School league special: Here’s our best 40 players from seven dramatic finals
Special school league report: Our best 40 players from 7 dramatic finals - Titans Cup schoolgirls, Langer Trophy, Langer Reserves and Walters Cup. The list includes Ipswich skip Josiah Pahulu who was cleared up a biting charge.
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Two days of dramatic schoolboy and schoolgirl rugby league has seen one premiership decided, and another three on the hotplate as the season comes to a climax.
On Wednesday, the Titans Cup schoolgirl premiership was won by Marsden SHS over Ipswich SHS, while in the Langer Trophy (NRL Schoolboys Cup) Ipswich SHS progressed to play in its first ever decider against traditional finalist Palm Beach Currumbin SHS.
WATCH THE SEMI-FINAL REPLAYS HERE
And in the Langer Reserves, Marsden SHS qualified first and will play either PBC SHS, while in the Walters Cup Marsden SHS will play Keebra Park.
Both the Langer grand finals and the Walters Cup decider will be live streamed by News Corp on Wednesday.
To celebrate a wonderful spate of finals, we name our best players from the winners and the losers.
RELATED LINKS
LANGER, WALTERS CUP’S MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS THIS SEASON
SPEED DEMONS OF THE LANGER TROPHY
SONS (and brothers, daughters) OF SPORTING GUNS
LANGER TROPHY
PBC SHS v KEEBRA PARK SHS
Keano Kini (PBC SHS)
The PBC SHS fullback scored tries No. 3 and No. 4, the second a telling intercept when Keebra Park SHS were coming at their rivals hard in the second half. Kini crossed twice, but he had a high work rate around these efforts and also took plenty of hits as Keebra Park worked hard to contain him.
Arama Hau (Keebra Park SHS)
The Keebra Park SHS captain was enormous, an 8 out of 10 performer. He could not have done anything else to get his team over the line, fighting back hard after copping a knock after making a break.
Michael Roberts (PBC SHS)
Roberts returned from a knee injury to play his first match in six weeks. His chip and chase try and his dive over try from dummy half in the first half gave PBC SHS a 12-nil lead that was basically the difference in the match. He also pulled off one thumping tackle that shook the foundations of the Mitch Cronin Hill.
Taniela Mapusua-Lotaki (Keebra Park SHS)
The big Keebra Park centre came into his own the deeper he got into the match. As Keebra Park SHS gathered momentum, Mapusua-Lotaki was a massive threat carrying the ball.
Joshua Lynn (PBC SHS)
Lynn’s execution of a set play to help get Kini over the line, his defence and kicking game all played a part in giving his side the edge over their amped up opponents.
Seth Nikotemo (Keebra Park SHS)
The Keebra Park SHS Queensland schoolboys edge forward makes our list for effort. He was well held by PBC SHS, but Nikotemo never stopped challenging the opposition both in attack and defence.
Reico Ratana and Isaiah Scanlan (PBC SHS)
The hardened PBC SHS middle forwards rolled their sleeves up and got the job done against a huge Keebra Park SHS pack. You could throw front rower Jett Jackson into the mix as well, with the trio churning through defence and ball carriers to give their side parity in the middle.
IPSWICH SHS v MARSDEN SHS
Josiah Pahulu (Ipswich)
Pahulu has been cleared to play in the grand final after a biting charge was dismissed with “no case to answer.’’ Before he was dramatically sent from the field on Wednesday he rose to the occasion with a mighty middle performance. It was high class middle forward football.
Chris Faagutu (Marsden SHS)
A Queensland schoolboys teammate of Pahulu, Faagutu’s thundering runs got his side go forward against a towering forward pack. Off the back of those runs he played the ball quickly and gave Marsden its best chance to unsettling the Ipswich SHS defence.
Tyler Peckham-Harris (Ipswich SHS)
What a dynamo this kid is, not that it surprises us in any way after we named him in our Meninga Cup Team of the Year earlier in the year. His 75m solo try was as good as it gets in a big match, and he also found the tryline a second time with an explosive turn of speed.
Apa Twidle (Marsden SHS)
The Marsden SHS fullback got better and better the more he marched on this season and his dummy half running and overall effort gets him onto our best player list.
Xavier Sofeni and Oliva Iaulua (Ipswich SHS)
The Ipswich SHS second rowers were threats from start to finish, helping give their side the edge.
Haizyn Mellars (Marsden SHS)
Like his fullback and teammate Twidle, Mellars dummy half runs and overall class either running the ball or in the air made him Marsden’s most potent attacking weapon on the day.
Gabriel Satrick (Ipswich SHS)
Satrick’s fresh legs and speed added a dimension to the Ipswich SHS attack when he was thrown into the game midway through the second half. His tag-team work with starting hooker Tommy Luhrman, himself a dangerous carrier of the ball, is a real bonus.
Coby Black (Marsden SHS)
Black was instrumental at halfback. He was quick, always in support and masterful with his pop passes.
Perhaps the most deadly aspect of his game was his pinpoint cross field kicking. Every time he put a kick up, Marsden had a real chance of scoring.
You could tell how much he wanted it by the look on his face after the game.
TITANS CUP
Marsden SHS v Ipswich SHS Year 9/10 Schoolgirls
Dhanievah Lepua (Marsden SHS)
Lepua was everything for Marsden. Whether it was quick hands, barnstorming runs or simply just moving her team forward, she was an absolute handful for Ipswich to contain.
Lishainah Ulugia (Ipswich SHS)
Ulugia was destructive. With a ferocious fend and incredible ability to stay balanced, she left defenders in her wake.
This was the case when scoring Ipswich’s second try of the day.
Mercedes Taulelei-Siala (Marsden)
Taulelei-siala was all heart. She made countless cover tackles at fullback. On one occasion, she made tackle after tackle after tackle.
In attack, she was just as good. When down 18-14, she scored a cracker with an amazing step and surge to the line.
Shalom Sauaso (Ipswich SHS)
Sauaso was the best on ground and there’s not doubt about it.
She just never stopped working. Running the ball she hit another gear, and with her fend she was almost unstoppable. Her defence — brutal.
You could have made a Shalom Sauaso highlight reel from this one game. That’s how good she played.
Janique Mili (Marsden SHS)
The form guide was right with Mili. She’s lightning fast.
Mili burned down the left edge for Marsden’s first try in the big dance. She put the foot on the gas in the 13th minute and Ipswich had no answers.
Tiresa Elika (Ipswich SHS)
Elika made an enormous amount of tackles. She toiled and toiled and toiled.
On the other side of the ball, her team could rely on her to advance them forward.
She didn’t stop working for the entire 50 minutes.
Manaia Afuie (Marsden SHS)
We were told she was reliable, tough, resilient and gets the job done. This couldn’t have been more the case, Afuie scoring the dagger in the last minute of the game to make it 24-18.
LANGER RESERVES
Cory Pearse (Marsden SHS)
The dummy half was the best player on the ground, scoring two tries, leading the line speed in defence and delivering crisp service from the ruck. Both tries were built on good judgment, powerful leg speed and desire.
Mark Nosa (Marsden SHS)
The talented playmaker was curtailed by outstanding Ipswich SHS defence which worked hard on him and the outside men he was trying to put away. But Nosa kept going to the well, wearing down the Ipswich defensive line.
Kaleb Akaroa (Marsden SHS)
The big bloke wound up on a hot day and simply had a crack in the most important match of the season. He threw his body into the fray and must feel at the top of his game entering next week’s grand final.
Kees Cassidy (Marsden SHS)
Named at No. 18 but brought onto the bench, the nuggety Cassidy gave Marsden plenty of leg drive, enthusiasm and momentum.
Xavier Kirk (Ipswich SHS)
The mighty mite fullback had a memorable game, saving a try, being sin-binned and then igniting Ipswich SHS again with his ball running.
Mahonri Tiotala (Ipswich SHS)
The edge second rower was one of the best with good reads in defence as Marsden SHS’s Mark Nosa probed his side of the field, then carrying strongly. He looks a really promising player.
Kane Self (Ipswich SHS)
Self worked tirelessly to plug the middle with defence and work hard with the ball. He even contributed to the scoreboard and his effort reflected Ipswich’s never-say-die attitude on the day.
WALTERS CUP
Ayden Byrnes (PBC SHS)
Byrnes was a danger out of dummy half, with lightning speed capitalising on his team’s forward play.
Ryder Williams and Daniel Rakena (Keebra Park)
The boys were outstanding and they needed to be given the challenge Mabel Park threw at them. They roved both sides of the ruck, running, passing long or passing short and there is no doubt they gave Keebra Park SHS the edge over Mabel.
Duquan Talaepa (Mabel Park SHS)
Bulldogs signed, fought strongly for his side on the left edge despite being contained by the Keebra Park defence.
Tane Cook (Mabel Park)
He was a dynamic fullback who roved around the middle looking for opportunities. He never gave Keebra a moment’s rest.
Emmanuel Asomau (Marsden SHS)
He scored a tearaway try through the teeth of the PBC SHS defence, but around that Marsden SHS prop Emmanuel Asomau performed strongly.
Lui Lee (Marsden SHS)
The big fella rose to the occasion in defence and did enough with the ball to form a dangerous combination with winger Alize Clarke. It was red alert when those two got together down the right edge.
Bobby Smith (PBC SHS)
Who needs trick plays and switches in attack when you have a prop like Smith who is prepared to run straight and hare, which is exactly what he did to score.
Harry Chadburn. (PBC SHS)
The Walters Cup No.6 was a livewire, with quick hands and feet and sleight of hand. He also possessed a killer short kicking game and displayed great variety in his game.
Creedance Thompson (PBC SHS)
The PBC SHS winger resembled the great St George winger Nathan Blacklock with his roving commission adding a dimension to PBC SHS’s quick feet around the ruck.
Waaka Hepi (Keebra Park SHS)
The headgear wearing was a big man with a big motor, challenging PBC SHS with eavy duty runs in a match where the centre third of the field was a battle of wills.
LIVE STREAM SCHEDULE
Wednesday (times to be confirmed)
1.30pm: Walters Cup grand final
2.30pm; Langer Reserve grand final
3.30pm: Langer Trophy grand final
REPLAYS: Huge first half paves way for Wavell win
With a passionate crowd cheering them on, Wavell had this game in the bag by halftime break after winger Kurt Jones starred with two tries and a try assist. Check out the REPLAYS.
National Schoolgirls Cup: Mabel v Marsden, Ippy v St James
National Schoolgirls Cup: Debut delights for Marsden SHS ahead of a the big four, Ipswich, Keebra, Mabel and Marsden, clashing in the semi-finals. Read how round 5 unfolded here.