State of Origin NSW Blues U19s: NRL debuts, club affiliations, school alma maters, team analysis

The Sky Blues of tomorrow are here and ready to take on the Maroons in U19s State of Origin. See our player profiles for every NSW player including junior clubs, former schools and more.

Meet the 2024 NSW U19 representatives.

The guns are getting younger every year and Andrew Ryan is amazed by it.

As coach of the NSW Origin under-19s squad, the former Blues forward has seen a steady increase in professionalism in kids still in high school who are knocking in the door of the NRL.

Mitchell Woods, the 18-year-old Bulldogs halfback, is one of them.

“You forget a little bit just how young they are,” Ryan says ahead of Thursday night’s under-19s Origin at Leichhardt Oval.

“We’re coming into this 19s team and some of the guys are playing NRL, but we had our first meeting the other day and Woodsy came in straight from school in his school uniform.

“We’ve got a few guys in the team who are that younger age. I think we’ve got five this year, and for them to be competing and making these teams a year younger, that’s really great to see.”

NSW U19s coach Andrew Ryan. Picture: Scott Davis / NRL Photos

Junior Origin has always been an indicator of future potential, but this year there’s four players across the men’s team with NRL experience - Blues stars Chevy Stewart (Raiders) and Jesse McLean (Panthers), and Queenslanders Jamal Shibasaki (Cowboys) and Jaxon Purdue.

Blues lock Blake Steep was among them, but has been recalled by the Roosters to play his second NRL game this weekend.

Steep made his NRL debut in round 13 against the Cowboys and has been called in for cover with Angus Crichton, Spencer Leniu, Lindsay Collins and Connor Watson on Origin duty.

Australian Schoolboys and Knights front-rower Cody Hopwood will fill his place in the 17.

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“That just goes to show the professionalism and where these guys are at,” Ryan says.

“The way they prepare for games, for training, a lot of them are training with NRL sides or if not going into that next year the top 30 or development. It goes to show how good the clubs are with the guys who are younger ages, they’re semi-professional the Flegg teams, they put so much into their pathways and you can see that when the guys come in here.”

Woods and his halves partner Jake Elliott are two of the rising stars of the game, while Queensland halfback Coby Black is considered next in line for the Broncos No.7 jersey.

From last year’s teams Blaize Talagi (Eels), Ethan Strange (Raiders), Latu and Samuela Fainu (Tigers) have all gone on to play first grade.

“It feels like these guys are making their debuts earlier,” Ryan says.

“You look at guys like Lachy Galvin at the Tigers, he’s 18 and out injured but you’ve got guys Latu Fainu who played for us last year, Blaize Talagi, they’re having an impact at the NRL level already.

“It’s cool to see. That’s the great thng to have relationships with these guys, even though we only get a few days with them, being with them and then watching them like Ethan And Chevy go on and play NRL it’s been great to watch.”