QLD Reds 2010

[Lee Grant]

Dave Dennis?

Good luck to the lad. I don't rate him and in that window in 2008 when he was fit to play in the S14 he was used just once from the bench by Link that I can remember.

He's a good club player where he plays as a short-arsed lock. He has a high work rate and is a good ball runner but I don't know what Deans sees in him to be a Wallaby, though Deano would tend to know more about what makes a good rugby player than I do.


James Sliiper

Well done lad for being voted the best Oz U/20 player. How is he going in senior rugby???

 

[louie]

Deano would tend to know more about what makes a good rugby player than I do.

dunno about that lee

 

[RugbyReg]

Will is on the site now.

100kg, 189cm

Tomiki's there too.

 

[Biffo]

I couldn't find Horwill among the squad on the site:

1. Doesn't the QRU know he is there?
or
2. To where has he gone?

 

[RugbyReg]

go back and look at the very first player profiled. The captain.

 

[Biffo]

go back and look at the very first player profiled. The captain.

I did. Same as previous two tries. Horwill not there.

 

[RugbyReg]

are you looking at the pics? He's on the very first page, next to Daniel Braid and above Will Chambers.

 

[Ash]

The big loss is Barnes, but apart from that the Reds backline has a lot more depth about it. Hopefully Fetoai and Va'aulu will not need to be sighted at all! (Isn't Fetoai injured anyway?) Just thinking back to when Veratau was required...

Morhahan onto a full contract.

Interesting that Tapuai is still in the Academy. 2011 he will likely be on a rookie contract?

Backline of:
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Chambers/Ioane
12. Turinuri
13. Ioane/Chambers
14. Hynes
15. Mclinden

20. Kingi/Lucas
21. Lucas/Fainga'a
22. Morahan
??

 

[RugbyReg]

Charlie has retired. Broken neck.

I am somewhat hopeful that Fainga'a (Anthony) stands up this year, as I think he has a lot of potential. A young, but steadying influence. But I think that backline looks about right.

The pack?

8 Taylor/Houston
7 Braid/Tomeki
6 Higginbottham/Taylor/Quirk
5 Horwill
4 Byrnes/Humphreys
3 Weekes
2 Hardman
1 Daley/Holmes

16 Hanson/Fainga'a
17 Holmes/Daley
18 Simmons/Taylor
19 Tomeki/Quirk

 

[chief]

Why do they all have interests in real estate?

 

[Biffo]

are you looking at the pics? He's on the very first page, next to Daniel Braid and above Will Chambers.

absolutely looking at the pics. i have just tried two other computers with ISPs different to mine to check if my mine is OK. the spot you mention is blank on all three.

 

[tranquility]

James Charalambous currently in the reds academy is a bloke that needs to get signed ASAP. unfortunately the poor bugger keeps getting injured, but he absolutely dominates at clubland from all the games I have seen of him.

 

[RugbyReg]

Why do they all have interests in real estate?

they don't. They have to 'learn or earn' and I guess is it an easy course? And their mates are doing it too. What a shitty way to make decisions. What they need is some Life Coaching!

 

[tranquility]

also has anyone seen much of this ed quirk bloke running around? he won the golden boot a couple of years back - which pocock also won. he would have to at least be close to playing super rugby

and is aiden toua back running? big wraps from all corners on him..

 

[TOCC]

Aidan Toua is still playing, he is coming back from injury, Ed Quirk is a quality young player and he has played for Easts premier grade all year, he is probably another 12months off been a super14 player though.

 

[Jets]

Ed Quirk is a quality player for his age. Hopefully he can continue to develop and will push for the 6 or 8 spots in years to come.

I am hopefully that Rob Simmons steps up this year. He seems to have plateaued out in his development. Would be nice for Qld to have another young 2m tall lock in the starting team. Link might get the best out of him.

While Kingi has been picked for the EOYT I can't see him getting ahead of Lucas. Could be on the bench if they play Lucas at 10 and Cooper at 12.

 

[Ash]

It's the forwards for the Reds that I am worried about - they have a decent S14 backline. And some depth in it, too. But that forward pack is surely one of the weakest in the S14. :shaking

32 players are on the Reds page for 2010, including the unfortunate Fetoai. So I guess that leaves them at 31. Probably where they will stay.

So out of the noticeable players in the Academy (for me) Slipper, Schatz, Shaw, Lance and Tapuai all stay in the Academy, Morahan got promoted, McKibbin goes to the Tahs.

James Hanson has looked bigger than 99kgs at North Harbour this season.

 

[Geronimo]

Ed Quirk is a quality player for his age. Hopefully he can continue to develop and will push for the 6 or 8 spots in years to come.

I am hopefully that Rob Simmons steps up this year. He seems to have plateaued out in his development. Would be nice for Qld to have another young 2m tall lock in the starting team. Link might get the best out of him.

While Kingi has been picked for the EOYT I can't see him getting ahead of Lucas. Could be on the bench if they play Lucas at 10 and Cooper at 12.

Agree Jets, Simmons is originally from school here on the Coast and it is time he becomes accountable. He has played Prems for Sunnybank and I don't think he has totally nailed a spot. Quirk and a couple of the younger guys will need to grow up quickly because the basis of the pack is the same that got whupped last season and I think that the Reds have as good a backline as any (McLinden???) so if they can gain parity up front we could have a show

 

[Lee Grant]

Rob Simmons is one of the Oz Schools 2nd rowers I got excited about and made my usual spiel of: if this bloke can take his physical dimensions and lineout skills to the senior level and play with a bit of grunt he's going to be a sure S14 player.

But 3 years later I haven't seen much physicality from him, though I haven't seen a lot of his play. Is he showing any grunt in club rugby up there??


Quirk. Going by his schools performances I saw, you don't have to worry too much about grunt from Quirk. Reminds me a bit of Beau Robinson in his school days.

Also, I hope that Liam Gill can bulk up. The Reds are going to have a fine fetcher/linker in a few years time if he can.

It's the forwards for the Reds that I am worried about - they have a decent S14 backline. And some depth in it, too. But that forward pack is surely one of the weakest in the S14.

James Hanson has looked bigger than 99kgs at North Harbour this season.

You hit the nail on the head again Ash. The backs are good enough though they were a bit disorganised last year both with and without the ball. Also running to the touchline, instead of the opponents goal line, was a bad habit. 12 is going to be problematic if somebody doesn't put their hand up early in the season, but basically, the inherent quality of the backs is fine.

There was a priest at Blackrock College in Dublin who was also a rugby coach. He said something like: "The most important thing in life, except for the the Grace of God, is quick ball from the ruck."

Nothing has changed much since he said that, though set piece should have got a mention also. It doesn't matter who the players wearing jerseys numbered 9 and above are if 1 to 8 do not exhibit physicality, bottle, work rate and technical ability, for most of the game.



Hanson - I admired his play as a schoolboy and in the ARC, but hadn't seen a lot of him recently until I saw him in the ANZC. Looks the part doesn't he?

Some of those guys repeating in the Academy in 2010 will be looking south for 2011. If the Reds want to keep any of them they will have to nail them down with a rookie contract for 2011 and maybe even a full contract chaser.

They will have to do this very early.

 

[spectator]

After the latest test performances, all of a sudden the reds options in the backs for 2010 look infinitely brighter. A number of backline combinations could be used.

9. Genia 10. Lucas 11. Morahan 12. Cooper 13. Ioane 14. Hynes 15. McLinden

or

9. Genia 10. Cooper 11. Morahan 12. Turinui 13. Ioane 14. Hynes 15. McLinden

don't look too bad for starters, and if Chambers makes the transition early, he is the ideal cover for the outside backs.

Berrick who?