Emerging Junior Rugby League Superstars Xavier Cacciotti And Jack Talbott Claim Top Honours At Brad Fittler Medal Night
Some names to keep in mind. Find out more about the two rising junior rugby league superstars who won individual awards on the night of the Brad Fittler Medal.
At the 2023 Brad Fittler Medal ceremony, two promising junior rugby league players were honored for outstanding individual representative seasons.
Xavier Cacciotti, a rising star for Canberra, was named the Laurie Daley Cup's Most Valuable Player (Tom Nelson Medal).
The hooker became famous after scoring 12 tries in five games during this year's Laurie Daley Cup competition. He scored all four tries for the Monaro Colts in their loss to the Illawarra South Coast Dragons in the championship game.
Cacciotti simply stated, "I am feeling very grateful."
Many opportunities have presented themselves to me this year, and I credit a great deal of that to my time spent with the Monaro.
Image: Google
Brendan Bradley, Cacciotti's coach for the Monaro Colts, says that the player has been improving for a while and is finally beginning to "really take off."
"Off the field, he's a bit of a character, but on the field, he's fairly quiet, and he leads through his actions," Bradley said.
He has great game sense and knows when to pass and when to run.
We were a very different squad when he was on the field this season.
Because of the level of his talent, "sometimes I don't give him any instructions at all; I just let him do his thing."
After making a couple of appearances off the bench for the Raiders this season, Cacciotti will be seeking to play SG Ball rep footy with the team next year.
In 2023, the rising star kept up his impressive play, appearing for the Country U18s and leading the way for Erindale in the Peter Mulholland Cup.
Cacciotti plays club football for the Woden Valley Rams U19s, who are competing in the grand final this coming weekend when he is not otherwise committed to representing his country.
Unfortunately for his fans, the rising star couldn't make it to the big game since he was in Papua New Guinea representing the Australian Schoolboys U18s.
Cacciotti is making fantastic progress as he strives to fulfill his future goal of playing in the NRL.
Cacciotti credited his "hunger for the game" as the strongest aspect of his game right now.
"I'm just trying to play the best football I can," Cacciotti stated.
After the Australian Schoolboys, I'll have some time off until the Raiders preseason... I'm just working on my fitness and general well-being.
Gun fullback Jack Talbott of the Illawarra South Coast Dragons was named the Andrew Johns Cup's Most Valuable Player and won the Ron Lanesbury Medal.
Talbott's regular season performances were recognized, and he was awarded MVP despite the fact that his club did not advance to the playoffs.
In Jason Hooper's words, "he's a bit of a freak, a real X-factor" for the Illawarra South Coast Dragons.
To paraphrase, "You give him a sniff and he'll break you down, he can create something out of nothing."
Talbott scored twice and finished tied for first in the Andrew Johns Cup in terms of point totals.
His little stature belies his incredible speed and aerial prowess, both of which stem from his extensive experience in Australian football.
"He's safe under the high ball and has a terrific long kicking game," Hooper said of the player.
He's always been capable of scoring tries on his own, but he's really stepped up his game recently and become a fantastic creator of points for his team.
Don't get me wrong; he enjoys crossing the line just as much as anyone else.
Hooper has coached Talbott with the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles since Talbott was in the U10s, and he is optimistic that Talbott will lead the U16s to a championship this weekend.
This year, Talbott played fullback for the U16s Country team, and he was also one of nine players to join the Dragons Junior Academy.
Next year, he'll be a player to watch in the Harold Matthews Cup.