It’s been a big week for a handful of Wests Tigers brightest young stars with another four players on the representative stage on Thursday night.
Campbelltown junior Losana Lutu played a key role in a losing side for NSW alongside her new Wests Tigers NRLW teammate Brooke Talataina in the Women's Under 19s Origin.
It's the second year in a row Lutu has pulled on the sky blue jersey after tasting victory in last year's U19s Origin at Leichhardt Oval.
Eighteen-year-old centre Josh Feledy was also impressive for the Blues in the Men's Under 19s Origin in Redcliffe as NSW defeated a Queensland side featuring Feledy's Jersey Flegg teammate Chris Faagutu.
Feledy and Faagutu have both made a successful transition from SG Ball to Jersey Flegg this year and are both seen as long-term prospects, and potentially NRL players in the not-too-distant future.
The Under 19s Origin games were played at the same ground where Lachlan Galvin, Heath Mason and Luke Laulilii gained selection in the Australian Schoolboys last weekend.
All three players were members of last year’s premiership winning Wests Magpies Harold Matthews team.
Galvin (five-eighth/back row) and Laulilii (fullback/winger) have been locked into long-term deals which will see them transition into Wests Tigers NRL program, while the club is also in discussions with Mason about his future.
Tallyn Da Silva was also a member of the 2022 Wests Harold Matthews team and is a classic example of what can happen in a short space of time.
The 18-year-old made his NRL debut in Round 16 this season following others who have also progressed rapidly through the club’s pathways program, including the likes of Justin Matamua, Fonua Pole and Branden Tumeth.
Other young guns from Wests Harold Matts 2022 team who are contracted to Wests Tigers are 18-year-old prop Jordan Miller and Wests SG Ball Cup captain, Kit Laulilii.
Like their former Harold Matthews teammate Da Silva, they also spent the 2023 pre-season training with Wests Tigers NRL squad.
These are just some of the elite young players in the club’s pathways program who are locked into multi-year deals.
Another player from the 2022 Wests Harold Matts team who is on a multi-year deal is centre Will Craig, while the 2023 Magpies Matt’s team is also supplying long-term talent.
Halfback Alex Isdale, and the Large brothers, Ashton (hooker) and Onitoni (five-eighth), are just a few of the stars on the rise.
There is plenty of talent rising through the Balmain junior system too, with several players in the pathways pipeline, including the likes of Alex Conti, Mikey Nasser and Marc Tannous.
All three played this season in Balmain’s Harold Matthews team and are transitioning into SG Ball.
Conti is a talented halfback who is still in Year 11 and has represented Combined Independent Schools at the Australian Schoolboys Championship for the past two years.
Tannous is also a halfback who represented CHS at the Australian Schoolboys Championships and has been a standout player at Hills Sports High.
Nassar is a fullback who narrowly missed selection for the CHS side this year through injury.
Wests Tigers General Manager - Women’s and Pathways Matthew Betsey believes the future looks bright.
“Our goal is to develop and retain the very best young talent we have in our system, and that is happening,” said Betsey.
“We have three large development areas including the South-West, Sydney’s Inner-West and Group 6.
Our broad reach provides us as a club and our elite players with some tremendous opportunities.
Matthew Betsey
“There is an exciting wave of talent coming through and we have some of the best in the business managing our pathways system."
