NRL blockbuster: Battle of Brisbane‘s race for schoolboy rugby league talent
Friday’s NRL Battle of Brisbane between the Broncos and Dolphins includes a race for Queensland’s elite league schoolboys. Here’s 30 of the best kids headed to either the Dolphins and the Broncos.
West
Don't miss out on the headlines from West . Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Battle for Brisbane is the talk of the town as the Broncos prepare to play the Dolphins in NRL’s clash of the unbeaten teams on Friday at Suncorp Stadium.
But there is another battle raging behind the scenes – it is for Queensland’s next best junior talent.
Obviously, the Broncos have had a 33 year start on the new chums and certainly haven’t lost their appeal to the younger generation. Just look at the talent we named below.
But there is no disputing the Dolphins recruitment staff have done a great job reeling in young schoolboy talent given the club only received its licence in October 21.
MENINGA CUP, CONNELL AND HRAVEY 19s ROUND 5 REPORT
Indeed when you consider the Broncos, Cowboys, Titans, Canterbury, the Roosters, Storm and South Sydney were entrenched in Queensland prior to their arrival, and took local juniors like Rob Toia, Liam Le Blanc and Karl Oloapu early on, the Dolphins recruitment group have moved mountains.
So who is some of the best schoolboy talent at both clubs?
RELATED LINKS
X-FACTOR PLAYERS OF THE MENINGA, CONNELL COMPS
ROOSTERS SIGN SCHOOLBOY; ROUND 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK
THE DOLPHINS
Ethan Grimshaw: The Nudgee College student has pace to burn. A fullback in the Norths Devils Connell Challenge under 16 side, he is both the state and national 100m sprint champion for his age group.
Braelan Marsh: The son of former Queensland State of Origin series winning hooker PJ Marsh is a No. 9 from the CQ Capras system. He attends St Brendan’s Yeppoon and along with Carter ford (see below), is a pin-up boy for the Dolphins who want its junior catchment to stretch well beyond the Sunshine Coast – and up into Central Queensland.
Carter Ford: Like Marsh, Ford is also from Central Queensland’s Capras and has just as impressive bloodlines – his dad is Origin hero and former Test forward Carl Webb. He attends St Brendan’s Yeppoon and is a powerful middle forward.
Taoso Taoso: Taoso is one of the babies of the Dolphins’s pod but the club’s scouts were delighted to beat a number of NRL clubs to his signature earlier in the year. An elite water player with the premiership winning UQ Barracudas, he is an athletic edge forward who should be a fine player once he grows into his frame. He has just been invited to join the under 16 waterpolo Australian side.
Kingston-Seve: The Keebra Park SHS fullback was the best player we saw during last season’s grand final day involving players from the Broncos Old Boys (Year 7) and Renouf Shield (Year 8). A tall, long striding player with great athletic ability.
James Grey: An Ipswich SHS student, Grey was second to Ethan Grimshaw (mentioned early) in the state but has not been seen in the Connell under 16 this season with the Jets because of injury. But when you have pace like he has, he is a talent.
Carter Welfare: From Harry Grant country, the Emu Park junior catchment east of Rockhampton, Welfare played for the Queensland under 15 schoolboys last season as a halfback and attends Nudgee College.
Mereki Warradoo and Charlie Dickson. This pair are prototypes when it comes to Dolphins recruitment. Both boys hail from the Moreton Bay club and both made the Queensland schoolboys No. 1 team last, Warradoo as an exciting fullback and Dickson has a No. 13 worth-a-holic with developing skills. Both boys attend Wavell SHS and should play Langer Trophy this season.
Benson Tau: Tau comes from one of the best junior regions in Australia – Logan City – and specifically Logan Brothers. He is a tall, long striding winger who is very, very good for his age group. He also played for the Queensland 15s last season.
Nixon Pasese: We have not seen Pasese this season yet due to injury, but he is a notable talent in the under 16 age group. A Nudgee student and Dolphins Connell Challenge registered player, the powerful prop also played for the Queensland under 16s last season.
Brian Pouniu: Pouniu is another true blue junior from the North Lakes Kangaroos. An edge forward, he captains the Redcliffe under 16 Connell side and also played for the Queensland under 15s last season.
Jiirus Halahala: Like Pasese, we have not seen this middle forward during the season so far due to injury, but he is an athletic middle who we can’t wait to watch play for Redcliffe SHS during the school season.
Nate Berrigan: Berrigan is a chip off the old block, a tough as teak middle or back rower who must be a dream to coach. A 2022 Queensland under 15 representative, his dad is former NRL player Barry and his uncle ex-Queensland State of Origin utility Shaun.
Kev Weribone: The Weribone name is well known in south Queensland country rugby league circles and the Dolphins have swooped to sign Kev, a winger of fullback from the Wide Bay Bulls.
THE BRONCOS
Coby Black: Broncos supporters will be excited to hear Black continues to progress this season. The 2022 Queensland schoolboys under 18 halfback, he is a kid with lots of skills – he just needed to learn when to pull the trigger on his plays. And he is doing just that under the coaching of Jesse Maclean at the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls.
Cameron Bukowski: Bukowski is a multi-talented sportsman who scored a century in AIC First XI cricket for Villanova on Saturday, and then captained the Wynnum-Manly Mal Meninga under 18s on the Sunday. A hooker, he can also kick goals and later this year will also play First XV rugby for his school – most likely as an inside centre. But hooker is his go in league.
Saxon Innes: Another from the Logan, southern Gold Coast catchment, Marsden SHS student Innes has genuine wheels. He has played a lot of wing, but went to another level playing fullback last season which really unlocked his attacking skills.
Jett Bryce: Bryce is a true blue, hard working edge forward from the Gold Coast who his teammates must love playing beside. He is an aggressive defender and hard runner from the renowned Keebra Park SHS catchment.
Beni Allen: It was a great complement to the Broncos that Allen, faced with the option of signing with the Gold Coast Titans, chose Brisbane which emphasises the club’s pulling power. He is another from the sporting rich Logan region who is an athletic No. 13 currently shining in the impressive Wynnum-Manly under 18s.
Marley McLaren: The jack-in-the-box halfback is a little ripper. A Palm Beach Currumbin SHS matchwinner, halfback McLaren is a great runner of the ball and excellent tactical kicker. He played for the Queensland under 15s last season and is currently with the Burleigh Bears in the Connell Challenge under 16s.
Tyreece Tait: Tait reminds some old timers of Darius Boyd as a junior. Boyd was of course a premiership winner with the Broncos and St George Illawarra and a Queensland Origin winger who feasted outside Greg Inglis. Tait will again play for Wavell SHS in the Langer Trophy after making the Queensland schoolboys under 18s last season.
Braithen Scott: The Darling Downs has been a happy hunting ground for the Broncos over the years, and their local talent scouts have not lost their touch by recommending Scott to the club. From St Mary’s College, he played halfback for the Queensland under 15 schoolboys last season but has been staring at fullback for the Western Clydesdales.
Jared Horne: Horne has been signed from the crack Wavell SHS catchment. A No. 13, he has been the Norths Devils best player this season with inspirational work with and without the ball. He is growing into his body and will be a handful during the school season. He is another who played for the Queensland 15s last season.
Fa’apale Feaunati: Yet another young Maroons’ representative, he is a very impressive young man who plays middle forward. Originally from the Gold Coast via Ipswich, the St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace student is a great pick-up by the Broncos.
Joseph Tupuse: Souths Logan under 16 coach Scott Bannan just can’t stop raving about this kid and it is not hard to work out why. The Queensland under 15 schoolboy centre is a powerhouse runner both from attack ball and coming out of his own end.
Te Iri Rudolph Mokaraka: A strong, athletic edge forward, Mokaraka will return to his rugby league roots this season when he plays school football with PBC SHS after previously attending The Southport School. He was another 2022 Queensland schoolboys under 15 team selection last season.
Ezekiel Jones: Jones is one of the club’s more recent signings from the Wynnum-Manly under 16 Connell Challenge side. He is a true blue Seagulls junior who has taken his game to another level playing No. 9 this season.
Lewis Symonds: The Dolphins may have two sprint champions – James Grey and Ethan Grimshaw – but the Broncos also have an athletic freak in Symonds. Symonds, who will play another edge of middle for Marsden SHS this season, won silver in the discus, hammer throw and shot putt during a medal frenzy at the All Schools track and field championships last December.
Footnote, Broncos:
While our story concentrates on next generation players, both club’s have some great term next generation players as well.
Broncos fans can expect to see a young gun hooker called Blake Mozer (Keebra Park SHS alumni), a head gear wearing, 183cm tall dummy half, make his debut sometime this season. He is a next generation NRL player for sure.
Israel Leota: One of the best athletes mentioned from any of our player highlighted above, Leota is another from the Logan region who has tremendous promise as a centre or winger. He is tall with all the skills and has now left IGS.
Footnote, Dolphins.
The Dolphins have their own teenager young gun, 2022 Australian schoolboys utility back Michael Roberts, the brother of Jimmy and Jet James Roberts from PBC SHS. He’s a good next generation player for the NRL’s new club.
They also have a very good prop Ryan Jackson (Wynnum-Manly junior) who will be learning off the Bromwich boys, Nicholls, Wallace and Tom Gilbert at training.
And Norths Devils junior Tory Bath is signed by the Dolphins. He played with the Queensland under 18 schoolboys last season.
Michael Waqa: Another 2022 school leaver, we heard about this Albany Creek Crushers junior several years ago and have been waiting for an NRL club to sign him. Once he gained fitness, it was the Dolphins who swooped to snare this hard hitting middle forward.
AIC AFL footy: Iona College hit jackpot by snaring ex-Lions skip
AIC AFL footy: Iona College has hit the Australian rules jackpot by snaring an ex-Lions captain, forming a coaching dream team for the school season starting in February. Story here.
Norths Devils Harvey 19s squad includes two NZ raiders
Harvey Norman U19 rugby league countdown: Norths Devils’ exciting squad includes two New Zealand raiders. Full story here along with the squad.