By Riley O’Leary for the Griffith Journal

27 September 2025

A strong, 16-man squad has been selected for the Griffith University Rugby League 9’s team, who are set to participate in the UniSport Nationals tournament at the start of October.

The 2025 edition, being hosted at the Gold Coast, will be the first time that Griffith University has entered a Rugby League 9’s team.

They will play matches across two days, playing their group stage fixtures on Wednesday before entering into the knockout bracket on Thursday.

The team have been training weekly since June, giving them ample opportunities to work on tactics and build team cohesion.

Having seen how the team has progressed over the last few months, captain Austin Mann is expecting big things.

“We’ve built a squad that suits nines,” he said.

“On attack: expect tempo, ball movement, and pressure.

“Defensively, we’ll be aggressive and connected, aiming to win the middle early and scramble hard when the game opens up.”

Given the fast-paced nature of Rugby League 9’s, it has been important for the team to use training sessions to work at the tempo which matches will be played.

“Training has been short, sharp, and game-speed,” Mr Mann said.

“We’ve focused on ruck speed, creating sets and set plays and building up to the pace nines footy demands.”

What helps the Griffith team is that a significant portion of the team have played together previously, including through the Griffith Dragons rugby league team.

“Having a similar playing group to what we usually have definitely helps.

“A chunk of the group already shares language, same calls, same cues, which fast-tracks cohesion.

“It shows up in little things: defensive spacing, kick options on tackle four, and trusting the inside support.

“That familiarity lets us add layers instead of starting from scratch.”

Given most of the team have been playing throughout the winter season, there will be strike all around the park for the Griffith 9’s team. In particular, Mr Mann identified five-eighth Bodhi Matsen as crucial to the teams’ success.

“Bodhi is smart in all aspects of his footy and his studies,” he said.

“He will play a key role in our halves combination and can create space wherever he chooses.”

Griffith will play in the first match of the tournament, taking on reigning champions the University of Technology Sydney at 9am on Wednesday. Griffith’s group stage draw can be found below.

Draw

Venue: Parkwood Sharks Rugby League Club. 180 Musgrave Avenue, Southport, QLD 4215

Dates:

Wednesday October 1 (Group Stage)

Thursday October 2 (Knockout Stage)

Match 1: Griffith University vs University of Technology Sydney (9:00am)

Match 2: Griffith University vs Avondale University (11:00am)

Match 3: Griffith University vs University of the Sunshine Coast (1:30pm)

The other four competing universities are:

Charles Sturt University

James Cook University

The University of Sydney

Western Sydney University

Squad

Griffith’s squad consists of 16 players:

Austin Mann ©
James Munro ©
Jake Barbic
Dean Basili
Matthew Chirico
Izzy Fulton
Timothy Lauano
Kane Mackin
Bodhi Matsen
Clinton Missi
Taine Morrison
Riley O’Leary
Fraser O’Neill
Jessie Osborne
Luke Reedman
Ben Rynsbergen