My take on our top juniors

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Cooper Buchanan. In early 2025 Cooper Buchanan signed a multi-year contract with the Gold Coast Titans.

In 2024 Cooper Buchanan attended PBC SHS playing for the Reds in the School Boy Rugby League Renouf Shield competition.

Cooper Buchanan returned to the Tweed Heads Seagulls in 2024 to play in the Group 18 U14 competition and after Round One was rained out Cooper Buchanan put in a Player of the Match performance in Round Two in a Seagulls 52 – 87 victory over Cudgen Gold.

In June 2024 Cooper Buchanan was named in the U14 OzTag Queensland State of Origin side.

In late 2024 Cooper Buchanan was named at five eight for the 2024 Elite Avengers U14 Boys Team for the Velocity All-Stars Yalburu Yumba Battle of the Bridge. Cooper Buchanan started at five eight for the Elite Avengers U14 side on Friday night against the Velocity All-Stars and recorded a try assist in the 50th minute when from the left of the play the ball in the centre of the field and eleven metres from the try line Cooper Buchanan put in a left foot bomb to the left corner which was taken on the full by his left centre to score wide on the left with Cooper Buchanan then slotting his left foot conversion attempt from six metres in from the left touchline.

Cooper Buchanan will play in the 2025 Queensland OzTag Junior State Cup at the end of January 2025 for the Tweed Coast Giants U15 Boys side.

2023 saw Cooper Buchanan play for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Group 18 U13 competition including starting at halfback in the Grand Final against the Cudgen Hornets with Cooper Buchanan scoring a try and kicking two conversions in a four points Seagulls Grand Final extra time victory.

Cooper Buchanan scored a smart solo try in the 14th minute of the Grand Final when after taking possession of the ball to the left of the dummy half thirty five metres from the try line, Cooper Buchanan ran at the defensive line and at the last possible moment Cooper Buchanan put in a left foot grubber kick behind the Cudgen defensive line for himself and with the ball bouncing low on the ground and the Tweed Heads fullback moving forward Cooper Buchanan grubbered the ball off the ground with his left foot and after chasing the ball through, Cooper Buchanan scooped the ball up off the ground whilst at full speed with his right hand three metres out with Cooper Buchanan then diving over to score next to the left goal post. Cooper Buchanan then stepped up and converted his own try with a good left foot strike.

Cooper Buchanan kicked his first conversion in the 5th minute with a good left foot strike from three metres to the right of the goal posts. Cooper Buchanan then kicked his second conversion (to convert his own try) in the 14th minute from next to the left goal posts as previously noted.

Cooper Buchanan was also involved in a Seagulls try in the 36th minute when after taking possession of the ball to the left of the play the ball and sixteen metres from the try line, Cooper Buchanan continued to his left before straightening up his run by stepping off his left foot and getting an off-load away to his right to his five eight who then off-loaded to the right for one of the Tweed Heads second rowers to score under the posts.

Cooper Buchanan did well defensively in the 26th minute to race to his left and make a smart cover defending tackle on the Cudgen right winger who had made a line break down the touchline but Cooper Buchanan was able to bring him down thirty metres from the try line.

With the Grand Final on a knife edge with Cudgen having the momentum Cooper Buchanan produced two almost identical pieces of play which swung the momentum back to the Seagulls. On the first occasion in the 46th minute Cooper Buchanan, for a Seagulls kick-off drive a hard left foot kick-off along he ground to his left with the ball going into touch just after crossing the ten metre mark to get the ball back to the Seagulls. Cooper Buchanan executed a similar kick-off in the 51st minute, this time it was a low flat kick-off to his left that on the first bounce bounced over the left touchline around thirty one metres from the try line.

In the 2nd minute of the second period of extra time Cooper Buchanan put up a high bomb towards the left corner from the left of the play the ball and twenty three metres from the try line which proved to be too good for the Hornets defence with knocked the ball on.

In late 2023 Cooper Buchanan was selected in the Tweed Coast Giants Oztag U14 side for the 2024 Queensland Oztag U14 State Cup.

2023 also saw Cooper Buchanan play Oztag with Cooper Buchanan being selected from the Tweed Coast Giants Oztag side to play for the U13 Oztag Boys Queensland Jesters side in the 2023 Oztag Queensland Super Series.

Cooper Buchanan is just a superb mover seemingly gliding across the field effortlessly with outstanding balance, body control and exquisite hand eye co-ordination which has been aided by playing hockey at a very high level. Seriously Cooper Buchanan’s running style looks just effortless and perfectly balanced and is undertaken at speed.

It is hard to put in words just how talented Cooper Buchanan 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.

Cooper Buchanan with his pace is able to exploit even the smallest of gaps in the defensive line with an exceptional step off either foot and incredible acceleration as well as outstanding balance and body control. When Cooper Buchanan steps, regardless of the size of the step or in which direction there is absolutely no loss of speed or momentum as Cooper Buchanan moves to his new vector and continues on.

It is that speed trait which opens up his incredible ball playing skills as well. Teams start to focus heavily on Cooper Buchanan 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 Cooper Buchanan can exploit.

Cooper Buchanan 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 Cooper Buchanan 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.

Cooper Buchanan also runs with the ball in both hands out in front of his body which is another reason why the defensive line is unable to determine exactly what Cooper Buchanan is going to do with the ball at any given time. By the time that they have figured it out it is usually too late to stop Cooper Buchanan.

Cooper Buchanan just seems to have all of the time in the world to do what he wants on a rugby league field and is just so calm and composed and seemingly always two or three plays ahead of the opposition and his own team mates on occasion to be honest.

Defensively Cooper Buchanan 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.

Cooper Buchanan 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 Cooper Buchanan’s side of the field.

2025 will see Cooper Buchanan line up once again for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the Group 18 U15 competition. Cooper Buchanan will also return to PBC SHS moving up to the School Boy Rugby League Hancock Cup competition.

From a position perspective with his speed and rapidly developing ball playing, game management and tactical kicking skills, Cooper Buchanan has an opportunity to develop into a very talented young player who can play half back at the NRL or representative level at a young age. The fact that Cooper Buchanan is a left foot tactical kicker is certainly an added bonus.

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

The Titans own Thomas Weaver is a very good player comparison for Cooper Buchanan. Both Weaver and Cooper Buchanan are calm and composed as they steer their side around the field and both are also on field leaders of their team.

 

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Storm Enoka. Round One of the 2025 CC Cup competition saw Storm Enoka start at left centre for the Tweed Heads Seagulls against the Redcliffe Dolphins and in the 3rd minute from a Seagulls penalty restart Storm Enoka ran the ball from thirty to forty metres from his try line.

In the 16th minute from the left of the play the ball and twenty four metres from his try line Storm Enoka was able to make thirteen metres to the thirty seven metre mark and then in the 37th minute also from the left of the play the ball Storm Enoka ran the ball through the centre of the field from twenty nine to forty metres from his try line.

From the right of the play the ball in the 46th minute Storm Enoka made his best run of the match with a huge charge that saw him burst through three attempted tackles before cutting back to his left and breaking an additional tackle as he charged from forty metres from his try line to nine metres into Redcliffe territory.

From another Tweed Heads penalty restart in the 52nd minute from near the left touchline Storm Enoka ran towards the centre of the field to carry the ball from thirty two to twenty two metres from the try line and then in the 58th minute from the left of the play the ball once again Storm Enoka three more tackles to surge from the halfway mark thirteen metres into Dolphins territory.

Storm Enoka continued at left centre in Round Two against the Souths Logan Magpies with Storm Enoka doing well in the 28th minute to take a low hard Souths Logan short kick off cleanly on the bounce just in front of a Magpies chaser twelve metres inside his half with Storm Enoka able to bring the ball back to three metres inside the Magpies half.

From the left of the play the ball in the 47th minute Storm Enoka’s yardage carry saw the ball moved from ten to twenty two metres away from his try line.

Storm Enoka returned to left centre for Round Six in the local derby against the Burleigh Bears and in the 3rd minute from the right of the play the ball a Storm Enoka effort through the centre of the field saw the ball moved from ten to twenty one metres from the try line.

From the right of the play the ball in the 27th minute Storm Enoka was able to get the ball from twenty five to thirty six metres from his try line and then two minutes later in the 29th minute Storm Enoka also ran through the centre of the field from twenty seven to thirty seven metres from his try line.

Storm Enoka ran out of dummy half to his right in the 38th minute to run from five metres inside his half to five metres into Burleigh’s and then in the 51st minute from the left of the play the ball and ten metres from his own try line Storm Enoka made ten metres running to his left.

Storm Enoka started at both centre and second row in the 2024 GCRL U16 Division One competition for the Southport Tigers with Storm Enoka scoring a hat trick in Round Six against the Burleigh Bears, Storm Enoka also scored in Round Six also against the Bears and in Week One of the Finals against Runaway Bay.

In late August 2024 Storm Enoka was named in the 2024 South Queensland Māori U16 Tuakana Representative Squad.

In late 2023 Storm Enoka commenced training with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls Cyril Connell Cup squad for the second season in a row and with the age group change Storm Enoka is also CC Cup eligible in 2025.

Storm Enoka was named to start at right centre in Round One of the 2023 U16 Cyril Connell Cup competition for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls against the Burleigh Bears.

Storm Enoka was also named at right centre in Round Two against the Norths Devils before starting from the bench in Round Three against the Souths Logan Magpies with Storm Enoka coming onto the field to operate at left second row in the 24th minute with Storm Enoka providing a spark off the bench when he came onto the field for the Seagulls.

In early March 2023 Storm Enoka was named in the Met East QSSRL U15 School Boy Rugby League Representative Squad out of Marsden SHS with Storm Enoka starting at right second row on Day One against Met West.

Storm Enoka also started at right second row on Day Two against Peninsula with Storm Enoka coming very close to scoring in the 13th minute when Yeim Costello put the ball onto the chest of a hard straight running Storm Enoka with a short ball to his right from thirteen metres with Storm Enoka getting within a metre of the try line before being tackled by multiple defenders.

Storm Enoka also made a strong run in the 40th minute when from a penalty tap restart fifteen metres out from the try line Storm Enoka was able to get the ball within four metres of the try line against a set Peninsula defensive line.

Storm Enoka then started from the bench on Day Three against Darling Downs with Storm Enoka coming on in the 15th minute to play right second row.

Storm Enoka then started at right second row in the 2023 QSSRL U15 School Boy Grand Final against South Coast with Storm Enoka making a great low tackle on the South Coast replacement dummy half No. 14 to prevent a try in the 29th minute of the Final.

2023 saw Storm Enoka continue at the Southport Tigers in the GCRL U15 Division One competition including starting at right centre in the Grand Final against the Burleigh Bears with Storm Enoka scoring in the 33rd minute as a result of a hard inside shoulder run from ten metres out and after receiving a cut-out pass from his inside from ZJ Watene Storm Enoka burst past a defender to score ten metres in from the left corner post.

Earlier in the 4th minute Storm Enoka made a good yardage carry from ten metres out from his own try line to twenty metres out after running onto the ball to the right of the play the ball.

2022 saw Storm Enoka play for the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Junior Rugby League U14 Division One competition, with Storm Enoka leading the Tigers to a Grand Final appearance against the Burleigh Bears.

Storm Enoka started the Grand Final at left second row and once again put in a dominant display in the Tigers 18 - 14 tight and hard fought victory against a gallant Burleigh Bears side.

Storm Enoka scored the opening try of the Grand Final in just the 6th minute when after good work on his inside by ZJ Watene, Storm Enoka received the ball from his inside and had an easy three metre run to the try line to score nine metres in from the left corner post to give the Tigers a lead that they never relinquished.

In the set of six from the Burleigh kick-off from his 6th minute try, Storm Enoka made another strong run of ten metres down the left channel with Storm Enoka getting the ball over thirty metres from his own try line.

Storm Enoka then in the 10th minute from the left of a Tigers scrum win and twelve metres short of the halfway mark, charged eighteen metres down the left channel with Storm Enoka breaking four tackles in his effort.

Then just a minute later in the 11th minute Storm Enoka after receiving an off-load thirty eight metres out from his own try line was able to get the ball five metres over the halfway mark breaking two more tackles in that effort.

Storm Enoka made a further strong run in the 43rd minute when to the left of a Southport scrum win and just three metres out from his own try line when he received the pass, Storm Enoka ran the ball down the left channel to get the ball to his own sixteen metre mark.

Storm Enoka also had some strong defensive moments in the Grand Final including a strong one on one tackle on the Burleigh right centre just inside Southport territory.

Storm Enoka also had a strong match in Round Fourteen against the Beaudesert Kingfishers with Storm Enoka making a great line break in the 20th minute when Storm Enoka received the ball to the left of a Southport scrum win thirty eight metres out with Storm Enoka then breaking four tackles as he got the ball within two metres of the try line before finally being dragged to ground.

Storm Enoka also scored a second half double with his first try coming in the 44th minute when from twelve metres out Storm Enoka burst onto a good short ball from his right to crash between two defenders and bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Storm Enoka scored his second try in the 51st minute when with the play the ball around eight metres out and near the left touchline, Storm Enoka charged onto the ball to the right of the play the ball and was just too big, strong and powerful for the defence breaking four tackles as he crashed over ten metres in from the right corner post.

Storm Enoka also recorded a try assist in the 57th minute when after receiving the ball in space down the left channel Storm Enoka drew in the Beaudesert right winger to put Alysus Willis away to score in the left corner.

At the 2022 Marsden SHS Rugby League Specialisation Awards, Storm Enoka was named on the bench in the 2022 Marsden SHS Rugby League Team of the Year.

In September 2022 Storm Enoka was named in the South Queensland Māori U14 Tuakana representative squad starting Round One of the QPICC Carnival in the second row against Queensland Tonga. Storm Enoka also started in the second row in Maori’s four other matches including their Grand Final victory against Queensland PNG U14’s.

In addition to scoring in the Grand Final, Storm Enoka scored a hat trick in a dominant display in the semi-final against Samoa and Storm Enoka also scored in Round Two against Samoa to finish as the U14 Carnival’s equal leading try scorer.

Storm Enoka scored his first of three tries in the semi-final against Queensland Samoa in the 7th minute when after receiving the ball from his inside around thirty five metres out, Storm Enoka initially crossed the try line wide out on the left but smartly Storm Enoka took the opportunity to bring the ball all of the way around to put it down comfortably under the posts.

Storm Enoka scored his second try in the 14th minute with a forty metre run from a pass from his inside with Storm Enoka once again able to bring the ball around to score under the posts.

Storm Enoka then completed his hat trick in the 33rd minute when after receiving the ball fourteen metres out and seven metres in from the left touchline. After taking possession Storm Enoka cut off his left foot and crashed over the top of two Samoan defenders who were racing across with Storm Enoka forcing the ball down over the try line five metres in from the left corner post.

Storm Enoka finished the 2022 QPICC Carnival as the U14 competitions equal leading try scorer with five tries.

Storm Enoka was part of the 2021 Marsden State High School Bronco’s Old Boys Cup side, including starting in the second row in the 2021 Bronco’s Old Boys Cup Final against Ipswich SHS with Storm Enoka deservedly being named Player of the Match after scoring one try and throwing the last pass for two more.

Storm Enoka scored in the 26th minute of the Grand Final when from thirty five metres out down the left channel, Storm Enoka charged through a gap and getting to the line before pushing off the Ipswich SHS fullback and putting the ball down midway between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

As noted, Storm Enoka threw the final pass for two of Marsden’s first half tries being in the 3rd and 11th minutes. On both occasions, Storm Enoka received the ball on the left side of the field and got to the outside of his direct opponent, drawing in another before passing to his left to centre Chris Vaimili who crossed out wide.

Storm Enoka also had a strong Bronco’s Old Boys Semi-final against PBC SHS including a 15th minute try when he charged onto a great short ball from ZJ Watene down the left side of the field with Storm Enoka putting the ball down eight metres in from the left corner post. Storm Enoka almost had a second try in the semi-final but was held up over the line in the 17th minute.

In Round One of the 2021 Bronco’s Old Boys competition Storm Enoka from the left second row position scored one of the most outstanding solo tries that I have ever seen. In the 48th minute Storm Enoka received an off-load forty metres out down the left channel and immediately shrugged off one defender who had attempted to tackle around the chest. Storm Enoka then broke through two more attempted tackles before a straight right arm palm got rid of another.

Eventually Storm Enoka was brought down from behind from behind just six metres out and directly in front of the posts. The Redcliffe SHS fullback who made the tackle dropped off the tackle which Storm Enoka identified immediately and got to his feet just prior to being grabbed by his right foot. Storm Enoka would not be denied however and dove forward to slam the ball down with his right hand under the posts.

Prior to his spectacular solo try Storm Enoka had scored a more conventional try in the 18th minute when he ran the ball from fifteen metres out down a short left blindside and was just too big and strong for the Redcliffe State High School right sided defence with Storm Enoka manhandling a number of defenders as he forced his way over to get the ball down eight metres in from the left corner post.

At the 2021 Marsden State High School Rugby League Excellence Awards, Storm Enoka was named in the second row in the Marsden State High School Team of the Year and was also named the 2021 Junior Boys “Don’t mess with Marsden” Award winner.

After the completion of the Renouf Cup Grand Final Storm Enoka was named in the second row in the Courier Mail Team of the School Boy Grand Finals.

In early November 2021 Storm Enoka played one match for the U14 Queensland Māori representative side at the QPICC Carnival with that match being the Grand Final when Storm Enoka came off the bench as Māori went down by two points.

The powerhouse rugby flanker or No. 8 was part of the 2021 Gold Coast Invitational U13 King of Country Rugby side that won the Tournament with Storm Enoka scoring a strong try on Day One against the USQ Saints.

Storm Enoka scored in the first half against USQ when he received the ball on the left side of the field twenty eight metres out from the line, immediately getting to the outside of the defensive line and then using a strong left arm fend to keep the defence off him as he charged down the left touchline to score in the left corner.

Storm Enoka recorded a try assist on Day Two against Far North Coast when he ran into space on the right and could have scored himself but five metres from the line passed to his right winger to score in the corner.

In late November 2021 Storm Enoka represented the U13 Tonga Team at the 3PTAG (non-contact modified rugby league) Cultural Touch Tournament held at Marsden SHS.

In 2020 Storm Enoka played for the Coomera Crushers in the GCDRU U12 competition, having a dominant season across the board including from a try scoring perspective.

Storm Enoka scored a hat trick in Round Four against the Yatala Rams and also scored doubles in three matches, being in Rounds One, Two and Three against the Helensvale Hogs (Rounds One and Three) and Bond Pirates (Round Two). Storm Enoka also scored in Round Five against Surfers Paradise.

Storm Enoka is a tall, rangy exceptional athlete and this can be seen when he is running with the football. In his carries he rarely takes a hit up without movement, he uses foot work prior to the line to look to break through as well as cutting either cutting back in behind the play the ball or cutting out towards the smaller defenders on the fringes of the ruck.

Storm Enoka runs ‘fast’ into the defensive and his foot work prior to the line enables him to get partly through the line quite often, as well as breaking the line regularly, certainly more so than you would expect for a backrower taking the ball through the centre of the ruck. One reason for this is that he is a smart footballer, Storm Enoka does not try to run over defenders, but he runs at the gaps between defenders and uses his running speed to break through if defenders only use their arms on the tackle.

Storm Enoka does not necessarily have a great top end speed, although he is certainly no slouch, but he is certainly fast enough to get through to the full back prior to the arrival of the cover defence.

Playing on the left hand side of the field seemingly more often, means that his right foot step and his fending using his left hand are the effective attributes, but based on his physical attributes, his skill set and his understanding of how to play the game means that I have no doubt that these attributes are transferrable to playing on the left hand side of the field.

In defence Storm Enoka regularly is the first player up to target the ball carriers, even though he is not one of the bigger forwards in his team and will make solid initial contact as well as having the ability of defending one on one.

As could be seen in the Kings of Country Tournament (and since) when the opportunity presents Storm Enoka has the ability to hit very hard, by setting a good base and driving through his lower body and core into his opponent.

Ultimately though Storm Enoka is a strong defender with a good front on technique and good lateral movement to track and defend against smaller opponents either on the fringes or centre of the ruck.

Storm Enoka, in 2025 will continue to play rugby league for the Southport Tigers in the Gold Coast Rugby League U18 Division One competition as well as playing for Marsden State High School in the Langer Cup school boy rugby league competition. Storm Enoka starts the 2025 season as a member of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 CC Cup side.

Storm Enoka is a big strong powerful athlete with the size, speed and strength combination that is perfectly suited to playing in the second row at an exceptionally high level in relation to how rugby league is currently played.

With his height and speed Storm Enoka has a playing style akin to that of talented Canterbury Bulldogs, former Penrith Panthers and New South Wales State of Origin and Samoan International fullback or centre and former Australian school boy’s rugby league sensation Stephen Crichton.

Both Creighton and Storm Enoka have height and speed as well as the ability to negotiate their way through congestion when at first glance there did not appear to be any room to move at all. Both Creighton and Storm Enoka also have outstanding hands from a ball control, passing and kick retrieval perspective.

The scary part is that both Storm Enoka and Creighton have the capacity to add additional muscle mass (a fair bit too in Storm Enoka’s case) without at all impacting on their speed, balance and body control. Both Creighton and Storm Enoka also have outstanding hand eye co-ordination and spacial awareness to add to all of the other outstanding attributes that they have at their disposal.

 

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Noah Te Kiri. In Early 2025 Noah Te Kiri signed a multi-year contract with the Titans alongside twin brother Kobe.

2025 saw Noah Te Kiri return to Kings Christian College with Noah Te Kiri starting at hooker and scoring twice in a Player of the Match performance as the Gold Coast School qualified for the 2025 School Boy Rugby League Hancock Cup competition with a come from behind victory against Stretton State College.

In late April 2024 Noah Te Kiri (E Tu Hei Tia Uri Ariki) was named in the 2024 Aotearoa NZ Maori Rugby League 14s Tama Tournament Team with Noah Te Kiri named Player of the Tournament.

Noah Te Kiri played the 2024 season with the Coomera Cutters in the GCRL U14 Division One competition and started the Cutters 24 – 14 Grand Final victory against the Runaway Bay Seagulls at lock with Noah Te Kiri scoring in the 20th minute when after chasing a Cutters bomb that was dropped by Runaway Bay, Noah T e Kiri dived on the ball in the in-goal to score under the posts.

In the 3rd minute from the right of the play the ball Noah Te Kiri carried the ball through the centre of the field from the halfway to forty metres from the try line after dummying to his right. Then in the 9th minute also from the right of the play the ball and just twelve metres from his own try line Noah Te Kiri was able to make eleven metres. Also in the 14th minute from the left of the play the ball Noah Te Kiri was able to get the ball from the halfway mark to thirty four metres from try line.

From the left of the play the ball in the 17th minute Noah Te Kiri carried the ball through the centre of the field from eighteen to thirty metres from the try line and then in the 27th minute from two passes to the right of a Cutters scrum win nine metres from his own try line Noah Te Kiri’s yardage carry got the ball out to the twenty metre mark. Also in the 45th minute from the left of the play the ball and twenty eight metres from his try line Noah Te Kiri was able to make twelve metres,

Noah Te Kiri rounded out a very strong Grand Final in the 51st minute when after initially running onto the ball to the right of the dummy half and knocking it back, Noah Te Kiri regathered the ball and ran to his left to run from his try line to seven metres into Runaway Bay territory.

Noah Te Kiri’s performance saw him named the Player of the Grand Final.

In total in the 2024 GCLR U14 Division One competition Noah Te Kiri scored twice including the Grand Final with Noah Te Kiri also scoring in Round Ten against the Burleigh Bears.

Noah Te Kiri also played for the Coomera U15 Division One side in Round Thirteen against the Helensvale Hornets with Noah Te Kiri starting at centre.

Noah Te Kiri also played rugby in 2024 with Noah Te Kiri playing either open side or blindside flanker for the Logan Saints in the BJR U14 competition.

Noah Te Kiri also started at open side flanker for the South East Queensland Barbarians U14’s in the 2024 Emerging Reds Cup.

2024 saw Noah Te Kiri move to the Kings Christian College with Noah Te Kiri named in the Queensland All School’s Year Eight Oztag competition’s Year Eight Merit Team.

Noah Te Kiri also played for Kings Christian College in the School Boy Rugby League Year Eight Struddy’s Cup with Noah Te Kiri starting at lock in the 46 – 0 Grand Final victory against Redcliffe SHS.

In June 2024 Noah Te Kiri was named in the U14 OzTag Queensland State of Origin Development Squad.

In late July Noah Te Kiri was named in the 2024 Queensland Kiwi Junior Rugby League U14 representative squad.

In late August 2024 Noah Te Kiri was named in the 2024 South Queensland Māori U14 Tuakana Representative Squad.

Noah Te Kiri started at lock for the 2024 New Era U14 side against the Elite Avengers and recorded a try assist in the 13th minute when after off-load from twin brother Kobe, Noah Te Kiri threw a twenty metre cut-out pass to his left from five metres from the try line to enable his left centre to score wide on the left.

Noah Te Kiri came close to scoring himself in the 10th minute with a six metre frum to the left of the play the ball included a summy to his left only to be held up over the try line ten metres to the left of the posts.

In the 5th minute from the right of the play the ball noah Te Kiri ran through the centre of the field from thirty two to forty six metres from the try line before off-loading to his right.

Later the same day Noah Te Kiri also started at lock against the Velocity All-Stars and in the 15th minute from the left of the play the ball Noah Te Kiri was able to promote the ball from twenty eight to forty metres from the try line.

In the 16th minute from the right of the play the ball and thirty one metres from the try line Noah Te Kiri got the ball to within twenty metres and in the 25th mintue from the right of the play the ball Noah Te Kiri cut towards the centre of the field and off-load to his left as he ran from twenty nine to forty metres out. Also in the 38th minute after running from the left of the play the ball and stepping in the same direction Noah Te Kiri off-loaded to his left to Kyanu Seuili after making twelve metres to get the ball to the halfway.

In 2023 Noah Te Kiri attended Mabel Park playing in the Broncos Old Boys School Boy Rugby League competition including starting at lock in Mabel Parks SHS’s 32 – 10 Grand Final victory against Marsden SHS.

In April 2023 Noah Te Kiri played in the New Zealand Māori U13 Tournament with Noah Te Kiri named in the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the Championships. Then in late October 2023 Noah Te Kiri was named in the New Zealand Māori U13 Representative side to play in the 2023 New Zealand Pasifika Youth Cup.

Day One of the 2023 U13 Pasifika Youth Cup saw Noah Te Kiri start at lock for New Zealand Māori against the Cook Islands with Noah Te Kiri recording a try assist in the 16th minute when with the Cook Islands defence in disarray Noah Te Kiri moved into dummy half with the play the abll in front of the goal posts and four metres out. After picking up the ball Noah Te Kiri stepped to his right and whilst looking towards his halves wider out Noah Te Kiri threw a well disguised short pass to his right to his hard straight charging right second rower (No. 12) to crash over to score next to the right upright.

Noah Te Kiri came close to scoring himself in the 48th minute when after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball thirteen metres from the try line Noah Te Kiri stepped off his right foot and looked set to score next to the left goal post, in fact even getting over the try line before being forced back into the field of play.

Noah Te Kiri also made a line break in the 10th minute when from thirty three metres from the try line and to the left of the play the ball burst through two attempted tackles as was able to get the ball to within eight metres of the try line and directly in front of the goal posts.

Noah Te Kiri had made his initial strong run of the match in the 4th minute with a run to the right of the dummy half to carry the ball from thirty seven metres from the halfway mark to get to the halfway mark with Noah Te Kiri then awarded a penalty for being hit high.

Then in the 13th minute from the left of the play the ball Noah Te Kiri was able to promote the ball from ten metres inside his own territory and carry the ball ten metres into Cook Islands territory.

Also on Day One of the 2023 U13 Pasifika Youth Cup saw Noah Te Kiri start at lock for New Zealand Māori against Tonga with Noah Te Kiri recording a line break assist inside the opening minute of the match when after taking possession of the ball to the right of the dummy half on the halfway mark, Noah Te Kiri threw a cut-out pass to his right to put his right centre away down the right touchline.

The 28th minute saw Noah Te Kiri carry the ball from four metres inside his own territory to eight metres into Tonga territory after running onto the ball to the left of the dummy half. Then in the 33rd minute after running onto the ball to the right of the dummy half Noah Te Kiri carried the ball from sixteen metres out from his own try line to twenty seven metres out.

In the 40th minute Noah Te Kiri charged through the centre of the field after receiving the ball to the right of the play the ball and promote the ball from eighteen metres out from his try line to thirty two metres out.

At the completion of the competition Noah Te Kiri was named at lock in the 2023 Pasifika Youth Cup U13 Festival Team.

2023 saw Noah Te Kiri play representative rugby for the Gold Coast Barbarians U13 representative side at the Interstate Cup with Noah Te Kiri starting at No. 8.

In August 2023 Noah Te Kiri was named in the South Queensland Māori U14 Teina Representative squad and was subsequently named in the Queensland Māori U14 Teina squad.

In late 2023 Noah Te Kiri was named in the New Era U13 side to play the U13 Velocity All Stars with Noah Te Kiri starting the match at lock with Noah Te Kiri coming close to scoring in the 36th minute after running out of dummy half to his left from close range only to be held up over the try line four metres to the right of the goal posts.

Noah Te Kiri ran onto the ball to the right of the play the ball in the 21st minute to carry the ball from twenty two metres from his try line to thirty three metres out. Then in the 38th minute from the right of the play the ball Noah Te Kiri stepped off his left foot as he approached the All Stars defensive line and as a consequence was able to run the ball from twenty two metres from the try line to eight metres out.

Also in the 46th minute after taking possession of the ball to the left of the play the ball Noah Te Kiri executed a yardage carry that saw he promote the ball from seventeen metres out from his own try line to twenty eight metres out.

Noah Te Kiri did well defensively in the 3rd minute when he rushed up in defence and executed a big hit on the All Stars No. 10 in the centre of the field and fifteen metres from the try line.

In late 2023 Noah Te Kiri was named in the Coomera Chiefs 2024 U14 Boys Oztag team for the 2024 Queensland State Oztag Championships.

Noah Te Kiri was named in the 2022 QRSS U12 Rugby League Boys Representative Team after representing South Coast at the 2022 Queensland U12 Rugby League Championships.

Noah Te Kiri is also a talented rugby player who plays for Logan City and was named in one of the squads for the 2022 Brisbane Junior Rugby Union U12 Carnival.

Noah Te Kiri style of play is that of a ball playing lock with above average speed for the position. I would actually argue that in fact a better definition of his speed would be well above average to plus, and I am talking the speed of an outside back not a backrower.

Noah Te Kiri is exceptionally quick off the mark, but what makes him even more impressive from a speed perspective is that when he gets into space, he has an extra gear again, making it almost impossible for the cover defence to catch him once he is open space.

Defences had all sorts of trouble trying to contain him in his school boy and club football this season, both in terms of him taking the ball up into the centre of the ruck, but he was almost untouchable when Noah Te Kiri ran on the fringes of the ruck and uses his foot work to beat defenders with a variety of moves, including a step off both feet and a very good in and away as well as simply running over people. Couple those two aspects with a very good fend and you have a young player in Noah Te Kiri who causes nightmares for a defensive line.

Noah Te Kiri runs with pace, strength and power every time he touches the ball during a game. I have not seen a great deal of him off loading the football to date, but the ball skills that he possess would suggest this particular will develop into a plus skill over time, although at this stage of his career it is not a necessity. Noah Te Kiri attention to detail would also strongly suggest that Noah Te Kiri will continue to develop his off-loading and ball skills across the board in the coming seasons.

Noah Te Kiri is aggressive in defence whether defending in the centre of the ruck or on the fringes or even wider out and due to his natural strength is more than capable of defending one on one and can and will stop even the biggest opposing forwards in their tracks and targets the area around where the attackers carry the football.

Noah Te Kiri speed and lateral movement means that he will not be beaten by light stepping halves trying to take advantage of tiring forwards or the opposition running out of dummy half. I have noted that he is aggressive, but not to the extent that he will give away penalties, he just wants to win every one on one contest. Noah Te Kiri is also a very good cover defender as a result of his speed and tenacity.

Due to his speed and athleticism and for that matter hard work and determination Noah Te Kiri covers across the field well, thus putting him in a good position to make the tackle when the ball is turned back inside from the halves to an underneath runner as is the case so often in the modern game.

2025 will see Noah Te Kiri continue at Kings Christian College, playing both rugby league and rugby and will also play for the Coomera Cutters in the GCLR U15 Division One competition as well as pushing for selection in the 2025 South Coast School Boy Rugby League Representative side at the 2025 QSSRL U15 Championships.

Noah Te Kiri, with his ability to run the ball and his ball playing ability to be a great link between his forwards and backs, looks an ideal modern day rugby league lock.

From an NRL player comparison perspective for Noah Te Kiri think along the lines of someone like Souths Sydney Rabbitohs, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International lock Cameron Murray.

Like Murray, Noah Te Kiri is developing into a very solid ball playing forward who can pop a short pass to his supports both prior to the line and when engaged with the defensive line as well as running the ball effectively as well.

 

[mdrew]

Dylan Terblanche. In 2025 Dylan Terblanche was part of the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 CC Cup squad.

Round One of the 2024 GPS School Boy Rugby First XV competition saw Dylan Terblanche start at fullback for TSS against Gregory Terrace with Dylan Terblanche recording a try assist in the 13th minute when after receiving the ball to the left of a ruck Dylan Terblanche ran from thirty five to within fifteen metres of the try line to draw the Gregory Terrace fullback and pass to his left to put his winger over to score in the left corner.

Dylan Terblanche also executed a great try saving tackle in the 41st minute when after his opposing fullback made a line break Dylan Terblanche brought him down with a great low one on one tackle in open space eight metres from the try line near the left the touchline.

Dylan Terblanche also started at fullback in Round Two against St Joseph’s College Nudgee with Dylan Terblanche making a good one on one tackle in open space on the Nudgee outside centre after he had made a line break with Dylan Terblanche cutting him down thirty five metres from the try line near the right touchline.

Dylan Terblanche also did well in the 18th minute when he chased a high mid-field Dallas Ingram bomb with Dylan Terblanche outjumping his opposing fullback to take the bomb on the full thirty five metres from the try line before recycling the ball.

Dylan Terblanche continued at fullback in Round Three at home to Toowoomba Grammar School (TGS) with Dylan Terblanche making a line break down the left touchline in the 67th minute to run the ball from his own twenty metre mark to within five metres of the halfway with Dylan Terblanche breaking a tackle along the way.

In the 6th minute after taking a TGS kick on the full running back towards his try line eighteen metres out Dylan Terblanche returned the kick down the right touchline to six metres into TGS territory. Then in the 8th minute Dylan Terblanche worked the ball down a short left blindside off an inside pass to run from twenty two to within seven metres of the try line.

Dylan Terblanche worked a good play with Viliami Fifita in the 26th minute when after Dylan Terblanche received an off-load from his inside thirty seven metres from the try line he worked his way to twenty metres from the try line before getting a right arm off-load away to his left to Viliami Fifita who got within three metres of the try line in the left corner.

Dylan Terblanche also started at fullback in Round Four against Brisbane Boys College (BBC) with Dylan Terblanche scoring in the 5th minute when he backed up a line break from a TSS scrum win by Dallas Ingram with Dylan Terblanche receiving the ball from his left and run ten metres to score ten metres in from the right corner post.

Wide on the left side of the field in the 15th minute saw Dylan Terblanche run the ball from forty to twenty four metres from the try line before throwing a long pass to his left to enable his left winger to carry the ball into the attacking twenty.

Dylan Terblanche continued at fullback in Round Five against Brisbane State High School (BSHS) with Dylan Terblanche making a line break in the 32nd minute when after receiving a long pass from his right when on the halfway mark Dylan Terblanche raced down the left touchline to within fifteen metres of the try line.

Dylan Terblanche also started at fullback in Round Seven against Ipswich Grammar School with Dylan Terblanche making a line break in the 26th minute when after taking an Ipswich Grammar School clearing kick on the full near the left touchline and forty eight metres from the try line, Dylan Terblanche beat one defender and raced down the left touchline to twenty five metres from the try line and then passed to his inside to Killarney Lavender with Dallas Ingram scoring under the posts and pass later.

In the 15th minute Dylan Terblanche ran a crash line from two passes to the right of a ruck to burst through the centre of the field from thirty three to twenty metres from the try line. Then in the 61st minute from three passes to the left of a TSS scrum win twenty five metres out Dylan Terblanche broke a tackle and then bumped off a second to carry the ball to get to within a metres of the try line midway between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Dylan Terblanche did well defensively in the 53rd minute with a one on one try saving low tackle in space on the Ipswich Grammar School right winger No. 14 three metres from the try line and ten metres in from the left corner post.

Dylan Terblanche continued at fullback in Round Eight against Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie).

Dylan Terblanche also started at fullback in Round Nine against Brisbane Grammar School with Dylan Terblanche recording a try assist in the 16th minute when after taking a Brisbane Grammar School clearing kick on the full on the halfway near the centre of the field Dylan Terblanche ran to his left and broke the defensive line to carry the ball to within fifteen metres of try line before drawing the Brisbane Grammar School fullback and passing to his left to his left winger who brought the ball around to score under the posts.

Dylan Terblanche also recorded a line break assist in the 47th minute when after chiming into the backline wide on the left Dylan Terblanche executed a lightening quick catch and pass to his left to put his winger away down the left touchline.

Dylan Terblanche performances across the 2024 GPS School Boy Rugby First XV competition saw him named by the Courier Mail as one of the discovery players of the year.

In September 2024 Dylan Terblanche was named in the 2024 South East Queensland U16 Barbarians Emerging Reds Cup squad with Dylan Terblanche starting on the right wing on Match Day One against Brisbane White U16’s and scoring a double as well as making multiple line breaks.

Dylan Terblanche was named the Best Back at the Emerging Reds Cup and was subsequently named in the Queensland Reds U16 side at fullback to play against the ACT Brumbies with Dylan Terblanche scoring a try and kicking a conversion in a big Reds victory.

Dylan Terblanche continued at fullback against the New South Wales Waratahs with Dylan Terblanche’s performance saw him named at fullback in the Reds Week Three Courier Mail Team of the Week.

Dylan Terblanche then started from the bench in Perth against the Western Reds as well as against the Melbourne Rebels at Ballymore before starting at fullback in the Grand Final against the NSW Waratahs.

Dylan Terblanche’s speed plays very well on a rugby league field and he is exceptionally quick down the sidelines with a good in and away to beat defenders on the outside and will not get caught from behind if he gets into open space.

In addition to his speed Dylan Terblanche seems to have the ability to “freeze” his direct opponent with his ability to step off both feet before accelerating around them usually on the touchline side although his situational awareness and innate understanding of where the touch line is means that he understands when he should cut back inside thus not to risk being forced into touch.

I really like the way that Dylan Terblanche runs at full speed regardless of the situation. When he has made a break Dylan Terblanche runs at the full back at full pace and does not look to be too cute by trying to out think the opposing fullback. By running at speed directly at the fullback, Dylan Terblanche, not only stops the lateral momentum of the fullback but also reduces the time that the fullback has to make a decision on how to defend against Dylan Terblanche.

Like most of the modern day fullbacks Dylan Terblanche also has the ability to find the try line in some unlikely situations where it appears that there is no way he could possibly get the ball down without going into touch. His straight line speed would be considered plus, Dylan Terblanche is just incredibly quick both off the mark and when he is in motion.

Dylan Terblanche has very good hands low to the ground on grubber kicks or when defenders drop bombs and uses his reach to get to the ball quickly before defenders. Dylan Terblanche will also chase general play kicks with vigour trying to improve the effectiveness of his teams kicking game as well as gaining better field position for his team as the opposition are forced to use up tackles to get out of their own territory.

Dylan Terblanche just seems to have the uncanny ability to take advantage of even the most remote opportunity to score, which ultimately is a trait that is naturally occurring rather than a process or mindset that can be taught or developed in any significant way.

In addition Dylan Terblanche is also deceptively effective running out of dummy half trying to gain field position when bringing the ball out of their own territory. Normally running to the right of the play the ball (Dylan Terblanche is a left winger to be fair), Dylan Terblanche just seems to almost always make the initial defender miss.

In terms of running the ball back from kicks, similarly Dylan Terblanche just seems to make the initial defender miss often. What I also like in terms of kick returns is that Dylan Terblanche does not jog after the ball, thus allowing the defence to converge, Dylan Terblanche sprints after the ball to collect it and then makes an immediate decision whether to look to run around the defensive line if it is a short line or is staggered or just run the ball directly into the defensive line to make as much ground as possible.

Defensively one area that Dylan Terblanche has impressed me is his ability to defend against any size opponent, from small quick opposing outside backs to big strong powerful centres or backrowers running wider of the ruck in his direction.

Dylan Terblanche seemingly has more strength that his size and body shape would dictate, and he uses this strength to move up and hit just under the ribcage, redirecting the momentum of the ball carrier and thus eliminating the attacking threat in the short term.

When he is outnumbered from a defensive perspective, Dylan Terblanche has the ability to mirror the movement of the attacker with the ball and hold off committing to the tackle, thus forcing the attacker to commit to a course of action (either run the ball themselves or draw Dylan Terblanche and pass.

This attribute of Dylan Terblanche’s puts the pressure back onto the attacker and puts Dylan Terblanche in a far better position to negate the paly himself or at the very least buys Dylan Terblanche’s team mates time to come across in cover defence. Dylan Terblanche is just a smart defender in all types of situations and that holds him in very good stead into the future.

Regardless of where and how he defends Dylan Terblanche sets a good base and uses his leg strength to direct his strength through the core of his body into his opponent. Dylan Terblanche just intuitively knows how to defend from a timing and technique perspective and rarely loses contact with the attacker once he has engaged them defensively.

Dylan Terblanche uses this contact to redirect the momentum of the attacker towards the touch line. Dylan Terblanche also gets low and this is able to get underneath any fend that is looking to hold Dylan Terblanche off from him initiating contact with the body of his opponent and thus further disrupt his momentum.

2025 sees Dylan Terblanche start the season training with the Tweed Heads Seagulls U17 CC Cup side. Also in 2025 Dylan Terblanche will return to TSS and no doubt will start the season at fullback for the TSS First XV for the second season in a row.

Dylan Terblanche is at his best when he has the room to move and take advantage of his plus speed and elusiveness and thus for me fullback is Dylan Terblanche’s best position both now and into the future where Dylan Terblanche can roam around the field and inject himself into the match in relation to multiple different attacking scenario’s that are advantageous for his team.

Penrith Panthers NRL, New South Wales State of Origin and Australian International fullback Dylan Edwards is a strong NRL player comparison for Dylan Terblanche, both Edwards and Dylan Terblanche are light and nimble on their feet and as such are able to exploit the smallest gap in a defensive line especially when they are hunting around in the centre of the ruck looking for an off-load or a tired opposition defender to take on. Also both Edwards and Dylan Terblanche are safe under the high ball and very safe defensively as well.

 

[mdrew]

Jesse Soric. The Byron Bay Devils junior and Keebra Park State High School student is part of the Titans Program after signing a two year contact in November 2024 that covers the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Jesse Soric played his first game in a Titans jersey in early 2025 when he started at five eight for the Future Titans U19 side in their annual match in Coffs Harbour against the Newcastle Knights with Jesse Soric forcing a Nights goal line drop-out in the 54th minute from the left of the play the ball on a short left blindside twelve metres out Jesser Soric put in a left foot chip back to the right into the in-goal with the ball having to be taken dead by the Knights to force a Newcastle goal line drop-out.

In the 30th minute from the left of the play the ball Jesse Soric stepped off his left foot and then dummied to his right and came close to scoring from twelve metres out six metres to the left of the posts.

Jesse Soric started at halfback for the Byron Bay Devils in Round One of the 2025 NRRRL First Grade competition against the Evans Heads Bombers with Jesse Soric scoring in the 8th minute when whilst defending twelve metres from his own try line and to the left of the play the ball Jesse Soric was able to trap a Bombers grubber kick with his right foot and then after picking up the ball ran eighty eight metres to put the ball down ten metres in from the left corner post.

In the 45th minute after running out of dummy half to his left from five metres in his own half Jesse Soric put in a left foot chip kick and was able to regather his own kick thirty five metres from the try line but his second kick was not as effective.

After receiving an off-load from Jimmy McCombie in the 78th minute Jesse Soric was able to get the ball from five metres inside his half to ten metres into Evans Head territory.

Jesse Soric continued at halfback and scored once again in Round Two against the Murwillumbah Mustangs.

Jesse Soric started the 2024 season in the U19 SG Ball competition with the New Zealand Warriors making his debut in Round One starting at five eight against the Parramatta Eels. Jesse Soric started at five eight in the opening six rounds before moving to halfback in Rounds Eight and Nine against the Cronulla Sharks and St George Dragons respectively.

Jesse Soric scored his first SG Ball try in the 27th minute of Round Two against the Norths Sydney Bears when from the left of the play the ball Jesse Soric ran from eleven to four metres from the try line before spinning counter clockwise to gain separation from a defender and carry three more defenders over the try line to get the ball down mid-way between the posts and goal posts on the left side of the field.

Jesse Soric then score twice in Round Eight against the Cronulla Sharks with his first try coming in the 13th minute when he backed up on the inside of a Warriors line break down the left touchline with Jesse Soric chasing an inside kick that was put in and dived on the ball just before the dead ball line (and I mean just before) to ground the ball five metres to the left of the posts.

Jesse Soric completed his double in the 19th minute when after receiving the ball ten metres from the try line Jesse Soric stepped off his left foot twice to beat the same number of defenders and then carried two more over the try line to score eight metres to the left of the posts.

Jesse Soric made his U21 Jersey Flegg debut when he started at five eight for the Warriors in Round Thirteen against the Melbourne Storm. Jesse Soric went on to start at five eight in five more match in the Jersey Flegg competition.

Round One of the 2023 Langer Cup School Boy Rugby League Reserve School Boy competition saw Jesse Soric named at five eight for Keebra Park SHS agaisnt Ipswich SHS as well as in in Round Two against Marsden SHS and Round Three against Redcliffe SHS.

Round One of the 2023 NRRRL U18 season saw Jesse Soric start at halfback for the Byron Bay Devils against the Murwillumbah Mustangs with Jesse Soric scoring a try and setting up another.

Jesse Soric scored in the 55th minute when after receiving the ball twelve metres out and near the right touchline, Jesse Soric stepped off his right foot to beat the cover defence with Jesse Soric getting the ball down ten metres in from the right corner post.

Jesse Soric recorded his try assist in the 11th minute when after collecting a pass from the dummy half on the bounce Jesse Soric ran the ball at the defensive line and when twelve metres out Jesse Soric drew in two defenders and got a short ball away to his right to Tyler Whittington who charged through the resultant gap to score under the posts.

Jesse Soric had come close to scoring earlier in the match in the 19th minute when after taking possession sixteen metres out and to the left of the play the ball, Jesse Soric straightened up the attack and after charging straight at the try line, Jesse Soric was held up over the try line ten metres to the left of the uprights.

Jesse Soric was held up once again in the 54th minute mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field after a ten metre run after the receipt of an off-load.

Jesse Soric made a line break in the 33rd minute when after receiving an off-load forty metres from the try line Jesse Soric took off from a standing start and raced downfield only to be tackled by the Mustangs fullback eight metres out from the try line and directly in front of the goal posts.

Jesse Soric then came off the bench in Round Eight against Northern United coming onto the field to operate at five eight mid-way through the first half.

Jesse Soric was also named on the bench in Round Nine against the Mullumbimby Giants.

In late September 2022 Jesse Soric was named in the 2023 Northern Rivers Titans U18 Laurie Daley Cup train on squad.

Round One of the 2023 U18 Laurie Daley Cup competition saw Jesse Soric named at five eight for the Northern Rivers Titans against the Newcastle Knights with Jesse Soric operating on the left side of the field.

Jesse Soric recorded a try assist in the 38th minute when from thirty two metres out and to the right of the play the ball Jesse Soric initially ran to his right dummying to an underneath runner before Jesse Soric darted through a gap and whilst being tackled Jesse Soric was able to get his right arm free and off-load to his left to Tyler Whittington who scored under the posts.

Jesse Soric also recorded a line break assist in the 29th minute when from the right of the play the ball and twenty seven metres out, Jesse Soric took the ball deep into the Knights defensive line before throwing a short ball to his right to Isaac Harrison to break through the defensive line from his inside shoulder route.

Jesse Soric recorded a line break of his own in the 32nd minute when from twenty five metres out and to the left of the play the ball Jesse Soric stepped off his left foot twice in quick succession to break through the defensive line and then around five metres out from the try line Jesse Soric was able to off-load to his to Bo Peisley who was tackled just in front of the left upright.

Jesse Soric was also named at five eight for Round Two against the Central Coast Roosters with Jesse Soric recording a try assist in the 44th minute when after the Roosters dropped the ball whilst trying to bring the ball out of their own twenty metre area, Jesse Soric collected the errand pass and ran five metres towards the try line before off-loading to his right to Riley Buchanan who had a fifteen metre run to score in a tackle three metres to the right of the uprights.

Jesse Soric executed another smart piece of play in the 18th minute when he chased a Zane Harrison clearing kick downfield and then as the Roosters fullback was bringing the ball back, Jesse Soric engaged him and thirty metres out and in the centre of the field with Jesse Soric executing a one on one strip to put the Northern Rivers Titans immediately onto the attack.

Jesse Soric was also named at five eight for Round Three against the South Coast Dragons.

Jesse Soric then started at five eight in Round Four against the Northern Tigers with Jesse Soric recording a try assist in the 68th minute when from eight metres out Jesse Soric threw a hard flat cut-out pass to his left to put Lachlan Offley over to score mid-way between the goal posts and corner post on the left side of the field.

Round One of the 2023 NRRRL First Grade competition saw Jesse Soric start at halfback for the Byron Bay Devils against the Murwillumbah Mustangs.

Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Three against the Tweed Coast Raiders as well as in Round Five against the Evans Head Bombers.

Round Six against Marist Brothers saw Jesse Soric once again start at halfback with Jesse Soric scoring a hat trick in a 38 – 20 Devils victory.

Jesse Soric scored his opening try in the 33rd minute when Jesse Soric backed up a Byron Bay line break down the right touchline and when after his team mate kicked the ball back inside, Jesse Soric who was backing up on the inside, picked up the bouncing ball to score five metres to the right of the uprights.

Jesse Soric scored his second try in the 46th minute with a dummy and go from sixteen metres out and to the left of the play the ball with Jesse Soric darting through a gap before stepping off his left foot to beat the Marist fullback and put the ball down under the posts.

Jesse Soric completed his hat trick in the 60th minute when once again Jesse Soric was on the spot after chasing through a Byron Bay attacking grubber kick to collect the ball on the bounce and score three metres in from the left corner post.

Jesse Soric then continued at halfback in Round Seven against the Lower Clarence Magpies as well as in Round Eight against Northern United.

Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Nine against the Murwillumbah Mustangs with Jeese Soric scoring in the 49th minute when from the left of the play the ball and thirty metres out and in the centre of the field Jesse Soric ran to his left at the defensive line Jesse Soric used a left arm fend to get between two defenders and then used his speed to race away to put the ball down ten metres to the left of the uprights.

In late July 2022 Jesse Soric was named at five eight for an U18 Northern Rivers Titans Invitational Side that took on a Future Titans U17 side as a curtain-raiser to the Titans against Canberra Round Twenty NRL match at Cbus Stadium.

Jesse Soric played a number of matches for Keebra Park SHS in the 2022 Langer Cup Reserve competition including starting at halfback in Round One against Ipswich SHS and Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Three against Marsden SHS.

Jesse Soric continued at halfback in Round Five against Redcliffe SHS with Jesse Soric scoring a try, setting up another and kicking a conversion in a big Keebra Park SHS victory.

Jesse Soric scored in the 33rd minute when after backing up a line break by Taylor Whittington, Jesse Soric received an inside pass from Whittington to race thirty metres to score adjacent to the left upright.

Jesse Soric recorded his try assist in the 27th minute when after backing up a Keebra Park SHS line break through the centre of the field, Jesse Soric received the off-load and then drew the Redcliffe SHS fullback and then got the ball away to his left to Jai Vought who ran away to score next to the left upright.

Jesse Soric also made a good stepping run in the 8th minute when after receiving the ball thirty five metres out from his own try line Jesse Soric stepped his way to five metres inside Redcliffe SHS territory.

Jesse Soric continued at halfback in the Round Six local derby against PBC SHS as well as Round Seven against Mabel Park SHS with Jesse Soric recording a try assist in the 21st minute when from right side of the field and to the right of the play the ball, Jesse Soric put in a left foot chip kick from twelve metres out with the Keebra Park SHS able to take Jesse Soric’s chip kick on the full in plenty of space to score wide out.

Jesse Soric recorded a second try assist in the 40th minute when from twelve metres out and to the left of the play the ball, Jesse Soric double pumped a short ball to his left and then popped a short ball to Taylor Whittington was running off Jesse Soric’s hip to score.

Jesse Soric then made a line break in the 29th minute when after receiving the ball to the left of the play the ball Jesse Soric stepped to his inside off his left foot to beat one defender before racing twenty metres downfield before being brought to ground twenty metres out from the try line.

Jesse Soric then put in a good kick in the 34th minute when from on the halfway mark Jesse Soric drove a low hard left foot kick into the left corner with the Mabel Park SHS barely able to stay in the field of play after he was pinned in the left corner.

Jesse Soric then started at halfback for Keebra Park SHS in the 2022 Langer Reserve Semi-final against PBC SHS with Jesse Soric making a try saving tackle on the PBC SHS right second rower just metres out from the try line and ten metres to the left of the uprights.

Jesse Soric started the 2022 season as a member of the Byron Bay Devils U18 NRRRL side, starting Round One against the Tweed Heads Seagulls at halfback.

Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Two against the Ballina Seagulls with Jesse Soric scoring a double in wet conditions.

Jesse Soric’s opening try came in just the 4th minute when from around twenty metres out and to the right of the play the ball Jesse Soric received the ball and initially shaped to kick before stepping off his right foot before another right foot step saw Jesse Soric get to within ten metres of the try line. Jesse Soric was initially held short of the line but he kept fighting the tackle and forced his way over to score under the posts.

Jesse Soric’s second try came in the 60th minute when near the line Tyler Whittington forced out an off-load, Jesse Soric picked the ball from the ground and cut to his left to dive over, once again under the posts.

Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Six against the Cudgen Hornets in a tough loss for the Devils. Jesse Soric then continued at halfback in Round Seven against the Murwillumbah Mustangs.

Jesse Soric continued at halfback in Round Nine against the Bilambil Jets and recorded a try assist in the 12th minute. Jesse Soric took an off-load (after a couple of juggles in his outstretched right hand) around ten metres out and just to the left of the uprights. After Jesse Soric secured the ball he ran towards the posts before executing a great right arm flick pass with two Jets defenders on him to Taylor Whittington who as able to crash over adjacent to the left upright.

Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Eleven against the Kyogle Turkeys.

Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Twelve against Casino RSM with Jesse Soric scoring in the 32 minute of a big Devils victory. Initially Jesse Soric made a half break from on the halfway mark, making fifteen metres before being put down ten metres in from the right touchline. Jesse Soric executed a quick play the ball with Taylor Whittington running on the bell to the right of the play the ball before getting the ball back to the left to Jesse Soric who burst away to put the ball down in the left corner.

Jesse Soric also recorded a try assist in the 12th minute when from on the halfway mark Jesse Soric threw a long cut out pass to his left to put his centre on a fifty metre run to score in the left corner with Jesse Soric backing him up on the inside for the entire journey just in case he was needed.

Jesse Soric also started at halfback in Round Thirteen against the Lower Clarence Magpies with Jesse Soric scoring a double in a six point Byron Bay victory.

Jesse Soric scored his opening try in the 42nd minute when after receiving an off-load from Taylor Whittington, Jesse Soric stepped off his right foot and then ran to his left but around a metre from the try line Jesse Soric was hit by a defender but spun 360 degrees and maintained his balance to get the ball down mid-way between the goal post and corner post on the left side of the field.

Jesse Soric scored his second try just four minutes later in the 46th minute when after receiving the ball fifteen metres out in front of the posts and to the left of the play the ball, Jesse Soric propped on his run and ran back to his right before straightening up his run by stepping off his right foot with Jesse Soric then able to get the ball down five metres to the left of the uprights.

Jesse Soric continued at halfback in the rescheduled Round Five match against the Byron Bay Devils with Jesse Soric recording two try assists.

Jesse Soric’s opening try assist arrived in the 11th minute when Jesse Soric received the ball to the left of the play the ball ten metres out with Jesse Soric then putting in a left foot grubber kick with Taylor Whittington the beneficiary to run through to score five metres from the left upright.

Jesse Soric recorded his second try assist in the 26th minute when from eleven metres out, Jesse Soric threw a long cut out pass to his left to put his winger over to score in the left corner.

Jesse Soric then started at halfback and captain in the Trophy Qualifying Final against the Lower Clarence Magpies and once again led the Devils around the field well in a big win with Byron Bay progressing to the Trophy Grand Final against Kyogle as a result.

Jesse Soric then started at halfback in the 2022 NRRRL U18 Trophy Grand Final against the Kyogle Turkeys with Jesse Soric being a key reason for Byron Bay’s Trophy Premiership success.

In 2021 Jesse Soric was a member of the Northern Rivers Titans U16 Andrew Johns Cup squad, starting the opening two rounds at five eight before coming off the bench in the final three rounds with Jesse Soric scoring in Round One against the McArthur Wests Tigers.

Jesse Soric also played for the Byron Bay Devils in 2021 in the NRRRL U18 competition, playing in eight matches, starting five matches at five eight, two from the bench and also one match at halfback.

In his eight matches Jesse Soric scored twice, the first coming in Round Two against Northern United and second in Round Thirteen against Casino RSM.

In attack, Jesse Soric generally plays an understated role, focussing more on the distribution and game management aspects of his role as a half. A key attribute to how Jesse Soric plays is his ability to organise and direct his team around the field as well as adjusting his game to the specific situations encountered within a game, including where his team is situated on the field and which team has the momentum.

Jesse Soric is just a superb passer of the ball in all aspects, from accuracy, direction, weighting and also importantly timing of when to pass. Normally half backs and five eight, even at the NRL level have a clear preference in terms of passing to one side of their body, and normally it is easy to recognise. In relation to Jesse Soric however his passing to either side of his body is exquisite and simply amazing to watch.

Jesse Soric literally just flicks his wrists and the ball flies out of his hands like a perfectly aimed bullet. I personally do not recall seeing a young play maker which such outstanding command and control in relation to his passing game.

Jesse Soric’s passing game is just so natural and precise and really is impressive for such a young player and certainly bodes well for his future in a play making role whether that is at five eight or half back.

The confidence Jesse Soric’s passing ability has on his team mates surely cannot be understated. Jesse Soric’s team mates can run various lines and run into gaps confidently knowing that the pass that they receive from Jesse Soric will be perfectly weighted and directed to give them the best opportunity to either break the line or make ground before or after contact.

Another plus attribute that Jesse Soric has is his calmness on the field. Regardless of the situation of the match or where his team is on the field or the pressure of the score board, Jesse Soric just seems to always stay calm and this is able to execute his plan. I use the word plan as Jesse Soric also seems to do things with purpose rather than just pass the ball on to a support player. With Jesse Soric there is no jogging across field and obviously calling a runner back underneath.

Everything that Jesse Soric does, he does for a reason and he does it with a calmness and assuredness that exerts a positive influence on his team mates regardless of how stressful the situation is on the field from a position on the field perspective or time pressures that his team were under. I can only imagine that Jesse Soric would be a very coachable young man who would have no trouble at all following a game plan regardless of its complexity.

The other issue around game plans in the context of Jesse Soric is that he clearly has the intelligence to modify the game plan as the match unfolds if he identifies nuisances or specific changes which would enhance the effectiveness of the team’s performance. Another reason to suggest that Jesse Soric is extremely coachable.

Jesse Soric will though take the line on when the opportunity arises however, but as noted his best attribute is that of a game manager with the ability to draw defenders out of the line and put his runners into the subsequent hole that is generated. Jesse Soric has decent speed off the mark and quick twitch feet in confined space but does not have explosive acceleration or high top end speed.

From a kicking perspective Jesse Soric has a solid kicking game, with reasonable distance and accuracy on all types of kicks, from kicking for field position or from an attacking perspective as well as tactically for field position. Like his passing game, Jesse Soric’s kicking game comes across as so fluid and effective.

Defensively Jesse Soric 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 Soric 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 Soric’s side of the field. In short just like his attacking play Jesse Soric is an outstanding defender.

2025 will see Jesse Soric part of the Titans program in the first year of a two year contact as well as play for the Byron Bay Devils in the NRRRL First Grade competition.

From a position perspective, Jesse Soric plays the same way whether he is wearing the No. 6 or No. 7 jersey and there is no way known that I could see that a coach would consider moving him away from either the halves positions. No doubt Jesse Soric could also spend time at hooker.

With his calm demeanour and outstanding kicking game Jesse Soric very much reminds me of former Titans NRL player Toby Sexton although Jesse Soric is taller and to be fair a lot faster than Sexton.

Both Jesse Soric and Sexton have a calmness about them when they are playing and rarely ever seemed rushed in performing their role for their team whether that be kicking the ball, running the ball or setting up a backline movement.