The Queensland Under-16 rugby league team, also known as Queensland Under-16s or Queensland U16, represents Queensland in the sport of rugby league at an under-16 age level. Since 2008, the team has played an annual fixture against the New South Wales Under-16s team as a curtain raiser to a State of Origin game. The team features players selected from Queensland's premier under-16 rugby league competition, the Cyril Connell Cup. They are administered by the Queensland Rugby League.
History
Prior to 2008, junior interstate matches were contested at under-17 and under-19 levels. In 2008, with the advent of the National Youth Competition, the age levels switched to an under-16 and under-18 format to keep in line with the NSWRL's existing SG Ball Cup and Harold Matthews Cup competitions and the QRL's Mal Meninga Cup and Cyril Connell Cup competitions, which would begin in 2009.
Queensland suffered defeat in the first under-16 Origin fixture in 2008, with a side that featured future NRL players Kyle Feldt, Ben Hampton, Lachlan Maranta and Korbin Sims. They recorded their first win a year later, defeating New South Wales 30–10 in 2009. That team featured future New Zealand international Jason Taumalolo. From 2010 to 2013, Queensland suffered four straight defeats before winning both fixtures against New South Wales in 2014 and 2015.
Players
Players selected for the Queensland under-16 team are usually contracted with a National Rugby League (NRL) side and, until 2017, played in the Cyril Connell Cup. Occasionally players who are contracted to Sydney-based NRL sides, who play in the Harold Matthews Cup, are selected. In 2008, before the Cyril Connell Cup began, players were selected from the under-16 representative carnival in Proserpine.[1] Each pre-season the Queensland Rugby League will select an under-16 squad featuring players in contention for the mid-season fixture. The squad participates in a weekend camp at the Queensland Academy of Sport.[2]
In 2017, the QRL ended the Cyril Connell Cup, replacing it with a three-day statewide carnival in which the Queensland under-16 side would be selected from.
In 2019, no under-16 State of Origin was held, with both states instead holding a City vs Country fixture.[3] On 29 September 2019, Queensland Country under-16 defeated City 44–4, and a Queensland under-16 merit side was named after the game.[4]
Results
2008
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2008 State of Origin series.
Queensland under-16
| 2008 team
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Coaching staff
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- 14 Kyle Burkhardt – SR
- 15 Kurtis Ritchie – SR
- 16 Tennyson Elliott – PR
- 17 Leon Curry – SR
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): NYCDB
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2009
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2009 State of Origin series.
New South Wales U16 
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10 – 30
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 Queensland U16
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Tries
Jordan Malaki 1
Ryan Wilson 1
Goals
Sam Short 1
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Report
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Tries
Mitch Ardler 2
Luke Abdul-Rahman 1
Rian Diffey 1
Andrew Shipway 1
Jordan Tighe 1
Goals
Sam Foster 3
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Queensland under-16
| 2009 team
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Coaching staff
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): NYCDB
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2010
Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2010 State of Origin series.
Queensland under-16
| 2010 team
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Coaching staff
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): NYCDB
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2011
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2011 State of Origin series.
| Queensland U16
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16 – 18
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New South Wales U16
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Tries
Jack Anderson 1
Luke Bateman 1
Ryan Mitchell 1
Goals
Duncan Paia'aua 2
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Report
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Tries
Bradley Deitz 1
John Fomai 1
Dylan Russell 1
Goals
Brendan Cox 1
Dee Jay Harris 1
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Queensland under-16
| 2011 team
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Coaching staff
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- 14 Tyson Cleal – SR
- 15 Jarrod Earle – PR
- 16 Jack Anderson – SR
- 17 Temone Power – PR
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): NYCDB
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2012
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2012 State of Origin series.
| New South Wales U16
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30 – 16
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Queensland U16
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Tries
Travis Edwards 1
Robert Jennings 1
Dillon Khoury 1
Tevita Pangai 1
David Sheridan 1
Alex Twal 1
Goals
Jackson Hastings 3
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Report
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Tries
Cooper Bambling 1
Simione Fatafehi 1
Sam Smith 1
Goals
Sheldon Bobbert 2
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Queensland under-16
| 2012 team
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Coaching staff
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- 1 Jesse Pomare-Anderson – FB
- 2 Sheldon Bobbert – WG
- 3 Sam Smiths – CE
- 4 – CE
- 5 Luke Chevi Ellis – WG
- 6 Braydon McMahon – FE
- 7 Coopers Bambling – HB
- 8 George Fai – PR
- 9 Jenan Wedderburn-Parrish – HK
- 10 Sam Lavea – PR
- 11 Regan Grieve – SR
- 12 Tarahawaiki Kaumoana – SR
- 13 Kieran Duffin – LK
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): NYCDB
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2013
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2013 State of Origin series.
Queensland under-16
| 2013 team
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Coaching staff
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): QRL.com.au
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2014
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2014 State of Origin series.
| Queensland U16
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20 – 18
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New South Wales U16
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Tries
Daniel Walker 1
Sato Ketia Opo 1
Syd Smith 1
Enari Tuala 1
Goals
Steven Tatipata 2
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Report
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Tries
Sione Hopoate 1
Cameron Murray 1
Katoni Staggs 1
Goals
Brendan O'Hagan 3
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Queensland under-16
| 2014 team
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Coaching staff
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- 14 Vita Sula-Siaosi – HK
- 15 Jack Peacock – PR
- 16 Mitipere Tuatai – PR
- 17 Zane Willshire – FE
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): QRL.com.au
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2015
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2015 State of Origin series.
| New South Wales U16
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6 – 10
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Queensland U16
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Tries
Campbell Graham 1
Goals
Luke Metcalf 1
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Report
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Tries
Nathan Barrett 1
Travis Turnbull 1
Goals
Travis Turnbull 1
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Queensland under-16
| 2015 team
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Coaching staff
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- 1 Travis Turnbull – FB
- 2 Tom Kenny – WG
- 3 Reihana Marsh – CE
- 4 Clayton Mack – CE
- 5 Thane Kellermeyer – WG
- 6 Max Dowd – FE
- 7 Dray Ngatuere-Wroe – HB
- 8 Thomas Flegler – PR
- 9 Tyson Smoothy – HK
- 10 Tazmon McRobbie – PR
- 11 Darius Farmer – SR
- 12 Brandon Russell – SR
- 13 Jayden Bishop – LK
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 16 January 2016
Source(s): QRL.com.au
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2016
Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2016 State of Origin series.
| New South Wales U16
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12 - 10
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Queensland U16
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Tries
William Kei 1
Bronson Xerri 1
Goals
Jock Madden 2
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Report
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Tries
Dejzha Pene 1
Jonathan Siofele 1
Goals
Cory Paix 2
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Queensland under-16
| 2016 team
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Coaching staff
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 27 June 2016
Source(s): QRL.com.au
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2017
Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2017 State of Origin series.
| Queensland U16
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16 - 22
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New South Wales U16
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Tries
Alofiana Khan-Pereira 2
Will Evans 1
Goals
Ezra Coulston 2
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Report
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Tries
Bradman Best 1
Blake Dowel 1
Cooper Jenkins 1
Aaron Schoupp 1
Goals
Aaron Schoupp 3
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Queensland under-16
| 2017 team
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Coaching staff
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- 14 Zach Brooks – LK
- 15 Tahu Kingi – PR
- 16 Myphala Ah Chong – PR
- 17 Feao Maka – CE
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 25 September 2017
Source(s): QRL.com.au
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2018
Played as a curtain raiser to the Round 18 Brisbane Broncos-Warriors game.
| Queensland U16
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14 - 28
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New South Wales U16
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Tries
Tyrone Sa'u 1
Keegan Vandenberg 1
Reece Walsh 1
Goals
Reece Walsh 1
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Tries
Thomas Cant 1
Noah Griffiths 1
Viliami Penisini 1
Zion Tauasa 1
Kaeo Weekes 1
Goals
Donovan Boney 4
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Queensland under-16
| 2018 team
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Coaching staff
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- 14 Ediq Ambrosyev – HK
- 15 Isaiah Vailalo – PR
- 16 Samuel Shannon – LK
- 17 Byron Parnell – CE
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Head coach
- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 14 July 2018
Source(s): QRL.com.au
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2019
Merit side selected after the 2019 Under-16 Queensland City vs Country fixture.
Queensland under-16
| 2019 merit team
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Coaching staff
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- Legend:
- (c) Captain(s)
- (vc) Vice-captain(s)
Updated: 4 October 2019
Source(s): QRL.com.au
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New South Wales 30–16 Queensland 
