Players to watch: The key players set to influence the Connell Cup under-17s competition
Have you wondered where your NRL club’s debut players come from? Most come from this competition, the Connell Cup, an elite U17 club competition. Here’s 50+ players to watch here ahead of Saturday’s opener.
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Have you ever wondered where your NRL club’s young new face has come from?
Chances are he has come from this competition, the Connell Cup, the state’s elite under-17 club competition.
The best school age rugby league players will go head to head from this weekend, with Burleigh sitting out with a bye.
The competition is named after the late Cyril Connell, a former Queensland and Australian representative who was Wayne Bennett’s chief talent scout at the Brisbane Broncos during the 1990s and 2000s.
This season Redcliffe, who won last year, Norths and Burleigh loom as teams to beat, but it is always a competition full of thrills and spills and is sure to throw up a fair share of surprises.
So who are the players to watch? Highlighted below are a few from each team who are sure to make a difference for their respective teams.
CONNELL CUP
WYNNUM MANLY SEAGULLS
Dean Tauaa
Tauaa, a tremendous centre who is gutsy on both sides of the ball, is possessed with good feet and power.
Last season’s Langer Trophy season for Mabel Park SHS would have also advanced his progress. The bottom-aged Year 12 student will be in prime condition after a big off-season.
Daniel Cash
Cash, a No. 13, is a gutsy type who will whack in defence, but also ballplay cleverly before the line.
The Iona College youngster was a member of the Wynnum Manly under-16 division 1 premiership winning side last season.
Barry Taukolo and Koby McGarrity
Taukolo is a smooth operator, a talented fullback, centre or wing who has grace and skill.
Another player who has trained strongly in the off-season is prop Koby McGarrity.
He has a big motor, works hard and will be a leading player this season.
Zeke Jones
Jones, a Queensland Schoolboys hooker, is smart around the ruck and brave in the defensive line.
He won the club’s Cyril Connell Cup Player of the Year award last year and is going into his third season in this competition.
SOUTHS LOGAN MAGPIES
Baxter Best
Best, the brother of New South Wales State of Origin series winning centre Bradman, is a young gun originally from south of the border.
Best has been electric in school football since arriving for Year 7 at Ipswich SHS in late 2022.
Best will again look to step up when he makes his Connell Cup debut this weekend, most likely at the back.
Tippessa Lee
Tippessa is another rookie of pedigree.
Lee, whose brother Brenko played in the 2020 series deciding win by Queensland over New South Wales, will add flair around the ruck with his dummy half work.
Jaylen Naleba
A kid with a huge motor, Naleba has consistently showed up for Ipswich State High, all the way from Year 7. Now a Year 11 student, the young hooker is gearing up for his first Connell Cup campaign where his workrate will lead by example.
Tomu Cook
The explosive Cook, a returning player from the 2024 campaign, will add strike to the centres at Souths Logan.
He is a speedy but powerful customer who made a thud in his first year in Southeast Queensland last year.
Derek Ah Wang
From Ipswich Grammar School, Ah Wang is a genuine swingman across centre, wing and fullback and has an attacking spark you just can’t coach.
The natural talent from Cairns is a Dolphins Academy ace who can kick the goals if needed.
Ezekiel Filipi
Filipi is coming off a bumper 2024 when he represented the Queensland 14-15 years side.
From Mabel Park SHS, Filipi has an explosive element to his game as a hooker or middle
forward.
TOWNSVILLE BLACKHAWKS
Trent Martin
For those who didn’t watch exciting centre Trent Martin play for Kirwan SHS in the Cowboys Challenge (Year 10 school competition) last year, you are in for a treat when the Blackhawks come to town.
Martin is a game-breaking player who scores tries, sets up teammates and kicks conversions.
He was awarded Kirwan’s Aaron Payne Medal in 2024 as the Year 9/10 team’s most outstanding player.
The highlight of Martin’s 2024 schoolboys season was a hattrick against St Brendan’s College in the North Queensland regional playoff. It included a decisive 60m runaway try to seal the golden-point victory.
Lincoln Baker
The former Queensland Under-15s five-eighth was a fullback sensation for Ignatius Park College in the Aaron Payne Cup last year.
Baker will have his chance to reunite with junior representative halves partner Riley Carbone to form one of the Connell Cup’s more enterprising playmaking tandems this season.
Brad Pilchowski
One of North Queensland’s brightest halves prospects will begin his 2025 campaign with the Blackhawks before his move to Ignatius Park College will give the former Ryan Catholic College five-eighth his first taste of Aaron Payne Cup action.
Pilchowski is a strong half with a sharp running game. The Blackhawks are looking to test the big-bodied playmaker as a lock or utility to shoehorn him into the team wherever they can.
Sian Matane
Matane signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys in 2024 after impressing the NRL club while trialling for Queensland’s Under-15s team.
Known for his work ethic and athleticism, Matane moved to Townsville from Far North Queensland, where he represented Peninsula last year.
The young PNG Kumuls prospect is considered one of his country’s best front rowers in the under-17 age group.
Malakai Martin
The Cowboys Challenge team of the season lock, he defied his smaller stature to forge a reputation as the finest player at his position in the competition - as a Year 9 student.
South Sydney then signed the nephew of Papua New Guinea international captain Rhyse Martin to a sponsorship deal.
The Blackhawks are feverish to unleash him on the Connell Cup.
NORTHS DEVILS
James Grey
Grey’s point of difference is his pace. A centre, Grey has genuine wheels, so much so it is difficult to imagine anyone in the competition who could chase him down when in full flight - except his teammate and old 100m sprint rival Ethan Grimshaw.
Grey, an Ipswich Grammar School boy, is a member of Dolphins NRL Academy.
Taoso Taoso
The towering left edge battleship is an exciting project player and elite water polo player who plays senior representative water polo for Queensland Thunder.
He is a member of Dolphins NRL Academy and will do more on the job training as he looks to advance his game this season after playing as an under-age player in 2024.
Dyer Akauola
Akauola will play prop this season where, with last season’s Cup experience under his belt, he will be a mobile forward leader.
He was an early signing by the Dolphins who locked him into their academy squad. The Queensland Reds also selected him in their Under-16s squad as a tearaway backrower.
Timahna Tandy
A Wavell SHS schoolboy, Tandy displayed nerves of steel last year as a Year 11 student when he kicked an angled conversion to, on the siren, draw level with the champion PBC SHS team during the season.
A sniper off the tee, Tandy he hails from the southern Darling Downs but moved to Wavell SHS to continue his education and football progression.
BRISBANE TIGERS
Nikorima Wharakura
Wharakura, whose twin brother Grayson is also promising, is a tall, metre-eating prop who seems to be able to keep his legs pumping and get forward in traffic.
He is just the man to drive the Tigers onto the front foot this season.
Jahzayis Perenara-Livapulu
Perenara-Livapulu, an x-factor outside back, is a Mabel Park SHS student who feature in the Langer Trophy.
Signed by the Gold Coast Titans, he has a classical centre build and is a handful. As a Year 10 student at Stretton State College, he was selected in the Queensland Schoolboys 15-16 Years side (2023).
Julias Matiseni and Kingzen Lefano
The names of these Gold Coast Titans academy players will be uttered again this season, there is no doubt.
Winger Matiseni, a Logan Brothers product of Samoan heritage, and centre Lefono, a New Zealand lad, will be important players for the Tigers backline shape.
REDCLIFFE DOLPHINS
Jonathan Alo
A towering wing talent, Alo is a two-time Queensland 14-15 years schoolboy representative and Redcliffe Dolphin through and through.
His build makes him an exciting project player and the Caloundra State High student will be eager to advance his game in the Connell Cup alongside under-15 division 1 backline teammate Sonny Hewitt.
Sonny Hewitt
The Redcliffe region is a prolific junior nursery and one of the kids who has been on the lips of locals for years is Hewitt.
A fullback or winger, young Hewitt is athletic with that x-factor about him when he runs the ball.
Hanipale Sosene
Another promising Peninsula junior, the Wavell SHS student will play second rower for Redcliffe. Of Samoan descent, he is a Dolphin to the core who played division one footy last season where he impressed as a strong runner and aggressive defender.
WESTERN CLYDESDALES
Alastair MacLachlan and Taj Batty
MacLachlan, a winger, and Batty, a second rower, featured for the Clydesdales last year and coach Ned Murphy is excited to see what they bring this season with a year of experience under their belts.
He said willingness to learn and compete hard were standout aspects of the Valleys Roosters duo.
Leroy Malone
The sleek back from Cherbourg has raised eyebrows of several Toowoomba Junior Rugby League officials with his athletic ability when lining up for Valleys Roosters.
Whether he’s playing on the edge or at fullback, this young gun can prove a game change with his instant speed off the mark.
Liam Marshall and Laythan Potter
Marshall and Potter are new additions to the Connell set up and coach Murphy is eager to see how they can bolster the forward pack.
Marshall and Potter are gutsy forwards, physical and relentless, who will be used to lay down a strong foundation for the Clydesdales throughout the campaign.
BURLEIGH BEARS
Axel Friend
If the last name sounds familiar that’s because it is.
Axel, a crafty hooker, is the son of former NRL hooker Nathan Friend, and is the complete package.
Despite his small stature, Friend packs a punch and plays well above his weight.
He impressed in the trial games where his great judgement led to a handful of breaks.
Cornelius Kelsall
The Keebra Park State High student and South Coast representative is one of the babies of the squad but is sure to make a profound impact.
A Dolphins acadmy ace, who overcame a knee injury to help Keebra win the 2024 Walters Cup, is a five-eight who will wow you with his footwork. The foundation of his game is his high work ethic.
Tupou Francis
The Marsden State High student is coming off a whirlwind 2024 season where he made a profound impact at No. 13. He was the third player picked in New Corp’s Team of the Season, so well did he play.
Signed by the Broncos, Francis is a tough and uncompromising runner who takes no prisoners on defence where his speed in the line puts pressure on opponents. His brother Tony made his NRL debut for the Titans last year.
Kingston Seve
Burleigh are shaping up to be a force in this competition with competition rife in the backline.
Seve is a lock however due to his aerial ability, speed, athleticism and footwork.
He has long been a high-achiever in his age group and will be on score sheets often this season.
Simione Tauelangi
Barnstorming back Tauelangi, A Melbourne boy now at Keebra Park SHS, is a raw talent possessing a bucket load of power.
Watch for the development of the destructive edge player as the season progresses. Last year he was a big improver in the Walters Cup Year 10 competition.
TWEED SEAGULLS
Jai Bilish
Bilish will be Tweed’s starting hooker and the side will be in safe hands with him touching the ball often.
A creative player who can move fast to make tired bodies pay, he was originally at Keebra Park State High but made a splash at Palm Beach Currumbin SHS last year where, as a Year 11 student, he played out of his skin late in the school season.
Josiah Fa’Aoso
Fa’Aso has made this representative team out of the Tugun Seahawks where he was a metre eating prop of untapped potential.
An explosive type, Fa’Aoso has been well coached at Palm Beach Currumbin SHS and will look to use his quick feet and good change of direction to engage a handful of defenders and get Tweed rolling forward.
Viliami Fifita
The younger brother of Gold Coast Titans winger Jojo will be Fa’Aso’s partner in crime this season laying a strong foundation through the middle.
Fifita, 16, defence is first class, but watch for his footwork and power through the hips taking the ball forward.
Kobi Hauraki
A New Zealand product now honing his skills on the coast, Hauraki enters the season determined to send a tremor across the competition.
Hauraki, a Future Titans middle forward, can play anywhere in the forward pack which will be valuable for coach Chris Patison somewhere down the line.
IPSWICH JETS
Ira Yeatman
Speed. Grit. Flaire.
These are three things which Yeatman, a dazzling rookie originally from Cairns, will display at some stage this season.
The fullback or playmaker is a livewire, at his best with the ball in hand and on the attack.
Lane Edmonds
Ipswich Grammar’s dual-code rugby rookie was a league boy at heart but over the spring he made a thud playing the 15-a-side game as a lock.
A true blue performer for the South East Queensland under-16s at the Emerging Reds Cup (rugby tournament) staged at Ballymore, Edmonds will look to enhance his reputation this season at the North Ipswich Reserve.
Tough and uncompromising.
Innocent Baruani
Ipswich local Innocent Baruani was at times a man among boys in the Walters Cup Year 10 league competition (2024) for Ipswich SHS and in clubland where he is a prime mover for the mighty Goodna Eagles under-16s.
He is a leader in this group and will be well positioned on an edge to make an impact.
Tomasi Vaitai
A staple in the Connell Cup side in 2024, prop Vaitai is back for more in his second season with the Jets.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs scholarship holder, who has a blend of Tongan and Samoan heritage, lets his actions on the field do the talking.
Off the field he is a well respected Keebra Park SHS senior who was awarded the Hampo’s Youth Foundation Grant, an award named in honour of the late Liam Hapson, a former Keebra Park SHS student and coach.
SUNSHINE COAST FALCONS
Jett Ryan, Will Joyner, Oliver Kleijn and Kaio Moses
The Falcons middle forwards will have the keys this season to Sunshine Coast’s success. Despite being a smaller pack than say Souths Logan, this Falcons nucleus has strength in spades and agility.
Ryan, Joyner, Kleijn and Moses were a part of the club’s Connell Cup teams in the past and, with support from a strong bench unit, will be ready to explode into action on Saturday.
CQ CAPRAS
Jay Marsh
The highly-touted hooker has plenty of strings to his bow and with two years of Connell Cup experience under his belt, he should be a prominent figure in the Capras side.
Marsh, a damaging runner with flair, will also own up on the defensive end.
Lachlan Anderson
Anderson will wear No. 13 for the Capras this weekend and look to get his teammates in the right place at the right times.
a supreme communicator, Anderson’s rock solid defence will go a big part in the Capras’ defiance against strong attacking teams this year.
Parker Gallagher
The gutsy middle forward won’t die wondering and that is a trait his teammates will come to love in the heat of battle.
He is a trooper, someone who will not give up on either side of the ball.
Watch for his leg drive in contact and momentum shifting carries through the middle third of the field.
MACKAY CUTTERS
AJ Bollinger
Your typical ballplaying lock, Bollinger will have his hands full organising the team’s attacking shape.
Has emerged as a leader in the Cutters camp over the summer.
Eli Cookson
He’s only new to playing hooker but he will add plenty in that position where his defence will help tighten the screws for Mackay.
He is a spark plug from the ruck.
Caleb O’Brien
A tireless worker, O’Brien sets a high standard on defence where he toils and toils.
In attack he also comes to life as a key link man on the edge.
Lawson Mifsud
A centre, Mifsud moved mountains in the pre-season to put himself in the conversations for a starting spot.
He is a year young, but he has talent and will have two years in the Connell Cup set up in Mackay.
Lucas Haack
He is one of the younger ones in this Mackay squad but age is just a number when it comes to Haack, a powerful middle forward primed to make an impact.
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