The 60 speed demons lighting up the Meninga, Connell and Harvey 19s
The daughter of a Broncos legend and a state sprint champion are among the 60 fastest junior league footballers in the Meninga Cup, Connell and Harvey 19s. Full list here.
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Rugby league legend Jack Gibson, the original master coach, once said of Cronulla Sharks flyer Andrew Ettingshausen. “He’s so quick he can turn off the light and be in bed before it’s dark.”
That was in 1988, and 25 years later rugby league is still producing its speed demons such as NRL stars Josh Addo-Carr, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and co.
So who were the next generation quicksilver league players in our own Meninga Cup under 18s, the Connell Challenge under 16s and Harvey Norman under 19 girls competition?
Here’s 60 players who, if you blink, you will miss.
MENINGA CUP
Townsville Blackhawks
Teke Mene:
Blink and you might miss this fellow. He was recently clocked at 36.4kph in a pre-season trial game – not that statistic will surprise anyone who has observed him in junior league. We all know he is really fast.
Wide Bay Bulls
Adam Khan:
The Bulls winger or centre, Khan is a true live wire in every sense. He has electrifying pace and turn of foot, a player that can make something out of nothing. He is really quick.
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Tom Morcom:
Morcom is one of the Bulls’ flagship players, strong and fast with a great game sense. He rises to the occasion every time and the bigger the game, the better he plays. He is still only 16 playing in an under 18s competition.
TWEED SEAGULLS
Mason Barber:
A fullback, Barber is one of those runners who looks as though he is doing it effortlessly.
Bailey Simpson:
Simpson is not a big winger, but boy oh boy doesn’t he make up for it in speed.
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Finn Lawson and Clive McCormack:
The Falcons were blessed to have two players with genuine wheels, livewire fullback Finn Lawson and instinctive winger Clive McCormack.
Brisbane Tigers
Samson Tuqiri and Josh Tokam:
It is no surprise to see the name Samson Tuqiri offered up as one of the Tigers speed machines. After all he has pace in the bloodstream – his dad is the former dual international and two-time premiership winner Lote, and his grandfather was an outstanding club rugby union winger. But he does not have a mortgage on pace. Josh Tokam also has genuine pace when he starts motoring:
CQ Capras
Mutua Brown:
It is little wonder the Cowboys found signing Brown appealing. He is a natural athlete with a effortless running style
Centre Ryder Huth and Tommy Green:
Huth is a slashing runner with a deceptive swerve while five-eighth Tommy Green is electric off the mark, a footballer with great step off either foot.
Redcliffe Dolphins
John-Paul Donevski:
Signed by the Dolphins, John Paul Donevski is from St Dominic’s College, Fairfield. The fullback lit up round 1 of the Meninga Cup with a stunning debut performance behind a dominant forward pack.
Tauave Leofa:
Five-eight Leofa is quick on his feet and lightning over a short distance. He is a real excitement machine.
Souths Logan
Ryan McCann:
The Logan Brothers player of the year (under 16s, Div 1), is speedy for sure. Coming off a Langer Trophy campaign last season with Coombabah SHS, and a bumper club season with Brothers, watch for McCann to influence games as the season progresses.
Israel Leota is also very dangerous on the wing, possessing strength, speed and a mighty high jump which, when paired with his towering figure and wingspan, makes him a handful to handle.
Burleigh Bears
Waaka Hepi:
He is not a backline finisher, but an extremely quick middle forward. The headgear wearing Keebra Park SHS product is very motivated and one of the hardest workers in the team with great leg speed for a big bloke.
Wynnum-Manly
Saxon Inness and Jeremy Trappett:
Inness has genuine wheels, having impacted schoolboy football for seasons playing for Marsden SHS. Signed by South Sydney, the outside back is Wynnum’s quickest, alongside Trappett. Fullback Trappett is the 2022 Queensland schoolboy who moves effortlessly across Kougari Oval.
Northern Pride
Liam O’Brien and Kohen Briggs:
From the famous Cairns Kangaroos club, fullback Liam O’Brien and Kohen Briggs were easy Pride’s quickes. Briggs, a centre, has been identified by the Cowboys as a player to monitor.
Norths
Tyreece Tait:
The Devils may have a real speed machine here. Tait is Mr Natural when it comes to pace. He has a long stride and seems to bounce along, generating speed with ease, getting quicker and quicker with every stride.
Ipswich Jets
Alton Naiyep:
This bloke scores tries for fun. The Norths Ipswich’s best and fairest in 2022 is loving life closer to the action at centre where his speed is troubling opponents. He was a member of last season’s all-conquering Ipswich SHS side where he played mainly on the wing.
CONNELL CHALLENGE
CQ Capras
Jake Murphy, Tyler Melrose:
The Capras were well catered for when it comes to speed, with centre Jake Murphy leading the way to the finishing tap. He has both electric acceleration and blistering top speed. “Jake will be hard to stop if he finds even half a space,’’ said coach Duane Carpenter.
Halfback Tyler Melrose combines his speed, dummy and step which makes him very dangerous when he is playing at the line. He is never afraid to take the line on.
Jake Oberhardt: The front rower or local is deceptively fast for a middle forward. “He uses his leg speed to constantly bend or break the defensive line,’’ said coach Carpenter.
Mackay Cutters
Toby Woodall:
You can’t teach what Brothers junior Toby Woodall has. It’s genuine pace. “He has speed to burn,’’ said his coach Andrew Battaia. He comes from the famous league nursery of St Patrick’s College.
Burleigh Bears
Seth Gundry: The schoolboy and junior representative fullback has had a huge start to the season featuring all parts of his game, including courage operating in the middle third. But at the end of the day, it is great to have pace and Gundry has that in spades.
Townsville Blackhawks
Lincoln Baker: The brother of McKenzie Baker who’s been in a few NRL systems, Baker has a few strings to his bow and can play several positions and roles. But the bottom line is he has pace, something money can’t buy.
Ipswich Jets
Leroy Charles and Conrad Browne:
Redbank Plains junior Leroy Charles and Brothers Ipswich product Browne give Ipswich Jets plenty of speed, with Charles’ incursions from fullback sending alarm bells ringing in opposition defences. Browne is a splendid finisher on the wing.
Footnote: The Jets also have another flyer in their system, James Gray, who places at All Schools Track and Field 100m events. The Dolphins contracted speedster is injured at the moment.
Western Clydesdales
Braithen Scott, Joey Litadamu and Eamon Malone:
The Clydesdales have plenty of toe out wide, with roving fullback Scott using his evasive skills around the ruck while Malone, a former touch football ace, and Toowoomba Valleys centre Litadamu were threats on the edge.
Tweed Seagulls
Ryder Bodley:
Bodley, from the famous Helensvale Hornets club, is a lightning fast centre who the Gold Coast Titans were motoring, while Boston Hubbard is a flyer on the wing.
Redcliffe Dolphins
Dustin Appo:
Redcliffe have never been short of pace, stretching way back to Kevin Yow Yeh in the 1960s, Brian Gardner in the 1970s, Mark Schultz in the 1980s, and the likes of
Aaron Barba and Trent Leis during the Q-Cup era. And now they have Dustin Appo. A Redcliffe junior, the kid works hard on the field and can really motor.
Souths Logan
Benson Tau:
The Dolphins have recognised this natural talent who hails from the Logan Brothers club. Over 100m he wins the club sprint hands down, but over 50m both Adaquix Luke and Levi-James Bannan have a terrific turn of speed in them.
Norths Devils
Ethan Grimshaw:
Norths probably have the fastest player in the under 16 competition in this Nudgee College fullback. After all, he is Queensland’s fastest 100m for his age group (14 years) at track and field meets. His Norths teammate and fellow Nudgee student Cooper McInnerney, a Queensland schoolboys league player last season, can also motor.
Redcliffe
Mereki Warradoo:
What an exciting prospect both Wavell SHS – and the Dolphins – have in Warradoo. The smooth moving fullback was Man of the Series for the Queensland under 15 Maroons side last year and will be one to watch this season.
Brisbane Tigers
Saia Poese:
The young Tigers fullback is a real mover and shaker on the speed front. He has endurance – the kid ran for more than 200m in his recent clash against Tweed Seagulls – but he can also motor when it comes to a foot race.
Wynnum-Manly
Majah-Jose Peachey:
When you play in the forwards and you have pace, then you have that little bit of x-factor. And Peachey has that extra string to his bow, serious wheels for an edge forward.
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Kalan Beattie:
Beattie is easily the Falcons fastest. He even has the swagger and earrings to fit the speed demon stereotype.
He can fly in open space.
HARVEY NORMAN under 19s
Burleigh Bears
Fullback Bella Thompson and winger Zali Bettridge share the spoils as the Bears quickest.
U19s coach Spencer Taplin couldn’t split the two, but he said he loves the extra bit of pace the two offer in their respective positions.
Tweed Seagulls
Ava Swain:
Swain won praise for her defence last weekend and has shown glimpses of speed when she gets opportunities in open play. But the foundation of her football is not pace, but her great attitude at training.
Mackay Cutters
Jennifer Kimber:
She plays the game extremely hard and tough, but if she breaks the first tackle there is a big chance she goes all the way.
Western Clydesdales
Taylor Logan and Jessica Fitzgibbon:
It looks like it is dead heat up on the Darling Downs, with coach Russell Jones unable to split these two quicksilver talents. “It is impossible to split them,’’ he said.
Ipswich Jets
Relna Hosea:
Queensland representative and Titans academy player Relna Hosea gives the Jets an extra dimension to their game with her pace. She was a member of last year’s historic state schoolgirls side which beat NSW at Suncorp Stadium.
Townsville Blackhawks
Ashlyn Hoey and Ana Malupo: “It is a toss up,’’ said coach Rob Hall of his two quicksilver runners.
Souths Logan Magpies
Watch out for Jaydika Tafau. Coach Warren Bernardin also loves her “great attitude’’ and training ethic’’. That, along with her knowledge of the game and pace, make her a danger player.
Wynnum-Manly Seagulls
Destiny Mino-Sinapati and Charlotte Vandermeer:
There’s no doubt Seagull Mino-Sinapati possesses scorching speed. So far this season the fleet-footed fullback has racked up four tries in three games, with a double on Saturday helping down the Magpies 26-6. Lurking on the wing is Vandermeer, who also has speed to burn.
Norths Devils
Ava Walters and Tayla Sykes:
Five-eighth Sykes not only has great IQ but she has a signature step, which, when followed by her fast pace, makes her lethal. It’s the same story for centre Walters who is lightning off the mark.
She is the daughter of five time Broncos premiership winner and head coach Kevin.
It would take something special to catch one of these two in open space.
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Kate Ellem:
Falcons flyer Kate Ellem scored two impressive long-distance tries at the weekend in the Sunshine Coast’s 64-4 victory over the Bulls. To put it simply the centre is an outstanding prospect.
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