2025 Langer Trophy live stream: Ipswich SHS v Redcliffe SHS, Round 4

Ipswich enter the mid-season break in fine form after taking down Langer Trophy giant killers Redcliffe. Watch the REPLAYS

He may not have been out on the field but Ipswich coach Josh Bretherton had just as much to do with his team’s round 4 win than his wholehearted playing group.

Ipswich won 22-10 over Redcliffe and it was a positional masterstroke by Bretherton that brought about the crucial five-try-to-one toppling at the North Ipswich Reserve.

Bretherton’s choice to move Caesar Yeatman from the wing to fullback, Tom Parker from fullback to halfback and have Tiger Campbell add a touch off class off the bench was a cocktail of success.

It was made possible by the flexibility of five-eighth TJ Sauaso who, for a long time, played hooker with distinction after a great first shift from starting No.9 Jaylen Naleba.

The selection changes also saw 16 -year-old Baxter Best make a two-try starting debut of dreams on the left wing.

MASTERSTROKE MAGIC

Redcliffe threatened hard and often in the first 20 minutes and then again in the final 10 but in between it was all Ipswich and the fantastic five of Best, Parker, Yeatman, Sauaso and Campbell were to the fore.

On a night where Parker was instrumental forcing errors with his twirling torpedoes, fullback Yeatman had a squeaky clean fullback’s performance where he absorbed the tactical kicking of Redcliffe halves Grady Payne and Ngaakau Graham superbly.

Langer Trophy player Grady Payne at the Redcliffe State High School. Picture: Tertius Pickard

It was at times extraordinary his ability to scoop up a bouncing ball at near-full speed.

Parker was at his playmaking best and he had his hand in four of Ipswich’s five tries.

Sauaso’s defensive toughness in the middle was the stuff of legends and his service from the ruck base was brilliant when Campbell came on late in the first half.

Twice Campbell made plays to prevent Redcliffe prop Lepi Teu from scoring. Once with a gutsy tackle and the other time when he intercepted a James Grey offload as the last line of defence.

The moment that summed it all up was when, off a scrum 10m out, Sauaso and Parker attacked the short side to send Best over for his second try.

POMALE POWER

Before the fantastic five fired, Ipswich SHS left centre Tevita Pomale was a powerhouse.

He is a tackle busting terror and he shed tackles for fun to turn the pressure back onto a quality Redcliffe side.

When Ipswich led 6-4, Pomale made two turf-shredding charges upfield to give his side prime positioning to strike a blow.

They did just that when right centre Tomu Cook caught the ball with space, cut back on his inside and slammed the ball down for a 10-4 advantage.

STROKE OF HALF HEROICS

Ipswich turned up the heat approaching half time to produce a magical six-minute burst that changed the game.

To go from up 6-4 to ahead 14-4, Ipswich halfback Parker, makeshift hooker Sauaso and metre-eating second rower Neyon Taito took matters into their own hands.

Parker made the pass that created Cook’s 25th minute try and then was involved out the back with another pass to Cook which ended in the hands of right wing Best.

Best’s try gave Ipswich a healthy 10-point lead.

Ipswich then scored twice within the first 10 minutes of the second half to pull clear 22-6.

Redcliffe rallied hard and finished on a high when side-stepping debutant Kyron Arthy carved a gorge through Ipswich’s defence and scored.

Replay: Redcliffe v Ipswich SHS (Walters Cup)

PREVIEW

Three years ago Ipswich SHS won 46-6 over Redcliffe but times have changed and on this occasion, Redcliffe have the strike weapons to make a thud in this year’s competition.

Last Wednesday’s 18-4 win over Marsden is more than proof and the boys from the Peninsula have a promising mix of new and old that can take Ipswich all the way in a rousing round 4 fixture.

Long-time Redcliffe SHS students Nate Berrigan, Jairus Suliasi and Taufa Taulani have been brilliant through three rounds, but it’s a lethal injection of fresh faces that could propel the Eagles further towards finals contention.

Fullback James Grey has made an impression in his first season after moving from Ipswich Grammar, while lock Aza Toki-Mautairi has also been sharp since moving from the dorms at Toowoomba Grammar.

Redcliffe State High players James Grey, Nate Berrigan, Taufa Taulani and Aza Toki-mautairi

Toki-Mautairi’s mate from New Zealand, five-eighth Ngaakau Graham, has been great as well, having kicked more than 90 per cent off the tee and creating scoring chances with his running and passing game.

Particularly against Marsden, new student Graham was top notch alongside towering young winger Jonathon Alo who had his best outing yet.

Two Year 11 students — Azaiah Maile and Kyron Arthy — will get their first taste of the Langer Trophy on Wednesday when they make their debuts for Redcliffe.

The versatile Maile has been magic in the Langer Reserves, a man of the match performance against Keebra Park and a three-try effort against Stretton putting him in line to come on as a second rower, prop or even centre against Ipswich.

Arthy, a flexible outside back from Western Australia, will also come off the bench for the first time after successfully rehabilitating a hamstring injury.

Kyron Arthy. Image courtesy of Jo Harlow Photography.

In a short time, Redcliffe’s bench has become a strength.

Captain Amare Wynard has set the tone at hooker before impressive Year 11 dummy-half Cohen Cochran has come on and made an impact.

Wynyard then moves to lock where himself and Cochran look to carve up. The softly-spoken rake duo, who pride themselves on working hard, have plenty in common with untiring prop Taufa Taulani.

Taufa’s older brother Jacob, now in the Knights system, played for the Eagles earlier this decade and their younger brother starts Year 7 next year.

But it’s Taufa’s time now and he is relishing his responsibility.

Taulani has been a rock in Redcliffe’s middle so far this year, hitting hard or getting hit hard, standing up and going again for long stints.

“He’s such a hard worker and very resilient,” praised Redcliffe head of rugby league Jay Wilkinson.

“He’s always on the field and there’s no backwards step for him.”