Queensland Reds 2009

[RugbyReg]

Don't worry guys. Player of the Nationals U16 Tournament was QLD 7, Liam Gill. From Gregory Terrace

Has a Reds Academy Scholarship, or whatever, already.

 

[Lee Grant]

naza,

Erasmus wasn't a ball sniffer - more like an all round backrower.

The other two were; but it's not a lot for the time elapsed. They haven't had a regular specialist fetcher since Krige retired.

 

[Lee Grant]

Don't worry guys. Player of the Nationals U16 Tournament was QLD 7, Liam Gill. From Gregory Terrace

Has a Reds Academy Scholarship, or whatever, already.

Have heard about him but have never seen him play, since the U/16s have been up in Qld for the past 2 years.

There should be some good contests in senior rugby in the years ahead between he and Michael Hooper, who was the player of the National U/16 tournament in 2007. I also thought he was the Player of the 2008 Open Schools tournament in Canberra.

Michael is still at school next year; so no doubt he and Liam will clash in the 2009 Open tournament.

Watch this space.

 

[Scarfman]

Krige was more a spitter than a sniffer.

 

[Henners]

I must say I am looking forward to the reds in 2009. I think we should be a suprise, I certainly rate a few of our pickups. I am looking for a top half of the comp finish.

 

[barbarian]

You are certainly due for one...

 

[disco]

Well I said earlier that of we wanted a top half of the table finish then we need Horwill, Barnes, Holmes & MMM to play the full season.

Only about two months on from that post we've lost Horwill & Barnes already probably the best of the bunch. Oh dear.

 

[Lee Grant]

Henners

Belated welcome on board.

We all hope you are right (except when you play the team we follow) but disco is right.

They will have to play above themselves to achieve what you hope for and that will include winning games when they have the lead.

If Mooney can get his players to believe in themselves more, and teach them how to win winnable games, he will do Queensland and Oz rugby a great service.

 

[RugbyReg]

every state side for itself.

A maintenance protecting bump for this.

Ummm......Go Reds!

 

[TOCC]

its being pretty quiet from Ballymore,

The QLD Roar(A-league) are now officially training at Ballymore alongside the Reds, there were dramas for there first training session because there were no soccer nets, there were only rugby posts.

 

[Sully]

its being pretty quiet from Ballymore,

The QLD Roar(A-league) are now officially training at Ballymore alongside the Reds, there were dramas for there first training session because there were no soccer nets, there were only rugby posts.

That explains the trouble they have scoring them.

 

[RugbyReg]

The QR Reds will kick off the 2009 Investec Super 14 season in South Africa before returning to play the first of their six home games on Sunday, March 1.

Phil Mooney?s team will begin the season with away matches against the Bulls and Stormers before returning home to face another South African team, the Cheetahs, in their Sunday afternoon encounter at Suncorp Stadium.

The Reds will host the ACT Brumbies at Suncorp in 2009 and will also be at home to New Zealand?s exciting Hurricanes on May 16 in the last round before the start of the finals series.

The March 1 Sunday afternoon match against the Cheetahs, which kicks off at 4pm, is one of two afternoon games the Reds will play at Suncorp Stadium in 2009, the other at 5:30pm on Saturday April 18 against another South African opponent, the Lions.

The Reds are also at home to New Zealand?s Chiefs in 2009.

Reds? coach Phil Mooney said he was happy to be heading to South Africa first up.

?In the past five years or so we?ve gone to South Africa either mid- or late season, so this will be a bit different for us. But it will be good to make the trip while we?re fresh,? Mooney said.

The team will do more flying than usual next year, with three trips to New Zealand and one to Perth, in addition to heading down to Sydney to play old rivals, the Waratahs.

The QR Reds? 2009 Investec Super 14 draw is:

Saturday 14 Feb v Bulls v Reds (Pretoria)
Friday 20 Feb v Stormers (Cape Town)
Sunday 1 Mar v Cheetahs at Suncorp 4pm
Friday, 6 Mar v Waratahs (Sydney)
Saturday 14 Mar v Sharks at Suncorp 7pm
BYE
Saturday 28 Mar v Chiefs at Suncorp 7pm
Friday 3 Apr v Western Force (Perth)
Saturday 11 Apr v Highlanders (Invercargill)
Saturday 18 Apr v Lions at Suncorp 5:30pm
Saturday 25 Apr v Blues (North Harbour, NZ)
Saturday 2 May v Brumbies at Suncorp 7:30pm
Friday 8 May v Crusaders (Christchurch)
Saturday 16 May v Hurricanes at Suncorp 7:30pm
May 22/23 Semi Finals
May 30 Final

...pencils in "May 30" into schedule...

 

[TOCC]

they have some pretty average home games this year

Cheetas and Lions are usually the two lowest crowds of the year

 

[Lee Grant]

Nod,

Coming to Sydney in May then?

 

[formeropenside]

So...still one spot open on the Reds books, which may (or may not) be a junior poach. Any ideas on what's going on, and when is the deadline for a settled squad, exactly?

I wonder if the loss of Horwill for at least part of 09 has changed the Reds contracting focus at all?

And I am really regretting the departure of Moore given his play on the EOYT.

 

[RugbyReg]

And I am really regretting the departure of Moore given his play on the EOYT.

gees, me too. Its a shame really. He could have ended up skippering the team for the first half of the season. Playing with the most promising stars of Australian Rugby.

Instead he has to move to Canberra and play with underperformers like Hoiles, Chapman, Chisolm, Shepherdson, Henderson, Holmes, Gerrard and Rathbone.

 

[Lee Grant]

Cruel Nod, cruel.

 

[formeropenside]

QR Reds trial games announced

Boost for Downs rugby
Thursday, 27 November 2008

The QR Reds will warm up for the 2009 Investec Super 14 season with trial matches in Toowoomba, Auckland and at Ballymore during January and February.

Their opening trial against a Waratahs XV in Toowoomba on Saturday, January 24, will mark the first time the Reds have played a match of that calibre on the Darling Downs for more than a decade.

They will follow that with a trip to Auckland for a trial against the Blues on Friday, January 30, before a final hit-out at Ballymore against the Western Force on Thursday, February 5 at 7pm.

The opening trial at Gold Park in Toowoomba, kicking off at 7pm, will headline what is shaping up as a gala weekend for Darling Downs rugby, starting with a Vintage Reds dinner on Friday night and continuing on Saturday with curtain raiser games leading into the big match.

The Reds? last game in Toowoomba was a midweek pre-season match against Wellington in February, 1997.

"This will be a great trial for us, as Queensland v NSW is always pretty competitive," said QR Reds coach Phil Mooney.

"Although neither side will have their Wallabies available for this match, this will give their replacements a chance to press their case for squad selection during the season and give the crowd plenty to cheer for. We?d love to see some solid country support behind our boys.?

Support for rugby has traditionally been strong on the Darling Downs, which enjoyed 18 per cent growth in junior ranks in 2008 alone.

The region's junior and senior rugby arms are currently working together to create a unified management system to oversee the growth and development of Darling Downs Rugby and provide players with a continuous pathway from junior to senior rugby.

The Reds trial squad will leave for Auckland on January 28 for a match on January 30, ahead of their final hit-out against the Western Force at Ballymore on Thursday, February 5. The Ballymore match is included in Reds? Platinum, Gold and Silver season membership packages for 2009, which are currently on sale.

The QR Reds open their 2009 Super 14 campaign with a two match tour of South Africa, followed by a March 1 homecoming game against the Cheetahs at Suncorp Stadium.

I'm almost tempted to drive out to Toowoomba for that to see me a bit of old-time rugby - I probably would if it was a day game, but Toowoomba at night is bloody cold, and its no place to stay.

A Reds team sans ex-tourist Wallabies might be (although I imagine everyone left will get a run, and query whether Barnes might get a dispensation to play):

15. McLinden
14. Davies
13. Turinui
12. Anthony Fainga'a
11. Blair Connor
10. Lucas
9. Genia
8. Houston/Luafutu
7. Braid
6. Higginbotham/Luafutu
5. Byrnes
4. Simmons
3. Edwards
2. Hardman
1. Holmes

 

[rugbywhisperer]

QR Reds trial games announced
I'm almost tempted to drive out to Toowoomba for that to see me a bit of old-time rugby - I probably would if it was a day game, but Toowoomba at night is bloody cold, and its no place to stay.

Toowoomba, January 24 - Cold???
And the motels there are great - stay there often, it's a lovely place.

 

[TOCC]

his quite right, it definetly will not be cold around January 24th, it will probably be stinking hot. There are actually quite a lot of hotels around the city as well.

I will probably go to the game, i have a work contract up there around that time so il probably make the effort to see it, i imagine its going to be a pretty big crowd at Clyde Bergohofer Stadium though.