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As rugby league fans across the country eagerly await the NRL’s return, Zero Tackle has taken a trip down the junior pathways and examined the talent of the next generation that is set to be the future of the competition over the coming years.<\/p>\n
While an Under-18s Australian Schoolboys team is named annually,\u00a0Zero Tackle\u00a0will be naming the best players from each age group who are set to be watched closely in the near future.<\/p>\n
Headlined by the trio of Bishop Neal<\/a>, Siotame Havea<\/a> Junior and Viliami Fifita<\/a>, who have all secured NRL<\/a> contracts, the best players from the Under-17s age bracket include the best of the best from the Under-17s Harold Matthews Cup<\/a> (New South Wales) and the Under-17s Cyril Connell Cup<\/a> (Queensland).<\/p>\n This includes Under-18s Australian Wallabies representative Talen Risati, Under-17s Harold Matthews Cup<\/a> 2025 Player of the Tournament Carter Mareko and Cooper Votano, the younger brother of two-time Under-19s NSW Blues<\/a> fullback Connor Votano<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under-17s Best 17 (born in 2008)<\/p>\n 1. Talen Risati (Parramatta Eels<\/a>) Interchange Reserves
2. Cyrus Bloomfield (Parramatta Eels<\/a>)
3. Jeziah Papa (Sydney Roosters<\/a>)
4. Kingston Seve (Newcastle Knights<\/a>)
5. Braith Sloane (Canterbury Bulldogs<\/a>)
6. Cooper Votano (Melbourne Storm<\/a>)
7. Cater Mareko (Sydney Roosters<\/a>)
8. Ben Kaberry (South Sydney Rabbitohs<\/a>)
9. Ashton Large (Manly Sea Eagles<\/a>)
10. Viliami Fifita<\/a> (Gold Coast Titans<\/a>)
11. Curtis Mulherin (Newcastle Knights<\/a>)
12. Bishop Neal<\/a> (New Zealand Warriors<\/a>)
13. Tupou Francis (Brisbane Broncos<\/a>)<\/p>\n
14. Jasais Ah Kee (St George Illawarra Dragons<\/a>)
15. Siotame Havea<\/a> Junior (Wests Tigers<\/a>)
16. Khyanu Mahon (Manly Sea Eagles<\/a>)
17. Cooper Townsend (Newcastle Knights<\/a>)<\/p>\n
18. Chase Butler (Newcastle Knights<\/a>)
19. Tyson Hansen (New Zealand Warriors<\/a>)
20. Dean Tauaa<\/a> (South Sydney Rabbitohs<\/a>)<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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