LANGER CUP: St Mary’s skipper ready for do or die clash

LIVESTREAM LEAGUE: Xavier Va’a leading St Mary’s College in today’s Langer Cup qualifier against Coombabah SHS.

Xavier Va'a of St Mary's College. Photo: File

RUGBY LEAGUE: The task for St Mary’s College today is very simple.

Defeat Coombabah State High School at the Toowoomba Sports Ground and their spot in next week’s Langer Cup is secure.

A place in the prestigious schoolboy competition not only gives players the chance to represent their school on the big stage, but showcase themselves with the eyes of NRL scouts firmly set on the competition.

Current Brisbane Broncos hooker Cory Paix is the latest player to come through the St Mary’s machine.

Captain Xavier Va’a is one of four NRL-contracted players in the side, along with Brayden Paix, Shaun Packer and Blake Cesari, but said the immediate focus was on locking their place as the sixth team in the competition.

“If we win it will be a bonus to have scouts watching us (in the Langer Cup),” Va’a said.

“To captain this side in the Langer Cup would have a huge significance.

“I’ve been playing with these boys since the juniors, and our team is like a family.

“This is do or die. We’re going to leave it all out there on the field.”

Many of the St Mary’s side returns from last year’s campaign, which saw the school claim one win from five games.

Featuring players as young as Year 10 in the squad, it was part of are building phase for the school, and Va’a said that experience in the top flight will only help their cause.

“Last year was a rebuilding year for now, and that experience will help us going forward,” he said.

“Looking back, we need to learn to be better footballers and better students.

“We’re big on effort, whether that be on the field, in the classroom or with our families. We always make sure we turn up for each other.”

Just 16-years-old himself, Va’a is relishing the opportunity to be a leader in the front row for St Mary’s.

“Personally a bit nervous (about the game), but it’s because we’re all so eager to get out there,” he said.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to play footy. We’ve had a good pre-season and we want to put that on display.

“As a front rower, I need to lead from the front, but I know I won’t be doing it alone. There’s a great bunch of lads in this team.

“We’re just glad we’re playing footy. If we win it’s a bonus for us. All of us have worked hard to make this squad and get to where we are.”

SQUAD: Preston Brown, Darcy Carswell, Blake Cesari, Noah Dwyer, Ryan Fisher, Ryan Gill, Thomas Hatch, Mitchell Lorenz, Thomas McGahan, Ben Moore, Shaun Packer, Brayden Paix, Joshua Quinlan, Tyson Stevens, Cooper Tate-Roche, Kai Thompson, Jayden Thurston, Xavier Va’a, Marcus Waters, Domenic Whittingham, Joseph Willett, Riley Wockner, Angus Wright, Keanu Wright-Dunrobin.

St Mary’s College’s Langer Cup qualifying match will be live-streamed for subscribers at thechronicle.com.au from 3pm today.

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