Kulikefu Finefeuiaki attends gala launch of the Ipswich SHS rugby league program season
Australian school rugby league powerhouse Ipswich State High last night launched its rugby league season with a bang at a gala event which included a special guest appearance from Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, one of the school's more recent NRL players.
Ipswich SHS, overall the nation's most successful rugby league school in 2024, unveiled captains across all male and female teams on Monday night in Ipswich.
The respective captains are:
Langer Trophy : Xzavier Timoteo
NRL Schoolgirls: Summer Hoet and Orianna Clark
Langer Reserves: Clement Karauti and Lleyton Fotu
Walters Cup: Blake Tikinau (Year 10)
Hancock Cup: Malachi Kirk (Year 9)
Renouf Shield: Cooper Hunt (Year 8)
BBOB: Bentley Tikinau (Year 7)
Year 10 girls: Monaiya-Lee Lilia and Tahli Campbell
Year 9 girls: Kiera Roia
Former captain Finefeuiaki (2020-21), now a star recruit with the Dolphins after starting his NRL career with the Cowboys, was interviewed on stage by Langer Trophy coach Joshua Bretherton, and his story was a source of inspiration for the next generation of players at Ipswich SHS.
Last year Ipswich SHS won the NRL Schoolgirls Cup at both state and national level, while the Langer Trophy team went unbeaten until the last grand final qualifying fixture.
In addition, from years 7-12, Ipswich were the only South East Queensland school to have teams in all male Brisbane Broncos-sponsored Cup competition semi-finals.
This season around 130 girls and more than 230 boys will play rugby league at Ipswich SHS.
PLAYER Q and A
Xzavier Timoteo (Langer Trophy)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: In 2023 we won the Langer reserves and I loved when our coach Dorey (coach, Jonathan Dore) ran on against Keebra after we won. He shed a tear.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My mum and the coaching staff, especially in the junior grades because I was not the best when I was young. But they stuck by me.
What were your short and long term goals: Make the U18 schoolboys and make the U19 Origin side.
Orianna Clark (NRL schoolgirls Cup)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: Winning the nationals last year with all the girls. It was one of the biggest experiences we have had, and to win all three medals was amazing.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My brothers who are younger than me, but they have pushed me.
What were your short and long term goals: Win the nationals again and to play for Australian schoolgirls, and then hit the big girls in the NRLW.
Summer Hoet (NRL schoolgirls Cup)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: Winning the nationals last year. It took us a couple of years to get there but it was a good team and a great bunch of girls.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My parents who are always there for me.
What were your short and long term goals: Win the nationals again and long term, get on the field in the NRLW.
Clement Karauti (Langer reserves)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: I have not been here that long, but just celebrating the wins with the boys.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My parents and coaching staff. And NRL player Shaun Johnson for his skills and footwork.
What were your short and long term goals: To get a grand final win and also play an A-grade game.
Lleyton Fotu (Langer reserves)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: Moving to Ipswich SHS from New Zealand.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My brother Tre (2022 national championship winnining centre)
What were your short and long term goals: To play A-grade (Langer Trophy).
Blake Tikinau (Year 10)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: Winning the Year 8 grand final. That was special because the year before it was not so special, but we picked it up the following season.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: All of my coaches and family. My coaches have been there to listen when I needed them.
What were your short and long term goals: Make the Queensland 14-15s and hopefully make it (NRL) eventually.
Malachi Kirk (Year 9)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: Playing in the grade 8 grand final when I was in grade 7. We won it.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My coaches and my parents. The coaches help take my game to the next level, while my parents take me to all the games and all the trainings.
What were your short and long term goals: Make Queensland this year, keep playing and make the NRL. To have a strong career.
Cooper Hunt (Year 8)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: Making it to the finals last year.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My parents and my brother
What were your short and long term goals: To make the Team of the Year again and improve.
Bentley Tikinau (Year 7)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: Playing my very first game. I was nervous.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My dad
What were your short and long term goals: NRL.
Monaiya-Lee Lilia (Year 10, girls)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: It has been improving in my training, working with my coaches and getting to know new people.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: Miss Cox and Shalom Sauaso, the way she plays and the consistency in her training.
What were your short and long term goals: Have a stable job and be a coach.
Tahli Campbell (Year 10 girls)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: My best moment has just been being with all the girls and the staff members. Everyone is great at supporting each other and being there for each other.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: My coach Coxy. She has influenced all the girls to be the best we can to the best of our abilities. She told us to keep our heads up high and have a great mind set.
What were your short and long term goals: I want to make NRLW. I don;t mind which team, as long as I get an opportunity.
Kiera Roia (Year 7-8 girls)
What is your most memorable moment at Ipswich SHS: When I first came to school. It was emotional because I got to spend that time with my cousin Shalom Sausao.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career: God who has played a huge part in my life.
What were your short and long term goals: Better fitness.
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Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 An unsettled Kaylee McKeown went from a "dark place" mentally to no place of her own. She's living in holiday rentals. Fellow golden girl Mollie O'Callaghan was in a "hole". She's still trying to dig herself out. Struggling Shayna Jack went to the jungle "to find myself". She got home, lost her beloved dog, and isn't over the mental toll. Zac Stubblety-Cook went from Paris and more Olympic glory to questioning if he wanted to keep swimming. "The post-Olympic blues is always something to be mindful of," Stubblety-Cook said in Adelaide at Australia's swim trials for next month's world titles. "I think people underestimate what it is. "We had such a successful Games, especially our female team. "To come off the back of that, of course you're going to feel a bit alone. I think that's just normal." Stubblety-Cook, an Olympic gold and silver medallist, is among a chorus of swimmers in Adelaide detailing the mental lows that followed their highs. 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After her break, and with her coach Michael Bohl retired, she changed swim clubs and moved to Queensland's Gold Coast from the Sunshine Coast. "I spent four months in a group where I wasn't finding myself really happy," McKeown said. "I made the quick decision a week before nationals (in April) and moved back to Sunny Coast. "I still haven't got a house to live. I'm in Airbnb's. "It has been a really hard transition; just the things that people don't really see when you come and race." O'Callaghan was the nation's most successful athlete in Paris, collecting three golds plus a silver and bronze. Post-Olympics, she took five months, trying to find her identity outside of the pool. The 21-year-old admitted she was still searching but was pragmatic about her problems. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of yourself," O'Callaghan said. "That's what sport is about. It's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." Her teammate Jack won two golds in Paris at her first Olympics - she missed the Tokyo Games, having just served a two-year doping ban. Jack, who was cleared of intentional doping, had a European Great Dane named Hugo - he was the sole reason she got out of bed many days while suspended. After Paris, Jack went on the television show I'm A Celebrity ...Get Me Out Of Here. Soon after returning home, she lost Hugo to cancer. "I went to the jungle to try and find myself ... but when I got home and finding out that I was losing my dog, it was a huge mental toll," she said. "He got me through everything to come back in the first place. "I had two weeks with him; there was regret just around whether or not I did everything for him. "I felt a lot of that guilt. Did I do right by him, by choosing my swimming a lot of the time, and choosing my career over my dog?" Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 An unsettled Kaylee McKeown went from a "dark place" mentally to no place of her own. She's living in holiday rentals. Fellow golden girl Mollie O'Callaghan was in a "hole". She's still trying to dig herself out. Struggling Shayna Jack went to the jungle "to find myself". She got home, lost her beloved dog, and isn't over the mental toll. Zac Stubblety-Cook went from Paris and more Olympic glory to questioning if he wanted to keep swimming. "The post-Olympic blues is always something to be mindful of," Stubblety-Cook said in Adelaide at Australia's swim trials for next month's world titles. "I think people underestimate what it is. "We had such a successful Games, especially our female team. "To come off the back of that, of course you're going to feel a bit alone. I think that's just normal." Stubblety-Cook, an Olympic gold and silver medallist, is among a chorus of swimmers in Adelaide detailing the mental lows that followed their highs. And the Dolphins' leadership group member said there was a positive among the negatives. "Everyone is a human and it's nice to see a bit of the human side of the sport," he said. Dolphins teammate Lani Pallister said the human factor was often overlooked, compounding post-Olympic problems. "This is going to sound really brutal but I think sometimes people forget athletes are also people," Pallister said. "There's so much expectation put on Australian swimmers ... we're expected to win multiple gold medals. "And sometimes if you don't race at your best, it's almost the public that bring you down." Even those that race at their best were impacted. McKeown, the only Australian to win four individual Olympic gold medals, took four months off after Paris. "I was in a really dark place mentally," she said. "When you go from such a high, straight back to such a low, and you're left scrambling for ideas on what you're going to do next, it is hard to find your feet once again." After her break, and with her coach Michael Bohl retired, she changed swim clubs and moved to Queensland's Gold Coast from the Sunshine Coast. "I spent four months in a group where I wasn't finding myself really happy," McKeown said. "I made the quick decision a week before nationals (in April) and moved back to Sunny Coast. "I still haven't got a house to live. I'm in Airbnb's. "It has been a really hard transition; just the things that people don't really see when you come and race." O'Callaghan was the nation's most successful athlete in Paris, collecting three golds plus a silver and bronze. Post-Olympics, she took five months, trying to find her identity outside of the pool. The 21-year-old admitted she was still searching but was pragmatic about her problems. "You have to always step in that dark place to get the best out of yourself," O'Callaghan said. "That's what sport is about. It's putting yourself in that hole to see how mentally strong you are - and I've definitely done that this season." Her teammate Jack won two golds in Paris at her first Olympics - she missed the Tokyo Games, having just served a two-year doping ban. Jack, who was cleared of intentional doping, had a European Great Dane named Hugo - he was the sole reason she got out of bed many days while suspended. After Paris, Jack went on the television show I'm A Celebrity ...Get Me Out Of Here. Soon after returning home, she lost Hugo to cancer. "I went to the jungle to try and find myself ... but when I got home and finding out that I was losing my dog, it was a huge mental toll," she said. "He got me through everything to come back in the first place. "I had two weeks with him; there was regret just around whether or not I did everything for him. "I felt a lot of that guilt. Did I do right by him, by choosing my swimming a lot of the time, and choosing my career over my dog?" Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
