Welcome to League of Titans

My take on our top juniors

Brooklyn Campbell. In early 2024 Brooklyn Campbell signed a multi-year contract with the Titans.

Brooklyn Campbell was part of a Future Titans U14 Invitational side that played a touring New Zealand U14 side at Tweed Heads in July 2023 in his first appearance in a Titans jersey with the Titans prevailing in a high quality match.

In 2023 Brooklyn Campbell played for Toowoomba Brothers in the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League U14 competition with Brooklyn Campbell starting at lock and captaining the Toowoomba Brothers side over the course of the season.

When Brooklyn Campbell scored one try he invariably scored a second in the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League U14 competition with this situation arising in Round Two against Gatton, Round Six against Dalby and Round Eight against Toowoomba Valleys.

Brooklyn Campbell went one try better than usual by scoring a hat trick in Round Eleven against Highfields and Districts.

Week One of the Finals series saw Brooklyn Campbell start at lock and captain and score against Gatton. Brooklyn Campbell also started at lock in Toowoomba Brother’s Preliminary Final loss.

Brooklyn Campbell also captained Toowoomba Brothers at the 2023 Adrian Vowles Cup with Brooklyn Campbell named at lock in the 2023 Adrian Vowles Cup U14 Dream Team at the completion of the Carnival.

The young forward is an all effort type of forward who runs with determination, he takes the ball to the line with speed, but he does not just put his head down and rush forward, he uses quick and subtle footwork prior to the line and seems to target the gaps between defenders and will actively seek out opposing forwards who are slow to move up.

When the opposition are on the back foot Brooklyn Campbell will target the smaller defenders on the edge of the ruck and burst through and for a big young bloke he has very good speed over the medium term and has the strength to drag defenders with him.

It is the intensity and speed that he plays the game at that holds Brooklyn Campbell in good stead as he starts to be selected in representative sides and plays against a higher quality of opposition.

Brooklyn Campbell is also very effective close to the opposition try line with his ability to burst through tackles. If the defenders do not come off the try he will just drag them across the try line, with his continued development of which running lines he can utilise, such as running an inside shoulder line when close to the opposition try line he will become even more effective and will be an asset to the entire team as defences compress to combat his running thus leaving more room our wide.

One area where Brooklyn Campbell is already highly developed is his off-loading, his off-loading skill attributes in my eyes could be considered untapped. Brooklyn Campbell shows regular flashes of ability to off load when in contact with the defensive line.

The defensive side of his game is similarly impressive, Brooklyn Campbell does not just charge wildly up looking for a huge hit but is calculating in where and when to hit. Brooklyn Campbell drives hard with his legs and always uses his shoulder and core body strength to drive into his opponent.

Brooklyn Campbell sets a strong lower base by setting his legs and generating force by driving through the tackle with his lower body, gaining leverage and momentum enabling his initial contact to be outstanding and more than enough to stop the momentum of the attacker regardless of their size attributes.

Brooklyn Campbell’s defensive dominance will not continue at its current rate as he starts to play against higher quality opposition but the timing and defensive technique that he has will mean that Brooklyn Campbell will always likely be a plus defender. Brooklyn Campbell really does have a very good tackling technique.

2024 will see Brooklyn Campbell move up to the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League U15 competition with Toowoomba Brothers and U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative honours are also likely for Brooklyn Campbell come 2024 for the Darling Downs School Boy Rugby League Representative side.

Whilst he very quick for his size, Brooklyn Campbell, with his height and strength looks certain to stay in the forwards for the duration of his rugby league career and with his ever developing ball skills, Brooklyn Campbell will almost certainly play the role of the new age lock who is a link between his team’s forward pack and backline.

Brooklyn Campbell is an intriguing and in some ways unique prospect in the Titans JTS Program and with the size, speed and power combination of someone like Penrith Panthers, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International Isiah Yeo as a player who just looks a class apart from the majority of other players on the field. If anything Brooklyn Campbell has more size and speed than Yeo, or certainly likely to at least.
 
Leo Briggs. In early 2024 Leo Briggs signed a multi-year contract with the Titans.

Leo Briggs started at left centre for a Future Titans U14 Invitational side that played a touring New Zealand U14 side at Tweed Heads in July 2023 with Leo Briggs scoring in the 50th minute with a strong run from six metres out whilst carry one defender on his back to score six metres in from the left corner.

Leo Briggs also recorded a try assist in the 23rd minute when after receiving a pass from his right and three passes to the left of a Titans scrum win, Leo Briggs continued to run to his left and after drawing in the New Zealand right winger Leo Briggs passed to his left to Derek Ahwang who was able to dive over to score in the left corner after a twenty three metre run.

Leo Briggs made the first of his two line breaks in the 17th minute when after receiving the ball twenty five metres out and wide out on the left Leo Briggs, after getting on the outside of his opposing centre Leo Briggs ran down the left touchline, using a right arm fend to beat another defender before Leo Briggs was brought down by the New Zealand fullback less than a metre from the try line and three metres in from the left corner post.

Leo Briggs made his second line break in the 52nd minute when after receiving the ball thirty metres out from his own try line Leo Briggs was able to get on the outside of the New Zealand right winger and make a line break down the left touchline. When Leo Briggs neared the halfway mark Leo Briggs moved off the touchline and after dummying to pass to his right, Leo Briggs veered back to the left touchline and was able to get all of the way to within twelve metres of the try line before being dragged down from behind.

Earlier in the 20th minute Leo Briggs, from the right of the play the ball was able to carry the ball from thirty one metres out from his own try line to within five metres of the halfway mark. Then in the 28th minute from the left of a Titans scrum win Leo Briggs ran the ball from twelve metres out from his own try line to thirty metre out with Leo Briggs then being awarded a penalty for a steal of the ball with more than one defender in the tackle.

In September 2023 Leo Briggs played for a Titans U14 Invitational side that played against another Titans U14 Invitational side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience for the match participants.

Leo Briggs started the trial at left centre for Titans Blue against Titans White with Leo Briggs swapping to right centre mid-way through the first half.

Leo Briggs scored in the 4th minute three metres in from the left corner post after a run from four metres out after Leo Briggs had received a pass from his right from Judah Marsden.

Leo Briggs also recorded a try assist in the 45th minute when after working the ball down a short right blindside to within ten metres of the try line Leo Briggs drew the Titans White left winger to put his own winger over to score in the right corner.

Earlier in the trial in the 7th minute Leo Briggs ran out of dummy half to his left to promote the ball from twenty eight metres from his own try line to within ten metres of the halfway mark. Then in the 14th minute from the left of the play the ball Leo Briggs was able to carry the ball from fourteen metres out from his own try line to twenty eight metres out with Leo Briggs then awarded a penalty after he was hit high.

In 2023 Leo Briggs played for Souths in the GBJRL U14 Division One competition with Leo Briggs starting all of the matches that he played in the centre with Leo Briggs finishing as the competition’s leading try scorer with eighteen tries.

Leo Briggs scored an impressive four tries in Round Fourteen against the Waterford Demons and Leo Briggs also scored doubles in Rounds Two, Five, Seven and Eight against Aspley, Easts, Norths and Redcliffe respectively.

Leo Briggs also scored in Round One against Carina, Round Four against Easts and Round Twelve against Norths.

Round One of the Finals against Logan Brothers saw Leo Briggs scored a hat trick and Leo Briggs also started in the centres in the 2023 GBJRL U14 Division One Grand Final also against Logan Brothers.

Leo Briggs also kicked a conversion in Round Thirteen against Logan Brothers.

In early October 2023 Leo Briggs was named in the 2023 U14 Queensland Murri Rugby League Representative side.

In early November 2023 Leo Briggs was named in the 2023 U14 Southside Bangers squad for a match against a Velocity All Stars U14 side with Leo Briggs starting the match on the left wing and making a line break in the 41st minute when after getting a pass from his inside from Cornelius Kelsall Leo Briggs charged down the left touchline from twenty metres from his own try line to the thirty eight metre mark.

Leo Briggs made a second line break in the 65th minute off a good ball from his right from Judah Marsden with Leo Briggs as a consequence able to run the ball down the left touchline from the halfway mark to twenty nine metres from the try line.

Leo Briggs also recorded a line break assist in the 51st minute with a smart draw and pass to his left from twenty three metres out from the try line to send his left winger down the left touchline.

In 2022 Leo Briggs played for Brothers in the Ipswich Rugby League U13 competition starting all of his matches at lock including Brothers Grand Final victory.

Leo Briggs is just a freak of a talent, Leo Briggs literally has it all, size, speed, elusiveness, strength, power and most of all the intelligence to combine all of these attributes into an exceptional rugby league strike centre.

Leo Briggs has very good speed off the mark, which I would consider above average to plus for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which Leo Briggs uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle in any one on one situation.
When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Leo Briggs usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.
Leo Briggs has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if the defender is pushing to the outside too early.
Leo Briggs also has a powerful fend which has served him well in recent seasons with his natural strength is just another impressive attribute in his ****nal.
A real positive for me is that Leo Briggs can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, Leo Briggs certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.
As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Leo Briggs is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and Leo Briggs is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all.

Leo Briggs is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Leo Briggs seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when Leo Briggs chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

2024 will see Leo Briggs move up to the GBJRL U15 Division One competition with the Souths Acacia Ridge Magpies with U15 QSSRL School Boy Rugby League representative honours also likely for Leo Briggs in 2024.

Without doubt, Leo Briggs has the speed and power to stay in the centres long term and whilst he may not score a significant number of tries will certainly attract defenders and also be a solid defensive centre as well.

New Zealand International Joseph Manu from the Sydney Roosters for me has a similar skill set to Leo Briggs as a young player who has all of the skill and physical attributes, specifically speed and strength to succeed in rugby league.
 
Murphy Phillips. In early 2024 Murphy Phillips signed a multi-year contract with the Titans.

Murphy Phillips started at halfback for a Future Titans U14 side that played a touring New Zealand U14 side at Tweed Heads in July 2023 with Murphy Phillips setting up two tries including the match winning try in the final minute of the match in a good Titans victory.

Murphy Phillips recorded his first try assist in the 10th minute when from the right of the dummy half and ten metres from the try line Murphy Phillips threw a long, high cut-out pass to his right to put Cornelius Kelsall into space with the Titans right centre scoring wide out on the right side of the field as a result of Murphy Phillip’s pass.

As noted above Murphy Phillips set up the Titans match winning try in the final minute of the match when after running the ball down a short right blindside Murphy Phillips drew two defenders to him and get the ball away for his right winger to dive over to score in the corner to win the match for the Titans.

Murphy Phillips ran the ball well himself in the 36th minute when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball Murphy Phillips stepped off his right foot twice before cutting back to his left and after getting the ball to within thirty five metres of the try line Murphy Phillips was able to get an off-load away to his left.

Murphy Phillips’s kicking game was on song for the entire match including a bomb from the right side of the field to the left from fourteen metres out with the New Zealand right winger dropping the kick to give the Titans more possession on the New Zealand try line. Then in the 55th minute from the centre of the field and twenty metres from the try line Murphy Phillips put up a high kick towards the right corner with the ball coming down a metre in the field of play with the New Zealand played who caught the ball immediately forced back into the in-goal area.

Murphy Phillips produced the best cover defending tackle of the match in the 27th minute when after Murphy Phillips put in a grubber kick into the in-goal on the right side of the field, the New Zealand fullback did well to take possession and after beating a number of defenders make a line break dow the Titans left touchline but Murphy Phillips had tracked the ball across the field and made an outstanding cover defending tackle ten metres inside Titans territory.

In September 2023 Murphy Phillips played for a Titans U14 side that played against another Titans U14 side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience.

Murphy Phillips started the trial at halfback for Titans Blue against Titans White with Murphy Phillips making a line break in the 27th minute when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball thirty three metres from the try line, Murphy Phillips dummied to his right and simultaneously stepped off his right foot to dart through a gap created by his dummy behind the play the ball with Murphy Phillips only tackled when he had gotten to within eight metres of the try line.

Murphy Phillips also did well to create an opportunity in the 9th minute when after picking up a lost ball ten metres from the try line in the centre of the field and running to his left Murphy Phillips carried the ball to within three metres of the try line before getting an off-load away to his right.

Murphy Phillips continued to play for the Burleigh Bears in the 2023 GCRL U14 Division One competition.

Murphy Phillips started at halfback in the Preliminary Final against the Runaway Bay Seagulls with Murphy Phillips putting in a good kick in the 20th minute from twenty five metres out from the try line and in the centre of the field with the ball weighted perfectly to come down a metre from the try line with the Seagulls fullback, who had taken the kick on the full forced back into the in-goal area.

Murphy Phillips did well defensively in the 28th minute to race across to his right and tackle the Runaway Bay left winger just short of the try line to prevent what appeared to be a near certain Seagulls try.

Murphy Phillips also started at halfback in the Week One Major Semi-final against the Runaway Bay Seagulls with Murphy Phillips kicking a conversion from directly in front of the goal posts in the 54th minute.

Murphy Phillips also recorded a try assist in the 17th minute when from the left of the play the ball and twelve metres out from the try line Murphy Phillips threw a long, cut-out pass of approximately fifteen metres to put his left winger over to score in the corner.

Murphy Phillips also recorded a line break assist in the 16th minute when after feeding a scrum Murphy Phillips moved to his right and after receiving the ball from the back of the scrum Murphy Phillips threw a long pass to his right to put his winger after down the right touchline.

In the 2nd minute of the match Murphy Phillips ran out of dummy half to his right from three metres out from his own try line before slipping fourteen metres out, Then in the 44th minute Murphy Phillips ran the ball from the right of a Burleigh scrum win on the halfway mark and carry the ball eighteen metres downfield.

Murphy Phillips also did well in the 2nd minute with a one on one strip thirty metres out from his own try line.

Murphy Phillips also had a strong match in Round Ten against the Runaway Bay Seagulls with Murphy Phillips kicking a conversion in the 29th minute from six metres to the right of the goal posts. Murphy Phillips then kicked a second conversion in the 32nd minute from five metres to the left of the goal posts with Murphy Phillips also kicking a third conversion in the 41st minute from ten metres to the left of the goal posts.

Murphy Phillips also recorded a try assist in the 21st minute with a good old fashioned run around to the right of the play the ball and after Murphy Phillips received the ball back eight metres from the try line, Murphy Phillips threw a hard flat cut out pass to his right to put his right winger on the outside of his opposing winger to score just in from the right corner post.

Murphy Phillips recorded a second try assist in the 41st minute when from the left of the play the ball and twelve metres out from the try line and in front of the goal posts Murphy Phillips put in a right foot stab grubber kick to his left with the ball sitting up perfectly for his left second rower to take the ball on the bounce and score ten metres to the left of the goal posts. Murphy Phillips then stepped up to kick the conversion.

In the 17th minute from the right of the play the ball and thirty two metres out from his own try line, Murphy Phillips drove a low, hard right foot kick to his left with the ball going over the left touchline sixteen metres out for a great 40/20 to give the Bears the ball back in a great attacking position.

In early 2023 Murphy Phillips was named in the 2023 Palm Beach Stingrays U14 Touch side to compete in the Titans Junior Touch Series Events as well as the 2023 Junior State Cup to be held in Rockhampton. Murphy Phillips was also named in the 2023 Titans Boys U14 Queensland Touch Youth Academy Squad.

In late 2023 Murphy Phillips was named in the Miami 2024 U15 Boys Oztag team for the 2024 Queensland State Oztag Championships.

Murphy Phillips also played Oztag in 2023 with Murphy Phillips named in the 2023 Super Series Queensland Jesters U14 Representative squad. Murphy Phillips was also named in the 2023 Queensland Schools Oztag Year Ten Mixed All Stars School Merit Team.

The exciting halfback for me was one of the true standouts in the 2022 Gold Coast rugby League U13 Division One competition with Murphy Phillips starting at halfback (and excelling) for the Burleigh Bears in the GCRL U13 Division One Grand Final against the Coomera Cutters.

Murphy Phillips, in addition to kicking two conversions from three attempts (his only miss was from the right touchline), Murphy Phillips recorded a try assist in the 51st minute when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball and around forty metres out Murphy Phillips took the ball to the defensive line and put in a right foot grubber kick into the space between the Coomera defensive line and the fullback with the ball bouncing up perfectly for the Burleigh front rower (No. 10) to able to take possession on the charge to crash over in the right corner.

The first of Murphy Phillips two conversions came in the 36th minute when he converted a Burleigh try from directly in front of the goal posts. Murphy Phillips second conversion came in the 44th minute from five metres to the left of the uprights.

Murphy Phillips then made a line break in the 54th minute when from the left of the play the ball and twenty five metres out from his own try line and the Bears down by two points with less than six minutes to go Murphy Phillips took the ball deep into the Cutters defensive line before dummying to his left with Murphy Phillips then slicing through a gap between two defenders and racing fifty metres down the left touchline before being tackled into touch just twenty five metres out from the try line.

Murphy Phillips made another exceptional line break in the 58th minute with Burleigh on the attack just twenty three metres out from the try line and once again to the left of the play the ball Murphy Phillips dummied his way trhoug the Cutters defensive line once again by way of a dummy to his left with Murphy Phillips then setting sail towards the left corner only to be brought down by a desperate tackle by Cutters second rower Marlee Smith.

Then with Burleigh still down by two points and in the final minute of the match Murphy Phillips was still trying to win the match with a stepping sixteen metres run from fifteen metres out from his own try line to thirty one metre away.

Murphy Phillips made the first of his smart Grand Final runs in the 9th minute when after recieivng the ball two passes to the left of a Bears scrum win fivemetres inside his own territory Murphy Phillips was able to force his way ten metres into Coomera territory.

Murphy Phillips, in the 13th minute showed that he is always prepared to roll up his sleaves and do the hard work when Murphy Phillips ran the ball to his right out of dummy half with the play the ball ten metres out from his own try line and directly in front of the goal posts with Murphy Phillips able to get the ball two metres out of the Bears twenty metre defensive area.

Murphy Phillips was at his running best once again in the 16th minute when from the right of the paly the ball and sixteen metres out from his own try line Murphy Phillips was able to get the ball to thirty metres out be relived the pressure on the Bears.

Murphy Philiips made a further strong run in the 23rd minute with Murphy Phillips receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball twenty metres out from his own try line. After stepping off his right foot to beat a defender Murphy Phillips cut back to his right and threw a great pass to his right to record a line break assist with his centre racing twenty metres downfield.

Murphy Phillips defended in the right side of the ruck for Burleigh in the Grand Final and even though he was constantly targeted by the giant Coomera forwards, Murphy Phiilips never once shirked his defensive line duties including a great ball and all tackle on Coomera front rower Siu Pulepule near the halfway mark in the 11th minute.

Murphy Phillips also made a try saving tackle when in the 31st minute after Coomera lock Jeval Pitman had split the Burleigh defensive line on the Cutters left from forty five metres out he set sail for the try line but Murphy Phillips raced to his left and got to the Cutters lock and brought him down from behind just five metres out from the try line to prevent whata appeared to be a certain Coomera try.

Murphy Phillips also started at halfback in the GCRL U13 Division One Preliminary Final against the Runaway Bay Seagulls with Murphy Phillips recording a 20th minute try assist when after receiving the ball to the left of the play the ball down a short left blindside, Murphy Phillips took the ball deep into the defensive line before from ten metres out throwing a great cut-out pass to his left to put his winger over to score in the left corner.

Murphy Phillips showcased all of his immense skills in a mid-season match against the Helensvale Hornets with Murphy Phillips scoring a hat trick as well as setting up another try in the first half.

Murphy Phillips scored the first of his three tries in the 7th minute when from thirty five metres out and to the right of the play the ball, Murphy Phillips ran to his right at the defensive line with the ball out in front of his body in both hands with Murphy Phillips then dummying to his right before he sliced between two defenders before Murphy Phillips stepped out his right foot to beat the Hornets fullback and race away to score under the posts.

Murphy Phillips scored his second try in the early minutes of the second half when after receiving the ball to the left of a Burleigh scrum win twenty five metres out, Murphy Phillips raced away to score five metres to the left of the uprights.

Murphy Phillips completed his hat trick late in the second half when from forty metres out Murphy Phillips ran the ball down the right channel rounding the Helensvale fullback to his right with Murphy Phillips then able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.

Murphy Phillips recorded his try assist in the match in just the 3rd minute of the match when on the left side of the field Murphy Phillips took the ball deep into the defensive line before throwing a great short ball to his left to put his left second rower over to score ten metres to the left of the uprights.

Murphy Phillips had another strong match in Week One of the Finals against Runaway Bay with Murphy Phillips recording a try assist as well as a line break.

Murphy Philips recorded his try assist in the 44th minute when from eight metres out and just to the right of centre field Murphy Phillips that there was a lot of space to his right and put in a right foot chip kick which was taken on the full by his right centre to score comfortably wide out.

Murphy Phillips made a great line break in the 12th minute when after receiving the ball to the right of a Burleigh scrum win ten metres out from is own try line, Murphy Phillips ran to his right and dummied in the same direction before he sliced between two defenders and flew downfield, unfortunately the ball was lost over the try line.

Murphy Phillips also made a try saving tackle in the 6th minute when he raced to his right to tackle the Seagulls left winger in a great covering tackle near the halfway mark with the force of Murphy Phillips contact forcing a knock on by the Kingfishers.

Murphy Phillips is also an outstanding touch player and excelled for Miami SHS in the U13 Division of the Gold Coast Titans All Schools Touch Championships.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Murphy Phillips is in terms of running the ball, he has outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus plus category and top end speed which must be considered plus regardless of position. Murphy Phillips with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding body control.

It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well. Teams start to focus heavily on Murphy Phillips when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Murphy Phillips can exploit.

Murphy Phillips has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Murphy Phillips can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can readjust.

Murphy Phillips also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Murphy Phillips is going to do. If Murphy Phillips sees a gap he is through it before the defensive line can react also when a forward takes the ball up through the centre of the ruck, Murphy Phillips is always in support and if he gets an off load he can accelerate through the resultant gap.

Murphy Phillips does not necessarily have a big step but has an outstanding swerve which he uses when confronted with the fullback. Murphy Phillips will run directly at the fullback to slow his lateral momentum and then swerve around him the second the fullback’s momentum stops or slows.

Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Murphy Phillips cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Murphy Phillips is an exceptional tactical kicker with range and accuracy, he can put up pin point bombs and perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. In short if you can name a type of rugby league kick, Murphy Phillips can execute it with precision.

Murphy Phillips also is an outstanding goal kicker and shapes as the first choice goal kicker for any team that is lucky to have Murphy Phillips line up for them.

Defensively Murphy Phillips is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

As a defender, like his attack due to his smaller size, Murphy Phillips relies on his speed, timing and solid defensive technique. Murphy Phillips has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective, including head placement against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on Murphy Phillips’s side of the field. In summary just like his attacking play Murphy Phillips is an outstanding defender for his size and position.

2024 will see Murphy Phillips move up to the GCRL U15 Division One competition with the Burleigh Bears. With School Boy Rugby League Representative Honours for the South Coast U15 side also on the agenda for Murphy Phillips in 2024.

Simply put Murphy Phillips is a halfback. The more the ball is in Murphy Phillips hands the better for everyone. No doubt that Murphy Phillips could have a number of different positions but why anyone would even consider moving such a talented young player from halfback is absolutely beyond me.

With his ability to size up an opportunity in terms of whether to run or pass in an instant as well as his competitive nature, Murphy Phillips is the prototypical new age rugby league half back, and one who will certainly not crack under pressure, in fact Murphy Phillips seems to thrive on it.

Some players in key positions such as in the halves or fullback, want to not lose matches, Murphy Phillips is on the absolute opposite end of the spectrum, he wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line, wanting to win the game rather than being worried about losing it. Very few players at any level of any sport, even at the professional level, have that sort of mentality. Only a handful of people really thrive under pressure (a lot say they do but..) Murphy Phillips appears to be one of them.

Murphy Phillips is a superb organiser and game manager who has old head on young shoulders and is ideally suited to the half back role in rugby league.

An NRL player comparison for Murphy Phillips proved to be an interesting exercise, but ultimately I believe an appropriate player comparison for Murphy Phillips is Cronulla Sharks five eight Nicco Hynes. Murphy Phillips has the same type of intensity, will to win, game management and leadership attributes as the Sharks representative five eight.

Team mates follow Murphy Phillips through the sheer force of his will and pure effort, regardless of whether Murphy Phillips is the captain or not.
 
Roy Collins-Sio. In early 2024 Roy Collins-Sio signed a multi-year contract with the Titans.

In September 2023 Roy Collins-Sio played for a Titans U14 side that played against another Titans U14 side in a match in Ipswich which saw the two sides both wear Titans jersey to give the players a great experience with Roy Collins-Sio starting the match in the front row.

2023 also saw Roy Collins-Sio attend Mabel Park SHS as part of the school Rugby League Excellence Program.

Roy Collins-Sio is in short a big strong powerful young man who runs with pace and power into the defensive with no thoughts of preservation. When purely metres need to be made, Roy Collins-Sio will not sue footwork and just power into the defensive line, but he also certainly can use subtle footwork to aim at the gaps between the opposing forwards.

With the power that Roy Collins-Sio has in his legs when opposing defenders try to tackle him around the legs, it is almost impossible for them to bring Roy Collins-Sio down quickly which enables him to either break the tackle completely or to off load to his support runners. When they look to tackle Roy Collins-Sio around the chest his upper body strength enables him to absorb the initial contact and also to maintain his balance and momentum.

Defensively Roy Collins-Sio is able to engage and defeat opposing attacker one on one regardless of size. Roy Collins-Sio does not just charge up trying to hit attacker’s chest on but Roy Collins-Sio is clinical about how and where he hits the opponent and sets a solid base with his legs and drives directly into their body. In short Roy Collins-Sio is a difference marker with his defence. With his strength and technique Roy Collins-Sio should likely always be considered a plus defender regardless of the quality of opponent that he is up against.

Even though Roy Collins-Sio does not necessarily have plus straight speed overall, Roy Collins-Sio’s lateral movement is very good and on the majority of occasions Roy Collins-Sio is able to mirror the movement of smaller attackers looking to exploit a perceived speed and/or mobility difference between them and Roy Collins-Sio.

2024 will see Roy Collins-Sio return to Mabel SHS to play his school boy rugby league with Met East U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative honours certainly on the agenda for Roy Collins-Sio as well.

Roy Collins-Sio’s future in rugby league lies as a big strong mobile front rower.

Roy Collins-Sio is certainly one heck of an athlete with everything that you would want to see if you were building a modern day rugby league front rower from scratch in a laboratory. Roy Collins-Sio has size, speed, strength, mobility and power and the ability to continue to develop all of those already impressive characteristics in the future.

Roy Collins-Sio is not just an outstanding athlete however, Roy Collins-Sio is also one heck of a young front rower with exceptional rugby league skills around when and how to engage defenders and Roy Collins-Sio is also rapidly developing an elite one arm (right arm on the majority of occasions) off-load. Couple those rugby league attributes with a good front on hard hitting tackling technique and you have one heck of a front row prospect in Roy Collins-Sio.

New Zealand International Joseph Tapine from the Canberra Raiders, being one of the best current front rowers in the world is a great player comparison for Roy Collins-Sio. Like Tapine, the opposition repeatedly struggles to get Roy Collins-Sio down to the ground, with his quick play-the-balls resulting in plenty of momentum for his team’s play makers to scheme off. Like Tapine, not only does Roy Collins-Sio get through a mountain of work with his metre gaining ability and hunger and intensity in defence, but Roy Collins-Sio also offers plenty in a wider attacking role with his ability to offload and break tackles.
 
Kyson Freer. In 2024 Kyson Freer moves up from Leeton in the Riverina area of New South Wales to the Gold Coast to attend PBC SHS as part of the Titans partnered schools Rugby League Elite Excellence Program.

Kyson Freer started the 2023 season playing for the Riverina Bulls in the U16 NSWRL Andrew Johns U16 Cup competition with Kyson Freer scoring in Round One against the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Kyson Freer started Rounds One and Two against the Illawarra Dragons and Western Rams respectively at lock. Kyson Freer then came off the bench in Round Three against the McArthur Wests Tigers and Round Four against the Newcastle Knights.

2023 also saw Kyson Freer represent New South Wales Kurri Representative U16 side in their annual match against Queensland Murri U16’s.

In 2023 Kyson Freer play for the Leeton Galloping Greens in the Group 20 U16 competition with Kyson Freer named Player of the Match and kicking two conversions in the Grand Final against the Black and Whites.

Kyson Freer finished as the competitions leading try scorer with thirteen tries. Kyson Freer also finished as the second leading points scorer in the competition from his thirteen tries and thirty conversions.

Kyson Freer scored a hat trick in Round Six against the Tullibigeal Lakes and scored doubles in four additional matches including three against the Tullibigeal Lakes being in Rounds Thirteen, Fourteen and the Preliminary Final. Kyson Freer scored his other double in Round Ten against the Black and Whites.

Kyson Freer also scored in Round Two against the Darlington Point Coleambally and against the Black and Whites in Round Five.

From a goal kicking perspective Kyson Freer kicked six conversions in two matches against Tullibigeal Lakes being in Round Sixteen and the Preliminary Final. Kyson Freer also kicked five conversions in Round Thirteen against Tullibigeal and three conversions in Round Two against the Darlington Point Coleambally.

Prior to his move to the Gold Coast Kyson Freer was named in the 2024 Canberra Raiders U17 Harold Matthews squad.

In 2022 Kyson Freer represented the U15 First Nations Goanna’s at the U15 ASSRL School Boy National Championships.

Kyson Freer is a big strong super quick five eight, fullback or lock with an effortless running style with a classic centres build with the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside, something that is rare in the modern game. His has used this skill set on multiple occasions on the right side of the field. Right centre is the only position that I have seen him play for his club side.

Kyson Freer has a very strong left hand fend which prevents opposing centres getting in on him and forcing him towards the sideline. Even though he has size, strength and power in the centre position, he does look for his outside support when confronted with the fullback, even though he is more than capable of beating fullbacks one on one if need be and certainly does on occasion when he outpaces his support players.

When the defence is sliding Kyson Freer will cut inside and when the defence is playing an up and up style he has the plus speed and agile footwork to get on the outside of his direct opponent and beat him for speed to exploit the gap created. In terms of his speed, in all aspects it would be considered at the plus level in terms of speed off the mark, top end speed and sustainability.

Another aspect where he is also very good is his ability to run out of dummy half. Kyson Freer’s size strength speed and power coupled with his plus footwork enables him to make a significant amount of ground out of dummy half and also give his forward a breather.

Defensively his game is built on intimidation, Kyson Freer will come in when the opportunity presents itself and hit very hard around the chest, you can see the opposing centre looking where he was positioned as the ball was moved out to the back line also Kyson Freer’s plus speed enables him to recover if he is beaten on the outside.

Currently Kyson Freer is better to an up and in defensive methodology but I would argue that is more to do with how coaches want him to play rather than any concern that he cannot be effective in a sliding defensive scheme. With his speed, timing and strength, why not take advantage of his ability to intimidate his opposing defender.

2024 sees Kyson Freer attend PBC SHS with Kyson Freer pushing for immediate playing time in the School Boy Rugby League Langer Cup competition.

Kyson Freer can and has played a variety of positions including fullback, five eight and lock thus Kyson Freer’s ultimate position on a rugby league field is still up in the air. Ultimately I believe that Kyson Freer will likely end up at fullback but that scenario is definitely not set in stone.

Kyson Freer is a natural on a rugby league field with his ability to size up a situation and invariably take the correct option. From an NRL player comparison perspective, Kyson Freer has similar traits to Souths Sydney Rabbitohs, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International star centre Latrell Mitchell.

Like Mitchell, Kyson Freer is a strong powerful ball runner who will not be beaten in a one on one contest in attack or defence but will out point his direct opponent far more often than not. Kyson Freer is just a powerful young man now just learning how to translate and direct that natural strength and power consistently on a rugby league field.
 
Jesse Black. The young man from PBC SHS was selected at halfback in the 2023 South Coast U12 School Boys Rugby League Representative side for the 2023 Queensland Championships.

In South Coast’s first match of the Championships on Day One against Northern Jesse Black started at halfback and operated on the right side of the field for South Coast in their first up victory.

Jesse Black recorded a try assist in just the 2nd minute of the match when after receiving the ball from his left from the dummy half twelve metres from the try line Jesse Black ran at the Northern defensive line with the ball in two hands in front of his body and near the defensive line Jesse Black held the ball up before putting his right second rower Kane Buchanan through a gap with a short pass to his right for Kane Buchanan to score ten metres to the right of the goal posts.

Jesse Black also started at halfback in Match Two against South West with Jesse Black scoring in the 40th minute when after taking possession of the ball to the right of the dummy half thirty six metres from the try line but still to the left of the centre of the field Jesse Black dummied to his right before slicing between two defenders. Jesse Black then stepped off his right foot to beat the fullback and race away to dive over to score five metres to the left of the goal posts.

Jesse Blake also started at halfback in Match Three against the Sunshine Coast with Jesse Black scoring in the 36th minute with a six metre run after slicing between two defenders after taking possession to the left of the play the ball and dummying to his left with Jesse Black diving over to score ten metres in from the left corner post.

Jesse Black continued at halfback in Match Four against Peninsula with Jesse Black recording a try assist in the 32nd minute when from the left of the play the ball and sixteen metres out from the try line near centre field, Jesse Black put in a right foot chip kick to his left which was caught on the full by Mason Szerszyn three metres out from the try line and got the ball down six metres in from the left corner post.

Jesse Black also started at halfback in the Semi-final against Met East with Jesse Black recording a try assist in the 34th minute when after taking possession of the ball to the right of the play the ball and eight metres out from the try line Jesse Black put in a right foot cross kick towards the right corner with the South Coast right winger catching the ball on the full to score in the right corner as a result.

Jesse Black also put in a good kick in the 22nd minute with a right foot bomb from twenty metres out that was dropped by the Met East right winger with South Coast recovering the ball in very good field position.

Jesse Black then started the 2023 Queensland U12 School Boy Rugby League Championship Final at halfback against Northern with Jesse Black recording a try assist in the 18th minute when Jesse Black ran the ball at the defensive line from twelve metres out and to the left of the play the ball before throwing an inside pass to Beau Windus who was able to force his way over to score under the posts.

The 29th minute saw Jesse Black making a stepping run from the right of the play the ball and as a result Jesse Black was able to get the ball a metre into Northern territory after running the ball when still ten metres inside his own territory.

2023 also saw Jesse Black play for the Cudgen Hornets in the Group 18 U12 competition with Jesse Black starting at halfback and named Player of the Grand Final in the Hornets 18 – 12 Grand Final victory over the Bilambil Jets.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Jesse Black is in terms of running the ball, he has outstanding speed both off the mark which I would consider in the plus plus category and top end speed which must be considered above average regardless of position. When Jesse Black makes a decision to run the ball he is decisive and just explodes off the mark and on many occasions gets to the defensive line well before defenders had estimated his arrival time.

Jesse Black with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding balance and body control. It is that speed trait which opens up Jesse Black’s incredible ball playing skills as well whether that is before the line, right at the line and even in contact with the line.

Teams start to focus heavily on Jesse Black when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that they open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Jesse Black can and does exploit.

Jesse Black has exquisite timing on his passes and is able to weight them perfectly as well and can do so from either side of his body. Adding in this is that Jesse Black can stop on a dime even travelling at full speed and pop the short pass, thus it looks for all money that he is going to run the ball thus the defence converges and then the ball is delivered to a support runner who is through a hole before the defensive line can react and readjust.

Jesse Black also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Jesse Black is going to do and thus hesitates allowing Jesse Black more time and space to do what he does best.

Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Jesse Black cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Jesse Black is an exceptional tactical kicker with range and accuracy, he can put up pin point bombs and perfectly weighted grubber kicks into the in goal. In short if you can name a type of rugby league kick, Jesse Black can execute it with precision.

Without a doubt Jesse Black is going to be his team’s primary tactical and goal kicker no matter where his rugby league career takes him.

Defensively Jesse Black is a very strong young man with exceptional functional strength for any position let alone a half/five eight, to go along with an innate understanding of the attacking strategies of rugby league thus he is able to anticipate what an attacking side is looking to do with the ball and then be in the best position to negate it.

Jesse Black has a very good low tackling technique which is simple and repeatable and effective against all size opponents and thus there is no need for a defensive minder on Jesse Black’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Jesse Black is an outstanding defender.

Another area where Jesse Black has a plus attribute is in relation to his leaderships skills. Jesse Black is a strong confident personality and that translates to a leader on and off the field and you can see that the other players gravitate towards him both in club, school boy and representative rugby league.

This is a trait that you cannot teach, you either have it or you don’t. Even if he is not the nominated captain on the field Jesse Black is a leader regardless of which team he is lining up for and acts accordingly both on and off the field.

Jesse Black will play the 2023 season with the Bilambil Jets in the Group 18 U15 competition with school boy rugby league representative honours also on the table for Jesse Black in 2023. Jesse Black will also play school boy rugby league in 2023 at PBC SHS.

With his ability to size up an opportunity in terms of whether to run or pass in an instant as well as his competitive nature, Jesse Black is the prototypical new age rugby league half back, and one who will certainly not crack under pressure.

Some players in key positions such as in the halves or fullback, want to not lose matches, Jesse Black is on the absolute opposite end of the spectrum, he wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line, wanting to win the game rather than being worried about losing it. Very few players at any level of any sport, even at the professional level, have that sort of mentality. Only a handful of people really thrive under pressure (a lot say they do but..) Jesse Black appears to be one of them.

Jesse Black is a superb organiser and game manager who has an old head on young shoulders and is ideally suited to the half back role in rugby league both now and into the future.

2024 will see Jesse Black continue at PBC SHS as part of the school’s School Boy Rugby League Excellence Program was well as continue to play for the Cudgen Hornets in the Group 18 U13 competition.

From a position perspective with his speed and rapidly developing ball playing, game management and tactical kicking skills, Jesse Black has an opportunity to develop into a very talented young player who can play half back at a representative level at a young age.

The more that Jesse Black has the ball in his hands the better it is for his entire team as was evidenced multiple times in 2023. Jesse Black is not the biggest player by any means but he certainly does not rely on his size to dominate matches, for Jesse Black it is all about skill, intelligence, tempo and command and control.

The Titans own Thomas Weaver is a very good player comparison for Jesse Black. Both Weaver and Jesse Black are calm and composed as they steer there side around the field and both are also on field leaders of their team.
 
Sam Moorley. The young hooker from Elanora State School was selected at hooker in the 2023 South Coast U12 School Boys Rugby League Representative side for the Queensland Championships.

In South Coast’s first match of the Championships on Day One against Northern Sam Moorley started at hooker and made a line break in the 21st minute when after running out of dummy half to his left from four metres inside his own territory Sam Moorley cut straight through the heart of the Northern defensive line and after rounding the fullback Sam Moorley was dragged to ground seventeen metres short of the try line.

Earlier in the 12th minute Sam Moorley ran out of dummy half to his left from ten metres out from his own try line and ran through the centre of the field to get the ball to twenty five metres out.

Sam Moorley also started at hooker in Match Two against South West.

Sam Moorley continued at hooker in Match Three against the Sunshine Coast with Sam Moorley recording a try assist in the 9th minute when with the play the ball less than a metre from the try line and directly in front of the goal posts, Sam Moorley ran to his left out of dummy half and passed back to his right to Jasiah Ioane who speared over to score under the posts.

Sam Moorley also started at hooker in Match Four against Peninsula with Sam Moorley running out of dummy half to his right in the 26th minute to carry the ball from the forty metre mark to halfway.

Sam Moorley also started at hooker in the Semi-final against Met East with Sam Moorley recording a try assist in the 15th minute when with the play the ball less than a metre from the try lien and in front of the posts Sam Moorley ran to his right before passing back inside to a hard charging Jasiah Ioane who speared over to score under the posts.

In the 26th minute Sam Moorley ran to his right out of dummy half from twenty two metres from the try line to ten metres out before being tackled directly in front of the goal posts.

Sam Moorley did well defensively in the 36th minute when along with Blaine Adams, Sam Moorley was able to hold up the giant Met East left second rower over the ty line four metres to the right of the goal posts.

Sam Moorley then started the 2023 Queensland U12 School Boy Rugby League Championship Final at hooker against Northern with Sam Moorley running to his right out of dummy half in the 24th minute to get the ball from forty one metres from the try line to twenty nine metres out.

2023 also saw Sam Moorley play for the Cudgen Hornets in the Group 18 U12 competition with Sam Moorley starting at hooker in the Hornets 18 – 12 Grand Final victory over the Bilambil Jets.

Sam Moorley is an extremely talented all round hooker, who excels at all three critical aspects of the modern day hooker, those being his distribution out of dummy half, selective running out of dummy half and defending in the centre of the ruck.

In terms of his distribution out of dummy half, Sam Moorley is efficient in his passing and there is little wasted movement as he passes in one motion off the ground rather than two distinct movements like many hookers where they first stand then pass.

Sam Moorley’s passes are crisp and flat and also he can pass a reasonable distance off the ground when the first receiver is standing a little wider of the play the ball.

Where Sam Moorley is also extremely effective is leading his forwards onto the ball, he passes in front of the forward ensuring no loss of momentum to the run. In short Sam Moorley is a very good game manager from the hooking position.

Where Sam Moorley really stands out in terms of attacking play, is his speed out of dummy half, he is extremely quick and has exceptional footwork to take advantage of tiring forwards, using a step off both feet.

Sam Moorley wins a lot of penalties by running at forwards who are offside, if the offside forward is called out of the play he has the speed to break into open space and has the pace to make it difficult for the cover defence to get to him.

Around the try line Sam Moorley is also very good at making the right decision whether the go himself for the try line or pass, where Sam Moorley gets down low and drives with his legs.

Due to the pace that Sam Moorley plays the game at and his speed Sam Moorley is always available in terms of backing up in the centre of the ruck when forwards get their arms free. When he gets an off load in the centre of the ruck Sam Moorley just takes off and is through any gaps before the opposition get itself back in any semblance of order.

Sam Moorley’s defence for a hooker is quite outstanding, for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, Sam Moorley sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders to drive opposing forwards backwards and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down.

Sam Moorley’s intensity means that he will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside or an opposition second rower runs back inside on an inside shoulder route. Sam Moorley literally tackles everything that moves in the centre of the ruck, match after match with each tackle coming with solid initial contact.

2024 will see Sam Moorley continue to play for the Cudgen Hornets in the Group 18 U13 competition as well as play school boy rugby league.

Sam Moorley projects as a modern day hooker who will be able to play the entire match without interchange at the higher competition levels, including senior levels and be effective both in attack and defence throughout the entire match.

With his ability to run out of dummy half at the right time and also be a strong defender in the centre of the ruck, the way Sam Moorley plays in the dummy half role is not dis-similar to how Titans hooker Sam Verrills plays.

Both Verrills and Sam Moorley are exceptionally quick out of dummy half but their ability to make ground from dummy half is in many respects a complimentary skill compared to their elite distribution to either side of their body from the play the ball and their strong defence in the centre of the field all whilst playing extended minutes in the demanding dummy half position.
 
Phoenix Seumanu. 2023 saw Phoenix Seumanu play for Marsden SHS in the School Boy Bronco’s Old Boys competition.

2023 also saw Phoenix Seumanu play for the Met East School Boy U12 Rugby League Representative side at the Queensland Championships.

Phoenix Seumanu started at lock in Met East’s first match of the Championships against North West with Phoenix Seumanu scoring a powerhouse individual try in the 27th minute when after receiving the ball two passes to the right of the dummy half forty two metres from the try line, Phoenix Seumanu broke a staggering six tackles as he rumbled down the right channel to crash over to score in the right corner.

The 13th minute of the match saw Phoenix Seumanu charge onto the ball for a yardage carry from two passes to the left of the play the ball from seven metres out from his own try line with Phoenix Seumanu charging through the centre of the field to get the ball out to the thirty two metre mark with Phoenix Seumanu breaking four tackles with 70% of the metres gained being post contact.

Then in the 17th minute from the right of the play the ball Phoenix Seumanu ran an underneath route to propel the ball from twenty metres out from the try line to four metres out before getting a right arm off-load away to his right. Phoenix Seumanu rounded out a strong match in the 39th minute with a run from two passes to the left of the play the ball that saw Phoenix Seumanu carry the ball through the centre of the field from forty metres from the try line to twenty eight metres out.

Phoenix Seumanu also started at lock in Match Two against Capricornia with Phoenix Seumanu making a line break in the 9th minute from twenty metres from his own try line and two passes to the right of the play the ball with Phoenix Seumanu breaking through the Capricornia defensive line and getting to within eight metres of the halfway mark before getting his right arm free and off-loading to his right.

In the 33rd minute from the left of the play the ball Phoenix Seumanu ran onto a pass to take possession of the ball five metres inside his own territory to get the ball eleven metres into Capricornia territory.

In the 8th minute Phoenix Seumanu showcased his defensive skills with a big tackle on his opposing lock twelve metres out from the try line in the centre of the field with Phoenix Seumanu’s heavy initial contact forcing a knock-on.

Phoenix Seumanu then started at lock in Match Three against the Darling Downs with Phoenix Seumanu charging onto the ball two passes to the left of the play the ball in the 13th minute and after receiving the ball on the halfway mark Phoenix Seumanu cut back to his right towards the centre of the field and broke four tackles as Phoenix Seumanu carried the ball eighteen metres downfield.

Then in the 40th minute Phoenix Seumanu cut back underneath his five eight to the right of the play the ball with Phoenix Seumanu carrying the ball from thirty seven metres out from the try line to just ten metres out.

Phoenix Seumanu continued at lock in Match Four against Northern with Phoenix Seumanu, in the 22nd minute able to promote the ball from six metres out from his own try line and to the right of the play the ball to thirty metres out and then get an off-load away to his right.

Phoenix Seumanu got his match underway when he returned the kick-off to the match out to the twenty one metre mark.

Phoenix Seumanu also started at lock in the Semi-final against South Coast with Phoenix Seamanu taking the second hit-up of the match from the left of the play the ball to carry the ball from five metres inside his own territory to five metres into South Coast territory.

Phoenix Seumanu then started at lock in the 3 v 4 play-off against Capricornia with Phoenix Seumanu scoring in the 31st minute when after charging onto the ball to the left of the play the ball and sixteen metres from the try line Phoenix Seumanu broke three tackles and carried three more across the try line to get the ball down four metres to the left of the goal posts.

Running with the football, Phoenix Seumanu has good footwork prior to the line and does not often just put his head down and run straight but uses his solid footwork to try to work the gaps between defenders rather than trying to simply run over them.

Phoenix Seumanu has very good speed off the mark but not necessarily great top end speed, but he will work hard and make the most of his ability. The key to his running is his ability to drop his shoulder into the defenders at the right moment, to go along with his late foot work. These attributes make Phoenix Seumanu very difficult to tackle and he can rarely be stopped one on one.

Throw in a decent turn of pace off the mark and you have a player who is difficult for a defensive line to combat. Opposing teams had all sorts of trouble defending against him and he seemed to break at least one tackle every time Phoenix Seumanu runs the ball.

Defensively Phoenix Seumanu hits very hard and usually aims for just under the ribcage and is certainly someone opposing forwards look for when running the ball up and is adept at making sure the opposition do not get quick play the balls, read that Phoenix Seumanu is very good at winning the wrestling battle in the ruck, he is a naturally strong young man.

Phoenix Seumanu defends in the centre of the ruck and seems best suited in the long run defending there and adds a degree of intimidation to any forward pack he plays for. Phoenix Seumanu really does know how to tackle effectively, as he sets a strong base to create the necessary leverage to defend against larger forwards and then explodes through his core. Throw in a touch of aggression and you have someone in Phoenix Seumanu who can dominate a game defensively and is able to seal off one side of the ruck on his own.

2024 will see Phoenix Seumanu return to Marsden SHS with Phoenix Seumanu moving up to the School Boy Rugby League Renouf Shield competition.

Phoenix Seumanu is a big strong young man with size, speed and impressive footwork and no doubt with his raw but developing ball skills should develop into a very very good modern day lock.

From a player comparison perspective, someone that I think that Phoenix Seumanu has a similar playing style to is North Queensland Cowboy and Tongan International (former New Zealand International) Jason Taumalolo as a wrecking ball of a forward who can break open and dominate a game on his own.

Phoenix Seumanu just oozes class and the scary thing is that I do not think that he has even come close to realising his insane level of potential and likely will not until Phoenix Seumanu plays at a higher level on a regular basis whether that is in relation to representative, school boy or club rugby league.
 
Mason Szerszyn. The PBC SHS student was named in the 2023 South Coast School Boy Rugby league U12 Representative and started at left centre in South Coast’s first match of the 2023 Queensland U12 School Boy Rugby League Championships against Northern.

Mason Szerszyn made a line break in the 13th minute when after collecting a Northern clearing kick twenty five metres from his own try line near the left touchline, Mason Szerszyn ran the ball towards the centre fo the field and after bursting through the centre of the Northern defensive line Mason Szerszyn charged downfield before being brought to ground twenty metres out from the try line.

Mason Szerszyn also started at left centre in Match Two against South West with Mason Szerszyn scoring a double in another big South Coast victory.

Mason Szerszyn scored his initial try in the 9th minute with a six metre run to put the ball down ten metres in from the left corner post after receiving a pass from his inside from Fabion Pese.

Mason Szerszyn then scored his second try in the 13th minute with a comfortable five metre run to put the ball down in the left corner after receiving an off-load from his inside from Blaine Adams.

Mason Szerszyn also made a line break in the 13th minute when from a twenty metre tap restart Mason Szerszyn was able to step his way to five metres inside South West territory.

Mason Szerszyn made a second line break in the 26th minute when after receiving an off-load from his right thirty seven metres from the try line, Mason Szerszyn ran down the left touchline and when he was twenty two metres from the try line, Mason Szerszyn cut inside by way of a left foot step to beat the fullback before being caught from behind six metres from the try line.

Mason Szerszyn then started on the left wing in Match Three against the Sunshine Coast with Mason Szerszyn making a strong run in the 20th minute when after receiving a pass from his right, Mason Szerszyn ran down the left touchline from thirty eight metres from the try line before cutting back inside off the left wing towards the centre of the field by way of six left foot steps with Mason Szerszyn getting to within seven metres of the try line with Mason Szerszyn then awarded a penalty after being held down too long in the tackle by the Sunshine Coast defenders.

Mason Szerszyn continued on the left wing in Match Four against Peninsula with Mason Szerszyn scoring twice in another South Coast victory.

Mason Szerszyn scored his opening try in the 13th minute when after picking up a cut-out pass from the centre of the field from Blaine Adams on the first bounce, Mason Szerszyn outpaced the Peninsula cover defence in a race to score in the left corner.

Mason Szerszyn scored his second try in the 32nd minute when he took an attacking high kick to his wing from Jesse Black on the full three metres out and have an easy time moving forward to put the ball down six metres in from the left corner post.

Mason Szerszyn can unbelievably close to making it a hat trick in the last minute of the match when after chasing through an attacking kick towards the left touchline, Mason Szerszyn toe’d the ball forward off the ground twice into the in-goal and dived full length to ground the ball but the referee ruled that Mason Szerszyn grounded the ball on the dead ball line and disallowed what would have been Mason Szerszyn’s hat trick.

Mason Szerszyn also made a line break in the 13th minute with a run down the left touchline after receiving a pass from his right thirty three metres out. After running about twelve metres down the left touchline, Mason Szerszyn cut inside off his left foot and then just kept stepping off his left foot to get the ball to within fourteen metres of the try line and to the right of the goal posts.

Mason Szerszyn also started on the left wing in the Semi-final against Met East with Mason Szerszyn making a line break in the 12th minute down the left touchline from twenty metres out from the try line after being put away by Blaine Adams with Mason Szerszyn being forced into touch just three metres short of the left corner post.

Mason Szerszyn made another good run in the 25th minute when after receiving the ball on the left touchline thirty two metres from the try line, Mason Szersztn immediately stepped inside off his left foot and then executed a left arm fend to beat his opposing winger with Mason Szerszyn then stepping off his left foot on five occasions, beating a defender each time before straightening up and being tackled twenty metres out and to the right of the goal posts.

Mason Szerszyn then started the 2023 Queensland U12 School Boy Rugby League Championship Final at left centre against Northern.

In late 2023 Mason Szerszyn was named in the New Era U12 side to play the U12 Velocity All Stars with Mason Szerszyn starting the match on the right wing before moving to fullback in the second half.

Mason Szerszyn made a good kick return in the 48th minute when after taking an All Stars clearing kick on the full on the centre of the field and thirty five metres out from his try line Mason Szerszyn ran to his left to get the ball to within five metres of the halfway mark.

Mason Szerszyn stood up well defensively against the All Stars with a number of try saving tackles whislt operating at fullback including in the 31st minut with a one on one tackle in space when operating at fullback in the 31st minute with Mason Szerszyn bringing down the All Stars left winger after he had tried to beat Mason Szerszyn down the touchline.

Then in the 38th minute when confronted by an All Stars line break also with support runners Mason Szerszyn stayed in the inside of the All Stars player who had made the line break with Mason Szerszyn then transitioning to the support runner after the ball was passed to him with Mason Szerszyn bringing down the left winger three metres from the right corner post.

Mason Szerszyn followed up with another one on one tackle in open space on the All Stars left winger in the 40th minute ten metres from the try line after a line break with Mason Szerszyn able to force a knock on after he had targeted the area around the ball with his tackle.

2023 also saw Mason Szerszyn play for PBC SHS in the School Boy Rugby league Bronco’s Old Boys competition.

Mason Szerszyn is a quick centre with a fluid running style with a classic centres build with the ability to stand up his direct opposite and then beat him with pace on the outside. In term of his play, the in and away is his bread and butter, Mason Szerszyn has very good speed off the mark and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which he uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle. When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Mason Szerszyn usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload.

Mason Szerszyn has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if he is pushing to the outside too early. What Mason Szerszyn is also adept at doing is timing his pass to his outside supports if the outside defender looks to come in and help defend him allowing an overlap to develop.

Mason Szerszyn will not necessarily hit hard in defence, but he is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all. Mason Szerszyn is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Mason Szerszyn seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage.

2024 will see Mason Szerszyn return to PBC SHS with Mason Szerszyn moving up to the School Boy Rugby League Renouf Shield competition.

Mason Szerzyn spent time in the centres and on the wing in 2024 and whilst no doubt he can play both positions at a high level, but with his ability to space himself correctly and his speed and evasion skills I am of the opinion that Mason Szerzyn’s best position is currently in the centres although he is equally effective on the wing.

Redcliffe Dolphins recruit, English International and former Brisbane Bronco’s centre Herbie Farnsworth is a solid NRL player comparison for Mason Szerzyn. Both may not be the biggest or strongest centres running around but with their speed and positional sense they are both very effective in attack and defence.
 
Jack Hudson. In early January 2024 Jack Hudson started from the bench for a Titans U19 side in a round robin series of trial matches against the Penrith Panthers and the Souths Sydney Rabbitohs in Sydney. For the Titans Jack Hudson operated in the dummy half role when he came onto the field against both Penrith and Souths.

In October 2023 Jack Hudson was named in the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls U19 Mal Meninga (MM) Cup squad.

Jack Hudson started the 2023 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U18 MM Cup side, starting the Seagulls first four matches at five eight. After missing Round Six Jack Hudson then started at hooker in Round Seven against the Burleigh Bears with Jack Hudson scoring the Seagulls opening try of the match in the 12th minute of the local derby.

2023 also saw Jack Hudson play for Keebra Park SHS in the School Boy Rugby league Langer Cup competition with Jack Hudson starting at five eight in all of Keebra Park SHS’s regular season matches. Jack Hudson also came off the bench in Keebra Park SHS’s Quarter Final loss to eventual Champions PBC SHS.

Jack Hudson is not necessarily the quickest half running around but he does have some reasonable speed off the mark, which is complemented by the fact that he runs at the right moment, for example when he is drifting across field he will dummy and run when defenders anticipate the pass rather than focussing on him running the ball. Jack Hudson’s ability to put runners into holes complements his ability to run with the ball.

Jack Hudson’s defence for a half is very good for a smaller forward he is a hard hitter and can defend effectively one on one against far larger forwards, he sets a good base with his lower body and explodes upwards with his shoulders into his opponent and is also very good at slowing the play the ball down. His intensity means that Jack Hudson will track the play across and thus is in a good position when the ball is passed back inside or a break wider out is made.

2024 will see Jack Hudson start the season in the U19 MM Cup competition for the Tweed Heads Seagulls. At the completion of the MM Cup competition Jack Hudson will transition to the Gold Coast Rugby league U20 competition.

Whilst Jack Hudson has played the majority of his rugby league career to date at five eight and only a reasonably limited amount at hooker, however it seems hooker, with his distribution skills and solid defence is Jack Hudson’s best position both now and into the future. No doubt though, if required Jack Hudson would also do a solid job operating at five eight and also potentially as a ball playing lock forward.

Jack Hudson shapes as a clever dummy half whose playing style in that role reminds me of Wests Tigers and former Australian Prime Ministers XIII hooker, Jake Simpkins. Both Jack Hudson and Simpkins are smart as well as tough as nails both in terms of attack and defence.
 
Lewis McDermid. In early 2024 Lewis McDermid signed a multi-year contract with the Titans alongside twin brother Ashton.

2023 saw Lewis McDermid play for the Whitsunday Brahman’s in the Mackay and Districts U14 Junior Rugby League competition with Lewis McDermid finishing as the competitions equal tenth leading try scorer with eight tries for a total of thirty two points.

Starting all of his matches at fullback, except for Round One when he started from the bench against Sarina, Lewis McDermid scored a double in Round Twelve against Souths Sharks and also scored against Miners in Round Five, Souths Sharks in Round Eight, Brothers White in Round Ten, Brothers Blue in Round Thirteen and against Wests in Week Two of the Finals.

Lewis McDermid also started at fullback in the Brahmans 16 – 10 Grand Final victory against the Magpies with Lewis McDermid scoring in the 12th minute when he ran a straight crash line to the right of a Brahmans scrum win with Lewis McDermid bursting between two defenders when ten metres from the try line to score ten metres in from the right corner post to get the Brahmans on the board in the Grand Final.

Lewis McDermid is just a smooth mover, he can create for himself or others and if a defensive line does not chase a kick in one straight line the young flyer will simply cut them apart. Lewis McDermid ’s speed is in the plus plus category and when accompanied with exceptional body control and balance he is a handful for defensives especially when the defensive line is not set.

Just like his explosive speed off the mark, Lewis McDermid ’s body and body control are in the plus plus category as is his ability to step off both feet and can, just like Benji Marshall in his heyday, step multiple times in a small time frame and area to change both his direction and momentum as well as defenders.

Lewis McDermid also has exceptional hands when defending against kicks especially when low short attacking kicks are put in, Lewis McDermid attacks the ball at full speed aiming to get there prior to the arrival of the attacks and look to make ground while the opposition are still in an attacking mode.

Defensively Lewis McDermid is more than strong enough to confront any attacker who has broken through the initial defensive line and if he is caught out of position has dynamic closing speed to address this situation. When a break has been made, Lewis McDermid ’s primary objective is to more forward to reduce the time available for the attacker to work through is options.

Lewis McDermid is also effective at maintaining his composure and taking the player with the ball and not fall for any dummies, he makes an opposing team earn the ground that they make.

2024 will see Lewis McDermid play for the Whitsunday Brahmans in the Mackay and Districts U15 competition with Lewis McDermid also in contention for School Boy U15 Rugby League Representative Honours with Northern as well in 2024.

Lewis McDermid played exclusively at fullback in 2023 and with his speed and elusiveness in that position, Lewis McDermid certainly has the skill set to stay in that position long term. There is no doubt however that Lewis McDermid could also play (and play well) in the centres or on the wing for any team.

With the a fore mentioned speed and elusiveness Lewis McDermid has a playing style with similarities to Dragons NRL fullback Tyrell Sloan. Both Sloan and Lewis McDermid have speed to burn and are electric when running with the ball in hand whether that is in relation to returning kicks, backing up through the centre of the field or chiming into his team’s backline.
 
Saifiti Junior Saifiti. In early January 2024 Saifiti Junior Saifiti was part of a Titans U19 side in a round robin series of trial matches against the Penrith Panthers and the Souths Sydney Rabbitohs in Sydney with the Titans defeating Penrith 18 – 0 and the Rabbitohs 16 – 12.

In late Saifiti Junior Saifiti was named in the Ipswich Jets U19 MM Cup squad.

In early 2023 Saifiti Junior Saifiti played for the Ipswich Jets in the MM Cup competition starting all of the Jets matches on the right wing except for Round Four which Saifiti Junior Saifiti missed due to injury.

In the 2023 MM Cup competition for the Ipswich Jets Saifiti Junior Saifiti finished with fifty eight points from four tries, twenty two conversions and a penalty goal in Round Two against the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

Saifiti Junior Saifiti scored in Round Two against the Sunshine Coast Falcons, Round Three against the Toowoomba Clydesdales, Round Seven against the Wide Bay Bulls and the Jets Week One Final against the Townsville Blackhawks with Saifiti Junior Saifiti charging ten metres down the right touchline to crash over to score in the right corner in the 50th minute.

Saifiti Junior Saifiti kicked six conversions in Round Three against the Toowoomba Clydesdales, four conversions in Round Five against the Sunshine Coast Flacons and three conversions in Rounds Two against the Falcons, Six against the Clydesdales, Seven against the Wide Bay Bulls and the Week One Final against the Townsville Blackhawks.

2023 also saw Saifiti Junior Saifiti line up on the left wing for Ipswich SHS in the School Boy Rugby League Langer Cup competition including scoring a powerhouse try against Caloundra SHS.

In 2023 Saifiti Junior Saifiti also played for Queensland Samoa U18’s in the QPICC Carnival including starting at right centre in Samoa’s Grand Final victory against Queensland PNG U18’s 16 – 10.

Saifiti Junior Saifiti is a powerfully built young man who runs with pace and power supplemented with a low centre of gravity. It would be unfair to categorise that his game is only built on pace and power though as Saifiti Junior Saifiti has a very good right foot step and left hand fend, he can also draw defenders in to give players outside him room.

If he gets on the outside of his opposing winger Saifiti Junior Saifiti is definitely quick enough to break into open space although I would not say that he has plus speed, he is quick enough to gain separate from the cover defence.

When you look at his build Saifiti Junior Saifiti may not look like he has a lot of speed, but he definitely does. Saifiti Junior Saifiti is not necessarily the quickest off the mark but he has very good acceleration once he is moving and Saifiti Junior Saifiti can sustain his top pace over an extended period.

Impressively a lot of Saifiti Junior Saifiti’s metres in 2019 came through the centre of the ruck with Parramatta regularly running down the blind side on his side of the field. If the opposing winger is drawn in Saifiti Junior Saifiti broke down the touch line, if not he would come back inside and bash and barge his way through the centre of the ruck.

Saifiti Junior Saifiti is also very good at running out of dummy half. In relation to kick returns Saifiti Junior Saifiti, on the majority of occasions would not be subtle, he would retrieve the ball and run straight and hard into the oncoming defensive line.

Saifiti Junior Saifiti is always going to be judged on his attacking ability, but he is a solid defender as was evidenced in the 2022 U16 Shaun Johnson Shield competition. Saifiti Junior Saifiti has the size and strength for powerful initial contact especially when he come out of the line and also has the speed to turn and chase when required.

Saifiti Junior Saifiti may never be considered an outstanding defender but he has the skill set and physical attributes to be a solid NRL defender both from an individual and team perspective and in either a sliding or an up and in type defensive methodology.

2024 will see Saifiti Junior Saifiti start the season as part of the Ipswich Jets U19 MM Cup squad.

Saifiti Junior Saifiti operated primarily in the centres or on the wing in recent seasons but ultimately I am of the opinion that Saifiti Junior Saifiti will move onto the wing permanently where Saifiti Junior Saifiti will be a powerhouse type of winger who can come off his wing and make ground out of his team’s own territory either by running from dummy half or from one off the ruck by way of Saifiti Junior Saifiti’s propensity to look to run over the top of people rather than try to run around them.

Also when Saifiti Junior Saifiti has room to move down the touchline he has impressive speed and also has the size and low centre of gravity that means that Saifiti Junior Saifiti is very difficult to knock off his running line.

Former Titans and current Newcastle Knights winger Greg Marzhew and Saifiti Junior Saifiti are very similar in a number of aspects including a number of physical characteristic and overall playing style with both having low centres of gravity and preferring to run over the top of people rather than around them. Both Marzhew and Saifiti Junior Saifiti are also try scorers of note.
 
Ashton McDermid. In early 2024 Ashton McDermid signed a multi-year contract with the Titans alongside twin brother Lewis.

2023 saw Ashton McDermid play for the Whitsunday Brahman’s in the Mackay and Districts U14 Junior rugby League competition with Ashton McDermid finishing as the competitions third leading try scorer with seventeen tries for a total of sixty eight points.

Starting all of his matches at right centre except for Round Ten when he started at five eight against Brothers White, Ashton McDermid scored an impressive four tries in Round Fourteen against Miners. Ashton McDermid also scored twice in five matches being Round Five also against the Miners, Round Eight against Souths Sharks, Round Ten against Brothers White, Round Eleven against Wests and the Preliminary Final victory against the Wanderers.

Ashton McDermid also scored in Round One against Sarina, Round Three against Brothers Blue and in Week Two of the Finals against Wests.

Ashton McDermid also started at right centre in the Brahmans 16 – 10 Grand Final victory against the Magpies.

Ashton McDermid just oozes class on the field he is able to break tackles at will but also understands when it is more appropriate to draw his opponent and pass. Similarly defensively Ashton McDermid clearly has a strong appreciation of the defensive aspect of the game in that he knows when to come in and when to slide and let the play develop prior to committing.

Ashton McDermid has very good and explosive speed off the mark, which I would consider above average to plus for a centre and can break to the outside quickly, couple that with long arms, which Ashton McDermid uses to great effect with a powerful fend makes him difficult to tackle in any one on one situation.
When opposing centres are able to get hold of him, Ashton McDermid usually is able to maintain his balance and keeps an arm free, looking to offload to either his inside or outside support.
Ashton McDermid has more tools though than just an in and away, he will also use his size and strength to run straight over smaller opposing centres as well as also having the skill to step back inside of the defender if the defender is pushing to the outside too early.
Ashton McDermid also has a powerful fend which has served him well in recent seasons with his natural strength is just another impressive attribute in his ****nal.
A real positive for me is that Ashton McDermid can also run a good inside shoulder line due to the fact that he maintains his spacing in the back line and will quickly identify where his direct opponent is ling up to determine whether it is appropriate to run an inside or outside shoulder line or a “crash” line for that matter, Ashton McDermid certainly has the courage to run that line regularly which not everybody has.
As you would expect, due to his size and strength, Ashton McDermid is a very good defender regardless of position. He will not necessarily hit hard but is definitely aggressive and Ashton McDermid is very good at mirroring the movement of the opposing centre and wrapping him up ball and all.

Ashton McDermid is also quick enough to recover and chase if the opposing centre gets on the outside and his long reach is also a positive attribute in those situations.

From a team defensive methodology stand point, Ashton McDermid seems to be very comfortable in a sliding defensive scheme where he can use his speed and body control to their best advantage in though he can be an intimidating presence when Ashton McDermid chooses to come out of the line to interrupt the attacking movement immediately prior to its development.

2024 will see Ashton McDermid play for the Whitsunday Brahmans in the Mackay and Districts U15 competition with Ashton McDermid also in contention for School Boy U15 Rugby League Representative Honours with Northern as well in 2024.

Ashton McDermid played almost exclusively in the centres in 2023 and whilst there is absolutely no doubt that Ashton McDermid can comfortably settle in the centres long term, Ashton McDermid, I believe, could comfortably handle the fullback duties as well.

Parramatta Eels NRL centre Will Penisi is a solid NRL player comparison for Ashton McDermid. Both Penisi and Ashton McDermid are big, strong and powerful ball runners who also have some subtly when looking to beat a defender one on one. Similarly both are very good defenders who drive with their shoulder rather than just looking to use their arms.
 
Jahkayis Mabbett. After a stand out season in Western Australia in 2022 Jahkayis Mabbett signed a multi-year contract with the Titans and as a result Jahkayis Mabbett moved over to the Gold Coast to continue his quest to reach the NRL ideally with the Titans.

Jahkayis Mabbett lined up in a Titans jersey in mid-April 2023 when Jahkayis Mabbett started from the bench for a Titans U16 JTS squad that played a touring Auckland U16 side at Cbus Stadium as a curtain-raiser to the Titans NRL Round Seven match against the Brisbane Bronco’s and after coming onto the field to operate in the dummy half role I the 22nd minute, Jahkayis Mabbett almost immediately ran out of dummy half to his right from thirty two metres from the try line to get the ball to within eighteen metres of the try line.

In the 31st minute after picking up an errant New Zealand pass one metres from his own try line and in the centre of the field Jahkayis Mabbett was able to get the ball to fifteen metres away from his try line.

Then in the 32nd minute Jahkayis Mabbett ran to his right out of dummy half once again from forty metres out, Jahkayis Mabbett attacked the area behind the play the ball to get to within twenty six metres of the try line with Jahkayis Mabbett then awarded a penalty for being held down too long by the defence.

In late September 2023 Jahyayis Mabbett was part of the Titans U16 side in their Antony Laffranchi Cup victory against the Balmain Tigers in Northern New South Wales.

In October 2023 Jahyayis Mabbett was named in the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad.

In August 2023 Jahkayis Mabbett was named in the South Queensland Māori U16 Tuakana Representative side and was subsequently named in the Queensland Māori Tane U16 side for the annual QPICC Cultural Carnival with Jahkayis Mabbett starting from the bench in Round One against Queensland PNG.

Jahyayis Mabbett also started from the bench in Round Two against Queensland PEGA Tonga Invitational, in Round Three against Queensland Niue and in Round Four against Queensland Samoa.

In early October 2022 Jahkayis Mabbett was named in the 2023 Tweed Heads Seagulls U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad with Jahkayis Mabbett moving over from Western Australia to take advantage of the great opportunity to impress the Titans JTS staff right in their own backyard.

Jahkayis Mabbett’s first match in 2023 came in late January when he lined up for the Tweed Heads Seagulls CC Cup squad in their first 2023 trial against the Souths Logan Magpies at the Logan Metro Sports Complex. Jahkayis Mabbett then lined up for the Seagulls in their second trial against the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup side at Burleigh Juniors as part of the Titans Annual Super Saturday series of matches.

After Tweed Heads had a Round One bye Jahkayis Mabbett was named on the bench in Round Two of the 2023 U16 Cyril Connell Cup against the Brisbane Tigers in Brisbane.

Jahkayis Mabbett then moved into the Seagulls starting line- up at hooker in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Jahkayis Mabbett making a smart run out of dummy half in the 32nd minute when from forty metres out from his own try line Jahkayis Mabbett ran to his right out of dummy half and was able to get the ball ten metres inside Redcliffe territory.

Jahkayis Mabbett made an even better run in the 50th minute from forty five metres out from the try line and after running out of dummy half to his right Jahkayis Mabbett got all of the way down to the ten metre mark.

Jahkayis Mabbett also started at hooker in Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies with Jahkayis Mabbett scoring a smart solo try in the 18th minute when from dummy half Jahkayis Mabbett ran to his right from fourteen metres out and just to the left of the goal posts with Jahkayis Mabbett when ten metres from the try line stepping off his right foot and then his left to beat two defenders before Jahkayis Mabbett easily shrugged off the Magpies fullback to dive over to score next to the right upright.

Jahkayis Mabbett also recorded a try assist in the 4th minute when from dummy half with the play the ball less than a metre from the try line Jahkayis Mabbett threw a flat pass to his left for Ethan Jackson to crash over two metres to the right of the uprights.

In 2022 Jahkayis Mabbett represented the Western Australian School Boys at the U15 ASSRL School Boys Rugby League Championships with Jahkayis Mabbett starting the Pool B Championship Final at hooker against Victorian School Boys with Jahkayis Mabbett scoring from dummy half in the Grand Final. Jahkayis Mabbett was also named the Western Australian Player of the Match in the Grand Final.

Also in 2022 Jahkayis Mabbett played for South Perth in the Western Australian U15 Junior Rugby League competition, regularly starting at hooker for the Lions with Jahkayis Mabbett finishing as one of the competition’s leading try scorers for the second season in a row.

Jahkayis Mabbett started the 2022 Western Australian U15 Grand Final at hooker for the South Perth Lions as they took on the Rockingham Sharks.

Jahkayis Mabbett also played for the South Perth Lions in 2021 including scoring a hat trick and setting up two more tries in a 26 – 16 Week Two Western Australian U14 Final’s victory against the Freemantle Roosters.

From an attacking stand point, Jahkayis Mabbett has solid distribution skills in relation to his passing skills to either side of his body and uses a solid, repeatable passing technique to ensure consistency, thus enabling his forwards and play makers have confidence that his passes will find the mark with the appropriate velocity attached on every occasion.

From a speed perspective I would consider that his speed when running out of dummy half is above average for a hooker but plays faster as he has become adept at running at the right time and focusses heavily when the markers are out of position, thus Jahkayis Mabbett either makes ground putting his team on the front foot or draws a penalty, in both scenario’s he generates momentum for his side through the skill and intelligence he has.

The impressive thing about when Jahkayis Mabbett runs out of dummy half is the fact that he does not run to the same side all of the time, he will make a judgement on where the defence is the weakest and respond accordingly.

From a defensive perspective Jahkayis Mabbett is a very solid tackler who makes good initial contact and is able to generate momentum through his core and drive into his opponent with enough force to redirect the momentum of the ball carrier. Jahkayis Mabbett has both a solid low tackling technique as well as having the functional strength to make ball and all tackles effectively against the biggest of forwards looking to target him in the defensive line.

Jahkayis Mabbett is also very quick out of the marker position and will get to forwards how are running one out before they can generate any momentum. In short he defends like a backrower and certainly if he finds himself on the fringes of the ruck, Jahkayis Mabbett has the lateral movement and anticipation to also defend against smaller quicker halves looking to exploit a perceived speed advantage.

2024 will see Jahkayis Mabbett line up for the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell Cup squad for the second season in a row.

With his distribution skills out of dummy half, his speed and guile running the ball out of dummy half and his rock solid defence in the centre of the field, I ultimately believe that hooker will be the position that Jahkayis Mabbett is best suited to playing.

Jahkayis Mabbett, with his speed out of dummy half and his ability to make the right decision in terms of when to run and when to pass reminds me of South Sydney and New South Wales State of Origin hooker Damien Cook. Like Cook, Jahkayis Mabbett s a very strong defender in the centre of the ruck with the ability to make multiple effective tackles at a row.

Both Cook and Jahkayis Mabbett have the ability to change the game in a heartbeat with a decisive run out of dummy half whether that be to run themselves or to seek to pass to a support player running onto a gap which significantly alters the games momentum in the blink of an eye.
 
Elliott Farrell. In late September 2023 Elliott Farrell was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad.

Round One of the 2024 U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition saw Elliott Farrell named at left centre for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Newcastle Knights with Elliott Farrell scoring in the 12th minute with a run out of dummy half to his right from two metres out with Elliott Farrell able to force his way over with three defenders trying to stop him to get the ball down eight metres in from the left corner post.

Elliott Farrell recorded a try assist in the 24th minute with a smart catch and pass to his left when three metres from the try line to put Noah Waldock over to score in the left corner.

Elliott Farrell also made a line break in the 8th minute when whilst defending at left centre Elliott Farrell moved up quickly and was able to jump high and take an intercept above his head with both hands twenty three metres out from his own try line. Elliott Farrell then burst downfield before being caught from behind twenty four metres from the try line.

In the 52nd minute Elliott Farrell, after running onto the ball to the left of the dummy half broke a tackle as he ran the ball from twenty five metres out from his own try line to thirty seven metres out. Then in the 54th minute from two passes to the left of a Northern Rivers scrum win Elliott Farrell ran the ball through the centre of the field to get within two metres of the try line after receiving the pass fourteen metres out.

Elliott Farrell also started at left centre in Round Two against the Central Coast Roosters and in the 4th minute from the right of the play the ball Elliott Farrell ran the ball through the centre of the field from his own twenty seven metre mark to forty metres out. Then from a Northern Rivers penalty restart in the Elliott Farrell took the tap and made eleven metres before being tackled on the halfway mark.

Then in the 22nd minute from the left of the dummy half Elliott Farrell promoted the ball from twenty metres through the centre of the field to thirty metres out from his own try line. Elliott Farrell then ran out of dummy half to his right in the 23rd minute to get the ball from thirty five metres from the try line to within twenty three metres.

Also in the 25th minute after running onto the ball to the left of the play the ball on a yardage carry Elliott Farrell made eleven metres after commencing his run three metres from his own try line. Elliott Farrell in the 54th minute carried the ball from six metres inside Titans territory to the left of the dummy half to get the ball eight metres into Central Coast territory.

Then in the 55th minute Elliott Farrell ran onto the ball to the left of the play the ball from his own twenty metre mark to thirty one metres out. Elliott Farrell completed his strong match in the 62nd minute with an effort that saw him carry the ball from the left of the play the ball from the twenty three metre mark out to the thirty eight metre mark.

Elliott Farrell started the 2023 season as a member of the U16 Andrew Johns Cup Northern Rivers Titans squad with Elliott Farrell starting all five of the Titans matches in the centres.

Also in 2023 even though he was still U16 eligible Elliott Farrell played for the Byron Bay Devils U18 NRRRL side starting in the centres in Round One against the Murwillumbah Mustangs. In the 2023 NRRRL U18 regular season Elliott Farrell made five more starts in the centres and two from the interchange bench.

Elliott Farrell then moved to the left wing for the Devils 2023 NRRRL U18 Finals campaign in the Week One Elimination Final victory against Northern United and the Week Two Elimination Final loss against the eventual premiership winners the Bilambil Jets.

Elliott Farrell scored two tries over the course of his 2023 NRRRL U18 campaign for Byron Bay with Elliott Farrell scoring his first try of the season in Round Nine against the Mullumbimby Giants and Elliott Farrell also scored in Round Ten against the Kyogle Turkeys.

In Round Nine against the Mullumbimby Giants Elliott Farrell scored in the 11th minute when he chased through a grubber kick to dive on the ball in the in-goal area to score four metres to the right of the goal posts. Elliott Farrell then scored in the 12th minute of Round Ten against the Kyogle Turkeys when after receiving a pass from his right whilst playing left centre, Elliot Farrell had a twenty metre run to his left to score in the left corner.

2023 saw Elliott Farrell continue at St Johns College Woodlawn with Elliott Farrell a key member of the Woodlawn School Boy Rugby League First XIII that won the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (NSW CCC) Cup Plate competition including victories against Patrician Brothers Blacktown and Parramatta Marist High School in the rounds prior to the Finals series.

Playing against Patrician Brothers Blacktown in the Plate Final Elliott Farrell kicked a match winning field goal on the final siren to win the match for Woodlawn 7 – 6.

Elliott Farrell also played School Boy Rugby Seven’s in the North Coast School Boy Rugby Seven’s competition in 2023 for St Johns College Woodlawn.

Elliott Farrell is a tall young man but he is exceptionally quick, with a lot of his tries coming from long range efforts originating from his own territory, as once he gets into the clear Elliott Farrell is unlikely to be caught by the opposition cover defence.

Due to his size and speed Elliott Farrell is very difficult to stop one on one in the competitions that he has played in so far in his career, with his favourite move being an in and away to beat his opposing number on the outside and then using his acceleration to break the game apart.

Elliott Farrell does not just have top end speed, he also has very good acceleration off the mark as well. His fend is decent and as Elliott Farrell puts on more muscle it will become more effective due to his long reach, meaning opposing defensive players cannot get close enough to combat him by impacting on his balance and running line in one on one situations before defensive help arrives.

With his height and reach Elliott Farrell should also be able to refine his ability to offload the ball in tackles, making him even harder to defend against . Obviously as a result of his height he is good under the high ball both in attacking and defensive situations and for his height is comfortable fielding the ball low to the ground from grubber kicks into or through the line.

Defensively Elliott Farrell is solid at wrapping the ball up and will continue to refine his technique as he progresses and also when to come out of the line in an effort to limit the time and space of the opposition as well as ensuring that due to his height he keeps his tackles down against opposing centres who are usually not as tall. Elliott Farrell does however slide well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well.

2024 saw start the season off as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup squad and Elliott Farrell is also U18 eligible in 2025. Also in 2024 Elliott Farrell will play his second season in the NRRRL U18 competition with the Byron Bay Devils. Elliott Farrell will also continue at St Johns College Woodlawn and will play in their various school boy rugby league competitions in Northern New South Wales.

Elliott Farrell has played the majority of his rugby league career to date in the centres and with his combination of size, speed, strength and power Elliott Farrell has a legitimate chance to stay in the centres long term. If Elliott Farrell however out grows the centre position a move to the second row could be a real difference maker for Elliott Farrell.

I appreciate that I am going back quite a while with this comparison but with his ability to run the ball in one hand and good footwork prior to the line, an apt comparison for Elliott Farrell may well be Queensland State of Origin great Gene Miles especially early in his career when he played in the centres before he moved into the second row. Elliott Farrell is just difficult to tackle full stop, end of story.
 
Gad (Semu) Tata. In early February 2024 Gad Tata was named in the final Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad.

Gad Tata arrives on the Gold Coast from the Bay of Plenty region with Gad Tata attending Katikati College.

Prior to his arrival on the Gold Coast the young centre had an impressive representative resume in New Zealand including playing for the Coastline region at the 2023 New Zealand Rugby League National Youth Championships and in 2022 playing for the 2022 Kotahitangu U15 Representative side.
One of the reasons Gad Tata is so successful on a football field is his exceptional speed and elusiveness, he is the fastest player I have ever seen on a field and when you add in his elusiveness, he is a nightmare for opposing defences. In relation to his elusiveness the thing that makes it play even better is his ability to change direction with no loss of speed, this enables him to use the sideline exceptionally well with an in and away, all three of his first half tries against Ipswich in Round Thirteen last weekend are a testament to this skill.
When the opposing defender’s momentum slows just for a split second, Gad Tata is away down the sideline and will not get caught and also regularly also beats the fullback who no matter how fast they are cannot recover the ground.
Gad Tata is also adept at making ground out of dummy half. Once he has picked the ball up he simply explodes out of there and targets a gap between opposing forwards and looks to accelerate through it. If the defenders look to jersey grab or make an arm tackle, Gad Tata simply bursts through it and into the space behind the ruck.
Gad Tata is not a big player at all and the obvious question is whether he is strong enough to handle the defensive side of rugby league at the higher levels, I would argue that the answer is absolutely yes. In defence against the bigger outside backs running around, Gad Tata looks to cut down the time that they have to gain momentum thus eliminating the size differential as a defensive aspect to take into consideration.
At the opposite end of the spectrum when opposing a quick winger, Gad Tata will show them the side line and use his speed advantage to force the opponent towards the touch line, with their only real option to slow and try to come back inside towards Gad Tata and the cover defence.
From a courage stand point Gad Tata also passes any objective measurement that can be considered when evaluating this criterion. He will stand his ground under the high ball and is one of the first players to take a run out of dummy half when the ball needs to be brought out of his side’s own end.
Gad Tata also has the speed to show his opponent the sideline and cut him down and has the recovery speed to turn and chase if a break is made either on his side of the field or for that matter the other side.

Gad Tata started the 2024 season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 CC Cup squad before Gad Tata will move onto club and school boy rugby league in Queensland.

In New Zealand, outside a handful of matches at lock Gad Tata played exclusively in the centres and that is where I am of the opinion where Gad Tata’s future lies.

Gad Tata is not a giant of a centre but is tall and has speed to burn and well as outstanding balance and body control thus a player comparison to Titans winger Lofi Khan-Pereira is not unreasonable at all.
 
Billy Tonkin. Round One of the 2024 MM Cup competition saw Billy Tonkin start from the bench for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Billy Tonkin scoring in the 65th minute when after receiving a long cut-out pass from his left sixteen metres out from the try line, Billy Tonkin stepped inside off his right foot to beat one defender and get the ball down wide out on the right side of the field.

Round Two of the 2024 U19 Mal Meninga (MM) Cup competition saw Billy Tonkin move into the starting side at right centre for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Brisbane Tigers.

In 2023 Billy Tonkin was an ever present at inside centre (No. 12) for the TSS First XV GPS School Boy Rugby side. In 2022 Billy Tonkin started at inside centre for the TSS Second XV.

In 2021 Billy Tonkin was part of the Burleigh Bears Cyril Connell Cup squad with Billy Tonkin primarily coming off the bench for the Bears that season.

Billy Tonkin is a tall young man but he is exceptionally quick, with a lot of his tries coming from long range efforts originating from his own territory, as once he gets into the clear Billy Tonkin is unlikely to be caught by the opposition cover defence.

Due to his size and speed Billy Tonkin is very difficult to stop one on one in the competitions that he has played in so far in his career, with his favourite move being an in and away to beat his opposing number on the outside and then using his acceleration to break the game apart.

Billy Tonkin does not just have top end speed, he also has very good acceleration off the mark as well. His fend is decent and as Billy Tonkin puts on more muscle it will become more effective due to his long reach, meaning opposing defensive players cannot get close enough to combat him by impacting on his balance and running line in one on one situations before defensive help arrives.

With his height and reach Billy Tonkin should also be able to refine his ability to offload the ball in tackles, making him even harder to defend against . Obviously as a result of his height he is good under the high ball both in attacking and defensive situations and for his height is comfortable fielding the ball low to the ground from grubber kicks into or through the line.

Defensively Billy Tonkin is solid at wrapping the ball up and will continue to refine his technique as he progresses and also when to come out of the line in an effort to limit the time and space of the opposition as well as ensuring that due to his height he keeps his tackles down against opposing centres who are usually not as tall. Billy Tonkin does however slide well in defence and has the speed to cover opposition line breaks very well.

2024 saw Billy Tonkin commence the season as part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U19 MM Cup squad.

Billy Tonkin has played the majority of his rugby league career to date in the centres and with his combination of size, speed, strength and power Billy Tonkin has a legitimate chance to stay in the centres long term. If Billy Tonkin however out grows the centre position in the future a move to the second row could be a real difference maker for Billy Tonkin’s future.

I appreciate that I am going back quite a while with this comparison but with his ability to run the ball in one hand and good footwork prior to the line, an apt comparison for Billy Tonkin may well be Queensland State of Origin great Gene Miles especially early in his career when he played in the centres before he moved into the second row. Billy Tonkin is just difficult to tackle full stop, end of story.
 
Aiden Gersh. In late September 2023 Aiden Gersh was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad with Aiden Gersh part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 squad that defeated the Greater Northern Tigers in their first 2024 trial.

Round One of the 2024 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Aiden Gersh named in the front row for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Newcastle Knights with Aiden Gersh running onto the ball to the left of the dummy half in the 2nd minute to get the ball from forty metres from the try line to within twenty eight metres.

Aiden Gersh also started in the front row in Round Two against the Central Coast Roosters with Aiden Gersh scoring in the 56th minute when after running onto a great short ball from his right from Billy Mulheron, Aiden Gersh charged twelve metres and carried the Central Coast fullback over the try line with him to get the ball down three metres to the left of the goal posts.

A minute earlier in the 55th minute Aiden Gersh charged onto the ball to the left of the dummy half to carry the ball from his own twenty three metre mark out to the thirty seven metre mark.

Aiden Gersh also started in the front row in Round Four against the Northern Tigers with Aiden Gersh making the fourth hit-up of the match from the left of the play the ball to carry the ball from ten metres inside his own territory to two metres into Tigers territory.

The 15th minute saw Aiden Gersh make a strong kick-off return to get the ball out to the thirty two metre mark and a tackle later from the right of the play the ball Aiden Gersh was able to make a further fourteen metres to within three metres of the halfway mark, breaking a tackle along the way.

In the 52nd minute after receiving an off-load fourteen metres from the try line charged towards the try line only to be tripped up just two metres short and just to the right of the goal posts. Then in the 56th minute Aiden Gersh made a good Tigers goal line drop-out return back to the twenty seven metre mark with Aiden Gersh running straight over the top of one defender in his journey.

Defensively Aiden Gersh made a big driving right shoulder tackle on his opposing front rower in the centre of the field and thirty two metres from the try line.

Aiden Gersh continued in the front row in the Round Five local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs with Aiden Gersh coming close to scoring in the 59th minute but unfortunately Aiden Gersh lost the ball over the try line when directly under the posts after a hard straight run from the right of the play the ball from six metres from the try line.

Aiden Gersh made his initial run of the match inside the opening minute when from the left of the play the ball Aiden Gersh bustled his way from twenty metres from the try line to within five metres before being brought to ground in front of the posts with at least 70% of Aiden Gersh’s metres being post his contact with the North Coast Bulldogs defensive line.

The 4th minute saw Aiden Gersh make a strong kick-off return to get the ball to the nineteen metres mark with Aiden Gersh making another good kick-off return in the 16th minute to get the ball to the twenty three metres mark. Then in the 13th minute from the left of the play the ball Aiden Gersh ran the ball from twenty two metres to within eleven metres of the try line.

Aiden Gersh also started in the front row in the rescheduled Round Three match against the St George Dragons with Aiden Gersh scoring in the 15th minute with a hit and clockwise spin after running onto the ball from six metres out to score for metres to the left of the goal posts.

After taking the opening hit-u[p of the match to get the ball to the eighteen metres mark, Aiden Gersh made a second kick-off return in the 4th minute to get the ball to the twenty two metre mark. Then in the 39th minute from the right of the play the ball Aiden Gersh carried the ball from forty seven metres from the try line to thirty four metres out.

The Mullumbimby youngster commenced training with the Titans JTS Program and was part of the Titans 2022 U14 JTS High Performance Academy Group 18 squad that commenced training in November 2022.

In early December 2022 Aiden Gersh played for the Titans U14 Group 18 Academy against the Titans U14 Group One Academy in a trial match at Ballina with both teams wearing Titans jerseys in a great initiative for the players from both Titans squads.

In late September 2023 Aiden Gersh was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

In 2023 Aiden Gersh continued to play for the Mullumbimby Colts in the Group 18 U15 competition with Aiden Gersh named the 2023 Colts U15 Best Back and Aiden Gersh also received the Players Player Award.

In 2022 Aiden Gersh played for the Mullumbimby Giants in the Group 18 U14 competition with Ryder Nelson being named the 2022 Mullumbimby Giants U14 Best Defensive Player. Impressively 2022 was Aiden Gersh’s first year of playing rugby league.

Aiden Gersh also played rugby league for Mullumbimby High School and in the U14 Buckley Shield School Boy Rugby League Competition Aiden Gersh put in several Player of the match performances, including against Newcastle’s Kurri Kurri High School and Erskine Park High School neat Penrith in Sydney’s West. Aiden Gersh’s first match for Mullumbimby High School came in Round One of the 2022 U14 Buckley Shield School Boy Competition came in a victory against Ballina Coast High School.

Aiden Gersh also represented Mullumbimby High School and with fellow 2022 Titans JTS U14 Group 18 Elite Academy squad member Ryder Nelson was a member of the winning 4 x 100 relay team at the North Coast Athletics Carnival. Aiden Gersh along with Ryder Nelson then went on to run the 4 x 100 metre relay event at the New South Wales Schools Age Athletic Championships.
Aiden Gersh is a powerful runner of the ball who runs with a slight jink, usually off his right foot, in his step prior to impacting the defensive line and from when he receives the ball until he hits the defensive line Aiden Gersh is able to build up significant momentum.
Aiden Gersh displays outstanding speed both off the mark and over an extended distance when in the clear for a player his size. Also when Aiden Gersh has impacted the defensive line he continues to pump his legs and gain extra metres after contact.
As noted Aiden Gersh is a solidly built young front rower with a low centre of gravity, which makes him quite difficult to tackle. Like his footwork Aiden Gersh will show flashes of the ability to off load the ball and with experience this attribute will continue to develop both in terms of when he has impacted the defensive line and prior to contact.
Aiden Gersh’s lateral movement is outstanding for a front rower and he is powerful enough to combat the largest of opponents looking to run through the centre of the ruck. Aiden Gersh also has the functional strength to combat attackers on a one on one basis. His initial contact is outstanding as is his ability to put any size attacker quickly and effectively on the ground and effectively slow down the speed of the play the ball.
2024 will see Aiden Gersh continue to play for the Murwillumbah Colts in the Group 18 U16 Junior Rugby League competition in just his third year of playing rugby league. Aiden Gersh will also continue to play rugby league for Mullumbimby High School in a stacked school boy rugby league team. Aiden Gersh started the 2024 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

Aiden Gersh has played the majority of the last couple of seasons either at lock or in the front row as a solidly built powerful young man, and thus Lincoln Mitchell is likely to stay in the front row for the duration of his rugby league career.

From a player comparison perspective for Aiden Gersh, think of someone along the lines of New Zealand International and Redcliffe Dolphin Kenny Bromwich as a hard working forward who is more than a solid player but will also on occasion flash some plus skills and speed.

Like Kenny Bromwich, Aiden Gersh has very underrated late and quick footwork just prior to engaging the defensive line which enables Aiden Gersh to push through gaps in the defensive line and making a solid amount of post contact metres regardless of the size of the opposition forward pack.
 
Chase Penna. In late September 2023 Chase Penna was named in the 2024 Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad with Chase Penna part of the Northern Rivers Titans side that defeated the Greater Northern Tigers in their first 2024 trial.

Round One of the 2024 U16 Andrew Johns Cup competition saw Chase Penna named at lock for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Newcastle Knights with Chase Penna doing well in the 16th minute when with the Titans defending on their own try line the Knights put in a short grubber kick into the in-goal but Chase Penna anticipated the kick and moved backwards to collect the ball off the ground eight metres into the in-goal area, but Chase Penna wanted more and continued to run to his left and was able to get the ball four metres back into the field of play near his left touchline.

Chase Penna then started from the bench in Round Two against the Central Coast Roosters with Chase Penna coming onto the field in the 23rd minute.

Chase Penna made multiple strong runs against Central Coast including a good sequence in the 50th minute when after running onto the ball to the left of a twenty metre restart and making ten metres, Chase Penna ran onto the ball two tackles later two passes to the left of the play the ball to get the ball to within thirty metres of the try line before getting an off-load away to his left to keep the play going.

Chase Penna then started from the bench in Round Four against the Northern Tigers and after coming onto the field mid-way through the second half Chase Penna did well in the 55th minute when after carrying the ball from the halfway to fortress from the try line to the right of the dummy half Chase Penna executed a right arm flock pass whilst in contact with the defensive line to his right to Ryder Nelson who subsequently put Tye Hogan-Collins away down the right touchline. Two tackles later Chase Penna got an additional off-load away when ten metres out from the try line.

Chase Penna continued from the bench in the Round Five local derby against the North Coast Bulldogs with Chase Penna scoring in the 38th minute when after taking possession of the ball ten metres to the left of the play the ball Chase Penna dummied to his left before stepping off his left foot and after also using a left arm fend to beat a defender Chase Penna executed a goose step before crashing over to score ten metres in from the right corner post. Chase Penna then carried the ball from the subsequent North Coast kick-off to get the ball out to the twenty two metre mark.

Chase Penna made the first of his two line breaks in the 19th minute when Chase Penna ran onto an off-load from Billy Mulheron from his right on the halfway mark with Chase Penna running to within twenty three metres of the try line but unfortunately his pass from his right went to ground.

Chase Penna made his second line break in the 45th minute and once again it was as a result of a Billy Mulheron off-load with Chase Penna charging through a gap after receiving the ball six metres inside his own territory to run the ball through the centre of the field and into North Coast territory.

The 41st minute saw Chase Penna carry the ball to the right of the play the ball from thirty metres from his own try line to forty three metres out after dummying to his right and then in the 50th minute also from the right of the dummy half Chase Penna was able to crash and barge his way from twenty two metres from the try line to six metres out before getting a right arm off-load away to his left.

Chase Penna also started from the bench in the rescheduled Round Three match against the St George Dragons with Chase Penna operating in the dummy half role after coming onto the field late in the first half.

In the 39th minute Chase Penna ran out of dummy half to his left from thirty four metres from the try line and after crashing and barging his way to within ten metres of the try line Chase Penna was able to get his right arm free and get an off-load away to his right to Bully Mulheron.

In early November 2022 Chase Penna commenced training with the Titans JTS U14 Group 18 Academy. And in early December 2022 Chase Penna played in a trial match for the Titans U14 Group 18 Academy in Ballina against the Titans U14 Group One Academy with both teams wearing Titans jerseys.

In late September 2022 Chase Penna was part of a Titans U14 side that played a Titans U15 Invitational NRRRL side at Piggabeen in Tweed Heads with the Titans U14 side prevailing in a high quality contest.

Chase Penna played his club rugby league in 2022 with the Tweed Heads Seagulls U14 side in the Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition. In the 2022 Group 18 U14 competition the Tweed Heads Seagulls had a 50% record, winning five matches and losing five, with the Seagulls scoring 186 points and conceding 150 to finish with a +36 points differential.

Chase Penna is not the biggest forward running around but runs the ball like the rest of his game, tough and uncompromising. Chase Penna gets back deep and charges onto the ball from the dummy half with Chase Penna able to generate significant forward momentum and speed prior to engaging the defensive line with Etan Alcorn displaying no thoughts of self-preservation as he hits the defensive line by way of dropping his shoulder into the first defender looking to engage him.

Chase Penna does have a degree of subtly in relation to running the ball at the defensive line with Chase Penna utilising slight sideways movement to both his left and right to ensure that he is not an easy target for defenders, thus Chase Penna has a slightly unconventional and awkward running style which enables him to break tackles on a regular basis.

Defensively Chase Penna has an exceptional front on tackling technique that includes appropriate head placement and an overall simple and repeatable technique including when Chase Penna is under stress and/or fatigue. Chase Penna’s tackling technique also enables him to engage attackers with either shoulder which also contributes to Chase Penna’s judicious head placement when making a front on tackle.

2024 will see Chase Penna move up to the U16 Group 18 Junior Rugby League competition, once again with the Tweed Heads Seagulls with Chase Penna also potentially playing a number of matches in the NRRRL U18 competition for the Seagulls as well in 2024.

Chase Penna is a solidly built young man with a low centre of gravity and also the requisite speed and late footwork to potentially develop into a solid hard working rugby league backrower including potentially at lock. Chase Penna started the 2024 season as part of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Chase Penna, I can really see aspects of the play of Titans NRL utility forward Erin Clark as a player who provides a spark in both attack and defence when Chase Penna is on the field with a feisty and aggressive take no prisoner’s nature in the way that Chase Penna plays from both an attacking and defensive perspective.
 
Tama (Te Ahorangi) Darlington. The 2023 Waitako New Zealand U18 representative was named at halfback for the Burleigh Bears in Round One of the 2023 U19 Mal Meninga (MM) Cup against the Souths Logan Magpies with Tama Darlington converting Jett Bryce’s 13th minute try from four metres to the left of the goal posts to record his first official points in Australia.

Tama Darlington did well defensively in the 68th minute when he along with Sunny Kama and Brady Turner tackled and then held the Souths Logan left centre up and force him four metres back into the Magpies in-goal area. Tama Darlington then did even better defensively when along with Sunny Kama, he held up the Souths Logan left second rower (No. 11) over the try line midway between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field to stop a Magpies try.

Tama Darlington then started from the bench in Round Two against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Tama Darlington coming onto the field to operate in the dummy half role in the 42nd minute and in the 45th minute Tama Darlington ran out of dummy half to his left to run the ball from twenty metres from his own try line to thirty two metres out.

Tama Darlington is a slightly built half/hooker who is more of an organising type of player rather than a running player at this stage of his career. Tama Darlington can be seen directing his forwards when and where to run and seemingly makes it clear that Tama Darlington is in charge of directing the team around the field and adhering to the game plan.

Tama Darlington’s passing from both sides of his body is crisp and accurate and also when passing to both sides Tama Darlington generates good spin and distance whilst maintaining accuracy.

Tama Darlington does not take the line on that often but based on his play in the 2019 MM Cup competition and for Burleigh this season, he can and will take on forwards when he sees that they are isolated in the edges of the ruck, although his passing percentage would be much higher than his running percentage, at an estimate I would say 85% passing, 15% running.

Tama Darlington just seems to have a knack of knowing when to pass, what type of pass to throw and also be able to weight the pass very well from either dummy half or one off the ruck.

Tama Darlington seems to be quite quick off the mark and seems to have a good right foot step, when he gets into space Tama Darlington really does work progressively though his options as he does not seem to have the top end speed to finish off breaks himself.

Where Tama Darlington projects very well is in the defensive aspects of rugby league, in essence he is a very good defender for the half back position and by extrapolation hooker, this includes against opposing halves who will try to use footwork and evasion to beat him or against big wide running forwards. Against forwards running directly at him, Tama Darlington has a good compact low tackling technique and rarely looks to tackle above the waist.

2024 sees Tama Darlington start the season off as part of the Burleigh Bears MM Cup squad with Tama Darlington then moving to club rugby league on the Gold Coast.

Tama Darlington is a bit of a spark plug and with his nimble feet, passing skills and take no prisoners attitude Tama Darlington is clearly comfortable playing at halfback or in the dummy half role but if forced to make a decision I would think that ultimately Tama Darlington will settled at hooker.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Tama Darlington think maybe someone like the St George Dragons, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International hooker or half Ben Hunt, especially in terms of Tama Darlington’s passing game and his show and go when Tama Darlington has the ball. Also like Hunt, Tama Darlington is a strong tactical kicker of the ball and a solid goal kicker as well as overall game manager.
 
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