This one from a Titans fan forum in January 2021 - http://www.leagueoftitans.com.au/showthread.php?24060-My-take-on-our-top-juniors/page97
It's an essay so have bolded some exciting content
Jahream Bula. The PNG born and raised young man moved over to Australia to attend Keebra Park State High School at the start of 2018 and since then has showcased his elite athleticism both on a rugby league field as well as on a basketball court for Keebra Park State High School.
As a result of his outstanding athleticism Jahream Bula signed a multi-year contract with the Titans in 2019 and was set to play for the Tweed Heads Seagulls in the 2020 MM Cup competition as well as completing his senior year of schooling at Keebra Park and being part of the JTS Program with the Titans.
In his first year at Keebra Park being 2018 Jahream Bula was named the Langer Cup Reserve Most Valuable Player and was also awarded the Most Valuable Player at the Year 11 level at the Keebra Park Rugby League Sports Specialisation Awards night towards the end of that year.
2020 also saw Jahream Bula once again play basketball for Keebra Park, representing them at the 2020 Queensland School Division Four Championships, playing primarily shooting guard or small forward.
On Day One of the Championships Jahream Bula scored eleven points from four two point shots and one three point shot as well as dishing out five assists in a 35 – 23 Keebra Park win over Emmanus College. Also on Day One Jahream Bulla made two two point shots for four points as Keebra Park remainded undefeated recording a 39 – 20 win over Grace Lutheran College.
In Keebra Park’s first match of Day Two of the Championships Jahream Bula had an equal team leading twelve points from four two point shots, a three point shot and a free throw as Keebra Park defeated St Augustines College 46 – 27. In Keebra Park’s first loss of the Championships, also in Day Two Jahream Bula scored a team leading sixteen points from eight two point shots as Keebra Park went down 49 – 43 to Capalaba State High School.
In Keebra Park’s quarter final victory over Rochedale State High School Jahream Bula scored a team leading twenty one points from six two point shots, two three point shots and three free throws. Jahream Bula’s Championships came to an end as Keebra Park went down in their semi-final loss 36 – 22 to All Saints Anglican School with Jahream Bula converting two two point shots for four points.
In total at the 2020 Queensland School Division Four Championships Jahream Bula scored a team leading sixty eight points to average a team leading 11.33 points per game.
As noted Jahream Bula also played basketball for Keebra Park in both 2018 and 2019, playing in five matches each year in the CBSQ Boys Fourth Division competition. In 2019 Jahream Bula averaged a team leading 11.6 points from his five games including scoring a career high twenty two points in the final game of the season against Mt Maria College. Jahream Bula added twelve points in matches against Brisbane Bayside State College (Game One) and Pacific Pines State High School (Game Three).
In 2018 in the CBSQ Fourth Boys Division competition Jahream Bula averaged a team leading (again) twelve points a game including scoring fifteen points in the final game of the 2018 season against Springfield Central State High School.
Impressively in 2018 Jahream Bula scored in double figures in each of his five matches. In addition to his season high fifteen point match noted above Jahream Bula also scored in double figures in 2018 against Alexandra State High School, Pacific Pines State High School, Immanuel Lutheran College and St Andrews Catholic College.
In 2019 Jahream Bula played for the Hurricanes in the North Coast Basketball Association in the U17 – U20 competition.
In 2018 Jahream Bula also represented North Gold Coast at the U18 Boys Division Three Queensland State Championships scoring fifty six points from seven matches at an average of eight points per game made up of twenty five two point shots and six free throws. Jahream Bula scored thirteen points (six two point shots and a free throw) in Game Three against Redlands and added twelve (six two point shots) in Game Six against the Trojans.
Jahream Bula has some height about him and is exceptionally quick and explosive, with outstanding speed, both off the mark and when he gets into open space and also can step off both feet exceptionally well and also has a great swerve whilst maintaining top speed when he is in space.
There is nothing that Jahream Bula cannot do when running the ball and it is only now about developing his ball playing skills to make his footwork and running ability even more lethal, in attack he also played up in the line quite often.
In terms of running the ball back from kicks, Jahream Bula’s timing and anticipation means that he gets to a lot of balls on the full and makes a quick decision whether to run the ball flat out back into the oncoming defenders or look to create an opportunity by running across field. Regardless Jahream Bula is an absolute handful to tackle when he has the time to use his speed and evasion skills.
Jahream Bula is what you can consider to be a quick twitch athlete and exceptional hand eye co-ordination and outstanding balance, spatial awareness and has the ability to take in a lot of information about his surrounds and invariably make the correct decision in terms of how to proceed.
Seriously I cannot think of a current NRL player who can as high off the ground as Jahream Bula and to make things harder for the opposition Jahream Bula can comfortably take the ball when he jumps with his arms extended over his head, thus no-one and I mean no-one else has got a chance to get near the ball.
Thus from both an attacking and defensive perspective in relation to kicks Jahream Bula is going to be a godsend for his side. When they are on the attack kickers can put the ball up high to where Jahream Bula is running to and it is guaranteed that Jahream Bula will get the first shot at it. Similarly from a defensive aspect no one is going to get above Jahream Bula when he is looking to defuse a high kick as long as he gets a fair shot at the ball.
In terms of Jahream Bula’s defence, one thing that has stood out to me, is when the opposition makes a break he moves forward looking to cut down the time of the attacking player, which is quite impressive for such a young player.
An impressive attribute that Jahream Bula does have is ability to force attackers who are in open space to try to beat him down the side line. Jahream Bula will stay inside the attacker and force him in the requisite direction and then use his timing, closing speed and anticipation to make the tackle, usually forcing the attacker into touch.
As noted above Jahream Bula has signed a contract with the Titans and is part of the Junior Titans System (JTS) and was named in the Tweed Heads Seagulls 2020 MM Cup squad. Jahream Bula also returned to Keebra Park for his senior year and was a stand out in the Keebra Park Open A Langer Cup school side.
2021 will see Jahream Bula play for the Tweed Heads Seagulls Hastings Deerings Colts side and he will also be Colts eligible in 2022.
Jahream Bula, since his move from PNG played primarily at fullback for Keebra Park but in the Langer Cup in 2020, Jahream Bula was outstanding at left centre and that is where his immediate (and long term) future seemingly lies.
Jahream Bula has outstanding speed, strength, power and leaping ability but has probably played less rugby league than most if not all of the other players in the JTS regardless of age. That is not necessarily a bad situation as that may just mean Jahream Bula has less “bad habits” for coaches to address and rectify. Jahream Bula is a fresh canvass for coaches and development staff to work with, if you will.
From an NRL player comparison perspective, with his speed from the fullback position potentially the best player comparison I can think of his former Melbourne Storm/Souths Sydney Rabbitoh, Queensland State of Origin and Australian International Greg Ingles as an outstanding athlete who was an even better rugby league player when he put it all together.
Certainly a job well done to the Titans staff for seeing the exceptional athletic ability of Jahream Bula (and his rugby league skills which are probably over shadowed a touch at present, fairly or not) and bringing him into the JTS system.
Jahream Bula does not have the resume of a lot of the current players in the JTS but he is an exceptional athlete with a leap that has to be seen to be believed as well as incredible speed and power as well as outstanding hand eye co-ordination from playing basketball as well as just pure natural athletic talent.
The only thing that is holding Jahream Bula up is rugby league experience and as noted above he played a lot of rugby league in 2020 as well as getting a steady dose of outstanding coaching through Keebra Park Rugby league Sports Specialisation Program which now has links to the Titans, the Tweed Heads MM Cup squad and of course Jamie McCormack and company through the outstanding JTS program.
It may take a year or two for Jahream Bula to really explode onto the rugby league scene and for his skill set catches up to his undoubted athletic ability, on the Gold Coast but I can guarantee you that it will be worth the wait for Titans fans if/when it occurs.
Jahream Bula’s explosiveness and athleticism would even now stand out in the NRL now highlighting just how impressive it is. As fans however, we just need to be patient and allow young men like Jahream Bula to grow and mature as individuals off the field as well as rugby league players at their own pace.
Does this explain the Jordan Hill departure?
