2025 Langer Trophy live stream: Palm Beach Currumbin SHS v Keebra Park SHS, Round 7
The annual Gold Coast derby takes on a whole new meaning as the wildest week in Langer Trophy history kicks off.
Any of four schools finish second on the ladder, with a guaranteed finals bye week, or miss out on the finals entirely.
It sounds absurd but a season of twists and turns has forged an almighty ladder logjam where only minor premier Keebra Park is safe from being bundled out of the finals the week before they begin.
That is why Palm Beach Currumbin coach Tim Maccan has hailed the Langer Trophy as Australia's greatest school footy competition, and why his school will fight to break arch rival Keebra Park's unbeaten streak at Burleigh on Tuesday.
The clash will be exclusively live streamed FREE on KommunityTV as part of a final round double header which kicks off with the Walters Cup (Year 10s) from 4.45pm. Only News Corp Australia subscribers can watch the Walters Cup.
A Reds win of any scale will lock in a finals bye or a semi-final against the Titans Cup winners, and Langer Trophy finals qualifiers, Marymount College, as reward for finishing second or third.
A heavy loss could see Palm Beach tumble out of the tournament's top five and end its national championship defence by Wednesday.
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS halfback Taj Lateo, Mabel Park SHS vs. Palm Beach Currumbin SHS, Langer Trophy, Greenslopes. Picture: Liam Kidston
'It's always a special occasion playing Keebra Park … but it does have a bit of extra special meaning this week,' Maccan said on the eve of the Gold Coast's biggest school sporting rivalry.
'It will be the biggest games of some of these kids' lives playing for the school, 100 per cent.
'This potentially could be their last game of senior footy for their school so it's definitely going to have some meaning, that's for sure.
'It's basically a grand final because if we don't play well and put ourselves in a position to win the game, we will fall down the ladder or possibly even out of the finals altogether.
'The boys are aware of that and know they have to play well.'
NRL National Schoolboys Cup final at CBUS Stadium between Palm Beach Currumbin and Patrician Blacktown Brothers. The Red Army and Palm Beach Currumbin players celebrate the win. Picture Glenn Hampson
Defeat would give the school a best-case scenario finish of fourth but the possibility exists (if PBC lose, Marsden beat Mabel Park, Ipswich beat Stretton and Wavell tie Redcliffe) that the national champions could be eliminated on points differential.
Maccan is keeping it simple for his students: take the fight to Keebra in the biggest game the school has played since last year's national decider and the equation will take care of itself.
'It's really encouraging that the competition is so tight,' the coach said.
'It just goes to show the southeast Queensland competition is probably the best in Queensland and possibly in Australia. The quality of teams and the tightness of the competition, the evidence is there for the latter.
Keebra Park centre Joseph Tupuse has been one of the best strike weapons in the competition. Photo Steve Pohlner
'It's definitely a game on the calendar the boys look forward to, and it does draw a big crowd from both schools, but with where we're sitting in third spot we need to put in a good performance to make sure we cement a position in the finals.
'It would be good to finish second (on the Langer ladder) but more importantly we just want to finish on a high note.'
Titans-contracted backrower Kobe Hauraki will undergo a fitness test to make his Langer Trophy debut for the school against Keebra.
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