Ipswich’s 40 best junior rugby league players of 2022 ranked
With passion, athleticism, and hard work, Ipswich’s next generation of footballers are destined for greatness. See who tackled, passed and scored their way into our top 40 rookie league players list, plus 10 of our best recent old boy players.
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The city of Ipswich has a rich sporting history, having produced some of the country’s greatest footballers.
A now a new cohort of young rugby league players are on track to make a name for themselves in the NRL in the coming years.
Some of the region’s most prestigious coaches have put the huge success and potential of their players down to their passion, drive and commitment, as well as their talent.
Ipswich Jets Meninga coach Shane Harris said the region’s current crop of 15-18-year-olds was a “very exciting” group.
“(Ipswich) is full of NRL-contracted players and players being rewarded with Metwest jerseys or Queensland Schoolboy jerseys,” Harris said.
“It’s an exciting time for the region to see these players develop ... and see them either get opportunities in Ipswich at the highest level we can offer or opportunities elsewhere.”
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Ipswich State High School rugby league head coach Joshua Bretherton described Ipswich as a “very rugby league-passionate area” that regularly saw “huge numbers” of talented players.
He said the best players came from across the region and had a diverse range of backgrounds — family and otherwise.
“One thing they have in common is that they’re passionate about rugby league,” he said.
“We just try to give them the best support we can. They’re talented kids already, we’re just one of the many pieces on their pathway ... giving them the chance to hone their skills and add to their direction academically.”
Bretherton said he was proud of how Ipswich State High School had been able to assist in providing pathways for the region’s rugby league talent.
THE TOP 20
1. JOSIAH PAHULU
The Ipswich SHS student and Jets junior is now aligned with the Burleigh Bears due to signing with the Gold Coast Titans.
A mobile and big man, the 18-year-old is explosive at prop or lock and can unload late. Recently, he ran 173m against joint premiership favourites Souths Logan in the Meninga Cup.
Ipswich Jets Meninga coach Shane Harris said Pahulu’s “raw strength”, footwork, and dedication gave him an edge over his opposition.
“He’s always the hardest worker in the room and is constantly striving to become bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter as a footballer,” Harris said.
2. RENE BAGON
The Manly signed middle forward is so highly thought of by the Sea Eagles, they fly him to Sydney each weekend to play in the SG Ball competition. He is in the Met West u18s for 2022.
Coach Harris said Bagon was “one of the most physical” u18 players in the country.
“He plays with aggression and is a very damaging prop/lock,” he said.
3. ISRAEL LEOTA
Leota is an athletic freak with a great vertical leap.
A winger, he attends Ipswich Grammar School but plays for Brisbane Broncos aligned Souths Logan Magpies.
Big and powerful, he has twice scored three tries in matches for the Magpies in the Meninga Cup.
4. DAVID LEOTA
Recently signed by the Bulldogs, prop or lock Leota is a middle forward wrecking ball.
He made last season’s Queensland 14-15 years merit side and again will be a player to watch when representing Met West.
He plays Connell Challenge for Ipswich Jets.
5. OLIVA IAULUALO
Another Canterbury signed player, the Ipswich SHS year 11 student plays Connell Challenge for the Ipswich Jets.
He is a tall prop or second rower, a physical player with a great offload.
He was also a Queensland 14-15 years selection last year.
Ipswich Jets Meninga coach Shane Harris said Iaulualo, at just 16 years old this year, is Bulldogs-contracted.
“He’s very thick ... and the combination of a strong palm and good leg drive means he’s very difficult to tackle,” Harris said.
“Oliva always hunts defensively to make as many tackles as he can. He’s a hard worker.”
6. TRE FOTU
Fotu is a powerful Ipswich SHS centre who bullies his opposition.
He is a hard runner with a strong fend who is playing in the Meninga Cup with the premiership hot shots Souths Logan.
He made the Met West u18s for 2022.
7. JALEN AFAMASAGA
An Ipswich SHS student, Afamasaga is a smart half who calmly controls a game with good vision.
He is a Met West u18’s selection and plays No. 7 for Norths Devils Meninga Cup side.
8. KANE SELF
The Queensland u15 lock plays with a huge heart and energy.
An Ipswich SHS student, Self is a strong tackler who plays well above his size.
He is contracted to the Knights and is flown to Sydney or Newcastle to play in the Harold Matthews competition.
9. SHALOM SAUASO
Fourteen-year-old Sauaso is such an exciting talent that the Reds Super W selectors invited her to train with the senior squad during the off-season.
The Ipswich SHS student is a No. 10 with great vision and hands.
10. ARIANNA HENDERSON
From Ipswich SHS, Henderson is a half with a great work ethic.
A Queensland under 15 merit team selection in 2021, the very competitive Henderson is also a member of the Titans under 17 academy.
11. TYLER PECKHAM-HARRIS
Peckem-Harris is a very coachable kid full of personality who also has a smart footy brain.
He plays above his weight and size and is very competitive in the Meninga Cup for Ipswich Jets.
12. CORDELL KIRK
Here is one for the little black book: The Ipswich SHS student made the Queensland under 12’s in 2021.
He is a tall, mobile athletic prop.
13. MACGUINESS TIANANGA
Another rookie, Tiananga is an Ipswich SHS student who was a teammate of Kirk in the under 12 state side last year.
He is a fullback or halve with fantastic footwork and speed.
Coach Harris said at just 13 years old, he shows great potential.
“Macguinness is a fullback/half with fantastic footwork. He’s really fast, has a good range of passes, he’s instinctive and he also loves defending,” Harris said.
“He’s a very physical tackler. But his biggest attribute is that he’s competitive.”
Harris said Tiananga’s goal is to impress in his junior Broncos sessions and play great Ipswich State High School footy.
14. TIRESA ELIKA
An Ipswich SHS lock, Elika is a strong, powerful ball runner and strong defender who is a member of the Qld Super W academy.
She was also in the Queensland 2021 under 15 league merit team.
15. AHANI LEILUA
Watch for Leilua to make an impact in the Langer Trophy playing for Ipswich SHS.
A prop, Leilua is a steam rolling, ball carrying front rower with great mobility.
He is the Souths Logan Meninga Cup captain.
16. HAYDEN MOLKENTIEN
Molkentien is a St Edmund’s College outside back who has been signed by the Melbourne Storm.
Not unlike former Broncos premiership winner Mick de Vere, he works extremely hard and is very coachable, all traits which go hand-in-hand with the Storm organisation.
17. CALEB JACKSON
Jackson will trial with the Melbourne Storm during the Easter school holidays.
He made everyone stand up and take notice with a season best performance in last season’s Langer Trophy semi-final.
Coach Harris said Jackson is a centre/fullback with a “fantastic draw and pass” and “great vision” who reads the game really well.
“It’s hard to find a better talker and communicator in any team that he plays in,” Harris said.
“And he just has great athleticism. He’s fast, he’s a good size, and he’s physical.”
Harris said he the 18-year-old is currently on a ‘train and trial’ for Melbourne Storm.
18. TOMMY LUHRMAN
Signed by the Roosters, Luhrman will be a third season Langer Trophy veteran this year.
A dummy half who had the joy of scoring a 50m solo try against the champion Palm Beach Currumbin SHS in 2021.
19. LYNN NIELSEN
She may be No. 19 but Nielsen was never in danger of not making our top 20.
A nice half, he is a good organiser, elusive ball runner who also has good defence.
20. COOPER CRACKNELL
Cracknell has been playing the Jets Connell Challenge as a 15-year-old.
A Queensland under 12 schoolboy representative, he has made the Met West side and should be a very good shot at QLD u15’s
Coach Harris said he is a second row prop lock who has a combination of size and speed as well as good leg drive and a good work rate.
“He’s somebody who is quite often the hardest worker in the room and he’s also somebody who’s done some junior Broncos and junior Titans stuff which is a credit to how hard he’s worked,” Harris said.
BEST OF THE REST
NRL clubs have raided the Ipswich SHS ranks and plucked these five students into their systems – prop Ogden George (Bulldogs), second rower Isaac Togia (Titans), five-eighth Tayshon Foley (Bulldogs), centre Jeriah Vagana (Titans) and tall centre Nick Torrens (Rabbitohs).
Another Ipswich student, Jack Laing, the Jets Mal Meninga Cup hard working middle forward, is highly thought of in his community.
From the very strong Ipswich SHS women’s program, a small army of players sit behind top 20 A-listers Shalom Sauaso, Ariana Henderson, Tiresa Elika and Lynn Nielsen.
2021 QLD REPS & TITANS FEMALE ACADEMY PLAYERS
LINA TANIELU
A front row, Tanielu had talent scouts talking with her strong defence and excellent unloading.
A Met West representative, she is a Titans Academy under 17 member and was a Queensland merit team selection (under 15s) in 2021.
TARLEAH FISHER-PEARSON
Fisher-Pearson was a 2021 Queensland representative and was invited to be in the Titans female academy.
GRACE TUPAI
Tupai is an express winger who also makes good defensive decisions.
JOYCE VUNIPOLA
Vunipola has played her way into the very competitive Met West side.
ALISHA WATENE
An edge forward, she is strong and a good line runner who is a Met West shadow player.
BRAILEE HOWGEGO
Howgego is coming off the season Harvey Norman 19s season with the Jets. She adds great depth to the Ipswich program.
HEINA NAVOSA
Navosa, a centre of dummy half, is versatile and energetic who was a part of the Jets under 19 Harvey Norman side
DMARIS SETU
Setu has great footwork in the middle, is a strong runner and physical defender who is in the Met West side.
LISHAINAH ULUGIA
A lock or five-eight, Ulugia has a very good passing game, good footwork and general understanding of the code.
PAULINE MOLIGA
Another centre or lock, Moliga is a great ball runner with good speed and power. She also loves to defend.
SKY FAIMALIE and JAZMYN BRENNAN-ROWE
Faimalie and Brennan-Rowe have made the 14-15 years Met West side.
SUMMER HOET
Hoet is a front rower who leads by example, has good ball skills and is very determined. Another Met West representative.
SHANNALYN MANA’O
Mana’O has a big motor. A No. 13, she goes all day, is an elusive ball runner and tidy’s up the mid field.
SISSY BEKUE
Another Met West selection, Bekue has good hands, is a great line runner and who is speedy in the centres.
BEST RECENT 10 IPSWICH OLD BOYS
1. SAM WALKER
A future Queensland State of Origin halfback, the Ipswich Grammar School old boy was a sensational new rookie in the NRL in 2021 with the Roosters.
2. LUKE KEARY
Ipswich raised yet remarkably eligible for New South Wales, the premiership winning Keary is Walker’s halves partner at the Sydney Roosters.
3. DAVID FIFITA
Fifita, who grew up in Redbank Plains, is an edge backrow tearaway who could be anything by the end of his career.
4. KURT CAPEWELL
The Norths Ipswich Tigers junior is a thorough professional who, in the last 18 months, helped Penrith to the premiership and Queensland to a shock 2020 State of Origin series win.
5. RONALDO MULITALO
One of the unluckiest players around who was denied playing for Queensland last season because of the Greg Inglis rule brought in by the ARL and NSWRL.
Despite attending Ipswich SHS in year 9, he was deemed ineligible to play for the Maroons as the southern officials aim to prevent a repeat of the Inglis affair.
Inglis he grew up in NSW country, but finished his schooling at Wavell SHS – making him eligible for Queensland in the 2000s.
6. PHILLIP SAMI
Mulitalo may have missed Origin selection but Sami now has a Queensland jersey after the Titans winger or centre earned a place in the Maroons side in 2021. Sami is starting to go up a level with the Gold Coast club.
7. MAT PARCELL
From the famous Parcell family, the NRL’s loss was the English Super League’s gain. Parcell is an outstanding hooker who most clubs in the NRL would snap up.
8. JO OFAHENGAUE
Big Jo is one of Ipswich’s finest old boys and although he is not having success with the Wests Tigers, he is a very good former Queensland State of Origin forward.
9. KULIKEFU FINEFEUIAKI
Kuli is one for the future. An Ipswich SHS graduate in 2021, he is contracting to the Cowboys and living in Townsville. Tall, powerful, the backrower is fearless when he carries a football.
Coach Harris said he is “extremely physical, runs a great line, and hardly ever misses a tackle”.
10. JAKE TURPIN
The Broncos dummy half is an excellent NRL player who will get better as the Brisbane Broncos improve around him. For a man of his size, he hits like a freight train.
Another old boy young gun is MASON PINTEGNE, the Canberra Raider signed rookie who is an ex Ipswich SHS student. He is a halfback or hooker, an instinctual half with good footwork to take the line on. Currently in Canberra on a multi year deal with Raiders. He was a Queensland schoolboys 14-15 years selection last year.
Don’t forget Ipswich also has notable NRL players like Treymaine Spry (Titans), Tautau Moga (Dragons) and Thomas Mikaele (Wests Tigers), and keep an eye on the progress of young Titans giant Xavier Stowers.
Moga has been very unlucky with injury and looked a representative player the world over until plagued by knee complaints.
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