Reds 2011

[Lion]

Gaven Warren - is he the kid that EJ (Eddie Jones) threw into S14 prematurely at 19yrs old? Is he still in the Academy or has he been dropped?

Eddie popped him in. The next year he was playing thirds at GPS working his way back.

Super 14 to thirds... wow....
this is testimony to how the super 14 academys think simply going from school to training with them fulltime for an off season is magically going to ready them for the toughness of super 14 football

I am not a Gavin Warren fan. Nice Kid has worked hard but he is not in the same class as Slipper, Annae etc. I do feel for him as he was pushed into S14 to early. He almost broke his neck as a result of a certain Reds Manager trying to push GPS old boys players into the Reds well before they were ready or if they were capable.

 

[Jets]

third hooker would be Albert Anae I reckon?

third scrummie Matt Lucas?

I don't think the young Lucas is ready to be in a Super squad just yet. Maybe in a couple of years time. I've seen him play 1 colts game this year and while he was good he wasn't at the level that I would feel comfortable with putting him on the field against some real men in Super rugby.

I reckon people should be looking at the young scrummie from Uni, Prior is his name I think. Looks very handy to me.

Very true spectator. He is playing very well at the moment and have developed rapidly since joining the students. Still only 20 so lots of years ahead of him.

 

[TOCC]

Radiki has been signed on a 1 year deal and the article also indicated that Shatz has been signed for 2011 as well, Luafutu wont be offered a contract for 2011

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...-back-on-the-map/story-e6frepm6-1225867931061

 

[RugbyReg]

and Hynes likely to stay!!!!!

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...-queensland-reds/story-e6frg7mf-1225867945356

 

[scrubber]

Gaven Warren - is he the kid that EJ (Eddie Jones) threw into S14 prematurely at 19yrs old? Is he still in the Academy or has he been dropped?

Eddie popped him in. The next year he was playing thirds at GPS working his way back.

Super 14 to thirds... wow....
this is testimony to how the super 14 academys think simply going from school to training with them fulltime for an off season is magically going to ready them for the toughness of super 14 football

I am not a Gavin Warren fan. Nice Kid has worked hard but he is not in the same class as Slipper, Annae etc. I do feel for him as he was pushed into S14 to early. He almost broke his neck as a result of a certain Reds Manager trying to push GPS old boys players into the Reds well before they were ready or if they were capable.

These young blokes need to be brought on gently - whilst they are talented footy players at schools level they need to mature both physically and mentally before they are put up against some of the biggest toughest players in the world - might be okay for a James O'Connor sitting out in the outside backs but in the engine room careers can be broken in a heartbeat by a young talented bloke getting belted in his first appearance (if too early) and then losing confidence. Reckon it would take a long time to regain that confidence.

Probably OK to get a taste and that's why it is a shame that another level of rep footy below Super 14 is not available for these up and comers. Reckon it would be fantastic for each Super 14 team to have a Seconds that play each other as a curtain raiser before the Super 14 clash. No doubt $$$$$$$ are the problem. These young blokes seem to train hard for many months, get a game or two in Qld A and then go back to club

 

[Tiger]

Radiki has been signed on a 1 year deal and the article also indicated that Shatz has been signed for 2011 as well, Luafutu wont be offered a contract for 2011

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...-back-on-the-map/story-e6frepm6-1225867931061

My God Jim Tucker writes terribly.

He says:

"The first dollars of the new one-year deal that is to keep wild-haired Fijian lock Radike Samo at the Reds in 2011 should be spent on a street directory"; and

"He is 33 yet has impressed enough in two games, as an emergency signing to cover injuries, to earn a full-time contract for next year"

yet nowhere does he actually say whether Samo has been offered a contract or whether he will be. That article could either mean "according to my sources Samo is going to be offered a deal" or it could mean "I, Jim Tucker, assistant selector, think Samo should be offered a deal".

Samo getting lost is a nice anecdote, but how about some actual facts relevant to the story?

 

[Ash]

The Reds have Horwill, Humphries, Simmons and Taylor to cover lock next year, assuming Taylor has a contract for next year that is. If Taylor does (have a Reds contract in 2011), then I'd be a little surprised if Samo is offered a 1 year deal. Surely you don't need 5 locks (2 of them on the wrong side of 33!) in a 30 man squad, especially if Higgenbatty or a young Academy player can cover lock at a pinch.

 

[Lachlan]

Taylor 'covers lock at a pinch', so 4 genuine locks including Samo seems reasonable to me.

 

[Jets]

And I don't think there is any height in the Reds Academy. Samo would be good to have around.

 

[tranquility]

Samo's signature would be a great addition.

Ezra Taylor does not cover any position at a pinch, let alone lock.

Rob Simmons is a good prospect but is so young, we can not expect too much from the bloke.

and as for the academy, it is bare. tall players in Australian rugby are fair rarer than hens teeth.

 

[RugbyReg]

and Taylor is not contracted, as far as I know, at this stage.

 

[tranquility]

I think the only thing that Ezra has proved this year, is that he is not up to this standard.

 

[Lee Grant]

Samo's signature would be a great addition.
Rob Simmons is a good prospect but is so young, we can not expect too much from the bloke.
and as for the academy, it is bare. tall players in Australian rugby are fair rarer than hens teeth.

Samo - he is only a stop gap for 1 year and better as an impact player; 40 minutes is about his ration.

Horwill and Simmons will be the mainstays in the 2nd row but the Reds need two more - 1 for the main squad and 1 for the pro academy. Trouble is as I have said before: Queensland hasn't had a decent schools lock since Simmons himself - except Buchanan who decided to play cricket.

The two best schools locks of 2009 were the best for a while and one, Luke Jones, is going to the Rebels and the other, Greg Peterson, is already in the NSW Academy and won't be allowed out of Sydney. I'm organising the road blocks.

 

[tranquility]

Lee can you tell me the situation with the Phoenix bloke who is on the books for the Brumbies?

Why has there not been more talk about him?

He is obviously raw, but hell the man has been built with gods hands to play second row.

 

[AussieDominance]

You only get 203 cm/204 cm second rowers every few years make the most of them I say Australian Rugby.

Thomson(Not good enough), Vickerman, Peterson, Battye etc

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Lee can you tell me the situation with the Phoenix bloke who is on the books for the Brumbies?

Why has there not been more talk about him?

He is obviously raw, but hell the man has been built with gods hands to play second row.

Having seen him play a fair bit down when in Canberra, I think I'm safe saying he won't play much (if at all) Super rugby. Purely presisted to develop onto his frame but just doesn't have the skillset or ticker to match it with a lot of grade locks.

Happy to be proven wrong though

 

[tranquility]

Locks are very hard to gage at that age though, given time in a professional environment I would be very disappointed if no-one could get the best out of him. We do not produce enough genuine locks to be throwing the ones we do have coming through in the trash.

 

[Lee Grant]

Lee can you tell me the situation with the Phoenix bloke who is on the books for the Brumbies? Why has there not been more talk about him? He is obviously raw, but hell the man has been built with gods hands to play second row.

Having seen him play a fair bit down when in Canberra, I think I'm safe saying he won't play much (if at all) Super rugby. Purely presisted to develop onto his frame but just doesn't have the skillset or ticker to match it with a lot of grade locks.

You've seen more of him that I have Brumbies Guy - but that has been my impression of him from the little I have seen. However I would have said the same about Kane Douglas 15 months ago. Let's see how he goes in the U/20 tournament though he will struggle to get a start in the important games ahead of the younger players, Peterson and Jones. They have a big future.

 

[Reddy!]

On the topic of locks, didn't the Reds sign Timani from the Brumbies? He can cover lock surely.

 

[RugbyReg]

not signed. It was rumoured however.