St Brendan’s well placed heading into coveted schools rugby league carnival

The experience of seven returning players will be pivotal in the Yeppoon college’s push for back-to-back Confro titles in Townsville this week. Coach Scott Minto shares his thoughts about his team’s prospects.

St Brendan's Braelan Marsh, Harrison Hill and Carter Ford are gearing up for big campaigns at the 2024 Confraternity Carnival.

The ability and experience of St Brendan’s forward pack will be pivotal in the team’s Confraternity title defence, according to coach Scott Minto.

The Yeppoon-based college is the most successful performer at the carnival, claiming a record 14th Shield with a stirring grand final win against Rockhampton’s Emmaus College last year.

The Cathedral College from Rockhampton will look to make it back-to-back titles in the girls division, with this year’s grand final to be played as the curtain raiser to the women’s State of Origin series decider on Thursday night.

The 2024 edition of Confraternity, which kicks off in Townsville today, brings together 52 boys and 12 girls teams from Catholic and Independent schools across Queensland.

St Brendan's College players celebrate their win at the 2023 Confraternity Shield. Photo: Academy Photography

St Brendan’s take on St Augustine’s Cairns in their first game, while TCC faces a familiar foe in Rockhampton Grammar in their campaign opener.

Minto said he felt his team was well placed heading into the carnival.

“We’ve obviously had a pretty good build-up with the Dolphins Cup,” he said.

“I think it’s very similar to last year in that we’ve had the three hitouts and mixed and matched players and now they’re all pretty fresh and right to go.”

St Brendan’s have a nucleus of seven players from last year’s winning team in their 2024 line-up.

St Brendan's players Braelan Marsh, Tyler Melrose, Simon Green, Carter Ford, Harrison Hill and Jake Oberhardt represented Capricornia at the recent Queensland under-18 schoolboys championships.

They are skipper Simon Green (lock), halfback Tyler Melrose, hooker Braelan Marsh, second rowers Harvey Mahoney and Harrison Hill and props Jake Oberhardt and Carter Ford.

Minto said each of them had been in impressive form with their respective Capras team in state league competitions, regional and state rep duties and the Dolphins Cup.

Melrose and Ford made the 2023 Confraternity Boys Merit Team last year and would be looking to emulate that again this year.

Minto said Oberhardt, considered pound for pound the strongest player in the Cyril Connell Cup in 2024, would be a handful for any team.

He would provide a formidable combination with Ford, leaving Green to orchestrate the direction of the middles and link to his strike edge players.

League legend PJ Marsh with sons Jay (left) and Braelan, who will both play for St Brendan’s at the 2024 Confraternity Carnival.

There are also some memorable moments set to play out for St Brendan’s this week.

Marsh will be joined by his young brother Jay, with the siblings following in the footsteps of their father and NRL legend PJ Marsh, who won Confraternity with St Brendan’s in 1996.

Minto’s own son Samson has also earned selection, set to come off the bench and play in the halves or at centre.

“Samson’s done tremendously well over the last six to 12 months to get himself to where he needs to be,” Minto said of his son.

“His confidence is building and I think they’re all getting to that point where they’re confident in what they’re doing.

“I’m excited for what we can do at this carnival.”

Originally published as St Brendan’s well placed heading into coveted schools rugby league carnival