Langer Trophy Team of the Year announcement
Who has made our Langer Trophy Team of the Year? We reveal our all-star team here, along with the best super subs, utility players and blue collar workers of 2023.
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To celebrate another amazing schoolboy season of rugby league, we name our Langer Trophy Team of the Year.
The squad, which includes reserves, has seven members of the unbeaten Ipswich SHS which will play in the NRL National Schoolboys grand final against Patrician Brothers’ College Fairfield next Wednesday at Dolphin Oval.
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Apart from our Langer Trophy announcement, we also list our Discovery Players of the Year, alongside the best Super Subs and blue collar workers of 2023.
THE TEAM
Fullback
Keano Kini (PBC SHS)
The prince of fullbacks with blinding acceleration and deceptive power for his size. Signed by the Titans, Kini also tackles strongly in the last line and has the deft hands of a five-eight. He is rated by many good judges among the best schoolboy players in years.
Wing
Haizyn Mellars (Marsden SHS)
The athletic Mellars was a shining light who rose to represent both the Queensland schoolboys league team, and the state basketball under 18 side. He is the son of an NRL player (dad) and an Olympic basketballer (mum) and is explosive across the ground and in the air.
Centre
Tre Fotu (Ipswich SHS)
A Mack Truck sitting in the centres, the strongly built Fotu has had a winter of dreams. He helped Souths Logan win the Meninga Cup premiership, then helped Queensland win the national schoolboy championship before powering Ipswich SHS to its first ever Langer Trophy and its first ever Phil Hall Cup state final.
Centre
Michael Roberts (PBC SHS)
Roberts is a big match whiz whose chip and chase try and charge from dummy half were among the highest from the finals’ series. But he is also a defensive strongman, tough as teak who will relish training under Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins.
Wing
Tyreece Tait (Wavell SHS)
Another Queensland representative, Tait is an explosive runner. With a long stride he bounces along, springing from one stride to the next and seems to get quicker the more he moves. He looks the part and was an easy choice on the wing.
Five-eight
Karl Oloapu (Wavell SHS)
Along with Keano Kini, Oloapu was the best player in the competition. A five-eight, he could score himself, or create with long or short balls on either the open or blindsides. Signed by the Broncos, he formed a lethal combination with Tait. His crowning glory was being named Player of the National Carnival in July, a huge achievement given the quality of players attending.
Halfback
Joshua Lynn (PBC SHS)
The quiet achiever of the Langer competition who was at the helm when the Queensland schoolboys won the national carnival. Lynn never over plays his hand and takes the right option 19 out of 20 times. The Parramatta-signed halve has all the tricks, including a killer kicking game.
No.13
Arama Hau (Keebra Park SHS)
Hau hits the line alongside Ipswich SHS captain Josh Pahulu (see below) as the finest forward in the competition this season. A big man with skill, he was superb with his footwork and ball skills all season, including for the Queensland schoolboys when he earned Aussie schoolboy selection. The sky’s is the limit for his big mobile middle forward who has the agility of an edge forward.
Second row
Chris Faagutu (Marsden SHS)
Another Queensland and Australian schoolboy, Faagutu capped another grand season by making his senior Q-Cup rugby league debut for Souths Logan 10 days again - when he scored a try. Another Meninga Cup premiership winner from Souths Logan, he is a little like Hau in that he is a No.13 with the footwork, pace and power of an edge forward - which is where we named him.
Second row
Seth Nikitemo (Keebra Park SHS)
A little like Joshua Lynn (see above), Seth Nikitemo was a little understated this year but was a thorough professional who got the job done for both the Queensland schoolboys and the Keebra Park SHS Langer side. He was also a leader who stood up following the transition of life after the star hooker of 2021, Blake Mozer. Nikitemo joins Hau and Immanuel Kalekale in being signed by the Gold Coast Titans.
Prop
Immanuel Kalekale (Keebra Park SHS)
The Gold Coast Titans also have this man mountain, Kalekale, who along with Seth Nikitemo and Hau have been given upgraded contracts, so impressive were they this season. Another Queensland schoolboys player, Kalekale’s season was cut short by injury and sorely missed by Keebra Park during the business end of the season.
Hooker
Tommy Luhrman (Ipswich SHS)
Good things come to those that wait and Luhrman’s final year as an Ipswich SHS rugby league representative has been a dream come true. So well did he play this season, the Ipswich SHS coaches left Luhrman as the starting dummy half despite Gabriel Satrick earning Australian schoolboy selection. Luhrman enjoyed the faith in him, rising to create a try in the Langer grand final.
Prop
Josiah Pahulu (Ipswich SHS), Captain
We named Pahulu captain of our Langer Trophy Team of the Year. Signed by the Gold Coast, Pahulu is an explosive No.13 with tremendous power that he uses both carrying the ball and also in defence. Another Australian schoolboy selection, Pahulu’s try in the Langer grand final was one of the great four pointers scored by a front rower in a big match.
Reserves:
Gabriel Satrick (Ipswich SHS)
If Luhrman thinks his dreams have come true, what must his dummy half mate Gabriel Satrick be thinking. With explosive speed Satrick has lit up the schoolboy scene this season after arriving at Ipswich SHS last year from Yarrabah in FNQ. Satrick’s haul of achievements included winning the Player of the Match when Queensland schoolboys won the national championship, and he would have been named Phil Hall Cup man of the match had it been awarded.
Alex Leapai (Mabel Park SHS)
Leapai has had such a good season, we seriously considered naming him in the First XIII. But the kid won’t be disappointed with his placement here. A huge Year 11 student who plays prop, Leapai scored five or six tries himself, but created countless other attacking raids with passes in tackles. His go forward was also unmatched.
Oliva Iaulualo (Ipswich SHS)
Oliva Iaulualo has been a massive player on the edge for Ippy, with his imposing frame challenging opponents and his passing skills in contact coming to the fore. Contracted by the Canterbury Bulldogs, Iaulualo was a 2021 15 years Queensland player and will challenge for the state 18 years side next season.
Tyler Peckham-Harris (Ipswich SHS)
Talk about a golden patch of form. Peckham-Harris has been the sensation of the finals’ series, with his two try effort in the semi-final a moment he and his family will cherish. He may be a little man, but so was Ipswich SHS’s most famous old boy - Allan Langer - and look how that turned out. Peckham-Harris uses his build to his advantage by ducking and weaving, dancing and stepping at the line. But his form is no flash in the pan after we named him in our Meninga Cup Team of the Year in May.
RELATED LINKS
DOLPHINS SIGN SCHOOLBOY RUGBY STAR
LANGER, WALTERS CUP GRAND FINAL MATCH DAY REPLAYS HERE
Coby Black (Marsden SHS)
The talented half will be oh so much better next year after his first season of senior school footy. He had a big year, coming off the bench for the winning Queensland schoolboys side and rising with the tide as Marsden SHS recovered from a slow start to challenge. He’s a kid with a lot of skills. He just has to choose when to pull the trigger on them.
Will Taylor (PBC SHS)
We must admit he was one of our crowd favourites this season. Injury robbed him of 2021, but he made up for lost time with his left edge effort players both with and without the ball. A Wayne Bennett-Jack Gibson-Craig Bellamy type player, Taylor left nothing in the tank.
Jack Laing (Ipswich SHS)
He is no Flash Dan but gosh he is a footballer. When you have strikers like Oliva Iaulualo, Gabriel Satrick and Josiah Pahulu, you need a glue player in the middle and this bloke is your man. He is a clone of former Queensland Origin players and premiership winners David Stagg (Broncos, Canterbury) and Scott Sattler (Penrith) who proved with hard work, anything is possible.
K-ci Whare (Coombabah SHS)
The towering prop showed the way in a side which struggled to gain parity with the competition heavyweights, but which never threw in the towel - and Whare’s leadership would have been a reason why.
Guy Visachi-Waerehu (Redcliffe SHS)
Visachi arrived on the Peninsula at the start of the year from New Zealand just hoping to impress enough to gain an NRL contract not for himself, but for his family. And with a huge heart, toughness and skill, the Redcliffe SHS fullback achieved that when the Canberra Raiders came knocking.
Isiah Scanlan (PBC SHS)
Along with Reico Ratana, Scanlan was an unsung hero of the PBC SHS pack. He was no front row giant, but he was tough, hardened by last season’s experience and proved a real lea
der of a working man’s pack.
Special mentions
We would have loved to have squeezed these boys into our side.
Lewis Symonds (Coombabah SHS)
Coombabah SHS have a good one here. Unfortunately the Brisbane Broncos signed edge forward had his season cut short by injury which is the only reason he did not make the squad, but before he became an absentee he was tremendous for Coombabah who sorely missed him in the last third of the season.
Dorian Lotaki (Keebra Park SHS)
Lotaki is an explosive, strongly built centre in the Tre Fotu (Ipswich SHS) mould who terrorised opposition teams from start to finish, almost getting Keebra Park SHS back on track in the closing minutes of the semi-final effort against PBC SHS.
Kyen Murphy (Coombabah SHS)
An astute signing by the Parramatta Eels, Murphy was a real “roll your sleeves up and let’s get the job done’’ type of edge forward. Capable of also filling in at centre, Murphy was outstanding and would have been the perfect example to the young Coombabah SHS side during the season.
Blue collar workers awards
Ahmani Leilua (Ipswich SHS)
Damascus Neemia (Wavell SHS)
Jieye Mauai (Marsden SHS)
Wailer Whaiapu (Keebra Park SHS)
Boston Riggs-Albert (Coombabah SHS)
Jett Jackson (PBC SHS)
Loka Toia (Redcliffe SHS)
Braden Teuila (Marsden SHS)
Cayleb Johnson (Ipswich SHS)
Ultimate tradesmen
James Frazer (Ipswich SHS)
Kane Garland (Coombabah SHS)
Reico Ratana (PBC SHS)
Mou Taumaletila-Maulolo (Marsden SHS)
Cooper Cambey (PBC SHS)
Jalen Afamasaga (Ipswich SHS)
Julian Drinnen (Mabel Park SHS)
Xavier Sofeni (Ipswich SHS)
Shannon Donaldson (Coombabah SHS)
Most improved
Apa Twidle (Marsden SHS)
Blake Forder (PBC SHS)
Eli Tuli (Keebra Park SHS)
Marley Lupeomanu (Mabel Park SHS)
Tarawa Latu (Mabel Park SHS)
Blake Kehl (Redcliffe SHS)
Ethan Jones (Wavell SHS)
Best super subs
Gabriel Satrick (Ipswich SHS)
Rene Bagon (Ipswich SHS)
Bailey McConnell (PBC SHS)
Loko Tonga (Ipswich SHS)
Best utility
Jayden Alefaio (Redcliffe SHS)
Anton Naiyep (Ipswich SHS)
Best Discovery Players
Lautato Salei (Wavell SHS)
Zane Harrison (PBC SHS)
Guy Waerehu (Redcliffe SHS)
Joven Gyemore (Ipswich SHS)
Josh Callaghan (Wavell SHS)
Barney Litidamu (PBC SHS)
Po Hotere-Papalii (Wavell SHS)
Ben Uini (Wavell SHS)
Most unlucky (injury)
John Fineanganofo (Redcliffe SHS)
Caleb Jackson (Ipswich SHS)
Speed machines
Tyreece Tait (Wavell SHS)
Joven Gyemore (Ipswich SHS)
Jett Forbes (PBC SHS)
Kulu Baruani (Ipswich SHS)
Ryan McCann (Coombabah SHS)
Happy Hookers Club
Jai Camilleri (Wavell SHS)
Jacob Tinsley (Marsden SHS)
Jack Cameron (Redcliffe SHS)
Tanu Nona (PBC SHS)
Tyrell Waaka-Rhind (Wavell SHS)
Braydan Wong (Coombabah SHS)
Daytona Tupuhi-Taoho (Mabel Park SHS)
Good to see him back club
Will Semu (Marsden SHS)
Will Taylor (PBC SHS)
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