BALMAIN DISTRICT
JUNIOR RUGBY LEAGUE
EXCEPTS TAKEN FROM THE 94TH ANNUAL REPORT 2003
CUBS TOO SLICK FOR LIONS
Leichhardt Wanderers Football Club hosted the touring Leigh East Lions junior rugby league squads during the season at Blackmore Oval.
The Wanderers registered 18-6 and 48-12 wins over the English North West County champions in U/15s and U/16s with top displays from forwards Matt Greig, Sosifa Vaivaka, five eighth Steve Page and half back Marc Russell. They are pictured with Wanderers president Harold Page, sponsor Ian McPhee of Ian McPhee Real Estate Annandale, Leigh tour manager Phil Molyneaux and award recipients Lee Gittings and Ben Horan (lock), prop Luke Adamson and back rower Louis Menguy.
A 35-man Leigh East touring party also played matches in Port Macquarie and Brisbane. Tour highlights included training sessions with Wayne Bennett's Brishane Broncos and meeting up with St George-Illawarra superstar Trent Barrett and other Dragons players in Wollongong - a session organised by ex-Illawarra supreme Bob Millward, the father of Leigh and former St Helens coach Ian Millward.
The Lions - based near Wigan - were undefeated North West County U/15 champions and were the first British rugby league amateur club team to tour Australia. Other youngsters to impress were tour captain and second rower Phillip Hook, centres Declan Crehan and Sam Betton, pivots Chris Latham and vice captain Ryan Peters and winger Daniel Wright.
UNDER 16s GRAND FINAL
Young guns from Leichhardt Wanderers made it three titles on the trot when they toppled a courageous Leichhardt Juniors side 34-8 to clinch the Mal Fallon U/16 premiership trophy.
Ray Windle's all conquering Wanderers squad again were the benchmark in the combined Balmain/St George competition with their rugged defence and enterprising play in attack a recipe for more success.
For newly-appointed Balmain SG Ball coach Windle the championship title was a just reward for another fruitful campaign at both club and representative level.
Wanderers' hard-working forward and skipper Richard Nicholas was judged Player of the Match after a tireless performance and was supported by bumping prop Paul Marino, Harold Matthews Cup star Tohi Leha, back rower Nim Ngata, halves Marc Russell and Dean Caldwell and fullback Fred Khouiss.
Nicholas and outstanding cub Caldwell were members of the crack Endeavour Sports High School rugby league team that reached the final of this year's Arrive Alive Cup and University Shield competitions.
They were joined by 17 year old Leichhardt Juniors and Tigers' SG Ball star Sammy Wara.
Wanderers absorbed early pressure from a spirited Juniors team to open up a handy 22-8 lead at the break and went on with the job in the second stanza.
Nicholas gave Wanderers a 6-0 lead after three minutes when he crashed over beside the posts but the premiers received a jolt when Juniors centre David Watson kicked a penalty goal and ace fullback Nick Tice scored a classic 60 metre solo try in the 16th minute to give the underdogs an 8-6 lead.
A corked thigh hampered the talented Caldwell but his skilful passing and rib-rattling defence inspired the Wanderers as they gained the upper hand with tries by Marino (18th minute) and brothers Tevita Leha (22nd minute) and Tohi Leha (28th minute).
Tohi, a promising NSW U/15 schoolboy forward, rose to the occasion for Wanderers with a powerhouse game. The ball playing rookie handled the step up in class and is a cub to watch in 2004.
Second half tries by Ngata and Marino wrapped up the title for the red-and-blacks. Dashing Juniors' custodian Nick Tice was named the U/16 Player of the Year post-match for his consistent displays all season. Back rowers Matt White and Scott Vlahos, centre Ricky Chaungram and five eighth Mark Mooney also impressed for a Juniors side that turned in spirited performances in 2003.
LEICHHARDT WANDERERS 34 (P Marino 2, R Nicholas, Tevita Leha, Tohi Leha, N Ngata tries; R Nicholas 5 gls) d LEICHHARDT JUNIORS 8 (N Tice try; D Watson 2 gls).
LEICHHARDT WANDERERS - Fred Khouiss, Ben Blake, Francis Taukau, Gavin Lister, Brent Tedesco, Dean Caldwell (vice captain), Marc Russell, Richard Nicholas (captain), Tevita Leha, Nim Ngata, Matt Greig, Ben O'Reilly, Paul Marino; Billy Horozakis, Guy Wakefield, Adam Buchan, Tohi Leha, Peter McCarthy, Harry Kartambis, Troy Tran, Tamaitiria Taukau, Steve Page, Sosifa Vaivaka, Travis Cuscuna, Joseph Zappula. Coach: Ray Windle.
LEICHHARDT JUNIORS - Nick Tice, Daniel Denford, David Watson, Ricky Chaungram, Chris Scuglia, Mark Mooney (captain), Cameron Nicholls, Eli Palmer, Matt White, Scott Vlahos, Shay Quilty, Chris Reid, Albert Olive; Rafael Zappia, Fred Mounajjed, Kurtis Moody, Darren Fahlbush, Jarrod Mansour. Coach: John 'Butch' Wells.
UNDER 18s GRAND FINAL
Teak-tough prop Tyler Hinwood produced an inspiring performance to steer Leichhardt Wanderers to a decisive 36-12 victory over Renown United in the U/18 title decider at Leichhardt Oval.
Hinwood capped a powerhouse effort with a determined second half try as the Wanderers outclassed their St George rivals to lift the Bill Ballard Trophy.
The Tigers SG Ball forward carted the ball up strongly and tackled like a demon to collect the official Player of the Match award.
He was ably supported by lock and skipper Mark Irhazi, clever five eighth Jarred Farlow, dynamic fullback David Pangai, rugged centres David Gower and Adam Falcone, hooker Michael Zappia and forwards Adam Logan, Ewen Cameron, Andrew Aziz and Sosiva Tonga. The ball playing Farlow weaved his magic to set up a 16-6 lead after Renown had opened the scoring after six minutes with a try to prop Jarrod Viles.
Farlow nabbed two tries and set up a third for the industrious Irhazi, a Balmain SG Ball rep who led by example with his hard running and rib-rattling defence.
Renown bridged the gap to 16-12 when centre Brian Green crossed for a try on the stroke of half time and five eighth Aaron Tandek potted a penalty goal shortly after the interval.
Wanderers then stepped up a gear and wrapped up the premiership with second half tries to Irhazi (41st minute), Fatani Finefeviaki (46th minute), SG Ball trump Pangai (56th minute) and a revved up Hinwood (59th minute).
Renown were best served by halves Tandek and Chris Bailey, skipper Green, Viles and hooker Will Hoskins.
Wanderers' Grand Final celebrations were tempered by the tragic death of Darren Zappia - elder brother of premiership hooker Michael and son of Balmain Coaching Director Bernie Zappia.
LEICHHARDT WANDERERS 36 (J Farlow 2, M Irhazi 2, F Finefeviaki, D Pangai, T Hinwood tries; M Zappia 2, D Pangai 2 gls) d RENOWN UNITED 12 (J Viles, B Green tries; S Greenwood, A Tandek gls).
LEICHHARDT WANDERERS - David Pangai (vice captain), Watson Latu, Adam Falcone, David Gower, Todd Peasley, Jarred Farlow, Dane Ryan, Mark Irhazi (captain), Adam Logan, Andrew Aziz, Ewen Cameron, Michael Zappia, Tyler Hinwood; Mansour Ferris, Luke Fitzgerald, Sosiva Tonga, Fatani Finefeviaki, Jamie Dougall. Coach: George Vaivaka.
RENOWN UNITED - Jason Nightingale, Craig Faulkner, Sean Greenwood, Brian Green (captain), Aziz Nannouh, Aaron Tandek, Chris Bailey, Matt Terclinck, Will Johnson, Damien Simes, Ali Nannouh, Will Hoskins, Jarrod Viles; George Pavlakos, Luke Williams, Ian Fletcher, Michael Ryan, Blake McGrath, Ryan Millard, Justin Woods, Nathan Hansel. Coaches: Paul Doolan/Russell McGrath.