Brother Bears inspire Kirwan’s Queensland schoolboys title charge
Kirwan’s impressive run to the Phil Hall Cup final wouldn’t have been possible without the brotherly connections found on both edges. Read more about the Bethel and Benioni brothers.
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Kirwan State High School’s impressive run to the Queensland schoolboys rugby league grand final wouldn’t have been possible without the brotherly connections found on both edges of the field.
There are two sets of brothers in Kirwan’s first XIII this year: Davidson and Taakoi Benioni, and Heath and Zane Bethel.
The Canberra Raiders have signed both Bethel twins while the Benioni brothers are both within the Cowboys system, graduating into the Young Guns program next year.
The Bethels lock down Kirwan’s left edge, with goalkicking winger Heath typically getting sets started the right way with his tough carries and backrower Zane dominating defensively.
Kirwan coach Todd Wilson said the rangy lookalikes from Queensland’s North West were great students of the game.
“They’re both just really good kids. Great kids from a great family,” Wilson said.
“They’re like sponges, the Bethel boys, they just take on so much. They’ve grown physically in the last two years that they’ve been with us and their footy has grown.
“They’ve both been a part of the Blackhawks system as well, so they’ve been massive improvers and they’re huge contributors each game.”
While the Benioni brothers have a bit less in common than identical twins, they both bring plenty of energy to the Bears right edge.
Taakoi started the season in the backrow before shifting wider to the centres, where he built a remarkable connection with pacy winger Davidson.
Both brothers are happy to roll up their sleeves and take a hard carry and Davidson’s speed allowed him to finish the season as the Aaron Payne Cup’s equal-top tryscorer with nine tries.
Wilson said the aggressive nature of the players on the field was a stark contrast to their soft-spoken and humble personalities.
“Both of them bring a bit of X-factor. David’s long-range tries are fantastic and they’re both aggressive players,” Wilson said.
“Taakoi loves the physical contact. They’re both very quiet boys, they just really love playing rugby league and being in the contest.”
The Bears coach said it was an easy decision to play both sets of brothers on edges together.
“Having that chemistry is really important, especially defensively, but they work well in tandem in attack as well,” Wilson said.
“Keeping them side by side is a strength. When the going is tough, those sort of links certainly help you when you need to find something extra.”
Kirwan takes on Palm Beach Currumbin in the Phil Hall Cup decider on the Sunshine Coast on Thursday, kick-off is at 12pm and the game will be stream live and exclusive on KommunityTV.
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Originally published as Brother Bears inspire Kirwan’s Queensland schoolboys title charge
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