QLD Premier Rugby 2025

[PhilClinton]

Having a salary cap in a non-revenue sharing model is quite strange. I would have thought the points system provides enough of a leveller to stop teams loading on top tier players.

I personally think if done correctly, it makes sense to have our best young players receiving payment to play in our club competitions rather than being signed to a Super Rugby development deal and potentially spending a portion of the season in cotton wool or travelling with that team because they're technically their employer, instead of a club.

For that to happen though, particularly in QPR there would need to be greater governance placed across the clubs and I don't see it happening.

 

[JRugby2]

Having a salary cap in a non-revenue sharing model is quite strange. I would have thought the points system provides enough of a leveller to stop teams loading on top tier players.

I personally think if done correctly, it makes sense to have our best young players receiving payment to play in our club competitions rather than being signed to a Super Rugby development deal and potentially spending a portion of the season in cotton wool or travelling with that team because they're technically their employer, instead of a club.

For that to happen though, particularly in QPR there would need to be greater governance placed across the clubs and I don't see it happening.

Or any at all.

Lots of respect for Gavin Head but he's effectively a 1 man show.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

That's an issue right. People want more support/oversight/governance but the sport isn't (anywhere) producing the revenue to provide these to a standard we want. Then the moaning begins....

 

[JRugby2]

That's an issue right. People want more support/oversight/governance but the sport isn't (anywhere) producing the revenue to provide these to a standard we want. Then the moaning begins....

Or no one wants to do the job for free - and moans at the fact no one is doing the job.

 

[eldiablo]

Genuine question - what has McGahan been doing for the last few years and has he been moving the needle much in those roles?

I belive he's been Director of Sport at Gregory Terrace for about 5 years or so

 

[PhilClinton]

That's an issue right. People want more support/oversight/governance but the sport isn't (anywhere) producing the revenue to provide these to a standard we want. Then the moaning begins....

I am actually a fan of centralisation in general and I think for the QPR to turn into a legitimate rugby product which could potentially outlast SRP (Super Rugby Pacific), the QRU needs to step in more.

I wouldn't be opposed to a model where all the QPR clubs have a director of rugby who is actually employed by the QRU or at least the role is partially funded by them. Go out and find guys who actually know how to run rugby programs from under 3s up to 1st grade. Or maybe the issue is those guys don't exist now!

My point is more, all the clubs and fans who moan about not having money and wanting to buy players, I think the root cause of the issue is far deeper and if the QRU are going to somehow find the coin for handouts, it should be directed at the organisational level.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I am actually a fan of centralisation in general and I think for the QPR to turn into a legitimate rugby product which could potentially outlast SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) (Super Rugby Pacific), the QRU needs to step in more.

I wouldn't be opposed to a model where all the QPR clubs have a director of rugby who is actually employed by the QRU or at least the role is partially funded by them. Go out and find guys who actually know how to run rugby programs from under 3s up to 1st grade. Or maybe the issue is those guys don't exist now!

My point is more, all the clubs and fans who moan about not having money and wanting to buy players, I think the root cause of the issue is far deeper and if the QRU are going to somehow find the coin for handouts, it should be directed at the organisational level.

Love the idea. Finding them and affording that load could be the issue even thought the goal is to eat the cost now to benefit later.

I think those people do exist and they are in the private school system as the MIC of particular sports and Director of Sport roles. Usually only pretty good salaries with resources a plenty....

 

[PhilClinton]

Love the idea. Finding them and affording that load could be the issue even thought the goal is to eat the cost now to benefit later.

I think those people do exist and they are in the private school system as the MIC of particular sports and Director of Sport roles. Usually only pretty good salaries with resources a plenty....

Yeah, I would love to see Sean Graham come back to GPS in a DOR type role, but I am sure Nudgee have him tied up on some sweet gig for $150k+ and likely some decent bonuses when they win comps. Hard to match that and provide similar funding across all the QPR teams probably.

 

[Bulldog]

The clubs run as seperate legal and financial entities. They haven’t received funding from the ARU/QRU for about 15 years.
Unlike the NRL/AFL the clubs are the ones that have taken responsibility for running the game at the junior level. The Brothers, GPS and Easts are massive junior clubs doing great work in that space. Rugby in Australia is bankrupt only being held up by loans from the IRFB - so don’t think that your club will be getting any sort of leg up financially from the RA/QRU anytime soon. The new rules with club behaviour means that you are probably even more likely to be given a pecuniary penalty by the rugby authorities.

 

[Watchingrugby]

Yeah, I would love to see Sean Graham come back to GPS in a DOR type role, but I am sure Nudgee have him tied up on some sweet gig for $150k+ and likely some decent bonuses when they win comps. Hard to match that and provide similar funding across all the QPR teams probably.

Jeeps need to bring back Steve Meehan - the changes he brought in as D of R for Jeeps where a real asset for the other clubs in the competition!

Yeah, I would love to see Sean Graham come back to GPS in a DOR type role, but I am sure Nudgee have him tied up on some sweet gig for $150k+ and likely some decent bonuses when they win comps. Hard to match that and provide similar funding across all the QPR teams probably.

 

[Howie]

Impact of new tackle laws - keen to hear collective thoughts on if/how it impacted the game and player safety last season.

Personally I thought it was rather inconsistently applied by referees over then course of a full season. Will be interesting to see if clubs adjust during pre-season next year in preparation, or if it is a largely forgotten rule come September 2025.

 

[LevitatingSocks]

Impact of new tackle laws - keen to hear collective thoughts on if/how it impacted the game and player safety last season.

Personally I thought it was rather inconsistently applied by referees over then course of a full season. Will be interesting to see if clubs adjust during pre-season next year in preparation, or if it is a largely forgotten rule come September 2025.

well now we have people yelling "high, sir" every phase in addition to the usual "he has to roll"

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Impact of new tackle laws - keen to hear collective thoughts on if/how it impacted the game and player safety last season.

Personally I thought it was rather inconsistently applied by referees over then course of a full season. Will be interesting to see if clubs adjust during pre-season next year in preparation, or if it is a largely forgotten rule come September 2025.

From my watching it seemed to be dependant on the ref and how onto it they were. I think it will crack down over the next couple as they get use to it as well and new refs who have come through with the rules pop up into more senior games.

End of the day it's coming and needs to be adjusted to. We never go backwards on safety even if we at times think it's a bit far or silly. I can't argue against less direct head contact.

I hope this leads to more traditional technique which had less head clashes which are impossible to avoid with the upright technique of slowing the ball and offload. Who knows maybe the game opens up a bit more with the 9, 10, 15s playing in support off the hip. Bring back running Rugby.

 

[PhilClinton]

Thanks.

Where would Bond and GPS fit into being clubs that either offer dollars (not Rand ) or other benefits such as education or accommodation etc? They too have a share of rep players, facilities and good coaching, especially Bond.

GPS was throwing some cashola around a number of years ago for sure.

I believe a couple of the rep guys like the Faainga'a twins and Radike were getting payments and/or benefits such as a car.

From what I understand the club has been hesitant pay for anyone for a while now though.

 

[Interested Viewer]

From my watching it seemed to be dependant on the ref and how onto it they were. I think it will crack down over the next couple as they get use to it as well and new refs who have come through with the rules pop up into more senior games.

End of the day it's coming and needs to be adjusted to. We never go backwards on safety even if we at times think it's a bit far or silly. I can't argue against less direct head contact.

I hope this leads to more traditional technique which had less head clashes which are impossible to avoid with the upright technique of slowing the ball and offload. Who knows maybe the game opens up a bit more with the 9, 10, 15s playing in support off the hip. Bring back running Rugby.

I thought in general it was well handled.

I felt at times that Refs who were hoping to progress to higher honours were more stringent on it than the more experienced guys. This often led to higher penalty counts and frustration. Perhaps as a result of being more influenced by the film review during the week.

More experienced Refs were looking for ways to keep the game flowing.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

The ones that take the time to read the updates and messaging. Older ones might have more TLDR attitude

 

[PhilClinton]

I am sure there will be a natural evolution of the laws being implemented more seriously across the board over the coming years.

At the moment there is a probably a bit of horses for courses going on i.e. the blokes running around in 5ths may not care about changing and the refs at that level probably don't want to be overly pedantic either.

I still remember playing front row in the lower grades during the back end of my career and sometimes there would be an open discussion between the props and ref if they had to follow the new engagement rules or the 'proper way'.

 

[hdnmstsnr]

Every ex QLD QPR player I've spoken too have said that the money is down in Sydney.

Blokes get paid $500 odd a week for a start down there. Money talks and whether the competition is better or worse it always seems like a step in the right direction on the rugby CV to have a paid gig. I dare say it's the reason the majority of AUS MLR and div2/3 Japan and European players come from the shute shield.

Probably haven't spoken to Rhian Stowers, who was sent to Eastwood under the guise of playing first-grade Shute Shield - and saw almost nil field time at that level the entire season and hated it. Comes back to QPR, bags player of the year and runner-up player of the year in consecutive seasons, and is now being courted offshore

 

[LevitatingSocks]

Probably haven't spoken to Rhian Stowers, who was sent to Eastwood under the guise of playing first-grade Shute Shield - and saw almost nil field time at that level the entire season and hated it. Comes back to QPR, bags player of the year and runner-up player of the year in consecutive seasons, and is now being courted offshore

The pub argument could be made that winning QPR player of the year after never starting in Shute Shield means the QPR is a lower level of quality overall.

Not saying I think that. There are plenty of reasons why players don't kick on in new environments, not all of them within their control.

 

[Cole]

Hearing several (3 or 4 at this stage ) Souths Colts 1 players attending Wests preseason training, with potentially more once U19s is over.