SPORT 19
TORRES NEWS THURSDAY 2 MARCH 2023
Time for kick off! STORY AND PICS BY ALF WILSON Two teams – U9s and U11s – will be picked after QRL/ NRL Development Camps on Moa Island (Kubin) and Warraber, to compete against ZKJRL and NPA sides in a Superhero round to be included in the Island of Origin carnival on Badhu in June. The Kubin community will host the western and top western islands kids from 3-5 April and Warraber will host the central and eastern islands kids from 4-6 April, in partnership with TSIRC, Queensland
Health, NRL, NQ Cowboys, Mua Boars and their team Surumau Gladiators. The final three teams will then contest a much anticipated Superhero comp in a round robin format where there are many rising stars of the future to be unearthed.
Junior Committee formed The Outer Islands have formed a Junior Rugby League committee working to incorporate and establish an outer island cluster competition. The committee elected was President: Sam Joe, Vice President: George Nona, Secretary:
Ella Kris, Treasurer: Rita Kaitap and Registrar: Kabay Tamu. Both Sam Joe and George Nona are well-respected, formerchampion footballers.
Administration Day Preparations for the Regional Administration Day on Waiben on 11-12 March are progressing well. Sports Trainer Course JRL Coaching courses will also run as will a RISE Camp in Bamaga for Weipa NPA and TI Kids.
Season is underway The Zenadth Kes Junior Rugby League has started and will have two seasons because of the Cultural Festival.
Zenadth Kes Rugby League seniors are finalising their local competition with dates and details to be released soon. Last season five clubs battled it out with local team Roosters taking out the grand final in an entertaining decider. The Badhu Mulga Juniors will be starting their competition in the second school term. NPA officials are going through some planning around their junior and senior competitions. It is going to be a bumper season in the Torres Strait and NPA for rugby league in both senior and junior arenas.
TN0230 8x2 local sports
FLASHBACK: to 2010 when new Outer Island Junior Rugby League President Sam Joe held the trophy aloft with the Mua Razorbacks at their grand final victory at the 2010 silver jubilee 25th anniversary Island of Origin Series on Badhu. Other senior carnivals to look forward to will be the Zenadth Kes on Waiben and the Dan Ropeyarn NPA Cup at Bamaga late in the year.
Gehamat’s happy return to Townsville BY VELMA GARA North Queensland Cowboys star Gehamat Shibasaki says he is happy to be back in Townsville and will be making the most of it. Given a one-year contract with the Cowboys, Shibasaki will continue to play in his preferred position of centre, but understood he needed to be versatile. “My main position is centre but I would like to develop into winger and full back roles,” he said. His approach to the one-year contract was to continue to train with the top squad, play in the Queensland Cup with Townsville Blackhawks and be ready for the call up if any injuries occur.
Gehamat Shibasaki at the Deadly Choices launch last week. Pic Alf Wilson. He spent five years away from North Queensland playing for Brisbane Broncos (2018 – 2019) and Newcastle Knights (2020 – 2021) in the National Rugby League.
He also had an opportunity to play rugby union in Japan for the Green Rockets Tokatsu in Abiko, Chiba in 2022. “It was an eye-opening experience to travel and live in a different country for eight months,” he said. When his rugby season finished early, Shibasaki returned to Australia and rugby league – playing with the Mackay Cutters. Whilst there, he was approached to attend the Cowboys pre-season training at end of 2022. He already had a taste for playing first grade when he was named in the Cowboys team to play a pre-season trial game against the new team in the competition, the Redcliffe Dolphins, in Cairns last month.
The trial game ended in a 22-22 draw. “Good for the hit out,” he said. “Big pre-season training with fitness and weights, it was a chance to test ourselves where we’re at and tidy up some things in our game.” The 25 year old felt it was crucial to be back on home soil and good for his game. “Head feels good and back where I needed to be, to re-set and go again, he said. “My main goal is to do well in my footy and training.” North Queensland Cowboys will open their 2023 NRL season at home on Saturday afternoon against the Canberra Raiders at the Queensland Bank Stadium.
Hodges joins TDRL’s Roosters for 2023 BY ALF WILSON The acquisition of talented Torres Strait Islander Jayden Hodges has boosted the chances of the Burdekin Roosters in the Townsville & District Rugby League (TDRL) competition. Now 29, Hodges played NRL for the Manly Sea Eagles and the North Queensland Cowboys, and was with the Cairns-based Northern Pride during the past two seasons for the Queensland Cup. Tough as nails, the hard-running forward lined up for Erub United when they won the 2021
BACK UP NORTH: Jayden Hodges on the burst for Erub United at the 2021 Zenadth Kes carnival on Waiben. Pic supplied. Zenadth Kes carnival on Waiben the last time it was held. The Roosters finished third last year in the TDRL before crashing out of their preliminary
final against eventual premiers Herbert River. Hodges was contracted to the Townsville Blackhawks, who will be one of the favourites for the
this year’s Hostplus Queensland Cup competition. He has been allocated to Burdekin Roosters Club by the Blackhawks, if not playing in the
Queensland Cup. “We (Blackhawks) won a trial against the Mackay Cutters on the weekend,” he said. “It has been a great opportunity to come to Townsville, where I work for the Clontarf Foundation, and I’m looking forward to the season.” Recently he was named by Townsville Bulletin as one of five players who could be called up by the Cowboys during 2023 season if forwards in the 30-man NRL squad were injured. Hodges will be an asset to both the Blackhawks and Burdekin Roosters.
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