# Queensland under-16 rugby league team

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. 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.
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. On 29 September 2019, Queensland Country under-16 defeated City 44–4, and a Queensland under-16 merit side was named after the game.

## Results
### 2008

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2008 State of Origin series.
* 21 May 2008
| New South Wales U16 | 30 – 16 | Queensland U16 |
| Tries Jacob Miller 2 William Hopoate 1 Vaipuna Tia Kilifi 1 Jason Wehbe 1 Goals Jason Wehbe 3 Harry Siejka 2 | Report | Tries Josh Batilabasi 1 Benn Malley 1 Korbin Sims 1 Goals Mitchell Frei 2 |
* ANZ Stadium, Sydney

### 2009

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2009 State of Origin series.
* 3 June 2009
| New South Wales U16 | 10 – 30 | Queensland U16 |
| Tries Jordan Malaki 1 Ryan Wilson 1 Goals Sam Short 1 | Report | Tries Mitch Ardler 2 Luke Abdul-Rahman 1 Rian Diffey 1 Andrew Shipway 1 Jordan Tighe 1 Goals Sam Foster 3 |
* Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Referee: Nick Morel

### 2010

Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2010 State of Origin series.
* 7 July 2010
| New South Wales U16 | 24 – 14 | Queensland U16 |
| Tries Robbie Kamoto 1 Tyrone Phillips 1 Kelepi Tanginoa 1 Joshua Walker 1 Goals Clinton Gutherson 4 | Report | Tries Anthony Milford 2 Jordan Dulay 1 Goals Scott Doyle 1 |
* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Jon Stone

### 2011

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2011 State of Origin series.
* 25 May 2011
| Queensland U16 | 16 – 18 | New South Wales U16 |
| Tries Jack Anderson 1 Luke Bateman 1 Ryan Mitchell 1 Goals Duncan Paia'aua 2 | Report | Tries Bradley Deitz 1 John Fomai 1 Dylan Russell 1 Goals Brendan Cox 1 Dee Jay Harris 1 |
* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

### 2012

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2012 State of Origin series.
* 23 May 2012
| New South Wales U16 | 30 – 16 | Queensland U16 |
| Tries Travis Edwards 1 Robert Jennings 1 Dillon Khoury 1 Tevita Pangai 1 David Sheridan 1 Alex Twal 1 Goals Jackson Hastings 3 | Report | Tries Cooper Bambling 1 Simione Fatafehi 1 Sam Smith 1 Goals Sheldon Bobbert 2 |
* Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Referee: Mick Laverty

### 2013

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2013 State of Origin series.
* 5 June 2013
| New South Wales U16 | 30 – 0 | Queensland U16 |
| Tries Jesse Ramien 2 Jack Cogger 1 Gabe Hamlin 1 Latrell Mitchell 1 Reimis Smith 1 Goals Brock Lamb 3 | Report | |
* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski

### 2014

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2014 State of Origin series.
* 28 May 2014
| Queensland U16 | 20 – 18 | New South Wales U16 |
| Tries Daniel Walker 1 Sato Ketia Opo 1 Syd Smith 1 Enari Tuala 1 Goals Steven Tatipata 2 | Report | Tries Sione Hopoate 1 Cameron Murray 1 Katoni Staggs 1 Goals Brendan O'Hagan 3 |
* Suncorp Stadium, Queensland

### 2015

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2015 State of Origin series.
* 27 May 2015
| New South Wales U16 | 6 – 10 | Queensland U16 |
| Tries Campbell Graham 1 Goals Luke Metcalf 1 | Report | Tries Nathan Barrett 1 Travis Turnbull 1 Goals Travis Turnbull 1 |
* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Daniel Olford

### 2016

Played as a curtain raiser to Game I of the 2016 State of Origin series.
* 1 June 2016
| New South Wales U16 | 12 - 10 | Queensland U16 |
| Tries William Kei 1 Bronson Xerri 1 Goals Jock Madden 2 | Report | Tries Dejzha Pene 1 Jonathan Siofele 1 Goals Cory Paix 2 |
* ANZ Stadium, Sydney Referee: Todd Smith

### 2017

Played as a curtain raiser to Game III of the 2017 State of Origin series.
* 12 July 2017
| Queensland U16 | 16 - 22 | New South Wales U16 |
| Tries Alofiana Khan-Pereira 2 Will Evans 1 Goals Ezra Coulston 2 | Report | Tries Bradman Best 1 Blake Dowel 1 Cooper Jenkins 1 Aaron Schoupp 1 Goals Aaron Schoupp 3 |
* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Referee: Dan Munroe

### 2018

Played as a curtain raiser to the Round 18 Brisbane Broncos-Warriors game.
* 15 July 2018
| Queensland U16 | 14 - 28 | New South Wales U16 |
| Tries Tyrone Sa'u 1 Keegan Vandenberg 1 Reece Walsh 1 Goals Reece Walsh 1 | | Tries Thomas Cant 1 Noah Griffiths 1 Viliami Penisini 1 Zion Tauasa 1 Kaeo Weekes 1 Goals Donovan Boney 4 |
* Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Referee: Jordan Morel

### 2019

Merit side selected after the 2019 Under-16 Queensland City vs Country fixture.