Class of 2024: Where North Queensland’s top rugby league schoolboys and girls will play in 2025
As the school year comes to a close, North Queensland’s top year 12 schoolboy and schoolgirl rugby league stars have set their sights on the future. See where they’re heading to play in 2025.
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As the school year comes to a close, North Queensland’s top year 12 schoolboy and schoolgirl rugby league stars have set their sights on the future.
More than 40 local players have already aligned themselves with NRL or state league clubs for the 2025 season, some of them moving as far as the New South Wales South Coast for their next opportunity in the sport.
While the Townsville Blackhawks junior sqauds are usually stacked with talent from Townsville’s two major schoolboy nurseries – Kirwan State High School and Ignatius Park College – there are 11 players in the under-19s squad for next year that graduate in 2024.
Exciting Kirwan Bears fullback Logan Brookes will make the trek to Sydney to join Wests Tigers for the Jersey Flegg under-21s pre-season.
Brookes finished the year playing for the Charters Towers Miners A-grade side which made it through to Rugby League Townsville and District’s preliminary final, proving he has what it takes to match it on the field with grown men despite not turning 18 until December.
The livewire outside back will have his chance to impress head coach Leon Latulipe before possibly moving down to the Wests Magpies or Balmain Tigers SG Ball team for the under-19s season.
Brookes could join Bears teammate Dane Ransom at the famous Magpies of the inner-west, where Kirwan’s imposing middle forward has agreed to play in 2025.
The pair or two of five Sydney-bound players from Kirwan; Cohen Dittmann returns to the Sydney Roosters, Wil Hope will head to Newcastle to join the Knights and Grizzlies forward Maryanne Tuitavake will play for the St George Dragons in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
KIRWAN STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Taakoi Benioni (North Queensland Cowboys Young Guns)
Davidson Benioni (North Queensland Cowboys Young Guns)
Cohen Dittmann (Sydney Roosters – SG Ball)
Logan Brookes (Wests Tigers – Jersey Flegg U21s)
Dane Ransom (Wests Magpies – SG Ball U19s)
Wil Hope (Newcastle Knights)
Heath Bethel (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Zane Bethel (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Marley Proctor (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Ben Roebuck (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Ryan Van Zanden (Mackay Cutters – Mal Meninga Cup)
Kyle Bader (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Bryce Fincham (Townsville Blackhawks / Northern Pride – Mal Meninga Cup)
Zaleah Mosby-Nona (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
Sari Ericson (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
Lyriah Kelemete (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
IGNATIUS PARK COLLEGE
Connor Sadler (Illawarra Steelers – SG Ball U19s)
Patrick Krause (Ipswich Jets – Mal Meninga Cup)
Kyhnaan Kenndy (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Bruce Baudu (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Chase Sheppard (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Kynan Purdy (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Jayden Ryan (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Sean Weir (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
ST MARGARET MARY’S COLLEGE
Ana Ahmat (St George Dragons – Tarsha Gale Cup U19s)
Ebony Sotheren-Hatton (St George Dragons – Tarsha Gale Cup U19s)
Taya Bowie (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
Breht Whyke (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
Olivia Fletcher (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
Jakaia Collett (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
RYAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE
Landon Meres (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Darcy Poole (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
COLUMBA CATHOLIC COLLEGE
Max Campbell (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
ALL SOULS ST GABRIEL’S SCHOOL
Mickey Luke (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Corey Musk (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
GILROY SANTA MARIA COLLEGE
Jaia Poppi (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
Adele Jensen (Townsville Blackhawks – Under-19s)
ST TERESA’S COLLEGE. ABERGOWRIE
Meshak David (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
CALVARY COLLEGE
Dylan Gourley (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
AYR STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Archer Swindley (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
TOWNSVILLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Joshua Crawford (Townsville Blackhawks – Mal Meninga Cup)
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Originally published as Class of 2024: Where North Queensland’s top rugby league schoolboys and girls will play in 2025
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