RED AND BLACK REPORT 2024: EDITION NO.7
The Red and Black Report shines a spotlight on Canterbury Rugby League juniors featuring in Australia’s elite and lower-grade competitions.
Canterbury products were in action in the seventh round of the NSWRL SG Ball Cup (under-19s) and Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s), as well as the second round of the NSWRL Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21s) and the second-tier NSW Cup and Queensland Cup competitions, and NRL Round 2.
NRL
Hornby second-rower Jordan Riki played the full 80 minutes in Brisbane Broncos’ 28-18 win over South Sydney Rabbitohs on Thursday night, contributing seven runs for 56 metres and 28 tackles.
Griffin Neame, who previously played for Halswell Hornets in the CRL juniors, had a massive 33 minutes off the bench in North Queensland’s 21-20 golden point eclipse of Newcastle Knights. The West Coast Kiwi racked up 11 runs for 86 metres, reeled off 21 tackles and produced a line-break assist in the Townsville thriller.
Consolidating his place in Sydney Roosters’ back-row, Burnham Chevaliers junior Siua Wong was a strong performer in a losing effort on Sunday. In 40 minutes on the paddock, the 20-year-old chalked up 65 metres from six runs, had a line-break and a line-break assist, and notched 27 tackles.
After a jarring Round 1 defeat to the Cowboys, the Dolphins bounced back on Sunday with a sizzling 38-0 victory over St George Illawarra in Dragons – and Aranui product Jamayne Isaako and Burnham Chevaliers junior Kodi Nikorima played key roles.
Incumbent Kiwis winger Isaako opened his tryscoring account for 2024 by climbing to take Nikorima’s pinpoint cross-field kick in the ninth minute, while he contributed 16 runs for 148 metres, made a line-break and slotted five goals.
Unfortunately, Nikorima’s evening was over just 17 minutes in, failing an HIA.
NSW CUP
It was a tough afternoon in Pukekohe for the Warriors’ second-tier team, going down to North Sydney Bears 38-18. But ex-Halswell front-row tyro Tanner Stowers-Smith had another strong game in the run-on side, making eight runs for 83 metres and 24 tackles in an industrious 39 minutes.
Likewise, Aranui product Daejarn Asi had a busy game in a heavy defeat, the five-eighth making 13 runs for 71 metres and 19 tackles – as well as doing the bulk of his team’s kicking – in Parramatta Eels’ 24-4 defeat to Penrith Panthers.
QLD CUP
Following on from last week’s two-try club debut, former Hornby and Canterbury Bulls forward game-breaker Caius Faatili made 16 tackles and three hit-ups in 22 minutes off the bench in Sunshine Coast Falcons’ 30-10 defeat to Mackay Cutters.
Northern Bulldogs product and Redcliffe veteran Sheldon Pitama played 65 minutes off the bench in the Dolphins’ hard-fought 16-12 win over Norths Devils. The versatile forward spent time in the back-row and at hooker, finishing with 56 metres and 16 tackles.
JERSEY FLEGG CUP
Making the move to the northern beaches from Balmain in the off-season, Oliver Lawry has found a home in the centres for Manly’s Jersey Flegg team. The Halswell junior scored an opening-minute try and kicked three goals in the Sea Eagles’ 14-10 win over Sydney Roosters in Round 2 on Sunday.
Hornby’s and St Thomas’ Noah Harmer-Campbell made his Jersey Flegg debut for the Warriors off the bench on Saturday. Riccarton Knights prop K-Ci Newton Whare was an interchange counterpart in Melbourne Storm’s convincing 36-10 victory at AAMI Park.
Hornby Panthers junior Felix Faatili was promoted to the starting front-row for Cronulla in Round 2, but his side went down 34-8 to Canterbury-Bankstown. West Coaster Callum Donaldson, a South Island Scorpions age-group regular who also played for Halswell, was among the Bulldogs’ second-half tryscorers from lock.
WATCH JERSEY FLEGG CUP HIGHLIGHTS HERE
SG BALL CUP
Hornby second-rower Sosaia Alatini is proving to be one of the SG Ball Cup’s most prolific tryscoring forwards, starring again in Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ 42-6 thrashing of Balmain Tigers with two tries in the first half.
Linwood Keas CRL premiership winner Te Kaio Cranwell also dotted down in Round 7 after getting a second-row start, but his Newcastle Knights side were run down 28-22 by Sydney Roosters.
Papanui’s Jason Salalilo, a front-row mainstay this season for the Warriors, featured in an 18-14 loss to Canberra Raiders in Pukekohe on Sunday.
WATCH SG BALL CUP HIGHLIGHTS HERE
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
Hornby and St Thomas’ duo Isaiah Savea and Micah Sula both came off the bench in the Warriors under-17s’ 26-10 victory over Canberra Raiders in Pukekohe.
Savea scored a first-half try in just his second match for the team, while Sula was on debut. The pair represented Canterbury 16s together in 2023.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, coached by Halswell stalwart Shannon Rushworth, stayed unbeaten and remained second on the Harold Matthews Cup ladder with a 46-0 rout of Balmain Tigers.
WATCH HAROLD MATTHEW CUP HIGHLIGHTS HERE
TARSHA GALE CUP
Cronulla Sharks stormed out of the bye in style courtesy of a 48-4 demolition of Penrith Panthers, with Papanui’s Jaydika Tafua featuring in the second-row.
WATCH TARSHA GALE CUP HIGHLIGHTS HERE
