Schoolboy Cup finals set
A quick update on the 2024 Schoolboys season
The Schoolboy Cup finals in both conferences are now set after Waka Hammond led Hallam Secondary College to the biggest upset of the season.
In the Peter Mulholland Cup play-in game, Hallam defeated Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield, the 2022 national runners-up, 20-17 thanks to Hammond’s last-second solo try.
Hammond played seven games for the Storm’s Harold Matthews side earlier this year, predominately at halfback, scoring five tries and kicking 24 goals.
Fairfield was the lowest ranked of the eight NSW/ACT qualifiers, meaning a trip to Melbourne to play Storm Cup winners Hallam.
It was reported that this was both the first time a Victorian school had qualified for the Mulholland Cup finals and the first time a Victorian school had beaten a northern school but that’s not the case.
Victoria University Secondary College played in last year’s quarter-finals, although under a different qualifying format. Hallam themselves have a win over a NSW school, having defeated Illawarra Sports High 46-12 in 2017.
What may be true (according to my records, anyway), is that this is the first time a Victorian school has defeated a Sydney school in the NRL Schoolboy Cup.
In 2023, Hallam became the first Victorian school to win the NRL Schoolboy Trophy, the second-tier competition, when they defeated Wagga Wagga’s Kildare College 26-6.
They now enter the finals proper and will face Central Coast Sports College at Campbelltown Stadium on 7 August.
All four finals will be played on that day at Campbelltown, with Holy Cross Ryde opening the day against Endeavour Sports High.
Holy Cross topped Pool A undefeated, while Endeavour won Pool D, dropping just one game - a 20-14 loss to Bass High in May.
Cup favourites Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown face Erindale in the third game of the day. Both schools smashed their way through their pools, Blacktown scoring 138 points and conceding 10, Erindale scoring 118 and 30.
The final game of the day sees Hunter Sports High play Bass High. Bass finished second in Pool D after their upset win over Endeavour. Hunter finished 2nd behind Erindale in Pool C.
Defending conference and national champions, Westfields Sports High, missed the finals. They failed to win a game and finished last in Pool A.
2024 Peter Mulholland Cup - Finals Week 1
Wednesday, 7 August - Campbelltown Sports Stadium
10am Holy Cross Ryde vs. Endeavour Sports - Qualifying Final
11:20am Central Coast Sports vs. Hallam Secondary - Elimination Final
12:40pm Patrician Brothers Blacktown vs. Erindale - Qualifying Final
2pm Hunter Sports vs. Bass High - Elimination Final
Allan Langer Trophy - South East Queensland
Gee Cup winners Stretton State College will play in the Allan Langer Trophy finals for the first time after defeating Marymount College in the eighth-placed play-in game.
Replacing Caloundra State High, who finished winless in last place, they’ll face Palm Beach Currumbin in the quarter-finals on 7 August.
PBC finished the pool phase strong with a big win over rivals Keebra Park to finish in third.
Undefeated Ipswich State High will open the day at Bishop Park against seventh-placed Redcliffe State High. The schools played in Round 4, with Ipswich winning 24-16.
Second-placed Keebra Park takes on sixth-placed Mabel Park in game two. Keebra defeated Mabel 12-4 in Round 6, in between losses to Ipswich and PBC.
Wavell State High and Marsden State High will close out the day’s action. Wavell beat Marsden 24-12 when the two schools met in June.
2024 Allan Langer Trophy - Quarter Finals
Wednesday, 7 August - Bishop Park
10:30am Ipswich SHS vs. Redcliffe SHS
12pm Keebra Park SHS vs. Mabel Park SHS
2:45pm Palm Beach Currumbin SHS vs. Stretton State College
4:15pm Wavell SHS vs. Marsden SHS
Aaron Payne Cup - North Queensland
St Patrick’s Mackay finished the pool phase strong after a slow start to the season. They went undefeated in their final three games, knocking off Townsville’s Kirwan and Ignatius Park, to finish second in Pool A.
That sets up a semi-final clash with Ignatius, the third time the schools will meet in 2024. Ignatius won 20-4 in Round 3, while St Pat’s returned serve last week, winning 22-8.
Kirwan’s loss to St Pat’s was their only stumble as they topped Pool A. They’ll meet Pool B winners St Augustine’s Cairns in the other semi.
St Augustine’s dominated their pool, going undefeated, scoring 302 points and conceding just 16. Kirwan poses a much tougher test than anything they’ve faced in 2024 but they take 82-0 and 78-0 wins into the match.
That game will be played as a curtain-raiser to the Cowboys-Broncos Round 23 fixture.
2024 Aaron Payne Cup - Semi-Finals
Thursday, 8 August
12pm St Patrick’s Mackay vs. Ignatius Park, venue TBA
Saturday, 10 August
3:10pm Kirwan SHS vs. St Augustine’s Cairns, Qld Country Bank Stadium
Dolphins Cup - Central Queensland
After a week off waiting for the others to catch up, the Dolphins Cup semis will get underway at Rockhampton’s Rugby Park on 6 August.
St Brendan’s Yeppoon, who finished first, will face fourth-placed Emmaus College in the day’s first game. St Brendan’s won 26-4 when they met in Round 2.
Second-placed Cathedral College meet Rockhampton Grammar School. Cathedral’s only loss in 2024 came to RGS in Round 2, losing 20-6.
2024 Dolphins Cup - Semi-Finals
Tuesday, 6 August - Rugby Park
4pm St Brendan’s Yeppoon vs. Emmaus College
5:15pm The Cathedral College vs. Rockhampton Grammar
NRL Schoolgirls Cup
The final series for the Northern Conference has also been decided and will be held next week. I can’t find any updated information about the Southern Conference. Their pool phase ended in June but I’ve seen nothing since then.
Mabel Park State High are the defending national champions. They’ll play Marsden State High in the second South East Queensland semi-final, a curtain-raiser to the Round 23 Titans-Sharks NRL fixture at Cbus Super Stadium.
Northern Conference - Semi-Finals
Central Queensland - Rugby Park, Tuesday 6 August
2pm Emmaus College vs. Shalom College
3pm The Cathedral College vs. Rockhampton Grammar
South East Queensland
Wednesday, 7 August
1:30pm Ipswich SHS vs. Keebra Park SHS, Bishop Park
Friday, 9 August
3:50pm Marsden SHS vs. Mabel Park SHS, Cbus Super Stadium
North Queensland - Thursday, 8 August
1:15pm St Patrick’s Mackay vs. Mackay SHS, venue TBA
2:30pm Kirwan SHS vs. Trinity Bay SHS, Jack Manski Oval
Schoolboy Cup - Final Standings
For more information on all games head to 18thman.com.
Allan Langer Trophy
1 Ipswich SHS (14 points), 2 Keebra Park SHS (10), 3 Palm Beach Currumbin SHS (9), 4 Wavell SHS (7), 5 Marsden SHS (6), 6 Mabel Park SHS (6), 7 Redcliffe SHS (4), 8 Caloundra SHS (0).
Aaron Payne Cup
Pool A: 1 Kirwan SHS (9 points), 2 St Patrick’s Mackay (8), 3 Ignatius Park (7), 4 Trinity Bay SHS (0).
Pool B: 1 St Augustine’s Cairns (12), 2 Mackay SHS (8), 3 Holy Spirit Mackay (0), 4 Mareeba SHS (0).
Dolphins Cup
1 St Brendan’s Yeppoon (8 points), 2 The Cathedral College (8), 3 Rockhampton Grammar (6), 4 Emmaus College (4), 5 Shalom College (4).
Peter Mulholland Cup
Pool A: 1 Holy Cross Ryde (6 points), 2 Central Coast Sports (4), 3 Farrer MAHS (2), 4 Westfields Sports (0).
Pool B: 1 Patrician Brothers’ Blacktown (6), 2 Patrician Brothers’ Fairfield (4), 3 All Saints’ Maitland (2), 4 Matraville Sports (0).
Pool C: 1 Erindale College (6), 2 Hunter Sports (4), 3 Hills Sports (2), 4 Illawarra Sports (0).
Pool D: 1 Endeavour Sports (4), 2 Bass High (4), 3 St Gregory’s Campbelltown (4), 4 St Dominic’s Penrith (0).
Storm Cup: 1 Hallam Secondary (8), 2 Vic Uni Secondary (6), 3 The Grange P-12 (4), 4 Mt Ridley College (1), 5 Manor Lakes P-12 (1).
Schoolgirl Cup - Finals Standings
Northern Conference
Pool A: 1 Ipswich SHS (8 points), 2 Marsden SHS (8), 3 Mabel Park SHS (8), 4 Keebra Park (4), 2 St James’ Spring Hill (2).
Pool B: 1 The Cathedral College (6), 2 Emmaus College (4), 3 Shalom College (2), 4 Rockhampton Grammar (0).
Pool C: 1 St Patrick’s Mackay (8), 2 Kirwan SHS (4), 3 Mackay SHS (0), 4 Trinity Bay SHS (0).