Aaron Payne Cup grand final live stream: Jason Taumalolo gives some advice to St Patrick’s and Kirwan

A date with Dolphins Cup winner Emmaus is next for St Patrick’s Mackay after Jaxon Purdue and Xavier Kerrisk helped secure Payne Cup glory. A replay of the entire match is NOW available.

Due to a major technical fault shortly before kickoff, we have unfortunately been unable to show the Payne Cup grand final between Kirwan and St Patrick’s Mackay LIVE.

The issues were beyond our control and we apologise for the inconvenience.

A full REPLAY of the game is NOW available above.

Kid Cowboy Jaxon Purdue led St Patrick’s College of Mackay to Aaron Payne Cup glory in a 32-10 demolition of Kirwan State High School that was sealed by half-time.

There were no signs of the ghosts of a year ago as Purdue and partner-in-crime Xavier Kerrisk inspired one of the most one-sided grand final affairs in two decades of North Queensland schoolboy footy.

It had been almost 12 months to the day that the Queensland Schoolboys representatives were foiled by Ignatius Park College on the same Queensland Country Bank Stadium ground they will one day call home.

Kirwan boasted 13 NRL contracted players, with a Bronco and Eel in addition to a strong Cowboys contingent, but were belted by a St Patrick’s team determined to advance to a play-off against Dolphins Cup champions Emmaus College.

Team captain, hooker and fellow Cowboys contracted player Kerrisk was lost for words after the match but thanked his teammates for the 12 months of work that had led to this point.

Early bird fans at North Queensland’s NRL clash with Cronulla were treated to a point-per-minute first half as Purdue laid the seeds of Kirwan’s demise.

The pint-sized playmaker crossed for a first half double and helped set up outside man Bailey Anderson for a brace of his own to put one hand on the Aaron Payne Cup by halftime.

Kirwan’s Cowboys-contracted left edge of Fijian imports Eparama Kikau and Aisake Manna stood no chance as St Patrick’s blasted four tries through their corridor.

Manna’s speed and power helped him cross for the Bears’ sole points in the opening stanza but even that was washed away when St Pat’s lock Kayne Smith sealed the comprehensive victory with a late try.

Kirwan’s Aaron Payne Cup drought will stretch into a fourth season.

Cowboys legend Aaron Payne was on-hand to present St Patrick’s with the trophy bearing his name.

PREVIEW

Some of North Queensland’s finest rugby league prospects will play on the big stage on Thursday evening when Kirwan SHS face St Patrick’s in the Aaron Payne Cup grand final.

The game will be played at 5.05pm at Queensland Country Bank Stadium ahead of the NRL match between the Cowboys and Sharks, treating fans to a tantalising double spectacle.

Cowboys co-captain Jason Taumalolo is one of the biggest stars to come out of Kirwan High and he had some sage advice for the young players gearing up to take the field.

“I’ve been a part of a couple of big games for up and coming high school players who want to be professionals, and there’s always (been) a saying that what you do for the team will show more than what you do individually,” Taumalolo said.

Kirwan are up against St Pat’s on Thursday evening.

“Despite playing at a bigger field and (in front of) a much bigger crowd, their team comes first and those players will do what they need to - and what their team wants them to do.

“Kirwan has always been a part of big games and, hopefully, they’ll be a part of many more to come, and as a former Bear, I’m not biased at all.”

If you haven’t had a chance to watch either of these teams play in 2023, you need to change your Thursday plans now – the passion and power on display is unrivalled as each player truly leaves everything they have on the field.

Can’t make it to the game? Watch the Aaron Payne Cup grand final LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on KommunityTV through your subscription with this masthead.

Subscribers can also catch every Queensland Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Cup game as the competitions gets to the serious point of the season.

St Patrick’s coach Ian Schifilliti said his side would be “fighting fit and ready to go” for the game.

“There’s a great sense of occasion, it’s great for the school and I know we’re from Mackay, but we’ll have a surprising amount of people, family and friends, make that trek to the game to support the guys,” Schifilliti said.

“Kirwan is a really well established North Queensland schoolboy powerhouse and you know a lot of alumni are going to rock up.

“Even in rugby league circles there’s a little bit of chat there around wanting them to do really well and St Pat’s is no different – they have a strong alumni that’s going to get there in numbers to support.”

Jason Taumalolo became the youngest player to play first grade for the Cowboys in 2010.

Bears captain Kaiden Lahrs is expected to line up for his first game for the school since June 13 when Kirwan and St Pat’s drew in round 3.

Coach Nathan Norford said Lahrs would be a massive inclusion that would go a long way to helping beat St Patrick’s for the first time in 2023.

“He’s a leader within our group, so he’s been champing at the bit ready to come back and rip in. I’m sure he’ll be ready to rumble,” Norford said.

“We’ve got another job to do this week against quality opposition. They’ll make the most of their opportunities so we’ve just got to limit them.

“We know what they bring, we’ve watched a fair bit of film on them and they have quality players.

Queensland rep Kaiden Lahrs is expected to be back for the Bears.

“Their nine and seven are state players for a reason, so we just need to make sure we’re looking after them, but they have some quality players across the park as well, so we have to watch out and make sure we’re playing as a team.”

Norford said the chance to play at North Queensland’s premier stadium would be something the players will never forget.

“That’s where they see their idols running around week in week out and an opportunity to play at the stadium, at a quality ground, like that will be one for them to remember and, hopefully, they can make the most of it.”