Harvey Norman under-17 girls Super 30 Players of the Season revealed
Here’s the Harvey Norman under-17 girls Super 30 players of the season. The squad features potential NRLW talent for Broncos, Titans and Cowboys.
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While the rugby league community celebrates the success of the code’s Las Vegas invasion, there should be a little left in the glass to toast the historic Harvey Norman under 17 girls competition in Queensland.
While the competition was over in a flash, it has left an indelible mark on those who witnessed it.
HOW RD 4 OF THE MENINGA, CONNELL AND HARVEY GIRLS UNFOLDED
The talent has been a revelation, and we can’t wait for 2025 to see these girls again - and others progress into the under 19s.
Here we name the top 30 players we saw - while recognising another 40 players who get special mentions.
THE SUPER 30 SQUAD OF THE SEASON
1. Mia Byrnes (Clydesdales)
Byrnes has pace to burn and seems to anticipate where to position herself running off her potent back rowers Pypah Ferguson, Leteena Medlande and Tayla Horrobin.
The Clydesdales fullback finished a strong campaign with a try in her team’s 24-4 win over the Sunshine Coast.
2. Natalia Hickling (Tweed)
A raw talent still learning the game, Hickling is a natural athlete in space, and someone who will trouble teams through the middle as she gains more experience.
Hickling had a highlight reel moment at the weekend when, off the bench, she scored the go-ahead try for Tweed’s under-19s team who stunned Redcliffe 14-12.
Her pace was evident on this magnificent play.
3. Elishama Suavai (Pride)
A damaging left edge runner, Elishama Suavai was the leader of the pack in good times and in bad. A Cairns product, we named her at left centre here to squeeze the very best of 2024 into our squad. Suavai was a natural player who the Cowboys were sure to nurture through its system.
4. Genesis Tupa’i (Burleigh)
How good of a season did centre Tupa’i have? She was incredible. Everything and more for Burleigh, a player who offered speed, defence, trysoring prowess and more across the park.
We knew we had our centre after the first round when Tupa’i turned up against the Magpies.
5. Janique Mili (Souths Logan)
We just had to get her into our top 30, didn’t we? A natural athlete, she is a beautiful mover in the open, but someone prepared to take a bump attacking the line through the middle. She has an uncanny combination with her Marsden SHS school mate, Lili Lewis, who is mentioned below.
6. Torah Luadaka (Tweed)
The impressive Tweed playmaker had a wonderful season creating tries and scoring plenty to give the Seagulls flare in attack.
Luadaka is tall, has a goosestep and a strong spiral pass. These skills place her in good stead to develop and become even more of a force in years to come.
Watch this space.
7. Lili Lewis (Souths Logan)
A little Miss Natural who one suspects was spinning a football on the tip of her finger not long after she learned to walk. Lewis has that rare ability to read a game and be half a play ahead of her rivals.
8. Porche John (Tigers)
A prop forward powerhouse who crashed into the teeth of opposition packs. She was also to her feet quickly, giving livewire hooker Enah Desic and halfback Kameryn Bray time to weave their magic.
9. Enah Desic (Tigers)
The goal kicking hooker from Tiger town was a revelation. Granted she had an authoritative pack around her, but one suspects she’d be a special player in any side. She gave great service and bounded from the ruck when appropriate.
10. Saskia Croyston (Tweed)
Croyston looked the part and played the part. Strongly built but athletic, Croyston had the mobility of a back rower. She is someone who will get better and better the more she plays. Her twin sister Mackenzie was also a fine young player, although she missed our top 30 because of the extraordinary number of quality No. 13s in the competition.
11. Amanii Misa (Souths Logan)
An absolute powerhouse on the field and in the gym, Misa is in the Broncos system and it is no mystery why they have signed her. Ideally a No. 13, but she can play in the middle or in the back row. She scored a double in the Magpies’ 64-0 win over Wynnum Manly last weekend.
12. Jakaia-Lee Collett (Blackhawks)
The Blackhawks skipper, Collett was effective through the middle or a little wide of the ruck. She ran with authority, and was able to pop a pass in contact. A product of Heatley State School and Kirwan SHS, she was also an all-embracing defender who made her presence felt.
13. Easter Taualai (Norths)
Taualai is a local junior who is a regular in Met North representative teams. A No. 13, she has deft hands but is also a damaging ball runner either through the middle or running off her halves.
14. Kameryn Bray (Tigers)
The Enah Desic-Kameryn Bray hooker-halfback combination was without peer in the competition. Gosh this competition has unearthed some talent and one of the best out of the pack of players this season was blonde haired Bray.
15. Temeka Barnes (Wynnum Manly)
The complete footballer who was always going to be among the first haldful of players in the squad. A fabulous halfback with vision and skill, but also someone who makes her tackles and is prepared to run to the line.
16. Pypah Ferguson (Clydesdales)
Another superb No. 13 who impressed with her running game, organisational skills and deft passing. From afar the Western Clydesdales captain looked like the type of player you’d love to play alongside.
17. Memphis Tanielu (Norths)
Tanielu was an elite middle forward powerhouse who has representative football written all over her. A tenacious leader, she is eager to learn and will get better and better as the school season unfolds.
18. Cianna Faulkner (Cutters)
The Wanderers junior led the Mackay side by example from No. 13 with her running game, handling and strong defence. A St Patrick’s College student, off the field she is someone eager to help out around the club.
19. Tayla Horrobin (Clydesdales)
She and her teammate, Leteena Medlande, were outstanding edge forwards. She has moved mountains playing right edge second rower and had big games against Sunshine Coast and the Jets who both fielded physical, well drilled packs.
20. Makayla Elliot (Falcons)
One of the finest front row prospects in the game, Elliot knows her way around the field. She must have had a huge off season because she had boundless energy for a middle, effective in first contact defence, wrapping the ball up or leading kick-chases down the field. She also ran with authority.
21. Caydence Fouracre (Capras)
The competiton Despite filling the starting positions with Lili Lewis and Torah Luadaka, and two earlier bench places with Kameryn Bray and Temeka Barnes, we simply had to somehow find a spot to recognise this former poddy riding ace who was outstanding for the Capras in the halves.
22. Leteena Medlande (Clydesdales)
The Oakey product was a Harvey 17s sensation with her robust edge running. If she didn’t come out the other side or flick a pass to a teammate, her runs would send the opposition back peddling, creating momentum for the next ruck. She was as good as any forward in the competition.
23. Emalini Waqairatu (Ipswich)
Another elite player, the Jets captain was always going to make our squad. We just had so many other players to fit in as well. The Bremer SHS second rower impressed with her attitude and leadership, then on the field displayed great skills.
24. Orianna Clark (Tigers)
Clark was elite for the Tigers on the edge and with Riley-Jay Henry-Purcell looming nearby, the Tigers had a potent pair of running forwards to take advantage of the team’s momentum and the ball play of hooker Desic and halfback Bray.
25. Kaylee Booth (Tweed)
A no-nonsense five-eighth who was tireless in all three games.
She caught the eye with her headgear and ability to make repeated efforts in defence.
There weren’t many better on that side of the ball. Trust us, Booth is brutal.
26. Harmony Harris (Redcliffe)
Prop powerhouse Harmony Harris was humming from the first game through to the last.
She was exceptional through the middle third of the field, bruising defences with her crash running and making post contact metres with ease.
She was the Queen of going forward.
27. Shar-Lene Nati (Redcliffe)
With limited opportunities at times, fullback Nati showed glimpses of what is to come.
And the future is exciting.
A sleek mover, Nati was a strong support player and a bit of an x-factor player.
28. Sarah McGuire (Falcons)
An edge backrower, McGuire stood as tall in the 60th minute as she did in the 1st minute.
She led the way for the Falcons.
29. Riley-Jay Henry-Purcell (Tigers)
The Tigers No.13 is one of the best in the business, always in the top three or four players.
A Mt Albert Lions junior, Henry-Purcell stepped away from the sport upon her relocation to Australia in 2017.
She made a return to league last year thanks to the encouragement of her BSHS schoolmates and Tigers clubmates Rana and Noa Pasese and Sienna Ibrahim.
She had a fantastic campaign in a stacked Tigers team.
30. Sienna Trew (Souths Logan)
Trew is just fearless. She is competitive and passionate about improving herself.
Coming from a footballing family, Trew has had plenty of opportunities to hone her skills at a young age and she had a great season for Souths Logan.
Special mentions
Outside backs
Lilly Giblett (Cutters)
Zoe Robson (Capras)
Siena Tabacchi (Blackhawks)
Jessica Jahnke (Norths)
Bella Alo (Souths Logan)
Abby Sayeg (Clydesdales)
Lacey McLaren (Bears)
Leevi Williams (Wynnum)
Layla Satui (Redcliffe)
Eva Steers (Norths)
Ella Hollis (Clydesdales)
Chelsea Coleman (Tweed)
Kaelyn Passi (Burleigh)
Emily Jackwitz (Jets)
Halves
Paige Stagg (Norths)
Ashley Cotter (Norths)
Yamun-Ginda Kelly-Buchanan (Burleigh)
Aaliyah Murray (Clydesdales)
Kaia Skeen (Redcliffe)
Campbell Phillips (Burleigh)
Jazmyn Brennan-Rowe (Jets)
Back row
Lishainah Ulugia (Tigers)
Nikola MacDonald (Bears)
Mackenzie Croyston (Tweed)
Macey Evans (Capras)
Evoltia Tuala (Blackhawks)
Tia Molo (Redcliffe)
Mamele Misa (Souths Logan)
Chloe Maxwell (Blackhawks)
Riley-Jay Henry-Purcell (Tigers)
Marley Chan (Falcons)
Ella O’Dea (Jets)
Props
Sky-Yvette Faimalie (Tigers)
Luisa Olomali’i (Redcliffe)
Jara’Kyah Turpin (Norths)
Ebony Temple (Cutters)
Lucy Sammut (Falcons)
Hooker
Kaylani Tavita (Souths Logan)
Emily Whittaker (Wynnum)
Bailey Webb (Norths)
Ella Duncan (Cutters)
Ava Mitchell (Clydesdales)
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