Players to watch in Schoolboy Cup finals
Author : Phoebe Street NewsCorp Sport
Players to watch in Schoolboy Cup finals
The eight players set to make or break each team’s NRL Schoolboys Cup finals hopes
The NRL Schoolboy Cup finals have arrived, with eight schools aiming to earn a shot at glory. These are the players who could help them realise it all.
WATCH the quarter-finals LIVE with KommunityTV.
Watch a full replay as Grange College v Illawarra Sports.
The NRL Schoolboys Cup finals series has arrived.
Eight schools remain in the hunt for the ultimate glory in schoolboys rugby league, with a blockbuster quarter-finals day of action.
Six hours of non-stop NRL Schoolboys Cup action will be exclusively live streamed from Campbeltown Stadium by KommunityTV.
WATCH THE NRL SCHOOLBOYS CUP FINALS LIVE
KommunityTV will be your only place to watch all four NRL Schoolboys Cup quarter-finals live on Wednesday, August 17.
LIVE STREAM SCHEDULE
10.30am: Endeavour Sports High v Patrician Brothers Fairfield
11.45am: Patrician Brothers Blacktown v Erindale College
1pm: Westfields Sports High v St Dominic’s College
2.15pm: Hills Sports High v Holy Cross College
OurFootyTeam will be at Campbelltown Stadium to cover all 4 games
The pressure will be on for each team’s big game breakers, as their coaches rely on their leadership and skill to drive them to victory.
With only four places in the semi-finals, it is crucial each teams puts on their best performance.
Meet the players tasked with leading their teams to glory.
REGAN CARR
Erindale College, centre
Players to watch in Schoolboy Cup Semi’s – Canberra Raiders junior Regan Carr is on the radar of several NRL clubs. (Photo – Steve Montgomery)
Erindale’s captain Regan Carr is the teams hot shot, with coach Ash Barnes having said he has been “outstanding throughout the campaign.”
Barnes was also impressed with the way in which Carr responded to the news that they would be without a coach for the quarter-finals after he tested positive for Covid.
It is understood a handful of NRL clubs are chasing the signature of the Canberra rookie after a stellar performance at the Australian Secondary Schools Nationals earlier this year.
With the side already missing centre Max Mercer and backrower Noah Martin, Carrs explosiveness on an edge will be even more crucial.
CHEVY STEWART
Endeavour Sports High School
Players to watch in Schoolboy Cup Semi’s – Chevy Stewart. Endeavour Sports High school Schoolboys Rugby League Team players. Picture Steve Montgomery)
It is no surprise the fullback, who was the talk of the town at the ASSRL Nationals last month, will be the man tasked with leading Endeavour to glory.
The Canberra contracted fullback has been impressive this season, with coach Brad Kelly singing his praises.
“He’s been really strong and consistent for us and we know what we’re going to get with him each week, so we’re looking for a good game from him,” said Kelly.
Endeavour are another team who will be down on troops for the finals, adding to the pressure on their star fullback. “We’re trying to scrape together a team. We’ve been decimated with injuries this year,” Kelly said.
LIAM ISON
St Dominic’s College
St Dominic’s College fullback Liam Ison at the school in Kingswood. Picture: Jonathan Ng
The fullbacks are on fire, with St Dominic’s coach Kyle Churchill having named number one Liam Ison as their key playmaker.
The Combined Catholic Colleges fullback has been a key part of the St Dominic’s side for a number of years, but has gone to another level after adding the captaincy this season.
“He has been one of the better players in the competition for a number of years,” Churchill said.
While the line-up is set to feature a number of younger players, the team will benefit from the return of centre Bayden Moran who was missing from the competition’s final round.
HARRY HASSETT
The Hills Sports High School
Players to watch in Schoolboy Cup Semi’s Harry Hassett in action against Endeavour in Rnd 2 of the Peter Mulholland Schoolboy Cup (Photo – Steve Montgomery)
Hills Sports High School, Schoolboy NRL player Harry Hassett at the school in Seven Hills. Picture: Jonathan Ng
He has a name fit for the annals of rugby league, and a skillset to match it.
While Hill Sports has a huge amount of young talent at their disposal, the explosive ability of backrower Harry Hassett is hard to ignore.
Hills Sports coach Scott Jones said Hassett had been “a tremendous player on the edge for us and definitely has the ability to turn a game.”
The coach also highlighted the efforts of NSW CHS front rower Vena Putaki-Case as a real ‘hard-nosed’ worker. “When he comes to play, you know their packs going to be in for a real tough day.”
CAMERON KANAAN
Holy Cross College
Cameron Kanaan runs the ball in last weeks thriller against Holy Cross (Photo – Steve Montgomery
Pictured is Tigers fullback Cameron Kanaan after scoring a try during the Balmain Tigers v Newcastle Knights NSWRL Junior Rep Harold Matts Game at Leichhardt Oval today. Picture: Tim Hunter.
Holy Cross will have a tough challenge on their hands against the undefeated, and top-ranked, Hills Sports High.
But there are a couple of names on the team sheet that has rival coach Scott Jones shaking slightly.
West Tigers junior Cameron Kanaan is at the top of the list.
The fullback is crucial to Holy Cross’ success this season, and will be determined to get his hands on the ball as much as possible to feed his outside men including Eels centre Michael Gabrael.
“(Holy Cross is) very well drilled and play some really good footy. It will be a tough game for us,” Jones said.
Players to watch in the Schoolboy Cup finals
SAM TUIVAITI
Westfields Sports High School
Sam Tuivaiti in action against The Hills SHS a few weeks ago (Photo – Steve Montgomery)
Westfields Sports High’s front-rower Sam Tuivaiti, 17. Picture: David Swift
Barely a whisper had been said about Sam Tuivaiti before the ASSRL Nationals in July, but afterwards the forward was the talk of the town.
The perfect mix of size and speed, Tuivaiti’s workrate off the bench for NSW CHS earned him a call-up into the Australian Schoolboys side.
Troy Weeden said the middle forward would play a crucial role to locking down their defence.
“He is a worker who controls the middle for us and is very tight defensively,” he said.
Sione Lolohea
Patrician Brothers Fairfield
Sione Lolohea in action against All Saints College at played up at Mailtand (Photo – Steve Montgomery)
Patrician Brothers’ Sione Lolohea. Season Opener for the Peter Mulholland Schoolboys Cup between Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School Casula (in green) and Patrician Brothers Fairfield (in blue) at New Era Stadium, Cabramatta. Picture: John Appleyard
If there was any player who could turn a game in the blink of an eye, it’s rampaging centre Sione Lolohea.
With the power of a middle forward, but the fleet-footed speed of a winger, Lolohea makes defensive units nervous.
The powerful centre was a key reason Patrician Brothers finished the regular season undefeated, scoring a try in all three of their round matches and leaving defenders in his wake on the regular.
MATT ARTHUR
Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown
Matt Arthur his own try against Endeavour in the Peter Mulholland Schoolboy Cup ( Photo – Steve Montgomery)
Patrician Brothers Blacktown player Matt Arthur who is the son of Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur, ahead of his NRL Schoolboys Cup clash with Hills Sports High School. Picture: Jonathan Ng
While he may not have the power or speed to match the rest of this list, what Matt Arthur has is a football mind beyond his years.
It could come from being the son of an NRL coach, but Arthur’s tactical gameplay out of dummy-half is second to none.
He leads his team with a level of precision on the field, and is not afraid to get his body in the way of some of the biggest ballrunners of the competition.
Related Links
Peter Mulholland Schoolboy Cup 1/4 Finals Draw, Results
