Live stream: Watch the ASSRL National Under-18s grand finals

NSWCIS put on an attacking clinic to sink NSWCHS and claim the ASSRL Boys U18 Nationals title - and it didn’t get any better for CHS in the girls decider. Check out all the REPLAYS.

For the second year in a row, NSWCCC have taken out the ASSRL U18 Nationals title, with the Damien Quinn-coached and Cody Hopwood-captained side producing an emphatic 40-12 victory over NSWCHS.

It was a great effort from the boys in blue and white, who ran in seven tries, six of which were converted by arguably the most impressive player this week, fullback Jack Attard.

Attard scored 20 points, the phenomenal Year 12 student maintaining the rage to produce a cracking performance.

With youngsters like Phoenix Godinet, Nikora Williams, Zailen Campbell-Cook, Lincoln Fletcher, Ryda Talagi and player of the carnival Tom Dellow, NSWCHS can hold their heads high.

But with silverware on the line, the CCC boys rose above in what wsas a clinical display, second rower Jacob Halangahu snaring his team’s player of the carnival award in the process.

Attard (two tries), Jack Hilliar, Lucas Borg, Will Rosenbaum, Lachlam Dooner and Josiah Vaha’akolo-Fifita all scored trie, which followed their 40-10 grand final win at last year’s tournament.

SNIPER

NSWCCC fullback Jack Attard missed just three conversions (one of them controversial) all week.

On top of his prowess kicking for goal, Attard showed his class steaming onto the ball in attack where he snared a bucket load of four-pointers.

The St Dominic’s College Schoolboys Cup skipper, who starred at fullback but can play in the halves, brought his A game after Jaxen Edgar and Riley Pollard had made a similar influence at last year’s event in Redcliffe.

BIG TIME PLAYER

Some players just have it and that is the case for inspiring second rower Jacob Halangahu, a defensive monster who eats post contact metres for breakfast.

In important matches you need your big players to step up and it appears Halangahu relishes that responsibility, the Patrician Brothers Blacktown enforcer renowned for producing top tier performances when it matters most.

The dynamic left edge forward was both the SG Ball Cup grand final and City, Country Under-18s man of the match earlier this year before producing a terrific knock in the semi-final against Queensland.

UNDERMANNED

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of NSWCCC’s road to championship glory was the fact they did it without their halfback, Jhett Sydir.

The Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown playmaker, who began his schooling at Penola Catholic College, suffered a knee injury on Tuesday.

Sydir was influential in NSWCCC’s 30-26 defeat of Queensland on day one and classy against CAS before leaving the field with an injury on Tuesday and his team responded wonderfully without having the talented emerging Panthers Pathways program tactical kicking ace pulling the strings.

St Gregory’s College five-eighth Cooper Black and All Saints College pivot Jack Thompson combined seamlessly to organise NSWCCC’s impressive backline.

QUEENSLAND 16 d NSWCHS 0 (Women’s Championship decider)

Queensland right centre Mariah Brown saved her best for last to inspire her team to a superb 16-0 ASSRL championship grand final victory over NSWCHS on Friday.

The Toowoomba-raised star was everywhere as QRSS snared glory after last year falling to CHS in the grand final at Redcliffe.

This time around, Brown came alive with a handful of rousing defensive efforts near her tryline early before assisting on a telling try scored by Zoe Robson, who looked like a gazelle steaming down the right touchline before evading the last line of defence to score.

Brown then returned the ball with vigour to make 20 metres before a barnstorming Shalom Sauaso carry laid a platform for Keira Rangi to nail the coffin 10 minutes from time.

BROWN MAGIC

The Highfields junior was quiet to begin the week, only because other members of the team stood up, but she entered a different dimension in the biggest match of Queensland’s campaign.

With NSWCHS middle forwards Seriah Palepale, Ryvrr-Lee Alo and Trinity Tauanai spearing closer and the likes of Kayla Henderson and Natalia Hickling hurdling forward out wide, the fearless Brown muscled up to make the most and the most important tackles of the match.

In doing so, keeping a clean sheet for the girls north of the border whose player of the carnival was playmaking No.13 Amaani Misa, Brown’s schoolmate at Mabel Park.

REPLAYS

NSWCHS v Queensland (U18 Girls Championship Final)

NSWCCC v NSWCHS (U18 Boys Championship Final)

CAS v NSWCIS (U18 Boys Selection Match)

ACT v Queensland (U18 Boys Selection Match)

PREVIEW

Before this year, Hunter Sports High School Year 11 student Toby Winter had never made a representative rugby league team.

On Friday, the skilful outside back will again look to influence NSW Combined High School’s pursuit of victory in the ASSRL grand final against NSW Combined Catholic Colleges.

YOUNG GUNS READY TO TAKE WOMEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE BY STORM

The big game follows on from his three-try effort which powered his team to a 26-24 comeback win over Queensland in the semi-final.

Catch all the action from the big game LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on KommunityTV as part of a massive day of finals action at Coffs Harbour.

Check out the full LIVE STREAM schedule below.

“Just so excited, thrilled to be in it, so many good boys who just make you feel welcome. It’s been the best thing ever,” Winter said of how it felt to be selected in the NSWCHS team as a Year 11.

“We are a resilient bunch. We work as a team and never think we are out of the fight.

“We just give everything for each other.

“It feels amazing. To come up here for a reason and reach a goal. Now it is just one more step.”

Born and raised in Newcastle, Winter grew up playing rugby league, touch football and Australian football, but gave up the latter earlier this year after being selected in the Newcastle Knights Harold Matthews side.

“It felt surreal. It was the first like representative team I’ve made and to play for the Knights, having grown up in Newcastle was special,” Winter said.

What makes the 16-year-old’s rise to this year’s grand final even more impressive is that the humble fullback, centre or winger has overcome two broken legs.

“It got hard, not being able to run and chase your ,but you just have to keep going and keep pushing,” he said.

“I am good now and loving it.

NSW CHS face NSW CCC in the decider.

“My family, they are always behind me, Dad giving me advice and taking me to training and games and giving me every opportunity, supporting me financially as well,” Winter said of how his mother, Jackie, and his father, Simon, helped him through the process.

In a preview of Friday’s grand final, Winter said: “We know they are strong, we know they have a good middle, we just have to start fast. We can’t trail by 18 points, they’ll be too good.”

Winter, who idolises Tom Trbojevic, will return to Coffs Harbour in September to represent NSWCHS at the Touch Football National Youth Championships.

“It (playing touch football) has helped a lot with all my ball skills. You pass so much in touch, and your feet as well, there is so much footwork so it just helps,” Winter said.

GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - QUEENSLAND v NSWCHS

Queensland winger Mercedes Taulelei-Siala has run in five tries in three games this week, and with the wonderful spiral passing of hooker Raewyn Olomalii a great starting point, she and Shalom Sauaso have worked wonders down the left edge.

Taulelei-Siala, a Broncos NRLW Academy talent, has made a habit of scoring tries, whether it be for Ipswich SHS, the Tweed Seagulls or in Maroon colours.

She will be pitted against her Tweed Seagulls club teammates Natalia Hickling and Phoenix-Raine Hippi when QRSS and NSWCHS face each on Friday in what looms as an exciting grand final to the ASSRL championships.

During the Harvey Norman Under-19s season Taulelei-Siala and Hippi were arguably the deadliest outside back duo in the competition and they have maintained their form during these championships - but it will be all business when NSWCHS look to go back-to-back in the schoolgirls division.

Queensland have been in great form this week.

From the Lismore region, Hippi was making an impact for NSWCHS and representing her family of eight, where she is the eldest of six and also a twin to her brother, a talented dancer.

Hippi’s younger sister Affrica-Jade Hippi is also a talented youngster, having made the Queensland Schoolgirls 16 years side last season.

Because of the Lismore floods in 2022, Hippi and her family had to seek emergency housing after their home was damaged.

They moved first to Lennox Head before being relocated to South Ballina and then finally Northern Rivers village Wardell, in the heart of sugarcane country.

It is there where the devastating outside back lives with her parents and younger siblings.

The humble left centre is an instinctive player and in NSWCHS’ impressive campaign, she has barely put a foot wrong.