Queensland Reds 2025

[dru]

Nope. The current salary cap is $700k with the max allowed for an individual player being $55k. Though there's a development bonus that allows the clubs to add an additional $250k to that if they meet the criteria which most of not all do.

There are of course things that can be offered external to the cap like housing, travel, car lease etc.

That said he would be a good marquee option for MLR and it would be a good experience for him.

Is that US $700k?

 

[LeCheese]

Buildcorp sticking around for another 2yrs - good to see

Buildcorp strengthens commitment to Reds Academy

Following a hugely successful first three years in partnership, the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) and Buildcorp are pleased to announce a two-year extension.

reds.rugby

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I'd hate to think where Rugby would be without Buildcorp in NSW and QLD.

Womens game in 15s would be even further behind.

Good on them and the Sukkar Family.

 

[Gak]

I see your point and it is valid. I didn't think we needed both Canham and Lukhan, but, given Lukhan has a lot of ties in Queensland and now a young family I can understand his desire to come here.

It's an odd feeling as normally we’re on the otherside of it. I still remember the feeling of losing our then captain Nathan Sharpe to the Force along with a bucket load of talent and then the same thing happened with the Rebels starting up.

What the Reds will need to be careful of is, not losing the next generation of players in the positions we have an abundance of as it'll cause a massive vacuum when these players do move on.

Good comments,
I think the Reds have sat on their hands with the retention and have dropped the ball as I mentioned with Lawson, James and the rumoured Annan departure. In my opinion they are now extremely skinny in the 10 department with two young and small 10’s to call on with no apparent 3rd or 4th option if injury or form warrants replacement.
Jock would be called upon at this stage and then you wouldn’t have Annan as the back up utility like he was at the end of this season. Grealy on the move as well possibly so now fullback is quite thin with also Jordy rumoured to be leaving.
With the salary cap have they been smart where the money has gone for example, two wallaby locks that would command far more exaggerated wages than prior to this season when we have Smith, Uru, Blythe, Etc that are also now all in the Wallaby fold. Will any be happy missing out on selection moving forward and also get itchy feet like our backs move on because of the new signings?
Just my opinion and i would be interested in your thoughts?

 

[Strewthcobber]

Did we ever hear what Liam Wright's decision on his contract was, or is he still deciding?

He may not be left with much of a choice

Top 14 started last week, URC starts next week. Japan isn't until December, but I imagine their rosters and OS players would be pretty much decided by now.

 

[liquor box]

Did we ever hear what Liam Wright's decision on his contract was, or is he still deciding?

He may not be left with much of a choice

Top 14 started last week, URC starts next week. Japan isn't until December, but I imagine their rosters and OS players would be pretty much decided by now.

Maybe he is waiting for a top up?

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/09/10/exclusive-on-day-wright-was-named-wallabies-captain-he-was-snubbed-for-a-top-up-ras-contract-confusion/

On the same day Liam Wright was named Wallabies captain in July, the Queensland Reds stalwart and skipper received a new one-year contract.

However, as The Roar can reveal, one crucial element of the contract was absent: no national top up was included.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Maybe he is waiting for a top up?

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/09/10/exclusive-on-day-wright-was-named-wallabies-captain-he-was-snubbed-for-a-top-up-ras-contract-confusion/

What's he doing if he doesn't get one? Presumably that's the offer. Nothing has changed in the last 10 weeks?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

O'Connor has also been exploring coaching a fair bit recently, MLR is exactly the sort of comp where he could sign on somewhere as a player coach and get his first step into pro coaching. Not sure if that sidesteps the salary cap in some way, but it is at least extra opportunity.

You could be it requires the approval of the league this the owners of the clubs. Has happened previously.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Is that US $700k?

Yes. It's around $1m AUD. With the development bonus which practically every club achieved it's closer to $1.5m AUD just in payments.

 

[TSR]

Good comments,
I think the Reds have sat on their hands with the retention and have dropped the ball as I mentioned with Lawson, James and the rumoured Annan departure. In my opinion they are now extremely skinny in the 10 department with two young and small 10’s to call on with no apparent 3rd or 4th option if injury or form warrants replacement.
Jock would be called upon at this stage and then you wouldn’t have Annan as the back up utility like he was at the end of this season. Grealy on the move as well possibly so now fullback is quite thin with also Jordy rumoured to be leaving.
With the salary cap have they been smart where the money has gone for example, two wallaby locks that would command far more exaggerated wages than prior to this season when we have Smith, Uru, Blythe, Etc that are also now all in the Wallaby fold. Will any be happy missing out on selection moving forward and also get itchy feet like our backs move on because of the new signings?
Just my opinion and i would be interested in your thoughts?

I understand a lot of your concerns - although I won’t try and speak to whether the Reds dropped the ball as such. There are always difficulties in squad management and some of them include that you don’t always know how negotiations will pan out with individual players - especially when the Reds have no control over RA Top Ups. I agree though that l it will be disappointing to lose Grealy & Annan.

But - at the risk of pumping the Reds up as off season champions - I feel like the Reds had a clear opportunity to make a major play for title success next year and they would have been mad if they didn’t take it.

They basically got a free spin at recruiting Salakai-Loto & Canham into a position where we lacked depth and played a player out of position all year. Uru was great - but he isn’t a true lock. Our front row and back rows were already in good shape with quality and depth. Now our locks match. We should be expecting our pack to be up there with the very best.

With regards to the backs - it seems like we were losing Petaia anyway (doesn’t seem related to the Rebels signings in any way) and, if the rumours about Grealy & Creighton are true it sound like he moved on for greater opportunity to be starting players. I feel like this may well have been on the cards anyway.

In any case Daugunu is a test player and playing some of his best footy. And Lynagh should be progressing to a stage where he is expected to start most games, not be carefully managed. Both should be steps up from Grealy & Creighton.

If you look longer term - yes the losses of Annan and Grealy may be impactful but I see a squad where -
- Toomaga-Allen will be gone in 12 months. Du Lutiis hopefully ready to step up but it’s unrealistic to expect him to be at that level in 12 months
- We’ll almost certainly lose one or more of our locks but Smith & Blyth are both at a stage where if they aren’t Wallabies they are potentially looking OS
- If he does re-sign I can’t see us keeping both Wright & Uru beyond next year, and Bryant & Brial will both be at risk too
- Backline probably a bit more settled and a bit more upside with some of the players. Jock maybe the biggest risk of leaving and maybe HMP if he kicks on.

In any case, with titles so hard to win I think sometimes you have to take the opportunity in front of you and if just seems to me the Reds should be chasing 2025 pretty hard.

 

[Ignoto]

In any case, with titles so hard to win I think sometimes you have to take the opportunity in front of you and if just seems to me the Reds should be chasing 2025 pretty hard

Add in the fact that the Broncos have had a shocking year, there's a real possibility to pull back some bandwagoners if the Reds start winning.

 

[Reds Rick]

I understand a lot of your concerns - although I won’t try and speak to whether the Reds dropped the ball as such. There are always difficulties in squad management and some of them include that you don’t always know how negotiations will pan out with individual players - especially when the Reds have no control over RA Top Ups. I agree though that l it will be disappointing to lose Grealy & Annan.

But - at the risk of pumping the Reds up as off season champions - I feel like the Reds had a clear opportunity to make a major play for title success next year and they would have been mad if they didn’t take it.

They basically got a free spin at recruiting Salakai-Loto & Canham into a position where we lacked depth and played a player out of position all year. Uru was great - but he isn’t a true lock. Our front row and back rows were already in good shape with quality and depth. Now our locks match. We should be expecting our pack to be up there with the very best.

With regards to the backs - it seems like we were losing Petaia anyway (doesn’t seem related to the Rebels signings in any way) and, if the rumours about Grealy & Creighton are true it sound like he moved on for greater opportunity to be starting players. I feel like this may well have been on the cards anyway.

In any case Daugunu is a test player and playing some of his best footy. And Lynagh should be progressing to a stage where he is expected to start most games, not be carefully managed. Both should be steps up from Grealy & Creighton.

If you look longer term - yes the losses of Annan and Grealy may be impactful but I see a squad where -
- Toomaga-Allen will be gone in 12 months. Du Lutiis hopefully ready to step up but it’s unrealistic to expect him to be at that level in 12 months
- We’ll almost certainly lose one or more of our locks but Smith & Blyth are both at a stage where if they aren’t Wallabies they are potentially looking OS
- If he does re-sign I can’t see us keeping both Wright & Uru beyond next year, and Bryant & Brial will both be at risk too
- Backline probably a bit more settled and a bit more upside with some of the players. Jock maybe the biggest risk of leaving and maybe HMP if he kicks on.

In any case, with titles so hard to win I think sometimes you have to take the opportunity in front of you and if just seems to me the Reds should be chasing 2025 pretty hard.

Agree with with a lot of this. Also to be fair to the reds it’s being assumed here that with the expected departures the reds squad list will be finalised - there’s probably going to be a few picked up now with some cash being freed up, let’s just see where it stands a bit later in the year.

Worth remembering that roughly this time last year they were signing JTA, Hodgeman, Brial etc so it’s definitely in the signing window still. The rebels situation has changed things a little this year but still have time.

 

[Wilson]

Worth noting the rumour around the knights signing someone from rugby (probably Annan) was that they expected an answer this week. From this point the longer we go without hearing confirmation the less likely it becomes, particularly with O'Connor now confirmed gone.

 

[upthereds#!]

Worth noting the rumour around the knights signing someone from rugby (probably Annan) was that they expected an answer this week. From this point the longer we go without hearing confirmation the less likely it becomes, particularly with O'Connor now confirmed gone.

Well I'm hoping they didn't increase an offer to JOC (James O'Connor) based on the $ agreement reached with Annan, coz losing both along with Creighton, yet reportedly not moving on M.Gordon - it doesn't make sense.

 

[Wilson]

Well I'm hoping they didn't increase an offer to JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) based on the $ agreement reached with Annan, coz losing both along with Creighton, yet reportedly not moving on M.Gordon - it doesn't make sense.

I have seen anything reported one way or the other on Gordon yet, but he seems very much in the frame based on the Wales/Tonga games. Have you heard they're not interested?

 

[Cole]

I have seen anything reported one way or the other on Gordon yet, but he seems very much in the frame based on the Wales/Tonga games. Have you heard they're not interested?

I had heard a couple of months or so ago that they weren't that interested in Gordon, then speaking with a Reds staff member around Grand Final time the word was they'd take him to Japan and make a decision after that. JOC (James O'Connor) news since then may change all that though

 

[Wilson]

I had heard a couple of months or so ago that they weren't that interested in Gordon, then speaking with a Reds staff member around Grand Final time the word was they'd take him to Japan and make a decision after that. JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor) news since then may change all that though

Yeah that timeline definitely fits, while they had O'Connor and Creighton there really wasn't any room for him. Certainly more now, though they probably still want a bit more experience in and around the backs. Doesn't necessarily need to be a 10 though.

 

[Cole]

I think they were preferring to promote from within rather than from outside, with some pretty good talent in the academy, Dre and Frankie will both be top squad for 25 i assume, Will McCullogh (15), Will Nason (10/15) and Xavier Rubens(13,11/14) all quality academy prospects.
They have lost the experience from 10 mainly, with outside backs signings probably covering potential losses. I don't think signing Mason Gordon really changes much for the Reds. While he is closer to starting than the academy boys, he is less experienced than both Lynagh and HMP. I think they would be better served working with academy guys and surely there must be an experienced 25+ year old number 10 in either Hospital Cup or Shute Shield who isn't signed who could provide cover in the meantime without costing much. A bit like what Cormac Daly did this year

 

[Mike Bishop]

I think they were preferring to promote from within rather than from outside, with some pretty good talent in the academy, Dre and Frankie will both be top squad for 25 i assume, Will McCullogh (15), Will Nason (10/15) and Xavier Rubens(13,11/14) all quality academy prospects.
They have lost the experience from 10 mainly, with outside backs signings probably covering potential losses. I don't think signing Mason Gordon really changes much for the Reds. While he is closer to starting than the academy boys, he is less experienced than both Lynagh and HMP. I think they would be better served working with academy guys and surely there must be an experienced 25+ year old number 10 in either Hospital Cup or Shute Shield who isn't signed who could provide cover in the meantime without costing much. A bit like what Cormac Daly did this year

Potentially an Andrew Deegan? Had super rugby experience and played well this year in the Shute shield

 

[Cole]

Potentially an Andrew Deegan? Had super rugby experience and played well this year in the Shute shield

Yep, someone like that. It makes more sense to me anyway