The Garden City league stars set to shine at Pacific Championships

Toowoomba players could shape where the Pacific Championships trophy ends up with a number of players tied to the city in action. Find out who are new international league stars are here.

Western Clydesdales forward Jessikah Reeves will play for the PNG Orchids at the Pacific Championships. Picture: Benny Hassum Photography

Bonds formed during their inaugural BMD Premiership campaign will be tested this Friday when three Western Clydesdales teammates go head-to-head in the Pacific Championships.

Jillaroos stars Ali Brigginshaw and Kezie Apps will square off against Jessikah Reeves when Australia play the PNG Orchids in game one of the women’s championships.

Brigginshaw and Apps will also face another teammate in week two with Leianne Tufuga named in the Kiwi Fearns.

Week 3 will round out the clash of the Clydesdales with PNG and New Zealand squaring before the finals are played.

Ahead of the men’s and women’s Pacific Championships we’re taking a quick look at the Clydesdales in action including Esom Ioka.

Ali Brigginshaw.

Ali Brigginshaw

Team: Australia Jillaroos

Securing the signature of Oakey Bears junior Shenae Ciesiolka was a massive win for the Clydesdales.

Ciesiolka was the type of local star the Clydesdales wanted to build their squad around and she bought one of Australian rugby league’s greatest ever players, Brigginshaw, with her.

With more than 50 NRLW, QLD and Australia games on her resume, Brigginshaw bought a wealth of experience, skill and passion to the Clydesdales side.

She was a key figure on and off the field and wrote her name into the history books as the Clydesdales’ first ever try scorer.

Kezie Apps.

Kezie Apps

Team: Australia Jillaroos

Apps stint with the Clydesdales was brief but dazzling with her signing giving the side instant credibility.

In three games for the side she made 49 tackles and averaged 142 run metres per game.

One of rugby league’s most decorated female players, Apps was called into the NSW Blues squad for its extended camp ahead of this year’s three game series.

She co-captained the Blues alongside Isabelle Kelly.

Leianne Tufuga

Team: Kiwi Fearns

The 28-game NRLW veteran was one of the Clydesdales best this season.

Alongside teammate and 2024 Steph Hancock Player of the Year medallist Tara Reinke, Tufuga was a force to be reckoned with.

She led the league in post contact metres, total run metres and tackles.

Across 10 games she scored four tries and averaged 154m per game.

Leianne Tufuga.

Jessikah Reeves

Team: PNG Orchids

With the likes of Reeves, Rienke, Apps and Steph Hancock on the park the Clydesdales had one of the best pack in the BMD Premiership.

Despite being just 23 years of age – Reeves bought a wealth of big game experience and consistency to the Garden City.

Reeves provided the drive every coach wants from their bench forward averaging 70m per game.

She was also a tough player to beat in defence making 177 tackles in the season at a tackle efficiency of nearly 90 per cent.

Esom Ioka.

Esom Ioka

Team: Cook Islands

The Clydesdales most experienced played every minute of every game this season.

Ioka’s efforts last year – his and the Clydesdales first Hostplus Cup season – earned him his first ever Cook Islands jersey.

Speaking to this masthead Ioka said playing in the 2023 Pacific Championships was a dream come true.

“That was unreal, it has always been a dream of mine to represent my country and I was happy I got to do that,” he said.

“Learning off all those experienced players, it has helped me and my game.”

During his time in the Cook Islands squad, Ioka learned from former Queensland Maroons and Brisbane Broncos star Karmichael Hunt and scored two tries in two games.

Building on that experience Ioka was one of the form players for the Clydesdales this season.