LANGER TROPHY: What we learnt, six of the best
LANGER TROPHY: What we learnt and six of the best things to come out of round 1. Plus, a link to watching all the replays we livestreamed.
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With round 1 of the Langer Trophy played yesterday, what were six of the best things we learnt to come out of the start of the 2021 elite schoolboy season?
Marsden SHS winger Teapo Stoltman scored four tries and his skipper Chris Faagutu produced a captain’s knock to score three tries and deliver a knock out punch in beating Keebra Park SHS 36-nil.
In other matches, the first upset of the competition happened when St Mary’s College downed Wavell SHS 18-16.
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And at North Ipswich Reserve, Palm Beach Currumbin 44 beat Ipswich State High 12 while Coombabah SHS 44 defeated newcomers Mabel Park SHS 12.
The Courier-Mail, Gold Coast Bulletinand News Corp Australia affiliates are live-streaming the Langer Trophy, Walters Cup and Langer Reserves games. That is at least 10-12 games each round - plus access to the Payne Cup on top of that.
SIX OF THE BEST
Maclean’s babes to Matthew’s men
Marsden SHS’s Langer Cup babes from 2020 are men in 2021. Last season 2020 coach Jesse Maclean brought through a host of rookies from the school’s crack 2019 Walters Cup outfit. Last night new coach Matthew Hartigan felt the benefit of experience and the likes of Leon Ta Hau, Teapo Stoltman, Kienan Tempest, Lance Fualema, Tyree Bowman, Chris Faagutu and Taelon Te-Whiu Hopa gathered. And last night we saw very little of one of the best of the lot - Will Semu.
And the running game of Marsden SHS captain and No.13 Faagutu was a revelation, while halves Cassius Cowley and Jayden Stilinovich-Watene were fine links to unlocking the backline, with Cowley showing the benefits of a hard Meninga Cup campaign under Maclean in club land (Wynnum Manly).
Blake Mozer has got it
It took just one set of six midway through the first half to emphasis the class of this Brisbane Broncos’ signed dummy half. The manner in which the Keebra Park SHS captain orchestrated a set of six attacking the Marsden SHS tryline was worth our subscription fee to watch the matches livestreamed all on its own.
He went left and right, long and short and back on the inside with passes, once even moving to his right then quickly swivelling around behind him to pick up a runner on the other side of the field running at pace. Without getting carried away, it was appropriate the young bloke was performing in front of the Cameron Smith Grandstand packed with onlookers.
Saints can go marching in
St Mary’s College’s first round ambush win of Wavell SHS sends a message to the competition. The majority of the Wavell SHS players were coming of helping Met North win the 16-18 years state titles last week.
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But lead by Brisbane Broncos-signed front row prospect Xavier Va’a, St Mary’s came from 10-nil down and again from a second half deficit to score a late win. It is good for the competition to have St Mary’s strong, because Wavell are a strong side.
Coombabah SHS has depth
When you lose some players in the days leading up to a match, and then your fullback, outside back and halfback during the game - yet still cover those losses - you know you have a team with depth. That is exactly what happened to Coombabah SHS in the school’s return to the Langer Trophy after a five year absence in beating newcomers Mabel Park SHS 44-12.
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This was supposed to be a development year for Year 11 student Jhett Pilcher, but he came off the bench and played for long periods yesterday due to the injury crisis. And interchange player Dwayne Ckwan-Fuimaono played everywhere from prop to winger, displaying amazing versatility. “The most pleasing thing was we executed what we trained and prepared for,’’ said Coombabah coach Sam Meskell. “There was only a 10 minutes period when we did not play our style of footie.’’
Alarm bells sound as PBC emerge on horizon - again
No Oskar Bryant. No Deine Mariner. No Tom Weaver. No problems. Last year’s state finalists were without its star hooker and inform centre, but still got the job done 44-12 over Ipswich SHS in Ipswich. Jett Forbes raced in three tries as the PBC machine got rolling around halfback Josh Lynn while Bryant’s starting replacement Tanu Nona was outstanding.
Keebra Park will be back
Oh they will be back, don’t worry. Yes Keebra Park SHS was beaten 36-nil by Marsden SHS last night, but Keebra Park were not at full strength. And Marsden SHS will admit the scoreline was bigger than it seemed in reality. It was just 4-nil until 60 seconds before halftime, with Keebra Park defence outstanding. They were also threatening with the ball - it is just Marsden SHS were in such a mood defensively, it would have been like cracking through the old Berlin Wall. Keebra Park SHS will be back.
Round two will be played next Tuesday due to State of Origin, and will feature more blockbusters.
Wavell SHS v Coombabah SHS
Mabel Park SHS v Keebra Park SHS
St Marys SHS v PBC SHS
Ipswich SHS v Marsden SHS
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