Revealed: The future NRL stars you voted into the NRL Schoolboys Cup team of the year
After two weeks of campaigning and voting, this is the NRL Schoolboys Cup team of the year as voted by you. The future is looking rather bright for a few NRL clubs - find out which ones here.
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We asked, you delivered.
The best schoolboys rugby league fans in the game have made the voices heard in the hunt for the NRL Schoolboys Cup team of the year.
Our scouts brought it back to the best from either side of the border, and you did the rest with your votes determining who made the final 17.
It’s a squad that features Australian Schoolboys representatives, Under-19 Origin stars and most importantly a ton of future NRL talent.
See the full 17 players named in the team of the year below.
LANGER TROPHY TEAM OF THE SEASON
AARON PAYNE CUP TEAM OF THE SEASON
DOLPHINS CUP TEAM OF THE SEASON
PETER MULHOLLAND CUP TEAM OF THE SEASON
FULLBACK
MASON BARBER
School: Keebra Park SHS
NRL club: North Queensland Cowboys
% of fan vote: 72%
The Cowboys-contracted speedster, who moves to Townsville to start with the Young Guns program this off-season, was rewarded for a big season on the schoolboys fields which included selection in the Australian Schoolboys side. Barber was electric at the back and in the halves for Keebra Park, with his tackle-breaking ability coming to the fore on more than one occasion.
WING
DAVIDSON BENIONI
School: Kirwan State High
NRL club: North Queensland Cowboys
% of fan vote: 36%
SUNNY KAMA
School: Palm Beach CurrumbinSHS
NRL club: Gold Coast Titans
% of fan vote: 27%
The Queensland duo have beaten out their NSW rivals with the fans clearly impressed by the high workrate and impressive finishing ability they showed across their individual runs to the Phil Hall Cup final.
Benioni finished equal-top tryscorer with nine tries in eight games in the Aaron Payne Cup, including one of the tries of the season with a runaway effort in the grand final. The explosive winger and natural leader is locked up by the Cowboys.
Kama has been a leading tryscorer across the past two seasons of the Langer Trophy, but it is his work coming out of trouble at the other end which is just as valuable for national title winners Palm Beach Currumbin.
CENTRE
SAMUEL STEPHENSON
School: Palm Beach CurrumbinSHS
NRL club: Gold Coast Titans
% of fan vote: 36%
HARVEY MAHONEY
School: St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon
NRL club: Canberra Raiders
% of fan vote: 26%
The Gold Coast have got themselves a natural winner in the form of Sam Stephenson. The blockbuster centre has paired his NRL Schoolboys Cup title with selection in the team of the year.
Stephenson will be partnered in the centres by fellow Queenslander, St Brendan’s College strike weapon Harvey Mahoney, who is off to chilly Canberra next season to start his road to the NRL.
The pair beat out NSW rivals Dayne Jennings (Central Coast Sports College) and Australian Schoolboys representative Nikora Williams (Endeavour Sports High).
FIVE-EIGHTH
JARED HAYWOOD
School: Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown
NRL club: Wests Tigers
% of fan vote: 58%
The Patrician Brothers College playmaker is the first NSW-based player to make the NRL Schoolboys Cup team of the year and it was deservedly so.
With how well the five-eighth steered his Patrician Brothers side to the state title, it’s hard to believe he played the season out of position.
The Wests Tigers junior’s first-choice position is hooker, but plenty at the club will be impressed by the versatility he showed in the Schoolboys Cup.
HALFBACK
ZANE HARRISON
School: Palm Beach CurrumbinSHS
NRL club: Gold Coast Titans
% of fan vote: 72%
The Gold Coast Titans-bound game manager was always going to prove tough to beat after he was crowned the Peter Sterling Medal winner this season.
Harrison is one of the best young minds coming through the ranks, and he had the ball on a string for all of Palm Beach Currumbin’s national title campaign.
Few will ever forget the pinpoint bomb he put up for the match-winning try in the national final - a moment he will likely emulate at Cbus Super Stadium for years to come.
PROP
CODY HOPWOOD
School: All Saints College
NRL club: Newcastle Knights
% of fan vote: 38%
SITIVENI AFU
School: Ignatius Park College
NRL club: North Queensland Cowboys
% of fan vote: 34%
The two front rowers in the team of the year are arguably the two most NRL-ready players coming out of the schoolboys system.
Knights young gun Cody Hopwoodis arguably the best front row prospect in the country. Raw talent and high work rate combine to deliver the ultimate package in the middle, a two-time Australian schoolboys representative, NSW Under-19s Origin champion and already had a taste of NSW Cup action before finishing school.
Bulldozing young gun Sitiveni Afu still has a year to run in his schooling at Ignatius Park, but he is a clear leader of the pack and has made a big mark on the Payne Cup. Afu is locked up by the Cowboys, who will look to get him more time in the Queensland Cup in the next year.
HOOKER
LACHLAN COINAKIS
School: Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown
NRL club: Parramatta Eels
% of fan vote: 57%
He is the unung hero of Patrician Brothers College rise to the Peter Mulholland Cup title. Coinakis has the ability to read a defence in a split second and his decision making out of dummy-half was second to none in the competition. He was picked in the Australian Schoolboys side at dummy-half.
SECOND-ROW
JACOB HALANGAHU
School: Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown
NRL club: St Geaorge-Illawarra Dragons
% of fan vote: 43%
ZAC BATEMAN
School: The Cathedral College, Rockhampton
NRL club: North Queensland Cowboys
% of fan vote: 25%
He has a fair bit of claim to being the best schoolboys league player in the country, and Jacob Halangahu backed up the hype in 2024.
The Patrician Brothers backrower capped off an incredible year on the field, which included an SG Ball title and NSW Under-19s Origin berth, by steering his team to the Peter Mulholland Cup. Halangahu is in the barnstorming mould of David Fifita with a work rate to rival Cameron McInnes.
Zac Bateman’s campaign was cut short, missing the Dolphins Cup play-offs, but the impact he made during the regular season can’t be understated. The Cowboys recruit is a tough and relentless player, who puts actions before words on the footy field.
LOCK
TOM DELLOW
School: Endeavour Sports High
NRL club: Cronulla Sharks
% of fan vote: 58%
The Australian Schoolboys lock is the perfect example of a rugby league workhorse. Still only in Year 11, Dellow is a no-nonsense, roll up the sleeves and get to work style player. He was the heart and soul of the Endeavour Sports High side and played the perfect foil to the teams flashy halves and outside backs.
INTERCHANGE
CHARLIE DICKSON
Position: Lock
School: Wavell State High
NRL club: The Dolphins
% of fan vote: 42%
SIMIONE LAIAFI
Position: Prop
School: Bass High
NRL club: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
% of fan vote: 16%
AMARE WYNYARD
Position: Hooker
School: Redcliffe State High
NRL club: The Dolphins
% of fan vote: 43%
ADAM McSHERRY
Position: Five-eighth
School: St Patrick’s College, Mackay
NRL club: Brisbane Broncos
% of fan vote: 42%
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