QLD GPS Rugby 2018

[Garry Owens]

Immediate names that come to mind are :

Sam Walker ( IGS )
Baxter Franey ( TGS )
Kai Duggan ( Downlands )
Pat Elekana ( GT )
Toby McGovern ( ACGS )
Moses Jones ( BSHS )
Connor Claridge ( BBC )

These are your Senior 10's next year

Sam Walker pretty much won the 16A game for IGS v BBC ( at 10 ) and I thought was largely responsible as to why the IGS First XV nearly pinched it against TSS on Saturday - in what I believe was his First XV debut . I found it hard to believe why IGS weren't using him all season . Undoubted field vision and unafraid to chance his arm . Mercurial.

TGS found a spot for Franey in the First XV at 15 this year which might have tempered his direct attacking instincts . Has always had flair and unpredictability as his biggest weapons and can create out of thin air when not much is happening

There is a more than a just a bit of Bobby Tuttle in Downland's Kai Duggan. At 9 or at 10 he is as steady as a rock , very fundamental and a very good kicking game - maybe the best out of next year's crop .

McGovern was Met East 10 in U15 State Champs last year and had a few chances here and there through the season for Churchie and should be a steady addition next year

Jones also sees the field well and is a guy capable of getting his outside backs going

Claridge is a guy that could be a dark horse. Still relatively new to Rugby but has excelled in league's junior pathways as a playmaking pivot . Defensively very capable and also with a strong kicking game

I'm not sure about Pat Elekana at 10 and was surprised when GT chose to play him there this year . An exceptional athlete I see him as one of the more potent back 3 players in his age group however his skill is such you could play him anywhere . He did improve considerably through the season and may well end up being a top level 10 - I just think it will take a bit more time as he's only had 1 x season in this spot . But if anyone can do it - he can. Talent to burn.

Pasiota will be out in front by a way as you'd expect - but all of these guys have their own skills and abilities that should see them being a big part of their school's plans next year

 

[Wombat70]

IGS must have some depth ; given seven or more under 16s where playing up; their 16A team lost by only 4 points to the unbeaten TSS ; their 2nds lost to the unbeaten TSS by only 2 points.
In the firsts Ippy played out of theis skins - the try by their 15 in about the 23rd minute was excellent (not to diminish all the other try's in what was a very entertaining game).
The usually classy TSS dropped more ball and fell off more tackles (as in the game against GT) than in earlier games - they still managed to win. If they can work out what's changed since the BBC game they can still give NC a real nudge.

 

[BraveandGame]

I'm not sure about Pat Elekana at 10 and was surprised when GT chose to play him there this year .

Sadly gone for the season since TSS.

 

[DarkSide]

Sadly gone for the season since TSS.

I had heard he was only at 10 because the other options didn’t show much promise and that he’s slated to play 12 next year. Anyone confirm this? Does Siolo move from 15 to 10?

Moses at BSHS will be much better for this season, and I think next years team will be much stronger than this year. My own boy plays up a year so he’s keen to play with his actual class.

 

[Pinetree]

Immediate names that come to mind are :

Sam Walker ( IGS )
Baxter Franey ( TGS )
Kai Duggan ( Downlands )
Pat Elekana ( GT )
Toby Cubby ( ACGS )
Moses Jones ( BSHS )
Connor Claridge ( BBC )

These are your Senior 10's next year

Sam Walker pretty much won the 16A game for IGS v BBC ( at 10 ) and I thought was largely responsible as to why the IGS First XV nearly pinched it against TSS on Saturday - in what I believe was his First XV debut . I found it hard to believe why IGS weren't using him all season . Undoubted field vision and unafraid to chance his arm . Mercurial.

TGS found a spot for Franey in the First XV at 15 this year which might have tempered his direct attacking instincts . Has always had flair and unpredictability as his biggest weapons and can create out of thin air when not much is happening

There is a more than a just a bit of Bobby Tuttle in Downland's Kai Duggan. At 9 or at 10 he is as steady as a rock , very fundamental and a very good kicking game - maybe the best out of next year's crop .

Cubby was Met East 10 in U15 State Champs last year and had a few chances here and there through the season for Churchie and should be a steady addition next year

Jones also sees the field well and is a guy capable of getting his outside backs going

Claridge is a guy that could be a dark horse. Still relatively new to Rugby but has excelled in league's junior pathways as a playmaking pivot . Defensively very capable and also with a strong kicking game

I'm not sure about Pat Elekana at 10 and was surprised when GT chose to play him there this year . An exceptional athlete I see him as one of the more potent back 3 players in his age group however his skill is such you could play him anywhere . He did improve considerably through the season and may well end up being a top level 10 - I just think it will take a bit more time as he's only had 1 x season in this spot . But if anyone can do it - he can. Talent to burn.

Pasiota will be out in front by a way as you'd expect - but all of these guys have their own skills and abilities that should see them being a big part of their school's plans next year

Yes GO talent there alright...probably the best yardstick is measured by who did not make your list.
The State high boy who has been in and out of the 1st XV is an accomplished touch footballer with great skills and can pass on the run off both hands, his kicking game is very strong as well
The GT 1st XV full back is also an accomplished 10, having played for Met North last year and Qld White of the games I have seen him play he definitely has all the skills complete with running game and kicking game
Grammar 10 is also of the young stock
BTW I believe GTs use of 10 was different than other schools I guess that differs from School to school but the boy was not a playmaker creator as such rather a defensive block - very talented and probably wasted there.

 

[Garry Owens]

Yes fair enough and good points

Big things should probably be expected out of BSHS and GT next year with seemingly ( at least ) 2 x strong options to play 10 - good to have choice and depth

 

[Pinetree]

Yes fair enough and good points

Big things should probably be expected out of BSHS and GT next year with seemingly ( at least ) 2 x strong options to play 10 - good to have choice and depth

I guess it all depends what the mad scientist is mixing up next year playing boys out of position probably didn't work too well this year

 

[DarkSide]

I guess it all depends what the mad scientist is mixing up next year playing boys out of position probably didn't work too well this year

Just speaking in generalities here because this sort of stuff gets said a lot, and not just here. Having coached schoolboy rugby in NZ, and being on that side of the fence. Selecting a schoolboy team isn’t easy because you’re picking from a fixed pool of players. it’s very common to play kids “out of position” as a result. No doubt the terrace 10 is there because that was the best fit. I’ve done it myself, selecting someone left field because the boy who wanted the position didn’t follow the game plan, or couldn’t defend properly, or missed a skill that was fundamental to playing to the strengths of the boys in the team. We can sit here and say playing boys out of position didn’t work. But I’d wager $50 if we sat in those selection meetings we’d probabpy have agreed with the reasons behind the choices.

 

[TheKing]

Isn’t the NC 10 already 100kg+? How much more does he need to grow. Does height for a fly half really matter?

183 cm, 94 kg, 16 years old.

Coincidentally, identical height and weight to Jono Lance

 

[Wombat70]

Jesse Gray of TSS has been bounced in and out of the firsts at 12 however his appearances at 10 in the seconds would indicate room for development (at 10).

 

[Garry Owens]

Yeah I would have thought that would be the logical move for this talented young bloke - I just wasn’t sure as a TSS bloke I know who has a good read on things ( internally ) was 50/50 on that possibility

I thought he had played a bit at 10 in juniors before he arrived at TSS ?

 

[TheKing]

10 hardest working forwards in GPS Rugby

Was having a look through the stats earlier this evening and had what I thought was a fun idea.

Plug in the stats of every starter in the comp into the World Sevens Series ‘DHL Performance Tracker’ model, which adds together a player’s carries, tackles, offloads and linebreak stats to come up with a figure rating their workrate.

In the end I got bored with it and stopped once I’d finished the forwards.

Here are the GPS Rugby’s 10 hardest working forwards through weeks 1-7.

I found it very interesting that none of the Nudgee, BBC and Southport forward packs cracked the top of the list.

1. Emile Tuimavave, BGS #3 — 24.7 per game.
2. Will MacPherson, ACGS #6 — 23.5 pg
3. Lance Bagon, IGS #8 — 23.0
4. Tyrone Metusela-Suapaia, GT #8 — 21.5
5. Zeph Tuinona, BSHS #4 — 20.67
6. Nesta Mahina, BSHS #2 — 20.16
7. Hudson Mulcahy, GT #2 — 19.80
8. Chizzy Vaka, BSHS #7 — 19.5
9. Alex Davies, BGS #1 — 19.14
10. Fred Fewtrell, ACGS #4 — 18.5

PS. Please note that the tracker doesn’t take into account tries and try assists, tackle busts, turnovers won, ruck involvements etc. It is just a basic look.

 

[Garry Owens]

^Interesting that all but 2 are on bottom 3 teams

Also interesting that guys like Bailey Tautau and Tom VDS , Nongorr , Kopua and Gerrard were not in the Top 10

In Tautau’s case he had 24 carries on his own on the weekend and has on his own carried more than the entire opposing forward pack

But as is pointed out there is a bunch of key indicators missing - especially defensiive data and AR and DR contestss . This type of stuff as a starting point tells you who’s working and at the nerve centre of having big impact on team wins

 

[DarkSide]

^Interesting that all but 2 are on bottom

It’s actually pretty common when treating stats in this way. In teams like NC, TSS, etc, every forward has a high work rate and so it’s tough for an individual to accrue high individual stats.

 

[Garry Owens]

The King’s post inspires thoughts about a GPS team of the season as the season is winding down

1. Tyrell Kopua ( TSS )
2. Hudson Mulcahy ( GT )
3. Emile Tuimavave ( BGS )
4. Tom Van Der Schyff ( TSS )
5. Fred Fewtrell ( ACGS )
6. Bailey Tautau ( NC )
7. Connor McKinlay ( ACGS )
8. Reno Gerrard ( TSS )
9. Spencer Jeans ( TSS )
10. Campbell Parata ( TSS )
11. Tresman Banjo ( NC )
12. Reesjan Pasiota ( NC )
13. Josh Flook ( NC )
14. Jangala Bennett ( NC )
15. Wayne Bilston ( ACGS )

 

[BraveandGame]

The King’s post inspires thoughts about a GPS team of the season as the season is winding down

1. Tyrell Kopua ( TSS )
2. Hudson Mulcahy ( GT )
3. Emile Tuimavave ( BGS )
4. Tom Van Der Schyff ( TSS )
5. Fred Fewtrell ( ACGS )
6. Bailey Tautau ( NC )
7. Connor McKinlay ( ACGS )
8. Reno Gerrard ( TSS )
9. Spencer Jeans ( TSS )
10. Campbell Parata ( TSS )
11. Tresman Banjo ( NC )
12. Reesjan Pasiota ( NC )
13. Josh Flook ( NC )
14. Jangala Bennett ( NC )
15. Wayne Bilston ( ACGS )

Hard to argue too much and hard to believe no BBC boys given people thought they were going to compete with NC TSS this year.

I guess if there was an offensive unit Bowyer would walk (at great pace) into the 15, but he has some clear issues with his game. Maybe one of the wingers but the NC duo probably do offer more all round. Carter has been hot and very cold and like Bowyer would walk into a specialist (defensive) unit but lacks the all round game of the other two.

For mine Reesjan has been the better 10, but I agree you take them both with no 12 playing better than Parata.

I would have never thought you could name a team like this without Roach at 7 - GT sure are a rabble this season something very wrong at Tennyson - Mulcahy the clear shinning light.

 

[Taipan]

Interesting article in The Chronicle, local newspaper.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[Garry Owens]

To complete the team of the season ( at 25 ) my bench would be :

16. Tevita Katuu ( NC )
17. Harry Vella ( NC )
18. JP Tominiko ( ACGS )
19. Will Macpherson ( ACGS )
20. Oscar Skerman ( BGS)
21. Luc Lyndon ( TSS )
22. Carter Gordon ( BBC )
23. Dennis Waight ( BGS )
24. Ronan Kapi ( TSS )
25. Dan Atkinson ( NC )

 

[Getwithme]

I would've had Will Roach at 7 and the star 10/12 from BGS. How good is Wayne Bilston? Saw him in the ACGS v GT game and was a standout.

 

[TheKing]

Having personally watched just about every game, and discussed at length with two more people who have watched every single game, it will be very tough to knock anybody out of this 23.

There will be opportunities for boys off this bench to force themselves into the starting team, but it's just about set in stone me-thinks. Clear standouts at every position

1. Tyrell Kopua -The Southport School
2. Hudson Mulcahy - Gregory Terrace
3. Zane Nonggor - The Southport School
4. Will MacPherson - Churchie
5. Tom van der Schyff - The Southport School
6. Tyrone Metusela-Suapaia - Gregory Terrace
7. Will Roach - Gregory Terrace
8. Reno Gerrard - The Southport School
9. Spencer Jeans - The Southport School
10. Campbell Parata - The Southport School
11. Glen Vaihu - Gregory Terrace
12. Daejarn Asi - Brisbane Grammar School
13. Jack Howarth - Brisbane Boys’ College
14. Jangala Bennett - Nudgee College
15. Jack Bowyer-Bowen - Brisbane Boys’ College

16. Nesta Mahina - State High
17. Harry Vella - Nudgee College
18. Emile Tuimavave - Brisbane Grammar School
19. Zeph Tuinona - State High
20. Bailey Tautau - Nudgee College
21. Aaron Prosser - Churchie
22. Reesjan Pasitoa - Nudgee College
23. Ronan Kapi - The Southport School

And looking at the Queensland Schoolboys selections from this year, you've got to say they did a great job selecting all bar one of the form players in their rep sides.

Besides the six who were unavailabe - Hudson Mulcahy and Reno Gerrard through injury, and others who had already signed elsewhere Parata (Crusaders), Asi (Cowboys), Howarth (Storm), Metusela-Suapaia (Roosters) - only Churchie scrumhalf Aaron Prosser missed out, and even then, there's an asterisk because Kalani Thomas was injured most of the year. We'll never know what he could have been in 2018 with more games under the belt.