Excitement is beginning to build in junior representative circles with the kick-off to the 2024 season less than a week away.
The St George Dragons will this season showcase sides in SG Ball Cup (under-19s men), Tarsha Gale Cup (under-19s women), Harold Matthews Cup (under-17s men) and Lisa Fiaola Cup (under-17s women).
This season’s coaching ranks are full of experience and rugby league nous with Willie Talau again taking care of the SG Ball squad, former New Zealand and Samoan international Frank Pritchard mentoring the Harold Matthews team, Craig Faulkner leading the Tarsha Gale unit and Gary Fa’afua the Lisa Fiaola coach.
You can check out the draw for each of the competitions by clicking on the Draw tab of our homepage and selecting which competition you wish to view on the dropdown menu.
SG BALL CUP
With Willie Talau again at the helm, the Dragons under-19s unit will look to build on a 2023 campaign in which they nabbed a trio of wins from nine outings.
NRL trainees Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Finau Latu, and Corey Ackers are set to lead the side along with the likes NSW under-17s captain Jacob Halangahu, recent signee Cyrus Stanley-Traill, and five-eighth Shadi Hammoud.
Talau believes that 2024 will be a big one for his side after having learnt a tonne over the course of last year and through the preseason.
“I believe this is the most balanced junior reps side I’ve ever been involved with and that’s a massive credit to Ian Millward and Kyle Stanley,” Talau said.
“This group is benefitting from the foundations established by standards set by our 2023 playing group.
"I’ve been pleased with the amount of development and growth we were able to achieve within a short space of time which is a testament to the hard-working nature of this particular group and how quickly they gelled.”
I believe this is the most balanced junior reps side I’ve ever been involved with and that’s a massive credit to Ian Millward and Kyle Stanley.
Dragons SG Ball Cup head coach Willie Talau
The squad has its sights set on making a return to the finals pictures and Talau is confident that the work they have done will put them in a position to do so.
“Our season goal is that we play semis,” he said.
“Competing was our main focus throughout preseason. It won’t guarantee that we’ll win but it’s going to make us hard to beat.”
Their season starts on the road against a Panthers side whose season ended a week short of the Grand Final a year ago before hosting their home opener the following week against the Sea Eagles at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
They take on the Steelers in Round 7 at Kogarah before ending their nine-game regular season with a trip to Auckland to face the Warriors.
TARSHA GALE CUP
With Craig Faulkner at the helm, the Dragons Tarsha Gale side will be keen to improve on their 2023 season.
Fullback Alaiyah Williams and forwards Taneisha Gray and Christine Tsougranis are among the returning faces whilst the likes of dummy half Dalia Nabhan and front rower Lexis Kaleti will also be looking to leave their mark.
They kick their season off against a Panthers side who finished just two points shy of a finals appearance a year ago and match up against reigning premiers the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy in Round 3.
They take on the Steelers at Kogarah in Round 7 and finish their regular season with a meeting against last year’s runner-up the Bulldogs also at Kogarah.
HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP
With only a handful of returning players, Frank Pritchard’s Harold Matthews Cup side will chase an improved campaign this upcoming year.
Skipper Alex Futialo, centre Kordell Pritchard, and halfback Riley Brannock are among the promising talents that Pritchard will lean on this year along with brothers Jasais and Johannan Ah Kee – who make up one half of the spine heading into the season opener.
Their campaign starts against last year’s semi-finalists the Panthers at the foot of the mountains before taking on the Sea Eagles and Bears heading into a Round 4 bye.
They meet the Steelers in Round 7 and end their regular season with a face-off against the Warriors across the ditch.
LISA FIAOLA CUP
The Dragons will feature a Lisa Fiaola Cup side in 2024 with Gary Fa’afua at the helm and will be eager to take the opportunity with both hands.
There is some exciting talent amongst the squad including the likes of No.9 Alissia Misa, front rower Mercedez Lisone Siaea, and halfback Zarli Collins as well as edge forward Leilani Tongi-Finau who joins the squad after representing the Western Australia under-16s Schoolgirls side a year ago.
They will face the Panthers, Sea Eagles, and Roosters in their opening three clashes before a Round 4 bye.
A clash against the Steelers awaits in Round 7 before their regular season ends with meetings against Central Coast and Canterbury.
