Meninga Cup and Connell Cup Teams of the Week from round one
A Brisbane Broncos signed New Zealand teenager from one of the world’s wettest inhabited places has made the Meninga Cup round 1 Team of the Week. Who else made the side? Revealed here, along with the Connell Cup squad.
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A Brisbane Broncos signed New Zealand teenager from one of the world’s wettest inhabited places was among the first chosen in the Meninga Cup round 1 team of the week.
Burleigh Bears right centre Antonio Verhoeven made a stunning debut when he produced an outstanding two-try performance in a 28-12 opening-round win over the Ipswich Jets.
Verhoeven had been signed by the Broncos and placed in its academy during summer training.
He is named in the Fantastic Five players we highlight in this story featuring the Meninga Cup and Connell Cup Teams of the Week.
The Meninga Cup’s Fab Five are Verhoeven, Joseph Doyle (Cutters), Grady Payne (Tigers), Eneliko Savelio (Blackhawks) and Nate Thompson (Sunshine Coast), while the Connell Cup Fab Four were Ezekiel Jones (Wynnum-Manly), Kristoffer Sagato (Blackhawks), Kalani Patu (Tweed) and and Lincoln Dalton (Norths.).
FOOTNOTE: The Harvey Norman U17 and U19 teams of the week will be published on Wednesday, with www.couriermail.com.au coverage continuing for round two this weekend.
MENINGA CUP FAB FIVE
Antonio Verhoeven (Burleigh)
The benefits of that pre-season work was evident when the New Zealand recruit scored two tries and made several breaks during an electric performance as Burleigh beat Ipswich 28-12.
Verhoeven comes from one of the wettest inhabited places in the world - New Zesland’s west coast of the South Island. A place of stunning natural beauty, it receives almost seven metres of rain each year.
Verhoeven was invited to train and trial with the Broncos after representing his school, Christchurch-based St Bede’s College, during a seven-a-side rugby tournament last year.
A multi-sport ace who also excelled at basketball, rugby union and athletics, Verhoeven impressed enough to earn a place in the NRL club’s academy system.
Nate Thompson (Sunshine Coast)
The men in yellow and black showcased their all out attack brand of footy against the Clydesdales with a number of individual attacking threats.
Falcons fullback and Canterbury Bulldogs signed prospect Nate Thompson was the best of the lot, crossing for two tries and having a further two held up over the line.
He complimented his halves pairing of Ellyjah Birve and Koby Brown extremely well by sweeping out the back, running a hard inside line or scooping up chip kicks in behind the middle.
The 17-year-old’s rapid acceleration and decisive strength will put plenty of opposition defences in two minds this season.
Joseph Doyle (Cutters)
Around Mackay’s battering ram back five of Shears, Elletson, Battaia, Woodall and Misztela, thumping props Tavita Penaia Te’o and Declan Grady, and the fresh legs of interchange forward Mark Morrow, second rower Doyle shone.
He had a high work rate, cut back on the inside to score one try, and supported snappy dummy half work from his dummy half Ryan, to post another.
Generally the Shalom College from Bundaberg looked the part.
Grady Payne (Tigers)
Halfback Payne was the puppeteer in his team’s 32-16 win over Norths.
Relatively unsung, Payne’s stunning start to the season comes off an excellent campaign for Redcliffe SHS in the 2024 Langer Trophy when, under the coaching of Scott Murray he expertly led the Redcliffe side around.
He is an extraordinary character.
As a Year 11 student in 2024, Payne spent five hours travelling almost 200km from his home in Coomera, on the northern Gold Coast, to school on the Redcliffe peninsula.
He left home at 6am, caught two trains and then a bus to get to school – and then did it all again to the Coast.
A Helensvale Hornets junior, he never missed a day at school and showed extraordinary commitment.
Eneliko Savelio (Blackhawks)
The big bloke’s days as a centre are long over, but Eneliko Savelio is more than making a fist of playing prop.
Tall and athletic, the 2022 Queensland schoolboy representative had a big job on his hands in round one against Capras’ relentless middle forward trio of Harrison Hill, Jake Oberhardt and Joshua Nilon.
But he consistently made ground with his carries, and once engaged by the defenders, Savelio was able to keep his legs moving forward.
Imagine how well he would play in a cooler climate.
MENINGA CUP TEAM OF THE WEEK
1. David Bryenton (Souths Logan Magpies)
2. Toby Woodall (Cutters)
3. Antonio Verhoeven (Burleigh)
4. Nate Thompson (Sunshine Coast)
5. Rylan Misztela (Cutters)
6. Pouakai Jackson-Williams (Tigers)
7. Grady Payne (Tigers)
8. Sebastian Sykes (Burleigh)
9. Braelan Marsh (Redcliffe)
10. Cohen Jackson (Wynnum Manly)
11. Joseph Doyle (Cutters)
12. Jared Horne (Wynnum Manly)
13. Isaac Harrison (Tweed)
14. Anasta Tamwoy (Capras)
15. Eneliko Savelio (Blackhawks)
16. Malakye Blow (Falcons)
17. Jasper Barry (Devils)
18. Bodhi Sharpley (Tweed)
19. Brayden Wong (Burleigh)
20. Bruce Baudu (Blackhawks)
21. Harrison Hill (Capras)
SPECIAL MENTIONS:
Ethan Rains (Blackhawks), Jake Oberhardt (Capras), Braithen Scott (Wynnum Manly), Carter Ford (Redcliffe), Koby Brown (Falcons), Joe McGahan (Tigers), Carter Welfare (Devils), Keyarn Pene (Devils), Noah Blooranta (Devils), Zane Elletson (Cutters), Flynn Battaia (Cutters), Tom Morcom (Wynnum-Manly), Ellyjah Birve (Sunshine Coast), Kooper Shears (Cutters), Jake Durie (Clydesdales), Marley McLaren (Bears), Ben Walker (Pride), Joshua Nilon (Capras).
CONNELL CUP FANTASTIC FOUR
Kristoffer Sagato (Townsville)
Snapped up by South Sydney, second rower Sagato has been a fast learner since deciding to concentrate on league after also playing rugby union.
Originally from Lower Hutt, Wellington, on New Zealand’s North Island, the aggressive Sagato is a brute of an edge runner whose physical game with and without the ball impresses.
Indeed the fierce physical clashes attracted him to the code after enjoying rugby as a schoolboy.
Under coach Nathan Norford’s excellent tuition, Sagato was enjoying learning the code in heartland league country - Townsville.
Ezekiel Jones (Wynnum Manly)
The Seagulls’s No. 9 was outstanding with his running from the ruck off the back of his drive forward props.Under fatigue and in summer heat, Jones’ service from the ground was also outstanding, gift wrapping possession for his halves.
A 2024 U16 Division 1 premiership winning hooker, Jones is Wynnum-Manly to the core and the club is lucky to have someone like him.
Kalani Patu (Tweed)
Patu was a left second row dynamo. He’d hit and spin in contact, finding post contact metres, tested Redcliffe’s wide defence with fierce runs and had a thirst for work, sometimes taking the first ruck of the set.
It is little wonder the Keebra Park SHS student had his Gold Coast Titans contract extended by another four years.
Patu is the brother of Carson, The Southport School old boy who was an elite age group rugby prop and who remains a splendid young forward.
Lincoln Dalton (Norths)
A bunch of the Norths forwards could be put forward here because keeping the Tigers to just four points is not easy. Taoso Taoso, Billy Spicer, Romarion Kupenga-Tuitama and Co were all impactful but something about Dalton caught the eye.
His energy was contagious in the opening stages and that was when the Devils took the game away from the Tigers.
A representative rugby union flanker, Dalton showed the way as captain when running the ball and when denying the Easts players a way through.
CONNELL CUP TEAM OF THE WEEK
1. Barry Taukolo (Wynnum-Manly)
2. Lachlan Brown (Cutters)
3. Harrison Vidler (Ipswich)
4. Tomu Cook (Souths Logan)
5. Levi Hack (Bulls)
6. James Smith (Tweed)
7. Grange Womal (Cutters)
8. George Gofton (Cutters)
9. Ezekiel Jones (Wynnum-Manly)
10. Nikorima Wharakura (Tigers)
11. Taoso Taoso (Devils)
12. Kalani Patu (Tweed)
13. Lincoln Dalton (Devils)
14. Will Joyner (Falcons)
15. Jake Peters (Cutters)
16. Kristoffer Sagato (Blackhawks)
17. Zane Platt (Tigers)
18. Majah-Jose Peachey (Wynnum-Manly)
19. Jett Ryan (Falcons)
20. Linclon Baker (Blackhawks)
Special mentions: Boston Nau (Devils), Leo Fanuatanu (Capras), TJ Sauaso (Jets) Levi Handyside (Tweed), Koby Daly (Cutters), Cooper Brown (Clydesdales), Jack Armstrong (Capras), Eli Cookson (Cutters), Adam Wilson (Wynnum-Manly), Cohen Cochrane (Redcliffe), Beau Boardman (Cutters), Ethan Grimshaw (Norths), Cooper Lee (Falcons), Carter Kiernan (Falcons), Axel Fairfull (Falcons), Cooper Lees (Falcons), Cooper Murray (Tigers), Tayshaarn Tonga (Devils).
Originally published as Meninga Cup and Connell Cup Teams of the Week from round one
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