The 2015 version of the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship kicks off this Thursday night, and once again Green and Gold will be doing our best to cover all games. Let’s look at this week’s match ups as part of our NRC 2015 Round 1 preview.
Brisbane City v Perth Spirit
Thursday 20 August at Ballymore Stadium (Brisbane). Kick-off 7:30pm
Kudos to the ARU and Fox Sports for scheduling a Grand Final re-match to launch the new season. This two teams produced a couple of ball-tearers in their encounters in 2014, with the Final at Ballymore proving to be one of the highlights of the Queensland Rugby season. A crowd of in excess of 8,000 fans piled into Ballymore to view a game with powerful forward battles and flashy backline finishes. Let’s hope this game will replicate.
As mentioned in an earlier preview, on paper at least, it looks like the Brisbane City team is even stronger than last year. The strong core group of Liam Gill (captain this year), Nick Frisby, Andrew Ready, Sam Talaki, Jake McIntyre, Samu Kerevi, Chris Kuridrani and Adam Korczyk remain, but are joined by some very real quality in Karmichael Hunt, James O’Connor, Scott Higginbotham and Cadeyrn Neville. With Nick Stiles still in charge, he’s determined to continue to build the strong culture the Brisbane City side had in 2014.
The Perth Spirit took a few people by surprise in 2014, making it all the way to the final despite losing more games than they won during the preliminary rounds. Their policy of rotating their starting line-up, apparently to rest their Super Rugby players, was questioned and criticized but the Spirit had critics eating their words when they sprung the upset of the tournament in thrashing the undefeated Minor Premiers, Melbourne Rising in the Semi Final. As for the squad this year they’ll have to do without two of their stars of 2014 in Sam Wykes and Dane Haylett-Petty, yet will still have plenty of Super Rugby experience on the field (if selected) particularly in the backrow where you’d expect the likes of Angus Cottrell, Chris Alcock and Kane Koteka to combine.
Brisbane City: 1. Pettowa Paraka, 2. Andrew Ready, 3. Sam Talakai, 4. Corey Thomas, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 6. Luke Beauchamp, 7. Liam Gill (C), 8. Scott Higginbotham, 9. Nick Frisby, 10. Jake McIntyre, 11. Alex Gibbon, 12. Samu Kerevi, 13. Karmichael Hunt, 14. Chris Kuridrani, 15. Junior Laloifi.
16. Ryan Freeney, 17. Marcus Vanzati, 18. Feao Fotuaika, 19. James Moore, 20. Criff Tupou, 21. Tim Smith, 22. Henry Taefu, 23. Mika Tela.
Perth Spirit: 1. Chris Heiberg, 2. Heath Tessmann(C), 3. Oliver Hoskins, 4. Rory Walton, 5. Ross Haylett-Petty, 6. Chris Alcock, 7. Kane Koteka, 8. Angus Cottrell, 9. Ian Prior, 10. Luke Burton,11. Brad Lacey, 12. Maalonga Konelio, 13. Ammon Matuauto, 14. Seculoni Mocenacagi, 15. Albert Nikoro.
16. Harry Scoble, 17. Francois van Wyk, 18. Jermaine Ainsley, 19. Riley Winter, 20. Richard Hardwick, 21. Ruan Louwrens, 22. Bryon Hutchinson, 23. Daley Harper.
TIP: Brisbane City by 12
North Harbour Rays v Sydney Stars
Saturday 22 August at Manly Oval (Sydney). Kick-off 3:00pm
This, to me, is the toughest game to tip. Without a doubt the Sydney Stars were the biggest disappointment of 2014. Some sort of amalgam of Sydney University and Balmain, it was hoped they’d be a bit of a glamour club of the comp. The opened the season last year against Brisbane City and were promptly hammered by 25 points. The Rising did it next, then the Rams before a draw with the Vikings in Round five gave them their first points of the season. They would go on to win just one further game that season, in the final match against…..the North Harbour Rays. The Stars look reasonable on paper this year, without any particularly big names. They’ve got a handful of Wallabies, none of which are likely to see any game time.
Some Super talent up front in Jeremy Tilse and Tolu Latu provide them a bit of grunt and Tom Kingston and Jimmy Stewart (one of the few bright spots last year) gives them some talent further out. Their new coach Peter Playford certainly has his work cut out for them and he seems to have a unique approach to how he wants to attack this team (and it’s not one I am able to put into words – just keep an eye out for his interviews and you will understand). What Playford and his team should appreciate is that this game is an excellent opportunity to start their season much more positively than last.
The North Harbour Rays were only mildly less disappointing than the Stars last year, winning just two games. They did however come close to winning more with a couple of draws as well. They actually had a fairly strong undefeated run mid-season last year with a couple of wins and their two loses, before running into a Quade Cooper inspired Brisbane City team and being served a 70 point loss.
The Rays actually have a good looking group of Sydney club players this year, with a healthy chunk of players from the Shute Shield runners-up Manly Marlins, most notably in the nexus of Sam Lane at flyhalf and Reece Hodge at inside centre. How the boys bounce back from going so deep into the Shute Shield, meaning a very quick turnaround, may determine their early NRC success. Keep an eye out for some of their stars from 2014 in backrower Sam Ward and fulback Dave Feltscheer.
North Harbour Rays: 1. Mitch Lewis, 2. Luke Holmes (C), 3. Wayne Borsak, 4. Mark Johnson, 5. Cameron Treloar, 6. Jack Dempsey, 7. Boyd Killingworth, 8. Sam Ward, 9. Josh Holmes, 10. Hamish Angus, 11. Richard Woolf, 12. Tom Hill, 13. Michael Adams, 14. Alex Northam, 15. Dave Feltscheer.
16. Vance Elliott, 17. Rory O’connor, 18. Lawrance Hunting, 19. Ed Gower, 20. Harry Bergelin, 21. Tim Donlan, 22. Dennis Pili-Gaitau, 23. Tyson Davis, 24. Harry Rorke.
Sydney Stars: 1. Tolu Latu, 2. James Hanson, 3. Tom Robertson, 4. Andrew Leota, 5. Matt Philip, 6. Dave Dennis, 7. David Hickey (C), 8. Pat McCutcheon, 9. Jake Gordon, 10. Angus Roberts, 11. Harry Jones, 12. Andrew Robinson, 13. Jim Stewart, 14. Henry Clunies Ross, 15. Tom Kingston.
16. Tom Coolican , 17. Jeremy Tilse, 18. Matt Sandell , 19. Rohan O’reagan, 20. Jake Wainwright, 21. Richard Draper, 22. Jordan Mcgregor, 23. John Hale, 24. Ofa Finau.
TIP: Sydney Stars by 3
Greater Sydney Rams v NSW Country Eagles
Saturday 22 August at Merrylands RSL Park (Sydney). Kick-off 3:00pm
This match should be an absolute cracker out at Merrylands RSL Park (Granville Park). The Rams were the highest ranked Sydney team last season finishing just outside the top four, by a single point. They actually managed to account for both Grand Finalists in the preliminary rounds – the only team alongside the Melbourne Rising to do so. Their pack remains pretty strong this year, lead up front by the likes of Benn Robinson, Hugh Roach and Jed Gillespie. Where they will be challenged is replacing the impact of departing players such as Ben Volavola (Fiji), Henry Taefu (Brisbane City) and the big fellah Taqele Naiyaravoro (who knows?).
The NSW Country Eagles were one of the shining lights of 2014 and finished the season second on the ladder to the Melbourne Rising. Doing so whilst always on the road, playing at different home venues every 2nd week, just adds to their achievements. Some really smart recruiting has added to their potential this year as they’ve brought in Super Rugby players Jono Lance, Beau Robinson and Sam Carter. Add to this a few handy fringe Super Rugby players in David Feao, Tom Staniforth, Ed Stubbs and Sam Lousi PLUS the competiton’s leading try scorer in 2014, Andrew Kellaway, and the Eagles are set to soar again in 2015.
Rams coach, former Wallaby, Jim Williams will have his challenges around ensuring his team combines well early and may rely on his big names in the pack. NSW Country though have been working together for a little while now and their bright young coach (he’s my age. He’s young) Darren Coleman will have them primed for another strong challenge this year.
Greater Sydney Rams: 1. Jed Gillespie, 2. Hugh Roach, 3. Cameron Betham, 4. Fili Tufui, 5. Irwin Finau, 6. Bradford Kapa, 7. Cohen Masson, 8. Will Munro, 9. Dewet Roos, 10. Jai Ayoub, 11. Brad Curtis, 12. Michael McDougall, 13. Jordan Heyer, 14. Larry Hermans, 15. Paul Asquith.
16. Samuel Needs, 17. Silvia Silvia, 18. Barnaby Abdele-Weir, 19. James Neale, 20. Jono Hayes, 21. Kaleb Rech, 22. Rohan Saifoloi, 23. Brendan Hartmann
NSW Country Eagles: 1. Toa Asa, 2 Ryan Dalziel, 3 Dashville Kuata, 4 Ned Hanigan, 5 Sam Carter, 6 Sam Lousi, 7 Will Miller, 8 Mark Baldwin, 9 Michael Dowsett, 10 Jono Lance, 11 Joel Brooks, 12 Dave Horwitz, 13 Ed Stubbs, 14 Charlie Clifton, 15 Andrew Kellaway.
16 Tom Sexton, 17 Dane Maraki, 18 Andrew Collins, 19 Nick Palmer, 20 Sam Figg, 21 Pauli Tuala, 22 Will Fay, 23 Jack Pennington.
TIP: NSW Country Eagles by 8
Queensland Country v Melbourne Rising
Sunday 23 August at Bond University (Gold Coast). Kick-off 3:30pm
The Melbourne Rising were pretty damn incredible in 2014. Through the preliminary rounds they blew all comers out of the water in racking up almost 400 points for (and less than 200 against) and claiming a try scoring bonus point in every match they played. Memorably they simply annihilated Brisbane City by 79-18 in third round clash at Ballymore. Some of their play was simply breathtaking as the likes of Telusa Veainu, Sefanaia Naivalu, Nic Stirzaker, Lopeti Timani and Sean McMahon ran riot. History will tell you that they then suffered the shock loss to the Perth Spirit in the semi final and it seemed as if all that came before was wasted.
It is not wasted however and this weekend the Rising will be presented with the Horan-Little Shield as the inaugural holders of the challenge shield, that the Green and Gold Rugby community has been so actively advocating for with the ARU for some time. Melbourne may well be the first team to have their name on the Horan-Little Shield, but for how long? Teams must put the Shield up for challenge at their home matches, but the Rising must be commended for putting it up for challenge this weekend as well. It will be a big ask, but how fitting it will be that a Shield named after two QLD Country legends is first successfully challenged by this QLD Country team. The naming of the trophy was a process done with much consideration of everything the NRC represents. In the end it was decided that the symbolism of two best mates from country Queensland, who played with and against each other from the ages of 10 years old, all the way up to winning two World Cups was a fitting representation of what rugby should be about.
Whilst the trophy won’t be challenged for this weekend, Queensland Country will no doubt be ready to prove many doubters wrong in this first game. Country finished a highly disappointing second last. Injuries to the likes of Greg Holmes, Haydn Hirsimaki, Blake Enever, Beau Robinson, Lolo Fakaosilea, Scott Gale, Mike Harris and Ben Lucas really put them behind the 8-ball in terms of depth of talent. Some astute recruitment this season gives hope for improved results through the presence of the likes of in-form Chris Feauai-Sautia, Ed Quirk and Sef Fa’agase. A fit and healthy group of Gale and Lolo with some young stars in Sam Greene, Lukhan Tui and Taniela Tupou will provide some improved depth.
With the Rising without some of their stars last year, it won’t all come easy to them in 2015. But there’s enough class still on the pitch to suggest they will be there or thereabouts come season’s end.
QLD Country: 1. Haydn Hirsimaki, 2. Campbell Wakely, 3. Sef Fa’agase,4. Phil Potgieter, 5. Richie Arnold, 6. Jack Cornelsen, 7. Conor Mitchell, 8. Radike Samo, 9. James Tuttle – Reds/GPS (C), 10. Sam Greene, 11. Izaia Perese, 12. Matt Gordon, 13. Chris Feauai-Sautia, 14. Tom Pincus, 15. Jamie-Jerry Taulagi.
16. Alex Mafi, 17. AJ Campbell, 18. Reuben Leilua, 19. Milton Sikuea, 20. Maclean Jones, 21. Scott Gale, 22. Dion Taumata, 23. Duncan Paia’aua
Melbourne Rising: 1.Duncan Chubb, 2.Pat Leafa,3.Tim Metcher, 4.Murray Douglas, 5.Steve Cummins, 6.Jordy Reid, 7. Scott Fuglistaller (C), 8. Colby Fainga’a, 9. Ben Meehan, 10. Jack Debreczeni, 11. Tom English, 12. Lloyd Johansson, 13. Leo Taliu, 14. Dom Shipperley, 15. Jonah Placid.
16. Mitch Andrews, 17. Mike Tyler, 18. Fereti Sa’aga, 19. Luke Jones, 20. Pom Simona, 21. Maradona Farao, 22. Sione Tuipulotu, 23. Justin Marsters.
TIP: Melbourne Rising by 18
UC Vikings have the bye.
