Rugby League Gold Coast Junior Grand Finals: Breaking down the young players to watch

Now is the time for the brightest young prospects in Gold Coast rugby league to stand up, and they will be doing so on the biggest stage in the region. CHECK OUT SOME OF THE YOUNG TALENTS TO WATCH HERE >>

Now is the time for the brightest young prospects in Gold Coast rugby league to stand up, and they will be doing so on the biggest stage in the region.

With all junior grand finals from the under-13s through to the under-16s taking place on Saturday at Cbus Super Stadium, what finer way is there for the next generation to stand up.

Here we break down just some of the talents who will be on show, and why they could be the ones who determine the final results come the full time whistle.

Rugby League Gold Coast's junior grand final captains. Picture: Amy Jordee Photography

UNDER 15S DIVISION ONE: BEAUDESERT VS CURRUMBIN

If there is anyone who knows what it takes to rise to the top under the pressure of finals football it is Levi Bannan.

Described by his father and coach as “a 40-year-old in a kid’s body” it will be that experience that Beaudesert lean on come kick off for the big dance.

Just two weeks Levi took part in four schoolboys and club semi-finals in the space of seven days, winning each and cementing himself as a leader of the Kingfishers’ line up.

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A halfback with plenty of speed to burn, Bannan said his son would be just one of his players out to make an impact on the big stage of Cbus Super Stadium, with an army donning the Beaudesert blue expected to fill the stands for the Rugby League Gold Coast junior grand finals on Saturday.

“He’s quick, he’s super fast. His older brother was quick too, ran 10.90s (in 100m) and he’s not far off that now so he’s got a lot of motor,” Bannan said.

“He’s just a smart footy kid who thinks ahead. He’s like a 40-year-old in a kid’s body, my mates will come over for a beer and he’s outside talking to my mates for two hours and they’re 50. He’s listening to John Denver and he’s just like a real old soul.

“He’s always been one of the smaller kids but he’s never had a drama talking the bigger boys.

“I’ve had the boys since under-9s. I put my job up every year and somehow they pull me back in, but they’re a good bunch of kids.

“There’s no big rep stars in our side which makes it cool, they’re just a tight bunch of kids and they really play for each other which is why it’s good to coach them.”

Levi Bannan. Picture: Richard Walker

Beaudesert have thus far had the rub of the green over Currumbin in the Under-15 division one competition, winning three of their four clashes including a trial game.

However Bannan is wary of the calibre within the Eagles ranks, including the likes of AFL convert and fullback Dylan Patterson as well as captain Luke Jones expected to lead from the front.

It was those youngsters who proved crucial in guiding Currumbin to the minor premiership, with Patterson finishing as the competition’s top try scorer, and co-coaches Kannon Rajah and Nick Daley said the mentality instilled in the group to play for each other would steel them for the rigours of finals football.

“They’re willing to learn and they want to do better for themselves,” Daley said.

“There’s a couple of quality players in there too who are striving to make it and go bigger, so we’re just trying to help them through the year and the struggles they go through to push them in the right direction.”

“For us the main focus is just developing better humans first and then footballers,” Rajah added.

“If they love the game they will hang around.”

BEAUDESERT PLAYERS TO WATCH: LEVI BANNAN AND HAYDEN WATSON

Bannan has never been a fan of targeting players as the stars of the show.

When it comes time to naming a player of the match or season he tends to leave that in the hands of his playing group.

However between his son in the halves, and Hayden Watson at dummy-half, he has two young men who form a clinical spine.

“The whole team has really stood up, but Hayden Watson our little hooker is just sensational,” Bannan said.

“He’s just a smart footy head, and the little footy head Levi attacks at half and defend at one but those boys just had a good year.

“Both those boys are real similar, both very clever kids who rip in. We show them the plays, but my team is just play what’s in front of you. These boys just run the day.”

CURRUMBIN PLAYERS TO WATCH: DYLAN PATTERSON AND LUKE JONES

Both Daley and Rajah cannot help but marvel at how quickly Dylan Patterson has picked up the Steeden.

Hailing from Coffs Harbour where he played AFL, the talented fullback rose to the top of the truly scoring talent across his division, with his evasive running style drawing the eye.

Rajah simply shakes his head when discussing the impact the teenager has had on the field, at times in disbelief over his ability to evade would-be defenders.

“It’s his first season playing footy, he’s come to us from AFL and he’s just been blitzing it," Rajah said.

“He’s just a good athlete, he’s the top try scorer in the comp and the stuff he can do with the ball – his kicking, his pure speed as well and lateral movements – and he’s a very coachable kid.”

Meanwhile, Daley has tipped captain Luke Jones — another Coffs Harbour product — to lead from the front once the first siren sounds, as has been the case whenever his Eagles have taken the field.

“It’s his first year at the club, he’s come up from down south, and he leads by his action – in defence and attack," Daley said.

“He’s a good leader, he’s the leader of the pack and the team and everyone jumps on his back as he leads the way through the middle.

“He’s a country fella, just tough as nails. He can take a hit and he gives hits back, and he just leads by his actions. It really gets the footy team going.

“The way he holds himself, he’s a leader on the field every time and he’s so consistent.”

UNDER-16S DIVISION ONE: HELENSVALE VS BURLEIGH

From day one of pre-season, Mark Schumacher knew there would be some growing pains bringing his young squad together.

As the Helensvale Hornets under-16s outfit came together, scattered previously among different teams, the coach saw several clicks emerging once they arrived at training.

For every group he saw, they would run a lap, until at last they bonded together — with the goal in mind of taking the field at Cbus Super Stadium.

Now with that goal reached as they prepare for the Rugby League Gold Coast grand final battle all that stands between them and completely their full circle is a formidable Burleigh Bears outfit.

“I’ve never been so direct about how we can’t do it when one of us can’t do it. I said they might not like each other off the field but you’re going to love each other on the field and I didn’t let it go,” Schumacher said of those early pre-season days.

“I remember at the beginning of the year I’d come to training and there would be a group of four, a group of two, a group of three and we went ‘OK there’s five groups, that’s five laps.’ “After a couple of weeks it was four groups, a few more weeks and there were two groups. “Eventually they went ‘he’s not letting up, we have to be mates’ and when I come to training now it’s one big group – it’s perfect. We did it the old fashion way.

“On the weekend (in our semi-final) at halftime, we were playing at Robina and we were down by two. I said ‘look to your right boys, that’s where we want to be’.

“They just dug deep and just wanted to play here. This might be some of their last games, so to get to play here well that’s a memory.”

Thus far in 2022 the Hornets have yet to taste victory against the Bears, going down in both their clashes by two and four points respectively.

am Stephenson. Pic Mike Batterham

However Burleigh have undergone a recent injury crisis, including star fullback Raymond Puru and centre Sam Stephenson.

A member of the club’s Cyril Connell Challenge side, Puru is set to miss the grand final through injury, a will be a massive loss to the side having come off a two-try effort in his side’s last outing.

Bears coach Paul Kuhnemann, who also mentored Puru in the representative side, said his gun number one’s inclusion could go a long way to determining how his team’s attack finds its groove against a desperate Helensvale unit who “owe them one”.

He said the teenage talent had the makings of a future NRL player should he wish to pursue that dream and put in the work required.

Meanwhile, the coach said Stephenson was “50-50” at this stage as he battles a sternum injury, however his inclusion would spell a “massive” day for his maroon and white-clad contingent.

“He (Puru) devastating. I see him as an NRL contracted player who will definitely go on to bigger and better things,” Kuhnemann said.

“His feet and upper body speed his just exceptional, he’ll beat a player one-on-one any time of the day. He’s a real big loss for us, but it’s one of those things we have to deal with.

“Sammy Stevenson is 50-50 at the moment with a sternum injury, so hopefully we get him through because it’s a massive day for us if he gets to play on the weekend.

“One-on-one he’s one of the strongest kids in this age group I feel, he always breaks the first tackle and it makes our job easier coming out of trouble.

“He always takes the first ruck and does the hard yards for us, but his ability one-on-one he’s one of the best I’ve seen in the business.”

HELENSVALE PLAYERS TO WATCH: XAVIER TAUAIFAIGA AND BRAYDEN WONG

A member of the Tweed Seagulls’ Cyril Connell Challenge side, Xavier Tauaifaiga will once again lead from the front — this time for his Hornets.

Originally a centre, coach Schumacker said his desire to ensure his young star had the ball in his hands more proved the catalyst for an impressive move into the forward pack.

He began on the edge before eventually ending up as a prop, although Schumacker said he encouraged his youngster to play through the middle as though he was still in the outside backs.

“He’s a great player, a rep player, and is just a beast. He runs hard, tackles hard, and has an engine like no tomorrow. He just loves football, he sleeps it and eats it,” he said.

“He’s got a bright future if he wants it, if he wants to work hard and he does that hard work he could be there some day. And he does work hard, so he could be.

“We just noticed he had an itch to run the ball a lot, and he’ll have three or four runs in a set – it doesn’t worry him, he just wants the footy.

“We just tell him to do what he did in the centres but in the middle – if you want to run 10 steps sideways and then go forward that’s up to you.

“There’s no right way or wrong way to play football, the only way to play football is to get from one end to another end.

“He’s really one of the heart and souls of the team.”

While a player such as Tauaifaiga may steal the limelight for his impressive engine, Schumacker said that some of his key players could not produce the way they have if not for the remaining squad members doing their job.

And he said that there was no one who could epitomise that concept than fellow middle man Brayden Wong.

“He just does his work quietly behind the scenes. He’ll make 30 tackles a game, run 30 times but no one might see it,” Schumacker said.

“He doesn’t do the showy stuff but he’s the kid behind the scenes who should get more praise than what he does.

“It’s hard (to pick star players) because you love them like family, they’re all your boys and to say one is better than the other I don’t think is fair.

“If they all don’t contribute … those two players, if they the other 15 don’t play well they don’t win.”

BURLEIGH PLAYERS TO WATCH: NAYTE SAAGA AND JOSHUA SIULEPA

As coach Paul Kuhnemann awaits to see whether young gun Sam Stephenson will line up, he has thrust his faith in another pairing to lead from the front.

Captain Nayte Saaga, who has been involved with the Gold Coast Titans programs, was one of his coach’s Cyril Connell Challenge youngsters to impress, and that form has continued into the Rugby League Gold Coast season.

A talented halfback unafraid to put his body on the line to make a tackle, his influence in the number seven jumper could be what delivers a title to the Bears.

Helensvale's Baylen White and Burleigh's Nayte Saaga. Picture: Amy Jordee

“He’s the captain, he’s massively strong and takes the line on. He’s got a great kicking game and has learnt a lot out of that Cyril Connell program as well,” Kuhnemann said.

“He was sort of a fringe player and we played him at hooker and in the reserves, but he’s naturally a half so we’ve brought him through from there.

“He’s taken on the responsibility of being captain as well and he’s taken that with both arms and it’s been really good for him. He’s growing exceptionally as a player.”

Saaga’s representative teammate, Joshua Siulepa, will then be the teen ready to lead up front, before he embarks on the biggest steps of his rugby league career.

Kuhnemann said the dynamic prop had been signed to the St. George-Illawarra Dragons system, making his grand final appearance on Saturday possibly his last in Burleigh colours.

“He’s a very big body, very hard to tackle and very strong and tall. He generally will play the whole 60 minutes, and he always gets us on the front foot,” he said.

“He’s strong, tough, and a really great kid to have in the team in the front row. I was actually surprised that we had him in Cyril Connell this year and he didn’t get picked up earlier than what he did.

“He’s got a lot more work to do don’t’ get me wrong, but he’s a kid and his maturity once he grows into his body he’s going to be massive.

“He’s already about six foot four at the moment, he’s very jovial and has a lot of spunk which is good for us.”