Dylan Watkins. Dylan Watkins is a talented fullback/five eight who previously attended Ballina Coast High School and played for the Ballina Seagulls in the Group One Junior Rugby League Competition which is situated in the Titans catchment area.
In late 2024 Dylan Watkins was named in the 2025 Tweed Heads Seagulls U19 MM Cup squad and Dylan Watkins is also MM Cup eligible in 2026.
In October 2023 Dylan Watkins was named in the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad with Dylan Watkins involved in the Seagulls second 2025 trial against the Burleigh Bears.
Round One of the 2024 U17 Cyril Connell Cup season saw Dylan Watkins start on the right wing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Dylan Watkins running onto the ball to the left of the play the ball in the 32nd minute with Dylan Watkins breaking two tackles as he ran the ball from sixteen metres out from his own try line to forty metres out with Dylan Watkins then awarded a penalty for a strip by the Wynnum Manly defence.
The 35th minute then saw Dylan Watkins run out of dummy half to his left and carry the ball from sixteen metres out from his own try line to twenty eight metres out.
Dylan Watkins also started on the right wing in Round Two against the Brisbane Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 2nd minute when he took a Taj Lateo on the full twenty metres from the try line with Dylan Watkins then racing away to dive over to score two metres to the right of the goal posts.
Dylan Watkins was able to dart down the right touchline in the 16th minute to make fourteen metres to get the ball six metres into Brisbane Tigers territory. Then in the 17th minute from a Tweed Heads twenty metre tap restart Dylan Watkins broke two tackles as he made twelve metres downfield.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 32nd minute when Dylan Watkins was able to knock the ball out of the hands of the Tigers left winger over the try line as he was diving towards the Seagulls right corner.
Dylan Watkins made another try saving tackle in the 44th minute when whilst defending on his own try line Dylan Watkins engaged the much bigger Tigers left centre and hold him up four metres in from the right corner post.
As a result of his performance Dylan Watkins received a special mention in the Courier Mail 2024 CC Cup Round Two Team of the Week.
Dylan Watkins continued on the right wing in Round Three against the Norths Devils with Dylan Watkins making a line break in the 44th minute when after juggling a pass from his left twenty five metres out from his own try line Dylan Watkins was able to beat his opposing winger on the outside with Dylan Watkins then running down the right touchline to get the ball over the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins then made a second line break in the 54th minute when after taking a Devils kick-off on the bounce twenty two metres from his own try line Dylan Watkins split the defensive line and then stepped off his right foot to beat the Norths fullback and carry the ball ten metres into Devils territory.
Dylan Watkins had taken the third hit-up of the match from the left of the play the ball to get the ball to the forty metre mark. Then in the 36th minute less than a metre from his own try line and directly in front of his posts Dylan Watkins was able to make a half break and carry the ball out to the fourteen metre mark.
Dylan Watkins then moved to fullback in Round Five against the Redcliffe Dolphins with running the ball to the left of a Tweed Heads scrum in the centre of the field with Dylan Watkins getting the ball from thirty metres from his own try line to within five metres of the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins made a darting run in the 16th minute from the right of the play the ball when after receiving the ball eighteen metres out Dylan Watkins stepped his way back towards the centre of the field to get within two metres of the try line in front of the left upright. Then in the 23rd minute after taking a Dolphins clearing kick on the full in his own right corner Dylan Watkins ran the ball towards the centre of the field and get the ball out to the twenty metre mark.
From the left of a Tweed Heads scrum win in the centre of the field and thirty five metres from the try line Dylan Watkins got the ball to the halfway mark. Dylan Watkins ran back to pick up a errant Seagulls pass in the 48th minute and after picking up the ball two metres inside Redcliffe territory with Dylan Watkins them running the ball through the centre of the field to the twenty two metre mark.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback in Round Six against the Souths Logan Magpies and in the 17th minute Dylan Watkins did well to be involved in holding up the Magpies front rower No. 10 over the try line ten metres in from the right corner post.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 18th minute from three metres inside his own territory to get the ball ten metres into Souths Logan territory.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback the Round Seven local derby against the Burleigh Bears and inside the opening minute after taking a Bears clearing kick on the full three metres from his own try line Dylan Watkins was able to return the ball to the twenty metre mark.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 27th minute as he promoted the ball from four metres inside his own territory to eleven metres into Burleigh territory. Dylan Watkins also ran out of dummy half to his right in the 32nd minute to get the ball from the halfway mark to thirty six metres from the try line with Dylan Watkins then winning a six again for the Seagulls when he caught the Burleigh defence inside the ten metres.
At the Tweed Heads Seagulls Presentation Night Dylan Watkins was named the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls CC Cup Best and Fairest Player.
2024 also saw Dylan Watkins continue to attend PBC SHS lining up in the Langer Reserve competition primarily at fullback including scoring a hat trick in Round Four against Caloundra SHS with Dylan Watkins named at fullback in the 2024 Courier Mail Langer Reserve School Boy Rugby League Team of the Year.
PBC SHS’s Langer Cup Quarter Final saw Dylan Watkins make his Langer Cup debut starting on the right wing against Stretton State College with Dylan Watkins celebrating his debut by scoring in the 33rd minute with one of the easier tries that he will ever score from five metres out to place the ball down untouched ten metres in from the right corner post after receiving a “harbour bridge” cut out pass from his left from Ray Puru.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 21st minute down the right touchline from thirty five metres from his own try line off a Ray Puru long cut-out pass from his left with Dylan Watkins outpacing the Stretton State College cover defenders before using a left arm fend to defeat the fullback only to his tripped up eight metres out with his foot just touching the right touchline when hit by a cover defender.
Dylan Watkins was heavily involved in a PBC SHS try in the 11th minute when after receiving the ball hemmed in on the right touchline with nowhere to go thirty three metres from the try line Dylan Watkins reviewed his options quickly and put in a hard right foot grubber kick towards the centre of the field with PBC SHS five eight Marley McLaren getting to the kick first to send his left second rower over to score three metres to the right of the posts.
Dylan Watkins had done well in the 6th minute to trap a low hard Stretton State College kick-off with his left foot twenty metres from his try line and after picking up the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball towards the centre of the field and out to the thirty three metre mark. Dylan Watkins was able to break a tackle in the 11th minute with a left foot step as he ran the ball to the tight of the play the ball from thirty to forty two metres from his try line.
Dylan Watkins also ran the ball to the left of the dummy half in the 13th minute from eighteen to thirty metres from his try line. Dylan Watkins then ran out of dummy half to his left to carry the ball from forty seven to thirty two metres from the try line.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in Round Seven of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Beaudesert Kingfishers with Dylan Watkins scoring a try and kicking a conversion in the 16th minute from eight metres to the left of the goal posts.
Dylan Watkins scored in the 19th minute by way of an eight metre burst down the right touchline with Dylan Watkins reaching out with the ball in his right hand to score in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 14th minute from a Currumbin twenty metre restart with Dylan Watkins bursting through two attempted tackles before beating a third to get the ball to the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 21st minute and as a result got the ball from thirty to forty three metres from his try line and then in the 28th minute as a result of an old fashioned “mouse trap” play Dylan Watkins picked up the ball and ran to his right from ten metres inside his half to six metres into Beaudesert territory.
From the right of the play the ball in the 31st minute and thirty one metres from his own try line a determined run by Dylan Watkins saw the ball promoted to within six metres of the halfway mark. Dylan Watkins also ran out of dummy half to his right in the 34th minute and his burst saw him move the ball from thirty metres from his try line to three metres into the Kingfishers half.
Dylan Watkins continued on the right wing in Round Eight against the Burleigh Bears with Dylan Watkins scoring a critical try that enabled Currumbin to draw the match in the 59th minute with probably the easiest try that he will ever score when he strolled over from two metres out to put the ball down in acres of space in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 55th minute when after taking possession of the ball in the centre of the field and to the left of the play the ball Dylan Watkins continued to run to his left to get on the outside of the Burleigh right sided defensive line and then run down the left touchline to get the ball to the halfway mark before getting a right arm pass away back inside.
Dylan Watkins carried the ball through the centre of the field from the right of the play the ball in the eight minute from ten metres inside his half to five metres into Burleigh territory. Then in the 24th minute from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins was able to get the ball from eight metres inside his half to two metres into the Bears half. Also in the 27th minute Dylan Watkins darted down the right touchline from forty to twenty five metres out before passing back inside.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 20th minute when he grabbed hold of his opposing winger three metres in from the right touchline and fourteen metres from his try line with Dylan Watkins then able to keep him off the ground and force him over the touchline to get the ball back for the Eagles.
The rescheduled Round One GCRL U18 Division match saw Dylan Watkins start on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles against the Southport Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 17th minute when he was on the end of a Currumbin backline movement to receive the ball and have a comfortable five metre run to score in the right corner untouched.
Dylan Watkins also crossed the try line in the 27th minute wide out on the right side of the field only for the pass to Dylan Watkins forward, a situation that I was not sure that I agreed with.
Just prior to scoring Dylan Watkins made a line break when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball twenty metres from his try line in the centre of the field Dylan Watkins ran to his right and after getting on the outside of the Tigers left winger Dylan Watkins carried the ball down the right touchline before cutting inside just prior to being tackles five metres into Southport’s half.
Earlier Dylan Watkins took the third run of the match from the left of the posts and to the right of the play the ball from twenty five to thirty six metres from his try line and then in the 26th minute from a twenty metre tap restart Dylan Watkins got the ball out to the thirty metre mar. Then in the 40th minute from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins got the ball to the halfway after commencing his run fifteen metres inside his half.
From the right of the play the ball in the 46th minute ten metres inside his half Dylan Watkins stepped off his right foot to wrong foot two defenders with a left step then beating another, Dylan Watkins then beat two more defenders to run the ball to within thirty metres of the try line near the right touchline.
Dylan Watkins then started at fullback in Round Ten against the Helensvale Hornets with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 5th minute when from wide on the right of an Eagles scrum win Dylan Watkins chimed into the backline thirty metres out and used his express pace to beat is opposing defender on the outside and then outpacing the cover defence to score two metres in from the right corner post.
Dylan Watkins also recorded a try assist in the 28th minute when after chiming into the Currumbin backline once again on the right Dylan Watkins ran from twenty two to fourteen metres from the try line before drawing an passing to his right to put his winger over to score in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 39th minute with a burst down a right blindside twenty eight metres from his try line down the right touchline to within twenty six metres of the try line at the opposite end of the field.
From the left of the play the ball in the 38th minute and after dummying to his left Dylan Watkins ran the ball from twenty eight to forty two metres from his try line.
Dylan Watkins also did well in the 40th minute when two tackles after making a line break down the right touchline Dylan Watkins once again ran down a short right blindside from twelve to eight metres from the try line and then put a right foot grubber kick into the in-goal with the Hornets fullback forced to ground the ball in-goal to require a goal line drop-out.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 12th minute when along with Brodie Saunders and Nelson Makaafi, Dylan Watkins held up the Hornets dummy half No. 9 near the right goal post after he had tried to sneak over the try line out of dummy half.
Dylan Watkins was back on the right wing in Round Eleven against the Southport Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 48th minute when after receiving a pass from his inside from Kaea Cribb on the right touchline and ten metres from the try line Dylan Watkins stood up his opposing winger and then beat him down the touchline to score in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 12th minute and broke two tackles as he promoted the ball from twenty seven metres from the try line to the halfway. Dylan Watkins produced a smart piece of play in the 21st minute when after taking possession of the ball ten metres from the try line and on the right touchline Dylan Watkins immediately put in a right foot grubber which was kicked dead by the Tigers halfback to force a goal line drop-out.
Dylan Watkins chased another Currumbin kick in the 40th minute from deep inside their own territory with the pressure that Dylan Watkins put on the Southport fullback forcing a knock on thirty two metres from the try line to get six more tackles for the Eagles.
Dylan Watkins continued on the right wing in the rescheduled Round One match against the Southport Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 17th minute with an easy five metre run down the right touchline to put the ball down in the corner off a pass from his left from his centre.
It appeared that Dylan Watkins had scored an identical try in the 27th minute however the referee ruled that the pass to Dylan Watkins had travelled forward.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 17th minute when after receiving a pass from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins got on the outside of the Tigers left sided defensive line and burst down the right touchline from eighteen metres from his try line to five metres into Southport territory.
From the right of the play the ball in the 40th minute Dylan Watkins carried the ball through the centre of the field from thirty seven metres from his try line to the halfway. Then in the 46th minute from the right of the play the ball and ten metres inside his half Dylan Watkins stepped off his righty foot to beat two defenders and then beat four more as he carried the ball to within thirty metres of the try line.
Dylan Watkins also started on the right wing in Round Fifteen against the Helensvale Hornets with Dylan Watkins making a line break in the 55th minute when from a set move Dylan Watkins ran onto a chip kick to his wing by Harrison Doherty to take the kick on the full thirty metres from his try line and make fifty metres downfield before finally being brought to ground twenty metres from the try line.
Dylan Watkins came off his wing in the 11th minute to carry the ball from the right of the play the ball from twenty five to thirty six metres from the try line. Then in the 39th minute down a right blindside Dylan Watkins ran the ball from twenty five to thirty seven metres from the try line before being awarded a penalty for an illegal strip of the ball. Also in the 47th minute Dylan Watkins after receiving the ball near the right touchline twenty five metres from the try line Dylan Watkins ran towards the centre of the field and broke three tackles to get thirty seven metres away from his try line.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One Qualifying Final against the Southport Tigers and in the 2nd minute on the left side of the field Dylan Watkins yardage carry saw him move the ball from sixteen to twenty eight metres from the try line.
In the 5th minute from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball from twenty eight to forty metres from the try line and then in the 19th minute Dylan Watkins raced to his right to tackle his opposing winger into touch in the corner to prevent a try over the try line Dylan Watkins raced back to the twenty metre mark and took a quick tap and as a result was able to make twelve metres.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One Week Two Elimination Final against the Burleigh Bears with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 12th minute by way of a long range effort that started with Dylan Watkins receiving the ball to the right of a Currumbin scrum win eight metres from his own try line with Dylan Watkins breaking two tackles to get on the outside of the Bears left sided defensive line and outpace the cover defence down the right touchline with Dylan Watkins then able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.
Dylan Watkins also recorded a try assist in the 7th minute when after bursting through the centre of the field from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball from forty to twelve metres from the try line before drawing the Burleigh fullback and passing to his right to put his five eight over to score under the posts.
Dylan Watkins made a line break in the 18th minute off a pass from his left from Kaea Cribb twenty metres from the try line with Dylan Watkins cutting inside only to be tackled two metres from the try line.
The 39th minute saw Dylan Watkins carry the ball from the right of the play the ball from thirty to forty metres from the try line and a tackle later also from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball from the halfway mark thirteen metres inside the Bears half. Also in the 44th minute Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right from forty metres from his try line to fourteen metres into the Bears half.
Dylan Watkins made a great try saving tackle in the 34th minute when he raced to his right bring down his opposing winger just two metres from the right corner post.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One Preliminary Final against the Helensvale Hornets with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 30th minute by way of a twenty burst down the right touchline to dive over to score in the right corner with Dylan Watkins unlucky to have not been awarded an opportunity for an eight point try.
Also in the 19th minute Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his left to carry the ball from twenty one to thirty two metres from the try line.
In early October 2022 Dylan Watkins was named in the 2023 Tweed Heads Seagulls U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad after a strong first season on the Gold Coast with the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U15 Division One competition.
Dylan Watkins’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.
After Tweed Heads had a Round One bye Dylan Watkins was named at right centre in Round Two of the 2023 U16 Cyril Connell Cup against the Brisbane Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring the Seagulls only try of the match in the 41st minute. Dylan Watkins moved into dummy half with the play the ball twelve metres out and mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field and ran to his left out of dummy half. As the Tigers markers moved with him, Dylan Watkins stepped off his left foot to beat him with Dylan Watkins then accelerating to full speed in an instant and burst between two defenders near the try line and then Dylan Watkins was able to bring the ball around to score under the posts.
Dylan Watkins could not have been in the match earlier after making the opening tackle of the match after Tweed Heads had kicked off.
Dylan Watkins also started at right centre in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Dylan Watkins making a smart run in the 6th minute from the right of the dummy half making ten metres and getting the ball to the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins also did well in the 22nd minute with an eighteen metre run down a short right blindside with Dylan Watkins then cutting back towards the area behind the play the ball as he got within a metre of the try line.
Then in the 47th minute Dylan Watkins when from two passes to the right of a Seagulls scrum win ten metres out from his own try line Dylan Watkins ran to his right and after getting to the twenty metre mark Dylan Watkins cut off his right foot back towards the centre of the field and after making another five metre downfield was able to get an off-load away to his left.
Dylan Watkins also started at right centre in Round Four against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Dylan Watkins making a good play in just the 2nd minute of the match when Dylan Watkins chased through a Seagulls kick from near the halfway mark with Dylan Watkins tackling the Wynnum Manly fullback just five metres from the try line. Dylan Watkins made a further strong tackle in the 40th minute on the Wynnum Manly left second rower on his own try line to stop a near certain try.
Then in the 12th minute Dylan Watkins from forty metres out and two passes to the right of a Seagulls scrum in the centre of the field with Dylan Watkins beating one defender to get the ball within twenty metres of the try line.
Then in the 29th minute Dylan Watkins made a twenty metre run down the right channel to get the ball within thirty four metres of the try line. Dylan Watkins made a further strong run in the 57th minute when after going over to the left side of the field Dylan Watkins took the ball on the halfway mark and was able to get the ball thirteen metres into Wynnum Manly territory before being held down too long in the tackle to receive a penalty.
Dylan Watkins then moved to fullback for Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies with Dylan Watkins recording three line breaks in a strong overall performance.
Dylan Watkins recorded his opening line break in the 25th minute when after taking possession of the ball from a Magpies clearing kick just ten metres out and in the centre of the field Dylan Watkins ran to his right to get to the touchline and burst twenty metres down field before Dylan Watkins cut inside and then Dylan Watkins broke two tackles by spinning 360 degrees clockwise to get the ball within six metres of the halfway mark before being tackled.
Dylan Watkins added a second line break in the 39th minute when after moving into dummy half on the halfway mark Dylan Watkins ran himself to his right with Dylan Watkins speed taking him straight through the centre of the still back peddling Magpies defensive line with Dylan Watkins getting to within sixteen metres of the try line before he was able to get on off-load away to his left to his halfback.
The 45th minute saw Dylan Watkins break through the Magpies defensive line for the third time when whilst stationary thirty metres out from his own try line Dylan Watkins received the ball and then exploded off the mark and straight through the defensive line with Dylan Watkins then veering to his right to round the Magpies fullback before Dylan Watkins cut back to his left before being dragged to ground less than ten metres from the try line.
Earlier in the 31st minute from the right of the play the ball and five metres inside his own territory Dylan Watkins was able to promote the ball eight metres inside Magpies territory.
Dylan Watkins also did well inside the opening minute when he raced from the left side of the field to his right to field a Souths Longa grubber kick cleanly and under pressure in front of his own gaol posts.
Dylan Watkins did well once again in the 16th minute when after chiming into the Seagulls backline around twenty five metres from the try line and to left the left side of the field Dylan Watkins juggled the pass and just as the ball was about to hit the ground Dylan Watkins dived forward and knocked the ball backwards for Tweed Heads to keep possession and prevent a knock on being called.
Dylan Watkins then moved to the left wing for Round Six against the Norths Devils with Dylan Watkins scoring a double in a big Seagulls victory.
Dylan Watkins scored his opening try in the left corner in the 19th minute after receiving a great off-load from his inside from Levi Rusin.
Dylan Watkins completed his double in the 51st minute when Dylan Watkins chased through a grubber kick towards his wing by Caleb Creswell with Dylan Watkins grounding the ball centremetres from the dead ball line and just in from the left in-goal line.
Earlier in the 14th minute Dylan Watkins made a good run from the right of the play the ball from thirty metres out to eighteen metres out. Then in the 49th minute Dylan Watkins raced back to the twenty metre mark to take a quick tap restart with Dylan Watkins making fifteen metres then Dylan Watkins stayed alive to take an off-load from the dummy half who had run himself with Dylan Watkins making nine more metres as a result.
Dylan Watkins made a great take of the ball in the 11th minute when he leapt high to take a bomb on the full ten metres out from the try line and twelve metres in from the right touchline. Dylan Watkins was then awarded a penalty for being tackled whilst still in the air.
Towards the end of the second half after moving to fullback Dylan Watkins made a good one on one tackle in space on the Hooker who had burst through the centre of the ruck but as he tried to beat him, Dylan Watkins moved to his right to bring him to ground. Dylan Watkins was also involved in the next tackle as well on the Devils right second rower No. 11.
Then in the 67th minute Dylan Watkins made a great tackle near the try line and ten metres in from his right touchline on the Devils left centre No. 3 who stepped inside to beat multiple defenders but not Dylan Watkins who stooped him in his tracks and also from scoring.
Dylan Watkins continued on the left wing in the Round Seven local derby against the Burleigh Bears.
Dylan Watkins finished the 2023 CC Cup season running for 456 metres, scoring three tries and making four line breaks.
2023 saw Dylan Watkins play for the PBC SHS Walters Cup School Boy Rugby League side including starting on the right wing in the Semi-final against Marsden SHS with Dylan Watkins making a strong ball and all tackle in the 35th minute on his opposing winger to force a Marsden SHS knock on thirty five metres out near the right touchline.
Dylan Watkins also started on the right wing in the 2023 School Boy Rugby League Walters Cup Grand Final against Wavell SHS.
2023 also saw Dylan Watkins continue playing for the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition with Dylan Watkins starting at right centre in the Grand Final against the Beaudesert Kingfishers with the Eagles avenging their 2022 Grand Final loss to the Kingfishers with a strong 40 – 0 victory.
Dylan Watkins ran onto the ball to the left of the play the ball in the 38th minute with a strong yardage carry to get the ball from ten metres out from his own try line to twenty two metres out.
In the 19th minute did very well to take a short Beaudesert goal line drop-out to Currumbin’s right on the full under intense pressure just eleven metres out from his own try line and five metres in from the right touchline. Dylan Watkins was involved in forcing the Beaudesert goal line drop-out when along with Nelson Makaafi, Dylan Watkins tackled the Kingfishers fullback in the in-goal area.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 15th minute when along with Nelson Makaafi they held up the Beaudesert left second rower No. 11 over the try lien eight metres in from the Currumbin left touchline.
2022 saw Dylan Watkins move up to the Gold Coast from Ballina to play for the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League U15 Division One competition, with Dylan Watkins leading the Eagles to a Grand Final appearance against the Beaudesert Kingfishers. Dylan Watkins started the Grand Final at left centre with Dylan Watkins scoring the match winning try in the Eagles 24 – 20 pulsating and gutsy Grand Final victory against a gallant Kingfishers outfit.
In the 59th minute of the Grand Final with the scores all locked up at 20 all Dylan Watkins ran onto a great off-load from his inside from second rower Nelson Makaafi to cross the try line just three metres in from the left corner post.
Dylan Watkins had actually crossed the try line earlier in the match in the 26th minute but the great pass from his inside from Harrison Doherty was bizarrely ruled to have gone forward by the referee or touch judge.
Dylan Watkins also made a strong run in the 36th minute from a Currumbin scrum win twenty metres out from their own try line and in the centre of the field, Dylan Watkins looped around from his left centre position to the right of the scrum with Dylan Watkins receiving the ball twenty metres out with Dylan Watkins promoting the ball to within five metres of the halfway mark with more than 50% of Dylan Watkins running metres from the effort coming post contact.
In Round One of the 2021 Group One U14 competition Dylan Watkins started at fullback for the Ballina Seagulls against the Clarence Coast Magpies.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback in Round Two against Marist Brothers Lismore and kicked a conversion as the Seagulls prevailed 18 – 8.
Dylan Watkins added a further two tries and a conversion in Round Three against Kyogle after starting the match at fullback once again. Dylan Watkins then scored a hat trick in Round Four against South Grafton after once again starting the match at fullback, even though he wore the No. 6 jersey.
Dylan Watkins was electric once again in Round Five against Casino RSM, scoring a hat trick for the second match in a row from the fullback position.
Dylan Watkins was at his dynamic best in Round Six from the fullback position against the Clarence Coast Magpies, scoring a staggering five tries in the Seagulls 36 – 16 victory.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback against the Grafton Ghosts in Round Seven and once against scored for the Seagulls. Starting at fullback once again in Round Nine against Marist Brothers Dylan Watkins scored another double.
In Round Ten against Kyogle Dylan Watkins continued at fullback and scored an outstanding five tries in the Seagulls big win. Dylan Watkins also started at fullback in Round Eleven against the South Grafton Rebels.
Dylan Watkins continued at fullback in Round Twelve against Casino RSM and scored eighteen individual points from four tries and a conversion.
Dylan Watkins started Round Thirteen against the Grafton Ghosts at five eight and scored in the Seagulls touch one point loss, 27 – 26.
Dylan Watkins finished the abridged 2021 Group One U14 regular season as the competitions leading try scorer with twenty seven tries.
In May 2021, Dylan Watkins was part of the Ballina Coast High School’s U14 Buckley Shield school boy rugby league side that won the Grand Final 46 – 0 against Tweed River High School after Dylan Watkins started the match at five eight.
In the two earlier matches of the Buckley Shield Ballina Coast High School defeated Kingscliff High School 48 – 0 and Tweed River High School 36 – 6.
In March 2021 Dylan Watkins was part of the Ballina Coast High School’s U15 touch side that went through the 2021 U15 Far North Coast Touch Trials that were held at Tweed Heads and as a consequence of his performances at the trials Dylan Watkins was selected in the Far North Coast U15 Touch representative side even though he is still U14 eligible in 2021.
The exceptionally classy former Ballina Seagulls five eight could not have had a better start to the 2020 Group One U13 rugby league season, scoring five tries and kicking a conversion in Round One to finish Ballina’s 28 – 18 win over Casino RSM with an outstanding twenty two point individual haul being 78.57% of his team’s points in the match. In fact the five tries that Dylan Watkins scored in the match were the only five that Ballina scored highlighting just how dominant Dylan Watkins performance against Casino RSM was.
Dylan Watkins continued his outstanding form in Round Two of the 2020 Group One U13 competition scoring two tries and kicking a conversion for a ten point individual haul as Ballina defeated South Grafton 22 – 4, once against playing five eight in the match for the Seagulls.
Dylan Watkins outstanding 2020 continued in Round Three scoring a hat trick and kicking two goals, for an individual game tally of sixteen points as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast 32 – 22 to maintain their 2020 unbeaten record.
Dylan Watkins also started at five eight in Round Four against the Kyogle Turkeys scoring and kicking a goal but the Seagulls went down 22 - 18. Dylan Watkins added a further two tries after starting once again at five eight in Round Five in a 34 – 22 loss to Clarence Coast. Dylan Watkins added a further double in Round Six against Grafton in a 26 – 24 loss also from the five eight position.
Round Seven in a 34 – 20 win against Casino RSM saw the exciting five eight score a further four tries and also kick a conversion to finish the match with an individual points haul of eighteen.
In Round Eight in a Seagulls 24 – 12 win against Casino RSM, Dylan Watkins scored four tries for the second round in a row from the five eight.
Dylan Watkins 2020 try scoring feats (and points scoring) continued unabated in Round Nine when he scored twenty six of his team’s sixty points (43.33%) from five eight, from three tries and seven goals as Ballina defeated South Grafton 60 – 14.
Round Ten being the final Group One U13 regular season round did not see a slowdown in Dylan Watkins try scoring and points scoring in a 24 all draw with the Clarence Coast Magpies. Dylan Watkins scored sixteen of his side’s points (67%) from three tries and two goals.
In total in the 2020 Group One U13 regular season competition Dylan Watkins scored a staggering twenty nine tries (290% strike rate) and kicked fifteen goals to finish with 146 points to average just under three tries and 14.6 points per game.
Dylan Watkins started at five eight in the 2020 Group One U13 Grand Final against the Grafton Ghosts where he had an outstanding match scoring eighteen of Ballina’s twenty two points from three tries and three conversions as the Seagulls went down 32 - 22.
Dylan Watkins made his Group One U14 debut off the bench in Round Seven scoring as the Seagulls defeated Casino RSM 32 – 0. Dylan Watkins had scored four tries in the U13 match earlier in the same day.
In Round Eight of the 2020 Group One U14 competition, Dylan Watkins once again came off the bench for the Ballina side and scored a double as Ballina defeated Casino RSM 32 – 0. Like in Round Seven, Dylan Watkins had scored four tries in the U13 match earlier in the day between the same two teams.
Dylan Watkins made his Group One U14 starting debut in Round Nine, starting in the halves and scoring a try as Ballina defeated South Grafton 20 – 10 after Dylan Watkins scored a hat trick and kicked seven goals in the earlier U13 fixture between the same two sides.
In total in the Group One U14 competition Dylan Watkins played in three Group One U14 matches scoring four tries for a 133% strike rate.
Dylan Watkins is also an outstanding touch player, in late 2020 being named in the U14 Ballina Bull Sharks Touch Representative Team for the New South Wales State Junior Cup.
It is hard to put in words that do justice to just how talented Dylan Watkins is especially 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.
Dylan Watkins with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot, Dylan Watkins also has incredible acceleration as well as outstanding balance and body control. It is that exceptional speed trait which opens up time and space for his incredible (and still evolving) ball playing skills as well.
Teams automatically start to focus heavily on Dylan Watkins when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that then open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Dylan Watkins can readily exploit.
Dylan Watkins 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 Dylan Watkins 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.
Dylan Watkins also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Dylan Watkins is going to do.
Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Dylan Watkins cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Dylan Watkins 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, Dylan Watkins can execute it with precision.
Defensively Dylan Watkins 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.
Dylan Watkins 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 Dylan Watkins’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Dylan Watkins is an outstanding defender.
Another area where Dylan Watkins has a plus attribute is in relation to his leadership skills. He 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.
Dylan Watkins will play the 2025 season for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One competition for the second season in a row after starting the 2025 season as a member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U19 MM Cup competition. Dylan Watkins will also return to PBC SHS once again in 2025 and line up in the School Boy Rugby League Langer Cup competition after making his debut in 2024.
Dylan Watkins has the speed, body control, elusiveness and ball skills to continue to be an outstanding five eight on a rugby league field for a long time although to be fair Dylan Watkins looked very good at left centre for the Currumbin Eagles in the 2022 GCRL U15 Division One competition and at right centre for the Eagles in the 2023 GCRL U16 Division One competition including a strong Grand Final performance.
I must admit I would really like to see how Dylan Watkins skills and athletic ability would translate to the fullback position where he would have more room to move and be in a position to be the second receiver when the ball is played out the back by the half or five eight. I think that Dylan Watkins would be dynamic in the custodian role but as long as he has the ball in his hands, good things will happen for Dylan Watkins and his team mates.
With his outstanding skill set coupled with his size and speed combination Dylan Watkins is simply a player of immense potential and the play of Parramatta Eels NRL boom rookie five eight Dylan Brown is a more than fair and accurate comparison.
Both Dylan Watkins and Brown have the ability to play to a set game plan as well as playing what is in front of them and unlike some current NRL halves have the youthful courage to look to win the match rather than trying not to lose it.
In late 2024 Dylan Watkins was named in the 2025 Tweed Heads Seagulls U19 MM Cup squad and Dylan Watkins is also MM Cup eligible in 2026.
In October 2023 Dylan Watkins was named in the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 Cyril Connell (CC) Cup squad with Dylan Watkins involved in the Seagulls second 2025 trial against the Burleigh Bears.
Round One of the 2024 U17 Cyril Connell Cup season saw Dylan Watkins start on the right wing for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Dylan Watkins running onto the ball to the left of the play the ball in the 32nd minute with Dylan Watkins breaking two tackles as he ran the ball from sixteen metres out from his own try line to forty metres out with Dylan Watkins then awarded a penalty for a strip by the Wynnum Manly defence.
The 35th minute then saw Dylan Watkins run out of dummy half to his left and carry the ball from sixteen metres out from his own try line to twenty eight metres out.
Dylan Watkins also started on the right wing in Round Two against the Brisbane Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 2nd minute when he took a Taj Lateo on the full twenty metres from the try line with Dylan Watkins then racing away to dive over to score two metres to the right of the goal posts.
Dylan Watkins was able to dart down the right touchline in the 16th minute to make fourteen metres to get the ball six metres into Brisbane Tigers territory. Then in the 17th minute from a Tweed Heads twenty metre tap restart Dylan Watkins broke two tackles as he made twelve metres downfield.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 32nd minute when Dylan Watkins was able to knock the ball out of the hands of the Tigers left winger over the try line as he was diving towards the Seagulls right corner.
Dylan Watkins made another try saving tackle in the 44th minute when whilst defending on his own try line Dylan Watkins engaged the much bigger Tigers left centre and hold him up four metres in from the right corner post.
As a result of his performance Dylan Watkins received a special mention in the Courier Mail 2024 CC Cup Round Two Team of the Week.
Dylan Watkins continued on the right wing in Round Three against the Norths Devils with Dylan Watkins making a line break in the 44th minute when after juggling a pass from his left twenty five metres out from his own try line Dylan Watkins was able to beat his opposing winger on the outside with Dylan Watkins then running down the right touchline to get the ball over the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins then made a second line break in the 54th minute when after taking a Devils kick-off on the bounce twenty two metres from his own try line Dylan Watkins split the defensive line and then stepped off his right foot to beat the Norths fullback and carry the ball ten metres into Devils territory.
Dylan Watkins had taken the third hit-up of the match from the left of the play the ball to get the ball to the forty metre mark. Then in the 36th minute less than a metre from his own try line and directly in front of his posts Dylan Watkins was able to make a half break and carry the ball out to the fourteen metre mark.
Dylan Watkins then moved to fullback in Round Five against the Redcliffe Dolphins with running the ball to the left of a Tweed Heads scrum in the centre of the field with Dylan Watkins getting the ball from thirty metres from his own try line to within five metres of the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins made a darting run in the 16th minute from the right of the play the ball when after receiving the ball eighteen metres out Dylan Watkins stepped his way back towards the centre of the field to get within two metres of the try line in front of the left upright. Then in the 23rd minute after taking a Dolphins clearing kick on the full in his own right corner Dylan Watkins ran the ball towards the centre of the field and get the ball out to the twenty metre mark.
From the left of a Tweed Heads scrum win in the centre of the field and thirty five metres from the try line Dylan Watkins got the ball to the halfway mark. Dylan Watkins ran back to pick up a errant Seagulls pass in the 48th minute and after picking up the ball two metres inside Redcliffe territory with Dylan Watkins them running the ball through the centre of the field to the twenty two metre mark.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback in Round Six against the Souths Logan Magpies and in the 17th minute Dylan Watkins did well to be involved in holding up the Magpies front rower No. 10 over the try line ten metres in from the right corner post.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 18th minute from three metres inside his own territory to get the ball ten metres into Souths Logan territory.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback the Round Seven local derby against the Burleigh Bears and inside the opening minute after taking a Bears clearing kick on the full three metres from his own try line Dylan Watkins was able to return the ball to the twenty metre mark.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 27th minute as he promoted the ball from four metres inside his own territory to eleven metres into Burleigh territory. Dylan Watkins also ran out of dummy half to his right in the 32nd minute to get the ball from the halfway mark to thirty six metres from the try line with Dylan Watkins then winning a six again for the Seagulls when he caught the Burleigh defence inside the ten metres.
At the Tweed Heads Seagulls Presentation Night Dylan Watkins was named the 2024 Tweed Heads Seagulls CC Cup Best and Fairest Player.
2024 also saw Dylan Watkins continue to attend PBC SHS lining up in the Langer Reserve competition primarily at fullback including scoring a hat trick in Round Four against Caloundra SHS with Dylan Watkins named at fullback in the 2024 Courier Mail Langer Reserve School Boy Rugby League Team of the Year.
PBC SHS’s Langer Cup Quarter Final saw Dylan Watkins make his Langer Cup debut starting on the right wing against Stretton State College with Dylan Watkins celebrating his debut by scoring in the 33rd minute with one of the easier tries that he will ever score from five metres out to place the ball down untouched ten metres in from the right corner post after receiving a “harbour bridge” cut out pass from his left from Ray Puru.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 21st minute down the right touchline from thirty five metres from his own try line off a Ray Puru long cut-out pass from his left with Dylan Watkins outpacing the Stretton State College cover defenders before using a left arm fend to defeat the fullback only to his tripped up eight metres out with his foot just touching the right touchline when hit by a cover defender.
Dylan Watkins was heavily involved in a PBC SHS try in the 11th minute when after receiving the ball hemmed in on the right touchline with nowhere to go thirty three metres from the try line Dylan Watkins reviewed his options quickly and put in a hard right foot grubber kick towards the centre of the field with PBC SHS five eight Marley McLaren getting to the kick first to send his left second rower over to score three metres to the right of the posts.
Dylan Watkins had done well in the 6th minute to trap a low hard Stretton State College kick-off with his left foot twenty metres from his try line and after picking up the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball towards the centre of the field and out to the thirty three metre mark. Dylan Watkins was able to break a tackle in the 11th minute with a left foot step as he ran the ball to the tight of the play the ball from thirty to forty two metres from his try line.
Dylan Watkins also ran the ball to the left of the dummy half in the 13th minute from eighteen to thirty metres from his try line. Dylan Watkins then ran out of dummy half to his left to carry the ball from forty seven to thirty two metres from the try line.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in Round Seven of the GCRL U18 Division One competition against the Beaudesert Kingfishers with Dylan Watkins scoring a try and kicking a conversion in the 16th minute from eight metres to the left of the goal posts.
Dylan Watkins scored in the 19th minute by way of an eight metre burst down the right touchline with Dylan Watkins reaching out with the ball in his right hand to score in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 14th minute from a Currumbin twenty metre restart with Dylan Watkins bursting through two attempted tackles before beating a third to get the ball to the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 21st minute and as a result got the ball from thirty to forty three metres from his try line and then in the 28th minute as a result of an old fashioned “mouse trap” play Dylan Watkins picked up the ball and ran to his right from ten metres inside his half to six metres into Beaudesert territory.
From the right of the play the ball in the 31st minute and thirty one metres from his own try line a determined run by Dylan Watkins saw the ball promoted to within six metres of the halfway mark. Dylan Watkins also ran out of dummy half to his right in the 34th minute and his burst saw him move the ball from thirty metres from his try line to three metres into the Kingfishers half.
Dylan Watkins continued on the right wing in Round Eight against the Burleigh Bears with Dylan Watkins scoring a critical try that enabled Currumbin to draw the match in the 59th minute with probably the easiest try that he will ever score when he strolled over from two metres out to put the ball down in acres of space in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 55th minute when after taking possession of the ball in the centre of the field and to the left of the play the ball Dylan Watkins continued to run to his left to get on the outside of the Burleigh right sided defensive line and then run down the left touchline to get the ball to the halfway mark before getting a right arm pass away back inside.
Dylan Watkins carried the ball through the centre of the field from the right of the play the ball in the eight minute from ten metres inside his half to five metres into Burleigh territory. Then in the 24th minute from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins was able to get the ball from eight metres inside his half to two metres into the Bears half. Also in the 27th minute Dylan Watkins darted down the right touchline from forty to twenty five metres out before passing back inside.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 20th minute when he grabbed hold of his opposing winger three metres in from the right touchline and fourteen metres from his try line with Dylan Watkins then able to keep him off the ground and force him over the touchline to get the ball back for the Eagles.
The rescheduled Round One GCRL U18 Division match saw Dylan Watkins start on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles against the Southport Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 17th minute when he was on the end of a Currumbin backline movement to receive the ball and have a comfortable five metre run to score in the right corner untouched.
Dylan Watkins also crossed the try line in the 27th minute wide out on the right side of the field only for the pass to Dylan Watkins forward, a situation that I was not sure that I agreed with.
Just prior to scoring Dylan Watkins made a line break when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball twenty metres from his try line in the centre of the field Dylan Watkins ran to his right and after getting on the outside of the Tigers left winger Dylan Watkins carried the ball down the right touchline before cutting inside just prior to being tackles five metres into Southport’s half.
Earlier Dylan Watkins took the third run of the match from the left of the posts and to the right of the play the ball from twenty five to thirty six metres from his try line and then in the 26th minute from a twenty metre tap restart Dylan Watkins got the ball out to the thirty metre mar. Then in the 40th minute from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins got the ball to the halfway after commencing his run fifteen metres inside his half.
From the right of the play the ball in the 46th minute ten metres inside his half Dylan Watkins stepped off his right foot to wrong foot two defenders with a left step then beating another, Dylan Watkins then beat two more defenders to run the ball to within thirty metres of the try line near the right touchline.
Dylan Watkins then started at fullback in Round Ten against the Helensvale Hornets with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 5th minute when from wide on the right of an Eagles scrum win Dylan Watkins chimed into the backline thirty metres out and used his express pace to beat is opposing defender on the outside and then outpacing the cover defence to score two metres in from the right corner post.
Dylan Watkins also recorded a try assist in the 28th minute when after chiming into the Currumbin backline once again on the right Dylan Watkins ran from twenty two to fourteen metres from the try line before drawing an passing to his right to put his winger over to score in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 39th minute with a burst down a right blindside twenty eight metres from his try line down the right touchline to within twenty six metres of the try line at the opposite end of the field.
From the left of the play the ball in the 38th minute and after dummying to his left Dylan Watkins ran the ball from twenty eight to forty two metres from his try line.
Dylan Watkins also did well in the 40th minute when two tackles after making a line break down the right touchline Dylan Watkins once again ran down a short right blindside from twelve to eight metres from the try line and then put a right foot grubber kick into the in-goal with the Hornets fullback forced to ground the ball in-goal to require a goal line drop-out.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 12th minute when along with Brodie Saunders and Nelson Makaafi, Dylan Watkins held up the Hornets dummy half No. 9 near the right goal post after he had tried to sneak over the try line out of dummy half.
Dylan Watkins was back on the right wing in Round Eleven against the Southport Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 48th minute when after receiving a pass from his inside from Kaea Cribb on the right touchline and ten metres from the try line Dylan Watkins stood up his opposing winger and then beat him down the touchline to score in the right corner.
Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right in the 12th minute and broke two tackles as he promoted the ball from twenty seven metres from the try line to the halfway. Dylan Watkins produced a smart piece of play in the 21st minute when after taking possession of the ball ten metres from the try line and on the right touchline Dylan Watkins immediately put in a right foot grubber which was kicked dead by the Tigers halfback to force a goal line drop-out.
Dylan Watkins chased another Currumbin kick in the 40th minute from deep inside their own territory with the pressure that Dylan Watkins put on the Southport fullback forcing a knock on thirty two metres from the try line to get six more tackles for the Eagles.
Dylan Watkins continued on the right wing in the rescheduled Round One match against the Southport Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 17th minute with an easy five metre run down the right touchline to put the ball down in the corner off a pass from his left from his centre.
It appeared that Dylan Watkins had scored an identical try in the 27th minute however the referee ruled that the pass to Dylan Watkins had travelled forward.
Dylan Watkins also made a line break in the 17th minute when after receiving a pass from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins got on the outside of the Tigers left sided defensive line and burst down the right touchline from eighteen metres from his try line to five metres into Southport territory.
From the right of the play the ball in the 40th minute Dylan Watkins carried the ball through the centre of the field from thirty seven metres from his try line to the halfway. Then in the 46th minute from the right of the play the ball and ten metres inside his half Dylan Watkins stepped off his righty foot to beat two defenders and then beat four more as he carried the ball to within thirty metres of the try line.
Dylan Watkins also started on the right wing in Round Fifteen against the Helensvale Hornets with Dylan Watkins making a line break in the 55th minute when from a set move Dylan Watkins ran onto a chip kick to his wing by Harrison Doherty to take the kick on the full thirty metres from his try line and make fifty metres downfield before finally being brought to ground twenty metres from the try line.
Dylan Watkins came off his wing in the 11th minute to carry the ball from the right of the play the ball from twenty five to thirty six metres from the try line. Then in the 39th minute down a right blindside Dylan Watkins ran the ball from twenty five to thirty seven metres from the try line before being awarded a penalty for an illegal strip of the ball. Also in the 47th minute Dylan Watkins after receiving the ball near the right touchline twenty five metres from the try line Dylan Watkins ran towards the centre of the field and broke three tackles to get thirty seven metres away from his try line.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One Qualifying Final against the Southport Tigers and in the 2nd minute on the left side of the field Dylan Watkins yardage carry saw him move the ball from sixteen to twenty eight metres from the try line.
In the 5th minute from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball from twenty eight to forty metres from the try line and then in the 19th minute Dylan Watkins raced to his right to tackle his opposing winger into touch in the corner to prevent a try over the try line Dylan Watkins raced back to the twenty metre mark and took a quick tap and as a result was able to make twelve metres.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One Week Two Elimination Final against the Burleigh Bears with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 12th minute by way of a long range effort that started with Dylan Watkins receiving the ball to the right of a Currumbin scrum win eight metres from his own try line with Dylan Watkins breaking two tackles to get on the outside of the Bears left sided defensive line and outpace the cover defence down the right touchline with Dylan Watkins then able to bring the ball around to put it down under the posts.
Dylan Watkins also recorded a try assist in the 7th minute when after bursting through the centre of the field from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball from forty to twelve metres from the try line before drawing the Burleigh fullback and passing to his right to put his five eight over to score under the posts.
Dylan Watkins made a line break in the 18th minute off a pass from his left from Kaea Cribb twenty metres from the try line with Dylan Watkins cutting inside only to be tackled two metres from the try line.
The 39th minute saw Dylan Watkins carry the ball from the right of the play the ball from thirty to forty metres from the try line and a tackle later also from the right of the play the ball Dylan Watkins ran the ball from the halfway mark thirteen metres inside the Bears half. Also in the 44th minute Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his right from forty metres from his try line to fourteen metres into the Bears half.
Dylan Watkins made a great try saving tackle in the 34th minute when he raced to his right bring down his opposing winger just two metres from the right corner post.
Dylan Watkins started on the right wing for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One Preliminary Final against the Helensvale Hornets with Dylan Watkins scoring in the 30th minute by way of a twenty burst down the right touchline to dive over to score in the right corner with Dylan Watkins unlucky to have not been awarded an opportunity for an eight point try.
Also in the 19th minute Dylan Watkins ran out of dummy half to his left to carry the ball from twenty one to thirty two metres from the try line.
In early October 2022 Dylan Watkins was named in the 2023 Tweed Heads Seagulls U16 Cyril Connell Cup squad after a strong first season on the Gold Coast with the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U15 Division One competition.
Dylan Watkins’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.
After Tweed Heads had a Round One bye Dylan Watkins was named at right centre in Round Two of the 2023 U16 Cyril Connell Cup against the Brisbane Tigers with Dylan Watkins scoring the Seagulls only try of the match in the 41st minute. Dylan Watkins moved into dummy half with the play the ball twelve metres out and mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the right side of the field and ran to his left out of dummy half. As the Tigers markers moved with him, Dylan Watkins stepped off his left foot to beat him with Dylan Watkins then accelerating to full speed in an instant and burst between two defenders near the try line and then Dylan Watkins was able to bring the ball around to score under the posts.
Dylan Watkins could not have been in the match earlier after making the opening tackle of the match after Tweed Heads had kicked off.
Dylan Watkins also started at right centre in Round Three against the Redcliffe Dolphins with Dylan Watkins making a smart run in the 6th minute from the right of the dummy half making ten metres and getting the ball to the halfway mark.
Dylan Watkins also did well in the 22nd minute with an eighteen metre run down a short right blindside with Dylan Watkins then cutting back towards the area behind the play the ball as he got within a metre of the try line.
Then in the 47th minute Dylan Watkins when from two passes to the right of a Seagulls scrum win ten metres out from his own try line Dylan Watkins ran to his right and after getting to the twenty metre mark Dylan Watkins cut off his right foot back towards the centre of the field and after making another five metre downfield was able to get an off-load away to his left.
Dylan Watkins also started at right centre in Round Four against the Wynnum Manly Seagulls with Dylan Watkins making a good play in just the 2nd minute of the match when Dylan Watkins chased through a Seagulls kick from near the halfway mark with Dylan Watkins tackling the Wynnum Manly fullback just five metres from the try line. Dylan Watkins made a further strong tackle in the 40th minute on the Wynnum Manly left second rower on his own try line to stop a near certain try.
Then in the 12th minute Dylan Watkins from forty metres out and two passes to the right of a Seagulls scrum in the centre of the field with Dylan Watkins beating one defender to get the ball within twenty metres of the try line.
Then in the 29th minute Dylan Watkins made a twenty metre run down the right channel to get the ball within thirty four metres of the try line. Dylan Watkins made a further strong run in the 57th minute when after going over to the left side of the field Dylan Watkins took the ball on the halfway mark and was able to get the ball thirteen metres into Wynnum Manly territory before being held down too long in the tackle to receive a penalty.
Dylan Watkins then moved to fullback for Round Five against the Souths Logan Magpies with Dylan Watkins recording three line breaks in a strong overall performance.
Dylan Watkins recorded his opening line break in the 25th minute when after taking possession of the ball from a Magpies clearing kick just ten metres out and in the centre of the field Dylan Watkins ran to his right to get to the touchline and burst twenty metres down field before Dylan Watkins cut inside and then Dylan Watkins broke two tackles by spinning 360 degrees clockwise to get the ball within six metres of the halfway mark before being tackled.
Dylan Watkins added a second line break in the 39th minute when after moving into dummy half on the halfway mark Dylan Watkins ran himself to his right with Dylan Watkins speed taking him straight through the centre of the still back peddling Magpies defensive line with Dylan Watkins getting to within sixteen metres of the try line before he was able to get on off-load away to his left to his halfback.
The 45th minute saw Dylan Watkins break through the Magpies defensive line for the third time when whilst stationary thirty metres out from his own try line Dylan Watkins received the ball and then exploded off the mark and straight through the defensive line with Dylan Watkins then veering to his right to round the Magpies fullback before Dylan Watkins cut back to his left before being dragged to ground less than ten metres from the try line.
Earlier in the 31st minute from the right of the play the ball and five metres inside his own territory Dylan Watkins was able to promote the ball eight metres inside Magpies territory.
Dylan Watkins also did well inside the opening minute when he raced from the left side of the field to his right to field a Souths Longa grubber kick cleanly and under pressure in front of his own gaol posts.
Dylan Watkins did well once again in the 16th minute when after chiming into the Seagulls backline around twenty five metres from the try line and to left the left side of the field Dylan Watkins juggled the pass and just as the ball was about to hit the ground Dylan Watkins dived forward and knocked the ball backwards for Tweed Heads to keep possession and prevent a knock on being called.
Dylan Watkins then moved to the left wing for Round Six against the Norths Devils with Dylan Watkins scoring a double in a big Seagulls victory.
Dylan Watkins scored his opening try in the left corner in the 19th minute after receiving a great off-load from his inside from Levi Rusin.
Dylan Watkins completed his double in the 51st minute when Dylan Watkins chased through a grubber kick towards his wing by Caleb Creswell with Dylan Watkins grounding the ball centremetres from the dead ball line and just in from the left in-goal line.
Earlier in the 14th minute Dylan Watkins made a good run from the right of the play the ball from thirty metres out to eighteen metres out. Then in the 49th minute Dylan Watkins raced back to the twenty metre mark to take a quick tap restart with Dylan Watkins making fifteen metres then Dylan Watkins stayed alive to take an off-load from the dummy half who had run himself with Dylan Watkins making nine more metres as a result.
Dylan Watkins made a great take of the ball in the 11th minute when he leapt high to take a bomb on the full ten metres out from the try line and twelve metres in from the right touchline. Dylan Watkins was then awarded a penalty for being tackled whilst still in the air.
Towards the end of the second half after moving to fullback Dylan Watkins made a good one on one tackle in space on the Hooker who had burst through the centre of the ruck but as he tried to beat him, Dylan Watkins moved to his right to bring him to ground. Dylan Watkins was also involved in the next tackle as well on the Devils right second rower No. 11.
Then in the 67th minute Dylan Watkins made a great tackle near the try line and ten metres in from his right touchline on the Devils left centre No. 3 who stepped inside to beat multiple defenders but not Dylan Watkins who stooped him in his tracks and also from scoring.
Dylan Watkins continued on the left wing in the Round Seven local derby against the Burleigh Bears.
Dylan Watkins finished the 2023 CC Cup season running for 456 metres, scoring three tries and making four line breaks.
2023 saw Dylan Watkins play for the PBC SHS Walters Cup School Boy Rugby League side including starting on the right wing in the Semi-final against Marsden SHS with Dylan Watkins making a strong ball and all tackle in the 35th minute on his opposing winger to force a Marsden SHS knock on thirty five metres out near the right touchline.
Dylan Watkins also started on the right wing in the 2023 School Boy Rugby League Walters Cup Grand Final against Wavell SHS.
2023 also saw Dylan Watkins continue playing for the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Rugby League U16 Division One competition with Dylan Watkins starting at right centre in the Grand Final against the Beaudesert Kingfishers with the Eagles avenging their 2022 Grand Final loss to the Kingfishers with a strong 40 – 0 victory.
Dylan Watkins ran onto the ball to the left of the play the ball in the 38th minute with a strong yardage carry to get the ball from ten metres out from his own try line to twenty two metres out.
In the 19th minute did very well to take a short Beaudesert goal line drop-out to Currumbin’s right on the full under intense pressure just eleven metres out from his own try line and five metres in from the right touchline. Dylan Watkins was involved in forcing the Beaudesert goal line drop-out when along with Nelson Makaafi, Dylan Watkins tackled the Kingfishers fullback in the in-goal area.
Dylan Watkins did well defensively in the 15th minute when along with Nelson Makaafi they held up the Beaudesert left second rower No. 11 over the try lien eight metres in from the Currumbin left touchline.
2022 saw Dylan Watkins move up to the Gold Coast from Ballina to play for the Currumbin Eagles in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League U15 Division One competition, with Dylan Watkins leading the Eagles to a Grand Final appearance against the Beaudesert Kingfishers. Dylan Watkins started the Grand Final at left centre with Dylan Watkins scoring the match winning try in the Eagles 24 – 20 pulsating and gutsy Grand Final victory against a gallant Kingfishers outfit.
In the 59th minute of the Grand Final with the scores all locked up at 20 all Dylan Watkins ran onto a great off-load from his inside from second rower Nelson Makaafi to cross the try line just three metres in from the left corner post.
Dylan Watkins had actually crossed the try line earlier in the match in the 26th minute but the great pass from his inside from Harrison Doherty was bizarrely ruled to have gone forward by the referee or touch judge.
Dylan Watkins also made a strong run in the 36th minute from a Currumbin scrum win twenty metres out from their own try line and in the centre of the field, Dylan Watkins looped around from his left centre position to the right of the scrum with Dylan Watkins receiving the ball twenty metres out with Dylan Watkins promoting the ball to within five metres of the halfway mark with more than 50% of Dylan Watkins running metres from the effort coming post contact.
In Round One of the 2021 Group One U14 competition Dylan Watkins started at fullback for the Ballina Seagulls against the Clarence Coast Magpies.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback in Round Two against Marist Brothers Lismore and kicked a conversion as the Seagulls prevailed 18 – 8.
Dylan Watkins added a further two tries and a conversion in Round Three against Kyogle after starting the match at fullback once again. Dylan Watkins then scored a hat trick in Round Four against South Grafton after once again starting the match at fullback, even though he wore the No. 6 jersey.
Dylan Watkins was electric once again in Round Five against Casino RSM, scoring a hat trick for the second match in a row from the fullback position.
Dylan Watkins was at his dynamic best in Round Six from the fullback position against the Clarence Coast Magpies, scoring a staggering five tries in the Seagulls 36 – 16 victory.
Dylan Watkins also started at fullback against the Grafton Ghosts in Round Seven and once against scored for the Seagulls. Starting at fullback once again in Round Nine against Marist Brothers Dylan Watkins scored another double.
In Round Ten against Kyogle Dylan Watkins continued at fullback and scored an outstanding five tries in the Seagulls big win. Dylan Watkins also started at fullback in Round Eleven against the South Grafton Rebels.
Dylan Watkins continued at fullback in Round Twelve against Casino RSM and scored eighteen individual points from four tries and a conversion.
Dylan Watkins started Round Thirteen against the Grafton Ghosts at five eight and scored in the Seagulls touch one point loss, 27 – 26.
Dylan Watkins finished the abridged 2021 Group One U14 regular season as the competitions leading try scorer with twenty seven tries.
In May 2021, Dylan Watkins was part of the Ballina Coast High School’s U14 Buckley Shield school boy rugby league side that won the Grand Final 46 – 0 against Tweed River High School after Dylan Watkins started the match at five eight.
In the two earlier matches of the Buckley Shield Ballina Coast High School defeated Kingscliff High School 48 – 0 and Tweed River High School 36 – 6.
In March 2021 Dylan Watkins was part of the Ballina Coast High School’s U15 touch side that went through the 2021 U15 Far North Coast Touch Trials that were held at Tweed Heads and as a consequence of his performances at the trials Dylan Watkins was selected in the Far North Coast U15 Touch representative side even though he is still U14 eligible in 2021.
The exceptionally classy former Ballina Seagulls five eight could not have had a better start to the 2020 Group One U13 rugby league season, scoring five tries and kicking a conversion in Round One to finish Ballina’s 28 – 18 win over Casino RSM with an outstanding twenty two point individual haul being 78.57% of his team’s points in the match. In fact the five tries that Dylan Watkins scored in the match were the only five that Ballina scored highlighting just how dominant Dylan Watkins performance against Casino RSM was.
Dylan Watkins continued his outstanding form in Round Two of the 2020 Group One U13 competition scoring two tries and kicking a conversion for a ten point individual haul as Ballina defeated South Grafton 22 – 4, once against playing five eight in the match for the Seagulls.
Dylan Watkins outstanding 2020 continued in Round Three scoring a hat trick and kicking two goals, for an individual game tally of sixteen points as Ballina defeated Clarence Coast 32 – 22 to maintain their 2020 unbeaten record.
Dylan Watkins also started at five eight in Round Four against the Kyogle Turkeys scoring and kicking a goal but the Seagulls went down 22 - 18. Dylan Watkins added a further two tries after starting once again at five eight in Round Five in a 34 – 22 loss to Clarence Coast. Dylan Watkins added a further double in Round Six against Grafton in a 26 – 24 loss also from the five eight position.
Round Seven in a 34 – 20 win against Casino RSM saw the exciting five eight score a further four tries and also kick a conversion to finish the match with an individual points haul of eighteen.
In Round Eight in a Seagulls 24 – 12 win against Casino RSM, Dylan Watkins scored four tries for the second round in a row from the five eight.
Dylan Watkins 2020 try scoring feats (and points scoring) continued unabated in Round Nine when he scored twenty six of his team’s sixty points (43.33%) from five eight, from three tries and seven goals as Ballina defeated South Grafton 60 – 14.
Round Ten being the final Group One U13 regular season round did not see a slowdown in Dylan Watkins try scoring and points scoring in a 24 all draw with the Clarence Coast Magpies. Dylan Watkins scored sixteen of his side’s points (67%) from three tries and two goals.
In total in the 2020 Group One U13 regular season competition Dylan Watkins scored a staggering twenty nine tries (290% strike rate) and kicked fifteen goals to finish with 146 points to average just under three tries and 14.6 points per game.
Dylan Watkins started at five eight in the 2020 Group One U13 Grand Final against the Grafton Ghosts where he had an outstanding match scoring eighteen of Ballina’s twenty two points from three tries and three conversions as the Seagulls went down 32 - 22.
Dylan Watkins made his Group One U14 debut off the bench in Round Seven scoring as the Seagulls defeated Casino RSM 32 – 0. Dylan Watkins had scored four tries in the U13 match earlier in the same day.
In Round Eight of the 2020 Group One U14 competition, Dylan Watkins once again came off the bench for the Ballina side and scored a double as Ballina defeated Casino RSM 32 – 0. Like in Round Seven, Dylan Watkins had scored four tries in the U13 match earlier in the day between the same two teams.
Dylan Watkins made his Group One U14 starting debut in Round Nine, starting in the halves and scoring a try as Ballina defeated South Grafton 20 – 10 after Dylan Watkins scored a hat trick and kicked seven goals in the earlier U13 fixture between the same two sides.
In total in the Group One U14 competition Dylan Watkins played in three Group One U14 matches scoring four tries for a 133% strike rate.
Dylan Watkins is also an outstanding touch player, in late 2020 being named in the U14 Ballina Bull Sharks Touch Representative Team for the New South Wales State Junior Cup.
It is hard to put in words that do justice to just how talented Dylan Watkins is especially 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.
Dylan Watkins with his speed is able to exploit even small gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot, Dylan Watkins also has incredible acceleration as well as outstanding balance and body control. It is that exceptional speed trait which opens up time and space for his incredible (and still evolving) ball playing skills as well.
Teams automatically start to focus heavily on Dylan Watkins when he has the ball with outside defenders looking to come in to assist that then open up holes wider out in the defensive line that Dylan Watkins can readily exploit.
Dylan Watkins 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 Dylan Watkins 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.
Dylan Watkins also runs with the ball in both hands which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Dylan Watkins is going to do.
Like when he has the ball in his hands, there is nothing that Dylan Watkins cannot do in relation to kicking the ball. Dylan Watkins 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, Dylan Watkins can execute it with precision.
Defensively Dylan Watkins 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.
Dylan Watkins 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 Dylan Watkins’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Dylan Watkins is an outstanding defender.
Another area where Dylan Watkins has a plus attribute is in relation to his leadership skills. He 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.
Dylan Watkins will play the 2025 season for the Currumbin Eagles in the GCRL U18 Division One competition for the second season in a row after starting the 2025 season as a member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U19 MM Cup competition. Dylan Watkins will also return to PBC SHS once again in 2025 and line up in the School Boy Rugby League Langer Cup competition after making his debut in 2024.
Dylan Watkins has the speed, body control, elusiveness and ball skills to continue to be an outstanding five eight on a rugby league field for a long time although to be fair Dylan Watkins looked very good at left centre for the Currumbin Eagles in the 2022 GCRL U15 Division One competition and at right centre for the Eagles in the 2023 GCRL U16 Division One competition including a strong Grand Final performance.
I must admit I would really like to see how Dylan Watkins skills and athletic ability would translate to the fullback position where he would have more room to move and be in a position to be the second receiver when the ball is played out the back by the half or five eight. I think that Dylan Watkins would be dynamic in the custodian role but as long as he has the ball in his hands, good things will happen for Dylan Watkins and his team mates.
With his outstanding skill set coupled with his size and speed combination Dylan Watkins is simply a player of immense potential and the play of Parramatta Eels NRL boom rookie five eight Dylan Brown is a more than fair and accurate comparison.
Both Dylan Watkins and Brown have the ability to play to a set game plan as well as playing what is in front of them and unlike some current NRL halves have the youthful courage to look to win the match rather than trying not to lose it.
