St Brendan’s College looking to claim ‘Confro’ title number 14 in Mackay

St Brendan’s College is one of 48 boys teams that will contest the annual schoolboys rugby league carnival in Mackay. Read what coach Scott Minto says about their prospects here.

Mackay has proven a happy hunting ground for St Brendan’s College rugby league team and they are hoping that will again be the case when the Confraternity Carnival kicks off on Monday.

They won ‘Confro’ the two times it was previously held in that city - in 1987 and 1996.

They also won Queensland’s premier schoolboys rugby league competition, the Aaron Payne Cup, there last year.

It will be a new-look side taking to the field in the green and gold this year. While several faces remain from 2021, a crop of new and exciting players will be involved in this campaign.

St Brendan’s is one of 48 boys teams taking part. Fellow Central Queensland schools The Cathedral College, Rockhampton Grammar, Emmaus College and Marist College Emerald will also be in action.

There are also nine schools contesting the second girls’ event, among them TCC, Emmaus and St Ursula’s College Yeppoon.

Teams will be raring to go at ‘Confro’, which was impacted by Covid the past two years.

The carnival did not go ahead in 2020 because of the pandemic and in 2021, it reached the quarter final stages when a Covid lockdown in south-east Queensland forced its immediate cancellation.

St Brendan’s coach Scott Minto.

St Brendan’s is the most successful school in the history of the event, which started in 1980. They have won it 13 times, their most recent victory coming in 2015.

They are in a Division 1 pool alongside Padua College, Shalom College and Marymount College this year.

Coach Scott Minto, a 53-game NRL veteran, is optimistic about St Brendan’s chances but appreciates that a lot of things “need to align” before your name is etched on the trophy.

“Last year we saw just how hard games are to win. St Pat’s Mackay got us late in our round two match after we led comfortably early in that game,” he said.

“We will be making sure we prepare well so we give ourselves every chance of winning each game.”

After two wins from two rounds in the newly formed Dolphins Cup, St Brendan’s will head into Confro with plenty of confidence.

St Brendan’s fullback Matthew Hill.

Three players key to St Brendan’s Confraternity campaign:

Matthew Hill, fullback: Matthew, who hails from the Northern Territory town of Katherine, has quickly established himself as one of Queensland schoolboys most potent attackers. Having just signed with the Melbourne Storm, he has been lethal at the back for the Capras under-21 side in recent weeks and will be looking to carry this form into the Confraternity Carnival.

Filipe Buli, middle forward: Along with Matthew Hill, Filipe also tasted Aaron Payne Cup success in 2021. His Fijian roots have definitely started to show with his physique transforming under head of strength and conditioning coach Mick Carron. At 188cm and 104kg, he is ready-made to mix it with the best forward packs at Confraternity 2022.

Tavita Penaia, middle forward: Tavita is the youngest of a crop of hungry young talent keen to make their mark in St Brendan’s colours. The Queensland under-15 representative has shown in the opening rounds of the Dolphins Cup that age is just a number, dominating already experienced campaigners with his hard running, sleight of hand and aggression in defence. Look to see him paving the way through the middle of the field.