Gun forward plays team game
Roo wins grassroots gong
LEAGUE: A humble Tyson Burke-Phineasa is more interested in taking his club team to a grand final than he is any individual plaudit.
The Kangaroos (Cairns) enforcer topped the poll to crown the best forward in Queensland grassroots rugby league, leading the charge as he so often does on the field.
Burke-Phineasa took top spot with 17 votes, ahead of Kelly Shadlow (Rockhampton Brothers) with 12 votes and Joshua Abbott (Charters Towers Miners) with 10.
But the 21-year-old isn’t rushing to get business cards with that new title.
“I’m not the best forward there is; that’s other people’s opinions, but I’m doing everything I can to improve,” Burke-Phineasa said.
Burke-Phineasa had one of the best seasons of his career at Kangaroos, scoring 10 tries and playing a role in plenty of others as the lethal right edge of Theo Majid, Bradley Stephen and Daniel Woodhouse threatened to blow open plenty of CDRL contests.
As good as the combination was, Kangaroos finished only sixth and just missed the finals for the second straight season. That’s a stat BurkePhineasa wants to correct.
Burke-Phineasa is no mercenary, driven to be part of a finals berth – or even a premiership – which builds over time rather than taking the highest offer.
It’s why he’s so committed to Kangaroos, who he wants to help take to a title.
“I want to be part of it, to take Roos to a final,” he said.
“I want to accomplish that at this team.”
Burke-Phineasa was part of the Northern Pride’s development system from under-16s, where he was among a forward pack which included current Hostplus Cup regulars Tom McGrath and Ewan Moore.
He came through the grades with the state league club, where he stayed with until the Hastings Deering Colts in 2021. That same season, while playing for Kangaroos, he crossed for five tries to stake his claim as one of the best and most damaging young forwards in the Far North.
Burke-Phineasa remains in contact with Pride head coach Ty Williams and knows what he has to do to force himself back into the Hostplus Cup conversation, but the Kangaroos gun isn’t solely focused on ticking off that milestone.
“Ty’s given me the standards I need to reach,” BurkePhineasa said.
“I felt more confident with my size and strength this year.
“But I don’t like to be singled out, I’m a team player.
“I couldn’t have had the opportunities I did without Theo, the way he plays the game – his touch-footy style and precision passing – played a big role.
“And having Bradley and Woody outside, they’re an unreal duo.”
Warwick’s Sam Broomhall had the strongest showing of Toowoomba Rugby League’s representatives, finishing sixth in the voting.