Queensland Reds 2026
- Thread starter Adam84
- Start date
JRugby2
Colin Windon (37)
I think living a private life outside of sport, has since 2021 according to wiki
Ras
Chris McKivat (8)
Horrid run with concussions meant he retired about two years ago
PhilClinton
Mark Ella (57)
Poor bloke never really got off the ground. I remember watching him come back and play for GPS and always thought geez the bloke is built like the should be dominating here but he never really took that next step.
Strewthcobber
Phil Kearns (64)
Moving the co-captain on based off 7mins of junk time in a lost test is a pretty red hot take!
Mind you, I'm not the greatest fan of Tate as a starter due to that pass, and he will be coming back from 6months off and a significant injury which probably impacts acceleration and pace (McDermott's real strengths), so you never know.
Some one other than Tate will get plenty of opportunity to press their claim in 2026
Yoda
Dick Tooth (41)
I didn't infer moving him on. Just that as an impact player he is brilliant. His pass isn't as good as it could be though. Love his quick tap option and quick thinking. It should be every half and team's option on every penalty. It's why I hate the fact that the referees do not police penalised teams holding the ball or throwing it away. March a side 10m every time and it would soon stamp out the practice.
Wilson
David Wilson (68)
Tate might work his way back from the bench on return from injury, but I don't think we've seen anything to suggest he won't be the starter again by the pointy end of the super season. There were more than a few games Tate bossed last year from the start, and there's just too many opportunities for him to exploit mismatches at this level to reduce his minutes long term.
Kalani (and Werchon) will still have some say in that based on performances while Tate is out, but nothing they've show so far suggests they're ready to push past him on a permanent basis, and I have rated Kalani for a while now.
Kalani (and Werchon) will still have some say in that based on performances while Tate is out, but nothing they've show so far suggests they're ready to push past him on a permanent basis, and I have rated Kalani for a while now.
PhilClinton
Mark Ella (57)
Kalani has definitely improved with more gametime and time in the Reds system.
The lifecycle of a halfback is volatile. The young ones are usually stuck behind the incumbent with minimal game time compared to other bench subs. Things can then quickly change once they start getting more significant minutes due to an injury and showcasing their individual talents.
I can't see Tate falling off a cliff, but at the same time, we've seen halfback hierarchies change very quickly, particularly at the Reds.
The lifecycle of a halfback is volatile. The young ones are usually stuck behind the incumbent with minimal game time compared to other bench subs. Things can then quickly change once they start getting more significant minutes due to an injury and showcasing their individual talents.
I can't see Tate falling off a cliff, but at the same time, we've seen halfback hierarchies change very quickly, particularly at the Reds.
JRugby2
Colin Windon (37)
I think the most likely outcome is Tate will own the 9 jersey at the Reds unless he's injured or leaves. I know that overseas rugby is on his radar at some point in his career and so there will be a permanent opportunity for someone else but the earliest I see this happening is 2028, potentially not until post 2031.
Sabbaticals could change this of course but he's tried recently to get one and failed, so in current market conditions unless he steps up to be one of the best 9s in the world, a move overseas would need to be on a long term basis.
liquor box
John Hipwell (52)
Has he said this, or do you just know?
I was hoping that the money from a home world cup may be used to retain players in Australia and stop them leaving for money. I guess he may want to leave for the adventure no matter the money on offer?
Major Tom
Peter Fenwicke (45)
It was written into his last deal (like best Bobby V) but there just doesn’t seem to be much opportunity for halfbacks on that type of deal lately.
JRugby2
Colin Windon (37)
He's said it in private forums, and he had the contract clause.
And even if it were more hush hush and I was just rumour-mongering, an established Australian Rugby player wanting to experience the world for a few years through rugby is hardly a revelation. It is incredibly rare for someone with more than 20 tests to play their entire career in Australia to the point where I'm struggling to think of a single example in the last 15 years.
JRugby2
Colin Windon (37)
Wilson
David Wilson (68)
Slipper is probably a special case, given his issue with cocaine back when he left the Reds probably undercut his value in the wider market and more importantly his desire to go elsewhere. Definitely not the standard.
Ala'alatoa is just about the only senior guy kicking around right now who hasn't gone OS at all, but it's probably pretty likely for him post world cup.
I imagine the only other experienced wallabies not to have gone overseas are likely to be guys who had their careers cut short by injury.