Harvey Norman under-19 girls Teams of the Season unveiled here ahead of semi-finals
Who has made our Harvey Norman under-19 girls Teams of the Season following a historic two month competition? See the full list
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To celebrate the historic Harvey Norman under-19 finals on April 6, we give you, our treasured readers, double the pleasure by naming two end of season teams to commemorate the occasion.
HARVEY NORMAN UNDER-17 GIRLS TEAM OF THE SEASON
Never before has the Harvey 19s progressed to a finals format, with Tweed v Tigers and Clydesdales v Cutters the teams which qualified for the sudden-death affair at Logan Metro on April 6.
Below we name our Team of the Finalists made up of players from those four teams.
Then, we name a Best of the Rest Team of the Season from teams which did not reach the top four.
The strength of both teams highlights the most important thing – the fact girls’ rugby league is growing in both participation and standard as each season passes.
TEAM OF THE SEASON FROM THE FINALISTS
1. Mercedez Taulelei-Siala (Tweed)
A glorious ball running outside back or fullback who can also play physical around the ruck. You will see what all the fuss is about on Saturday week and who knows, maybe for the Broncos in the next year or two.
2. Phoenix-Raine Hippi (Tweed)
The Ballina product was a prolific tryscorer from start to finish, a player with more than a smattering of pace.
She was hard to tackle, seemingly slippery at times.
3. Jennifer Kimber (Cutters)
Kimber was an attacking weapon every week, a strike player responsible for a vast majority of her team’s tries this season.
4. Relna Hosea (Tigers)
From the Badu Island in the Torres Straits, Hosea continued to flourish into a quality outside centre – a player of immense potential and a knack for scoring.
The Ipswich Girls’ Grammar alum knows how to find the tryline and flatten her opposition at a regular time stamp.
5. Savannah Roberts-Hickling (Tweed)
Blink and you might miss her. A twinkle toes ball runner with footy smarts who can also ball play in the halves.
6. Chloe Pallisier (Clydesdales)
A remarkable young talent who is quick between the ears. If you are an edge forward or centre, you make good friends with her at training because she’ll spiral a ball into space for you come game day.
7. India Seeto (Tigers)
The sporting all-rounder who previously excelled in track and field showed her silky playmaking ability throughout the season and was an easy pick. It was even easier when taking into account the success of her team.
A Broncos signee, Seeto, was was once a nationally ranked weightlifter, is a natural despite being a latecomer to the sport.
8. Alice Shannon (Tigers)
The Mabel Park SHS senior was Consistent with a capital C.
She was tough as nails, rucking the ball up with ferocity and defending until there was nothing left in the tank.
9. Paityne Johns (Cutters)
The 2023 Queensland schoolgirls representative was the best dummy half in this competition. The Cutters forwards and halfback could not be in better hands when she touches the ball first.
10. Gracie Watt (Cutters)
The front row powerhouse who most benefited from Johns’ passing from dummy half. She took her team forward time and again.
11. Kayleen Takai (Tigers)
A damaging fringe runner who loved the space – and the rough stuff. She added a dimension to the Tigers’ attack on the fringe.
12. Sienna Smith (Tweed)
The Tweed skipper was consistently among the best players in her high achieving team across the season.
A No-nonsense edge forward who did her job at a high standard.
13. Tiresa Elika (Tigers)
Elika was our starting hooker in last year’s Team of the Season when she was an absolute whiz for the Jets. This year, playing lock for the Tigers, it was much of the same for the gritty Titans Academy ace who has a fearlessness about her.
14. Mia Byrnes (Clydesdales)
No you are not stuck in a time warp. Two weeks ago we named the quick stepping Byrnes as the Harvey 17s Team of the Season fullback, and she’s back in the under-19 team as the replacement dummy half.
15. Ebony Temple (Cutters)
Temple would roar off the bench for the Cutters this season and maintain the momentum generated by her props Gracie Watt and Ella Cronin-Flanagan.
16. Libby Dunn (Clydesdales)
Dunn has been a slightly unsung hero of the Clydesdales campaign. Clydesdales have a host of edge forwards, halves and outside backs in both its under-17 and under-19 squads, but it all starts in the ruck and Dunn is as good as any in the middle.
17. Lucy Davis (Clydesdales)
Outside back Davis loved life on the edge of her backline, but not content with scoring tries, she’d go looking for work as well. She deserves recognition in this company.
18. Shaylee Joseph (Tigers)
She won’t win a lot of Best Player awards, but she gets through a ton of work, makes an impact on and off the ball in the middle, and does the little things well.
Special mentions:
Leilani Tuqiri (Tigers)
Aaliyah Murray (Clydesdales)
Sian McNeill (Tweed)
Seromelina Tanielu (Tigers)
Mia Dendle (Tweed)
Kaylah Moloney (Tigers)
TEAM OF THE SEASON FROM THE NON-FINALISTS
1. Brandy Yallop (Blackhawks)
A classy running fullback who was forever dangerous, Yallop who would make any squad in the competition.
2. Angel Austin (Souths Logan)
Austin was a great defender, aggressive runner and someone who simply had a go regardless of the scoreline. She was a must.
3. Mariah Brown (Wynnum Manly)
A lovely centre or playmaker with nice touches whose presence was a tremendous enhancement to the Seagulls campaign.
While her attacking game is strong, it is her defence which sets her apart from the rest.
4. Sky Antoniolli (Falcons)
Injury curtailed her season, but from what we glimpsed she would have been on the Hit Parade by season end.
5. Ava Walters (Norths)
The pacey Walters was at her best at fullback, but to get the best players into the side which slide her onto the wing.
6. Georgette Di Trapani (Norths)
When he team went forward, Di Trapani ran the Devils beautifully. She will get better and better with more experience.
7. Memory Paitai (Redcliffe)
Holding together the dangerous Redcliffe attack was this masterful young half who got the very best out of her strike weapons Deleni Paitai (centre) and Vyeisha Tuua (edge forward).
Paitai was classy, with her run, pass and kick.
8. Reegan Hicks (Redcliffe)
The highly touted Australian Schoolgirls prop played out another cracking season, somehow better than the last.
In six games during the 2023 season she made 116 tackles at 90% efficiency, averaging just under 20 a game. This season her output was again something to behold.
9. Nadia Windleborn (Burleigh)
The competition was lucky to have Paityne Johns (Cutters, see earlier), and Windleborn as top flight No.9s.
It all started with Windleborn at the ruck, and it finished with a titanic 26-20 victory over the Tweed Seagulls last weekend.
10. Armarni-lea Auvae (Redcliffe)
Australian Schoolgirl Auvae was regularly one of coach Jason Goulding’s BoG, a player who continuously turned up for her teammates - especially when it mattered.
She was a terrific link between her forwards and backs and knew when to inject herself into the contest with those barnstorming carries of hers.
11. Sarina Masaga (Burleigh)
We wanted to put destructive edge forward Sarina Masaga in the finals team simply because of how good she was.
She scored plenty of tries, made plenty of metres, tackled her heart out and was the nucleus of a deadly left edge attack.
12. Kiera Rangi (Redcliffe)
The junior prodigy continued to develop her game playing No.13, although we put her on the edge - where she is more than capable of playing - to get our best 20 together.
She was wonderful with her switch plays which brought other players into the game.
13. Ariana Henderson (Jets)
Henderson could play halves or No.13 with ease in any side - that’s how good she is. The Ipswich SHS product was one of the first five chosen in this side.
14. Takoda Thompson (Falcons)
Thompson, the Falcons captain, was a powerhouse back rower who inspired her teammates with effort and impact.
15. Syianna Banu (Pride)
Speaking of impact, there would have been a few bruised bodies each Sunday morning littered around country Queensland if they had confronted Banu this season. What a great year she had.
16. Easter Taualai (Norths)
No.13 Easter made our under-17 Team of the Season when she was one of the top three picked, and her season marched onward when she stepped up to play out of her age group. A great runner with good ball skills.
17. Grace King (Burleigh)
King was a front row force from start to finish who matched it with the best in the business this season.
18. Lhylla Willimson (Blackhawks)
Williamson was an inspired forward leader for the Townsville-based side, either on the edge of from No.13.
She was a regular in our Teams of the Week and there was no surprise seeing her make the Queensland Sapphires team.
19. Sifa Leapai (Jets)
Sifa could easily have been in our top 13, so well did she play, but selection here still gives this strongarm prop the recognition she deserves.
20. Jacinta Neemia (Norths)
Neemia was the glue of the Devils’ pack who, from week to week, never dropped her high standards.
21. Ma’u Halatoa (Souths Logan)
An absolute powerhouse, Ma’u was a middle field wrecking ball when she defended or carried the football.
22. Thalia Clark (Blackhawks)
Clark was immense, playing a big part in the brand of footy her team played.
Somehwat of an unsung hero, Clark churned out big minutes in the forwards, both crash-running and ballplaying.
Special mentions:
Sienna Twigg (Norths), Lyla Duffy (Jets), Lisa Waireg (Pride), Dakota Taputoa (Jets), Hayley Bush (Wynnum Manly), Bonnie Zappa (Norths), Layla Geck (Pride), Chloe Maxwell (Blackhawks), Vaitafao-Gisele Masun-Feleti (Jets), Vyeisha Tuua (Redcliffe), Chloe Watson (Blackhawks), Easther Mikaele (Blackhawks), Teesha Potts (Pride), Hayley Bush (Wynnum), Mackayla Oakley (Capras), Mersades Lawson (Cutters), Shanarlii Peckham (Sunshine Coast), Deleni Paitai (Redcliffe), Emily Maher (Falcons), Mary-Sha Mairu (Pride), Makia Lehrer-Simon (Bears), Ana Malupo (Blackhawks).
Players we’d love to see more of
Shannyn Harm (Falcons)
Vaitafao-GiseleMasun-Feleti (Jets)
Elenoa Regunamada (Pride)
Sky Antoniolli (Falcons)
Jordiana Woods (Pride)
Best utility
Ariana Henderson (Jets)
Pauline Too (Jets)
Big improvers
Lana Makin (Tweed)
Kimberley Bryant (Pride)
Sharnalii Peckham (Tweed)
Second line of defence specialist
Tominko Kirakawa (Pride)
Bella Thompson (Burleigh)
Rookie we can’t wait to see in 2025
Memphis Tanielu (Norths)
Zebadiah Latu Mulumulu (Jets)
Jaydah Tofae (Souths Logan)
Sarah McGuire (Falcons)
Mia Byrnes (Clydesdales)
Luciah Silo (Jets)
Easter Taualai (Norths)
Kimberly Bryant (Pride)
Miss Reliable
Lily Jay Licence (Pride)
Odette Richter (Pride)
Good sport award
Sifa Leapai (Jets) for helping prop up the Wide Bay Bulls, literally, when they came to play her Jets.
The go forth award winner
Ella Cronin-Flanagan
the Cutters prop who works so well with her forward leader, fellow front rower Gracie Watt.
WHAT’S COMING UP
Harvey Norman under-19
The semi-finalists have been confirmed as the junior representative season moves into overdrive.
Pre-season favourites the Tigers will be pitched against Anthony Swain’s talented Tweed Seagulls, while the country division will see the increasingly impressive Western Clydesdales take on the well organised Mackay Cutters. The semi-finals will be played on April 6.
Connell Cup
The under-17 boys competition has reached a flashpoint, with Western Clydesdales to play the Blackhawks and Souths Logan to confront Redcliffe, both on April 6.
Meninga Cup
Meninga Cup
The competition has been extended four weeks in 2024, with the semi-finals on May 4.
On Thursday we name the NRL aligned players from both the Meninga and Connell who have helped their side immeasurably during the season so far.
■ How the final work? Full details here
Originally published as Harvey Norman under-19 girls Teams of the Season unveiled here ahead of semi-finals
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