The Queensland Under-18 rugby league team, also known as Queensland Under-18s or Queensland U18, represents Queensland in the sport of rugby league at an under-18 age level. Since 2008, the team has played an annual fixture against the New South Wales Under-18 team as a curtain raiser to a State of Origin game. The team features players selected from Queensland's premier under-18 rugby league competition, the Mal Meninga 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 four under-18 Origin fixtures, not winning a game until 2012. The 2012 team, which featured future NRL players Anthony Milford, Kodi Nikorima and Lloyd Perrett, held on to defeat New South Wales 24–18 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. Queensland would suffer two more defeats in 2013 and 2014 before picking up their second win in 2015, defeating New South Wales 22–18 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Queensland snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory in 2019.
Players Players selected for the Queensland under-18 team are usually contracted with a National Rugby League (NRL) side but play in either the Mal Meninga Cup, Hastings Deering Colts, Jersey Flegg Cup or Intrust Super Cup competitions. In 2008, before the Mal Meninga Cup began, players were selected from the under-18 representative carnival in Proserpine. Each pre-season the Queensland Rugby League will select an under-18 squad featuring players in contention for the mid-season fixture. The squad participates in a weekend camp at the Queensland Academy of Sport.
2020 squad The 34-man training squad selected for the 2020 season: Name Position Club Burleigh Bears Tweed Heads Seagulls CQ Capras Townsville Blackhawks Western Mustangs Townsville Blackhawks Canberra Raiders Wynnum Manly Seagulls Canberra Raiders Newcastle Knights CQ Capras Tweed Heads Seagulls Easts Tigers Norths Devils CQ Capras Souths-Logan Magpies Townsville Blackhawks Western Mustangs South Sydney Rabbitohs Tweed Heads Seagulls Norths Devils Wynnum Manly Seagulls Parramatta Eels Canberra Raiders Burleigh Bears Burleigh Bears Newcastle Knights Western Mustangs Townsville Blackhawks Canberra Raiders Sydney Roosters Tweed Heads Seagulls Townsville Blackhawks Western Mustangs
Notable players Since 2008, twenty-two former Queensland under-18 players have gone onto represent Queensland at State of Origin level: Jai Arrow Patrick Carrigan Xavier Coates Reuben Cotter Tom Dearden Tino Fa'asuamaleaui David Fifita Dane Gagai Tom Gilbert Coen Hess Valentine Holmes Ben Hunt Ethan Lowe Andrew McCullough Josh McGuire Anthony Milford Michael Morgan Justin O'Neill Joe Ofahengaue Josh Papalii Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow Murray Taulagi
Results 2008 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2008 State of Origin series.
2009 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2009 State of Origin series.
2010 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2010 State of Origin series.
2011 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2011 State of Origin series.
2012 Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2012 State of Origin series.
2013 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2013 State of Origin series.
2014 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2014 State of Origin series.
2015 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2015 State of Origin series.
2017 Played as a curtain raiser to Game II of the 2017 State of Origin series.
2018 Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2018 State of Origin series.
2019 Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2019 State of Origin series.
See also Queensland state rugby league team Queensland Residents rugby league team Queensland under-20 rugby league team Queensland under-16 rugby league team
References