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Qld Country - official NRC thread

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Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I think Highlander is technically right in that a national union could force a club to release a player for this tournament like they can do for test rugby but the reality for the ARU is that they are never going to force an Aussie Super Rugby team to release a player who is playing Super Rugby.

I don't think there are any major issues with how the relationship operates. The Super Rugby teams do want their players to go to the JWC if they aren't needed for Super Rugby but at the end of the day the ARU happily accepts that Super Rugby should take precedence if the player is actually being selected to play.
 

Wilson

David Codey (61)
Also only really an issue in world cup years, under 20s is scheduled during the June tests all other years
 

amirite

Chilla Wilson (44)
I think they practise discretion. Am I right in saying JOC (James O'Connor) also wasn't released?
 

Wheatman

Chris McKivat (8)
@RugbyReg put forward the tweet earlier this week that Qld Country shouldn't be this bad. I agree, they shouldn't. I've decided to put my thoughts on the matter.
Firstly, I must put my biases out there. Qld Country NRC is not the Qld Country team I follow. I have tried, but they do not in anyway capture what the true Qld Country rep team is about. The colour of the jersey is about the only thing that's similar. Brisbane City has done more promotion on the Downs (well Toowoomba) than Qld Country. Qld Country may have players who lived/grew up regionally, but they could learn a thing or two from the existing team and what that jersey means for the person playing in it, and the club the player(s) come from. Country rep games hardly ever have huge scorelines, there is too much meaning in these games to play that way. They are hard fought, tough, aggressive, no quarter given matches (esp against NSW country). I also hold QRU in very low regard, for the way they've gouged the Qld Country regions for money and reputation offering very little back (this is ongoing for a long time), with helping clubs and regions keep going, or the capturing and development of players (of all ages), coaches and management of clubs. (Then again I wouldn't go to QRU management training session either!).
To me, Qld Country NRC play like a developmental team, not a rep team. The players look soft, they are looking to push the play without valuing the scoreboard, defence or the win. The players picked (to me) don't look to be the best players in Brisbane in their positions, but the one's the Reds want to put the money into, and experiment with (and are these playing really developing?). They are also, mostly very young. Where are the hardened 26-30yr old A-grade players, that you build a strong, tough edge to build your game around and to be that experienced rock the younger players look to? Some of the U/20 players involved have looked as though the haven't played against older players, some come in and out of games and don't have the consistency needed at this level, and whether their bodies are able to get through 80 mins of play. It almost looks in some positions they're being trained knowing they'll be subbed - so they don't have 80 mins in their legs.
I'm not sure how much coaching they've had, and how Toutai is meant to bring a team together and have a coherent gameplan within 3 weeks, but I hope the chop and changing of coaches for this team (and Brisbane City) is not a constant going forward.
Question for Hospital Cup followers, how many of these players would've been the Hospital Cup best XV (in their playing position in Qld Country NRC).
This rant may be over the top, but I was really hopeful that Qld Country NRC would've been a team that I could follow if it played in the same vain Qld Country rep does. Alas, to me, it has turned into analogy of QRUs handling and engagement of the QC (Quade Cooper) regions. Very unsuccessful. My dilemma is I'll still end up following them.
 

amirite

Chilla Wilson (44)
I'll be honest mate, when you summarise these points and strip it back it sounds like 'I tried to follow this team but they weren't good enough'.

And fair enough, the NRC is new, they haven't earned your loyalty and you shouldn't have to suffer bad results and unattractive scorelines.

Still, to frame this as almost a crisis of consciousness is silly. They're just a team that's performing badly that you don't have an affinity for.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I think considering it a country rep team or any sort of rep team to begin with is not the right starting point.
 

Wheatman

Chris McKivat (8)
I'll be honest mate, when you summarise these points and strip it back it sounds like 'I tried to follow this team but they weren't good enough'.

And fair enough, the NRC is new, they haven't earned your loyalty and you shouldn't have to suffer bad results and unattractive scorelines.

Still, to frame this as almost a crisis of consciousness is silly. They're just a team that's performing badly that you don't have an affinity for.
To be honest, you're right. The difficulty I have is that I live in, and played rugby in country Qld, with the small hope of making the Qld Country rep side (which I didn't get close). It's very hard to walk away from a name that has a lot of emotional attachment to it, to support someone else.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk
 

amirite

Chilla Wilson (44)
To be honest, you're right. The difficulty I have is that I live in, and played rugby in country Qld, with the small hope of making the Qld Country rep side (which I didn't get close). It's very hard to walk away from a name that has a lot of emotional attachment to it, to support someone else.

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Well, I appreciate your candour. And you're right, the team could do more for Qld country.

Right now they're only picking country blokes via traditional 'city rugby' channels, and whilst I wouldn't suggest there'd be too many blokes in the actual Qld country team that would walk into the NRC side, there's no reason they couldn't park a few blokes in the Bond Uni outfit (as an example) for a season, with a view to pick them the next year (if they prove their worth).

Unfortunately, the issues with the QRU are not ones unfamiliar to clubs across the country unfortunately, city and country based.
 

amirite

Chilla Wilson (44)
http://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/rugb...n-notice/ar-BBwvs58?li=AA54yd&ocid=spartandhp

Cheika just given the NRC a shot in the arm. ie Telling Wallaby wannabes that the NRC is where you can make your mark to get selected as with Latu case with his form for NSW Country.

Yeah, but it's also relevant that Simmons put in 2 of the most "I don't want to be here'' shifts in NRC history and got reselected for the Wallabies.

But hey, he actually played pretty well against Argentina.
 

liquor box

Greg Davis (50)
To be honest, you're right. The difficulty I have is that I live in, and played rugby in country Qld, with the small hope of making the Qld Country rep side (which I didn't get close). It's very hard to walk away from a name that has a lot of emotional attachment to it, to support someone else.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

I don't think that there are any professional rep teams anymore with the exception of the Wallabies.

Teams are franchises and choose their names and colors.

the Reds are a QLD based franchise and is not a rep team as such. An overseas player who has never played for a QLD club can be picked in the Reds.

I thought QLD country was a bad choice in names. I also think Brisbane was a poor choice for that matter.
 

kiap

Steve Williams (59)
I thought QLD country was a bad choice in names. I also think Brisbane was a poor choice for that matter.

Compared to "Ballymore Tornadoes", Brisbane City is infinitely better.

The name "East Coast Aces" is also a very poor cousin of Queensland Country.

While the Reds are a franchise, they still draw many/most players from their traditional catchment. They tap the history of the representative team. Otherwise they have no history.

Several factors had to be considered to come up with the NRC names, given the starting point of two Qld teams needing to be based in the SE corner for day-to-day cost reasons.

There was always going to be a team from Brisbane, drawing most of it's players from the metro comp. They've decided to tap into that rep team history and the City-Country clashes.

While more of a stretch for a "Country" team playing on the Gold Coast with a few regional tours, it at least gives some window into the national rugby comp to the country.
 
T

TOCC

Guest
Definetly more could be done to connect with the traditional QLD Rugby catchment, my rugby playing background includes 5 years in regional QLD. But the same logistical issues which the traditional QLD Country face are the same ones the NRC variant face, the tyranny of distance..

It's also the same reason why a Darling Downs team will always struggled or entry into the QPR, some of the best players on the Downs play 2 to 3 hours west of Toowoomba. Getting players together on a regular basis is extremely difficult and taxing in the long term, that's why the traditional QLD Country team will always just be a rep team, brought together for short time frames/tours.

More could be by the current QLD Country team, if they had the money they should be all over the state, I think in the shorter term(2-3years) they should just relegate themselves to bern based on the Gold Coast with an annual game in Toowoomba, consolidate the supporter base and then when the profile of the NRC expands, look to take a touring game to FNQ annually.
 

joeyjohnz

Sydney Middleton (9)
There's 4 "home games" each in the NRC.

Surely, Brisbane City can have the "home" fixture against Country, which could give Country leeway for 1 game in each of Toowoomba, Townsville, GC & SC, with the Derby at Ballymore.

Then again, I think road-trips to FNQ are a bit of a waste if you're selling them "QLD Country" instead of the QLD Reds. I'd rather see the qld country remain represented by the "Qld Reds" and the 2nd QLD team's catchment be everywhere from north of the tweed to the Brisbane River.

You'd have a lot more market penetration and success by bringing the Reds brand to Toowoomba, Townsville & Sunny Coast during the NRC.
 

joeyjohnz

Sydney Middleton (9)
games this year in T-Ba, Gold Coast and NQ.

Goldy get a couple because they are sponsors (Bond Uni)

Sunny Coast to miss out all together? That's a shame. I guess with only 4 "home" games a season the Uni was going to insist on at least 2.

Top marks for getting games out to T-bar and the Ville though. Pre-season games in Toowoomba have been pretty successful over the years. I know it'll never happen, but the Reds need to take 2 games from Suncorp a year and play in Townsville & GC respectively.
 
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