Five students and a teacher from St Anthony’s Catholic School at Kingscliff are State Champions after steering the Polding team to victory in this year’s NSW PSSA Schoolboys rugby league championship.
Year six teacher Paul Monahan coached the side which included students Harry Fitzhugh, Max Bryant, Ethan Barrow, Blair Mandall and Harry Hazel .
The Polding team was selected from all Catholic School students north of Sydney to Tweed Heads and out west. The team competed in the NSW PSSA Schoolboy championships in Kiama from June 21-23, taking the title with a win over Hunter Region 22-14 in the final.
Mr Monahan said it was the second year in a row that the Polding team have been successful at this elite level.
“It’s a huge achievement considering the limitations of distance that restrict any training for the squad to the afternoon before the carnival commences,” he said.
He said, unlike the other sides, the Polding team did not meet for a training camp before the event although, he said, having so many from one school and having several other students from the one league team did make the job a little easier.
Selectors were so pleased with the side that they selected two of the St Anthony’s boys, Harry Fitzhugh and Max Bryant, in the NSW team to compete at the National Championships in Melbourne in August.
