RED AND BLACK REPORT 2025: EDITION NO.10

April 8, 2025 / Will Evans

RED AND BLACK REPORT 2025: EDITION NO.10

April 8, 2025 / Will Evans

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 English Challenge Cup.

 

NRL

West Coaster and former Halswell junior player Griffin Neame helped North Queensland Cowboys to a 22-18 upset of four-time premiers Penrith, making an impressive 10 runs for 118 metres and 22 tackles in 34 minutes off the bench.

Sydney Roosters were run down by South Sydney Rabbitohs 20-14, but Burnham Chevaliers junior Siua Wong had another 80-minute blinder in the second-row for the Tricolours. The 22-year-old produced two line-break assists – including a brilliant try assist – to go with 11 runs for 135 metres and 42 tackles.

Aranui Eagles product Jamayne Isaako and Burnham Chevaliers junior Kodi Nikorima played key roles as the Dolphins got off the mark for 2025 with an emphatic 36-10 win over in-form Gold Coast Titans.

Isaako made a line-break to set up the Dolphins’ first try, then scored his own four-pointer in the dying minutes to finish with 20 points after landing eight-from-eight off the goalkicking tee – becoming the first person to pass the 500-point mark for the club. Nikorima produced his best game of the season, making a line-break and two try assists, as well 69 running metres and 25 tackles.

Burnham Chevaliers junior Jazz Tevaga’s Manly Sea Eagles side was overrun 48-24 by Melbourne Storm on Sunday. The starting hooker made four runs and 20 tackles in 43 minutes across two stints.

 

JERSEY FLEGG

Northern five-eighth Bronson Reuben scored the match-winning try in the 74th minute and landed six goals in as many attempts as Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs ran down Linwood second-rower Te Kaio Cranwell’s Newcastle Knights 32-28.

Linwood hooker Makaia Tafua kick-started the Warriors’ 28-18 comeback win over Kaiviti Silktails in Fiji, scoring their first try five minutes into the second half.

Papanui’s Jason Salalilo lined up at lock for the Warriors.

Hornby prop Felix Faatili helped Cronulla Sharks to a 32-18 away win over Canberra Raiders.

Riccarton product K-Ci Newton-Whare and Hornby junior Josiah-Ekkehard-Neli came off the bench in Melbourne’s 30-20 win over Penrith.

 

SG BALL

Hornby second-rower Sosaia Alatini scored a try in each half of Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ 30-28 victory over South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Halswell junior Xavier Lynch was a second-row starter and Hornby product Ezekiel Faga-Ieti came off the bench in Newcastle Knights’ 28-20 loss to St George Illawarra Dragons.

Halswell’s Meihana Pauling featured on the wing and Linwood hooker Rico Lemalie scored a try off the bench in the Shannon Rushworth-coached Warriors’ 16-all draw with South Sydney at Redfern Oval.

Papanui Tigers second-rower Ezekiel Paulo scored a try in Manly Sea Eagles’ 46-10 loss to Parramatta Eels.

Hornby’s Jackson Stewart featured at fullback in Sydney Roosters’ 32-16 defeat of a Shannon Rushworth-coached Warriors team containing Halswell’s Meihana Pauling on the wing and Linwood’s Rico Lemalie on the bench.

 

HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP

Riccarton Knights’ Christiano Elia shifted to five-eighth, while Hornby’s Bishop Neal returned in the second-row, and Aoraki product and Hornby junior player Dougal Grant, Celebration’s Amasio Tiatia and Sydenham’s Kenny Lafituanai all came off the bench in the Warriors’ 26-24 defeat to Sydney Roosters.

 

TARSHA GALE CUP

Hornby Panthers product Manisha Seebeck’s blazing season on the wing for Sydney Roosters continued with a hat-trick in a losing effort against Illawarra Steelers, who got up 26-24.

Featuring exclusively at centre until last week, Linwood’s Dejah Tuilau switched to the second-row for Penrith’s 30-10 victory over St George Illawarra Dragons.

 

LISA FIAOLA CUP

Keas junior Ariana Te Rito came off the bench in South Sydney Rabbitohs’ 34-6 loss to North Sydney Bears.

 

QUEENSLAND CUP

Northern junior Sheldon Pitama topped Redcliffe Dolphins’ tackle count with 31 and made a line-break in a 34-10 defeat of Western Clydesdales.

 

MAL MENINGA CUP

Greymouth centre Antonio Verhoeven, who turned out for Eastern Eagles 18s and St Bede’s in 2024, continued his hot tryscoring form with the opening four-pointer in Burleigh Bears’ 38-12 win over Ipswich Jets.

 

SUPER LEAGUE

Former Hornby and Canterbury Bulls forward Caius Faatili’s Wakefield Trinity side had their Challenge Cup run halted in the quarter-finals via a 20-12 loss to Leigh Leopards.

2025-04-08 12_01_45-NRL Match Highlights 2025 _ Titans v Dolphins _ Round 5 - YouTube
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