Players to Watch at the Queensland Secondary School Rugby League carnival
Queensland’s future maroons will be at the Queensland Secondary School Rugby League championships from today. So who are key Players to Watch?
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Queensland’s future Maroons will be on show across the next four days as a majority of the code’s elite muster for the Queensland Secondary School Rugby League championships.
The years 14-15 and years 16-18 title will be staged at Kawana, culminating in finals’ day on Tuesday.
The wwwcouriermail.com.au will cover both the age group grand finals.
So many of the greats like Allan Langer, Greg Inglis, Dale Shearer and Steve Renouf have passed through this competition.
The competing regions are Capricornia, Darling Downs, Metropolitan East, Metropolitan North, Metropolitan West, Northern, Peninsula, South Coast, South Coast Maroon, South West, Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay.
So who are some key Players to Watch?
CAPRICORNIA
Jai Hansen (The Cathedral College (Rockhampton)
Thomas Powell (The Cathedral College, Rockhampton)
Seth McGilvray (The Cathedral College (Rockhampton)
Hansen is match hardened after an outstanding Meninga Cup campaign with the Capras, and along with McGilvray helped engineer Capras excellent under 18 season. Powell is a proven front rower.
DARLING DOWNS
Xavier Va’a (St Mary’s College Toowoomba)
Kelly Shadlow (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Riley Wockner (St Mary’s College Toowoomba)
All three come off the Meninga Cup season, with front rowers Va’a and Shadlow matching it with the best. The multiskilled Wockner will also provide spark to the side.
MET EAST
Dominic Sandow (Marsden SHS)
Zack Lamont (Anglican Church Grammar School)
Cassius Crowley (Marsden SHS)
Sandow has raw talent to burn while halves Zack Lamont (Easts Tigers) and Cassius Crowley (Seagulls) shone with their respective clubs in Meninga Cup and should benefit from a hard working pack lead by Chris Faagutu and Kienan Tempest. Also watch for Will Semu, a younger player in the squad.
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MET NORTH
Prinston Esera (Wavell SHS)
Jayden Smith (Wavell SHS)
Drew Timms (Wavell SHS)
Esera is a Rolls Royce of centres who has added size to his frame this season. Brandon Smith’s young brother Jayden Smith and Drew Timms are both goers which every side needs, while the only three non-Wavell SHS players in the 19 member squad, Liam Le Blanc (St Joseph’s Nudgee College), Angus Hinchey (The Gap SHS) and Tory Bath (St Joseph’s Nudgee College) will be hungry.
MET WEST
Thomas Luhrman (Ipswich SHS)
Josiah Pahulu (Ipswich SHS)
Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (Ipswich SHS)
It is hard to bypass the Ipswich SHS trio, but there are numerous players of interest as their teammates. Denzel Samoa (Forest Lake SHS) is an elite talent, baby of the squad Michael Waqa (Brisbane Boys’ College) is a huge front row prospect while Will Sullivan (Ipswich Grammar School) is a powerhouse.
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NORTHERN
Ragarive Wavik (Kirwan SHS)
Dudley Dotoi (Kirwan SHS)
Will Latu (Kirwan SHS)
Hold onto your hats. The Wavik-Dotoi show has come to town. It is difficult not to be romanced by raw ability of this dynamic duo. But also watch for mobile forward Will Latu.
PENINSULA
Tyreece Ahmat (St Andrews Catholic College)
Tuvaka Palu (St Augustine’s College)
Billy Vincent (St Augustine’s College)
Centres Ahmat and Palu have skill to burn while hooker Billy Vincent will bring his pack onto the ball while being creative himself.
SOUTH COAST
Deine Mariner (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)
Jye Grey (The Southport School)
Kaleb NgamanuThe Southport School
It is a case of take your pick when it comes to talent from the South Coast. Old favorites Tom weaver, Blake Mozer and Oskar Bryant will cause drama from go to woe. But for a slightly different take on things, I nominated the three above, with young Grey eager to make up for lost time after only playing in two Meninga Cup games for Burleigh.
SOUTH COAST MAROONS
Caleb Gould-Waiariki (Coombabah SHS)
Salaso’o Soi (Keebra Park SHS)
Gould will be a real spark for the maroons while Salaso’o Soi has ramped up his training to such a degree, he is now in contention for the Keebra Park SHS Langer Cup side.
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SOUTH WEST
Matthew Williams (Roma State College)
William Pascoe (Chinchilla SHS)
Blake Mills (Cunnamulla SS)
From the famous rugby league town of Roma, Williams is a footballer through and through who will organise his team nicely from the back while injecting himself into the play when he can. Bookends William Pascoe (Chinchilla SHS) and Blake Mills (Cunnamulla SS) will get the job done.
SUNSHINE COAST
Blake Woodford (Maroochydore SHS)
Mason Peut (Mountain Creek SHS).
Matthew Bennett (Redcliffe SHS)
Woodford was outstanding for the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Meninga Cup alongside team mate Harry Dwyer and try-scoring machine Mason Peut (Mountain Creek SHS). But also watch for the work rate of Bennett
WIDE BAY
Bradley Shorter (Bundaberg SHS)
Bodie Torr (Gympie SHS)
Some exciting 14-15 years talent includes Sam Longobardi, Ray Puru, Jett Bryce, Tyler Brimblecombe, Nixon Pasese, Mark Nosa, Bailey Trew, Frank Goldsburg, Ricardo Burns, Tom Fry and Lycian King-Togia, among others.
Goldsburg from Wynnum has huge wraps while St Mary’s again have great talent in Burns and Fry, a halfback, while Dalby’s King-Togia dominates Toowoomba football.
Nosa, from Marsde SHS via Easts Carina, already has a Tiger NRL contract.
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