2025 Walters Cup: Players of the Day from round 5
2025 Walters Cup Players of the Day from round 5: Dolphins junior signing plays the house down, while a Canterbury addition shines in the Year 10 competition.
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When you are hot you are hot, and when you are not, and not even a remarkable thunderstorm could not dose a white-hot Wavell SHS side which roared to a comprehensive first half performance on their way to beating Marsden SHS.
Wavell No.13 Cruz Molo was at times like a man playing against the boys as spearheaded a 28-nil performance by halftime against Marsden. Wavell eventually won 36-6.
Wavell’s win was iced by a 95m solo try from Warriors halfback Maihi Pene during the second half just as Marsden were enjoying their best period of the game.
It was all set up in the first half, and that is when Wavell lock Molo ran with gusto, unloaded in tackles and defended with venom.
WALTERS CUP REPLAYS
Wavell scored after just 90 seconds when a blindside scrum move saw hooker Carlos Williams serve Maihi Pene from the base of the scrum, enabling Pene to put his winger Kayne Petese away.
Things only got better for Wavell after that shock start when Molo powered over from close range.
Not long after Molo again crashed toward the line, but this time unloaded which handed hooker Taj Kelly a chance to sprint over.
In between those tries, five-eight Aki Tupouniua zoomed across while Pene also scored after regathering a bouncing ball. At 28-nil, Wavell had shocked the home side.
PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Wavell 36 defeated Marsden 6
Cruz Molo (Wavell SHS)
Molo was magnificent and it was off the back of his No.13 play that Wavell were able to establish an early and compelling advantage over Marsden SHS.
Aki Tupouniua (Wavell SHS)
Not for the first time this season the tall No.6 impressed with his control, kicking game and ability to take the line on. Signed by Canterbury, the tallest halve in the competition scored two tries, the second a typical straight running, crash ball effort which highlighted his versatility.
Maihi Pene (Wavell SHS)
He scored a 95 solo try from the scrum, but around that Pene’s jinking runs and link play with the men around him caused more than a few ripples in the Marsden defence.
Isaac Salei (Wavell SHS)
When Wavell were setting up the match in the first half, Salei was to the fore with his jarring tackles and powerful runs both from dummy half but also on shifts to the left.
Payton-Trae Pakau (Marsden SHS)
The low running Pakau threw a bit of fire power back at Wavell in the second half, with his crouched running and nice footwork adding a dimension to his team’s performance.
Special mentions: Lenton Funaki (Wavell), Carlos Williams (Wavell), Maka Cleave (Wavell), Villiami Kailahi (Wavell).
KEEBRA PARK 32 DEFEATED MT CREEK SHS 16
Sonny Hewitt (Keebra Park SHS)
Was the standout star against Mountain Creek and for good reason after finishing with 16 points in their 32-16 victory.
Hewitt scored two tries himself, had two try assists and slotted four from six conversion attempts.
The crafty and electric fullback flowed through the match with ease and continued to make himself a major threat around the footy.
Billy Roderick (Mountain Creek SHS)
Did his best to lift his side in attack with two try assists and another impressive kicking performance.
The five-eight dinked the ball over the heads of the Keebra defensive line for his side’s first try of the match, celebrating with a hand to the sky before it had even bounced into Taj Drake’s lap on the left edge.
He has been top notch this season.
Max Castle (Keebra Park SHS)
Castle was a big reason for Keebra’s non-stop momentum in the second half with some damaging runs that lit up the Mountain Creek left edge.
Castle was strong in contact and created great space for his centre and wing pairing, Xavier Takatainga and Isaac Lagaaia.
MABEL PARK SHS 16 DEF IPSWICH SHS 12
Joey Salafia (Ipswich SHS)
Salafia is just a class act. It really is that simple.
He showed his character captaining Queensland to the national championship in the 14-15 years age group and he is building nicely after that campaign.
His most valuable asset on Wednesday was his pressurising kick-chase pressure which rewarded Leo Hunt’s astute kicks deep into the Mabel half.
Leo Hunt (Ipswich SHS)
Hunt is one of the many schoolboys to benefit from the experience of the ASSRL natonal championships played over the term two holidays.
The Ipswich halfback was close to his best, directing his troops and kicking excellently, both for touch and for corners in general play.
He was close to the smallest on the park young Hunt, 15, but his big right-foot boot and crisp passing should make him feel 10 foot tall.
Blake Tikinau (Ipswich SHS)
Ipswich SHS had missed its exciting five-eighth Blake Tikinau because the Springfield junior missed much of the first half of the season.
Now back, better than ever, after playing well at the national championships, Tikinau is giving Ipswich a boost toward finals footy.
That brilliant boost started early in Wednesday’s game when his direct running and light footwork combined to deliver his team’s first try after the Mabel defence had held firm for the first 15 minutes.
Simon Baker (Mabel Park SHS)
Baker was thoroughly impressive on the left edge.
He also gets extra brownie points given he was going up against Queensland Schoolboys battering ram Kyanu Seiuli.
He held up his end of the bargain.
In attack, Baker was punching his nose through with every carry and had a try assist.
It follows a string of consistent performances from the tall, raw-boned Baker.
Harlem O’Brien-Aumaalii and Aileone Mikaio (Mabel Park SHS)
The Mabel Park SHS halves pairing were in their sick beds all week before muscling up and giving it their all to steer their side to victory.
Spewing during the captain’s run just minutes before kick off, the gutsy halves had one thing on their mind and that was playing through the pain.
“Just for them to get out of their sick beds and do a job was impressive,” coach Joey Crompton-Meyer said in praise.
Their direction, low-mistake rate and measured playmaking was even more impressive given Queensland Schoolboys selection Isaiah Te Pairi was ruled out during the warm up after rolling his ankle.
Not even a considerable shift of players in the backline could ruffle the feathers of five-eighth Mikaeio and halfback O’Brien-Aumaalii.
Ezekiel Filipi (Mabel Park SHS)
They don’t call him ‘Zeke the Freak’ and ‘Freaky Zeke’ for no reason.
The powerhouse middle is a freak of nature. Big, strong and built with legs of granite, the Mabel Park SHS No.13 brought the grunt to the middle and moved defenders out of his way to score the match-winning try with the clock dwindling down.
A prolific tryscorer, Filipi “is just a freak” according to coach Crompton-Meyer.
“The boys just gain confidence off him.”
Filipi’s 70 minutes of magic kept Mabel in touch with an Ipswich side that played very well and when the match seemed all but over, he struck to turn a 12-10 deficit into a 16-12 lead.
Originally published as 2025 Walters Cup: Players of the Day from round 5
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