Watch replay: Hills Sports High beat Chifley College 58-4 in NRL Schoolboy Cup
Rugby league powerhouse Hills Sports High School have shown their class with a commanding 58-4 win over Chifley College in the NRL Schoolboy Cup. WATCH THE FULL REPLAY
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Hills Sports High’s message was loud and clear - they’re ready to win this year’s NRL Schoolboy Cup.
Scott Jones’ side eliminated Chifley College from the competition with a completely clinical 58-4 victory at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Five-eighth Mikey Tannous was unstoppable, scoring a brilliant double to show exactly why he’ll be sweating out a pre-season with the Wests Tigers NRL side later this year.
“It’s very exciting, I’m also nervous at the same time, but keen to learn from guys like Benji Marshall,” Tannous said.
“The way he plays the game, not many people play it like him, he can see things that others can’t. I’ll try and get some tips off him and base my game around his as well.”
WATCH THE FULL GAME REPLAY IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
It was always going to be a challenging contest for Chifley College.
The Catholic School usually participates in the NRL’s Tier B schoolboy competition.
Chifley fielded three representative players on Wednesday — Latrelle Leota (Harold Matthews Panthers), Elijah Mataale (Harold Matthews Panthers), Modotinrowson Siu (Harold Matthews Roosters).
But Brock Shepperd‘s boys were unable to stop a Hills side stacked with SG Ball experience.
Chifley skipper Matthew Alauni said he was proud of his school for fighting until the end.
“It’s great to play alongside your schoolmates, playing for our emblem, as long as we got on the scoreboard, that was all we wanted,” Alauni said.
“Half of the team is Year 11, it’ll be a good experience for them to build on for next year.”
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Chifley winger Avy Shaw looked dangerous at times and channelled Penrith Panthers star Viliame Kikau vibes with both his peroxide mop hairstyle and big shots.
“It’s been pretty hard, we didn’t get the result we wanted but we all had a good go, and that’s what matters,” Shaw said.
“I got this before Kikau, I got mine, then footy came on and I saw he had it, I am the original.”
It took Hills just two minutes to open the scoring, as halfback Drew Lloyd cut through Chifley defence and crossed to the left of the posts.
Hooker Tevita Petelo and fullback Blake Metcalfe followed suit to give their school a comfortable early lead.
After the drinks break, Tannous notched his double.
Chifley outside back Shaw showed grit in defence, putting great shots on boys twice his size.
But the boys from Hills were too strong and centre Joshua Mocevakaca crashed over to give his school a 36-0 lead at half-time.
Chifley ramped up their intensity in the second half and forced repeat sets 30 metres out from their line.
Finally, they were rewarded in the 42nd minute.
Isaac Green threw a beautiful cut out ball to Sydney Roosters Harold Matthews star Siu who barged his way through defenders to score on the left edge.
Chifley winger James Sale denied Tannous a triple with a brilliant try-saving tackle/
Further tries to Mocevakaca, Daniel Readon and Adam Runchel sealed the deal for the Hills side that finished with a 58-4 victory.
Hills Sports High 58 (Joshua Mocevakaca (3), Mikey Tannous (2), Drew Lloyd, Tevita Petelo, Blake Metcalfe, Daniel Readon, Adam Runchel, Modotinrowson Siu tries; Blake Metcalfe 9/10 conversions) d Chifley College 4 (Modotinrowson Siu try)
TEAMS
HILLS SPORTS HIGH
1 Blake Metcalfe, 2 Pat Luatuanuu, 3 Joshua Mocevakaca, 4 Terence Patolo, 5 Siaosi Kaliti, 6 Mikey Tannous, 7 Drew Lloyd, 8 Adam Runchel, 9 Tevita Petelo, 10 Spencer Tuala, 11 Luron Patea, 12 Daniel Readon, 13 Lipoi Hopoi, 14 Billy Scott, 15 Sam Squire, 16 Oseni Kaufusi, 17 Marley Hunter, 18 Moustafa Dirani 19 Alaa Lababidi 20 Samuel Pinomi
Coach:Scott Jones
CHIFLEY COLLEGE
1 Tesimoni Uilou, 2 Avy Shaw, 3 Latrelle Leota, 4 Jesse Hudson, 5 James Sale, 6 Tyler Hughes, 7 Malachi Tareke, 8 Jay Jay Makaui, 9 Gibbs Stanley, 10 Tuni Taualli, 11 Matthew Alauni, 12 Larry Ah Ken, 13 Kahimilo Koro, 14 Andrew Tuliatu, 15 Elijah Mataale, 16 Modotinrowson Siu, 17 Quinton Vaughan, 18 Isaac Green Tere-Kaivanga, 19 Liam Schempp
20 Wesley Vaifale
Coach: Brock Sheppard
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PREVIEW: HILLS SPORTS HIGH VS CHIFLEY COLLEGE
Chifley fielded just three Harold Matthews players — Latrelle Leota, Elijah Mataale and Modotinrowson Siu — against a Hills side bursting with SG Ball experience.
“We’ll be inexperienced and young, but the boys are super keen, they’ve been training well, and once we got confirmation that we’re playing, things have really ramped up,” co-coach Brock Shepperd said.
Shepperd, the Wests Tigers SG Ball coach, runs Chifley College’s rugby league program with Penrith Panthers SG Ball assistant coach Robbie Hillier.
The Catholic school traditionally participates in the NRL’s Tier B Schoolboy Trophy competition, but this year they were invited into the Cup.
Shepperd expects many NRL recruiters will tune into the sudden-death clash via the Daily Telegraph’s live stream.
“Coaching within an NRL club at the moment, I know that all the recruitment and retention guys are watching every game,” Shepperd said.
“Economically it’s easier for NRL clubs, too, they don‘t have to send guys across the state to watch games.
“A lot of people would have thought that Hills will probably win this game, so they might not have physically attended, now they’ll get a lot of eyes on them because it’s so easy to watch.”
Shepperd said the exposure will be a great chance for Chifley’s talented kids who aren’t currently linked with NRL clubs, like skipper Matthew Alauni, outside back Avy Shaw and forwards Larry Ah Ken and Gibbs Stanley.
“It’s a huge opportunity, they’re playing against guys who are SG Ball players at Hills, probably every one of their players will have Harold Matts or SG Ball experience. It will be good to measure themselves but also to have that opportunity to impress,” Shepperd said.
“It might be the only opportunity they ever get in their rugby league careers, so it’s huge.”
But players down the road at Hills Sports High School certainly aren’t about to write off their first opponent.
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“They haven’t been in the top tier Schoolboys Cup for a while, but it‘ll be a good clash, they’re close neighbours to us, they’re a very strong and physical team,” Hills coach Scott Jones said.
The powerhouse school has produced the likes of NRL stars Wade Graham, Dylan Brown, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Jorge Tafua.
Jones expects many of the kids in this year‘s side to follow suit.
“Mikey Tannous, our halfback, he’s exciting, he’s got that x-factor that can really turn a game, he’s also a tremendous student, gets all his assignments don … he’s just signed a contract with the Wests Tigers, he’s going to be doing a preseason with the NRL squad before Christmas,” Jones said.
“There’s also our young fullback, Blake Metcalfe, he’s involved in the Canberra Raiders system, he’s SRC at school.”
After COVID-19 shut down sport across Australia, Jones said he is happy that his students get a chance to play in the prestigious competition.
“Some of them were pretty down when the Australian schoolboys and NSW trials got canned due to COVID. It’s just good that they’ve got a bit of incentive to finish off the year strong” Jones said.