The title-winning Tarsha Gale Cup squad, along with players, coaches, support staff and parents from the Sharks SG Ball and Matthews Cup teams, celebrated the 2018 Junior Representative season with their annual presentation event at Sharks Leagues Club earlier tonight.
Awards were handed out, Sharks head Coach Shane Flanagan and NRL players Chad Townsend and Jayden Brailey addressed the audience before congratulating the winners, while highlights from each of the three teams displayed the high level to which they all performed throughout their respective campaigns.
After individual awards were handed out for each team, Sharks CEO Barry Russell, himself a previous winner of the Greg Pierce Junior Rep Player of the Year, spoke of his rugby league experiences and of the importance the club places in providing a pathway for young players to achieve at the highest level.
In a ground-breaking moment and an outstanding achievement, the winner of the major prize on the night was Quincy Dodd, the Captain of the victorious Sharks Tarsha Gale Cup side, making her the first female winner in the long history of the award.
Other winners of the Greg Pierce Player of the Year have included Chad Townsend, Luke Douglas, Curtis Scott, Blayke Brailey and 2017 winner and this year's Sharks Jersey Flegg captain Tieg Wilton.
In addition to leading the Tarsha Gale Sharks to Grand Final glory, Dodd was later to win selection in the open-age NSW Women's City side, before being named 18th player for NSW for the inaugural Women's State of Origin match, played last Friday night at North Sydney Oval.
Dodd shared the Tarsha Gale Player of the Year award with Madison Ashby, while prolific try-scorer Faith Nathan took away the Coaches Award from head coach Colin Dodd.
In the Matthews Cup Jed Hardy was announced as the Coaches Award winner, with forwards Billy Burke and Kitione Kautoga joint Players of the Year.
The Matthews Cup Sharks were highly competitive throughout the home and away season, before being eliminated in the second round of the finals.
Hard working front rower Jayden Tanner was the Coaches Award recipient in the SG Ball, with five eighth Kai Broadhurst the Player of the Year.
In a season of what might have been, the Ball Sharks were bundled out of the title race in the Grand Final qualifier, going down by one-point to the Penrith Panthers.
On the night NSW 16's and 18's Pathways and NSW Combined High School and Combined Catholic Colleges representatives were also acknowledged, with Will Swann from the Sharks SG Ball side receiving the Junior Rep Wellbeing award for his commitment to his rugby league and his work efforts away from the field and for his ability to apply himself to both endeavours.
2018 Sharks Junior representative awards
Matthews Cup
Coaches Award – Jed Hardy
Player of the Year – Kitione Kautoga/Billy Burke
SG Ball
Coaches Award – Jayden Tanner
Player of the Year – Kai Broadhurst
Tarsha Gale
Coaches Award – Faith Nathan
Player of the Year – Quincy Dodd/Madison Ashby
Junior Rep Wellbeing Award – Will Swann
Junior Rep Player of the Year – Quincy Dodd
Representative Player Honour Board
NSW Combined Catholic Colleges
Kyle Pickering
Jayden Tanner
NSW Combined High Schools
Jonaiah Lualua
Franklin Pele
Jed Hardy
Kobie Wilson
NSW Under 16's Pathways
Blake Hosking
Billy Burke
Kitione Kautoga
Kade Dykes
NSW under 18's Pathways
Jonaiah Lualua
Franklin Pele
NSW City Women's Team
Quincy Dodd
NSW Women's Origin
Quincy Dodd
