Langer Reserves’ Rd 3 top guns named as Keebra flex premiership muscle
Langer Reserves Best and Fairest from round three can be revealed as Keebra Park SHS flex its premiership muscle with a rampaging victory.
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Keebra Park State High’s Langer Reserves squad sent an ominous message across the competition by beating Wavell SHS 54-nil in one of the most comprehensive performances imaginable.
With the Keebra Park Langer Trophy side brimming with talent, the school was able to field a side full of footballers capable of playing in the top competition.
LANGER TROPHY, WALTERS CUP REPLAYS
Keebra Park had it all in its rousing round 3 win — raw running power upfront, strength in the ruck, creativity in the halves and blazing finishing power out wide.
It was a complete performance which stamped them as the team to beat this season, not only by scoring 54 points, but by keeping the opposition to nil.
Mabel Park SHS also shot the lights out, beating Stretton SC 74-6 to show they mean business as well.
In a thriller between Redcliffe and Marsden, the game went down to the wire before a Nathan Phelps penalty goal after the siren snared a 24-all draw.
On Tuesday, Ipswich SHS got back in the winner’s column when they beat PBC SHS in a frantic finish at the North Ipswich Reserve.
PLAYERS OF THE ROUND
Keebra Park SHS 54 defeated Wavell 0
Arjay-Troy Sharrock (Keebra Park SHS)
Keebra Park’s dominance started in the middle where hooker and captain Sharrock ran amok behind a big, punishing middle forward unit.
He was the glue of the performance, a dummyhalf dynamo who brought his forwards onto the ball.
But he was also a crafty customer who added variety to the Keebra Park attack.
Tyrell Schwenke (Keebra Park SHS)
A big unit, prop Schwenke was his team’s forward leader.
Indeed he was just as vocal off the field as he was on it, yelling encouragement to his teammates not to take their foot off the accelerator.
Schwenke, a Burleigh Bears premiership winner, drove high standards, demanding the very best effort and execution from his squad.
He brought energy and hype, power and precision to the table.
Gazniah To’omaga (Keebra Park SHS)
Playing No. 13, he was effective in a team which did their job.
He maintained the rage behind the forward thrusts of Schwenke and Lennox Whaiapu and added to the middle forward blitz which overwhelmed Wavell SHS.
Mabel Park SHS 74 defeated Stretton SC 6
Riley Baker, Tipene Cooley and Tane Leef (Mabel Park SHS)
Mabel Park had too much depth, size and strength for their out gunned rivals, and leading the charge were power forwards Riley Baker, Tipene Cooley and Tane Leef.
It is not the first time Baker has been highly commended for his Langer Reserve efforts and he was at his best again on Tuesday.
Edge second rower Leef was also a beast of a footballer who either hit the gap or trampled his side forward, while Cooley was a forward Rock of Gibraltar.
Kalei Greenwood and Donte Tahuhu-Wilson (Mabel Park SHS)
The halves had a picnic behind a pack winning the contact, field positions and unloads.
They were a creative pair who worked stylishly with their second rower and centres, sending teammates on driving runs.
Solomon Sieuli (Stretton SC)
With the heart of a lion, the young prop never stopped trying and deserves a gold star for his effort and desire.
He fronted up run after ruck, ruck after run, both in attack and defence.
Against the odds, second rower Lachlan Charlesworth also put in the hard yards.. He was typical of the plucky effort by teammates who tried hard.
Sire Drinnan (Mabel Park SHS)
The form player of the Langer Reserves right now was at his best again in a pulsating Mabel Park win that he pulled the trigger on.
The crafty playmaker had his hand in plenty as Mabel mounted a 70-point barrage on the Storm, with Drinnan’s passing, kicking and running game to the fore.
He oozes natural talent.
IPSWICH SHS DEF PBC SHS
Fletcher Ebbsworth-Briggs (Ipswich SHS)
Ebbsworth-Briggs seemingly does all the right things whenever he plays on the North Ipswich Reserve turf.
Last year the outside back was always a good option for Ipswich in the Walters Cup and nothing has changed except his increased acceleration and finesse.
The pacy winger scored both of Ipswich’s tries to set up a slender 8-6 lead entering the second half.
He had the speed and safe hands to score after a right-to-left shift saw Clement Karuati and Tyreek Carlo touch the ball before it found him.
Then, for his second, Ira Yeatman was the last link before Ebssworth-Briggs cut back inside and stretched out to land an emphatic four-pointer which regained Ipswich’s lead.
Leijin Mikasa (PBC SHS)
Mikasa was an unsung hero in a PBC outfit that played well enough to win.
He was tireless throwing his body in front of everything that moved. It set a high standard defensively in the first half.
Ethan Alcorn (PBC SHS)
The headgear-wearing PBC No. 6 was just a class act.
He was a composed, calm-headed playmaker who didn’t over complicate things or look for a hail Mary play when PBC were attempting to come from behind in the second half.
The Northern Rivers Titans Andrew Johns Cup halves staple directed his troops wonderfully and involved his forwards Nelson Makaafi, Max Wood and Noah Reti well with his switch plays back towards the ruck.
He had a steady, sure hand when precious time was dwindling.
Nelson Makaafi (PBC SHS)
The dynamic big man made life hard for Ipswich with his powerful leg drive, late footwork at the line and uncanny ability to get away an offload.
He is the type of barnstorming teen who could transform into a rugby No. 8 in the blink of an eye and cause destruction in Queensland Premier Rugby’s Under-20s Colts 1 competition.
But Makaafi is an elite rugby league edge forward. He showed that before a yellow card, for talking back at the referee, prevented him from finishing the game.
You could only imagine how potent Makaafi would be in the 15-a-side game spearing off the back of a scrum.
Indeed he has been one of the most damaging forwards in Langer Reserves through three rounds.
Sean Pearson (PBC SHS)
Pearson had the moves like jagger and countless times he threatened to break open the match — only for an Ipswich player to grab hold of his leg and prevent that.
The elusive Pearson loomed large and when he handled the ball, creeping forward in anticipation was a by-product because it seemed the fast-footed fullback was bound to create something.
Ned Tanner (PBC SHS)
The PBC right centre did not have much wriggle room in attack but in defence he was worth his weight in gold.
On one occasion he jammed Ipswich’s biggest player, young giant Jed Leafa, to force a dropped ball. Not to be outdone, Leafa did score a bit later but it was a great tackle nonetheless.
Tanner read the Ipswich attack well all game, another rib-crunching tackle on a flying Ebbsworth-Briggs emphasising his great defensive reads, tackling technique and execution.
When Ipswich led 18-12 nearing full time, Tanner contested a cross field kick which landed in the hands of his winger Zai Hunnybun, who was off to the races.
The referee ruled a Tanner knock on however had it been ruled otherwise, PBC could have equalised the scores and it would’ve been largely because of the tireless Tanner.
Ira Yeatman (Ipswich SHS)
The Yarrabah youngster continued to enhance his reputation from fullback with another influential game creating extra possessions for his side.
Yeatman’s mixed bag of tricks featured a twirling torpedo, a pressurising short kicking game and brave defence.
Yeatman also threatened when he ran the ball because the quick, smaller and hard to bring down 17-year-old has a slippery running style and elite acceleration.
His pesky performance was the backbone behind Ipswich’s hard-fought win.
MARSDEN AND REDCLIFFE DREW 24-ALL
Max Carriage (Redcliffe SHS)
The Eagles five-eighth has been a man on a mission to start the school season.
After a grand round 2 performance, Redcliffe junior Carriage repeated the dose to steer his side towards a winning total — only for Marsden to come from behind and land the equalising penalty goal after full time.
Carriage was instrumental from the outset. He has been improving with every experience this year.
Dermott Arthy (Redcliffe SHS)
Carriage hasn’t been the only big improver within Redcliffe’s program this year.
Diminutive fullback Dermott Arthy has also made every post a winner with his latest performance against the Makos showing how good he can be on both sides of the ball.
The little livewire scored twice and saved a try when the game hung in the balance.
It was a crucial tackle from the urgent Arthy.
Aiden Gordon (Redcliffe SHS)
Every team needs an Aiden Gordon.
The hardworking second rower took no shortcuts and defended like his life depended on it.
A reliable type, Gordon was just busy and warranted plenty of praise with his no-nonsense play on both sides of the ball.
It formed the backbone behind Redcliffe’s sound performance in the heart of Logan on Wednesday.
Grayson Wharakura (Marsden SHS)
The big-bodied left centre was dangerous out wide with some early ball and his left-foot step was mesmorising at times.
The Kiwi enforcer scored a brilliant solo try after beating multiple defenders with pace and precision and is mounting a serious case for a Langer Trophy call up.
Nik Wharakura (Marsden SHS)
While his brother produced a stunning highlight play for Marsden, prop Nik put together a grand performance built on hard work in the middle.
Wharakura’s damaging runs set a wonderful platform early for Marsden and then in the second half ensured he had a leg to stand on later that evening at the dinner table when himself and Grayson discuss who scored the better try.
Nik’s cracking front-rowers try was a beaut.
Nathan Phelps (Marsden SHS)
Five-eighth Phelps had ice in his veins nailing a 40m penalty goal after time had expired to sare a draw.
Before the clutch-time king rose to deliver the equalising points, he was a high-effort leader who was at the epicentre of Marsden’s attack.
The emerging No.6 has led by example through the first three games.
Originally published as Langer Reserves’ Rd 3 top guns named as Keebra flex premiership muscle
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