Reds 2020

[Finsbury Girl]

One wonders how blokes like Tim Horan, Ben Tune or Jason Little ever got selected. EG Tuney, Take a kid with 1 year of colts and give him a QLD cap? Geez that was a bad call wasn't it.

Stewart played against the best of the SH, seasoned ABs & bokke in the Soup and was certainly one of the better performers this year. He is currently playing against the best in Australia NOT playing in the RWC, looks another level to most of them.

JOC (James O'Connor) has at best been OK thus far. He most certainly hasn't set the world on fire and for me is not a lay down misere for a starting spot in any way shape or form.

 

[dru]

you know that's where he played at school right? At least before his final years.

I had heard but wasn't certain. Do you know why he changed to the backs?

One wonders how blokes like Tim Horan, Ben Tune or Jason Little ever got selected. EG Tuney, Take a kid with 1 year of colts and give him a QLD cap? Geez that was a bad call wasn't it.

Great calls but might not happen that way in 2020. Though if they have the size to back up being good enough, check out how Petaia is going.

If Stewart isn't large enough for 7 in the modern professional game what does it say for 12? Definitely against the trend anyway. This said if Thorn is looking for a "second fly" 12 Stewart could do well. This would be better outside of a natural and creative 10 which is where I see our crunch point. It is heartening to hear everyone's thoughts on Hegarty and Lucas are traveling.

Let's see how it goes.

 

[molman]

Tate
Hegarty
Speight
JOC (James O'Connor)
Jordan
Daugunu
Lucas

Stewart
Sautia

That's a lineup with some real attacking threat. Who are you developing into your primary goal kicker? Hegarty wasn't too bad last season but you have a few boys who can kick a ball out there.

 

[Adam84]

Lucas is a decent kicker, and Daugunu can kick but isn’t great.

 

[Bobby Sands]

That's a lineup with some real attacking threat. Who are you developing into your primary goal kicker? Hegarty wasn't too bad last season but you have a few boys who can kick a ball out there.

JOC (James O'Connor)?

I assume Jordy is a 90% goal kicker, may as well give it to him.

 

[Bobby Sands]

I had heard but wasn't certain. Do you know why he changed to the backs?

I don't know the exact reason, other than he was pretty skilful? But he immediately played for QLD in his first year at 10, and then took Toowoomba Grammar School incredibly close to a GPS premiership with Harry Hoopert. I can't tell you how improbable that is. They even beat that "unbeatable" Churchie side that had Ponga, Sua, Croft, Mason, Hockings, ASY (Angus Scott-Young), Liam Wright etc etc.

 

[Adam84]

I don't know the exact reason, other than he was pretty skilful? But he immediately played for QLD in his first year at 10, and then took Toowoomba Grammar School incredibly close to a GPS premiership with Harry Hoopert. I can't tell you how improbable that is. They even beat that "unbeatable" Churchie side that had Ponga, Sua, Croft, Mason, Hockings, ASY (Angus Scott-Young), Liam Wright etc etc.

The unbeatable Churchie side was 2014, where they were indeed unbeatable.

 

[Bobby Sands]

The unbeatable Churchie side was 2014, where they were indeed unbeatable.

Back to back flags.

 

[Adam84]

Back to back flags.

Sure they went back to back, but it was the 2014 side who went through undefeated and still gets spoken of today.

Players like Ponga, Mason, Su’A, Perese, ASY (Angus Scott-Young) all finished up in 2014. Although, ockings was still around in 2015, and maybe Brodie Croft as well.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Sure they went back to back, but it was the 2014 side who went through undefeated and still gets spoken of today.

Players like Ponga, Mason, Su’A, Perese, ASY (Angus Scott-Young) all finished up in 2014. Although, ockings was still around in 2015, and maybe Brodie Croft as well.

Fair enough!

Su'a was still there, Hockings, Croft, Sam Wallis (current Brisbane NRC), Kuchel (Oz schools) Wagner (Western Force) and they still won the comp - so they went ok.

To get back to the initial point, about TGS and Hamish in 2015, Churchie lost one game in two years I believe and it was against Toowoomba.

 

[Adam84]

I thought Sua was playing for the Broncos U20s in 2015.. they were all extremely talented players, Ponga especially but i remember thinking Sua would have been a good rugby union centre.

Its incredible out of all those quality backs, the only ones rugby union managed to hold onto was Mack Mason, and that was after he first signed with the Melbourne Storm.

 

[RugbyReg]

If you recall, he and JP were suspended back in 2018 by Thorn for missing a session as instead they were out 'socializing'. Not sure if JP has been given the same directive as Ruan, although he's had two surgeries this offseason so the market probably isn't as strong for him.

No need for rumours mongering.

I think this is an outside of rugby decision and QRU, I believe, should be commended for releasing him.

I won’t say more on it but there’s enough information out there to build an understanding of this decision.

 

[PhilClinton]

No need for rumours mongering.

I think this is an outside of rugby decision and QRU, I believe, should be commended for releasing him.

I won’t say more on it but there’s enough information out there to build an understanding of this decision.

Who's rumour mongering?

I made reference to this happening weeks before it was announced, do you think I started that rumour and got lucky? Maybe in a crazy turn of event some people on this forum actually are friends with and speak to real life rugby players??

Regarding the details around his departure, maybe what you've heard differs from myself, there always seems to be multiple versions of a story in these sporting circles, with the truth sitting somewhere in the middle and I'm confident I understand a few of the reasons why this move happened. I've always been straight up with my posts on these forums, not sure why I would want to start rumours now about a bloke (2 blokes) who i've been mates with well before they ever played professional rugby.

As you say, enough said, but next time try not to be a white knight here and call someone out just because you think they got it wrong.

 

[Braveheart81]

I won’t say more on it but there’s enough information out there to build an understanding of this decision.

The Boerewors business needed a Melbourne presence?

 

[HJ Nelson]

you know that's where he played at school right? At least before his final years.

In 2013 he was playing flanker in U15s, the following year he was Inside Centre in the 1st XV (at least for the games I saw)

 

[Finsbury Girl]

Forward or back he looks a natural football player & I am excited to see how far he can go next year.

 

[Adam84]

Perhaps he can revolutionise the issue of the 6:2, 5:3 split of forwards and backs on the bench.

 

[Ignoto]

In 2013 he was playing flanker in U15s, the following year he was Inside Centre in the 1st XV (at least for the games I saw)

Ahhh I see, following the Pocock pathway!

 

[upthereds#!]

Ahhh I see, following the Pocock pathway!

Sort of - Pocock didn't play 7 really until he was in Rep teams.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Sort of - Pocock didn't play 7 really until he was in Rep teams.

He only played 12 because there was a bloke called Jason Hardie from Dirranbandi who went ok at 7 (Qld schools) and the team didn’t have a 12. There was a really good article about it in The Australian recently.

Churchie had both QLD teams starting 7 that year.