RED AND BLACK REPORT 2025: EDITION NO.8
The Red and Black Report shines a spotlight on Canterbury Rugby League juniors featuring in Australia’s elite and lower-grade competitions.
A host of Canterbury products were in action in the latest round of the NRL, the NSWRL and QRL’s senior and junior competitions, and the European Super League.
NRL
Burnham Chevaliers junior Siua Wong put in another massive shift in Sydney Roosters’ tough 14-6 loss to the Warriors in Auckland, playing the full 80 minutes in pack and racking up a game-high 54 tackles and eight runs for 79 metres.
West Coast product and ex-Halswell junior player Griffin Neame came off the bench to open North Queensland Cowboys’ scoring just after halftime and finished with 96 metres and 36 tackles in a spirited 26-16 loss Brisbane Broncos.
Neame’s Kiwis teammate, Hornby junior Jordan Riki, topped the Broncos’ tackle count with 43 and made six runs.
Aranui’s Jamayne Isaako kicked three goals and ran for 87 metres, while Burnham junior Kodi Nikorima scored a try and had a line-break assist as the Dolphins sunk to a third straight loss, 30-18 to Wests Tigers.
Chevaliers junior Jazz Tevaga had his third consecutive start for Manly at hooker in a 40-12 victory over Canberra Raiders on Sunday.
NSW CUP
Linwood hooker Makaia Tafua returned to the Warriors’ NSW Cup bench and topped the tackle count with 40 stops in 54 minutes, along with several dummy-half runs, in a 46-12 win over the Roosters.
Haslwell front-rower Tanner Stowers-Smith continued his strong start to the season with 11 runs for 106 metres and 22 tackles in 44 minutes off the pine.
JERSEY FLEGG CUP
Northern five-eighth Bronson Reuben played his third straight game in the No.6 for Canterbury-Bankstown’s Flegg line-up, converting their only try in a 20-6 loss to Parramatta.
Hornby prop Felix Faatili’s Cronulla side rolled on with a 28-16 victory over South Sydney.
Linwood second-rower Te Kaio Cranwell lined up for Newcastle in a heavy 50-16 defeat to Penrith.
Riccarton product K-Ci Newton-Whare and Hornby junior Josiah-Ekkehard-Neli came off the bench in Melbourne’s 44-18 thrashing of Wests Tigers.
Halswell junior Oliver Lawry’s Manly side went down 44-18 to Canberra, but the centre scored the Sea Eagles’ opening try.
SG BALL CUP
Hornby second-rower Sosaia Alatini celebrated in Canterbury-Bankstown’s 36-30 win over Newcastle in Round 7 of the SG Ball competition. The Bulldogs sit eighth on a congested ladder with two regular season games to go.
Fellow Hornby product Ezekiel Faga-Ieti came off the bench for the Knights.
Halswell’s Meihana Pauling featured on the wing and Linwood hooker Rico Lemalie came off the bench in the Shannon Rushworth-coached Warriors’ 20-12 win over St George Illawarra in Sydney.
Hornby centre Jackson Stewart scored a try as Sydney Roosters blew Balmain off the park in the first half of a 36-22 win.
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
Celebration winger Calieb Fidow and blockbusting Hornby forward Bishop Neal helped the Warriors to a 22-12 win over Balmain.
TARSHA GALE CUP
Linwood centre Dejah Tuliau scored an early try in Penrith’s 22-16 win over South Sydney.
Hornby winger Manisha Seebeck’s hot tryscoring form continued despite Sydney Roosters’ 26-18 loss to Cronulla, crossing for her team’s opener.
QUEENSLAND CUP
Northern product Sheldon Pitama topped the tackle count with 40 as Redcliffe stayed unbeaten via a 36-16 defeat of Wynnum Manly.
The Dolphins veteran also made 13 runs for 75 metres after starting at lock.
MAL MENINGA CUP
Greymouth centre Antonio Verhoeven, who turned out for Eastern Eagles 18s and St Bede’s in 2024, lined up in the centres again for Burleigh Bears as they were edged 18-12 by Tweed Heads Seagulls.
SUPER LEAGUE
Aranui product Daejarn Asi lined up at five-eighth for Castleford Tigers in their 26-4 defeat to Catalans Dragons in Round 5 of the Super League, making 10 tackles, 16 runs and doing the bulk of the team’s kicking.
Ex-Hornby and Canterbury Bulls forward Caius Faatili continues to hold down a spot on Wakefield Trinity’s bench, chalking up 11 tackles and six runs in a 16-12 loss to Hull FC.
