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Reds 2020

B

Bobby Sands

Guest
I used to think the same, then Hockings performance during the QPR finals changed my opinion of him, finally started to see the test potential in him that had be spoken about by Thorn previously.

Great loosehead, tighthead future locking combo as Lee Grant would say.

Of the current mix;

TH: Rodda, Lukhan, Blythe
LH: Hockings

The crop works because Rodda is essentially a hybrid. That is, robust enough for the tight stuff yet skilled enough for the lineout and general play.

Hell of a player Isaac.
 

The Nomad

Bob Davidson (42)
He still got capped in the Test against the Wallabies (in which he got injured) so he's still presumably an import player now. I imagine he will be able to see out his contract but possibly won't be able to re-sign after that? No idea what the deal is with capped overseas players now but so I'm just speculating.
Cheers, forgot that bit .

The GT long lunch had a lot to answer for , including me not remembering last Sat night !
 

Penguin

John Solomon (38)
I used to think the same, then Hockings performance during the QPR finals changed my opinion of him, finally started to see the test potential in him that had be spoken about by Thorn previously.

Last week against the Vikings, 17 runs for 40m are very impressive stats for a tight forward against a good forward pack as well.


Yes, agree he's been playing the house down in both levels. He seems to be playing with a point to prove after his silly little kick that resulted in a suspension. I hope they both go far. Just a gut feeling that Blythe will be a better long term option.
 

Jets

Paul McLean (56)
Staff member
Hockings is the reason Uni won the QPR title. He deserves to start, but Blyth will get opportunities and could well own a starting jersey by the end of the year.

I'm actually hopeful of some rotation in positions this year to rest some players and give them all a chance. If it's planned out it could build great depth across the squad for the future, with proper experience.
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
Hockings is the reason Uni won the QPR title. He deserves to start, but Blyth will get opportunities and could well own a starting jersey by the end of the year.

I'm actually hopeful of some rotation in positions this year to rest some players and give them all a chance. If it's planned out it could build great depth across the squad for the future, with proper experience.
He was immense in that game.

I don’t know which of Blyth or Hockings is better now or who is going to be better down the track, but i think I’m going to enjoy watching our locks over the next 2-3 years.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Hockings is the reason Uni won the QPR title. He deserves to start, but Blyth will get opportunities and could well own a starting jersey by the end of the year.

I'm actually hopeful of some rotation in positions this year to rest some players and give them all a chance. If it's planned out it could build great depth across the squad for the future, with proper experience.

agree on rotation.

With regards the locks, Blyth is a very good traditional lock. Very good. Hockings has shown glimpses of freakishness. I am a huge fan.
 

Finsbury Girl

Trevor Allan (34)
Yep Harry has been awesome. Yeah him and Tate turned Uni around. Both showing the class that should earn them a bucket load of Wallaby caps.

We have the cattle, the brains trust seems to be right, it's now purely execution.

I haven't been as excited for Qld rugby for a long, long time.
 

VassMan

Darby Loudon (17)
Should Johnson be trying to talk LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) to switch to Tahs? Crazy depth in backrow and locks at Reds and the Tahs need some bigger bodies. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is from NSW I understand, like obviously he'd have to want to go back. But wasn't Johnson involved in the Naivalu and Hegarty switches to ensure top players are getting game time or to plug holes in squads.
 

Jets

Paul McLean (56)
Staff member
Should Johnson be trying to talk LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) to switch to Tahs? Crazy depth in backrow and locks at Reds and the Tahs need some bigger bodies. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is from NSW I understand, like obviously he'd have to want to go back. But wasn't Johnson involved in the Naivalu and Hegarty switches to ensure top players are getting game time or to plug holes in squads.

Naivalu and Hegarty were done to deal with Cooper and Hunt, who were being paid money by RA and weren't any chance of playing for the Reds so the position is quite a bit different.

From memory LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is contracted until the end of 2020, he may look to move after that, as others have been locked in long term. Or he may think Qld is the best place for his rugby. The new Wallaby coach may have a say in this, as Chekia is the only one pushing for him to play 6.
 

Jets

Paul McLean (56)
Staff member
I've some bad news for you - when ANZAC day falls on the Saturday that counts as the public holiday so no long weekend for us

I really wanted to dislike this post, nothing against you dillyboy but it's criminal that we don't get a long weekend.
 

Scoey

Tony Shaw (54)
Because the public holiday is to allow people to attend services etc. Not a celebration like pretty much every other p/holiday? I'm just guessing. Plus, Saturday is pretty much a weekday these days.
 

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
Huh.. you're not joking. Only happens for ANZAC day though. Wonder what the logic behind it is.


As someone running a small business and required to make wages each week, the easter/anzac nexus can be tough. You often ended up with 3 4 day trading weeks in a month.

In this market 2 4 day trading weeks will be good
 

LMU

Allen Oxlade (6)
What's the gist? Article is behind a paywall


Departing skipper Samu Kerevi insists Queensland Reds had every chance to keep him
Wallabies ace Samu Kerevi has hit back at suggestions he defected to Japanese club Suntory without giving the Queensland Reds and Rugby Australia a chance to keep him.

Peter Badel, The Sunday Mail (Qld)
Subscriber only
|
September 14, 2019

Wallabies ace Samu Kerevi insists he did not deceive the Reds and claims Queensland were given every chance to retain their skipper over a contract spat involving his departure to Japanese club Suntory.

Kerevi’s build-up to Australia’s World Cup campaign, starting this Saturday against Fiji, has been marred by murky claims and counterclaims over his decision in June to quit the Reds to sign a three-year, $3.6 million deal with Suntory.

The 25-year-old Reds captain will head to Japan after the World Cup in a blow to Queensland’s methodology of retaining homegrown products in the face of big-money raids from offshore outfits.

Samu Kerevi will join Japanese club Suntory on a rich three-year deal after the Rugby World Cup. Picture: Getty Images
Samu Kerevi will join Japanese club Suntory on a rich three-year deal after the Rugby World Cup. Picture: Getty Images
It was revealed last week that relations between the Queensland Rugby Union and Kerevi’s manager Anthony Picone had reached breaking point. It is understood the QRU has advised other Picone-managed Reds players that he will be excluded from future contract negotiations.

There is a sentiment within the walls of the QRU and Rugby Australia that Picone did not conduct a transparent negotiation and that they were never truly in the hunt to retain Kerevi for 2020.

There is also a belief that Picone, one of the code’s most powerful agents, had given Suntory a crucial headstart to poach Queensland’s most important player and one of Australian rugby’s brightest prospects.

But emails, obtained by The Sunday Mail, show Picone twice asked the Reds and RA for a contract offer last November – two months before Kerevi signed a letter of intent with Suntory in January.

“It’s a total fabrication to say RA and QRU didn’t get a chance to present their offer,” Picone said

Just six days out from Australia’s World Cup opener against Fiji in Sapporo, Kerevi hit back at suggestions he defected to Suntory without giving the Reds and RA a chance to keep him.

“The rumours about my deal that RA and the Reds didn’t get a chance to keep me is false,” he said. “I had always wanted to stay in Queensland and Australia.

“I made that clear from the start. The Reds and RA had plenty of time to keep me.

“I wanted to sort my future out with the time pressures that rugby has. It was a big call for me but in the end my family came first.”

Reds chiefs always faced an uphill battle to retain Kerevi. Under national contracting rules, the QRU could only offer a maximum of $400,000 annually, leaving RA, as the lead negotiator, to formalise a package that would keep the hulking centre on Brisbane soil.

Leaked emails show Picone made a formal proposal to the Reds and RA, as early as May 2018, asking for a five-year deal. Six months ago, RA tabled an offer starting at $850,000 and scaling up to $1 million in the fourth year of the proposed deal.

However, RA and the Reds privately felt it was a futile attempt because, in their eyes, Kerevi already had one foot on the plane to Japan.

In one email sent to Picone on February 18, Reds chief executive David Hanham moves to seek clarity on Kerevi’s future.

He writes in part: “It’s disappointing to hear from multiple sources that Samu will be departing the Queensland Reds. I understand we have not had a chance to present our collective offer so I find this very difficult to understand why an offer would be accepted without reviewing the formal offer from Queensland Rugby & Rugby Australia.”

But Picone attempted to source an offer from the Reds and RA three months earlier, making it clear to Hanham in a November 19 email that he wanted to ramp-up talks on a new deal for Kerevi.

“I will need RA and the Reds to clarify an offer for Sam for 2020 and beyond,” Picone writes in part. “As I have mentioned, I have been lobbying for a long-term deal for 18 months.


“I don’t think he (Kerevi) can do any more than he has over the term of his time at the Reds/Wallabies, hence it is over to you.”

Asked on Saturday to confirm Picone’s company Newstar Sports had sought an offer from the Reds for Kerevi, a QRU spokesman said: “Samu Kerevi is a wonderful player and we would have loved him to stay.

“In saying that, we believe the decision we have made on Newstar Sports is in the best interests of the QRU.”

Picone told The Sunday Mail he wondered why the Reds appeared to stall for two months, opening the door for Suntory.

“I had been trying to convince QRU of Samu’s value as a long-term, franchise player,”

Picone said. “Initially, we proposed a five-year deal for Samu which would have locked him in for two World Cups.

“It’s a simple case of non-buyer’s remorse, maybe key individuals at the Reds need to take ownership of their decisions.”
 
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