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Tuesday 1st September 2009

NRL boss David Gallop has claimed the Toyota Cup has established itself as the most professional junior development pathway in Australian sport.

Speaking as he announced the 2009 Toyota Cup Team of the Year, Gallop said the Under 20s competition is coveted by other Australian sports and continues to set new standards for quality of play.

Robert Lui (Wests Tigers), Travis Waddell (Canberra Raiders) Kieran Foran and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Manly Sea Eagles), Taioalo Vaivai (South Sydney Rabbitohs) and Siuatonga Likiliki (NZ Warriors) are among the stars of this year's competition to win selection in the 2009 Toyota Cup Team of the Year.

The NRL also point out that they are among the 100 players who have graduated from the Toyota Cup to the NRL in just two seasons as the national Under 20s competition continues to thrive with rising television audiences, a four-year broadcast deal and workplace and education opportunities.

The Toyota Cup has also been successfully used as a forum for trialing innovative rules. That will continue this weekend with a trial of four-quarter football in the match between the Roosters and Cowboys, following on from trials of the two-referee system and experimental kicking rules in matches last season.

"The development pathway the Toyota Cup provides is the envy of other sports in terms of its professionalism, standard of play and the opportunities it offers for local kids to become local heroes," said Gallop.

"It is the only elite junior competition in the country that has national television coverage and each week it gives our fans a preview of who will be the future stars of our game.

"What is also significant is that this competition is helping give young players life skills outside of football through a commitment to education and workplace opportunities unrivalled in other sports.

"Congratulations to the players who have been named in the 2009 Toyota Cup Team of the Year and best of luck to all those clubs competing in the upcoming finals series."

The 2009 Toyota Cup Team of the Year - voted for by the 16 Toyota Cup coaches - features eight players who have played in the NRL this season, with eight clubs represented in the 17-man squad.

It also features a cross-section of the education and workplace opportunities being undertaken by 98% of players in the competition, including traineeships at Australia Post, as development and community officers, apprenticeships in carpentry, landscaping and scaffolding, plus diploma studies in sport and recreation.

Each member of the Toyota Cup Team of the Year will receive a $2000 education grant in addition to the grants clubs already receive for education and workplace training.

The Toyota Cup Player of The Year will be named during Fox Sports' telecast of next Tuesday's (September 8) Dally M Awards at Sydney's State Theatre, while the player of the Grand Final will receive the Jack Gibson Medal.

The 2009 Toyota Cup Team of the Year

Fullback: Malcolm Webster (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Wing: Joe Vickery (St George Illawarra Dragons)

Wing: Drury Low (Canberra Raiders)

Centre: Taioalo Vaivai (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Centre: Siuatonga Likiliki (New Zealand Warriors)

Five-Eighth: Robert Lui (Wests Tigers)

Halfback: Beau Henry (St George Illawarra Dragons)

Prop: Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm)

Prop: Trent Merrin (St George Illawarra Dragons)

Hooker: Travis Waddell (Canberra Raiders)

Second Row: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Manly Sea Eagles)

Second Row: Jake Marketo (St George Illawarra Dragons)

Lock: Jamie Buhrer (Manly Sea Eagles)

Interchange: Kieran Foran (Manly Sea Eagles)

Interchange: Joel Romelo (Penrith Panthers)

Interchange: Gareth Widdop (Melbourne Storm)

Interchange: Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles)