Titans School League 2025 Grand Finals: Top 32 players of the day
A “generational NRLW prospect” stole the day at the Titans Schools League grand final day while another player left the club’s chairman Dennis Watt awe-struck. Meet the players who got talent scout tongues wagging in Monday’s grand finals.
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Marymount College’s progression into the NRL Schoolboys Trophy was guaranteed but that didn’t stop the Burleigh Waters school from fighting its way to victory in the Titans Schools Cup on Monday evening.
Up against Keebra Park’s Year 11 side, which was unable to progress even with victory in the qualifying tournament, Ryder Abell’s Marymount side proved it was deserving even with that golden ladder.
A 16-0 victory, led by a brace of tries to winger Bryce Edwards and a third try to prop Lincoln Beddoes, was the perfect start to Term 3.
Marymount College’s Open Girls team was less fortunate, run down 34-8 by a booming Marsden State High School B team forward pack.
Aquinas College thwarted the best efforts of Tweed River State High School to win 12-0 in the Open Boys Challenge.
Keebra Park’s 9/10 girls were beaten by Marsden 24-6 but there was still some silverware returning to Southport, with Keebra’s 9/10 boys beating arch rivals Palm Beach Currumbin 30-10.
Scroll down for the stars of the day.
OPEN BOYS CUP
OPENS BOYS CHALLENGE GRAND FINAL
HARLEY PETERSEN
Aquinas’ field general halfback Harley Petersen kept his side’s foot on the throttle from start to finish in a player of the match performance. High bombs and running in equal measure on fifth tackle, Petersen dared Tweed River to keep up in a 12-0 grand final victory. Petersen brought a strong sidestepping game and playmaking vision. A brilliant short pass found centre Fynn Turner in space to score.
JESSE WHITTICK
Tweed’s backrower was an inspirational figure who led from the front. A wild man in contact, Whittick did concede penalties but created opportunities with his fearless defence. Whittick simply threw himself into every collision, popping offloads and was really a part of everything good about Tweed’s attack. Whittick flew around the field from sideline to sideline making plays.
FINN TURNER
Wearing No.5 but playing in the centres, Turner’s acceleration resembled a heat-seeking missile as he blasted out of the line to snuff out Tweed opportunities. That acceleration created plenty of power in contact too. It was fitting that he scored one of Aquinas’ two tries, finishing in space from a sharp Petersen pass.
CHRISTIAN FAIGAME
The lock forward resembled former Parramatta and South Sydney playmaker Chris Sandow in his prime - packing a ton of power into a compact frame. Faigame squared up the defensive line beautifully with raging carries and tried all the way to the end. The sight of Faigame soaking up defenders before popping an offload for a teammate to maximise the advantage was a common sight by the end of the game.
FLYNN MOORE
A Confraternity Carnival merit selection in Rockhampton, Moore was an intimidating force on the left edge for Aquinas. His booming kicks flipped the field every time and he rarely missed a tackle.
LACHLAN DICK
There’s a cliche about it not being about the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog and that’s simply perfect for Lachlan Dick. The interchange front rower might have been the smallest prop in the tournament but in raw courage he is a giant. Dick would stick his hand up for every carry no matter the size of the opponent in front of him. Teammates must love playing alongside him.
BRAYDEN HASIC
Aquinas’ fullback made his biggest impression on kick return where he charged the ball back to begin sets on the best possible note. That hunger for contact fired up Aquinas to take the battle direct to Tweed River.
MARSDEN OPEN GIRLS FINAL
MARSDEN No.5
The winger’s name was not uploaded to the match portal, leaving commentators and ground officials alike asking the same question: who on earth is Marsden No.5? She made a big impression on Titans chairman Dennis Watt during the 34-8 grand final victory over Marymount College, scoring two tries, putting on big hits and working relentlessly. Her second try, the final act of the final, followed a thumping tackle she made at the other end of the field to knock the wind and momentum out of Marymount. A fine player of the match performance for the mysterious No.5 - who was called up to receive her medal as ‘Marsden No.5’. One would not be surprised if Watt wandered over to sign her to a development deal on the spot.
DAKOTAH BRADY
Marsden’s five-eighth was playmaker in chief for the Logan school and enjoyed a whale of a game. A one-on-one strip, great footwork and brilliant deception to bamboozle defenders were Brady’s calling cards. Her finest moment was faking an inside ball before playing long for her dangerous right winger to score in final play. Brady added a handful of goals too.
MADISON MEAL
Fullbacks as a last line of defence have fallen somewhat out of fashion in rugby league’s modern era. Marsden No.1 Madison Meal clearly was never informed of that as she produced three trysaving tackles including a gasp-inducing effort to cut down a flying Isla Horvatic. Meal appeared from nowhere and rocked her opposite when a miss would have resulted in a certain six-point swing. Without Meal at the back Marsden may not have won the match at all.
KIARA WRIGHT
The Queensland under-19 representative is never far from the action and she was undoubtedly Marymount’s finest in the grand final. Industrious from lock forward, Wright was a relentless ball carrier and sharp tackler. Her ballplaying prowess created Marymount’s first try to middle forward mate Olivia McAlister, who shot through a hole opened by Wright’s late pass at the line. The only sour moment for Wright was a penalty conceded for a hair-pull - bumping her down from a 10/10 to a 9.5 performance.
EADEE DAMRO
Damro was a hero of the Confraternity Carnival in Rockhampton and has returned in the same form. The hooker unleashed a brilliant offload, completed a one-on-one strip, made strong front-on tackles and even a classic catch to save a wickedly spinning kick-off. A team of Damro’s 1-13 would never lose a game.
ELQUANEZ FAAMAUSILI
A proud member of one of the Gold Coast’s finest sporting families, Faamausili brought impressive physicality to the fight against a Marsden pack that had Marymount’s number for much of the contest. Elquanez helped shift the balance in the second half with thumping tackles and strong runs.
MARSDEN BENCH FORWARDS
More names left off the team-sheet which is a shame because they deserve to be shouted from the rooftops. Marsden’s reserve props, No.16 and No.19, were bulldozers in the middle of the field, beating defenders for fun.
YEAR 9/10 GIRLS PLAYERS OF THE DAY
CARAYANIDIS TA’AKIMOEAKA-PULU
Those among us old enough to remember Jason Taumalolo playing for the Cowboys under-20s will recognise the feeling of watching Marsden’s Ta’Akimoeaka-Pulu rip and tear against Keebra Park. The front row powerhouse presents as a generational NRLW front row talent. The Year 10 prop would stand eye-to-eye with any player in the league currently. Her two tries against Keebra in the Titans Schools Cup grand final were the difference in the 24-6 win, with the Gold Coasters unable to find an answer to the Queensland under-16 representative’s destructive carries. Player of the match and it is impossible to argue. “She was insane,” Titans NRLW player and match commentator Leilani Montgomery praised.
INDIANA FAAAOGA-ANDREWS
Marsden’s five-eighth was outstanding with her workrate in attack and defence, great deception, robust tackling and some quality shots on goal. In a frenetic fixture that was often breathless in tempo and intensity, Faaaoga-Andrews was the cool hand on the rudder. She also pulled off the shot of the game when she read to perfection a Keebra Park blindside scrum play, popping up out of nowhere to smash the ball carrier as she thought she spotted a clearing to run. Faaaoga-Andrews scored a try early and never slowed down.
PEYTON FAKAOSILEA
Marsden’s backrower is a relation of rugby union stars Jonah Lomu, Will Skelton, Mils Muliaina and current Aussie Sevens and Wallaroos standout Alysia. The apple has not fallen far from the tree, with Peyton showing off tackle-busting prowess, linebreaking speed and a fast, accurate cut-out pass. In a team full of standouts Fakaosilea - another Queensland under-16 rep - was one of Marsden’s best.
MALEEA TE KOTAHI
Keebra Park’s hooker was one of the game’s biggest hitters, regularly getting under the ribs of opponents and driving them backwards. Te Kotahi’s workrate in the middle was eye-catching particularly given the size of the Marsden pack she was tasked with chopping down.
OLIVIA FILIKITONGA
Keebra Park’s No.10 is a back fence specialist and sent defenders flying in the opening carries of both halves. In a fierce front row battle with Ta’Akimoeaka-Pulu, Filikitonga fought valiantly to keep her side on the front foot.
YEAR 9/10 BOYS PLAYERS OF THE DAY
RIRO WHAKARAU REIHANA
There were few better moments to sum up Keebra Park’s 30-10 Boys 9/10 Titans Schools League grand final than when barnstorming prop Riro Whakarau Reihana returned a kick-off 60m, barrelling through defenders like they weren’t even there. Reihana beat more defenders than this scribe could count, with few opposition players capable of countering the Maori product’s immense power. Reihana scored a try moments after his big linebreak and Keebra scored within two tackles of his next few carries as well. If we were casting for an Indiana Jones remake, Reihana would be the boulder.
KUNDAI MUNYENYIWA
Munyenyiwa opened the scoring for Keebra Park when he poked the ball loose early in the tackle count and with PBC with its back to the tryline. The speedy winger snatched up the ball and fended off his man to cross in the corner for a tone-setter early. His second try was quality finishing off a Brendan Tattam cut-out pass. His late game shift to right centre saw Munyenyiwa add a linebreak assist to his game too in a fine performance.
ELIJAH GELLING
An emerging superstar, Gelling was responsible for the highlight play of the match when he broke the line carrying against the grain. The Western Australian product sidestepped no fewer than seven defenders on a weaving 50m dash that ended with the ball planted by the right upright. How Gelling spends any time off the field is a wonder to this scribe - the young Maori is lightning in a bottle, at backrow or centre.
ALAMONI TAIONE
Keebra Park’s entire forward pack could be listed here but Taione was arguably the school’s best in the final against PBC. Post-contact metres were a constant, even if Taione didn’t shake off as many defenders as lock M’jayeCarter Perenara or rumbling backrower Cuba Tavita. Taione was nevertheless a follow me into the trenches presence and a player PBC never wanted to see coming.
KAYD RAHIRI
Palm Beach Currumbin didn’t have much to crow about in a grand final dominated by Keebra’s forward pack but industrious hooker Rahiri can hold his head high. The lightweight rake scored a fine opportunist’s try from dummyhalf and never quit even as the odds piled ever higher against his team.
CHIECK BANGURA
The Keebra Park centre twice ragdolled opponents into touch, proving a major defensive threat on the right edge. Any traffic sent his way was at risk of a turnover and PBC wisely steered clear after the three-quarter made the point twice. Later in the match the flyer pulled off a cheeky goose step, fooling nobody but putting a smile on the faces of spectators.
BRENDAN TATTAM
The Keebra Park fullback was the smallest player on the field but showed what a deadly threat he could be when he chimed into the backline and let rip a fiery cut-out pass to find Munyenyiwa for his second try of the match. Tattam’s speed was eye-catching in his opportunities.
Originally published as Titans School League 2025 Grand Finals: Top 32 players of the day
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