'He's that good': Major coup as Brisbane Broncos sign 'next Benji Marshall'
The 17-year-old is still based in Auckland and has played both league and union. He attends the prestigious Kings' College and was recently promoted to the school's first XV in rugby. But he's just as good at league and was recently named in the team of the tournament at the Under-17s ANZRL competition.
News Corp is reporting that Brisbane have signed the younger Harris-Tavita brother and given him a spot in their academy. And photos on the 17-year-old's Instagram account show him training in Broncos gear last month.
Huge raps on 'next Benji Marshall'
Speaking back in 2023, the chairman of New Zealand Maori rugby league spoke glowingly of what kind of career Harris-Tavita will have. One of the most respected voices in Kiwi rugby league, John Devonshire likened Harris-Tavita to a young Marshall - who burst onto the scene as a teenager with an incredible step and turn of speed.
'He is the next Benji Marshall to be honest,' Devonshire told . 'He is that good. I haven't seen someone as exciting as he is for many, many years. Especially as a seven (halfback).'
Devonshire was a talent scout for the Warriors in the 1990s, and made a staggering call on how good Harris-Tavita can be. When asked how he rates the youngster's side-step compared to Benji's, he said: 'Better. And not being disrespectful to Benji, but he tackles better too.'
Tellingly, Devonshire predicted the Warriors would have a fight on their hands to sign Harris-Tavita. But he thought it would be rugby union - not another NRL club - who would poach him.
'The lure of the All Black jersey is always there," he said. "Over here the school system is about two out of 10 for rugby league. But the family will do what is right for him. He has still got his education and we have to think about that as well. But he should write his ticket now. There will be agents lining up for him.'
Calvin Harris-Tavita eyeing NRL debut with Broncos
Calvin's older brother Chanel is having a brilliant season for the Warriors, helping them sit fourth on the NRL ladder after 19 rounds. The five-eighth stepped up last week in the first game without halves partner Luke Metcalf, who is gone for the rest of the season with an ACL injury.
RELATED:
'Real concern' for Panthers as Nathan Cleary floated for $3m exit
Wayne Bennett 'ban' set to be upheld amid awful news about Latrell
As for Calvin, he might not have to wait too long to get a taste of NRL level at the Broncos. Michael Maguire's team have Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt on their books for one more season in 2026, but they're both 35 and won't be around for too much longer.
Five-eighth Ezra Mam is only 22, while 19-year-old Coby Black is being touted as the club's halfback of the future. But if Harris-Tavita impresses the right people while making his way through the ranks, he might have something to say about that.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
South Africa beats Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in T20 series to set up final against New Zealand
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Rubin Hermann hit four sixes and 63 runs as South Africa beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets with 16 balls remaining in a T20 tri-series match on Sunday. The comfortable win means South Africa and New Zealand will contest the final on Saturday after Zimbabwe lost for the third straight time. Chasing a target of 145, Hermann and captain Rassie van der Dussen (52 not out in 41 deliveries) led the chase at Harare Sports Club. They took South Africa from 22-2 to 128-3 when Hermann, who also hit three fours in his 36-ball innings, was bowled by Richard Ngarava. Van der Dussen was there at the end with Dewald Brevis as South Africa scored 145-3 in 17.2 overs, winning the match with a wide bowled by Trevor Gwandu. Zimbabwe earlier lost the toss and scored 144-6 in its 20 overs. Brian Bennett top-scored for the hosts with a 43-ball 61, which included three sixes and seven fours. Bennett shared a 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Ryan Burl (36 not out in 31 balls). Fast-medium pacer Corbin Bosch took 2-16 in four overs. Table-topper New Zealand plays second-placed South Africa in a dead-rubber match on Tuesday. Both teams have four points but the South Africans have played one more game. ___ AP cricket:
Associated Press
5 hours ago
- Associated Press
South Africa beats Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in T20 series to set up final against New Zealand
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Rubin Hermann hit four sixes and 63 runs as South Africa beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets with 16 balls remaining in a T20 tri-series match on Sunday. The comfortable win means South Africa and New Zealand will contest the final on Saturday after Zimbabwe lost for the third straight time. Chasing a target of 145, Hermann and captain Rassie van der Dussen (52 not out in 41 deliveries) led the chase at Harare Sports Club. They took South Africa from 22-2 to 128-3 when Hermann, who also hit three fours in his 36-ball innings, was bowled by Richard Ngarava. Van der Dussen was there at the end with Dewald Brevis as South Africa scored 145-3 in 17.2 overs, winning the match with a wide bowled by Trevor Gwandu. Zimbabwe earlier lost the toss and scored 144-6 in its 20 overs. Brian Bennett top-scored for the hosts with a 43-ball 61, which included three sixes and seven fours. Bennett shared a 78-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Ryan Burl (36 not out in 31 balls). Fast-medium pacer Corbin Bosch took 2-16 in four overs. Table-topper New Zealand plays second-placed South Africa in a dead-rubber match on Tuesday. Both teams have four points but the South Africans have played one more game. ___ AP cricket:
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why the British and Irish Lions' uncertain future could be bad news for Australia
A British and Irish Lions tour is sold, principally, on history and mystery. Anachronistic in its very concept, the actions and anecdotes of trips of yesteryear are woven into the rich red fabric adorning the current crop, links with the century and a half of touring parties evident at every moment before, during and after each squad's assembly. The cultural capital of the Lions is vast and trades, primarily, on that which has gone before – each trip bringing with it a chance to stir the nostalgic senses with a retrospective look. The mystery is inherent: how will a squad drawn at short notice handle the pressure of coming together to take on a big southern hemisphere beast? Yet, even the great bastions of heritage and history must eventually become forward-looking. A corporate and commercial behemoth in a sport lacking in that sort of commodity, this may be a time of great change for the British and Irish Lions as bigwigs look ahead to a future that feels more uncertain than usual. Which is not to suggest that the Lions are in any kind of jeopardy. The strength of the brand ensures that the concept is surely safeguarded for the foreseeable future. But for the first time in recent memory, it feels like the concept itself could be tweaked. Already, of course, there is a women's tour on the way, the exact details still to be confirmed for the 2027 trip to New Zealand. The planning of the trip is well underway, even if there are plenty within the game who question whether the sport is ready for such a venture. That will precede a men's trip to take on the All Blacks two years later. Red letter games: The British and Irish Lions are one of rugby's biggest brands (Getty) But speculation otherwise abounds, and there is no guarantee that the traditional quadrennial cycles remain intact. While the Lions' touring history stretches back to 188, the actual lineage of the now familiar format is not that long – it was only in 1989 that the tourists first travelled solely to Australia, and only in 1997 that the South Africa/Australia/New Zealand rotation was fully established after the fall of the apartheid regime. The idea of taking a tour to France, which would represent a radical rethink, will not go away. Discussions have begun over possible pre-tour meetings in 2027 and 2029, while former Lions scrum-half Matt Dawson recently told The Times that it would be 'insane' not to organise a full trip and itinerary. Such an idea would be glorious fun, with the fire and fervour of the French fans sure to cancel out the sea of red, and the depth of the sport in the country ready to provide compelling contests throughout the tour. A Lions tour would probably land well in a nation where club rugby is often king. It is a personal view, however, that a trip to a less far-flung shore would have a rather different and likely inferior feel, though providing greater accessibility to a wider spectrum of supporters would be welcome. Equally, those who criticise the Lions as being Anglocentric or imperialistic would relish a broadening of the borders; the performance and passion shown by Argentina in their two pre-tour encounters in the last two decades show that a return for the Pumas to the touring schedule more regularly would be embraced. Equally, the development of Pacific Island nations, Japan and others could be aided – it feels something of a misstep that Fiji, particularly, were not an opponent on this trip. An already congested calendar has limited room for expansion, though, which means that one of the traditional touring locations would surely have to be squeezed. For various reasons, it feels unlikely that New Zealand or South Africa would be under threat; Australia, by contrast, feel almost interminably imperilled in the modern landscape, and this has not necessarily been a buoyant start. The failure to release Wallabies to already under-powered Super Rugby Pacific sides has led to tour games generally won with a degree of comfort by the Lions, even amid plenty of errors. Australia may need a strong series to prove they remain worthy opponents of the Lions (AP) This should be a time of prosperity and promise for the Wallabies as they gear up for a home World Cup in two years' time, and yet the alarm bells still ring. Financial pressures on the unions have eased slightly – aided by this Lions trip – but it is not long since the Melbourne Rebels were lost as an entity, while rugby union is ever more marginalised by the popularity of the NRL and AFL. The truth is that the opening skirmishes of this Lions tour barely made a dent in the sporting psyche; that will change once the Tests are underway a bit, but union generally has to be content to play second or third fiddle. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii swapped rugby league for union – but most go the other way in Australia (Getty) Within that comes a talent drain – the (expensive) luring of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is a mere breath into a prevailing wind that blows young talent to league from union. Amid that, there are nonetheless intriguing reports of NRL superstar Kalyn Ponga hiring an agent in union to keep his options open – though it would be an All Blacks call that the son of Kiwi parents would covet. Next summer will see South Africa and New Zealand tussle in a traditional tour of their own kind, expected to be sold on the strength of their rivalry as the Rugby Championship is ripped up in the name of bringing together two of the sport's fiercest foes in an encounter of greater meaning. What this means for Australia and Argentina is still somewhat unclear, but with the death of the traditional summer tour for the European nations with the advent of the Nations Cup in 2026, the established rugby calendar will certainly start to look rather different. It all makes this a rather opportune moment for the Wallabies to prove a few doubters wrong. By ranking and recent record, they are the poorest of the Lions' opponents of the modern era but never doubt the capacity of an Australian sporting side to rise to the occasion.
