🏉 States split honours in U19s Origin
Queensland finally broke their women’s junior Origin drought with a come-from-behind 20–14 win over New South Wales last Thursday in Redcliffe.
With Queensland down 10–4 at halftime, I thought we were heading for a second-half blowout. The Maroons, who scored first through Skyla Adams, spent almost the entire first half defending and could barely get out of their end. The Blues pack were rolling with Kalosipani Hopoate and Chloe Jackson impressing in the middle. While their attack wasn’t great, I was expecting a second-half fade by Queensland, as often happens in these types of games.
But it never came. Queensland’s defence held strong and they march downfield and scored three tries off three penalties, their playmakers Chantay Kiria-Ratu, Destiny Mino-Sinapati and Emily Bella were all involved. Suddenly, they lead by 10 with 10 to play and it’s game over. The Blues scored late but Queensland had completely nullified their attack. The Maroons win it with just 43% possession and completing at 69%. Queensland lock Rilee Jorgensen was named Player of the Match after a great performance in the middle.
In the men’s, New South Wales made it back-to-back wins with a 32–14 win. As I mentioned last week, the Blues won the last two U19 games in 2006 and 2007 before the formats changed, so their streak at this age level extends to 17 years.
Like last year, Queensland spent 10 minutes a man down when Mitchell Jennings was binned early. Unlike last year, this game wasn’t over by halftime. The Blues lead 14–10 at the break thanks to a long-range try finished off by Ethan Sanders just before halftime. Two minutes into the second, Caleb Jackson scored to level it. It should have been anyone’s game from here but New South Wales hit back with two tries in five minutes and that was that. Queensland had attacking opportunities but they were clunky and didn’t look like scoring, with their best chances coming from kicks. Missing 65 tackles didn’t help either. Player of the Match Ethan Strange completed his hat trick in the 64th minute to seal it for the visitors.
I tend not to worry too much about individual performances in these games. Most of these guys are playing at a high level every week in either New South Wales or Queensland Cup, which is the best place to assess them. There’s no point getting worked up over a one-off. Some of these players will play first grade, even less with play senior Origin. The Under-20s Origin ran for eight years and just one Player of the Match winner has played Origin (Matt Burton).1
In saying that, here are some quick hits on a few players:
Queensland U19 Women
Chantay Kiria-Ratu: The pass she laid on for Libby Surha’s try was the best thrown all night, in either game. Please go to NRL.com right now and watch it.
Matekino Kahukoti-Gray: Played all 60 minutes at second row and made 21 tackles. She smashed someone on most of them. Very strong defender.
Lily Peacock: My pick for Player of the Match. Ran for 107 metres in about 30 minutes off the bench and made 16 tackles.
NSW U19 Women
Kalosipani Hopoate: Ran for a game-high 129 metres. The most experienced player on the field and it showed. Was very hard to stop.
Chelsea Makira: Caught Queensland out twice with some quick thinking from dummy half. Kept her side in it until the end.
Chloe Jackson: Captained the side and was a handful on every run. She finished with 104 metres and 17 tackles in 60 minutes.
Queensland U19 Men
Israel Leota: Worked hard to get Queensland out of trouble with every run. Finished with a game-high 163 running metres.
Damon Marshall: In a poor defensive team, Marshall was strong in the middle during his 57 minutes on the field.
Gabriel Satrick: Tried his best to add some spark off the bench and straighten the attack in his 35 minutes. Looked dangerous from dummy half at times.
NSW U19 Men
Latu Fainu: Did well to live up to his hype on a bigger stage. Set up his side’s first try and looked dangerous close to the line. Defended very well.
Ethan Sanders: Kicked Queensland out of the game. Showed great effort to finish off a long-range try. Broke five tackles.
Luron Patea: Was explosive in his 26-minute stint off the bench. Ran for 94 metres, broke six tackles and made a line break.
🏉 Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 20
St George Illawarra scored twice in the final five minutes to snatch the win from Penrith, 26–20. A Cooper Roberts try, his third of the game, was followed up by a line break off the restart that ended in a penalty try. Nicholas Quinn was ruled to have been tackled without the ball as he went to dive on a kick right next to the posts. The win keeps the Dragons two points outside the Top 5.
Cronulla got their first win in six weeks, defeating South Sydney 20–12 at Redfern. The Sharks, who despite the rough patch are still fourth, led 20–0 with Souths scoring two late consolation tries. The Rabbitohs are three points outside the Top 5 but do play the last-place Knights twice in their run home.
Melbourne ended their three-game losing run with a 24–16 win over Manly away from home. There were some great tries scored in this. Melbourne sealed the win with a 100-metre try that started on their goal line by winger Maanaima Amosa and finished off by hooker Suliasi Prescott. The Storm stay in fifth, while Manly drops to ninth.
The Roosters defeated the Knights 36–14 in a mud pit at Wentworth for their fourth straight win. It looked like a massive upset was brewing when the Knights led the Roosters 14–0 after half an hour. A try right on halftime got the Tricolours back in it before blowing Newcastle away with a 30–0 second half.
Canberra are off the bottom of the ladder after an 18–8 win over the Wests Tigers. The Raiders are on a three-game winning streak, conceding just 10 points per game during the run. They held off the Tigers late and secured the victory with a Mitch Henderson try in the 66th minute. The Tigers are six points off the Top 5 with a bye in Round 21.
Team of the Week: 1 Ben Rumble (SGI), 2 Maanaima Amosa (MEL), 3 Josiah Karapani (SOU), 4 Siamani Leuluai (CAN), 5 Cooper Roberts (SGI), 6 Jalen Afamasaga (CAN), 7 Keagan Russell-Smith (MEL), 8 James Uesele (MAN), 9 Kobie Wilson (CRO), 10 Watisoni Waqanisaravi (SYD), 11 Phoenix Vetenibua-Finnerty (SGI), 12 Max McCathie (SYD), 13 Lachlan Crouch (CRO).
You can view the highlights from Round 20 here.
🏉 Colts on Holiday – Week 1
There was no Colts action this past weekend and there’s none this weekend either, with the competition resuming for Round 13 on July 29. Since there are no games to discuss let’s look at each team’s final month.
1st Tweed (20 pts): Tweed is one of eight teams to have had all their byes. They have one of the tougher runs home with games against Redcliffe, Burleigh and the Sunshine Coast. They also play the Pride, who they will most likely beat. Three of their final four at home in Piggabeen.
2nd Brisbane Tigers (20 pts): The Tigers have the bye in Round 13, so they’ll have almost a full month off between Round 12’s loss to Tweed and their Round 14 game against Souths Logan. That’s a winnable game, as is their game after that against Ipswich. In Round 16 they play Wynnum Manly, which could decide a Top 4 spot or, possibly, the minor premiership.
3rd Wynnum Manly (20 pts): Wynnum Manly has the hardest remaining schedule, playing four Top 8 sides - Sunshine Coast, Burleigh, Redcliffe and the Tigers. The Falcons’ game is their most winnable. They need a good win there ahead of a tough final three weeks.
4th Burleigh (20 pts): Burleigh is the surprise team of 2023 after a couple of disappointing seasons. They’re on a seven-game winning streak and play the Pride at home when the competition returns. From there, they play Wynnum Manly, Tweed (who they beat in Round 10) and finish with a tough trip to Townsville. They’ll play finals but will they finish in the Top 4?
5th Townsville (18 pts): The defending premiers have shown flashes of dominance in a year with a high roster turnover. On paper they have the easier of the runs home, playing three teams in the bottom eight (Cutters, Capras and Pride) before their big game against Burleigh in Round 16. They should win the first three.
6th Redcliffe (18 pts): The Dolphins looked like clear-cut favourites early but have lost three of their last five since Round 8. The losses all came to teams above them. They have home games against Tweed and Wynnum Manly with a bye in between before finishing with the Pride in Cairns.
7th Sunshine Coast (16 pts): The Falcons should be safe in the Top 8. They’re three points ahead of eighth and five points clear of 9th. They also play Ipswich and the Clydesdales, who they beat by 40 points in Round 10. Winning those games should be enough, even if they lose to Tweed and Wynnum Manly.
8th Souths Logan (13 pts): The Magpies, like the Tigers, have a bye in Round 13, so it’ll be a month off for them. A tough game awaits in Round 14 against the Tigers before facing Norths and the Capras. Those games are winnable but they’re both away from home. They scraped a four-point win against Norths in Round 10 and the Capras found form before the break. Could be tough.
9th Mackay (11 pts): Mackay would’ve been in eighth if not for a last-minute penalty goal against Souths Logan which drew their game in Round 12. The Cutters face Townsville in Round 13 before their final bye in Round 14. They finish with the Capras and Clydesdales. They could win both but they’ll be tough games.
10th CQ Capras (11 pts): The Capras have won three straight after going winless through their first seven games. Three of their final four are against teams all around them - Clydesdales, Cutters and Magpies. They beat Mackay 32–24 back in Round 10. Townsville in Round 14 is their toughest remaining fixture.
11 Western Clydesdales (8 pts): The Clydesdales are mathematically still a chance but their two wins in 2023 have come against the bottom two. They play the Capras, Devils, Falcons and Cutters. Three of those games are at home and only the Falcons are in the eight. The Clydesdales have never finished above 13th, I think they will this year.
12 Norths (7 pts): The Devils will have a great chance to snap an eight-game winless run in Round 13 when they play Ipswich. They then face the Clydesdales and Magpies before ending the season with a bye in Round 16. They will not play finals.
13 Northern Pride (4 pts): Thanks to the magic of byes, the Pride are not last despite not winning a game. Scarily for them, they still have to play Burleigh, Tweed, Townsville and Redcliffe. Barring a miracle, they’ll join the 2021 Jets as the Colts’ second winless team. They won just one game in 2022.
14 Ipswich (4 pts): Ipswich get their last bye in Round 16, so they might sit in last until then. They play Norths, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane before that, with the Devils’ game in Round 13 the best chance at grabbing their second win of 2023.
Next week I’ll take a look at some of the standout performers for each club.
🏉 Schoolboy Cup resumes
The Schoolboy Cup got back underway following school holidays in north and south-east Queensland.
In the north’s Aaron Payne Cup, Kirwan SHS flogged Trinity Bay SHS 46–4, with Fijian winger Aisake Manna and fullback Cohen Dittman scoring doubles. They remain second in Pool A though as St Patrick’s Mackay kicked a penalty goal after full time to defeat Ignatius Park 16–14. Queensland Schoolboys half Jaxon Purdue scored twice for St Pat’s in the win. In Pool B, St Augustine’s Cairns remains in first after a 26–4 win over Mareeba SHS. Their hooker Lucas Lane was the standout as he crossed for two tries. Mackay SHS smashed Holy Spirit Mackay 40–8 to keep pace with the pool leaders.
In the south’s Allan Langer Trophy, ladder-leaders Marsden SHS defeated Redcliffe SHS last Sunday in a rare weekend game 69–22. Yes, 69. Marsden’s halfback Coby Black was the star, scoring two tries, kicking 10 goals and slotting a field goal for a 29-point haul. Mid-week, they defeated Wavell SHS 28–4. Keebra Park is in second, beating Caloundra SHS 36–6. Halfback Ryder Williams, fullback Mason Barber and winger Jeremiah Havea all scored doubles in the win. Ipswich SHS got their biggest win of 2023, handing Mabel Park SHS their first loss, 38–16. Palm Beach Currumbin remain in the finals hunt after a 36–16 win over Redcliffe. They sit in fifth. Redcliffe and Caloundra are still without a win.
Central Queensland’s Dolphins Cup returns this week, with Rockhampton Grammar facing Shalom College and St Brendan’s Yeppoon hosting The Cathedral College.
🏉 Super League Academy update
The Super League Academy teams returned to the field this past weekend following the international break. After nine weeks, St Helens remain undefeated, picking up their ninth win, a 64–6 thrashing of Bradford.
The game of the weekend was between Wigan and Warrington, with Wigan winning 30–12 and jumping the Wolves into second.
Castleford and Hull FC both cracked 90, with the Tigers thrashing Newcastle 96–12 and Hull demolishing London 90–6. Other results saw Hull KR defeating Leeds 32–26 and Huddersfield running out 34–14 winners over Wakefield.
It’s another weekend off this week, with games resuming on July 28.
🏉 Raiders and Bulldogs in New Zealand
Last week, the Canberra Raiders under-19 “Vikings” squad went undefeated on their mini-tour of New Zealand’s South Island. The squad was made up of fringe players from this season’s SG Ball Cup side and players who will feature in next season’s side.
They defeated the Canterbury under-19 rep team 40–6 in Rolleston last Thursday and the South Island Scorpions under-18 side 42–0 in Christchurch on Sunday.
Before the tour got underway, the Canterbury Rugby League announced a partnership with the Canterbury Bulldogs, who will provide the region with a pathway to the Bulldogs’ junior representative teams. The Bulldogs, who have a similar partnership with the Western Clydesdales in Queensland, will run coaching clinics and player training camps in the region.
🏉 Matterson debuts
Dean Matterson became the 62nd graduate of Parramatta’s NYC system when he made his NRL debut for Manly in Round 20. After being on the field for just four minutes he was on the end of a Haumole Olakau’atu pass to score Manly’s first try of the game. He finished with 55 running metres and 13 tackles in his 33-minute stint.
The younger brother of Ryan Matterson, he played his junior footy for Wentworthville before joining the Eels’ junior systems. He played 50 games for Parra’s NYC team over two seasons, captaining the team in their 2017 Grand Final loss to, coincidentally, Manly. After that, the 25-year-old, playing for Wyong, Blacktown and Mounties, grafted away in the NSW Cup for several years. He returned to Blacktown this year playing 15 games at five-eighth, centre, lock and second row, eventually earning his first-grade opportunity.
🏉 Here and There
Recently selected Australian Schoolboy Finau Latu re-signed with St George Illawarra last week and will join their Top 30 squad in 2025. The nephew of Solomon Haumono, Latu played his juniors at Minchinbury before joining the Dragons two years ago. The Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown student played eight games for St George in the Harold Matthews Cup this season.
A pair of 18-year-old Western Clydesdales have been picked up by NRL clubs with Bud Smith joining Canterbury and Bailey Nash signing with Canberra for 2024. Smith, the son of former Kangaroo and Maroon Jason Smith, is a backrower and has been a regular in the Clydesdales’ Colts side, playing nine games this year. Nash, a centre, has also recently moved up to Colts, scoring three tries in four games.
Cronulla SG Ball front rower Lachlan Araullo has re-signed with the club until the end of 2026. He played seven games for the side this year and is still SG Ball-eligible in 2024. He represented NSW City U16s in 2021.
Around the grounds
For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.
Women’s Under-19 Origin
Queensland 20 (S Adams, E Bella, D Mino-Sinapati, L Surha tries; E Bella 2 goals) def. New South Wales 14 (C Makira 2, G Weekes tries; M Soliola goal) at Kayo Stadium. Referee: R Tamarua. Halftime: NSW 10–4. Tackles: M Kahukoti-Gray 23 (Qld), K Hopoate 20 (NSW). Run metres: L Peacock 107 (Qld), K Hopoate 129 (NSW).
Men’s Under-19 Origin
New South Wales 32 (E Strange 3, E Ferguson, E Sanders, S Tamale tries; E Ferguson 4 goals) def. Queensland 14 (C Jackson, T Sielaff-Burns, W Sullivan tries; T Sielaff-Burns goal) at Kayo Stadium. Referee: D Furner. Halftime: NSW 14–10. Tackles: D Marshall 34 (Qld), B Scott 30 (NSW). Run metres: I Leota 163 (Qld), S Tamale 145 (NSW).
Jersey Flegg Cup – Round 20
St George Illawarra 26 (C Roberts 3, N Quinn, H Rudd tries; A Ward 3 goals) def. Penrith 20 (L Hanson, L Ison, S Lane, B Moran tries; J Nohra 2 goals) at Collegians Sports Centre. Referee: B Mani. Halftime: PEN 10–6. Tackles: P Vetenibua-Finnerty 25 (SGI), Z Lipowicz 31 (PEN). Run metres: T Heremia-Tukere 129 (SGI), L Philp 156 (PEN).
Cronulla 20 (S Ataata, T Boothroyd, M Riolo, M Waitere tries; M Riolo 2 goals) def. South Sydney 12 (R Cook, J Gray tries; E Di Bartolo 2 goals) at Redfern Oval. Referee: B Williams. Halftime: CRO 14–0. Tackles: L Grossemy 35 (SOU), L Crouch 38 (CRO). Run metres: J Karapani 179 (SOU), M Waitere 205 (CRO).
Melbourne 24 (S Prescott 2, M Amosa, M Hill tries; K Russell-Smith 4 goals) def. Manly 16 (C Brown, J Humphreys, C Thompson tries; J Humphreys 2 goals) at 4 Pines Park. Referee: E Klein. Halftime: MEL 18–4. Tackles: B Konz 31 (MAN), G Satrick 34 (MEL). Run metres: J Uesele 171 (MAN), M Amosa 208 (MEL).
Sydney 36 (W Waqanisaravi 2, X Chatfield-Mooka, J Smith, P Steinwede, S Vaenuku tries; O Flaherty 3, A Holten 3 goals) def. Newcastle 14 (J Afoa 2, B Guyan tries; L Sutton goal) at Wentworth Park. Referee: C Suters. Halftime: NEW 14–6. Tackles: M McCathie 20 (SYD), M Smith 31 (NEW). Run metres: M McCathie 171 (SYD), J Afoa 93 (SYD).
Canberra 18 (J Billing, M Henderson, S Leuluai tries; M Henderson 3 goals) def. Wests Tigers 8 (J Kirk, T Sukkar tries) at Lidcombe Oval. Referee: B Seppala. Halftime: CAN 12–4. Tackles: B Hodges 47 (WST), J Lavender 36 (CAN). Run metres: S Vaihu 146 (WST), K Rushton 158 (CAN).
Ladder: 1st Roosters (34 pts), 2nd Bulldogs (32), 3rd Panthers (27), 4th Sharks (26), 5th Storm (24), 6th Dragons (22), 7th Rabbitohs (21), 8th Eels (20), 9th Sea Eagles (20), 10th Wests Tigers (18), 11th Raiders (18), 12th Knights (16).
Super League Academy – Matchday 9
St Helens 64 – 6 Bradford at Odsal Stadium.
Hull KR 32 – 26 Leeds at Headingley Stadium.
Wigan 30 – 12 Warrington at DW Stadium.
Castleford 96 – 12 Newcastle at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
Huddersfield 34 – 14 Wakefield at Huddersfield YMCA RU.
Hull FC 90 – 6 London at the University of Hull.
Ladder: 1st St Helens (18 pts), 2nd Wigan (16), 3rd Warrington (14), 4th Hull FC (14), 5th Leeds (8), 6th Wakefield (8), 7th Huddersfield (8), 8th Castleford (6), 9th Hull KR (6), 10th Bradford (4), 11th London (2), 12th Newcastle (0).
NRL Schoolboy Cup
Aaron Payne Cup – Round 4
Kirwan SHS 46 – 4 Trinity Bay SHS at Trinity Bay State High.
Mackay SHS 40 – 8 Holy Spirit Mackay at Mackay JRL Grounds.
St Patrick’s Mackay 16 – 14 Ignatius Park College at Leprechaun Park.
St Augustine’s Cairns 26 – 4 Mareeba SHS at Barlow Park.
Ladder: Pool A 1st St Patrick’s Mackay (7 pts), 2nd Kirwan (6), 3rd Ignatius Park (3), 4th Trinity Bay (0). Pool B 1st St Augustine’s Cairns (10), 2nd Mackay (6), 3rd Mareeba (6), 4th Holy Spirit Mackay (0).
Allan Langer Trophy – Round 4
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS 36 – 16 Redcliffe SHS at Kayo Stadium.
Ipswich SHS 38 – 16 Mabel Park SHS at Totally Workwear Stadium.
Marsden SHS 28 – 4 Wavell SHS at Marsden State High.
Keebra Park SHS 36 – 6 Caloundra SHS at Southport RLFC.
Allan Langer Trophy – Round 5
Marsden SHS 69 – 22 Redcliffe SHS at Kayo Stadium.
Ladder: 1st Marsden (9 pts), 2nd Keebra Park (6), 3rd Ipswich (6), 4th Mabel Park (6), 5th Palm Beach Currumbin (5), 6th Wavell (2), 7th Caloundra (0), 8th Redcliffe (0).
The other winners include Harry Siejka (2012), Mitch Cornish (2013), Jake Mamo (2014), Drew Hutchison (2015), Curtis Scott (2016), Jack Murchie (2017) and Jake Clifford (2018).