Source: http://www.waratahs.com.au/Waratahs/News/NewsArticle/tabid/157/ArticleID/17883/EMERGING-TIGHT-FIVE-TALENT-NAMED-IN-TRACTAHS-SQUAD.aspx

A number of aspiring NSW tight-five players have been named in the TracTahs development programme for the coming year.

The NSW TracTahs programme was created back in 2014 with the aim of discovering and developing athletes with the potential to play in the ‘tight five’ forwards as they mature as players.

The programme aims to identify potential new athletes each year from the Under 12s and Under 15s age groups, up-skilling the youngsters to confidently compete at the set piece with the correct and safe technique.

The players are selected from major tournaments throughout the year based on their current skill level as well as their body shapes’ suitability to play in the front row or the second row.

The identified athletes are inducted and are invited to attend three camps per year until they turn 17. NSW Coach Education and Pathway Manager, Matt Evrard said:

“We are very excited to name our 2017 players who have been identified for the NSW TracTahs tight-five programme.

“After attending the NSW State Championships for Clubs and Schools, these players have been identified as potential tight-five players of the future. They will be inducted with the year two group at the new home of NSW Rugby and the NSW Waratahs at David Phillips Sporting Complex on January 20 of next year.

“Each year, a new batch of 12-year-olds are inducted and invited back until they turn 17. The whole aim of the program is to influence the level of set piece abilities and skills in the age groups coming through the pathway at an earlier stage.

“This is the 4th year of the program, with over 120 players inducted since 2014,” he said.

Graduating these players into the Gen Blue pathway is another objective for Evrard.

“The oldest players in the program are 15 years of age and many played in the 2017 Junior Gold Cup & U16 National Championships,” he said.

“Malakai Halaevalu managed to gain selection in the Gen Blue U16 team as a tight head prop which is very exciting for the program.”

2017 TracTahs squad:

First Name

Last name

Team

Gyrae

Afoa

Sydney Uni

Benji

Allen

CIS PSSA

Wade

Avega

Southern Districts

Finn

Baxter

Randwick

Noah

Brien

Western NSW PSSA

Luke

Carati

Southern Districts

Blake

Crehan

Mackillop PSSA

Harry

Darling

Norths

Tehanataua

Dhedadig

Sydney West PSSA

Charlie

Dixon

CIS PSSA

Luke

Evans

Polding PSSA

Ben

Finegan

Randwick

Oscar

Greville

Sydney East PSSA / Sydney Uni

Malakai

Hawkes

Sydney North PSSA

Blake

Hasler

South Coast PSSA

Drew

Hope

Polding PSSA

Fred

Kearney

North West PSSA

Junior

Latu

Sydney West PSSA

Kakile

Leha

Southern Districts

Quade

Leo

Sydney South West PSSA

Archie

McInally

Randwick

Henry

Miller

Polding PSSA / Central West

Eligah

Milosia

Penrith

Konstantinos

Moananu

Mackillop PSSA

Beau

Morrison

Warringah

Bailey

Park

CIS PSSA

Jonah

Raidaveta

Western NSW PSSA

Stanley

Rush

Polding PSSA

Luini

Sete-falemaka

Mackillop PSSA

Jonah

Sua

Mackillop PSSA

Paulo

Tauiliili Pelesasa

Gordon

Palu

Tausala

Illawarra

Noah

Tofaeono

Paramatta

Samiuela

Tu’iniua

Sydney South West PSSA

Kaden

Vai

Sydney Uni

John

Vaokakala

Mackillop PSSA

Paul

Vaokakala

Manly

Henry

Volkman

Sydney South West PSSA / Sydney Uni

Daniel

Wall

South Coast PSSA