2026 U19 State of Origin

Classic Badger call. Plants the ball before the line, loses it. Try.
 
Batten may have got lucky there.

Still, 8 point ball game with 10 to go. Game on.
 
I think it is a bit difficult to overturn that one.

But on ref try calls. Funny how they call almost everything a try these days...except the VERY clear one Cobbo scored last night Klein called a no try hoping NSW could stay in it.
 
That will help Queensland.

NSW start making inroads down their right, they try to cut back through the middle but force a pass after the tackle.

Bit cute from Lateo there. Puts the grubber kick in and his backs don't chase it. NSW still alive here.
 
What a massive game, 75 mins unchanged in the middle and still there to finish off a play in the end. He could show our first graders a thing or two.
 
Tupou double... stripped that edge even with the winger off getting double cramps dealt with.

Good to see the middle forward backing up out on the edge... nothing but maroons jerseys out there after the break
 
Wynyard, Watson, Neal, Clarke, Watson, Francis.

It was like a calvacade of hyped players.

That's game.
 
Haven't been all that impressed with Lateo ... kicks haven't been great and that edge hasn't really done anything either
 
I thought Seve touched that for sure live.

Sign him up for Pro Wrestling.
 
BroncsFan said:
Haven't been all that impressed with Lateo ... kicks haven't been great and that edge hasn't really done anything either
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I don't think he meshed well with the fullback. He's a similar style of player to Foran where he digs deep into the line and gives his fullback a ton of space. Both Pereira and Birve kept cutting back in so the wingers received little love.

Physically he's so mature for this level. What have they been feeding this generation of Maroons? Even Watson was running like a lock forward.
 
Big Pete said:
I don't think he meshed well with the fullback. He's a similar style of player to Foran where he digs deep into the line and gives his fullback a ton of space. Both Pereira and Birve kept cutting back in so the wingers received little love.

Physically he's so mature for this level. What have they been feeding this generation of Maroons? Even Watson was running like a lock forward.
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Agree on the fullbacks... Pereira gave me Luai vibes early with his left foot stepping

Birve looked a bit small... I can see what the hope is with him, but jeez he got handled a fair bit tonight. If you're going to be a small fullback in modern league, you need to be fast (he has that), but you need to have some ballplaying at his size as well.

I'm not used to seeing Qld winning the physical battle in these U19's game... although I wouldn't say Qld were physical freaks like some of those NSW U19 teams have been in the past.

Qld got better the longer the game went on... just looked way fitter than NSW and gaps were opening up for them.
 
BroncsFan said:
Agree on the fullbacks... Pereira gave me Luai vibes early with his left foot stepping

Birve looked a bit small... I can see what the hope is with him, but jeez he got handled a fair bit tonight. If you're going to be a small fullback in modern league, you need to be fast (he has that), but you need to have some ballplaying at his size as well.

I'm not used to seeing Qld winning the physical battle in these U19's game... although I wouldn't say Qld were physical freaks like some of those NSW U19 teams have been in the past.

Qld got better the longer the game went on... just looked way fitter than NSW and gaps were opening up for them.
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It was a strange selection from Darius. Neither of them play fullback at club level - Pereira plays centre at NRLQ, Birve 7 for Penrith at Flegg. The only fullback he picked was Watts-Luke who's very similar to his dad Issac Luke. Issac actually came up as a fullback at the Bulldogs before the Bunnies brought him over and converted him into a dummy half so that could an option for him.

If Darbs could pick the best fullback in Queensland footy it'd be Mesritz but he played wing for NSW tonight.

Gundry ought to be the fullback but he just has too many bad habits in his game.
 
Great win, Boyd took a very Bennett approach, don't need anyone to get 10/10 just everyone gets 7/10 and we win.

Thought Watson was exceptional, as a leader and half back. I haven't seen him play a lot of seven, but I think being a hooker here has helped his half back play. He managed the game to the end.

Last night just showed again that Francis has simple repeatable actions in his game that will mean he can do them every week. I bet he didn't make more than 100m he never does but he takes three defenders with him, gets a quick play the ball and he doesn't miss tackles. He's very similar to Payne in that way. At the same age I said Payne can keep doing that for 10 years and have a good career. His first try was nearly exactly the same as his try in the Cyril Grand Final. He's very aware and was very vocal during the game. Never leaves his lane.

Compare that to Neal, yes, he made 126 offloads but is that repeatable as he goes up the grades- He did have five last week against the Panthers, but he's had zero in games too in Cup.

To me the last two years it's noticeable that more Queenslanders are physically ready for this football. Since Meninga got moved to Under 19 and more are going from Meninga to Cup Queensland look more ready. When we last lost in 24, we had one Cup player- Shibasaki in 25 we had Bai playing Cup the next weekend, Black playing, Stephenson, Andrews and this year Francis, Watson, Neal and Starr have been named a few times but not played yet.


I thought Starr and Wynyard were excellent both Dolphins since they were eight and second gen dolphins too. Queensland forwards really did an outstanding job.
 
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