Langer, Walters Cup sons (and brothers) of guns.
Here’s 25 sons – or brothers – of NRL and sporting guns who will feature in Langer Trophy, Walters Cup and schoolboy league finals from Tuesday.
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They are the sons – or brothers and in some cases daughters of guns who have featured in the Langer Trophy, Walters Cup and associated school rugby league competitions across the south east this season.
Ahead of a bumper month of finals – starting on Tuesday with the eight News Corp live streamed NRL Schoolboys Cup knockout quarterfinals – we feature the Sons (and Brothers) of Guns.
WATCH THE QUARTER FINAL LIVE STREAMS AND REPLAYS HERE
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS
Sam Stephenson: A big, strapping Walters Cup centre, Stephenson is the son of Paul Stephenson, the ex-Manly and Sharks player who now works at Titans.
Stephensen played up in his age group to play in one Langer Trophy match against Redcliffe and did not look out of place.
Bailey McConnell: A halfback or hooker at PBC SHS, Bailey is the son of Brent McConnell who played with the Cowboys (three games) and who is also a former PBC SHS halfback (1998).
Will Saunders: The name Saunders is very well known on the Gold Coast and across the border town where Don played for both the Gold Coast Seagulls and South Queensland Crushers). His son Will is a hooker or halve at PBC SHS.
Baylen Donald: The PBC SHS back rower is the son of Brad Donald, the Jillaroos Coach)
RELATED LINKS
WATCH THE REPLAY OF MARYMOUNT’S WIN HERE
SALEI’S 11000KM TRIO TO PLAY IN THE LANGER TROPHY
SPEED DEMONS OF THE LANGER TROPHY
Michael Roberts: The Queensland and Australian schoolboys rugby league centre, the Dolphins-signed Roberts is a PBC SHS Langer gun who is the brother of NRL speedster James Roberts (currently Wests Tigers)
Marsden SHS
Lui Lee: Lee was arguably the best performed Queensland centre at the Australian schoolboy championships across the 15 years and 18 years division. Broncos’ signed, he is the brother of Dolphins bound centre and 2020 Origin series winning hero Brenko, and Edrick’s cousin.
Haizyn Mellars: Now here’s a talent. It is little wonder the Marsden SHS and Queensland schoolboys winger is a multi-talented sportsman. After all his father Vince played NRL for the Warriors, Roosters, Sharks while his basketball playing mum Charmian was a 2008 Beijing Olympic New Zealand representative and a Commonwealth Games silver medallist. He is signed by South Sydney.
Cody Hamilton: Hamilton has been a reason for Marsden’s revival in the Langer Trophy which does not surprise. His older brother is Guy Hamilton who, while not an NRL player, has been an elite Super Cup campaigner considered by good judges to be up to NRL standard.
Adaquix Luke: Marsden SHS have another good one here in the versatile Luke, son of South Sydney and Warriors Test great Isaac Luke.
Lilli Lewis: The 2021 14-15 years Queensland girls’ merit side selection, Lilli Lewis is the daughter of schoolboy Langer Trophy prodigy Aaron Lewis. She is a natural with vision and touch you can’t teach.
RELATED LINKS
IPSWICH SHS’S STUNNING LATE WIN REPLAY
Footnote: The younger brother of Queensland 2020 Origin series winning hero and current Dragons footballer Jaydn Su’a plays rugby league in Year 7 at Marsden.
Marymount College
Cooper Bai and Philip Coates
Talk about sons of guns. Marymount College has two of the biggest surnames, Bai and Coates. Cooper’s dad Marcus Bai was a PNG international and 1999 premiership winning winger with the Melbourne Storm while Philip Coates’ is the younger brother of Queensland Origin and Storm star Xavier Coates. Both boys play centre.
There is actually a third father-son link, Footnote: Marymount will play in the quarterfinals after winning the Titans Schools League.
Wavell SHS
Amos Tuialli and Mark Tuialli: The cousins from the Redcliffe Peninsula know each other’s games well as they played centre in both the Langer and for the Dolphins. Asked is if it was a great achievement to be playing together, Mark boldly joked: “Yes, for him it is.’’
“It is good to see the young bloke coming up,’’ Mark added. Amos said it was a
great feeling’’ to have played Langer with his older cousin. “It has made the family proud.’’
Arthur Fitness: Injured (knee) robbed Fitness of his dream Langer Trophy season, but fortunately not before he debuted for Wavell SHS as a run-on halfback. His dad is Gavin Fitness, the personal batting coach of cricketer Chris Lynn and a former Queensland Sheffield Shield gloveman who once scored 70 at the Adelaide Oval.
Redcliffe SHS
Aholoka Toia: Aholoka’s brother, Rob, is widely known in schoolboy circles and is rated by us as one of the best three schoolboys currently playing in Queensland. Although now injured, Rob is a centre star with Nudgee who played for the Queensland State of Origin under 19 rugby league team last month.
His brother, Aholoka, was a very good prop in the Langer this season and his performance against Wavell SHS in round 6 almost contributed to Redcliffe winning its first game of the season.
Keebra Park SHS
Josh Donovan: Donovan is a new addition to Keebra Park in the Walters Cup and has impressed everyone with his raw natural ability. An elusive fullback, the Grafton Ghosts product is the cousin of NRL star Dane Laurie (Wests Tigers)
Dorian Lotaki and Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki: The brothers are a dynamic Langer Trophy duo for Keebra Park SHS and how proud the family must be to have two in the prestigious Keebra Park SHS Langer side. If Keebra are on the front foot, the boys as dangermen men with a capital D.
Ryder Williams
Ryder is a New Zealand boy who now calls the Gold Coast home. He plays for Keebra Park’s Walters Cup team and his dad is former NRL player Jason Williams.
Ebony and Skyla Raftstrand-Smith: They don’t come too much better than these sisters from the Keebra Titans’ Schools League competition. Ebony is an Australian schoolgirl representative who helped the first ever Queensland schoolgirls rep team to defeat their NSW counterparts at Suncorp Stadium last month. The girls’ older sister, Tiane, is a member of the Titans NRLW side and Queensland Origin player.
The Mikaele family: Western Tigers 110kg prop Thomas Mikaele, a 2019 graduate of Keebra, has a younger brother in the Keebra Park SHS rugby league program.
Mabel Park SHS
Alex Leapai: The young front row giant who is bound for the Sydney Roosters will make our Langer Trophy Team of the Year with ease. A year 11 student, he is the son of former boxer Alex senior who once fought for the world heavbyweight championship. As a schoolboy Alex senior was also a Cowboys signed prospect.
Ipswich SHS
Shalom Sausao
Shalom Sausao is such a good player, it is likely her older brother Samson, a 2021 Langer player, will soon be known as Shalom’s big brother – and not the other way around. The year 10 student spent the off-season training with the full Super W Reds’ squad.
TUESDAY’S LIVE STREAM SCHEDULE
NRL Schoolboys Cup quarterfinals
11am: Ipswich SHS vs Coombabah SHS
12.30pm: Palm Beach Currumbin SHS vs Mabel Park SHS
2pm: Keebra Park SHS vs Marymount College
3.30pm: Marsden SHS vs Wavell SHS
Then on August 17-18, stay tuned for the www.couriermail.com.au, the Gold Coast Bulletin and News’ affiliates streaming the Langer reserve and Walters Cup semi-finals, and then the grand finals on August 14.
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