Watch all of the action from the ASSRL Schoolboys Nationals finals day
The Australian Secondary Schools Nationals have been run and won with the Sunshine State coming out on top in a cracking final on home soil. RE-WATCH every match from the finals day.
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It was State of Origin five days early as Queensland came from behind to beat
NSW Combined High Schools 32-18 and claim the ARSSL 18 years grand final championship at Redcliffe.
The Queensland schoolboys sprinted home from back in the field, scoring four tries in 14 minutes to swing a 18-6 deficit into a 26-18 lead with 11 minutes to play.
Queensland captain Jye Gray, a South Sydney signing, then burst over from close range in typical fashion six minutes from fulltime and the job was done.
WATCH THE FULL MATCH REPLAY ABOVE AND SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE REPLAYS FROM ASSRL FINALS DAY
Victory for Queensland halted an alarming three weeks in Queensland rugby league after recent losses by the Origin side, the women and both the girls and boys 19 years Origin outfits.
Both Queensland big guns also Karl Oloapu and Keano Kini had roles in the recovery, and their input was needed after the young Queenslanders found themselves in a hole, down by 12 points.
But it was a team effort.
To create an eight point buffer, Queensland hooker Gabriel Satrick blasted through the ruck from 50m out, putting Troy Bath in to score.
Then came Gray’s try and it was all over.
NSW CHS scored two tries close to halftime, and then the first four pointer after the break when Lambton High School centre Ethan Ferguson out jumped Queensland fullback Keano Kini chasing a bomb.
At 18-6 with 25 minutes remaining, NSW CHS held the whip hand but Queensland struck back soon after when Keano threw a long pass to his winger Troy Bath who skirted over in the corner, reducing the NSW lead to 18-10.
It was then 18-16 after Oloapu scored a crashing try down the middle, wriggling and twisting his way over after coming hard on the burst. It was a try which set the scene for a thrilling finish.
Then Queensland edge forward Arama Hau scored off a short ball from Gray, and for the first time in the game Queensland led, 16 minutes from fulltime.
NSW CHS had scored two tries just before halftime proved crucial, with five-eight Blaize Talagi crossing for one and then sending an unlikely flick pass in the direction of his centre Ethan Ferguson who scooped up the ball to score.
From a 6-2 deficit, NSW CHS had burst ahead 12-6, turning at halftime with the wind at their back.
NSW opened with big boppers Kit Laulilii. Sam Tuivaiti and Vena Patuki Case pounding forward, clashiing heavily with strongarm Queensland props Liam Le Blanc and Josiah Pahulu.
Off the back of this bruising forward pack, a penalty was earned and NSW CHS centre Ferguson opened the scoring with a goal from in front, 30m out, after 10 minutes.
But it was Queensland who scored the first try, with two wide passes by Keano Kini and Jye Gray creating space on the outside for Tyreece Tait to scoot over.
Fullback Kini had come into the front line as a ball-player after Karl Oloupa had challenged the NSW CHS defence with a right side skip and a dance at the line. Josh Lynn’s sideline conversion made it 6-2 after 24 minutes.
However, in a flash NSW CHS were back in action, scoring their first try via Talagi.
Cassius Tia combined with his halves partner Talagi on a wide blindside who scored, and minutes later interchange forward Tallyn Da Silva ignited his side with a blinding run from the ruck.
Silva’s burst gave NSW momentum, leading to a hurried left shift that saw Talagi flick pass along the ground to Ferguson who crossed.
REPLAY: NSW CIS 16 def NSW CHS 14 (Under-15 Championship Final)
NSW CIS have stormed home to beat NSW CHS in a thrilling finale to the Under 15s All School Championships.
Trailing 14-6 midway through the second half after CHS scored what looked like a match winning try, CIS scored two late tries to steal an unlikely win.
Following a back-from-the-dead win against Queensland to make the decider, CIS No.7 Lachlan Hails crashed over to lock the match up at 14-14 in the second last minute of the match.
And with a kick that saw CIS win the battle of baby Blues, Callum Grantham nailed the conversion from the sideline to seal the upset win.
Fresh from beating Queensland in a golden point thriller to make the final, CIS were forced to dig deep early after a mistake gifted CHS an attacking opportunity.
They managed to repel the first raid but there was no stopping Ali Hicham-Karnib when he swooped on an Alex Isdale cross kick to score the first try of the match.
Continuing his outstand tournament, Isdale’s kick was pin-point perfect with the ball landing on Hicham Karnib’s chest.
Despite being on the backfoot for the opening 15 minutes, CIS struck back when Tanner Mahon crashed over from close range to lock it up at 4-4.
Callum Grantham kicked the conversion from the sideline to give CIS the lead.
Fresh from splitting CIS with an electric run from dummy half, Rielly Laverty went over on the stroke of half-time to put CHS back in front.
CHS blew an opportunity five minutes into the second half when Hicham-Karnib lost the ball while attempting to snatch a try with a dummy half dive.
But after holding out CIS at the other end, the public school boys extended their lead when winger of the tournament Lorima Rokosuka planted the ball over in the corner to finish off a CHS raid.
Down 14-6 and forced into a comeback mission, CIS were given a golden opportunity when CHS grassed a bomb.
And the Independents set up a thrilling finish when Heamasi Makasini reeled in a cross field kick to score and make it 14-10 with just five minutes left in the match.
REPLAY: NSW Combined Catholic Colleges 22 def Queensland White 16 (15 Years)
NSW Combined Catholic Colleges fullback Logan Tolar saved the day as his team held on to beat Queensland white 22-16 in a 15 years thriller to start day 7.
Tolar tackled match-winning Queensland five-eight Ellyjah Birve with a one-on-one tackle to defend his team’s 22-16 lead.
With two minutes remaining Birve (Caloundra SHS) had stepped his way through and only had Tolar to beat, but the Patrician Brothers College fullback just felled his rival who would have scored under the posts to draw the clash.
Queensland had come back from the dead after trailing 22-6 when brilliant Wavell SHS hooker Mason Phillips engineered a try six minutes from the end for the busy Cooper McInnerney (Nudgee College).
Phillips launched a long ball from dummy half which found his winger who plunged over making it 22-16.
NSW CCC seemed to have the match won 15 minutes from fulltime after scoring twice after the break.
One try went to Hunter Bell after the impressive Heinz Lemoto had again proved a handful in the lead-up set.
But trailing 22-6 Queensland bounced back 12 minutes from fulltime when Te Iri Rudolph-Mokaraka put his winger Isaac Cullen over. Birve’s conversion made it 22-12.
Birve then almost scored 90 seconds later after a Duquan Talaepa break, but he was ruled to have bounced the ball as he reached out for the line.
There was plenty of feeling in the clash, with three Queensland forwards placed on report, two for old fashioned shoulder charges.
Earlier, arguably Queensland’s best players across the tournament, Birve (Caloundra SHS) and hooker Phillips (Wavell SHS) got Queensland back into the match after the NSW Combined Catholic College had raced to a 12-nil lead.
After Phillips second scoot out of dummy half in the set he six, he found a half gap and then grubber kicked into space.
Birve flashed onto the ball, beating the CCC winger and fullback to the ball over the tryline. Birve’s conversion then made it 12-6.
This was after CCC had outplayed their rivals early, with right edge back rower Lemoto (Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown) striding over for one of the early tries.
Men of the match were Darcy Wallace (NSW CCC) and Isaac Cullen (Coombabah SHS).
REPLAY: Victoria 32 def Western Australia 10 (15 Years Pool B Final)
Have we just seen the best goalkicker at the ARSSL championships in Victorian Secondary Schools’ Finn Mackay?
The tall, headgear wearing five-eight from Brighton Grammar was bang on target from all angles as his team overcame a resilient Western Australia 32-10 in a 15 years showdown.
The young Royal Blue boys were a step above their rivals early, before needing to man the pumps as the West fought back strongly to win the second half 10-6. before Vic’s Micah Warenia put the result to bed 10 minutes from the end.
With ball control, hard running and swift play-the-balls generating match-winning momentum in the first half, Victoria led 26-nil at halftime after punching out tries on both edges of the field.
And all along Mackay iced the cake with five goals from five - including two conversions from either sideline despite windy conditions. He then kicked another second half goal.
It was not that he raised the flags, but that his kicks never looked like missing.
His first sideline conversion came after Parish Hunt scored following a series of left to right passes to the wing.
Then on the other side of the field fullback Efaramima Sialaoa (St Alban’s SS) crossed after slick passing by Elijah Po Ching (Vic Uni SC) and Latrelle Cordtz (Foundation Gate SS), giving Mackay a chance to again nail a sideline kick.
Soon after Po Ching powered over himself and Victoria were in control.
In the second half, however, Western Australia rebounded to challenge their rivals, scoring through Mitch Wilson (Karratha HIgh School) and then again by edge forward Malakai Letufuga.
GRAND FINALS PREVIEW: Rabbitohs teammates lead states into battle
Two South Sydney development contract rookies will lead their respective state sides into today’s ARSSL national schoolboy grand final.
Queensland captain and halfback Jye Gray and NSW Combined High Schools’ skipper Tyrone Munro met each other for the first time the other day as junior Rabbitohs, but will be arch rivals on grand final day.
While the State of Origin decider may not take the field in Brisbane for another week, KommunityTV will bring you its version of the great rivalry in the Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League grand finals.
WATCH FOUR ASSRL DECIDERS LIVE FROM 9.30AM IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
A smiling Munro said there would be “a bit of rivalry’’ given the history between the two states.
Queensland teams are 0-4 against NSW sides in recent weeks, but can the 18 years Maroons snap the losing streak against NSW teams in the decider?
The Maroons’ under 19s State of Origin teams (both men and women), the senior women and the senior men have all lost to Blues’ team recently, so the 18 years Queenslanders have a chance to restore state pride at Moreton Daily Stadium in a clash to be live streamed by KommunityTV at 2pm.
“Obviously it would be good to get one back on them after a couple of losses and hopefully we can get the job done and restore a bit of pride in the jersey,’’ said Queensland captain and halfback Jye Gray.
Queensland last won the competition in 2019 when future NRL stars like Reece Walsh, Sam Walker and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow strutted their stuff, and this time around Queensland have two players of similar impact - fullback Keano Kini (PBC SHS) and No.13 Karl Oloapu (Wavell SHS).
Gray said although players were from a variety of regions, the Queensland boys had gelled. “Everyone gets along which is why, up until today, we have been doing well.’’
Munro, a winger, said the pre-championship camp had worked wonders for his group and the team’s close bond had played a part in success so far.
“At our camp we all got to know the boys and our bonding has been a big thing. We have got to know each other’s strengths,’’ Munro said.
NSW CHS have a talent-laden line-up including Harrison Hassett, gun fullback Chevy Stewart, Roosters-signed half Cassius Tia and big Dylan Egan.
Although Kini and Oloapu threaten for Qld, the young Maroons are no two man band, with props Liam Le Blanc and Josiah Pahulu laying a foundation for Keebra Park SHS edge forwards Seth Nikotemo and the inform Arama Hau, while the tournament is yet to see wingers Tyreece Tait and Haizyn Mellars impact games due to earlier rain.
The under-15s decider, which will be broadcast live at 12.20pm, will feature a showdown of the Baby Blues as NSW CHS meet NSW CIS.
Future Sea Eagle and Combined Independent School flyer, Reilly Caswell, could be the man to break the Under-15s decider wide open with his raw pace.
The Knox Grammar student, who is also a national 400m track star, showed his express pace in a length of the field try to secure an extra-time win over Queensland and earn a spot in the decider.
The former Woolongong Collegians junior will not be alone in his efforts with NSW CIS also boasting the impressive Large brothers, Onitoni and Ashton, in their halves.
The Combined High School side’s quest for the Under-15 title will be spearheaded by Endeavour Sports High’s explosive backrower Kaden Garner, fullback Jayden Carter, Eels’ rookie Ali Karnib and fleet-footed touch football star Tomaka Berryman-Duff.
REPLAYS: Dubbo, Tuggerah Lakes crowned NRL Trophy champions
An 850km round trip proved profitable for the Dubbo girls, while the team with the shortest distance to travel turned on a brilliant attacking display to take the boys title. Catch up on both the REPLAYS.
Watch Schoolgirls final mini match: Sauaso lifts Ipswich to national title
It is a case of when, not if, Shalom Sauaso makes her NRLW debut according to an NRL Hall of Famer. Watch the Ipswich young gun tear up the NRL Schoolgirls Cup final in our EXCLUSIVE mini match replay.