Generation next: Every U16, U18, U21 and U19 women’s Western Clydesdales players named

The Western Clydesdales are already preparing for the future – selecting the best young stars southwest Queensland has to offer for their ‘junior’ teams. We name every new player here.

LEAGUE: Less than six months the Western Clydesdales will still battling to secure their place in the 2023 Hostplus Cup.

Now the club’s senior players are preparing for life in Queensland’s top tier of league and they already have an eye on the future.

Earlier this week the Clydesdales named their under-18 and U21 men’s squads as well their U19 women’s squad – they players they hope will one day represent club and region at the senior level.

Well known Toowoomba Rugby League identity Gus McKellar has swapped Highfields Eagles nest for the Western Clydesdales stable with the former Valleys Roosters premiership winner taking up a coaching role.

McKellar has taken the reins of the under-21 side and is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“It’s a good opportunity for me and more importantly a good opportunity for the players involved,” McKellar said.

“We’ve had the junior teams for a while now, but once our (region’s) players hit 18 years old we would lose them down the range or elsewhere because they were seeking the chance to play at a higher level. That wasn’t a fault of the players – we just didn’t have that opportunity for them to progress.

“Now that we have a team in the Hostplus Cup we can provide that next step.

“I’m excited to join the club because now we can work on closing that gap – ideally in five or 10 years time we (the Clydesdales) would be mostly players who have come up through the system.”

The Clydesdales have named nearly 40 players in their current U21 men’s squad.

That number will be reduced closer to the start of the 2023 season with McKellar taking a two-pronged approach to coaching.

“We had nearly 70 players trial – with a few making the trip up from Sydney and Newcastle as well as players from Brisbane and the coast,” he said.

“Having the Hostplus Cup side certainly generated that extra interest.

“The main focus for all the current players needs to be on the under-21 season, but at the same time we (the coaching staff) need to provide them with as many tools as possible to be ready to play at that next level in the future.”

Cyril Connel Challenge U16 boys

Daniel Brown, Raymond O’Neill, Jared Castle, Hunter Price, Beau Collier, Declan Reen, Shaun Elara, Kalin Roberts, Kail Eustace, Harry Robinson, Dustin Golding, Waynos Salase-Edmonds, William Hanlon, Braithen Scott, Jack Hellyer, Charlie Stafford, Brodie Hilt, Fletcher Tate-Roche, Riley Jackson, Oscar Vukovich, Joseph LItidamu, Matthew Walsh, Anthony Lonergan, Mitch Wilkes, Samuel Lowien, Tyson Woods, Lachlan Lyons, Riley Zanette, Eamon Malone, Koen Zerbst, Lachlan McGrath. Head Coach: Ned Murphy. Assistant Coach: Jim Sankey

Mal Meninga Cup U18 boys

Conor Atwell, Lyucian King-Togia, Luke Cesari, Connor Lacey, Mitchel Clem, Matthew Moore, Lyncoln Cliffe, Bailey Nash, Jackson Cole, Patrick Nolan, Lleyton Dodd, Jai Purser, Matthew Drews, Bailey Rathmell, Braiden Driscoll, Brock Sankey, Jake Durie, Amdes Saunders, Harry Eyers, Aston Fortier, Bud Smith, Joseph Gillett, Benjamin Waters, Toby Harms, Mason Watson, Aaron Hinch, Matthew Williams, Head Coach: Paul Boase.

Assistant Coach: Scott Schultz

Hastings Deering Colts U21 men

Will Batten, Rhyan Legge, Oliver Bichel, Braden Leigh, Max Brady, Jeffrey Lingwoodock, Zac Brown, Connor Nicholls, Kaden Buhse, Regan Oldham, Damien Burrows, Regan Olsen, Nicholas Carrie, Brock Patti, Darcy Carswell, Joshua Quinlan, Oliver Chaffey, Reico Ratana, Connor Clement, Jacob Robinson, Alex Donn, Declan Ryan, Hayden Ensbey, Blake Sampson, Brayden Falvey, Zane Santarossa, Lachlan Fanning, Jake Self, Braydon Ferguson, Caleb Tane, Thomas Hatch, Cooper Tate-Roche, Hunter James, Will Taylor, Flynn Kaiser-Capewell, Jakeem Thompson, Chad Lebsanft, Kai Williamson-Duggan. Head Coach: Gus McKellar.

Assistant Coach: Steve Rach.

Harvey Norman Cup U19 women

Dorothea Amber-Tabuai, Taylor Logan, Jessica Barnes, Reagan McMillan, Halle Belford, Chelsea Middleton, Mariah Brown, Sarah Moran, Elly Close, Charlotte Morcom, Katelyn Collie, Eliza Morcom, Poppie Collins, Chloe Pallisier, Reyna Core, Jessica Parkes, Natalie Crouch, Shanarlii Peckham, Lucy Davis, Maddison Riley, Anna Dingley, Shontai Saunders,

Libby Dunn, Imagele Tuesley, Jessica Fitzgibbons, Morgan Tyson, Gemma Gray, Leah Walker, Rianna Haverhoek, Zoe Woods, Breanna Hoskin, Bonnie Zappa, Kirra Howard, Mackenzie Zeller, Maya Jackson, Cheyenne Zirbel, Rashae King. Head Coach: Russell Jones. Assistant Coach: Elle Moss