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| Sunday 16 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 FROM TAREE TO WESTS TIGERSA mateship forged on the playing fields of Taree is helping two young Wests Tigers tackle their dream of playing in the NRL. Joey Latham and Todd Bridge, born and bred in Taree, are looking to follow in the illustrious footsteps of a local champion, NSW and Knights captain Danny Buderus, as they begin their professional rugby league careers with the Wests Tigers in the Toyota Cup. Latham and Bridge played representative football together throughout their junior careers and have been in country first grade sides since they were 16. Their mateship helped make the move to the city four months ago a little easier. “Coming from a country town, it is a bit daunting moving to Sydney,” Latham said. “Both of us being here probably made the decision a lot easier to come down. “We are living together in a flat with my girlfriend, so it is a learning experience. “We stir each other all the time but it’s all good fun.” The two 18-year-olds forged their friendship playing for Group 3 and the Country NSW under-18 side. “We were in different teams for club footy but when it came to representative footy we were pretty good mates and we get on really well,” Latham said. “It’s been good playing together. “We went to Tonga and the year before that we went to New Zealand, which was a really good learning curve.” For Bridge, the move to the Wests Tigers adds to a proud family history at the club - his father, Gary Bridge, who played for the Tigers from 1982-86, is in the Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame. In a testament to the depth of the Wests Tigers’ Toyota Cup squad, Latham and Bridge face a tough challenge to break into a starting side that boasts Junior Kangaroos Wayde Dunley and Blake Ayshford. Another Junior Kangaroo, Tim Moltzen, makes his NRL debut for Wests Tigers this Sunday. He too can play in the Toyota Cup competition. Latham will start on the bench against the Dragons at the SFS on Sunday. Both he and Bridge have two years in the U20s competition to look forward to and, with Moltzen named in first grade this week, the opportunity is there for the Taree boys to break into the team. “I’m really excited to play in this new competition and follow the first grade team around,” Latham said. |
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| Saturday 15 th MArch '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 NORTH Queensland's National Youth Competition got off to a disastrous start with a 36-point loss to the Titans and a serious leg injury to Leo Faagutu. The talented back-rower had to be helped from the field in the opening stages of the second half at Skilled Park last night. From the opening whistle the Cowboys were given a lesson on how costly poor discipline will be in the NRL's new competition. North went down 46-10 and gifted the Titans their first four tries. They lost the ball close to their own line just two tackles after the kick-off and Gold Coast hooker Kayne Lawton took advantage. The 18-year-old powered past some soft defence to etch his way into the history books as the first player to score in a competition game at the new stadium. But the message on discipline did not sink in for the rising North Queensland stars. Bad ball security or soft penalties helped the home team go to the break leading 16-4. With a player of Titans fullback Shannon Walker's ability on the field, added possession was the last thing the Cowboys needed to hand the Gold Coast. Walker, who looked dangerous every time he touched the ball, showed why he is being hailed as a star of the future when he side-stepped five defenders to score. When he scored his second early in the second stanza it opened the floodgates and Gold Coast cruised to victory. The Cowboys' points came through Chris Reisen and Obe Geia. |
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| Friday 14 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story & Photo By : NORTH Queensland begin a foray into the unknown tonight when the Cowboys under-20s play their first match in the NRL's National Youth Competition. The Cowboys tackle the Gold Coast Titans in the curtain-raiser to the first-grade contest at Skilled Park. Coach Grant Bell has been thrilled with his team's preparation heading into the competition's debut match, rating the squad's training and work ethic as first class. But while the Cowboys youngsters backed that up with solid performances in their various trial games over the past month, Bell said tonight would be their first big test. "You don't know until you are in a game where exactly you are at but certainly at this stage they are training well, their attitudes have been positive," he said. "I think we (the clubs) are all going into the competition a little bit unsure of which way we are ultimately going to line up. "Once we get the first few rounds out of the way there will be a better awareness of where everyone is at in comparison to each other." Bell said learning the ins and outs of their opponents had been difficult in the buildup to their clash with the Titans, with video footage scarce. And with what little they had obtained of the Gold Coast in action, the former Cowboys first-grade coach said it may count for little come game day. The most important thing, Bell said, was to ensure North Queensland had their own game in order. "We have had a chance to look at some vision but it wasn't extensive," he said. "But the thing is, with trials, we used them to have a look at players, have a look at how they fit into the squad rather than playing to their best as a team in the trial. "And Gold Coast have probably done the same." The NRL introduced the National Youth Competition to provide a better pathway for rugby league's stars of the future. Bell said that had not been forgotten in the build-up to tonight's match. "I think in any competition it is important to get off to a good start and that's in the background for anyone in competitive sport," he said. "But that's a part of the process for these young guys and really the competition for them is all about an opportunitty to develop their skills and practices. "Our benchmark of success will be when a player comes through and achieves at the next level." Hooker Ryan Carr was named as the team's captain earlier this week after showing strong leadership qualities during the trials. The 19-year-old from Sydney mixed his game time in the trials between the under-20 and senior squads, producing a number of eye-catching performances. | TOYOTA CUP DRAW | TOYOTA CUP | |
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| Thursday 13 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three years of preparation payed off on Wednesday night as our open rugby league team overcame a gallant Wagga High side to claim this year's Hardy Shield title. The gripping encounter was eventually decided 2 minutes from the end of extra time as Zac Wilson slipped his way through to score off a deft pass from Mitch Mullins. A large crowd witnessed one of the closest finals in recent history as the scores were locked at 8 all at full-time untill the Kildare match winner. A reflection of how close the contest was would have seen Wagga High win the title should scores have still been locked at extra time as they where the first try scorers. In a great team effort special mention must go to Captain Zac Wilson for his exceptional leadership as well as fellow Year 12 students Simon Drum, Steve Irons, Ben Trevaskis and Bryce Koop who showed great maturity and commitment throughout the campaign. Congratulations to all 26 squad members and to Mr Peckham, Mr O'Connell, Mr Hunt and Mr Huntly and the greater school community for their support. |
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| WAGGA HS TOPS LADDER IN HARDY SHIELD Story By :  Despite being down 8-0 mid-way through the first half, Wagga High remained composed, posting two late first half tries to be ahead 10-8. During the first half, Kildare hooker Brenton Armstrong was badly injured and received a suspected dislocated elbow which resulted in the game being moved to the next field while he was attended to by medical staff. In the second half, Wagga High ran away with the win scoring three unanswered tries. The Riverina Anglican College (TRAC) kept their Hardy Shield aspirations alive with a come from behind win over Mount Austin High School. Poor ball control and bad decision making resulted in neither team getting any momentum. TRAC eventually took the win 14-6. News from the 11 th March : KILDARE COLLEGE AND WAGGA HIGH VIE FOR TOP SPOTStory By : Charlie Whiteley Following impressive first round Hardy Shield wins for both teams, the stage is set for the top two ranked teams to do battle, in what could be a preview of the grand final. Kildare coach, Simon Huntly, is wary of the Wagga High team and the ability they have to put points on quickly. “They will shift the ball around through their halves and on the edge of the ruck,” he said. “We will have to right on our game defensively.” “I’m hoping it isn’t a high scoring affair, we don’t want to get in a shootout with them.” Wagga High coach, Andrew Morton, is hoping his forward pack will be able to match it with Kildare, believing they have the ascendancy in the backs. “They have a pretty strong forward which is led well by their front rowers,” he said. “Our forwards need to do a job for us and we will then be hoping to spread the ball wide.” Kildare has focused a majority of their training on improving their defence and making sure the team doesn’t get carried away during the game. “We have worked on our defensive technique and controlling the ruck,” Huntly said. “Last week we got caught up in the hype and gave away a few penalties so hopefully we can fix that.””Wagga High are the form team and we cant afford to give them a leg up during the game.” Wagga High has also realised the importance of improving their defence for the clash, focusing much of their training this week on improving that. – |
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 GRADUATES RETURN HOME FOR TRIAL SHOWDOWN. With Keebra Park set to field 5 Open sides, and three in each of the junior year levels it has been a busy start to the season with the next event on the calendar being a trip up to Mountain Creek to face off against the Sunshine Coast powerhouse. Coached by Rob Brough from Family Feud fame, the Creekers are always a strong outfit and will be a good indicator of how our own preparation is going. "We asked 100 people if it would be a good day and they all said yes" Damon Harth and Soeli Makaui seemed quite at home steering the Wests Tigers Toyota Cup side around the park and to victory and were met in opposition by two more ex-Keebra boys in Kingi Akoala and Bodene Thompson who have Titans Contracts. KPSHS As we move into the season i would like to ask any budding young Rugby League writers who are interested to submit their match reports to me on a USB and i will have them immortalised on the web site. So lets support the team and support this web site and make it a great site to visit. LEARN MORE ABOUT KEEBRA PARK RUGBY LEAGUE HERE |
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| Wednesday 12 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The elite schools Sevens competition got underway yesterday at GranVille Park with new comers Engadine and Ashcroft High Schools accounting for themselves very nicely. In the Under 13's the final was between Illawarra SHS and Patrician Brothers with Patrician Brothers winning and in 15's Matraville SHS beat Hills SHS in extra time. Congratulations to both Matraville SHS & Patrician Brothers Blacktown for winning this years Elite Schools sevens competition. The Under 15's final was an action packed game with the scores tied at full time forcing the final into extra time & sudden death. Matraville scored the first points, a try to give them victory and the Champions title. In the Under 13's final, Patrician Brothers Blacktown proved too strong for the south coast boys from Illawarra SHS. Engadine recorded an win against Endeavour (24 - 8) & Hills SHS's Results & match reports LATER PHOTO'S HERE soon |
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Story & Photo By : Steve Mascord  PARRAMATTA has unveiled the latest star off Campbelltown's amazing football production line - and they say he could be as good as Minto's favourite son, Israel Folau. Twenty-year-old Taulima Tautai, Australian born but of Samoan heritage, will make his debut in the centres for the Eels against the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night. "Have you seen the build on him?'' Eels assistant coach David Fairleigh said of the 98kg giant. Strikingly similar to Folau in looks and build, Tautai is from the same western Sydney football factory as the Storm sensation, Eels clubmate Krisnan Inu, fellow round one debutant Brendan Oake and Junior Kangaroos captain Chris Lawrence. He has come in to the Eels backline for another fellow south-western Sydney product, Jarryd Hayne, who was suspended after last week's Kings Cross shooting. Parramatta under-20s and Junior Roos coach Matt Cameron said of the boom Eels star: "He's a massive human, mate.'' Officials traditionally play down the abilities of a first-timer, but Fairleigh and Cameron last night had no problems with comparing him to Folau. Cameron said "to be honest, I don't think he's that far away'' from Inu, Hayne and Folau. "It might take him a bit longer to get to that stage but he's certainly got all the bits and pieces he needs and the right environment to flourish. "He's of a similar ilk. For a 20-year-old, he's incredibly strong. He's taking every opportunity and squeezing the life out of it.'' Former Kangaroo Fairleigh enthused: "Look how far Inu has come in a year. He hasn't had a full season of first grade yet.'' "Could 'TT' be as good? There's no reason why he couldn't. He's got everything. He's not as natural as Inu. Not many are. But he certainly makes up for it as a physical player. He's extremely skilful. I'm really looking forward to seeing him play.'' The humble Tautai, born in Liverpool to Samoan immigrants Sale and Tammy, told The Daily Telegraph how he made a career decision to switch from the Western Suburbs Junior League to Edensor Park at Parramatta - at the age of 11. "I thought it was a good comp,'' he shrugged. "It's going to be pretty intense (on Saturday). I had a few words with the more experienced guys and they said to just enjoy it, take it in, it will be good fun. "It will be good to play up against the best and see where I'm at. It will be a dream.'' Tautai, who is likely to come into calculations for Samoa in this year's World Cup, was told of his elevation last Thursday. "It was supposed to be hush-hush,'' he said with a shy smile. "... just family. My mum, I think she told the whole world.'' |
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The 2008 NSWCCC State Selection Trials will be held on Friday 23rd May and Saturday 24th May at The Crest Sporting Complex. The State Trials will be hosted by Metropolitan Catholic Schools (MCS). | Learn More about NSW CCC Here | |
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| Sunday 9 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story & Photo's By : 
The Cronulla Sharks burst through for their first win of the season today with an outstanding display of team football to smash the WSAS by 44 points today at Blaxland Oval. After 2 draws and a lose, the Cronulla Sharks finally got 2 points and played with ferious intent today to dominate their round 4 clash against the Western Sydney Academy of Sport. SG BALL Cronulla 50 - 4 WSAS - MATTHEWS CUP Cronulla 14 - 18 WSAS BULLDOGS HIT SCORE 74 POINTS AGAINST MAGPIESCanterbury Bankstowns SG Ball continue their dominance of the NSWRL District Rep's with a complete annihilation of the Western Suburbs Magpies with a resounding victory in round 4 by thumping the hapless Magpies 74 - 14 to put a big scare into the rest of the competition. | MATTHEWS CUP RESULTS | SG BALL RESULTS & LADDER | |
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| Friday 7 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story By : Charlie Whiteley  In what was a very close and even affair, Kooringal High were down by four points with less than five minutes remaining when Kooringal five-eighth Ben Poutu carried three defenders over the line to score the match winner. Poutu, who was one of Kooringal High’s best players, put his try down to effort and determination. “I just ran hard; I was determined to get over,” he said. “We are a good chance in the competition, we just need to work on out defence.” In what was a see-sawing battle between the two teams – the lead changed hands three times – TRAC is entitled to feel disappointed with the loss, failing to take advantage of several opportunities. Despite rostered drinks break half-way through each half of football, the hot conditions took a toll on the players with fitness and poor concentration affecting both teams at different stages during the game. TRAC recorded the first try of the Hardy Shield, with halfback Matt Lewington putting a well weighted grubber behind the Kooringal High line, with Daniel Nisbet doing well to ground the ball out wide. Also for TRAC, Sam Hodges scored a great solo try, slicing through the Kooringal High defence with a nice left foot step, which at that stage had TRAC ahead, 10-6, with just under 10 minutes to go. Kooringal High coach Tim Wykes was pleased to see his team get away with the win, but believes it has a lot of room for improvement. “I’m a bit relieved, I thought we only played at about 60 per cent of our ability,” he said. “Some positives were our enthusiasm, it was also good to see TRAC back, they are always a hard and competitive team.” Hardy Shield convenor Andrew Morton was very happy with how the first round of the competition went. “There has been a very high standard of play from all teams,” he said. “The crowds have been good, everyone is taking it seriously and I think we are in for a very close competition.” | LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HARDY SHIELD | |
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| LOCAL CLUB REGISTRATION DRIVE TO OPEN RAIDERS FAN DAY  In keeping with the code’s theme of delivering the games Centenary Celebrations back to the grass roots, the Canberra Raiders will highlight the importance of local Rugby League Clubs at their major Fan Day this Saturday at the National Museum of Australia by assisting with the promotion of the game. Members of the Green Machine’s current fulltime squad will lend a hand to local Club volunteers who are currently recruiting for the upcoming season (Player allocations below). A Club recognised for its strong development systems, the Raiders will highlight during this special 2 hour session (i.e. 10am-12pm) how many quality players have progressed from Local Teams like the Belconnen United Sharks, Valley Dragons, to name a few, into the Raiders representative ranks. Local products David Furner (current Assistant Coach) and Ben Cummins (current NRL Referee) will also be on hand to talk to attendees about their rise to the elite level. The Raiders Fan Day is a free event that runs from 10am-3pm and is held in conjunction with the “League of Legends – 100 Years of Rugby League in Australia” exhibition. Local Club Stand
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 BRONCOS CHASE IZZY FOLAUStory & Photo By :  MELBOURNE Storm have been left scrambling after revelations Brisbane is in the box seat to sign NRL teen sensation Israel Folau. Management the NRL premiers want a decision on his future before the season starts. The direction followed confirmation from Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen that the Broncos would meet Folau’s manager, Isaac Moses, within a week. The youngest ever Australian Test player sits on top of a Broncos hit list for the 2009 season – like he does for most clubs. Storm chief executive Brian Waldron said Melbourne had put forward its "strongest case" but Brisbane remained attractive to Folau, a devoted Mormon, with his close-knit Tongan family there. "We think it’s in everyone’s interest to get it done before the start of the season," Waldron said. "We’ve put our strongest case forward." The NRL season starts next week. Folau, last year’s Dally M rookie of the year, remains the No.1 free agent target in the game and is attracting offers about $400,000 per year. He is off-contract at the end of the year. Sydney Roosters, Gold Coast and the Bulldogs are understood to also be serious in their hunt for Folau’s signature. Melbourne need Folau, 18, to make a decision quickly because he is holding up negotiations with other key players. Talks had been delayed because of a death in the family. Far Northern product Dallas Johnson remains unsigned despite declaring his intention to stay and all but agreeing to terms on a new three-year deal before leaving for England a fortnight ago. Melbourne players arrived back from their World Club Challenge attempt on Tuesday night. They will be back at training today as the centenary season draws closer. |
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 PENRITH prodigy Greg Waddell made headlines last year after inking a $100,000-a-season deal while he was still at high school. Unfortunately for the immensely talented Waddell, that's where he will be confined in the foreseeable future after a horrific knee injury ruled him out for the entire season. In a terrible blow for excited Panthers and league fans alike, doctors this week confirmed the 17-year-old had torn an anterior cruciate ligament and would require season-ending knee surgery. The Australian Schoolboys centre went under the knife yesterday. Waddell was preparing to make his long-awaited debut in next weekend's Toyota Cup when awful luck intervened two Saturdays ago. Taking the ball up against Parramatta in an SG Ball match, he stepped awkwardly and collapsed without a tackler laying a hand on him. Penrith general manager Mick Leary was devastated to report Waddell's injury, given the potential superstar had already been taking part in opposed training sessions with the Panthers NRL squad. "It always seems to happen to the thoroughbreds," Leary said. With football commitments out of the way, Waddell will now concentrate on completing his HSC at St Dominic's High this year. |
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| Thursday 6 th MArch '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story By : Penrith Panthers - Photo By :  The largest junior league in Australia has joined forces with the largest property developer in Australia in a 2 year deal. ING Real Estate will sponsor the Penrith junior league for the next two years. Junior league CEO Don Feltis said he was delighted to welcome ING in sponsoring the junior league. "Junior League districts struggle to attract major sponsorship simply because we are not able to provide the level of exposure to a major sponsor that an NRL club can," he said. "For Penrith junior league to be able to do this is acknowledgement of our status, profile and reputation." ING Real Estate last year teamed up with the Panthers Entertainment Group with the vision of creating "clubs of the future". That vision has already seen the announcement of works and preliminary construction begin at the Penrith club. Work is estimated to be worth $25 million alone with a completion date in December 2008. |
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The Queanbeyan Leagues club has been a significant part of the Canberra Raiders since their inception in 1982, and it was honoured today with a commemorative plaque from the Australian Rugby League to thank them for their contribution to the game. The QLC has always been dubbed the ‘birthplace of the Raiders’ and was recognised by the ARL as one of the 180 historical rugby league sites in Australia as part of their centenary celebrations. Three generations of Queanbeyan based Raiders representatives accepted the plaque, with Raiders Chairman John McIntyre, Raiders legend David Furner and current Raiders star Terry Campese all reminiscing about the contributions made by the famous club over the Raiders proud history. McIntyre said it was a just reward for not only the Raiders but also the Queanbeyan community, as it was those people involved in the early days of the club which helped get the Raiders off the ground. “It’s great to see some recognition for a lot of hard work by a lot of people over a long period of time,” McIntyre said. “The founder of the Raiders Les McIntyre was also the founder of the Queanbeyan Leagues Club, and it’s also great to see the fantastic work all the people who volunteered their time to getting it up and running recognised as well, through the centenary plaque,” McIntyre mentioned the tremendous spirit that rugby league has always had in Queanbeyan, and the support that has always flowed from the Leagues Club. “Rugby League history in Queanbeyan goes back to the 1920’s and it’s been a big part of the region ever since,” he said. “In the early days while the Raiders were still beginning to find their feet on-field it was the Queanbeyan Leagues Club who helped them financially as well, and they still do today.” Raider’s legend and current Assistant Coach David Furner said the leagues club has a tremendous association with grass roots sport and not just the Raiders, and said he knew the association would continue into the future. “I look back at my Queanbeyan Blues days, being a junior and obviously being born and bred in Queanbeyan, the Queanbeyan Leagues Club has been a massive part of the community and the Raiders,” Furner said. “Through guys such as Les McIntyre, John McIntyre, my father Don Furner and many others, there’s been a great association between the club and the Raiders.” Current Raider Terry Campese said he could not imagine Queanbeyan without the leagues club, and congratulated them on receiving the plaque. “The Queanbeyan Leagues club has been a part of the town since I was born and I know that a lot of my family has been coming here for most of their lives, and it’s great for it to be recognised as one of the 180 sites for the centenary,” Campese said. The Canberra/Queanbeyan region will be recognised again further in the year, with centenary plaques also due to be unveiled at Canberra Stadium, Seiffert Oval and Northbourne Oval. |
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| Wednesday 5 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story By : Karl deKroo  MEET the NRL's first specialist gamebreaker. The ultimate ace up the sleeve. Gold Coast excitement machine Shannon Walker is yet to play a first grade match, but such is the buzz surrounding his abilities the Titans have hatched a plan to fast-track the teenager into topline action. Concerned the Kyogle-born speedster is not yet physically ready to handle a starting role, coach John Cartwright has revealed he will look to employ Walker exclusively as a bench weapon, to be used only when the need arises. "Look, he is a freakish talent," Cartwright said of Walker yesterday. "I'm not going to talk him down any more, because the fact is he could be anything. "But I don't think there is any need to rush him at this stage. I think the more we can use him as an impact player the better." Cartwright anticipates the reduction in interchange numbers from 12 to 10 this season could provide coaches with the flexibility to carry gamebreakers on the bench, regardless of utility value. Walker proved in the Gold Coast's final trial he could emerge as an ideal strike weapon – tearing Wests Tigers to shreds when introduced midway through the second half. Against tiring forwards Walker's footwork was dazzling. With his first touch of the ball he turned a potentially dangerous in-goal situation into a blistering 60m surge that left a string of defenders in his wake. He was similarly lethal running support in the centre of the field, and was only denied a certain try by a poor inside pass from five-eighth Mat Rogers. "I think with the new interchange laws it could allow you to keep a guy like him on the bench," Cartwright said. "You still need a couple of utilities there in both the forwards and backs and maybe a dummy half. "We'll just have to see how the new interchange laws work and how we use him, but I'm glad he's with us. How to use him is a good problem to have." While Walker will fast become a fixture in the Titans' top 17, Cartwright will resist any temptation to play him in round 1 against North Queensland at Skilled Park. "It's going to be a huge game against the Cowboys so we have to try and stay as cool as we possibly can. The best way to do that is with experience," he said. CT scans yesterday cleared Titans back-rower Matt Cross to join teammates in a camp at Coffs Harbour. Cross suffered a badly broken nose playing in a trial match for feeder side Ipswich in Cairns on Saturday night. |
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| Tuesday 4 th March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 More than 1802 guitarists are needed to break the record for the most guitars playing the same tune at the one time. The song of choice for the record-breaking attempt will be Smoke on the Water. Junee High School’s new music teacher, Megan Gray, said the Guinness Book of Records attempt was really exciting for the school to be a part of. “I have only been teaching here (Junee High School) for four weeks,” she said. “However, in that time I have been madly repairing broken guitars and teaching keen students a few basic chords.” Students from every year will participate in the record attempt. Junee High School principal Peter Mowbray is hoping all Junee High students will take part in the record attempt. “It would be absolutely excellent to see Junee High’s entire 288 students participating in the event,” he said. “We are happy to be a part of anything to do with our community. “This is just adding another positive towards our school.” The school has extended an invitation to anyone interested in joining the attempt. Further information on the venture can be received from Junee Shire Council’s community development officer, Nikki Condon, on 6924 8100. |
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| ELIOTT TO WEAR COWBOYS COLOURS AGAINST CUTTERS Story By :  RUGBY LEAGUE: Former Mackay player Steven Eliott is anticipating a "good game" when he lines up for the North Queensland Cowboys combined NRL and under 20 side to take on the Mackay Cutters at Dairy Farmers Stadium tonight. The talented 17-year-old has been named at fullback for the Cowboys team and is looking forward to playing against what he expects to be a strong Mackay side. Eliott signed with the Cowboys on a three-year deal after an impressive 2007 season in Mackay, during which he played for the Mackay Sea Eagles in the Foley Shield competition and went on to represent North Queensland at the state championships, and Queensland at the nationals. He was also a member of the Mackay State High School rugby league academy. Tonights game will be Eliott's third in Cowboys colours. His first two trials were against the Northern Pride on February 16 and a Charters Towers side. Eliott felt he "didn't go too badly" in the trials but said he was still learning the ropes at the Cowboys. "But I'm really enjoying it," he said. Eliott is one of only a handful of under 20 players named in the Cowboys side for tonight's clash with the Cutters. The Cowboys team will have plenty of NRL experience, with players such as Shane Tronc, David Faiumu and John Williams ready to prove themselves for the upcoming season. The Cutters will also be eager to put in a good showing after going down by just six points against the Wynnum-Manly Seagulls last week in their inaugural Queensland Cup trial at Sarina. They have named an 18-man team to make the trip to Townsville. After an impressive performance against the Seagulls, Chris Giumelli has been named at fullback while Luke Young will start at five-eighth. The game was originally to be played in Mackay at the Junior Rugby League grounds as a curtain-raiser to the NRL trial match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Canberra Raiders. However, recent flooding created safety concerns and forced the transfer of both games to Townsville. The Cutters game kicks off at 5.45pm, followed by the NRL trial match between the Cowboys and Canberra. MACKAY HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY LEAGUE |
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| Monday 3 rd March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thiess Services Hunter Valley Group21 Rugby League staged their annual development camp at Liddell Power Station last weekend, which was a great success. The weekend weather was great for the Camp which was not too hot and allowed the coaches and players to participate outside for most of the time. The change of venue to Liddell Power Station where the facilities were ideal for the instructors to conduct all courses in close proximity proved a big hit with all people in attendance over the three days. There were 92 mini league players, 95 mod league players and 19 international which was an increase of 80 players on the previous year. Some players came from as far away as Coolah, Merriwa, Greta and towns in between. There were also 29 coaches and 19 FAOs who attended their courses at this venue. Development Officers from the Newcastle Knights, Country Rugby League, Australian Rugby League as well as the Group 21 Development panel demonstrated some techniques to better coach players as well as show players the skills/drills to improve their game. First Aid Officers were given instructions on how to better manage injuries as well as strapping to prevent further injuries. Group 21 President, Tony Goldman passed on his thanks to Macquarie General for allowing the Development Camp to be held at the Liddell Power Station as well as being a major sponsor of this event. He went on to thank all the personnel who gave their time freely for the weekend so that the Group could continue the development of people within the game of rugby league. All in all it was a huge success which reflects back on those people who organise and run the weekend, such as the chefs who feed everyone, instructors and assistants. With the Group 21 Schools’ Rugby League Carnival coming up on Sunday March 30 at Scone, it should allow some of the people to put into practice what they have learnt. Schools within Group 21 have been invited to nominate teams for this day. |
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HEY GIRLS, WHO WANTS TO PLAY FOOTY? We are playing as part of the Newtown Jets club, our main contact person there is Stuart McCarthy (0447 046 516). Throughout the season we will be playing curtain-raisers to the men’s home games at Henson Park, wherever possible. JETETTESS START TRAINING : Sunday March 16th at 6:00pm, venue TBA, A couple of things about the Sydney Metro competition: The competition is run by the NSWRL Academy. The main contact point is Yvette Downey The competition was resurrected in 2005 after collapsing in 2001. We played as Newtown Jetettess for 2005 and 2006, making the grand final in 2006. Unfortunately the Jetettes didn’t have a team in 2007 but we’re bringing it back for 2008! Teams that have played previously in the Sydney Metro competition include: Opportunities for representative football include: Playing for NSW in the annual State of Origin. In 2006 we actually played our game on Suncorp Stadium as a curtain-raiser to the First Grade Broncos vs Tigers clash. Playing for Australia (the Jillaroos). There are annual clashes with New Zealand teams, and later this year Australia is hosting the Women’s Rugby League World Cup, including teams from New Zealand, France and Great Britain, among others. For many girls, playing rugby league has been something we’ve dreamed of since we were kids, especially growing up watching it on TV and seeing our brothers play. It’s a fantastic way to meet new people, improve fitness and strength, and gain new skills that we’re not able to learn playing other sports. It’s very inspiring to have the opportunities to represent your state and country, particularly with the Women’s Rugby League World Cup to be held in Australia in November this year. The experience playing for an historic and famous club such as the Newtown Jets is fantastic. There’s such great affection for the club in the community, and you really feel their support when you pull on the blue jersey and run out onto Henson Park with them cheering you on. For many of us it’s an amazing feeling to finally be able to realise the dream we’ve had for so long. I’ve attached a couple of photos of us from past years. They came from Gary Sutherland Photography (http://www.pbase.com/gsphotography/jetettes). If you need anything further or have any questions please give me a call on 0406 007 486. If you are able to please mention that we are having our first training/trial session on Sunday March 16th at 6:00pm, venue TBA, and to contact me or email newtownjetettes@gmail.com if interested, that would be fantastic! We are look for players, a coach and sponsors, so anyone who would like to be involved in any capacity would be most appreciated! |
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The North Sydney Harold Matts have once again contributed to a thrilling match, fighting down to the wire at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday. While missing out on the 2 points, the young Bears showed enormous commitment to get back in the game in one of the most penalty laden matches of the round. “To me the guys showed a hell of a lot of character and commitment to come back. We didn’t play real well in the first half but I thought in the second half they showed a lot of improvement to come back and score the tries they scored. We were down by 2 tries, it showed a hell of a lot of character and commitment from the kids” claimed Coach Kevin Nicholls. Penalties led to all 5 tries in the first half, most for infringements in the play the ball. The Tigers were the first to score, an unconverted try. Then the Bears began to fire up in defense but ultimately it was a penalty in the play the ball that gave fullback Bevan De Vries a chance to score and even the points to 4 all. Two consecutive penalties to Norths allowed winger Shane Brown to score and Bevan to convert … all looked swell at 8-4 to the Bears. However, the whistle blowing continued and penalties for play-the-ball infringements gave the Tigers 2 consecutive tries and handed them the lead at the break 14-10. As the second half began the Bears did great work to get out of their own half under immense pressure. But the Tigers were next to score directly from a scrum and take the lead to 20-10. Good pressure by Norths forced a knock-on by the Tigers in their half. With the resulting possession the Bears spread the ball through many hands for centre John Joseph to score. Continued penalties in the second half the Bears turned the Bears passion into frustration with two Norths players sin binned. This motivated the Bears to try harder, and they were rewarded with a try to Sajedul Islam out wide. For the third week in a row the audience was held in suspense as Jeremy Carruthers attempted to even the scores with a kick out wide – Jeremy was on the money and with 5 minutes left on the clock the score was 20 all. Penalties again were the culprit in the final tragedy, allowing Balmain to score out wide on a weakened Bears wing and take the match 24-20. BALMAIN RYDE-EASTWOOD 24 (7 tries, 6 goals from 7) defeated NORTH SYDNEY 20 (Bevan De Vries, Shane Brown, John Joseph, Sajedul Islam, tries, Bevan De Vries, Jeremy Carruthers 1 goal goal each). Half time 14-10 Balmain Ryde-Eastwood. Norths NSW Cup team went down 28-18 to the Magpies in their trial match at Leichhardt - 6 tries to 4. While Western Suburbs deserved their win Coach Wayne Lambkin can take comfort in the fact that the Magpies had 2 run-away tries from intercepts which would have been difficult to close down. Try scorers for Norths were John Tamanika, Bladen Baird, Shaune Corrigan and Richard Retimana. Marc Russell kicked the goal. Ryan Verlinden was a beast in attack and accounted for something like 20 missed tackles by Magpies players. He also set up Richard Retimana's try adding a perfectly waited offload to his bag of tricks. Sean Dalton joined Ryan in defense providing a lot of big and effective hits. Workhorse prop Daniel Sayegh also played well. Shannon Hegarty’s run for the Bears came to an abrupt halt sustaining a hamstring injury in a cool night at Leichhardt. After a strong showing last week against the Western Sydney Academy side, the Bears S G Ball side were unable to stop a physical Tigers outfit, going down 40 – 6. BALMAIN RYDE-EASTWOOD 40 (7 tries, 6 goals from 7) defeated NORTH SYDNEY 6 (Casey Faets try, Dylan Farrell 1 goal from 1). Half time 22-6 Balmain Ryde-Eastwood. |
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The Canberra Raiders SG Ball side returned to winning form on Saturday afternoon, as the demolished the Sydney Western Academy 64-12. The Raiders were ruthless in their quest for points, and showed a far greater resolve than their loss to South Sydney a week ago. The Backline starred for the Green Machine with Fullback Daniel Vidot, Centres Drury Low and Jarrod Croker and Winger Michael Cullen all bagging doubles, while winger Sam Sauiluma and Halfback Cameron Breust also scored. Jarrod Croker added to his personal tally for the season by kicking 8 goals to finish the day with 24 points. It wasn't a successful afternoon for the Harold Matthew's side as they went down 30-22 to the Western Academy. |
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 TEENAGE TITANS TAUGHT A LESSON, SAYS COACH Story By : Luke Turgeon  GOLD Coast Toyota Cup coach Steve Murphy says there is still `a lot of work to do' before the Titans' under-20 side will be a force in the new National Youth Competition. Despite leading 12-10 at the half-time break, the teenage Titans were outclassed by Wests Tigers' cubs 36-12 in the curtain-raiser to the Gold Coast's Skilled Park debut at the weekend. Murphy said his young side was improving with each match but made no excuses for the sloppy end to their final trial hitout. "I am not offering any excuses for that, we just lost our way in the second half," said Murphy. "We were trialling a lot of players in a lot of positions but we got a lesson today on how to stay patient and composed in a game and they did that better than us. "We have got a lot of work to do but we will be better for that experience. Backrower Will Matthews (calf) and centre Kingi Akau Ola (lower back) were the only major injury concerns to arise from the match. Tries to Titans whiz Shannon Walker and former Palm Beach-Currumbin student Jordan Rapana had the home team in front at the break before the Tigers made one-way traffic of the second half, running in five tries unopposed. But it was not all doom and gloom with some good performances scattered throughout the team. "I thought (five-eighth) Cody Nelson tried very hard, (lock) Ryan Simpkins played 80 minutes and (back rower) Ben Ridge played really well," said Murphy. |
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| Sunday 2 nd March '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story & Photo By : James Hooper MOST teenagers are flat out earning $12.90 an hour working part-time at McDonald's. By comparison blue chip Penrith junior Harry Seijka has just won the lottery. Seijka, 16, is the prodigy Penrith have identified as potentially the next Greg Alexander, signing him to a three-year contract worth $75,000 a season. The deal is a record for a future NRL star his age and, like all good halfbacks, Seijka possesses a healthy dash of cheek. The day after agreeing to terms with the Panthers, the year 10 student went straight to St Dominic's College and told them he was quitting school effective immediately. Next stop was the shoe shop, where he bought a pair of steel cap boots. Part of Seijka's contract includes working a 44-hour week as a trainee groundsman at the Panthers' home base of CUA Stadium. Early starts, too, clocking on at 6am each morning. "I didn't really like school that much. I liked the school footy part but not much else,'' Seijka said. "My main goal is to try and play NRL one day. Next year I want to try and make the under-20s. I like the way Geoff Toovey played. He was a real hard bastard.'' The Australian schoolboys under-15 halfback last year, Seijka is such a hot talent he was targeted by the master tacticians Ricky Stuart and Wayne Bennett. The Sharks have his older brother Sterling in the Shire club's junior system, but negotiations hit a snag and Cronulla recruitment manager Craig Wilson pulled the pin. Bennett spotted Seijka at a junior carnival in Newcastle and instructed the Broncos to chase his signature. It forced Panthers talent scout Peter Mulholland to telephone Bennett to plead Penrith's case. The club has nurtured Seijka as a junior since he moved to Sydney from Bathurst. The agent who brokered Seijka's new contract, Allan Gainey, revealed the Cowboys were also interested. "I've never done a young bloke at that age that's got that sort of money and I doubt that anyone else has either,'' Gainey said. "He's a great kid, that's the way the game's going. Local juniors are the future and clubs are going to start signing them younger and younger.'' Seijka, originally a country boy, played up an age division in the Panthers' Harold Matthews under-16 squad last year and is captain of the same side this season. "It crossed my mind leaving but I like Penrith, we've got a strong side and hopefully I can get an opportunity in the NRL down the track,'' Seijka said. Penrith's long-term plan is to try to develop him into the next Greg Alexander. Panthers coach Matthew Elliott admitted there were similarities between the pair, given Seijka is a tall No7. "There's no doubt Harry's a talent, we've identified him as a special kid,'' Elliott said. Seijka's new deal means he will remain at Penrith until the end of 2011 and move into the club's top 25 roster next season. |
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| Friday 29 th February '08 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story & Photo By :  Students of Redcliffe High Rugby League School of Excellence went to watch the Brisbane Broncos training on Thursday morning with their coach & Redcliffe Dolphins hooker Mick Roberts. The Reddy kids watched the Broncos train with big forward Dave Taylor outstanding on the paddock. Wayne Bennett was seen driving his Championship team around their school teachers home ground and Skipper Darren Lockyer looked trim and fast, Tony Carroll & Karmichael Hunt teamed up for a few cool drills |
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Story & Photo's By :
The Elite High Schools knockouts Competition at Norford Park Chester Hill got off to a flying start with the first few games competed before the heavy storm poured plenty of rain on both players and spectators alike. During the Engadine High School Vs Illawarra Sports High School Under 15's game, the team coaches and managers decided it was too dangerous to continue because of the terrible conditions and the high likelyhood of lightening stricking someone. The Elite Schools Knockouts Competition was called off with every one getting to go home. The Elite 7's will be played again soon according to Endeavour coach Mr. Kelly |
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THE Central Comets will have even more firepower at their disposal when they host fellow Wizard Cup side Easts Tigers at Browne Park on Saturday. Brisbane Broncos NRL star and Central Queensland product David Taylor will return to Rockhampton to wear the Comets jersey for the first time. Comets CEO Rob Crow believes Taylor’s inclusion will add further punch to a forward pack which tamed the Canberra Raiders last weekend. “David’s presence will be a boost to the team,” Crow said. “As a Central Queensland boy, David’s popularity is sky high in the area. I’m sure more fans will turn out just to see him play.” The teenage prop’s availability has been made courtesy of the affiliation agreement between the Comets and the Broncos. Broncos Football Manager Peter Nolan said the club was happy to release the Blackwater Crushers junior back to the Comets. |
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QUEENSLAND WIZARD CUP *QUEENSLAND STATEWIDE WRAP Round 18. |
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ARL DEVELOPMENT SHIELD *CENTRAL DIVISION *NORTHERN DIVISION |
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 CHEERLEADER of the WEEK |
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2007 COWBOYS CHALLENGE 
BRISBANE METRO 
ELITE SYDNEY CHS COMPS
SYDNEY 
OBE GEIA 
Jeff HARDY
Bulldogs win Harold 2007 Matthews Cup Grand Final | PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE HOSTING & EMAIL SYSTEMS BY : |
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