Under 20’s Origin – Who to watch

The Under 20’s Origin, where the Holden Cup’s best of the best face of against each other.

All of the NRL’s coaches will watch the game and all serious NRLCEO’s should watch the game as well. After all, these are the NRL’s players of tomorrow you will be deciding whether to draft or not in coming years.

Some names you know from my previous articles and their time in the NRL, others you won’t. Unfortunately I can’t get to all the games, especially Brisbane, so some reports are second hand. Either way we get to see first hand this weekend what talent these kids have. Below are a list of the players named with a small preview of each of their talent.

Enjoy the game CEO’s.

New South Wales

1. Clinton Gutherson (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
The “Heir to the throne” I called him in the yearly preview. Things aren’t looking good for him to get his chance at Manly after Hiku’s four try effort but he has time well and truly on his side.

2. Jake Mamo (Newcastle Knights)
The most exciting player in the NYC this year received his NRL call up. With blistering speed and some elusiveness Mamo will surely get at least one try. Player 2013 on the wing.

3. Sione Mata’utia (Newcastle Knights)
From a review on my website, “Sione Mata’utai would prove to be a handy centre. Mata’utai whose two brothers play in the Knights NSW Cup side showed a good ability to read defence and a great tackling technique.” I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes on a bigger stage.

4. Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
We’ve seen Yeo in the NRL, now lets how he uses that experience to dominate at a lower level.

5. Alex Johnston (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
While I didn’t pick Johnston in my side, he is quite a good pick. In his 1 NRL game for the Rabbits he scored while in the Holden Cup he scores a try on average every second week. A local junior making his way through the ranks, just what we like to see!

6. Mitchell Moses (Wests Tigers)
They say Moses is a years development behind Brooks, and Brooks is doing well in the NRL. Moses is dominating games in the NYC. He can kick a 40/20. Keep an eye on him, most eyes will be on Brooks.

7. Luke Brooks (Wests Tigers)
Look, plenty has been written on Brooks so let me add that he has played with Moses a lot and we should see a good combination on show.

8. Matt Lodge (Melbourne Storm)
Lodge is a player I first saw in this fixture last year. He surprised me and really dominated the advantage line, one year on he should be devastating.

9. Kaysa Pritchard (Parramatta Eels)
Rewarded with an NRL debut when Peats had his week off, consider it a vote of confidence when an NRL club side subs in a hooker for a hooker instead of chopping and changing players out of position.

10. Jake Trbojevic (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
My favourite prop in the NYC got huge raps from some commentators after his NRL debut last year. Rumour has it the Panthers are circling for his signature. Trbojevic will have a successful NRL career.

11. Jakiel Mariner (Sydney Roosters)
I’ll be honest I haven’t seen Mariner, I went to watch the Roosters Manly game but it was postponed. Could Mariner be this years Lodge who gets our attention? Watch and find out!

12. Adam Elliott (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
A captain from the back row with plenty of size. Elliott is tall, hard running with good upper body strength to push of defenders.

13. Jack Bird (St George-Illawarra Dragons)
Bird has been killing the Holden Cup this year, Dragons fans are thrilled with his year so far. @dragonsman4eva says Bird has a great offload, hard ball runner, a workhorse. He also possesses a great passing game when needed.

Bench:

14. Pauli Pauli (Parramatta Eels)
The kid could be mistaken for a roid muncher (that’s a joke, I’m not making any claims)! He is seriously big. Coming off the bench I feel sorry for anyone in his way when he charges onto the ball fresh.

15. Dean Britt (Melbourne Storm)
The Camden Rams second rower was named in the starting side last year and finds his way to the bench this year. His experience will be an asset.

16. Rhys Kennedy (Melbourne Storm)
Previously from Canberra the prop and second rower will stay busy during the game supporting play. Looks to be a player a coach would love doing the things that CEO’s won’t get points for. Prolific decoy runner in the Holden Cup.

17. Euan Aitken (St George-Illawarra Dragons)
Aitken will be eligible for the Holden Cup again next year but as an Australian School boy has the talent to be turning plenty of heads this year. @dragonsman4eva rates Aitken’s deadly fend, his lethal right foot step as well as his prolific try scoring ability.

Queensland

1. Valentine Holmes (Cronulla Sharks)
A leading try scorer in the Holden cup, Holmes has great speed and agility. If you saw his 40 metre effort last week, where he made something from nothing you would be getting excited! Watch him run, poetry in motion.

2. Nene Macdonald (Sydney Roosters)
His name has been talked about for a little while, Macdonald is one of those players you hear whispers of, almost mythically so. He went to the World Cup with PNG and was an Australian Schoolboy in 2011. Watch him bust tackles all night!

3. Brenko Lee (Canberra Raiders)
Lee has plenty of talent but can be a rocks or diamonds type player. He has the talent to get you excited and want you to rush him into first grade. Lee is a player I would like to see spend a year in NSW Cup. Lee has good size and speed and can score a try.

4. Brendan Elliot (Sydney Roosters)
Elliot can play centre or wing, but has been in the centres this year, a regular try scorer, Elliot scored in round 4, 5 and 6. Scored the opening try against the in form Dragons last week. Elliot will be looking for a line break and try against the Blues.

5. John Folau (Parramatta Eels)
Folau oozes talent. This from last year. “John Folau, great fend, big strong kid, fast hands. Folau gave me the feeling, despite scoring a try and having a hand in Toutai’s tries, that this could be one of his quieter games. Folau won’t turn 20 until September (this year).”

6. Anthony Milford (Canberra Raiders)
There isn’t any need for a preview for Milford, aligning himself with Queensland now so he can possibly play for Queensland in the near future.

7. Jaelen Feeney (Newcastle Knights)
His club are in form and Feeney will steer the Maroons around and be the level headed half while Milford could grab the headlines.

8. Lloyd Perrett (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Another player with a reputation and the younger brother of Sam Perrett.. He is a strong hard runner and a good tackler. He has been in the Holden Cup for an age Bulldogs fans think he has what it takes to make the NRL. He has an offload in him.

9. Kierran Mosely (Penrith Panthers)
Mosely was named on the bench for Australia after a successful Holden Cup campaign last season. I’m not his biggest fan and I believe the current Panthers Holden Cup hooker could surpass his talent.

10. Christian Welch (Melbourne Storm)
One half of in my opinion the best prop pairing in the NYC, Welch has great go forward and hits the line hard. I think you will be impressed.

11. Corey Oates (Brisbane Broncos)
Last year I rated him as one half of the best second row pairing. Oates is the consistent back rower and has been rewarded with NRL time. Just another player that you’ve seen already.

12. Patrick Mago (Canberra Raiders)
Canberra complain about how all their juniors leave the club when they make the NRL, yet they have so many representatives from the Queensland system. Anyway, Mago is a long back rower who played for Australia last year. A very talented player who can score a try from the back row.

13. Luke Bateman (Canberra Raiders)
Bateman actually played his first under 20’s game in this corresponding feature last year, that’s right he played for the Maroons before the Raiders. Is he good? Well the 19 year old is the captain at the Raiders with another year in the Holden Cup to come.

Bench:

14. Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
A five eighth/fullback makes him the perfect number 14 for a representative game. The Storm website describes him as having “Freakish natural ability and excellent acceleration and vision.”

15. Francis Molo (Brisbane Broncos)
The built low to the ground prop is rising through the ranks pretty quickly. He was the Broncos player of the year two years ago and weighs in at a beefy 112kg.

16. Brett Greinke (Brisbane Broncos)
Greinke has a stack of size, weight and rep honors already. He captains the broncos from the back row. Greinke is an entertaining dancer, check out YouTube. A possible centre replacement from the bench also.

17. Joe Ofahengau (Brisbane Broncos)
As the nephew of rugby union great Willy Ofahengau he has a famous name and the talent to prove it. He reportedly had a great preseason with the NRL squad and the 18 year old prop has plenty of size, youth and a bright future.

So who do you think will win?