padua), 7 Braithen Scott (St Mary’s Toowoomba), 8 Jye Watton (Marymount Burleigh), 9 Lachie McCall (Marist Ashgrove), 10 Fononga Tuitahi (Iona), 11 Harrison Hill (St Brendan’s Yeppoon), 12 Jack Thorburn (St Patrick’s Mackay), 13 Simon Green (St Brendan’s Yeppoon), 14 Fynn Dalton (Padua), 15 Cooper Fletcher (Ignatius Park), 16 Connor Sadler (Ignatius Park), 17 Zac Bateman (Cathedral Rockhampton). Coach: John Butterworth (St Laurence’s Brisbane).

Girls Merit Team: 1 Manaia Faiumu-Malone (Cathedral Rockhampton), 2 Ava Wheeler (St Patrick’s Mackay), 3 Lorianna Eseli (St Ursula’s Yeppoon), 4 Asha Hutchinson (Shalom Bundaberg), 5 Rhiannah Brown (Cathedral Rockhampton), 6 Maycee Brown (Cathedral Rockhampton), 7 Paige Mooney (St Patrick’s Mackay), 8 Salome Mann (Cathedral Rockhampton), 9 Olivia Fletcher (St Margaret Mary’s Townsville), 10 Stevie-Lee Dixson (Emmaus Rockhampton), 11 Ebony Temple (St Patrick’s Mackay), 12 Bronte Parker (Marymount Burleigh), 13 Serenity Mila (Rockhampton Grammar), 14 Josie Wogand (Cathedral Rockhampton), 15 Jakaia-Lee Collett (St Margaret Mary’s Townsville), 16 Zoe Robson (Cathedral Rockhampton), 17 Adele Jensen (Southern Cross Townsville). Coach: Matt Geyer (Marymount Burleigh).

🏉 NRL Debuts
Over the last four weeks, 14 players played first grade (in Australia) for the first time. Here’s a quick look at how they got there.

Round 15
Heath Mason (Wests Tigers): A Thirlmere junior, Mason was named an Australian Schoolboy last year but was later ruled out. Began 2024 in SG Ball before moving up to the NSW Cup and, eventually, the NRL.
Jordan Miller (Wests Tigers): Giant prop who represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2022. Alongside Mason, won the Harold Matts that season with Wests. Played two Flegg games before moving up to the NSW Cup.

Round 16
Luke Laulilii (Wests Tigers): Was also named in the Australian Schoolboys before being ruled out, Laulilii became the sixth member of Wests 2022 Harold Matts-winning side to play NRL. Born in 2006, which means NSW didn’t win an Origin series for the first eight years of his life.
Liam Le Blanc (South Sydney): Norths Devils junior recruited by Souths in 2023 after being named an Australian Schoolboy in 2022. Played a season of Flegg last year before becoming a NSW Cup regular this season.
Caleb Navale (Manly): A Fijian international, Navale joined Manly from the Dragons, where he played Flegg for them in 2021 as a 17-year-old. An Orange CYMS junior.

Round 17
Matt Arthur (Parramatta): Son of Brad Arthur, Matt won the SG Ball Cup with the Eels in 2023 and ended the year in Flegg. Captained and scored a try for NSW U19 last month.
Jordan Martin (Canberra): A Narooma junior, Martin played 15 Flegg games for Canberra in 2019 but missed out on the Grand Final. The backrower has spent the last two seasons in the NSW Cup.
Casey McLean (Penrith): Joined his older brother Jesse as a first grader for Penrith in their loss to the Cowboys. An Australian Schoolboy last year, he moved up to the NSW Cup this season after five tries in seven Flegg games, bypassing SG Ball completely.
Luron Patea (Penrith): Hard running front rower who represented NSW U19 last season. The St Clair junior played 13 Flegg games in 2023 and has been a regular in the NSW Cup this year.
Will Pryce (Newcastle): The son of England international Leon Pryce, Will played 45 Super League games for Huddersfield before joining the Knights. Played his junior footy for Siddal.

Round 18
Charlie Guymer (Parramatta): Impressive on debut against Souths, Guymer has been in the Eels’ system since 2020, joining from Temora. Represented NSW U19 last year.
Leka Halasima (Warriors): Tonga-born backrower who filled in admirably at centre on debut for the Warriors. After last year’s SG Ball season ended, he began playing NSW Cup at 17 years old.
Ethan King (Sydney Roosters): Son of former first grader Andrew King, Ethan joined the Roosters from Ipswich in 2021, playing two seasons of Flegg before moving up to NSW Cup. Played his junior rugby league for the Central Cape Suns way up in Weipa.
Jake Tago (Parramatta): Older brother of Izack, Jake played Flegg for North Sydney and Penrith in 2018-19. A St Marys junior, he played 36 NSW Cup games before making his NRL debut.

The men’s and women’s under-19 State of Origin squads were named yesterday (11 June) ahead of the games to be played at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday, 20 June.

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For the men, New South Wales has gone with a fairly young side in their bid for three-straight wins, selecting six 18-year-olds to Queensland’s three.

Of the six, three have already played reserve grade this season - Casey McLean (who played alongside older brother Jesse) with six games for Penrith, Kaiden Lahrs with five games for the Northern Pride and Hayden Buchanan, who made his debut for the Dragons in Round 13.

Coby Black, of the Maroons’ 18-year-olds, made his Queensland Cup two weeks ago, kicking eight goals for Souths Logan in a 34-10 win over the PNG Hunters.

Jake Elliott will be the Blues’ senior half, partnering 18-year-old Mitchell Woods, who beat out another 18-year-old, Titans’ half Zane Harrison, for the spot. Harrison will come off the bench.

Two of the Blues’ 17 were involved in their victory last season - fullback Chevy Stewart and prop Sam Tuivaiti. Backrower Jermaine McEwen gets his chance in 2024 after being 18th man last year. McEwens’ younger sister Evah will play for the Blues’ women’s side earlier in the night.

The Maroons take a bit more experience in with five players backing up - winger Israel Leota, five-eighth Stanley Huen, prop Michael Waqa, second-rower Jamal Shibasaki and Mutua Brown, who started at fullback but will come off the bench this year. Lock Mason Kira, like McEwen, gets a start after 18th-man duties in 2023.

When it comes to first-grade experience, the Blues have a slight advantage. Three of their squad - Chevy Stewart, Jesse McLean and Blake Steep - have played NRL in 2024, compared to Queensland’s two: Cowboys’ duo Jaxon Purdue and Jamal Shibasaki. New South Wales also has the edge in reserve grade experience, with 11 players to Queensland’s nine.

As of writing this, Queensland has two (very slightly) different team lists out, with NRL.com showing Xavier Kerrisk and Prestyn Laine-Sietu as two of their reserves, while the QRL releases on social media have Reece Foley and Amare Milford instead.

Andrew Ryan will once again coach the men’s team, his third straight year in charge, while seven-time Maroon and current Redcliffe head coach Ben Te’o takes over the Queensland role.

On the women’s side, Queensland have named seven players from last year’s victorious team. That includes winger Ebony Raftstrand-Smith and Skyla Adams (who scored in the win), as well as forwards Matekino Kahukoti-Gray, Lily Peacock, Rilee Jorgensen, Shaylee Joseph and Malaela Su’a.

Surprisingly, last year’s fullback Destiny Mino-Sinapati has been named in the reserves. After two BMD Premiership games for Wynnum Manly earlier this year, the Titans announced she would miss the entire season with a knee injury.

Illawarra have been rewarded for their Tarsha Gale Cup win with 10 players included in the squad, six of those in the starting line-up. Centre Indie Bostock, younger sister of Dolphins’ winger Jack, scored twice in the Grand Final and was named best on ground.

Two of her teammates from that day, forwards Charlotte Basham and Ella Koster bring NRLW experience into the side, as does centre Lindsay Tui, who played three games for Parramatta in 2023. Peacock and Jorgensen are the two Maroons who played NRLW last season.

When it comes to state cup experience, all but two of Queensland’s 20-woman squad played in the BMD Premiership earlier this year. Peacock and Raftstand-Smith were part of Mackay’s winning side, with Peacock being named Player of the Match.

With the NSWRL moving their state competition to mid-season so as to lineup with the NRLW, very few of the Blues squad have played in the competition.

The head coaches remain the same as last year, with Kate Mullaly leading the Blues and Deanna Turner the Maroons.

I’ll have a full preview much like last year’s out before next week’s games.

Under-19 Men’s
NSW: 1 Chevy STEWART, 2 Jesse McLEAN, 3 Casey McLEAN, 4 Hayden BUCHANAN, 5 Michael GABRAEL, 6 Jake ELLIOTT, 7 Mitchell WOODS, 8 Loko PASIFIKI TONGA, 9 Matt ARTHUR, 10 Fanafou SEVE, 11 Jermaine McEWEN, 12 Noah MARTIN, 13 Blake STEEP. Int: 14 Zane HARRISON, 15 Jacob HALANGAHU, 16 Kaiden LAHRS, 17 Sam TUIVAITI, 18 Connor VOTANO, 19 Cody HOPWOOD, 20 Logan SPINKS. Coach: Andrew RYAN.
Qld: 1 Jaxon PURUDE, 2 Israel LEOTA, 3 LJ NONU, 4 Sam STEPHENSON, 5 Tyreece TAIT, 6 Stanley HUEN, 7 Coby BLACK, 8 Michael WAQA, 9 Cameron BUKOWSKI, 10 De La Salle VA’A, 11 Zac GARTON, 12 Jamal SHIBASAKI, 13 Mason KIRA. Int: 14 Mutua BROWN, 15 Beni ALLEN, 16 Lewis SYMONDS, 17 Harry ARMSTRONG, 18 Xavier KERRISK, 19 Cooper BAI, 20 Prestyn LAINE-SIETU. Coach: Ben TE’O.

Under-19 Women’s
NSW: 1 Lilly-Ann WHITE, 2 Tia-Jordyn VASILOVSKI, 3 Indie BOSTOCK, 4 Lindsay TUI, 5 Maria PASEKA, 6 Evie JONES, 7 Kasey REH, 8 Manilita TAKAPAUTOLO, 9 Chelsea SAVILL, 10 Hope MILLARD, 11 Evah McEWEN, 12 Charlotte BASHAM, 13 Ryvrr-Lee ALO. Int: 14 Evie McGRATH, 15 Ella KOSTER, 16 Claudia BROWN, 17 Bronte WILSON, 18 Abby AROS, 19 Waimarie MARTIN, 20 Sienna YEO. Coach: Kate MULLALY.
Qld: 1 Montaya HUDSON, 2 Kiarah SIAUANE, 3 Mercedez TAULELEI-SIALA, 4 Mariah BROWN, 5 Ebony RAFTSTRAND-SMITH, 6 Caitlin TANNER, 7 Skyla ADAMS, 8 Matekino KAHUKOTI-GRAY, 9 Imogen HEI, 10 Lily PEACOCK, 11 Reegan HICKS, 12 Rilee JORGENSEN, 13 Tiresa LEASUASU. Int: 14 Shauna BARHAM, 15 Shaylee JOSEPH, 16 Malaela SU’A, 17 Relna HOSEA, 18 Paityne JOHNS, 19 Jaydan TOFAE, 20 Destiny MINO-SINAPATI. Coach: Deanna TURNER.

🏉 Silktails sack Naiqama

Timoci Duve will coach the Kaiviti Silktails for the remainder of the Jersey Flegg season after Wes Naiqama was released on last Tuesday (4 June). Naiqama has coached the side since June 2020, when he replaced Brandon Costin while the club competed in the Ron Massey Cup. In that competition, Naiqama won 19 of his 51 games in charge. After switching to the Jersey Flegg this year, the Silktails went 0-11 under Naiqama.

Duve was an assistant under Naiqama and is also the head of the club’s newly formed national Recruitment Model, announced last month.

🏉 Jersey Flegg – Round 14

• Warriors 16 – 10 Kaiviti Silktails: Duve almost got off to a brilliant start with the Silktails, as they went close to their first win of the season. With four players on debut, they led 10-6 after 48 minutes before two Warriors tries in four minutes sunk them. That’s now three straight wins for the Warriors.

• Canterbury 38 – 14 South Sydney: The Bulldogs remain in touch with first-placed Canberra after a big win over Souths. Mitchell Woods made his Flegg debut in the win, scoring a try and kicking five goals. They head to Fiji this weekend, naming seven potential debutants for the game. The Rabbitohs have lost three straight and face Canberra in Round 15.

• Parramatta 20 – 16 St George Illawarra: In Merrylands, Parra held off a very late Dragons’ fightback to record their third consecutive victory. After seven losses to start 2024, the Eels have now won five of their last six.

• Canberra 10 – 8 Wests Tigers: Capping off a week of low-scoring games, the Raiders held on for a disgusting 10-8 win in Lidcombe. Although low, 18 total points have been scored several times since Flegg returned in 2018. The lowest since then? A hideous 12-0 win by Cronulla over Newcastle in 2019. (The lowest-scoring NYC game happened in the fourth weekend of the competition’s history in 2008, the Dragons beating Cronulla 6-4. Ew.)

• Cronulla 18 – 10 Sydney Roosters: The Sharks ended a three-game losing run with a very nice eight-point win over the Roosters. Winger Kristian Dixon scored 10 of this side’s points, taking his career Flegg tally to 200. He becomes the 10th player to crack 200 since the reintroduction and needs 16 points to break Corey Fenning’s record of 223.

• Penrith 22 – 18 Melbourne: The Panthers moved into third thanks to their third-straight win, defeating the Storm in a rare Flegg game at AAMI Park. I just realised this was the Storm’s third home game at AAMI this year, with two more scheduled. So it’s not that rare. But still, kinda.

• Newcastle 26 – 24 Manly: The Knights repelled a second-half comeback by Manly to move back into the top five. Fullback Connor Votano scored 14 of this team’s points, scoring two tries and kicking three goals. Their captain Jack Cullen played his 50th U21s game. A Cudgen junior, Cullen joined the Knights from the Titans in 2023 and won their Flegg Player of the Year award. The 2021 Australian Schoolboy played 18 Colts games for Tweed before he added 32 to his tally with Newcastle.

Ladder: 1 CANBERRA (22 pts), 2 CANTERBURY (20), 3 PENRITH (18), 4 WESTS TIGERS (16), 5 NEWCASTLE (17), 6 Sydney Roosters (16), 7 Manly (16), 8 South Sydney (15), 9 St George Illawarra (14), 10 Melbourne (14), 11 Warriors (13), 12 Parramatta (12), 13 Cronulla (11), 14 Kaiviti Silktails (2).

Top try scorers: 11 Matthew Hill (MEL); 11 Ben Rumble (SGI); 10 Nick Murphy (PEN); 10 Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro (NEW); 8 Regan Carr (CAN); 8 Kristian Dixon (CRO); 8 Broden Konz (MAN); 8 Siulagi Pio (MEL); 8 Kane Rushton (CAN); 7 Cain Barnes (SGI).

Top point scorers: 108 Cassius Tia (CBY); 106 Ashton Ward (SGI); 88 Kristian Dixon (CRO); 78 Te Hurinui Twidle (PAR); 68 Zakauri Clarke (WST); 62 Josh Durkin (SYD); 60 Mitch Henderson (CAN); 48 Brent Hawkins (SOU); 48 Jirah Liddiard (PEN); 45 Kallum Weatherall Stacey (MAN).

Vibes Team of the Week: 1 Connor Votano (NEW), 2 Mohamed Alameddine (PAR), 3 Siale Faeamani (WAR), 4 Alton Naiyep (MAN), 5 Will Craig (WST), 6 Joseph Nohra (PEN), 7 Mitchell Woods (CBY), 8 Felix Faatili (CRO), 9 Ryley Smith (PAR), 10 Fanafou Seve (CBY), 11 Riley Wake (PEN), 12 Tane Kiriona (CAN), 13 Angus Hinchey (MEL).

Upcoming fixtures – Round 14
Thu Jun 13 - Cronulla vs. Melbourne, PointsBet Stadium, 5:35 pm
Sat Jun 15 - Kaiviti Silktails vs. Canterbury, Churchill Park, 12:00 pm
Sat Jun 15 - Wests Tigers vs. Warriors, Leichhardt Oval, 10:55 am
Sat Jun 15 - Parramatta vs. Sydney Roosters, New Era Stadium, 3:30 pm
Sun Jun 16 - Newcastle vs. Penrith, McDonald Jones Stadium, 11:40 am
Sun Jun 16 - Manly vs. St George Illawarra, 4 Pines Park, 11:45 am
Sun Jun 16 - Canberra vs. South Sydney, Raiders Belconnen, 2:00 pm

🏉 Schoolboys recap

A look at all four of the major Schoolboys competitions from last week.

Allan Langer Trophy (South East Queensland)
Ipswich State High’s Sam Martin was the hero in Round 2, scoring in the dying minutes to give his side a 22-21 win over Mabel Park. Trailing 21-16, his dummy half try kept his side atop the ladder.

Palm Beach Currumbin bounced back from their big Round 1 loss with a 20-12 win over Redcliffe State High. Wavell also got into the winners’ circle with a 24-12 victory over rivals Marsden. Keebra Park also remains undefeated after beating Caloundra State High 20-12.

Dolphins Cup (Central Queensland)
St Brendan’s prop Carter Ford, son of the late great Carl Webb, scored the try of the round in his side’s 26-4 win over Emmaus College. The length of the field effort was his second of the game.

Rockhampton Grammar, coming off a Round 1 bye, got their campaign started with an upset 20-6 win over Cathedral College. Capras’ Mal Meninga Cup backrower Cooper Broadhurst scored twice in the win.

Aaron Payne Cup (North Queensland)
St Augustine’s Cairns were the standouts in Round 2, thrashing Holy Spirit Mackay 80-0 in Townsville. They scored 14 tries, three to Cowboys-contracted hooker Ben Walker, with halfback Jesse Ziegler kicking 12 goals.

Kirwan State High remain on top of Pool A after a 10-point win over rivals Ignatius Park. St Patrick’s Mackay got their first win in the other Pool A contest, beating Trinity Bay 32-16. Broncos-contracted fullback Adam McSherry bagged a hat-trick.

The last game of the round saw Mackay State High defeat Mareeba State High 28-10. Mareeba is playing for no competition points this year after receiving an exemption to select players from neighbouring schools who aren’t in the competition. Seth Stein from Atherton State High (30 minutes south of Mareeba) is one player benefiting from the decision, playing two games for Mareeba.

Peter Mulholland Cup (NSW / ACT / Victoria)
Round 1 wrapped up last week, with big wins from Erindale College and Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown.

Erindale destroyed Illawarra Sports High, scoring 12 tries in a 66-6 rout. Centre Harry Hudson scored three, while fullback Yuri Hromow and centre Luke Tuialii grabbed doubles. Patrician Brothers opened their season in Blacktown with a 50-0 win over Matraville Sports High. They scored nine tries, with five-eighth Jared Haywood scoring two.

The final Round 1 game saw another of the former “seeded pool” go down, with Hunter Sports High defeating Hills Sports High 26-12.

One Round 2 was also played last week, with Central Coast Sports College continuing its strong start to 2024 with a 52-10 win over Farrer MAHS.

🏉 Porter, Sharpe debut in Round 14

Reuben Porter became the latest Holden Cup old boy to crack the NRL when he came off the bench in the Tigers’ loss to the Dragons. The 27-year-old Cook Islands international has spent the last eight seasons in reserve grade, playing for Wyong, Mounties, North Sydney, Tweed and Western Suburbs.

A Wellington junior, Porter came to Australia in 2014, joining the Roosters and won an SG Ball premiership with them that season. Two years later, he started at second-row in their NYC Grand Final win over the Panthers.

Fletcher Sharpe was a try scorer on debut for Newcastle in their loss to Melbourne at AAMI Park.

A Cessnock Goannas junior, he entered the Knights system in 2020, playing Harold Matthews. In 2022, after 10 tries in eight SG Ball games, he moved up to the Jersey Flegg where he scored 10 tries in nine games. He started at fullback and scored in the Knights’ Grand Final loss to Penrith that season.

Last season, he started the year in SG Ball, scoring 12 tries in 12 games and playing in their Grand Final loss to Parramatta, before once again moving up to Flegg. He played just two Flegg games this season, scoring four tries, and made six NSW Cup appearances before his NRL call-up.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 14
Canterbury 38 (W Afualo, T Cochrane, R Moyle, F Seve, L Smith, L Spinks, M Woods tries; M Woods 5 goals) def. South Sydney 14 (H Mellars, S Taylor, D Towns tries; C Kaho goal) at Belmore Sports Ground. Ref: M Pitscheider. HT: CBY 16-4. Tackles: J Reardon 24 (CBY), L Grossemy 48 (SOU). Run metres: F Seve 148 (CBY), C Kaho 91 (SOU).

Warriors 16 (H Durbin, R Sio, G Tuilekutu tries; T Egan, S Faeamani goals) def. Kaiviti Silktails 10 (O Bari, T Wanisi tries; S Vunibola goal) at Churchill Park. Ref: P Eden. HT: WAR 6-0.

Parramatta 20 (B Newlands 2, D Neemia, D Vaivela tries; T Twidle 2 goals) def. St George Illawarra 16 (B Rumble, N Tsougranis, A Ward tries; A Ward 2 goals) at Eric Tweedale Stadium. Ref: G Miles. HT: PAR 10-4. Tackles: H Stewart 34 (SGI), R Smith 36 (PAR). Run metres: L Pasifiki Tonga 102 (SGI), M Alameddine 119 (PAR).

Canberra 10 (P Jenkins, D Wigmore tries; M Henderson goal) def. Wests Tigers 8 (N Willett 2 tries) at Lidcombe Oval. Ref: B Mani. HT: CAN 10-4. Tackles: S Vaihu 31 (WST), J Roddy 32 (CAN). Run metres: W Craig 156 (WST), T Kiriona 195 (CAN).

Cronulla 18 (K Dixon, F Faatili, M McCarthy tries; K Dixon 3 goals) def. Sydney Roosters 10 (H Barton, N Goodman tries; J Durkin goal) at PointsBet Stadium. Ref: L Matheson. HT: CRO 16-4. Tackles: C Jarvis 30 (CRO), J De Lisle 35 (SYD). Run metres: F Faatili 176 (CRO), C Hill 162 (SYD).

Penrith 22 (A Hotere-Papalii, J Liddiard, B Moran, J Nohra tries; J Liddiard 3 goals) def. Melbourne 18 (A Hinchey 2, M Amosa tries; J Berryman 2, D Perese goals) at AAMI Park. Ref: L Greenfield. HT: 8-all. Tackles: P Conn 30 (MEL), J Sagaga 31 (PEN). Run metres: H Peel 148 (MEL), R Wake 137 (PEN).

Newcastle 26 (C Votano 2, L Aoake, J McEwen, T Woodman-Tuhoro tries; C Votano 3 goals) def. Manly 24 (O Lawry, T May, A Naiyep, C Patu tries; K Weatherall-Stacey 4 goals) at Newcastle Centre of Excellence. Ref: B Hunt. HT: NEW 16-4. Tackles: M Martin 33 (NEW), B Konz 32 (MAN). Run metres: C Votano 130 (NEW), A Naiyep 152 (MAN).

After a seven-week hiatus (oops) the newsletter is back with many things to discuss.

Things like, “Who won the Mal Meninga Cup Grand Final that happened two weeks ago?” and “Who the SG Ball Cup Grand Final that happened five weeks ago?” Let’s get into it.

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🏉 Jersey Flegg Cup

Round 13 of the competition took place this past weekend, which means we’re halfway through the regular season.

Canberra have held the top spot since Round 3, winning nine of their first 12 games. Just below them are Canterbury and the Wests Tigers, both equal on 18 points, while Penrith and the Roosters round out the Top 5 with 16 points.

• Canberra 56 – 0 Kaiviti Silktails: The Raiders ran in 10 tries to hand the Silktails their 11th straight loss. These two sides met three weeks ago in Fiji with Canberra winning that game 56-8. Five-eighth Ethan Alaia scored a hat trick in his second Flegg game since moving up from SG Ball. The Raiders face the Tigers in Round 14, looking to record back-to-back wins for the first time since Round 8. The Silktails have a three-week homestand, where hopefully their first win will come.

• Canterbury 32 – 4 Newcastle: The Bulldogs shook off two straight losses with a strong win over the Knights. They play Souths this weekend, the last of their four consecutive home games. Newcastle have won just one game since Round 7 (in which they beat the Bulldogs 26-20).

• Parramatta 26 – 16 Cronulla: Level 16-all at half time, the Eels score two second-half tries to move above the Sharks. They started their season with seven straight defeats but have won four of their last five. Cronulla’s disappointing run continues, this loss their third in a row and dropping them to 13th.

• Wests Tigers 52 – 0 South Sydney: The Tigers bounced back from their Round 12 loss to Manly with their biggest-ever Flegg victory. They also scored 10 tries, with winger Navren Willett bagging three. They could be equal first with a win over Canberra this weekend.

• Penrith 38 – 12 St George Illawarra: The Panthers trailed 12-0 after 10 minutes before running in 38 unanswered points to defeat the Dragons. They’ve now won two in a row after a stretch of five losses from seven. The Dragons have dropped to ninth after just two wins from their last seven.

• Melbourne 22 – 18 Manly: The Storm ended Manly’s four-game winning run with a four-point victory at home. The win is just Melbourne’s second since Round 6. The Sea Eagles impressed on their win streak, defeating Canberra, Penrith and the Tigers.

• Warriors 20 - 16 Sydney Roosters: A last-minute try to winger Raphael Sio gave the Warriors their fourth win of 2024 and back-to-back victories. The Roosters were on a four-game winning streak after a rough start to the season.

Ladder: 1 CANBERRA (20pts), 2 CANTERBURY (18), 3 WESTS TIGERS (18), 4 PENRITH (16), 5 SYDNEY ROOSTERS (16), 6 Manly (16), 7 Newcastle (15), 8 South Sydney (14), 9 St George Illawarra (14), 10 Melbourne (14), 11 Warriors (11), 12 Parramatta (10), 13 Cronulla (9), 14 Kaiviti Silktails (2).

Top try scorers: 11 Matthew Hill (MEL); 10 Nick Murphy (PEN); 10 Ben Rumble (SGI); 9 Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro (NEW); 8 Regan Carr (CAN); 8 Broden Konz (MAN); 8 Siulagi Pio (MEL); 8 Kane Rushton (CAN); 7 Cain Barnes (SGI); 7 Kristian Dixon (CRO).

Top point scorers: 108 Cassius Tia (CBY); 98 Ashton Ward (SGI); 78 Kristian Dixon (CRO); 74 Te Hurinui Twidle (PAR); 68 Zakauri Clarke (WST); 60 Josh Durkin (SYD); 58 Mitch Henderson (CAN); 48 Brent Hawkins (SOU); 44 Matthew Hill (MEL); 42 Liam Sutton (NEW).

Vibes Team of the Week: 1 William Piliu (WAR), 2 Mohamed Alameddine (PAR), 3 Cathane Hill (SYD), 4 Prinston Esera (CAN), 5 Navren Willett (WST), 6 Ethan Alaia (CAN), 7 Blake Moore (PEN), 8 Herman Tofaeono (WST), 9 Shaun Packer (CAN), 10 Vaka Aho (WST), 11 Jock Brazel (PAR), 12 Jed Reardon (CBY), 13 Angus Hinchey (MEL).

Upcoming fixtures – Round 14
Fri Jun 7 - Canterbury vs. South Sydney, Belmore Sports Ground, 7 pm
Sat Jun 8 - Kaiviti Silktails vs. Warriors, Churchill Park, 12 pm
Sat Jun 8 - St George Illawarra vs. Parramatta, Collegians Sports Centre, 11:15 am
Sat Jun 8 - Cronulla vs. Sydney, Henson Park, 12 pm
Sat Jun 8 - Wests Tigers vs. Canberra, Lidcombe Oval, 12 pm
Sun Jun 9 - Melbourne v Penrith, AAMI Park, 11:30 am
Sun Jun 9 - Newcastle vs. Manly, Newcastle CoE, 1 pm

🏉 50-gamers

In 2023, Sione Moala and Jordan Swann became the first players to play 50 Jersey Flegg games since the competition was brought back in 2018. Moala did it across three clubs (Warriors, Raiders and Bulldogs), while Swann played all 50 for the Roosters.

In the last few weeks, three more have joined them with Rabbitohs’ captain Louis Grossemy, Storm prop Sheldon Diaz, and Eels’ hooker Ryley Smith all hitting the half-century. Grossemy played his 53rd game (all with Souths) in Round 13 and will equal Moala’s record of 54 if he plays this weekend. Diaz, a local Melbourne junior, sits on 52, as does Ryley Smith, who played 40 games for Penrith before joining Parramatta this year.

If you add in Colts games, Knights prop Blake Woodford (48) and Bulldogs’ back Ragarive Wavik (47) are also closing in on 50 total under-21s games. Woodford played 37 games for the Sunshine Coast, while Wavik played 36 for Townsville before they headed south in 2024.

🏉 Schoolboys competitions return

The national Schoolboy and Schoolgirls competitions are underway for 2024, with the Queensland conference getting started last week and the southern conference a few weeks into their season.

The Peter Mulholland Cup has seen another revamp with the ridiculous “seeded pool”, which saw the top four schools all progress automatically, disbanded. It’s already shown to be an improvement with two upsets in the opening round. Bass High defeated four-time national champs Endeavour and Central Coast Sports College thrashed reigning national champs Westfields 36-0.

The top two of each pool move onto the finals, while the eight-placed side (based on points and points differential) will play the winner of Victoria’s Storm Cup pool in a play-in match. Hallam Secondary College is the current leader in the pool, coming off an 86-0 win over Manor Lakes two weeks ago.

Southeast Queensland’s Allan Langer Trophy also got started with a huge upset, Ipswich State High defeating reigning state champs Palm Beach Currumbin 34-0. PBC’s side featured several of Tweed’s dominant Mal Meninga Cup premiership winning side.

In north Queensland’s Aaron Payne Cup, Kirwan State High defeated St Patrick’s Mackay 32-6 in a rematch of last year’s final. Central Queensland’s Dolphins Cup opened with big wins from Cathedral College (40-0 over Emmaus) and St Brendan’s Yeppoon (38-6 over Shalom College).

Round 1
Peter Mulholland Cup
Hallam Secondary 20 def. Vic Uni Secondary 14
St Gregory’s College 12 def. St Dominic’s College 10
The Grange College 42 def. Mt Ridley College 18
Holy Cross Ryde 28 def. Farrer MAHS 12
Bass High 20 def. Endeavour Sports High 14
Central Coast Sports College 36 def. Westfields Sports High 0
Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield 38 def. All Saints’ Maitland 16
Tue Jun 4 - Erindale College vs. Illawarra Sports High
Tue Jun 4 - Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown vs. Matraville Sports High
Wed Jun 5 - Hills Sports High vs. Hunter Sports High

Aaron Payne Cup
St Augustine’s Cairns 30 def. Mackay SHS 0
Kirwan SHS 32 def. St Patrick’s Mackay 6
Ignatius Park Townsville 24 def. Trinity Bay SHS 10
Mareeba SHS 30 def. Holy Spirit Mackay 4

Allan Langer Trophy
Marsden SHS 30 def. Redcliffe SHS 4
Mabel Park SHS 26 def. Caloundra SHS 12
Keebra Park SHS 28 def. Wavell SHS 26
Ipswich SHS 34 def. Palm Beach Currumbin SHS 0

Dolphins Cup
The Cathedral College 40 def. Emmaus College 0
St Brendan’s Yeppoon 38 def. Shalom College 6

🏉 Tweed takes third title

On 25 May, Tweed capped off their undefeated season by defeating Burleigh 36-12 in the under-19 Mal Meninga Cup Grand Final at Redcliffe. The Seagulls, like they did all year, rarely looked troubled. At 6-all they withstood 10 minutes of Bears attacks on their line before forcing an error and going downfield to score in the next set. From there, they took a 24-6 lead into halftime and pushed it out to 30 before a late consolation try from Burleigh.

Tweed halfback Zane Harrison, a local Seagulls junior contracted to the Titans, was named player of the match. Winger Tyson Ploegsma scored a hat trick and centre Sam Stephenson, also with the Titans, ran for 161 metres.

Bears’ edge Kilarney Lavender made his Mal Meninga Cup debut in the loss. He played six games (scoring eight tries) for their Cyril Connell Cup side earlier in the year and represented Queensland City under-17 the month before.

This was the first time the rivals had met in a Meninga Cup decider and Burleigh’s first-ever appearance. Before 2017, the region was represented in the competition by two Gold Coast teams, usually called Gold and White, or, Gold and Blue, for example. In 2013, Gold Coast White made the final, losing 44–16 to Redcliffe.

For Tweed, it’s their third Meninga Cup triumph, having also won in 2019 and 2021. Their 2019 side was stacked, featuring the likes of Reece Walsh, Xavier Coates, Brendan Piakura and Toby Sexton, while Deine Mariner, Tom Weaver and Blake Mozer were the standouts in 2021.

🏉 Warriors make history, Dragons break drought

Back on 27 April, the Warriors completed their fairytale run in the under-17 Harold Matthews Cup, beating Western Suburbs 34–16 in the Grand Final.

Competing in the competition for the first time, the Warriors scraped into the finals on the final day of the regular season, defeating St George to finish sixth. From there, they made three trips to Australia, knocking out the third-placed Eels, first-placed Bulldogs, and second-placed Magpies on their way to the title.

Halfback Jack Thompson, a mid-season recruit from Newcastle, scored a double in the win. Player of the match Lennox Tuiloma scored the title-securing try inside the final five minutes.

In the under-19 SG Ball Cup decider, St George won their fourth title and their first since 1992 with a 40–18 victory over Canterbury. The Dragons’ forward pack, which featured three Australian Schoolboys, were far too strong for the Dogs, with second-rower Jacob Halangahu running for 228 metres and being named best on ground. Winger Jesse Williams scored twice, finishing his season with 20 tries in 11 games.

St George Illawarra’s great day out continued with the undefeated Illawarra Steelers winning the under-19 Tarsha Gale Cup final 24–12 over Newcastle. Their forward pack was bolstered by prop Ella Koster and backrower Charlotte Basham, both with NRLW experience. Centre Indie Bostock, younger sister of Dolphins’ winger Jack, scored a double, ran for 267 metres, and was named player of the match.

The day got underway with the Bulldogs also completing a dominant undefeated season in the under-17 Lisa Fiaola Cup, beating the Wests Tigers 36–0 in the final. The Dogs scored 526 points over 10 games and conceded just 52. Hooker Fetuao Taito was named player of the match, while winger Asha Taumoepeau-Williams scored four tries.

🏉 NSW Junior City-Country

The NSWRL’s annual City-Country weekend took place on May 18-19, with City taking out three of the four junior contests.

They won the boys under-16’s game 54–10 and the under-18’s game 48–18. Since 2021, City have won all four games in both age groups and they’re never really close. For some reason, the boys’ teams are SG Ball/Harold Matts vs. the regional Laurie Daley/Andrew Johns Cup. Meaning, several country-eligible players who play for the likes of Canberra, Newcastle and Illawarra represent City.

Thankfully, the girls’ fixtures are played under normal eligibility rules and they’re actually close and sometimes Country even wins! Like they did this year, with Country under-19 defeating City 26–18. City took out the under-17 game 20–12.

🏉 Queensland U17, U18 squads named

The QRL has been going squad wild in recent weeks, naming boys and girls under-17 Emerging squads and an under-18 Emerging squad, with all three undergoing a weekend training camp.

The most interesting part of the release of the under-17s squad was the mention of the QRL’s support for the reintroduction of under-17s Origin fixtures. Under-19 Origin was brought back in 2022 but before 2020 we had a full slate of junior Origin games, with 16s, 18s, and 20s. Here’s hoping the 17s (which was last played in 2007) returns in 2025.

Queensland U17s Boys
Taakoi Benioni (Townsville), Charlie Dickson (Redcliffe), Cohen Dittmann (Townsville), Fa'apale Feaunati (Souths Logan), Noah Fien (Redcliffe), Seth Gundry (Burleigh), Jared Horne (Wynnum Manly), Finn Kendall (Ipswich), Jackson Koina (Sunshine Coast), Lui Lee (Sydney Roosters), Adaquix Luke (Souths Logan), Sam Martin (Souths Logan), Elijah McKay (CQ Capras), Marley McLaren (Burleigh), Mark Morrow (Mackay), Oliver Patterson (Norths), Siosaia Poese (Souths Logan), Brian Pouniu (Redcliffe), Braithen Scott (Clydesdales), Cody Starr (Redcliffe), Xzavier Timoteo (Ipswich), Joseph Tupuse (Burleigh), Hayden Watson (Burleigh), Amare Wynyard (Redcliffe). Coach: Nathan Small. Assistants: Nathan Norford, and Shayne Boyd.

Queensland U17s Girls
Mia Byrnes (Clydesdales), Orianna Clark (Brisbane Tigers), Okalani Compton (Burleigh), Enah Desic (Brisbane Tigers), Makayla Elliott (Sunshine Coast), Sky-Yvette Faimalie (Brisbane Tigers), Pypah Ferguson (Clydesdales), Lilianah Lewis (Souths Logan), Torah Luadaka (Tweed), Janique Mili (Souths Logan), Amanii Misa (Souths Logan), Shar-Lene Nati (Redcliffe), Nikeisha Ngaru (Souths Logan), Raewyn Olomallii (Redcliffe), Deleni Paitai (Redcliffe), Keira Rangi (Redcliffe), Zoe Robson (CQ Capras), Easter Taualai (Norths), Pauline To’o (Ipswich), Sienna Trew (Souths Logan), Evoltia Tuala (Townsville), Danielle Tutakangahau (Souths Logan), Lishainah Ulugia (Brisbane Tigers), Chanelle Williams (CQ Capras). Coach: Maia Tua-Davidson. Assistants: Matt Sanders, Ana Fotu.

Queensland U18
Javon Andrews (Souths Logan), Cooper Bai (Burleigh), Coby Black (Burleigh), Jai Bowden (Sunshine Coast), Jett Bryce (Burleigh), Lachlan Buchbach (Redcliffe), Seth Carpenter (CQ Capras), Phillip Coates (Burleigh), Braith Dowson (Northern Pride), Jac Finigan (Tweed), Carter Ford (CQ Capras), Zac Garton (Redcliffe), Zac Herdegen (Redcliffe), Harrison Hill (GC Titans), Clancy Hohn (CQ Capras), Sam Hyne (Canberra), Saxon Innes (Burleigh), Sunny Kama (Burleigh), Prestyn Laine-Sietu (Redcliffe), David Leota (Canterbury), Braelan Marsh (CQ Capras), Amare Milford (Burleigh), Mark Nosa (South Sydney), Cory Pearse (Tweed), Tavita Penaia (Mackay), Ray Puru (Burleigh), Dirhys Sefo (Souths Logan), Bodhi Sharpley (Clydesdales), Sam Stephenson (Tweed), Disharne Tonihi (Burleigh). Coaches: Darius Boyd, Jordan Rankin.

🏉 Colts down south

Remember the Hastings Deering Colts? Rather than stick around in A Grade, several would-be Colts-eligible players in 2024 have headed down to play in the Jersey Flegg Cup this year. Here are the 2023 Colts players who have played in the under-21 competition so far this season.

Canberra: Bailey Nash (Western Clydesdales), Jaxen Yow (Souths Logan)
Canterbury: Bud Smith (Western Clydesdales), Ragarive Wavik (Townsville)
Manly: Jesse Jackson (Tweed), Carsen Patu (Burleigh), Kallum Weatherall-Stacey (Norths)
Melbourne: Jak Goulding (Redcliffe), Tulloch McLellan, Chase Paterson (Sunshine Coast), Braydon Seu-Easthope, Trent Veukiso (Brisbane Tigers)
Newcastle: Edward Finau (Burleigh), Jake Self (Western Clydesdales), Corey Thomas (Redcliffe), Jeremy Trappett (Wynnum Manly), Khyan Weir (Tweed), Blake Woodford (Sunshine Coast), Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro (Brisbane Tigers)
Parramatta: Tyler Cuthbert (Ipswich), Antioch Faitala-Mariner (Brisbane Tigers), Matthew Hunter (Townsville), Damascus Neemia (Norths)
Penrith: Zack Lamont (Townsville)
South Sydney: Jack Field, Jared Johnson (Tweed), Mikael Ibrahim, Hayden Molkentien, Jordan Plath (Brisbane Tigers), Toby Sullivan (Mackay), Jeremaiah Tamepo (Burleigh)
St George Illawarra: Khye Russell (CQ Capras), Will Starling (Redcliffe)
Sydney Roosters: Reece Foley, Cathane Hill, Luke Jack (Townsville), Tyreece Tait (Norths)
Warriors: Cassius Cowley (Wynnum Manly), Eli Tuli (Tweed)

🏉 State of Origin pathways

13 of Queensland’s Game I lineup played junior Origin for the state as they progressed through their careers.

The four that didn’t are captain Daly Cherry-Evans, Jeremiah Nanai, Mo Fotuaika and Selwyn Cobbo. An 18-year-old Cherry-Evans missed out on U19 selection while playing for Wests in the old Colts Challenge back in 2007.1 Fotuaika represented the Junior Kiwis before later pledging his allegiance to Queensland, while Nanai and Cobbo would have most likely had some representative honours in 2020-21 if not for the pandemic.

Reece Walsh and Reuben Cotter are the only players from either side named who played in the annual under-16 Koori vs. Murri game. Cotter in 2014 and Walsh in 2018, playing at halfback alongside Zac Laybutt.

Seven of New South Wales’ 17 picked up state representative jerseys in their junior careers. James Tedesco was an Australian Schoolboy in 2010 but not a junior Blues rep. A spot in the inaugural U20 Origin in 2012 may have been his had he not torn his ACL that year. When he returned from injury in 2013, he’d already earned a senior rep jersey with City. Halves Jarome Luai and Nicho Hynes both went without selections through their juniors. Luai, like Fotuaika, also represented the Junior Kiwis.

Blues captain Jake Trbojevic and Maroons' second-rower Jaydn Su’a are the only two players in each side who have represented their state at every age level - 16s, 18s, 20s and seniors.

🏉 NRL debuts since Round 7

16 players have made their NRL debuts since the last newsletter in April, including six in last weekend’s Origin-affected round. That takes the 2024 count to 32 (not including players with Super League experience).

• Round 8
  David Armstrong (Knights): A Mungindi junior, recruited from Goondiwindi, Armstrong has had a solid start to his NRL career filling in for the injured Kalyn Ponga. He scored on debut and has five from five games.
  Zyon Maiu’u (Warriors): Maiu’u spent time with Redcliffe during their Warriors affiliation and played a full season of NSW Cup last year. He played 13 minutes in his debut against the Titans.
  Ethan Sanders (Eels): Headed to Canberra in 2025, Sanders was a standout for NSW U19 in their win last season. The Hills Bulls junior has filled in for Mitch Moses in two games for Parra this year.

• Round 10
  Matthew French (Rabbitohs): A Central Coast junior, the 24-year-old French has been in the Rabbitohs system since 2019, winning a Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup Grand Final with the club.
  Dion Teaupa (Rabbitohs): In Souths’ system since he was 16, Teaupa was a bright spark in the trials earlier this year. Started at five-eighth in their NSW Cup Grand Final win.

• Round 11
  Sione Fainu (Wests Tigers): Fainu became the fourth of his brothers to play first grade, playing alongside younger brother Samuela on debut. He represented NSW U18 in 2019.
  Josiah Karapani (Broncos): Originally in the Warriors system before heading to Souths, Karapani joined the Broncos this season, playing for Burleigh before his NRL call-up.

• Round 12
  Tony Francis (Titans): Francis won a Harold Matts title with Manly in 2018 as a five-eighth before moving to Queensland. Spent time in both the Cowboys and Broncos systems before joining the Titans in 2021. Scored three tries in Burleigh’s Grand Final loss last year.
  Lehi Hopoate (Sea Eagles): Like Fainu, Lehi became the fourth of his brothers to play in the NRL when he started at fullback against the Storm.
  Alex Lobb (Wests Tigers): A Wests Wollongong junior, Lobb made his debut as an 18th-man replacement in the Tigers’ loss to the Cowboys. He spent three seasons with the Dragons before joining the Tigers this year.

• Round 13
  Lipoi Hopoi (Bulldogs): A local junior who won the Jersey Flegg with the Dogs last year, Hopoi impressed off the bench in his debut, running for 121 metres.
  Jaxon Purdue (Cowboys): A halfback, Purdue played 80 minutes at centre on debut in the Cowboys’ win over the Roosters. Norths Mackay junior who this time last year was playing for St Patrick’s College in the Aaron Payne Cup.
  Preston Riki (Panthers): 26-year-old Riki played Holden Cup for the Warriors in 2016 and 2017 before moving up to the NSW Cup. Joined Penrith in 2022 after a season in the Queensland Cup with the Dolphins.
  Jamal Shibasaki (Cowboys): Debuted in the Queensland Cup as a 17-year-old and represented Queensland U19 last season. The Townsville local played 19 minutes off the bench in his debut, making 10 tackles without a miss.
  Blake Steep (Roosters): Port Macquarie junior who played just two Flegg games in 2023 after recovering from a torn ACL. Captained the Roosters SG Ball side this year before progressing to the NSW Cup.
  Trent Toelau (Panthers): A Victoria junior who was named the Thunderbolts U20s Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019. Got a chance with the Panthers NSW Cup side in 2021 after leaving the Storm, playing 37 games over four seasons before his NRL debut.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 13
Canberra 56 (E Alaia 3, X Cacciotti, P Esera, J Lavender, J Limon, J Purser, K Skipps, M Tuialii tries; T Bennetto 6, J Limon 2 goals) def. Kaiviti Silktails 0 at Raiders Belconnen. Ref: G Miles. HT: CAN 28-0. Tackles: T Withington 28 (CAN), K Vunibola 24 (KAI). Run metres: P Esera 143 (CAN), M Poulter 124 (KAI).

Canterbury 32 (W Afualo 2, T Cochrane 2, S Finau, J Mazzone tries; C Tia 4 goals) def. Newcastle 4 (J Davis try) at Belmore Sports Ground. Ref: L Greenfield. HT: CBY 18-0. Tackles: J Reardon 30 (CBY), J Davis 32 (NEW). Run metres: S Kaufusi 114 (CBY), L Aoake 91 (NEW).

Parramatta 26 (J Brazel 2, A Nanva, B Newlands, D Vaivela tries; T Twidle 3 goals) def. Cronulla 16 (S Ataata 2, P Gray tries; K Dixon 2 goals) at PointsBet Stadium. Ref: P Eden. HT: 16-all. Tackles: S McCulloch 33 (CRO), R Smith 39 (PAR). Run metres: F Fa’atili 138 (CRO), M Alameddine 147 (PAR).

Wests Tigers 52 (N Willett 3, H Tofaeono 2, T Heremia-Tukere, H Pritchard, F Tavana, S Vaihu, K Wilson tries; K Wilson 4, J Ibrahim 2 goals) def. South Sydney 0 at Redfern Oval. Ref: B Hunt. HT: WST 20-0. Tackles: L Grossemy 42 (SOU), K Wilson 26 (WST). Run metres: W Abou Arrage 87 (SOU), V Aho 195 (WST).

Penrith 38 (N Murphy 2, P Hotere-Papalii, H Lemoto, J Liddiard, F Manuleleua, B Moore tries; J Liddiard 5 goals) def. St George Illawarra 12 (B Rumble, C Stanley-Traill tries; A Ward 2 goals) at BlueBet Stadium. Ref: A Sirianni. HT: PEN 16-12. Tackles: B Phillips 24 (PEN), H Stewart 39 (SGI). Run metres: N Murphy 178 (PEN), H Stewart 122 (SGI).

Melbourne 22 (P Conn, M Hill, S Pio, T Veukiso tries; J Berryman 2, D Perese goals) def. Manly 18 (J Clark, B Konz, D O’Donnell tries; K Weatherall-Stacey 3 goals) at Seabrook Reserve. Ref: B Mani. HT: MAN 12-6. Tackles: A Hinchey 41 (MEL), B Konz 40 (MAN). Run metres: A Hinchey 140 (MEL), B Metcalfe 162 (MAN).

Warriors 20 (A Chong Nee, R Sio, R Tuipulotu-Vea tries; W Piliu 2, S Faeamani, M Winitana-Patelesio goals) def. Sydney 16 (R Foley 2, X Chatfield-Mooka, C Hill tries) at Wentworth Park. Ref: M Pitscheider. HT: WAR 12-0. Tackles: D Readon 33 (SYD), H Durbin 31 (WAR). Run metres: C Hill 204 (SYD), W Piliu 189 (WAR).

The Brisbane Tigers were down 18-8 to Mackay after 40 minutes in last Saturday’s Grand Final – the inaugural Harvey Norman U19s women’s Grand Final.

Cutters centre Jennifer Kimber had just scored her second of the day, burning her opposing centre off the scrum to put her side 10 points ahead.

In the next set, her teammate Leila Murphy suffered a broken leg and was taken from the field in an ambulance. The game was paused for an hour.

The Tigers were re-energised following the resumption of play.

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The Cutters looked, understandably, shaken by the injury to their teammate. They made two errors and gave away two penalties and two set restarts in the lead-up to the Tigers’ third try, scored by winger Lily Neill.

The margin remained at six after Leilani Tuqiri missed her third conversion of the day.

A scrappy 10 minutes followed but the Tigers managed to get their fourth try, with Sarah Clark snatching a Kaylah Moloney offload to score out wide.

With about just over a minute left and down by two, the Tigers declined the shot at goal.

I can understand it. Tuqiri, already 0 from 3 on the day, was kicking at just 38% for the season. She misses and the game is over. They were dominant since the restart, they had time, they could get themselves back downfield into an attacking position from the kick-off.

They all almost did, getting to the Cutters’ 30-metre line. In what should’ve been the last play of regular time, Tuqiri put a bomb and hoped for the best. The Cutters dropped it, it was picked up in an offside position and the Tigers got a penalty right in front, 15 metres out.

Then this happened.

They tap it. They spread it. They get tackled. Mackay win.

Cutters’ hooker Paityne Johns was named Player of the Match.

Earlier in the day, in a much less insane game, Redcliffe defeated Townsville 24-10 in the U17 Cyril Connell Cup Grand Final, the first one held since 2016.

The Dolphins led 16-0 at halftime with tries to halfback Noah Fien (son of Nathan), hooker Amare Wynyard and forward Nate Berrigan (son of Barry).

The Blackhawks, who were undefeated heading into the final, got back into it after the break, scoring through Cowboys-contracted backrower Taakoi Benioni and centre Cohen Dittman, who ran the length of the field. Dittman started the year with the Roosters’ Harold Matthews side before returning to Townsville.

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Inside the final 10 minutes, a dubious shoulder charge penalty right in front was converted by Dolphins’ winger Bond Bradley (great name) before Player of the Match Charlie Dickson crashed over two minutes later to seal the win.

A good year for Redcliffe’s junior rep sides, who also currently hold the Mal Meninga Cup title.

🏉 Jersey Flegg - Round 6

We had a full slate of Flegg games in Round 6 after the mass postponements the week before. Here’s what happened.

• Manly 20 - 16 Warriors: The Warriors came close to their first win of 2024. Trailing by 10 after 50 minutes, they cut the lead to two inside the final 10 before making three errors and giving away a penalty, allowing Manly to ice the win late.

• Wests Tigers 31 - 22 St George Illawarra: The Dragons led this 22-4 at halftime and looked set for their fourth straight win before the Tigers blew them away in the second half, scoring five unanswered tries.

• South Sydney 20 - 20 Cronulla: The Rabbitohs salvaged a draw thanks to a last-minute Hayden Molkentien try and Brent Hawkins sideline conversion. Both sides were desperate for a win, the Sharks winless since Round 1 and Souths since Round 2.

• Penrith 52 - 14 Kaiviti Silktails: Penrith ran wild in Fiji, scoring 10 tries in a 38-point flogging of the Silktails. The Silktails’ search for their first-ever win continues into Round 7.

• Melbourne 24 - 12 Parramatta: The Storm made it three straight wins with a victory over the Eels at Crestwood Oval. The Eels are still winless but did score the try of the round.

• Canterbury 38 - 12 Canberra: Canberra’s unbeaten run to start the season ended at the hands of the reigning premiers on Sunday. The Dogs were back to their best after the week off, scoring seven tries.

• Newcastle 22 - 18 Sydney Roosters: The Knights bounced back from their Round 5 loss to the Dragons with a win at home, holding off the Roosters for their fourth win of the season.

Ladder: 1 CANBERRA (10 pts), 2 CANTERBURY (8), 3 PENRITH (8), 4 ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA (8), 5 NEWCASTLE (8), 6 Melbourne (8), 7 Wests Tigers (8), 8 Manly (6), 9 South Sydney (5), 10 Sydney Roosters (4), 11 Cronulla (3), 12 Parramatta (0), 13 Warriors (0), 14 Kaiviti Silktails (0).

Top try scorers: 8 Ben Rumble (SGI); 7 Cain Barnes (SGI); 6 Regan Carr (CAN); 6 Siulagi Pio (MEL); 5 Danny Gabrael (CBY); 5 Casey McLean (PEN); 5 Nick Murphy (PEN); 4 Kristian Dixon (CRO); 4 Alan Holten (SYD); 4 Kane Rushton (CAN).

Top point scorers: 56 Ashton Ward (SGI); 50 Mitch Henderson (CAN); 42 Zakauri Clarke (WST); 42 Cassius Tia (CBY); 34 Kristian Dixon (CRO); 32 Levi Conti (SYD); 32 Ben Rumble (SGI); 32 Liam Sutton (NEW); 30 De'ontae Perese (MEL); 28 Cain Barnes (SGI).

Team of the Week: 1 Liam Ison (CRO), 2 Angelis Hotere-Papalii (PEN), 3 William Afualo (CBY), 4 Matthew Hill (MEL), 5 Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro (NEW), 6 Cassius Tia (CBY), 7 Blake Moore (PEN), 8 Chris Faagutu (WST), 9 Billy Scott (PEN), 10 Toby Sullivan (SOU), 11 Lachlan Broederlow (WST), 12 Dylan Coutts (CRO), 13 Caleb Navale (MAN).

Round 7 – Upcoming fixtures
20/4 Penrith vs. Wests Tigers, BlueBet Stadium, 11:15 am (local)
20/4 St George Illawarra vs. Warriors, Collegians Sports Centre, 11:15 am
20/4 South Sydney vs. Kaiviti Silktails, Erskineville Oval, 1 pm [NSWRL.TV]
20/4 Melbourne vs. Canberra, Seabrook Reserve, 2 pm
21/4 Newcastle vs. Canterbury, Newcastle CoE, 1 pm
21/4 Sydney Roosters vs. Parramatta, Wentworth Park, 1:15 pm
21/4 Cronulla vs. Manly, PointsBet Stadium, 1:50 pm

🏉 Mal Meninga Cup - Round 9

• Brisbane Tigers 60 - 14 Wide Bay: The Tigers got themselves within two points of the top six after thrashing poor old Wide Bay. They scored 11 tries in the win.

• Redcliffe 30 - 14 Northern Pride: A strong first half from Redcliffe paved the way for their sixth win of the season. The defeat sees the Pride drop out of the top six. Cowboys NRL squad member Kaiden Lahrs made his return after a shoulder injury.

• Sunshine Coast 30 - 12 Souths Logan: The Falcons shook off their loss to the Pride with a big win over the Magpies. Their winger Tristan Roselt scored twice on his MM Cup debut.

• Norths 36 - 8 CQ Capras: The Devils got their third win of the season thanks to a dominant second half in which they scored five tries.

• Wynnum Manly 44 - 6 Townsville: For the second week in a row Townsville struggled with south-eastern competition, losing big to Wynnum Manly. The win moves the Seagulls into sixth.

• Mackay 34 - 16 Western Clydesdales: Fresh off the bye, Mackay took care of the Clydesdales, pulling away after a tight first 50 minutes. Cutters’ fullback Mutua Brown scored twice in the win.

• Ipswich 32 - 10 Burleigh: After a disappointing loss to Redcliffe, the Jets redeemed themselves with a win over a good top-sixsits side. They remain in third, while Burleigh sit in fifth.

Ladder: 1 TWEED (17 pts), 2 REDCLIFFE (15), 3 IPSWICH (14), 4 MACKAY (14), 5 BURLEIGH (12), 6 WYNNUM MANLY (10), 7 Sunshine Coast (10), 8 Northern Pride (10), 9 Townsville (10), 10 Western Clydesdales (10), 11 Brisbane Tigers (8), 12 Norths (8), 13 Souths Logan (8), 14 CQ Capras (4), 15 Wide Bay (2).

Top try scorers: 9 Disharne Tonihi (BUR); 8 Tyson Ploegsma (TWE); 7 Mutua Brown (MKY); 7 Elijah Keung (BRI); 7 Jaycob Kingston-Francis (WYN); 7 Amaziah Murgha (IPS); 7 Saifiti Junior Saifiti (IPS); 6 Mason Barber (TWE); 6 Creedence Kelly-Donovan (BUR); Adam Khan (NTH).

Top point scorers: 102 Saifiti Junior Saifiti (IPS); 84 Zac Herdegen (RED); 66 Zane Harrison (TWE); 66 Kylem Vunipola (WYN); 56 Adam Khan (NTH); 54 Joshua Lee (BRI); 48 Coby Black (BUR); 46 Jackson Howe (TWE); 44 James Marriott (SCF); 38 Joey Sankey (WCL).

Team of the Week: 1 Mutua Brown (MKY), 2 Adam Khan (NTH), 3 Braiden Driscoll (BRI), 4 Amaziah Murgha (IPS), 5 Jeremiah Havea (RED), 6 Xavier Hellyer (BRI), 7 Preston Cassidy (WYN), 8 Beni Allen (WYN), 9 John Fineanganofo (RED), 10 Kanaan Magele (IPS), 11 Thomas Hansson (NTH), 12 Tyrell Hopkins (SCF), 13 Tavita Penaia (MKY).

Round 9 – Upcoming fixtures
20/4 Ipswich vs. Tweed, Piggabeen Sports Complex, 10:30 am (local)
20/4 Burleigh vs. Souths Logan, UAA Park, 12:30 pm
20/4 Northern Pride vs. Norths, Barlow Park, 1 pm
20/4 Mackay vs. Wynnum Manly, BB Print Stadium, 2:15 pm
20/4 Sunshine Coast vs. Townsville, Sunshine Coast Stadium, 2:45 pm
20/4 Western Clydesdales vs. Redcliffe, Jack Martin Oval, 3 pm
21/4 Brisbane Tigers vs. CQ Capras, Totally Workwear Stadium, 10:35 am
Wide Bay - Bye

🏉 NSWRL Junior Reps - Finals Week 1

SG Ball Cup
Newcastle and Canterbury both progressed to the semis with blowout wins in Week 1. The Knights defeated Illawarra 44-16, with the Bulldogs eliminating Parramatta 42-10.

Canterbury will face the Roosters, the undefeated minor premiers. The two sides met in Round 1 with the Tricolours winning 36-26.

The Knights will play St George, who they defeated 16-14 in Round 4.

20/4 Sydney Roosters vs. Canterbury, Henson Park, 12:30 pm (local)
20/4 St George vs. Newcastle, Leichhardt Oval, 6:30 pm

Harold Matthews Cup
The Warriors pulled off the upset of the weekend, knocking out Parramatta in their inaugural Harold Matts campaign. In the other elimination final, Cronulla overcame a 22-4 halftime deficit to eliminate the Roosters 30-22.

Can the Warriors do it again in the semis? They play undefeated minor premiers Canterbury at Henson Park. Cronulla also face an undefeated side in the Western Suburbs at Leichhardt. It’ll be the first time both fixtures have taken place this year.

20/4 Western Suburbs vs. Cronulla, Leichhardt Oval, 11 am
20/4 Canterbury vs. Warriors, Henson Park, 11 am

Tarsha Gale Cup
In the second biggest upset of the weekend, Cronulla ended the Roosters hopes of a third straight premiership, winning 24-6. Newcastle eliminated Manly in a tight contest 18-16 the day before.

The Sharks play the undefeated Steelers in the semi. They last played in Round 9 with Illawarra winning convincingly, 38-4. The other semi sees Canterbury face the Knights. They played in Round 2, with the Bulldogs winning 12-6.

20/4 Illawarra vs. Cronulla, Leichhardt Oval, 2 pm
20/4 Canterbury vs. Newcastle, Leichhardt Oval, 5 pm

Lisa Fiaola Cup
Sixth-placed Newcastle eliminated Parramatta in Week 1 and will now face the red-hot Bulldogs, who scored 468 points in the regular season. They met in Round 2 with Canterbury winning 38-16.

The Wests Tigers progressed to the semis after a 24-22 win over the Central Coast. They’ll now play Illawarra this weekend, whom they did not meet in the regular season.

20/4 Illawarra vs. Wests Tigers, Leichhardt Oval, 12:30 pm
20/4 Canterbury vs. Newcastle, Leichhardt Oval, 3:30 pm

🏉 City domination in U17s

The QRL held their annual under-17 City-Country fixtures this past weekend, moving them from the end of the season to before the Harvey Norman 19s and Cyril Connell Grand Finals. This of course meant several players weren’t able to play.

After losing both games last September, City were big winners on Saturday.

The City Girls opened the day with a 60-6 win, scoring 12 tries. Four of those were scored by Tigers’ front rower Lishainah Ulugia. Shalom Sauaso, contracted to the Broncos and plays for the Queensland Reds in the Super W, was unstoppable, scoring twice, running for 181 metres and breaking 18 (!) tackles. Halfback Lilianah Lewis was named Player of the Match. Pypah Ferguson, the younger sister of Jada, was Country’s best, running for 101 metres and making 17 tackles.

In the boys’ fixture, City won it 50-24. They led 22-18 at halftime before six second-half tries blew the score out. Souths Logan winger Siosaia Poese scored a hat trick. Hooker Sam Martin was named Player of the Match. Ipswich’s Xzavier Timoteo was a standout in a losing side, running for 128 metres.

Since 2021, the boys and girls series are both level at two wins each.

🏉 Four step up in Round 6

After a slow start, the NRL debuts have been rolling in in recent weeks, with four more - Jye Gray, Bailey Hayward, Lachlan Hubner and Chevy Stewart - debuting this past weekend.

Hayward was the first, coming off the bench for Canterbury in their loss to Melbourne on Friday night. The half made 23 tackles in his 38-minute stint. A local junior, Hayward originally progressed through the Roosters junior system, playing Harold Matthews and SG Ball for them before joining the Bulldogs in 2021. In 2022, he was named their Jersey Flegg Player of the Year and played two games for Scotland at the World Cup. He spent the entire 2023 season in the Dogs’ NSW Cup side.

Rockhampton through-and-through, Hubner ran for 77 metres in 30 minutes on debut for the Dolphins against the Broncos. A Norths Knights junior, Hubner progressed through every grade with the CQ Capras, from Cyril Connell to Queensland Cup. He made his NRL debut after 58 games for the Capras over four seasons.

Gray started at fullback for South Sydney in place of Latrell Mitchell in their loss to Cronulla. Despite going off for a HIA, he ran for 172 metres and broke seven tackles in his debut. A Runaway Bay junior, Gray was a star half coming through the QRL junior reps, playing for Burleigh and Souths Logan in the Mal Meninga Cup. In 2022, he represented Queensland U19 before being signed by Souths. In 2023, he started the year in SG Ball and ended it in Jersey Flegg, playing 11 games.

Stewart also debuted at fullback, playing 90 minutes in the Raiders’ Golden Point win over the Titans, running for 205 metres. A Kurnell junior, Stewart was a star for the Sharks’ Harold Matthews side in 2022, playing in their Grand Final loss to Wests and later being named an Australian Schoolboy. Joining Canberra in 2023, he quickly progressed from SG Ball to Flegg to NSW Cup in the space of two months.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup - Round 6
Manly 20 (J Jackson, B Konz, U Uasi tries; B Metcalfe 4 goals) def. Warriors 16 (S Kali, M Tafua, N Vake tries; E Fukofuka 2 goals) at Go Media Stadium. Ref: J Green. HT: 6-all. Tackles: I Samuelu 36 (WAR), C Navale 36 (MAN). Run metres: S Kali 116 (WAR), C Navale 133 (MAN).

Wests Tigers 31 (M Taotua 2, T Heremia-Tukere, S Saukuru, H Tofaeono, K Wilson tries; Z Clarke 3 goals; N Teaupa field goal) def. St George Illawarra 22 (C Barnes, J Quine, K Russell, A Ward tries; A Ward 3 goals) at Lidcombe Oval. Ref: A Sirianni. HT: SGI 22-4. Tackles: K Wilson 24 (WST), M Alhazim 40 (SGI). Run metres: L Broederlow 170 (WST), C Barnes 116 (SGI).

South Sydney 20 (A Macey 2, L Grossemy, H Molkentien tries; B Hawkins 2 goals) drew with Cronulla 20 (D Coutts 2, K Dixon, T Waitere tries; K Dixon 2 goals) at Erskineville Oval. Ref: P Eden. HT: CRO 10-6. Tackles: L Grossemy 31 (SOU), D Coutts 29 (CRO). Run metres: T Sullivan 142 (SOU), L Ison 154 (CRO).

Penrith 52 (C McLean 2, N Murphy 2, A Warwick 2, J Edgar, A Hotere-Papalii, F Manuleleua, B Moore tries; B Scott 6 goals) def. Kaiviti Silktails 14 (J Navunidreudreu 2, M Poulter tries; M Nacaginimasei goal) at Churchill Park. Ref: E Klein. HT: PEN 28-4. Tackles: S Kalounivalu 41 (KAI), B Scott 26 (PEN). Run metres: B Saun 104 (KAI), A Hotere-Papalii 179 (PEN).

Melbourne 24 (M Hill 2, K Newton-Whare, D Perese tries; H Peel 2, D Perese 2 goals) def. Parramatta 12 (C Sorovi 2 tries; T Twidle 2 goals) at Crestwood Oval. Ref: C Suters. HT: PAR 12-6. Tackles: S Pryke 50 (PAR), J Burgess 32 (MEL). Run metres: L Mears-Crabbe 150 (PAR), M Hill 169 (MEL).

Canterbury 38 (W Afualo 2, T Cochrane, D Gabrael, Z Muagututia, B Porter, R Wavik tries; C Tia 5 goals) def. Canberra 12 (J Lavender 2 tries; J Limon 2 goals) at Raiders Belconnen. Ref: L Greenfield. HT: CBY 14-6. Tackles: O Pattie 34 (CAN), C Donaldson 26 (CBY). Run metres: J Clydsdale 118 (CAN), W Afualo 209 (CBY).

Newcastle 22 (J Davis, J Falemoe, L Sutton, T Woodman-Tuhoro tries; L Sutton 3 goals) def. Sydney Roosters 18 (L Conti, A Holten, Z Visconti tries; L Conti 3 goals) at Newcastle Permanent Centre of Excellence. Ref: B Hunt. HT: NEW 12-6. Tackles: J Davis 36 (NEW), L Jack 33 (SYD). Run metres: H Walker 149 (NEW), O Flaherty 169 (SYD).

Mal Meninga Cup – Round 9
Brisbane Tigers 60 (D Brunker 2, X Hellyer 2, E Keung 2, B Driscoll, M Maea, J McCosker, J Sa, C Simpson tries; J Lee 8 goals) def. Wide Bay 14 (K Young 2, R Smith tries; M Sly goal) at Salter Oval. Ref: B Sawyers. HT: BRI 38-4. Tackles: K O’Swyer 30 (WBB), D Brunker 15 (BRI). Run metres: M Sly 95 (WBB), B Driscoll 201 (BRI).

Redcliffe 30 (J Havea 2, J Fineanganofo, P Kailahi, M Waqa tries; Z Herdegen 5 goals) def. Northern Pride 14 (K Eaton, W Lourigan, J Twist tries; N Blooranta goal) at Kayo Stadium. Ref: D Lawrence. HT: RED 24-10. Tackles: P Kailahi 21 (RED), B Dowson 28 (NPR). Run metres: L Nonu 225 (RED), W Lourigan 140 (NPR).

Sunshine Coast 30 (T Coghlan 2, T Roselt 2, T Hopkins, B Waters tries; J Marriott 3 goals) def. Souths Logan 12 (M Taumaletila-Maulolo, K Watson tries; J Andrews 2 goals) at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Ref: H Lea. HT: SCF 14-6. Tackles: T Hopkins 31 (SCF), J Solien 31 (SLM). Run metres: T Hopkins 187 (SCF), I Leota 124 (SLM).

Norths 36 (A Khan 2, L Salei 2, E Jackson, A Mitchell, S Simon tries; E Bijl-Kakoi 4 goals) def. CQ Capras 8 (I Broome, S Carpenter tries) at Bishop Park. Ref: J Funk. HT: NTH 36-8. Tackles: T Hansson 29 (NTH), C Seierup 28 (CQL). Run metres: S Simon 180 (NTH), S Carpenter 136 (CQL).

Wynnum Manly 44 (B Allen 2, C Johnstone 2, H Armstrong, P Cassidy, C Frame, C Johnson tries; K Vunipola 6 goals) def. Townsville 6 (L Fono try; L Erba goal) at Jack Manski Oval. Ref: N Bowyer. HT: WYN 26-0. Tackles: L Deininger 29 (TSV), H Armstrong 23 (WYN). Run metres: L Fono 111 (TSV), K Vunipola 164 (WYN).

Mackay 34 (M Brown 2, H Harris, X Kerrisk, T Penaia, W Shears tries; L Russell 3, R Woodall 2 goals) def. Western Clydesdales 16 (T Beattie, T Cameron, J Litidamu tries; J Sankey 2 goals) at Clive Berghofer Stadium. Ref: I Davidson. HT: MKY 12-6. Tackles: L Cesari 31 (WCL), T Larner 23 (MKY). Run metres: T Beattie 98 (WCL), M Brown 232 (MKY).

Ipswich 32 (A Murgha 2, L Coburn, J Mack, C Putoko, I Togia tries; S Saifiti 3, N Fraser goals) def. Burleigh 10 (T Abell, D Tonihi tries; C Black goal) at North Ipswich Reserve. Ref: H Kleijn. HT: IPS 16-10. Tackles: L Cliffe 27 (IPS), C Bai 35 (BUR). Run metres: K Magele 180 (IPS), O Laffranchi 104 (BUR).

Harvey Norman 19s – Grand Final
Mackay 18 (J Kimber 2, M Lawson 2 tries; P Mooney goal) def. Brisbane Tigers 16 (S Clark, L Neill, T Tavita, P Wani tries) at Totally Workwear Stadium. Ref: K Turner. HT: MKY 10-8. Tackles: P Wani 13 (BRI), M Lawson 25 (MKY). Run metres: A Shannon 109 (BRI), J Kimber 93 (MKY).

Cyril Connell Cup – Grand Final
Redcliffe 24 (N Berrigan, C Dickson, N Fien, A Wynyard tries; B Bradley 4 goals) def. Townsville 10 (T Benioni, C Dittmann tries; R Carbone goal) at Totally Workwear Stadium. Ref: J Gregg. HT: RED 16-0. Tackles: C Cox 28 (TSV), B Pouniu 26 (RED). Run metres: C Dittmann 183 (TSV), C Starr 148 (RED).

SG Ball Cup – Elimination Finals
Newcastle 44 (S Latu 3, J Hilliar 2, J McEwen, M Smith, B Thomas tries; C Votano 6 goals) def. Illawarra 16 (T Amone, L King-Togia, T Rumble tries; C Baldock 2 goals) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: G Miles. HT: NEW 26-4. Tackles: M Smith 38 (NEW), B Plecas 25 (ILL). Run metres: S Latu 187 (NEW), H Buchanan 152 (ILL).

Canterbury 42 (R Rinakama 2, R Tatupu 2, S Alatini, M Rogers, F Seve, L Spinks tries; A Conti 5 goals) def. Parramatta 10 (O McCarthy, L Talataina tries; D Farrugia goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: M Pitscheider. HT: CBY 24-0. Tackles: M Rogers 20 (CBY), T Lokeni 28 (PAR). Run metres: L Spinks 132 (CBY), O McCarthy 125 (PAR).

Harold Matthews Cup – Elimination Finals
Warriors 30 (E Davidson-Faaiuaso 2, D Laban 2, J Lemana tries; K Booth 5 goals) def. Parramatta 20 (L Fletcher 2, A Johansson, L Rokosuka tries; L Fletcher 2 goals) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: R Micallef. HT: WAR 18-0. Tackles: S Polley 25 (PAR), H Frost 23 (WAR). Run metres: L Rokosuka 149 (PAR), J Lemana 146 (WAR).

Cronulla 30 (T Dellow 2, I Dawson, J Delaney, J Herron, O Lester tries; C Grantham 3 goals) def. Sydney Roosters 22 (J Finegan, L Lee, J Papa, B Roberts-Lintmeijer tries; L Metcalfe 3 goals) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: I El Hassan. HT: SYD 22-4. Tackles: J Ennis 27 (CRO), E Cayless 20 (SYD). Run metres: T Dellow 163 (CRO), P Lavakeiaho 143 (SYD).

Tarsha Gale Cup – Elimination Finals
Newcastle 18 (M Darcy, F Finau, E McEwen, L McNamara tries; L McNamara goal) def. Manly 16 (T Rameka-Keremete, I Russell-Lia, A Tunufai tries; D Gray 2 goals) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: C Robinson. HT: MAN 10-8. Tackles: B Morris 20 (MAN), S Smith 30 (NEW). Run metres: L Boyle 208 (MAN), E McEwen 213 (NEW).

Cronulla 24 (A Harden, K Leilua, J Levy, R Stojoski tries; M Isemonger 4 goals) def. Sydney Roosters 6 (S Montgomery try; G Barrett goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: W Damato. HT: CRO 6-0. Tackles: O Epati 28 (SYD), S Faulkner 23 (CRO). Run metres: E MacGregor 157 (SYD), K Leilua 177 (CRO).

Lisa Fiaola Cup – Elimination Finals
Wests Tigers 24 (A Faaui 2, R Bonner, A Tu’ifua tries; E Barnett 3, A Faaui goals) def. Central Coast 22 (M Vaotuua 2, M Cashin, E Knowles tries; B Bigeni 3 goals) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: S Marigliano. HT: WST 18-16. Tackles: E Brander 25 (CEN), L Luamanua-Leiataua 19 (WST). Run metres: M Vaotuua 220 (CEN), M Fuimaono 107 (WST).

Newcastle 22 (M Cox 2, T Belcher, I Hodgson tries; I Hodgson 3 goals) def. Parramatta 10 (F Crichton-Ropati, S Latapu tries; B Ma-Chong goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: L Durrant. HT: NEW 16-0. Tackles: F Tufuga 25 (PAR), E McArthur 23 (NEW). Run metres: F Tufuga 176 (PAR), E McArthur 167 (NEW).

Qld U17 Boys City v Country
City 50 (S Poese 3, O Patterson 2, K Floro, J Horne, S Martin, R Starkey, T To’a tries; M McLaren 5 goals) def. Country 24 (Z Bateman, B Hilt, J Koina, M Morrow tries; B Scott 4 goals) at Totally Workwear Stadium. Ref: S Kalpakidas. HT: CIT 22-18. Tackles: S Martin 20 (CIT), B Hilt 20 (COU). Run metres: F Feaunati 145 (CIT), X Timoteo 128 (COU).

Qld U17 Girls City v Country
City 60 (L Ulugia 4, N Ngaru 2, S Sauaso 2, L Lewis, T Luadaka, S Nati, R Olomalii tries; T Luadaka 4, L Lewis 2 goals) def. Country 6 (J Collett try; Z Robson goal) at Totally Workwear Stadium. Ref: L Ware. HT: CIT 34-0. Tackles: S Croyston 11 (CIT), P Ferguson 17 (COU). Run metres: S Sauaso 181 (CIT), P Ferguson 101 (COU).

🏉 Jersey Flegg Cup
Four games were postponed due in Round 5 due to torrential rain in Sydney and Fiji.

Rabbitohs-Warriors, Silktails-Sharks, Bulldogs-Roosters, and Sea Eagles-Panthers will all be rescheduled. My guess is they’ll take place on the weekend of May 18-19, during the scheduled bye round.

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Three matches still took place this past weekend.

• Melbourne 28 def. Wests Tigers 18. The Storm picked up their third win of the season with winger Siulagi Pio bagging a hat trick.

• St George Illawarra 30 def. Newcastle 16. The Dragons made it three straight wins and ended the Knights three-win run. Dragons’ fullback Ben Rumble scored twice, taking his tally to eight in three games.

• Canberra 22 def. Parramatta 16. Canberra’s undefeated run continues, starting the year 5-0. The Eels showed much more fight in Round 5 but are still winless in 2024.

Ladder: 1 CANBERRA (10pts), 2 ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA (8), 3 CANTERBURY (6), 4 PENRITH (6), 5 NEWCASTLE (6), 6 Melbourne (6), 7 Wests Tigers (6), 8 Sydney Roosters (4), 9 Manly (4), 10 South Sydney (4), 11 Cronulla (2), 12 Parramatta (0), 13 Kaiviti Silktails (0), 14 Warriors (0).

Top try scorers: 8 Ben Rumble (SGI), 6 Cain Barnes (SGI) 6 Regan Carr (CAN), 6 Siulagi Pio (MEL), 4 Danny Gabrael (CBY), 4 Suliasi Prescott (MEL), 4 Kane Rushton (CAN), 3 Christian Abal (SYD), 3 Zakauri Clarke (WST), 3 Kristian Dixon (CRO).

Top point scorers: 50 Mitch Henderson (CAN), 46 Ashton Ward (SGI), 36 Zakauri Clarke (WST), 32 Ben Rumble (SGI), 32 Cassius Tia (CBY), 28 Kristian Dixon (CRO), 24 Cain Barnes (SGI), 24 Regan Carr (CAN), 24 Siulagi Pio (MEL), 22 Levi Conti (SYD).

Round 6 – Upcoming fixtures
13/4 Warriors vs. Manly, Go Media Stadium, 12:45pm (local)
13/4 Wests Tigers vs. St George Illawarra, Leichhardt Oval, 12pm
13/4 South Sydney vs. Cronulla, Redfern Oval, 1pm
13/4 Kaiviti Silktails vs. Penrith, Churchill Park, 1pm
13/4 Parramatta vs. Melbourne, New Era Stadium, 3pm
14/4 Canberra vs. Canterbury, Raiders Belconnen, 12pm
14/4 Newcastle vs. Sydney Roosters, Newcastle CoE, 1pm

The Warriors, Silktails and Eels are still searching for their first wins heading into Round 6. The Silktails come up against a good Panthers side but is in Fiji, so you never know. Newcastle-Roosters should be a good one on Sunday afternoon.

🏉 Mal Meninga Cup
After a weekend off, the Mal Meninga Cup returned with teams playing outside their local areas for the first time this season. We got a good look at how the regional sides measure up against the south-east sides. Since 2021, teams have played only against teams in their region (until finals) but with the expanded competition this year, there’s more opportunity for different matchups.

• Brisbane Tigers 34 def. Western Clydesdales 4. The Tigers had only won one of their first six before this big win. Their prop Elijah Keung scored three tries.

• Wynnum Manly 46 def. Norths 22. The Seagulls trailed 22-12 at halftime before putting on a strong second-half display, scoring six tries.

• Tweed 76 def. Wide Bay 10. The undefeated moved to six wins after thrashing the Bulls. They scored 14 tries, with centre Tyson Ploegsma bagging three. For the second game in a row, Wide Bay played with 15 players.

• Northern Pride 32 def. Sunshine Coast 6. A win for the northern sides in Round 5 with the Pride taking care of the Falcons. It was 6-all at halftime before a big Pride second half. The win moves them into the Top 6.

• Souths Logan 36 def. Townsville 20. Souths Logan had won just twice before travelling up to Townsville. They scored six tries through six different try scorers.

• Burleigh 32 def. CQ Capras 12. The Capras, looking for their second win, were leading in the second half until the Bears clicked into gear, scoring 22 unanswered points.

• Redcliffe 44 def. Ipswich 12. The Dolphins jumped the Jets into second with a dominant win in Ipswich.

Ladder: 1 TWEED (15pts), 2 REDCLIFFE (13), 3 IPSWICH (12), 4 MACKAY (12), 5 BURLEIGH (12), 6 NORTHERN PRIDE (10), 7 Townsville (10), 8 Western Clydesdales (10), 9 Sunshine Coast (8), 10 Wynnum Manly (8), 11 Souths Logan (8), 12 Norths (6), 13 Brisbane Tigers (6), 14 CQ Capras (4), 15 Wide Bay (2).

Top try scorers: 8 Tyson Ploegsma (TWE), 8 Disharne Tonihi (BUR), 7 Jaycob Kingston-Francis (WYN), 7 Saifiti Junior Saifiti (IPS), 6 Mason Barber (TWE), 6 Creedence Kelly-Donovan (BUR), 6 Zac Kumbamong (TWE), 6 Tevita Naufahu (RED), 5 Mutua Brown (MKY), 5 Iowani Cavuilati (TSV).

Top point scorers: 96 Saifiti Junior Saifiti (IPS), 74 Zac Herdegen (RED), 66 Zane Harrison (TWE), 54 Kylem Vunipola (WYN), 48 Adam Khan (NTH), 46 Jackson Howe (TWE), 44 Coby Black (BUR), 38 Joshua Lee (BRI), 38 James Marriott (SCF), 34 Joey Sankey (WCL).

Round 9 – Upcoming fixtures
13/4 Wide Bay vs. Brisbane Tigers, Salter Oval, 1pm (local)
13/4 Redcliffe vs. Northern Pride, Kayo Stadium, 2:45pm
13/4 Sunshine Coast vs. Souths Logan, Sunshine Coast Stadium, 3pm
13/4 Norths vs. CQ Capras, Bishop Park, 3pm
13/4 Townsville vs. Wynnum Manly, Jack Manski Oval, 3:20pm
14/4 Western Clydesdales vs. Mackay, Toowoomba Sports Ground, 10:30am
14/4 Ipswich vs. Burleigh, North Ipswich Reserve, 1:30pm

The Pride get another chance to face southeast competition when they travel to Redcliffe to play a very good Dolphins side. On Sunday, Ipswich get a chance to redeem themselves against Burleigh. Tweed has the bye and will remain on top after Round 9.

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🏉 Cyril Connell Cup / Harvey Norman 19s
Townsville will face Redcliffe in the first Cyril Connell Cup Grand Final since 2016.

The Blackhawks defeated the Clydesdales 26-18 in the first semi, with winger Dylan Gourley scoring three tries. On Sunday, the Dolphins joined them in the decider with a late try to Cody Starr putting away Souths Logan 24-18.

Townsville, who will play in their sixth Grand Final, are the most recent winners of the Cup, winning back-to-back in 2015 and 2016.

Mackay and the Brisbane Tigers will contest the first-ever Harvey Norman 19s Grand Final. Mackay defeated the Clydesdales 18-10, sealing the victory in the final 10 minutes through centre Jennifer Kimber. The Tigers did it much easier, smashing Tweed 40-12. Centre Relna Hosea starred again for the Tigers, scoring a hat trick, taking her tally to 12 in seven games.

I’ll have more in-depth previews of both matches during the week.

🏉 NSWRL Junior Reps
We have dates, times, and venues for the finals, which begin this weekend. The pre-finals bye weekend came at the right time, as matches would’ve most likely been postponed due to the rain in Sydney.

SG Ball Cup
13/4 Newcastle vs. Illawarra, Leichhardt Oval, 4:45pm (local)
14/4 Canterbury vs. Parramatta, Leichhardt Oval, 11:30am
Sydney Roosters, St George – Bye

Harold Matthews Cup
14/4 Parramatta vs. Warriors, Leichhardt Oval, 10am
14/4 Cronulla vs. Sydney Roosters, Leichhardt Oval, 1:15pm
Canterbury, Western Suburbs – Bye

Tarsha Gale Cup
13/4 Manly vs. Newcastle, Leichhardt Oval, 3pm
14/4 Sydney Roosters vs. Cronulla, Leichhardt Oval, 2:45pm
Illawarra, Canterbury – Bye

Lisa Fiaola Cup
13/4 Central Coast vs. Wests Tigers, Leichhardt Oval, 12pm
13/4 Parramatta vs. Newcastle, Leichhardt Oval, 1:30pm
Canterbury, Illawarra – Bye

All these matches will be shown live on nswrl.tv.

🏉 NRL Debuts
A big weekend for debutants in Round 5, with four players – Latu Fainu, Jacob Laban, Josiah Pahulu, and Ben Te Kura – getting their first taste of the NRL.

Te Kura was the first, coming off the bench and scoring a try in the Broncos’ loss to Melbourne. A Redcliffe junior, he moved over to Norths after signing with the Broncos, playing Mal Meninga Cup for them in 2021 and 2022, stepping up to Colts and then Queensland Cup later that year. In 2023, he switched to Souths Logan, where he played a full season of Cup. In 2022 and 2023, he represented Queensland Under-19.

Laban came off the bench and played 30 minutes in the Warriors’ win over South Sydney. A Samoan-born Wellington junior, Laban played Mal Meninga Cup and Colts for Redcliffe in 2022 while the Warriors were partnered with the club. In 2023, he started the season in the Warriors’ SG Ball side before moving up to the NSW Cup.

Fainu became the third of his brothers to play first grade when came off the bench in the Wests Tigers’ loss to the Dolphins. The five-eighth, who turns 19 next month, was a star coming through Manly’s junior rep teams. After starting in their Harold Matts side, he quickly progressed from SG Ball to Flegg in 2022, playing in the competition as a 17-year-old. In 2023, he represented NSW Under-19 and made the step up to the NSW Cup, playing nine games for Blacktown. In July of that year, he and his older brother Samuela signed four-year contracts with the Tigers.

Pahulu was the final new face of the weekend, playing 31 minutes in the Titans’ loss to the Cowboys. An Auckland-born Ipswich junior, Pahulu had a breakout year in 2022 in which he captained Ipswich State High to their first national championship, made the Australian Schoolboys and represented Queensland Under-19. After an injury-interrupted 2023 in which he played three Queensland Cup games for Burleigh, he returned to his hometown Jets this season, playing three games before his NRL call-up.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 5
Melbourne 28 (Siulagi Pio 3, K-Ci Newton-Whare, Hugo Peel tries; De’ontae Perese 4 goals) def. Wests Tigers 18 (Thomas Fisher, Solomone Saukuru, Faaletino Tavana tries; Zakuari Clarke 3 goals) at Seabrook Reserve. Referee: Paul Eden. Halftime: MEL 10-6. Debuts: Bradley Avery, Brock Priestley (MEL); Kyle King (WST). Tackles: Jack Burgess 28 (MEL), Kobie Wilson 39 (WST). Run metres: Bradley Avery 186 (MEL), Lachlan Broederlow 115 (WST).

St George Illawarra 30 (Cain Barnes 2, Ben Rumble 2, Jack Quine, Khye Russell tries; Ashton Ward 3 goals) def. Newcastle 16 (Jayden Harris, Harry Reid, Corey Thomas tries; Liam Sutton 2 goals) at Newcastle Centre of Excellence. Referee: Brayden Hunt. Halftime: SGI 22-4. Debuts: Jack Quine (SGI). Tackles: Myles Martin 25 (NEW), Kyan Hjaltason 32 (SGI). Run metres: Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro 169 (NEW), Campbell Watchirs 150 (SGI).

Canberra 22 (Regan Carr, Tahrell Feaveai, Owen Pattie, Kane Rushton tries; Mitch Henderson 3 goals) def. Parramatta 16 (Te Hurinui Twidle 2, Zac Hunter tries; Te Hurinui Twidle 2 goals) at Raiders Belconnen. Referee: Blake Williams. Halftime: CAN 12-4. Debuts: Jordan Chapman (CAN); Michael Abdow, Jack Burrow, Samuel Squire (PAR). Tackles: Jaxon Lavender 32 (CAN), William Lewis 42 (PAR) Run metres: Mitchell Prest 140 (CAN), Lachlan Mears-Crabbe 122 (PAR).

Mal Meninga Cup – Round 8
Brisbane Tigers 34 (Elijah Keung 3, Cohen Emmi, Xavier Hellyer, Jack McCosker tries; Joshua Lee 5 goals) def. Western Clydesdales 4 (Matthew Drews try) at Totally Workwear Stadium. Referee: Jakob Funk. Halftime: BRI 18-4. Debuts: Kobi Floro (BRI).

Wynnum Manly 46 (Charlie Johnstone 2, Tariq Tanner 2, Preston Cassidy, Zane Ford, Jaycob Kingston-Francis, Kylem Vunipola tries; Kylem Vunipola 7 goals) def. Norths 22 (Emerson Jackson 2, Adam Khan, Sylas Simon tries; Adam Khan 3 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval. Referee: Harrison Lea. Halftime: NTH 22-12. Debuts: Tanei Heijames (WYN).

Tweed 76 (Tyson Ploegsma 3, Waylon Caldwell 2, Ethan Schultz 2, Mason Barber, Chaz Bond, Callum Bowles, Joshua Donovan, Jake Lateo, Anton Whaiapu, Ryder Williams tries; Callum Bowles 4, Jake Lateo 3, Waylon Caldwell 2, Ethan Schultz goals) def. Wide Bay 10 (Toby Kelly 2 tries; Mitchell Sly goal) at Tugun RLFC. Referee: Connor Baker. Halftime: TWE 36-10. Debuts: Chaz Bond, Callum Bowles, Waylon Caldwell, Ethan Schultz (TWE); Lukas Blair, Johannes Smith (WBB).

Northern Pride 32 (Braith Dowson, Eparama Kikau, Assariah Lenoy-Sam, Narason Moorcroft-Kose, Liam O’Brien, Jirra Twist tries; Noah Blooranta 3, Kaleb Eaton goals) def. Sunshine Coast 6 (Jai Bowden try; James Marriott goal) at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Referee: Hamish Kleijn. Halftime: 6-all. Debuts: Jai Bowden, Timothy Duncan (SCF).

Souths Logan 36 (Israel Leota, Dirhys Sefo, Jayden Solien, Mou Taumaletila-Maulolo, Braden Teuila, Jacob Tinsley tries; Jackson Howe 6 goals) def. Townsville 20 (Rayzarlin Pearson 2, Davidson Benioni, Izaya Leedie tries; Lachlan Erba 2 goals) at Jack Manski Oval. Referee: Dylan Lawrence. Halftime: SLM 18-4. Debuts: Jack Bragg (TSV).

Burleigh 32 (Bailey McConnell 2, Disharne Tonihi 2, Creedence Kelly-Donovan, Brady Turner tries; Coby Black 3, Disharne Tonihi goals) def. CQ Capras 12 (Connor Guley, Lachlan Middleton tries; Ryder Huth 2 goals) at Rugby Park. Referee: Nicholas Bowyer. Halftime: BUR 10-6. Debuts: Henry Kallquist (CQL).

Redcliffe 44 (Baylen Donald 2, Patrick Kailahi 2, Tevita Naufahu 2, Jeremiah Havea, LJ Nonu tries; Zac Herdegen 6 goals) def. Ipswich 12 (Nathan Fraser, Isaac Togia tries; Saifiti Junior Saifiti 2 goals) at North Ipswich Reserve. Referee: Izzy Davidson. Halftime: RED 34-0. Debuts: Leyland Hempsted (RED).

Cyril Connell Cup – Semi-Finals
Townsville 26 (Dylan Gourley 3, Cooper Cox, Marley Proctor tries; Riley Carbone 3 goals) def. Western Clydesdales 18 (Joseph Litidamu, Jackson Winnett, Riley Zanette tries; Braithen Scott 3 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Referee: Sam Kalpakidas. Halftime: TSV 14-6.

Redcliffe 24 (Brian Pouniu, Cody Starr, Duquan Talaepa, Carter Welfare tries; Bond Bradley 4 goals) def. Souths Logan 18 (Emmanuel Asomua, Alize Clarke, Te Ara Tamepo-Habib tries; Tom Parker 3 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Referee: Jacob Gregg. Halftime: SLM 16-12.

Harvey Norman 19s – Semi-Finals
Mackay 18 (Jaccoa Keyssecker, Jennifer Kimber, Mersades Lawson, Ebony Temple tries; Paige Mooney goal) def. Western Clydesdales 10 (Lucy Davis, Eliza Morcom tries; Aaliyah Murray goal) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Referee: Lachlan Ware. Halftime: MKY 8-6.

Brisbane Tigers 40 (Relan Hosea 3, Kayleen Takai 2, Patricia Wani 2, Namoe Gesa tries; Leilani Tuqiri 4 goals) def. Tweed 12 (Phoenix-Raine Hippi, Shanarlii Peckham tries; Savannah Roberts-Hickling 2 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Referee: Kai Turner Halftime: BRI 12-0.

Someone once said that “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation. That might be true. It also might’ve just been a way to get a guy (who you maybe want to kill later on a boat) to shut up, but I digress.

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14 years ago this week, on a sunny, Sunday afternoon at Homebush, the Canterbury Bulldogs and Sydney Roosters played out one of the many classic1 Toyota Cup games.

A game so Toyota Cup and ridiculous, that it ended 40-all and was only the second game that round to see 80 points scored.2 It featured 11 future NRL players, eight internationals, three State of Origin players, an All Black, a Wallaby, a (junior) Springbok and two, yes two, hotel shitters.

The match
Heading into the contest, the Roosters were 1-1 with a win over the Wests Tigers in Round 2, while the Bulldogs were winless, having given up leads late in both games. Will it happen a third time?3

In a match that saw 80 points and 14 tries scored, the first didn’t come until the 11th minute when Roosters’ backrower Ethan Lowe scored. The Dogs regained control not long after, taking a solid 24-12 lead into half-time with tries to Pakisonasi Afu, Lachlan Burr, Josh Jackson, and Dale Finucane.

The Roosters cut the deficit quickly after the break when bench prop Olomanu Usini scored in the 42nd minute. As was the case for most of the game, the Bulldogs quickly responded. Three minutes later, Josh Gill extended the lead, charging down a kick and running 65 metres to make it 30-16.  

The Tricolours rallied and scored back-to-back tries for the first time, with Blake Williamson and Kheirallah both scoring from Brad Murray kicks, cutting the lead to two. Again, the Dogs responded, refusing to blow another lead, with Lazarus Mulu scoring a minute later and Marty Taupau crossing in the 71st minute. Taupau ran for 238 metres in this game. With six minutes left, they led 40-28.

But they did blow another lead as Anthony Gelling scored in the 74th minute and Hughie Stanley in the 76th, for the 14th and final try of the game. Brad Murray converted the try to level it at 40-all. Remarkably, no one scored in the final two minutes and the game ended in a draw.

Unfortunately, this match did not air on Fox Sports in 2010, so footage is non-existent. The Wayback Machine came through in the clutch with match reports from the Bulldogs’ site and NRL.com providing some details. It, kind of weirdly, did not get written about in the Toyota Cup section in the following week’s Big League. The fixture that was shown on Fox that morning was the Broncos’ 30-18 win over the Warriors at Suncorp, which kicked off an hour earlier.

In the NRL match that followed, the Bulldogs thrashed the Roosters 60-12, with Josh Morris scoring four tries and Ben Barba bagging three.

Canterbury 40 (Pakisonasi Afu, Lachlan Burr, Dale Finucane, Josh Gill, Josh Jackson, Lazarus Mulu, Marty Taupau tries; Aidan Sezer 6 goals) drew with Sydney 40 (Mark Kheirallah 2, Anthony Gelling, Ethan Lowe, Hughie Stanley, Olomanu Usini, Blake Williamson tries; Brad Murray 6 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Ref: Gavin Morris.

The aftermath
This game would be the only point Canterbury would pick up during the opening seven rounds of 2010. They didn’t win their first game until Round 8 vs. Parramatta. Where did they finish? THIRD. They lost just one of their next 18 games. They met the Roosters again in the semis, knocking them out 24-22, before being eliminated in the prelim the following weekend by the Warriors.

Fullback Nathan Massey, who didn’t play in the 40-all draw, finished as their top try scorer with 18 in 20 games, while Tapau and Aidan Sezer were named in the Team of the Year and Andrew Patmore was named Coach of the Year.

The Roosters were solid throughout the rest of the regular season, finishing fifth with 14 wins, nine losses and a draw. Their season ended on a four-game losing streak as they were eliminated from the finals in straight sets. Kheirallah finished as their top try scorer, with 20 in 19 games. They had one player in the Team of the Year, halfback Brad Murray, who was also named the club’s Player of the Year in his final season of Toyota Cup.

The players
Five of the Dogs’ 17 that day went on to play in the NRL – Aidan Sezer, Marty Taupau, Lachlan Burr, Josh Jackson, and Dale Finucane. All except for Sezer, who debuted for the Titans, made their debuts with the club. For Taupau, it was that season, just two weeks after this game. He came off the bench in a 30-24 loss to the Warriors. It was his only NRL appearance in 2010. Finucane, Jackson, and Sezer all debuted in 2012, with Burr doing so in 2013.

Winger Chris Centrone and front rowers Pakisonasi Afu and Judah Lavulo all played international rugby league. Centrone, who spent time with Wyong and Toulouse, represented Italy at the 2013 and 2017 World Cups. Lavulo was also there in 2013, playing two games for the United States. Afu, who was contracted to the Roosters in 2016, played two Tests for Tonga in 2009.

The most interesting names in the lineup are Union internationals Nehe Milner-Skudder and Lopeti Timani. Milner-Skudder played two seasons for the Dogs’ NYC side before returning to New Zealand and rugby union with Manawatu in 2012. In 2015, while playing for the Hurricanes, he made his debut for the All Blacks and later that year scored a try in their World Cup final win over Australia.

Tongan-born Timani also played two seasons with the Dogs before his return to Union, where he would go on to play 12 Tests for the Wallabies. He, of course, did not win a World Cup. He later played a couple of Tests for Tonga. His older brother, Sitaleki, had spent time in the Sharks system a few years earlier before also returning to Union.

Of the Roosters’ lineup that day, six would play in the NRL – Mark Kheirallah, Cheyse Blair, Jack Littlejohn, Ethan Lowe, Sam Brunton and Anthony Gelling.

Brunton and Kheirallah were the only two who debuted for the Roosters. Kheirallah played 11 seasons for Toulouse, two for Featherstone and represented France at the 2017 World Cup, scoring a try against Australia.

Blair, an Australian Schoolboy in 2009, debuted for the Eels in 2012 and is perhaps most well-known for wearing a long-sleeved jersey while playing for Melbourne in 2016. Jack Littlejohn bounced around reserve grade before making his debut for Manly in 2014. Lowe was the most successful of the bunch, joining the Cowboys in 2013, winning a premiership in 2015 and representing Queensland in 2019.

Now we get to the shitters.

In September 2010, a year after then-Rooster Nate Myles was suspended six matches and fined $50K for shitting in a corridor, Sam Brunton and Anthony Gelling were sacked by the club for shitting on the tables and floor of Townsville’s Holiday Inn.4 One source at the hotel called the players “feral”. A cleaner said of the rooms, “disgusting, absolutely disgusting”. The Roosters issued a statement basically saying it “was just a prank, bro” and claimed the incident didn’t involve alcohol, which makes it even more unhinged.

Two shitting incidents in two years? A club culture of shitting in hotels? What an era for the Roosters.

Brunton had made his NRL debut earlier that year, playing three games, but never got close to first grade again, spending time with Mounties in the NSW Cup. Gelling had a successful career in England, winning a Grand Final and World Club Challenge with Wigan. He made his NRL debut in 2018 with the Warriors against, you guessed it, the Roosters in Round 4. Both represented the Cook Islands at the 2013 World Cup, with Gelling also playing in 2017.

Lastly, the side also featured South African product JP du Plessis on the wing. The Roosters went on a Saffa scouting trip the year before, bringing du Plessis and his South African Schoolboys teammate Brian Skosana to the club. Du Plessis played just six NYC games before returning to Union in 2011 with the Melbourne Rebels. Skosana also played six games a year later before returning to South Africa.

Where are they now

• Aidan Sezer (Tigers), Marty Taupau (Broncos) and Dale Finucane (Sharks) are still playing in the NRL, with all three taking the field last weekend.

• Ethan Lowe, after two seasons at Souths, retired due to a neck injury in 2020.

• Lachlan Burr, who was with the Cowboys at the time, retired in February 2022 due to a hip injury.

• Anthony Gelling retired in June 2022 after a mid-season Test for the Cook Islands. He returned later that year to play in the World Cup before retiring again halfway through it and going home to New Zealand.

• Josh Jackson retired at the end of the 2022 season after a 241-game career for the Bulldogs. He now coaches their Jersey Flegg Cup side.

• Cheyse Blair won the Gold Coast A Grade Grand Final in 2023 with Southport, alongside the likes of Michael Oldfield and Sione Katoa.

• Nehe Milner-Skudder seems to have last played for Manawatu in the National Provincial Championship in 2023.

• Lopeti Timani is currently playing for Cardiff Rugby in Europe’s United Rugby Championship.

Something a little different this week. A much shorter version of this was originally going to be in the newsletter before I ditched that entirely and wrote this instead. Hope you enjoy it. Maybe a regular newsletter again next week, or just some quick hit updates, we’ll see.

🏉 Jersey Flegg – Round 2
What by some was foolishly called the game of the week turned out to be a routine victory for Canterbury, who took care of Cronulla 34-8 in Chester Hill on Saturday. The Bulldogs led 10-0 at halftime, pushing their lead to 22 before the Sharks replied. They scored back-to-back tries with Canterbury adding two more late. The win is the Canterbury’s sixth straight going back to last season as the reigning premiers start the season in strong form. They scored six tries in the win, with hooker Reuben Moyle scoring one and assisting another. Fullback Ragarive Wavik, an offseason recruit from Townsville, grabbed his second of the season and ran for 164 metres.

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Just behind Canterbury in second is Canberra, who continued their great start to 2024 with a 36-0 win over the Wests Tigers at home. Five-eighth Jalen Afamasaga had a hand in several of his side’s tries, while centre Regan Carr scored two and ran for 199 metres. Hooker Owen Pattie topped the Raiders’ tackle count again, this week with 34.

Penrith took their record to 2-0 with a strong 22-0 win over rivals Parramatta in St Marys. The home side led 16-0 at the break, adding one try in the second half with centre Casey McLean scoring his third of the season. The 2023 Australian Schoolboy also ran for 165 metres in the victory. The Eels sit 13^th after two games, scoring just six points and conceding 52.

South Sydney spoiled the Kaiviti Silktails’ party, with a 20-14 in the first-ever Jersey Flegg game held in Fiji. Conditions were atrocious in Lautoka, with heavy downpours and a water-logged pitch. The Silktails spent two periods of the game with 12 men but still got within four with 10 to play before a late Rabbitohs penalty goal sealed the win. Souths are off to their best start to a season since 2019.

Newcastle bounced back from a disappointing loss to Canberra in Round 1 with a 28-4 win over the Dragons in Wollongong. Leading by just two at halftime, the Knights scored 22 unanswered points in the second half. Two of those try scorers, centre Kyle McCarthy and lock Myles Martin, have been called up to the NSW Cup this weekend.

Not quite as exciting as the NRL game to follow, Melbourne defeated the Warriors 36-10 in the curtain-raiser at AAMI Park on Saturday afternoon. The Storm got out to a 12-0 lead when hooker Gabriel Satrick scored two tries from dummy half within 10 minutes of each other.1 The Warriors scored just before, and just after, half time to cut the lead to two but were blown out in the final 25 minutes, conceding four tries.

The final game of the weekend saw Manly upset the Roosters 14-10 at Brookvale. The Sea Eagles led 12-0 at the break with halfback Tylor Bunting having a hand in both tries. The Roosters scored twice in the second half but the home side held on for their first win of 2024, while the Tricolours remain winless. This was Manly’s first win over the Roosters in Jersey Flegg since April 21, 2018.

Round 3’s game of the weekend sees Canterbury host Penrith at Hammondville Oval on Sunday in a battle of the unbeaten. On Saturday, the Dragons host the Silktails at Kogarah as a direct curtain-raiser to the Dragons-Cowboys NRL game. That game will be available to watch on NSWRL TV.

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Team of the Week: 1 Blake Metcalfe (MAN), 2 Aisake Tukuafu (CBY), 3 Regan Carr (CAN), 4 Casey McLean (PEN), 5 Siaosi Kaliti (NEW), 6 Jalen Afamasaga (CAN), 7 Tylor Bunting (MAN), 8 Jak Goulding (MEL), 9 Gabriel Satrick (MEL), 10 William Abou Arrage (SOU), 11 Riley Wake (PEN), 12 Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana (NEW), 13 Callum Donaldson (CBY).

Round 3
23/3 Canberra vs. Warriors, Seiffert, 12:15pm (local)
23/3 Parramatta vs. Manly, New Era, 3pm (local)
23/3 St George Illawarra vs. Kaiviti Silktails, 3:10pm (local)
24/3 Wests Tigers vs. Cronulla, Lidcombe, 12pm (local)
24/3 Newcastle vs. Melbourne, McDonald Jones, 2pm (local)
24/3 Canterbury vs. Penrith, Hammondville, 2:45pm
24/3 Sydney vs. South Sydney, 3pm (local)

Ladder: 1 Canterbury (4 pts), 2 Canberra (4), 3 Penrith (4), 4 South Sydney (4), 5 Newcastle (2), 6 Melbourne (2), 7 Manly (2), 8 Cronulla (2), 9 St George Illawarra (2), 10 Wests Tigers (2), 11 Sydney (0), 12 Kaiviti Silktails (0), 13 Parramatta (0), 14 Warriors (0).

🏉 Mal Meninga Cup – Round 6
Burleigh and Easts played out your classic game of under-19s on Saturday afternoon, with the Bears winning it 30-22. Burleigh (who have lost just once) went up 18-0 after 18 minutes over the Tigers (who’ve won just once), with fullback Ray Puru opening the scoring with a 90m kick return try. The Tigers crossed just before the break and long after halftime were level. A try to their captain Jack McCosker in the 52^nd minute gave them an improbable lead. It lasted just six minutes before the Bears retook the lead through centre Sunny Kama. A few seconds later, Kama was called out by the ref and binned for lashing out with his foot after the try. Despite being reduced to 12, Burleigh scored again in the next set and held on for the win.

Earlier in the day, Mackay continued their winning run with a last minute to try to defeat the Pride 18-14. Training 14-0 after 50 minutes in wet conditions, five-eighth Jaxon Purdue got the Cutters back in it before hooker Xavier Kerrisk went over himself from dummy half to cut the lead to two. The following set the Cutters spread it wide from halfway and found space, with Purdue throwing the final pass to Zane Elletson, who scored under the posts.

Tweed remains the only undefeated team after six rounds after defeating Souths Logan 38-18 in Logan. The Seagulls were largely untroubled, scoring seven tries, including a double to prop Zac Kumbamong, who now has six in five games.

The other three sides in the top six – Townsville, Redcliffe, and Ipswich – all had big wins. The Blackhawks 28-12 over the Capras, with winger Iowani Cavuilati scoring four tries. The Dolphins 38-18 over Norths, where lock Lewis Symonds was the standout, scoring twice and running for 181 metres. The Jets 34-6 over the Clydesdales, with winger Saifiti Junior Saifiti scoring two and kicking five goals.

This weekend’s Round 7 is the final round in which pool games (games against local sides) are played before teams start travelling across the state for Rounds 8 to 11. The game of the round looks to be the local derby between Tweed and Burleigh on Saturday. Townsville hosting the Pride should be a close one as well. The Blackhawks won it 18-10 when the sides met in Round 4. All games can be watched live on Qplus.

Team of the Week: 1 Mason Barber (TWE), 2 Iowani Cavuilati (TSV), 3 Jaelym Hohaia (SCF), 4 Tayshon Foley (IPS), 5 Saifiti Junior Saifit (IPS), 6 Lachlan Buchbach (RED), 7 Jaxon Purdue (MKY), 8 Talas Abell (BUR), 9 Xavier Kerrisk (MKY), 10 Zac Kumbamong (TWE), 11 Jackson Kite (SCF), 12 Amare Milford (BUR), 13 Lewis Symonds (RED).

Round 7
23/3 Mackay vs. CQ Capras, BB Print, 2:30pm (local)
23/3 Tweed vs. Burleigh, Piggabeen, 3:30pm (local)
23/3 Ipswich vs. Wide Bay, North Ipswich, 3pm (local)
23/3 Norths vs. Souths Logan, Bishop, 3pm (local)
23/3 Townsville vs. Northern Pride, Jack Manski, 3:20pm (local)
24/3 Wynnum Manly vs. Redcliffe, Kougari, 10:30am (local)
24/3 Clydesdales vs. Sunshine Coast, Clive Berghofer, 2:25pm

Ladder: 1 Tweed (11 pts), 2 Ipswich (10), 3 Burleigh (10), 4 Townsville (10), 5 Redcliffe (9), 6 Mackay (8), 7 Sunshine Coast (8), 8 Western Clydesdales (8), 9 Northern Pride (6), 10 Wynnum Manly (6), 11 Norths (6), 12 Souths Logan (4), 13 CQ Capras (4), 14 Brisbane Tigers (2), 15 Wide Bay (2).

🏉 Cyril Connell / Harvey Norman 19s – Round 6
There’s just one round remaining in the Cyril Connell Cup and Harvey Norman 19s competitions before finals begin. Both will feature a four-team finals series, with the top team in Pool A, and Pool B and two top teams in Pool C taking part.

In the Cyril Connell, Townsville have topped Pool A and the Western Clydesdales topped Pool B with one game to play. They’ll face each other in the semi-finals. In south-east Queensland’s Pool C, both spots are still up for grabs. Souths Logan currently holds first with 10 points and Redcliffe sits second with nine. Burleigh and Wynnum Manly both have eight.

For Souths Logan, a win over Norths locks them in but a loss could knock them out if results don’t fall their way. A Redcliffe win over Wynnum Manly secures their spot, while Wynnum needs to win and hopes Tweed (who have won one game) can upset Burleigh.

In the Harvey Norman 19s, Pool A and Pool B are still open. Mackay sits atop Pool A by two points, with a win over the Capras advancing them to the finals. Townsville, in second, needs a Cutters loss and victory over the winless Pride. In Pool B, the Clydesdales are first and face the Sunshine Coast, who are second. The Falcons will need to win and overturn a 70-point differential.

Tweed and Easts will finish top two in Pool C, with Tweed on an insurmountable 12 points and the Tigers on 10 with a bye this weekend. They’ll meet in the finals.

🏉 NSWRL Junior Reps – Round 7
Down south, there are two rounds left to play in the metropolitan junior rep competitions.

The Roosters are the first team to secure a spot in the SG Ball top six, moving to a perfect 7-0 record with a 32-22 win over Newcastle. The Knights are one of three teams with 10 points, alongside St George and Illawarra. The joint venture duo met in Round 7, with the Dragons running out 18-4 victors. If St George continues their form and qualifies, it’ll be their first SG Ball finals appearance since 20132. Rounding out the current top six are Canterbury and Wests on nine points. I’d say everyone down to Souths in 11^th is still a (albeit outside) chance heading into this weekend.

Wests, Canterbury, and Parramatta have all qualified for the Harold Matthews finals, with the Magpies undefeated in first place. The Roosters, Cronulla and Warriors hold the final three spots with a lot still to play for. The Warriors, in their first season of Matts, started the year 0-2 but have charged into finals contention with four straight wins. They play the Sharks this weekend.

One spot remains in the Tarsha Gale Cup, with Newcastle currently occupying sixth on nine points with four teams below on six. A win in either of their final two games will secure their spot. Illawarra are still undefeated, sitting clear in first after a 62-0 domination of the Dragons last round.

Canterbury continues to dominate the Lisa Fiaola Cup, winning their seventh straight on the weekend. Their points differential sits at 322. The next best is 98. Below them, Illawarra, Parramatta, Central Coast, Wests Tigers, and the Roosters fill out the top six. The Knights in seventh are still in with a chance.

🏉 Regional Grand Finals decided
The U18 Laurie Daley and U16 Andrew Johns Cup competitions will wrap up in Cessnock this Sunday. In the Daley Cup, the first-placed Northern Tigers meet the third-placed Monaro Colts in the decider. Neither side has won the cup, with the Colts finishing runners-up last season and the Tigers in 2021. Tigers’ captain and halfback is the one to watch, he’s scored seven tries in six games this season. Monaro features several Canberra Raiders’ SG Ball squad members, including halfback Jonah Anderson, who has played two games up in the under-19 competition this season.

Earlier in the day, the second-placed Central Coast Roosters will play the fourth-placed Macarthur Wests Tigers in the Johns Cup final. The Roosters are their reigning premiers, having also won the cup in 2021. Macarthur were runners-up in 2022. Central Coast winger Semi Leweniqila has scored nine tries in six appearances. On the other side, Tigers’ strike centre Elijah Sefo has crossed for five in six. Both games will be shown on nswrl.tv.

🏉 Two debut in Round 2
Just the pair of Tigers made their NRL debuts this past weekend, with 24-year-old centre Solomona Faataape and 18-year-old five-eighth Lachlan Galvin getting their first taste of the top grade.

Faataape, while not at his usual Queensland Cup vintage, still had a solid debut. A great reward for some very good seasons in Brisbane. Galvin handled his debut as well as any 18-year-old could hope to, making 22 tackles without a miss and running for 146 metres. A bright spot in a tough afternoon for Tigers fans. Both have been retained for Round 3.

Faataape, an Easts Tigers junior, played Cyril Connell Cup for the club in 2016 before moving to Souths Logan for the Mal Meninga Cup in 2018. He returned to the Tigers a year later, playing three seasons of Colts before a senior Cup debut in 2021. Arguably the best centre in the Queensland Cup the past two seasons, he signed with the Wests Tigers after winning a premiership with Easts in 2023.

Galvin is a Campbelltown local, having played juniors for Eagle Vale St Andrews. After spending time in the Eels system, he returned home in 2022, playing for Wests’ Harold Matthews side. He spent the year at second row, starting there and scoring a try in their Grand Final win over Cronulla. Galvin turned a lot of heads in 2023, especially in the schoolboy scene. After eight tries in 10 games for the Magpies’ SG Ball side, he led Westfields Sports High to the NRL Schoolboy Cup title and won the Peter Sterling Medal for player of the tournament. In September, he represented the Australian Schoolboys on their tour of Papua New Guinea.

🏉 Juniors to Seniors
Galvin completed an impressive step up from under-19s and schoolboy rugby league straight into first grade, bypassing the Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup completely. Not completely unheard of, even in recent seasons, but impressive, nonetheless.

Canberra’s Albert Hopoate did the same when he debuted for Manly in 2020. Hopoate played two injury-interrupted seasons of SG Ball and, with the cancellation of reserve grade that year, got the call-up straight to first grade.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow played a handful of Colts games in 2019 for Townsville, and, like Hopoate, with the cancellation of the Queensland Cup in 2020, made his NRL debut that year with no senior experience.

In 2021, Jeremiah Nanai and Joseph Sua’ali’i both skipped the under-18 and under-20 competitions, moving from under-16 level to reserve grade before their NRL debuts that year.

Last season, Isaiya Katoa debuted for the Dolphins after just one NSW Cup game for Penrith in 2022. That was a finals game, in which he scored a try and kicked a field goal, before moving down to Jersey Flegg, playing two games, including their Grand Final win over Newcastle.

🏉 On This Day
The first throwback of the year and it’s to a match that didn’t even take place.

On this day four years ago, Canterbury was set to host Canberra in Round 2 of the Jersey Flegg Cup. Teams were named on Tuesday but, by gameday, the round had been postponed due to COVID. A week later the competition was cancelled.

The Raiders, runners-up in 2019, had a bye in Round 1, so Round 2 was supposed to be their first game of 2020. They would later compete in the senior CRRL competition, defeating Gungahlin 66-10 in the Grand Final. The club would not compete in the 2021 Jersey Flegg season.

Three of the Bulldogs named that day would go on to play first grade with the club – Aaron Schoupp, Jackson Topine and Kurtis Morrin – with Morrin still there in 2024.

The Raiders side was set to feature Brad Schneider and Adrian Trevliyan, recruits from Townsville at the time, Ata Mariota, and current Knights’ prop Leo Thompson at centre. All four, as well as Jarrett Subloo and Adam Cook, went on to play first grade. Irish prop Ronan Michael was on the bench, on loan from Huddersfield, and returned to England when the season was cancelled. Later that year he made his Super League debut, the first Irish-born to play in the competition since Brian Carney. He currently plays for York.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 2
Canberra 36 (R Carr 2, J Limon, N Martin, O Pattie, D Wigmore tries; M Henderson 6 goals) def. Wests Tigers 0 at GIO Stadium. Ref: A Sirianni. Halftime: CAN 12-0. Run metres: R Carr 199 (CAN), M Curl 139 (WST). Tackles: O Pattie 34 (CAN), B Hodges 37 (WST).

South Sydney 20 (B Hawkins, C Kaho, R McIntosh tries; B Hawkins 4 goals) def. Kaiviti Silktails 14 (S Kalounivalu, N Koro, B Taria tries; M Nacaginimasei goal) at Churchill Park. Ref: W Greatbatch. Halftime: SOU 12-6. Run metres: B Saun 146 (KAI), W Abou Arrange 149 (SOU). Tackles: S Kalounivalu 35 (KAI), L Grossemy 34 (SOU).

Canterbury 34 (C Donaldson, D Gabrael, R Moyle, L Muagututia, A Tukuafu, R Wavik tries; C Tia 5 goals) def. Cronulla 8 (K Dixon, S Taukamo tries) at Terry Lamb Complex. Ref: L Greenfield. Halftime: CBY 10-0. Run metres: R Wavik 146 (CBY), L Ison 137 (PEN). Tackles: C Donaldson 26 (CBY), T Brailey 33 (CRO).

Newcastle 28 (J Davis, K Graham, M Martin, T May, K McCarthy tries; J Self 3, J Davis goals) def. St George Illawarra 4 (C Barnes try) at Sid Parrish Park. Ref: B Hunt. Halftime: NEW 6-4. Run metres: C Barnes 115 (SGI), S Kaliti 160 (NEW). Tackles: M Alhazim 40 (SGI), M Martin 27 (NEW).

Penrith 22 (T Carson, C McLean, N Murphy, B Scott tries; T Carson 3 goals) def. Parramatta 0 at St Marys Leagues Stadium. Ref: C Suters. Halftime: PEN 16-0. Run metres: C McLean 165 (PEN), J Brazel 137 (PAR). Tackles: B Scott 39 (PEN), S Pryke 53 (PAR).

Melbourne 36 (G Satrick 2, J Berryman, H Brown, D Perese, S Pio tries; J Berryman 6 goals) def. Warriors 10 (S Faeamani, W Piliu tries; N Amoroa goal) at AAMI Park. Ref: B Williams. Halftime: MEL 12-6. Run metres: J Goulding 144 (MEL), S Faeamani 105 (WAR). Tackles: H Brown 23 (MEL), I Samuelu 29 (WAR).

Manly 14 (B Konz, O Lawry tries; O Lawry 3 goals) def. Sydney 10 (D Readon, O Tyerman tries; C Hill goal) at 4 Pines Park. Ref: P Eden. Halftime: MAN 12-0. Run metres: B Metcalfe 243 (MAN), T Williams 147 (SYD). Tackles: N Lenaz 36 (MAN), M Sedgman 39 (SYD).

Mal Meninga Cup – Round 6
Mackay 18 (Z Elletson, X Kerrisk, J Purdue tries; R Woodall 3 goals) def. Northern Pride 14 (J Rix, G Tunimakubu tries; N Blooranta 3 goals) at Barlow Park. Ref: B Cook. Halftime: NPR 6-0. Run metres: L O’Brien 184 (NPR), M Brown 137 (MKY). Tackles: J Dikes 31 (NPR), T Larner 39 (MKY).

Burleigh 30 (T Abell 2, S Kama, R Puru, K Tancred tries; C Black 5 goals) def. Brisbane Tigers 22 (T Green, E Keung, J Lee, J McCosker tries; J Lee 3 goals) at UAA Park. Ref: H Lea. Halftime: BUR 18-6. Run metres: A Milford 164 (BUR), J McCosker 135 (BRI). Tackles: A Milford 26 (BUR), J McCosker 25 (BRI).

Sunshine Coast 44 (J Kite 3, J Bender 2, J Hohaia 2, E Monckton, B Sankey tries; J Marriott 4 goals) def. Wide Bay 12 (D Hess, J Picaro tries; C Castanho-Kerr, M Sly goals) at Sunshine Coast Stadium. Ref: B Sawyers. Halftime: SCF 28-6. Run metres: B Waters 188 (SCF), M Sly 199 (WBB). Tackles: K Porter 21 (SCF), D Cavanagh 28 (WBB).

Tweed 38 (Z Kumbamong 2, M Barber, Z Harrison, T O’Donnell, T Ploegsma, S Stephenson tries; Z Harrison 5 goals) def. Souths Logan 18 (K Briggs, M Taumaletila-Maulolo, B Teuila tries; J Howe 3 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Ref: J Funk. Halftime: TWE 16-6. Run metres: M Taumaletila-Maulolo 182 (SLM), M Barber 240 (TWE). Tackles: J Solien 26 (SLM), J Lateo 20 (TWE).

Townsville 28 (I Cavuilati 4, R Pearson, C Thomson tries; L Erba 2 goals) def. CQ Capras 12 (C Guley, C Mackenzie tries; R Huth 2 goals) at Jack Manski Oval. Ref: S Nosworthy. Halftime: TSV 16-6. Run metres: W Hope 152 (TSV), I Broome 99 (CQL). Tackles: C Thomson 16 (TSV), C Mackenzie 28 (CQL).

Redcliffe 38 (L Buchbach 2, L Symonds 2, Z Herdegen, P Laine-Sietu, T Naufahu tries; Z Herdegen 5 goals) def. Norths 18 (J Kake, B Norris, L Salei tries; A Khan 3 goals) at Kayo Stadium. Ref: H Kleijn. Halftime: 12-all. Run metres: L Symonds 181 (RED), B Norris 32 (NTH). Tackles: E Rasmussen 23 (RED), L Salei 32 (NTH).

Ipswich 34 (T Foley 2, S Saifiti 2, L Cliffe, A Murgha tries; S Saifiti 5 goals) def. Western Clydesdales 6 (B Mundraby-Grogan try; J Sankey goal) at Clive Berghofer Stadium. Ref: I Davidson. Halftime: IPS 16-0.

The Kaiviti Silktails’ first game in the Jersey Flegg ended in a 38-20 defeat to the Wests Tigers this past weekend. Stepping up from the Ron Massey Cup, the Silktails found themselves down 22-0 after half an hour.

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Their first try (a really great try) was scored not long after by centre Emosi Daubitu before normal service resumed, with the Tigers pushing their lead to 34. Three late tries to the Fijians added some respectability to the scoreline.

The Silktails return home this weekend, hosting the Rabbitohs in Round 2. If their Ron Massey form is anything to go by, their fixtures in Lautoka and Nadi will be their best chances to pick up wins this season. In 2023, they won seven of their nine home games and lost all seven of their games in Australia, by an average margin of 20.

Round 1 quick hits:

• The season got underway with Penrith defeating the Roosters 14-4, thanks to two runaway solo tries by centre Casey McLean. The first, a 70-metre run from dummy half, the second a 60-metre dash off a scrum.

• At Brookvale, Manly had a chance to tie it late, with fullback Blake Metcalfe spraying his penalty shot wide and South Sydney holding on for a 16-14 win.

• Reigning premiers Canterbury flexed their muscle with a 30-6 win over Parramatta. They led 12-6 until the final 10 minutes, where they ran in three tries.

• Canberra led Newcastle 24-0 after 40 minutes before the Knights scored four unanswered tries to get within six, with goal kicking letting them down. The Raiders iced it in the final minutes through centre Regan Carr to win 30-18. Hooker Owen Pattie had a hand in all five of his side’s tries.

• The Warriors return to the Jersey Flegg got off to a rough start, losing 38-10 at home to Cronulla. They scored first through centre William Piliu after three minutes. They then conceded seven tries. A solo effort from Sharks edge Dylan Coutts was the standout, with the second-rower running 60 metres and stepping the fullback to score on debut.

• St George Illawarra ended the round with a strong 36-14 win over Melbourne in Wollongong. Trailing 18-4 at halftime, the Storm scored twice just after the break to get back into it. Three more Dragons tries followed, including two long-range efforts from fullback Wesley Pring.

Arbitrary Flegg Team of the Week: 1 Liam Ison (CRO), 2 Cain Barnes (SGI), 3 Casey McLean (PEN), 4 Brenden Naicori (WST), 5 Ofele Lene (WST), 6 Nicholas Quinn (SGI), 7 Joseph O'Neill (CBY), 8 Noah Reed (SOU), 9 Owen Pattie (CAN), 10 Jett Liu (SGI), 11 Brandon Tumeth (WST), 12 Luke Smith (CBY), 13 Jaxon Lavender (CAN).

Last week I noted that the NSWRL’s new streaming service would show one Flegg game a week. That is correct but for clarification, it’s only Silktails games (except this weekend’s).

Looking ahead to Round 2, the game of the week looks to be Canterbury-Cronulla, which kicks off at 11 am on Saturday if you’re interested and in Chester Hill or the surrounding area.

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🏉 Queensland junior reps

• Tweed jumped into first on the Mal Meninga Cup ladder despite not even playing thanks to Mackay’s 46-10 demolition of Townsville. Bolstered by the inclusion of Cowboys’ squad member Jamal Shibasaki, the Cutters scored nine tries in torrid conditions. The loss knocks the Blackhawks down to fifth, while Mackay now sits a point outside the Top 6. Burleigh, Ipswich, and Redcliffe also picked up big wins in Round 5. Ipswich has looked particularly impressive during this early pool stage, scoring 144 points in four games.

• Townsville and the Western Clydesdales remain the only undefeated sides in the Cyril Connell Cup after Souths Logan suffered their first defeat in Round 5. Their loss to Redcliffe moves them to second in Pool C, with Burleigh moving ahead. Four teams will play in the finals – the first-place winners in Pool A and Pool B, and the top two of Pool C.

• The same finals system will be used for the Harvey Norman women’s under-19s competitions, where the Clydesdales are currently dominating Pool B. In four games, they’ve scored 176 points and conceded 20. The poor, old Wide Bay Bulls are last in the pool, having three of their four games without a bench.

🏉 New South Wales junior reps

• The Roosters came out on top in the SG Ball’s top-of-the-table clash last weekend, taking care of St George 46-10 to remain undefeated. Their captain Blake Steep scored twice in the win.

• The Wests Tigers juniors collided in Round 6 as Wests played Balmain in the SG Ball and Harold Matthews. The Magpies (who are fourth in the U19s and first in the U17s) won both games, 40-10 and 38-0 respectively.

• Central Coast five-eighth Isaac Fotu-Moala slotted a field goal just before halftime in his side’s Harold Matt game against Parramatta. They were losing 22-0 at the time. Great stuff.1

• Canterbury continues to decimate sides in the U17 Lisa Fiaola Cup. They scored 17 tries in a 94-0 massacre of Manly last Saturday. They are undefeated atop the ladder, with 334 points scored and a points differential of 294.

• A shoutout to the St George Tarsha Gale Cup side who, after five long weeks, finally scored their first try of the season in Round 5. Prop Manaia Maxwell-Puohotaua scored the Red V’s only try in a 54-4 loss to the Knights.

• The finals begin in the regional comps this weekend with Monaro vs. Central Coast and Northern Tigers vs. Macarthur in the U18 Laurie Daley Cup, while in the U16 Andrew Johns Cup the Western Rams vs. Central Coast and Newcastle-Maitland vs. Macarthur.

🏉 Fifita debuts

Viliami Fifita became the second first-grade debutant in 2024, with the 23-year-old prop coming off the bench for a 14-minute stint in St George Illawarra’s big win over the Titans in Round 1.2 A Fairfield-born Fairfield junior, Fifita came through the grades with Manly, starting with their Harold Matts side in 2017. He played in their losing Grand Final side that year and two years later, played in their losing SG Ball Grand Final team. After four years in their Jersey Flegg team, he made a mid-season move to the Dragons in 2023.

🏉 Laybutt bests rest

I was prepared to do a big Rookie of the Year ranking here but apart from one player, none really stood out. Or at least stood out enough to separate and rank them. So here is the clear number one, Zac Laybutt, and nine others who played in Round 1. Let’s see what Round 2 cooks up.

1 Zac Laybutt, 2-tie Joe Chan, Ethan Strange, Tom Weaver, Jack Bostock, Jacob Gagai, Liam Henry, Max Plath, Viliami Fifita, Luke Sommerton.

🏉 Braith update

Following up on last year’s Braith expose, here are all the Braiths (some old and some new) running around in this season’s junior rep competitions:

Mal Meninga Cup: Braith Clark (Clydesdales), Braith Dowson (Pride), Braith Smith (Capras)
Cyril Connell Cup: Braith Clubb (Pride), Braithen Scott (Clydesdales)
SG Ball: Braethan Bilich (South Sydney)3, Braith Plecas (Illawarra)
Harold Matthews: Braith Sloane (Canterbury)
Laurie Daley Cup: Brayth Ledger (North Coast)4

Special mention to Anasta Tamwoy, who made his Meninga Cup debut for the Capras in Round 5.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 1
Penrith 14 (C McLean 2, A Hotere-Papalii tries; J Nohra goal) def. Sydney 4 (H Barton try) at St Marys Leagues Stadium. Referee: W Greatbatch. Halftime: PEN 10-0. Run metres: C McLean 291 (PEN), K Fekitoa 144 (SYD). Tackles: B Phillips 30 (PEN), L Jack 35 (SYD).

South Sydney 16 (C Kaho, R McIntosh, D Towns tries; B Hawkins 2 goals) def. Manly 14 (M Hayley, C Patu, T Stoltman tries; B Metcalfe goal) at 4 Pines Park. Referee: C Suters. Halftime: SOU 10-4. Run metres: B Metcalfe 151 (MAN), L Grossemy 106 (SOU). Tackles: C Navale 32 (MAN), N Reed 22 (SOU).

Canterbury 30 (D Gabrael 2, B Porter, R Moyle, L Vito, R Wavik tries; C Tia 3 goals) def. Parramatta 6 (R Smith try; T Twidle goal) at Eric Tweedale Stadium. Referee: D Wells. Halftime: CBY 12-6. Run metres: E Vaafusuaga 123 (PAR), R Wavik 165 (CBY). Tackles: M Tupou 33 (PAR), L Smith 29 (CBY).

Wests Tigers 38 (Z Clarke 2, B Tumeth 2, B Hodges, O Lene, T Wright tries; N Teaupa 3, Z Clarke 2 goals) def. Kaiviti Silktails 20 (E Daubitu, M Poulter, B Taria, W Waqanisaravi tries; M Nacaginimasei 2 goals) at Lidcombe Oval. Referee: T Stindle. Halftime: WST 22-4. Run metres: B Naicori 110 (WST), M Senibua 169 (KAI). Tackles: B Tumeth 18 (WST), M Taramecegu 28 (KAI).

Canberra 30 (R Carr, M Henderson, T Kiriona, N Martin, V Patuki-Case tries; M Henderson 5 goals) def. Newcastle 18 (S Kaliti, J Rahme, L Sutton, T Woodman-Tuhoro tries; L Sutton goal) at St John Oval. Referee: N Loveday. Halftime: CAN 18-0. Run metres: S Kaliti 117 (NEW), J Lavender 133 (CAN). Tackles: E Salesa-Leaumoana 31 (NEW), O Pattie 41 (CAN).

Cronulla 38 (M Gabrael 2, D Coutts, K Dixon, F Faatili, M Riolo, T Waitere tries; K Dixon 5 goals) def. Warriors 10 (N Amoroa, W Piliu tries; N Amoroa goal) at Navigation Homes Stadium. Referee: P Parkinson. Halftime: CRO 14-6. Run metres: S Faeamani 95 (WAR), L Ison 225 (CRO). Tackles: I Samuelu 37 (WAR), S McCulloch 23 (CRO).

St George Illawarra 36 (C Barnes 2, W Pring 2, T Barlow, W Starling tries; A Ward 6 goals) def. Melbourne 14 (P Conn, M Jennings, S Prescott tries; D Perese goal) at Collegians Sports Centre. Referee: M Ford. Halftime: SGI 18-4. Run metres: J Liu 158 (SGI), K Stokes-Mahara 141 (MEL). Tackles: H Stewart 29 (SGI), S Huen 23 (MEL).

After a gruelling six-month off-season the newsletter is back with a monster preview of the 2024 Jersey Flegg Cup season, which kicks off this weekend. Plus some updates on the Queensland and New South Wales junior rep seasons and some other goings on in the world of age-group rugby league.

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🏉 Silktails and Warriors join 14-team Jersey Flegg

In keeping with their decision to focus on player development, Fiji's Kaiviti Silktails will make their Jersey Flegg Cup debut this season. The Lautoka-based side will make a little bit of history as they become the first club from outside of Australia or New Zealand to play in the competition in its 50+ year history.

The Silktails entered the Ron Massey Cup at the worst possible time, playing just one game in 2020 before the season was cancelled and then having to spend 2021 based in Sydney, for a season that was also later cancelled. In 2022, based in Sydney again, they moved to a predominately under-23 team before becoming under-23 only the following year. In 2023, the Silktails finally returned to playing in Fiji, where they finished sixth, with seven wins and nine losses.

The Warriors return to the competition in 2024, having last played in 2019. This means the club now features in all three men's age group competitions for the first in their history, as they also joined the under-17 Harold Matthews Cup this season. The Warriors were a force in the old NRL Under 20s competition, winning three premierships. In their two Flegg seasons in 2018-19, they finished 10th twice, opting to play younger sides, consisting of predominately 18 and 19-year-olds.

With the axing of Queensland's Colts competition (boo), the Jersey Flegg will become a main focus of the newsletter each week. As usual, the opening rounds of the season will showcase the "older" talent of each club before the usual influx of 18 and 19-year-olds when the SG Ball Cup begins to wrap from early April onward. For most clubs, the lineups named for the opening weekend will be very different by May, let alone August. Who will win it? Does it matter? Not really. But probably either the Roosters, Bulldogs, Panthers or Knights.

Canberra Raiders
Coach: Jordan Macey
Key returning players: Jake Clydsdale (middle), Mitch Henderson (halfback), Peyton Jenkins (fullback), Noah Martin (edge), Vena Patuki-Case (middle), Mitchell Prest (middle)
Key recruits: Caleb Garvie (middle - Newcastle), Declan Ryan (fullback - Western Clydesdales)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Ethan Alaia (five-eighth), Xavier Cacciotti (hooker), Owen Hromow (middle), Samuel Hyne (middle), Bailey Nash (centre), Keahn Skipps (halfback)

The Raiders finished 7th in 2023, missing the Top 5 by two points. In recent seasons they've used 40-50 players, with numerous SG Ball players stepping up and many others elevated to the NSW Cup. Chevy Stewart, Ethan Strange and Utuloa Asomua are a few examples. Jordan Macey, who was contracted to the Wests Tigers and Manly in the 2000s, steps up as head coach after being an assistant in 2023. He is a former Australian rugby sevens representative.

Canterbury Bulldogs
Coach: Josh Jackson
Key returning players: Danny Gabrael (centre), Damon Marshall (middle), Reuben Moyle (hooker), Joseph O'Neill (five-eighth), Luke Smith (edge), Jack Underhill (middle)
Key recruits: Larry Muagututia (middle - Parramatta), Cassius Tia (halfback - Sydney Roosters), Ragarive Wavik (fullback - Townsville)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Sosefo Finau (edge), Zaidas Muagututia (hooker), Mitchell Rogers (hooker), Fanafou Seve (middle), Bud Smith (middle), Logan Spinks (edge), Mitchell Woods (halfback), Patrick Young (middle)

The reigning premiers, like Canberra, have also tended to use 40+ players during the season. Expect to see the same this year with a strong SG Ball squad ready to move up. They should be their abouts again at the end of the season with several returning premiership players and some good recruiting. Club legend Josh Jackson takes over from Luke Vella as head coach for his first major coaching role.

Cronulla Sharks
Coach: Andrew Dallalana
Key returning players: Max Bradbury (middle), Lachlan Crouch (middle), Kristian Dixon (wing), Felix Fa'atili (middle), Max Riolo (halfback), Siteni Taukamo (centre)
Key recruits: Moustafa Dirani (hooker - Penrith), Michael Gabrael (centre - Canterbury), Liam Ison (fullback - Penrith), Riley Pollard (halfback - Penrith)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Max McCarthy (edge), Riley Pollard (halfback), Bryce Sait (five-eighth), Nikora Williams (wing)

A consistently strong Flegg side, the 2018 premiers finished 3rd last season. They welcome back NRL squad members like Max Bradbury and Siteni Taukamo, who may spend time in NSW Cup, and centre Michael Gabrael, who has already scored seven tries in five SG Ball games this season. Former Shark Andrew Dallalana returns for his third season in charge of the side.

Kaiviti Silktails
Coach: Wes Naiqama
Key players: Emosi Daubitu (centre), Jeremiah Keteca (edge), Niko Koro (hooker), Watisoni Waqanisaravi (middle), Meli Wara (halfback)

Led by Fiji Bati legend Wes Naiqama, I predict that the Silktails will do it tough in 2024 but will be very happy to be wrong. Despite moving from an open-age competition to the under-21 level, I think this will be a step up for the Fijians. Prop Watisoni Waqanisaravi returns to the club after 18 games for the Roosters Flegg side over the last two seasons.

Manly Sea Eagles
Coach: Scott Kenna
Key returning players: Tylor Bunting (halfback), Koby Douglas (centre), Max Hayley (edge), Blake Metcalfe (fullback), Caleb Navale (middle), Charlie Thompson (centre)
Key recruits: Jesse Jackson (middle - Tweed), Oliver Lawry (centre - Wests Tigers), Nicholas Lenaz (hooker - Parramatta), Niu Mariota (middle - Canberra), Leroy Murray (five-eighth - South Sydney), Carsen Patu (middle - Burleigh)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Jett Jackson (middle), William Lane (hooker), Alton Naiyep (wing), Riley Watson-Miletic (middle)

Manly are yet to play finals since the Jersey Flegg returned in 2018. Last year, they finished just four points outside the Top 5 after a late-season run. They've picked up some experienced under-21s players for this campaign, including Nicholas Lenaz, who was Parramatta's Flegg Player of the Year in 2023. Scott Kenna, who coached the Tigers for the last two years, is their new head coach.

Melbourne Storm
Key returning players: Angus Hinchey (middle), Stanley Huen (five-eighth), Mitchell Jennings (edge), K-Ci Newton-Whare (middle), Gabriel Satrick (hooker), Karauria Stokes-Mahara (fullback)
Key recruits: Markis Atoa (middle - Parramatta), Hudson Brown (middle - Penrith), Jak Goulding (middle - Redcliffe), Trent Veukiso (edge - Brisbane Tigers)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Jett Elich (edge), Harrison Hill (hooker), Tulloch McLellan (halfback), Chase Paterson (middle), Hugo Peel (fullback)

Missed out on finals in 2023 on for and against but looks strong enough to crack it this season. They've got a strong core of returning players and their Sunshine Coast trio of Elich, McLellan and Paterson will add plenty when the SG Ball season concludes. I don't know who their head coach is for 2024 because they wouldn't tell me (I asked twice). If anyone knows, leave a comment.

(Despite that, shoutout to the Storm for actually posting profiles for their Jersey Flegg squad).

Newcastle Knights
Coach: Michael Dobson
Key returning players: Paul Bryan (middle), Jack Cullen (middle), Jarome Falemoe (centre), Jayden Harris (edge), Myles Martin (middle), Kyle McCarthy (centre), Liam Sutton (halfback)
Key recruits: Jacob Davis (hooker - Parramatta), Siaosi Kaliti (wing - Sydney Roosters), Jaxson Rahme (middle - South Sydney), Blake Woodford (middle - Sunshine Coast), Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro (wing - Brisbane Tigers)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Logan Aoake (centre), Wilson De Courcey (centre), Cody Hopwood (middle), Jermaine McEwen (edge), Beau Slade (middle), Malachi Smith (hooker)

After finishing runners-up in 2022, the Knights had a very poor 2023, finishing 11th. I expect them to be good this year. Several returning players with Flegg experience and if they move up, a very good crop of SG Ball players below (including three 2023 Australian Schoolboys). Michael Dobson, who won a Colts premiership with Wynnum Manly in 2022, is their head coach.

Parramatta Eels
Coach: Jordan Rankin
Key returning players: Jock Brazel (edge), Will Latu (middle), Josh Lynn (five-eighth), Sam Tuivaiti (middle), Max Tupou (middle), Apa Twidle (fullback)
Key recruits: Mitchell Chester (halfback - Wests Tigers), Damascus Neemia (middle - Norths Devils), Ryley Smith (hooker - Penrith), Eric Vaafusuaga (centre - Canterbury)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Jai Camilleri (hooker), Jezaiah Funa-Iuta (edge), Beau Lucien (middle), Javahn Stevenson-Hala (middle), Devonte Vaivela (centre)

The Eels got extremely hot at the back end of the season, sneaking into the Top 5 and making it to the prelims. Five key players from that side have moved up to NSW Cup, while several others have moved on. They still have an experienced 17 for Round 1 but will rely on SG Ball players. Jordan Rankin, who player/coached the Eels' NSW Cup side in 2022, takes charge of the side.

Penrith Panthers
Coach: Jono Rolfe
Key returning players: Blake Moore (halfback), Luron Patea (middle), Billy Scott (hooker), Tim Sielaff-Burns (fullback), Aston Warwick (edge)
Key recruits: Lachlan Blackburn (centre - Parramatta), Noah Nailagoliva (hooker - Newcastle)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Jett Cleary (halfback), Jaxen Edgar (fullback), William Herbert (five-eighth), Poutoa Hotere-Papalii (centre), Zedrick Tupulua (middle)

Penrith boasts a side full of Flegg experience heading into Round 1 and, in true Penrith fashion, will be up there again in 2024. Lachlan Blackburn returns to the club after two years with the Eels, while hooker Noah Nailagoliva joins from Newcastle. Jono Rolfe enters his third season as head coach, winning a premiership in 2022.

South Sydney Rabbitohs
Coach: Chris O'Connell
Key returning players: Emmanuel Di Bartolo (five-eighth), Louis Grossemy (middle), Brent Hawkins (halfback), Sam Jinks (edge), Carson Kaho (centre), Dane Towns (fullback)
Key recruits: Aiden Doolan (hooker - Warrington), Jared Johnson (edge - Tweed), Jordan Plath (middle - Brisbane Tigers), Noah Reed (middle - Penrith), Toby Sullivan (middle - Mackay)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Jason Hallie (middle), Mateus Heslin (middle), Mikael Ibrahim (middle), Samuel Taylor (hooker), Daniel Wright (centre)

Souths have struggled at this level since winning the premiership in 2019. They snapped an 11-game losing streak early in 2023 but still only finished 10th with eight wins. Their Round 1 side features a lot of new faces, including Warrington product Aiden Doolan. Hard to predict where they'll end up. Chris O'Connell will lead the side again in 2024.

St George Illawarra Dragons
Coach: Aaron Hertsch
Key returning players: Kyan Hjaltason (hooker), Wesley Pring (fullback), Hamish Stewart (edge), Jacob Webster (prop), Ashton Ward (halfback), Campbell Watchirs (edge)
Key recruits: Cain Barnes (wing - Cronulla), Khye Russell (centre - CQ Capras), Will Starling (centre - Redcliffe)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Corey Ackers (middle), Hayden Buchanan (centre), Jacob Halangahu (edge), Lyhkan King-Togia (five-eighth), Finau Latu (middle), Loko Pasifiki Tonga (middle), Tyler Peckham-Harris (fullback), Jesse Williams (wing)

Looking to return to the finals after a rare poor season in 2023, the Dragons will be one side heavily bolstered by their SG Ball contingent. Ackers, Buchanan, King-Togia and Pasifiki Tonga bring Flegg experience, while Halangahu and Latu were Australian Schoolboys last year. Aaron Hertsch returns for his second season as coach.

Sydney Roosters
Coach: Dean Feeney
Key returning players: Xavier Chatfield-Mooka (wing), Kyron Fekitoa (centre), Owen Flaherty (fullback), Alan Holten (hooker), Lafi Tuinauvai (middle)
Key recruits: Cathane Hill (centre- Townsville), Luke Jack (middle - Townsville), Turoa Williams (wing - Parramatta)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Jake Elliott (five-eighth), Ethan Roberts (edge), Toby Rodwell (halfback), Blake Steep (middle), Tyreece Tait (wing), Aholoka Toia (middle), De La Salle Va'a (middle)

The Roosters were the dominant regular season side in 2023 but came up short in the Grand Final. Like Penrith, they're always up there and I expect them to be strong again. They'll welcome several Flegg-experienced SG Ball players in the coming weeks. I think Dean Feeney is the coach again this year but I haven’t seen any confirmation (again, I asked).

Warriors
Coach: Paul Pou
Key players: Harry Durbin (middle), Phranklyn Mano-Le-Mamea (fullback), Patrick Moimoi (centre), Ben Peni (middle), Presley Seumanu-Tigafua (edge)
Key recruits: Cassius Cowley (halfback - Wynnum Manly), Luke Hanson (five-eighth - Penrith), Caleb Laiman (hooker - Canterbury), Paaua Papuni-Abbott (middle - Conulla), Eli Tuli (middle - Tweed)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Jacob Auloa (hooker), Kayliss Fatialofa (edge) Motu Pasikala (fullback), Jason Salalilo (middle), Jesse Soric (five-eighth), Rodney Tuipulotu-Vea (middle)

It's great to see the Warriors back in the fold in 2024. Their side consists of several of their 2023 SG Ball side, including centre Patrick Moimoi, who also played NSW Cup last season. He also featured in an NRL trial last month, as did recruit Luke Hanson. Kiwi Ferns' head coach Ricky Henry was set to lead the side before taking the Cowboys' NRLW job. Paul Pou is his replacement.

Wests Tigers
Coach: Leon Latulipe
Key returning players: Chris Faagutu (middle), Bailey Hodges (hooker), Cayne Nicholas (middle), Naati Teaupa (halfback), Herman Tofaeono (middle), Brandon Tumeth (edge)
Key recruits: Thomas Fisher (edge - Canterbury), Te Umuariki Heremia-Tukere (wing - St George Illawarra), Kobie Wilson (hooker - Canterbury), Tutonu Junior Wright (wing - Parramatta)
SG Ball – Expect to see: Tallyn Da Silva (hooker), Kit Laulilii (middle), Luke Laulilii (fullback), Heath Mason (fullback), Jordan Miller (middle), Navren Willett (centre)

Finalists just once since the Jersey Flegg restarted, the Tigers finished last in 2023. Their lineup for Round 1 features several new faces but there’s a ton of talent in their SG Ball sides ready to step up, unless they move straight into Cup. Leon Latulipe, who has coached Manly and South Sydney's Flegg sides, takes the reigns in 2024.

Round 1 begins Saturday, March 9 with Penrith hosting the Roosters at St Marys. NSWRL’s new streaming service, nswrl.tv, will show one game each week. This week, it’s the Silktails’ debut game against the Tigers.

🏉 QRL Junior Rep update

While the Queensland Cup begins the weekend, we're into Round 5 of the junior representative season. For the U19 Mal Meninga Cup, it's just about the halfway mark, with the season expanding to 11 rounds this year. The U19 Women and U17 Cyril Connell Cup are both playing seven rounds before finals begin. It's the first time a finals series will be held for the U19s. The U17 Girls competition ended last week, a four-round competition with no finals played.

Townsville and Tweed, two of the strongest Mal Meninga Cup sides in recent years, are the only remaining undefeated teams after four weeks. The Blackhawks opened their year with a big win over the Capras before winning close games with Mackay and the Pride. Tweed opened with three big wins before a draw with Redcliffe last weekend. Rounding out the Top 6 are Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Norths and Burleigh, who all sit with two wins and a loss.

The Cup is still in the pool stage, with each team playing their "local" rivals until Round 8 when the crossover fixtures begin.

Pools:

• Burleigh, Brisbane Tigers, Norths, Redcliffe, Souths Logan, Tweed, Wynnum Manly

• CQ Capras, Mackay, Northern Pride, Townsville

• Ipswich, Sunshine Coast, Western Clydesdales, Wide Bay

Tweed's U19 women’s side are also undefeated, although they sit second to the Western Clydesdales, who have had a dominant start to the season, scoring 108 points and conceding just 20. The Tigers are third, their only loss coming to Tweed, while Townsville and Mackay both have 2-1 records in their pool. With no crossover fixtures, the Clydesdales look odds on to finish on top.

In the Cyril Connell Cup, the Clydesdales, Blackhawks and Souths Logan are the remaining undefeated sides with three wins. 2024 will mark the first this age group has played finals since 2016, when Townsville defeated Souths Logan 20-18.

🏉 NSWRL Junior Rep update

We're just over halfway through the regular season of the metropolitan NSWRL junior representative season. The regional Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns Cups finished up this past weekend and have a week off before finals begin.

In the U19 SG Ball Cup, I'd say we have four clear contenders - the Roosters, Dragons, Knights and Steelers - with a fifth - Western Suburbs - not far behind. The Roosters are the only undefeated team, boasting a side with several Jersey Flegg experienced players. They'll face the Dragons this weekend, who boast a very good forward pack (featuring three 2023 Australian Schoolboys) and the best defensive record. The best attack belongs to third-placed Newcastle, who have scored 188 points and put up 50+ on two occasions.

There are still three undefeated sides in the U17 Harold Matthews Cup - Wests, the 2022 premiers, Canterbury, the 2023 premiers and Parramatta, the record 20-time premiers. The Magpies sit in first with a 4-0 record, while the Bulldogs and Eels have three wins and a draw.

Looking to bounce back after last year's Grand Final loss, the Bulldogs top the U19 Tarsha Gale Cup ladder, with five wins and no losses. As do Illawarra, who have only conceded 24 points in five games. The Roosters, the reigning premiers, are third with one loss and an insane +192 point differential. They scored 38, 60, 62 and 58 in their wins before a 22-point loss to the Steelers last weekend.

The Bulldogs also lead the way in the U17 Lisa Fiaola Cup, sitting undefeated with a 5-0 record. They head into Round 6 on the back of a 60-0 win over Norths. Behind them are the Roosters, Wests Tigers, Eels and Steelers, who all have eight points.

🏉 Jacob Gagai debuts

A big congratulations to Jacob Gagai, who made his NRL debut last weekend for South Sydney at 28 years old. A Mackay junior, he played U20s at Newcastle and Brisbane way back in 2014-15, proving that the Holden Cup will never die. It looked like Gagai would be a career reserve grader (I think he's even said this himself), having made his Queensland Cup debut in 2015 before moving to the NSW Cup in 2016. He joined the Rabbitohs NSW Cup side in 2021 and won a premiership with them last season.

🏉 Eligible Rookies in 2024

For anyone wondering, here is a list of players who have played first grade but are still eligible for Rookie of the Year per the NRL's criteria:

Players are eligible for the Rookie of the Year in their debut season and the subsequent two NRL seasons. Once a player plays five (5) NRL Premiership matches (or English Super League matches), he becomes ineligible for the Rookie of the Year in any subsequent seasons.

2022 debuts
Jack Cole (1 game), Kurt Falls (2), Kayal Iro (1), Liam Henry (3), Kitione Kautoga (1), Oryn Keeley (2), Adrian Trevilyan (2)

2023 debuts
Jack Bostock (4 games), Thomas Cant (1), Joe Chan (1), Gordon Chan Kum Tong (2), Robert Derby (1), Sualauvi Fa'alogo (1), Josh Feledy (1), Sione Finau (1), Trai Fuller (1), Kalani Going (1), Jack Howarth (1), Riley Jones (1), Kit Laulilii (1), Zac Laybutt (4), Ali Leiataua (1), Ben Lovett (3), Brayden McGrady (1), Jesse McLean (1), Arthur Miller-Stephen (1), Blake Mozer (1), Tyrone Munro (3), Max Plath (2), Riley Price (2), Hohepa Puru (2), Ethan Quai-Ward (1), Khaled Rajab (4), Ryan Rivett (1), Paul Roache (1), Josh Rogers (1), Demitric Sifakula (3), Jeral Skelton (2), Ethan Strange (1), Luke Summerton (2), Brandon Tumeth (1), Tom Weaver (3).

🏉 Ben Te’o to lead U19s

Redcliffe head coach Ben Te’o was named Queensland Under-19 coach this week, replacing Matt Ballin, who has taken up a spot on Billy Slater's senior coaching staff. The seven-time Queensland rep coached the Dolphins' Colt's side in 2022, finishing with 14 wins from 19 games. Last year he stepped up to their Queensland Cup side, finishing in fifth before being eliminated in the first week of the finals.

Queensland will play New South Wales on June 20 at Leichhardt Oval.

🏉 NSW Koori win U16 Origin

NSW Koori lifted the Steve Hall Shield for the first time since 2017 with a 36-22 win over Qld Murri two weeks ago. The long-running fixture was held at Logan Metro Football Fields as part of the Murri v Koori Interstate Challenge. NSW fullback Dwayne Lyons was named player of the match.

NSW Koori 36 (Jaylan Bishop 2, Lewis Jones 2, Dwayne Lyons, Jace Baker, Lucas Harding tries; Glassie Glassie 2, Izaak Moggridge, Kaidyn Peckham goals) def. QLD Murri 22 (Jacol Barney 2, Nash Tollen, Cooper Murphy tries; Dustin Appo 3 goals).

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For the first time in 20 years, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are the Jersey Flegg Cup premiers after defeating the Sydney Roosters 22-20 in Sunday’s Grand Final.

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The title caps off a great year for the club’s junior rep program, as their under-17 side won the Harold Matthews Cup in April and their Tarsha Gale Cup girls’ side finished as runners-up.

The sides traded tries in the opening 25 minutes, with the Roosters opening the scoring in the 11th minute through winger Xavier Chatfield-Mooka. The Dogs hit back five minutes later through their winger Jordi Mazzone, who was on the end of some slick passing.

The roles reversed minutes later when the Bulldogs took the lead thanks to backrower Harry Hayes before the Roosters replied three minutes later when Chatfield-Mooka scored a near identical try to his first. The Tricolours led 14-10 going into halftime after bench prop Tayson Fakaosi scored in the 31st minute.

After the break it was Canterbury with all the momentum, punishing the Roosters’ ill discipline with tries to Danny Gabrael and Mazzone to lead 22-14. The Roosters got back in it with eight minutes remaining when Salesi Foketi barged over. They had a huge chance to steal three minutes later with a full set on the Dogs’ line but dropped it early in the set.

Another Roosters error in the final minute sealed it for the Bulldogs, who claimed their 10th Jersey Flegg Cup, a competition record. Their halfback and captain Joseph O’Neill was named Player of the Match.

🏉 St Helens win Academy title, Wigan booted

St Helens are the 2023 Super League Academy champions after a strong 22-6 win over Warrington on Sunday. Saints led 10-0 at halftime with tries to Owen Dagnall and Ben Will. They pushed the lead to 22 after a Harvey Braddish double before a late try to Warrington’s Adam Whalley.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “Wait, Warrington? I read last week, in this very newsletter, that Wigan were going to play in the Grand Final.” You are correct but also incorrect because Wigan were kicked out of the match.

Last Friday, two days before the game, Wigan were removed by the RFL after it was discovered that they had used 12 interchanges, four over the limit, in their tight 18-12 win over Warrington.

After doing some digging it seems like Academy games had unlimited subs during the regular season but used Super League rules (eight subs) for the finals series. There was also no sideline official so it was down to the individual coaching staff to keep track of substitutes. You’ve got to feel for the Wigan lads who missed out on a final because someone forgot how (or possibly even chose not) to count. Peak rugby league. Truly the greatest game of all.

🏉 Australian Schools Teams Successful in PNG

The Australian Schoolboys and Schoolgirls sides both picked up wins against their junior Papua New Guinea opponents on Sunday.

The Schoolboys did it tough, winning 20-16 thanks to a very late winner from Penrith’s Jaxen Edgar. The Junior Kumuls were led by Townsville fullback Ragarive Wavik, fresh off his star performance in the Colts Grand Final, who scored a try and kicked two goals.

The Schoolgirls did it easier in the earlier game against the Junior Orchids, running out 26-0 winners. This was the Junior Orchids’ first-ever game and the second for the Schoolgirls, who played Fiji last year. The Schoolgirls ran in six tries, with doubles to wingers Mercedez Taulelei-Siala, Caley Tallon-Henniker, and centre Ebony Raftstrand-Smith.

The boys’ game is available here, and the girls’ game is here.

🏉 Queensland Country do the double

The under-17 boys and girls Queensland Country sides were successful over their City counterparts, both snatching victory in the final minutes in Logan this past weekend.

The Country girls opened the day with a 24-20 win over City. A tight first half saw the scores locked at 16-all going into the break. City regained the lead shortly after the resumption through centre Te Rina Pearse. Country hit back five minutes later when their centre Jennifer Kimber scored out wide. The winner came in the last minute when halfback and player of the match Chloe Pallisier threw a cutout pass for winger Zaleah Mosby-Nona, who ran 50 metres to score.

The boys side completed the double with a 13-12 win over City. Halfback Zac Herdegen was the matchwinner, kicking a field goal four minutes out from full-time. The sides traded tries in the first half, first through Country prop Zac Garton and then City hooker Cory Pearse, to go into the sheds at 6-all. Country bench hooker Jai Bowden barged over from close to put his side in front two minutes into the second before City backrower Jac Finigan broke several tackles to score his side’s second in the 50th minute.

It’s the third straight year of these fixtures, with both Country sides now up 2-1 over City.

🏉 15s / 16s Secondary Schools Championships

The boys under-15s and girls under-16s schools championships kicked off in Port Macquarie over the weekend. Four days are complete as of writing this, with the finals set to begin on Wednesday, September 27.

In the boys, the usual school sides are competing for the A title - ACT, NSWCCC, NSWCHS, NSWCIS, Queensland Maroon and Queensland White, with the First Nations Goannas, Northern Territory, Victoria and Western Australia playing in the B competition. Queensland Maroon and NSWCHS top their pools with two wins and zero losses, while the Goannas and WA lead Pool B.

For the girls, two groups of four compete for the championship. In Pool A, NSWCHS finished first undefeated with NSWCIS in second. In Pool B, Queensland went undefeated with Victoria behind them.

Under-15s is an age group I know very little about and I haven’t watched any of the game, so I can’t comment much. Usually, two merit Australian sides (Pool A and B) are picked after the competition but they weren’t last year and it doesn’t seem like they will this year.

Going back to 2007, 55 of the 168 players chosen in the A side have gone on to play first grade. That includes the likes of Jason Taumalolo, Payne Haas, David Fifta and Kalyn Ponga (who was picked twice).1 In 2018, Ezra Mam, Jeremiah Nanai and Jonah Pezet were all selected. The B side, which consists of Affiliated States players, has had nine NRL graduates.2

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Grand Final
Canterbury 22 (J Mazzone 2, D Gabrael, H Hayes tries; J Papalii 3 goals) def. Sydney 20 (X Chatfield-Mooka 2, T Fakaosi, S Foketi tries; C Tia 2 goals) at CommBank Stadium. Referee: K Irons. Halftime: SYD 14-10. Tackles: L Hopoi 36 (CBY), A Holten 37 (SYD). Run metres: T Johannssen 185 (CBY), M McCathie 42 (SYD). Player of the Match: J O’Neill (CBY).

Super League Academy – Grand Final
St Helens 22 (H Braddish 2, O Dagnall, B Will tries; M McGucken 3 goals) def. Warrington 6 (A Whalley try; N Booth goal) at Totally Wicked Stadium. Halftime: STH 10-0.

Rep Games
Australian Schoolboys 20 (L Aoake, W De Courcey, J Edgar, L Galvin tries; R Pollard 2 goals) def. Junior Kumuls 16 (F Glare, A Naiyep, R Wavik tries; R Wavik 2 goals) at Santos National Stadium.

Australian Schoolgirls 26 (Caley Tallon-Henniker 2, Ebony Raftstrand-Smith 2, Mercedez Taulelei-Siala 2 tries; Caley Tallon-Henniker goal) def. Junior Orchids 0 at Santos National Stadium.

U17 Qld Country Boys 13 (J Bowden, Z Garton tries; Z Herdegen 2 goals, field goal) def. U17 Qld City Boys 12 (J Finigan, C Pearse tries; C Black 2 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Halftime: 6-all. Player of the Match: B Sharpley (Country).

U17 Qld Country Girls 24 (T Thompson 2, J Kimber, Z Mosby-Nona, C Tanner tries; C Tanner 2 goals) def. U17 Qld City Girls 20 (R Olomalii 2, T Pearse, I Talau tries; I Talau 2 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Halftime: 16-all. Player of the Match: C Pallisier (Country).

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters, the two best teams during the regular season, meet this Sunday at CommBank Stadium to decide the 2023 Jersey Flegg Cup.

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The sides have met three times already this season, the most recent meeting coming two weeks ago, with the Bulldogs winning 26-6 to qualify for the Grand Final. In Round 14, the Roosters got up 14-4 and in Round 22, the teams played out a 22-all draw in Belmore. With both records standing at a win, a draw and a loss, the Grand Final will truly show who the better team is.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season strong, winning eight of their last 10 to challenge the Rooster for the minor premiership. It’s a testament to their coaching and systems that they finished second despite using a whopping 52 players during the season, by far the most of any club. The late additions of fullback Joash Papalii and NRL-experienced five-eighth Karl Oloapu bolstered the side as they dispatched Cronulla in Week 1 of the finals 44-22 before defeating the Roosters the following week.

The Roosters finished as minor premiers for the second straight season, bettering their win total from the year before. During the regular season, they had the best attack (30 points per game) and best defence (17 ppg) but faltered slightly after their Round 24 bye, losing two of their next four games. One of those losses was the major semi-final against Canterbury after their week off. They lost the same game last year before being knocked out the following week. That, of course, was not the case this year, as they eliminated Parramatta last week to qualify for the decider.

Canterbury, along with South Sydney, have been the traditional powerhouse of the Jersey Flegg, winning the competition a record nine times. The last of those nine came in 2003 which ended a five-year run that saw them win it four times.

Breaking up that run was the Roosters in 2002, their second title. The Tricolours won the competition again in 2004, a famous season where they went undefeated. Despite the dominance of the two clubs in the early 2000s, they never met in a Grand Final. While the Jersey Flegg Cup has eluded the Roosters since its restart in 2018, they did win the under-20 National Youth Competition in 2016.

The game kicks off at 1pm (local) and will be streamed on the NSWRL Facebook page.

Team News
BULLDOGS: After a week off, the only change to the Bulldogs’ 17 that defeated the Roosters in the major semi-final is prop Tim Johannsson moving onto the bench for backrower Lajuan Vito, who drops to the reserves. Both sides have named five players in the reserves, so late changes aren’t out of the question. Due to injury, they will again be without backrower Lachlan Vale, who won the club’s Player of the Year award this month.

ROOSTERS: The Roosters have lost starting front-rower Corey Ross for the final. Ross was sin-binned for a head slam in last week’s win over Parramatta, so I assume he has been suspended.1 Taking his place is Sione Vaenuku, who has been used off the bench for 11 of his 14 games in 2023. Half Braith Alexander, who missed last week’s game, returns to the bench and will most likely spend time at dummy half.

Team Profiles
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Finished 2nd - 15 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses
550 points scored (2nd), 383 conceded (2nd)

Road to the Grand Final
R1: WIN vs. Manly (36-24), R2: WIN vs. St George Illawarra (32-10), R3: WIN vs. Wests Tigers (38-6), R4: Bye, R5: LOSS vs. Cronulla (14-15), R6: LOSS vs. South Sydney (16-24), R7: WIN vs. Parramatta (26-22), R8: WIN vs. Cronulla (36-10), R9: WIN vs. St George Illawarra (18-16), R10: Bye, R11: LOSS vs. Melbourne (20-34), R12: WIN vs. Canberra (26-10), R13: Bye, R14: LOSS vs. Sydney (4-14), R15: WIN vs. Parramatta (22-6), R16: WIN vs. Penrith (26-0), R17: WIN vs. Wests Tigers (38-28), R18: WIN vs. Newcastle (36-16), R19: WIN vs. Melbourne (24-18), R20: Bye, R21: LOSS vs. Penrith (12-40), R22: DRAW vs. Sydney (22-22), R23: WIN vs. South Sydney (36-14), R24: WIN vs. Newcastle (30-16), R25: LOSS vs. Canberra (10-32), R26: WIN vs. Manly (28-6), F1: WIN vs. Cronulla (44-22), F2: WIN vs. Sydney (26-6).

Junior Rep Honours
Jersey Flegg Cup: 9 titles (1963, 1971, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)
SG Ball Cup: 3 titles (1972, 1978, 2009)
Harold Matthews Cup: 4 titles (2007, 2009, 2011, 2023)
U16 National Final: 1 title (2011)

Recent Flegg History (2018-)
2018 Finished 7th, lost Semi-Final
2019 Finished 6th, lost Semi-Final
2022 Finished 8th, missed finals

NRL Graduates (since 2018)
20 Paul Alamoti (2021), Jake Averillo (2018-19), Bailey Biondi-Odo (2020-21), Declan Casey (2019-21), Austin Dias (2018), Matt Doorey (2018-19), Morgan Harper (2018), Sam Hughes (2022), Tui Katoa (2018-19), Laitia Moceidreke (2021), Kurtis Morrin (2021), Karl Oloapu (2022), Chris Patolo (2020-21), Khaled Rajab (2021-22), James Roumanos (2018-19), Zac Saddler (2018-19), Aaron Schoupp (2020), Isaiah Tass (2018-19), Jackson Topine (2019-22), Brandon Wakeham (2018).

SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Finished 1st - 17 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses
650 points scored (1st), 378 conceded (1st)

Road to the Grand Final
R1: WIN vs. Wests Tigers (26-16), R2: WIN vs. Canberra (46-16), R3: WIN vs. South Sydney (30-20), R4: Bye, R5: WIN vs. Melbourne (38-10), R6: WIN vs. Newcastle (34-16), R7: LOSS vs. Cronulla (6-26), R8: WIN vs. St George Illawarra (42-16), R9: WIN vs. Manly (42-24), R10: Bye, R11: LOSS vs. Penrith (20-34), R12: WIN vs. St George Illawarra (34-12), R13: WIN vs. Cronulla (35-14), R14: WIN vs. Canterbury (14-4), R15: LOSS vs. Penrith (22-24), R16: WIN vs. South Sydney (40-16), R17: WIN vs. Canberra (24-14), R18: WIN vs. Melbourne (37-6), R19: Bye, R20: WIN vs. Newcastle (36-14), R21: WIN vs. Parramatta (30-16), R22: DRAW vs. Canterbury (22-22), R23: WIN vs. Manly (16-8), R24: Bye, R25: LOSS vs. Parramatta (20-36), R26: WIN vs. Wests Tigers (34-14), F1: Bye, F2: LOSS vs. Canterbury (6-26), F3: WIN vs. Parramatta (31-18).

Junior Rep Honours
Jersey Flegg Cup: 3 titles (1995, 2002, 2004)
Holden Cup: 1 title (2016)
SG Ball Cup: 4 titles (1987, 2008, 2010, 2013)
U18 National Final: Runners-up (2014)

Recent Flegg History (2018-)
2018 Finished 5th, lost Semi-Final
2019 Finished 2nd, lost Preliminary Final
2022 Finished 1st, lost Preliminary Final

NRL Graduates (since 2018)
25 Fletcher Baker (2018), Egan Butcher (2018-19), Josh Curran (2018), Harrison Edwards (2019-21), Daniel Fifita (2018-19), Jackson Frei (2018), Moala Graham-Taufa (2021-22), Tuku Hau Tapuha (2020), Asu Kepaoa (2018-19), Lachlan Lam (2018), Freddy Lussick (2018-19), Luca Moretti (2019-21), Sean O’Sullivan (2018), Adam Pompey (2018), Jacob Preston (2021-22), Ethan Quai-Ward (2019), Billy Smith (2018), Sandon Smith (2021), Luke Sommerton (2019), Treymain Spry (2018), Christian Tuipulotu (2019), Sam Verrills (2018), Ronald Volkman (2021-22), Naufahu Whyte (2022), Siua Wong (2022).

Head to Head (since 2018)
2018, Round 5, Sydney won 36-24
2018, Round 12, Sydney won 24-22
2019, Round 7, draw 16-all
2019, Round 14, Canterbury won 17-16
2019, Semi-Final, Sydney won 28-24
2021, Round 6, Canterbury won 40-16
2021, Round 11, Canterbury won 42-14
2022, Round 8, Sydney won 36-4
2022, Round 21, Canterbury on 22-14
2023, Round 14, Sydney won 14-4
2023, Round 22, draw 22-all
2023, Semi-Final, Canterbury won 26-6

Player Profiles

CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
1 Joash Papalii
2023 stats: 9 games, 3 tries, 28 goals, 68 points
Papalii returned to the Jersey Flegg in the last month of the regular season after 16 games in the NSW Cup. A St Johns junior, Papalii is a Bulldog through and through, having represented the club in every grade. In 2022, he was an Australian Schoolboy and in July he came off the bench for New South Wales under-19.

2 Jordi Mazzone
2023 stats: 10 games, 13 tries, 52 points
Mazzone is a speed threat out wide and has proven to be a try scorer in every grade for the Bulldogs. During his two seasons in SG Ball, he scored 15 in 18 games, while in Flegg his tally sits at 21 in 19. A Moorebank junior, he played three NSW Cup games earlier this season.

3 Danny Gabrael
2023 stats: 11 games, 4 tries, 16 points
A graduate of Holy Cross College Ryde, Gabrael saw little playing time in Harold Matthews and SG Ball for the Bulldogs. After three Flegg games in 2022, he has locked down a spot in 2023, playing 11 games and making his NSW Cup debut in May. His younger brother Michael is also a member of the Flegg squad.

4 Eli Clark
2023 stats: 10 games, 6 tries, 15 goals, 54 points
A Foster Tuncurry junior, Clark joined the Bulldogs in 2021 through the club’s partnership with the North Coast Bulldogs in the regional Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns Cups. He has the most Flegg experience in the side, playing 39 games over three seasons in the competition.

5 William Afualo
2023 stats: 10 games, 4 tries, 16 points
Originally from Melbourne, Afualo has risen quickly through the grades since joining the Bulldogs in 2021. He got a taste of Flegg last year before cementing his spot on the wing at the back end of the season. A Sunshine Cowboys junior, he made the under-15 Australian Schoolboys B team in 2019.

6 Karl Oloapu
2023 stats: 4 games
Oloapu brings seven games of NRL experience into the Grand Final, the only player in either side to have played first grade. The former Australian Schoolboy made his NRL debut in April, just months after his well-publicised switch from the Broncos. After recovering from a neck injury, the 18-year-old dropped down to Flegg in Round 25 and has been a massive plus for the side.

7 Joseph O’Neill (captain)
2023 stats: 15 games, 5 tries, 2 goals, 24 points
Another local junior who has progressed through the grades, O’Neill is into his third year of Flegg and captains the side. He returned to the team for the finals after playing several NSW Cup games towards the end of the regular season. The Berala junior represented New South Wales under-16 in 2019.

8 Jack Todd
2023 stats: 15 games, 1 try, 4 points
Todd hails from the country town of Dungowan and is a graduate of Farrer Memorial Agricultural High in Tamworth. He joined the Bulldogs in 2021 after two seasons in the Laurie Daley Cup with Greater Northern and has gone on to play seven NSW Cup games over the last two seasons. Ran for 236 metres in their Week 1 win over Cronulla.

9 Reuben Moyle
2023 stats: 22 games, 2 tries, 3 goals, 14 points
A Lennox Head junior, Moyle was playing A Grade for nearby Byron Bay under head coach Todd Carney when recruited by the Bulldogs in 2021. He joined the club as fullback/centre but made the switch to hooker in Round 7 and hasn’t looked back, playing 17 games in his new position. Made 33 tackles in their semi-final win over the Roosters.

10 Lipoi Hopoi
2023 stats: 11 games, 3 tries, 4 points
Hopoi has been with the Bulldogs since he was 15, moving through their Matts and Ball systems into the Jersey Flegg, where he’s played the last three seasons. A damaging ball runner, he’s played 24 NSW Cup games over the last two years. A graduate of Hills Sports High.

11 Harry Hayes
2023 stats: 15 games, 5 tries, 20 points
Hayes has spent time at centre and on the wing over the last two years in Flegg and NSW Cup. After three SG Ball games in 2020 with the Dogs, he returned home to the Central Coast to play A Grade before getting a recall in 2022. His grandfather, Merv Hicks, is a former Welsh international who played 84 games for the Bulldogs in the late 60s.

12 Luke Smith
2023 stats: 20 games, 3 tries, 12 points
A hardworking backrower from Denman in country NSW, Smith was playing for Greater Northern and represented NSW Country U18 when picked up by the Dogs in 2021. He played 13 Flegg games last year and began 2023 as the side’s starting lock before moving to the edge.

13 Damon Marshall
2023 stats: 12 games, 2 tries, 8 points
A Western Lions junior, Marshall joined the Bulldogs this season from Townsville, where he captained the Blackhawks’ Mal Meninga Cup side. A tireless engine in the middle, he overcame a serious neck injury to return to the sport in 2022. An Ignatius Park College old boy, he represented Queensland U19 in July and played two NSW Cup games not long after.

14 Jonah Glover
2023 stats: 15 games, 2 tries, 6 goals, 20 points
Glover was the Colts Player of the Year last year while playing for the Brisbane Tigers. An Ipswich junior, he has moved to the bench in the last month to make way for Oloapu in the halves. He made one Queensland Cup appearance for the Tigers back in 2021, kicking six goals in a win over Mackay.

15 Tim Johannsson
2023 stats: 17 games, 7 tries, 28 points
Hailing from Tweed Heads, Tim was originally at the Knights alongside his younger brother Noah before the pair made a mid-season switch to the Dogs in 2023. Tim has solidified a spot in the Dogs’ 17 this season, topping their run metre tally on several occasions.

16 Fahmy Toilalo
2023 stats: 14 games, 1 try, 4 points
Toilalo is an Otahuhu junior who made his way to the Bulldogs in 2022 via Queensland. He was attending Mabel Park State High and playing locally for Wynnum Manly when signed by Canterbury. He played for the club’s SG Ball side in 2022 before moving up to Flegg, playing 25 games over the last two seasons.

17 Zac Montgomery
2023 stats: 10 games, 2 tries, 8 points
A former NSW Koori U16 representative, Montgomery spent several seasons in the Roosters’ system before moving to Canterbury in 2023. The Kincumber junior made his Flegg debut for the Tricolours way back in 2019 as a 17-year-old. He’s played 11 NSW Cup games this season, starting three at second row and one on the wing.

19 Joseph Teaupa
2023 stats: 3 games, 1 try, 4 points
Five-eighth Teaupa made the move from South Sydney to Canterbury this year, playing four SG Ball games for the club before making his Flegg debut. His older brother Dion is playing for Souths in the NSW Cup Grand Final later in the day, while another brother, Naati, played Flegg for the Tigers this year.

20 Jonathan Sua
2023 stats: 10 games, 8 tries, 27 goals, 86 points
A goal-kicking winger, Sua has played 10 games in each of the last two Flegg campaigns after the SG Ball season has ended. The Bass High graduate has been with the Dogs since Harold Matthews.

23 Epeli Sukanaivalu
2023 stats: 11 games
Big Fijian front rower Sukanaivalu was a Sharks’ under-16s player in 2018 before spending three seasons in St George’s SG Ball system. He moved to the Dogs in 2022, where he played seven games and one NSW Cup game.

24 Lajuan Vito
2023 stats: 9 games, 2 tries, 8 points
Vito is another who has played all three junior grades for the Bulldogs, starting with Harold Matts in 2019. The former Endeavour Sports High student has started five of his nine games in the second row and one at centre. He represented NSW City U18 in 2021 and 2022.

26 Sione Moala
2023 stats: 17 games, 4 tries, 16 points
The most experienced Flegg player since the competition restarted in 2018, the Grand Final will be Moala’s 55th game if he’s named in the final 17. The former Junior Kiwis halfback started with the Warriors in 2019, playing 15 games as a 17-year-old, before moving to Canberra in 2021 and switching to the Bulldogs this season.

Coach: Luke Vella
As a player, Vella came through the Bulldogs’ pathways before his career was ended in 2014 while playing in the Holden Cup. He suffered a brachial plexus injury while making a tackle, which resulted in him losing the use of his left arm. In 2020, Vella took over as Canterbury’s Flegg coach and at just 29 years old will coach his 61st game this weekend.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS
1 Owen Flaherty
2023 stats: 20 games, 6 tries, 5 goals, 34 points
A Central Coast junior with a touch background, Flaherty played for North Sydney in the SG Ball last year before moving over to the Roosters in 2023. He’s been a standout in his rookie season, playing all 20 of his games at fullback. He’s a graduate of St Edward’s College in Gosford.

2 Xavier Chatfield-Mooka
2023 stats: 9 games, 8 tries, 32 points
Chatfield-Mooka is a Townsville junior signed by the Roosters in 2019 as a 16-year-old. In 2022, he relocated to Sydney, playing for the club’s SG Ball and Flegg sides and representing Queensland U19. The former Kirwan State High student got a taste of NSW Cup earlier this year, making his debut in Round 19.

3 Kyron Fekitoa
2023 stats: 21 games, 7 tries, 28 points
Fekitoa has been with the Roosters since Harold Matts. After two Flegg appearances last season, he’s become a regular in the centres in 2023. He undertook pre-season training with the Roosters’ NRL squad earlier this year and played two NSW Cup games during the season.

4 Vaiala Tamati
2023 stats: 18 games, 7 tries, 17 goals, 62 points
Like his centre partner, Tamati has been with the Tricolours since he was 16. In his third season of Flegg with 42 games under his belt, he’s one of his side’s most experienced players. In 2019, he played for Westfields Sports High in the Schoolboy Cup national final and represented Toa Samoa U19.

5 Tavita Henare-Schuster
2023 stats: 16 games, 12 tries, 48 points
Henare-Schuster joined the Roosters this year from the Hurricanes Super Rugby system, where he played two seasons for their under-20 side. In Round 9, just his second game of Flegg, he scored a hat trick. He played NSW Cup toward the back end of the regular season, scoring two tries in two appearances on the wing.

6 Jake Elliott
2023 stats: 7 games
Another off the Roosters’ Central Coast production line, Elliott played Harold Matthews Cup for the Coast the last two seasons. He was named in the Roosters’ SG Ball side for 2023 but did not play again before making his Flegg debut in Round 21. He’s held down a spot in the halves ever since.

7 Cassius Tia
2023 stats: 6 games, 2 tries, 21 goals, 2 field goals, 52 points
A Marist Saints junior, Tia joined the Roosters’ pathways in 2021 and was a standout for their SG Ball side earlier this year. He played five Flegg games and one NSW Cup game during the year before returning for last week’s prelim, where he set up several tries and kicked the game-sealing field goal in the final minutes.

8 Sione Vaenuku
2023 stats: 14 games, 3 tries, 12 points
Vaenuku moves into the starting side for the fourth time this season, replacing regular front rower Corey Ross. He came through the Central Coast system before joining the Roosters’ SG Ball side in 2020. He made his NSW Cup debut in Round 24.

9 Alan Holten
2023 stats: 10 games, 4 tries, 3 goals, 22 points
A Scots College old boy, where he played centre for the rugby union side, Holten has been with the Roosters since Harold Matts. Into his third season of Flegg, he got a chance at NSW Cup earlier this year, scoring three tries in four appearances off the bench.

10 Taylor Losalu
2023 stats: 14 games, 1 try, 4 points
Losalu is in his second year of Flegg, and first with the Roosters after joining from Parramatta this season. At the Eels, he came through their Harold Matts and SG Ball systems and attended Hills Sports High.

11 Phoenix Steinwede (captain)
2023 stats: 18 games, 5 tries, 20 points
Captain Steinwede played his junior footy for Kincumber alongside current Roosters NRL player Sandon Smith. After three years in the Central Coast junior rep side, he moved to Sydney in 2021, first playing SG Ball before progressing to Flegg in 2022, where he played 11 games.

12 Max McCathie
2023 stats: 21 games, 4 tries, 20 points
The competition’s Player of the Year, McCathie is another Scots College old boy who has been with the Tricolours since he was 16. He made his Flegg debut last year in a preliminary final and has become a regular in the back row in 2023. He’s topped his side’s tackle count 13 times this season.

13 Caleb Tohi
2023 stats: 23 games, 2 tries, 8 points
A workhorse in the middle, Tohi has played for three clubs in the last three seasons. A Parramatta junior, he made his Flegg debut with the side in 2021 before moving to Canberra in 2022, where he played 15 Flegg and four NSW Cup games. The former NSW U16 representative has started all but one game at lock this season.

15 Salesi Foketi
2023 stats: 12 games, 3 tries, 12 points
A Manurewa junior, Foketi joined the Roosters in 2021, playing for their Harold Matts side. Able to play in the middle or on an edge, he made his Flegg debut in Round 14 after nine games for the club’s SG Ball side to start the year.

16 Jordan Swann
2023 stats: 20 games, 10 tries, 40 points
The Roosters’ most experienced Flegg player, Swann will play his 50th game in the Grand Final. Primarily a centre, he’s spent time at wing and second row in 2023. A Rooster since Harold Matts, he’s played four NSW Cup games over the last two seasons.

17 Braith Alexander
2023 stats: 20 games, 7 tries, 28 points
The son of Greg Alexander, Braith joined the Roosters this season from the Panthers, where he played 10 games for their Flegg side over two years. Has spent time at five-eighth, halfback and hooker this season.

18 Lafi Tuinauvai
2023 stats: 9 games, 1 try, 4 points
A Waitemata junior who attended Kelston Boys High in Auckland, Tuinauvai came to Australia in 2021, playing for North Sydney in the SG Ball. He joined the Roosters in 2022, playing for their SG Ball side, before making his Flegg debut this year.

19 Benaiah Ioelu
2023 stats: 8 games, 1 try, 4 points
A dangerous dummy half from Auckland, Ioelu has been with the Roosters since he was 15, first playing for the Central Coast in the Harold Matts in 2020-21. He relocated to Sydney in 2022 and has played both Flegg and SG Ball the last two seasons.

20 Angus Fahey
2023 stats: 18 games, 1 try, 4 points
Fahey made his Flegg debut in 2023 and has played all 18 of his games off the bench. He played union while attending The King’s School in Parramatta alongside current Eels’ centre Will Penisini.

21 Blake Steep
2023 stats: 2 games
A Port Macquarie junior, Steep has been contracted to the Roosters since 2020, playing Harold Matts with the club last year. While he missed the entire SG Ball season, he recovered from a torn ACL in time to make his Flegg debut in Round 25.

22 Christian Abal
2023 stats: 6 games, 2 tries, 8 points
Abal came through the pathways at North Sydney before joining the Roosters this season. He’s started five of his six games at hooker filling in for Alan Holten.

23 Emery Jolliffe
2023 stats: 6 games, 2 tries, 8 points
A St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill old boy, Jolliffe spent time in Balmain’s Harold Matts system before switching to the Roosters in 2023. He’s played all six of his games on the wing this season.

Coach: Dean Feeney
Feeney spent two seasons as Eels’ U20 assistant before taking over as head coach in 2018. After four years in the role, he moved to the Roosters as an assistant to Flegg coach Anthony Barnes. In 2023, Barnes moved up to the NSW Cup with Feeney taking over and leading the side to the minor premiership. Dean’s son is Jaelen Feeney, who played 26 games for the Knights in 2016-17.

Grand Final Facts (2000-)

PREVIOUS GRAND FINALS
2000 Canterbury 22 def. Western Suburbs 8
2001 Canterbury 12 def. Cronulla 10
2002 Sydney Roosters 23 def. St George Illawarra 22
2003 Canterbury 32 def. Cronulla 22
2004 Sydney Roosters 14 def. Cronulla 13 (golden point)
2005 St George Illawarra 30 def. Parramatta 20
2006 Penrith 22 def. Newcastle 20
2007 Penrith 19 def. Parramatta 14
2018 Cronulla 22 def. Penrith 12
2019 South Sydney 16 def. Canberra 14
2022 Penrith 19 def. Newcastle 18

PREMIERSHIP WINNING COACH / CAPTAIN
2000 Kevin Moore / Ryan O’Hara
2001 Ricky Stuart / Dean Byrne
2002 Nathan Brown / Ryan Powell
2003 Andy Patmore / Corey Payne
2004 Shane Flanagan / Jamie Soward
2005 Steve Price / Jamie Keith
2006 Brett Kenny / Jaye Mairleitner
2007 Alex Melville / Jarrod Sammut
2018 David Howlett / Teig Wilton
2019 Ben Rogers / Nick Mougios
2022 Jono Rolfe / Hohepa Puru

RECENT PREMIERSHIP WINNERS IN THE NRL
2018 Jackson Ferris, Isaac Lumelume, James Roumanos, Braydon Trindall, Teig Wilton, Bronson Xerri (Cronulla)
2019 Lachlan Ilias, Peter Mamouzelos, Jaxson Paulo, Blake Taaffe (South Sydney)
2022 Isaiya Katoa, Hohepa Puru (Penrith)

MOST TRIES IN A GRAND FINAL
3 Semi Valemei (Canberra) v South Sydney, 2019.
3 Adam Brideson (Canterbury) v Western Suburbs, 2000.

MOST GOALS IN A GRAND FINAL
4 Cameron Phelps (Canterbury) v Cronulla, 2003.

MOST POINTS IN A GRAND FINAL
12 Blake Taaffe (South Sydney) v Canberra, 2019.
12 Semi Valemei (Canberra) v South Sydney, 2019.
12 Adam Brideson (Canterbury) v Western Suburbs, 2000.
11 Jarrod Sammut (Penrith) v Parramatta, 2007

The Townsville Blackhawks are the 2023 Colts premiers after a crushing 40-0 win over the Brisbane Tigers last Sunday.

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The game was an even contest for all of three minutes until the Tigers failed to find touch from a penalty. From then on it was all Townsville. They scored in the next set through winger Cathane Hill. and then again three minutes later through Jamal Shibasaki to go up 12-0 after 10 minutes.

Not long after, player of the match Ragarive Wavik used his powerful fend to score the Blackhawks’ third. The game was put to bed seven minutes before the break when five-eighth Reece Foley put Wil Sullivan over to make it 22-0. Foley was a late call-up for Matt Hunter who was suspended for a crusher tackle in the prelim.

Anything can happen in Colts footy but the Tigers were completely outworked and outclassed by the Blackhawks and never looked like getting back into it. Townsville got their fifth try ten minutes after halftime when prop Jeremiah Matautia pounced on a Joel Baldwin grubber. Shibasaki got his second in the 63rd minute, powering over three defenders to score. Winger Jesse Yallop was the fitting final try scorer of the game (and the competition), with the Colts’ all-time top try scorer crossing for his 26th of the year in the final minutes.

A completely dominant performance from Townsville, keeping a Tigers’ side that averaged 35 points a game to zero. The 40-point margin is easily the biggest in Colts’ history. Townsville finishes up as the competition’s most decorated side, winning two minor premierships and playing in four of the five Grand Finals, winning two.

🏉 Roosters through to the Flegg Grand Final

The Sydney Roosters have qualified for their first Jersey Flegg Grand Final since 2004 after a 31-18 win over Parramatta at Leichhardt.

The Eels, who were on a six-game winning run, led 16-4 after a tense 23 minutes which saw two players sin-binned. Eels’ prop Jontay Betham-Misa was sat down after two minutes following a swinging arm on the ground. 15 minutes later, Roosters’ prop Corey Ross was sent for 10 after a nasty head slam on Samuel Loizou which led to a melee. Loizou went off for an HIA and looked completely gone but somehow returned later in the game.

The Eels scored twice with Ross in the bin before the Roosters got one back just before halftime. The Roosters ran over the Eels in the second half, something they’ve done to many teams this year, scoring three tries in 20 minutes. A Cassius Tia field goal gave them a seven-point lead with three to play before an Owen Flaherty try following a failed short kickoff from Parramatta sealed the victory for the Tricolours.

The Roosters now head to Sunday’s Grand Final at CommBank Stadium, where they face Canterbury in a semi-final rematch. The Bulldogs will be out for their record-setting 10th Jersey Flegg title, having last won in 2003, while the Roosters most recent win in 2004 was their third. The game will be streamed live on the NSWRL Facebook page and the 9Now app.

🏉 Westfields bring Schoolboy Cup back to NSW

After seven years the NRL Schoolboy Cup is back in New South Wales after Westfields Sports High defeated Palm Beach Currumbin 38-4 in last Wednesday’s national final. The title is Westfields’ second, their first being in 2016 - the last time a NSW school won the competition.

The game was wrapped up by halftime with Westfields taking a 26-0 lead into the sheds. Their five-eighth Lachlan Galvin, contracted to the Wests Tigers, was the star of the day, scoring twice in the opening 30. PBC got one back early in the second through winger Creedence Kelly-Donovan but Westfields added three tries late to blow the score out.

Galvin was named player of the match and also won the Peter Sterling Medal for player of the tournament. It’s the first time since Joey Tramontana in 2014 that a New South Wales-based student has won the medal.

🏉 Mabel Park crowned inaugural Schoolgirl champions

Mabel Park State High got the day underway by defeating Hills Sports High 26-8 to win the first-ever national Schoolgirl Cup.

Mabel Park came out strong, taking a 14-0 lead into halftime with tries to Alice Shannon, Nazlyn Waaka-Rhind and Liliele Vaitolo. Hills got back into after the break through a Manua Moleka try before Amanii Misa got Mabel’s fourth to push the lead back to 14.

Hills scored again late to give themselves a faint chance but a long-range try to Waaka-Rhind sealed the victory for the Queenslanders. Mabel Park backrower Athena Vili was named player of the match.

🏉 Columba and Hallam win Schoolboy Trophies

Columba Catholic College Charters Towers and Hallam Senior College Melbourne took out the second-tier NRL Schoolboy Trophy finals last week.

Columba was too good for Xavier Catholic College Hervey Bay in the Queensland final, running out 26-14 winners at Langlands Park. Fullback Assariah Lenoy-Sam and halfback Mathias Santo-Hero were the standouts for Columba, both scoring tries. Lenoy-Sam recently signed with the Cowboys, while Santo-Hero will join the Dolphins.

In the southern final, Hallam was impressive in a 26-6 win over Kildare Catholic College Wagga Wagga at Allianz Stadium. Kildare led 6-4 at halftime before being overrun by the Victorian side. Jeremiah Neli scored a double, while Storm SG Ball player Rua Ropoama also bagged a try. It’s the first time a Victorian school has won the trophy.

🏉 Junior Kumuls and Orchids named to face Australia

The Junior Kumuls and Junior Orchids sides to face the Australian Schoolboys and Girls were named last week. The two games will take place on Sunday, September 24 in Port Moresby, the day after the Prime Minister’s XIII games.

The Kumuls side features a few familiar faces to junior rep fans, with Ragarive Wavik, Alton Naiyep and Sam Stephenson all named. Port Moresby-born Wavik starred in last weekend’s Colts Grand Final for Townsville. Winger Alton Naiyep is an Ipswich product who won the Schoolboy Cup with Ipswich State High last year and recently signed with Manly. Sam Stephenson, the son of former NRL player Paul Stephenson, played in PBC’s loss to Westfields last week and is contracted to the Titans. Longtime junior coach and former London Broncos boss Joe Grima will coach the side.

The Orchids-Schoolgirls game opens the day at noon local time with the Kumuls-Schoolboys straight after at 2pm.

2023 Junior Kumuls
1 Ragarive Wavik, 2 Alton Naiyep, 3 Sam Stephenson, 4 Kevin Yako, 5 Anda Endaso, 6 Gairo Voro, 7 Felix Beki, 8 Reynolds Tai, 9 Finlay Glare, 10 Gregan Format, 11 Limbi Henry, 12 Sampson Waliling, 13 Smith Pamundi, 14 Maya Tusa, 15 Norman Akunai, 16 Gabriel Kaupa, 17 Bruce Bava, 18 Makas Richard. Coach: Joe Grima.

2023 Junior Orchids
1 Belinda Waula, 2 Bennitha Paka, 3 Carrianne Wesly, 4 Deborah Kitipa, 5 Esther Aram, 6 Gail Manove, 7 Golden Bal, 8 Hadassah Jamie Isokali, 9 Jamitha Mathew, 10 Joice Bolkun, 11 Louise Sarr, 12 Melissa Joe, 13 Rayleen Kusir, 14 Rondah Joshep, 15 Rose Malabag, 16 Ruth Gende, 17 Yolanda Taute, 18 Yvonne Pinda. Coach: Solomon Kuliniasi.

🏉 Rivals set for Academy Grand Final

Old foes St Helens and Wigan will meet in the 2023 Super League Academy Grand Final at Totally Wicked Stadium this weekend.

Wigan were first through to the decider after hanging on for an 18-12 win over Warrington. Wolves led 12-0 before Warriors’ bench hooker Tom Ratchford crossed to get his side back in the game. A converted try to halfback Jack Farrimond levelled the scores minutes later, with Ratchford getting the match-winner in the 55th minute.

St Helens did it much easier in their semi-final, running through Hull FC 28-8. Centre Jonathon Vaughan was the standout, scoring a hat trick in the win.

St Helens and Wigan were the two top sides in the regular, both winning 11 and losing one, with Saints finishing as league leaders on points differential. Since 2013, Wigan have won six of the eight Academy Grand Finals, with St Helens winning one in 2016.

The final will kick off at 2pm (local) at St Helens’ Totally Wicked Stadium on Sunday, September 24.

🏉 West named Colts best

Brisbane Tigers’ fullback Lachlan West was named the Colts Player of the Year at the QRL Awards last Friday. 2023 was West’s third season in the competition, scoring 22 tries in 16 games in his team’s run to the Grand Final. The Casino product finished his under-21s career with 43 tries from 47 appearances.

Townsville’s Jamal Shibasaki was also honoured at the awards, winning Mal Meninga Cup Player of the Year. He played eight games for the Blackhawks, captaining the side in their Grand Final loss to Redcliffe in April. With the change to the MM Cup format, he’s eligible again for the competition in 2024 but will more than likely start the year in Cup.

🏉 NRLW Graduates – Round 9

With the finals now upon us, St George Illawarra duo Charlotte Basham and Ellie Williamson might be the last junior rep graduates to debut in the NRLW this season.

Originally from the Sunshine Coast, Williamson started at second row and scored a try 16 minutes into her debut. A five-eighth during her time in the QRL Under-19s competition for Wests and Wynnum Manly, she moved into the forwards for Tweed this year in the BMD Premiership.

Basham, who only recently turned 18, began the season in the Tarsha Gale Cup for Illawarra and was selected in the Australian Schoolgirls in July. A Corrimal junior, she came off the bench and played 43 minutes in her NRLW debut, making 24 tackles.

🏉 Schoolboy signings

The Queensland schoolboy scene has become the place for NRL clubs to sign talent in recent years. Here’s who some of this year’s crop of players are contracted to according to The Courier Mail.

• Brisbane: Sam Martin (Ipswich SHS), Coby Black, Saxon Innes, Lewis Symonds, Kylem Vunipola (Marsden SHS), Jett Bryce, Presley Folau, Joseph Tupuse (Keebra Park SHS), Jakob Horne (Wavell SHS), Braithen Scott (St Mary’s Toowoomba), Tom Morcom (Shalom Bundaberg), Preston Cassidy (Kirwan SHS), Cohen Jackson (St Patrick’s Mackay)

• Canberra: Keisaia-Iuomalo Su’a, Mahonri Tiotala (Ipswich SHS), Izayah Petricevich (Marsden SHS), Taylor Withington (Keebra Park SHS), Jaycob Kingston-Francis (Mabel Park SHS), Keyarn Pene, Robertson Tusi-Tofu (Wavell SHS)

• Canterbury: Shaye Faa’aoga, David Leota, Oliva Smith (Ipswich SHS), Ryan Hutchinson, Isopo Taunuu (Keebra Park SHS), Mason Phillips (Wavell SHS), Brooklenn Mundraby-Grogan, Jack Philp (Caloundra SHS), Jett Day, Jake Durie (St Mary’s Toowoomba)

• Cronulla: Will Saunders (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)

• Dolphins: LJ Nonu (Ipswich SHS), Patrick Kailahi (Marsden SHS), Jeremiah Havea (Keebra Park SHS), Lachlan Buchbach, Tyrese Tovao (Mabel Park SHS), Charlie Dickson, John-Paul Donevski, Mereki Warradoo (Wavell SHS), Zac Garton (Caloundra SHS), John Fineanganofo (Redcliffe SHS), Seth Carpenter (Emmaus Rockhampton), Jack Biles, Eli McKay (Cathedral Rockhampton), Carter Ford, Connor Hinds, Braelan Marsh (St Brendan’s Yeppoon)

• Gold Coast: Jac Finigan, Zane Harrison, Sunny Kama, Raymond Puru, Sam Stephenson (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS), Javon Andrews, Cory Pearse, Taylon To’a (Marsden SHS), Zac Kumbamong, Jack Schmidt, Ryder Williams (Keebra Park SHS), Alex Leapai (Mabel Park SHS), Bodhi Sharpley (St Mary’s Toowoomba)

• Manly: Jett Jackson (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS), Alton Naiyep (Ipswich SHS)

• Melbourne: Will Semu (Marsden SHS), Kobi Floro, Keoki Koraba (Wavell SHS), Tulloch McLellan, Chase Paterson (Caloundra SHS), Bailey Anderson (St Patrick’s Mackay)

• Newcastle: Kane Self (Ipswich SHS), Wailer Whaiapu (Keebra Park SHS), Zac Herdegen (Wavell SHS), Jake Bryan (St Patrick’s Mackay)

• North Queensland: Mason Barber (Keebra Park SHS), Zac Bateman, Mutua Brown (Cathedral Rockhampton), Tyler Melrose (St Brendan’s Yeppoon), Braith Dowson, Marley Helion, Eparama Kikau, Kaiden Lahrs, Aisake Manna, Tavita Penaia, Kanye Pua’avase, Eneliko Savelio (Kirwan SHS), Sitiveni Afu, Wyatt Lourigan, Jonah Raidaveta (Ignatius Park), Xavier Kerrisk, Jaxon Purdue, Kayne Smith, Will Shears (St Patrick’s Mackay)

• Parramatta: Elijah Tapau-Taylor (Kirwan SHS)

• South Sydney: Cooper Cracknell (Ipswich SHS), Mace Andrew, Markatato Nosa, Braden Teuila, Jacob Tinsley (Marsden SHS), Nazareth Taua (Wavell SHS)

• St George Illawarra: Tyler Peckham-Harris (Ipswich SHS)

• Sydney Roosters: Lui Lee, Cairo Rangihuna-Ruri (Marsden SHS), Peter Benjamin Uini (Wavell SHS), Aholoka Toia (Redcliffe SHS), Cohen Dittmann (Kirwan SHS)

• Warriors: Jesse Soric, Tom Summer (Keebra Park SHS)

🏉 Sea Eagles and Warriors announce schools partnerships

Manly this week confirmed a partnership with Queensland’s St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon. The school, one of the strongest rugby league schools in the region, has produced several NRL players, including Harry Grant, Ben Hunt, Corey Oates and Manly’s head coach Anthony Seibold. Manly will provide the usual coaching and workshops with the school in the hope of creating a pipeline of players to the club.

The Warriors have agreed to a five-year partnership with One Tree Hill College in Penrose, whose facilities will now be home to the club’s under-19 SG Ball squad and their newly introduced under-21 Jersey Flegg and under-17 Harold Matthews sides. One Tree Hill, formerly Penrose High, is located just five minutes from the Warriors’ NRL base of Mt Smart Stadium.

🏉 Rabbitohs name Junior Rep squads

South Sydney has released their SG Ball and Harold Matthews squads for the upcoming season.

In the SG Ball, 10 players from 2023 return, including centre Daniel Wright, who finished as the side’s top point scorer, while 14 will step up from Harold Matthews. New faces include Jason Hallie (Northern Pride), Mark Nosa (Brisbane Tigers), Nazareth Taua (Norths Devils) and Palu Tausala (Illawarra).

Former Irish international Tyrone McCarthy will coach the SG Ball team, with Yoni Charlupski taking over as Harold Matthews coach.

SG Ball Cup (under-19)
Zane Bell, Tylan Berryman, Braethan Bilich, Ryan Casey, Levi Dowling, Dayne Fallon, Tavis Felsch, Jacob Fong, Atticus Fotofili, Jason Hallie, Mateus Heslin, Matthew Humphries, Yasin Kuscu, Max Laing, Fetaiaki Lua, Charlie Mann, Cooper Mclaren, Jonti Morshead-Feildel, Mark Nosa, Kai Organ, Eden Potter, Charlie Poynton, Lennox Risati, Jaii Robertson, Harrison Rooke, Zane Rugless, Salih Saracoglu, Shaq Saunders, Setefano Sele, Bailey Smith, PJ Sosiaete, Nazareth Taua, Palu Tausala, Samuel Taylor, Kynan Toevai, Lancelot Tovio, Daniel Wright. Coach: Tyrone McCarthy.

Harold Matthews Cup (under-17)
Dylan Alaalatoa, Keone Anitelea Tsioussis, Taj Aufai-Farani, Joshua Ballard, Tamoko Berryman-Duff, James Davies, Ethan Doak, Kayden Drollett, Tony Fakahau, Max Gioiello, Jack Green, Bailey Grey, Cody Hill, Dayne Jennings, Jacob Khalil, Kingston-Kruz Lake, Sione-Nau Lua, Lisiate Mackay-Filihia, Tanner Mahon, Nikolas Manesis, Clayton McGoon, Lochlin Moses, Soane Naufahu, Thomas O’Callaghan, Christian Pasikala, Christopher Petrus, Asher Pung, Amari-Jay Tangi, Cynseah Tautalafua, Baxter Torrance, Soul Tuiletufuga, Lachlan Walters, Jack Willey. Coach: Yoni Charlupski.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Hastings Deering Colts – Grand Final
Townsville 40 (J Shibasaki 2, C Hill, J Matautia, W Sullivan, R Wavik, J Yallop tries; R Wavik 6 goals) def. Brisbane Tigers 0 at Kayo Stadium. Referee: M Gannon. Halftime: TSV 22-0. Tackles: Casey Morgan 39 (BRI), L Jack 33 (TSV). Run metres: G Reedy-Bartlett 129 (BRI), R Wavik 217 (TSV).

Jersey Flegg Cup – Preliminary Final
Sydney 31 (X Chatfield-Mooka 2, O Flaherty, S Foketi, T Henare-Schuster, V Tamati tries; C Tia 2, V Tamati goals; C Tia field goal) def. Parramatta 18 (M Komolafe, E Martin, B Talagi tries; E Sanders 3 goals) at Leichhardt Oval. Referee: K Irons. Halftime: PAR 18-10. Tackles: M McCathie 30 (SYD), M Arthur 32 (PAR). Run metres: O Flaherty 157 (SYD), B Parker 149 (PAR).

NRL Schoolboy Cup – National Final
Westfield Sports High 38 (L Galvin 2, S Finau, S Fuatimau, H Kedzlie, M Ofanoa, D Parathoiene-Williams tries; R Quiroz-Mapusua 5 goals) def. Palm Beach Currumbin SHS 4 (C Kelly-Donovan try) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: S Daley. Halftime: Westfields 26-0.

NRL Schoolgirl Cup – National Final
Mabel Park SHS 26 (N Waaka-Rhind 2, A Misa, A Shannon, L Vaitolo tries; M Su’a 2, D Tutakangahau goals) def. Hills Sports High 8 (M Moleka, E Tuipulotu tries) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: R Abu-Mansour. Halftime: Mabel Park 14-0.

Super League Academy – Semi-Finals
Wigan 18 (Tom Ratchford 2, Jack Farrimond tries; Jack Farrimond 3 goals) def. Warrington 12 (Arron Lindop, Cai Taylor-Wray tries; Noah Booth 2 goals) at Robin Pak Arena. Halftime: 12-all.

St Helens 28 (Jonathon Vaughan 3, Owen Dagnall, Alfie Sinclair, Ben Will tries; Max MGucken 2 goals) def. Hull FC 8 (Roman Dawson, Mackenzie Harman tries) at Totally Wicked Stadium. Halftime: STH 20-4.

This is it.

The final game of Queensland’s under-21 Hastings Deering Colts competition.1

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The Brisbane Tigers and Townsville Blackhawks will meet this Sunday afternoon at Kayo Stadium to decide who will lift the trophy for the fifth and final time.

For the Tigers, it’s a chance to claim their first silverware in the competition and their first statewide junior trophy since the under-16 Cyril Connell Cup in 2011.2 For Townsville, a shot a back-to-back premierships and to add to their illustrious junior trophy cabinet. Of the five Colts Grand Finals, they’ve played in four.

Alongside Tweed, the Tigers were the dominant side in the regular season, finishing level on points with the minor premiers but just short on points differential. One of their two losses came to Tweed, a narrow eight-point defeat in Round 12, while the other was a one-point loss to the Sunshine Coast in Round 9.

Townsville weren’t far behind, finishing third, two points behind the top two. Two of their three losses came to those two sides, going down 34-6 to Tweed in Round 1 and 28-24 to the Tigers two weeks later. Despite that, the Blackhawks finished with the best attack (580 points scored) and defence (241 conceded) in the regular season.

The two teams met in Week 1 of the finals, with the Tigers coming away with a dominant 36-12 win in Logan. Townsville led that game 6-0 before the Tigers turned it on, scoring six tries. Putting aside their rusty Round 1 loss, it was by far the Blackhawks’ worst performance of the season and quite possibly the Tigers’ best, as they put a fellow contender to the sword.

The win gave the Tigers the week off, while the Blackhawks fought for survival in Week 2, eliminating the Sunshine Coast in a high-scoring contest 44-30. In the prelims, they were first through to the big one, knocking out Tweed 24-12 on the Gold Coast. The next day, the Tigers joined them, taking care of Redcliffe 36-14 to set up a rematch in the decider.

The game kicks off at 3:15pm (local) and will be shown live and free on Kayo.

Team News
TIGERS: The Tigers welcome back winger Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro in place of Liam Fitzsimmons, the only change to the 17 that defeated the Dolphins last week. Woodman-Tuhoro played all 14 games (scoring 10 tries) in the regular season before missing both finals games. Fitzsimmons moves to the reserves alongside Jack McCosker and Hayden Molkentien. The Tigers’ unreal line-up stability continues in the Grand Final, with six players having played every game in 2023. A further nine have only missed three or fewer.

BLACKHAWKS: Backrower Kurt Fisher returns to the 17 after missing the preliminary final due to suspension. He was replaced last week by Queensland under-19 rep Wil Sullivan, who spent the majority of 2023 in the Queensland Cup. Sullivan retains his starting spot, with Fisher moving to the bench. That move sees Sean Bourke drop to the reserves alongside half Reece Foley and prop Jack Taylor. Fullback and captain Ragarive Wavik and lock Luke Jack are the only returning players from last year’s Grand Final win.

Key Matchups
BECKETT & MORGAN vs. MATAUTIA & TEUTAU
Tigers’ middle-men Madison Beckett and Casey Morgan have played all 16 games up front for their side in 2023. Beckett has barged his way over for 10 (second most in the team), while Morgan has been his side’s top metre-eater several times this year. He’s topped the tally in six of the last seven games, including running for 200+ three times. The Blackhawks’ Kiwi front-row partnership of Jeremiah Matautia and Henry Teutau have both tasted Queensland Cup football this year. Matautia played three games (averaging 100 metres) and Teutau five (starting two at prop). Both are contracted to the Cowboys.

WEST vs. WAVIK
In his third year of Colts, Tigers’ fullback Lachlan West has been a sensation at fullback. He’s scored 22 tries in 16 games, which includes three hat-tricks, one of those against Townsville in Round 3. On top of that, he’s added multiple games with 200+ running metres. Blackhawks’ fullback Ragarive Wavik will be out for another premiership after starting on the wing in last year’s victory. The Brothers junior has enjoyed his move to fullback, scoring 14 tries in 17 games. In last week’s prelim, he had a hand in three tries and ran for 205 metres.

Team Profiles
BRISBANE TIGERS
Finished 2nd - 12 wins, 2 losses
494 points scored (6th), 241 conceded (2nd)

Road to the Grand Final
R1: WIN vs. Clydesdales (44-16), R2: WIN vs. Burleigh (40-26), R3: WIN vs. Townsville (28-24), R4: WIN vs. Norths (22-4), R5: Bye, R6: WIN vs. Mackay (30-14), R7: WIN vs. CQ Capras (40-6), R8: WIN vs. Redcliffe (22-16), R9: LOSS vs. Sunshine Coast (30-31), R10: WIN vs. Ipswich (54-18), R11: WIN vs. Pride (48-12), R12: LOSS vs. Tweed (30-18), R13: Bye, R14: WIN vs. Souths Logan (20-16), R15: WIN vs. Ipswich (52-14), R16: WIN vs. Wynnum Manly (30-16), F1: WIN vs. Townsville (36-12), F3: WIN vs. Redcliffe (36-14).

Junior Rep Honours
Mal Meninga Cup: 2015 runners-up
Cyril Connell Cup: 2011 premiers; 2013 runners-up
U16 National Final: 2011 runners-up
Colts Challenge (1986-2017): 1992, 2009, 2010, 2013 premiers; 2004 runners-up

Colts History
2018 Finished 13th, missed finals
2019 Finished 7th, lost Qualifying Final
2020 season cancelled
2021 Finished 5th, lost Qualifying Final
2022 Finished 5th, lost Qualifying Final

NRL Graduates
4 Daniel Atkinson (3 games, 2021), Sione Finau (16 games, 2022), Jaiyden Hunt (2018, 12 games), Jonah Pezet (3 games, 2021)

TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
Finished 3rd - 11 wins, 3 losses
580 points scored (1st), 216 conceded (1st)

Road to the Grand Final
R1: LOSS vs. Tweed (6-34), R2: WIN vs. Souths Logan (58-12), R3: LOSS vs. Brisbane Tigers (24-28), R4: Bye, R5: WIN vs. Norths (52-6), R6: Bye, R7: WIN vs. Wynnum Manly (42-30), R8: WIN vs. Sunshine Coast (42-30), R10: WIN vs. Pride (58-6), R11: LOSS vs. Redcliffe (24-28), R12: WIN vs. Clydesdales (62-6), R13: WIN vs. Mackay (48-0), R14: WIN vs. CQ Capras (38-14), R15: WIN vs. Pride (44-6), R16: WIN vs. Burleigh (36-22), F1: LOSS vs. Brisbane Tigers (12-36), F2: WIN vs. Sunshine Coast (44-30), F3: WIN vs. Tweed (24-12).

Junior Rep Honours
Colts: 2022 premiers; 2018, 2021 runners-up
Mal Meninga Cup: 2010, 2012, 2014-16 premiers; 2009, 2011, 2021-23 runners-up
Cyril Connell Cup: 2015, 2016 premiers; 2009, 2012, 2014 runners-up
U18 National Final: 2014 winners; 2012, 2015, 2016 runners-up
U16 National Final: 2015, 2016 runners-up

Colts History
2018 Finished 1st, lost Grand Final
2019 Finished 1st, lost Semi-Final
2020 season cancelled
2021 Finished 2nd, lost Grand Final
2022 Finished 2nd, won Grand Final

NRL Graduates
13 Daejarn Asi (17 games, 2019), Tom Chester (8 games, 2020-21), Ben Condon (33 games, 2018-19), Adam Cook (40 games, 2018-19), Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (6 games, 2022), Tom Gilbert (10 games, 2018), Wirmeu Greig (15 games, 2019), Jacob Kiraz (1 game, 2020), Zac Laybutt (22 games, 2021-22), Griffin Neame (17 games, 2019-20), Riley Price (14 games, 2019), Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (5 games, 2019), Tukimihia Simpkins (1 game, 2020).

Head to Head (All-Time)
2018, Round 14, Townsville won 36-6
2019, Round 11, Townsville won 14-16
2019, Round 23, Townsville won 34-14
2021, Round 9, Brisbane Tigers won 28-26
2022, Round 10, Townsville won 23-10
2023, Round 3, Brisbane Tigers won 28-24
2023, Finals Week 1, Brisbane Tigers won 36-12

Player Profiles

BRISBANE TIGERS
1. Lachlan West
2023 stats: 16 games, 22 tries, 88 points
West has been the Tigers’ Colts fullback since making his debut in 2021, playing 46 games and scoring 43 tries in that period. A Casino junior, he played under-18s for the Northern Rivers Titans in 2019 before joining the Tigers’ Mal Meninga Cup side in 2020. On Friday, he was named the Colts Player of the Year at the QRL Awards.

2. Tea-Rani Woodman-Tuhoro
2023 stats: 14 games, 10 tries, 40 points
Originally from Whangarei in northern New Zealand, his grandfather Fred Woodman played three Tests for the All Blacks in the 80s. In 2021, he was signed by the Storm and moved to Australia, joining the Tigers’ MM Cup side while attending Marsden State High.

3. Samuela Vakadula
2023 stats: 14 games, 2 tries, 8 points
Vakadula locked down a starting centre spot halfway through the year after first coming off the bench. Originally from the Taranaki region of New Zealand, Vakadula attended New Plymouth Boys’ High and represented the NZ Fijians at the World Schools 7s last year.

4. Antioch Faitala-Mariner
2023 stats: 9 games, 5 tries, 20 points
Faitala-Mariner is an Easts junior who has come through the club’s MM Cup system, playing two seasons before making his Colts debut in 2022. The former Brisbane State High student is contracted to the Titans, playing for their under-19s side in a trial game against Newcastle earlier this year.

5. Glen Fisher
2023 stats: 14 games, 4 tries, 16 points
Fisher played his junior footy for the Cherbourg Hornets and Murgon Mustangs before representing the Central Crows at the 2019 U16 State Championships. He finished his schooling in Brisbane at Mabel Park State High while spending time in the Wynnum Manly junior system. After a year back in Murgon, he returned to Brisbane in 2023, cementing a spot with the Tigers.

6. Bailey Black
2023 stats: 16 games, 5 tries, 79 goals, 178 points
A Mackay junior, Black made his Colts debut with the Cutters in 2022 before moving south to join up with the Tigers this year. The move has paid off, with Black playing every game in his side’s run to the Grand Final. The St Patrick’s College Mackay old boy was selected in the Australian University side in July.

7. Jake House (co-captain)
2023 stats: 15 games, 6 tries, 24 points
One of the Tigers’ co-captains, House hails from Inverell and was signed to a scholarship contract with the Storm in 2019. In 2021, he relocated to Brisbane to attend Nudgee College and played for Norths in the Mal Meninga Cup.

8. Madison Beckett
2023 stats: 16 games, 10 tries, 40 points
Beckett was the Tigers’ Colts Player of the Year in 2022, starting all 17 games at lock. He’s backed that up this year, his third season of Colts, by playing every game in the middle once again.

9. Brayden Seu-Easthope
2023 stats: 14 games, 3 tries, 12 points
Seu-Easthope moved across from Wynnum Manly in 2023, after playing MM Cup and Colts for the club. Primarily a bench player at the Seagulls, he’s been a revelation as the Tigers’ starting hooker in this season. A member of the Storm’s academy, he attended Mabel Park State High.

10. Casey Morgan
2023 stats: 16 games, 4 tries, 16 points
Morgan has been possibly the most dominant prop in the Colts this season, racking up big metres each week. A Camden Haven junior, Morgan played Laurie Daley Cup for the North Coast Bulldogs in 2020 before joining the Tigers in 2022, playing 31 games over the last two seasons.

11. Simon Pratt (co-captain)
2023 stats: 13 games, 5 tries, 20 points
Another Casino product, Pratt played for the Northern Rivers Titans in the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups before moving to the Tigers in 2021. A regular on the edge for the last three seasons, he scored a hat-trick in last weekend’s prelim win over Redcliffe.

12. Trent Veukiso
2023 stats: 15 games, 8 tries, 32 points
Veukiso was named an under-15 Australian Schoolboy while attending Aspley State High in 2019. In 2022, he moved up to the Tigers’ Colts side after playing five MM Cup games. Another who has spent time in the Storm academy, Veukiso has started all but one game at second row this season.

13. Brock Ashton
2023 stats: 13 games, 6 tries, 24 points
After a handful of games in 2021 and 2022, Ashton has become a regular this season, starting 11 of his 13 games at lock. A workhorse, he’s topped the Tigers’ tackle count in six games this year, including 43 in the prelim last weekend.

14. Jackson Chang
2023 stats: 11 games, 3 tries, 12 points
Like Ashton, Chang made the odd appearance over the previous two seasons before getting a bigger opportunity in 2023. He started two of his 11 games at hooker while Seu-Easthope was out. In Week 1 of the finals, he scored twice against Townsville. He is of Papua New Guinean heritage.

15. Joe Nadenic
2023 stats: 16 games, 4 tries, 16 points
Nadenic has played every game for the Tigers this season, filling in at second row and centre. He played for the Tigers’ MM Cup side last year while attending St Laurence’s College. He’s contracted to the Titans, playing in their under-19 game against the Cowboys earlier this year.

17. Jordan Penquitt
2023 stats: 16 games, 1 try, 4 points
An Ipswich Grammar School old boy, Penquitt is in his third year of Colts and will play his 47th game this weekend. Alongside Gabriel Reedy-Bartlett, he’s been a force off the bench. In Round 10, he ran for 204 metres. He did a pre-season with the Titans’ NRL squad in 2022.

19. Gabriel Reedy-Bartlett
2023 stats: 15 games, 1 try, 4 points
A Victorian junior, Reedy-Bartlett played SG Ball with the Thunderbolts before moving to the Tigers in 2022, following his older brother Jacob to the club. He was selected for the under-15 Australian Schoolboys B side in 2018 while attending Hallam College.

16. Jack McCosker
2023 stats: 6 games
McCosker has played all three junior grades for the Tigers, starting in the Cyril Connell Challenge in 2021. After a season in the MM Cup, McCosker has played six Colts games in 2023, starting at second row in Round 11.

18. Hayden Molkentien
2023 stats: 1 game
Molkentien has been the Tigers’ 18th player on several occasions this year, getting a taste of the Colts in their Round 9 loss to the Falcons. An Ipswich junior, he played for the Jets in last year’s MM Cup playing six games at centre and wing.

20. Liam Fitzsimmons
2023 stats: 3 games, 2 tries
Fitzsimmons scored two tries on his Colts debut last month and kept his spot on the wing while Woodman-Tuhoro was out. Originally from Wagga Wagga, he played three Harold Matthews games for Canberra in 2018.

Coach: Mark Gliddon
The Tigers’ Colts have seen their best-ever results since Gliddon took over the role in 2021, with two fifth-place finishes before this season’s Grand Final run. Gliddon brings a ton of experience to the under-21 competition, having coached the Devils Queensland Cup side for four seasons (2014-17).

TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
1. Ragarive Wavik (captain)
2023 stats: 17 games, 14 tries, 76 goals, 208 points
The Blackhawks’ most experienced player, their captain and their goalkicker, Wavik has been instrumental for his side this year. The Port Moresby-born fullback won a national Schoolboy title with Kirwan State High as a 16-year-old in 2019. In 2021, he was selected in the Australian Schoolboys side. He is one of the several Cowboys-contracted players in the squad.

2. Jesse Yallop
2023 stats: 15 games, 25 tries, 100 points
The try-scoring king of the Colts, Yallop has run in 25 this year to take his career tally to 51 from 37 games, by far the most of any player. A national champion with Kirwan State High in 2019, Yallop played two Queensland Cup games for Townsville this year.

3. Elekana Suavai
2023 stats: 15 games, 5 tries, 20 points
Signed by North Queensland from the CQ Capras’ MM Cup side in 2021, Suavai has been powerful out wide in 2023. Originally from Cairns, Suavai was attending The Cathedral College Rockhampton when spotted by the Cowboys.

4. Dudley Dotoi
2023 stats: 11 games, 11 tries, 44 points
Dotoi returned to Townsville in 2023 after a season in Sydney and has been dominant for the Blackhawks, scoring 11 tries in 11 games. An Australian Schoolboy at Kirwan State High in 2021, Dotoi was signed by the Wests Tigers and played SG Ball for the Magpies in 2022 before moving back home.

5. Cathane Hill
2023 stats: 15 games, 16 tries, 1 goal, 66 points
A former member of the Cowboys’ Young Gun system, Hill also joined the Wests Tigers in 2022, playing eight games for Balmain in the SG Ball before returning home. An adept fullback, Hill has spent the majority of 2023 on the wing, scoring 16 tries.

6. Matthew Hunter
2023 stats: 13 games, 3 tries, 12 points
An Australian under-19 touch representative, Hunter steered Ignatius Park College to the Queensland state final at halfback last year. A member of the Cowboys’ Young Guns squad, he has grown as the seasons progressed.

7. Zack Lamont
2023 stats: 15 games, 1 try, 4 points
A Sunshine Coast junior, Lamont got a small taste of Colts last year, playing one game before becoming the club’s starting halfback in 2023. He played for the Tigers’ MM Cup side in 2021 while attending Anglican Church Grammar where he was signed by the Cowboys. In July, he started at halfback for Queensland under-19.

8. Jeremiah Matautia
2023 stats: 14 games, 3 tries, 12 points
Matautia began the year on the edge before moving back into the middle where he’s been a standout for Townsville. An Otara Scorpions junior, he moved to Australia in 2022 after signing for the Cowboys, attending Kirwan State High. A tall unit, he played three Cup games this season.

14. Lachlan Lerch
2023 stats: 6 games, 2 tries, 8 points
A Townsville Brothers junior, Lerch made his Colts debut this season and has earned the starting hooker just in the last three weeks. A speed threat from dummy half, he has also spent time at fullback during his junior career. An Ignatius Park College old boy.

10. Henry Teutau
2023 stats: 11 games, 2 tries, 8 points
Like his front-row partner, Teutau moved to Australia in 2022 after signing with the Cowboys, attending Ignatius Park College. Previously contracted to the Warriors, the Marist Saints junior is all power. He played five Cup games for the Blackhawks this year.

11. Wil Sullivan
2023 stats: 4 games, 1 try, 4 points
Sullivan has spent the majority of his 2023 in Cup, playing six games and starting four of them at second row, returning to the Colts just last week. An Ipswich junior, Sullivan is a Cowboys’ Young Gun and represented Queensland under-19 in July, scoring a try.

12. Jamal Shibasaki
2023 stats: 10 games, 9 tries, 36 points
One of the country’s top forwards in his age group, Shibasaki made his Cup debut in May as a 17-year-old. Contracted to the Cowboys, Shibasaki has played all four grades with the Blackhawks, starting in the Cyril Connell Challenge in 2021. The former Ignatius Park student represented Queensland under-19 in July. On Friday, he was named the Mal Meninga Cup Player of the Year at the QRL Awards.

13. Luke Jack
2023 stats: 11 games, 2 tries, 8 points
A premiership winner last season, Jack returned to the Colts as a starter this year and has been a workhorse in the middle. A Burdekin junior, Jack was an Australian Schoolboy in 2021 at Ignatius Park and represented Queensland under-19 in 2022. He was formerly contracted to the Cowboys.

9. Joel Baldwin
2023 stats: 14 games, 3 tries, 12 points
Originally from Bundaberg, Baldwin made his Cup debut earlier this year after three seasons in the Colts system. He was unlucky to miss out on last year’s Grand Final, serving as Townsville’s 18th player for the game. He’s topped his side’s tackle count in four of the last five games.

15. Darnell Geia
2023 stats: 8 games
A Townsville Brothers junior, Geia played A Grade for the club in 2022 before getting a shot in Colts this year. He has brought a ton of energy off the bench in his eight games this season.

16. Kurt Fisher
2023 stats: 16 games, 5 tries, 20 points
A lanky backrower, Fisher is originally from Gunnedah, where he played for Greater Northern in the Andrew Johns Cup. He then moved to Rockhampton, attending The Cathedral College and playing MM Cup for the Capras before signing with the Cowboys. He spent time at fullback and five-eighth as a junior before transiting to the forwards.

17. Tyrone Gunn-James
2023 stats: 13 games, 4 tries, 16 points
Gunn-James spent three seasons with the Tigers, playing MM Cup and Colts, before returning to Townsville this year. In 2019, he was a member of Kirwan’s champion Schoolboy team alongside Wavik and Yallop. He made his Cup debut against the Jets in Round 14.

18. Reece Foley
2023 stats: 7 games, 1 try, 4 points
After playing halfback for Townsville in the MM Cup final earlier this year, Foley made the move up to Colts, playing seven games. A highly regarded player in the Cowboys’ system, he missed the entire 2022 season after injuring his shoulder in a Young Guns trial.

21. Sean Bourke
2023 stats: 11 games, 1 try, 4 points
The younger brother of Cowboys’ squad member Jake Bourke, Sean made his Colts debut this year after two seasons in the Blackhawks’ MM Cup side. He has started six of his 11 games at second row.

22. Jack Taylor
2023 stats: 6 games
An Ignatius Park College old boy, Taylor has been a reliable middle option off the bench for the Blackhawks. A Townsville Brothers junior, he started at prop in their Round 16 win over Burleigh.

Coach: Roy Baira
An A Grade legend in Townsville, Baira coached the Blackhawks’ MM Cup side for three seasons, taking them to a Grand Final in 2022. He’s overcome a major roster overhaul to lead the Blackhawks back to the Grand Final. His son, Tyreice Baira-Gela, is a member of the squad.

The QRL has done some nice pieces on Colts players throughout the year for their “In the Spotlight” series. Here are a few featuring this weekend’s Grand Final players:

• Ragarive Wavik

• Joel Baldwin

• Casey Morgan

• Glen Fisher

Grand Final Facts

PREVIOUS GRAND FINALS
2018 Norths 20 def. Townsville 16
2019 Sunshine Coast 34 def. Wynnum Manly 28
2021 Wynnum Manly 17 def. Townsville 16 (golden point)
2022 Townsville 46 def. Redcliffe 32

PREMIERSHIP WINNING COACHES / CAPTAINS
2018 Kevin Neighbour / Kobe Hetherington & Joe McGuire (Norths)
2019 Sam Mawhinney / Jayden Wright (Sunshine Coast)
2021 Michael Dobson / Jacob Sturt (Wynnum Manly)
2022 Steve Sheppard / Zac Laybutt (Townsville)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH WINNERS
2018 Nesta Watene (Norths)
2019 Tyson Smooth (Sunshine Coast)
2021 Ben Farr (Wynnum Manly)
2022 Jacob Mene (Townsville)

PREMIERSHIP WINNERS IN THE NRL
2018 Ethan Bullemor, Kobe Hetherington, Cory Paix, Jordan Riki (Norths)
2019 Trent Loiero, Tyson Smoothy, Blake Wilson (Sunshine Coast)
2021 Harrison Graham, Max Plath, Alec MacDonald (Wynnum Manly)
2022 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Zac Laybutt (Townsville)

MOST TRIES IN A GRAND FINAL
3 Jacob Mene (Townsville) v Redcliffe, 2022.
2 Ragarive Wavik (Townsville) v Redcliffe, 2022.
2 Dylan White (Townsville) v Redcliffe, 2022.
2 Tomas Chester (Townsville) v Wynnum Manly, 2021.
2 Steven Borg (Sunshine Coast) v Wynnum Manly, 2019.

MOST GOALS IN A GRAND FINAL
7 Dylan White (Townsville) v Redcliffe, 2022.
6 Shannon Gardiner (Wynnum Manly) v Sunshine Coast, 2019.
5 Tyson Smoothy (Sunshine Coast) v Wynnum Manly, 2019.

MOST POINTS IN A GRAND FINAL
22 Dylan White (Townsville) v Redcliffe, 2022.
14 Tyson Smoothy (Sunshine Coast) v Wynnum Manly, 2019.
12 Jacob Mene (Townsville) v Redcliffe, 2022.
12 Shannon Gardiner (Wynnum Manly) v Sunshine Coast, 2019.

BIGGEST WINNING MARGIN
14 Townsville 46 def. Redcliffe 32, 2022.

Townsville and Easts, sorry, Brisbane (ugh), will meet in this Sunday’s Colts Grand Final, the last ever for the competition.

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For the Blackhawks, the reigning premiers, it will be their fourth appearance and third consecutive, while for the Tigers, it’s their first time in the big one. Before this season, the Tigers had never gotten past the first week of the finals, knocked out after one game in their last three seasons.

Townsville pulled off the best upset win, 24-12, over minor premiers Tweed. They led just 4-0 at halftime after a scrappy first half. Tweed hit back a minute into the second stanza and led with 20 to play when backrower Ryan Foran scored his second. The Blackhawks regained the lead four minutes later through centre Dudley Dotoi and then added two more inside the final 10 to secure the win. Blackhawks winger Jesse Yallop scored two more tries to take his career tally to 51.

On Sunday, it looked like another upset was brewing when Brenton Baira scored Redcliffe’s second try to go up 8-6 over the Tigers. The first try of the day to Tigers’ fullback Lachlan West got his side back in front and they scored two more just before halftime to lead 24-8. Another try in the 50th minute put them up 22 before a late consolation try to the Dolphins. Tigers’ captain Simon Pratt scored his third of the afternoon in the dying minutes to seal it 36-14.

Pratt was named QRL’s “Heavy Lifter” this week. You can watch his highlights here. Highlights from both prelims are available here and here.

The Grand Final kicks off at 3:15pm on Sunday, September 17 at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium and will be shown for free on Kayo Sports.

🏉 Dogs through to the GF, Eels roll on

Canterbury have qualified for their first Jersey Flegg Grand Final since 2003 after knocking off the Roosters 26-6. After conceding inside the first five minutes, the Bulldogs took the lead in the 17th minute and never relented. Lightning quick winger Jordi Mazzone scored three tries in the win, in what was a dominant performance by the Dogs’ spine of Joash Papalii, Karl Oloapu, Joseph O’Neill and Reuben Moyle. For the second straight year, the Roosters have lost the major semi coming off the bye and will now face a red-hot Parramatta side.

Parramatta, who have won six in a row, moved onto the prelims thanks to a 20-6 win over Cronulla. Like the Bulldogs, their spine was dominant, with halves Josh Lynn and Ethan Sanders and fullback Te Hurinui Twidle having a hand in all four of their tries. Trailing 8-0 at halftime, Cronulla got back into the contest through halfback Manaia Waitere before the Eels regained control, scoring twice in the second half to keep their season alive.

Highlights for both semi-finals are available here.

The Roosters and Eels have played twice, with each side picking up a win. In Round 21, the Roosters got up 30-16, handing Parramatta their last loss before their current winning run. In Round 25, with their season on the line, the Eels won 36-20. My prediction for this weekend: the Eels hot streak continues.

🏉 National Schools Finals this week

The first-ever National Schoolgirl champions will be crowned this Wednesday (September 13) when New South Wales’ champs Hills Sports High meet Queensland champs Mabel Park State High at Allianz Stadium.

Hills finished second in their pool, knocking out the previously undefeated Westfields Sports in the semi before holding on for a 20-14 win over Erindale College in the state final. Two of their 17 from the state final played Tarsha Gale Cup this season, with winger Jasmine Dooley playing five games for St George and second rower Leila Black playing eight for Parramatta. They are coached by former Warriors NRLW player and Fijian international Patricia Raikadroka.

Mabel Park overcame a 26-0 halftime deficit to defeat Ipswich State High in their Queensland semi and then destroyed Kirwan State High 38-0 in the state final. Undoubtedly, their star player is five-eighth Malaela Su’a. Su’a is a Titans NRLW development player who just this year played seven BMD Premiership games for the Tigers, represented Queensland under-19 and was named an Australian Schoolgirl.

Following the girls’ final, the Schoolboy Cup final will be contested by Westfields Sports High and Palm Beach Currumbin State High. It’s the first time the two schools will meet in the final, with PBC looking for their first national title and Westfields their second.

Westfields blitzed through the group stage of the Peter Mulholland Cup, going undefeated through the tough Seeded Pool. After a big win over All Saints’ Maitland in the quarters, they did it tough with close wins over Erindale in the semis (22-16) and Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown in the state final (18-17).

Palm Beach Currumbin finished fourth in the Langer Trophy group stage, winning four of their seven games. In the quarters, they eliminated their local rivals, Keebra Park, before knocking out first-placed Marsden and 2022 champs Ipswich on their way to the state final, where they trounced St Patrick’s Mackay 28-0.

Westfield’s Wests Tigers duo, five-eighth Lachlan Galvin and fullback Luke Laulili’i were named Australian Schoolboys in July. Laulili’i missed the state final through injury but may make an early return to play in the final. Alongside the pair are several other Tigers juniors, including winger William Craig, hooker Heith Pritchard and backrower Sosefo Finau, who all played SG Ball for the Magpies in 2023. Centre Roy Quirouz-Mapusua played for Manly in this year’s SG Ball and is another to keep an eye on. He scored the match-winning try in the state final two weeks ago. Front rower Ocean Vaivela joined Parramatta from Queensland this year, where he played in Souths Logan’s under-16 side.

PBC features five Future Titans who have led the Reds to the national final; winger Sunny Kama, centre Sam Stephenson, halfback and captain Zane Harrison, second rower Jac Finigan and Ray Puru, who has been electric off the bench. Harrison’s halves partner is Bailey McConnell, son of former Cowboys halfback and two-time Queensland Cup premiership-winner Brent McConnell. Sam Stephenson’s dad, Paul, played 55 games for Manly and Cronulla, while second rower Baylen Donald is the son of current Jillaroos coach Brad Donald. The Reds are coached by longtime Queensland Cup player Tim Maccan, who started at halfback in Tweed Head’s Grand Final win in 2007.

Both games will be streamed live here but you’ll need a NewsCorp subscription to access it (boo). The girls kick off at 11:30am, with the boys at 1pm.

🏉 Queensland City-Country U17 sides named

The boys and girls Queensland City-Country sides have been named for their annual fixture. This year’s games will be played at Logan Metro Football Fields on Saturday, September 23.

Jordan Rankin, who will coach Parramatta’s Flegg side in 2024, will coach the boys’ City side, taking over from David Stagg, while Antonio Kaufusi will once again coach Country.

Last year, City took out the girls’ contest 40-6, while the Country boys got up 38-20.

U17 City Boys
Javon Andrews (Souths Logan / Titans), Cooper Bai (Burleigh / Titans), Coby Black (Wynnum Manly / Broncos), Jett Bryce (Wynnum Manly / Broncos), Lachlan Buchbach (Souths Logan), Phillip Coates (Souths Logan), Jac Finigan (Burleigh / Titans), Harrison Hill (Norths), Sam Hyne (Norths), Saxon Innes (Wynnum Manly / Broncos), Sunny Kama (Burleigh / Titans), Prestyn Laine-Sietu (Redcliffe / Panthers), David Leota (Ipswich / Bulldogs), Markatato Nosa (Brisbane Tigers), Cory Pearse (Souths Logan / Titans), Raymond Puru (Burleigh / Titans), Dirhys Sefo (Souths Logan), Sam Stephenson (Burleigh / Titans). Coach: Jordan Rankin.

U17 Country Boys
Bailey Anderson (Mackay / Storm), Jai Bowden (Sunshine Coast / Storm), Seth Carpenter (CQ Capras), Preston Cassidy (Townsville / Broncos), Jett Day (Clydesdales), Carter Ford (CQ Capras / Dolphins), Zac Garton (Redcliffe / Dolphins), Zac Herdegan (Norths / Knights), Clancy Hohn (CQ Capras), Beau Lucien (Sunshine Coast), Braelan Marsh (CQ Capras / Dolphins), Tom Morcom (Wide Bay / Broncos), Tavita Penaia (Townsville / Cowboys), Bodhi Sharpley (Clydesdales / Titans), Kayne Smith (Mackay / Cowboys), Elijah Tapau-Taylor (Townsville / Eels), Rydell Tyrrell (CQ Capras), Banjo Walker (CQ Capras). Coach: Antonio Kaufusi.

U17 City Girls
Hayley Bush (Wynnum Manly), Lyla Duffy (Ipswich), Jaida Faleona (Tweed), Indiahna Frawley (Brisbane), Ella-Jaye Harrison-Leaunoa (Ipswich), Sienna Ibrahim (Brisbane), Grace King (Burleigh), Sifa Leapai (Ipswich), Easther Mikaele (Tweed), Aspen Nakao (Redcliffe), Raewyn Olomalii (Redcliffe), Te Rina Pearse (Souths Logan), Sharnalii Peckham (Tweed), Isla Talau (Tweed), Kaylani Tavita (Souths Logan), Mhia Taylor (Burleigh), Bella Thompson (Burleigh), Kiara Wright (Burleigh). Coach: Ana Fotu.

U17 Country Girls
Mariah Brown (Clydesdales), Tori Dakin (CQ Capras), Lucy Davis (Clydesdales), Makayla Elliott (Sunshine Coast), Pypah Ferguson (Clydesdales), Shaylee Hazeldine (Mackay), Jennifer Kimber (Mackay), Emily Maher (Sunshine Coast), Chelsea Middleton (Clydesdales), Zaleah Mosby-Nona (Townsville), Chloe Pallister (Clydesdales), Chloe Powell (CQ Capras), Elenoa Ragunamada (Northern Pride), Abbie Ritchie (Sunshine Coast), Eva Steers (Sunshine Coast), Mackenzie Stephens (Northern Pride), Caitlin Tanner (CQ Capras), Takoda Thompson (Sunshine Coast). Coach: Amanda Ohl.

🏉 NRLW Graduates - Round 8

Jae Patu became the Wests Tigers’ 10th graduate from their Tarsha Gale Cup side when she debuted in their Round 8 loss to the Broncos. The 18-year-old lock captained the side this year and represented NSW City under-19 in May.

Front rower Jacinta Carter got her first taste of NRLW in Newcastle’s win over the Roosters. A Norths Devils junior, Carter is a two-time Queensland under-19 representative. She moved through Wynnum Manly’s under-19 system into their senior in 2022, playing six games as an 18-year-old before moving to Newcastle this year.

Milton-Ulladulla junior Lily Rogan came off the bench for the Roosters in that defeat to the Knights. Rogan played three seasons for Illawarra’s Tarsha Gale side, spending time at centre, wing and five-eighth, before moving up to their senior HNWP side in 2023.

🏉 Australians Schoolboys call up

17-year-old Dragons centre Hayden Buchanan has been called into the Australian Schoolboys side to tour Papua New Guinea later this month. A Gerringong junior, he moved from the Steeler’s Harold Matthews side straight into the Dragons’ Jersey Flegg side earlier this year, playing four games. The Kiama High student scored nine tries in eight Matts games and was playing A grade for Gerringong before his move into Flegg.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Finals Week 2
Parramatta 20 (M Komolafe, W Latu, S Loizou, E Martin tries; E Sanders 2 goals) def. Cronulla 6 (M Waitere tries; K Dixon goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Referee: J Sutherland. Halftime: PAR 8–0. Tackles: H O’Kane 35 (CRO), M Arthur 32 (PAR). Run metres: K Dixon 131 (CRO), E Martin 194 (PAR).

Canterbury 26 (J Mazzone 3, D Marshall, L Smith tries; J Papalii 3 goals) def. Sydney 6 (O Flaherty try; V Tamati goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Referee: D Brady. Halftime: CBY 16-6. Tackles: M McCathie 36 (SYD), R Moyle 33 (CBY). Run metres: J Swann 158 (SYD), L Hopoi 175 (CBY).

Hastings Deering Colts – Finals Week 3
Townsville 24 (D Dotoi 2, J Yallop 2, C Hill tries; R Wavik 2 goals) def. Tweed 12 (R Foran 2 tries; E Speed 2 goals) at UAA Park. Referee: M Gannon. Halftime: TSV 4-0. Tackles: R Foran 32 (TWE), J Baldwin 40 (TSV). Run metres: R Ratana 185 (TWE), R Wavik 205 (TSV).

Brisbane Tigers 36 (S Pratt 3, L West 2, T Veukiso tries; B Black 6 goals) def. Redcliffe 14 (B Baira, C Jackson, J Walsh tries; B Baira goal) at Totally Workwear Stadium. Referee: C Kwik. Halftime: BRI 24-8. Tackles: B Ashton 43 (BRI), B Major 43 (RED). Run metres: C Morgan 223 (BRI), B Baira 226 (RED).

The NRL regular season is over and it ended with 11 players getting their first taste of first grade, by far the most in any round this year.

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While the usual suspects complained all week about teams resting players before the finals, I don’t think coaches went far enough. Ivan Cleary should have rested all of his rep players. It was complete negligence to risk all of his players in a (basically) meaningless game, one week out from the finals. He should’ve taken the week off as well. I’m not mad.

Anyway, I think players debuting is cool and good and we got to see a lot of them in Round 27. From reserve-grade grafters and farmers to junior rep stars and Victorians. There were some great stories surrounding all 11 players.

Josh Rogers: One of the aforementioned grafters, Rogers is a Perth junior who played SG Ball for the Pirates before moving to the Gold Coast to join Burleigh’s Colts side in 2015. After a year with the Bears, he was called up to the Titans’ under-20 side, where he played 21 games. He returned to Burleigh in 2017, playing 66 Queensland Cup games over five seasons and winning a premiership in 2019. The competition’s five-eighth of the year in 2022, he joined the Broncos on a development contract this year and moved over to Wynnum Manly before making his NRL debut at 27 years old.

Blake Mozer: The most hyped dummy half prospect in years, Mozer played 24 minutes in his debut for the Broncos last Friday. A Runaway Bay junior, he won back-to-back Mal Meninga Cup Grand Finals with Tweed and Souths Logan in 2021-2022. After a pitstop in the Colts, he was promoted to Cup last year and became a regular at Souths Logan in 2023. A two-time Queensland under-19 rep and an Australian Schoolboy in 2021, he re-signed with the Broncos until the end of 2025 last season.

Jack Howarth: A long-awaited debut despite still being just 20, Howarth earned a five-year contract with the Storm after just five Cup games. A Rockhampton junior, he played MM Cup for Easts while attending Brisbane Boys’ College. In 2019, he represented Queensland under-18 and the Australian Schoolboys alongside the likes of Reece Walsh and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. He spent most of 2022 playing centre for the Sunshine Coast before moving back to his preferred position of second-row this year. He debuted on the edge last Friday, making 31 tackles in 65 minutes.

Sualauvi Faalogo: Faalogo made the biggest mark of any debutant in Round 27, scoring a ridiculous try with his first touch against the Broncos. A true Victorian junior, Faalogo attended Craigieburn Secondary while progressing through the Thunderbolts system. He played 19 Jersey Flegg games before playing a handful of Cup games for the Sunshine Coast last year. In 2023, he became a regular despite still being Flegg-eligible, scoring 13 tries in 18 games.

Joe Chan: A debutant but no rookie, Chan played 26 Super League games before joining the Storm in 2023. A middle forward like his dad Alex, the pair became the Storm’s first father-son duo when Joe debuted last Friday. A St Clair junior, he played one Flegg game this year before spending the rest of the season with the Tigers in the Q Cup.

Josh Feledy: Feledy first came to my attention when he scored 20 tries in 10 Harold Matthews games for Manly in 2021. A Beacon Hill junior, Feledy moved to the Wests Tigers halfway through the 2022 season. He started 2023 in SG Ball before moving back up to Flegg, scoring 11 tries in 16 games and representing New South Wales under-19 in July. After two tries in two NSW Cup games for the Magpies, he earned his NRL call-up.

Kit Laulili’i: Laulili’i made his NRL debut a year after leading the Magpies to a Harold Matthews premiership in 2022. The Liverpool junior began the year in SG Ball, again captaining the Magpies, before moving on to Flegg, where he played eight games. The lock played just three NSW Cup games in recent weeks before getting the first-grade call. His younger brother Luke was selected for the Australian Schoolboys side in July.

Kalani Going: Another who made it to first grade the hard way, Going was plucked out of Whangarei by Canberra as a 16-year-old and spent six years in the Raiders’ system. After 33 NYC games, he moved up to the NSW Cup with the Mounties before making a move to Tweed, where he spent two seasons. He returned home in 2020 and spent three years playing local rugby union and working on his family’s farm before trialling with the Warriors’ NSW Cup side in pre-season. Fast forward 10 months and the backrower is the captain of the side, playing 22 games, and making his NRL debut at 26.

Paul Roache: Roache followed a similar path to first grade as his teammate Going. He joined Canberra as a teenager out of Mount Albert Grammar, spending two years in their under-20 system and representing the Junior Kiwis before returning to Auckland to play union. The 24-year-old returned to rugby league with the Warriors’ NSW Cup team this year and played 13 games at dummy half. His older brother Nathaniel played 27 NRL games, and his younger sister Abigail is currently with the Knights’ NRLW side.

Riley Jones: A Central Coast junior, Jones played in all four grades for the Knights before making his NRL debut last Saturday. After progressing through Matts and Ball, he made his NSW Cup debut back in 2021 before playing Flegg in 2022. Predominately a hooker, he played all over in the Knights’ run to the Grand Final last year, spending time at fullback, five-eighth, halfback and second-row.

Hohepa Puru: Puru captained Penrith and was named Player of the Match in last year’s Flegg Grand Final win over the Knights. The lock played 32 games over two seasons in the under-21s before moving down to Canberra in 2023. The Windsor junior earned a much-deserved debut last Sunday after 22 games in the Raiders’ NSW Cup side. His twin brother Niwhai is currently contracted to the Sharks.

🏉 Colts marches on towards its inevitable demise

Townsville and Redcliffe both progressed through to the prelims with pretty comfortable wins in Week 2 of the finals.

Up in Townsville, after a tight first half in which they led the Falcons 18-12, the Blackhawks showed their class in the second, scoring five tries to lead 42-18 inside the final eight minutes. In typical Colts fashion, they conceded two tries within two minutes to make the score closer than it should’ve been. Blackhawks winger Jesse Yallop scored another hat trick and is now just one try away from 50 in the competition.

On the Gold Coast, the Dolphins led Burleigh 20-0 at halftime before letting the Bears back into it late. They were up 28-6 with 15 left before the home side got within 12 inside the final four minutes. Two tries in four minutes is nothing in Colts, so a Brenton Baira field goal was needed to put the game to bed with two minutes remaining. Burleigh, who went on a nine-game winning run during the regular season, ended their year with four straight defeats.

Townsville will face Tweed this weekend in the first prelim. The two sides played way back in Round 1 with Tweed blowing them out 34-6. In the second prelim, Redcliffe will play the Tigers. When the sides met in Round 8, the Tigers took it 22-16.

My predictions for this weekend are: lots of points are scored and the Seagulls and Tigers win.

Redcliffe’s James Walsh was named QRL’s “Heavy Lifter” this week. You can watch his highlights here.

🏉 Penrith vanquished in Flegg

Parramatta overcame an early deficit to eliminate reigning premiers Penrith in the opening week of finals, while Canterbury put 44 points past Cronulla.

Despite being in poor form in the lead-up, it looked like the Panthers would do Panthers things and turn it on when it mattered. They led 12-0 after 20 minutes but went into the break 18-12 down after a Matthew Arthur-led comeback by the Eels. Parramatta led 30-16 inside the final 10 and a late try gave Penrith a chance but the Eels held on, defeating their rivals for the second week in a row.

Canterbury moved into this weekend’s Grand Final qualifier with a 44-22 win over Cronulla last Sunday. The Bulldogs led 30-12 at the break but the Sharks got back into in the second, reducing the margin to 10 with 20 minutes to play. Canterbury regained control inside the final 10 minutes, scoring two more tries to push the margin back to 22. The Bulldogs have been bolstered by the addition of Joash Papalii and Karl Oloapu and look to be a real contender for the title.

The Dogs will now meet the Roosters for the first spot in the Grand Final, while Cronulla head into an elimination game against Parramatta. My predictions are: the Eels’ hot form continues and the Roosters stumble after the week off and Canterbury moves onto the decider.

🏉 McCathie named Flegg’s best

Roosters backrower Max McCathie was named Jersey Flegg Player of the Year at the Brad Fittler Medal Awards night on Monday. McCathie, who made his Flegg debut in a preliminary final last year, played 19 games for the Tricolours in 2023 as they took out the minor premiership. Previous winners include Beau Fermor (2018), Charlie Staines (2019) and Jack Cole (2022).

🏉 Rankin to coach Eels U21s in ‘24
Something I missed last week, with Jordan Rankin being been appointed as Parramatta’s Jersey Flegg coach for 2024. The 31 year old, who only retired last week, already has some solid coaching experience under his belt. He captain-coached the Eels’ NSW Cup side for half of last season and was an assistant for the club’s SG Ball Cup winning side in May. Before becoming the third youngest debutant in NSWRL/ARL/NRL history in 2008, Rankin was a star junior on the Gold Coast. He played four seasons in the NYC, represented Queensland under-18 twice and was an Australian Schoolboy twice.

🏉 National Schools Finals set

Palm Beach Currumbin are Queensland Schoolboys champions for the 11th time after a dominant 28-0 win over St Patrick’s College Mackay in Townsville. The Reds led 10-0 at halftime but a try to Baylen Donald, set up by a great break from Ray Puru after halftime was too much for St Pat’s. A Pat’s sin bin in the final 10 minutes was followed by two more PBC tries to cap the victory. It was a disappointing end for the Mackay school, who were undefeated until meeting a tough PBC side.

Earlier in the day, Mabel Park State High became the inaugural Queensland Schoolgirls champions when they shut out Kirwan State High 38-0. It was a star performance by Titans’ contracted five-eighth Malaela Su’a, who scored twice and looked a class above. Su’a represented Queensland under-19 earlier this year and played for the Reds Super W side as a 16-year-old in 2022.

In New South Wales, Westfields Sports High took out the Peter Mulholland Cup, defeating Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown 18-17 in Campbelltown. Westfields never led in the game until a try in the final minutes to centre Roy Quiroz-Mapusua. Just a minute earlier, their five-eighth Lachlan Galvin dropped the game-winning try and then was sin-binned. Westfields were awarded the penalty, however, and Quiroz-Mapusua barged over from close range in the ensuing set.

The inaugural Schoolgirls final was won by Hills Sports High, who defeated Erindale College 20-14. Hills led 20-4 shortly after halftime with doubles to Manua Moleka and Esther Tuipulotu. Erindale mounted a fightback to cut the lead to six but it wasn’t to be.

The National Finals will be played on Wednesday, September 13 at Allianz Stadium. Mabel Park-Hills Sports kicks off at 11:30am (local), followed by Palm Beach Currumbin-Westfields Sports at 1pm.

🏉 More Colts thoughts

A week on from the decision to drop the Colts competition in 2024, I have changed my feeling from last week’s “I don’t care either way” to “this is probably not good”.

Having spoken to some people (who know a lot more than I do) and reading some other comments here and there, the general feeling is that the Colts, while not great, is still a much better place for players to develop than the alternative. Players in the Colts system have access to their Queensland Cup side’s coaches and facilities and get training and development they won’t get a their local park footy club. This will especially hurt the current 19/20-year-olds in the competition, who either aren’t contracted to NRL clubs, aren’t yet ready for Cup or simply miss out due to limited spots.

When the Warriors ditched their Jersey Flegg side at the end of 2019 we saw a lot of their players who weren’t ready for the NSW Cup move over to the Colts and into other Flegg teams. I think we’ll see something similar with the ex-Colts players next year.

I do like moving the ages up in the Mal Meninga Cup and Cyril Connell Challenge to align with the NSW junior reps. Hopefully, the Connell Challenge season will also be expanded, finals will be added, and we see a return of the National Finals between the NSW and Queensland winners. The addition of the girls under-17 comp is also a positive but like the CC Challenge, we need more games and finals for the girls in the 17s and 19s.

Like I said, probably not good but not catastrophic either. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. I think having some sort of competition between 19s and seniors is better than park footy. In saying all that, the QRL loves to chop and change the pathway competitions (it’s a miracle the Mal Meninga Cup has existed untouched since 2009) so who knows, we’ll probably see another Colts competition in 2026.

🏉 NZ Secondary Schools Champions crowned

St Thomas of Canterbury College claimed their first ever New Zealand Secondary Schools premiership, defeating St Paul’s College Auckland 12-6 in the final last Sunday. It’s the first time since the year 2000 that a South Island school has won the competition. St. Thomas prop Jason Salalilo was named MVP of the final, while St Paul’s fullback Sio Kali was named MVP of the tournament.

Auckland Girls Grammar took out the girls premiership, defeating Southern Cross Campus 30-12. Auckland Grammar’s Sariah Palepale was named tournament MVP.

In the lower grades, Aorere College defeated Wesley College 16-12 in the championship final and St Paul’s defeated Western Heights High 26-10 in the under-15 boys final.

Following the tournament, the NZRL Secondary Schools Boys and Girls squads were named.

2023 NZRL National Secondary Schools Boys Squad
1 Sio Kali (St Paul’s College)
2 Maretino Kaloudau (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
3 Sheldon Heywood (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
4 Jackson Stewart (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
5 Malakai Cama (Rotorua Boys’ High)
6 Quiann Feterikamafoe (St Paul’s College)
7 Meihana Pullen (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
8 Malakai Filippo (St Paul’s College)
9 Noah Harmer Campbell (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
10 Jason Salalilo (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
11 Tepatasi Laumalila (De La Salle College)
12 Mikaele Ilaiu (Rotorua Boys’ High)
13 Junior Sikuvea (De La Salle College)
14 Sosaia Latu (Otahuhu College)
15 Kalani P. Donaldson (De La Salle College)
16 Jeriko Fillipi Talisau (St Paul’s College)
17 Zeke Faga-Iti (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
18 Ezikele Paulo (St Thomas of Canterbury College)
19 Lenox Tuiloma (St Thomas of Canterbury College)

2023 NZRL National Secondary Schools Girls Squad:
1 Billy Va’a (St Mary’s College)
2 Shafenior Lui (Southern Cross Campus)
3 Faith Tevita (Auckland Girls Grammar)
4 Jemma Tonu’u (McAuley High)
5 Shanthie Lui (Southern Cross Campus)
6 Paea Uilou (Auckland Girls Grammar)
7 Danii-Nicole Gray (Auckland Girls Grammar)
8 Sariah Palepale (Auckland Girls Grammar)
9 Evelyn Roberts (McAuley High)
10 Indiana Russell-Lia (St Mary’s College)
11 Te Raukura Leafe (St Mary’s College)
12 Riley Fruean-Otineru (McAuley High)
13 Alianna Tonu’u (McAuley High)
14 Ivana Lauitiiti (McAuley High)
15 Josinah Filisi Tauliili (Southern Cross Campus)
16 Latesha Mitchener (Auckland Girls Grammar)
17 Luca-Bella Ngatuere Ongley (St Mary’s College)
18 Tonga Toutai (Southern Cross Campus)
19 Giovanna Siani (Auckland Girls Grammar)

🏉 NRLW Graduates – Round 7

While we didn’t quite reach the heights of the NRL, four more products of the QRL and NSWRL junior rep systems graduated to the NRLW this past weekend.

Lily Peacock came off the bench for the Cowboys in their significant loss to the Dragons. A Proserpine junior, Peacock played three BMD games for Mackay after the under-19 season ended. In July, she was one of the standouts for Queensland under-19 in their win over New South Wales, running for over 100 metres off the bench.

Camden’s Madison Mulhall was on the winning side of that Cowboys-Dragons game, starting at second-row and scoring a try on her debut in the Red V. Mulhall played 15 games over the last two seasons for St George’s Tarsha Gale Cup side.

Brooke Talataina and Bianca Bennetts became the Wests Tigers’ 9th and 10th graduates in their side’s loss to the Titans last Sunday. Talataina, who started at halfback, scored the winning try for the Roosters in May’s Tarsha Gale Grand Final. A New Zealand-born Penrith junior, she played for the Panthers’ Tarsha Gale side in 2022 and represented New South Wales under-19 earlier this year. Bennetts is a local Eagle Vale St Andrews junior who has spent the last two seasons in the club’s NSWRL Women’s Premiership side. She played two seasons in the Tarsha Gale Cup for the Tigers, playing 18 games in 2018-19.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Finals Week 1
Parramatta 30 (M Komolafe, B Parker, E Sanders, B Talagi, S Tuivaiti tries; E Sanders 5 goals) def. Penrith 20 (H Hassett, S Lane, P Taateo, R Wake tries; T Sielaff-Burns 2 goals) at North Sydney Oval. Referee: D Brady. Halftime: PAR 18-12. Tackles: Z Lipowicz 32 (PEN), M Arthur 40 (PAR). Run metres: P Taateo 139 (PEN), B Talagi 172 (PAR).

Canterbury 44 (T Johannssen 2, W Afualo, E Clark, J Papalii, L Smith, F Toilalo tries; J Papalii 8 goals) def. Cronulla 22 (S Taukamo 2, K Dixon, B Hosking tries; K Dixon 3 goals) at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium. Referee: J Sutherland. Halftime: CRO 30-12. Tackles: D Marshall 32 (CBY), S Healey 42 (CRO). Run metres: J Todd 236 (CBY), S Stonestreet 159 (CRO).

Hastings Deering Colts – Finals Week 2
Townsville 44 (J Yallop 3, J Shibasaki 2, M Hunter, L Lerch, E Suavai tries; R Wavik 6 goals) def. Sunshine Coast 30 (E Smethills 2, H Dwyer, P McGinn, J Taufa tries; J Chappell 5 goals) at Jack Manski Oval. Referee: C Kwik. Halftime: TSV 18-12. Tackles: L Jack 24 (TSV), B Woodford 37 (SCF). Run metres: J Yallop 162 (TSV), T Couper 138 (SCF).

Redcliffe 33 (J Walsh 3, B Baira, W Starling, C Thomas tries; B Baira 4 goals, field goal) def. Burleigh 20 (C Lasike 2, A Christensen, Z Munn tries; B Tagg 2 goals) at UAA Park. Referee: M Gannon. Halftime: RED 20-0. Tackles: S McIntyre 37 (BUR), B Major 34 (RED). Run metres: A Christensen 258 (BUR), J Walsh 175 (RED).

NRL Schoolboy Cup
Phil Hall Cup final
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS 28 (B McConnell 2, B Donald, J Jackson, S Stephenson tries; Z Harrison 4 goals) def. St Patrick’s College Mackay 0 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Peter Mulholland Cup final
Westfields Sports High 18 (B Anae-Roberts, R Quiroz-Mapusua, D Waqa tries; R Quiroz-Mapusua 3 goals) def. Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown 17 (W De Courcey, A Kebourian, J Nicholas tries; J Sydir 2 goals, field goal) at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

NRL Schoolgirl Cup
Queensland final
Mabel Park SHS 38 (S Asomua 2, M Su’a 2, K Siauane, D Tutakangahau, N Waaka-Rhind, H Walker tries; M Su’a 2, N Waaka-Rhind goals) def. Kirwan SHS 0 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

New South Wales final
Hills Sports High 20 (M Moleka 2, E Tuipulotu 2 tries; O Vaalele 2 goals) def. Erindale College 14 (E Kelly 2, U Uatisone Poka tries; M McGlynn goal) at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

NZRL National Secondary Schools Tournament
Boys Premiership Final
St Thomas of Canterbury College 12 (Donte Tahuhu-Wilson, Lennox Tuiloma tries; Meihana Pauling 2 goals) def. St Paul’s College Auckland 6 (Waka Tate try; Sio Kali goal) at Pulman Park.

After six years and five seasons, the under-21s Hastings Deering Colts competition will come to an end when the final whistle sounds on Grand Final day.

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QRL CEO Ben Ikin confirmed the decision on Monday, with the Colts being dropped as part of a restructuring of the state’s junior rep pathways. To align with the New South Wales competitions, the Cyril Connell Challenge will move from under-16s to under-17s and the Mal Meninga Cup from under-18s to under-19s.

The Meninga Cup season will be expanded from seven rounds with two weeks of finals, to 10 rounds with a four-week finals system. The Cyril Connell competition has been short with no finals since being introduced in 2021. Theres no word yet on if it will be expanded (it should). A girls under-17 competition will also be added to the calendar, alongside the existing under-19s competition.

The NSWRL’s Colts-equivalent, the Jersey Flegg Cup, will continue to run in 2024.

A Queensland Cup club source in the article calls the Colts “redundant” and goes on to say, “If you are good enough you are already playing NRL at 19 or 20 and if you aren’t good enough you can go back to local footy and still have a pathway to the Queensland Cup.”

Ikin agrees stating, “This model provides statewide competition clubs with a better opportunity to align with their community league affiliates.”

It is believed that in scrapping the Colts, the QRL will save more than $1 million. This, of course, is the main reason for its axing. Much like the Holden Cup (which reportedly cost clubs an average of $1 million a year to run) was dropped in favour of statewide competitions in 2018, why spend the money when the local comps are right there?

The noise about this decision had been around for the last few weeks. It started to become kind of evident in the last week or so when clubs began advertising for Mal Meninga and Cyril Connell trials with no mention of the Colts. The Colts season has also been shortened every year since 2018.

I have no strong feelings on this either way. Most non-NRL contracted players never even make the step up to the Queensland Cup, let alone NRL. The Colts isn’t a great competition but if I was an NRL club, would I want my contracted players playing in local competitions? Probably not.

In areas with strong competitions, this happens already. Several Burleigh players, including contracted Titans, have played in the Gold Coast A Grade over Colts in 2023. Some teams have even struggled to field a 17, with eligible players preferring to play in the local competitions. Last year, the Western Clydesdales had to loan in several players from Redcliffe to complete the season.

Except for the Titans, all the Queensland NRL clubs (and Melbourne) have numerous Cup feeders they can put their best “over 19 but under 21” players into instead of local comps should they choose to. Right now, the Titans’ only aligned feeder for 2024 is Tweed.

Maybe the Cowboys and Titans (who both prefer a single Cup feeder team) look to the Jersey Flegg to field an under-21 side? Melbourne are already there and have been since 2019, putting several of their academy players into the NSWRL competition while also maintaining Q Cup feeders.

Update: Since I wrote all this, the QRL has put out their official statement.

Anyway, here’s a recap of the Colts finals series.

🏉 Hastings Deering Colts – Finals Week 1

The top two sides, Tweed and the Brisbane Tigers flexed their muscle in the opening weekend of finals, blowing away their opponents to sit one game away from the Grand Final.

The Tigers opened the weekend with a 36–12 win over Townsville. Kicking off bright and early at 10am in Logan, the Tigers got out to an 18–6 lead at halftime, adding 18 more in the second half. Tigers’ prop Casey Morgan was a standout once again, running for 188 metres.

Tweed handed arch-rivals Burleigh one of their biggest Colts defeats, 46–10. Seagulls ran in eight tries, which included doubles to centre Logan Radzievic and bench hooker Tanu Nona. Tweed welcomed back hooker Oskar Bryant, who finished the year in Cup. He scored a try and added two try assists.

In the first elimination game, Redcliffe knocked out Souths Logan in a classic Colts game that ended 42–36. The Dolphins led 32–12 at halftime but had to work hard to hold off a Magpies side that got within six inside the final 15 minutes. Dolphins’ halfback Connor Williams was the standout, contributing a hat-trick and two try assists.

Sunshine Coast wrapped up the weekend on Sunday, eliminating Wynnum Manly with a 34–16 victory. The Seagulls led 10–6 at halftime before the Falcons turned it on, scoring five second-half tries. Falcons’ centre Mason Peut scored another, taking his season tally to 24 from 13 games.

Redcliffe’s Connor Williams was named QRL’s “Heavy Lifter” this week. You can watch his highlights here.

Hastings Deering Colts – Finals Week 2

Saturday, September 2
Townsville vs. Sunshine Coast at Jack Manski Oval, 12pm.
Burleigh vs. Redcliffe at UAA Park, 4pm.

🏉 Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 26

The Jersey Flegg regular season concluded this past weekend and we got a great battle for the final Top 5 spot.

Parramatta sat two points behind fifth-placed Melbourne but with a far superior points differential. They needed to defeat Penrith to keep their hopes alive, which they did, overcoming a 14–10 halftime deficit to win 26–14.

While that was happening, Melbourne, who needed just a draw to secure fifth, were trailing Canberra 16–0 after 35 minutes at AAMI Park. The Storm got back into it in the second, levelling it at 16–all with eight minutes to play. As it stood, Melbourne were in the finals, one competition point ahead of the Eels. Here’s the final play of the game:

Canberra win 20–16 and Melbourne’s season is over. Parramatta finish fifth.

Elsewhere, Canterbury easily took care of a Manly side (who only had 16 players) 28–6, the Roosters handed the Wests Tigers the wooden spoon with a 34–14 win and Cronulla held off the Knights for a 30–26 victory.

The Roosters get the bye as minor premiers and will play the winner of this weekend’s Bulldogs-Sharks game in Week 2. The loser of that game will then play the winner of Saturday’s elimination final between Penrith and Parramatta.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Finals Week 1

Saturday, September 2
Penrith vs. Parramatta at North Sydney Oval, 11am.

Sunday, September 3
Canterbury vs. Cronulla at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, 11am.

Both finals will be streamed live on the NSWRL Facebook page.

🏉 State finals set in Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Cups

St Patrick’s College Mackay and Palm Beach Currumbin State High will meet in Queensland’s Phil Hall Cup state final this week. St Patrick’s qualified after a strong 28–6 victory over Dolphins Cup winners Emmaus College Rockhampton. St Pat’s winger Bailey Anderson scored a hat-trick in the win, while halfback Jaxon Purdue impressed again.

Palm Beach Currumbin held off a late raid by Ipswich SHS to win the Allan Langer Trophy final 16–12 and secure their place. PBC has been the dominant southeast school in recent years, winning the Langer Trophy four times in the last six years.

The final will be played at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Wednesday, August 30 with kickoff at 1pm. At noon, Kirwan State High will face Mabel Park State High in the Schoolgirl Cup final.

In New South Wales, the Peter Mulholland Cup final will be contested by Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown and Westfields Sports High at Campbelltown Stadium.

Patrician Brothers’ have found some hot form in the finals, knocking off St Dominic’s College 32–0 in the semi-final. Their opponents, Westfields, have not lost a game all season. They held on to defeat Canberra's Erindale College 22–16 to qualify for the final.

That game kicks off at 1pm on Wednesday. At 11:30am, Hills Sports High and Erindale will contest the first-ever NSW Schoolgirl Cup final. Both sides pulled off upsets in the semis, with Hills defeating the previously undefeated Westfields 18–12 and Erindale knocking off Bass High 12–8.

🏉 NRL debuts – Round 26

Blacktown junior Jesse McLean earned his first NRL minutes in Round 26 in Penrith’s loss to Parramatta. McLean has been fast-tracked through the grades at the Panthers, playing SG Ball last year as a 17-year-old, scoring twice in their Grand Final win over the Roosters. The Australian Schoolboys rep played just two Flegg games in 2022 before moving up to the NSW Cup this season, scoring 12 tries in 19 games.

Sione Finau became the latest Victorian junior to make it to the NRL when he debuted for the Dragons last Friday. Unfortunately, his debut lasted just 25 minutes before succumbing to an ankle injury. Finau came through the Thunderbolts system, playing three seasons of SG Ball with the team. In 2022, he moved to the Brisbane Tigers alongside his older brother Haele, playing 16 games on the wing and scoring 13 tries.

Hooker Gordon Chan Kum Tong played his first NRL game with Manly last Sunday after several years in their junior system. In 2018, he won a Harold Matts Grand Final with the club alongside current Sea Eagles Tolu Koula and Kaeo Weekes. A Bankstown and Maroubra junior, he moved up to SG Ball in 2019 and then onto Jersey Flegg in 2021. After two Flegg games, he became a regular for Blacktown in the NSW Cup this season, playing 19 games.

🏉 NRLW Graduates – Round 6

Another week of NRLW and another batch of graduates from the QRL and NSWRL pathways, with six making their debuts in Round 6.

The first three came in the opening game of the round, with Lindsay Tui, Noaria Kapua (Eels) and Libby Surha (Cowboys) debuting in the Eels 16–12 win. Tui is just 18, having played her first season of Tarsha Gale Cup for Parra this year before going on to represent NSW City U19 and New South Wales U19. Kapua also played her first season of Tarsha Gale after moving over from New Zealand. She played 10 games for Canterbury and started at second-row in their Grand Final loss. Surha came through the Mackay Cutters system, starting in the Under-19s competition before becoming a BMD regular in 2023. She started at centre and scored a try in Queensland U19’s win over New South Wales in July.

Titans debutant Sophie Buller was a premiership winner with Burleigh earlier this year. The Bundaberg-born, Woolgoolga junior spent time in the Sharks and Knights’ Tarsha Gale sides before moving to the Gold Coast last year. Outside back Petesa Lio played 36 minutes for Canberra in their loss to Brisbane. A Minchinbury junior, Lio played on the wing for NSW U19 last year. She played for three clubs in her three years of Tarsha Gale (2020 - Penrith, 2021 - Canterbury, 2022 - St George). Wests Tigers’ centre Hope Tevaga made her NRLW debut as an 18th player replacement after two failed HIAs. A NSW U19 rep in 2021, Tevaga started at Penrith before moving to the Tigers system in 2021.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 26
Canterbury 28 (J Mazzone 2, W Afualo, J Papalii, J Underhill tries; J Papalii 4 goals) def. Manly 6 (D O’Donnell try; C Thompson goal) at Belmore Sports Ground. Referee: E Klein. Halftime: 6-all. Tackles: J Todd 31 (CBY), D O’Donnell 49 (MAN). Run metres: J Mazzone 179 (CBY), V Kuli 166 (MAN).

Parramatta 26 (E Martin 2, E Sanders 2, W Latu tries; E Sanders 3 goals) def. Penrith 14 (J Nohra, T Sielaff-Burns, R Wake tries; T Sielaff-Burns goal) at BlueBet Stadium. Referee: M Ford. Halftime: PEN 14-10. Tackles: R Smith 26 (PEN), M Arthur 42 (PAR). Run metres: L Ison 115 (PEN), S Loizou 147 (PAR).

Canberra 20 (L Kaloutolu, S Leuluai, M Prest, K Rushton tries; M Henderson 2 goals) def. Melbourne 16 (M Jennings, D Perese, J Weir tries; K Russell-Smith 2 goals) at AAMI Park. Referee: B Williams. Halftime: CAN 16-0. Tackles: J Weir 42 (MEL), J Roddy 44 (CAN). Run metres: C Williamson 157 (MEL), J Billing 201 (CAN).

Sydney 34 (C Abal 2, B Alexander, S Foketi, T Henare-Schuster, S Vaenuku tries; V Tamati 5 goals) def. Wests Tigers 14 (J Delle 2, H Tofaeono tries; M Tannous goal) at Wentworth Park. Referee: A Sirianni. Halftime: SYD 12-8. Tackles: C Abal 27 (SYD), B Hodges 38 (WST). Run metres: T Henare-Schuster 141 (SYD), J Delle 138 (WST).

Cronulla 30 (T Boothroyd, E Cocco, K Dixon, H O’Kane, T Wilton tries; K Dixon 5 goals) def. Newcastle 26 (L Pietzner 2, L Aoake, J Cullen, N Nailagoliva tries; J Afoa 3 goals) at St John Oval. Referee: B Mani. Halftime: CRO 18-12. Tackles: N Nailagoliva 24 (NEW), N Lester 28 (CRO). Run metres: F Sharpe 163 (NEW), L Crouch 153 (CRO).

Hastings Deering Colts – Finals Week 1
Brisbane Tigers 36 (J Chang 2, B Ashton 2, G Fisher, B Seu-Easthope, L West tries; B Black 6 goals) def. Townsville 12 (C Hill 2 tries; R Wavik 2 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Referee: D Lawrence. Halftime: BRI 18-6. Tackles: S Pratt 33 (BRI), J Baldwin 38 (TSV). Run metres: C Morgan 188 (BRI), R Wavik 210 (TSV).

Redcliffe 42 (C Williams 3, B Baira 2, T Otukolo, C Thomas, T Toloi tries; B Baira 5 goals) def. Souths Logan 36 (Z Waaka 2, D Cross, R Evenis, L Motufoua, M Pakai tries; G Peace 6 goals) at Logan Metro Football Fields. Referee: N McEwan. Halftime: RED 32-12. Tackles: C Thomas 22 (RED), M Pakai 27 (SLM). Run metres: B Baira 234 (RED), T Mapusua-Lotaki 155 (SLM).

Tweed 46 (T Nona 2, L Radzievic 2, O Bryant, P Bryant, J De Groot, M Donovan tries; E Speed 7 goals) def. Burleigh 10 (C Lasike, Z Munn tries; B Tagg goal) at UAA Park. Referee: C Kwik. Halftime: TWE 24-4. Tackles: J Stewart-Lewis 35 (TWE), S Fotu 29 (BUR). Run metres: L Radzievic 148 (TWE), A Christensen 111 (BUR).

Sunshine Coast 34 (J Chappell, H Dwyer, J Elich, P McGinn, M Peut, E Smethills tries; J Chappell 5 goals) def. Wynnum Manly 16 (J Bignell, C Hewett, C Pereira tries; J Davies 2 goals) at Kayo Stadium. Referee: M Gannon. Halftime: WYN 10-6. Tackles: J Ricotta 24 (SCF), J Radel 44 (WYN). Run metres: E Smethills 231 (SCF), S Roache-Faimalo 214 (WYN).

NRL Schoolboy Cup
Northern Conference - Semi-Finals
St Patrick’s College Mackay 28 (B Anderson 3, J Purdue, W Shears tries; H Harris 4 goals) def. Emmaus College Rockhampton 6 (C Hohn try; I Walker goal) at Mackay JRL Grounds.

Palm Beach Currumbin SHS 16 (S Kama 2, C Kelly-Donovan tries; Z Harrison 2 goals) def. Ipswich SHS 12 (A Naiyep, O Smith tries; I Mafi 2 goals) at Totally Workwear Stadium.

Southern Conference - Semi-Finals
Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown 32 def. St Dominic’s College Penrith 0.
Westfields Sports High 22 def. Erindale College 16.

NRL Schoolgirl Cup
Southern Conference - Semi-Finals
The Hills Sports High 18 def. Westfields Sports High 12.
Erindale College 12 def. Bass High 8.

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🏉 Hastings Deering Colts – Round 16

A try was all that separated eighth and ninth place when the Colts’ regular season ended this past weekend. Mackay, who came into the round in eighth, opened the weekend with a 28–26 win over the Clydesdales. They trailed 22–10 after 50 minutes before mounting a comeback to lead 28–22 with fifteen to play before conceding a try (uh oh) in the final five minutes. When the siren went, they were in the finals on 17 competition points, with a points differential of -89.

A few hundred kilometres down the road in Rockhampton, ninth-placed Souths Logan scored to go up 30–26 over the Capras with about two minutes left. As it stood, they were on 17 competition points, with a points differential of -90. The Capras then gave away a penalty on the next set and Souths Logan rolled downfield and scored with 30 seconds on the clock. They won 34–26 and finish with a points differential of -86, knocking out Mackay and qualifying for the finals.

See that draw for both teams? That was against each other. In Round 12, Mackay led 30–28 before giving away a penalty in the final minute, which the Magpies kicked to tie the game. To make things worse for the Cutters, they scored six tries to five in the game.

Across the rest of the round, Tweed picked up their first-ever Colts minor premiership with a ridiculous 50–32 win over the Sunshine Coast. They become the first side that isn’t Townsville or Wynnum Manly to finish in first place. In 2007, Tweed finished as minor premiers in the old under-19 Colts Challenge competition, winning that year’s Grand Final, 18–4 over Norths.

Townsville defeated Burleigh 36–22 to record their fifth straight win. Both sides finished in the top four, with the Blackhawks in third and the Bears in fourth. On Sunday, the Tigers secured second place with a 36–16 win over Wynnum Manly, who finished in seventh.

Finally, commiserations to this year’s wooden spooners, the Northern Pride, whose 58–4 loss to Redcliffe means they finish 2023 without a win and on a competition record-equalling 21 consecutive losses.

Tweed’s Logan Radzievic was named QRL’s “Heavy Lifter” this week. You can watch his highlights here.

Team of the Week: 1 Kane Simon (MKY), 2 Israel Leota (SLM), 3 Logan Radzievic (TWE), 4 Will Starling (RED), 5 Blake Forder (TWE), 6 Jaxen Yow (SLM), 7 Corey Shepherd (MKY), 8 Casey Morgan (BRI), 9 Ayden Hoad (RED), 10 Bailey Cavanough (CQL), 11 Ricardo Evenis (SLM), 12 Kurt Fisher (TSV), 13 Jamal Shibasaki (TSV).

Colts Finals – Week 1 schedule

Saturday, August 26

Qualifying Final: Brisbane Tigers (2nd) vs. Townsville (3rd), Logan Metro Football Fields, 10am

Elimination Final: Redcliffe (5th) vs. Souths Logan (8th), Logan Metro Football Fields, 12pm

Qualifying Final: Tweed (1st) vs. Burleigh (4th), UAA Park, 6pm

Sunday, August 27

Elimination Final: Sunshine Coast (6th) vs. Wynnum Manly (7th), Kayo Stadium, 12pm

🏉 Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 25

With one round remaining the Jersey Flegg, only one Top 5 position is up for grabs following Round 25. Melbourne (5th) defeated Penrith 24–20 on Sunday afternoon to end the faint hopes of Manly (7th) and Canberra (8th). The Storm’s only challenger for the last spot is Parramatta, who are sixth and pulled off a huge upset win over the Roosters, 36–20. The Eels are two points behind the Storm but with a superior points differential, so they’ll need to beat Penrith and hope the Storm lose to the Raiders.

Despite the loss to the Eels, the Roosters have claimed the minor premiership for the second consecutive season. Second-placed Canterbury, who were an outside chance at first, lost 32–10 to the Raiders. Karl Oloapu played in that game, making his Flegg debut on his return from a neck injury.

Earlier on Saturday, Newcastle and Manly put up big scores. The Knights battered South Sydney 52–10 to finally move out of last place, while the Sea Eagles continued their strong second half of the season with a 48–6 win over the Dragons. The Dragons and Rabbitohs have byes in Round 26, so their seasons end very disappointing.

The other game on Sunday saw Cronulla move into third with a 34–10 win over the Wests Tigers. The loss drops the Tigers into last, with a game against the Roosters this weekend.

Team of the Week: 1 Fletcher Sharpe (NEW), 2 Kristian Dixon (CRO), 3 Samuel Loizou (PAR), 4 Coby Williamson (MEL), 5 Maanaima Amosa (MEL), 6 Harradyn Wilson (MAN), 7 Ethan Sanders (PAR), 8 Brock Parker (PAR), 9 Billy Scott (PEN), 10 Mitchell Prest (CAN), 11 Brock Greacen (NEW), 12 Broden Konz (MAN), 13 Oryn Keeley (NEW).

🏉 Eight schools remain in Schoolboy Cup

We’re down to the semi-finals in the Northern and Southern conferences of the NRL Schoolboy Cup after a big week of action.

In Queensland, St Patrick’s College Mackay will host Emmaus College Rockhampton, while Ipswich State High and Palm Beach Currumbin State High meet in Brisbane.

In Sydney, a doubleheader at Campbelltown awaits with Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown facing St Dominic’s College Penrith and Westfields Sports High playing Canberra’s Erindale College.

Aaron Payne Cup
St Patrick’s Mackay moved onto the semis after blowing Kirwan State High away 32–10 in last Thursday’s Aaron Payne Cup final. It was a first-half masterclass from St Pat’s, who led 26–4 after 30 minutes. Their halfback Jaxon Purdue was the star, scoring twice and setting up several more.

Dolphins Cup
A chip and chase try in the final five minutes gave Emmaus College their first Dolphins Cup title, defeating Cathedral College 24–20. A tight contest throughout, Cathedral went up 20–18 inside the final 10 before Emmaus halfback Isaac Walker put in a chip for his fullback Seth Carpenter to score the title-winning try.

Allan Langer Trophy
For the second straight year, Ipswich SHS and Palm Beach Currumbin SHS will meet in the Langer Trophy final. Palm Beach Currumbin handed Marsden SHS their first loss of the year with a 16–4 win. PBC centre Sam Stephenson scored twice in the victory. The school have now qualified for the last four Langer Trophy finals.

Ipswich progressed through with an 18–6 victory over Wavell State High. Tied 6–all at halftime, Ipswich capitalised on the sin-binning of Wavell’s Kobi Floro, scoring twice in eight minutes.

Peter Mulholland Cup
All four Mulholland Cup quarter-finals took place at Windsor Sports Complex last Wednesday. St Dominic’s opened the day with a 26–18 win over Hills Sports High. Westfields Sports High, who went unbeaten in the pool stage, then took care of All Saints’ Maitland 52–6.

Erindale College pulled off the upset of the day, defeating Endeavour Sports High 28–24 to move onto the semi-finals for the second year in a row. The day ended with Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown quickly putting away the Victorian pool winners, Victorian Uni Secondary College, 64–6.

Schoolboy Cup Semi-Finals schedule

Wednesday, August 23

Northern Conference
St Patrick’s Mackay vs. Emmaus College, Mackay JRL Grounds, 1:30pm
Ipswich SHS vs. Palm Beach Currumbin SHS, Totally Workwear Stadium, 3pm

Southern Conference
Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown vs. St Dominic’s Penrith, Campbelltown Stadium, 12:30pm
Westfields Sports High vs. Erindale College, Campbelltown Stadium, 1:45pm

🏉 Schoolgirl Cup finals

We finally have some updates on the NSW Schoolgirl Cup competition. The semi-finals will take place on Wednesday, August 23, before the Schoolboys semis, at Campbelltown Stadium.

Bass High, who topped Pool A, will take on Erindale College, while Pool B's winners, Westfields Sports High, will play The Hills Sports High.

In Queensland, the state final is confirmed, with Kirwan State High facing Mabel Park State High on Wednesday, August 30. Kirwan qualified last Friday, defeating The Cathedral College 22–10 in Mackay.

🏉 Three debuts in the NRL

There was a varied mix of NRL debutants this past weekend with a hotshot 20-year-old, a Queensland Cup veteran and a former Australian sevens international all graduating to the big league.

Trai Fuller was the feelgood story of the round, making his debut for the Dolphins at 26 after several years in Cup. The Eidsvold junior was a standout for the Capras’ Mal Meninga Cup side in 2014-15, scoring 18 tries and being named the competition’s Player of the Year in 2015. In 2016, he began his affiliation with Redcliffe, joining the under-20 FOGS Colts Challenge team. In 2017, he won the FOGS U20s Cup (the forerunner to the current Colts competition) and FOGS Colts Challenge with the Dolphins and was a member of the Broncos’ Holden Cup squad. He made his Cup debut in 2018 and started at fullback, scoring a double, in their Grand Final win over Easts later that year.

Debuting in the same game was the Wests Tigers' Triston Reilly. Reilly was brought back to league by the Tigers in 2022, having previously played for the Waratahs and the Australian sevens team. The Kempsey-born, Kempsey Dragons junior represented the NSW Koori Under-16 side and played for the Knights’ Harold Matthews team in 2015. In 2017, he played for the Rabbitohs in the SG Ball while attending St Joseph’s College Hunter Hill, where he made the switch to union.

Titans’ halfback Tom Weaver grabbed widespread attention after his great performance for New South Wales under-19s last year. A Cudgen junior, he won the Andrew Johns Cup with the Northern Rivers Titans in 2019 and the Mal Meninga Cup with Tweed in 2021. That same year, he led Palm Beach Currumbin to the Queensland state title (COVID would deny them the chance at the National Title) and was named an Australian Schoolboy. In 2022, he moved up to Tweed’s Colts side, playing 11 games, before a late-season call-up to their Cup side. He played 16 Cup games this season before his NRL debut against Penrith last weekend.

🏉 …and three debuts in the NRLW

Three more Tarsha Gale Cup graduates made their way into the NRLW this past weekend with Salma Nour, Ahlivia Ingram and Taneka Todhunter getting their first minutes.

Nour, a Liverpool junior, spent three seasons (2020-22) with Illawarra in the Tarsha Gale Cup, scoring 14 tries in 21 games. A member of the Dragons’ NRLW squad last year, the dummy half moved to the Wests Tigers in 2023, coincidentally, making her debut against her former club in Round 5.

Ingram is a born and bred Canberran who played her junior footy with the Tuggeranong Bushrangers. A member of the Raiders’ inaugural Tarsha Gale side back in 2017, she played 16 games with them over two seasons. An Australian PM’s XIII and Indigenous All-Star representative, the front rower played 26 minutes in her debut for Canberra.

Todhunter was a late call-up for Parramatta in Round 5, playing 31 minutes in their loss to Canberra. The dummy half played two seasons of Tarsha Gale with the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy, making the round trip each time from her hometown of Dubbo in 2020 before relocating a year later. In 2021, she represented the New South Wales under-19 side in their win over Queensland.

Around the grounds

For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.

Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 25
Newcastle 52 (J Afoa 2, O Keeley 2, F Sharpe 2, B Greacen, J Linnane, T May tries; J Afoa 8 goals) def. South Sydney 10 (J Saldanha, D Williams tries; E Ferguson goal) at Lyall Peacock Oval. Referee: L Matheson. Halftime: NEW 30–10. Tackles: B Greacen 24 (NEW), L Grossemy 27 (SOU). Run metres: B Greacen 210 (NEW), E Ferguson 109 (SOU).

Manly 48 (I Mapu-Satiu 2, B Metcalfe 2, C Brown, M Hayley, K Mafoa, D Mihinui, C Navale, H Wilson tries; T Bunting 4 goals) def. St George Illawarra 6 (N Tsougranis try; J Shereb goal) at 4 Pines Park. Referee: J Bird. Halftime: MAN 20–0. Tackles: B Konz 22 (MAN), K Hjaltason 30 (SGI). Run metres: B Metcalfe 166 (MAN), W Pring 124 (SGI).

Canberra 32 (J Billing, J Clarkson, O Pattie, J Roddy, K Rushton tries; M Henderson 6 goals) def. Canterbury 10 (W Afualo, M Ravonu tries; J Papalii goal) at Raiders Belconnen. Referee: P Eden. Halftime: CAN 12–6. Tackles: S Packer 26 (CAN), R Moyle 41 (CBY). Run metres: M Prest 150 (CAN), W Afualo 143 (CBY).

Parramatta 36 (S Loizou 2, J Davis, M Komolafe, N Lenaz, E Martin, E Sanders tries; E Sanders 4 goals) def. Sydney 20 (S Foketi, A Holten, E Jolliffe, J Swann tries; O Flaherty 2 goals) at Ringrose Park. Referee: B Mani. Halftime: PAR 16–10. Tackles: B Parker 37 (PAR), M McCathie 34 (SYD). Run metres: B Parker 142 (PAR), J Swann 230 (SYD).

Cronulla 34 (K Dixon 2, T Waitere 2, S Ataata, L Crouch tries; K Dixon 5 goals) def. Wests Tigers 10 (H Mason, H Tofaeono tries; L Saukuru goal) at Lidcombe Oval. Referee: A Sirianni. Halftime: CRO 12–6. Tackles: F Neilsen 41 (WST), K Wilson 34 (CRO). Run metres: S Vaihu 122 (WST), F Faatili 159 (CRO).

Melbourne 24 (C Williamson 2, A Okusitino, K Russell-Smith tries; K Russell-Smith 4 goals) def. Penrith 20 (C Lawson 2, B Scott, A Warwick tries; J Nohra 2 goals) at Gosch’s Paddock. Referee: C Suters. Halftime: MEL 18–10. Tackles: J Weir 39 (MEL), B Scott 36 (PEN). Run metres: M Amosa 140 (MEL), B Phillips 144 (PEN).

Ladder: 1st Roosters (41 pts), 2nd Bulldogs (37), 3rd Sharks (34), 4th Panthers (33), 5th Storm (30), 6th Eels (28), 7th Sea Eagles (26), 8th Raiders (26), 9th Dragons (24), 10th Rabbitohs (23), 11th Knights (22), 12th Wests Tigers (22).

Hastings Deering Colts – Round 16
Mackay 28 (L Doherty, M Novosel, T Parter, C Shepherd, K Simon tries; C Shepherd 4 goals) def. Western Clydesdales 26 (N Carrie 2, M Brady, H Finau, C Munro tries; K Duggan 3 goals) at BB Print Stadium. Referee: C Kwik. Halftime: WCL 16–4. Tackles: T Sullivan 38 (MKY), B Patti 35 (WCL). Run metres: K Simon 202 (MKY), H Ensbey 215 (WCL).

Tweed 50 (B Forder 2, L Radzievic 2, P Bryant, M Liles, J Russell, J Stewart-Lewis, J Wright tries; E Speed 6, R Foran goals) def. Sunshine Coast 32 (M Peut 2, E Akers, C Herdegen, P McGinn, E Smethills tries; J Chappell 4 goals) at Piggabeen Sports Complex. Referee: A Rossiter. Halftime: TWE 28–20. Tackles: J Stewart-Lewis 24 (TWE), J Elich 28 (SCF). Run metres: L Radzievic 148 (TWE), E Smethills 193 (SCF).

Souths Logan 34 (R Evenis 2, J Yow 2, I Leota, Z Waaka tries; G Peace 4, M Pakai goals) def. CQ Capras 26 (M Baker, J Miller, L Nebauer, S Taungahihifo tries; J Barham 5 goals) at Browne Park. Referee: N McEwen. Halftime: 12–all. Tackles: B Cavanough 36 (CQL), V Semu 25 (SLM). Run metres: B Cavanough 189 (CQL), I Leota 225 (SLM).

Townsville 36 (J Shibasaki 2, R Wavik 2, D Dotoi, K Fisher tries; R Wavik 6 goals) def. Burleigh 22 (Z Alley, E Finau, C Lasike, C Patu tries; B Tagg 3 goals) at Jack Manski Oval. Referee: D Lawrence. Halftime: BUR 16–10. Tackles: J Baldwin 33 (TSV), K Somerville 26 (BUR). Run metres: R Wavik 199 (TSV), K Somerville 148 (BUR).

Redcliffe 58 (W Cahill 2, T Nean 2, A Hoad, T Lunney, N Lutui, W Starling, C Thomas, M Timu, C Williams tries; M Timu 7 goals) def. Northern Pride 4 (D Jones try) at Barlow Park. Referee: B Sheppard. Halftime: RED 28–4. Tackles: H Davies 26 (NPR), M Spence 21 (RED). Run metres: B Salameh 146 (NPR), W Starling 233 (RED).

Brisbane Tigers 30 (L Fitzsimmons 2, L West 2, J House, C Morgan, J Nadenic tries; B Black 4 goals) def. Wynnum Manly 16 (W Lane, J Radel, J Trappett tries; J Davies 2 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval. Referee: T Wilkie. Halftime: BRI 16–6. Tackles: J Radel 42 (WYN), B Ashton 30 (BRI). Run metres: S Roache-Faimalo 213 (WYN), C Morgan 229 (BRI).

Final Ladder: 1st Tweed (28 pts), 2nd Brisbane Tigers (28), 3rd Townsville (26), 4th Burleigh (24), 5th Redcliffe (22), 6th Sunshine Coast (22), 7th Wynnum Manly (22), 8th Souths Logan (17), 9th Mackay (17), 10th Norths (13), 11th Western Clydesdales (12), 12th CQ Capras (11), 13th Ipswich (6), 14th Northern Pride (4).

NRL Schoolboy Cup

Allan Langer Trophy – Semi-Finals
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS 18 (S Stephenson 2, C Kelly-Donovan tries; Z Harrison 2 goals) def. Marsden SHS 4 (K Vunipola try) at BMD Kougari Oval.

Ipswich SHS 18 (M David, X Kirk, A Naiyep tries; I Mafi 3 goals) def. Wavell SHS 6 (K Pene try; Z Herdegen goal) at BMD Kougari Oval.

Aaron Payne Cup – Final
St Patrick’s College Mackay 32 (B Anderson 2, J Purdue 2, K Smith, B Venz tries; H Harris 4 goals) def. Kirwan SHS 10 (A Iorangi, A Manna tries; A Iorangi goal) at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

Dolphins Cup – Final
Emmaus College Rockhampton 24 (S Carpenter 2, L Barclay, C Hare tries; I Walker 4 goals) def. Cathedral College Rockhampton 20 (M Brown 2, J Biles tries; Z Bateman 4 goals) at Browne Park.

Peter Mulholland Cup – Quarter-Finals
St Dominic’s College Penrith 26 def. Hills Sports High 18.
Westfields Sports High 48 def. All Saints’ College Maitland 6.
Erindale College 28 def. Endeavour Sports High 24.
Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown 64 def. Victoria Uni Secondary College 6.