Keebra pair eye NRL shot
HE is the unsigned winger who proved unflappable under pressure, but Keebra Park’s Munga Baruani has a personal battle to overcome before dreaming of an NRL berth
The Gold Coast speedster made the left flank his own in an 18-12 triumph over Palm Beach Currumbin last week, and did what flyers rarely do: stand out without scoring.
The teenager remains without a potential shot at an NRL system locked in, however given his efforts in the biggest game of the Langer Trophy he and his backers believe he will firmly be on the radar.
Baruani’s poise under the high ball with an army of defenders breathing down his neck was crucial to his team’s victory, but it was a defeat earlier in the year against Ipswich that no doubt sits in his mind the most.
Ipswich are the current ladder leaders of the Langer Trophy, having overcome a desperate Keebra Park comeback early in the campaign to go on an unbeaten run. In that contest, Baruani’s twin brother Kulu marked up on him.
Each scored a try in that clash, however Keebra Park head of rugby league Peter Norman said because of the final result, Baruani still considered himself behind on the family ledger. But he said with the way his speedster had developed throughout the year he would be up for the fight should the pair meet in the middle again, and would use that performance to launch himself onto the NRL radar.
“Munga came to Keebra and this is his second year … I’m not sure if he just wanted to set his own path, but he made the decision to come to Keebra Park,” Norman said.
“We’ve got three early morning sessions a week at 6.30am, so he’d be up at 4.30am at the latest (to get to training from Ipswich).
“He’s an intelligent kid, he wants to go through university so he’s studying all the toughest subjects and managing his time wisely.
“He took some critical catches in really high pressure moments in the game – I was proud of him.”
On the back of Baruani’s efforts in keeping Keebra out of trouble, the onus then fell on halfback Jaxen Yow to marshall the troops and create some magic.
He did that and then some.
Yow has endured a troubled injury history, only returning this year from a seriously dislocated hip and shoulder concern. Those setbacks have thus far hindered him from securing a future with a professional outfit, but Norman believes the performances he has put in should have him in the mix.
Yow has scored five tries and assisted seven in his six games back on the field, and his fifth try was perhaps the most important of his young career. Providing a short ball for Keebra prop Jared Johnson to make a break, the crafty No.7 then saw tiring markers at the ruck to burst from dummy-half and score the match winner.
Ahead of Wednesday’s clash between Keebra and Mabel Park, Norman said a big focus he and the coaching staff had put into Yow had been ensuring there was little to no difference in his best and worst performances, and his 2022 season had done just that.
“He’s instinctive, he just plays what’s in front of him,” Norman said.
“He’s uncontracted as well, so hopefully if he continues to perform he gets one because he deserves it.
“No one’s made any formal offers yet, I’m sure there’s a lot of eyes watching him but maybe they’re waiting to see how he reacts in the big games and that was a big indicator.”