2009 Brisbane Club Competition

[formeropenside]

news on Sunnybank:

Mark McLinden will join Sunnybank in 2009
Karel Bos and John Dart have retired, Sean Armstrong is overseas but expected back around May.

shees

15 McLinden
14 Ione
13 Va'alu
12 Kingi
11 Sovala?
10 Lucas
9 Armstrong

Don't forget Holmes and Edwards up front, with Simmons in the second row. And all this after they lost Josh Afu to Tonga and Ole Avei to the NPC.

 

[RugbyReg]

I think Jake Schatz is there too.

Rodney Blake was there.

 

[TOCC]

Sunnybank have been royally decimated the past two years, they have lost Rodney Blake, Josh Afu, Ole Avei, Ben Gollings, Karel Bos, John Dart and Liam Bibo

all very good club players, i suppose they do have the benefit of been one of only 2 clubs on Brisbanes southside and have a massive player pool to get players from.

 

[spectator]

I think Jake Schatz is there too.

Rodney Blake was there.

Isn't Charlie Fetoia there as well? If Armstrong is away until May then what would a starting 15 look like?

15. McLinden
14. Sovala
13. Vaalu
12. Fetoai
11. Ioane
10. Kingi
9. Lucas
8. ??
7. Schaatz
6. ??
5. ??
4. Simmons
3. Edwards
2. ??
1. Holmes

Not sure who fills the gaps but bloody strong team regardless with plenty of rep players. However, with five Reds and one Sevens rep in the backs and three Reds (and Schaatz an outside bolter chance) in the forwards, they will need good depth to be in a strong position when these guys return for the finals.

Anyone able to do a possible 1 to 15 for other club sides?

 

[RugbyReg]

I think Fetoai is at Souths, giving them a 'best case' team with Fetoai and Fainga'a in the centres, Cooper at 10, Humphries at lock and Kennedy and Saia in the front row.

At Wests, the 'middle 5' of 10 Barnes, 9 Genia, 8 McMeniman, 7 Luafutu, 6 Higginbottham is pretty impressive.

Uni though:

15 ?
14 Luke Morahan
13 ?
12 Brett Gillespie
11 ?
10 Jono Lance
9 Mark Swanepoel
8 Ezra Taylor
7 Aaron Chapman
6 Mitchell Chapman
5 James Horwill
4 Adam Byrnes
3 Laurie Weekes
2 Stephen Moore/James Hanson
1 ?

Handy lineout.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

I think Fetoai is at Souths, giving them a 'best case' team with Fetoai and Fainga'a in the centres, Cooper at 10, Humphries at lock and Kennedy and Saia in the front row.

At Wests, the 'middle 5' of 10 Barnes, 9 Genia, 8 McMeniman, 7 Luafutu, 6 Higginbottham is pretty impressive.

Uni though:

15 ?
14 Luke Morahan
13 ?
12 Brett Gillespie
11 ?
10 Jono Lance
9 Mark Swanepoel
8 Ezra Taylor
7 Aaron Chapman
6 Mitchell Chapman
5 James Horwill
4 Adam Byrnes
3 Laurie Weekes
2 Stephen Moore/James Hanson
1 ?

Handy lineout.

That's a huge call for Swanny there Nod. Are you sure he's at Uni???

 

[RugbyReg]

According to the QRU web site and academy profiles he's at uni.

 

[spectator]

Haven't seen Swanepoel play since 07 but dont think he would have any difficulty at Brisbane Premier level.

I've heard from a few sources that Gillespie is at Brothers this year?

 

[rugbywhisperer]

He only played I think one game at school last year and slotted straigt into the Aus-Fiji game at Suncorp after his surgery late 07.
He is a very good player and will be a very srong and bulky No9

 

[RugbyReg]

The new State Cup competition kicks off on Saturday with GPS heading for Townsville and five other matches in south-east Queensland.

The new 16-team competition involves all Premier teams as well as Logan City, Darling Downs, Rockhampton, Cairns, Townsville and a second team from the Gold Coast.

GPS Coach Matt Pini said it'll be a challenge for his side to fly to and from Townsville and play their match all on the same day, especially given it will be followed by similar away games against Cairns and Rockhampton.

?We?re just going up there basically to play a game of footy. We?ve taken a fairly inexperienced squad so we?ll see how we go,? Pini said.

?There are a lot of young blokes down here that I haven?t seen (play) before, so I?m quite interested (in how they perform)."

Pini said the blending of new faces with established talent will continue over the three weeks before their Premier Grade opener against Sunnybank on March 28.

Townsville coach Terry Shiells is looking to the State Cup to provide a gauge of whether the region's aspirations of playing in the Premier Competition are matched by their ability.

?I think it will be a good opportunity to see where we are up to and to see what sort of areas we need to improve to make us competitive week in, week out,? Shiells said.

?That?s obviously the secret for playing in premier from Townsville's point-of-view, as we would be travelling every second week."

Townsville's preparations have been hindered by the flooding in North Queensland, but Shiells said his players are still excited about playing in the State Cup.

?It's obviously a bit wet which has put us back a bit, but nothing we can?t handle.

?I think we?ve had a metre, or 1.2 metres of rain since Christmas, so the rain has slowed a few things down. We?ve had a few guys who haven?t been able to train with the team as much as we would like.

?(However) the guys are looking forward to it....the next challenge, playing against people they don?t play against week to week,? he said.

The match will be played at Hugh Street in Townsville at 1:00pm.

Team lists are here (for the GPS v Townsville game) if anyone is interested:

http://www.qru.com.au/library/news/2009/090219_gps_and_tdru_state_cup_preview,67784.html

 

[Rugby Rat]

well the draw for 2009 QLD Premier Grade and the new 'State Cup'.

looks like a long season, pretty interesting about the new 'State Cup' though, for those who dont know it includes teams from Toowoomba, Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton, a second Gold Coast team and all the Premier Grade clubs. Its a mini tournment prior to the QLD Premier Grade season starting.

http://qru.com.au/premier_rugby/overview,62491.html
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24968882-5003411,00.html

Wow. Cairns rugby stronger than Mackay who are absent ???. No Western Qld either.

 

[RugbyReg]

predictable. Still worthwhile? I hope so.

Queensland Premier Rugby sides Brother and GPS were too strong for their north Queensland opponents Cairns and Townsville in the opening round of the new State Cup competition, while Norths also posted a big win over Central Queensland and defending Premiers Easts comfortably beat Darling Downs.

Brothers, with former Wallaby and QR Reds flanker David Croft leading the charge, ran in 11 tries against Cairns to win 69-0, while GPS piled on the points in the second half to win 66-14 after leading 16-14 at the break.

Norths led Central Queensland 36-5 at halftime and went on to win 67-5, while Easts beat Darling Downs 69-15. Sunnybank beat Logan City 41-5.

The new State Cup provides country representative teams with ambitions of stepping up to Premier Rugby a chance to measure their progress, while the Premier Clubs use it as a structured pre-season competition.

At Brothers, the Cairns Thunder battled gamely to restrict the home side to 12 points in the second half. Unfortunately they'd already surrendered 57 in the first half when the likes of Croft and semi-professionals like scrumhalf Brendan McKibbin and centre Brett Gillespie were on the field.

Cairns assistant coach Andrew Derrington said his players were probably overawed by facing the likes of Croft and initially shell-shocked by the speed of the game, but he was proud of the way they stuck to their task and got more into the game in the second half. He said having to travel from Cairns and play on the same day also didn?t help.

"There were some good lessons there and we learned a lot. That first 20 minutes really hurt us but in the second half our fitness kicked in and we started putting pressure on them. We also started creating opportunities but unfortunately bombed two tries."

Derrington said Thunder lock Ben Leonardi never stopped trying, prop Aaron Herewini held his own in the scrum and fullback Aaron Paynter tried hard.

He also praised the efforts of replacement flanker Joseph Robinson and reserve flyhalf Dan Furphy when they came on, as well as his captain and inside centre Dwayne Irvine.

Irvine admitted the first 20 minutes of the match, when Brothers rattled up a 36-0 lead, was a brutal introduction to the pace of the game under the
ELV's, especially as played by the slick Brothers' team, last year's Premier Grand Finalists.

"That first half really opened our eyes, the speed of the game, we really learnt a lot.

"But in the second half I thought we competed well and all in all, I was happy with our effort in the second half."

Brothers Head Coach Zane Hilton said their main objective was not to concede any points and to keep their shape in defence, which they achieved.

"But full credit to the Cairns boys, they kept trying and in the second half they really got stuck in."

Scores:

Brothers 69 (B McCormack 3, B Gillespie 2, A Sauer 2, P Doneley 2, Dallan Murphy, B Hunt tries, B McKibbin 6 cons, A McLean con) bt Cairns Thunder 0

Sunnybank 41 bt Logan 5

Norths-QUT 67 bt Rockhampton 5

Easts 69 bt Darling Downs 15

GPS 66 bt Townsville 14

(Sunshine Coast v Gold Coast late kickoff)

 

[TOCC]

its definetly worthwhile noddy, you only have to look at something like the Sunshine Coast, they were rubbish when they entered the Premier Grade competition, but now they are genuine contenders, they are still of the pace somewhat but they have developed incredibly from where they were. They were forced to evolve and develop there coachin tactic, fitness and playing roster to avoid humiliation which has made them a lot more competitive.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

At least it is a more diversified competition now and the new sides will only strengthen rugby in the outer regions.
It is now pretty well a true state competition.

Would like to see Sydney do the same - flick off some of the perennial also rans and put in Illawarra, (is Newcastle still there), New England, FNC - would be great

 

[en_force_er]

just a question from an observer of this article, how would an unknown make it into brissy or sydney first grade?

sounds semi-pro and the only way to get in is with rep experience.

any of you played grade?

 

[formeropenside]

just a question from an observer of this article, how would an unknown make it into brissy or sydney first grade?

sounds semi-pro and the only way to get in is with rep experience.

any of you played grade?

Go and play Colts for a Premier club; if you are good enough you will make grade in time (I never was, and was never going to be).

Norths are quite weak, comparatively, so that is in one sense the best bet, although it might not be best for your rugby career per se.

 

[rugbywhisperer]

just a question from an observer of this article, how would an unknown make it into brissy or sydney first grade?
sounds semi-pro and the only way to get in is with rep experience.
any of you played grade?

Plenty of years ago to know things have changed.
If you were a better than decent schoolboy most clubs/s14 managenent will be aware of you and your talents.

Right now, if you qualify for colts front up to a club and go for it, if you are too old for colts then front up to a club and go for it.
Nothing has changed in the fact that cream rises to the top and if you are any good you will be noticed.

Note: Make it a premier club as the pathway through the lower echelons is far too tortuous.

 

[RugbyReg]

Rockhampton claims Premier scalp in State Cup
Saturday, 28 February 2009

Rockhampton has claimed the first big scalp of the new Queensland Rugby State Cup, beating Premier club Queensland University 18-17 in Round 2.

The victory in front of their home crowd at Rugby Park in Rockhampton was not the only upset of the round, with the Gold Coast No 2 side pulling off a 27-all draw with Sunnybank.

In other matches, GPS beat Cairns 34-7 in their second long distance day trip in as many weeks, Wests beat Townsville 24-15, Easts beat Logan City 29-7 and the Gold Coast Breakers were too strong for the Darling Downs, winning 39-15.

The objective of the State Cup is to provide more top level rugby opportunities and a point of comparison for teams aspiring to Premier level and to give Premier clubs a more structured pre-season preparation.

Queensland Rugby State Cup Round 2:

Wests 24 (I Aokuso 2, T Ashman tries, P Nelson 3 cons, pen) bt Townsville 15 (A Gime, N Douglas tries, B Abbott con, pen)

GPS 34 (C King, S Miller, S Satui, B Roberts, T Sully tries, A Finn pen, 2 cons, D Swade con) bt Cairns 7 (Keledegei try, D Furphy con)

Easts 29 (S Cummins, J Parry, G Ladenig, M Lyons tries, A Krelle 3 cons, pen) bt Logan 7 (R Collins try, T Burow con)

Rugby Gold Coast Breakers 39 (D McLaren, J Kolokihakaufisi, T Collins, A Hollis, T Rissman, J Daniels tries, A Hollis 3 cons, pen) bt Darling Downs 15 (J McKinnon, J Obst tries, M Sheppard con, pen)

Sunnybank 27 (C Gilpin 2, N Lee, C Marshall tries, S Pulu 2 cons, pen) drew Rugby Gold Coast-2 27 (W Waenga 2, J Sykes 2, M Langmack tries, B Plant con)

Central Queensland 18 bt University of Queensland 17

Meanwhile, Norths played Sydney's Randwick club in a pre-season trial while on a State Cup bye and were successful 31-24.

great work by Rocky there. Closer results all round.

Oh and Randwick.....lol....Sydney club rugby pfffffttt.

 

[spectator]

I left the ground at 26-5 to Norths so there must have been a late rally by the greens. Norths looked pretty solid but I don't know how many first teamers Randwick had on the park?

 

[formeropenside]

Apparently AJ Gilbert is still running around for Souths this year in Brisbane. Nice to see (one assumes) that he has not given up S14 dreams, and is staying around in club rugby to press for a spot.