Who were Australia’s best schoolgirl league talents glimpsed at ASSRL National
Here we reveal 30 top of the range schoolgirl rugby league players who shone at the ASSRL Nationals at Redcliffe. See the list ahead of the Australian Schoolgirls team announcement today.
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The Australian Schoolgirls side will be announced today, Friday, following the conclusion ASSSRL Under 18 national championships at Redcliffe.
Here we present a list of schoolgirl league top guns who had been carving up for their respective teams at the Nationals and were well placed for inclusion in the prestigious side.
BOLT FROM THE BLUE SHINES FOR QLD SCHOOLGIRLS
NEXT-UP NRLW STARS GLIMPSED IN QLD UNDER 19S TEAM
Among the players mentioned are Dragons signed pair Indie Bostock and Caley Tallon-Henniker, powerful Queensland prop Alice Shannon and relentless Victorian forward Koreti Leilua who were top-tier performers throughout the week.
This is merely a snapshot of some of the nation’s most promising talents unearthed in the pool games.
Finals are today and they will be exclusively live streamed by KommunityTV as part of a massive fourth and day of action.
SCHOOLGIRL SENSATIONS FROM THE NATIONALS
NEW SOUTH WALES COMBINED HIGH SCHOOLS
Mia Walsh (Illawarra Sports High School)
Full of aggression on the wing, Walsh is a trusted left edge defender who can really move when she gets going.
Monica Fasavala-Faamausili (Bass High School)
She couldn’t be tamed for much of the championships, the prop powerhouse a workhorse up the middle and in close to the try line.
Aliyah Nasio (Kingswood High School)
We could put almost every player from this NSWCHS team here that’s how good they looked when they had things clicking.
Halfback Kasey Reh was all class as was lock Nasio who, with her black headgear, could be seen rollicking upfield or laying her right shoulder into daring attackers.
Manilita Takapautolo (Westfields Sports High School)
With Fasavala-Faamausili and lock Aliyah Nasio nearby, the NSWCHS forward pack looked a different beast.
Takapautolo tackled with no remorse.
Caley Tallon-Henniker (Figtree High School)
Did Tallon-Henniker score the try of the carnival? It’s awfully hard to decide but she made her case when tearing apart the Victorian defence in a scintillating solo try on day two.
The headgeared assassin cut back inside with a fine step and kept her legs pumping to score with a defender draped over her.
Maria Paseka (Illawarra Sports High School)
Paseka has pace for days on the right wing and when she gets the ball in space it’s pretty much game over.
Indie Bostock (Warilla High School)
A freak beaming with talent, Bostock set the Nationals alight with her blistering speed.
A right centre, Bostock is one hell of a prospect.
NEW SOUTH WALES COMBINED CATHOLIC COLLEGES
Paige Bohringer (James Sheahan Catholic College)
NSW CCC lock Bohringer started with a bang when she steamrolled day one of the Nationals with fearless ball-running.
She spearheaded her team’s forward pack.
Tess McWilliams (MacKillop COllege Port Macquarie)
The NSWCCC Player of the Carnival who saved her best for last in a tense semi-final match against Queensland.
Evie McGrath (St Mary Star of the Sea, Wollongong)
McGrath had to be among the top schoolgirls glimpsed at the Nationals.
A natural, five-eighth McGrath can pull anything out of her hat and did so more than once.
Elizabeth MacGregor (Red Bend Catholic College, Forbes)
Safe as houses at the back, MacGregor is a threatening fullback option that it is in halves Evie McGrath and Georgie Barrett’s best interests to give ball to.
Evie Jones (St Joseph’s High School Aberdeen)
Quick, strong and instinctual with a knack for being involved in scoring plays.
VICTORIA SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Koreti Leilua (Fountain Gate Secondary College, Narre Warren)
Despite playing three games a day at full intensity, Leilua did not seem to slow down. In fact, she gained momentum as the carnival went on.
The more ‘oos and ahhs’ bellowed by an enthralled Redcliffe crowd, the more highlights we were treated to by the unforgiving prop.
Faith Vili (St Albans Secondary College, St Albans)
The Victorian forward pack was something to behold and the duo of Vili and Leilua was the reason.
A tough and skilful lock, Vili’s is one of those players that doesn’t stop toiling.
Tianah Teo (Mernda Central College)
The Victorian schoolgirls halfback had a monster pack laying the foundation ahead of her, and she was good enough to take full advantage of her forwards. She directed play expertly, but was also prepared to take the line on and offer a pass despite being under pressure in defence.
NEW SOUTH WALES COMBINED INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Shanelle Lyons (SEDA College, Glebe Campus)
Oh my NSWIS have some power lurking on the right wing. The mighty strong Shanelle Lyons scored two tries in her team’s 17-4 win over the Northern Territory on day two of the championships and it was through sheer strength.
Jasmine Hocking (Central Coast Sports College, Kariong) also looked the real deal in the centres.
Bronte Ryan (Central coast Sports College, Kariong)
Impressive left edge forward Bronte Ryan was a metre-eater for NSWCIS and a trusted go-to for a hit-up.
Western Australia
Topaz Porter (Aranmore Catholic College, Leederville)
She lost nothing in comparison to her rivals and was a mobile, broad shouldered No. 13.
She ran as strong as anyone, and missed no tackles.
Queensland Secondary Schools
Alice Shannon (Mabel Park SHS)
Shannon is the smiling assassin who can put you on your back with defence and offence. From Mabel Park SHS, Shannon runs it as hard as anyone. With her and Reegan Hicks in the middle, Queensland have a great one-two combination through the ruck.
Tavarna Papalii (Keebra Park SHS)
She’s tallish, athletic, and stronger than her build suggests. Papalii is one heck of a talent and with Shannon, Leinniece Wright (Deception Bay SHS), Malaela Su’a (Mabel Park SHS) and Armani-Lea Auvae (Murrumba State Secondary College) by her side in the forward pack, Queensland were in safe hands.
Mercedez Taulelei-Siala (Marsden SHS)
Tauleilei-Siala scored a bunch and started every game. From Marsden SHS, the fast finishing winger had a left handed-fend which helped evade defenders.
Relna Hosea (Ipswich Girls Grammar School), Ebony Raftstrand-Smith (Keebra Park SHS) and Lila Parr (Chancellor State College) were also class outside backs in that star studded Queensland outfit.
Raftstrand-Smith, known for her running game, made four rib crunching tackles in the girls semi final against NSWCCC. It was something to behold.
Esther Pedro (Ipswich SHS)
She’s been a revelation. She has come from the back blocks to make the state side after only moving to Ipswich SHS this year.
She has a sure passing game and puts her shoulder to the wheel in defence, and can straighten the attack running the ball.
She and her halves partner Lila Parr were growing in confidence.
AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Samantha Nealon (St Clare’s College, Griffith)
You can trust Nealon to break the line, be a support player or be a finisher.
That’s what she was all week for ACT.
Lilly Janota (St Mary MacKillop College, Isabella Plains)
A clever five-eight who was a perfect link between backs and forwards.
Indi Dyball (St Mary MacKillop College, Isabella Plains)
She was named ACT’s player of the carnival and earned that award through gitty hard work. There was nothing flash about her, but she worked from one ruck to the next and covered bigger opponents when defending in the ruck.
Charlotte Waring (Lake Ginninderra College, Belconnen)
She was an all-effort winger who played above her weight. She tore down the sideline at least twice a half, but she would also take ruck runs.
Fullback Ebony Fitzpatrick (Erindale College, Wanniassa) could also be seen manoeuvring her way around defenders.
NORTHERN TERRITORY SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Keiko Fordimail (Katherine High School, Katherine East)
Fordimail saved her best for last at the Nationals, and it was her performance against the ACT on Thursday which has her in this company.
She played herself to a standstill, making one tackle and then running from the middle to edge to make the next.
You couldn’t fault her effort, and even when out of breath she was called upon to charge the ball up the middle.
Cecilia Misob (Essington School, Nightcliff)
Misob was a model of consistency all week long with her powerful ball running getting her team out of their half and onto the front foot.
Second rower Mele Tupou (SEDA College) was also a right edge, athletic runner who blasted forward.
Ariana Skonis (O’Loughlin College, Karama)
It is a case of last but not least. Skonis wore No. 23 but was voted NT’s best player at the carnival. She’d roar off the bench with all effort plays, impacting matches and leading her team by example.
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