Reds 2023

[Qldtragic]

Reds have out paced the Broncos on attendance on occasion, but no it's not a trend. I wouldn't describe the Brisbane rugby scene as anything like the Sydney scene, SRU and Shute Shield are a definite one-off.

In NRL Sydney has a stack of teams, Brisbane has the Broncos so if you are into League you are into the Broncos. And that support is everywhere. Now we have the Dolphins. Are there any rugby schools in Moreton? Not sure, can't think of any. Any Premier grade clubs? No. But they'd go to Norths or GPS I guess.

St Pat's is out on the peninsula isnt it?

 

[Qldtragic]

Unfortunately big Feoa Fotuaika looks to have put back on most the Reds got off him.

Looks like he found a great French Patiserre

 

[liquor box]

Brisbane public transport is worse than Sydney?

Yes, we don't even have 24hr public transport in QLD.

 

[liquor box]

Agree.
I have said it for years that club rugby in Brisbane needs to expand its geographic footprint.
If you take out Bond and Sunnybank the rest are in a12 KM radius of the CBD.
Growth areas like Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Morayfield/Caboolture, Beenleigh/Ormeau and Lockyer valley/Toowoomba there are huge populations that could be harnessed.

Sydney Shute Shield has 12 team comp so maybe QRU could look at 10 teams then 12 teams in the future. Some sort of plan should be drawn up like when Sunnybank was moved into the QPR.

I am quite often in Redbank Plains/ Goodna area and it amazes me that there is no high level local rugby club. The locals could provide tons of 130kg+ props to QLD rugby.

QLD Rugby could do well by harnessing the local talent

 

[Marce]

Agree.
I have said it for years that club rugby in Brisbane needs to expand its geographic footprint.
If you take out Bond and Sunnybank the rest are in a12 KM radius of the CBD.
Growth areas like Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Morayfield/Caboolture, Beenleigh/Ormeau and Lockyer valley/Toowoomba there are huge populations that could be harnessed.

Sydney Shute Shield has 12 team comp so maybe QRU could look at 10 teams then 12 teams in the future. Some sort of plan should be drawn up like when Sunnybank was moved into the QPR.

What about Runcorn? Is a League territory? JT is from there but Cooper Cronk too and he played rugby until Australian Schoolboys level

 

[Spamnoodle]

What about Runcorn? Is a League territory? JT is from there but Cooper Cronk too and he played rugby until Australian Schoolboys level

Next door to Sunnybank

 

[dillyboy]

I am quite often in Redbank Plains/ Goodna area and it amazes me that there is no high level local rugby club. The locals could provide tons of 130kg+ props to QLD rugby.

QLD Rugby could do well by harnessing the local talent

Goodna has a club: https://m.facebook.com/100027310312810/

Unfortunately not that big though

 

[LeCheese]

I am quite often in Redbank Plains/ Goodna area and it amazes me that there is no high level local rugby club. The locals could provide tons of 130kg+ props to QLD rugby.

QLD Rugby could do well by harnessing the local talent

Wests, UQ, and Sunnybank are ~30min away - not that close, especially with traffic, but definitely not too far if someone's keen

 

[Sword of Justice]

Wests, UQ, and Sunnybank are ~30min away - not that close, especially with traffic, but definitely not too far if someone's keen

Yeah but in the case of the western freeway during peak hour you may as well be in the next Mad Max movie.

 

[upthereds#!]

St Pat's is out on the peninsula isnt it?

No, on the 'mainland' but not too far from the bridge

 

[Marce]

So CBD and South Brisbane are rugby strongholds, everything else is Mungo territory?

 

[PhilClinton]

I am quite often in Redbank Plains/ Goodna area and it amazes me that there is no high level local rugby club. The locals could provide tons of 130kg+ props to QLD rugby.

QLD Rugby could do well by harnessing the local talent

Yeh they've had a team running around the lower grade/subbies comp for years.

You're not wrong, lots of 130kg+ props, the problem is they also run out 130kg+ second rowers, flyhalves and fullbacks. Doesn't take long for them to tire out and before long they've had a cricket score put on them. That unfortunately doesn't help them attract much talent.

 

[The Phoenix]

I am quite often in Redbank Plains/ Goodna area and it amazes me that there is no high level local rugby club. The locals could provide tons of 130kg+ props to QLD rugby.

QLD Rugby could do well by harnessing the local talent

I remember a few years ago there was a controversy when Churchie went on a pre-season tour to Fiji and ended up giving scholarships to boys they played against on tour. The Courier-Mail did a story on the scholarships given out by GPS schools. and the Ipswich Grammar headmaster said something along the lines of "We don't need to go to the Pacific Islands, we just go to Riverview." So there's plenty of potential there.
As a Toowoomba boy I would love to see a Toowoomba team in the Hospital Cup, just as I'd love to see a Toowoomba team in the Brisbane cricket premiership. We have a heap of suitable grounds, Gold Park, the Athletic Oval, Southern Cross Field, Highfields and Uni and women's rugby is so strong on the Downs now as well, so that's a plus.
The downsides are 1) I worry what it would do the Risdon Cup club competition, and 2) traditionally one of our strongest clubs is Goondiwindi, which we would need to provide players for squad, but that is another three hours from Toowoomba.
I think the ideal option in the short term would be to go back to that great competition when Brisbane clubs went out to regions to play their rep sides.

 

[Marce]

You're not wrong, lots of 130kg+ props, the problem is they also run out 130kg+ second rowers, flyhalves and fullbacks. Doesn't take long for them to tire out and before long they've had a cricket score put on them. That unfortunately doesn't help them attract much talent.

From a perspective of an outsider: Are many Islanders living there? Giant atheletes you can create a Scrum Academy over there lol

 

[dillyboy]

From a perspective of an outsider: Are many Islanders living there? Giant atheletes you can create a Scrum Academy over there lol

I live in Collingwood Park (right next to Goodna & Redbank Plains).

I'd say there's more Samoans here than in Samoa!

 

[Adam84]

 

[Marce]

I live in Collingwood Park (right next to Goodna & Redbank Plains).

I'd say there's more Samoans here than in Samoa!

Is it similar to South Auckland? Are they stick to rugby or switch to League?

 

[dru]

I was listening to the car radio yesterday on talk back. They were making some noise about The Roar making a move to Ballymore. Smoke or fire?

 

[PhilClinton]

Being reported on several news outlets as a legitimate possibility.

 

[Adam84]

Yea it’s rumoured, QRU would be supporting it in the lead-up to the Olympics. It provides extra justification for picking up some of that Olympic funding for renovating the eastern stand.

Last time the Roar had an agreement to train/play at Ballymore it ended up in unpaid rent and the QRU almost tipped the Roar into insolvency by taking them to court over debts.