QLD GPS 2024

[FTF]

Saw the tackle and spoke to Nudgee coaches after the game who conceded play was way too quick for there to have been any intention.

Poor bloke was in a hell of a lot of pain until the green whistle arrived - I love our ambos but they were operating at ants pace to administer and help - Nudgee support team were very good.

Wishing the young fella a quick recovery he was a huge loss.

Very disappointing that the am I just meandered over. You could hear the poor kid screaming from the other side of the field.

 

[FTF]

that's huge news, I think NC will struggle this year, when was the last time they lost 2 trial games? Forwards have been out muscled in a few games already, they usually base their game on defense ,and there already hiding players on the wing because of there size, number 10 is very erratic, makes a lot of mistakes, Big decisions to make for round 1 ......

What mistakes did the 10 make??

 

[Make_Rugby_Great_Again]

I agree. Churchie were competitive but I would say TGS were definitely the most impressive of the 3 teams I saw.

I thought the first third between TGS and TSS confirmed both teams as worthy contenders this year. I’m not sure the ref’s officiating of the scrum in this third was totally accurate where the Southport boys were not getting any pay for their scrum dominance. But, in saying that Toowoomba were great as a pack in general play and their foot speed to the breakdown allowed them to get up slightly against TSS. I’m not sure who wins when these two team’s eventually go head to head in a full game.

Like I’ve said in prior posts, Churchie’s new style makes for captivating viewing but for me, they are still trying to find the balance of playing eyes up footy to go for opportunities against the importance of keeping possession and trying to build pressure to convert the half chances they’ve created.

Hey RR, lets agree to disagree, but as I said to Gheeza, we'll find out soon enough in Round 4 'Up The Hill', as thats when it really counts.

I'm not doubting TGS's capabilities, but IMO, I just don't think they're as good as what they've been made out to be from reading the forum comments and then seeing them play yesterday - maybe I had higher expectations?

Anyway, as I've said all along, I believe this will be a very close competition so it's going to be very interesting and exciting to watch.

 

[Oracle83]

What mistakes did the 10 make??

His size and defence were challenges for him when having big blokes running at you - it become too easy to prepare for as an opposition coach and he is predominantly just a passer in attack so very predictable

 

[Gheeza6711]

Hey RR, lets agree to disagree, but as I said to Gheeza, we'll find out soon enough in Round 4 'Up The Hill', as thats when it really counts.

I'm not doubting TGS's capabilities, but IMO, I just don't think they're as good as what they've been made out to be from reading the forum comments and then seeing them play yesterday - maybe I had higher expectations?

Anyway, as I've said all along, I believe this will be a very close competition so it's going to be very interesting and exciting to watch.

Tbh mate that’s fair enough, not the best display of footy on the weekend, but that’s what trial matches are for. TGS got the win, but i believe it should be crucial to remember that TGS had 4 blokes back from injury in that game and 3 big names still injured: Joey Gray - Reds u18s + captain, Ethan Ramsey - Reds u16s, Azariah Toki Matauri - Signed with Bulldogs

 

[FTF]

His size and defence were challenges for him when having big blokes running at you - it become too easy to prepare for as an opposition coach and he is predominantly just a passer in attack so very predictable

I disagree
Watch the Christchurch and Barker games defence wasn’t a problem for him. Just a passer? You must of missed the kick where they scored of it. ‍

 

[IppyRanger]

Tbh mate that’s fair enough, not the best display of footy on the weekend, but that’s what trial matches are for. TGS got the win, but i believe it should be crucial to remember that TGS had 4 blokes back from injury in that game and 3 big names still injured: Joey Gray - Reds u18s + captain, Ethan Ramsey - Reds u16s, Azariah Toki Matauri - Signed with Bulldogs

Full TGS side put together looks impressive. Some boys will be very unlucky not to get a start. From what I see backrow isn’t set in concrete yet but all can do the job. Back 3 also not settled. Great depth and all know and can do the job.

Maybe current 12 goes to fullback once Azariah comes in and Miles Rosemond moves to wing.
Maybe Ramsay starts at 6 Jonah current 6 moves to lock and Joey captain straight in at 7 if ready to go. Ramsay capable of playing 6 or 7 and has skill and speed on the edges in attack.
Ramsay and Jonah have big engines and are capable of playing big minutes.

 

[RazorRamon]

The 10 is erratic?? If it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t lost a lot more than 2.

NC haven’t put a full strength team out in any of the trials so far.

Hey FTF,

Do you know if NC are expecting their troops back in time for round 1? They’ve got tricky round 1 and 2 assignments against IGS and TSS where they’ll need to be on alert for.

Will be interesting to see how the boys go in those early rounds while they are trying to get their troops fit and healthy and back on the paddock. Be a fair bit of overtime being had in the Nudgee S&C department.

 

[FTF]

Hey FTF,

Do you know if NC are expecting their troops back in time for round 1? They’ve got tricky round 1 and 2 assignments against IGS and TSS where they’ll need to be on alert for.

Will be interesting to see how the boys go in those early rounds while they are trying to get their troops fit and healthy and back on the paddock. Be a fair bit of overtime being had in the Nudgee S&C department.

No all I know is that they have lost the 13 for possibly the season. Some forwards still to come back but surely they have to play seconds for a week or two as they have had minimal/zero playing minutes…

 

[Gheeza6711]

Full TGS side put together looks impressive. Some boys will be very unlucky not to get a start. From what I see backrow isn’t set in concrete yet but all can do the job. Back 3 also not settled. Great depth and all know and can do the job.

Maybe current 12 goes to fullback once Azariah comes in and Miles Rosemond moves to wing.
Maybe Ramsay starts at 6 Jonah current 6 moves to lock and Joey captain straight in at 7 if ready to go. Ramsay capable of playing 6 or 7 and has skill and speed on the edges in attack.
Ramsay and Jonah have big engines and are capable of playing big minutes.

Yeh it’ll be a hard decision to make, Jonah Allen was the Brumbies u16 Second Rower in 22, however I think he is more likely to play 6 this year. Second Row and Back Row is still up for contention besides the number 7 and 8 jersey.

 

[outsidechance]

Based on watching a bunch of trials and some inside mail from family and friends across 3 of the programs...my thoughts.

Lots of injuries and experimenting with combinations across all teams. Most teams haven't fielded their best all together over the trials very often.

BBC look very strong, I believe they won 16's last year and quite a few can't get a run. Very settled structures and roles.

TSS are big and we'll drilled, if they can contain faster outfits they will be hard to beat. Side note they have an ex Brumbies 15a flyhalf who was very very good on Saturday...one to watch in years to come.

TGS also looked very organised and if these forums are right still resting some better players. They were clinical in the backline, no glory hunters, just moving the ball to space. The TSS match was a good contest. Don't underestimate their pack either, very organised.

Churchie's forwards are looking pretty good but backs not in good shape. Reds U16s back playing 10 is out with a broken ankle. My cousin there says only settled position is 15 and 12, although the outside centre looked better on Saturday. And no one can work out why the 6'0" goal kicking winger from the 2nd XV isnt there, apparently he played for the U16 Brumbies '23 and destroys all the backs in wrestling. Defence out wide and goal kicker (1 from 8 over 3 weeks apparently) would help.

IGS are post good results - apparently their second half against Churchie was slick.

Nudgee look strong and have the depth, goal kicker is inconsistent but a good player. Word is they are tossing up how to bring bolster their outside back now with a few injuries to contens with.

GT not sure based on results likewise BGS

Bring on term 3

 

[David_Smith12]

Hey RR, lets agree to disagree, but as I said to Gheeza, we'll find out soon enough in Round 4 'Up The Hill', as thats when it really counts.

I'm not doubting TGS's capabilities, but IMO, I just don't think they're as good as what they've been made out to be from reading the forum comments and then seeing them play yesterday - maybe I had higher expectations?

Anyway, as I've said all along, I believe this will be a very close competition so it's going to be very interesting and exciting to watch.

I agree with both of you on some takes. But nonetheless here are a few of my takeaways from the three-way trial between TSS, Toowoomba, and Churchie this past weekend, especially regarding Churchie’s performance. Although Churchie hasn’t had the most impressive trial period with only one win, I still believe that they have the ability to upset some big names this year. It should be noted that key and returning players Fletcher Austin and Jye Crothers were once again absent in these trials. Austin will be a key player for Churchies attack showing talent in 2023 when he was only in year 10. Crothers will also be huge for Churchie with dominant carries and defence. Injuries may prevent Churchie from fulfilling their potential however this year, with a significant lack of depth to cater for any additional injuries, especially in the front row, with the Tauakipulu brothers out for unknown reasons.

Aside from the injuries, there was still plenty of upside to this team. Churchie seems to becoming more acclimated to new coach Brownhill’s ‘eyes up footy’ approach as opposed to the structured field possession style that Shultz has successfully delivered in previous years. However, this new style is still far from perfect with many failed offloads leading to loss of possession. If Churchie are to perfect this style I seriously believe they could be one of the most dangerous underdogs of the competition.

Standouts from Churchie on the weekend were once again Harry Solofa and Sam Williams. Solofa seems to be thriving under the new system, with dangerous offloading ability allowing him to make defenders second guess which ultimately led to him scoring two tries. My early prediction is an underdog for best forward of the season if not MVP which may not be a favourite pick but he has shown more promise than any other forward I have watched this season.

Williams once again showed off his ball carrying and defence which also led to him scoring two.

Churchie winger Bloxham is another player to watch on offence. His speed and agility will benefit well as a ball supporter, and if Churchie can find him space in attack he could be an impressive and underrated threat.

Finally from Churchie, Treyvon Pritchard still seems like the go-to back for the line. His speed and footwork combined with unsuspecting power in contact will pose a threat to the GPS this year. This should lead to opportunities for the outside backs as he consistently seemed to draw at least 2 in his attack. He especially had a great connection with the new 13 who seemed to gel better after playing 2s the last few weeks.

Now for TSS:
I have read plenty of comments regarding TSS’s pack size and their ability to play ‘bully ball’ due to their sheer size. Although the pack was dominant to some extent, it was evidently not enough to the extent where their ‘simplified’ version of rugby is justifiable. I still believe that TSS is going to be a threat this season, but I hope to see them develop a more skilled version of footy that utilises ball playing more often.

Kingsley Uys was still the most impressive forward for TSS despite having a quieter game than previous trials. His size and strength will continue to lead the TSS pack. I also believe that the centre pairing of TSS will be important for their success with both players looking dominant.

I won’t say much on TGS, but they were quite impressive, despite sending what seemed to be a somewhat developmental team. Standout player for me was Rhymen Tusi at 13. Despite being young, his size led for strong carries. Notably his kicking ability was also quite impressive with good exits.

 

[The Bull]

With Nudgee losing their best player for the season it makes it much harder for them to compete with back lines with big inside backs that will get over the advantage line.
I think the winner will come from
TSS
BBC
TGS
Then
Nudgee
BSHS
IGS
Churchie
GT
BGS

 

[Oracle83]

X

With Nudgee losing their best player for the season it makes it much harder for them to compete with back lines with big inside backs that will get over the advantage line.
I think the winner will come from
TSS
BBC
TGS
Then
Nudgee
BSHS
IGS
Churchie
GT
BGS

I think Nudgee are still the team to beat - proven to know how to grind out a win far more than any other school since time began.

 

[Make_Rugby_Great_Again]

With what I believe will be a very close competition, one observation and factor that will prove crucial to deciding games is goal-kicking. Which school has the most consistent goal kicker? From the trials I’ve seen, there hasn’t really been a standout goal kicker from memory. Not long to go now before Round 1 ….. bring it on!!!

Getting in early but here are my tips for Round 1:

ACGS vs BGS - ACGS by 30+
BSHS vs TGS - TGS by 5
TSS vs GT - TSS by 20+
IGS vs NC - NC by 7
BBC - bye

Who are you’re tips??

 

[RazorRamon]

With what I believe will be a very close competition, one observation and factor that will prove crucial to deciding games is goal-kicking. Which school has the most consistent goal kicker? From the trials I’ve seen, there hasn’t really been a standout goal kicker from memory. Not long to go now before Round 1 ….. bring it on!!!

Getting in early but here are my tips for Round 1:

ACGS vs BGS - ACGS by 30+
BSHS vs TGS - TGS by 5
TSS vs GT - TSS by 20+
IGS vs NC - NC by 7
BBC - bye

Who are your tips??

ACGS vs BGS - ACGS by 15 points (Anticipate some great tries but a lot of errors by the 2024 Vikings. I can see them getting out to a comfortable lead but then giving away some soft tries brought about some errors)
BSHS vs TGS - BSHS by 15 points (Home ground advantage and memory of last year’s controversial loss as the catalyst for an “upset” win)
TSS vs GT - TSS by 25+ points (according to script)
IGS vs NC - IGS by 3 (Boil over win to start the season from Ippy led by Tyson Walker)
BBC - Bye

 

[Shaw Road]

X

I think Nudgee are still the team to beat - proven to know how to grind out a win far more than any other school since time began.

NC have tiny backs this year, huge ask ,I dont think this age group at NC has ever won a premiership,

 

[Taipan168]

13 July Round 1 tips
ACGS vs BGS - ACGS by 15+
BSHS vs TGS - TGS by 3
TSS vs GT - TSS by 12+
IGS vs NC - NC by 5
BBC - bye

 

[Taipan168]

With Nudgee losing their best player for the season it makes it much harder for them to compete with back lines with big inside backs that will get over the advantage line.
I think the winner will come from
TSS
BBC
TGS
Then
Nudgee
BSHS
IGS
Churchie
GT
BGS

NC can overcome the loss of Prestyn Laine Sietu . They have depth.
My personal rankings
1.NC
2.TGS
3.BSHS
4.TSS
5.BBC
6.ACGS
7.IGS
8.GT
9.BGS

 

[Gheeza6711]

NC have tiny backs this year, huge ask ,I dont think this age group at NC has ever won a premiership,

I don’t think nudgee are insanely strong either, but that’s wrong, NC 16A’s won in 2022.