Reds 2013

[Hawko]

Writing any team off after the first game is just crazy. To give a Tah illustration: the year that Link got ditched (around the fifth round I think) they then went on to lose the final to the Crusaders on the back of Kurtley's injury, when he was absolutely carving it up. They played great rugby by the end of the season. But some of the rugby played in the first few rounds was absolutely dire and had the blazer brigade on the warpath and not renewing his contract.

So, if the Reds are one win from five and playing like sh*t all is still not lost. Remember that the Tahs slaughtered the Reds in the round two clash in 2011; the Reds still won the chocolates that year.

 

[en_force_er]

So, if the Reds are one win from five and playing like sh*t all is still not lost. Remember that the Tahs slaughtered the Reds in the round two clash in 2011; they still won the chocolates that year.

I don't think that's what happened, didn't the Tahs score two quick tries to win? One of which was controversial for some reason?

I could be remembering it wrong.

 

[Braveheart81]

I don't think that's what happened, didn't the Tahs score two quick tries to win? One of which was controversial for some reason?

I could be remembering it wrong.

The Tahs won 30-6. It was 16-6 at half time.

 

[en_force_er]

The Tahs won 30-6. It was 16-6 at half time.

In 2011? I must definitely be wrong then.

 

[Scoey]

I think you're thinking of the opening game in 2010 en_force_er from memory. That was the one where Cliffy sealed it with a try at the death. Not sure about the controversy part but.

In 2011 we got smashed down in Sydney - completely outplayed and out enthused. I still remember the howls of derision from my NSW mates. Ugh. Then I went to the return game at Suncorp with them and loved every minute of it.

 

[gel]

Writing any team off after the first game is just crazy..

I wasn't writing them off, as such. Just making an observation that there has been a fairly obvious (to me) shift in the manner in which they are playing.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

The reds are notoriously slow starters....look at how bad they started 2011, the games against the force and warratahs were horrendous and close to the worst i have seen them play but then they pulle dit together and one the championship.
Even last year after their horror start they still managed to pull it together to play well. They are missing two of the most influential players in Australia let alone QLD, so its ludicrous to even suggest that they are a shadow of their former self.

 

[Scoey]

Not putting the two franchises in the same league but the Saders are also notorious slow starters yet always seem to make it at the business end. The important thing in this comp is winning your games against teams outside your conference. The Kiwis often go one win/one loss against the other Kiwi teams but do well against other conferences and as a result they end up with a lot of teams in and around that top 6.

 

[gel]

The reds are notoriously slow starters..look at how bad they started 2011, the games against the force and warratahs were horrendous and close to the worst i have seen them play but then they pulle dit together and one the championship.
Even last year after their horror start they still managed to pull it together to play well. They are missing two of the most influential players in Australia let alone QLD, so its ludicrous to even suggest that they are a shadow of their former self.

Who the fuck said that???? Are you guys reading this in articles somewhere?

 

[thierry dusautoir]

Who the fuck said that???? Are you guys reading this in articles somewhere?

Well the reds were the best attacking team in the comp and now people are saying that they have lost that edge and are just going to rely on the 'character' of their players to make it.........its pretty much feels like the same thing

 

[Braveheart81]

Well the reds were the best attacking team in the comp and now people are saying that they have lost that edge and are just going to rely on the 'character' of their players to make it...its pretty much feels like the same thing

When?

Even in 2011 they were only the third highest points scorers and three teams had more 4 try bonus points than they did.

In 2012 there were only four teams that scored less points than the Reds in the regular season.

 

[gel]

Well the reds were the best attacking team in the comp and now people are saying that they have lost that edge and are just going to rely on the 'character' of their players to make it...its pretty much feels like the same thing

I don't think they are the same thing.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

EDIT: lets just agree to disagree

 

[gel]

http://www.espnscrum.com/super-rugby-2013/rugby/match/170145.html

The stats (apart from those relating to scoring) don't actually look that bad... So something must have been working ok. Maybe it was just the Brumbies night and they wanted it more.

Edit - Quirk played pretty solidly up in sunshine cost and on the weekend. I think he may well be a very solid replacement for higgers.

 

[Sully]

Shatz has copped a lot of flack but looking at the stats he out worked the other backrowers easily.

 

[tranquility]

Shatz has copped a lot of flack but looking at the stats he out worked the other backrowers easily.

They are an amazing trio of footballers. Namely because they are all around the same age, but more so because they complement each other perfectly. I made the comment when they were all about 18, that one day they would make up one of the very finest backrows that QLD has ever seen. However their is now way I thought it would be this soon.

Quirk is the most explosive. Big hitter, strong carrier, rangy and loves contact.
Shatz just never leaves the coal face. He is not as athletically gifted as the other two - but he just works all day and is very accurate defensively. The thing that is holding him back at the senior level is his ball carry. Although at the U20s he was inspirational as skipper and was a very domiant carry - so lets hope it develops.
Gill is the natural footy player. His PnG is first rate, he sniffs out plenty of tries and just generally knows where to be. Such a good player to watch.

I have digressed a bit here, but my point is that Shatz can 'look' quiet to us punters due to staying so close to the contest all night. But I would say he is the type of players that the coaches would dream up at night.

 

[tranquility]

However, having looked at those stats - Quirk made more tackles and Gill made more meters so I'm not sure what your looking at?

 

[Sully]

These ones.

 

[emuarse]

James Hanson's stats are the ones that surprise me as the replacement hooker.
He was on for 34 minutes, did only one tackle in that time, but ran with the ball 6 times for a total of 22 metres.
That suggests to me he was doing what a good hooker should do (putting aside the other type you see in the Valley), which was getting involved in the rucks & mauls and not gulling around the back line,

 

[Braveheart81]

When Ed Quirk was told he would be replacing Scott Higginbotham as the Reds 6, did he assume that meant he had to get the same haircut as well?