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SPONSORS NEEDED |
| Monday 28 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Sharks hit Toyota Stadium this morning with the coaching staff putting the team through their paces in a series of modified games. Focusing on keeping the players fit and aiding the recovery from an arduous season the session was kept light. New recruits Dean Collis, John Morris and Adam Cuthbertson took part with the players getting to know their new teammates in a game of kick Baseball. The bibs won the game in the last innings off the back off a sneaky move by Paul Gallen. The session also gave Albert Kelly and Siosaia Vave the opportunity to catch up with schoolboy teammate Matt Wright. Wright, Kelly and Vave under the guidance of head coach Peter Ross took Patrician Brothers Blacktown to the final of the Arrive Alive Cup in 2007. Ross described all three boys as special kids that have been given a great opportunity at the Sharks to not only launch their careers but also to develop and maintain long-term futures in the NRL. “Vave was always a great leader at schoolboy level. He captained the Titans Under 20’s team; he is committed to his training and always gives his all on the field.” “Albert has that dynamic ability to turn a game on its head at the click of your fingers. For a little bloke his defence is outstanding he well and truly punches above his weight.” The Sharks will continue to train into next week with the players being given their extended break during October. Paul Gallen and Luke Douglas will continue their extra training commitments as part of the Kangaroo’s train on squad for the forthcoming Tri Nations series with the final squad to be picked following the Grand Final. |
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The North Sydney Bears will be holding trials for selection in the 2010 NSW Cup, S G Ball and Harold Matthews Cup teams in October 2009. Trials will take place on the 10th and 11th of October 2009 at Macquarie University Sporting Fields, End of Culloden Road, Marsfield, see below for map directions. NSW Cup (open age) trials will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday October 11. S G Ball (under 18s) trials will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday 11. Harold Matthews (under 16s) trials will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday 10. Please be advised that all players should be covered by the highest private medical insurance and all players must register via this website, print the acknowledgment & release form, sign it and bring it with them on the day. All players are to bring their own shorts, socks, boots, mouthguards etc. Registrations will close 7:00 p.m. Thurssday 1st of October 2009. PLAYER REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS Click HERE to register on-line. Close the window when finished to return to this page. Download and print the acknowledgment & release form and have it signed. You must bring the form with you on the day of your trial matches. Thank you for your registration and we will see you on the day. GO THE BEARS! |
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 MILLER and Cecil Hills high schools were gallant runners-up in their respective 2009 Wests Leagues Cup grand finals at Campbelltown Showground last Thursday. In the under13s third-division grand final, Elizabeth Macarthur defeated Cecil Hills 26-24 in a thriller. Cup organisers nominated the game as the ```grand final of the day''. Prop Brian Tierney was the Gary Walden medallist, voted player of the match for his outstanding performance. Miller went down 20-8 to Robert Townson High School in the under15s second-division decider. The Wests Leagues Cup is a schoolboy competition for under13s and under15s age groups and is open to Liverpool, Macarthur and Southern Highlands schools. |
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 Keebra Park has arrived and they are really alive as they get their hands on the Arrive Alive Cup yesterday for the first time PHOTO'S : Keebra wins title WESTS Tigers are refusing to back down in a tug-of-war with the Broncos for young fullback Jordan Kahu who yesterday led Keebra Park to the Gold Coast School's first Arrive Alive Cup title. The Kiwi product won the Peter Sterling Medal for the best player in the national schoolboy competition as Keebra held on to beat Matraville Sports High 18-12 in a thriller at ANZ stadium in Sydney. Keebra led 12-0 at the break after tries to winger Henere Wells and barnstorming backrower Ben Murdoch. Centre Sione Akaula scored after the break to make it 18-6 before Matraville fought back. It was the third straight final for Matraville but after winning in 2007 they've now lost the past two to Gold Coast schools after being rolled by Keebra's arch rivals Palm Beach-Currumbin last year. "PBC are our biggest rivals and when we beat them we didn't want to slack out and lose and not win the Australian title," said Kahu. "Inside I was scared but I wasn't going to give up and I'm sure all the boys were thinking the same." Kahu now hopes to follow the lead of the likes of Benji Marshall and be the next star to come out of Keebra Park: "It's always been my dream to play at the highest level of any sport. Hopefully NRL is my next step up." The question now is who's colours will he be wearing next year. Kahu wants to join the Broncos so he can stay close to his father Dave on the Gold Coast but Wests Tigers recruitment manager Warren McDonnell claimed the Sydney club had an option on his services and expected him to honour the deal and head to them along with prop Isaac Lui and secondrower Ben Murdoch. "We're not happy. We've looked after him for two years," said McDonnell. "We brought him down to our camp and all of a sudden another club wants to come in and take him. "We have an option on him for next year. We've taken it up and expect him to come down." The tug-of-war for Kahu couldn't take any of the gloss off the win for Keebra's veteran coach Greg Lenton. Lenton is celebrating his 30th year at Keebra. "It's a great thing for the school -- it's a great school," said Lenton, who was delighted to get the monkey off the back. "That was always commented on and we'd played a lot of Queensland finals and got through to a few Australians but hadn't got one so it's nice to finally get one. "I've always enjoyed working with the boys and seeing the boys develop and go on and play and also develop good characters. "It hasn't always been about winning the national title, that's not what motivated me but I'm not saying it's not nice to get one." Keebra got a good start when six minutes in quick hands saw winger Wells score from a scrum while five from the break Murdoch beat five defenders to score. Matraville fired up after half-time and shortly after a spilt bomb their lock Kyle Fraser scored. Keebra fans were able to breathe easier when centre Sione Akaula scored shortly after and Kahu landed the extras from the sideline. Centre Haliano Saluka scored late for Matraville to make it a nervous final 10 minutes before Keebra could finally celebrate. |
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| Sunday 27 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 FARRER will be chasing their ninth Wiburd Shield at Bathurst’s Carrington Park tomorrow. The Tamworth school will tackle Mudgee in the final of the Years 9 and 10 state-wide competition, and will have its sights fixed on reclaiming the silverware they last held four years ago. “They’re very excited and they’ve been training very well all week,” Farrer coach Kylie Dawson said. Farrer disposed of Hunter Sports High to win through to the final, and have taken a lot of confidence out of its performance. “I’ve got a lot of faith in them,” Dawson said. “The boys have done the training, put in the hard work.” They have been training four days a week since first term, and Dawson said their success had come on the back of their hard work and commitment. That’s not to discount the talent in the side, boasting several NSW Country schoolboys representatives. “Our forwards have to play their game and work hard at the breakdown,” Dawson said. “And Matt Blanch at half-back has to lead them around the paddock well.” Blanch will be feeding a backline that often concedes size to their opposition, but is laden with pace. “We’ve got a very fast backline and the boys know each other well,” Dawson said. They also have the ability to move the ball quickly, she said. The pack laid the platform for their semi-final win over Hunter, and Dawson will be looking for more of the same tomorrow. There is still a bit of room for improvement though. “We need to be controlling our kicking game. “Be a little bit more strategic with the way that we kick,” she said. |
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 SOUTH Sydney are poised to announce the signing of English international Sam Burgess as they continue to assemble one of the NRL's most formidable forward packs. In a major coup for co-owner Russell Crowe, The Sunday Telegraph understands he has convinced the 114kg prop to play in the NRL for the next three seasons. Burgess, 19, is the front-rower who famously decked Parramatta's Kiwi Test prop Fuifui Moimoi during the 2007 Tri-Nations. South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson refused to confirm Burgess had agreed to terms for next season. The Sunday Telegraph understands the Rabbitohs will have to pay his current club, Bradford, a transfer fee. "We've been in discussions with Sam for some time now, but I've got no further comment to make on the situation at this stage,'' Richardson said. Souths co-owner Peter Holmes a Court was also tight-lipped about the expected announcement next week. "That one is definitely in the category of Richo handling,'' Holmes a Court said. "There have been various discussions going on, but nothing's a deal until Richo announces it. He's clearly an impressive footballer.'' South Sydney legend Mario Fenech said the combination of Burgess with Kiwi Test prop Roy Asotasi, star recruit David Taylor, Michael Crocker and Eddy Pettybourne would give the Rabbitohs one of the most intimidating packs in the NRL. "I'm told he's an outstanding young prospect and there's no question as a club we've benefited by the addition of Russell Crowe,'' Fenech said. "There's a clear advantage with having someone of Russell's calibre associated with the club. He's a person not many people say no to. We're on the rise as a club.'' |
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 LEMISIO Mataele, Zac Makelim and Joseph Taaga have what many people spend their sporting lives searching for a grand final victory. But the trio aren't just celebrating the triumph of one premiership, having won grand finals for two rugby league clubs in the one season. The boys played for Cabramatta in the Parramatta District Junior Rugby League on Saturday and strapped the boots back on Sunday for the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sharks in the Parramatta District Catholic Convents competition. For Cabramatta, the boys went through the season undefeated and clinched the under-10 division one premiership with an emphatic 24-0 grand final win against Hills District. In the Sunday competition, it was Our Lady of Mount Carmel who upset minor premiers Our Lady Queen of Peace, Greystanes, in the decider. Greystanes and the Sharks had fought out two draws during the season before OLQP defeated the Sharks in the major semi-final. But the Sharks were out for revenge in the grand final and ended their opponents' season-long undefeated streak with a 24-18 victory, making amends for the club's grand final loss to Greystanes 12 months earlier. The grand finals marked the end of a year which saw the boys train three nights and play two days each week. |
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THE Champion usually recognises the best team of the week but in this special circumstance the honour goes to a club. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Rugby League Club in Mount Pritchard created history recently. The Sharks became the first Parramatta Catholic Convent club in more than 50 years to win four premierships in the one season. The under-6 team took out the end of year knockout by overcoming St Margaret Mary's, while the under-9 team went through the competition undefeated before dominating Merrylands 30-0 in the grand final. The under-10 team finished the year in second position but stormed home to upset OLQP, Greystanes, 24-16 in the final. In the association's eldest age group, the under 11 team also tasted premiership glory with a 18-16 win against St Anthony's. |
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| Saturday 26 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With the NRL finals series in full swing it’s easy to forget that there is also a big schoolboy match to be played on Tuesday at Shark Park. In fact there will be 5 schoolboys grand finals at Shark Park on Tuesday. With the NSWCHS Buckley Shield grand finals for SHS and High Schools, The Uni Shield Grand Final and the Classic Shield will also be tightly contested. Yes folks it’s the final of the NSW wide University Shield to determine which school will rein supreme in the NSW combined high schools in 2009. The grand final combatants are well known sports high schools Endeavour and The Hills. They played each other a few weeks ago in an Arrive alive Cup quarter final which was won convincingly 36-12 by the boys from ' The Shire ' in Sydney’s south. Since then Endeavour lost their AaC semi final to eventual champions Keebra Park High School 16-10 in a three tries to two defeat. My spies tell me Endeavour may have been unlucky to lose that one. A bit of luck gone their way may have churned out a different result. When the two teams last met Hills did not turn up with their tackling caps on. Endeavour targeted their left side defence and they found holes bigger than a block of Swiss cheese. In particular star second rower Joseph Leilua cut through on numerous occasions without a hand laid on him. Hills coach Mark Horo is a shrewd coach. The former NRL veteran and Kiwi rugby league star would have addressed this problem. It will be interesting to see what tactics he has in place to thwart the Leilua factor. My spies have also told me that Hills are going to unleash their secret weapon - gigantic prop William Skelton. At six foot five inches tall and weighing 153 kilograms he is nicknamed the “Big Show” after the famous wrestler. I understand he is being chased by three rugby league clubs including Parramatta and Wests Tigers. I have seen Skelton play Harold Matthews Cup with the Balmain Tigers last year and he is a destructive force. Let’s hope Horo gives him a run. No doubt he will be a crowd pleaser. Hills have reportedly also trained with the New Zealand rugby league team this week. Horo is a trainer with the national squad and he had them working out a few sessions out at their Seven Hills bunker. No doubt this would have been a great boost to the confidence of the boys from the west. I’m also told Endeavour have been training against the St George Dragons in preparation for the big game. It’s great to see the big boys take an interest in the development of our future stars. Players to watch for Endeavour include their three Australian Schoolboys Leilua, prop Daniel Ahsin and hooker Cameron King. Centre Joseph Roqoko will have to be watched as always as will half back Penani Manumalealii who is a most under rated player. I also like the look of their north coast import big Joel Tubbs who comes off the bench and gives the side plenty of go-forward. Hills will need big games from their Parramatta Toyota Cup stars prop Peni Terepo, lock Tim “Pit Bull” Crellin and winger Josh Tuitupou. All three had quite games when they last played Endeavour. If Hills forwards can at least match Endeavour and they fix their defensive problems on their left side defence then I give them a chance to beat the Sydney south side powerhouse. If the Hills forwards can get on top to allow the Hills halves Jason Seage and Jason Wehbe to work their magic then the game might get interesting. However Hills have a habit of turning into cream puffs in big games so I am predicting another big win by Endeavour. They have too much class and power all over the paddock. Endeavour by 18 points.With a bit of luck The Hills SHS will bring their fantastic cheerleaders who will also entertain the crowd with their jumping and throwing each other up in the air? |
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| Friday 25 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WHAT A PERFORMANCE by the Keebra Park boys in this years Arrive alive Cup Grand Final, congratulations to the entire squad, it can't be easy traveling to Sydney to play just one game of footy. Keebra Park came out from the siren firing and it was not long before winger Henere Wells crossed for the first points of this years Arrive alive Cup Grand Final. Keebra Park's Skipper Jordan Kahu converted to give his side a quick 6 - 0 lead. Keebra Park gave the Matraville boys no time and charged forward their big forwards with huge results. The ball found its way to rampaging forward Benny Murdoch who ran, pushed and barged his way from teh 30 meter line to dive over for the second Keebra try of the AaC Grand Final. Keebra's Skipper Jordan Kahu is deadly accurate from anywhere converted to give the Keebra Boys a sensational 12 - 0 lead at the half time break. MORE & HEAPS of ACTION FOTO'S SOON and over the weekend. |
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TASSELL TROPHY CLUB CHALLENGE 2009 This year sees 12 teams entered in the annual event. The Carnival is for young teams to enjoy an end of season trip to Cairns for a fun weekend and to play teams that they do not play during their normal season. The Carnival and Club prides itself on providing a hospitable atmosphere where fun and enjoyment are the main ingredients of the weekend. Local Cairns District teams are Premiers - Kangaroos, Runners Up - Brothers, Southern Suburbs, & Ivanhoes. Mt. Isa Miners for the eighth time will once again be coming east to compete. Games start on Saturday at 9.30am and go 'till 4.00pm. Each Team plays 3 games on Saturday. Sunday kicks off at 9.00am with each team playing 2 games. The Final will be played at 1.30pm on Sunday between the winners of the 2 pools. This will be followed by a presentation at 2.30pm. He has been a very successful coach, administrator, selector and advisor on all levels. But his heart has always been with the Juniors’ of the Kangaroos Club (formerly Wests Kangaroos and Wests before that). Mother, Sandy has helped and supported Tom and the Junior Club for most of the same time. Sandy has the honour of being the first Lady Life member of the Kangaroos Junior Rugby League Club. Brad was with Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and an original Cowboy. Brad is back in Cairns and is the Pride Leagues Club Manager and Northern Pride Commercial Manager for the Cairns based Qld Cup Club. Previous winners of the Trophy have been 2001-Kangaroos (Cairns), 2002-Logan Brothers (Logan City), 2003-Southern Suburbs (Cairns), 2004-Centrals ASA (Townsville), 2005-Townsville Brothers, 2006 - Cairns Brothers, 2007 Cairns Kangaroos, 2008 Cairns Kangaroos. It is with great pride that Kangaroos Junior Rugby League welcomes teams to Cairns and to provide the opportunity to showcase some of the best junior rugby league talent in Nth Qld. DOWLOAD THE 2009 DRAW |
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| Friday 25 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FARRER Memorial Agricultural High School withstood a determined Cowra fightback and some simple second-half errors yesterday to win a berth in next Tuesday’s Buckley Shield State CHS Under 14 Rugby League Knockout Final in Sydney. After leading 20-nil in the first half, Farrer held on to beat Cowra 26-18 in their semi- final at John Simpson Oval yesterday. Cowra had looked quite capable of ending Farrer’s run when it hit back with two late first-half tries and then an early second-half four-pointer to trail 20-18. However, the Farrer side ground it out and, when big second-rower Tremayne Sanbrook crossed for his second try of the match from a set move to make it 26-18, the home side had a winning buffer. Prop Jake Cocking and utility star Ian Brown were Farrer’s best, Cocking starring in the first half when two big tackles on opposing big men squirted the ball loose. He also made some tank-like runs and then pulled off another big try-saving tackle right under his posts in the second half. If Cocking and centre Zac Leonard – who scored the first Farrer try after a great cut-out pass from halfback Dylan Manicaros – were Farrer’s best in the first half, little replacement Ian Brown was a super injection in the second half. His ankle-chopping tackling was as brilliant as it was constant. One big front-on tackle on giant number eight Zac Noble was a highlight of his skill and courage. He ignited the Farrer defence to hold firm for the likes of Sanbrook and fellow “little men” Tom Hall, Luke Wiggins and Harry Altus to also feature. Farrer coach Josh Steel didn’t mind admitting he was worried when Cowra stormed back to 20-18. “We had played really well to start with but then the wet- weather mistakes started to creep in and we started to make some mistakes,” Steel said. “We missed a few tackles too but the boys really hung in. Having a good bench makes it easy too.” He said Brown lifted his side “when we needed lifting in the second half”. “And big Tremayne was switched on all day today.” He said players such as Tom Hall were eager “to get on” and help out their mates. Cowra coach Rod Eastwood rued a “slow start”. “We had to grind our way back into it,” Eastwood said. “We made it hard on ourselves – dropped too much ball early. “But then a few things started to go our way.” First, second-rower Ben Morgan came up with a jolting tackle on Jake Cocking to loosen the ball from his run after a kick restart. His run then paved the way for lock Toby Downing to score next run and, within the next set of six, just before the half-time bell, five-eighth Aiden Craig strolled over. Down 20-12 at half-time, Cowra then edged within two points when talented little hooker Kieran Murray darted over from dummy half and then converted from near the sideline. At 20-18 it was anyone’s game and, while Cowra had surged, Farrer regrouped and held firm in defence with Brown magnificent. Even Farrer old boy and Canberra Raider NRL star Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, who was on hand to watch the game, was impressed by the way the Farrer side stuck together and tackled its way to victory in the second half. “We had a few good chances,” Eastwood said. “We’ve had a good run – some close games. “A few of these boys will go a long way if they are dedicated. |
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 DANIEL Mortimer is likely to overcome his hip injury and play in tonight's preliminary final, but a final call on his inclusion won't be made until this afternoon. The rookie five-eighth survived yesterday afternoon's final training run at Parramatta Stadium, where he completed some limited contact drills. Eels staffers were satisfied with Mortimer's progress, which showed improvement from Wednesday night's contribution in a ball-work session against NSW Cup feeder side Wentworthville Magpies. Mortimer is rated a 75 per cent chance to take his place in what will be an emotional clash against the club that made his family name famous. But the final call could be left with the 20-year-old, who must consider the ramifications of going into such an important match with a pain-killing injection. Parramatta insiders told The Daily Telegraph that Mortimer wants assurances from club doctor Michael Johnson about what effect an injection could have on his movement before making a decision. Mortimer was unable to comment because of a media ban, and Eels coach Daniel Anderson also refused to discuss yesterday's hit-out. In a brief text, Anderson wrote, "Team is 1-17". Mortimer's father Peter last night said he was still travelling from Orange to watch the game. "Daniel rang me after training and said he got through the session," he said. "He's still got to make a call and I just told him, 'Do whatever your heart says'." Should Mortimer withdraw, skilful utility Feleti Mateo will take his place in the halves with Jonathan Wright likely to come on to the bench as a replacement back. Wright is also on standby for Krisnan Inu, who has missed the past two weeks with a hamstring injury. But it's now understood Inu is certain to make his comeback tonight after stretching out freely at training all week. Mortimer has been working around the clock to heal his left hip, which was badly bruised thanks to an illegal challenge from Titans centre Sam Tagataese last Friday. He received a centrifugal blood injection on Monday and has been undergoing multiple daily physio sessions. |
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ST GEORGE Illawarra under-20s side have the chance to go one step further than last year as they look to secure a spot in the Toyota Cup grand final for the first time. The Dragons who fell one game short of a grand final last year take on Wests Tigers at ANZ Stadium tomorrow night. The match will be a curtain-raiser to the blockbuster, first-grade Parramatta and Canterbury game. The Dragons finished second this season and return to the field after a week off after an impressive 48-24 win over New Zealand in the qualifying final. Dragons coach Steve Price said his side were excited in the lead-up to the match. "We're ready to go,'' Price said. "We've got no injuries. This is what you play footy for. The guys are excited but the focus point is not looking past this game.'' The Dragons beat Wests 26-18 in their last encounter in round 18 and will be boosted by the inclusion of the teams four Toyota Cup team of the year players: halfback Beau Henry (player of the year), winger Joe Vickery, second rower Jake Marketo and prop Trent Merrin. "We've got to keep doing what we're doing and keep controlling the footy,'' Price said. "Keep that middle tight and work hard for each other.'' Price nominated the Tigers backrow of Simon Dwyer, Jason Schirnack and Matt Hyland as the opposition strong points and fullback Jake Mullaney could cause some headaches too. Similar to first grade, minor premiers Manly were bundled out of the competition last week. The winner of tomorrow night's clash will face either Melbourne or Brisbane in the grand final next week. Price said he was not overly surprised to see Manly crash out of grand final contention. Brisbane beat Manly 24-10 and the Tigers defeated last year's premiers Canberra 42-34. "In the past five weeks Manly's form hasn't been great,'' Price said. "Brisbane have been on the way up and are starting to get a lot of momentum.'' The kick-off tomorrow night will be at 5.30pm. DRAGONS Chris Astill, Kalifa Fai-Fai Loa, Dean Whare, Kane Linnett, Joe Vickery, Kyle Stanley, Beau Henry, Thomas Hancock, Mitchell Rein, Trent Merrin, Jake Marketo, Clifford Morris, Nathan Jones. Bench: Shannon Wakeman, Warwick Carter, Jarred Thompson, Wes Suckley, Alex McKinnon, Cameron King, Henry Raiwalui, Sam Campbell. |
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| 2009 BUNDABERG RED CUP PLAYER OF THE YEAR Cabramatta’s Jamie Small has taken out the Bundaberg Red Cup Most Valuable Player award at the New South Wales Rugby League annual presentation dinner tonight. Small was an instrumental part of Cabramatta’s most successful Bundaberg Red Cup season on record. He was man of the match in the club’s preliminary final match against the Bankstown City Bulls and was Cabramatta’s best player in their 24-20 Grand Final defeat at the hands of Wentworthville. A former Tiger, Small believes the club has the right mix of youth and experience to become a dominant force in future Bundaberg Red Cup competitions. “Obviously it was disappointing not winning the competition this season but the club has a great platform for 2010,” Small said. “This award is recognition that the club is moving in the right direction and I am really happy to be a part of it.” Small pipped Brett Sargent (Wentworthville), Hutch Maiava (Windsor) and Charlie Farah (Bankstown City) courtesy of a stellar second half of the year. 2009 BUNDABERG RED CUP CLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR.* Wayne Dargan – Mounties * Mike Hawkings – Penrith Brothers * Peter Prime – Southern Districts * Aaron Barnes – WA Reds * Charlie Farah – Bankstown City Bulls * Jamie Small – Cabramatta * Amano Tovio – Campbelltown * Ben Jerga – Chester Hill * Brett Sargent – Wentworthville * Hutch Maiava – Windsor |
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| 2009 NSW CUP PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Balmain Ryde’s David Gower has taken out the NSW Cup Most Valuable Player award at the New South Wales Rugby League annual presentation dinner tonight. 2009 has been an exceptional year for Gower who, in July, was selected in the NSW Residents team and won the Apprentice of the Year at the Central & Northern Sydney Regional Training Awards night. In September he made his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers in their round 26 victory over the Bulldogs and he is also highly regarded by Wests Tigers and Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens. On Sunday Gower will take to Leichhardt Oval for the Tigers when they play the North Sydney Bears in the 2009 NSW Cup Preliminary Final. Gower has been inspirational for the Tigers in the final series and he says a premiership with Tigers would cap off a terrific year. “To be named NSW Cup player of the year is a huge honour because there is some prestigious talent in this competition,” Gower said.“All the accolades in the world don’t compare to a Premiership though. “To win one with all my mates at the Tigers would be a dream come true because we have worked so hard for it.” Gower beat out a host of prestigious talent including Hep Cahill (Storm), Samu Wara (North Sydney), Danny Williams (Bankstown City Bulls) and Ben McFadgean (Windsor). 2009 NSW CUP CLUB PLAYERS OF THE YEAR :* Sione Tongia – Auckland Vulcans * Samu Wara – North Sydney Bears * Dean Rysko – Western Suburbs * Khalid Deeb – Newtown * David Gower – Balmain * Scott Sablowski – Shellharbour * Brendan Oake – Wentworthville * Hep Cahill – Central Coast Storm * Daniel Rauicava – Cronulla * Danny Williams – Bankstown City * Ben McFadgean - Windsor |
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| Thursday 24 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 WESTS League Cup (WLC) grand final day produced top-quality high school rugby league action at Campbelltown Showground last week with six finals decided. Wests Leagues Cup president Alex Melville said the big day displayed the ``merit of our concept''. ``For five years now, schools have competed desperately to win a WLC title,'' Melville said. ``I'd like to thank the efforts of all involved in this year's season and to Campbelltown Harlequins Rugby Club who provided the venue, with Campbelltown Stadium ruled out due to construction work. Melville thanked sponsors for their support of the competition. ``With their help, this competition has become a real shining light for the possible structure of comprehensive high school rugby league in Sydney.'' Eagle Vale High School claimed the Wests Leagues Cup for 2009 with a commanding second-half display to defeat Elderslie 34-18 in the U15 Division 1 grand final. The score was tied at 18-18 at half-time, but outstanding second-half performances by fullback Moses Faoagali, centre John Fomai and five-eighth Kurt Daniels, steered Eagle Vale to their first U15 Division 1 title. Elderslie were led by tough-tackling second rower Brent Nellies and halfback Jake Dooner. Sarah Redfern claimed their inaugural WLC title with a 26-10 win over Elderslie for the U13 Division 1 premiership. The Minto-based school skipped out to a 16-0 lead on the back of skilful and well-drilled attacking plays. Elderslie fought back to 16-10 midway through the first half. Lock and captain Christian Tulua was ably supported by front rower Kevin Nooroa and centre Derek Ah Chong. Fullback Jayden Phillips was outstanding in a valiant Elderslie team. Robert Townson lifted the U15 Division 2 title with a 20-8 win over Miller of Liverpool. Townson was always in command and were best served by Reece Fitzgerald and Tylon Tanuvasa. Miller's fullback Michael Laupola and five-eighth Jed Kohler were tireless. Picton defended their U13 Division 2 title with a 24-18 triumph over Thomas Reddall. Trailing 18-8 midway through the second half, Picton rallied against an under-strength Thomas Reddall team. Picton's fullback Will Ritchard produced a dominant display and was supported by prop Jack Pound and halfback Zac McInness. Leumeah lifted the U15 Division 3 crown with a closely fought 32-28 victory over Thomas Reddall. Led by man of the match James Ryan at fullback and clever halfback Brad Wiles, Leumeah overcame a half-time deficit to provide a fitting reward for their hard-working coach Simon Flanigan. Appearing in their first WLC decider, Reddall were unlucky not to take a premiership back to Ambarvale. Shannon Crook was dominant for Thomas Reddall. Match of the day was the premiership 26-24 win of Elizabeth Macarthur in the U13 Division 3 game against Cecil Hills. Both teams played with skill. Cecil Hills prop Brian Tierney played hard to keep his team in contention. Lock Jarrod Wilmott was strong for the new premiers, as was centre Eddie Vatuvei. Elizabeth Macarthur coach Donna Wilmott, a parent of the school, was supported by teacher Jacqui Wilmott. The loss was Cecil Hills' third in succession in a WLC decider. See slideshow at www.macarthuradvertiser.com.au. |
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| Wednesday 23 rd September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS KNOCKOUT 60 teams will be competing for the Newcastle Knights Knockout tomorrow in the Primary Opens Division. Competition is scheduled to kick off at 8.00am and run through until approximately 3.30pm at ovals in the following suburbs ; LAMBTON, WARATAH, KOTARA, GLENDALE, WINDALE A media alert will be sent early tomorrow morning if the event is to be postponed due to overnight rain. DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS: WHAT : Newcastle Knights KnockoutWHERE : As mentioned above WHEN : 8.00am – 3.30pm, Wednesday 23 September, 2009 |
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| Tuesday 22 nd September | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NSWRL ACADEMY St John’s Woodlawn have completed a memorable season by convincingly winning the Under 14 championship Grand Final at Leichhardt oval over Aquinas College Menai. The country boys jumped straight to the front and were never seriously threatened, winning 24 – 6. In its 17th season, the state wide competition is open to all Catholic and Independent country schools and city based teams that do not play in a regular schoolboy competitions. Tournament founder Mr Bob Cochrane was on hand to present the winner’s trophy. Plucky hooker Hugh Pratt started the scoring for Woodlawn diving over after some good lead up work by five eighth Jay Meaney and a quick play the ball from prop Nicholas DeGiusti. Pratt converted his try to give his team a six point lead after just five minutes. Tries to wily halfback Jacob Follent and Meany followed giving St John’s a 14 point lead at half time. The second stanza was a tighter affair with both teams throwing everything they had at each other, with points hard to come by. Follent broke the arm wrestle with a clever left foot step fooling the opposition and seeing him cross for his second, with Deguisti converting. Aquinas hit back immediately through a brilliant solo effort from fullback and captain Josh Baldacchino who beat four defenders while dancing down the left touchline. He converted from the side line to get his team back to 20 – 6. A late try to tireless second rower Anthony Colman saw Woodlawn lift the trophy as State champions. Jay Meaney capped a memorable day by being crowned player of the series and was ably supported by Hugh Pratt, Brody Hunt, Matt Gibbon and Brad Bugden. Halfback Jeremy Safi took out the man of the match award for Aquinas, with strong games also coming from Tom Carr, Tom Halloway and Thomas Egan. |
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/ Six different schools claim Wests Leagues Cup titles on a very humid and energy sapping Grand Final day at Campbelltown Showground. Eagle Vale HS have claimed the Wests Leagues Cup for season 2009 with a commanding second half display to defeat Elderslie HS by 34-18. With scores locked at 18 all at halftime, it appeared to be anybody’s game. However, outstanding second half performances by fullback Moses Faoagali, centre John Fomai and five- eighth Kurt Daniels, steered Eagle Vale HS to its first U/15 Division 1 WLC title, avenging a heart-breaking last second loss to Ashcroft HS in the 2008 decider. Daniels would receive the prestigious John Skandalis Medal as best on ground. Elderslie HS were by no means disgraced, capably led by tough tackling second rower Brent Nellies and crafty halfback Jake Dooner. Sarah Redfern HS claimed their inaugural WLC title with a 26-10 victory over Elderslie HS for the U/13 Division 1 premiership. The Minto based school skipped out to a 16-0 lead on the back of some skilful and well drilled attacking plays. Elderslie HS were exceptionally courageous though, fighting back to 16-10 mid-way, especially after cruelly losing their best player early in the game. Lock and captain Christian Tulua would receive the Brett Hodgson Medal for an inspirational performance. He was ably supported by front rower Kevin Nooroa and centre Derek Ah Chong. Fullback Jayden Phillips was outstanding in a valiant Elderslie HS team. Robert Townson HS lifted the U/15 Division 2 Ezy to Own Cup with a 20-8 victory over Miller THS of Liverpool. Played during the most humid part of the afternoon, Townson was always in command, leading 6-0 at halftime. Having been on the losing side in two previous WLC deciders, the victory was a great reward for WLC Convenor Rod Child who runs an excellent League program at the school. Townson were best served by Bryce Gibbs Medallist Reece Fitzgerald and Tylon Tanuvasa. Miller THS, also operating a strong Rugby League program under Jeff Goodwin and Adam McCoy were gallant in defeat. Fullback Michael Laupola and five- eighth Jed Kohler were tireless for their team. Picton HS defended their U/13 Division 2 with a 24-18 triumph over Thomas Reddall HS in the Marsdens Law Group Cup. Trailing 18-8 midway through the second half, Picton came home with a wet sail to deny an under-strength Reddall HS team. Picton HS fullback Will Ritchard was awarded the Gordon Fetterplace Medal in a dominant display and was supported by prop Jack Pound and halfback Zac McInness. Leumeah HS lifted the U/15 Division 3 crown with a nail-biting 32-28 victory over Thomas Reddall HS. Led by man of the match James Ryan at fullback and clever halfback Brad Wiles, Leumeah overcame a halftime deficit to provide a fitting reward for their hard-working coach Simon Flanigan. Appearing in their first WLC deciders, Reddall were exceptionally unlucky not to take a premiership back to Ambarvale. NSW CHS half Shannon Crook was dominant for the Reddall HS team. Probably the match of the day was the premiership victory of Elizabeth Macarthur HS in the U/13 Division 3 Grand Final over Cecil Hills HS by 26-24. Competing for the NSWRL Western Sydney/ ARLD Cup, both teams played with great desperation and skill. Prop Brian Tierney received the Gary Walden Medal in a losing team, really playing hard throughout the game to keep his school in the match. Tough tackling lock Jarrod Wilmott was strong for the new premiers, as was centre Eddie Vatuvei. Special mention goes to the coach of Elizabeth Macarthur, Donna Wilmott, a parent of the school who coached both of the school’s teams, ably supported by teacher Jacqui Wilmott. The loss was Cecil Hills HS third in succession in Wests Leagues Cup deciders, cruel luck for their hard-working coaches Dan Mattias and Brendan Williams. Wests Leagues Cup President Alex Melville commented, “once again Wests Leagues Cup Grand Final day was shown the merit of our concept. For five years now, schools have competed desperately to win a WLC title. I’d like to thank the efforts of all involved in this year’s season and to Campbelltown Harlequins RFC who provided the GF venue, with the stadium ruled out due to construction work We like to thank our sponsors Wests Leagues Campbelltown, Marsdens Law Group, Ezy to Own Rentals, Ingleburn Washing Machine Repairs, NSWRL WSA and ARLD for their generous support of our competition. With their help, this competition has become a real shining light for the possible structure of comprehensive high school Rugby League in Sydney”. |
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WHEN Chase Stanley set up younger brother Kyle for a match-sealing try in the under-20s qualifying final, it was something the duo had done over and over in their backyard games. The past few seasons have been a contrast for the duo. As Chase, 20, managed to make his first grade debut while completing his studies at Endeavour Sports High and then his Test debut a short time later, Kyle, 18, has been plagued by two knee reconstructions. But the younger Stanley has bounced back this season to feature in 10 National Youth Competition (under 20s) matches and has become an integral part of the Dragons' line-up in their search for an inaugural premiership victory. "Confidence is the main thing when you come back from any reconstruction,'' Kyle said. "I've been coming back slowly so it's been all good ... [the knees] have been holing up good. "We've got good rehab staff and it's coming along well. "Hopefully, it sticks like that for the rest of my career.'' With Chase joining Melbourne Storm next season and Kyle, a five-eighth, committed to the Dragons until the end of 2011, the pair's time playing alongside each other is limited. The duo played together in the under-20s round 17 against Penrith earlier this season, but last played together about 10 years ago for Hurstville United, with Chase in the under-10s and Kyle playing up. "It was really good having him out there,'' Kyle said. "It was good getting a try off him. "When we were younger we used to play like that in the backyard.'' Unless Chase gets a recall to the Dragons' first grade side he will likely line up alongside his brother again in the under 20s next week, against the winner of Canberra versus Wests Tigers in the grand final qualifying match. St George Illawarra have this weekend off after beating the Warriors 48-24. Kyle hopes younger brother Jamie who played for St George's under-16 Harold Matthews side this season will join him at the top. "That's my next goal to get my little brother up here and playing with me,'' Kyle said. "It would be a big buzz, because I'll be the older brother and have to steer him around.'' |
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| Monday 21 st September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CABRAMATTA WIN COCA COLA CUP |
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Travelled to Castleford High this morning where the team was taken on a tour of the school before getting ready for what was most likely the toughest game of the tour. Castleford High are the English school champions in this age group and play the game just the way we like it, hard and fast. As expected the match was an epic struggle with both teams at each others throats for the entirety. The first try was scored by our Taylor Ridland, captain, hooker and eventually our team’s player of the match. At half time the home team led 10 – 6 after one try scored in the corner and an intercept try under the sticks.. LEARN MORE |
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PARRAMATTA'S most painful finals loss holds only good memories for Daniel Mortimer, but the rookie Eels pivot is desperate to erase some of the pain for blue-and-gold fans. The Eels take on the Bulldogs in a preliminary final blockbuster at ANZ Stadium on Friday night, a rematch of the 1998 Grand Final qualifier in which Parramatta squandered an 18-2 lead with 11 minutes remaining to go down to their arch-rivals. Mortimer, whose father Peter and uncles Steve and Chris are Bulldogs legends, was at the Sydney Football Stadium that September day 11 years ago, the then nine-year-old left delirious with the result. Now the 20-year-old wants to update the memory bank, though he first must overcome a painful hip-pointer injury which has him in doubt for Friday's showdown. "If I could get there it would be the biggest day of my life - especially against the Doggies," Mortimer said. "I was at the SFS in '98 when the Doggies came back, being there was one of the best times of my life, but to be actually playing would be unreal." Whether Mortimer makes it to Friday night's clash could be determined by the results of scans today. Feleti Mateo showed in the win over Gold Coast that he was a more than handy replacement at five-eighth, but Mortimer's availability would allow coach Daniel Anderson to leave Mateo as the ace on the bench. Eels were given a rest yesterday but will get back down to business today when Anderson will begin his search for a new right centre. Krisnan Inu is no certainty to be fit as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain, while his replacement the past three weeks - Jonathan Wright - is unlikely to overcome an ankle sprain in time. Anderson has the option of moving backrower Ben Smith to the three-quarter line but the former centre has been a revelation playing on right edge as a wide-running forward. The only other established centre option would be Taulima Tautai, though he hasn't been sighted in the top grade since being dumped to the NSW Cup back in June. |
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| Thursday 17 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Dubbo College Senior Campus will head into today’s University Shield semi-final clash with Inverell High School without regular centre pairing Brad Spencer and Alex Ronayne. Spencer, who was one of the shining lights for Dubbo in the round-of-16 match at Apex Oval last month against Sarah Redfern High, will be in Sydney for a Cronulla Sharks trial. Meanwhile Ronayne is a casualty from the weekend’s Group 11 under-18s grand finals. The college team has been hard hit by the effects of most players being involved in the 44-16 win to Dubbo CYMS over Dubbo Macquarie on Sunday, however, the rest of the squad made the bus trip to Inverell yesterday with the intention to play. “We had a training session on Tuesday and there was still a bit of soreness among the players,” coach Craig May said. “Losing our centres is a big loss but we will see our two hookers both on the field with Matt Toole and Kieran Cubby alternating at hooker and halfback and Steve Riley moving from the halves to centre. “EJ Fernando will slide into the other centre position from the wing with Australian Schoolboys Soccer goalkeeper Nathan Kenyon coming into the starting line up on the wing.” May will be looking to his forwards upping the ante as well as those players from Macquarie to step up after their loss to CYMS on Sunday. “Some of the Macquarie guys were a bit disappointing so I would like to see them step up and prove a point,” he said. “While Inverell won’t have the size of Sarah Redfern, from all accounts they are very mobile and we will need our forwards to go to another level.” In the forwards Dubbo will be looking to get the most out of captain and Group 11 Under 18 Player of the Year Max Ray and the ever-improving youngster Jackson Merritt. The game will kick off at 10am in Inverell. DUBBO COLLEGE SENIOR CAMPUS : 1 Charly Runciman, 2 Jyie Chapman, 3 Steve Riley, 4 EJ Fernando, 5 Nathan Kenyon, 6 Josh Merritt, 7 Matt Toole, 8 Max Ray (c), 9 Kieran Cubby, 10 James McKinnon, 11 Tom Alchin, 12 Jackson Merritt, 13 Maddison Thomas. Coach: Craig May. |
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Blue Haven Raiders Win Grand Final Congratulations to the Central Coast's Blue Haven Raiders Under 14's who capped off a terrific 2009 with a good victory in the Under 14's Grand Final Blue Haven's grand final victory not only ensured the 14s completed the season undefeated minor premiers but 2009 Premiers as well. Raider's Coach Rod Duck and the boys will be keen for the challenge again in 2010. Blue Haven 24 defeated St.Edwards 12 at Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford Sunday September 13th, 2009. |
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UK TOUR LOG 2009 – BY BILL ESAU -Monday – Tuesday 15.09.09 Left Mackay on Monday morning at 6:45am and had a smooth trip with Qantas all the way through Brisbane and Singapore until a bit of a hairy landing at Heathrow. Bit of nervous laughter after that one but all the boys were happy to be here. All the team were great on the planes, giving the flight entertainment system a good workout. Evert Hanson slept 12 of the 13 hours from Singapore to London then most of the way on the 4 hour bus ride to Wakefield, the bloke is a champion sleeper... LEARN MORE |
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| MACKAY STATE HIGH SCHOOL RUGBY LEAGUE ACADEMY
UK TOUR LOG 2009 – BY BILL ESAU -Monday – Tuesday 15.09.09 Left Mackay on Monday morning at 6:45am and had a smooth trip with Qantas all the way through Brisbane and Singapore until a bit of a hairy landing at Heathrow. Bit of nervous laughter after that one but all the boys were happy to be here. All the team were great on the planes, giving the flight entertainment system a good workout. Evert Hanson slept 12 of the 13 hours from Singapore to London then most of the way on the 4 hour bus ride to Wakefield, the bloke is a champion sleeper. LEARN MORE |
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| Wednesday 16 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Congratulations to all the University & Buckley Shield teams for making this years semi final of the NSWCHS University & Buckley Shields. IN the 2nd Uni Shield Semi Final, both team were almost at full strength Endeavour were missing a few players due to exams and things, Australian schoolboys Cameron King & the in form Joey Leilua watched from the bench. The Hills were missing 3 or 4 of there blokes, Jason Saege is in the NSWCHS Union side. The Endeavour opens controlled the game enough to out play Westfields to score an exciting 30 - 6 victory and earn a place in the Grand Final against Hills who hammered a very under manned Matraville SHS 22 - 30. Endeavour's Buckley Shield side will turn into a top footy side over the next couple years and held a pretty comfortable lead at half time in their battle with Hills SHS. First half hero Alfred Seffo scored two beautiful tries for his team only to be countered in the second half by a 3 try blitzz to The Hills & ASSRL U 15 Merit team player Zac Clay tore up the middle of Henson Park to make the scores even at 22 - 22 as the siren blew full time. The Hills were first to score in the sudden death extra time thrillfeast. The Buckley Shield side went down bravely in the end allowing The Hills SHS to progress though to the Buckley Shield Grand Final against Westfields who were much too big and too good for a small Illawarra SHS side. In the other Buckley Shield Semi Final, Westfields SHS put their hands up as one of the most successful rugby league schools in Australia.
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Story By : Photo BY : Bass High School Bass High School in Sydney's west have become one of the powerhouses of schoolboys rugby league over the past couple years. Bass High School have a very successful rugby league program which is attracting some of NSW's best young footy players including Matthew's Cup 2009 'Player of the Year' DAVID MINUTE and SG Ball Cup 2009 'Player of the Year' DALE FINUCANE just to name a couple for starters. The results have been showing with all the school's footy teams having some great success. Bass HS are into the semi finals of the NSWCHS Buckley Shield and travel 11 hours to play against Kingscliffe HS. Bass coach Jon Wilson told ourfootyteam the team is leaving this afternoon (Monday) for tomorrow's game. In other Bass High School footy news, the Bass opens are on again, also in the semi finals of the NSWCHS University Shield. Bass take on Tuggerah Lake up there at The Entrance next week on Tuesday Sept 22. The Bass High School opens side have been on fire lately, in their round of 16 match against Evans High School, Bass whacked on a mighty 114 - 0 annihilation and the Bass boys smashed Cootamundra High 54 - 0. |
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| Sunday 13 the September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Keebra Park are through to this years Arrive alive Cup grand final against mighty Matraville Sports High School. Keebra shocked the crowd at ANZ stadium, closing down the game and successfully closing down the skilled Endeavour backs. This is the 3 rd time these two highly rated schools have fought the Arrive alive duel, the previous 2 occasions were the 2005 & 2006 grand finals where Endeavour were the winners on both occasions. Not this time, Keebra Park were the first to score in this semi final after they had half a dozen or more repeated sets inside Endeavour's 20 meter line. Endeavour were marvelous in defence, dropping the attacking Queenslanders within millimeters of the try line. The weight of possession eventually told and Keebra Park were able to break the Endeavour line when Sione Akoula scored, the conversion was straight thru the goal posts and the score was 6 - 0. Endeavour finally held the ball for a full set, the footy was like a hot potato with the Sydney boys passing the ball along the line to Rass with flicked the ball to Tom Wishardt who was 10 cm from the line put the ball down and was smashed for his efforts, the kick from near the sideline hit the near post. Endeavour were in again when Endeavour covered the length of the field in one set to see the Somoan flier DJ Percell had momentum to slide into the in goal to give his school the lead. Skipper John Nicholas converted to make the score 10 - 6. It didn't take long in this mistake riddled game for Keebra to once again grab the lead when big Ben Murdock bashed his way through a few tired defenders to run the rest of the 40 meters to out the ball down under the black dot. Keebra Park were very well organised in defence, they slide across, pick a defender and every man is involved, skipper and fullback Jordan Kahu is calm and clear in his instructions to the troops. HALF TIME SCORE 10 - 12 SECOND HALF SOON & heaps of action photo's too |
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Story & Photo By : Sally Boxall  A GROUP of Mackay High State School rugby league academy players will get to experience an international tour when they jet off to England on Monday. The squad of 20, all aged 15 and 16, will take on London's Harlequins Academy, Wakefield's Outwood Grange College, Castleford High, Widnes' Wade Deacon High and St Helens' Portico Panthers during the 17-day tour. At the conclusion of the tour, Matthew Ahern and Clinton Hewitt will remain in England to be hosted by families of players who did an exchange with Mackay High in 2008. Mackay High rugby league co-ordinator Bill Esau, who will join coach Nathan Doyle on the trip, said the players couldn't wait for the tour to begin. “The boys are really excited and I'm sure they'll do the school proud,” Esau said. “It really is a once in a lifetime thing for most of them.” It will be Mackay High's second tour to England after the first group went in 2007 and Esau said the aim was to make it a permanent biennial event. On the first tour, the Mackay side won three of their four games and Esau said this year's group is expecting some close challenges. However, the trip won't be all about football - the players will also get plenty of sight-seeing. Destinations and activities include historic sites in Yorkshire, indoor snow-boarding in Castleford, amusement parks in Blackpool, and several Super League finals matches. In London, they'll take a ride on the London Eye, visit the Tower of London, motor up the Thames in an amphibious vehicle and see Madam Tussaud's. Academy Supporters Committee president Jeni Doherty lauded the hard work from the touring students and their parents in fund-raising. Two of the major fundraisers were a Sportsman's Dinner at Souths Leagues Club and catering for the under 15 Queensland State Championships. The side returns to Mackay on September 30. • The squad: Dylan Bell, Ben Carter, Josh Doherty, Kelton Dorante, Corben and Edan Duffy, Chase Edgerton, James Howard, Daniel Matsen, Mitchell Petersen, Rhys Barton, Josh Geaghan, Evert Hansson, Ian Read, Ryan and Taylor Ridland, Matt Ahearn, David Jorgensen, Clinton Hewitt and James Wylie. |
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| Saturday 12 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ARRVE aLIVE SEMI FINAL Endeavour Sports High School get it on with Queensland Champions Keebra Park at ANZ Stadium before the 1st of the NRL Finals. Stay turned for ourfootyteam's match report and action foto gallery on Sunday, Monday & thru' the week. |
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Story & Photo's By : Mackay SHSRLA / Bill ESAU Next Monday a squad of twenty, 15 and 16 year old Mackay State High School Rugby League Academy players will travel to England for a series of games against school, club and academy teams from London (Harlequins Academy), Wakefield (Outwood Grange College), Castleford (Castleford High), Widnes (Wade Deacon High) and St Helens (Portico Panthers). At the end of the tour two Mackay State High School Academy players, Matthew Ahern and Clinton Hewitt will stay on with the families of boys their families, and Mackay High hosted in 2008. Academy coach Nathan Doyle said that this excursion almost certainly represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for these students to tour and play the game they love in an international setting. As part of fund raising activities for this, the second biennial tour to England, a Sportsman’s Dinner was held at the Southern Suburbs Leagues Club and the Academy hosted and catered for the 2009 U/15 Queensland state championships in May. Academy Supporters Committee President Jeni Doherty has lauded the hard work that the touring students and their parents have completed through the numerous fund raising opportunities that have been undertaken to support this exciting initiative. Mrs Doherty also praised the generous financial support of the many local businesses that have made this tour possible with their munificence. As well as a shadowing group of parents and family on the tour the boys will be accompanied by Mackay High teachers Bill Esau and Nathan Doyle. LEARN MORE |
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| FORWARDS THE KEY FOR MERRITT: COACH Macquarie Raiders Under-18s coach Greg Edwards can be guaranteed his five-eighth Josh Merritt will be a heavily marked man this Sunday. Merritt was instrumental in his side’s 28-14 win over Forbes Magpies in the preliminary final in which the Raiders stepped up a gear towards the back end of the second half. But the last time the undefeated minor premiers met CYMS they went down 24-8 in the major semi-final. Ensuring Merritt has room to do what he does best will be essential to Macquarie’s chances, according to Edwards. “We understand he will be under pressure,” Edwards said. “So our go-forward needs to be going to allow him to do what he does. “Fortunately our biggest strength is our go-forward with the likes of Anthony Egan-Smith, Ben McQuillan and Dylan Hill. “Our front rowers were there last year when we beat CYMS by two in the decider and with their experience I’ll be looking for them to lead us forward. “We also have speed on the wings with EJ Fernando and fullback Ashley Widders so hopefully they see the ball too.” While the Raiders will have various danger men targeted by CYMS for the clash, Edwards is also wary of certain parts of the Fishies attack. “Our defence needs to stop Max Ray,” Edwards said. “Unlike last time we are not going to underestimate the rest of them either. “Lionel O’Mally is a very good footballer too and they are fast in the backs. They’re a good all round side and it will be a very good game of football.” Edwards believes the winner will be the team who plays the most disciplined brand of rugby league. “The side who does the little things right will come away the winner of the day,” he said. “We trained well on Tuesday night and I spoke to them about the importance of following on from the last 20 minutes of last week. “We know it’s going to be a hard battle and last time out the enthusiasm of CYMS was much better than ours. “We will need to make sure we do the little things right, control the ball, limit the penalties and possess a good kicking game.” The under-18s game is sure to be a high quality affair scheduled to kick off at 12.45pm. At half-time the 2DU/Regency Jewellers Tooheys New Group 11 Player of the Year will be announced while at the conclusion of the match the Under-18 Player of the Year and Player of the Grand Final will be named. |
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| Friday 11 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Westfields Sports High School collected 2 more trophies for their already impressive 2009 trophy cabinet today winning both the Michael Buettner Shield & the Inaugural Chase Stanley Cup. The Michael Buettner Shield (Under 13's) & the Chase Stanley Cup (Under 15's) are competitions involving only Elite High Schools in the Sydney & Hunter region of NSW. This is the third Michael Buettner Shield and the Shield returns to Westfields for the second time. CHASE STANLEY CUP When Chase Stanley was first approached at the beginning of the year about holding the Chase Stanley Cup, "he thought it was a gee up" and today Chase was on hand to present to winning team the inaugural Chase Stanley Cup. But things didn't quite go to script, his old school Endeavour Sport High School were in the Grand Final up against the NSWRL All School's under 15 Champions, Westfields Sports High School. Westfields play good footy, they out musceled Endeavour and punched holes up the middle with strong performances from the forward pack, the Westfields backs are keen to follow the runners and this creates opportunities to score. The first half was pretty even with Westfields running in tries to skipper Fraser Masinamua and Kelepi Tangaona to take a 10 - nil lead. Endeavour came out with the right attitude in the second half attacking Westfield with purpose. Endeavours forwards were once again well lead by Daniel Byrne and his cohorts. This lead to a nice backline move that got the ball to the speedy Souths Matty's Cup player Matthew Bateman who ran around to make it a better angle for his kicker, Endeavour go to six points after Anthony Saffo converts. Westfields were good enough to hold out and defend their half for the rest of the game and started to take control. Two second half tries to Cromwell Akokiri, further tries to Daniel Smith and Carlos Zopa put the Chase Stanley Cup out of Endeavours reach. Congratulations to Westfields and Endeavour for making the Grand Final of the very first Chase Stanley Cup. |
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Once again Westfields Sports High School have won the Michael Buettner Shield after smashing Endeavour Sports High School in the Grand Final at Henson Park. The NSWRL All Schools Under 13's Champions were too hot for a young Endeavour out fit who tried mightly for the entire game only to be beaten by a better team on the day. The real Michael Buettner fell for a dummy and was unavailable today, so the honour of presenting the Michael Buettner Shield to Westfields Sports went to current Australian Schoolboys player Jacob Miller. Lots of effort was put into Thursday's Henson Park school spectactular and a man of the match mention should be made of Matraville's Director of Sport, Nadina Taskera. Well done Nadina!! & Roosters Toyota Cup champion Boyd Cordner who used his water bottle as a flag while running to sideline. WESTFIELD SHS 42 - 4 ENDEAVOUR SHS Plenty more soon & heaps of GR8 ACTioN FoTo'S It's on again at Henson Park next Tuesday when some of Sydney best schools battle it out in the semi finals of both the NSWCHS University (opens) & Buckley Shields (U4teens). Then on Wednesday the NSWCCC is holding the 2009 Cochrane Cup Grand Final at Leichhardt Oval. |
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MATRAVILLE SHS 26 - 10 THE HILLS SHS Playoff for 3rd & 4th Matraville SHS and The Hills SHS got it on today in a tough and fast play off for 3rd match in the Inaugural Chase Stanley Cup. Matraville ran away 26 - 10 winners in a great game of schoolboys rugby league with both schools displaying great skills, speed and sportsmanship, helping opponents up from the ground and respecting the referee. Plenty more soon & heaps of GR8 ACTioN FoTo'S |
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| FARRER BLITZES NARRABEEN ON WAY TO BUCKLEY SHIELD SEMI FARRER’S Buckley Shield defence rolled on at Narrabeen yesterday, despite some personnel disruptions. The Josh Steele-coached side was too powerful for Narrabeen Sports High in their quarter-final, winning 46-nil. Five-eighth Alex Smith led the assault, grabbing a try double and adding seven from eight conversions for a personal haul of 22 points. Brad Capello, Tom Hall, Troy Martin, Harry Altus, Lyall Houghton and James Mapperson also crossed Narrabeen’s tryline. The trip didn’t start in the best fashion for Farrer, losing their half-back, second rower and lock before kick-off, forcing some makeshift combinations. But they were the dominant side from the kick-off, stifling Narrabeen of possession. “We started well. From the kick-off return we ran about 50m. That set it up. “The third tackle we scored and the next set we scored again,” Steele said. “They had a really weak left hand side, were a bit lazy, we noticed that early and targetted that.” They had the game won by half-time, leading 28-nil, and Steele said it was one of the better performances this campaign. “Our hooker had to play half-back, which he’s never played before,” Steele said. Despite that, Harrison Gill made a strong showing and with the number seven on his back was one of their best. Smith, Houghton, Tom Hall, Dean German, Zac Leonard and Martin were other very strong performers. Their next game will be a home semi-final against Cowra at a date still to be confirmed. |
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| Thursday 10 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Story & Photo By : Celtic CRUSADER'S Wales assistant coach Iestyn Harris is delighted with the progress that the Celtic Crusaders and Wales under 16s and under 18s have made in the last two years. The Crusaders’ under 18s side start their defence of the 2009-10 Gillette National Youth League on Sunday with a home game against Hemel Stags which is due to be played at Maesteg RFC, and Harris predicts big things for the rugby league youth of Wales. “I went to meet some of the lads who were doing an under 16 coaching course in Wales recently and they were very enthusiastic about wanting to play rugby league for Celtic Crusaders and Wales,” he said. “We’ve now got something for them to target and that’s so important for a young sportsman in Wales. That’s why Super League in Wales is so important with the under 16s and under 18s doing so well, it stands us in good stead for the next five or ten years. “We had a situation in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup when we had a lot of ex-rugby union players such as Jonathan Davies, Scott Gibbs and Scott Quinnell, who had come over to the sport. With them moving back to rugby union, we then got weaker and weaker over a period of time. “Now the situation’s different, we’ve got a lot of youngsters playing in schools choosing to play rugby league. These are a target to reach for Celtic Crusaders and hopefully in a few years time, these youngsters will come through and the full Wales team will be a force to reckon with again.” Harris’ words are poignant in the week that Rugby League World Magazine unveiled their Top Ten Rugby Union Converts in their October issue. It came as no surprise that six of the ten were from Wales (four from Cardiff). Due to rugby union going professional in 1995, the days of players of the rugby union calibre of Jonathan Davies (number 10 in the chart) and Billy Boston (number 3) converting to rugby league are now probably long gone. Therefore the Welsh game has had to look to youth to develop a new generation of players to the 13-man code. And in the last few years, this has been extremely successful, especially at under 18 level where Wales were crowned European Champions last year and British Champions this year following an unbeaten 2008 and 2009. Wales have also provided no fewer than 10 players for Great Britain under 18s in the last 12 months, with nine of them coming from the very successful Crusaders outfit. In the 2008-09 winter season, the Crusaders stormed to a National Youth League title beating the best from rugby league heartlands such as Leigh, Leeds and Featherstone on the way. Their 32-0 win over the former in the Grand Final sent shockwaves across the Rugby League World and people now know that youth development in Wales certainly means business. Crusaders’ Head of Youth Development Andy Lindley is one of many responsible for bringing some young Welshmen into Super League and he’s already seen the result of his labours with youngsters like Lloyd White and Elliot Kear making successful engage Super League debuts this year, Kear receiving a Crusaders man of the match award against Leeds Rhinos on his first game. “Our under 18s had an outstanding season in 2008-09 bettering all our expectations,” said Lindley. “But we have a new crop of youngsters this year and we look forward to seeing how they do against Hemel next weekend. Some of them are new to rugby league while some have come up from the under 16s. “The youth development in Welsh Rugby League has been fantastic over the last few years and it’s pleasing to see some of them play in Super League meaning that they could get a chance to play for the full Welsh side this autumn.” “The plan has always been for a Welsh Super League populated by Welshmen,” adds Crusaders’ Head of Performance, Anthony Seibold. “This was the charter set in December 2005 at the birth of the club. Against Wakefield in August, we had four born and bred Welsh players playing Super League in a Crusaders jersey - Lloyd White, Ben Flower, Geraint Davies and Lewis Mills, while Aled James had played six games this season before his shoulder reconstruction. Another two Welshmen, Gil Dudson and Elliot Kear, made their debuts against Leeds Rhinos. “I feel this is a big step forward. Having a reserve team (under 20/21), an academy team (under 18), foundation cup under 16s team and the home grown squads will only enhance the Welsh presence in our squad going forward. This will not happen overnight and some players will not be ready for the step up as seen in the last few games, but this is all part of the process of long term development. We have not looked at quick fixes by bringing in loan players. That is not our charter. Developing Welsh players to play Super League has been and is the charter.” For the record, Rugby League World magazine’s Top Ten Rugby Union Converts were… 1. Albert Baskerville2. Dally Messenger 3. Billy Boston 4. Clive Sullivan 5. Martin Offiah 6. Trevor Foster 7. Jim Sullivan 8. Ray Price 9. Gus Risman 10. Jonathan Davies |
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| Wednesday 9 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RED BEND COLLEGE, FORBES v AQUINAS COLLEGE, MENAI It was a big week last week for Red Bend College as the 14’s went down to a very well coached side from Aquinas Holy Family College, Menai, (Steve Gough former Cronulla coach and assistant to John Lang at Cronulla and Penrith coached them, he is now deputy at Aquinas). The Sydney boys had an enjoyable trip to the country and should be congratulated on the way they represented their school both on and off the field. Red Bend went down fighting in the semi final of the under 14’s Cochrane Cup last Friday. Supported on by the junior school, many parents and local spectators, they were unable to reproduce the victory of the Opens the day before. In a very close game where the opposition, Aquinas College from Menai, were first to score, the College team led by Dave Cowhan had their chances. With the score 12 - 6 at the break after a barn storming run and try by Parkes student Druss Afele. The second half showed some great defence with neither side able to dominate. Menai score a late try in the corner to run out winners 16 - 6. Once again the best for the College was front rower Dave Cowhan, followed by Bryce Park and Jarrod Tyack. Coaches awards for the Opens on Thursday and 14’s on Friday went to Toby Evans (Parkes) who played half back in the Opens 14 - 12 win over St Edwards from Gosford and Dave Cowhan (Forbes) in the fourteens. These awards kindly donated by St George-Illawarra (thanks to Brian Keegan) Aquinas Holy Family College's Player's player was Sharks Development player Josh Baldacchino, others worth a mention are skipper Jeremy Safi who is in the Bulldogs development squad and was converting goals from the sidelines. Aquinas coach Steve Gough said, " the boys all played very well, the Red Bend people were great and really looked after as from the moment we arrived at the College." Aquinas College now take on powerhouse St. Johns Woodlawn in the Grand Final of the NSWCCC Cochrane Cup. The Grand Final is on at Leichhardt Oval next Wednesday the 16 Sept, kick off 11:00 am. |
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Narromine under-16s premiership winning coach Mark Smith heaped praise on his players after an inspiring 26-18 victory over a gallant St John’s side at Apex Oval on Saturday night. “Most of these boys have played together for eight years, they’ve learned to appreciate what each has for the side and they showed it tonight. This way was all about them,” he said. “They’ve trained hard and played hard. The season was theirs for the taking and they pushed themselves and it came off. “The good thing about the win was that they were called on to play very good football especially when St John’s hit back at them with those last two tries of theirs. “Good teams can do that.” Watched by a crowd of more than 1300 people, minor premiers Narromine looked the goods after tries by fullback Robert Bowman and Ethan Sheedy, plus two goals from Anthony Fuller saw them out to 12-0 after 13 minutes. Despite being pronounced underdogs for this game, the Saints weren’t about to give in without a fight and when Hayden Chapman and Luke Taylor scored tries in the space of five minutes, they were in sight despite Chapman missing both conversions. Then just short of half time winger Ethan Sheedy scored his second try as the Jets went to the break 16-8. That try hurt the Saints and it was to be a defining part of the victory. But worse was to come for the Saints when man of the match, five-eighth Fuller scored from dummy half and it was 20-8. Mid-way through the half the Jets lost big prop Shannon Sheedy who was sent to the sin bin and while he was cooling his heels, Saints lock Ethan Coyle crossed twice in the space of five minutes and it was game back on at 20-18. Unfortunately for the Saints that was as close as they got when Jets captain Blake Richardson scored to seal the win two minutes from the final siren. Richardson’s forwards were great. They lined up to the take the ball forward at every opportunity and with a better than even share of possession the Saints defence had to use a lot of energy to contain them. Harrison and prop Chris Sevil were their best up front while Fuller’s work behind the scrum was inspiring and his vision with the ball allowed them to attack at every opportunity. The Jets’ defence was also a feature of their game. The Saints boys were disappointed they missed the mark but they were brave in defeat. Prop Daniel Runciman and back rowers Chapman, Luke Taylor and Ethan Coyle had great games. Country fullback Charly Runciman didn’t see a lot of the ball and wasn’t allowed any freedom to show his attacking skills. |
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Story & Photo By : Charlie Payne GAME-breaker Jordan White's try at the death ensured Souths won a second successive under 16 Mackay junior rugby league premiership at the JRL grounds on Saturday. The Sharks five-eighth, who was named man of the match, scored with two minutes to go to give Souths a 20-18 victory. In a thriller, the Tigers had looked like tasting victory when they scored with five minutes left to give them a 18-16 lead, only to be denied by the White try. “He took the ball from 15m out and crashed through four or five defenders,” Souths coach Kev Langer said. “He's got a scholarship with the Cowboys but he'll have another year at Mackay High, and play for Souths under 18 next year. “He'll be with the Mackay High Rugby League Academy team that's going to England next week.” The match ended in a melee, with several players understood to be reported to the judiciary. Langer said the match was a traditional grand final between the keen rivals, who were two all through the season. “No one gave a yard, there was some very tough work going on. “I was very happy with the defence of our boys.” Wests scored early and took a 6-0 lead to half time, but Souths then put on three quick tries for a 16-6 lead before the Tigers came back to regain the ascendency. Tigers coach Paddy Francis said either side could have won what he described as a thriller. Hooker Taylor Ridland was named Wests' player of the match, and together with lock Brock Williamson and halfback Denzel Tomarra got through a mountain of work. Wests were playing in their first U16 grand final since 2001, when Dragons and State of Origin player Neville Costigan was part of that group which also finished runner-up. Despite the loss, Francis said the club was producing some very promising talent through the grades, including players like Brett Cuddihy, who this season was captain of NQ U16, and injured fullback Ian Read who is a member of the Cowboys development squad. |
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JUNIOR MAGPIES DOWN TO MACQUARIE The Group XI rugby league season is officially over for the Forbes Magpies after the under 18s crashed out of the finals series with a 28-14 defeat at the hands of the Dubbo Macquarie Raiders. The loss ends the under 18s season and is also the elimination of the last remaining Forbes side in the Group XI finals. Macquarie scored three of their six tries through kicks and penalties cost the juniors at crucial points of the match. Many of the players were backing up for their second game of rugby league in four days after Red Bend Catholic College won the NSW CRL Country Cup last Thursday. The match was a physical and bruising encounter and the toll of this game earlier in the week was evident as the Dubbo side came from 14-8 down to score 20 points in the last 20 minutes and win 28-14. “That was the killer in the end,” Under 18s Coach Tim Acheson said of Thursday’s game against St Edwards of Gosford. “We had them [Macquarie] but we couldn’t keep going any longer.” “They went down fighting anyway,” he said. Forbes had all the early running and pinned the Macquarie outfit in their own 20 metre zone for the first 10 minutes. A penalty marched Macquarie down the field and a last tackle bomb found the hands of winger Eric Fernando, who took his side out a 4-0 lead. Forbes got a penalty of their own and good runs from lock Lou Goodwin and Baxter allowed a flying Jesse Jenkins to score out wide. Some nice work in broken play from Brodie Hodges and Jenkins allowed Lee-Ross Tipu to find the line and Forbes found themselves in front 8-4 after 20 minutes. A dropped ball gave Macquarie field position at the right end of the paddock and dangerous Macquarie five eight Josh Merritt beat three defenders and brought the scores back level at 8-all. The 8-all score line remained until half time and Forbes started the second half strongly, forcing a Macquarie line drop out. Macquarie kicked out on the full and Forbes went on the attack. Second rower Jake Grace drifted across field, giving an inside ball to Baxter who scored untouched, 14-8. Penalties again began to cost the Magpies and a last tackle kick allowed Dubbo winger Jake Stoneman to score in the corner, 14-12. Forbes continued to hand chances to Macquarie through penalties and the Dubbo outfit swung the ball wide, finding Fernando for his second. The try gave Macquarie a 16-14 advantage with 10 minutes left and Forbes were going to need to score again. A Forbes mistake on the second tackle gave Macquarie a chance within striking distance and Merritt again exposed the Magpies defence and put the margin beyond a converted try at 22-14 with four minutes left. Forbes kept trying right until the final whistle and Grace found the line but couldn’t ground the ball. Macquarie brought the ball back from Grace’s effort and another kick allowed Ashley Widders to score just before full time to seal the 28-14 result. All the Forbes side tried hard but the side’s best were Jesse Jenkins, Jake Grace, Blake Baxter and Brodie Hodges. |
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| Tuesday 8 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 HOLY Family Primary at Menai claimed their third successive NSW All Schools rugby league title with a polished display at Penrith last month. The under-11 side defended the title they had won as the under-9 and under-10 champs. The 65th annual tournament is Australia's biggest junior rugby league event of the year, with more than 3000 children from 189 schools. Teams played in a round-robin section of the tournament before the top four sides took part in an elimination match, with the winner earning a grand final spot. Holy Family's coach Glenn Brailey said the side had a "great attitude''. "They are a good bunch of kids, and very talented,'' Brailey said. "Because the boys play in different teams on a weekend they don't get to train together. We've probably not even had a handful of training sessions.'' Brailey said the squad had changed slightly over the years. Holy Family beat Muswellbrook Primary School 18-0 in the final. "I know they are young, but they are very mature and have a very advanced skill level,'' Brailey said. The hardest task for the coaching staff was to make sure the children continued to concentrate during the day. "It's more mentally tough than physically,'' Brailey said. "Children will run all day, but mentally they have to be prepared and they have to switch on. "That can be difficult, but that's where these boys are quite mature. They know what they need to do and they are very good in regards to pre-game warm-up. "The parents and the school have been very supportive.'' Although some players will go to high school next year, Brailey said the majority would be back to chase their fourth title. The team: Dylan Xerri, Kyle Flanagan, Blayke Brailey, Wil Matthews, Dean Tatsis, Matthew Baker, Joshua Lake, Liam Bell, Jack Brogan, Travis Adelerhof, Matthew Cotton, Clinton Murphy, Aaron Walker, Matthew Horsnell and Glenn Brailey (coach). Endeavour Sports High were runners-up in the under-12 division, 4-nil to Patrician Brothers' College. |
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| JETS SECOND HALF BLITZ SECURES FINALS BERTH. The Newtown Jets ensured themselves of eighth position on the competition table and a place in the 2009 NSW Cup finals series with their 32-22 win against the Balmain Tigers at Henson Park on Saturday. The Jets looked to be in real trouble when they trailed by 16-6 at halftime, but they set the big reunion day crowd ablaze as they piled on four tries in the game’s third quarter to set up a match winning lead. Newtown’s first half featured elements of the triple alliance that had plagued them all season – conceding penalties, turning over possession in their own half and missed scoring opportunities. Newtown centre Sonny Tuigamala scored a smartly-taken try on the end of some crisp ball movement in the 18th minute and his centre partner Chris Tuatara went close to scoring when he was tackled into touch in-goal five minutes later. The Tigers had a much better completion rate in the first half and looked more likely to go on and claim the result. The Jets halftime reassessment clearly re-energised their game as they began the second half with more vigour and direct running. The “human wrecking ball” James Koloamatangi smashed his way over near the posts at the Sydenham Road end soon after the break and hooker Tavite Vatuvei scored one of the season’s more audacious tries from a quick tap penalty in the tenth minute of the second half. The Jets continued to drive forward and five-eighth Tu’U Maori raced in for a superb try after the ball had travelled through several pairs of hands. Maori made it a double five minutes later when he tore through some weak defence to score under the posts. Jets supporters started to watch the time clock nervously when the Tigers pulled back to 30-22 with nearly twenty minutes left to play. Newtown defended their line well and Tu’U Maori added a penalty goal ten minutes out from fulltime to complete the day’s scoring. Coach Greg Matterson attributed the second half resurgence to team energy and being willing to run straight and hard rather than continual lateral movement with the ball. He had told his players at halftime to really engage the Tigers through the rucks and they would tire. The Jets 90% completion rate in the second half helped keep the added pressure on their opponents. James Koloamatangi was voted man of the match and he inspired his team-mates with his tireless charges into the thick of the rucks. Sean Rudder was the best of the other forwards who all contributed to this great fightback victory. Five-eighth Tu’U Maori, centre Chris Tuatara and winger Smith Samau were the best of Newtown’s backs, with Tuatara making an impressive comeback after an extended layoff due to injury. All attention now turns to the finals as the Newtown Jets shape up to the minor premiers Bankstown City. This match will be played at The Crest Stadium, Bass Hill next Saturday (12th September) with this qualifying final kicking off at 3.00pm. Coach Matterson’s message to Newtown’s supporters on finals eve was typically sharp and accurate: “If our blokes play to their full ability and stick to their instructions they can beat anyone in this finals series”. |
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| Monday 6 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JETS FIRE IN GRAND FINALS The boys celebrated with family and friends at the clubs house after their hard fought victories in this years big ones. |
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| CAIRNS JUNIOR 2009 GRAND FINAL RESULTS Under 12s ATHERTON 20 V MALANDA 06 WINNER: Atherton Referee: Peter Christopher . The KJ HANRAHAN SHIELD presented to Atherton by Todd Rowe. Man of the Match : KALEB GILLIES – Atherton Under 14s Man of the Match: CLINT POSSELT – Mareeba Green Under 16s Man of the Match: PAUL GEARY – Atherton Atherton Senior Rooster’s Rising Star Award – STEPHEN CREAR, Atherton Nominations for Cairns District Rugby League “ Best & Fairest” Silver Medal – Eacham JRL category – are Daniel Hales – Mareeba, Stephen Crear – Atherton; Jonathon Sesar – Ravenshoe; Dylan Taylor – Atherton. NOLA PEMBER MEMORIAL SHIELD – 2009 Club Champions was presented to Atherton Junior Rugby League. |
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| Saturday 4 th September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TRIES : Faleula Finau, Judah Laveala, Arthur Takapu, Jacob Miller, Luke Akauola GOALS : Jacob Miller 4 P/GOAL : Jacob Miller F/GOAL : Liam Ayoub HALF TIME : 18 - 0 FULL TIME : 33 - 0 TOSS WON BY : Jacob Miller - Matraville SHS Matraville SHS are into their 3 rd straight Arrive alive Cup Grand Final after smashing Westfields in this years 1st Semi Final at the SFS on Friday. Before the game the Matraville boys recieving a talk about pride in the school jumper by Legend Brad Fitler and this must have sunk in. The Matraville boys stuck it to Westfields in the first couple minutes when Australian Schoolboy Faleula Finau scored close to the post and gave skipper and fellow schoolboy teamate Jacob Miller and easy conversion. Matra 6 - 0 (More soon & heaps of GR8 Action Foto's) |
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| Friday 3 rd September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Red Bend Catholic College Opens Rugby League team are the 2009 CRL Country Cup Champions after defeating St Edwards College from Gosford in a hard fought final held at the College. Red Bend College ran out winners 14 - 12, Red Bend took advantage of the home game allowed the whole school to watch and support their College win CRL CUP Grand Final which was enough to lift the boys to their great victory. Many local supporters turned up to cheer the local boys on and at times were just as enthiastic as all the madly screaming students. The College tries were scored by Blake Baxter, Lou Goodwin and Cameron Clarke with Ethan Williams kicking a conversion. After being up 14 - 0 St Edwards came home strongly scoring two converted tries in the last 10 minutes. Bend Bend Catholic College 'opens' Captain Jake Grace was uinstoppable and his efforts for his school were rewarded with the Grand Final Man of the Match honours. Toby Evans was outstanding receiving 2 points and Lou Goodwin was pretty handy all over the park, 1 point. Red Bend take on Sydney's Aquinas College Menai in the Under 14's Cochrane Cup Semi today, this game will be a beauty as both schools have had stellar seasons, the home crowd advantage and the opens team cheering them on will go along way to helping Red Bend to more '09 glory. |
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| KEEBRA THROUGH TO FINALS IN BRONCOS COMPETITIONS. Story By : KEEBRA PARK RL dhart Its been another good week of football here at Keebra Park with both the Under 13's and the Under 15's progressing through to the finals of the Renouf Shield and the Walters Cup. In the Under 15 Walters Cup the boys beat a gallant Wavell side 18-16 in a tough encounter. Best on field for Keebra were workhorse prop Sam Fattal and utility Costner Lemafa. The boys are looking forward to their clash with PBC and a final win. In the Thirteens the boys played hard and fast and were to big and strong for Marsden. They now face competition front runners Sunnybank in what should be a cracker of a game. Added to this the Opens will be flying off to face Endeavour SHS in what will be a rematch of the 2006 and 2007 grand finals in the Arrive Alive Cup. Keebra are confident of a good team effort and will be working hard on shutting donwn the Endeavour danger men. Good luck boys |
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Melba-Copland College has reigned supreme in the 2009 year 9/10 Clyde Shield defeating Mackillop College 32-16 at Northbourne Oval last week. Named after Raiders legend Bradley Clyde, the Clyde shield is one of the most prestigious rugby league trophies in the ACT. The Rauter Shield for years 8/9 was also played earlier on the day. Played in perfect conditions the game started at a frantic pace and there was some brilliant football on display from both schools with the weather allowing for plenty of ball movement and some free running open football. Melba-Copland took advantage of there speed on the edge to run in three tries in the first half but were unable to convert any, while Mackillop College not to be out done scoring two tries and one goal. The score at half time was 12-10 in favor of Melba-Copland. The second half loomed as a tight battle with both teams coming out firing and exchanging sets in the opening minutes of the second half. Melba-Copland began to assert their dominance with some solid defence causing Mackillop to make fundamental errors in their half of the field, opening the door for Melba-Copland to capitalise. It didn’t take long for the Melba boys to run in the first of their four second half tries allowing them a well earned victory. In the year 7/8 Rauter shield played earlier in the day Mackillop College defeated Calwell High School 28-20. With Mackillop College starting the game as favourites it didn’t take them long to open the scoring, but not to be out done Calwell High hit straight back with back to back tries taking the score to 10-4. Just before Half Time Mackillop College crossed for a vital try to take the half time score to 10-10. The second half started off at the same fast pace were the first half finished, as Mackillop seemed more enthusiastic playing up tempo. They crossed for three rapid fire tries which were all converted and the score had blown out to 28-10. Not giving up Calwell hung in and crossed for 2 late tries and were mounting a late come back only to be beaten by the clock, seeing Mackillop hang on for a nervous but hard fought victory. Congratulations to all schools involved in this year’s carnival, there has been some great rugby league on display. Thanks to all the teachers, sports trainers, referees, canteen staff and support staff for all their help and organization this year, without these dedicated people these carnivals would not be possible. We are already looking forward to seeing you all in 2010. |
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| Thursday 3 rd September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FARRER Memorial Agricultural High School overcame Lambton High School in extra time of their Buckley Shield Under 14 round of 16 game in Tamworth yesterday but its open side was knocked out of the University Shield at Tuggerah in the final 20 seconds. Playing Tuggerah High in a University Shield quarter-final, the Farrer opens lost 26-20 after the two sides were locked 20-all going into the final minute. “We were hoping to get into extra time,” Farrer opens coach Steve Cavanagh said yesterday. “They (Tuggerah) were 20-10 up at one stage and we came back well but in the end we just weren’t good enough. “We gave them far too much possession. “They controlled the ball in the first half better than we did but, having said that, they were glad it didn’t go to extra time. “All our boys tried their hearts out. “They can be proud of that effort. “ It’s the end of the season for us but it’s still been a good season. “They are a great bunch of boys to work with and they trained really hard.” He thought all his side tried hard, with forwards Cameron Rodgers, Tom Hine, Jack Broughton, Andy Mack, Mitchell Trainor and Brett Jarrett earning praise along with Josh Leys and Nathan Maguire, who came off the bench. Ryan Pooley and Daniel Sharman also had strong games out wide. At Farrer’s John Simpson Oval, the home side was down 8-nil early against Lambton in their Buckley Shield Round 16 game but fought back to lead 12-8 at half-time and then 18-8 in the second half. Two late tries by Lambton evened up the game and took it to five minutes each way extra time. Farrer scored twice through centre Zac Leonard and then Troy Martin to secure a quarter -final berth against Narrabeen Sports High next week, Farrer coach Josh Steel said. Second-rower Brad Cappello was outstanding for Farrer. “We didn’t know what to expect from Lambton,” Steel said. “They showed they were a really good side. “We did well to come back after that start too. “Brad was outstanding. He had been playing in the centres but asked to play in the second row so he could see more ball.” That worked out perfectly, with Cappello a driving force in attack and defence for a side which must improve its defence and discipline if it is to go further in the Buckley Shield. |
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| Wednesday 2 nd September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heathcote High School hosted today's NSW CHS University Shield match against INVERELL High School. After a bit of a scratchy start by both teams the visitors did most of the attacking in the 1st half and were rewarded with a 0 - 10 half time lead with tries to Blake Murray and Harley Lane. The second was a better half with both teams hungry for a win. Heathcote scored when forward Clinton Allen bashed his way through some paper thin defence to bring the home side within reach of an upset. INVERELL were good enough to wack on 2 more 2nd half tries, again Blake Murray scored and Jake Moore crashed over for the sealer with a nice backline move. Heathcote hit back when hooker Ryan Giles dived over from dummy to score near the goal post, Clinton Allen converted but it was too late, the game was over. INVERELL High School go on to meet either Dubbo College or Bega High School in the next week or so on the way to Uni Shield glory. HALF TIME SCORE FULL TIME SCORE |
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OPENS RED BEND THROUGH TO FINAL OF CRL CUP The College are through to the final which will take place on Thursday 3rd September at the College. They play St Edwards from Gosford. Kick off 10.45am FOURTEENS (COCHRANE CUP)Red Bend are through to the SEMI FINALS of this state wide competition This game will take place on Friday 4th September also at the College The College looks forward to as many parents/ friends and supporters turning up to cheer on these teams. The whole school will be watching the opens while all of year 7 and 8 will be watching the 14’s This will be is the best performed teams to have represented the College over the last few years. Past College players Josh Miller and Joel Thompson (Canberra Raiders) have passed on their best wishes to both teams and many ex students will be on hand over the two days to support the current crop of players. For three families it will have an extra focus as they have boys in both teamsCorey and Daniel Nicholson Matthew and Bryce Park Andrew and David Cowhan |
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| TOURING GULF & NW QLD FOR COWBOYS DEVELOPMENT Celebrating a major rugby league milestone will be just one of the highlights for Cowboys players Aaron Payne, Clint Amos and Mitchell Achurch on their upcoming development tour of the Gulf and far north-west Queensland. Travelling with Toyota Cowboys Development Manager Dean Payne and ARL Development Officer Gavin Lloyd, the players will continue to strengthen the club’s ties with remote communities as they visit schools in Doomadgee, Burketown, Normanton, Croydon, Kowanyama and Mount Isa, departing Wednesday 2 September. Students in each centre will listen to the players speak about rugby league, the Cowboys and the benefits of leading an active and healthy lifestyle, and also pick up playing and training tips by participating in rugby league development clinics. Along the way, young players for local clubs the Doomadgee Dragons and Normanton Stingers (Juniors) will be put through their paces by Cowboys hooker and 150-game veteran Aaron Payne and the rest of the Cowboys group. The tour culminates in a full-day coaching clinic in Mount Isa on Saturday 5 September, kick-started by a signing and photo session from 9.30am, followed by clinics with the Black Stars JRL sides. The Cowboys travelling party will also be on hand to celebrate the Black Stars 80th birthday celebrations and presentation ball that evening, as the club recognises the first game played in 1929, six years after the birth of the township of Mount Isa. Supported by major sponsor Stockland and the Queensland Department of Communities – Sport and Recreation Services, the Cowboys are looking forward to build on the development work already undertaken in the region this year. “We aim to visit communities in these regions at least two to three times each year as part of our annual development program,” Development Manager Dean Payne says. “We’re bringing the rugby league message but it’s really all about having fun.” “We have a big day planned for the Black Stars coaching clinics in Mount Isa, where we’ll work with players from six grades – under 6s through to the under 16s – before getting along to the Black Stars ball, which is a big milestone and a real achievement.” The Cowboys development team travel over 60,000 km each year for coaching and development clinics, canvassing local league competitions in search of the next Matthew Bowen and Aaron Payne, while spreading the word on rugby league. |
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FARRER continues its University Shield and Buckley Shield title defences today. The First XIII has had plenty of time to prepare for its Uni Shield quarter-final and if it can get past Tuggerah Lakes on the Central Coast today it will be a step closer to another final. Farrer is also the reigning Buckley Shield champion and the under 14s are at home against Lambton High in a round of 16 clash today. They know every game means a step up. “Hopefully they can rise to the occasion,” coach Josh Steel said. “As far as we know they’ve all come through the weekend without any injuries, which is good. “They trained well on Friday night.” Farrer beat Macksville both times but were more impressive in the second game. “The defence was a big improvement,” Steel said. “We had the state carnival in Sydney in between the two Macksville games and playing against some of the big boppers gave them some confidence.” If Farrer can advance in the Buckley Shield, it will face Narrabeen Sports High School in Sydney. |
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| Tuesday 1 st September 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
After two years in the NSW based Bundaberg Cup the WA Reds will now change strategic direction as they position themselves for an NRL franchise bid by focusing on the SG Ball under 18’s competition, according to WARL Chairman Geoff Baldwin. “The logistical and structural experience gained over the past two seasons has been invaluable and we have learnt an enormous amount about what’s involved with a Perth based team playing in a National competition however it is now time to take the next step focusing on our younger players”, Mr Baldwin said. “If we are serious about providing a career path for our local players whereby they can be part of our inaugural WA based NRL side in 2013 then we must start by exposing them to the higher level sooner rather than later. “From next season the WA Reds will cease playing in the Bundaberg Cup and will instead kick off in the National under 18 SG Ball Competition which is a recognised stepping stone into the NRL. “In our view, expansion of the NRL competition by another two teams is inevitable and following the success of recent NRL games hosted in Perth and the solid structures we have set in place we would be very confident of being serious participants in the bidding process. “We intend to ensure we are prepared and an important component of that is the preparation of local players who can be serious contenders by season 2013 which is likely to be when the League expands. “We also believe this decision will leave our local senior competition in a much stronger position that it was before the current Reds and we are confident that we will now also attract many younger players from NSW and QLD as they see WA being a clearer pathway to the NRL. “It is our intention to run a substantial academy with between 40 and 50 participants from whom we will select our SG Ball side however this initiative will also strengthen our WA State Representative teams and breathe new life into our 16s and 18s competition locally. “Although the NRL remains coy about its expansion vision there are simply too many pressures for it not to happen and it is widely expected by most knowledgeable stakeholders, that an announcement will be made sometime next year”, Mr Baldwin said. |
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| Monday 31 st August 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| R THESE THE TOP NSW SCHOOLBOYS Over the past couple years, ourfootyteam has had the privilege of covering 100's of school rugby league matches in NSW So we need your help to make a top 25 NSW School players Here is a list of real good NSW schoolboys rugby league players, this list is NOT is positional order - Who would make your list N.S.W ARRIVE ALIVE/UNI SHIELD TOP 25 PLAYERS, JUDGED ON THE PLAYERS THAT HAVE CONSISTANTLY PERFORMED FOR THEIR SCHOOLS. Joseph Leilua, Cameron King, Daniel Ahsin (ENDEAVOUR SPORTS), Patrick Politoni, Junior Roquica, Sebastian Voulous (Holy Cross College), Kyle Fraser, Jacob Miller, David Uhi, Nathan Massey, Boyd Cordner (Mattraville Sports), Peni Terepo, Jacob Loko, Jason Webhe (Hills Sports), Jack Lee Hang, Chris Ulugia (Westfields Sports),. Limoni Kamuta, Alex McKinnon (St Gregorys College), Samson Sene (Blacktown Pats), Blake Austin (St Dominics), Elkan Tanuvasa (Chifley College), Limoni Latu, Ronny Palumbo (Sarah Redfern High), Simon Maslanka (Kiama High), Max Ray (Dubbo Senior College) SEND US YOUR LIST, GO ON, GIVE IT A GO!! Contact US |
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 THE cross-river rivalry between South and Grafton high schools is set to reignite after each booked a berth in The Daily Examiner Shield schoolboy rugby league final. It will be twice the fun for the rival schools, with both negotiating safe passage through the under-14s (Hungry Jacks Cup) and opens competitions at McKittrick Park on Wednesday night. However, Grafton High has secured a rare trifecta of sorts, with the school's girls' side reserving a place in the final after downing South Grafton High 10-6 in an entertaining game. Grafton High will meet defending champions Maclean High in the final. Defending open boys' champions South Grafton were made to work for their finals spot, needing a 16-12 extra-time victory to dispose of Maclean High. The heated contest was evenly poised for much of the match, until South Grafton star Aaron Martin sealed the victory with a strong run to the line. In the other qualifying final, Grafton High School blew out to a 28-point lead, before a Jed Holloway-inspired McAuley College side salvaged some pride in a 32-14 loss. With six different try scorers on the night, Grafton promised much with their attacking ability, but a late lapse in concentration was exposed by a flurry of three tries from McAuley. In the under-14s qualifying finals, both South and Grafton high schools notched up impressive wins. A 14-point haul from Darby Fahey (two tries, three conversions) inspired Grafton to a 44-6 victory over Maclean High School, while South Grafton managed to keep McAuley College scoreless in a 40-0 romp. |
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Story & Photo's : St. George Dragons St George Illawarra teenager Chase Stanley is inspiring troubled youths in a ‘Footy Fever’ community partnership that is helping teenagers turn their lives around. Stanley was today named the One Community Good Guy of the Month for August in recognition of his work as a mentor to teenagers who have been young offenders or youth at risk though truancy, suspension, domestic and behavioural issues. Stanley has been involved in the Footy Fever Program, run by St George PCYC in partnership with the Dragons Community and Development program, for the past two years. Chase - PCYC presentation “Chase is someone that young people in the program can turn to for advice, for a joke, for footy tips and as a friend,” said Senior Constable Amy Brewis, from St George PCYC. “Chase has had more of an impact on them than many people may realise and the relationship he has built with them is extremely important in working with young people to stay on the straight and narrow. “It has been a pleasure having Chase on the Footy Fever Program as an inspiring young mentor.” Stanley’s work is also inspiring his team-mates to become involved in the program. “I remember dropping Chase off last year and I saw the bond he had with the kids and could tell he was so excited to come down each week, I thought it would be a great thing to be part of,” said Dragons team-mate Jason Nightingale.
NRL Director, Community Relations, Trish Crews, said: “For someone as a young as Chase to be making such a difference to people’s lives is a credit to him and reflects his passion for an important community program.” Stanley joins Jamie Simpson (Rabbitohs), Andrew Ryan (Bulldogs), Justin Carney (Raiders), Greg Inglis (Storm) and Nick Kenny (Broncos) as 2009 recipients of the One Community Good Guy of the Month award, which acknowledges the inspiring work NRL players are doing in the community throughout the season. As the Good Guy of the Month, Stanley will receive two nights’ accommodation plus breakfast for 2 at the Holiday Inn Darling Harbour courtesy of IHG. |
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| Saturday 29 th August 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 THEY may have finished as runners-up in the Arrive Alive Cup Queensland final, but Kirwan High showed enough to indicate they will return stronger next year. The young side were bulldozed by the giant Keebra Park High pack in the first half of their 34-18 loss, but rallied in the second half to restore credibility to the scoreline. Keebra Park - traditional powerhouses and breeding ground of the likes of Benji Marshall - will move into the national finals in New South Wales with their win. Kirwan High coach George Bartlett paid credit to their opposition and to his young side, many of whom will return for another crack at the title in 2010. ''They were good opposition, too big for us today,'' he said. ''They certainly dominated a lot of our guys in the middle of the field. ''To the kids' credit they hung in there towards the back end of the game and came home holding their heads high. A lot of them will come back next year, there are seven 16-year-olds in our team, we'll have a very solid side next year.'' Keebra Park ran out to an unassailable 34-6 lead early in the second half as their giant forward pack ran roughshod over Kirwan and fullback Jordan Kahu weaved his way through the tiring defence. Kahu was awarded man-of-the-match for his scything runs and a brilliant try in which he ran 70m to score under the posts. The locals didn't give up the fight though, five-eighth Luke Abdul-Rahman and Nathan Norford making the most of sustained pressure to peg the scoreline back. Bartlett backed Keebra Park to represent Queensland well in the finals and said he was proud of his side's efforts this year. ''To win the Arrive Alive Cup you've got to be very good and there are some great players in the opponent's team, they'll go a fair way,'' he said. ''We've got a great side for next year and we've got some great kids this year. ''We've had a really good year and I'm really proud of the boys.'' KEEBRA PARK HIGH 34 (Danny White 2, Mosese Fotuaika, Henere Wells, Ben Murdoch, Jordan Kahu tries; Kahu 5 goals) d KIRWAN HIGH 18 (Rhyse Martin, Luke Abdul-Rahman, Nathan Norford tries; Quinton Pomare-Anderson 3 goals). |
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| KEEBRA PARK THRU TO SEMI'S Keebra Park State High School have booked an Arrive alive semi final berth against their old enemy Endeavour Sports High School after dominating Kirwin SHS in the Queensland final on Friday afternoon. . Kirwin came out on fire and were first to score after only a few minutes, with the conversion lead 6 - 0, then reality sunk in as Keebra's big blokes gave their backs room to move and Keebra Park went to the half time break 16 -6 up Keebra Park kept up the rage in the second half with Man of the Match Jordan Kahu ripping the Kirwan centers to pieces. The score blew out to 34 - 6 when Kirwan remembered what 'pride' in their schools footy jumper was all about and frantically attacked the bigger Keebra Park line and running in 12 more points before the final whistle. Congratulations to Keebra Park SHS, 2009 Queensland Arrive alive Cup Champions after a good display of schoolboys rugby league at Dairy Farmer Stadium up in sunny Townsville. The last time two times Keebra Park played Endeavour SHS, it was in the 2006 and 2007 Arrive alive Cup grand finals where Endeavour won number two and number three of the National Titles. Endeavour and Keebra park get it on in a couple week down in Melbourne. more tomz |
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| RED DEVILS SET TO PUT BITE ON RED DOGS
The West Maitland Red Dogs will be looking to put the disappointment of last year's Grand Final loss aside when they do battle with a Valentine side dripping with talent. Both sides have a host a representative stars looking to add a Premiership to their resumes' this Saturday when the best of Maitland take on the best of Newcastle in the Under 16's premiership decider. The Red Dogs will go into this one as the clear favourites. With a perfect 12 - O record in the competition to date and a convincing Major Semi Final victory over Scone, the Telarah based club will go into Saturday's twilight match full of confidence. Valentine on the other hand will no doubt fancy their chances after showing some great form in the past couple of weeks. Finishing the season with 5 wins from the last 6 of the premiership competition the Red Devils went down at home to the Scone Thoroughbreds in the Qualifying Final. They bounced back to form with a convincing Minor Semi Final win over Nelson Bay before tackling and defeating Scone 20 - 16 in an Aberdeen hosted Preliminary Final last Saturday. Their roads to the Grand Final couldn't have been any more different and when casting an eye over the two teams neither could they. Valentine are a big, physical team with a pack of forwards led by Jackson Hill that will hunt together in an attempt to dominate an opposition around the ruck. West Maitland won't be as physically imposing but will score points from anywhere on the park. They'll hang in there and when the opportunities present themselves the likes of Shay Padberg, Geordie Connelly and Jack Underwood will take them. Saturday August 28 - Maitland Sportsground - Kick Off - 5.10pm TALE OF THE TAPE 2009 RECORD KEY POINTS Valentine have promoted Rylee Snowden from the Under 15's squad. West Maitland's Jack Underwood and Geordie Connelly are the competitions two leading try scorers with 14 and 13 respectivley. |
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| Friday 28 th August 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Would you like to be a part of the Canberra Raiders? LOCAL TRIALS – Northbourne Oval Players selected from the local trial, may be required to trial again on Saturday 26th September. Players participating in the CRJRL Senior Grand Finals will not be required to trial. PLEASE NOTE A “NO REGISTRATION, NO TRIAL POLICY” WILL APPLY. Please see attached form for information on 2010 Canberra Raiders Trials for under 16's, 18's and 20's. www.raiders.com.au |
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Endeavour SHS are thru to the Quarter Finals of the Arrive alive Cup after belting Hills 12 - 36 this afternoon at MacCreadie Oval. Endeavour play the winner of the QLD final tomorrow nite between Keebra Park & Kirwan. Joseph Leilu was the best on the ground, breaking the Hills line at will, running plenty of meters and scored a try in each half in a dominating game. Both half backs played well, Hills half Jason Saege must have made over 20 tackles in a good display of what a tough little man can do. Plenty more soon including "PK's" Match Report and heaps of gr8 foto's |
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 30 YEARS of NSW CCC SCHOOLBOYS RUGBY LEAGUE BOOK LAUNCH The NSW CCC have launched a brand new book. 30 years of NSW CCC Rugby League. Its a fantastic book filled with great stories & photos of the history of the NSW CCC rugby league system. This book is available for sale at the bargain price of only $20.00, if you would like a copy, contact us and we can point you in the right direction. | LeaRN MoRe | ORDER NOW |
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