Meninga, Connell Cups and Harvey 19’s player selection highlights
Players selection highlights from all 42 junior league teams playing round 2 of the Meninga Cup, Connell Challenge and Harvey 19s this weekend.
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The teams were in for round 2 of the Meninga Cup, Connell Challenge under 16s and Harvey Norman under 19 girls and here we present some key selection highlights ahead of our continuing coverage this weekend.
ROUND 1 TEAMS OF THE WEEK HERE
SELECTION HIGHLIGHTS
MENINGA CUP
Tweed Seagullsv Brisbane Tigers
Tweed’s middle was in good hands with PBC SHS pair Jett Jackson and Isaiah Scanlan leading the charge alongside Jac Williams and Tom Summer, one of the squad’s best last season.
Seagulls utility Mason Barber can play anywhere from No. 1 to No. 13 with ease, but finds a home at the back for game one. He is fast, strong and mobile.
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Tigers: Hayden Miller and Riki Turner have been added to the first round squad, an outfit which bristles with backline talent such as Jackson Rose, Maika Poese, Tyrese Tovao, Joshua Tokam, Mark Nosa, and Maddox McLean. All will be better for the loss to Norths Devils.
Tweed’s Jake Lateo has been given the honour of captaining the side. After cooling his heels last year in the PBC SHS reserves, Lateo has a chance he has been craving.
Jiale Litidamu: The Fijian powerhouse has a Langer Trophy foundation after playing many matches for the strong PBC SHS outfit last season.
Norths v Wynnum-Manly
D’Metrius Iose comes onto the interchange bench while the Devils’ early selections have Jordan Kake and Kohen Smith on the Norths’ reserves list.
A Met East representative Cooper Hersom has been added to the Wynnum-Manly squad.
Watch for the fullback shoot out between 2022 Queensland schoolboys teammates Jeremy Trappett (Wynnum) and Tyreece Tait (Norths).
Mackay v Northern Pride
They are back. It is Mackay’s good fortune to have halfback Jaxon Purdue, hard working winger Bailey Sanderson, impact centre Kai Simon and elite hooker Xavier Kerrisk all back this season.
With Mareeba SHS product Cain Hastie and Braithan Ketchell as back rowers, and Malanda SHS product Tait Coghlan touching the ball more than anyone in the side, the Pride will be in good hands for their season opener.
Wide Bay Bulls v the Clydesdales
Wide Bay have been down a few dry gullies over the last two seasons, greatly disadvantaged by distance which erodes team training sessions. But with one of the centre’s of 2022, Thomas Morcom, halfback Dawson Hess and forward Noah Law holding the lantern for their teammates, expect plenty of spirit and effort again.
Without putting too much pressure on him, watch for Dalby product Lyucian King-Togia to impact matches this season from dummy half playing for the Clydesdales. Toowoomba strike centres Bailey Nash and Luke Cesari will be the target for passing movements.
Souths Logan v Burleigh Bears
Promising outside back Ryan McCann, a Logan Brothers junior, has been added to the side sent to the QRL this week as Souths Logan look to rebound from a surprisingly bit round 1 loss.
The strength of Burleigh’s squad can be seen by the addition of Jack Schmidt, Jayviah Panui, Nayte Saaga, Raymond Puru and Waaka Hepi to a squad which were not light years away from Wynnum in round 1. We will be particularly excited to see Hepi, the headgear wearing was a big man with a big motor, in the selection frame.
Capras v Blackhawks
They are two of the North Queensland Cowboys most exciting young talents and both Mutua Brown (Capras fullback) and Tekelu Mene (Blackhawks winger) will be unleashed against each other on Saturday. Likewise in the forwards Blackhawks Cowboys’ signed middle men, the mobile Jamal Shibasaki and Kaiden Lahrs will have to contend with St Brendan’s College schoolboy Braelan Marsh (Dolphins signed) scheming from the ruck for Capras. Blackhawks’ promising Tavita Penaia Te’o will be playing against his old club.
Sunshine Coast Falcons v Ipswich Jets
We will have to wait until Sunday to see this intriguing encounter unfold, with the Falcons fielding an impressive pack of Mason Kira, Jai Bowden, Jackson Kite, Jett Elich, Jayden Smith and Chase Paterson.
But while the Jets have lost David Leota to Canterbury-Bankstown, champion schoolboy lock Jack Laing will lead his forwards by example. Watch for the impact of Tyler Peckham-Harris out of dummy half. As a fullback he was a part of our 2022 Meninga Cup Team of the Year and our Langer Trophy squad of the year last school season, but his speed and quick feet around the ruck will threaten. Jets centre LJ Nonu will also be itching for action.
SELECTION HIGHLIGHTS
HARVEY NORMAN UNDER 19s
Northern Pride v Mackay
With Mareeba SHS’s product Aerielle Hobbler coming off the bench, and a spine of Chantelle Trnka, Lilly-Jay Licence, Mackenzie Stephens and Mayleen Oppermann, expect a strong challenge from the Northern Pride girls. Mackay will be locked down in the middle by Libby Surha, Chelsea McLeod and Ciara Thomson. The Cutters side will be captained by their No. 9 Lara Hutchinson while Layla Geck will lead the Pride from the wing.
Bulls v Clydesdales
Queensland country under 17 edge forward Mackenzie Zeller will captain the Darling Downs side while Bundaberg’s Lluana George, a Gayndah State School past student, has been given the honour of being the Bulls skipper. Another Cobbo, Hornets junior and Bulls’ edge forward Samantha Cobbo, will play for Bulls while two other Morcom’s, Charlotte and Eliza, will play edge for Clydesdales.
Blackhawks v Capras
Look no further than the front rowers of Rocky’s Lillian Yarrow (Capras) and Yorke Island’s Theophelia Mosby-Nona (Blackhawks) for the quality of players involved in this clash.
The Queensland schoolgirl teammates will be front and centre in a match featuring brilliant backline talent like Harmonie Fauid (Capras), Remi Bishop ((Blackhawks), Gail Winni (Capras), Halli Barker (Blackhawks), Mackayla Oakley (Capras) and Jairel-Ellen Martin-Savage (Blackhawks).
Burleigh Bears v Souths Logan
The Bettridge girls will be front and centre for Burleigh when they host Souths Logan on Saturday afternoon. Grace Granville, Jazz Cooke-Heafey, Keely Harris, Marli Jurd, Matekino Kahukoti-Gray, Matilda Jessiman and Yasmin Elannasi have been ushered into the Burleigh squad, while Souths Logan welcome Marshontae Wacando, Petra Greenwood and Sharnia Harris into a side which pushed Redcliffe in round 1, but fell just short. Mackenzie Batty will lead the Magpies again.
Brisbane Tigers v Tweed Seagulls
The Tigers have stretched their squad to include Dakota Taputoa, Gabrielle Lolohea, Judy Crosby, Natalea Elias, Patricia Wani and Skylahparadise Heke for the first time this season while Tweed Seagulls Allira Watson will captain a Tweed side containing speed merchants Gabrielle To’o and Savannah Roberts-Hickling, while another Ratu (Charlize) will feature for the border club.
Ipswich v Sunshine Coast
The Jets will have the exciting Relna Hosea roaming around the ruck from fullback, with Imongine Davidson, Ariana Henderson and captain Lynn Nielsen completing the Ipswich spine, while Makayla Everding will captain the Falcons from No. 13. Another Mclellan (Tai) is in the squad, while Leech, Purtell, Conroy and Arndt will be looking to add impact off the bench for the Sunny Coast.
Wynnum Manly v Norths
Seagulls: Squad inclusions Kylah Edmonds, Maddison Schipplock, Matiana Tongia, Zarah Nygaard.
Devils: squad inclusions Blessing Leota, Chloe Charles, Hayley McMaster, Kaati Taimani, Reshaei Chaseling, Savannah Power.
SELECTION HIGHLIGHTS
CONNELL CHALLENGE under 16s
Wynnum-Manly v Norths
Lachlan Smith has been added to the bench while Talan Cross is on the wing in changes to the first round side for Wynnum-Manly. Alec Schuster, Devine Timu, Kanon Phillips, Luca Rossetti, Ryan Lopez and Taj Bednall were also part of an expanded Norths Devils squad. Impressive Jared Horne will again captain Norths while Tyler Pereira leads the Seagulls.
Bulls v Clydesdales
Excellent young St Mary’s prospect Braithen Scott has been named captain and fullback, but of course he is a Queensland schoolboys under 15 halfback so expect him in the front line as well. There were also another Hess (Owen, winger), another Cobbo (Shamus) and another Morcom (Riley) who were all continuing the family tradition by being named in the match.
Capras v Blackhawks
Queensland schoolboys under 15 fullback Cohen Dittman and his Kirwan SHS teammate Deisel Taylor – another young Maroon last season – will spearhead the Blackhawks against a young Capras outfit. Michael Busby, Cooper Young, Henry Kallquist and Reiner Grams will hope to be an awesome foursome for Capras after being named on the bench in the side sent to the QRL midweek.
Pride v Mackay
Chase Sheppard will continue the family tradition by wearing the No. 7 jersey as Northern Pride look to get its campaign underway against Cutters. Queensland 15 years schoolboy Elsiyah Laumatia on one edge and captain Cayde Miller on the other. The Cutters have workhorse prop Cohen Jackson, also a Queensland schoolboy, in the middle alongside his front row captain Camden Hopes.
Burleigh Bears v Souths Logan
This is an exciting Bears side with Queensland schoolboys Marley McLaren (halfback) and Seth Gundry (fullback) as spine players alongside forwards Codey McConnell (hooker) and Marley Igasan (No. 13), while the imposing Nelson Makaafi will be roaming on the edge. Souths Logan have added Jahrel Conlon-Stephan to its squad which is captained by Queensland schoolboy prop Fa’apale Feaunati.
Brisbane Tigers v Tweed Seagulls
Max Blanch’s Tigers, narrow first round losers to Norths, will be bringing Keoki Koraba and Oscar Donovan off the bench in its clash against Tweed, while the exciting Taj Lateo, Harrison Doherty, Hayden Watson and Reef McKay complete the spine.
Sunshine Coast v Ipswich Jets
The Falcon’s best player Ellyjah Birve will have his hands on the ball most rucks when he plays halfback while his Queensland 15 years schoolboy teammate Cooper Cracknell (prop) will be his opposing captain.
Footnote: Watch for our continuing coverage this weekend at www.couriermail.com.au and also our Teams of the Week selections on Mondays.
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