Reds 2015

[redveincheese]

Hunt is pretty much the complete package as a footballer. He adapted really well during his time in France. I don't have any doubt that he'll be a top flight rugby player. Great for the Reds and the Wallabies that he is in the game.

Agree, he is built for Rugby, league or union. He could play any position from 10 to 15 because he is fast, strong and has an abundance of what I could loosely describe as football intelligence.
I know its a big call at this stage of proceedings, but next year the buzz surrounding Hunt will be huge.

 

[Quick Hands]

Agree, he is built for Rugby, league or union. He could play any position from 10 to 15 because he is fast, strong and has an abundance of what I could loosely describe as football intelligence.
I know its a big call at this stage of proceedings, but next year the buzz surrounding Hunt will be huge.

With the Red's roster, I assume he'll start of at 12,13 or 15? I'd love to see how he goes at 13 by the way.

 

[BigSteve]

With the Red's roster, I assume he'll start of at 12,13 or 15? I'd love to see how he goes at 13 by the way.

Would love to see him play a bit of 12, and if he is good enough i think thats his best wallaby position. A combination between Hunt and Kuridrani would be lethal especially with Folau at the back supporting....... threats everywhere

 

[Quick Hands]

Would love to see him play a bit of 12, and if he is good enough i think thats his best wallaby position. A combination between Hunt and Kuridrani would be lethal especially with Folau at the back supporting... threats everywhere

And I hope that JOC (James O'Connor) can replicate what he's been doing in Top 14. He's been a try scoring excitement machine (sans off-field issues - which is good)

 

[TOCC]

Whilst i think Hunt would make a good inside centre, i think JOC (James O'Connor) will be on the wing and K.Hunt will be at fullback. Tapuai or Fainga'a to start at inside centre with Kerevi given the opportunity at outside centre.

 

[Quick Hands]

Has Richard Graham given any indication as to how he's thinking about these guys?

 

[TSR]

Yes. He's nominated JOC (James O'Connor) as a winger and Hunt as a fullback - although I may have read something recently to the effect that Hunt had been training at 12 aswell.

 

[Scoey]

Not that I've heard recently but prior to signing O'Connor he was fairly adamant that he was a winger only.
That being said, he's playing well at 15 for Toulon and given that we are limited in solid fullback options it would make sense to have a match fit fullback play there. I think realistically Hunt will play either 12 or 15 so I guess it will depend if Graham wants to shake things up from last season or keep the faith in the guys who played last season and make the noobs earn their starting spot.

 

[Ruggo]

I would like to see Ant Fainga'a at 12 it just balences the backline out a bit better and takes care of the shape in defence. He has a long combination with Cooper so know issue there. I like Hunt as a FB. He has that hard running, quick change of pace and good positional sense. I would like to see our FB given the brief to just keep in front of our forwards, pretty much like Peter Hynes in 2010. Hunt can inject himself into the attack from FB and I think Cooper will lap it up him doing so.

We have a shit hot backline but just got to balance it out so it can fill all the required functions. I would hate for 2009 where we were electric in attack but leaked like buggery in defense.

 

[reds3]

any news on who is in the reds under 20's squad?

 

[TheBigDog]

How Ant Fainga'a fits into the new look Reds backline will be very interesting. Despite having a plethora of attacking options I don't think a game plan consisting of 'lets just score more points than the opposition' is going to win a S15 title.

The Reds will also need to hold teams out and neither Cooper nor Kerevi are brilliant defensively. For this reason I can see Ant being given a shot at 12 (my personal preference is KHunt but I can see his merits elsewhere) to give some structure to the back line and he also provides a safe, if somewhat one-dimensional attacking option.

 

[Red-L]

I personally think super rugby might be passed Ant Fainga'a... He did not really stand out to me as one of the better centers in the NRC and add his average passing game as well as his extreme lack of pace... its a bit of a worry.

What are peoples thoughts on backups for outside center? Kerevi seems a bit delicate so mite need a reliable back up for him.

 

[USARugger]

You'd think Ant or Tapuai. If Kerevi goes down Reds just need to shift the point of attack back to the 9-10 channel and 15-11/15-14 channel ala Reds 2011.

With Kerevi we can hit anywhere in the back line which is nice to be able to say.

 

[Braveheart81]

Surely CFS is a chance at 13 if Kerevi is injured.

I think he'll start the season on the wing but 13 has always seemed to be the position CFS would ultimately end up.

 

[TheBigDog]

Red-L I think you might be underestimating the value in a player who provides leadership. Ant definitely isn't the fastest or most skillful player but his technique and rugby smarts would be up their with the best in the Reds. I agree, you won't see him break a game open but he can act like the glue in the back line.

 

[TOCC]

A.Fainga'a is widely recognised as a defensive lynchpin of the Reds backline, it's no surprise that the Reds defence was poor during 2014 which coincided with A.Faingaas absence.

Yes his ball distribution and running isn't massively dynamic, but that is mitigated through attacking threats elsewhere in the backline... Strong defence is also an offensive weapon. I'd be happy with either Taps of Fainga'a starting at 12.

 

[something]

What i like is that we have adequate, if not impressive reserve options for every position:

9. Genia & Frisby (looks like Matt Lucas is in the picture too?)
10. Quade, JOC (James O'Connor) & Duncan
11 & 14 - JOC (James O'Connor), CFS, Kurindrani, Turner, JJT
12. Taps, Ant, Kerevi, JOC (James O'Connor), Khunt
13. Kerevi, CFS, Ant
15. Hunt, JOC (James O'Connor), Turner, JJT

I like the idea of Hunt at 15, purely because as an unknown quality, he is the only person who has a ceiling high enough to displace Izzy in the wallabies.

 

[Tangawizi]

Next year's gear is up on the BLK website now to pre-order and there's a short promo clip of the jersey too.

http://www.blksport.com/pro-teams/queensland-reds

 

[TSR]

Ant also reads Cooper very well in attack, often being in the right place to take passes that no one else saw coming.

Each year Ant seems to be the first person omitted from most fans teams, but, for mine we always play better when he is on the field except a couple of games last year when he was underdone due to injury.

 

[Ruggo]

I like the look of Browning but I like the thought of Shatz starting at eight, with Thompson at blindside and Beau/Gill at openside. I say this because we have that big dynamic runner in Thompson that we missed since Samo/Higgers and Shatz through sheer work rate alone balances out the back row and allows Thompson a bit more roaming commission in the loose.

With the attributes of the players on our roster, if we get the fitness levels up, we should be able to bury a lot of sides in the last quarter of the game.