May 9, 2013
Kingaroy will be hosting the rugby league stars of the future when the 18yrs State Secondary Rugby League Carnival comes to town on May 23.
The four-day carnival will feature teams from 12 football regions across Queensland: Metropolitan East, Metropolitan West, Metropolitan North, South Coast, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Capricornia, North Queensland, Peninsula, South West, North West and Darling Downs.
They will play a round robin of 50-minute games at T.J. O’Neill Oval with the finals being played on Sunday, May 26.
Six games have been scheduled to be played each day.
Five of Kingaroy State High School’s budding Year 11 and 12 league stars will be taking part in the carnival.
Nathan Bowering, Marcus Jensen, Sam Johnston and Lane Ferling have been selected to play in the Wide Bay team.
Simon Fairbairn has been nominated to play for North West.
KSHS Sport Co-ordinator Robyn Ferling said it was guaranteed there would be players taking part in the carnival who will go on to careers in the NRL after they leave school.
For example, the last time the carnival was played in Kingaroy (in 2003) a couple of the young players just happened to be current Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall and Karmichael Hunt.
Mrs Ferling said NRL scouts would be taking a close interest in the carnival.
The carnival should also give Kingaroy an economic boost, with all motels expected to be booked out.
“There are 12 teams coming and each team has 17 players plus three officials,” Mrs Ferling said.
The public has been invited to watch the games at T.J. O’Neill Oval.
Entry is free and there will be food and drinks available to purchase from the canteen, and a barbecue and the KSHS coffee van will be operating.
After the grand final, the 2013 18yrs Queensland Team will be announced.
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This will be the second State Secondary Rugby League Carnival for KSHS Year 12 student Marcus Jensen, who was also selected for last year’s carnival played at Maroochydore.
It’s been a big year of league so far for Marcus, who was selected to play for Central United in the Mal Meninga Cup.
He has also attended two Bulldogs training camps this year at Belmore Oval in Sydney. Only six players from Queensland and seven from NSW attended these camps.
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DRAW
Day 1 – Thursday, May 23
- 9:00am – Opening Ceremony
- 9:40am – Wide Bay v Sunshine Coast
- 10:50am – North West v Darling Downs
- Noon – Metropolitan East v South West
- 1:10pm – Peninsula v Metropolitan West
- 2:20pm – South Coast v Capricornia
- 3:30pm – Metropolitan North v Northern
The draws for Days 2, 3 and 4 will depend on the results of earlier games.
The Finals will be played on Sunday, May 26
- 10:10am – For 5th & 6th
- 11:20am – For 3rd & 4th
- 12:30pm – For 1st & 2nd
- 1:45pm – Presentations and Announcement of Queensland Team
