Josiah Pahulu: 'Impressive young player with a tremendous work ethic'

Burleigh Bears young gun Josiah Pahulu is riding high following a stellar year on the paddock - and it just got that bit better.

The powerhouse forward was part of the Queensland Under 19 side, made history captaining Ipswich State High School to their first Queensland and national schoolboys titles, and has now joined the Gold Coast Titans until the end of 2025. 

The 18-year-old, who first played rugby league for Springfield Panthers and has been within the Titans systems since 2019, scored three tries during his five Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup games this year, and one try during his two Hostplus Cup games. 

He was also a standout performer for the Queensland Under 19 side against New South Wales and at the Australian School National Championships.

His performances culminated in an Australian Schoolboys call-up which saw Pahulu play for his country in Fiji last month.

"I'm still buzzing from the year," Pahulu said.

"The first achievement that I was excited for was Queensland Under 19s. Going into that camp really opened my eyes. Seeing the boys' IQ, how they talk and how they carry themselves off the field... that was a good experience for me."

Pahulu, who looked up to Greg Inglis and Johnathan Thurston growing up, said he enjoyed hearing from the legends of the game.

"Seeing the self-respect they have and the respect they have for others, and their love for the game... you can see the rivalry is strong in how passionately they talk about it," Pahulu said.

"Greg Inglis came in and told us how much he hated the Blues. Seeing how passionate he is about Origin... you're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for your family and your state, and you want to do them proud."

Pahulu added he took what he learned during the Queensland Under 19 camp into Queensland schoolboys.

"The next one was schoolboys, Queensland. That was also an experience as well. Learning the things I learned from Queensland Under 19s, I applied it to 18s and showed some of the boys the things that I learned."

Pahulu also captained Ipswich State High's Allan Langer Cup side to victory. 

"Schoolboys, we took the Langer Cup out with Ipswich. Over the years we have been working really hard and it felt good to finally get the reward we've been seeking over the years," Pahulu said.

"We went to the next level, to the Phil Hall Cup. That also was a great experience. We played the Phil Hall at Gold Coast Titans. It was a tough game. I still can't believe it... we went onto the national final. I think all of the boys had nerves but as soon as they sat down, had a think, I think that's when all of the nerves went away. They earned their spots."