Maroons’ next generation stars glimpsed following squad’s naming
The Maroons’ future State of Origin stars can be glimpsed following the announcement of the Queensland under 18 squad. It includes one Gold Coast boy unsigned by any NRL club. Full details here.
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Eight players from last Sunday’s Meninga Cup grand final between premiers Redcliffe and runners up the Blackhawks have been named in a 37 member Queensland Under 18 Emerging Origin squad.
The squad includes two of the most improved forwards in their age group, Dolphins pair Michael Waqa and Aholika Toia, while the son of a gun, Bud Smith (dad is Maroons champion Jason) made the squad from the Clydesdales.
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And one player, PBC SHS forward Jett Jackson, is unsigned by any NRL club despite making it into this elite group.
Wide Bay is richly rewarded with juniors Luke Adamson (Wide Bay), Zac Garton (Redcliffe) and Harry Armstrong (Wynnum) making the squad, while Brisbane Tigers captain Mikael Ibrahim has been rewarded for two years of toil in the Meninga Cup.
Townsville and Mackay continued to provide outstanding talent to state squads, while both Coast catchment were well represented in the extended squad.
FULL SQUAD
Mutua Brown (Central Queensland Capras)
Originally from the FNQ rugby league stronghold of Innisfail, Brown was the best fullback in the Meninga Cup competition playing with the Meninga Cup competition this season. He attended The Cathedral College in Rockhampton.
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Devonte Vaivela (Parramatta)
From the fertile rugby league pastures of Marsden SHS, Vaivela is explosive off the mark, dynamic over the first 30-40m. A centre, cutting back on the inside he is also a powerhouse, mixing strength with his stepping and acceleration. He is a real wild card talent.
Kai Simon (Mackay Cutters)
Simon is an outside back workhorse and an elite finisher who plays centre or wing. The biggest compliment you can pay him is that he was a marked man in every Meninga Cup match this season.
Sam Stephenson (Burleigh Bears)
The tall, rangy son of former NRL player Paul, PBC SHS student Stephenson has been a name on everyone’s lips coming through the juniors and continues to meet every challenge. A centre, he is signed by the Titans. He played two games in Langer Cup last year as a year 10 student and this year and powerful left centre was strong as a 17-year-old.
Jaxon Purdue (Mackay Cutters)
From the proud St Patrick’s College nursery, Purdue is halves ace who had a whale of a 2022 season which laid foundations for another excellent 2023 campaign with the Cutters. He made our recently announced Meninga Cup Team of the Season.
Keahn Skipps (Canberra Raiders)
From the hotbed of rugby league, the Gold Coast, Skipps is a Burleigh Bears halves’ young gun who, after making the City under 17s late last season, played for Canberra’s SG Ball squad.
Reece Foley (Townsville Blackhawks)
Foley’s inclusion in this squad will be no mystery to Meninga Cup observers. He is a young gun hooker, powerfully built with a strong running game who also brings his pack onto the ball.
Xavier Kerrisk (Mackay Cutters)
Kerrisk and Purdue (see above) have been partners in crime, a hooker-halves pairing at both school and club level. He is a player who has continued to make the step up in class and who was recognised by the Cowboys for his deeds last season.
Mason Kira (Sunshine Coast Falcons)
Kira was the Falcon’s No.1 forward this season, a No.13 or edge player whose deeds must have been inspiring to his teammates. His aggression and strong defensive efforts helped Queensland Country under 17s beat City last season.
Jett Elich (Sunshine Coast Falcons)
Elich had an excellent campaign with the Sunshine Coast Falcons and produced plenty of cut and thrust on the edge for his side. The young centre also defended strongly and selection here will give him a great boost.
Zac Garton (Redcliffe Dolphins)
Another Wide Bay product, it is no secret why the Dolphins NRL Academy signed this edge forward after playing strongly for the Wide Bay Bulls last season. His game advanced this year, helping win the Meninga Cup premiership with Redcliffe and making our Meninga Team of the Season.
Elijah-Shane Tapau (Townsville Blackhawks)
A young giant, the edge back rower played a leading role in Townsville’s charge into last Sunday’s Meninga Cup grand final. Born and bred in the north, he is a powerhouse edge runner whose long reach allows him to free his hands and unload.
Michael Waqa (Redcliffe Dolphins)
Has there been a more improved forward in his age group in Queensland over the last 12 months. He always had ability, but with added fitness his game has gone from promising to consistently outstanding. The Albany Creek Crushers junior was one of the three best players on the field in the Meninga Cup grand final.
De La Salle Va’a (Sydney Roosters)
The St Mary’s College old boy was plucked from the Downs early by the Sydney Roosters scouts. Originally from Carl Webb country in Dalby, he is an athletic middle making inroads in the Roosters’ junior system.
Isiah Scanlan (Tweed Seagulls)
Scanlan is a prop every coach would love to have in their ranks. Out of the esteemed Palm Beach Currumbin SHS system, he is a tradesman and a winner. he is now pushing for a spot in the Tweed Hastings Deering Colts u21s Team. Signed with Titans for 2023 only at this stage, but plenty of interest being showed by other clubs at the moment.
Jamal Shibasaki (Townsville Blackhawks)
Shibasaki is an elite middle forward in his age group, strong and mobile who is a threat with every carry. He would have been among the first players chosen in this squad.
Jett Jackson (Tweed Seagulls)
Jackson is another from the successful PBC SHS system on the Gold Coast, a tall hard working forward whose selection here is reward for his efforts both at training and on the paddock. Every side would love to have a Jett Jackson. A PBC SHS starting front rower in Langer last year in Yr 11, he is currently unsigned by any NRL club.
Aholika Toia (Redcliffe Dolphins)
A Redcliffe SHS boy from North Lakes Kangaroos, Toia follows in the footsteps of his brother Rob in playing for Queensland. Like Waqa (see above) he is much improved middle forward and was part of our Super Seven selections for his effort in last Sunday’s grand final.
Matthew Watts (Mackay Cutters)
A towering front rower from St Pat’s, Watts is a North Queensland Cowboys Academy prospect and an exciting middle forward talent. Just wait until he grows into his frame.
Luke Adamson (Wide Bay Bulls)
A winger from the famous Wide Bay rugby league catchment, Adamson was a part of a spirited Bulls campaign during the Meninga season who worked hard coming out of his end. Selection in this squad rubber stamps him as a player of the future and he will relish training in this company.
Dominique Sandow (Ipswich Jets)
The nephew of former NRL match winning halfback Chris Sandow, Dominique has beautiful ball skills and can pick his moment to perfection when entering the front line in attack.
He’s got long strides, is a tall customer and plays the ball very quickly.
Kohen Briggs (Northern Pride)
The Cowboys-aligned outsideback shone in the Meninga Cup with the Northern Pride wearing the No. 1 after impacting the GPS First XV rugby season last year with Ipswich Grammar School. Briggs, who played wing for the Cowboys Young Guns pre-season, is a speedy customer with fleet of foot.
Israel Leota (Souths Logan Magpies)
Leota, a Logan product who attended GPS school Ipswich Grammar School, is a thrilling athletic prospect who can play in the centres or on thewing.
The towering Leota has an eye-catchingvertical leap which allows him to make Israel-Folau-like catches off his wing.
Tyreece Tait (Norths Devils)
A Queensland representative, the Norths Devils winger has a long stride, extreme pace and plenty of height which makes him a lethal finisher on the edge. From Wavell SHS, Tait made our Langer Trophy Team of the Year 2022.
Alton Naiyep (Ipswich Jets)
Naiyep, originally from PNG, was the best back in the Meninga Cup this year and as such, Manly swooped to snare him mid season.
Naiyep, a centre or winger who runs with purpose, was amember of Ipswich SHS’s unbeaten charge to win the national championship last year.
Karl Oloapu (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Arguably the hottest schoolboy talent of 2022, Oloapu, who shared the Langer Trophy Justin Hodges Medal for Player of the Year with Keano Kini, is a Benji Marshall clone with his pace and footwork creating endlesschances for his teammates.
He has been playing very well for the Canterbury Bulldogs inthe NSW Cup.
Stanley Huen (Melbourne Storm)
An Ipswich Hornets junior, Huen is a strong centre or half who has long impressed the Storm.
He also has subtle ball skills and plenty of pace,making the Ipswich Grammar Old Boy the complete package. He was a member of Souths Logan’s 2022 Meninga Cup winning squad before making a name for himself in the Storm Academy.
Coby Black (Wynnum Manly Seagulls)
The 2022 Queensland schoolboys under 18 halfback and the 2023 Marsden SHS captain, halfback ace Black is a kid with no shortage of tricks up his sleeve.
Under the coaching of Jesse Maclean at the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls, Black has blossomed into the best halves prospect in Queensland for his age.
Zac Herdegan (Norths Devils)
A Wavell SHS and Norths Devils young gun Herdgen, a Broncos development player, is an exciting halfback prospect whose older brother Corey and older sister Jayde play for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.
Cameron Bukowski (Wynnum Manly Seagulls)
Bukowski is a talented sportsman who scorescenturies in AIC First XI cricket for Villanova, and captains the Wynnum-Manly Mal Meninga under 18s.
A hooker, he can also kick goals and this Saturday he will play First XV rugby for his school.
Mitch Rogers (Redcliffe Dolphins)
His selection should surprise nobody given he was one of the Meninga Cup’s stat kings. The Padua College Old Boy and Canterbury signed rookie, who is a creative, attacking hooker, led the way with the most try assists (13) and the most line break assists (12) playing with the Dolphins.
Harry Armstrong (Wynnum Manly Seagulls)
Edge forward Harry Armstrong and Bryce (see below) were like peas in a pod for Wynnum in the Meninga Cup this year. They were driving forces on both sides of the ruck, with Armstrong a no-nonsense forward mover who was one of the Seagulls most consistent all year.
Larry Siala (Redcliffe Dolphins)
Siala played junior rugby league for the Norths Tigers and theIpswich Jets and this year he played lock for the Meninga Cup premiers Redcliffe.
A force in the middle, Siala is often one of the strongest looking players on the field.
Jett Bryce (Wynnum Manly Seagulls)
Bryce is a true blue, hard working edge forward from the Gold Coast (Keebra Park SHS) who his teammates must love playing beside. His aggression on defence is unrivalled, and his hard ball running laid the platform for a successful Meninga Cup campaign for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls. The Broncos signed youngster made our Meninga Cup team of the year.
Beni Allen (Wynnum Manly Seagulls)
He is another from the sporting rich Logan region who is an athletic second row or lock powerhouse who shone brightly in the impressive Wynnum-Manly under 18s team.
Broncos signed.
Bud Smith (Western Clydesdales)
He has a famous family bloodline (dad Jason and uncle Darren) but Bud is making his own way in the code following his selectionin the Under 18 Emerging Origin Squad. A Canterbury junior signing and Toowoomba Grammar product, he had a bumper season for the Clydesdales playing No. 13, although he performed a variety of roles on the field.
Mikael Ibrahim (Brisbane Tigers)
At No.13, he is a very experienced junior and natural leader who just played his second season of Meninga Cup after being the Tigers’ Player of the Season in the under 16s during 2021. The Tigers junior is also a two-time premiership winner with St Laurence’s College First XV, whose size and strength leaves little wonder as to why he is highly rated.
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