RLO Newsletter - 13 Sept 24
Queensland schools sweep national finals.
Palm Beach Currumbin State High were crowned National Schoolboy champions for the fourth time on Wednesday, defeating Patrician Brothers’ College Blacktown 18-16 in the final.
With the hometown crowd behind them at Cbus Super Stadium, they scored first and led 8-4 going into halftime.
Patrician Brothers, who went into the final undefeated, took the lead in the second half with tries to lock Tyson Sanglang and winger Chas Riddle in the space of four minutes.
Down eight with 10 to play, PBC got within four when second rower Reuben Tamariki scored his second of the game.
They won it with two minutes remaining when winger Beau Hartmann leapt high to retrieve a Zane Harrison bomb to score the winner.
Harrison, a Tweed Heads junior contracted to the Titans, was named Player of the Match and Peter Sterling Medalist for player of the competition.
PBC was the first Queensland school to win the tournament, beating St Gregory’s Campbelltown in the final almost exactly 23 years ago – their side that day featuring a 16-year-old Ben Hannant.
The win moves them ahead of arch-rivals Keebra Park State High (three titles) as the most successful school in the state.
For Patrician Brothers, it’s their seventh national final defeat, the most of any school. Their lone title came in 2012 with a side that included Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Bryce Cartwright.
PBC’s win continues a great run for Queensland schools in the competition, winning seven of the last 10 national finals.1 Before 2013, Queensland schools had only won four times in total.
Palm Beach Currumbin 18 (Reuben Tamariki 2, Beau Hartmann tries; Zane Harrison 3 goals) def. Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown 16 (Cameron Bamblett, Chas Riddle, Tyson Sangalang tries; Charlie Elaro 2 goals) at Cbus Super Stadium.
Ipswich State High won the second NRL Schoolgirls Cup with a dominant 28-6 win over Hills Sports High later in the day.
Hills Sports were playing in their second national final, losing in 2023 to Mabel Park State High.
Led by captain Shalom Sauaso, Ipswich ran over the top of their opponents in the second half, scoring 16 unanswered points. Winger Kaiah Hansell scored a hat trick, while Sauaso was named Player of the Match.
Sauaso, who has already played Super W for the Reds, is contracted to the Broncos and could easily play in the NRLW right now. The best prospect I’ve seen watching junior female footy in the last six or so years. She can also kick goals from the sideline.
Ipswich State High 28 (Kaiah Hansell 3, Shalom Sauaso, Lishainah Ulugia tries; Sauaso 4 goals) def. Hills Sports High 6 (Danielle Seckold try; Manua Moleka goal) at Cbus Super Stadium.
🏉 Four remain in Jersey Flegg
Canberra and Canterbury will play for a spot in the 2024 Grand Final in this weekend’s major semi-final.
The Raiders, who finished as minor premiers, come into the game off a bye, while the Bulldogs took down the Panthers 32-6 in last weekend’s Qualifying Final.
Penrith moved into the elimination match against Cronulla, who stormed into the finals thanks to a seven-game winning streak and then eliminated Newcastle 22-6 in Week 1.
The Sharks will be led by halfback Riley Pollard, a Panthers junior who joined the club this season.
Finals Week 1 - Results
Canterbury 32 (Taye Cochrane 2, Danny Gabrael, Damon Marshall, Ratu Rinakama tries; Cassius Tia 6 goals) def. Penrith 6 (Billy Phillips try; Jett Cleary goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: Cameron Turner. HT: CBY 14-0. Tackles: Billy Phillips 39 (PEN), Fahmy Toilalo 33 (CBY). Run metres: Nick Murphy 251 (PEN), Fahmy Toilalo 185 (CBY).
Cronulla 22 (Kristian Dixon, Chaz Jarvis, Riley Pollard, Te Wehi Waitere tries; Riley Pollard 3 goals) def. Newcastle 6 (Logan Aoake try; Connor Votano goal) at Leichhardt Oval. Ref: Mitch Currie. HT: CRO 16-0. Tackles: Jacob Davis 38 (NEW), Chaz Jarvis 37 (CRO). Run metres: Harley Walker 124 (NEW), Kristian Dixon 193 (CRO).
Finals Week 2 - Fixtures
Sun 15 Sept - Canberra vs. Canterbury, 11 am, Leichhardt
Sun 15 Sept - Penrith vs. Cronulla, 3 pm, Leichhardt
Both games will be streamed on NSWRL.tv
🏉 Pattie named Flegg’s best
Raiders’ hooker Owen Pattie was named Jersey Flegg Player of the Year at the Brad Fittler Medal Awards last week.
He played 15 games for the minor premiers before moving up to their NSW Cup side, where he’s named to play again this weekend.
A Rockhampton junior, Pattie joined the Raiders in 2023 after two seasons with the CQ Capras junior sides.
Previous winners
2018 Beau Fermor (Newcastle)
2019 Charlie Staines (Penrith)
2022 Jack Cole (Penrith)
2023 Max McCathie (Sydney)
🏉 Silktails go winless
In their inaugural season in the Jersey Flegg, Fiji’s Kaiviti Silktails failed to register a win.
Up against very strong opposition each week, the Silktails will be disappointed not to have snatched a win or two at home in 2024.
They went close on several occasions - against Souths in Round 2 (20-14), Canterbury in Round 15 (18-14) and twice against the Warriors in Round 14 (16-0) and Round 20 (16-4).
In the end, they finished last with 24 losses from 24 games.
It’s the first winless season in the Jersey Flegg since 2006, when the Central Coast Rip (yes, Rip), lost 22 and drew one from their 23 matches. They ended the season with a points differential of -846, conceding 1102 points.
They also went winless the year before, going 0 from 24 and conceding 1300 points, including a famous 102-8 loss to St George Illawarra.
In Queensland’s statewide Colts competition, two sides failed to win a game - the Ipswich Jets in 2021 and the Northern Pride last year, both finishing 0-14.
🏉 NYC back?
Some thoughts on the news that broke a few weeks back about the reintroduction of the National Youth Competition.
As a Cowboys fan, my first thought was “good”. With no Colts, the Queensland teams have nowhere good to send players who aren’t ready for Cup. Local A Grade is a step down in facilities, training and competition. A lot of players left Queensland to play in the Jersey Flegg this year.
If the comp is re-introduced and player welfare is to be taken seriously (ha) then it should not take precedence over the Qld and NSW Cup in terms of player development.
That seems very obvious but in the early days of the NYC, it was promoted as a direct pathway into first grade. This was of course bad. Over time, clubs realised and by the end of its run it was very clearly below Cup in terms of importance.
I also wouldn’t air games on Fox or Nine at all but this comp was originally canned due to money so that’s not going to happen.
Oh, and bring back the yellow ball.
There were no national finals held in 2020 and 2021.