QLD Premier Rugby 2021

[PhilClinton]

Dammers seems to become an unfair target on these forums. Wait until the season starts for us to judge how he is handling things at Souths.

I will say this though, no one is above criticism, as long as it is directly correctly. Dammers coaching style does seem to be more effective with younger playing groups and I hope he learns and adapts to keep improving his communication as I think he's a good coach.

 

[SouthernX]

Is Taine Roiri still at Wests? Is he a chance of playing Premier or will he stay in Colts?

I believe his old man is coach of colts.

I reckon he’s destined for premier grades (eventually).
Has the right body size for a lock to play next level.

 

[Jets]

Rob is his uncle not his old man.

He will make a great Premier lock, has incredible lineout skills. Will probably go overseas and make a great career in Japan or Europe. Thought he might get a look in at Premier this year but I understand him playing another year of Colts.

 

[Bulldog]

Dammers seems to become an unfair target on these forums. Wait until the season starts for us to judge how he is handling things at Souths.

I will say this though, no one is above criticism, as long as it is directly correctly. Dammers coaching style does seem to be more effective with younger playing groups and I hope he learns and adapts to keep improving his communication as I think he's a good coach.

I think Dammers needs to be given a fair go as he inherited rebuilding squads at GPS(following the 2013 loss/Picone) & now Souths(post Picone).

He had great success with South’s colts in 2019, and the young South playing group may well be still a year off, but I think The Magpies need to be patient. I think what he and the South’s club should consider as success in 2021 is simply continued improvement = 5th/6th.

 

[Finsbury Girl]

The big question for me is, is the Pencil returning for another year?

Any insiders from Yoku in the know?

 

[eldiablo]

The big question for me is, is the Pencil returning for another year?

Any insiders from Yoku in the know?

From what I've heard he is captain again!

 

[Finsbury Girl]

From what I've heard he is captain again!

The Hospital Cup is coming home!

 

[Happyman]

I think Dammers needs to be given a fair go as he inherited rebuilding squads at GPS(following the 2013 loss/Picone) & now Souths(post Picone).

He had great success with South’s colts in 2019, and the young South playing group may well be still a year off, but I think The Magpies need to be patient. I think what he and the South’s club should consider as success in 2021 is simply continued improvement = 5th/6th.

Fair Call Bulldog

In my view the the clubs are in three bands in any order.

UQ, Brothers and Bond

Easts and West’s and GPS again in any order

then Souths, Norths, and the Bank.

 

[Jets]

I think Easts proved last year that they should be in the top band. Even with all their player losses they have great depth and guys will also be attracted to clubs that win.

Sunnybank being down the bottom group confounds me. They have great facilities and juniors. They should be strong and have great depth. They just keep loosing all their best juniors to other clubs.

 

[SouthernX]

I reckon Bond is primed for a regression.

They are my tip to be out of top 4 and some other team replace them (brothers)

 

[The Nomad]

Winning the top three grades last year certainly shows great depth at Easts.

However their point of difference last year in First grade was their set piece dominance and Ben Mowen. Without that scrum from last year ( particularly the front row ) and the influence Mowen had on the playing group, I don't think you have a dominant team.

 

[Sgt Slaughter]

I think people are quick to forget Dammers recruited an entire super team for their Colts 1, pushing their current Colts 1 team into the Colts 2 hence the quick turnaround. Kudos to Dammers for his recruitment skills, but sadly these types of processes are not a sustainable to bridge the gap into Prem Grade.

The only way this system works long term is heavily recruiting every year to replace them - agree or disagree the player movement speaks for itself. Rhys Van Nek, Villami Lea, Reno Gerrad, Big Mac, Mosiah/Elijah Kefu, Reuben Jones and now they have lost the younger talent coming through as in Thomas and Ripley. To be clear this is not a knock on the players, coaches or the club but more highlighting the fact that quick fixes do not always work.

 

[Happyman]

I think people are quick to forget Dammers recruited an entire super team for their Colts 1, pushing their current Colts 1 team into the Colts 2 hence the quick turnaround. Kudos to Dammers for his recruitment skills, but sadly these types of processes are not a sustainable to bridge the gap into Prem Grade.

The only way this system works long term is heavily recruiting every year to replace them - agree or disagree the player movement speaks for itself. Rhys Van Nek, Villami Lea, Reno Gerrad, Big Mac, Mosiah/Elijah Kefu, Reuben Jones and now they have lost the younger talent coming through as in Thomas and Ripley. To be clear this is not a knock on the players, coaches or the club but more highlighting the fact that quick fixes do not always work.

Mate I would argue that this type of systems are sustainable Brother UQ and Bond recruit the daylights out of the younger players every year. This year Ripley and Thomas are just two examples of UQ recruitment I strongly suspect neither will play a great deal of Prems. They may have been promised that but we will see what happens when the rubber meets the road.

 

[Mike Bishop]

I think people are quick to forget Dammers recruited an entire super team for their Colts 1, pushing their current Colts 1 team into the Colts 2 hence the quick turnaround. Kudos to Dammers for his recruitment skills, but sadly these types of processes are not a sustainable to bridge the gap into Prem Grade.

The only way this system works long term is heavily recruiting every year to replace them - agree or disagree the player movement speaks for itself. Rhys Van Nek, Villami Lea, Reno Gerrad, Big Mac, Mosiah/Elijah Kefu, Reuben Jones and now they have lost the younger talent coming through as in Thomas and Ripley. To be clear this is not a knock on the players, coaches or the club but more highlighting the fact that quick fixes do not always work.

If you’re not recruiting into colts then where do you start your recruitment from? If you breakdown the players as well:

Van Nek -> Easts -> left for a great opportunity that panned out
Gerard is no longer player footy
Lea moves to Sydney
Big Mac played well enough to get an extended squad invite for the brumbies
Elijah Kefu is back at Souths
Reuben Jones played third grade at GPS last year

These are all typical club rugby losses. The Thomas and Ripley ones are huge losses but Souths can hardly offer anything compared to UQ

 

[Dean Moriarty]

If you’re not recruiting into colts then where do you start your recruitment from? If you breakdown the players as well:

Van Nek -> Easts -> left for a great opportunity that panned out
Gerard is no longer player footy
Lea moves to Sydney
Big Mac played well enough to get an extended squad invite for the brumbies
Elijah Kefu is back at Souths
Reuben Jones played third grade at GPS last year

These are all typical club rugby losses. The Thomas and Ripley ones are huge losses but Souths can hardly offer anything compared to UQ

Well they likely would have offered Andrew Romano something , as they did back in the day with Van Nek, Ngamanu etc al .

Kalani Thomas is a genuine loss and this is unfathomable as it is myopic. A Souths junior since he was allowed to step on to a field and probably the best 9 to come along the pathway in a 5 year window. With respect to Billy Rutherford and Hugo Smith but you have to be shitting me. Big pooch screw.

 

[Confucius Say]

Who is myopic? Thomas?

What are UQ offer beside the frat party?

 

[PhilClinton]

Anyone have mail on whether a Sunny Coast might get back in the QPR soon?

A mate of mine who plays up there said some QPR clubs have been scoping out a couple of teams, looking to form official partnerships and get it cleared by RA. As I understand it, currently a player can only be signed to one club, regardless of which competition that club plays in. A couple of teams are looking at using the Sunny Coast comp as a type of feeder club (similar to QCup and NRL) but will need RA approval to have an official multi club arrangement.

Anyway he reckons this has piqued some interest up that way that there might be enough depth to form another Sunny Coast team.

 

[RugbyReg]

I don't see the point of that at all and is just another example of volunteer run amatuer clubs trying to get to big for themselves.

On a different subject, I hear wests may end up seeing a fair bit of you Mason Gordon this year

 

[Oldschool]

Yes, Mason's back at the Kennel.
Will be interesting to see the final makeup of the Prems as they have a few options for Flyhalf and fullback.

 

[The Nomad]

He doesn't have a Reds contract , so no requirement for Wests to play him in Prems at all.

Dare say a bit of time in Colts wouldn't hurt.