RED AND BLACK REPORT 2024: EDITION NO.1
The Red and Black Report shines a spotlight on Canterbury Rugby League juniors featuring in Australia’s elite and lower-grade competitions.
Several Canterbury products featured as the NSWRL’s junior competitions – the SG Ball Cup (under-19s), Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s) and Tarsha Gale Cup (women’s under-18s) – got underway on last weekend.
CANTERBURY PRODUCTS SET TO SHINE IN NSWRL AND QRL JUNIOR COMPS
SG BALL CUP
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, who initiated a development and pathways partnership with CRL in 2023, kicked off their SG Ball campaign with a spirited 36-26 loss to Sydney Roosters.
Linwood’s Chelden Hayward, a Canterbury age-group rep who featured in St Thomas’ NZSST triumph last year, debuted for the Bulldogs on the wing, while Hornby forward and 2023 Harold Matthews Cup grand final winner Sosaia Alataini came off the bench to score a second-half try.
Papanui junior and St Thomas’ star Jason Salalilo started at prop in the Warriors’ hard-fought 32-20 loss to Parramatta on Sunday. The Warriors led 20-14 during the second half before conceding the last three tries of the match.
Saalilo’s Canterbury 18s teammate and Linwood clubmate, Dakota Kakoi, lined up at centre for the victorious Eels.
Second-rower/centre Te Kaio Cranwell, who was named in the NZRL 20s Tournament Team after starring for South Island Scorpions, represented Canterbury 18s and featured in Linwood’s CRL Premiership grand final victory in a whirlwind 2023, was part of the biggest win of the SG Ball Cup’s opening round – coming off the pine in Newcastle Knights’ 56-10 thrashing of Canberra Raiders.
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
Linwood’s Lennox Tuiloma and Hornby’s Isaiah Savea – teammates in St Thomas’ NZSST victory in 2023 – featured in the Warriors’ historic Harold Matthews Cup Round 1 fixture, a 30-6 loss to Parramatta.
Tuiloma started in the second-row, while Savea came off the interchange.
Halswell stalwart Shannon Rushworth’s Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs side began their Harold Matthews Cup title defence with a 30-16 win over Sydney Roosters. Coach Rushworth, has Northern Bulldogs mainstay Kyle Reuben as an assistant this season.
TARSHA GALE CUP
Papanui’s Jaydika Tafua, who played in Souths Logan Magpies’ junior grades in 2023, helped Cronulla Shark’s Tarsha Gale Cup team to a season-opening 22-18 win over Wests Tigers on Saturday, starting in the second-row.
Ex-Canterbury rep, Linwood women’s coach and CRL Development Officer Kylie O’Loughlin is an assistant coach for the Sharks.
Have we missed anyone? Email will@crfl.co.nz
