Livestream: The eight players set to make or break each team’s NRL Schoolboys Cup finals hopes
Surprise results, tries aplenty and quality players putting on quite a show ... today’s NRL Schoolboys Cup quarter-finals had a bit of everything. RELIVE all the action from our LIVESTREAM now.
Rugby League Live Stream
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby League Live Stream. Followed categories will be added to My News.
QF4: Hills Sports High 46 d Holy Cross College 18
Hills Sports High cruised into the NRL Schoolboys Cup semi-finals on the back of a 28-point demolition of Holy Cross College.
It was not an unexpected win, with the top ranked school taking on the eighth. But the margin was a massive surprise.
The game was over by halftime as Hills piled on 40 points without conceding.
Holy Cross won the second half 18-6, but it hardly mattered in the end
A trio of tries from second rower Angus Gray, fullback Cameron Kanaan and right center Michael Gabriel simply made the scoreline more respectable.
Gabriel’s try was particularly impressive, with the young player storming the length of the pitch, out-running Hills Sports second rower Liam Aarons.
Knowing their semi-final spot was in the bag in the first half, Hills Sports treated the second half as a finals warm-up.
It was Hills Sports’ impressive footwork and clean teamwork that landed them seven consecutive tries from left wing Siaosi Kiliti, prop Vena Putaki-Case, right wing Alaa Lababidi, fullback Blake Metcalfe, second rower Harry Hassett and Lorenzo Talataina, who landed two.
Kiliti was particularly on fire, with his pure speed and teamwork setting up multiple tries.
QF3: Westfields Sports High 28 d St Dominic’s College 16
A devastating second half performance from Westfields Sports High School has secured them a spot in the NRL Schoolboys Cup semi-finals.
It was certainly a game of two halves, but it was Westfields’ winning half which mattered most.
Trailing 16-6 after the first 30 minutes, Westfields hit back hard to claim 22 unanswered points in the second half.
Fullback Luke Laulilii’s try on the halftime whistle sparked the comeback, with Westfields scoring four more after that.
Hooker Tallyn Da Silva converted his own try while left wing Will Craig added a double to give them a 22-16 lead with four minutes remaining.
Second rower Solomone Saukuru iced the victory late on with a converted try.
Westfields coach Troy Weeden praised the efforts of ‘outstanding’ Denzel Schaafhausen Mino.
“He came off the bench and relieved a bit of pressure for us.”
St Dominic’s College started with a bang but were simply overwhelemed.
QF2: Erindale College 26 d Patrician Brothers Blacktown 22
Erindale College’s 16 point thrilling comeback secured their 26-22 win over Patrician Brothers Blacktown in the quarter-finals of the Peter Mulholland Cup.
It was set to be an exciting game, with pool A’s winless Patrician Brothers Blacktown taking on top qualifier Erindale College.
Despite trailing 22-10 at half time, Erindale clawed its way back, scoring 16-unanswered points in the final 30 minutes.
The Canberra side can thank the relentless effort and impeccable skill of Regan Carr for their unexpected comeback.
Putting six points to his name in the first half was only a warm up for the Australian Secondary Schoolboys player, adding another eight in the second.
It was two conversions and a four-pointer from the school’s captain in the final 10 minutes that flipped the score on its head, with Erindale taking a 26-22 lead.
The efforts from Peter Soward, hooker Xavier Cacciotti and Will O’Malley cannot go amiss, with their tries having propelled Erindale to tie up the game at 22-22 late in the second half.
The win was even more impressive, having landed a semi-final spot without their coach Ash Barnes in attendance.
Barnes said he is incredibly proud of the boys’ resilience and how they, and the staff ‘stepped up’ without him there.
Despite suffering another loss, Patrician Brothers Blacktown should not be disheartened, with the Sydney side proving they deserved their position in the top eight.
The school performed as a team of stars, and working as a tight unit, led the first half by 12 points, courtesy of tries from right wing Samuela Latu, five-eighth Wilson DeCourcey and left wing Ben Zahra.
QF1: Patrician Brothers, Fairfield 30 d Endeavour Sports High 10
Patrician Brother Fairfield advanced to the NRL Schoolboys Cup semi-finals after beating Endeavour Sports 30-10 in a thrilling game.
It certainly was exciting, with the Campbelltown Stadium crowd kept on their toes for the entire game.
In what seemed like an equal contest, it was a trio of tries in the final minutes that sealed the win for Patties.
Fullback Junior Fagalele, hooker Yehya Ayache and second rower Joshua Aihazim all crossed late on to put the game to bed.
It was far from an easy ride for Patties and scoreline didn’t do Endeavour justice.
Sixteen-year-old Australian Secondary Schoolboys representative Chevy Stewart kept Endeavour in contention with some outstanding defence and scoring his school’s only six points in the second half.
His influence did not stop there either, with Stewart getting the crowd to their feet as he showed off his speed storming the length of the pitch.
The efforts of Zaidas Muagututia, who scored Endeavour’s only four-pointer in the first half, must be applauded as well.
PREVIEW: Get ready for five hours of NRL Schoolboys excitment
The NRL Schoolboys Cup finals series has arrived.
Eight schools remain in the hunt for the ultimate glory in schoolboys rugby league, with a blockbuster quarter-finals day of action.
Six hours of non-stop NRL Schoolboys Cup action will be exclusively live streamed from Campbeltown Stadium by KommunityTV.
The pressure will be on for each team’s big game breakers, as their coaches rely on their leadership and skill to drive them to victory.
With only four places in the semi-finals, it is crucial each teams puts on their best performance.
Meet the players tasked with leading their teams to glory.
REGAN CARR
Erindale College, centre
Erindale’s captain Regan Carr is the teams hot shot, with coach Ash Barnes having said he has been “outstanding throughout the campaign.” Barnes was also impressed with the way in which Carr responded to the news that they would be without a coach for the quarter-finals after he tested positive for Covid. It is understood a handful of NRL clubs are chasing the signature of the Canberra rookie after a stellar performance at the Australian Secondary Schools Nationals earlier this year. With the side already missing centre Max Mercer and backrower Noah Martin, Carrs explosiveness on an edge will be even more crucial.
CHEVY STEWART
Endeavour Sports High
It is no surprise the fullback, who was the talk of the town at the ASSRL Nationals last month, will be the man tasked with leading Endeavour to glory. The Canberra contracted fullback has been impressive this season, with coach Brad Kelly singing his praises. “He’s been really strong and consistent for us and we know what we’re going to get with him each week, so we’re looking for a good game from him,” said Kelly. Endeavour are another team who will be down on troops for the finals, adding to the pressure on their star fullback. “We’re trying to scrape together a team. We’ve been decimated with injuries this year,” Kelly said.
LIAM ISON
St Dominic’s College
The fullbacks are on fire, with St Dominic’s coach Kyle Churchill having named number one Liam Ison as their key playmaker. The Combined Catholic Colleges fullback has been a key part of the St Dominic’s side for a number of years, but has gone to another level after adding the captaincy this season. “He has been one of the better players in the competition for a number of years,” Churchill said. While the line-up is set to feature a number of younger players, the team will benefit from the return of centre Bayden Moran who was missing from the competition’s final round.
HARRY HASSETT
Hills Sports High
He has a name fit for the annals of rugby league, and a skillset to match it. While Hill Sports has a huge amount of young talent at their disposal, the explosive ability of backrower Harry Hassett is hard to ignore. Hills Sports coach Scott Jones said Hassett had been “a tremendous player on the edge for us and definitely has the ability to turn a game.” The coach also highlighted the efforts of NSW CHS front rower Vena Putaki-Case as a real ‘hard-nosed’ worker. “When he comes to play, you know their packs going to be in for a real tough day.”
CAMERON KANAAN
Holy Cross College
Holy Cross will have a tough challenge on their hands against the undefeated, and top-ranked, Hills Sports High. But there are a couple of names on the team sheet that has rival coach Scott Jones shaking slightly. West Tigers junior Cameron Kanaan is at the top of the list. The fullback is crucial to Holy Cross’ success this season, and will be determined to get his hands on the ball as much as possible to feed his outside men including Eels centre Michael Gabrael. “(Holy Cross is) very well drilled and play some really good footy. It will be a tough game for us,” Jones said.
SAM TUIVAITI
Westfields Sports High
Barely a whisper had been said about Sam Tuivaiti before the ASSRL Nationals in July, but afterwards the forward was the talk of the town. The perfect mix of size and speed, Tuivaiti’s workrate off the bench for NSW CHS earned him a call-up into the Australian Schoolboys side. Troy Weeden said the middle forward would play a crucial role to locking down their defence. “He is a worker who controls the middle for us and is very tight defensively,” he said.
SIONE LOLOHEA
Patrician Brothers Fairfield
If there was any player who could turn a game in the blink of an eye, it’s rampaging centre Sione Lolohea. With the power of a middle forward, but the fleet-footed speed of a winger, Lolohea makes defensive units nervous. The powerful centre was a key reason Patrician Brothers finished the regular season undefeated, scoring a try in all three of their round matches and leaving defenders in his wake on the regular.
MATT ARTHUR
Patrician Brothers Blacktown
While he may not have the power or speed to match the rest of this list, what Matt Arthur has is a football mind beyond his years. It could come from being the son of an NRL coach, but Arthur’s tactical gameplay out of dummy-half is second to none. He leads his team with a level of precision on the field, and is not afraid to get his body in the way of some of the biggest ballrunners of the competition.
How Maroons star is inspiring next generation Blue
Standing at 196cm, rising NSW star Cody Hopwood is quite the imposing figure. It should be no surprise then that his favourite NRL is a player of similar stature. See him LIVE at the ASSRL Champs.
ASSRL Nationals: Central Coast’s complete package ready to rep blue
He is the complete package according to his school coach, but this Roosters’ young gun could be flying well under the radar ahead of the ASSRL National Championships. Find out more.