QLD Premier Rugby 2020

[PPRugby]

Any time you lose a young player with Premier Grade experience it isn't great. In saying that, I used to shit my pants whenever Jonah would come on at the end of a close game, as I felt he was vulnerable in the scrum. Being a young prop is tough business and his scrummaging still has work to do.

I think he will end up being a great player but like I mentioned in the Reds thread about the Smith twins, it takes a while for props to develop, they were at a similar stage at that age. He will get better with age.

Good pick up then for Souths... they seem to have been more active than people have thought in the player recruiting area.

 

[Garry Owens]

Scrummaging is also about intelligence. Takes time to acquire that.

 

[Pilfer Pete]

Good pick up then for Souths. they seem to have been more active than people have thought in the player recruiting area.

I think Jonah is a great pick up for them. Looked a little thick last year but can carry and defend well when he is fit. Who else other Jonah and I think someone mentioned Baille have Souths recruited?

I also heard that Sunnybank have had to pull out of a trial with concerns of player numbers early on???

 

[Bulldog]

This is disappointing for Sunnybank - I honestly mean that.

Maybe this opens up an opportunity for a mega southside merger - the Sunnybank Saints playing half their games at Oldmac & the other half at Logan.

This might be the opportunity the Saints were looking for.

Whilst on this topic - do the Sunshine Coast Stingrays still exist in any format?

I think the QRU road to long term redemption is through the establishment of 4 genuine regional academies - Cairns, Rockhampton, Toowoomba & Southern Gold Coast(Servicing Northern NSW). There is plenty of talent out there but rugby is not identifying it in its midst whilst other codes are.

 

[PhilClinton]

Whilst on this topic - do the Sunshine Coast Stingrays still exist in any format?

.

I believe they used to run 7s teams under that name and enter in some of the bigger comps but that doesn't seem to happen anymore.

Not sure how much use Stockwell Stadium gets either.

 

[SouthernX]

I think the QRU road to long term redemption is through the establishment of 4 genuine regional academies - Cairns, Rockhampton, Toowoomba & Southern Gold Coast(Servicing Northern NSW). There is plenty of talent out there but rugby is not identifying it in its midst whilst other codes are.

Right attitude (rural) wrong execution (academies)

I think the reds do identify the talent by visiting these areas and running workshops to identify the young players.

Unfortunately these rugby outposts in rural Queensland do not have the competitions for these identified players to get better. We identify them but ultimately they get snapped up by rugby league

I think the one good thing going for Union is private school rugby really is the greatest pathway for the stars of tomorrow going up against the best competition in the world.

Do you think Jack Howarth a Rockhampton kid would be any chance of playing rugby had it not been for GPS school rugby? We know he is signed with the storm but there’s a good chance he is back playing union later down the track as rugby league can not give the satisfaction of playing against the greatest athletes in the world.

Perhaps the best way moving forward is get these young rural kids involved with rugby union where the QRU can offer some type of gps rugby scholarship pathway where they have a reds contract waiting for them when the leave school.... this convo is for people way smarter then me.

 

[Bulldog]

I think the best learning environment for young talent in Qld is QPR.

I even think that some guys would be better served doing an extended QPR apprentership than being fast tracked into the Reds environment for example put Isaac Lucas, Fraser McReight & Harry Wilson back to QPR because it is a big step from under 20s to Super Rugby against experienced NZ & SA sides.

Just the intensity & length of a full Super season would be telling on a young body.

All good Reds take time to age!

 

[PhilClinton]

I think the best learning environment for young talent in Qld is QPR.

I even think that some guys would be better served doing an extended QPR apprentership than being fast tracked into the Reds environment for example put Isaac Lucas, Fraser McReight & Harry Wilson back to QPR because it is a big step from under 20s to Super Rugby against experienced NZ & SA sides.

Didn't follow Lucas so can't commnet but McReight and Wilson had a full year pretty much of Premier Grade experience in 2019 and were a class above the rest. I don't think they need any more time plying their trade in clubland.

I totally agree that QPR seems to be the best breeding ground, rather than junior rep sides. But once they are good enough, don't hold them back.

 

[RugbyReg]

Lucas played a full year of premier grade (playing most doubt digit positions in the backline) straight out of school and was probably the Bank's best player that year. I was blown away every time he played. Even at 13!

 

[The Nomad]

Right attitude (rural) wrong execution (academies)

I think the reds do identify the talent by visiting these areas and running workshops to identify the young players.

Unfortunately these rugby outposts in rural Queensland do not have the competitions for these identified players to get better. We identify them but ultimately they get snapped up by rugby league

I think the one good thing going for Union is private school rugby really is the greatest pathway for the stars of tomorrow going up against the best competition in the world.

Do you think Jack Howarth a Rockhampton kid would be any chance of playing rugby had it not been for GPS school rugby? We know he is signed with the storm but there’s a good chance he is back playing union later down the track as rugby league can not give the satisfaction of playing against the greatest athletes in the world.

Perhaps the best way moving forward is get these young rural kids involved with rugby union where the QRU can offer some type of gps rugby scholarship pathway where they have a reds contract waiting for them when the leave school.. this convo is for people way smarter then me.

Sort of already happens , except it’s the schools identifying the the rural talent and putting them in boarding dorms as part rugby scholarships .

Kids like Jack Howarth and Xavier Savage often get picked up from junior rugby league carnivals rather than their form playing rugby in a local comp. Guess it’s no great surprise they end up back playing league once the school journey is over . At least it gives our game a chance to “pitch” to them.

 

[SouthernX]

Sort of already happens , except it’s the schools identifying the the rural talent and putting them in boarding dorms as part rugby scholarships .

Kids like Jack Howarth and Xavier Savage often get picked up from junior rugby league carnivals rather than their form playing rugby in a local comp. Guess it’s no great surprise they end up back playing league once the school journey is over . At least it gives our game a chance to “pitch” to them.

Yes and they should come to Brisbane to play with better competition.

I dont think it’s beneficial for identified talent of tomorrow to stay in regional areas playing against inferior competition.

 

[PPRugby]

Yes and they should come to Brisbane to play with better competition.

I dont think it’s beneficial for identified talent of tomorrow to stay in regional areas playing against inferior competition.

And this is the reason Rugby is dying... a more pompous & arrogant statement I don’t think I have seen.

Why not develop the “inferior” areas!
It seems to work ok for Rugby League & AFL.

But in Rugby it is only 9 schools that have the ability produce players.... Blinkers firmly on!!

 

[PhilClinton]

And this is the reason Rugby is dying. a more pompous & arrogant statement I don’t think I have seen.

Why not develop the “inferior” areas!
It seems to work ok for Rugby League & AFL.

But in Rugby it is only 9 schools that have the ability produce players.. Blinkers firmly on!!

I think its more of a population thing though. Growing the game in the rural areas is a must. But in terms of genuine player development, there isn't enough population out there to provide the consistent level of competition needed and prove out whether or not they are truly professional standard.

Eventually they become a big fish in a small pond. Thats nothing against the rural areas but unfortunately a fact of life vs metropolitan areas. There are other ways to spread and grow the game but keeping the best players away from the highest level of competition isn't one of them.

Take the recent example of Matt Gicquel, great story, came from Maleny Bushrangers, but it wasn't until he proved himself with several years of QPR experience that he earnt a super rugby call up (well a trial with the Rebels).

 

[Oldschool]

And this is the reason Rugby is dying. a more pompous & arrogant statement I don’t think I have seen.

Why not develop the “inferior” areas!
It seems to work ok for Rugby League & AFL.

But in Rugby it is only 9 schools that have the ability produce players.. Blinkers firmly on!!

I call BS on this statement.
Any player with ability who wants to take their sport further will gravitate towards a higher level of competition to better themselves, no different from league or AFL. to say otherwise is just crap.

 

[SouthernX]

And this is the reason Rugby is dying. a more pompous & arrogant statement I don’t think I have seen.

Why not develop the “inferior” areas!
It seems to work ok for Rugby League & AFL.

But in Rugby it is only 9 schools that have the ability produce players.. Blinkers firmly on!!

Rugby League is using those 9 schools to develop their elite talent. Rugby league regionally is played in schools across Queensland. Same thing can’t be said about Union.

I think it all boils down to the tv dollars and what the codes can invest back into the grassroots.

Until rugby gets a bigger slice of the pie (and it looks like we might be getting smaller slice if Foxtel doesn’t bid) we need to face realities and what is in the best interest of the game. Bringing the players to Brisbane is our best course.

 

[Woldog]

I think to grow Rugby in QLD we need to start letting a few more teams into the Premier competition. Expand outwards Ipswich would be a good choice but I wouldn't pick the Ipswich Rangers as the team, I played there from 2009 - 2011 before I switched to Goodna before retiring after breaking my foot against Springfield (Leroy Houston ran over the top of me in 2014 while he was back from France and my foot lost....) I think allowing a team like Goodna who bully the competition each year into Premier Rugby would be a good start, or at least into the Brisbane Reserve Grade. And I do wonder what the Logan Saints have to do to get a look in.

 

[The Nomad]

And this is the reason Rugby is dying. a more pompous & arrogant statement I don’t think I have seen.

Why not develop the “inferior” areas!
It seems to work ok for Rugby League & AFL.

But in Rugby it is only 9 schools that have the ability produce players.. Blinkers firmly on!!

Growing the game outside SEQ is easier said than done, as mentioned it’s primarily a population thing.

I grew up in a regional city where league was king . Our rugby comp involved a handful of games against a couple of other schools and a couple of club teams . It was played on a Sunday so we could all still play club league on a Saturday. On moving to Brisbane to go to uni , I played nothing but rugby and I’m still involved coaching now.

My boys have all gone to rugby playing schools and continue to play club rugby here in Brisbane.

You just can’t compare the rugby development my boys have had to what I experienced growing up where I did. Your development can only go so far without regular quality competition.

Unless you can somehow create quality competition regionally, it’s a dry argument. They have to play in Brisbane or Sydney.

Would love it to be otherwise, but it’s just not.

 

[SouthernX]

Growing the game outside SEQ is easier said than done, as mentioned it’s primarily a population thing.

Unless you can somehow create quality competition regionally, it’s a dry argument. They have to play in Brisbane or Sydney.

Some valid points bought up here in reference to NRC vs National club rugby comp.

Who’s going to be taking National club rugby comp games to locations like Gladstone, Mackay or Townsville.

I think the NRC is the best method because it offers oppportunity for these regional locations to stay involved in the rugby calendar

 

[dru]

Some valid points bought up here in reference to NRC vs National club rugby comp.

Who’s going to be taking National club rugby comp games to locations like Gladstone, Mackay or Townsville.

I think the NRC is the best method because it offers oppportunity for these regional locations to stay involved in the rugby calendar

The Force debacle aside, we like to consider ourselves a national game. These two statements seem contradictory.

 

[PhilClinton]

Heard over the weekend that something like 7 players migrated from Souths to GPS in the offseason, obviously we knew about the Reds players, but I have heard the list includes Alex Casey. If true, that is massive, Casey is Souths boy through and through. played all his juniors there and even captained the Premier team. Can anyone confirm that?