Who are the Players to Watch in the elite Langer Cup schoolboy competition starting on June 2?
Who are the Players to Watch in the elite Langer Cup schoolboy competition starting on June 2? Action will be livestreamed by www.couriermail.com.au, the Gold Coast Bulletin and News Corp affiliates.
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The elite Langer Cup schoolboy competition starts on June 2 and will be livestreamed by www.couriermail.com.au, the Gold Coast Bulletin and News Corp affiliates.
The Brisbane Broncos’ sponsored competition has been expanded this season from six to eight teams, with Mabel Park SHS and Coombabah SHS winning places around titleholders Palm Beach Currumbin SHS, Keebra Park SHS, Marsden SHS, Wavell SHS, Ipswich SHS and St Mary’s Toowoomba.
Mabel Park SHS claimed the eighth and final position last Wednesday with a qualifying victory over Redcliffe SHS who will remain in the Gee Cup.
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Brisbane Broncos Game Development Manager Paul Dyer said the time was right to expand the Langer Cup from six to eight teams.
“To see those extra two schools participate in the competition gives us an opportunity to grow not only the size of the competition, but the number of players who are now participating at that level,’’ Dyer said.
Queensland Schools Rugby League president Andrew Peach thanked the Broncos for its support of schoolboy league.
“It is the Allan Langer Trophy. This was something which was devised many years ago by John Dixon (former Broncos official) and Cyril Connell (deceased recruitment ace) to provide a high standard of competition for our schools in the south east to help prepare them for the next challenge against the North Queensland Schools and then onto the national championship,’’ Peach said.
“As an organisation we are really proud of the partnerships we have got and the opportunities here for our young men to engage in rugby league, and the flow on impact that has for our schools.’’
Both Peach and Dyer praised organiser Phil Hall, the doyen of the Langer Cup, who has overseen its growth for more than two decades.
“He has been a great member of our club for a very, very long time,’’ Dyer said.
“He is not only passionate about the premier competitions, he is passionate about every level of competition, district football right that way through and we are in debt for everything he has done for the game, particularly here in south east Queensland.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
MABEL PARK SHS
MUSTAFA KAYA
Mabel Park SHS coach Lee Addison said Kaya would start the season as his No. 1 fullback after playing a leading role in helping his team qualify for the Langer Cup despite his energy levels dipping due to his strict adherence to Ramadan. “He was a centre-wing, and we have converted him into a fullback.’’
BRAYDEN EASTHOPE
Easthope is a genuine footballer who can play anywhere between fullback and No. 13. “He is an elusive runner,’’ said Mabel Park SHS head coach Lee Addison. “He came over to me as a hooker, so he has vision. The less instruction you give him, the better he is.’’ He said Easthope had a running game, but also a good range of passing.
FAHMY JERUSALEM TOILALO
Regarded by coach Addison as “one of the hardest workers I have ever trained,’’ Toilalo has changed his body sharp by working hard off the field this season. “He is in a moon boot at the moment, and he is still training harder than some of the others on the rowing machine,’’ Addison praised.
ALEX LEAPAI
The son of former world heavyweight boxing contender Alex “Lionheart’’ Leapai, Leapai junior is a front rower who will be eased into the Langer Cup environment as the season progresses. “He won’t be in from the start because he is only 15,’’ Addison said. However he said young Leapai was an exciting prospect at the school who would get his chance.
IPSWICH SHS
KULIKEFU FINEFEUIAKI
The Queensland representative second rower has already been snapped up by the North Queensland Cowboys on a three year deal. “Kuli is a tall, dynamic athlete who carries the ball aggressively into contact,” said Ipswich SHS Joshua Bretherton.
JOSIAH PAHULU
A teammate of Finefeuiaki in the Ipswich Jets Mal Meninga side, Pahulu is an impressive prop who is signed to the Gold Coast Titans. “Josiah won the MVP for the Ipswich SHS Langer Cup team as a 16-year-old prop which was an incredible effort,’’ said Ipswich SHS coach Joshua Bretherton. “He is a powerful ball runner who gets through a mountain of work.”
PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN SHS
TOM WEAVER
It will send a shiver down the spins of opponents to learn the Tom Weaver-Oskar Bryant halfback-hooker combination will return for 2021. The boys engineered PBC to last season’s Langer Cup triumph and again will be at the helm.
Coach Tim Maccan, who had the pair in his Tweed Seagulls Meninga Cup winning team earlier this year, said of Weaver: “He controls the team with leadership and direction. He has a great long and short kicking game that keeps teams on notice. He loves the pressure moments and will be looking to go to another level in 2021.’’ Regarding OSKAR BRYANT, Maccan said: “Oskar is a crafty organiser and great decision maker. Either by running, passing or kicking he will keep asking questions in attack until he finds the weakness. He can also hold his own in defence.’’
DEINE MARINER: Signed by Brisbane Broncos, Mariner is an elite young centre who was impressive in the recent Meninga Cup competition. “He possesses speed, agility and power in attack and loves the tough carries. Combine this with his strength in defence and his opponents find him very hard to contain,’’ Maccan said.
KEEBRA PARK SHS
HERMAN TOFAEONO
A Wests Tigers BRL recruit, Tofaeono has come through the representative system and will be a leader playing prop for Keebra Park SHS. “He is hitting his straps,’’ said Keebra Park coach Glen Campbell.
BLAKE MOZER
Keebra Park SHS coach Glen Campbell described Mozer as possibly the best hooker to come through the school’s program. A Brisbane Broncos recruit, Mozer is a big body with all the skills.
IMMANUAL KALI KALI
The Gold Coast Titans have swooped to snare Kali Kali, a young developing New Zealand-born prop who was “showing signs he will go a long way’’, according to coach Campbell.
MARSDEN SHS
CHRIS FAAGUTU
Chris Faagutu was a member of the Langer Cup Team of the Year in 2021. A lock, he has been given the honour of captaining Marsden SHS. “He leads by his actions and across the last five years he has been very consistent, training hard and never missing a session,’’ said Marsden SHS coach Matt Hartigan. “He is also very committed to has academic studies.’’
TYREE BOWMAN
A No. 9, Bowman will enter 2021 hardened physically and mentally from his debut season last year. He is a dangerous runner and creative ball handler, a little like former South Sydney premiership hooker Issac Luke. “He is a threat anytime he runs and is very effective defensively,’’ said coach Hartigan.
KIENAN TEMPEST
Tempest is the type of forward Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett would love, and someone the late coaching guru Jack Gibson would have adored. For old timers, think of Chris Phelan, for the younger generation, think off ex-Broncos’ backrower David Stagg. This is what Tempest is like in age group football. “He is like glue,’’ said Marsden SHS coach Matt Hartigan. “He has a very high tackle efficiency and is versatile.’’
COOMBABAH SHS
TIM SIELAFF-BURNS
Coombabah SHS coach Sam Meskell said Sielaff-Burns was a powerful ball runner who loved to get involved. “He is a real competitor and he also has a lot of experience at the higher level at rep footie coming through,’’ Meskell said.
JOSEPH SHANNON
Signed by the Gold Coast Titans, Shannon will be a leader of the pack again in 2021 for what is Coombabah’s return to the Langer Cup for the first time since 2016. “It is great to have him back. He is quite a physical player in the middle,’’ said Meskell.
ST MARY’S COLLEGE
XAVIER and DE LA SALLE VA’A
Both Brisbane Broncos contracted props, the brothers will lead the way playing front row alongside each other. This will be Xavier’s third season in the Langer Cup, while little brother De La Salle will be in his first season in Langer Cup. St Mary’s coach Matt Jahnke said Xavier had “physical attributes through his size and his ability to get us onto the front foot.’’ But coach Jahnke said Va’a was also a leader. “He has been able to step up each year and improve each year,’’ Jahnke said. “Working together, they (Xavier and De La Salle) are very competitive. When they need to need to get the job done, they put their heads down and get us forward.’’
RILEY WOCKNER
Match hardened coming off a Mal Meninga Cup campaign with the Mustangs, halfback Wockner will direct St Mary’s around the park. “He has a great football knowledge and is aware of what is going on around him,’’ Jahnke said. “He gets edges and backs organised really well and controls the game.
WAVELL SHS
PRINSTON ESERA
A centre, Esera is one of the premier players of the Langer Cup. This will be his third season in the seniors, and opponents will see a bigger, stronger version of the 2019-2020 player – all the while retaining the stylish running which is so threatening to opponents. “He is a damaging ball runner and I think he will score a lot of tries if we can get him into the right position,’’ said Wavell SHS coach Mick Roberts.
TYRELL WAAKA-RHIND
A hooker, Waaka-Rhind’s intelligence with the ball and ability to get his forward pack moving has impressed Wavell SHS coach Mick Roberts. “He is also dynamic and very skilful.’’
JUNIOR TAUNGATUA
Taungatua will possess a threat for opposing teams running wide of the ruck for Wavell SHS. “He can be so damaging out wide,’’ said Wavell SHS coach Mick Roberts. “The line that he runs is really smart and the way he gets into the right position has been very impressive.’’
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