Meninga Cup semi-final special: The 20 most likely players to make the NRL
Meninga Cup’s bold NRL player predictions: Who were the 20 teen footballers from the six clubs remaining in premiership contention most likely to play in the NRL? Revealed here.
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Semi-final fever is sweeping the Meninga Cup, with six clubs remaining in premiership contention.
Tweed Seagulls, Mackay Cutters, Redcliffe, Norths, Burleigh Bears and Souths Logan were the competition’s best who have qualified for the semi-finals.
SEMI-FINAL BUILD-UP: TEAMS OF THE DECADE FROM YOUR CLUB
All have players capable of making it into the NRL - but some, in particular, standout as leading contenders.
So who are they?
Here’s a bold prediction on the top 20 players, from the remaining teams, we think were most likely to break into the big league later this decade - along with other leading contenders.
TOP TEEN PROSPECTS
Zane Harrison (Titans, Tweed Seagulls)
A halfback from PBC SHS, Harrison is hoping to follow in the footsteps of PBC alumni like Jamal Fogarty, Tom Deardon, Toby Sexton and Tom Weaver, all halves who have played NRL.
And Harrison is odds on to earn an NRL cap as well.
Right now Harrison has the game that is suited to the NRL because he possesses an innate ability to run a game.
He is also an extraordinary winner, having basically won a grand final in every season of his junior career.
Charlie Dickson (Dolphins, Norths)
Charlie Dickson joined Zane Harrison, mentioned above, as a joint medal winner of the 2024 Justin Hodges Medal which recognised the best player in the Langer Trophy schoolboy rugby league competition.
Why? Because Wavell SHS alumni Dickson was the best forward in the competition by a mile.
A No.13, Dickson was one of the Dolphins’ first academy signings.
He is strong, very strong, with a high tackle efficiency and an ability to win contact and land on his stomach, leading to quick ruck possession for his dummyhalf.
He also has a late hit-and-spin in contact which is potent near the tryline.
Dickson also possesses a nice passing game and runs with power and direction.
David Bryenton (Broncos, Souths Logan)
There is a smattering of Reece Walsh about this quick-stepping five-eighth or fullback who has set Connell Cup and Meninga Cup football alight since arriving on the Gold Coast from Auckland in 2022.
He was arguably the best Year 11 student in last year’s Langer Trophy competition after first messaging the Keebra Park SHS over Instagram hoping to be a part of its academy.
Zac Garton (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Originally a Gympie product, Garton arrived at Caloundra SHS via Nambour where he has been the school’s No.1 player.
The 2024 Australian schoolboy second rower is the type of player and person capable of playing NRL.
You can just imagine Garton watching and listening intently during off-season training sessions alongside season NRL forwards such as the Bromwich boys, Mark Nicholls, Tom Gilbert and Jarrod Wallace before he retired from the NRL.
Garton has been an edge-forward monster for years, plying his trade in Redcliffe’s finals-bound Meninga Cup team.
Saxon Innes (Broncos, Burleigh)
Broncos fans, take note: Behind Reece Walsh is this Helensvale Hornets junior from the southern Gold Coast whose point of difference is his speed.
While he has played wing and centre as a junior, Innes has morphed into a fullback where his pace and elusive skills down the middle of the field were dangerous.
His speed also enables him to cover the ground and swing defensive kicks into attack for his side.
The Marsden State High old boy is also lethal on a shift to either side of the field, and has the speed to be prime support player if a teammate has broken the line.
Most potent at fullback.
Sam Stephenson (Titans, Burleigh)
A long-time Gold Coast signing, the tall, powerful Stephenson has the build to be an NRL contender.
An Australian schoolboy representative from the all-conquering Palm Beach Currumbin SHS, Stephenson is a running threat but also a catching threat from attacking kicks and defensive demon.
He has a solid pedigree. Stephenson’s dad, Paul, played NRL for Manly.
Stephenson started this season in the Meninga Cup but has been promoted to the Hostplus Cup where he was Tweed’s best on ground in Saturday’s clash against Wynnum Manly.
Declan Grady (Cowboys, Cutters)
A towering edge forward, Grady comes from Cowboys heartland and is one of seven Cutters players signed to the North Queensland NRL club.
A Mackay Brothers junior, Grady’s physique sets him apart from a pack of players clambering to make it to the next level.
The former national medal-winning junior swimmer stands at around 1.96m in height, is quick and runs a good line.
Unfortunately he will miss the semi-finals after breaking his wrist against the Norths Devils.
Adaquix-Jeramiah Watts-Luke (Dolphins, Norths)
Watts-Luke is a wildcard talent not unlike Saxon Innes who is featured earlier in the story.
The son of New Zealand Test great and NRL champion Issac Luke, Watts-Luke is his own man making a mark as a fleet-footed fullback.
Similar to Innes, he is lean but explosive - all the while having footy street smarts about him.
Cody Starr (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Tall and athletic, Starr is an exciting prop-forward prospect.
In age group rugby league, Starr’s point of difference has been his ability to drive forward in contact, land on his front and play the ball quickly.
Because he has a height advantage in junior football, the athletic Starr has a natural advantage over his peers, and he looks the goods at this stage.
He is another with an NRL/ARL bloodline. His dad Adam played for Balmain Tigers and Roosters.
Brian Pouniu (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
A boom junior, the North Lakes Kangaroos’ product continues to impress this season in the Meninga Cup.
He plays as a second rower where his shadow looms large in the defensive line. All the while, he is a damaging runner who can step and unload with ease.
The St Eugene College school captain has had to display tremendous mental strength in recent years after his brother Joseph broke his neck. Brian plays with Joseph at the forefront of his mind.
Jairus Halahala (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Signed by the Dolphins, the Redcliffe SHS student impresses most with his late footwork at the line.
Mobile for a big man, Halalaha is a power middle forward, but his agility and leg drive in contact has long made him an outstanding player in age group rugby league.
He missed a lot of football this season due to personal reasons, but he made a huge comeback in this week’s Langer Trophy qualifying game.
Javon Andrews (Titans, Tweed Seagulls)
An outstanding five-eight, Andrews could easily have found himself in the top 10.
Tall for a half, the Marsden SHS alumni is an outstanding ballplayer capable of impacting games when he takes the line on.
He is a courageous kid as well, having recovered from a broken neck which almost resulted in him being confined to a wheelchair. Andrews is an outstanding talent and person, the type of kid who could play NRL.
Carter Ford (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Another player with outstanding rugby league pedigree - his father is the late Carl Webb, a Queensland Origin hero - Ford is a rugged middle forward who knows his way around the footy field.
Recruited by the Dolphins from St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon, the mobile Ford is known for his post contact metres.
Braelan Marsh (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Like Ford, Marsh hails from CQ country and like Ford, is a St Brendan’s old boy with a famous family link - his dad PJ was a Queensland State of Origin series winning player.
A hooker, Marsh has been elite this season with his ability to take advantage of momentum generated by his forwards.
He is also smart around the ruck, and will often have his feet planted in one direction, only to alter his balance at the last minute and fire off quality ball to his halve standing in the opposition direction.
Hayden Watson (Storm, Burleigh)
Similar to Marsh, mentioned above, Watson is another elite hooker who can punish a team in the blink of an eye.
Watson is such a talented footballer that he made the 2024 Langer Trophy Team of the Season
as a five-eighth and he kicks goals well.
An elite touch football representative player, the athletic Queensland schoolboys representative is an outstanding No.9 prospect who has played a big part in Burleigh’s success this season as skipper.
Joseph Tupuse (Broncos, Souths Logan)
An elite centre from the Keebra Park SHS stable, Tupuse is a powerhouse centre who has been a long-term investment by the Broncos.
He has been outstanding in his age group junior footy, and has continued to progress this season as a freight-train attacking player.
Watch this space.
Taylan To’a (Titans, Tweed Seagulls)
Like Saxon Innes, Javon Andrews, Adaquix-Jeramiah Watts-Luke and Hayden Watson, To’a hails from Marsden SHS and oozes potential.
An athletic edge forward, To’a has the perfect build for a wide running second rower.
He continues to be a top-flight prospect and at his best can be almost unstoppable.
Poised playmaker Andrews has put him into space countless times this season.
Xzavier Timoteo (Roosters, Souths Logan)
The 2024 Ipswich SHS enforcer is a dynamic prop, the type of forward who explodes onto the ball.
Close to the line he can blast holes in the defence when collecting inside passes from his hooker, while his leg drive enables him to quickly generate momentum for his side. He is also a feared defender.
Has a long way to go but can make dreams a reality.
Kilarney Lavender (Dolphins, Burleigh)
Here’s an exciting prospect.
The Burleigh Bears bulldozer from The Southport School is an imposing edge forward whose athletic ability and strength made him an essential project player for any NRL club.
The Dolphins will be pleased to have him signed at this stage in his career.
Still in Year 12, Lavender has been on a tear since tearing his ACL back in 2022, representing the Queensland Reds under-16s, Burleigh under-17s and under-19s and even the Dolphins in their pre-season bout with the Capras.
Also named in that pre-season squad was Pouniu, Elijah McKay, Dickson, Rasmussen and Garton.
Elijah McKay (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Tall, athletic and freakish at times.
The long-striding outside back can cover a variety of positions and has been on a steep upward trajectory over the past 18 months.
A Queensland Schoolboys select from Rockhampton, McKay was named in the NRL Dolphins pre-season clash with the Capras and is an aerial threat.
Nate Berrigan (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
A No.13 utility, Berrigan had his 2025 season disrupted by injury but remains an excellent prospect.
The son of former NRL hooker Barry and the nephew of ex-Queensland player Shaun, Berrigan’s strength is his speed around the ruck both in defence and also with his scurrying runs.
Dyer Akauola (Dolphins, Norths)
Akauola is an exciting middle forward who is young for the U19 age group. and while he missed the 2025 season through injury, his 2024 campaign was more than enough for him to get a run here.
A Brisbane Grammar School student from the Norths’ Devils junior catchment, he is a mobile, powerful middle forward who is damaging in contact and imposing in defence.
Watch this space as Akauola, also a sensational rugby No.8, gathers more experience and becomes physically conditioned.
BEST OF THE BABIES
Fa’apale Feaunati (Broncos, Souths Logan), Marley McLaren (St George, Bears), Noah Fien (Dolphins, Redcliffe) and Siosaia Poese (Broncos, Souths Logan), all of whom were young for the U19 age group.
OTHER LEADING CONTENDERS
Jett Bryce (Broncos, Burleigh)
Mason Barber (Cowboys, shoulder injury prevented him from playing this season)
Lewis Symonds (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Dirhys Sefo (Broncos, Souths Logan)
Tavita Penaia Te’o (Cowboys, Cutters)
Duquan Talaepa (Dolphins, Norths)
Phillip Coates (Broncos, Burleigh)
Antonio Verhoeven (Broncos, Burleigh)
Braithen Scott (Broncos, Wynnum Manly)
WILDCARD WATCH
Dallas Ingram (Burleigh Bears)
Joseph Doyle (Cutters, Cowboys)
Marley Igasan (Broncos, Burleigh Bears)
BLUE COLLAR BOYS
Isaac Harrison (Titans, Tweed Seagulls)
Cooper Bai (Titans, Burleigh)
Bodhi Sharpley (Titans, Tweed)
Torino Jackson (Titans, Tweed)
Jac Finigan (Dolphins, Redcliffe)
Oscar Laffranchi (Titans, Burleigh)
Originally published as Meninga Cup semi-final special: The 20 most likely players to make the NRL
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