QLD Premier Rugby 2017

[nightnday]

This is disappointing for Bulldog fans but it will take time to climb off the bottom of the table.

Money aside I think Tyrone may have jumped ship too soon. After Pat Byron was left to coach the side on his own last year, the Doggies have put together an impressive coaching team and dare I say it, on paper it looks like the best in the comp. Hopefully this will give Pat more time to tweak game plans as well as attract younger guys looking to learn from what is a very impressive line up.

 

[TheKing]

And Tonga Ma'afu returns to Norths as well.

If the Reds decide that they'd prefer a Kerevi + Perese/Magnay midfield Norths could be very interesting in 2017.

There are worse backlines than DPA and Tyrone Lefau in the centres, supported by Alex Gibbon and Veresa Mataitini on the wings.


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[RugbyReg]

Jack Tuttle at fullback?

Reece Hewat at 8

 

[nightnday]

More bad news for the Doggies...Joel Brown, who like Tyrone Lefau is Gold Coast based, will not be returning to the kennel..

 

[The sage]

Premiership for Norths in the next 3 years? What's the feeling or odds?


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[TOCC]

Are Noths been bankrolled by someone, why the sudden attraction for players to join the club?

 

[Steve Doublesteve]

Are Noths been bankrolled by someone, why the sudden attraction for players to join the club?

maybe they've got good burgers and chips? seriously who cares, the comp needs a more competitive Norths and Wests. Are we going to sit around and pretend that some of the money from the sports club at Sunnybank didnt spill into the rugby club?

 

[nightnday]

Agree, if a club is able to help out players with something to offset their expenses it can go along away. Players possibly do not ask their existing clubs but who can blame a player if they are offered an incentive elsewhere or a club for offering? I know all the clubbies will think that this is sacrilege but Premier players do spend a lot more time training than others and in a lot of cases forgo overtime and extra hours to meet their training needs.​

 

[TOCC]

Steve, it wasn't an attack against Norths, I'm genuinely interested as to what the attraction is at Norths after years of struggling to recruit and retain top players. I think it's a relevant topic to discuss in this forum? If it's not money then is it coaching or facilities?

 

[FilthRugby]

Maafu is a big loss for Uni. That would move Wakeley back into the starting 15?

Money is a big incentive for up-and-coming players, and who can blame them? Rugby requires a lot of hours as nightnday said.

The most you'll get at Brothers is a free sausage sizzle after training..........and that's about it.

 

[Lyle Stafford]

Maafu is a big loss for Uni. That would move Wakeley back into the starting 15?

Money is a big incentive for up-and-coming players, and who can blame them? Rugby requires a lot of hours as nightnday said.

The most you'll get at Brothers is a free sausage sizzle after training....and that's about it.

I think you will find most clubs use 2 main things for players and straight cash isn't one of them. They use employment ( flexible work hours so prems players can train at a higher frequency) and accomodation. Accomodation mightn't sound like much but for that player it's effectively worth 8-10k a year.

 

[Lyle Stafford]

Steve, it wasn't an attack against Norths, I'm genuinely interested as to what the attraction is at Norths after years of struggling to recruit and retain top players. I think it's a relevant topic to discuss in this forum? If it's not money then is it coaching or facilities?

TOCC I reckon it's a great question, maybe GG could interview the club and get some details. I moved up from Sydney 6 years ago and my son plays at close rival club and I have followed my sons club as a result. My experience of Norths this season verse the previous ones answers a lot of question I think. The club seems to be run quite professionally, we played a Sunday game there this year and staff we happy, the place was clean and the players seemed engaged and competitive for most games. I looked on their web page before writing this and they are announcing players already, lots of positive posts, they speak well on their players. I think the wins they had this year plus a clear change in positive culture is really helping them. I don't know what incentives they are offering but my view would be not much different to other clubs. Also I think NRC has helped them, any player wanting to play NRC has to be playing Premier Grade, so players see nNorths as an opportunity to do just that.

 

[FilthRugby]

Hey Bulldog, at least you have Higginbotham and Houston at the Kennel for 2017! Heard Wests were pushing hard for George Smith. Imagine a one off game of - No. 6 Higginbotham No.7 Smith and No.8 Houston. That would certainly bring a crowd down to the new 'Taj'.

 

[FilthRugby]

Lyle, is Brothers that close rival club you're talking about?

 

[TheKing]

I wonder if we're going to see Jake Schatz and Junior Laloifi line up for Sunnybank this year?

I haven't heard any news of them picking up alternative pro contracts after being cut from the Reds


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[Beer Baron]

Would be surprised if he wasnt picked up somewhere?? He wasnt what the reds needed, but would have thought he would be great back up somewhere

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[AshgroveGalloper]

Regarding the growth at Norths, very simply the answer is Nick Fogarty. Coached at Jeeps for years and won a number of premierships in Premier Reserve, building one of the best teams in that grade in the club's history. The boys love Fogs, he is loyal, honest with his players but direct, disciplined and smart. Jeeps had a chance to get him back, but they decided to go back to the future with Shane Arnold. I am hearing that may backfire, with Arnold taking the Reds backs job, leaving the club without a Prem Coach. The committee at Jeeps have stuffed Andy Tucker around too and I'm hearing that has affected his plans for 2017. Norths will likely be a 2018 proposition after a few solid years of building, but the club is in great shape, debt free for the first time in years and run by a decent committee.

 

[Steve Doublesteve]

Sorry TOCC i didnt mean for it to seem like I was biting back, its definitely a fair point to ask but I think in light of the recent monotony of the top four in recent years the comp needs a shake up like this.

 

[Rugby follower]

""TOCC I reckon it's a great question, maybe GG could interview the club and get some details. I moved up from Sydney 6 years ago and my son plays at close rival club and I have followed my sons club as a result. My experience of Norths this season verse the previous ones answers a lot of question I think. The club seems to be run quite professionally, we played a Sunday game there this year and staff we happy, the place was clean and the players seemed engaged and competitive for most games. I looked on their web page before writing this and they are announcing players already, lots of positive posts, they speak well on their players. I think the wins they had this year plus a clear change in positive culture is really helping them. I don't know what incentives they are offering but my view would be not much different to other clubs. Also I think NRC has helped them, any player wanting to play NRC has to be playing Premier Grade, so players see nNorths as an opportunity to do just that.""

Lyle u have hit the money on the head. The current committee (new in 2016) has turned the club around, big things are planned for Norths in 2017 however foundations are in place to take the club well beyond this. A big part of the rebuilding of the club is respect, for both Norths players and for all payers that comes to Norths. The club has gone back to their roots with players from 20 years ago reconnecting with the club and being involved with the running of the place. Gut feel says that Norths will be finals bound in the next 2-3 years, maybe it might be earlier rather than later.

 

[Dunc Johnston]

I don't think we can predict norths finals campaigns just yet, all is not how it appears on their Facebook. If norths have so much money, why did their lower grades have to train elsewhere because the lights on the bacK ovals couldn't be paid for to be fixed for the whole season? I have heard they have lost an entire premier front row along with other players and the assistant prems coach who did the most of the recruiting and retention of the Reds players, with the main reason being the coaching staff and presidents treatments of players throughout the year. Last year they fielded 2 7s teams in all tournaments, this year they've struggled to field 1 team in most tournaments as well as host their Fiji day which previously had a 40 team tournament, this year had 8 teams play in it. They also lost the hosting rights to kings and queens of the pacific tournament which brought in valuable money to the club. I struggle to understand how a committee who is supposedly turning a club around could allow this to happen? As for their prems coaches, id say there was a reason GPS did not take them back, I suspect andy tucker and his crew will be more than ready to take over when Shane Arnold is announced as the Reds attack coach next - great appointment for the Reds by the way, I think he will be a revelation in super rugby