Sunshine Coast Falcons coaches reveal top players to watch in 2023
Sunshine Coast Falcons Cyril Connell, Mal Meninga, Women’s U19s and Hastings Deering Colts head coaches have revealed their sides breakout players ahead of the 2023 season.
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The Sunshine Coast Falcons’ Cyril Connell Challenge, Mal Meninga Cup, Women’s under-19s and Hastings Deering Colts head coaches have revealed their teams’ standout players ahead of the 2023 season.
Hundreds of players spread from Gympie to Caboolture took part in pre-season training before coaches selected their top 30 ahead of their first matches on February 18 and April 23.
A number of the Falcons’ top rising stars are already signed or on the radar of NRL and NRLW clubs and more could follow.
The list is in no particular order and each player identified has comments from their coach.
Cyril Connell Challenge (U16s)
Head coach Tim Baldwin said he was eager for the start of the season.
“Pre-season has been good, the boys are still fresh to a professional program and environment but have learnt a lot,” he said.
“They’ve had to learn physically but also new terminology and a new way of doing things so they've pushed through some tough trainings both mentally and physically.”
Baldwin said the squad had been cut from 80, to 45, to currently 35 and would look to finalise his squad of 30 after the opening pre-season matches.
He said he hoped to further develop the players over the coming months.
“Obviously we’re focused on the development side of things with these younger guys and hope they continue to learn and grow their game and their overall knowledge of the game,” he said.
“Off the back of that we hope to put forward some good performances and with that comes some wins and a bit of success.”
Benjamin Hunter
“Benny will play in the back row,” he said.
“He’s tough, he’s built like a brick wall for a 16-year-old and is going to be very hard to stop as he runs a good hard line.
“He’ll be solid on the edge for us.”
Darcel Snowden
“This is Darcel’s second season in the Cyril Connell and he’ll play in the front row,” he said.
“He’ll bring that experience but also that solid go-forward and will be a leader for us upfront.”
Toby Irvine
“Toby will play in our halves and again will bring some good experience and direct us around the park,” he said.
“He’s tough but he’s also very skilful.”
Tyson Fallon-May
“Tyson will play at hooker,” he said.
“He’s very wise in that position and will be sniffing around the ruck when the forwards are lazy but also give good service to our halves.”
Jackson Koina
“Jackson will be one of our captains,” he said.
“He’s a real leader through the team and especially within the forward pack.
“He’s very mature but also has some great ball skills and is willing to give the defensive side of things a real crack in the middle.”
Charlie Coates
“Charlie will play in the front row,” he said.
“He’s just an absolute workhorse and is tough as nails.
“He’s a top player that loves the impact, plays tough and thrives in the gritty side of the game.”
Tyler Conquest
“Tyler will play in the backline,” he said.
“He’s elusive and is very quick as well.
“He’ll give our side some good speed and some good go-forward coming off kicks and wide plays.”
Ellyjah Birve
“Ellyjah is the other captain we’ll have,” he said.
“He’s very elusive, plays what’s in front of him and when he backs himself he’s going to be hard to stop.
“He’ll play in the halves and will put a lot of pressure on opposing defences.”
Baldwin said Birve is already on the books at the Melbourne Storm and represented the Queensland under-15s team in 2022.
“He’s already pretty well known and there will be a few eyes on him seeing how he goes this year,” he said.
Taj Burke
“Burkey is a bottom aged kid so it means he’s under-15s playing up but he’s another kid that has a lot of talent,” he said.
“He’ll be our starting second rower and is still learning his position and his role but makes that up in the talent he brings into the squad.
“He’s going to be a great player in the future and will definitely hold his own against the older players.”
Zayde Carfantan
“Zayde will play centre,” he said.
“He’s a great talker and will be hard to stop when he’s one-on-one.
“He brings a bit of toughness but is also strong in defence and attack through his ability and his communication.”
Mal Meninga Cup (U18s)
Head coach Danny Gray said he was proud of the squad he had assembled.
“The boys have been working really hard on their skill development, their fitness and their work in the gym,” he said.
“We had over 100 kids registered to trial originally and we’re about to trim it down again to 30 after our second trial.”
Gray said a number of players had remained in the system from 2022 while also bringing up recruits from the under-16s and welcoming new players to the Falcons system.
Gray recently travelled to Geelong with a number of Falcons talents to take part in a Melbourne Storm pre-season academy camp.
“Our Falcons boys did a really good job down there and took a lot away from being apart of that set up,” he said.
“It’s for those players that are on development or academy contracts to train alongside and get exposure to how those teams and that NRL system operates.”
Other rising Sunshine Coast Falcons players took part in sessions with opposing NRL clubs such as the Canberra Raiders and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
Gray said he was looking forward to the season.
“Playing finals footy is always a goal of ours but it’s honestly more about development and helping shape these players for what’s next,” he said.
“We want to help them as far along as possible and whether that’s them continuing their Falcons journey towards the NRL or just playing footy at a local level we want them in the best position possible moving forward.”
Joseph Meikle
“Joe’s come down from Murgon and is attending the University of the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
“He’s a big, strong, centre and a true hard working kid coming from a farm background.
“He’s new to the Falcons set up but has thrived in the environment.”
Tully McLellan
“Tully’s a fullback or can play in the halves,” he said.
“He’s on a Melbourne development contract and is a well rounded type of player.
“He’s got skill, he’s got speed, he’s got vision and he’s a great communicator so I’m looking forward to seeing him develop over the next few years.”
Chase Paterson
“Chase is a middle and edge player and is another that’s Melbourne development contracted,” he said.
“He’s the quintessential Storm player as he’s rough and tumble, does all the little one percenters and all the tidy up stuff really well.
“He’s very similar to your Ryan Hinchcliffe or your Dale Finucane-style players as an incredibly hard worker and is all effort.”
Mason Kira
“Mason was Melbourne contracted but has now signed a deal with the North Queensland Cowboys,” he said.
“He’s a big, strong, fast, skilful player in that middle forward or back row position.
“He’s also a big soft teddy bear off the field but is an aggressive human when he gets on the field that’s for sure.”
Kira also was also recently named alongside former Beerwah Bulldogs talent Mitchell Jennings, who represents the Melbourne Storm academy, in the Queensland under-18s Emerging Origin Squad.
Jett Thorpe Elich
“Jett’s a backrower who I believe is just in the process of signing a couple year development deal with the Melbourne Storm,” he said.
“He’s been a part of the academy for a couple of years now and impressed when he was down in Geelong recently.
“He’s a big and rugged edge backrower that’s incredibly skilful and a really smart footballer that works really hard.”
Jai Bowden
“Bowdo’s the same, he’s with Melbourne as well as a good young hooker,” he said.
“He’s a really clever little fella.
“He’s a schemer, looking to run all the time and create opportunities around the ruck constantly.”
Jayden Smith
“Jayden is contracted to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, he’s an edge backrower that could play centre as well but I think edge back rower is his spot,” he said.
“He’s big, he’s rangy, he’s fast and very skilful on the edge.
“He’s a smart kid that knows his job out there and knows what he’s got to do.”
Finn Lawson
“Finny is the ultimate utility,” he said.
“He’s a hooker, a halfback, a five-eighth, a fullback, he’s just the ultimate footballer.
“He’s a competitor and made the Queensland and Australian Schoolboys Rugby Union team last year after never even playing the sport.
“He’s the sort of kid that’s just happy to be in a jersey and we love having blokes like him in our footy team.”
Harvey Norman Women’s (U19s)
Head coach Dennis Moore, former Maroochydore Swans A-grade premiership winning coach, said he was excited to see how his side progressed through the season.
“It’s my first time coaching women’s rugby league so it’s a bit different to what I’m used and probably different for them too but the girls have improved a lot,” he said.
“A lot of them don’t have a big rugby league history or background so I’m pretty happy with their progress at this point.”
Moore said he was looking forward to round one.
“We had a good hit out in our first trial game against Norths Devils so I’m looking forward to seeing how we go in our other pre-season trial games,” he said.
“Training is one thing and they’ve been showing some good signs but proper matches will give us a better gauge and see where we go from there.”
Taylor Fitzgerald
“Taylor played at nine in our first trial match and was really strong,” he said.
“She’s very professional in how she gets about her business and how she does her job.
“She’s a quality number nine.”
Tianna Fry
“Tianna was strong in the middle of the park in our first hitout,” he said.
“There’s some work to do and improvement to come but she’s shown promising signs and produced a good start to the year.”
Kahurangi Hetaraka
“Kahu was strong in patches in our opening trial,” he said.
“Her fitness needs to be better as an edge second rower but she showed a lot of good signs and is an exciting prospect.”
Shannyn Harm
“Shannyn is one of our centres this season,” he said.
“She’s carrying a shoulder injury at the moment but was really strong and solid when she was on the field.
“I was really happy with her game and what she can bring to the side.”
Makayla Everding
“Makayla is our number six and captained the side in our first trial,” he said.
“She was really strong, we’re still sorting out combinations and patterns but she’ll improve with the more games she gets under her belt.”
Everding also represented the Queensland under-19 Sapphires team at the Women’s National Championship in 2022.
Nancy Sullivan
“Nancy was strong when she was on the park, again her fitness was down a bit but we expected that with a lot of the girls as we haven't had a big pre-season,” he said.
“She played on the edge and in the middle as our lock and was really promising.”
Lila Parr
“Lila at halfback was also really strong,” he said.
“She’s got good vision and passing skills.”
Takoda Thompson
“She played in the halves as well and was really good,” he said.
“We’ve got some good playmakers in the squad so adding Takoda to the mix is exciting.”
Hastings Deering Colts (U21s)
Head coach Cameron Boaza said it had been a tough pre-season with more to come until their first official match on April 23.
“Pre-season is always tough, this one is no different,” he said.
“A lot miles in the legs, progressively building towards becoming game ready.
“Our season starts quite a bit later than the Hostplus Cup meaning our pre-season continues until April with a few trials scattered in there.
“As with all Falcons squads, our aim is to be one of the fittest teams in the competition and I think we are on track for that.”
He said a number of players had shown improvement and promise in the early stages.
“We have had an influx of new players that have come here for an opportunity, some new to the area but a fair few local boys in there as well,” he said.
“We kept our selection fairly tight in terms of numbers because we will have a few of our elite 18-year-olds come into our squad and push for spots.
“Whilst it would be foolish to make predictions, I would like to think that we have a very well-balanced squad that is hungry to succeed.”
Blake Ginman
“Blake is a gritty hooker that plays well above his weight,” he said.
“He loves the rough stuff and brings a lot of energy when he is on the field.
“He has worked really hard over the pre-season and leads from the front.
“A great human and well respected among his peers.”
Riley Boaza
“A skilful middle forward with a strong carry,” he said.
“He’s got a really quick play the ball and we got some joy off that last year.
“He had a mixed 2022 season with injury but is looking to make a mark this year.”
Blake Woodford
“Woody is a no-nonsense ruckie,” he said.
“He’s tough, mobile and has a high work rate.
“He had an excellent year in 2022 earning himself a Queensland Cup pre-season.
“I am expecting him to have a great year.”
Kalani Sing
“Kalani is an outside back and is a Yeppoon product that moved to the Sunshine Coast late last year,” he said.
“He has taken a few boys by surprise because he’s a genuine speed machine.
“I am looking forward to seeing him bring the footy out of the back field and hopefully put a few tries away too.”
Harry Dwyer
“Harry has progressed into the squad from the Mal Meninga side last year,” he said.
“He’s a really skilful ballplayer through the middle and continues to develop that at the Colts level.”
Brendan Siebuhr
“He played a number of positions in 2022 filling in on the edge, but I think his best position is as an outside back,” he said.
“Siebs is really well spoken and an intelligent guy.
“He has also been with the Cup squad since before Christmas and has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
“The experience he has gotten at that level is really showing in the way he is approaching his footy.”
Garlen Peace
“Probably one of the nicest blokes you could meet,” he said.
“He’s a really reflective player that is always looking to be a better version of himself.
“He has been training mostly at fullback for us and he’s got a great work ethic and silky skills.”
Josh Chappell
“Originally a Dalby lad he’s come to us by way of the Parramatta Eels where he played in the junior grades,” he said.
“He is an excellent halfback with a great kicking game.
“When he has the footy it’s like he has all the time in the world.
“He has given the boys a lot of confidence when he steers them around.”
Mason Peut
“Mason is an exciting prospect that was our top try scorer last year,” he said.
“Playing in the centres he is lightning quick and has a knack for finding the tryline.”
Corey Herdegen
“Corey has been training exclusively with the Cup squad such is his determination and drive since arriving at the Falcons,” he said.
“He is a half that loves to run and his toughness has impressed many at the club.”
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