**Six Burleigh Bears products to feature in State of Origin curtain-raiser at Suncorp Stadium**
Gold Coast Bulletin
July 8, 2017 12:00am
BURLEIGH product Jed Edwards will be a marked man in the curtain-raiser to the highly anticipated State of Origin decider on Wednesday night.
Edwards has been named at hooker for NSW under-16s and is sure to receive plenty of attention from five former teammates – Will Evans, Alo’fiana Khan-Pereira, **Ryan Garner**, Nelson Grove and Eli Morgan – who have all been picked from Burleigh for the young Maroons.
Edwards spent the past two seasons at Burleigh before being picked up by Parramatta to play in their Harold Matthews Cup team.
Bears under-16 coach Geoff Eggert expects the situation will foster some friendly rivalry and can’t wait to see his stars in their first major representative outing.
“It is a massive achievement for them to make that level,” he said.
Burleigh’s Nelson Grove, Will Evans, Alo'fiana Khan-Pereira, Ryan Garner and Eli Morgan in the Queensland under-16 team. Picture: Richard Gosling
Evans captains the Burleigh side that competes in the Gold Coast under-16 competition and is likely to line up at centre for Queensland.
The 16-year-old entered camp at Royal Pines yesterday on the back of being named player of the State Junior Championships last weekend in Kawana.
“It’s really still hard to believe,” Evans said. “The camp is unreal. It’s only day one and it has already been amazing.”
Evans was born in Perth and spent time in his upbringing at Tenterfield but identifies as a Queenslander. Contracted by the Broncos, he is dreaming of a professional rugby league career.
The Maroons under-16s will have two other Gold Coast representatives in action: Thomas Dearden (Currumbin) and Stepharn Holo (Helensvale).