Queensland rugby league schoolboys named after QRSS championship
VIDEO: Queensland schoolboy teams named and Players of the Day revealed, including footage of two stunning tries by a young Maroons centre with a Wallaby bloodline. Watch here:
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The Queensland schoolboys rugby league side can be revealed following the final day of competition at the QRSS championships in Gladstone.
On a day which saw Met North beat South Coast in the 14-15 years grand final, and Met East rise above the Sunshine Coast in the 16-18 years grand final, two schoolboy teams to contest the nationals last this year were named.
DAY 3’s BEST PLAYERS, PLAYS OF THE DAY
60 LESSER KNOWN PLAYERS TO WATCH AT THE QRSS
The 16-18 Years schoolboys side included Met East three try grand final hero Hayden Watson (Marsden SHS). He was named player of the carnival in his age group.
The 14-15 years includes Digby Ioane, the nephew of Wallaby Ioane who scored two amazing tries. See the video below in this story.
Prop Lenton Steven Funaki (Wavell SHS) from Met North made the 14-15s side and was named the 14-15 years player of the carnival.
QLD 16-18 YEARS SCHOOLBOY TEAM:
1. David Bryenton (Keebra Park SHS)
2. Mel Nonu (Ipswich SHS)
3. Antonio Verhoeven (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)
4. Sangstar-Saulala Figota (Wavell SHS)
5. Siosaia Poese (Keebra Park SHS)
6. Ellyjah Birve (Caloundra SHS)
7. Hayden Watson (Marsden SHS)
8. Xzavier Timoteo (Ipswich SHS)
9. Ezra Leota (Mabel Park SHS)
10. Mace Andrew (Marsden SHS)
11. Brian Pouniu (St Eugene College)
12. Duquan Talaepea (Mabel Park SHS)
13. Tupou Francis (Marsden SHS)
14. Taj Lateo (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)
15. Jarrod Horne (Wavell SHS)
16. Cody Starr (Redcliffe SHS)
17. Jackson Koina (Mountain Creek SHS)
18. Torino Jackson (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)
19. Taylan To’a (Marsden SHS)
20. Israel Lotaki (Keebra Park SHS)
Talent is evently spread across the elite league schools, with Marsden SHS (Taylan To’a, Tupou Francis, Mace Andrew and Hayden Watson) securing four players, the champion PBC SHS system local boy Taj Lateo and New Zealander Torino Jackson while Keebra Park young guns Israel Lotaki, David Bryenton and new boy Siosaia Poese made the side.
Ipswich SHS has powerful prop Xzavier Timoteo representing the school, Wavell SHS has Jarod Horne and Sangstar-Saulala Figota, Mabel Park SHS has Ezra Leota and Duquan Talaepea, while Redcliffe SHS has elite prop Cody Starr.
Northern schools Mountain Creek (Jackson Koina), Caloundra SHS (Ellyjah Birve) and St Eugene College (Brian Pouniu) each has a player.
Selection is a huge milestone for Koina, Lateo and Leota, while Birve completes the 14-15 years and 16-18 years selection double.
QLD 14-15 YEARS SCHOOLBOY TEAM, Maroons:
1. Jaxon Worthing (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)
2. Travel Ngatuakana (Kirwan SHS)
3. Digby Ioane (Brisbane SHS)
4. MJ Otunuku (Keebra Park SHS)
5. Isaiah Te Pairi (Mabel Park SHS)
6. Maihi Pene (Wavell SHS)
7. Jack Goodhew (Kirwan SHS)
8. Knight Tanielu (St Joseph’s Nudgee College)
9. Tyson Tai (Brisbane SHS)
10. Lenton Steven Funaki (Wavell SHS)
11. Marko Pauli (Keebra Park SHS)
12. Kalani Ford-Stevens (Wavell SHS)
13. Cruz Molo (Wavell SHS)
14. Angus McLaughlin St Joseph’s College (Gregory Terrace)
15. Jonah Bell (Wavell SHS)
16. Kyanu Seiuli (Ipswich SHS)
17. Ike Bilish (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)
18. Blake Tikinau (Ipswich SHS)
19. Joey Salafia (Ipswich SHS)
There were five Wavell SHS players in the side - forwards Kalani Ford-Stevens, Jonah Bell, Lenton Steven Funaki, Cruz Molo and five-eight Maihi Pene who scored a sensational try today, while three from Ipswich SHS made the team - Kyanu Seiuli, Blake Tikinau, Joey Salafia.
QLD 14-15 YEARS SCHOOLBOY TEAM, Maroons:
1. Kolby Walters (Anglican Church Grammar School)
2. Tane Crampton (St Joseph’s Nudgee College)
3. Jeffrey Tugai (Kirwan SHS)
4. Lennix Parfitt (Mabel Park SHS)
5. Kyan Simpson (Ambrose Treacy College)
6. Jesse-James Schuster (Redcliffe SHS)
7. Leo Hunt (Ipswich SHS)
8. Peter Ngaoire-Finau (Keebra Park SHS)
9. Max Imrie (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS)
10. Riley Apthorpe (Mountain Creek SHS)
11. Isaac Salei (Wavell SHS)
12. Tyson Barnard (Marsden SHS)
13. Tipene Moyes (Marsden SHS)
14. Manti Eteru (Trinity Bay SHS)
15. Jasiah Parsons (Wavell SHS)
16. Tristen Renata-Kokiri (Wavell SHS)
17. Tyler Harry (Mabel Park SHS)
18. Chase Stewart (Mountain Creek SHS)
19. Kayden Lemafa (Ipswich SHS)
ATC’s Kyan Simpson capped an extraordinary rise by making the white side.
A centre, he has come from the clouds after shining at the trials and being a selection bolter for the championships.
Wavell’s Isaac Salei follows in the footsteps of his brother by making a Queensland side, while Mountain Creek SHS’s league program continued to filter fine players through the system with Chase Stewart and Riley Apthorpe representing their district.
GRAND FINALS
Met North 30 defeated South Coast 22, 14-15 years
In a sensational finale to the 14-15 years age group, Met North snared victory in a seesawing match that included a penalty try being awarded.
Met North won 30-22, with prop Jarlii Jarrett (BBC) delivering a magnificent pass in contact that enabled his hooker TJ Vaofusi (Ipswich SHS) to score the clincher.
Minutes early South Coast had been awarded a penalty try after Blake Millar was fouled during the process of scoring.
Leison Malu’s dramatic sideline conversion then levelled the scores 22-all, before Jarrett broke the deadlock by unloading in a tackle of four which gave TJ his match winner for Met North. A late penalty goal then inflated Met North’s margin to eight points.
FIRST HALF TRY TIME
+ South Coast halfback Cooper Buchanan (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS) had his DNA all over his team’s opening try, scored by Jonah Kelly.
He orchestrated his side beautifully in the set of six leading up to the try, and then pressed the go button on a left side raid which allowed centre MJ Otunuku to put second tower Kelly over.
+ like his older brother Noah, who is a fellow halfback, Levi Fien (Nudgee College) took on the line to post Met North’s first try under the posts.
+ it was that man Fien who struck again, delivering a lovely pass into a hole for rampaging second rower Kalani Ford-Stevens (Wavell SHS) who thundered 30m to score. Ford-Steven swatted away the cover defence during his dynamic charge toward the corner. Met North led 10-6.
PAULI’S BRAVERY
The Keebra Park SHS second rower’s bravery to put his body on the line reaching out to score a vital first half try ended with the youngster hurting his lower back.
It was a big effort by the kid, who turned a 10m tap restart into a try on the back of sheer bloody determination and strength.
LEISON MALU MAGIC
leison Malu (Kings Christian College) produced one of his special plays, with his light feet and speed lasering a hole in the Met North defence just on halftime. It was a special play from close to the line against fatigued opposition.
MAGNIFICENT CRUS MOLO
Cruz Molo (Wavell SHS) scored a remarkable try in a grand final. He seemed contained 4m from the line, but he kept driving, kept his legs pumping and against the odds he drove to the line as four defenders grappled with him.
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
South Coast:MJ Otunuku (Keebra Park SHS)
Met North:Kalani Ford-Stevens (Wavell SHS)
Met East 24 v Sunshine Coast 6, 16-18 years, grand final
HAYDEN WATSON STARS
Melbourne Storm recruit Hayden Watson (Marsden SHS) was the difference as Met East emerged from a slug festival to push past the Sunshine Coast.
With two brilliant individual tries - one in each half - halfback or hooker Watson dragged his side to two hard earned tries with dazzling spurts.
Using his elite touch football skills, the light on his feet, man of the match Watson penetrated the Coast’s armour with an individual try from a scrum in the first half, and then backed himself down a narrow blindside to score a second half try.
Then in the second half, Watson took advantage of momentum generated by his No.13 Tupou Francis (Marsden SHS) to score his third try.
Watson even had a slight role in Maz Burns (Mabel Park SHS) freakish corner post try, shaping the kick before passing the ball wider to winger Burns, a West Auckland product.
PITCHED BATTLE
The first half was a gruelling pitched battle between two defensive lines equally committed to the cause.
Tackles were a feature, goal line defence was desperate and both teams were up for the fight.
The point of difference was the speed of Met East’s Hayden Watson, who took on the defence from a scrum win and turned the only clean break into a try.
Then late in the first half, Sunshine Coast unlocked Met East’s defence with a left side shift after quick hands by halves Grady Payne and Elijah Birve gave the big body of centre Ashyr Kelso a chance at the line. It was 6-all at halftime.
MINOR PLACINGS
Met East 24 defeated Wide Bay 14, 14-15 years
Digby Ioane, the nephew of a Wallaby namesake Digby Ioane, broke the game open with a series of dramatic runs which sunk a wonderful Wide Bay challenge.
Ioane scored two dramatic runaway tries in the first half and was the difference between his team winning and being upset by the boys from the Bay.
He ran 85m from a kick return for one try, swatting attempted cover defenders away like flies, and then swept play 90m from a scrum win to score his team’s second try. For a moment it was like watching footage of a young Mal Meninga as a teen in 1977-78.
Ioane is attending school at Brisbane SHS where, alongside the younger brother of Payne Haas, Hans Haas, he is expected to terrorise opposition in the junior GPS rugby system.
And didn’t Met East need his magic against a Wide Bay outfit primed for an upset.
A dive over try by Wide Bay hooker Jonah Frampton (Gympie SHS), a superb Riley Lay (Gympie SHS) try from a Preston Braithwaite grubber kick, and a second try by Lay saw Wide Bay draw level 14-all.
TERRIFIC TRISTIAN SAUAGA (Marsden SHS)
Against amped up opposition, the mobile prop was a middle forward wonder with his footwork, agility and power in post contact metres. It was a high class performance given the enthusiasm of the Wide Bay forwards.
Sauaga also scored the try which broke a 10-all deadlock after receiving a pass from his half, Billy Gough, following a bulldozer run by Mabel Park winger Isaiah Te Pairi.
PATTERSON BRAITHWAITE (Kingaroy SHS)
Not for the first time at the championship, Braithwaite caught the eye and deservedly finished with the man of the match award.
The five-eight was a wonderful conductor, mixing up his creative passing game with his own darts at the line.
WIDE BAY’S FORWARD FORAYS
The Wide Bay pack was magnificent in its challenge for midfield momentum against City folk, Met East.
The likes of Noah Knapp (Shalom Catholic College), Frankie Cooper (Bundaberg SHS), Kaleb Mauloni (Shalom Catholic College) and Jacob Thompson (Shalom Catholic College) come headlong at their opposition.
SOUTH COAST 24 defeated CAPRICORNIA 0, 16-18 years, third-fourth final
Broncos boy David Bryenton sparked his team as South Coast finished it’s campaign on a high against the lads from CQ.
Benefiting from the ruck speed and power of his forwards, Bryenton twice threaded passes to the right edge, opening space for both Simione Tauelangi (Keebra Park SHS) and Kaea Cribb (PBC SHS) to score.
The creation of those tries lifted South Coast to an 18-nil barrier after Capricornia had gone with their rivals in the first half.
Like Keano Kini, the former South Coast and PBC SHS fullback star, Bryenton can play both sides of the field.
LOW KEY TAJ LATEO
Man of the match Taj Lateo (Palm Beach Currumbin SHS) steered the South Coast ship in his usual, low key fashion.
He straightened the attack nicely, allowing his edge handlers to do their thing, and kicked long and high on six and last plays.
Originally a Banora Point Primary School nipper, he was rewarded for his straight running with a try that elevated his side to 24-nil.
MARSH MAGIC
Jay Marsh (St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon) did exactly what we thought he would do - play strongly.
The dummy half ace scurried from the ruck, attacked with his defence and brought his forwards onto the ball in a usually high standard. He was CQ’s man of the match.
Met West 14 defeated Peninsula 4, 16-18 years
Elsiyah Suavai-Laumatia from Ipswich SHS produced a man of the match performance, and he had to - such was the resistance offered by a gritty Peninsula outfit.
Cayde Miller (St Augustine’s College) led a stirling Peninsula pack which went too and fro with their opponents all game, but it was Met West who prevailed - only just - over their FNQ rivals.
But ultimately Met West had slightly more strike courtesy of second rower Tannar Baker who created one try and scored another.
TOM PARKER’S PUNCH, TANNAR BAKER’S BARK
Little Tom Parker’s deft grubber kick for Tannar Baker (Ipswich Grammar School) led to the try which elevated Met West marginally out of Peninsula’s clutches.
With a beautiful soft touch, the Ipswich SHS fullback threaded possession through for Baker.
Baker finished the movement magnificent, pushing clear of three defenders to score a 25m try which will be exaggerated into a 60m effort by the time Baker’s 21st birthday speech is finished.
Then, midway through the second half, it was Baker again who impacted the match.
Off the back of momentum from his pack, including hooker Peter Uilavai-Pita, halfback Tyson Walker went left to his IGS mate Baker who breached the line, passing to Finn Kendall.
Kendall’s inside kick for Parker was swooped on by the No. 1 who scored.
MIGHTY MILLAR
Miller had a big season for Northern Pride in the Meninga Cup, and he was mighty against a bruising Met West pack spearheaded by fearless Ipswich prop Xzavier Timoteo.
How Millar deserved his man of the match award.
FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS
+ After typical yardage gains by Xzavier Timoteo (Ipswich), half Walker (Ipswich Grammar School) and fullback Parker (Ipswich SHS) put winger Amon Tu’aefe (Stretton State College) away, who found an inside pass to Finn Kendall (IGS).
+ Ben Walker’s (St Augustine’s College) snappy 13m burst from the ruck to score midway through the first half was reward for his team’s toil up until that point. That try made it 6-4 to Met West.
EFFORT PLAYER OF THE DAY:Phoenix Matthew (Woree SHS)
Matthew swallowed Amon Tu’aefe whole with ball and all cover tackle just as the Stretton SC outside back was setting sail for the corner.
It was a huge effort play by the big bloke from Peninsula who timed his tackle to perfection before Tu’aefe to click from third to fourth gear.
Originally published as Queensland rugby league schoolboys named after QRSS championship
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