Look @Zoomer1 i am not happy at all with GT's season. However, i have two arguments to discuss:
1. INJURIES
GT were extremely unlucky with injuries in key positions this year in the 1stXV. Now i know other schools had injuries too, but GT had the most by far. And with little depth in the opens program, GT cannot afford to have so many players missing time on the field. Walking around Tennyson last Saturday was like being in the middle of the Gallipoli landing.
McGahan (captain) missed round 6-9 with a fractured scapula and then tore his meniscus in the first 20 minutes when he returned in round 8 against BSHS.
Clifford (vice captain) missed rounds 5-9 with a major leg injury.
Nasser (vice captain) missed round 3 for personal reasons, and about 60 minutes of round 9 after injuring his ankle.
McGrath (second row) missed over half the season with a disc injury in his back.
Weir (prop) missed the final two rounds with a wrist injury.
Wines missed round 1 with a re-occurring shoulder injury.
That's 6 starters who were in and out of the team all year long, and the entire captaincy group had to be replaced. When injuries struck, GT were sitting at 2 wins and 1 loss, and finished the year with 5 straight losses. A team like NC could deal with this many injuries due to their amazing depth in the program.
2. NOT HAVING BOARDERS
GT are also at a great disadvantage as they do not have a boarding program at the school. Boys from the hunter valley and far NQ cannot go to Terrace unless the entire family wants to move down as well. Schools like NC, ACGS, TSS, TGS have a large boarder population and have the ability to recruit boys from these remote places that seem to be rugby breeding grounds.
BGS, GT, AND BSHS are the three schools without a boarding program in the GPS and you can see how they struggle to import players on scholarships. State high are a public school, so everyone can afford to go there. GT however, are not a public school and school fees are not affordable for everyone.
So, for a school that experienced a whole bunch of injuries in key positions, and without a boarding program to house players from regional areas, i think GT are doing alright. The amount of kids playing at the school, and the history of the school are the only things keeping GT rugby alive. But next year i expect better things from a team who has over half of their starters back for either a second or third year of 1stXV footy. I see them coming no lower than 3rd next year. MARK MY WORDS.
Cheers, WJ.
Terrace does have a boarding programme and it's called Nudgee College. We are both St. Josephs, founded by Ambrose Treacy and we also have the Indooroopilly campus which is named now after Treacy, and its also the name of main building at Nudgee College which was for most of its history the boarding house, including the boarding house for the Terrace boys early in its history.
Plenty of families cross pollenate across Nudgee, Terrace and Ambrose Treacy and if you look at these three Ambrose Treacy institutions, they really are the heart of Queensland rugby.
Terrace also has superb playing fields at Tennyson, links into an old boy network of past and present Wallabies and a culture of rugby spanning back generations.
Terrace, Nudgee and Treacy to the rugby Fore!
Ok mate, you are quite obviously either a big Nudgee supporter or a huge GT hater and I think this has become quite obvious to all other users on this forum. I'd have to agree with @WHACKO_JACKO.GT I feel that the GT have had significant injuries throughout the season all of which I feel definitely had a major impact on their season. Honestly a bit sad to see that the hose has obviously become detached at Ross again and the Nudgee boys seem to be leaking their nonsense all over this forum, with the season over now I had hoped we could have some in depth and reasonable conversation about the end of the season and look to the 2025 season but its obvious @Zoomer1 simply wants to come on here and have a crack at a GT side plagued by injuries. Get back to numeracy champ the Maccas down the road from me needs a few new fry cooks soon. With externals so close I'd hope this nonsensical chirp stops getting thrown from Nudgee around the GPS, the boys should start focussing on their upcoming 13th year of education to achieve a prestigious 55 ATAR helping them achieve the Colts 2 and business management degree at Griffith.
Cheers,
LCF
Well Nudgee pulls about an 85 average ATAR which puts it in the top 5% of academic performers in the state, so hardly a low achiever and pretty much the same as BBC, TSS, TGS, IGS, Ashgrove etc etc. They are good at everything and Terrace seems to be a bit of a one trick pony i.e. a lot of nerdy boys who end up in beta positions in life supporting us alpha guys.
The Terrace chip on the shoulder /inferiority complex is a GPS tradition as old as any other GPS traditions. We love it. Missed out academically on Grammar and missed out sportingly on Nudgee.
We love you Terrace, keep your chin up!