COWBOYS ROPE IN MACKAY TEEN FOR NEW SIDE
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Eliott's family will be even bigger Cowboys fans next season.

Eliott, 17, has signed a three-year deal with North Queensland and most likely will be playing in the centres for the NRL club's under 20 side in curtain-raisers to Cowboys games during the 2008 season.

It's a big week for Eliott, who attended the Mackay State High School rugby league academy presentations on Tuesday night and school's formal at the Grand Mercure last night, and leaves for Townsville to link up with the Cowboys on Sunday.

"My mum (Andrea Dearden) and sister (Cassie, 18) are coming up," he said yesterday.

His other siblings, Maddie, 13, Josh 5, and Tom, who is in grade 1, are all big Cowboys fans, so he should have plenty of support at Dairy Farmers Stadium when the under 20 side runs out in the competition's inaugural season.

He will be joined in under 20s at the Cowboys by Proserpine product Chris Faust, and the two could be opposing another MSHS academy player Patrick O'Hanlon, who will link with Sydney club Parramatta in 2009 after finishing senior in Mackay.

O'Hanlon, who was named the academy's representative player of the year, has signed a two-year contract with the Eels with an option for a further year. Eliott has already started preparing for next season, joining training with new Queensland Cup team the Mackay Cutters, who will be a feeder side for the Cowboys.

He took part in the 'beep' test at the Cutters' first training run at the JRL grounds on Saturday, finishing a creditable 12th, and has been attending training sessions this week at Solutions gym in Evans Avenue.

It's been a big year for Eliott, highlights including winning the Mercury Cup under 17 premiership with Brothers playing at five-eighth, switching to centre for the club's under 19 team in their grand final loss to Souths, and making his debut in A grade on the wing, soon after his 17th birthday.

He played Foley Shield for Mackay Sea Eagles and for the North Queensland Marlins in the state championships, and was part of the Queensland side for the national championships.

He joined the MSHS rugby league academy after moving to Mackay from Toowoomba, and hasn't looked back.

"Before I came to Mackay I had nowhere near the level of fitness that I have now," he said.

But it hasn't all been games at the academy, which also stresses academic achievements.

He has been fitting in a carpentry apprenticeship with Beckside Construction two days a week while attending school, and will continue working five days a week in Townsville, training in mornings and afternoons and on weekends.

"With the under 20 competition, you have to have a job. Only the A grade players are allowed not to work," he said.

MACKAY HIGH GIVE OUTWOOD COLLEGE THE CHOP
Monday 24.09.07 (Overnight rain, cold morning, scattered showers during the day with heavy cloud cover, windy)
The team had a light skills session on a synthetic playing surface session after breakfast. We left Lindisfarne on our trusty Selwyns Coach at 11:00 to complete the one and a half hour journey to Wakefield in plenty of time for the game at Outwood Grange College.

The boys were treated like visiting rock stars with girls mobbing them and even squealing as they exited the bus? After a light lunch in the school canteen the boys headed to the changing room then across a footbridge over the nearby motorway to the school’s lush playing fields.

MACKAY SCHOOLBOYS COMP GETS SERIOUS
All Mackay District Secondary Schools Rugby League semi-final games were competed at the JRL and Abbott Park grounds last night to confirm the finalists in all divisions.

In the Year 8 division Mackay SHS and Holy Spirit College will play off for the Mick Shew Shield after Mackay High 1 defeated Mercy College and HSC defeated Sarina High.

In the Under 15 Division 2 competition the finalists will be Moranbah High and Sarina High as Moranbah scraped home against a hard charging Mackay North High team. In a fascinating contest that went into ‘golden point’ extra time with the teams locked at 8 all, Moranbah High scrambled home following a scoreless extra period, taking the honours by being the first team to score in the game.

Try scorers for Mackay North were Trent Bell and Chris Tattersall with Moranbah High’s Cohen Crispin and Cody McLean crossing the line.

In the other U/15 Division 2 match Sarina High ( Bill Green, Jake Wyper 2, David Jorgensen, Ryan Clark, Ben Bucholz 2) overwhelmed the young Mackay High 2 team with a 38 – 8 victory.

The Division 2 Open final will be played between Mackay High 2 and Sarina High. Mackay High 2 were full of running in their 50 – 0 win over Mackay North High.

In the win Assan Munro, Andrew Pannowitz and Richard Kay scored doubles and two of Mackay High’s three 16 year old English Rugby League exchange students, Luke Saunders at hooker and Lee Brickwood playing in the centres had impressive games.

A very willing contest was witnessed in the other open semi with Sarina High finishing better to record a 28 – 20 victory over Mirani High.

u/15 Sarina High player Ben Bucholz proved to be the difference between the two sides backing up the the older age group to score the match winning try and goal.

Dean Sliwa, Kyle Schuler, Kris Zurvas, Curtis Smith also registered points for Sarina High. Next Wednesday night will also see the final Super 8 matches between the Combined Mirani and Pioneer High team and Mackay High 1 in under 15, playing for the Mick Shew Shield, and St Patrick’s College and Mackay High’s Open firsts playing for the Terry Hayes Shield.

Jack Clark bursting thru' the defence (Photo : Bill Esau/ourfooty media_

ACADEMY TAKING ON NQ GIANT OF GAME
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MACKAY State High's open rugby league side will have a prime opportunity to rattle the cage of one of Queensland's rugby league giants this afternoon.

MSHS coach Don Saunders rates a dangerous Kirwan State High as the team to beat in this year’s much-hyped Super 8 series.

"They're solid across the park and are a very professional outfit," he said of the Townsville team, which has become a dominant force in North Queensland thanks to a well-established sports excellence program.

Kirwan SH has unleashed Sam Thaiday, Jacob Lillyman and Brent Webb on to the NRL scene in recent years.

And although Kirwan was bundled out of last year's Arrive Alive Cup by Ignatius Park in the Queensland quarter-finals, it is expected this year’s crop of talented players can further press their claims to a title.

"Their halfback Ray Thompson will be handful," Saunders said.

But the Mackay side has a talented halfback of their own in Marmin Barba.

Barba was instrumental in the side's 20-16 win against St Patrick's last week when Saunders also rated back-rower Pat O'Hanlon as a stand-out performer.

"He keeps lifting his game to a higher level," Saunders said. "He's got a real future in the game."

And with centre Steve Elliott back on board after making an indelible impression at the recent under 17 State Aged Carnival, the home side is hoping to cause a major upset by toppling traditional heavyweights Kirwan from 1.30pm.

Meanwhile, St Patrick's Rugby League co-ordinator Kevin Blakey said his open side was likely to play a combined Charters Towers schools side at Bowen on Tuesday.

The match was tentatively scheduled for this week but has been pushed back to suit the schools involved.

Blakey said he "had absolutely no idea" what sort of threat the Charters Towers side would pose.

But he believed his troops would have to be at their best against a team which includes the top rugby league talents from Columba Catholic College, Blackheath and Thornborough College, All Souls Saint Gabriels School and Charters Towers State High School.

MACKAY DISTRICT SECONDARY SCHOOLS RUGBY LEAGUE
Story By : Bill Esau (MSHS RL ACADEMY)
Round 2 - Games Synopsis
Games were played at three venues yesterday, Sarina High hosted Mackay High’s Year 8 2nd’s and the U/15 and Open 3rd teams at Ray Edwards Oval in Sarina and some very entertaining games were produced.

Mercy College’s U/15 and St Patrick’s Open 2nd’s met the Mackay High U/15, and Open 2nd’s teams at South’s Abbott Park.

Mackay North and Pioneer Highs Year 8 teams clashed in a game held at North’s Jack O’Brien Oval.

In Sarina quite large and appreciative crowds enjoyed some engaging Rugby League and plenty of success for the home teams.

In the opening game the MSHS 2nd’s rolled over the opposition on the scoreboard 26 – 6 but on the field it was a much closer contest.

There was a lot to like about the Sarina boys as they worked hard right up to the bell. Player’s player for MSHS was the Academy’s hard charging lock, Blake Dutton-Pitcher just eclipsing bristling centre three quarter Evert Hanson for the honour.

In the U/15’s match Sarina’s team blew away the listless MSHS 3rd’s with a blistering display of power running. MSHS had no answers to the 42 – 4 hammering with only a couple of the predominantly Year 9 players making any impact.

Cody Morrison was one of the better performers for Mackay High.

The Open game developed into a high energy, end to end battle with the Sarina team running out clear winners 26 – 6 although the inexperienced Open MSHS 3rd’s remained committed to the job throughout.

Although outgunned, the Milton boys were unlucky not to convert several more of their numerous opportunities.

In only his second game of Rugby League Matt Rutland was outstanding for Mackay High. Also for MSHS 3, Aniel Calixtro kicked a remarkable goal and Ronnie Oquendo displayed some skills that may see him moving closer to the action in future games.

In the two games played at Abbott Park, Mackay High ran-up big scores against Mercy and St Patrick’s Colleges.

Mercy suffered at the hands of a frustrated MSHS 2nd team after their poor showing against Moranbah SHS the previous week. Stung by the defeat Coach Doyle worked his charges to a heightened stage of physical and mental preparedness for this game.

The resulting 78 – 0 score line may see this team get on a roll in this competition.

Coach Doyle reported that crafty half Aisa Munro was creative with the ball in hand and that back rower Evander Mallie and prop Daniel Matsen worked the house down.

Coach Luck from the MSHS open 2nd’s reported that Jordan Richardson, Cruise Bickey and Kelvin Neilen were the best performers in the 46 – 6 victory over St Pat’s 2nd’s.

The St Pats team played strongly and without luck but had no answer to the determined MSHS outfit. St Pats 2nd’s will be playing a catch-up game against Sarina postponed due to poor weather last week.

BATTLE LINES DRAWN
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Mackay selector-manager Steve Nielsen said he, coach Craig Menkins and fellow selector Mick Proberts were confident they had chosen the best 40 players available for the trial.

"These players from the City-Country trials and next week's team will go a long way to the make-up of the first Foley Shield game against Townsville in Ayr on March 31," Nielsen said.

"We’ve been instructed to select a team after round one so these games and some club trials before round one will be all we will see of the talent that is available."

He said it was important for all grades of representative teams to feature strongly this season and add to the push for 2008 Queensland Cup entry.

"While there is no Queensland Cup available this year the opportunity for higher honours is there," he said. "Our U17s and U19s can win their way into a Queensland team by being chosen for the state carnival in May for the Northern Division team.

"Our seniors have a similar opportunity by first being chosen in the Northern Division team and eventually a Queensland Country team.

"It's also rumoured an Australian Residents team may be selected this year." Kickoff for under 17s is 3.30, under 19 5pm and A-grade 6.30pm.

City: 1 Aaron Barba, 2 Brendan Russell, 3 Brett Ward, 4 Tom Baker, 5 Dean Tass, 6 Todd Seymour, 7 Michael Meigan, 8 Lyle Kunst, 9 Luke Srama, 10 Pita Beraciri, 11 Stu Cruickshank, 12 Kerrod Toby, 13 David Nixon, 14 Scott Gillis, 15 Judd Billings, 16 Ben Barba, 17 Dane Vogel, 18 Daniel Backo, 19 Jeremy Manz.