Aaron Payne Cup 2024 handbook: Players to watch + every fixture
Take a look at each Aaron Payne Cup side ahead of the 2024 season, with a huge list of players to watch during the famous schoolboys rugby league competition.
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The 2024 Aaron Payne Cup kicks off on Thursday with eight schools split into two pools contesting the famous North Queensland schoolboys competition.
Reigning champions St Patrick’s College, Mackay, headline Pool A alongside Townsville rugby league nurseries Kirwan State High School and Ignatius Park College and Cairns-based Trinity Bay State High School.
The top three finishers from Pool A progress to the semi-finals where they will joined by the winners of Pool B – which consists of Mackay State High School, Holy Spirit College, St Augustine’s College and Mareeba State High School.
Every game of the Aaron Payne Cup will be streamed live and exclusive on KommunityTV, available with your subscription to this masthead.
Check out the full Queensland Schoolboys round 1 schedule below. Click the links to watch live.
ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE, MACKAY
Coach: Ian Schifilliti
Captain: TBC
2023 finish: Champions (7-1-0 W/D/L record)
St Pat’s cruised through the Aaron Payne Cup undefeated, though a slight blip on their record was an 18-18 draw with Kirwan in round 3.
However the famous Mackay school took care of the Bears when they met again in round 6 and then the grand final.
Coach Schifilliti said he expected his side to pick up where they left off, with a healthy lead-in to the Aaron Payne Cup allowing them to focus on the task at hand.
“Preparation has been good but this week we’ll really find out when we’re tested by a big and strong Kirwan side and we’ll get a real indicator of where we’re at,” Schifilliti said.
Fastest players: Norman Campbell and Reuben Saron
The two outside backs are hard to catch when they’re given even an inch of space. They could both probably line up anywhere in the backline from 1-5 but do their best work in the wider channels.
Biggest hitters: Caleb O’Brien and Cohen Jackson
Two of St Pat’s strongest defenders add that little bit of extra fire to the school’s forward pack. O’Brien typically plays in the middle of the park while you could put Broncos-signed Jackson anywhere in the pack and he’ll still excel.
Schifilliti said it would be important to have any type of advantage in what he expected to be a very tightly contested season.
Key playmaker: Kooper Shears
The younger brother of North Queensland Cowboys Young Gun Will Shears will step up to the plate this year to lead St Patrick’s from the halves.
Schifilliti said it was Shears’ time to shine after a season watching from side of stage.
“Kooper Shears will be pivotal in what we do, he was kind of like an understudy last year to Jaxon (Purdue) and Bailey (Venz),” he said.
“So he was part of the squad last year and now it’s time for him to steer the ship around.”
X-factor player:Jack Thorburn
Thorburn is a backrower who plays on the left edge and runs great lines, but it his deceptive speed that makes him such a dangerous player.
He’s the type of player that often finishes tries after he breaks the line, accelerating ahead of any chasers to win the race to the line.
NRL-attached players:
Cowboys: Declan Grady, Norman Campbell and Camden Hopes
Raiders: Mark Morrow and Caleb O’Brien
Broncos: Cohen Jackson and Adam McSherry
KIRWAN STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Todd Wilson
Captain: Logan Brookes with Cooper Cox and Wil Hope as co-vice-captains
2023 finish: Runners-up (4-2-2 W/D/L record)
Kirwan High crashed out of the grand final with a 26-10 defeat at the hands of St Patrick’s. The Bears were dangerous across the park but lacked the final polish to be crowned champions.
However some of their key players like Logan Brookes and Cohen Dittmann are now in year 12 and ready to show the rest of the Aaron Payne Cup just how far their development has come in the last year.
Fastest player: Cohen Dittmann
Sydney Roosters-contracted Dittmann played a number of games in the NSW Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s) before returning to North Queensland and playing for the Townsville Blackhawks in both under-17s and under-19s.
Dittmann wore the Bears No.1 jersey last year but will line up in the centres in 2024.
Biggest hitters:Cooper Cox and Eneliko Savelio
While Cox is far from the biggest player on the field, his tackling technique probably makes him the most effective defender in the side.
Savelio has been known to put on a massive shot to pump up his teammates and opposition players have to keep their eye on him whether he’s playing in the middle or on an edge.
Key playmakers:Marley Proctor and Riley Carbone
Proctor and Carbone are both coming off great representative seasons with the Townsville Blackhawks and look ready to impress for their school.
Proctor is now a year 12 and will look to establish himself as one of the team’s on-field leaders, while year 11 student Carbone has been earmarked as a star of the future.
X-factor players: Logan Brookes and Gausa Dau
Versatile fullback “Brookesy” possesses strength beyond his size and a high level of fitness that allows him to compete until the final whistle.
The Bears’ red-headed livewire has silky skills to match his toughness and he likes to take the ball right to the line and engage defenders before firing it out the back. Brookes scored the equal-most tries for his school in 2023, finishing tied-second in the competition with six.
Dau is in year 11 and looks to be the fullback-in-waiting for Kirwan. He’s great on his feet and offers fantastic speed and agility.
NRL-attached players:
Cowboys: Taakoi Benioni, Eneliko Savelio, Dane Ransom, Riley Carbone, Diesel Taylor, Kees Anderson
Raiders: Heath Bethel, Zane Bethel, Ryan Van Zanden
Knights: Wil Hope
Roosters: Cohen Dittmann
IGNATIUS PARK COLLEGE
Coach: Zeb Kyle
Captain: TBC
2023 finish: Semi-finals (2-1-4 W/D/L record)
Ignatius Park have been building towards the 2024 Aaron Payne Cup since November last year and coach Zeb Kyle is confident hard work will pay dividends when the school launches its campaign against Trinity Bay SHS in Cairns.
The team has a strong year 11 contingent that will give the squad stability over the next two years including dominant forward enforcer Sitiveni Afu who shapes as a leader of the pack and is a strong candidate for captain.
Iggy Park are nursing a handful of injuries heading into round 1 but Kyle said he could dip into the school’s second team – who play in the TSSS Cowboys Cup – if extra bodies are needed.
Fastest player: Patrick Krause
The school’s lightning-fast outside back is the team’s undisputed fastest player after winning the 100m race at Ignatius Park’s athletics carnival. Equally proficient at centre or on the wing, Krause is ready for a big season in his final year of schoolboys footy.
Biggest hitters: Sitiveni Afu and Jayden Ryan
Afu is one of the team’s leaders and he never shies away from contact. The powerful forward led the Townsville Blackhawks to the grand final of the Cyril Connell Cup earlier this year and opposition halves better not muck around for too long with the ball or they could feel the full force of Afu’s shoulder.
Ryan made his First XIII debut for Iggy Park in 2023 as a year 11 student and has only added to his size and strength this year. He plays in the middle of the park and has a talent for getting under his opponents’ skins – and he definitely has the strong defence to back up any talk.
Key playmakers: Kynan Purdy and Chase Shepherd
Coach Zeb Kyle said Purdy and Shepherd both epitomise what the Ignatius Park jersey stands for; competing on every play and doing whatever it takes to put their team in a position to win games.
Purdy got some Aaron Payne Cup exposure in 2023, sometimes playing on the wing, and he will be primed to perform from round 1.
X-factor players: Lincoln Baker and Jerry Mapari
Cowboys-contracted Baker is coming off a fantastic season with the Townsville Blackhawks in the Cyril Connell Cup, where he mainly played at fullback – the same position he will play for his school. The year 11 student has great game-awareness and speed, usually picking the right moments to inject himself into the attack.
Mapari is the solitary year 10 student in the school’s Aaron Payne Cup squad. The Cowboys House student recently moved to Townsville from the Torres Strait Islands and he is a genuine speedster with impressive footy IQ and he has x-factor in spades.
NRL-attached players:
Cowboys: Sitiveni Afu, Kye Connell and Lincoln Baker
TRINITY BAY STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Dan Weston
Captain: Shannon Bowen
2023 finish: 4th in Pool A (0-0-6 W/D/L record)
Trinity Bay have plenty of room for improvement in 2024 and they get a perfect opportunity to show the rest of the competition what they’re made of when they host Ignatius Park College in round 1.
Iggy Park won both fixtures last year, but Trinity Bay was the only team they claimed victory against and a hard-fought 24-8 match-up in round 3 was one of the Cairns school’s best performances.
Trinity Bay counts NRL stars Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Jeremiah Nanai and Xavier Savage among its former students and the visiting coach said his players would need to be wary of a skilful home unit, buoyed by several junior Cowboys representatives.
Fastest players:D’Artanyan Connelly and Alfred Mosby
Trinity Bay coach Dan Weston is quietly confident his new year 11 halfback Connelly will make a big splash for T Bay. He’s a fast and crafty No.7 who represented the Northern Pride in this year’s Cyril Connell Cup and has been earmarked as a rising star.
Mosby is a speedy and agile winger who has patiently waited for his opportunity in the First XIII squad. The touch football representative has all the skills to excel this year.
Biggest hitters:Shannon Bowen, Luke Komsic and Jake Russo
Trinity Bay’s captain Bowen will be the team’s lock but he plays more like a third middle forward. He’s a natural leader that teammates have always looked up to and he has been at the school since year 7.
Komsic is a big body who has broken into the squad after spending most of 2023 on the fringes, while Russo is a classic prop who adds plenty of punch to the middle.
Key playmakers: D’Artanyan Connelly and Elsiyah Suavai
Besides speedster Connelly, year 11 student Suavai will play five-eighth and will be key to his school’s attack. He has signed a development contract with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and is a first-cousin to 2023 Queensland Emerging Origin star Elekana Suavai, who plays for Kirwan High.
X-factor player: Harmon Benioni
The latest talented member of the Benioni family to come out of Far North Queensland.
Benioni is still in year 11 but will be a pivotal member of Trinity Bay’s backline at centre. The lean and speedy back is brimming with talent.
NRL-attached players:
Harmon Benioni (Cowboys) and Elsiyah Suavai (Bulldogs)
ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE
Coach: Kris O’Farrell
Fastest Player:
He is probably our biggest attacking weapon. Our left centre, we would look to give him early ball and man on from his opposite centre and have a bit of success.
He is a strong, athletic boy.
Biggest Hitter: Cade Miller, Jack Rix, Noah Dowdle, Cooper Meares, Waterman Noipo
We have a pretty solid forward pack. Cade is injured unfortunately so he will miss the first half of the competition but he has a ton of potential.
Jack is our captain, our lock, he has a great footy IQ, great feet and great ball skills.
Noah, is a Brothers junior and has been at Saints since year 7, was excellent for us last year, as was Cooper, both big strong bodies that get us forward and that rounds off our middle.
Then coming off the spine is Waterman, he is a strong runner with the ball as well.
Key Playmaker: Benny Walker, Jesse Ziegler
They are injured as well but we do have young Benny is captain of the Pride’s CC, he is our glue in the middle, really strong defensively and jumps well, he will be our starting 9, he will get some game time in the halves as well.
Jesse it is his second year at Saints, he is a Brothers junior, just looking for him to run the ball, he has good feet, so just after him to play a simple game and do his thing.
Other than that we have a few injuries.
X-Factor: Braithe Clubb, Sam Jonsen
Braithe is our fullback, he has been running some good lines at the back and has been exceptional since he has come in to the Saints.
Then our starting second rower, Sam, who has been really good for the Razorbacks, he is a big strong body and if we can give him good early ball, hopefully we will be able to have some success off quick line breaks.
NRL Attached Players: (Cowboys) Cade Miller, Benny Walker, Leslie Fatafehi
While Miller and Walker are currently injured, the latter is 50/50 to make an imminent return. Both are contracted and came in with the partnership we have with the Cowboys.
Year 11 student Fatafehi is very green but has a great body type and huge potential in the sport and he is also on a development contract with the Cowobys.
MACKAY STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Zach Schill
Captain: TBC
2023 finish: 2nd in Pool B (4-0-2 W/D/L record)
Mackay SHS were Pool B heavyweights last season but finished one win behind St Augustine’s and as a result narrowly missed out on a semi-finals appearance.
They’ll be hoping to finish one higher in 2024 for the chance to upset one of their Pool A rivals.
Some of the famous NRL players to come out of Mackay SHS are Kalyn Ponga, Tom Dearden, Dane Gagai, Isaiah Tass and Josh Hoffman
MAREEBA STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Clinton Cifuentes
Fastest Player: Nash Cohglan and Nelson Maudua
Biggest Hitter: Linfard Lui
Key Playmaker: Nash Cohglan
X-Factor: Jason Hastie and Nelson Maudua
NRL contracted – NIL
Potential contracted: Jason Hastie, Linfard Lui, Nash Cohglan, Tyler Shroryj and Jahmarl Grogan.
HOLY SPIRIT COLLEGE
2023 result: 4th in Pool B (0-0-6 W/D/L record)
Holy Spirit will look for their first Aaron Payne Cup win when they take on Pool B’s other stragglers Mareeba Stat High School in round 1.
Both sides will be desperate for a victory but it will be the Mackay Catholic college determined to turn their fortunes around with an early triumph.
Front rower Isaiah Wilson and lock-forward Caleb Brady are expected to lead the team from the middle of the park with their bone-crunching defence while halfback Caleb Owens will be the team’s key playmaker.
FIXTURES
ROUND 1
St Patrick’s College v Kirwan SHS | Mackay Brothers | Thursday May 30 | CC: 9.30am, APC: 12pm
Trinity Bay SHS v Ignatius Park College | Trinity Bay SHS | Thursday May 30 | CC: 9.30am, APC: 12pm
Mackay SHS v St Augustine’s College | Townsville Brothers | Thursday May 30 | CC: 10am, APC: 11.15am
Holy Spirit College v Mareeba SHS | Townsville Brothers | Thursday May 30 | CC: 12.55pm, APC: 2.25pm
ROUND 2
Trinity Bay SHS v St Patrick’s College | Townsville Brothers | Wednesday June 5 | CC: 11am, APC: 1.30pm
Kirwan SHS v Ignatius Park College | Kirwan SHS | Wednesday June 5 | CC: 2.15pm, APC: 4.30pm
Mackay SHS v Mareeba SHS | Townsville Brothers | Wednesday June 5 | CC: 12.30pm, APC 2.30pm
Holy Spirit College v St Augustine’s College | Townsville Brothers | Wednesday June 5 | CC: 10am, APC: 11.15am
ROUND 3
Trinity Bay SHS v Kirwan SHS | Kirwan SHS | Tuesday June 11 | CC: 10.30am, APC: 12.40pm
St Patrick’s College v Ignatius Park College | Mackay Brothers | Tuesday June 11 | CC: 3.30pm, APC: 6pm
Mareeba SHS v St Augustine’s College |Davies Park, Mareeba | Monday June 10 | CC: 2pm, APC: 3.15pm
Mackay SHS v Holy Spirit College | Mackay SHS | Tuesday June 11 | CC: 2.15pm, APC: 3.30pm
ROUND 4
St Patrick’s College v Kirwan SHS | Mackay Brothers | Thursday July 18 | CC: 9.30am, APC: 12pm
Ignatius Park College v Trinity Bay SHS | Trinity Bay SHS | Wednesday July 17 | CC: 9.30am, APC 12pm
St Augustine’s College v Mackay SHS | Townsville Brothers | Thursday July 18 | CC: 10am, APC: 11.15am
Mareeba SHS v Holy Spirit College | Townsville Brothers | Thursday July 18 | CC: 12.55pm, APC: 2.25pm
ROUND 5
Trinity Bay SHS v St Patrick’s College | Townsville Brothers | Thursday July 25 | CC: 10am, APC: 12.30pm
Kirwan SHS v Ignatius Park College | Ignatius Park College | Wednesday July 24 | CC: 2pm, APC: 3pm
Mackay SHS v Mareeba SHS | Townsville Brothers | Thursday July 25 | CC: 1.45pm, APC: 3.45pm
Holy Spirit College v St Augustine’s College | Townsville Brothers | Wednesday July 24 | CC: 10am, APC: 11.15am
ROUND 6
Kirwan SHS v Trinity Bay SHS | Trinity Bay SHS | Wednesday July 31 | CC: 9.30am, APC: 12pm
Ignatius Park College v St Patrick’s College | Ignatius Park College | Wednesday July 31 | CC: 10.15am, APC: 12.40pm
Holy Spirit College v Mackay SHS | Magpies Mackay | Wednesday July 31 | CC: 4.35pm, APC: 5.45pm
St Augustine’s College v Mareeba SHS | West Barlow Park, Cairns | Thursday August 1 | CC: 2pm, APC: 3.15pm
SEMI-FINALS
APC Game 1: Pool A Rank 1 v Pool B Rank 1 – Saturday 10th August @ Queensland Country Bank Stadium
APC Game 2: Pool A Rank 2 v Pool A Rank 3 – Thursday 8th August, venue TBC
CC Game 1: Pool A Rank 1 v Pool B Rank 1 – TBC
CC Game 2: Pool A Rank 2 v Pool A Rank 3 – TBC
GRAND FINALS
APC – Thursday 15th August – Time/venue TBC
CC – Thursday 15th August – Time/venue TBC
QLD SEMI-FINALS
Aaron Payne Cup v Dolphin Cup – Thursday 22nd August – Time/venue TBC
CC – TBC
PHIL HALL CUP GRAND FINAL
Winner APC/DC vs Langer – Thursday 29th August – Sunshine Coast Stadium
NATIONAL NRL SCHOOLBOYS CUP FINAL
Winner Qld Grand Final v Winner NSW Grand Final – Wednesday 11th September – CBUS Super Stadium
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