balmain boy
Well-known member
Hopefully they can announce the squads before the season starts...
Juniors - Pathways General Discussion
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Tigers_Wests
Well-known member
Anyone got access to the Harold Matts daily telegraph article about Balmain/Wests players and can post on here?
The Harold Matthews Cup season is just around the corner with future NRL talent everywhere. The Daily Telegraph will preview every club ahead of the new year, starting with Balmain and Western Suburbs.
THE brightest young talents and superstars of tomorrow are set to showcase their skills once again we approach the start of the Harold Matthews Cup season.
The U17s NSWRL season kicks off on February 4 with so many storylines set to play out.
Which NRL contracted stars will shine the brightest? Will Penrith’s rugby league dominance extend to the U17s in 2023? Will there be a new contender to the throne?
All of those questions will be revealed as we progressively preview all 15 clubs ahead of the new season, starting today with the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies.
BALMAIN TIGERS
Captain: TBA
Coach: Chris Cotty
Players to watch: “There’s a couple of guys that played last year that are back once again. Halfback Alex Conti, up and coming fullback Michael Nasser and a front rower who has come along in leaps and bounds is Douglas Tuala. They’re three standouts that have gone well, they know what a pre-season is about and the difference between club and rep footy. They’re leading from the front and have done a good job in guiding the players around them.”
Surprise packet: “One that has trained really well and surprised a lot of people is our utility Joseph Radd. Another training the house down is hooker Jared Haywood. They’ve both surprised the group and are standing out.”
Why they will be competitive: “We’ve had a cracking pre-season. The boys are as fit as anything, the skill levels are fantastic and the experience from last year will make them better for the run. The coaching staff will be better for the run too. There’s a few mistakes I made that I want to learn from to better help the playing group. We have 11 kids coming back from last year and with a squad of 26-28 players, we have a lot of depth. We can call up any one of those players, something we didn’t fully have last year.”
Last season: 7th
WESTERN SUBURBS
Captain: TBA
Coach: Robbie Mears
Players to watch: “We’ve only got four boys coming back from last year. In early training, Kohan Lewis our front rower has been performing really well. Nate Gallagher in the outside backs and fullback Luke Laulili'i will also have big years. Denzel (Schaafhausen-Mino) has been really good as well. He’s leading the boys in training and has come back with a good attitude. He know what it’s about.”
Surprise packet: “Onitoni Large is a good kid. He’s a year young and having his first season with the age group, but he’s a versatile five-eighth, fullback or centre who has a great overall athletic ability.”
Why they will be competitive: “We had an outstanding season last year and know the Wests Tigers have started to put some emphasis into the pathways development. We’ve seen that over the past couple of years, and hopefully as a club we see the benefit of that. Our role as coaches is to introduce the boys to their first experience and hopefully develop them into good footballers. This year is a pretty open season and a lot of teams will be competitive. We’ll be competitive again and hopefully go out each week and give it our best.”
Last season: 1st (Premiers)
SG Ball Cup season preview: Every club profiled ahead of the 2023 NSWRL junior reps season
Some of the biggest young stars in the game are set to feature as the SG Ball Cup season gets underway once again. The Daily Telegraph begins its preview of all teams with Balmain and Western Suburbs.
FUTURE NRL stars are set to make their impact as the SG Ball Cup returns for another season.
Pitting the best U19s talent in Australia against each other, the competition has a long history of breeding future first graders, and this year is set to be no different.
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Penrith’s success was one of many for the club last year, but there are plenty of sides hot on their tails, including a Western Suburbs side calling up multiple players from their dominant Harold Matthews Cup premiership in 2022.
We’ll progressively preview all 16 clubs competing this year, starting with the Balmain Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies.
BALMAIN TIGERS
Captain: TBA
Coach: Gaven Sheehan
Players to watch: “The name on everyone’s mouth is Josh Feledy. He transferred from Manly to the Wests Tigers. He’s been training with the NRL squad in the pre-season and we might see him in the first few rounds (of SG Ball). Another is a local Tony Sukkar who is a forward and a very likely prospect coming back into SG Ball. He’s a powerful player with a lot of maturity. He’s been training in the NRL squad along with Oliver Lawry. He’s a big unit at over six foot tall, and has great skills and is a strong half.”
Surprise packet: “I had a big wrap on this player from last year but unfortunately he got injured in the trials. Elijah Mataale has come back 5kg fitter and trimmer. He looks a great prospect. He’s a middle front rower. Another is John Ibrahim who looks great as a running lock.”
Why they will be competitive: “If you look at both teams last year, not a lot of people gave us a hope in SG Ball and we finished only one point out of second. What I see in this group is balance across the field. We’ve got some good forwards, good backs and some key players in those positions. You look at Wests and a few others that will be strong, we’ll likely sit under the radar. We’ll continue to build nicely and there’s no real weaknesses across the field. Our top 18-20 players look strong.”
Last season: 3rd (eliminated Finals Wk 1)
WESTERN SUBURBS MAGPIES
Captain: TBC
Coach: Joey Saukuru
Players to watch: “We’ve had three training at the top level. Kit Laulili’i is a ball-playing lock and brings real leadership to the team He’s a year young for SG Ball but is very mature minded and leads from the front. Zac Clarke is an edge back rower who can also play at the six. Tallyn De Silva is a classy nine that gets out and runs. The club has managed to lock him down which is good for his development, we rate him really highly.”
Surprise packet: “Heath Mason is a good, running half and a really nice kid. He was in the Emerging Blues over the summer and went into camp with them. Heath was part of the Harold Matts team last year that went undefeated last year and is a St Greg’s product who trains hard and is really aggressive.”
Why they will be competitive: “In last year’s SG Ball we had 11 year youngs and nine of them have stayed on with two moved on to other clubs. Plus we have the young guys coming up from Harold Matts so we have a decent side of local talent. There’s about 95 per cent that are locals, sprinkled in with Australian Schoolboys player Chris Faagutu (from Queensland), I think we can give it a really good shake.”
Last season: 12th
balmain boy
Well-known member
So Balmain have this Oliver Lawry kid, who was playing in NZ last year for South Island in league and Canterbury in Union. A half/fullback type looks to have a strong running game...
Man, that is one impressive video clip, i pray we don't lose him.
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
You wonder if he is here because of Marshall's influence. It is good for WTs that he has been recruited from the deep South.
tony soprano
Well-known member
Passing game reminds me of benji.
Why do people insist on putting loud music over the top of these things?
balmain boy
Well-known member
Lose him? He would have only signed with us a few weeks ago. Probably on a 2 year, juniors deal.
Impressive he was training with first grade. Presume that was before Christmas and now he's back with ball+Flegg
Odessa
Well-known member
He looks a big kid do you know how old he is ?
He's one of the SG Ball-age players who did a few sessions with first grade over pre-season, along with Chris Faagutu, Solomone Saukuru, Navren Willett and possibly a few others I'm forgetting.
Good experience for them.
Pretty sure he's 18 now, and turns 19 this year.
LeichhardtTiger
Well-known member
He busts tackles, runs hard, steps off both feet, can pass 30m loopers to his winger, backs up to score, has a huge kicking game and can kick goals from the sideline. But can he tackle? He looks Fittleresque! Definitely a keeper.
you would like to hope but he trialled at St George before us
It is not just loud music it is pure manure
I was going to say it was crap but I might be out of touch…
Roar_Power
Well-known member
He looks fantastic. Just natural ability. A real prospect.
tony soprano
Well-known member
Hp Boyz bro. Good tune.
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