Giant-killers Ipswich SHS ready for National Schoolboys Cup clash against Wavell State High School

The coach of Langer Cup rugby league giant-killers Ipswich State High School said hard work and a willingness to learn have been the ingredients to the team’s stunning season so far.

The coach of Langer Cup rugby league giant-killers Ipswich State High School said hard work and a willingness to learn have been the ingredients to the team’s stunning season so far.

Josh Bretherton’s team won four of five Langer Cup matches to qualify second for the National Schoolboy Cup Finals segment of the season which starts tomorrow, Thursday.

In one of four matches to be staged at Kougari Oval, Ipswich will play Wavell SHS.

The Courier-Mail will have rolling online coverage of the matches which start at 1pm and finish at around 5.45pm.

Ipswich SHS, who finished last in the Langer Cup last season, were only prevented from winning this year’s title because Palm beach Currumbin had a superior for and against.

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Bretherton said there was “no secret’’ to the team’s success this season.

“I have got a group of boys who are really, really smart footballers and who desperately want to learn and take in everything my coaching staff say. They are like a sponge,’’ Bretherton said.

“We have a group of boys who just want to take in that information and get better.

“We told the boys at the start of the year we can match it with anyone and I hope now they believe they can match it with anyone.

Ipswich SHS Langer Cup winger Jarra Briggs has been a shining light.

“But the nature of the comp is, the tough games are coming.’’

He said the group, supported by an unbeaten reserve grade team, used momentum coming off a series of games prior to the start of the Langer Cup.

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“To qualify and use that momentum, then put together thus far a fantastic season, we are really, very proud of (the effort),’’ he said.

“Each time you can tick off a good performance, win, lose or draw, it adds that value to the next game, to carry on and carry to the next task.

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“And now we have that really big task of making sure what we have put together so far is not for nothing.’’

Meanwhile, Ipswich SHS’s Ocean Vaivela and Cooper Cracknell have returned to school this week after playing in the Queensland 12 years team last week.

Thursday’s National Schoolboys Cup draw, Southern quarterfinals at Kougari Oval.

1pm: PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN SHS v ST MARY’S COLLEGE

2:15pm: MARSDEN SHS v MABEL PARK SHS

3:30pm: IPSWICH SHS v WAVELL SHS

4:45pm: KEEBRA PARK SHS v COOMBABAH SHS