QLD Junior Reps round four: Connell, Meninga, Harvey girls Teams of the Week

Meninga Cup, Connell and Harvey girls Teams of the Week, including the next generation of Dolphins’ signings working their way through the junior rep scene. Story here.

Dolphins supporters, you can edge forward on your seats. The junior production line is picking up pace with the likes of Noah Fien, Charlie Dickson, Lincoln Dalton and Brian Pouniu ramping up their game.

All four have been named in our Connell Cup round 4 Team of the Week.

Like his father Nathan, Noah is a nice ball player with vision who can play half or hooker, while Dickson is the type of player successful teams were built around.

Nathan Fien in his playing days. Picture: Scott Radford-chisholm

Pouniu wears jersey No.11 and plays with the power of a forward, yet he has the agility of a centre. He has a great first step in either direction.

And in the Norths Devils line-up is another Dolphins signed young gun - Devils No.13 Lincoln. The Brisbane Grammar School student has made our Connell Team of the Week.

Noah Fien was all class on Saturday for Redcliffe.

HN UNDER-17 TEAM OF THE SEASON

JUNIOR REPS ROUND 4 REPORTS

Connell Cup Team of the Week

There is a nice Queensland country flavour to our Connell side this week.

Clydesdales back rower Shaun Elara, Cutters outside back Toby Woodall, Toowoomba powerhouse Joseph Litidamu, Blackhawks hooker ace Cooper Cox, Blackhawks forward brunt

Taakoi Benioni, Cutters George Gofton and a terrific trio from Capras - hooker Jay Marsh, middle forward Henry Kallquist and prop Parker Gallagher all named.

A fourth Capras’ forward, No.13 Jake Oberhardt, was the first Special Mention player chosen but could easily have made our top 20.

Cyril Connell Cup players for Western Clydesdales (from left) Brodie Hilt, Braithen Scott and Shaun Elara. Elara scored two on Sunday.

The Team

1.Toby Woodall (Cutters)

2. Santino Pekepo-Tevaga (Tweed)

3. Joseph Litidamu (Clydesdales)

4. Jake Carsburg (Redcliffe)

5. Ioane Tiatia (Ipswich)

6. Tiger Campbell (Ipswich)

7. Noah Fien (Redcliffe)

8. Xzavier Timoteo (Ipswich)

9. Cooper Cox (Blackhawks)

10. Shaun Elara (Clydesdales)

11. Taakoi Benioni (Blackhawks)

12. Brian Pouniu (Redcliffe)

13. Lincoln Dalton (Norths)

14. Jay Marsh (Capras)

15. Henry Kallquist (Capras)

16. Te ara Tamepo-Habib (Souths Logan)

17. Charlie Dickson (Redcliffe)

18. Parker Gallagher (Capras)

19. George Gofton (Cutters)

20. Emmanuel Asomua (Souths Logan)

Special mentions:

Max Blanch. Connell Cup under-17s action between the Tigers and Dolphins. Sunday, February 11, 2024.

Jake Oberhardt (Capras), Ezekiel Jones (Wynnum), Fa’apale Feaunati (Souths Logan), Harvey Smith (Tweed), Jack White (Tweed), Josiah Fa’aoso (Tweed), Cayde Miller (Pride), Cooper Meares (Pride) Jack Turner (Pride), Max Blanch (Tigers), Flynn Dalton (Norths)

Fa'apale Feaunati.

Harvey Norman under-19s Team of the Week

Cutters halfback and captain Mersades Lawson was the first player chosen in our Team of the Week.

Mackay Cutters’ halfback and captain Mersades Lawson. Picture: Evan Morgan

A member of the Walkerston Wanderers Under 18 premiership winning side last year in Mackay, Lawson ran her side beautifully in a hard fought win over arch rivals Capras.

Her teammate Ken Kimber also ran strongly and defended well, making it into the centres.

Souths Logan prop Ma’u Halatoa also impressed with her endurance.

Match fit after enduring steamy conditions over the first three rounds, Halatoa played the long game and was just as effective late as she was early in the match.

Wynnum Manly’s Mariah Brown earned the five-eight position the hard way after having to shift into a play making role due to injury.

Mariah Brown is a previous Queensland Schoolgirls selection (2022) and hsa been stellar for Steve Casey’s under-19s team this season.

Jets hooker Vaitafao-Gisele Masun-Feleti had to be our first choice hooker after her three try effort.

The Team

Reegan Hicks has been on a mission this season.

1. Tomiko Hirakawa (Pride)

2. Angel Austin (Souths Logan)

3. Brandy Yallop (Blackhawks)

4. Jen Kimber (Cutters)

5. Reegan Hicks (Redcliffe, she played centre but we moved her to wing)

6. Mariah Brown (Wynnum Manly)

7. Mersades Lawson (Cutters)

8. Ma’u Halatoa (Souths Logan)

9. Vaitafao-Gisele Masun-Feleti (Ipswich)

10. Mackenzie Zeller (Clydesdales)

11. Vyeisha Tuua (Redcliffea)

12. Sienna Smith (Tweed)

13. Kiera Rangi (Redcliffe)

14. Luciah Silao (Ipswich)

15. Lana Makin (Tweed)

16. Tusitina Fale (Souths Logan)

17. Charlotte Wells (Wynnum Manly)

18. Layla Amaru (Souths Logan)

19. Hayley Bush (Wynnum Manly)

20. Takoda Thompson (Falcons)

21. Layla Geck (Pride)

22. Zebadiah Latu Mulumulu (Ipswich)

23. Thalia Clarke (Blackhawks)

24. Relna Hosea (Tigers)

25. Tiresa Elika (Tigers)

Special mentions: 

Patricia Wani.

Teehsa Potts (Pride), Shannyn Harm (Falcons), Maddison Riley (Clydesdales), Kimberly Bryant (Pride), Mikeely Scott (Clydesdales), Mercedez Taulelei-Siala (Tweed), Bernadette Papani (Redcliffe), Armarni-lea Auvae (Redcliffe), Mya Sautia (Redcliffe), Raewyn Olomalii (Redcliffe), Patricia Wani (Tigers), Shaylee Joseph (Tigers), Alice Shannon (Tigers), Kaea Daniels-Harris (Norths), Ally Ramsay (Norths).

Meninga Cup Team of the Week

While he didn’t make our actual Team of the Week, Will Quinn’s performance with limited opportunities for the Tigers against Norths caught the eye.

The Devils won well, 42-6, bringing the Tigers back to earth after the euphoria of their drought breaking win a week earlier.

Norths’ ball control, ruck speed, and sustained pressure across all positions overwhelmed the Tigers who had the will, but couldn’t find a way to stem the tide.

With little ball, Quinn produced classical centre play to three times make something out of nothing.

If Norths’ left edge cover defence had not been so good, the Tigers could have had at least two more tries courtesy of Quinn’s footwork and speed. You can’t coach speed and this youngster has it.

At the other end of the scale, the Townsville Blackhawks’ bruise brothers, Ashden Lafferty, Lozanzo Fono, Kanye Pua’avase and Colby Thomson got the job done defensively and carrying the ball.

And who could forget about Wynnum Manly skipper Harry Armstrong. The headgeared bandit produced a three try effort which was the difference in the Seagulls 36-16 victory over the Magpies.

Talk about a captain’s knock.

Harry Armstrong had a blinder at the weekend.

Down the coast, rangy fullback Mason Barber was again superb. He scored two tries for Tweed in its 22-all draw with Redcliffe. John Fineanganofo didn’t miss a beat, the utility scoring two tries in his return from a shoulder injury.

The Dolphins have high hopes for the versatile Fineanganofo who returned with a double on Saturday. Picture, John Gass

The Team

1. Mutua Brown (Cutters)

2. Mason Barber (Tweed)

3. Luke Cesari (Clydesdales)

4. Joseph Meikle (Falcons)

5. Jeriah Vagana-Malaitai (Jets)

6. Keaton Stutt (Jets)

7. Jahrel Iselin-Jansen (Norths)

8. Patrick Kailahi (Redcliffe)

9. Fletch Prendergast (Clydesdales)

10. Ashden Lafferty (Blackhawks)

11. Lozanzo Fono (Blackhawks)

12. Harry Armstrong (Wynnum Manly)

13. Lauloto Salei (Norths)

14. John Fineanganofo (Redcliffe)

15. Tait Coghlan (Falcons)

16. Lachlan Erba (Blackhawks)

17. Brandon Roberts (Cutters)

18. Jaxon Purdue (Cutters)

19. Kanye Pua’avase (Blackhawks)

20. Colby Thomson (Blackhawks)

21. Tyrell Hopkins (Falcons)

22. LJ Nonu (Redcliffe)

Special mentions: Ethan Van Kerkwyk (Cutters), Jiale Litidamu (Clydesdales), Will Quinn (Tigers), , Kanye Pua’avase, Colby Thomson (both Blackhawks), the Harrison brothers Zane and Isaac (Tweed), Prestyn Laine-Sietu (Redcliffe)

Harvey Norman under-17 Team of the Week

The Glennie School’s Pypah Ferguson made the Team of the Week.

Tweed Seagulls prop Saskia Croyston and Clydesdales’ back row trio of Pypah Ferguson, Leteena Medlande and Tayla Horrobin have played themselves to the brink of Queensland selection after gala stints in the Harvey Norman under 17s competition.

All four forwards made our round 4 Team of the Week, with Croyston rising to the occasion against Redcliffe while Ferguson, Medlande and Horrobin were a big reason for their side dousing the Sunshine Coast Falcons on Sunday.

Two other Clydesdales, ace fullback Mia Byrnes and young gun hooker Ava Mitchell, were in our team, with Tenterfield’s Mitchell now a contender for the NSW schoolgirls side.

Croyston has been a revelation this season with her athletic middle forward play.

She looks an absolute natural and with hard work, should continue to progress through the ranks the more experience she gathers.

Her club coach, Veronica White, could not help but be impressed “after some sizzling performances this year’’.

White knows what she is talking about - she coached the historic first ever Queensland schoolgirls to its win over NSW two years ago.

The 17s Team of the Week has a nice country flavour to it this week, with the likes of Ebony Temple (Cutters), Pride No.13 Lisa Waireg, Siena Tabacchi (Blackhawks), her teammate Jakaia-Lee Collett (Blackhawks), Capras’ pair Zoe Robson and Caydence Fouracre representing their regional regions.

CQ Capras under-17 footy sensation Caydence Fouracre.

We named three try hero Robson, the Capras’ fullback, at centre just to get her into this hotly contested squad.

Souths Logan’s Lili Lewis, fresh from her 32 point haul (four tries and eight goals) made the side of course as did another repeat selection, Tigers hooker Enah Desic.

The Team

1. Mia Byrnes (Clydesdales)

2. Siena Tabacchi (Blackhawks)

3. Layla Satui (Redcliffe)

4. Zoe Robson (Capras)

5. Natalia Hickling (Tweed)

6. Torah Luadaka (Tweed)

7. Lili Lewis (Souths Logan)

8. Mele Misa (Souths Logan)

9. Enah Desic (Tigers)

10. Porche John (Tigers)

11. Leteena Medlande (Clydesdales)

12. Tayla Horrobin (Clydesdales)

13. Easter Taualai (Norths)

14. Kameryn Bray (Tigers)

15. Memphis Tanielu (Norths)

16. Shar-Lene Nati (Redcliffe)

17. Sarah McGuire (Falcons)

18. Kaylee Booth (Tweed)

19. Caydence Fouracre (Capras)

20. Pypah Ferguson (Clydesdales)

21. Lisa Waireg (Pride)

22. Ebony Temple (Cutters)

23. Macey Evans (Capras)

24. Jakaia-Lee Collet (Blackhawks)

Special mentions: Harmony Harris (Redcliffe), Makayla Elliott (Falcons), Luisa Olomalii (Redcliffe) Aaliyah Murray (Clydesdales), Riley-Jay Henry-Purcell (Tigers), Bella Alo (Souths Logan), Orianna Clark (Tigers), Marley Chan (Falcons) , Lucy Sammut (Falcons), Luisa Olomali’i (Redcliffe), Alex Bukowski (Capras), Channelle Williams (Capras), Madeline Johnson (Capras), Sienna Trew (Souths Logan), Amanii Misa (Souths Logan), Janique Mili (Souths Logan), Kaylani Tavita (Souths Logan), Sky-yvette Faimalie (Tigers), Tia Molo (Redcliffe).

Originally published as QLD Junior Reps round four: Connell, Meninga, Harvey girls Teams of the Week