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WT’s Pathways

Perth Tiger

Bench
Messages
3,215
Nothing worthwile
Well nothing that hasnt already been written. The DT have zero knowledge of junior footy as it doesnt sell papers or get clicks. They just rewrite what has already been written and try and use their platform to highlight it as a scoop. The photo of the player from the Harold Matts team is Luke Laualiili. Younger Brother of Kit who is in SG Ball who the Tigers have big wraps on. Luke is a great young talent but there are 4 or 5 layers in that Matts team who are equal or if not better. But because Kit has got some headlines from the DT they will use Lukes photo as click bait
Thanks, I was actually wondering if they stole your write up 😂
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
25,391
Nothing worthwile

Thanks, I was actually wondering if they stole your write up 😂


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)
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
25,391
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
 
Messages
11,293
Thanks for posting that Vic
Ive seen all of those kids mentioned in the articles. And they all are the goods. Really really rate the Magpies Sg Ball Coach Joey Saukuru as well. Wests got him from the Bulldogs a couple of years ago and he bought his 3 Sons with him. 1 is in 1st grade as well.

Out of all the kids mentioned i think we will see Tallyn De Silver playing 1st grade 1st out of all of them.

Ive harped on nearly every week about these Juniors and ill say it 1 more time. The Wests Juniors are going through a golden period at the moment with these kids coming through. Exciting times ahead
 
Messages
11,293
Nothing worthwile

Thanks, I was actually wondering if they stole your write up 😂
If you read the article its rubbish. The author obviously knows nothing about Junior Footy in Wests and im asuming Junior Footy in general.

All they have done is rang the Coaches and asked who are your best 3 players this year and why??

No journalism at all. The headline was very misleading
 

Tigerm

Coach
Messages
10,819
TeamCaptain
Andrew Johns Cup (U/16s)PJ French
Balmain Harold Matthews (U/17s)Alex Conti
Wests Harold Matthews (U/17s)Luke Laulilii
Laurie Daley Cup (U/18s)Zac Gibson
Balmain SG Ball (U/19s)Tony Sukkar & Josh Feledy
Wests SG Ball (U/19s)Kit Laulilii
Wests Tigers Tarsha Gale (U/19s)Jae Patu
Harvey Norman Women's (Open)Emily Curtain


Wests Tigers Jersey Flegg Cup (U/21s) and Wests Magpies KOE Cup team captains will be announced when their season's kick off in March.
 

Vic Mackey

Referee
Messages
25,391
No idea why Feledy is a captain in Balmain Ball, he should be straight into Flegg

Big call having Kit Laulilii Wests Ball captain, i don’t think he’s even turned 18 yet. Club obviously holds him in very high regard.
 
Last edited:
Messages
11,293
I don't know if the club does this but we should be having any kid with talent train with and shadow their first grade counterparts. Imagine what a young kid could achieve having a mentor like Klem, Bateman, our hookers learn from Api etc.


3 17 year olds from last years Harold Matts trained with 1st grade all pre season
Kit
Jordan
Tallyn

All 3 can play but its about the preperation, attitutude to training and recovery that these kids need to learn
 

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