RED AND BLACK REPORT 2025: EDITION NO.19
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 the European Super League.
NRL
Halswell Hornets product Tanner Stowers-Smith – recently re-signed until the end of 2028 – made his third NRL appearance in the Warriors’ 28-18 loss to Penrith, making four runs for 46 metres and 13 tackles in 19 minutes off the bench.
The Dolphins were run down by Newcastle in Perth, but it was nevertheless another fruitful outing for Aranui Eagles’ Jamayne Isaako and Burnham Chevaliers’ Kodi Nikorima in a 26-20 defeat.
Winger Isaako scored a try and kicked two goals to maintain his lead in the NRL’s pointscoring race (he has 172 points this season), along with 155 run metres, and five-eighth Nikorima’s vintage form continued with his sixth try of 2025, 110 running metres and 19 tackles.
Hornby Panthers and Kiwi Test second-rower Jordan Riki marked his 100th NRL appearance for Brisbane Broncos with a 34-28 win over Cronulla Sharks, playing 77 minutes and 12 runs for 97 metres and 26 tackles.
Burnham Chevaliers junior Siua Wong’s outstanding campaign hit a snag in Sydney Roosters’ 42-18 win over North Queensland, forced off with a knee injury after just 17 minutes – by which stage he had already made four runs and 12 tackles. The industrious back-rower is slated to be out until Round 23.
West Coast Kiwi and ex-Halswell Hornets junior player Griffin Neame started at prop for the outclassed Cowboys, churning through 13 runs for 114 metres and a mammoth 40 tackles.
NSW CUP
Papanui’s Jason Salalilo and Linwood hooker Makaia Tafua featured off the bench in the Warriors, both getting 33 minutes in a 32-12 defeat of Penrith Panthers.
Salalilo racked up six runs for 59 metres and 15 tackles, while Tafua reeled off 21 tackles in his dummy-half stint.
JERSEY FLEGG CUP
Hornby Panthers’ Jackson Stewart featured in another Sydney Roosters victory, lining up at centre in a 28-22 win over Kaiviti Silktails in Fiji.
Northern Bulldogs five-eighth Bronson Reuben kicked two goals and Hornby Panthers second-rower Sosaia Alatini came off the bench in Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ 24-16 loss to Canberra Raiders.
Linwood second-rower Te Kaio Cranwell and Halswell’s Xavier Lynch, who scored the match-winning try in the 76th minute, came off the bench in Newcastle Knights’ 26-22 eclipse of a Parramatta Eels who fielded Linwood product Dakota Kakoi on the wing.
With fellow Hornby junior and front-row mainstay Felix Faatili sidelined, Richie Tupuailei took an opportunity at prop and scored a try in Cronulla Sharks’ 42-18 loss to Melbourne Storm.
Another Hornby junior, Josiah–Ekkehard–Neli, came off the bench for the victorious Storm.
SUPER LEAGUE
Former Hornby Panthers and Canterbury Bulls forward Caius Faatili marked another front-row start for Wakefield Trinity with the opening try in a 16-10 upset of defending Super League champs Wigan.
It was a tough outing for Aranui Eagles product and former NRL utility-back Daejarn Asi, whose Castleford Tigers side was overwhelmed 48-0 by Hull KR.
