Live stream: Kirwan High v Trinity Bay State High, Aaron Payne Cup, Round 3

The Bears have claimed a clean sweep of the first round of Payne Cup pool games, and saved their best for last taking down Trinity Bay High in emphatic. Find out who starred and watch the REPLAYS.

Kirwan State High School rallied around rookie starters Jay Whaley and Riley Carbone to smash Trinity Bay State High School 50-4, underlining its status as North Queensland’s most fearsome schoolboy footy team in 2024.

The Aaron Payne Cup pacesetters head into the winter break undefeated despite the absence of five key starters for Tuesday’s victory over their Pool A rivals.

Winger Zane Bethel (Raiders), backrowers Taakoi Benioni (Cowboys) and Wil Hope (Knights), plus unsigned hooker Cooper Cox and halfback Marley Proctor could have been gamebreaking losses in the final game before the school holidays.

CHECK OUT THE PAYNE CUP REPLAY IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE, SCROLL DOWN FOR THE COWBOYS CHALLENGE

Instead it was Cox and Proctor’s replacements, Whaley and Carbone, who inspired the school’s biggest win yet of the campaign, recording a try and two try assists each as a mighty forward effort and a tryscoring double

from Sydney Roosters centre Cohen Dittmann completed the rout.

The two-time national champions led 22-0 at halftime and picked up the pace in the second half to outscore Trinity Bay nine tries to one, leaving the visitors’ Aaron Payne Cup finals dream on life support.

Trinity Bay arrived in Townsville dreaming of an upset and players never dropped their heads as the points piled up against them.

The Rays fought their way onto the scoreboard six minutes from full-time, but the signs were there from the opening minute that the visitors were walking into a bloodbath.

Kirwan captain and fullback Logan Brookes ran 75m to score with his school’s first touch of the football to lead 6-0 after 60 seconds.

Kirwan’s industrious forward pack, led by Northern Schoolboys representatives Diesel Taylor and Eneliko Savelio, outmuscled their opponents to give their backline every chance to capitalise on their dominance.

Trinity Bay’s muscle-bound five-eighth Elsiyah Suavai-Laumatia never shied away from the challenge and his booming kicking boot, from hand and at the restarts, troubled Kirwan on several occasions.

The day belonged to Whaley and Carbone, who showed they have the potential to star in the absence of Kirwan’s senior spine members.

KIRWAN 50 (Cohen Dittmann 2, Logan Brookes, Jay Whaley, Seth Paulsen, Immanuel Kawane, Dane Ransom, Riley Carbone, Ryan Van Zanden tries; Riley Carbone 7 goals) def. TRINITY BAY SHS 4 (Tyrell Pearson-Gela try)

COWBOYS CHALLENGE

Kirwan State High School’s thunder-and-lightning centre combination made short work of Trinity Bay to notch the school’s third straight win in the Cowboys Challenge.

Clarvan Oth and Nehemiah Tagaloa are Kirwan’s own smash-and-dash brothers and delivered their signature sting on either sideline to combine for three of Kirwan’s six tries in the 32-0 success.

Powerful right centre Oth proved unstoppable on the goalline, skittling defenders for two seismic four-pointers, while Tagaloa’s speed and agility left defenders staring blankly between them when he took a tap-kick restart 30m to score untouched.

The dangerous centres were favourite targets for Kirwan’s classy playmaking trio of five-eighth Manu Dau, halfback Jack Goodhew and fullback Trent Martin, who kicked four from six goals.

Cowboys Challenge Round 3 - Kirwan SHS v Trinity Bay SHS

Dau may be the most deceptive ballplayer in the Cowboys Challenge and was rewarded with a try of his own to seal the win, finishing off a Leeroy Ahuriri linebreak to score.

Winger Bailey Heilbrown opened the scoring for Kirwan inside two minutes when Trinity Bay bobbled a kick inside 10m. Kirwan spread the ball wide on tackle one for Heilbrown to score untouched in the left corner.

Second rower Nelson Soki finished off a 50m Kirwan effort on the stroke of half-time to send the Bears ahead 18-0 at the break.

Thumping Trinity Bay lock Bernard Sabadi was involved in everything good for the visiting school, making impacts with his tackling, running and even getting involved in the passing game.

KIRWAN SHS 32 (Clarvan Oth 2, Bailey Heilbrown, Nehemiah Tagaloa, Nelson Soki, Manu Dau tries; Trent Martin (4) goals) def. TRINITY BAY SHS 0

Check out the full Queensland Schoolboys LIVE STREAM schedule below.

PREVIEW

Former Kirwan State High School national championship winning coach Todd Wilson believes his current crop of Bears have the potential to be Australia’s top schoolboy footy team – they just have to prove it.

Wilson has returned to take charge at Kirwan with the North Queensland powerhouse embroiled in its deepest Aaron Payne Cup drought in competition history, having last won the coveted trophy in 2020.

Undefeated through two games this season, Kirwan can complete a first round sweep of Pool A in the competition by beating visitors Trinity Bay State High School on Tuesday.

It is a mark of the belief around this team that staff are willing to sidestep the cliches that dominate NRL press conferences, claiming that the only focus is on next week’s opponents.

With goals as lofty as Kirwan’s, every game is an opportunity to step closer to the ultimate prize – and Wilson is determined that history is on his players sides.

Aaron Payne Cup. Ignatius Park College against Kirwan High at Kirwan High. Picture: Evan Morgan

Aaron Payne Cup. Trinity Bay SHS against St Patrick's College Mackay at Townsville Brothers Leagues Club. Picture: Evan Morgan

“There’s a real formula to it (winning a national championship) and there are a lot of things that need to go right, but there’s certainly the potential there with this team,” Wilson said.

“The work ethic, they want to learn, and so without getting ahead of yourself it’s important that they’re confident and understand that this group can go as far as they’re willing to go.

“They’ve got as much potential as any group previously.”

Wilson’s 2019 national champions had maturity in the spine, particularly through current Penrith halfback Brad Schneider, and firepower on the edges with future Maroons backrower Jeremiah Nanai.

Kirwan’s 2015 national champions boasted former Broncos and Cowboys prospect Julian Christian in the halves and Newcastle Knights winger Enari Tuala on an edge.

Those same ingredients are present in the Bears of 2024, with composed halves Ryan Van Zandem and Marley Proctor plus the dazzling attacking skills of fullback Logan Brookes, centre Cohen Dittmann and backrower Taakoi Benioni.

“We had young blokes that just took their opportunity and jumped in and gave it everything,” Wilson said of 2019’s recipe for success.

Aaron Payne Cup. Ignatius Park College against Kirwan High at Kirwan High. Picture: Evan Morgan

“I think just having belief is 95 per cent of the success. Belief and confidence.”

Trinity Bay State High School coach Dan Weston is preparing his team to play what he considers is the most dangerous schoolboy side north of Rockhampton.

“We are always looking to upset teams, that’s our mantra this year, but we are under no illusions about this game. Kirwan to our eyes is clearly the best team in the competition at the moment,” Weston said.

“They’ve shown over the first two rounds they are far and away the big dogs in the competition but we’ll be nipping at their heels. We’ll give them a good show and if we play our game we’ll be good enough to give them a really good run for their money.”

Trinity Bay halfback D’Artanyan Connolly has won the Aaron Payne Cup team of the week No.7 jersey in both rounds of the season, while prop Jake Russo and lock Shannon Bowen are others at the Cairns school with the quality to shock Kirwan.

Originally published as Live stream: Kirwan High v Trinity Bay State High, Aaron Payne Cup, Round 3