NUDGEE College hooker Aiden Luke wanted to make a second half difference…and rattled up four tries in an astonishing cameo at the Buildcorp Emerging Reds Cup.
On an opening day of high-energy and action, Ballymore Stadium came to life with the best Under-14s and Under-16s players from across the state.
Luke, a 15-year-old Year 10 student, was sent in as part of the cavalry to rescue the Brisbane Grey Under-16s when the hot favourites were down 18-5 at half-time against a committed Queensland Country outfit.
The crowd sensed an upset but that thought was quickly quashed when Luke’s strong leg drive and a revised Brisbane Grey pack got to work.
The Brisbane Grey side, drawn from top schoolboy talent, went on a 43-0 tear in the second 35-minute stanza to rack up a 48-18 win.
Halfback Isaac Kefu was just as influential with two tries. He showed sharp work at the ruckbase and backing up. He also had an educated boot which showed he must have inherited genes from mother Rachel in that area because they could not have come from father Toutai, who built his legend as a Wallaby through his ball-running.
“I just wanted to make an impact off the bench. Four tries…I’ve never scored more than two in a game before,” Luke said with a broad smile.
He was named the Buildcorp Man of the Match (pictured above) for his efforts to capitalise on the rolling maul dominance of the Brisbane Grey side in the second half when powerful prop Sio Kite excelled.
Luke doesn’t have to look far for inspiration at school with the Nudgee College First XV having just won a third straight premiership.
“I got to train with the Firsts in Term 1 and 2. I’ve known since Under-11s that I wanted to make the First XV so their efforts have been pretty inspiring.”
The eye-catching try was when centre Pierre Poluleuligaga cut inside with a decisive run, shed defenders and then delivered a pinpoint pass for Kefu’s second try.
In the other Under-16s clash, the South-East Queensland Barbarians dominated the whole way in a 59-7 victory over Brisbane White.
The SEQ outfit produced the most fluent backline play of the opening day with a series of long-range strikes. Replacement back Hemi Rakuita is pictured below.
Winger Dylan Terblanche, from The Southport School, was rewarded with Man of the Match but the call could have gone to three or four players.
Lock Jack Calleja certainly stood out. He took one kick-off and somehow squirted an offload to flanker Keegan Cook, who positioned Terblanche perfectly for the try.
You look for moments in these games. Terblanche had earlier ripped a 55m kick downfield that jagged sharply over the touchline like a Shane Warne wrong ‘un.
On full-time, he was still making a trysaving tackle on his own line.
The 2m Calleja is one of the poster boys for why the ERC has been such a success over four years.
This is his third ERC tournament having first played for a regional side in 2022 when the Innisfail product was still with the Cassowary Coast Chargers.
He has polished his game since as a boarder at Ipswich Grammar School where he is in Year 10.
“I’ve gone from Friday night footy in Cairns to feeling like I’m getting unmatchable coaching at Ipswich Grammar and with the ERC teams,” Calleja said.
“Being in the ERC for three seasons now, you feel the huge difference in your own skills but also how the skills rise at each level you play.
“Any time you beat a Brisbane team it’s a good feeling.”
In the Under-14s, headgeared flanker Tai Henare was a standout with two tries as Queensland Country upset the Brisbane Junior Rugby Union team 24-15. Ipswich Rangers lock Connor Glen (above) crossed for one of the BJRU's tries.
For the Country boys, it was one to savour by the likes of Emerald State High's Toby Bretherton as Man of the Match. It showed literally how far the lock has come because it's a three-hour bus trip just to play on away weekends in Rockhampton for his Nogoa Red Claws club.
In the other Under-14s game, Brisbane White were clearcut 41-17 victors over SEQ.
The action continues at Ballymore Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday from 10am both days.
BUILDCORP EMERGING REDS CUP
Under-14s
Brisbane White 41 d SEQ 17
Qld Country 24 d BJRU 15
Under-16s
SEQ 59 d Brisbane White 7
Brisbane Grey 48 d Qld Country 18
