ASSRL Day 4 live stream: Five games including both Under-18s semi-finals
Queensland have emerged as frontrunners to defend their schoolboys crown after outlasting NSW CCC in the wet. RE-WATCH all of Tuesday’s action from the ASSRL Nationals.
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Queensland’s two trumps Keano Kini and Karl Oloapu delivered winning hands as the young Maroons qualified for Friday’s under 18 grand final against NSW Combined High Schools.
Queensland this afternoon beat NSW Combined Independent Schools 40-10, going toe-to-toe at 10-all before racing down hill in the second half with 30 points.
WATCH THE FULL REPLAY ABOVE AND SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE DAY FOUR REPLAYS
At 16-10 to Queensland the match hung in the balance until fullback Kini and No.13 Oloapu, two of the three best schoolboy players in the state, engineered a superb one-two middle field play, with Oloapu attacking the ruck and laying off an inside pass for Kini to motor onto.
Kini had 35m to run and the fullback to beat, but he sweaved the last line and then got the ball down despite desperate cover defence by Katoa and Tyrese Lokeni.
There was still 28 minutes remaining, but it was a crucial play that gave the home side a 22-10 cushion.
Troy Bath then scored seven minutes later after Queensland had stretched the defensive line to breaking point following another charge by the impressive Arama Hau,
It was 28-10 and although NSW Independent’s had time, it was a big lead in a semi-final.
The baby of the Queensland side, Coby Black, then produced a superlative piece of play to send Seth Nikotemo striding over, and then Josh Lynn offered Tre Fotu a path to the tryline.
Queensland had led 16-10 at halftime, with a try by Keebra Park SHS’s Arama Hau created following a super pass under pressure from Oloapu.
Big Hau still had plenty of work to do, but he will play a lot of football before he gets a better ball than what Olopau offered him in the circumstances.
That try arrested NSW Combined Independent Schools’ momentum which had seen them turn a 10-nil deficit into 10-all.
Following a scrappy opening that saw both teams blow chances, Queensland scored the first try of the match when Hau crashed over from close range to give the home side the lead.
Up 4-0 after the conversion was waved away, Queensland extended their lead to 8 when Tre Fatu scored a try that was set-up by a Jye Gray break.
The Combined Independent Schools then hit back hard, with a play of the day engineered by five-eight Ben Dufficy, whose chip kick into space was claimed by Richard Penisini whose short pass sent winger Jesse McLean over.
Katoa’s sideline conversion made it 10-all.
This was after No.5 slid over in the right hand corner, reducing Queensland’s lead to 10-4.
REPLAY: Under-18s semi-final - NSW CCC v NSW CHS
NSW CHS have won the battle of the Blues to book a spot in the All Schools Championship Under 18s grand final.
In a clash against their famous rivals NSW CCC, CHS stormed home to beat the Catholics 30-8 after 70 minutes of bruising semi-final football.
Led by Junior Paulo look alike Sam Tuivaiti and future Canberra fullback Chevy Stewart, CHS scored four second half tries to give themselves a shot at schoolboy glory.
In a semi-final blockbuster that saw CHS renew their famous rivalry with CCC, it was the Catholics who drew first blood.
Fresh from posting 74 points against CAS in their All Schools Carnival opener, CCC crossed just three minutes into the match.
Exposing CHS on the edge, William Afualo crossed in the corner to get one over star CHS winger Tyrone Munro.
But CHS hitback in the 10th minute when Canberra bound fullback showed his strength by wrestling his way out of three tackles to level the match.
After CHS kicked a penalty goal to hit the lead, CCC went to the break up 8-6 following an on the stroke of halftime try to Ethan Roberts. There was no stopping CHS in the second half with Harrison Hassett and Tallyn Da Silva scoring two of the four second half tries.
Hassett was named player of the match after his stirring performance in the backrow while Combined Catholic College’s front rower Jordan Miller was player of the match for his side.
REPLAY: Queensland White v ACT (15-Years)
Queensland (white) 15 years hooker Mason Phillips rose to the occasion to produce two early clutch plays in his team’s 34-4 victory over the ACT in game one today.
In a match which featured two eye-catching displays by ACT prop Zildjian Tafili and Queensland’s Nate Berrigan, Queensland dummy half Phillips sliced through twice to score within the space of four minutes, lifting his side to safety after a spirited opening 20 minute burst by the ACT.
He ran from near the quarter to score both tries, displaying speed to complement his eyes up footy sense.
Phillips (Wavell SHS) was the beneficiary of his side’s quick play the balls through the middle which gassed the ACT line.
And Queensland needed such precision and discipline to overcome the ACT which competed hard to restrict the second half to 10-4, restricting their rivals to just two tries while scoring themselves.
The first try came early - to Queensland (white) winger - Cooper McInnerney but after that shock start ACT challenged the home side with a revved up forward pack controlling the ball well.
ACT prop Tafili, who has been identified by the Canberra Raiders as a talent, led by example but the Queensland defence held, with left centre Jake Carsburg contributing to his team’s lassoing of the ACT when they shifted ball wide.
To score first, Queensland halfback Dallas Ingram (TSS) worked the blindside to create the opening four pointer for Nudgee College’s Cooper McInnerney when he put his centre Keoki Koraba into a gap.
Ellyjah Birve’s conversion made it 6-nil.
Queensland hooker Phillips (Wavell SHS) then won a penalty for his side off the back of ruck runs by Cooper Cracknell (Ipswich SHS) and Fa’apale Feaunati (Terrace), but a fumbled ball allowed ACT to scramble and regain possession.
However late in the first half Phillips broke free again, and this time did it all himself, running 20m through the ruck to score - and soon after scoring his second try.
PBC SHS’s edge forward Luke Jones also handed his fullback Tom Parker (Forest Lake SHS) a try after Jones had stormed onto a pass from halve Birve.
In the second half Queensland winger McInnerney again got on the score sheet.
ACT’s spirit was summed up eight minutes from fulltime when Tafili and Byron Cahill chased Queensland winger Isaac Cullen despite trailing 28-nil.
Appropriately ACT did get on the scoreboard late and the players should feel proud of their efforts.
REPLAY: ACT v Combined Affiliated States (18 Years)
Centre Regan Carr scored a second-half double and added an assist for good measure as the ACT under 18s cruised to a comprehensive 26-6 victory over Combined Affiliated States at the national all-schools championships.
Carr was too slick for the opposition as he added three goals on his way to a personal haul of 14 points at Moreton Daily Stadium.
The classy centre opened his account early in the second half. He wasn’t finished there, adding another before he turned creator to end any chance of a fightback from CAS.
His second came after a slick backline movement before he swopped on a dropped ball to send Max Mercer over with minutes remaining.
Carr was named man of the match for the ACT while lock Josiah Neli, who finished the game on report for a high shot in the first half, picked up the honours for CAS.
REPLAY: Queensland Maroons v NSW CCC (15 Years)
Dolphins NRL coach Wayne Bennett watched six of his junior pathway players help the Queensland Maroons storm to the top of their pool with a win over NSW Combined Catholic Colleges in 15 years action.
The Master Coach peered down upon Mereki Warradoo (fullback), Benson Tau (wing), Nixon Pasese (prop), Charlie Dickson (No.13), Brian Pouniu (edge forward) and Jairus Halahala (middle) who strutted their stuff in the Queenslander 18-6 victory.
Middlemen Pasese and Dickson, along with classy fullback Warradoo, would have most impressed Bennett.
But there were others to impress as well, including halfback Braithen Scott (St Mary’s) who straightened his team’s attack, edge Jared Horne, left centre strike weapon Lui Lee and prop Mace Andrew (both Marsden SHS).
The service of Queensland hooker Max Blanch was also excellent in the conditions, while for Combined Catholics his counterpart Diesel Hagan snared his team’s man of the match..
The big moment came midway through the second half when Queensland ramped up pressure on NSW.
Sensing a try, Queensland props Mace Andrew and Nixon Pasese almost shouldered each other out of the way, so eager were they to advance to the tryline.
In the end it was a wide shift - after the close quarter battle - which resulted in Queensland advancing to 14-6, 20 minutes from fulltime as replacement back Azariah Toki-Mautairi crossed out wide.
Earlier in the first half, both fullbacks ball-played to create tries for their side in the first half.
Queensland’s Mereki Warradoo put his right centre Joseph Tupuse on a 40m run to the line, with Tupuse finishing the movement with a blast of speed to get clear of his NSW rivals.
Not to be out done, Combined Catholic’s No.1 Logan Tolar also played as an extra half in the front line, with his low, spiral pass finding his centre Marcellus Iakapo.
The 6-all deadlock was broken by wonderful hole running from Queensland centre Lui Lee who with a jink and a swerve found a channel to the line off a delightful short pass from his halfback Braithen Scott.
PREVIEW: The rare condition driving Queensland’s schoolboys charge
Queensland schoolboys workhorse Zac Bateman says a heart condition has inspired him, rather than deterred him, from playing the club he loves.
Bateman, 15, from the famous Rockhampton rugby league breeding ground, will spearhead his team’s campaign again today when the Queensland White under 15s play ACT in Australian Secondary Schools national championship action live streamed by News Corp
The Cathedral College middle forward was Queensland’s best player in the Maroons’ White team’s 22-all draw against NSW Combined Independent Schools on Sunday.
A No. 13 signed by the Cowboys, he was the glue of the side in a thrill-a-minute second half which saw Queensland come from a 22-10 deficit with two tries in the last three minutes.
Three years ago Bateman was diagnosed with a heart condition that initially sapped him of energy and threatened his rugby league career.
But with medication the Rockhampton Tigers junior has powered forward to earn his first Queensland cap after an outstanding season with Duane Carpenter’s Capras’ Connell Challenge side, and again at the state trials last month.
“It affected my football for a little bit but I have worked my way around it,’’ he said.
“I had to work harder to get around it. But it was a motivation to keep going and prove people wrong that you don’t stop for something like that.’’
Bateman said he was aware of Rockhampton’s proud tradition in producing outstanding rugby league players, and it was an “amazing’’ honour to now be a Queensland representative from the district.
Bateman, who injected great energy into the Maroons’ recovery, said the Queenslander chant which echoed from the Queensland dressing room before the match and again at halftime helped inspire the side.
A galaxy of young stars will again be on show today, with the likes of John Paul Donevski, Taj Brailey (both NSW Combined Catholic Colleges), Isaiya Katoa, Jesse McLean (both NSW Combined Independent Schools), Keano Kini and Karl Oloupa (Queensland) leading the charge in the two 18 years semi-finals.
Originally published as ASSRL Day 4 live stream: Five games including both Under-18s semi-finals
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