NRL Schoolboy Cup: St Gregory’s College vs Bass High School
St Gregory’s College relived the glory days with an impressive performance against Bass High in the NRL Schoolboy Cup. Our full replay of the game is now live.
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St Gregory’s have opened their NRL Schoolboy Cup campaign in comprehensive fashion, downing Bass High 60-2 at Campbelltown Stadium.
It was an attacking exhibition from St Greg’s, who lead 30-0 at the break after an exhibition of attacking rugby league.
Star backrower Charlie Lennon, a Forbes product who is contracted to Wests Magpies, was in fine form, scoring two tries and playing a hand in several others.
Mobile, powerful and blessed with some fine ball skills, Lennon looks to be a likely prospect and was a constant threat on the right edge for St Greg’s.
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Lennon’s co-captain, Cruise Tweedie, also had a day out. A hard-running lock forward with an excellent offload, Tweedie dominated the middle of the field throughout as he used his footwork to great effect against the beleaguered Bass Hill pack.
“They’re our co-captains for a big reason. They’ve been with SG Ball teams this year and it’s good to bring the experience back because we’ve got a young team this year,” said St Greg’s coach Michael Bullock.
“I made them co-captains because they complete each other. Lennon is a bit of a presence on the field, he’s a big, strong fella who can do some things that make the boys go ‘wow’.
“(Tweedie) has got a good footy head on him and he straight away realised they weren’t very tight in the middle, he talked to our halves and our hooker and made sure we got some plays up the middle.”
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Currently signed to Penrith, Tweedie is a Leumeah product who looks to have a huge future - his control of the middle of the field was sublime and his efforts never relented even as the points piled up. .
Tough dummy half Jack Nicholson impressed with his strong defense and excellent tackling technique while fullback Liam Fitzsimmons showed great skill as he played a hand in several tries.
“He’s definitely a livewire. He could play half, if he wanted to, so I give him free reign to get his hands on the ball as much as possible,” said Bullock.
St Greg’s got over early after Fitzsimmons showed great vision to take a quick tap from 20 metres out before he fired a cut out pass to centre Charlie Guymer to score in the corner.
From there it was a procession - five-eighth Joseph Ward put in a well-weighted chip that was snatched up by centre Billy Sainsbury, who linked with winger Samuel Cramp before Lennon backed up to score his first.
Interchange dummy half Joel Aslan, halfback Liam Sutton and Fitzsimmons got over in the final stages of the first half to all but seal the result early.
Sutton scored a try and kicked seven goals for a personal haul of 18 points.
Bass High struggled to control possession and were denied any field position by St Greg’s strong ball control and defense.
Backrower Mitch Taotua had some good moments and halfback Jonathan Sua did his best to create some chances - both players have spent time in the Bulldogs system and never gave up even as the scoreboard mounted against them.
Sua got Bass High’s lone points of the day when he booted over a penalty in the final seconds of the match, ensuring Bass High were not held scoreless.
SCORERS
St Gregory’s College 60 (C Lennon 2, C Guymer, J Aslan, L Sutton, L Fitzsimmons, Z Clarke, L Munro, C Tweedie, J Ward tries, Lennon 3/3, Sutton 7/7 goals) def Bass High 2 (J Sua 1/1 goal)
TEAMS
ST GREGORY’S COLLEGE
1 Liam Fitzsimmons, 2. Samuel Cramp, 3 Billy Sainsbury, 4 Charlie Guymer, 5 Lindsay Munro, 6 Joseph Ward, 7 Liam Sutton, 8 Lachlan Bush, 9 Jack Nicholson, 10 Ryan Evans 11. Thomas Fletcher, 12 Charlie Lennon, 13 Cruise Tweedie, 14 Joel Aslan, 15 Jake Quodling, 16 Zakauri Clarke, 17 Thomas Carroll, 18 Jet Boland
COACH: Michael Bullock
BASS HIGH
1 Bilal El Youseff, 2 Elijah Cinavou, 3 Ernest Tevaga, 4 Max Taotua, 5 Louai Mohammed, 6 Tamarere Love-Simmons, 7 Jonathan Sua, 8 Vincent Faasii, 9 William Ben, 10 Serr Htay, 11 Mitch Taotua, 12 Daniel Mohammed, 13 Jaylen Tuitama, 14 Zac El Youseff, 15 Faamanuia Taotua, 16 Dayshawn Lyden, 17 Orlando Manose, 18 Isaia Tu’ifua, 19 Krishan Karan, 20 Cyrus Lyden
COACH: Jonathan Wilson
PREVIEW OF ST GREG’S VS BASS HIGH
By Amanda Lulham
Rugby league pride is on the line when St Gregory’s College opens its NRL Schoolboy Cup campaign against Bass High School on Wednesday.
In one of the most anticipated matches of the prestigious knockout competition being exclusively livestreamed by The Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, rivals will get their first look at two non-sports schools and a school steeped in rugby league history and the alma mater of some of the biggest players and coaches in the game.
“We have a proud history in rugby league. We have won the national competition more than any one else with nine titles,” said St Greg’s Michael Bullock.
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“And players who have come through here include Trent Barrett, Ryan Hoffman, James Tedesco, Sandon Earl, coach Jack Gibson, Alex Mckinnon, Tim Sheens and the like.”
But it’s been a while between drinks for St Gregory’s Campbelltown who made the quarter finals of the Schoolboy Cup last year but haven’t won the event since 2000.
“Ethan Parry in 2007 was our last Australian Schoolboy. It’s hard to compete with the sports schools out here,” Bullock said.
Bullock said St Greg’s has been hit by a string of injuries recently - including losing their two starting front rowers - and will field a talented but young side.
“We are talented, lacking in size to what we were last year. The biggest thing is we have the talent and need to defend as much as possible,” he said.
Players to watch from St Gregory’s in the match include a teenager from Forbes.
“Charlie Lennon played SG Ball with Wests and he’s a second rower, big, from Forbes,” Bullock said.
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“He’s put on about 12 kilos this year. He’s our most talented player.
“And Cruise Tweedie who is with Penrith. He’s our lock, he’s a worker with skills and will probably play all game. He’d be one of our better players in the middle controlling the ruck.
“Liam Fitzsimmons, if he gets back (from injury), he’ll be a player to watch. He’s a fullback and a boy from Tumut. He has ball skills, agility and tests the defence.”
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Bass High School’s Jon Wilson said he is well aware of St Greg’s winning record in the comp.
“They are one of the most winning schools so it’s a big ask,” he said. “We have a rugby league program but we aren’t a sports school like some of the others.”
But the school has produced notable rugby league talent including Dale Finucane, Royce Hunt, Jillaroos Raecene McGregor and Australian Sevens Player Paige McGregor.
Players expected to turn heads on Wednesday include the team captain.
“Jaylen Euta, he’s a lock hooker who goes pretty well and is a really great leader who has been with the Bulldogs development,” he said.
“Daniel Mohammed, he’s new to the school last year, been in Bulldogs development and is a fast and strong backrower.
“And in the halves Jonathan Sua, who has been with the Bulldogs development and in their Harold Matt, is very knowledgeable.
“Mitchell Taotua, he’s another second rower, young, tall, strong and a gold runner. He was also with the Bulldogs development.”