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Reds 2011

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Sully

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
Ever notice that people didn't care about spelling so much when the rugby season was on?
 
R

Redsfan

Guest
Interesting...

Will Genia sets a collision course with teammate James Horwill by stating his intention to retain the Queensland Reds captaincy when he returns to Ballymore tomorrow.

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The Wallabies halfback was expected to be a stand-in last year when he took over leadership of the then-battling Super rugby outfit from Horwill following the big lock's season-ending knee injury.

Then a funny thing happened.

Genia inspired his teammates on a run that finished just a breath away from what would have been a shock finals appearance.

Horwill, a tower of strength during darker days at the Reds, was expected to reclaim the job in this year's Super 15.

But the decision facing coach Ewen McKenzie has been complicated by Genia's success and his willingness to hang on to the role.



"I was proud to captain Queensland last year and if I'm not captain I'll be a bit disappointed," Genia said.

"The big thing is, though, everyone has to lead in their own way. We all have to put our hands up."

McKenzie said he planned to make the call "sooner rather than later", adding that prop Ben Daley, who tasted the Reds captaincy during last year's trials, would also come into the equation.

"We've got more (options) this year than we did last year," he said.

"You want to identify leaders by name but you also hope there will be a bunch of players who lead by example, by enthusiasm and by experience.

"It was tragic what happened to James last year but it gave Will an opportunity and he stepped up. That's how it works."

Genia will be reunited with teammates tomorrow after spending his Christmas break with family in Papua New Guinea. The Reds play only two trials, set in the tropics against the Crusaders in Cairns and the Brumbies in Darwin, before their campaign starts against the Western Force.

Genia hopes to play a significant role in at least one of the trials, with understudy Ben Lucas also likely to be given plenty of time.

One of the other selection issues is at openside flanker, where the departure of All Black Daniel Braid has raised some questions.

Ed Quirk has been waiting in the wings behind Braid since he was an Australian Schoolboys star in 2008 but a knee injury has hampered his pre-season.

That leaves Lei Tomiki as a frontrunner, although Sunnybank's Australian sevens representative Liam Gill will have a chance to impress in the practice games.
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Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Uh oh... looks like leadership clashes are going to spoil the Reds 2011 season...

Let's just sit back and watch them implode...
 
T

Thomas

Guest
Slim 293 said:
Uh oh... looks like leadership clashes are going to spoil the Reds 2011 season...

Let's just sit back and watch them implode...
Click to expand...

It's good, healthy competition and I'm sure there nice enough blokes who get along together well.
 
Reddy!

Reddy!

Bob Davidson (42)
Give it to Horwill, he has been around longer and has captained longer. He deserves his role back.
 
Jets

Jets

Paul McLean (56)
Staff member
McKenzie was quoted in Inside Rugby saying "Will did an outstanding job in James' absence, but James was captain before he was injured, so in my mind, it stands to reason he should be captain when he returns."
 
C

chief

Guest
A better captain I think is Genia. Genia has success behind him, Horwill, well doesn't.

Horwill never really came to the job with huge respect. He came as a replacement for Roe, which as I remember not many people were expecting. Did he deserve it? Who knows?

Genia this year, came to the job with backing. Backing a 22 year old in his first year as a safe starter was a huge decision. Genia deserved it. His leadership in the Stormers and Bulls games this year was instrumental to their success. I'm not sure we would have seen such leadership by Horwill.
 
C

chief

Guest
RugbyReg said:
Genia came to the job as a replacement for Horwill though?
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Yes but what I'm saying is that from my point of view it seemed as if Horwill never really proved himself, it seemed as if that he was there because there was no one else. My view is that if there is a better captain out there, over the current captain, then the better captain should get the gig.

Don't get me wrong Horwill is a good player, but he doesn't and hasn't ever lead from the front. Like Genia has.
 
T

TOCC

Guest
chief said:
Yes but what I'm saying is that from my point of view it seemed as if Horwill never really proved himself, it seemed as if that he was there because there was no one else. My view is that if there is a better captain out there, over the current captain, then the better captain should get the gig.

Don't get me wrong Horwill is a good player, but he doesn't and hasn't ever lead from the front. Like Genia has.
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Your judging Horwill by the Reds win/loss ration which isnt a fair representation of a captains influence, Genia is a halfback so he will naturally be heavily involved, but he still has some decision making areas of his game which he needs to iron out, as such i believe Horwill is the better Captain.
 
Tiger

Tiger

Alfred Walker (16)
Isn't this all a bit of a beat up? Genus just said he'd be disappointed if he wasn't captain again. That's a pretty normal response from a person who takes pride in the position. He's not saying he's contesting the position. The headline greatly exaggerates the quote.
 
T

TOCC

Guest
exactly, what is the alternative for him to say..."no i dont want captaincy, i didnt enjoy it"
 
observer

observer

Tom Lawton (22)
http://aru.rugby.com.au/news/aap/s-727712_reds_wipe_the_slate_clean,144249.html/section/21893

Reds wipe the slate clean
January 10, 2011 - 4:07am
Story by: AAP

Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie has drawn a line through the heart-warming success of 2010 and demanded his resurgent Reds reinvent themselves in the expanded Super 15.

McKenzie produced one of the best coaching performances in the 15 years of Super Rugby by taking the perennial battlers from second last to fifth in 2010.

With a squad which boasted just one Wallaby forward, lock James Horwill who suffered a season-ending knee injury in round two, the former Waratahs coach and 51-Test prop introduced an expansive attacking game which shocked rivals and earned rave reviews.

The Reds ultimately fell three points short of a first finals finish in nine years but their attractive style, spearheaded by halves Will Genia and Quade Cooper, drew 30,000-strong crowds to Suncorp Stadium for their last three home games.

But McKenzie knows rivals will be more alert to Queensland's dangers in the extended competition, where they will no longer fly under the radar.

"It's a new year and we can't rely on last year," he said.

"The good history won't count for much and we need to reinvent ourselves and make sure we are ultra-competitive from day one."

The extra experience of his young forwards, plus the addition of seasoned former Brumbies recruits Guy Shepherdson and Adam Wallace-Harrison, has given the Reds more flexibility with their game plans.

McKenzie said Shepherdson and fellow 2007 World Cup prop Greg Holmes, competing for starting spots behind young Qantas Wallabies James Slipper and Ben Daley, have epitomised an impressive pre-season attitude at Ballymore.

"There is a really strong vibe (from the squad) and I've been impressed with their energy levels and their effort," he said.

"However we understand there is a lot we need to get right before the season starts."

The Reds play two trials, against the Crusaders in Cairns on January 29 and the Brumbies in Darwin on February 5, before their campaign kicks off on February 20 against the Western Force.

McKenzie is yet to announce his skipper but Horwill is expected to retain the captaincy despite the impressive 2010 efforts of stand-in Genia.

The departure of All Black Daniel Braid and off-season surgery to young back-rowers Jake Schatz (foot) and Ed Quirk (knee) has seen McKenzie call former Waratahs flankers Beau Robinson and Ben Coridas into his training squad to compete for the No.7 jersey with Lei Tomiki and 2010 Australian Sevens and Under 20s star Liam Gill.
 
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