2022 Throwback Series: Ipswich State High School’s Langer Trophy, Phil Hall Cup, national title march

Road to glory: The story of how an unheralded Queensland school claimed a three trophy clean sweep will live long in NRL Schoolboys folklore. Chart their amazing four-month journey.

It was one of the Cinderella sport stories of 2022.

How a Queensland school won three grand finals in an incredible four-week time span will live long in NRL Schoolboys folklore.

Ipswich State High has a proud rugby league history but they had never risen to these levels.

First came the Langer Trophy, then the Phil Hall Cup and then the biggest of them all – the National Schoolboys title.

Chart their amazing four-month unbeaten journey below.

NATIONAL SCHOOLBOY CUP

Twelve games unbeaten. What a year! And they arguably saved their best performance until last.

Ipswich closed their Cinderella season with a jaw-dropping demolition of a team that had been crowned NSW champions only two weeks earlier.

Hellbent on winning, Ipswich refused to let Patrician Brother’s relentless play impede on their glory-filled 2022 season.

See the replay of the game in the player above.

PHIL HALL CUP

Two grand finals out of two! Ipswich followed up their Langer Trophy success with a spectacular performance in the Phil Hall Cup grand final.

After an undefeated Langer Trophy season, Ipswich continued their dominance over Queensland opposition with a 30-10 win over Townsville’s Ignatius Park College.

The thrilling match-up showcased Queensland’s promising future NRL stars.

LANGER CUP GRAND FINAL

Ipswich had to come from behind to take victory over Palm Beach Currumbin State High in a nailbiting Langer Trophy decider.

The 16-12 scoreline marked a historic first title win for the school.

Ipswich SHS’s most prestigious alumni, Allan Langer expressed sheer pride in the team’s performance after they came from 12-10 down to secure the victory.

For Palm Beach, it was the second year in a row they finished as runners up.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

ROUND 1 – Ipswich vs. Keebra Park

Ipswich launched their season with a bang, defeating Keebra Park SHS 24-16.

In what can only be described as a blockbuster first half, Ipswich kicked out to a 24-0 lead before the break.

Despite some rocky defence in the second half – and three answered tries for Keebra – Ipswich held on to claim the win.

ROUND 2 – Ipswich vs. Mabel Park

It was an all-Ipswich show in round 2, but that hardly mattered as Ipswich crushed their Mabel Park opponents in a stunning 46-4 win.

Off the back of a successful round 1 for both teams, the match was expected to be a tough battle.

But with 34 unanswered points in the second half, Ipswich cemented themselves as the team to beat in the Langer Trophy after just two games.

ROUND 3 – Ipswich vs. Redcliffe

Home or away, it didn’t matter as Ipswich left Redcliffe State High School stunned with a 46-6 scoreline.

Debutant Joven Gyemore was one of the stars of the game.

Redcliffe saw a flash of relief when centre Julian Mirupasi snuck his way over the line, but it was the only time his team could muster a cheer.

ROUND 4 – Ipswich vs. PBC

The first match-up between the 2022 grand finalists took place early in the season, with Ipswich asserting themselves as a team not to be taken lightly.

It was an initial lack of discipline that threatened the side’s unbeaten streak, before middle men Rene Bagon and Josiah Pahulu brought much needed energy to the field.

A penalty in the dying minutes was the glorious call they needed to seal an 18-16 victory.

The win meant four in a row for the underdog side, a promising start to their 2022 campaign.

ROUND 5 – Ipswich vs. Wavell

The round five home game ended with a closer score line than Ipswich SHS had expected, especially after dominating the first half of the season.

Wavell had a 2-2 record coming into the clash and were chasing victory to improve their chances of a finals campaign.

With the score level for most of the game, Tristan Afamasaga played a key role in setting up two tries near the end, putting Ipswich 28-16 ahead to close the match out.

ROUND 6 – Ipswich vs. Coombabah

Ipswich hit 50 points for the first time with this impressive performance.

The Gold Coast side proved no match for Ipswich’s relentless attacking efforts.

Doubles for Joven Gyemore, Jamal Laurie and Kulu Baruani, added to a tremendous performance by playmaker Tyler Peckham-Harris, contributed to a 50-10 victory.

ROUND 7 – Ipswich vs. Marsden

With an unbeaten campaign on the line, Ipswich rose from the depths of despair to pull off a stunning victory.

Ipswich appeared out of contention when they trailed 10-0 at halftime.

But they rallied and secured the unlikely 20-16 success with an after-the-siren play.

QUARTERFINAL – Ipswich vs. Coombabah

The final eight clash against Coombabah ended much the same way it had back in round six.

Coombabah were simply no match and Ipswich breezed through to the semi-finals on the back of a 56-12 win.

A hat-trick in the first half from centre Caleb Jackson gave his side a convincing early lead, which quickly extended to 44-0 at halftime.

SEMI FINAL – Ipswich vs. Marsden

The highly anticipated semi-final against Marsden SHS ended with mixed emotions for the Ipswich side despite a well-earned 24-16 victory.

An alleged biting incident involving Ipswich front rower Josiah Pahulu had clouded the side’s efforts, as the Australian schoolboy awaited word on whether he would be cleared to play the following week.

It was several days after the match that Pahulu’s case was dismissed.