Reds 2018

[TOCC]

I know better than to continue arguing with people who believe they are right. Let's just say I'm falling on Brad Thorn's side of the trial match thing. I just can't see the point of letting everyone know what you've got and risking players to injury unnecessarily.

That’s why I didn’t quote your comment when i said what I said.

Brisbane 10s has changed the standard pre-season for Super Rugby clubs anyway, that now takes the place of what would have been a trial weekend. Whilst combinations don’t really benefit, it does allow a bit of match fitness and builds media interest prior to the season.

 

[Scrubber2050]

So.

15 Lucas
14 Daugunu
13 Kerevi
12 Paia’aua
11 Perese
10 Stewart
9 Tuttle

8 Timu
7 Wright
6 Higginbotham
5 Rodda
4 Tui
3 Tupou
2 Ready
1 Slipper

16 BPA
17 Smith
18 Faga’ase
19 Douglas
20 Korczyk
21 Sorovi
22 CFS
23 Nabuli

They’re going to have to play out of their skin to have any success.

Reg pretty good side but I think 10 and 15 will be different starters and Lucas covering nearly all spots in the backline. Also wouldn't surprise me if Douglas has a huge start to the season. Contract is up for renewal this year (I think)

 

[RugbyReg]

Reg pretty good side but I think 10 and 15 will be different starters and Lucas covering nearly all spots in the backline. Also wouldn't surprise me if Douglas has a huge start to the season. Contract is up for renewal this year (I think)

well if the Lance news is confirmed, he'd be my starting 15. But who are your suggestions?

 

[Scrubber2050]

well if the Lance news is confirmed, he'd be my starting 15. But who are your suggestions?

Reckon Lance will be 10 with Stewart the understudy. At 15 I'd be looking at Toua

 

[Zero_Cool]

I was curious and so I did some digging about Ben Lucas and I'm not sure he's as good as everyone appears to be remembering / thinks he is.
Firstly, towards the end of his time at Montpellier he was struggling to even get on the bench for them, let alone start. While I do concede he was pushed out by some quality players - Jesse Mogg, François Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, and Nick White to name a few. He has come off a contract in Japan where he played for an average side (literally finished 8th out of 16).
Looking at his time there, of the 15 games he started only 3, none at 10. He had 4 appearances off the bench and 8 games where he wasn't in the 23.

So here is what we can see from the most recent evidence -- he isn't outstanding by French Standards; he isn't even outstanding by Japanese standards.
Given this track record; personally I don't think he'll be starting -- I'm not 100% on Daugunu or Perese at 15, but I think Daugunu has a decent shot (again assuming there aren't any players added to the squad). I would say at this point (from what I've seen) the likelihood of starting at 15 is 40/35/25 Daugunu/Lucas/Perese.

Obviously if Lance is signed he starts at 15 with Daugunu returning to 14. But I'm not sure there are too many scenarios where Lucas is too much more than a guy who can cover a lot of positions.

Also regarding the 'Who plays 10' question, I just don't think you dump Quade if your intention was anything other than starting Hamish Stewart. (I have been amazed at the ineptitude of Queensland Rugby in the past but SURELY you don't dump Quade for Stewart only to start Lace or even worse Lucas.

 

[Ignoto]

well if the Lance news is confirmed, he'd be my starting 15. But who are your suggestions?

Confirmed!! https://www.instagram.com/p/BeO4g4wHaqq/?hl=en

 

[RugbyReg]

The big positives with Lucas and Lance (well perhaps a few) are their versatility and the experience/attitude. Both are renowned for the culture they contribute too. That will be important in this young squad and surely a big factor for Brad's contracting.

But is it not good list management as well? Signed both for just a year. Probably unlikely to hang around after that. With the salary cap being back in play next year, there are likely to be some players squeezed out of the Rebels in particular.

I'd be happy to take Jack Maddocks off their hand if he's frustrated behind DHP.

 

[Rebels3]

So im thinking Lance will be the starting 10 instead of 15, can see him been a good foil for DP, who i think will be the key player to the backline kinda like he was for QLD Country.

9. Tuttle
10. Lance
11. Perese
12. DP
13. Kerevi
14. Nabuli
15. Lucas

With Stewart and Daugunu both groomed to by seasons end at 10 and 15 respectively.

I'd suspect we will hear about Quade now this part of the situation is sorted and where he will end up in the next week or two

 

[upthereds#!]

Toua would be a good pickup if we can get him. Specialist fullback who was doing good things at the Brumbies when Larkham started to let him run as opposed to be mainly a punter.

Need some rugby positional nous in the back 3.

 

[biggsy]

With lance back, its offical. Thorn hates Cooper for being Cooper not for a being a Rugby player.

 

[TOCC]

It might be a bit retrospective... but Lucas and Lance seem to more befitting of the style of play Thorn is likely to employ, rather then Quade.. Thats based on what limited viewing I've had of teams he has coached in the U20's and NRC.

 

[Zero_Cool]

So im thinking Lance will be the starting 10 instead of 15, can see him been a good foil for DP, who i think will be the key player to the backline kinda like he was for QLD Country.

9. Tuttle
10. Lance
11. Perese
12. DP
13. Kerevi
14. Nabuli
15. Lucas

With Stewart and Daugunu both groomed to by seasons end at 10 and 15 respectively.

I'd suspect we will hear about Quade now this part of the situation is sorted and where he will end up in the next week or two

Regarding Quade - he is going to play Club Rugby until June (?) and try to pick up a contract most likely in Japan. He's actually exactly the type of player they would love in Japan electric all out attacking rugby unlike in France where he wasn't appreciated for what he is. (This is all but confirmed by a few people I know involved with the QRU.) I don't know that Lucas will be starting at 15 over Stewart, I think you could quite easily start Stewart at 15 tomorrow and he'd be better than Lucas. I really think Lucas is being very much overrated by a lot of people, he was good he's not that good anymore. Plus if you are building for the future you wouldn't be doing that with Stewart coming off the bench. I think they start Stewart at 15 with Daugunu coming into 15 when Stewart moves to 15. Lucas is most likely a backup 9 (he's probably an upgrade over Sorovi or McDermott) who covers 10, 11, 12, 14, & 15. Also how many goal kicking options will this team have! Tuttle, Stewart, Daugunu, Lance, Lucas all good kickers!

Toua would be a good pickup if we can get him. Specialist fullback who was doing good things at the Brumbies when Larkham started to let him run as opposed to be mainly a punter.

From watching Toua over his whole career the punting isn't likely a thing the coach has asked him to do. He's *always* kicked it much more than he has run it, despite being average at best when kicking. I don't think it's likely that Toua would be sought by the Reds, I just don't think the need is there for what he would bring. He's lightning fast but he's always been an average decision maker Thorn looks like he really values high rugby IQ guys and I don't think Toua fits that mould.

 

[TOCC]

I think Lucas's contribution to the squad will be by relieving some of the expectations and pressure off Stewart, and providing the experience off the bench at 10/12/15 if things go pear shaped. Lance also fills this role, but i see him as a certain starter, most likely at 10 but potentially 15.

 

[glass half full]

I was curious and so I did some digging about Ben Lucas and I'm not sure he's as good as everyone appears to be remembering / thinks he is.
Firstly, towards the end of his time at Montpellier he was struggling to even get on the bench for them, let alone start. While I do concede he was pushed out by some quality players - Jesse Mogg, François Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, and Nick White to name a few. He has come off a contract in Japan where he played for an average side (literally finished 8th out of 16).
Looking at his time there, of the 15 games he started only 3, none at 10. He had 4 appearances off the bench and 8 games where he wasn't in the 23.

So here is what we can see from the most recent evidence -- he isn't outstanding by French Standards; he isn't even outstanding by Japanese standards.
Given this track record; personally I don't think he'll be starting -- I'm not 100% on Daugunu or Perese at 15, but I think Daugunu has a decent shot (again assuming there aren't any players added to the squad). I would say at this point (from what I've seen) the likelihood of starting at 15 is 40/35/25 Daugunu/Lucas/Perese.

Obviously if Lance is signed he starts at 15 with Daugunu returning to 14. But I'm not sure there are too many scenarios where Lucas is too much more than a guy who can cover a lot of positions.

Also regarding the 'Who plays 10' question, I just don't think you dump Quade if your intention was anything other than starting Hamish Stewart. (I have been amazed at the ineptitude of Queensland Rugby in the past but SURELY you don't dump Quade for Stewart only to start Lace or even worse Lucas.

You may find that his reduced game time at Montpellier coincided with the arrival of Jake White. Guess which coach left France and ended up in Japan coaching Lucas' team? Sometimes players just don't fit into a coaches plans and it has nothing to do with ability.

I recall Lucas as a very dedicated and gutsy player capable of filling a number of back line positions. His versatility, experience, level headedness and respectful nature is precisely what is required for a coach and team that is re-building around a very young and inexperienced roster. He's more than worth a punt.

Good on the Reds and all the best to Lucas.

 

[fatprop]

Reg pretty good side but I think 10 and 15 will be different starters and Lucas covering nearly all spots in the backline. Also wouldn't surprise me if Douglas has a huge start to the season. Contract is up for renewal this year (I think)

Douglas's strength, at his best, is that he gets the dog work done for 80 minutes, not the flashy stuff. To me, he is a starter, not a bench unit. If Thorn has him playing near his best he will allow the other young locks to be more dynamic

 

[RugbyReg]

I’m not sure of Tui’s fitness to start the season. I think he went under the knife during the off season? If that’s the case then Kane will likely start and Lukhan can soon enough work his way back from the bench.

But the best locking combination, from my perspective, is Tui and Rodda.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

I’m not sure of Tui’s fitness to start the season. I think he went under the knife during the off season? If that’s the case then Kane will likely start and Lukhan can soon enough work his way back from the bench.

But the best locking combination, from my perspective, is Tui and Rodda.

Watching the NRC live I thought Douglas played well. Tui got all the press because he took a lot of hit ups but Douglas was smashing rucks and making hard tackles. I really like seeing him do extras with Ezra Taylor and Higgers. I'd say he is in for a big year.

 

[neilc]

I’m not sure of Tui’s fitness to start the season. I think he went under the knife during the off season? If that’s the case then Kane will likely start and Lukhan can soon enough work his way back from the bench.

But the best locking combination, from my perspective, is Tui and Rodda.

At training last week Tui and Douglas were involved in all the physical stuff, Rodda was doing non- contact running drills along with Nabuli. I seem to recall that Rodda was due to miss the first few games after surgery or something like that. Some of the young locks look really young - one reminded us of a very young Rob Simmons.

 

[Tangawizi]

Can we bring back this guy next? Surely recycling waste in the ACT can't be as interesting as winning Super Rugby comps...

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[Ignoto]

I don't think the blokes interested in dealing with the ARU or even the current QRU. All that hard work he and his team at the time put in and its all be pissed away.