HALF THE BATTLE
Why tussle for bragging rights between Coast school giants is set to go up a notch
TWO of the Gold Coast’s best ever halfback talents are set to continue their schoolboy rivalry into a potential battle for the coveted Brisbane Broncos No.7 jersey.
Tanah Boyd, 18, has long been touted as a future star.
Last year, he guided Keebra Park to the NRL Schoolboy Cup national championship before graduating into the Brisbane NRL system.
He spent 2018 playing at
various levels for Souths Logan Magpies, including a brace of Intrust Super Cup appearances.
Also in the Broncos’ production line is Tom Dearden, who comes from the archrival of Boyd’s Keebra Park, Palm Beach Currumbin.
Dearden, 17, captained the Reds to national championship glory this year, earning the Peter Sterling Medal along the way for his playmaking prowess.
He is now in the United Kingdom on tour with the Australian Schoolboys and will next year follow in Boyd’s footsteps on the development pathway.
The Broncos have not had
a superstar halfback since Allan Langer (right) retired in 2002 – but they could have two future ones on their hands at a time when the club
is undergoing a facelift led by Anthony Seibold’s replacement of long-time coach Wayne Bennett.
“It’s a competitive sport … challenging against each other you are going to get the
best out of them,” said Keebra coach Glen Campbell.
“You’ll see no doubt both of those boys will get to the NRL somewhere, whether it be the Broncos or somewhere else.”
PBC mentor Aaron Zimmerle said both teens had plenty of assets going for them. “I don’t know Tanah that personally but I just see how meticulously he prepares, how physically fit he is,” Zimmerle said.
“He’s someone that is professional already even if not by definition of how much he earns but just by the way he approaches the game and Tommy is exactly that.
“Tommy is a perfectionist.
His greatest gift is he just strives to be better at everything he does.
“The thing I think that is so exciting is the halves are key to any team’s success and there is a steady pathway of halves that go on to the NRL but there’s only a few that become the elite halves.
“There is only probably four or five that can win you an NRL premiership and Cooper Cronk proved that last year.
“These two (Boyd and Dearden), because they are at the top of the tree in their own age groups and so forth, they potentially with the right development could become one of those players.”
CHALLENGING AGAINST EACH OTHER YOU ARE GOING TO GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM
KEEBRA’S GLEN CAMPBELL