QLD Reds 2010

[Lee Grant]

I watched Bayon v Stade Francais and the England Premiership final London Irish v Leicester. In the latter, our old mate Peter Hewat was at it again - dropped a marvellous goal from 40+ metres out in the first few minutes, but later gifted Leicester a try with a shocking decision for a kick and terrible execution - old Tah habits die very hard. Leicester ground out a 10-9 win.

Saw that game and the Top14 game you mentioned.

Pete is either sweet or sour but he's had a pretty good season for the Exiles, sometimes playing at flyhalf, and I doubt if they would have got to the final 4 without him.

That Bayonne v SF game was exciting with the home team having to win by 10 or more (as it turned out with the result of another game elsewhere at the same time, being factored in.) Though they won it wasn't by enough and even if that happened they would have to have a later result go their way.

It was interesting to see a few Aussies on the park. Gasnier hasn't been promoted in from the wing which is not a great sign. He's played OK this year but has shown a morbid fear of the touchline as most league converts do. I wouldn't mind 10 bucks for every time I saw him go to ground near touch and throw the ball inside afterwards. I think that he'll go well next year though as he is has improved a lot.

Was a bit surprised to see Gower playing 10 for Bayonne as he had been playing 12 in all the other games I saw, but geez - he looked like he had been playing flyhalf in union all his life. Then when the 12 goes off Gower moves out there to make room for 32 y.o. Manny Edmonds and they combine to score a try.

Rodzilla is looking fit and losing his man boobs - which is more than I can say for the SF coach, Link Mckenzie on the sideline. The Bayonne scrum has been looking pretty good all year unless they lose a hit.

Aussie fans would love to watch Top 14 rugby if it was on TV here because it more closely resembles S14 rugby and the French expert commentary is from Florent Rossigneux one of my favourites. As for the play by play guy, Nigel Starmer-Smith, he is so inexact and digresses so much, he is actually funny. But I digress.

As for comment on the Reds: I was devasted, almost as much as a Reds fans at some of their poor play, even taking into account the players they had unavailable at the end of the year. It is all the more upsetting when you see some of the good stuff they have.

For example on Saturday they pull their pants down and grabbed their ankles when they should have been tackling - then they make an admirable comeback later on.

I hope that Mooney doesn't pull the pin though.

 

[Biffo]

How are you getting the tv? On the same channel as I - Eurosports Pacific Channel? I write again: for those of you who don't have that channel, try to get it, it's excellent.

Nigel Starmer-Smith has developed into what would have been very easy to predict when he started commentating. He was unintentionally funny then and is more so now.


Bayonne had a real go, didn't they?

Gower for Italy will be very interesting indeed. Italy's top two tens now may be both Australian.

I think Gasnier is developing well and look forward to his play next year. He didn't have a clue about tackling at first but has improved. I had a second view of the Bayonne match last night and was surprised that Gasnier pulled off a one on one tackle, bringing man and all to ground. Not many leaguies can do that in rugby. His breakdown work is quite impressive.

I made a comment elsewhere that Uncle Reg Gasnier was the best back I ever saw in either code and invited your comment - don't be polite, give me one

 

[Lee Grant]

I download from diwana. Please reply with a new topic on the torrents thread here:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/forum/index.php/board,9.0.html

As for Reg Gasnier: the St George Dragons have been my team for 50 years and still are. I saw him every week in his pomp. He wasn't a stepper like nephew Mark; he was more of a swerver and could run around guys and leave them cold without seeming to lose speed - and he was peerless at setting up players after he made a break.

He was the best attacking outside back I ever saw in league until he lost his speed after his knee reconstruction. Only Kenny was close when he played there, but geez, Reg would finish a lot of games with a clean jersey. He wasn't the hardest defender you ever saw and that's why I can't compare him with the likes of Johns, Lockyer and Kenny.

 

[RugbyReg]

So we (and the Force) are apparently chasing Andy Titteral.

The England international joined Gloucester in 2007 after winning the Guinness Premiership title with Sale Sharks.

He has the ability to play in the back-row, but his most favored position is the No2 position.

His debut season was excellent and he battled with Olivier Azam to claim a consistent spot at hooker. His pace for a front-row forward is phenomenal and he is an extremely powerful scrumagger.

Titterrell's form was that impressive he was chosen to tour with the Saxons squad at the 2008 Churchill Cup.

He will be looking solidify his position as Gloucester's hooker this season and further his international ambitions.

He looks small and is obviously fairly loose. Should suit QLD play.....

 

[formeropenside]

So we (and the Force) are apparently chasing Andy Titteral.

The England international joined Gloucester in 2007 after winning the Guinness Premiership title with Sale Sharks.

He has the ability to play in the back-row, but his most favored position is the No2 position.

His debut season was excellent and he battled with Olivier Azam to claim a consistent spot at hooker. His pace for a front-row forward is phenomenal and he is an extremely powerful scrumagger.

Titterrell's form was that impressive he was chosen to tour with the Saxons squad at the 2008 Churchill Cup.

He will be looking solidify his position as Gloucester's hooker this season and further his international ambitions.

He looks small and is obviously fairly loose. Should suit QLD play.....

As an marquee import or as a future Wallaby? I assume the latter. Even if we get him it would be nice to have Hardman hang around too.

 

[Spook]

So we (and the Force) are apparently chasing Andy Titteral.

The England international joined Gloucester in 2007 after winning the Guinness Premiership title with Sale Sharks.

He has the ability to play in the back-row, but his most favored position is the No2 position.

His debut season was excellent and he battled with Olivier Azam to claim a consistent spot at hooker. His pace for a front-row forward is phenomenal and he is an extremely powerful scrumagger.

Titterrell's form was that impressive he was chosen to tour with the Saxons squad at the 2008 Churchill Cup.

He will be looking solidify his position as Gloucester's hooker this season and further his international ambitions.

He looks small and is obviously fairly loose. Should suit QLD play.....

As an marquee import or as a future Wallaby? I assume the latter. Even if we get him it would be nice to have Hardman hang around too.

Titts is capped for England.

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

Horwill resings to the Reds and ARU for two years: http://redsrugby.com.au/library/news/2009/090529_horwill_recommits_for_two_years,68779.html/section/62576

Now for Berrick!

 

[Lee Grant]

Horwill resings

"Dream The impossible Dream"?

 

[formeropenside]

So, for 2010:

Confirmed Losses - MMM (perhaps playing in 2010 however) [Japan]

Rumored Losses - Digby [Japan], Hardman [retirement], Braid [who knows?]

Possible Losses - Van H [retirement], Dayna Edwards [is his contract up? is he injured again?]

Confirmed Gains - Will Chambers [Melb Storm]

Rumored Gains - one of Rocky Elsom [Leinster] or Mitchell Chapman [Brumbies]

Possible Gains - Titteral [Gloucester]

Likely to move up from Academy - Shaw

Players off contract to resign for 2010: Barnes, Genia (at least)

Duds who wont be kept now contract has expired: Well, the duds all appeared to be signed until 2010.

 

[RugbyReg]

this is how I think the contracts stand:

QLD K End
Van Humphreys ???
Will Genia ???
Leroy Houston 2011
Will Chambers 2011
Ben Daley 2011
Greg Holmes 2011
James Horwill 2011

Ben Lucas 2010
Saia Fainga'a 2010
Anthony Fainga'a 2010
Peter Hynes 2010
Blair Connor 2010
Robert Simmons 2010
James Hanson 2010
Rodney Davies 2010
Aiden Toua 2010
Dayna Edwards 2010
Scott Higginbotham 2010
Poutasi Luafutu 2010
Brando Vaalu 2010
Charlie Fetoai 2010
Quade Cooper 2010
Adam Byrnes 2010
Laurie Weeks 2010
Jack Kennedy 2010
Mark McLinden 2010
Morgan Turinui 2010
Ezra Taylor 2010

Berrick Barnes 2009
Digby Ione 2009
Hugh McMeniman 2009
Sean Hardman 2009
Daniel Braid 2009

 

[formeropenside]

We love the two year contract period, dont we? Why the hell would you not offer a Barnes or Horwill a 3 or 5 year deal? Is it tied to the ARU contract duration in such cases?

 

[formeropenside]

Reds 27 man squad for Japan match, 10 June:

Mooney selects strong squad for Japan match
Tuesday, 2 June 2009

QR Reds coach Phil Mooney has named 18 contracted Reds players in an extended 27-man squad for the Ballymore match against Japan on Wednesday, June 10 (kickoff 7:00pm).

It will be Japan's final hitout before the Pacific Nations Cup.

The Reds lineup is a mix of contracted Reds, QAS Academy, and Premier Rugby club players not involved with the Wallabies or Australia’s Under 20 campaign.

"We’ve got an exciting blend of contracted players and club players,” Mooney said.

“In the forwards we’ve got most of our contracted forwards available and in the backs, due to injuries and Wallaby selection, we’ve been able to select a few club players.”

Joining the available Reds are Academy representatives Jono Lance, Keiran Lander and Dom Shipperley, who have been selected alongside six Premier Rugby standouts: lock Liam Shaw, halfback Curtis Franks, centre Albert Vulivuli, flyhalf Dallan Murphy and wingers Ant Sauer and Ken Robertson.

The youngest member is 18-year-old Robertson, who has a distinguished schoolboy rugby resume having being selected for Australia, Australia A and Queensland Schools in 2008.

This year, the Wests colt has honed his skills by playing in the world renowned 'Samurai' Invitational Sevens tournament and in two camps with the Australian national Sevens team.

Shaw, Sauer and Murphy all come from Premier Rugby leaders Brothers, with Franks and Vulivuli from Easts and Souths respectively.

Academy flyhalf Lance has been selected for his performances with University and in the QAS Reds 2nd XV matches earlier this year, while Shipperley has continued his development in the Academy, for the Australian Sevens, and in Brothers' colts side this season.

Lander is a former Australian Rugby schoolboy representative who signed with Queensland's Academy earlier this year after a brief stint in rugby league with the Brisbane Broncos.

“We are now seven or eight games into the club competition and the boys who have been selected have been performing really well for their clubs,” Mooney said.

“As we’ve seen this year, the guys who have come in have had a real crack, so this is a great opportunity for them.

“We’ve also picked two of the best young colts in Dom Shipperley and Ken Robertson and both have had exposure to the Australian Sevens team.”

Mooney said the match was the perfect opportunity for some of the younger players to gain experience in a professional environment.

“This is an opportunity to play against an international team and it is a great honour for us,” he said.

“These days you don’t get to play against international opposition that often and even on development tours you generally play against other provincial sides.”

The squad commenced training at Ballymore this week.

Backs: Blair Connor (Norths), Anthony Fainga'a (Souths), Charlie Fetoai (Sunnybank), Curtis Franks (Easts), Jono Lance (University), Keiran Lander (Easts), Ben Lucas (Sunnybank), Mark McLinden (Sunnybank), Dallan Murphy (Brothers), Ken Robertson (Wests), Anthony Sauer (Brothers), Dom Shipperley (Brothers), Brando Va'aulu (University), Albert Vulivuli (Souths)

Forwards: Adam Byrnes (University), Ben Daley (Gold Coast), Saia Fainga'a (Souths), James Hanson (University), Scott Higginbotham (Wests), Greg Holmes (Sunnybank), Leroy Houston (Norths), Van Humphries (Souths), Jack Kennedy (Souths), Poutasi Luafutu (Wests), Ezra Taylor (University), Liam Shaw (Brothers), Laurie Weeks (University)

No Hardman, but there is a Van. Reasonably strong forward pack, but the backs suffer a bit, especially the inside backs.

Watch for Leroy to carve up against the Japanese, only to go missing in bigger games.

 

[TOCC]

dam, i suppose at the end of the day, McMenimen isnt even a confirmed loss for 2010, the QRU is still trying to get ARU approval so McMenimen can play until the end of the season.


Potentially we could have the same roster as 2009, Braid, Ioane, Barnes and Hardman could all still stay, along with McMenimen.


Which if it is the case, would be a great thing, but probably unlikely that they will all remain.

 

[RugbyReg]

Jim Tucker and Bernie Pramberg

June 03, 2009 12:00am

THE cash-strapped Queensland Rugby Union yesterday gutted its commercial department in reaction to tough times both on and off the field.

QRU chief executive Ken Freer delivered the shock news to stunned staff at Ballymore yesterday while also calling for workers to each take a week's voluntary leave without pay.

Freer volunteered to take a week's leave without pay himself. The QRU recorded a $4.41 million loss last year.

Ballymore's $4.2 million drain through depreciation and the write-down of ageing stands contorted the bottom line most of all, but weakening corporate box sales at Suncorp Stadium for Reds games this year will factor into 2009's result.

Cutting four staff followed April's bleak outlook from the QRU annual general meeting when chairman Peter Lewis warned of belt-tightening because of shrinking corporate and consumer spending in the global financial crisis.

The commercial department was halved by three sudden redundancies in the area of marketing, corporate partnerships and sponsorship servicing with the exit of Rhys Watkins, Nicole Comerford and Amy Kirkham.

Watkins had been in the role as general manager of marketing and corporate partnerships for eight months.

Comerford's engaging inter-personal skills in sponsorship partnerships were one of the QRU's big assets for five years and she was involved in driving the Reds brand.

Kirkham's commitment extended to a rushed return flight to Sydney to collect a new set of specially struck Reds jerseys after a full set was torched in a laundry fire on match eve.

Reds Academy athletic performance coach Jamie Youngson was also moved on.

"Unfortunately, these are tough times and we had to make difficult decisions," said Reds chairman Lewis.

"It breaks your heart but we have to make tough decisions to stay afloat."

 

[Lee Grant]

Depreciation is a bookkeeping entry and doesn't affect one's cash, in fact in tax paying entities it will help the cash position because it reduces tax payable - to the extent it is deductible.

But it's not a great result nevertheless.

 

[Scotty]

I think that is why the article says it 'contorted the bottom line'

 

[Biffo]

From the Courier-Mail web site. Andrew Slack interviewing Peter Lewis:

Slack: Queensland rugby enjoyed 25 years of enormous success, but the first decade of the 21st century has seen extremely lean pickings. Is there a realistic time line on when fans could expect to again get any consistent joy?

Lewis: Finals next year, grand finalist in 2011, a World Cup year where Queenslanders will dominate the Wallabies squad.

Slack: Are you serious?

Lewis: Absolutely.

Is any comment needed?

 

[cyclopath]

From the Courier-Mail web site. Andrew Slack interviewing Peter Lewis:

Slack: Queensland rugby enjoyed 25 years of enormous success, but the first decade of the 21st century has seen extremely lean pickings. Is there a realistic time line on when fans could expect to again get any consistent joy?

Lewis: Finals next year, grand finalist in 2011, a World Cup year where Queenslanders will dominate the Wallabies squad.

Slack: Are you serious? drunk / stoned / tired and emotional

Lewis: Absolutely.

Is any comment needed?

Fixed - Slacky asked the wrong question

 

[Biffo]

thanks; you are very wise.

 

[formeropenside]

From the Courier-Mail web site. Andrew Slack interviewing Peter Lewis:

Slack: Queensland rugby enjoyed 25 years of enormous success, but the first decade of the 21st century has seen extremely lean pickings. Is there a realistic time line on when fans could expect to again get any consistent joy?

Lewis: Finals next year, grand finalist in 2011, a World Cup year where Queenslanders will dominate the Wallabies squad.

Slack: Are you serious?

Lewis: Absolutely.

Is any comment needed?

yeah, he's clearly wrong, if Queenslanders could not dominate the Wallaby squads through the 90's when the Tahs had the pants beat off them over and over again, just making the final in 2011 wont mean Queensland success is properly rewarded with Wallaby selection.