A few years ago, The Gurgler started a project called the A to Z of rugby league, and sadly we left out Y originally, and it has taken two years to think of an idea and finish it – so here is the Y for NRL Youth Competition.
The NRL Youth competition ran for ten seasons from 2008 to 2017 and was also known as the Toyota Cup and the Holden Cup. It was a great showcase for the up and coming NRL players, and is a shame it is no longer around for one aspect, but with the slack picked up by the local Qld Cup and NSW Cup sides, it’s not too bad.
Our Y is for NRL Youth Competition will hopefully give a few interesting pieces from that decade, like Players of the Season, leading point scorers and which teams were best.
The Canberra Raiders won the first Grand Final, beating Brisbane 28-24 in an extra time thriller. It was the blockbuster Raiders-Broncos decider we should have gotten in the ’90s, but never did. Though neither the Raiders or Broncos kicked on from there: Canberra made the 2012 Grand Final but were belted by the Wests Tigers, while Brisbane made the 2014 Grand Final – narrowly losing (again) to the Warriors.
Speaking of the Warriors, they dominated the Under 20s comp, winning three titles from four attempts. And, perhaps foreshadowing their current dynasty, Penrith played in the 2013, 2015, and 2016 Grand Finals, beating the Warriors in ’16, beating Manly in ’15 and losing to the Roosters in ’16.
NRL YOUTH COMPETITION WINNERS
Can’t remember who won any of the NRL Youth Competition titles? Well here’s the quick reference guide to the Grand Finals.
NRL YOUTH COMPETITION OVERALL STATS
Which team has the best winning %? Where has each team finished in each year of the NRL Youth Competition? Which team has supplied the most Players of the Season? All those questions and a few more are ready below.
NRL YOUTH COMPETITION TEAMS OF THE SEASON
Now for the really interesting part, the full ten decades worth of NRL Youth Competition players of the Year from 2008 – 2017.
Some of the game’s best players showed some early potential in these teams of the year.
NRL YOUTH COMPETITION PLAYER STATS
Finally we round off our Y is for NRL Youth Competition with a few quick stats on the best try scorers and point scorers throughout the years.
REFERENCES
Please find your way to the following places for more information.
18th Man NRL Youth Competition
NRL Youth Competition via Wikipedia
