Team of the Year crowned after thrilling Townsville Blackhawks Schoolboy Trophy grand final
A dream team of the Blackhawks Trophy’s best players of 2025 has been announced after an edge-of-your seat grand final thriller on Monday night. Catch up on the game and see who made the team.
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Ryan Catholic College will continue to the next round of the NRL Schoolboy Trophy after claiming a thrilling 16-6 victory over two-time reigning champions Columba Catholic College in the grand final of the Townsville Blackhawks Schoolboy Trophy on Monday night.
After crossing in the eighth minute, Columba were kept scoreless for the remainder of the game as Ryan battened down the hatches.
Talismanic Ryan captain Riley McIntyre was injured late in the first half and the response from his teammates was inspirational, banding together to keep the visitors at bay defending set after set.
Halfback Cornell Moncrieff was crowned player of the match after taking a leading role in Ryan’s win.
Ryan head coach Annan Whittington applauded his makeshift spine for working together to deliver the school a win after McIntyre was forced off the field with what appeared to be a broken collarbone.
“I thought all the boys rallied around him and I didn’t even have to say anything at halftime, they spoke about that,” Whittington said.
“Our hooker (Aiden Stedman) moved to halfback with only one set in the halves for the whole year before that, and we were just trying to back ourselves to win it 12-6 and keep defending.
“Cornell steered us around and Mitchell Maher, our fullback, he grew an arm and a leg.
“Our young hooker Harper Hobbs who came off the bench, that was his first game for us since round 1. So to be missing selection and then to come in and play 40 or 50 minutes at hooker is unreal for a year 10 boy.”
McIntyre’s kicking game was on point from the opening whistle, but it was a grubber from Ryan halfback Moncrieff that led to the first try.
Moncrieff’s kick almost grazed the left upright as it tumbled into the in-goal, adding just enough confusion for McIntyre to chase it down and ground it in acrobatic fashion just before the dead-ball line.
Columba hit back when Cooper Thomas burrowed over from dummy half, after being invited into attacking territory when Ryan gave away a yardage penalty. Tom Scholes duly converted, bringing his goalkicking streak up to 12 consecutive goals.
Scholes spilt a bomb soon after and Ryan made him pay for the mistake, scoring on the next set when lock Campbell St George forced his way through three defenders to somehow get the ball down.
McIntyre came off injured five minutes before halftime, forcing a backline reshuffle for Whittington. Hooker Aiden Stedman shifted to halfback, bringing Hobbs off the interchange to play dummy half.
Both sides worked into the grind after their spirited start, and Ryan carried a six-point lead into halftime.
Columba appeared to get their second try when Scholes threw a spectacular cut-out pass to Blake Wallace, which was caught by the Palm Island winger at full pace – but the play was called back for a forward pass.
Ryan lacked some direction in attack without their captain and main playmaker McIntyre, but the team was able to defend wave after wave of Columba’s attack without breaking.
Wallace came close to scoring again with five minutes to play but a last-ditch effort from Mitchell Maher bundled the young winner into touch.
After a frenetic opening 13 minutes, neither team could break through to score until the dying stages when Declan Wright finished off a great run by Taj Croft to put the result out of doubt.
Ryan tasted victory in the under-15s final earlier in the afternoon, beating Columba 30-4, while Blackheath and Thornburgh College defeated Ryan in the under-13s decider 22-14.
RYAN: 16 (Riley McIntyre, Campbell St George, Declan Wright tries; Cooper Treveton 2 goals)
COLUMBA: 6 (Cooper Thomas try; Tom Scholes goal)
OFFICIAL TEAM Of THE YEAR
1. Greg Miller (ASSG)
2. Jack Butcher (GSMC)
3. Tom Kirkwood (CCC)
4. Taj Croft (RCC)
5. Hayden Carey (SCCC)
6. Tom Scholes (CCC)
7. Riley McIntyre (RCC)
8. Campbell St George (RCC)
9. Cooper Thomas (CCC)
10. Jett Castello (BCHS)
11. Shaun Devietti (GSMC)
12. Jesse Lavery (CCC)
13. Cooper Nibbs (CCC)
14. Aiden Stedman (RCC) – hooker
15. Aston Smith (RCC) – lock/backrow
16. Callum Bartschat (CCC) – prop
17. Tyler Osbourne (ASSG) – edge
18. Ezra Sam (BTC) – edge
19. Billy Elliott (ASSG) – middle
20. Connor Matsen (GSMC) – hooker
21. Liam Kleier (SACC) – middle
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Originally published as Team of the Year crowned after thrilling Townsville Blackhawks Schoolboy Trophy grand final
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