'Phenomenal' rookie flyer Brent Barnes and Klese Haas make huge Queensland Cup debuts for Tweed Seagulls
Having turned away from a deal with the Parramatta Eels, this young winger's NRL quest could have been over before it began. However the birth of his first child and a renewed willingness to be the best has led him to a huge debut that marks just the beginning of his rise
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As a plethora of life changes came his way, Brent Barnes was injected with a will to succeed that inspired him to a breakout season.
Having walked away from a deal with the Parramatta Eels, the 21-year-old who had a gift for producing the miraculous threatened to be another ‘what if’ story in rugby league — a prodigious talent who may never reach their potential.
But his Queensland Cup debut on Saturday proved just that, and his Tweed Colts Aaron Zimmerle has predicted this will just be the beginning for the new Barnes.Along with his under-21s teammates, Klese Haas, Barnes featured in the Seagulls narrow 24-22 loss to Mackay and did not look out of place.
By the end of the 80 minutes he had scored his maiden try to go with 92 running metres, a linebreak and a linebreak assist in a performance which followed his four-try exploits for the Colts the week prior.
Zimmerle said Barnes always had the knack for coming up with mind-boggling plays, however his test had becoming doing so regularly.
He said a series of life-changing events off the field had inspired something in the talented flyer, a catalyst which could ignite his return to an NRL system.
“Out of school he had a stint at Parramatta, and as happens when you move away from home it’s a bit harder being away from family and your network of support,” Zimmerle said.
“He’s bouncing back now, I think he set his goals on following more of the longer road where you succeed in Colts, succeed in Cup and then get opportunities at the NRL in his early 20s.
“He’s a phenomenal talent and has been since I first saw him in under 15s playing for Coombabah; he’s always had the ability to do something special on the football field.
“I think he would probably admit himself his biggest challenge was doing that consistently, but he set himself some goals this year. He only just recently had his first bub as well, so he has to balance work and family along with training. “I don’t know whether it’s maturity or a real drive to make the most of this opportunity.”
Barnes and Haas were not the only Seagulls who were absent from the Colts outfit, with lock Charlie Murray parachuted into the top side once again.
Meanwhile Tom Weaver, Oskar Bryant and Jaylan de Groot all earned New South Wales under-19s selections, while Titans contracted rookie Kaleb Ngamanu was also away for the Queensland under-19s side.
Barnes’ four-try heroics the previous week cemented his rise to the upper echelon of Tweed rugby league, with his 102m individual effort catching the eye and guiding him to a 300m game.
Outside of that highlight moment, the “Captain of Energy” was instrumental in getting his Tweed teammates out of trouble, with Zimmerle declaring he was “definitely breaking the mould of just being a winger”.
Now he has called on the developing prospects to not get carried away with their early success.
“For any kid with potential the greatest skill to learn is consistency of performance,” Zimmerle said.
“If you can go out there and have a 200m game then you set the standard for yourself that every game is 100m or 150m. With the outside backs in particular, it’s not about scoring tries.
“Scoring tries comes down to opportunity, so it’s the work they do getting your team on the front foot when you’re taking the ball.
“Those guys know that, they have to be physically fit and strong and work on their craft.”
Call on Weaver, Haas vindicates: Big hits from Coast’s rising stars
If the likes of Tom Weaver are to ascend into the NRL ranks, they need to be given the time and chance to blossom.
That is the opinion of Tweed Colts coach Aaron Zimmerle, who has called for calm when it comes to his raw but talented young halfback.
Weaver’s potential was shown throughout his schoolboys and junior rugby league days, with highlights including player of the grand final honours in the 2021 Mal Meninga Cup.
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Such performances earnt himself a spot in the Gold Coast Titans 36-man extended squad until 2024 upon his graduation from Palm Beach Currumbin State High.
On Saturday Weaver’s potential was on show again, where even towards the end of the Seagulls 28-6 triumph over North Devils he kept the pressure on.
At one stage the 19-year-old forced back-to-back goal line drop outs before setting up a try late in the contest.
Zimmerle said he had no doubt that Weaver would one day feature in the NRL, such was the calibre he had proven to be at the younger levels.
However he has called for commentators and pundits alike to be patient with the emerging number seven, and not burden him with expectations of being the finished product too early.
“I think you have to simplify the pathway for him. Tommy wants to be really good at this level, which he is, but he’ll be disappointed with a couple of things in terms of the results of his kicks,” Zimmerle said.
“I know he’ll go away and work individually hard on that, and then next week we’ll play and he’ll execute. In doing that, if an opportunity arises he’ll be right for (Queensland) Cup. “There’ll be big bodies coming at him, but there’ll be big bodies around him, and because he’s got that ability to execute skill he’ll be good at that level.
“Then we need to stop rushing, because if he wants to become comfortable at the NRL he needs to play against men and with men for a period of time. He needs to get comfortable pulling the strings with people who have played at the highest level.
“He needs that time, he’s got to do his apprenticeship, and I’ve got no doubt that when he gets there he’ll be one of the best apprentices you can have. But we have to stop rushing.”
It are those some hurried expectations passed on to other young players in the NRL which irk Zimmerle, as the demands to live up to the hype and dollars thrown at athletes play out in public.
He pointed to the likes of Titans general Toby Sexton and Cowboys gun Tom Dearden — two 21-year-old’s who have already dealt with their fair share of criticism despite their rookie status as first-grade halves.
Dearden endured a torrid time at the Brisbane Broncos, first hailed the heir apparent to the likes of Allan Langer and Darren Lockyer only to be shown the door when he failed to make an immediate impression.
Once he made the move to Townsville to join the North Queensland Cowboys and was partnered with an NRL champion in Chad Townsend, the noise around him settled and he has now undergone a breakout campaign.
Sexton meanwhile has copped brunt at times in the Titans woeful start to the 2022 season, even with only 16 caps to his name as he and former fullback AJ Brimson forge a new halves pairing at the club.
Zimmerle has mentored the likes of Weaver since he was in high school, the Tweed coach himself a teacher and former coach at the esteemed rugby league Academy.
He said spectators and critics often failed to truly appreciate just how much work these teenagers put into honing their craft, and they needed to appreciate not even the likes of Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk became the future legends of the game they became.
“Tommy (Dearden) had a rough patch last year, and now he’s in a team with a senior ballplayer and he’s killing it,” Zimmerle said.
“Toby has had moments and he’s had games where he’s probably gone back and had to work on things, but he’s 21 and learning his craft on the run. I think he’s the leading half for repeat sets in terms of kicks made, that’s amazing.
“Blokes at 30 are not able to do what they’re doing right now, and Tommy (Weaver) is going to be one of them. He’s got the same skillset, the same work ethic, we’ve just got to give him time.”
HAAS CELEBRATES DEAL IN STYLE
Mere days earlier Seagulls edge forward Klese Haas was celebrating a two-year deal with the Gold Coast Titans. And the youngster reaffirmed that faith with a try-scoring effort against the Devils.
Haas will have the chance to push for an NRL debut from 2023 with the Titans, and his efforts on Saturday would have been a satisfying vindication.
Zimmerle said the 19-year-old’s rotation with lock Charlie Murray had been a key threat for Tweed in a disruptive, weather effected campaign, and it was on show again against Norths.
“We are very lucky at the moment in that Klese as a backrower, and then Charlie Murray. A little bit more than halfway in the first half we flipped Klese and Charlie Murray so that there’s no substitutions,” he said.
“Klese is just a damaging ball runner and then goes into the middle and wreaks havoc. Then you’ve got Charlie Murray who’s a great ball playing middle forward, then goes out on the edge and ball plays.
“Muzz set up one try, you had Klese making clean breaks through the middle of the ruck, it’s just hard for the opposition because they’re so different in their styles but both of them are intense and they play at 100 per cent.”
Haas, fullback Jaylan De Groot and Taine Ujur-Berghan all crossed to score in the rescheduled Round 1 clash, while centre Kaleb Ngamanu helped himself to a double.
TURNING A LEAF
After conceding the first try of the game within five minutes, Tweed could have folded, however Zimmerle said they had learned their lesson from what could be a turning point in their season.
Despite conceding first points within five minutes, the Seagulls rallied and fought their way to the front, with centre Kaleb Ngamanu helping himself to a double.
A physical Wynnum-Manly outfit forced Tweed off their game in a 42-20 Round 4 loss, and while some key personnel were missing on that occasion, the Zimmerle said they had undergone an important lesson in that contest.
As his young men grew accustomed to playing against bigger bodies, he said they had developed the willingness to wear those hits and push through them, rather than take a backward step as the match became a grind.
“Tom Weaver and Oskar Bryant weren’t in that game, so they (add) touches of class,” Zimmerle said.
“That’s where pressure just compounds, and eventually you get a result. But I think that only comes from the energy around it. Jaylan De Groot with his try at the start of the second half, he has pushed to be around the ball.
“Barnsey (winger Brent Barnes) who’s a winger was finding himself everywhere, he put himself in the game so if there was an offload or a quick play the ball he was available for it.
“That’s the type of effort you want; the game has structure, but you’ve got to play football and this group are learning how to play together.”
Titans centre Esan Marsters reveals where he sees his NRL future and World Cup hopes
— May 19/2022
As he prepares to up the ante in his fight for a new contract, Titans centre Esan Marsters has declared the confidence he felt sapped from him during his time in North Queensland had returned with a vengeance.
In what has been a disjointed past two seasons for the former Kiwi international, Marsters at last broke back into the Gold Coast line up in last week’s golden point win over the Dragons, and will once again take his place against Cronulla.
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With all the Covid-19 protocols put in place in the NRL — from the bubble lifestyle 2020 and 2021 brought to game day travel replacements this year — the 25-year-old has had limited chances to prove his worth on the field, aside from day-to-day training.
By his round 10 Titans appearance, he had played just four games for Burleigh in the Queensland Cup, with only eight chances last year between the Cowboys, Titans and Tweed Seagulls.
Without those consistent chances to prove himself worthy of the NRL elite, his pursuit of further contracts had hit a roadblock.
Off contract at the end of the 2022 campaign, Marsters is now out to ensure his selection is for the long haul in his quest to remain a first-grade contender.
Having gone to Townsville as a key signing by the Cowboys in 2020, Marsters said when his form dipped and the pandemic took off he suffered a severe drop in the confident mindset that had him placed for a long career at the top.
It led to his mid-season release to the Gold Coast last year, and now that he has at last felt settled on and off the field he said he was determined his resurgence cemented his future.
“I was just trying to get back a little more confidence than what I had when I was at the Cowboys and moving around a lot has been a bit hard,” Marsters said.
“I started off my career pretty well and then it sort of took a dive coming back to where I am now. It’s just good to be able to put the jersey back on for the Gold Coast, and I’m just grateful of the opportunity to be out here and training every week with the NRL.
“I’m trying to earn another contract for next year, I come off contract this year, so I really want to put my best foot forward and if I get another contract it will be better for me.
“I think at the moment it’s me just being on the field and pushing teams to sign me, or the club to have a look at me. When you’re not on the field it’s pretty hard to get a contract.”
On the back of his comeback performance for the Titans, Marsters has cast his sights towards a World Cup berth at the end of the year.
While adding to his six New Zealand caps may be a stretch given his lack of consistent football and the likes of Roosters gun Joey Manu holding a mortgage in the backline, a stint with the Cook Islands could well be on the cards.
Marsters played two games for the nation prior to his Kiwis debut, and he called on more NRL players who shared the heritage — the likes of which include Jordan Rapana and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad — to inspire a new era on the world stage.
He said if they could emulate what Tonga and Samoa had achieved in recent years a whole new pathway for Cook Islands juniors could emerge.
“If I’m not with New Zealand I’ll be with the Cook Islands and it would be good if we get a few boys back into that team and build something there. They’re a pretty small nation, so it’d be good to match a lot of the top tier teams,” Marsters said.
“Tonga and Samoa are building their teams up to tier one now, so if we can do that for our country then it’s going to be massive for kids coming through.
“I just obviously want to keep playing footy this year and see where everything takes us.”
So who else on the Gold Coast could feature at this year’s World Cup?
TYLER HAN — RUNAWAY BAY
Just last week Runaway Bay Seagull Tyler Han was making his Queensland Cup debut for the Papua New Guiena Hunters.
While he came off the bench in Townsville, scoring a try in his 13 minutes on the field, he has now been given a chance to make the number one jersey his own.
Han spent last season in the halves, as he had typically grown up doing, but Seagulls coach Nick Gleeson shifted him to the back after the youngster ended his time with Tweed.
The move has proven to be a masterstroke for his career, and now it could even catapult him onto the selection table for the Kumuls.
However Han downplayed his own chances, particularly given his relative inexperienced in the position and the likes of South Sydney Rabbitohs gun Alex Johnston and Brisbane Broncos veteran David Mead will be in the mix as well.
“I moved to fullback this year, I have been bouncing in and out of half and five-eighth my whole junior years so it’s just more freedom for me. I want to be everywhere on the field,” Han said.
“I’ll take it as it comes, this is still just a big achievement for me and something I set at the start of the year. I think in a couple of years that would be my next goal.
“If the opportunity is there 100 per cent I’d be over the moon ... playing for where I’m from, my culture, my family, it’d be a dream for me and my family.”
TERI WAPI — RUNAWAY BAY
For youngster Tyler Han to make his international debut he will need to do more than battle beyond NRL veterans Johnston and Mead. He will need to overcome a challenge from club teammate.
Teri Wapi has pulled on the Kumuls colours twice, scoring one try, and has played for the Hunters on 19 occassions.
Extremely skillful and a great finisher, Wapi will now need to regain his Queensland Cup spot however at the Seagulls he will have the perfect chance to shine and do so.
ALLAN LOCKWOOD — BURLEIGH
He has struggled to crack back into the Burleigh Queensland Cup side, but Allan Lockwood still has plenty of fans in Gold Coast rugby league.
Now it remains to be seen whether the right people are watching for him to add to his solitary Test appearance.
Lockwood made his one and only appearance for Lebannon in 2019, a 56-14 defeat at the hands of Fiji.
The 22-year-old also featured for the Bears in the QCup for the first time last year, finishing the campaign with three games to his name — averaging 118 running metres and scoring a maiden try to boot.
Burleigh A-grade coach Matt Foster has identified Lockwood as one of the finest outside backs on the Glitter Strip, and his aggressive ball running could be just what Lebannon needs with a dearth of NRL options at their disposal.
SIONE KATOA — SOUTHPORT
He has been an integral part of Tonga’s massive surge up the global rugby league food chain, and now Southport hooker Sione Katoa will be out to reap the rewards of those efforts.
Only last year the Tigers dummy-half was plying his trade in the NRL with the Canterbury Bulldogs, and before that the Penrith Panthers.
Now as a key ingredient of the yellow and balck outfit’s four-game winning streak on the Gold Coast, but out of the professional spotlight, it remains to be seen whether enough eyes have been on the crafty number nine.
Working in Katoa’s favour, however, is the lack of depth Tonga have at hooker, with Rabbitohs utility Siliva Havili the only current NRL player in the mix.
With 11 Test caps to his name and 75 NRL appearances, and Tongan coach Kristian Woolf’s brother Ben spearheading the Tweed Seagulls, the stars could still be aligned for Katoa to line up at the worldwide showcase.
Titans dynamo pledges long term allegiance after star recruitment
— May 18/22
Even as the impending arrival of an international five-eighth shapes to reshuffle the Titans spine, fullback Jayden Campbell has pledged his allegiance to the Gold Coast long-term.
New Zealand star Kieran Foran has put pen to paper on a two-year deal on the Glitter Strip from 2023, in a bid to ease the pressure on young halfback Toby Sexton.
In the meantime Queensland representative AJ Brimson has moved from fullback into the number six jumper, but how the current playmaking trio coincide with Foran remains to be seen.
The Titans allowed veteran number seven Jamal Fogarty to leave the club and sign with the Canberra Raiders, envisioning their youth in Campbell, Brimson and Toby Sexton would propel them into back-to-back finals appearances for the first time since 2010.
However prior to their desperate golden point win over the Dragons last week the Gold Coast had lacked the game management and composure to close out tight contests — and they languished with a 2-7 record as a result.
Thus far the side’s first choice one, six and seven have triumphed on the two occasions they have taken the field together.
And Campbell, already contracted until the end of 2024, said Foran’s recruitment had not deterred him from wanting to remain a one-club man.
“I’m not too sure yet (how Foran fits in), but it’s healthy competition so whatever way it works as long as it’s best for the team I’m happy,” Campbell said.
“Growing up I was always a one club person, so I’d like to continue that into my NRL career. “I love it up here, Gold Coast has been good to me and my family so hopefully I can give back to them.
“I’ll play wherever the team needs me; growing up I was fullback, five-eighth, I played on the wing a little bit as well so wherever the team needs me I’m happy.”
Campbell made his comeback from a rib cartilage injury in the Titans 20-16 win over St. George-Illawarra, his first NRL appearance since going down in round three.
The 22-year-old was talismanic from the get go, constantly posing a threat with the ball and taking the pressure off his halves with 240m from 20 runs and 13 tackle busts.
He even took over the mantle of second-string kicker, with Brimson not needed with the boot and instead able to mastermind the off the cuff brilliance that earned him a Maroons debut.
Campbell said he had cast aside the pain felt in his ribs and was playing unhindered by the setback, however a minor niggle would remain for the foreseeable future.
He said witnessing the angst each loss had caused his teammates piled up the pressure in his mind to come out and make an impact, however his coach’s words kept him focused on the bigger picture.
“During the week I was talking to Justin and he wanted me just to simplify my game. I’d put a lot of pressure on myself, and he just said go out there, play footy and do what you normally do and love,” Campbell said.
“It’s not so much frustration from the losses, it’s sitting on the sidelines and watching the boys go through those games and how upset they get after the games.
“How frustrated they are made me want to go out there, put my best foot forward and try to do the best I can to help the boys win.
“Me, AJ and Toby take a lot of pressure off each other. We’re all natural footy players so it helps all three of us out there and takes pressure off each other.”
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