Junior Development

Noah Vakararawa started at hooker for the Byron Bay Devils in the 2024 NRRRL U18 Grand Final for the Byron Bay Devils against the Bilambil Jets with Noah Vakararawa scoring in the 47th minute of the Devils victory when after moving into dummy half with the play the ball a metre from the try line Noah Vakararawa threw a big dummy to his left before ediving over to get the ball down six metres to the left of the goal posts.

Noah Vakararawa made his initial foray out of dummy half in the 9th minute when he ran to his right through the centre of the field from thirty seven to forty seven metres from the try line before getting a left arm off-load away to his right as he was going to ground in a tackle.

Noah Vakararawa did well defensively in the 40th minute when he was involved in holding up the Bilambil lock forward four metres to the right of the goal posts.
 
Southport Tigers rugby league five eight and Coomera Crushers and Reds rugby U14 representative fly half Colten-Amotawa Pohe certainly has the skill and temperament to be a very successful rugby league player in the coming seasons, certainly one to keep an eye on.
 
Kings Christian College, Coomera Crushers and Queensland Country U14 Reds fullback or centre Tyler Lama was exceptional in 2024 and shapes as a very talented rugby/rugby league player in the very near future.
 
MJ Otunuku had a huge first season on the Gold Coast both representative rugby and rugby league for Keebar Park SHS and in 2025 in the U15 age group he will go from strength to strength.
 
Easts Tigers U14 GBJRL half and Logan Saints and Reds U14 Academy centre Kruz Hola continues the tradition of talented rugby/rugby league players from the Logan region who has the chance to develop into an outstanding player in either code.
 
The PBC SHS 2025 Hancock Cup squad has some exceptional talents in the ranks including stand out left second rower Brayden Rapata.

Only turned 15 in 2025 Brayden Rapata is certainly turning heads.
 
Endeavour Sports High second rower Chad Kamara is one second rower to note down a young player with some special qualities.
 
Will Picken continued at left centre for the Mullumbimby Giants in the Rescheduled Round Seven NRRRL First Grade match against the Evans Head Bombers and in the 11th minute from the right of the play the ball a Will Picken bumping run saw the ball moved from twenty five to thirty five metres from the try line.

Two minutes later in the 13th miunute a tough yardage carry from Will Picken through the centre of the field from the left of the play the ball saw him run the ball to ten metres away from his try line. Then in the 21st minute also from the left of the play the ball and also through the centre of the field Will Picken was able to break a tackle as he ran from nine to twenty three metres from his try line with one defender left on the ground in Will Picken’s wake. Also from the left of the play the ball in the 52nd minute another Will Picken yardage effort required four Bombers to eventually stop him make ten metres from ten metres out from his try line with approximately 70% of the metres gained being post contact.

In the 61st minute Will Picken ran out of dummy half to his right as he carried the ball from thirty eight metres from his try line to within two metres of the halfway mark. Then in the 64th minute from the left of a Mullumbimby scrum win Will Picken ran through the centre of the field from ten metres to twenty metres from the try line. Also from the left of a Giants scrum win in the 73rd minute made a further ten metres to within ten metres of the try line and in the 75th minute from the left of the play the ball Will Picken ran from twenty four to thirty seven metres from the try line.
 
Tama Darlington continued at hooker for the Southport Tigers in Round Six of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Currumbin Eagles with Tama Darlington with Tama Darlington scoring in the 48th minute when with the play the ball two metres from the try line Tama Darlington stepped to his right and after dummying in the same direction Tama Darlington targeted the try line and after initially being held up over the try line Tama Darlington was able to get the ball down in his right hand twelve metres in from the right corner post.

Tama Darlington also kicked two conversions with his initial conversion kicked in the 15th minute from five metres to the right of the posts. Tama Darlington added a second conversion in the 31st minute from three metres to the left of the posts and Tama Darlington could easily have made it three conversions in the 45th minute only for his conversion attempt from twelve metres in from the right touchline hit the right goal post and bouncing away.

Tama Darlington also recorded a try assist in the 30th minute when with the play the ball two metres from the try line Tama Darlington looked right but played left with a short well weighted pass to his left centre who crashed over to score five metres in from the left corner post.

Tama Darlington also made a line break in the 29th minute when after receiving a pass from his left from Austin Marsters, Tama Darlington burst through the centre of the field from three metres inside his half to fourteen metres into Currumbin’s.

Tama Darlington then made a second line break in the 41st minute with another burst through the centre of the field off a Joshua Seilupa off-load from his right from the halfway to twenty metres from the try line.

Tama Darlington was also heavily involved in a Southport try in the 60th minute when from the left of the play the ball and forty five metres from the try line Tama Darlington put a right foot chip towards the left touchline with the kick retrieved by his left winger with the Tigers scoring next to the left goal post two passes later.

Tama Darlington made his initial foray out of dummy half in the 21st minute with a right to his right and broke a tackle to get the ball from six metres inside his territory to ten metres into Currumbin’s.

Tama Darlington also put in a good short right foot goal line drop-out in the 41st minute with his drop-out to his left landing into the arms of his left centre.
 
Zac Murphy continued at halfback for the Southport Tigers in Round Six of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Currumbin Eagles with Zac Murphy kicking a 48th minute conversion from twelve metres to the right of the posts to convert a Tama Darlington try.

Zac Murphy recorded the first of his two try assists in the 31st minute when from the left of the play the ball Zac Murphy broke a tackle as he carried the ball from forty five to seventeen metres from the try line and then threw a pass inside to his right to his fullback who scored three metres to the left of the posts.

Zac Murphy recorded his second try assist in the 60th minute when he backed up on the inside of a Tama Darlington chip towards the left touchline and after the Southport left winger had taken possession of the ball he passed inside to Zac Muprhy who ran to his right and when ten metres from the try line found one of his front rowers with a short ball to his right for them to score ten metres to the left of the uprights.

Zac Murphy made a line break in the 50th minute when after taking possession of the ball to the left of the play the ball thirty eight metres from the try line Zac Murphy stepped off his left foot to beat one defender and break through the Currumbin defensive line with Zac Murphy veering to his left when confronted by the fullback only to be dragged down four metres from the try line near the left touchline with Southport scoring from Zac Murphy’s quick play the ball.

Zac Murphy also recorded a line break assist in the 22nd minute when after running the ball from forty to thirty five metres from the try line to the left of the dummy half Zac Murphy threw a cut-out pass to his left to allow his centre to make a line break down the left channel.

Zac Murphy also forced a Currumbin goal line drop-out in the 42nd minute with a left foot grubber kick from the left of the play the ball and twelve metres out into the in-goal with the ball having to be taken dead by the Eagles to require the goal line drop-out.

In the 23rd minute from the left of the play the ball Zac Murphy just kept running at the back peddling defensive line and as a result ran from thirty to within eleven metres of the try line.
 
Joshua Siulepa continued in the front row for the Southport Tigers in Round Seven of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Burleigh Bears with Joshua Siulepa returning the opening kick-off to the twenty one metre mark with Joshua Siulepa also taking the fifth hit up from the right of the play the ball and through the centre of the field from five metres inside his half to five metres into Burleigh territory. Then in the 8th minute a Joshua Siulepa kick-off return saw the ball get out to the twenty one metre mark.
 
Tama Darlington continued at hooker for the Southport Tigers in Round Seven of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Burleigh Bears with Tama Darlington scoring in the 58th minute when from twenty metres from the try line Tama Darlington put in a right foot chip kick for himself with the ball taking a horror bounce for the Burleigh fullback with Tama Darlington racing through and retrieving the ball on the first bounce in the in-goal area and running around to put the ball down under the posts.

Tama Darlington came close to scoring earlier in the match in the 12th minute with a dart out of dummy half to his left from close range only to be held up by three Bears defenders under the posts.

The 27th minute saw Tama Darlington run out of dummy half to his left to carry the ball from forty eight to thirty six metres from the try line before getting a right arm off-load away to his left to Zac Murphy.
 
Zac Murphy continued at halfback for the Southport Tigers in Round Seven of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Burleigh Bears with Zac Murphy scoring in the 18th minute when he backed up a line break by Austin Marsters and receive the pass from his left to score in the left corner from twenty metres out.

Zac Murphy also kicked a 58th minute conversion from in front to convert Tama Darlington’s good solo try.

Zac Murphy ran out of dummy half to his right in the 32nd minute then cut back to his left to target the area behind the markers and ran from thirty two to twenty metres from the try line after breaking a tackle.

Zac Murphy also made a great ball and all try saving tackle in the 37th minute on the Burleigh replacement right second rower No. 16 to stop him three metres from the sideline and wide on the left side of the field.
 
This weekend's Northern RIvers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup Round One side for their match against Monaro contains two of the hardest working players you will find in front rower Charlie Wood and lock Jett Prichard.
 
Joshua Siulepa started in the front row for the Southport Tigers in Round Nine of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Helensvale Hornets and in the 11th minute from a kick-off return Joshua Siulepa was able to get the ball out to the twenty six metre mark after breaking a tackle. Then from a Southport penalty restart in the 36th minute Joshua Siulepa charged onto the ball and was able to make twelve metres to get within twenty metres of the try line.
 
Micah Eteru continued at left second row started for the Southport Tigers in Round Nine of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Helensvale Hornets and Micah Eteru came close to scoring in the 8th minute only to be stopped within centremetres of the try line and twelve metres in from the left corner post after a ten metre run off a good held up pass from his right from Zac Murphy.

From the right of the play the ball but on the left side of the posts in the 45th minute and forty two metres from the try line Micah Eteru ran from thirty two to twenty metres from the try line before Southport were awarded a penalty after the Hornets were ruled off-side.
 
Brody Hawkins-Malcolm was back to start at right centre for the Southport Tigers in Round Nine of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Helensvale Hornets and in the 11th minute from wide on the right side of the field and after cutting inside off his left foot Brody Hawkins-Malcolm ran the ball from thirty to forty three metres from his try line.

From the left of the play the ball in the 24th minute and forty three metres from the try line Brody Hawkins-Malcolm was able to make ten metres and then in the 32nd minute down a short right blindside Brody Hawkins-Malcolm put in a short right foot grubber kick from twelve metres out and seemed set to score however the referee ruled that Brody Hawkins-Malcolm knocked the ball on just short of the try line.
 
Zac Murphy continued at halfback for the Southport Tigers in Round Nine of the 2024 GCRL U18 Division One competition with Zac Murphy making a line break in the 47th minute with a run out of dummy half to his left from thirty metres from his own try line and was able to beat four metres with some superb stepping including a counter clockwise spin to beat the Hornets fullback only to be dragged down from behind thirty metres from the try line in front of the posts.

Zac Murphy had come close to setting up a try for left second rower Micah Eteru when from the left of the play the ball Zac Murphy ran to his left and held up a good short ball ten metres from the try line who surged through a gap only to be tackled centremetres from the try line twelve metres in from the left corner post.
 
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