MURGON State High School’s Under 15 rugby league team could be the best in the country.
It was twice as good as Sunshine Coast rugby league school of excellence, Mountain Creek, when it took the Keith Gibbs Cup on August 27.
While the Murgon High squad left a trail of heavily beaten sides along the way to making the final; they were heavy underdogs before running onto the Jack Stokes Oval in Gympie.
Mountain Creek had just beaten renowned rugby league school, Wavell Heights, and played a structured game much like an NRL side.
But the Murgon boys’ flair and uncanny knack to read a game had them lead all the way to a 28-14 victory.
Five-eighth and captain Barry Tapau-Fewquandie was Man of the Match and Errol Simpson’s move from fullback to centre paid off.
“Errol knows when to pop up and be in the right place at the right time,” coach Shane Polzin said.
He believed the fancied Mountain creek players had no answer for Murgon’s ad-lib creativity.
“Our boys know when to turn it on,” Polzin said.
“They can see the game unfold before them and are very good at predicting what’s about to happen.”
The win makes Murgon State High School officially the best team within the Sunshine Coast –Wide Bay region.
While there is no longer a Queensland wide, Under 15 competition it must surely put the team amongst the best in Australia.
Polzin said it showed why school was the best pathway to a rugby league career.
“NRL sides now look for teenagers who are serious, get their education and have first class behaviour and discipline,” he said.
“We’re trying to turn out fine young men as well as rugby league players. They won’t get taken by the NRL otherwise. There’s plenty of fine young men to pick from.”
Co-Coach Stephen Simpson agreed.
“School is where most scouts start looking,” he said.
“It’s the best step to a rugby league career."
