QLD GPS Rugby 2019

[TheKing]

The Nudgee halfback who did his ACL before the season will definitely be back in 2019.

Flyhalf Predictions for 2019

Reesjan Pasitoa, Nudgee
Sam Walker, Ipswich Grammar
Archie Halliday, Brisbane Grammar
Baxter Franey, Toowoomba Grammar
Mason Gordon, BBC
Pat Elekana, Terrace
Moses Jones, State High

TSS I have no idea. During last season there was talk that Dion Samuela might be a 10 option in 2019 but he didn't strike me as much of a ballplayer.

Churchie, again, I couldn't even guess.

 

[Cancelled Account]

How many of last year’s 1st XV Churchie team are returning this year? And who?

 

[Cancelled Account]

The Nudgee halfback who did his ACL before the season will definitely be back in 2019.

Flyhalf Predictions for 2019

Reesjan Pasitoa, Nudgee
Sam Walker, Ipswich Grammar
Archie Halliday, Brisbane Grammar
Baxter Franey, Toowoomba Grammar
Mason Gordon, BBC
Pat Elekana, Terrace
Moses Jones, State High

TSS I have no idea. During last season there was talk that Dion Samuela might be a 10 option in 2019 but he didn't strike me as much of a ballplayer.

Churchie, again, I couldn't even guess.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we move Pasitoa out to 12 and slot Jadyden Green into 10. Great move but there maybe some resistance.

 

[Dean Moriarty]

Don’t know why you’d move the best player in the competition from the spot where he has his biggest impact opportunity.

I’m hearing Izia Uluia at 12 anyway with JG in the mix in the back 3

 

[GingerBreadCrab]

I wouldn’t be surprised if we move Pasitoa out to 12 and slot Jadyden Green into 10. Great move but there maybe some resistance.

That would be a fantastic combination. I would have loved to see that realised last year. Jayden has enormous potential and is one of the silkiest players across Queensland. My worry is that another state or franchise realises that before QLD does.
Pasitoa needs be to 10 because of the control he has over the backline and his outside backs can feed off that confidence, particularly as some will be quite young. Competent, but young. Ultimately it will come down to how they are able to balance the side.
I predict the forward pack to be immensely powerful.

 

[terry from Townsville]

immensely powerful who do you reckon ?

 

[Cancelled Account]

I am not taking anything away from Pasitoa as he is getting the job done at Nudgee but he has all of the traits of a centre (12). Today’s flyhalf needs to have the rugby IQ and knows where the next plays are instead of looking for them. This is not always a skill that can be learned. Pasitoa plays a now ball and more of an individual game. This works well if your team plays are centred around your 10 which usually happens in school rugby, and this is why they stand out. An elite flyhalf at Super and International level will foresee the plays and know exactly what is happening on the field with his team and opponents. This skill fascinates me with Carter Gordon. I haven’t seen his style of rugby in Australia since Larkham. Sexton and Barrett have that same skill. Very rare. Jayden Green has a similar style, and a few more years with the right coaches, I think we could hear his name popping up either here in Australia or overseas.
Moving Pasitoa to 12 and slotting Green into 10 won’t happen because of politics, but should happen for the team. Jayden can pass a longer accurate ball and match field and goal kicking with Pasitoa. Best option for this year’s team. Just my ‘qualified’ opinion.

 

[terry from Townsville]

are you a relation to either ? might help to first see if they can win at schoolboy and after that before we compare to them to this one or that one. what we do know in the here and now is the Pasitoa has won 2 schoolboy first xv premierships where hes played as first five and been the first five for at least 1 of those 2 years . I trust the coaches know what they are doing

 

[The Nomad]

Many on the 2018 thread rated Pasitoa as the best 10 in last year’s comp, he also got the nod as the starting 10 on the Aussie Schoolboys tour ahead of Gordon after warming the bench to him in the Brisbane tests. All this on the back of an undefeated GPS premiership to go with the one shared with TSS in 2017.

This Green kid must be a very special player indeed if you are even considering moving the best schoolboy 10 in the country to accomodate him.

I agree that Pasitoa looks like a long term 12 and is more than capable of playing there now , but he makes for an exceptional schoolboy 10 at present . Would be interesting to ask the head of recruitment at the Brumbies where they see him playing in 12 months time.

It would take a very brave First XV coach to change a winning formula. With NC playing what could be a GF against TSS in Rd 1 this year , who would risk playing a 10 of unproven ability at First XV level when you already have someone who is widely regarded as the best already in your team ?

 

[GingerBreadCrab]

Many on the 2018 thread rated Pasitoa as the best 10 in last year’s comp, he also got the nod as the starting 10 on the Aussie Schoolboys tour ahead of Gordon after warming the bench to him in the Brisbane tests. All this on the back of an undefeated GPS premiership to go with the one shared with TSS in 2017.

This Green kid must be a very special player indeed if you are even considering moving the best schoolboy 10 in the country to accomodate him.

It would take a very brave First XV coach to change a winning formula. With NC playing what could be a GF against TSS in Rd 1 this year , who would risk playing a 10 of unproven ability at First XV level when you already have someone who is widely regarded as the best already in your team ?

I don't think it's a case of forcing Pasitoa out of position - there's not a schoolboy 10 in the country that could do that. I've seen first-hand the hard work he's put in over the last few years and he deserves the accolades he receives.
It's more a case of NC putting the best athletes on the paddock that they possibly can, which would include Green. By doing so, they are automatically giving themselves more options than the same formula that's been studied and analysed by teams for the last 2 years. Suddenly you've got a powerful, confident playmaker as well as one that's silky and really has the ability to create opportunity from zero. They both also have enormous, alternate boots. Ultimately where each boy fits in the program will come down to how dynamic the coaches are prepared to be, and I could fully understand them not wanting to risk changing a winning formula.

I do think at times we are too conservative in Australia, and are hamstrung by coaching careers being measured by their chosen athlete's success in an 8-game season. It's very easy for a boy to slip through the cracks - miss a few games through injury, not have a full pre-season due to surgery or be battling mentally and you run the risk of a 1st XV player playing 3rds. Particularly at a school like Nudgee where you have so many boys fighting for positions and a 7th XV.
While it's not the be-all and end-all, rugby being just a game and all that, it doesn't afford the boys the opportunity to realise their potential. This ultimately impacts Rugby Australia and the strength of our rugby identity internationally, and contributes to us losing athletes overseas.
I have solutions to this, but I don't know if this is the time or place to propose them. How wonderful it would be to see 18-20 rounds of schoolboy rugby a year though... One can dream.

 

[Cancelled Account]

Whoa whoa whoa. I’m not taking anything away for Pasitoa. We will be seeing him play Super rugby before too long. We are privileged to have him at Nudgee with the chance of three consecutive premierships. All I said is that I believe he has the traits of a centre, and suggesting a position change for the benefit of the team based on prospective squad players.
This is a forum. Just because I praise players shouldn’t suggest they are relatives. Take time to watch Green so you understand my statements. I like his style and believe he has potential. That is all.

 

[The Nomad]

Ginger,

If you have solutions to the problems facing rugby in Aust , please do us all a favour and give Castle/Cline a call. I look forward to the results !

 

[Blanco]

"The Nudgee halfback who did his ACL before the season will definitely be back in 2019."

Great news, he is a talent.

 

[GingerBreadCrab]

@ Ginger

It’s 9 games in regular season and circa 5 -6 games in the trial / preason + also having these boys in intrasquad preseason stuff from Term 1.

And then there is whatever familiarity they have established on the kid as they have been coming through in the 1 to 2 seasons prior

Theoretically they should have a handle on things . Programs like Nudgee do tend to get it right in the main

GO - 8 competition games and a round on the road against a very weak Downlands. Trials this year were 20-minute round robin format. 3 of them if I'm not mistaken. Don't you want to see more rugby too? Boys are missing out on full years of exposure to development through injury.

My post is referring to boys that miss out on having that "familiarity" with coaches due to negative stereotypes of them that are perpetuated by egos driven inside the coaching camps. It can result in talent being lost, either through boys being exhausted of having to play politics or to other higher honours. That's all. It's happened before and could easily happen again.
This isn't exclusive to NC, I think the program is one of the best in the land. If you're an excellent player, believe in yourself and yet your school doesn't nominate you to attend rep trials, what do you do? It's a hard one. The new pathways go someway to alleviating this but not fully.

 

[GingerBreadCrab]

Whoa whoa whoa. I’m not taking anything away for Pasitoa. We will be seeing him play Super rugby before too long. We are privileged to have him at Nudgee with the chance of three consecutive premierships. All I said is that I believe he has the traits of a centre, and suggesting a position change for the benefit of the team based on prospective squad players.
This is a forum. Just because I praise players shouldn’t suggest they are relatives. Take time to watch Green so you understand my statements. I like his style and believe he has potential. That is all.

I'm sorry RR but because you've praised Jayden for his skills after seeing him play out of his skin last year you must be related to him, and must have it out for Reesjan and want to sabotage Nudgee. It's simple.

 

[Blanco]

GO - what about a bit of early market and form?

Just to compare later down the track.

 

[DragonsDen]

From memory there are quite a few 'AIC to GPS converts' in the 2002 age group this season? Feel free to correct if wrong.

 

[Cancelled Account]

I'm sorry RR but because you've praised Jayden for his skills after seeing him play out of his skin last year you must be related to him, and must have it out for Reesjan and want to sabotage Nudgee. It's simple.

Obviously mate. It seems that pre season gitters are kicking in and people are getting a little edgy when someone else’s view doesn’t align with their view. For the record, I back our boys for a third consecutive premiership and rate Pasitoa as one of the best backs to ever play on Ross. Looking at the potential XV who could run on in round 1, I do back Green at 10 and Pasitoa at 12 in consideration of the backs and best combinations. My opinion of best position doesn’t imply that Pasitoa has been down graded. Others suggesting that why change the team if it’s been successful for the past 2 years. In reality, it’s not the same players and I count 2 players who will play in the 1st for the third year, Vella and Pasitoa. The game plays needs to change this year with the players we have on hand. Our forwards are not at the same level as the have been for the past 2 years, and there lays the coach’s decision.

 

[Cancelled Account]

I think though with all this chat about the young Nudgee lad who some think highly of , and Ginge's sentiments about young lads putting their head down and soldiering on even if they are not catching the breaks they feel they should get ...it got me thinking about this :

And so dear Posters of GNG , I put it to you ...who , by the end of the 2019 GPS Rugby Season is going to be worthy of their own "they said you'd never make it" Swan Lager commercial ?

I'm proposing a Prize structure of :

1st - A pallet of Swan Lager
2nd - A carton of Swan Lager
3rd - A 6 pack of Swan Lager

Keep it coming mate.

 

[intheknow2012]

The comments about politics regarding selection interests me. I would have thought that a school like Nudgee would pick their strongest possible side - what motive is there not to ? What do you actually even mean by politics ? Who in recent years at Nudgee (or any GPS school) hasn’t been picked due to ‘politics’ ??
Remember there’s always differences of opinion and variables like the balance of a pack, team needs a goal kicker, etc. but who has obviously not been selected due to politics?
The example of Green... so he was clearly a better fit than who in last year’s backline?