RED AND BLACK REPORT 2025: EDITION NO.16
The Red and Black Report shines a spotlight on Canterbury Rugby League juniors featuring in Australia’s and Britain’s elite and lower-grade competitions.
A host of Canterbury products were in action in the latest round of the NRL, NSW Cup, Jersey Flegg Cup and Super League.
NRL
West Coast Kiwi and ex-Halswell junior player Griffin Neame helped North Queensland Cowboys to a 32-28 win over Wests Tigers on Saturday with a rousing 35-minute display off the bench.
The hulking prop made 13 runs for 144 metres – including a line-break – and made 22 tackles without a miss in the cliff-hanger.
Burnham Chevaliers junior Jazz Tevaga continues to thrive in his first season at Manly, starring at lock in a 34-6 thrashing of Brisbane with a massive return of 21 runs for 159 metres and a team-high 36 tackles.
Meanwhile, Hornby Panthers product Jordan Riki was tireless in a beaten Broncos outfit, running for 101 metres on 12 carries and reeling off a game-high 53 tackles.
But it was Burnham Chevaliers junior and Sydney Roosters second-rower Siua Wong who produced the biggest defensive performance of the week, making an incredible 60 tackles – along with seven runs for 66 metres – in his side’s nail-biting 26-24 loss to Canberra.
NSW CUP
Having made his NRL debut a fortnight ago, Halswell prop Tanner Stowers-Smith continues to produce for the Warriors’ ladder-leading NSW Cup outfit as he awaits another top-grade opportunity.
Stowers-Smith made 105 metres from 10 runs and 22 tackles in a 24-6 defeat of South Sydney on Sunday.
Hornby front-rower Felix Faatili, a NSW Cup debutant earlier this season, was an unused 18th man for Newtown Jets on the weekend.
JERSEY FLEGG CUP
Felix Faatili continued his superb tryscoring form for Cronulla Sharks, dotting down for their only second-half four-pointer in a 30-18 loss to Wests Tigers.
Hornby second-rower Sosaia Alatini came off the bench in Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ 18-14 win over Kaiviti Silktails in Fiji. Linwood’s Genesis Ah Kam Sherlock was 18th man for the Bulldogs.
Linwood product Te Kaio Cranwell featured in the second-row in Newcastle Knights’ 36-26 loss to St George Illawarra Dragons. Halswell’s Xavier Lynch was the Knights’ 18th man.
Riccarton prop K-Ci Newton-Whare opened the scoring with a try in Melbourne Storm’s 52-12 victory over Manly Sea Eagles. Hornby junior Josiah–Ekkehard–Neli started at lock for the Storm.
SUPER LEAGUE
Now commanding a place in Wakefield Trinity’s front-row, ex-Hornby and Canterbury Bulls powerhouse Caius Faatili toiled for 31 tackles and 67 metres on 12 carries in a 22-18 loss to Leeds Rhinos in the latest Super League round.
Aranui Eagles product and former NRL utility-back Daejarn Asi made 117 running metres from halfback in Castleford Tigers’ 34-24 defeat to Warrington Wolves.
