Warwick Cowboys coach breaks down 10 players to watch in the 2024 season | PLAYER PROFILES

Following a terrific showing over the weekend in the Basil Nolan Shield clash, the Warwick Cowboys are on fire and flying. Here are the stars set to light up the competition.

Michael HudsonJournalist

@hudsonjourno

2 min read

March 14, 2024 - 12:44PM

Warwick Cowboys have won the Basil Nolan Memorial Shield after thrashing rivals Wattles (Photo: Warwick Cowboys)

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As the 2024 TRL season kicks off with a bang, the top boss of the Rose City’s only team in the competition is feeling confident for a good result this season.

Col Speed’s first season with the Cowboys resulted in a top-half finish on the table, finishing in fifth in the 2023 season.

It’s a far cry from their 2022 season where they finished in seventh place.

Speed’s men play an exciting football and the coach’s passion burns through his playing style, previously winning three premierships and two local cups and with three different sides in NSW.

In fact, the Grafton Daily Examiner called Speed “the North Coast’s most decorated rugby league coaches”.

Rugby league coach Col Speed spent time in the Clarence Valley, and with the Newtown Lions before moving to the Rose City with the mighty Cowboys. (Photo: Bill North)

Then he made the move to Queensland, coaching Newtown in the TRL, before dropping down to the Southern Downs from last season.

Over the weekend, Speed’s men thrashed local rivals Wattles in a powerhouse performance at the Basil Nolan Shield derby.

Tui Oloapu, Jake Speed, Joseph Vite, Nick Chapman, Josh Robinson, Swit Sakiki and Nick Carrie all got on the score sheet to trump Wattles 38-14.

Cowboys captain Mitch Wilson (Photo: QRL)

Col Speed told the TRL on Saturday night it was an honour to win the shield, and he knew how much it meant to the community and described the feeling as “very special”.

“There’s a few things we could work on, but I’m very proud of the spine in particular, I thought our two halves were exceptional,” Speed said.

“Defence wins games and we’ve got to pride ourselves on that, we’re growing as we go.”

Speed told The Chronicle he was expecting big seasons from the likes of Brock Pattie, Nick Chapman and Mitch Wilson but his squad’s overall dynamic would be their biggest strength.

The Chronicle’s sports team predicted a solid top five finish for Speed’s men, “with the bulk of their 2023 squad retained they should hit the ground running and if their attack clicks they’ll be hard to beat”.

Warwick's Tui Oloapu was named Hutchies Player of the Match (Photo: TRL/ Facebook)

Young gun Tui Oloapu was named player of the match at the weekend, one of Speed’s first signings for the Cowboys.

Oloapu was scouted by the Parramatta Eels when he was 15 and has spent five years sharpening his skills with the western Sydney side before making the move to rugby, then going on to play with the Western Bulldogs Rugby League Club.

Coach Speed said Oloapu will be an interesting player to watch and will give a lot of guidance and mentorship to some of the younger players.

“His leadership and his quality is outstanding,” Speed said on Saturday.

Here’s Col’s players to watch in 2024 and what you need to know about them:

ALFRED VITE

AGE: 23

POSITION: Prop

JUNIOR CLUB: Margere East Hawks (New Zealand)

FAVOURITE PLAYER: Nick Pails

MOST ANNOYING TEAMMATE: Harry Sullivan

NICKNAME: Fred

CALEB MURPHY