http://www.qrl.com.au/display.php?pg_id=2971
TEEN sensation Will Chambers may be only one game into his NRL career, yet he looked like a representative player for years to come, starring in Queensland’s tense 14-10 loss to New South Wales in Under 19s.
Scoring two tries and providing the edge to Queensland competitive spirit, the Norths Devils and Melbourne Storm centre was a clear standout before a heaving Suncorp Stadium crowd.
Born in Brisbane, but raised in Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory, he has confirmed his desire to play for the Sunshine State after graduating from Nudgee College.
His display was a soothing ailment to a game where Queensland could not summon a game-breaking try, despite having 25 minutes to do so.
Unlike the main game where the team in Maroon seized the day, in the Under 19s it was the Blues who found something special.
The pivotal play of the contest came with 16 minutes on the clock at 10-all, as winger Heka Nanai was forced to clean up a ball in-goal.
Met by a wall of defenders, Nanai defied the odds to wriggle through and plant the ball narrowly in the field of play, avoiding a goal-line drop-out.
A minute later New South Wales was down the other end of the paddock and scoring through halfback Eddie Paea. It was a remarkable effort from Paea, bouncing back after being the subject of serious medical attention only moments beforehand.
Not that he was shown any sympathy by fierce competitor Chambers, receiving a non-too-subtle push after lingering around the Maroons in the postscript to his try.
Indeed, Chambers was seemingly involved in everything, his tries in the 9th and 43rd minutes only telling half the story. The slippery customer also went within a whisker in the 17th minute, while his aggressive defence at the back end of the game was inspirational.
Another to inspire was tiny fullback Chris Sandow, at one stage trying to shoulder charge Blues monster Tim Mannah in a one-on-one situation in open field. Yet Sandow came off second best and could never quite find the touch that made him a hero in Under 17s the year before.
Queensland’s struggle for penetration when the game was on the line came with the knowledge that the likes of Israel Folau, Joel Moon and David Taylor were unavailable to play.
Folau was ruled ineligible after playing the majority of his football this year in the NRL, while Moon and Taylor had to be withdrawn after featuring in Monday night’s clash between the Brisbane Broncos and Manly Sea Eagles.
NEW SOUTH WALES U19 14 (Michael Brophy, Eddie Paea, Tim Grant tries; Eddie Paea goal) d QUEENSLAND U19 10 (Will Chambers 2 tries; Chris Sandow goal) at Suncorp Stadium.
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Interesting to see the qrl website whinging about losing Israel Folau, Dave Taylor and Joel Moon.
NSW were missing Jarryd Hayne, Mitchell Pearce, Michael Jennings Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Chase Stanley.
