Qld Reds media is reporting the signing of 20 year old Melbourne Storm player, Will Chambers, to the Reds for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
It had been rumoured fairly strongly at the start of the year that the Reds would chase the Nudgee College graduate and this signing continues the impressive pool of young talent that Coach Phil Mooney will have to draw on next season.
Chambers is a big 100 kg, 189 cm lump who played 16 games for the Storm before most of his 2008 season was ended with a serious knee injury. I must admit I don’t know anything about him, however, a quick check of the Storm’s website reveals that he is highly regarded by the club and was being groomed as a replacement to the departed, Israel Folau.
Chambers is listed as an outside centre/winger on the Storm’s website so I guess Morgs had better get over his bung shoulder double quick and start showing some form lest he find himself out of a gig next season.
The signing again confirms Mooney’s commitment to youth that has seen him sign 10 players from his 2006 IRB u/19 World Cup winning team, as well as showing faith in an array of other young pups.
A quick analysis of the average age of the Reds squad reveals an age of 23.2 yrs, the Brumbies are the next youngest with 24.3yrs, the Tahs 24.7 and the old men of the Australian teams is the Force with an average age of 25 yrs.
When you take out the three oldest players from each squad, generally the ones near or on the wrong side of thirty, the Reds average age drops to an adolescent 22.3 yrs, Brumbies 23.8 yrs, Tahs 24.1yrs and the geriatrics from the West, 24.3 yrs.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="1148 https://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/?p=1148">11 Comments
Reds will carve it up in a few years. Seems like they almost got to much young emerging talent to hold onto. I reckon the lads on the bench are going to be pretty solid.
Like the new header/banner (don’t know how new it is, haven’t checked in a while)
I would have rathered Folau but this guy looks handy too!
the problem will be can they hold onto them?
players come off contracts and if the reds aren’t winning they will have a moore situation again.
when the tahs and the reds come a knocking will they stay? lots and lots don’t
The problem for the reds will be gainaing a strong enough platform in the forwards to enable the talent in the back line to be unleashed. No matter how good or strong or fast they are, it’s tough when you’re going backwards. The reds seem to be devleoping some much needed depth in the backs (missing for approx. 6 years now) however with MMM and Horwill MIA in round 1 ont he weekend it showed up significant lack of depth in the pack.
If i was charlie Fetoai, or Blair Connor, or Anthony Faainga… i mgiht be a bit pissed by this purchase. Fetoai is a Super 14 goldmine wiating to be discovered. but he keeps getting fkd around with selections
Also…keep a lookout for someone, im putting the call out VERY early. Dominic Shipperly (no its not me even though my name is El Dommo). I was impressed by this kid in Brisbane GPS School rugby (Nudgee attendee, fk i hate Nudgee), and an Aust Schoolboy. the kid happens to also be a genius (or so i am told) so rugby may not be his biggest concern, but i hope for the sake of rugby watchers everywhere, they get to see Shipperley play academy, or Aust under 20’s this year, or Super rugby in 3 years or so. he was a silky player and a good frame for some beef. Just hope he doenst get stuck on the sting which happens sometimes to 13’s when they are a bit Light on, and reducs the speed of their development at 13.
I saw Shipperly play in a couple of games last year (QLD Schoolboy Trials and Nudgee v BBC) and he certainly looked the goods. He was tall and fairly chesty, and very pacey. One for the future.
I was always impressed with another Reds Academy player, Brett Gillespie. He’s an inside centre but for some reason they keep picking him at outside centre – doesn’t have the pace for that but very strong on defence and good skill set. Another Australian Schoolboy player….but sadly cruelled by injuries. Just coming back this season. Hope he goes well for the Red Heavies.
the guy is a genius as well. which is what is crazy. he is a freak and intellignet and offers something few young wingers do, tohers just offer big fast wingers, shipperley is skillful, intelligent and has jets. and he is a team player, definitely, a team man.
i do stand corrected though, he normally plays wing and FILLS in at 13. But, hey man, he has the frame of Morty and the tow and the intelliengce to be a 13, why not try to develop that i say. We will see what Brothers (this is an assumption) do with him, i am actually scared of when we face them in the round games.
brett gillespie is very good, just unlucky…kinda like Madness isnt it, or Heenan, oooh, or tune (although that was later in career).
fking Red Heavies….third only to the filth and Scummybank. HA!
El Dommo, what’s your thinking with Fetoai? To me he looks nothing more than solid. Particularly on the weekend when you hardly knew he was on bar one big hit. He doesn’t strike me as a potential Wallaby by any means. Just a good fill in player when needed.
I reckon fetoai’s pretty good too. but Saingaa is one that i reckon did pretty well for the brumbies last year (he’s brother can’t be that bad either).
Brumbies and reds seem to have alot of centres in the low 20s waiting to play
Fetoai: i think he needs a chance. he can go missing yes. But defensively he is very very strong. as evidented by some hits he makes (but can be taken advantage of by the 13, 14 and 15 running at him, but what out centre is perfect? oh shit, B.O’D haha)
in attack, i think he needs to find his role. he is playing in a team where the choice 13 is Pie Man, and basically runs the pill, crashed the ad line and maybe might distribute 1/8-10 touches….fetoai is different, and the setup might not suit him. if he was say at the brumbies or at the force it would be different, but who knows.
I think he is like Pelasasa….he will be a consistently hgood perfomring provincial player, but probbaly not go any further. Pelasas wasnt the best defensive 13, but could hit, and he created opportunities for his outside men when he played. Charlie i think has better defence, but needs to be complimented in attack by forming better combos with the wingers and FB.
truth be told, i think he should be the 13 for Qld.
Faingaa…he does a good job, but he might be a bit light on. and the other thing…his defensive reading isnt as good. was evident in his play last year at the brumbies, but was that HIM or just the fact the whole backline was a bit young? who knows, time will tell.
That’s hardly a ringing endorsement of an outside centre to my ears el Dommo!