Meet the next gen stars from Cairns, Townsville and Mackay competing in the region’s premier schoolboys competition
The Aaron Payne Cup is just around the corner and North Queensland’s schoolboys are ready to stake their claims as future NRL stars. Meet the players set to light up the competition in 2025.
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Round 1 of the Aaron Payne Cup for 2025 is just days away, and we’ve got you covered with a full rundown of the NRL hopefuls you need to be paying attention to this season.
This year’s competition returns to a classic round-robin format with the seven teams facing each other across seven rounds because of the bye.
The restructure gives the competition’s minnows more opportunities to play elite opponents, while balancing the fairness for top-end teams.
Check out our list of players to watch below.
KIRWAN STATE HIGH SCHOOL
The reigning champions will be just as impressive this year, with a number of returning players ready to take over at the helm of the historically successful side.
RILEY CARBONE – HALFBACK
The talented halfback recently captained the Northern schoolboys side and he will look to carry that form into the Aaron Payne Cup season.
The goalkicking sharpshooter will be a key part of Kirwan’s attack as the focal point for his side.
“He’s a Queensland rep previously and he’ll be our halfback. He’ll be steering the ship and getting us around the park, so he’s certainly a key part of our team,” Bears coach Todd Wilson said.
ENELIKO SAVELIO – MIDDLE FORWARD
Savelio is a powerful forward who is coming off a strong showing at the schoolboys state championships in Gladstone.
A big player with strength in spades, Savelio will be the leader of the Bears forward pack.
“He’s certainly a key leader of our forwards, that’s for sure,” Wilson said.
“He’s spent some time with the Cowboys Young Guns in the pre-season, so we’re looking forward to him.
“He was strong at the state carnival, and certainly mixed up with the best of them in the state.”
TRENT MARTIN – OUTSIDE BACK
The Bears are still undecided about where to play their year 11 weapon Martin, but wherever he plays he is sure to make a splash.
Martin has the versatility to shine at centre, fullback, wing or even five-eighth – but he is expected to have his first crack at centre where he can unlock the players around him with his terrific movement and ballplaying.
“He just continues to improve. He’s got that mixture of strength and speed and power and skill, and he had a good championship down there – especially playing blokes a year or two above him,” Wilson said.
“He’ll be a key player in our squad this year.”
ANTHONY VAIGAFA and QUENTIN OFAHULU – MIDDLE FORWARDS
Kirwan’s two imposing props will have taken a lot out of their time with the Northern schoolboys side, and Wilson was hopeful the pair of big boppers would take the next step in their development during the Aaron Payne Cup.
“With their size, those two boys will certainly be key to what we do,” Wilson said.
“Hopefully they can take what they learnt in Gladstone and transfer that into our footy moving forward.”
ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE, MACKAY
The 2024 runners-up have a new head coach for the season, but he brings plenty of experience at the school.
Shane Mau has been an assisting with St Pat’s rugby league for almost a decade now and jumped at the opportunity to take the reigns as coach.
ADAM MCSHERRY – FIVE-EIGHTH
One of the competition’s most exciting players of 2024 returns to lead St Patrick’s as the school aims to go one better and win the Cup.
The livewire ballplayer has strength, skill and speed to burn and will be pivotal to his team’s attack.
McSherry starred for the Queensland Country under-17s side which beat City 32-22 earlier this year and he has all the hallmarks of a future star.
“He’s looking good. We actually haven’t training a lot with those boys because they’ve come straight out of the Mal Meninga Cup,” Mau said.
“We want to see him getting his hands on the ball and steering us around the paddock.”
MARK MORROW – BACKROWER
A big body with a big carry, Morrow runs great lines and will be a handful on whichever edge he ends up playing on.
Morrow is coming off a great state carnival with the Capricornia schoolboys side where he played as a devastating middle forward, and word coming out of Gladstone is that he was unlucky to miss out on a Queensland Schoolboys call-up.
“He’s looking really good, we’ll probably look to run him on an edge,” Mau said.
“He had a really great schoolboys carnival, we’re really looking forward to the season for the big fella.”
RYAN JOHN – LOCK
St Patrick’s College’s lock forward is another local rep star ready to bring those experiences to his schoolboys side.
John is a terrific defender and can more than hold his own against the competition’s big boppers.
“He had a fantastic Mal Meninga Cup campaign and he was in that Capricornia side too,” Mau said.
“He’ll be looking to play in that lock position. He’s very strong defensively for us in the middle.”
DARCY MCFARLANE – HOOKER
The determined dummy half joins St Pat’s this year and has his sights set on the No.9 jersey.
McFarlane could be the missing spine member to help unlock his side’s attack this season.
“He’s probably flown a bit under the radar for us. He’s come across from Holy Spirit and he’s had some really good training sessions leading into this season, so he’ll definitely be a kid to watch,” Mau said.
ELI COOKSON – MIDDLE FORWARD
A player to earmark for next year, Cowboys-signed Cookson has an incredible set of skills for someone of his size.
The electric middle forward spent some time playing hooker for Mackay during this year’s Cyril Connell Cup competition, proving his versatility and adaptability.
“Eli is in year 11, so he’ll be up in our squad. He’s another one to watch out for, definitely,” Mau said.
IGNATIUS PARK COLLEGE
Ignatius Park College enters the 2025 season with a new First XIII coach in Will Jack, who has been a part of the school’s coaching set-up for the last two seasons and steps into the top job after Zeb Kyle took on a position with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Jack will look to 2024 skipper Sitiveni Afu to co-captain the team with halfback Chase Sheppard with the goal of returning to finals.
SITIVENI AFU – MIDDLE FORWARD
Afu is a talented middle forward who was one of his side’s best in 2024 as Iggy Park won the Confraternity Shield and finished third in the Aaron Payne Cup, losing a semi-final showdown with St Patrick’s 22-18.
“He’ll be in the middle there for us. He’s had a pretty big pre-season already with his work in the Mal Meninga Cup with the Blackhawks and he just got back from the state champs with Northern,” Jack said.
“I thought he was really good down there in a bit of a struggling side, he was one of the ones that really stood up in the middle.”
CHASE SHEPPARD – HALFBACK
Ignatius Park’s co-captain will be instrumental in guiding his team around the field with his impressive organisational skills.
“He’s been really consistent and he’s very vocal in the group in all the right ways. He brings a lot of energy to the sessions,” Jack said.
“With ‘Veni’ (Afu) doing a pre-season with the Cowboys Young Guns and playing Mal Meninga Cup, Chase really stepped up and took on that leadership role in his absence,
“To have them both in the team, two leaders like that, we’re pretty spoiled for choice. On the field I want Chase directing the troops, and I want ‘Veni leading with his actions rather than words.”
BRAD PILCHOWSKI – FIVE-EIGHTH
After transferring to Ignatius Park College for his final year of schooling, Pilchowski is an unmissable talent to watch.
Pronounced with a broad Queensland accent, Pilchowski (pill-chow-ski) is in red-hot form after being a standout for the Northern schoolboys at five-eighth.
The year 12 student turns 17 this year and will be an imposing rugby league player when he fills out his tall frame.
“He can play anywhere, he was wearing No.1 but he was playing five-eighth at the (schoolboys) carnival after Lincoln Baker got injured in the Country v City game this year,” Jack said.
“I like his versatility factor, he could probably fill a number of spots for us. We’re trying to get the balance right for our 19 that we’re going to take away every week but we’ve got a couple of ideas for Brad – we’ve just got to make sure he’s touching the footy often.”
LINCOLN BAKER – FULLBACK
Baker was one of Iggy Park’s brightest prospects in 2024 and the small but strong ballplayer is electric from fullback.
The school is hopeful Baker will be healthy to make his return form injury before the Confraternity Carnival.
“He’s going to miss at least the first three rounds but hopefully he’s right for the Confraternity Shield,” Jack said.
“He’s a freak, is the only word that I’ve got for him. He’s a big part of our side and we’re going to miss him through injury for the first few rounds.
“He’d be one that I’d have circled to have a look at when he does make his comeback.
“He got man of the match in the Queensland City versus Country under-17s game – that’s when he picked up his injury – so he’d be busting to rip into some footy when we get him back.”
TAMA REUPENA – MIDDLE FORWARD
Reupena is likely switch to the middle of the park this year after being a devastating backrower for Iggy Park in 2024.
“He was parked up on an edge for us last year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how damaging he can be this year with the footy,” Jack said.
“He’s definitely one to watch and I thought he was okay for Northern as well. His effort areas need improving but I thought he looked good with the footy when he got it in his hands down there.”
ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE
HALVES
Ben Walker and Lucas Russell
The talented pair played together at the school last year and in this years Mal Meninga Cup campaign, have trained very well together in the halves, and they are clear with their communication and processes.
FORWARDS
Cayde Miller and Cooper Meares
Both tasted A-grade experience with Cairns Brothers recently, and have led from the front in every pre-season training session.
Riley Wells and Zavier Suluvale
The devastating backrowers need to provide plenty of punch and aggression on the edges if St Augustine’s is going to compete with the more established schools teams in the competition.
OUTSIDE BACKS
Braith Clubb and Jaic Morris
Both have been good in training and will need to be busy if the side is going to put points on the board.
TRINITY BAY STATE HIGH SCHOOL
D’ARTANYAN CONNOLLY – HALFBACK
Was named halfback in this masthead’s 2024 Team of the Year for the competition last year, and as skipper of the team in 2025, he will need to take another leap in his performance this year.
ALPHA, JOSEPH AND SAUL LOKOTUI – FORWARDS
A trio of brothers have joined Trinity Bay’s side ahead of the upcoming season, and look set to dramatically bolster their forward pack.
Alpha will occupy the front row, with Joseph set to slot in the second row and Saul to play lock, in what’s set to be a fearsome spearhead for the school.
Originally published as Meet the next gen stars from Cairns, Townsville and Mackay competing in the region’s premier schoolboys competition
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