Qld Premier Rugby 2012

[Sully]

Gold Coast v Easts write up on the Front page.

 

[SouthernX]

I don't know about poaching. It's more like recruiting when your that age & headed for a Colts program. When you're that age playing colts rugby your really diving into the first bit of Club Rugby since you were in primary school. (Honestly what teenager has the time to do AIC/GPS & CLUB RUGBY all in the same season?)

As University doesn't offer Junior club rugby (they have a partnership with the Kenmore Bears, but that's different) , I have trouble buying into the term poaching when I see it more as the term recruitment. But had University interfered with our Colts program, I do not know & don't think so because I would hate to use the term because at that age you have the right to go elsewhere if your not getting an opportunity/things are not working out.

 

[PlayedinHeaven]

Mate Mullins is awesome. And is with out doubt upto prem grade level. If u watch him in reserve grade he carries that backline this season

Unfortunatley Easts reserve grade is not very good so thats not much of a compliment for Mullins, no doubt he could plug a hole in premier grade for a while but is not an option if they are looking to win the comp... likewise with Krelle and UJ, Luckily for Easts there is nothing wrong with Matt Brandon and he will be back after the bye, he has a hairline fracture of his fibula which needs no surgery or brace or anything. which is great news for tigers because he's easily the best 10 in the comp. they consistently win games of the back of his direction, general play kicking and goal kicking. Unfortunately Dallan Murphy has had a full knee reconstruction and wont be back this year so i have grave doubts over the bretherens ability to win the comp with Taikao Simpson at 10. he doesnt tackle, and his decision making is ordinary, good winger though. they need to find something else if they are a hope. All in all i think the competition still depends on whether everybody can keep sunnybank out of the finals. if they make it they will win fairly easily, just too many rep players to come back.

 

[spectator]

Comforting to know that Brandon is not sidelined but Easts really do have to develop a Plan B in case he does spend any time on the sideline. Brothers are now in a position where they have to develop thier Plan B, it will be interesting to see how they cope without Dallan Murphy. Big shame for him to be ruled out for the season.

 

[G&GR News Bot]

The much sought after Welsby Cup has moved into Crosby Park for a year
The much-anticipated Welsby Cup match between first and second-placed Brothers and Easts lived up to its prestigious tag. Both teams played with guts and determination and Brothers earned a hard-fought 28-17 victory over the Tigers.
In other games, the Sunshine Coast received their first win of the season, narrowly defeating the Gold Coast 26-22. GPS achieved a very convincing win over Norths by winning 30-3. Souths beat reigning Premiers Sunnybank 31-26 whilst Uni came out on top over Wests, winning 13-8.
As each week goes by, the finals keep getting closer and closer. At this stage of the competition, it is really tight at the top and proves that it can be anyone’s game. What will the coming weeks bring for our stellar Premier Grade Competition? Only time will tell…
Until then, you can keep up to date with all the Premier Rugby news by using this link: http://www.redsrugby.com.au/PremierRugby.aspx
On this page, you can look at the ladder for each grade competition to see where your club is placed. There’s also detailed match reports which look at each game and include what coaches were thinking after the match. Happy trawling!
Brothers v Easts.

The much-anticipated Welsby Cup clash between Easts and Brothers didn’t disappoint, with Brothers achieving a hard-fought 28-17 victory over Easts.
Easts were on a mission to maintain possession of the Cup after last year’s victory over Brothers and showed strong displays of attack from the onset, testing Brothers’ stellar defence.
Brothers demonstrated consistently strong team work, combining their skills to stop several Easts players just short of the line and gain more territory. Despite this, it was a frustrating first half for Brothers, with Dallan Murphy’s boot being the sole points provider. Brothers attempted to capitalise on some handling errors from Easts but Easts’ defence proved too strong.
Brothers coach Matt Kaye noted a need for improvement, “Even though it was great to get the win and it’s great that we’re still on the top of the table, we just need to keep improving every week and we’ll work on the holes that showed in our performance today.”

Matt Brandon ready for some good set piece ball with Shannon “Jet Shoes” Walker lurking
Australian Sevens player Shannon Walker proved to be an integral part of the Easts side, scoring the only try of the first half. His speed and effective attack made him a standout player in the game.
The pace picked up in the second half, with both teams putting more points on the board as the presentation of the much-coveted Welsby Cup loomed. Easts’ defence slightly weakened, conceding three tries in the second half. Coach Pat Richards acknowledged his team’s overall strong performance but also believes that improvement is needed, “I’m still confident as finals get closer but ultimately Brothers was the better side today and we can learn from the experience.”
Coach Kaye also has the finals in his sights, “I’m definitely confident going into the rest of the season but once again, improvement is a necessity in order to get to the finals.”
The presentation of the Welsby Cup to Brothers added to the buzzing atmosphere of the large home crowd, with Ladies Day coinciding with the encounter.
Brothers will move away from Crosby Park next week, being hosted by an ever-strengthening Wests side and Easts will play the Gold Coast Breakers.
Brothers 28 (Dallan Murphy, Luke Beauchamp 2 tries, Dallan Murphy 3 pen, 1 con) defeated Easts (Shannon Walker, Andrew Parker tries, Matt Brandon 1 pen, 2 con)
GPS v Norths

Match review here
Round 10 Results

Home TeamScoreversusAway TeamScoreLocation
Brothers28vEasts17Brothers / Jack Ross Oval
GPS30vNorths3GPS / Yoku Road
Sunnybank26vSouths31Sunnybank / Old Mac Oval
Sunshine Coast Rugby Union26vRugby Gold Coast22Sunshine Coast Rugby Union / Stockland Park
University of Queensland13vWests8Ballymore / Ballymore 1
Round 11 Matches

Home TeamversusAway TeamLocationMatch Time
NorthsvUniversity of QueenslandNorths / Hugh Courtney Oval1515
Rugby Gold CoastvEastsRugby Gold Coast / Surfers Paradise RC, Albert Park1500
SouthsvGPSSouths / Chipsy Wood Oval1500
Sunshine Coast Rugby UnionvSunnybankSunshine Coast Rugby Union / Stockland Park1400
WestsvBrothersWests / Sedgman Oval 11500
The Ladder after round 10

TeamPLayedWonLostDrawnForAgainstDfBP th>BP 4tPoints
Brothers109103141781360642
University of Queensland107303532291241736
GPS10730259169903435
Easts10730282197852535
Sunnybank10550302232703528
Wests10550215249-342022
Souths9450217219-21421
Norths10280195322-1270412
Rugby Gold Coast10280187322-1352111
Sunshine Coast Rugby Union9180129336-207015
Join the conversation in the forum thread — we’d love your input. Give us your thoughts on the game you attended and we’ll put it in next week’s post. Remember your #3rdtier hashtag when tweeting the games, and check out the 3rdTier Facebook page.
And remember: If You Come, They Will Build It.

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[G&GR News Bot]

If You Come, They Will Build It.​

As we walked into Albert Park on a beautiful Winter’s afternoon, the talk was not on who would win but on by how much. The consensus was Easts, by a lot! We bought some of the great burgers that Surfers Paradise Rugby make, found a spot and settled in to watch a walkover. But that’s not what we got!
It was clear from the opening seconds that this was not the Breakers side we have seen for the last few weeks. These players were fired up, talking to each other, yelling for holes to be filled in defence and had clear patterns to work to in attack. Sure, Easts had all that too, but I was thinking ‘if the Breakers can keep this up we’re in for a great game of rugby’.
The game was willing with both teams making mini-breaks. One of these saw Easts on the Goal Coast’s goal line but somehow the home team turned the ball over and saved the try. They set up a ruck in front of their posts and unfortunately the pass for the clearing kick dribbled along the floor. Easts dived on the ball to score and easily converted to lead 7–0.
The Gold Coast side hit back with the try of the afternoon. From set play on the half way line five-eighth Cayden Matehaere threw a beautiful long pass to outside centre Liam MacGeachy, who was already hitting the gap. He burst open Easts’ midfield, drawing defenders from all quarters, and threw another long pass to winger Tim Hindmarsh, who was already outside his man and scooted into the corner to score. It really was pretty to watch. Matehaere converted to level the scores.
For about the first half hour of the game both teams played great rugby but the last 10 or so minutes of the half were all Easts. They piled on 17 unanswered points with a great team try to put winger Chris Mansel over in the corner. A second converted try came from counter-attack off a poor Breakers chip kick. To top it off, Gold Coast infringed at the breakdown in front of their posts on the stroke of half time. The penalty goal made it 24–7.

The set piece was hard-fought all day
I don’t know what was said in the Gold Coast huddle at half time but the team came out after drinks and played like men possessed. Tiny halfback Tepou Nipurahi controlled the game completely for the next 40 minutes. He either has no fear or is completely crazy. He constantly took on much bigger men with no hesitation with his snipes around the rucks, mixing it with great service to his backs. He’s a player worth watching again, I’m sure.
Gold Coast were straight on attack after the kick-off and won a penalty near the posts and five out. Nipurahi instantly took the tap and put Winiata Barrett over next to the posts. The conversion took the score to 24–12.
Shortly afterwards the Gold Coasts were camped in Easts’ quarter and put a man over in the left corner, making it 24–19 with the conversion.
The Breakers forwards were making lots of metres around the ruck but Easts weren’t done yet. Centre Toby White cut through the Gold Coast’s midfield like a shark through a school of fish and headed for the try line, falling just short. The Breakers won the penalty to save the try but didn’t release the ball in the first ruck after the resulting lineout. Uj Seuteni continued his kicking master class to increase the buffer to 27–19.
And then the Breakers hit back. I didn’t catch who threw the pass to put winger Hayden Julius in, but it was beautifully weighted and Hayden ran a nice line to completely beat his opposition. He ran around to make the kick easier and the conversion brought the score to 27–26 with 8 minutes to go.
At this point I wrote one word in my notes: Patience!!! But the Breakers could sense an upset and pushed hard — too hard. They had plenty of possession and were playing all the rugby, with Easts simply holding on. But they were losing lots of possession too. They had a few chances to win, the best of which saw Hayden Julius (I think) in front in a race for the ball, only to be pushed in the back — a fact missed by the referees.
And that’s how the game ended. Easts must have been relieved to walk away with the win while the Gold Coast side, while disappointed with the loss, should be very happy with the way they played.
All in all, another great afternoon of #3rdtier action.
Round 6A

Souths play the Sunshine Coast at Chipsy Wood Oval on Tuesday, 10 July, at 20:20.
Round 12 Matches

There are no matches next weekend due to the scheduled City v. Country match. Queensland Premier Rugby returns on 21 July 2012
Home TeamVersusAway TeamLocationGame Time
BrothersvNorthsBrothers / Jack Ross Oval1515
EastsvSunshine Coast Rugby UnionEasts / David Wilson Field1500
GPSvSunnybankGPS / Yoku Road1520
University of QueenslandvSouthsUniversity of Queensland / St Lucia 1 (5A)1500
WestsvRugby Gold CoastWests / Sedgman Oval 11500
The Ladder after round 11

TeamPlayedWonLostDrawnForAgainstDifferenceBonus Point th>Bonus Point 4tPoints
Brothers119203291971321643
University of Queensland118303832431401841
Easts11830309223862539
GPS11740287198894537
Sunnybank116503512511003633
Souths10550246247-11526
Wests11650234264-302026
Rugby Gold Coast11290213349-1363213
Norths11290209352-1430412
Sunshine Coast Rugby Union10190148385-237015

Join the conversation in this forum thread — we’d love your input. Give us your thoughts on the game you attended and we’ll put it in next week’s post. Remember your #3rdtier hashtag when tweeting the games, and check out the 3rdTier Facebook page.
And remember: If You Come, They Will Build It.

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[G&GR News Bot]

Round 9 of the Queensland Premier Rugby competition was most definitely one to remember.
The match of the round, Easts versus Uni, didn’t disappoint. Easts came from behind in the second half to achieve a solid 39-29 win over the Heavies. Wests are proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, pleasing their home crowd with a great second half comeback to defeat GPS 27-20. Brothers are the clear leaders of the table, winning over the Sunshine Coast 38-5 and earning themselves a bonus point. The Mapgies had a convincing win over Norths, defeating the home side 41-17. Sunnybank achieved the biggest winning margin of the round, getting a 73-6 victory over the Gold Coast.
Next week is set to be another stunner of a round. Brothers will look to redeem themselves against Easts after their Welsby Cup loss last year. Set to be an important showdown for both sides, the game will also be taking place on Brothers’ Ladies and Blokes Day. Sunnybank are also having their Ladies Day, coming up against Souths at Old Mac Oval. Uni and Wests will come head-to-head in a Westside clash. The two Coasts will come up against each other in what will also be a thrilling game. Last but not least, GPS will be back at home against Norths.
Round Ten will be a great one and will certainly set the tone for the second half of the season. We’ve certainly seen some great rugby this year and all teams are proving that Premier Rugby is always a great competition.
For any Twitterers out there, remember that if you do attend Premier Rugby games and have anything to say about them, use the #3rdtier hashtag. It’s been designed to promote grassroots rugby and really get the word out about how great club competitions are.
Bring on the 30th of June!
The Results

West v GPS
Wests 27 (M Lee S Fagese A Walters tries B Lainchbury 2 pens 3 cons) d GPS 20 (J Lalagavesi J Rasolea T Winkley tries P Smith pen con)
Full match report
Sunnybank v Gold Coast
Sunnybank 73 (P Less 3 tries H Taefu 2 tries N Ah Wong D Tusitala D Tuamata A Gavegan R Tapuai E Lainge tries D Tuamata 9 cons) d Rugby Gold Coast 6 (C Matehaere 2 pens)
Easts v Uni
Easts 39 (J Tuapou M Brandon C Mansell D Skelton T White tries M Brandon 2 pens 4 cons d University of Queensland 29 (K Davies J Ambrosini S O’Leary W Tuffley tries W Tuffley pen 3 cons)
Full match Report
South v Norths
Souths 41 d Norths 17
Brothers v Sunshine Coast
Brothers 38 d Sunshine Coast Rugby Union 5
The Ladder after Round 9

TeamPlayedWonLostDrawnForAgainstDifferenceBP th>BP 4tPoints
Brothers98102861611250638
Easts9720265169962535
University of Queensland96303402211191732
GPS9630229166633330
Sunnybank9540276201752426
Wests9540207236-291021
Souths8350186193-71316
Norths9270192292-1000412
Rugby Gold Coast9270165296-1311110
Sunshine Coast Rugby Union8080103314-211000
Next Weeks Fixtures

Home TeamVersusAway TeamLocationGame Time
BrothersvEastsBrothers / Jack Ross Oval1515
GPSvNorthsGPS / Yoku Road1520
SunnybankvSouthsSunnybank / Old Mac Oval1500
Sunshine Coast Rugby UnionvRugby Gold CoastSunshine Coast Rugby Union / Stockland Park1445
University of QueenslandvWestsUniversity of Queensland / St Lucia 1 (5A)1500
Join the conversation in the forum thread — we’d love your input. Give us your thoughts on the game you attended and we’ll put it in next week’s post. Remember your #3rdtier hashtag when tweeting the games, and check out the 3rdTier Facebook page.
And remember: If You Come, They Will Build It.

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[G&GR News Bot]

An interesting news item on the website of the University of Queensland Rugby Academy: squad member Ray de Jong has been selected in Zimbabwe’s squad ahead of World Cup qualifying matches against other African nations.

Ray de Jong: ready for take-off
You can read the article here, and follow de Jong on Twitter here.

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[G&GR News Bot]

Brothers will host Easts at Jack Ross Oval this Saturday in a play-off for Queensland Premier Rugby’s prestigious Welsby Cup. The Cup — named for former QRU President Tom Welby, a company director, politician and sportsman who was a key figure in the resurgence of rugby in Queensland — is contested by the teams sitting atop the competition ladder at the half-way point of the season. In 1934, the Cup’s inaugural year, it was claimed by University in the first of their 20 Welsby victories.
Last year Brothers and Easts played off for the Cup, then went in different directions in the competition. Easts won the match and claimed the cup, but stumbled in the back end of the year and narrowly missed out on the finals. Brothers, on the other hand, went from strength to strength after the loss and featured in their third Grand Final in four years, only to go down to a formidable Sunnybank side.
Brothers, like Uni, have won the Welsby Cup 20 times, and history shows they went on to claim the Hospitals Cup as Premiers of the competition in nine of those winning years. Easts have not been as successful, winning the Welsby five times, and taking out the premiership just once out of those five years.
A rich history of tradition washes over this mid-season title challenge, but one can only ponder the effect such a challenge can have on teams with nine rounds still to play in the season. In the Cup’s 75-year history, the Welsby–Hospitals double has been completed just 25 times — and that happened 19 times in the first 40 years. In rugby’s professional era the Welsby Cup winner has claimed the premiership on only four occasions, and only twice in the last 10 years.
I, for one, love the inclusion of this mid-season grand final and the proud tradition associated with it. To me it is an opportunity to identify the true leader of the competition at the mid-way point, and it represents a challenge for teams to stand up on a big occasion, knowing they still have regular season games to play. Some teams take the challenge, rise to the occasion and use it as momentum for the rest of the season; more often than not, however, having risen to the challenge, teams can’t hit the same heights at the business end of the competition.
The test ahead for both the Brethren and the Tigers will make for a mouth-watering match for all who venture out to Crosby Park. Brothers have set a hot pace in the competition to date, losing only one of their nine matches. Three of their players — Damon Murphy, Dylan Taikato-Simpson and Charley Freney — are equal-second on the leading try scorers list with seven each. Easts too have had an impressive season, having won seven of their nine matches, registering losses only to Sunnybank and Brothers.
The Tigers in recent weeks have defeated fellow top-four sides GPS and University; the latter was a remarkable 39-29 victory after trailing 3-29 at half-time. Brothers have the second-best attacking record at home, averaging almost 32 points per game at Albion, whereas Easts have scored an average 29 points in games on the road. For the statisticians, the comparisons are endless. The two captains, Matt Brandon and Dallan Murphy, will face off in the five-eighth position and both men are key for their respective sides. Brandon is the ultimate director of play for the Tigers, with a reliable boot; Murphy is the Brethren’s attacking genius with a flair matched only by the colour of his hair. The results speak for themselves: their teams’ positions on the ladder don’t lie.
Jack Ross Oval will be overflowing with eager onlookers, and everyone will be keen to see who comes out on top after 80 enthralling minutes of club rugby. One thing is certain: Tom Welsby could be proud of the continued tradition of the Cup that bears his name.
Queensland Premier Rugby Round 10
3:15pm – Brothers v Easts at Jack Ross Oval (Welsby Cup)
3:20pm – GPS v Norths at Yoku Road
3:00pm – Sunnybank v Souths at Oldmac Oval
2:45pm – Sunshine Coast v Gold Coast at Stockland Stadium
3:00pm – University v Wests at St Lucia.

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[G&GR News Bot]

Queensland Premier Rugby round 10 action saw an unconvincing GPS side return to the winner’s circle with a 30-3 victory over the Norths Eagles.
It was a lacklustre game in the opening 40 minutes, with both teams producing sloppy play, penalties and dropped ball. GPS were first on the board through the boot of Pat Smith, and the scoreboard would remain unchanged until the second stanza.
Norths were more willing to keep the ball in hand and they were rewarded with good metreage gains on more than one occasion, but they lacked the execution to finish off.
There were few highlights from the first half as both teams struggled to find continuity, with GPS opting to kick the ball away, and Norths failing to finish promising attacking raids.
The home team nearly scored a try through Joey Lala, when the fullback hoisted a booming kick downfield. The Eagles’ cover showed little urgency to gather the ball and, if not for a poor bounce, Lala would have regathered and dotted down under the posts.
Norths suffered a scare midway through the first half when inspirational captain Carlos Gavidi went down with what appeared to be a serious injury. The stretcher was rushed on to the field and it looked as though the Eagles were going to have to go on with out him. However, Gavidi rose to his feet, much to the delight of the away fans, and went on to play out the game.
The break couldn’t come soon enough for either side, and when it did, the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief — probably hoping for a change in game tactics in the second half.
When play resumed, the Eagles looked the better of the two sides as they took play deep into GPS’s territory. A desperate Gallopers defensive line withstood several waves of attack from the Eagles but it was a case of déjà vu for Norths when they turned the ball over, again lacking the execution to get over the line.
Despite still being down on the scoreboard, the away team continued to apply the pressure on the Gallopers. But the home side scored against the run of play when Junior Rasolea took an intercept to run 50 metres and cross for the first try of the match.
The try did little to change GPS’s game plan, and there were disapproving groans as the home team continued to kick away possession in good territory. Their defence was impressive, however, and Norths were forced to take a penalty shot at goal, finally getting on the scoreboard after struggling to penetrate the GPS line.
The ensuing kick-off saw GPS regather through young lock Ben Toolis, and they looked to build some phases, with their first real opportunity in the opposition half. They were rewarded soon after, when Mitch Carpenter wrestled his way over to take the score to 18-3.
Carpenter’s try seemed to break the visitors and the young lock had his second just minutes later when he ran on to a superb short ball from tighthead prop JP Smith, to dart over from 22 metres out, giving Pat Smith an easy shot at goal.
The home team had now discovered that keeping the ball in hand was a more effective game plan, and Junior Rasolea bagged his second try when he finished off a good display of running rugby. He duly celebrated the bonus point try with a slick little ‘dougie’.
The Gallopers’ change in mindset was nearly rewarded with a fifth try right on full time; young halfback Scott Malolua being held up over the line signalled the end of what was a generally frustrating game.
Norths could consider themselves unlucky not to have more points on the board, as the scoreline wasn’t a true reflection of the game. They will need to be a much better side when they take on University at home in Round 11.
GPS will know they have plenty of room for improvement as they look forward to a challenging match against a resurgent Souths at Chipsy Wood Oval next week.
Full round results and round up here.
Round 10 Results

Home TeamScoreversusAway TeamScoreLocation
Brothers28vEasts17Brothers / Jack Ross Oval
GPS30vNorths3GPS / Yoku Road
Sunnybank26vSouths31Sunnybank / Old Mac Oval
Sunshine Coast Rugby Union26vRugby Gold Coast22Sunshine Coast Rugby Union / Stockland Park
University of Queensland13vWests8Ballymore / Ballymore 1
Round 11 Matches

Home TeamversusAway TeamLocationMatch Time
NorthsvUniversity of QueenslandNorths / Hugh Courtney Oval1515
Rugby Gold CoastvEastsRugby Gold Coast / Surfers Paradise RC, Albert Park1500
SouthsvGPSSouths / Chipsy Wood Oval1500
Sunshine Coast Rugby UnionvSunnybankSunshine Coast Rugby Union / Stockland Park1400
WestsvBrothersWests / Sedgman Oval 11500
The ladder after Round 10

TeamPLayedWonLostDrawnForAgainstDfBP th>BP 4tPoints
Brothers109103141781360642
University of Queensland107303532291241736
GPS10730259169903435
Easts10730282197852535
Sunnybank10550302232703528
Wests10550215249-342022
Souths9450217219-21421
Norths10280195322-1270412
Rugby Gold Coast10280187322-1352111
Sunshine Coast Rugby Union9180129336-207015
Join the conversation in the forum thread — we’d love your input. Give us your thoughts on the game you attended and we’ll put it in next week’s post. Remember your #3rdtier hashtag when tweeting the games, and check out the 3rdTier Facebook page.
And remember: If You Come, They Will Build It.

Continue reading...

 

[TheBigDog]

I think that the Dogs are really Brothers bogey team in the competition. Every year they seem to come close to winning, and on Saturday they did just that. So well done Wests! That being said, I’ve heard somewhere that the Doggies younger grades (Colts 1 & 2) are getting belted each week? SouthernX is this the case? The reason I ask is because a good mate of mine (funnily enough is a Wests old boy) says that Uni are poaching Wests players? I’m seriously not suggesting that the Red Heavies are cheats and whatnot, I’m just simple wondering? I greatly admire how well the Heavies have done in the past few years with the younger grades and of course the Prems. Even though I’m Filth through and through, I hope Wests make it into the finals this year. Mooney is doing great to get the chocolates against teams like us, Jeeps and Sunnybank.

Filth

Filth, i'm not quite sure if the problem is other clubs approaching players for recruitment but rather players wishing to leave Wests. When I was out at GPS v Wests a few weeks back I was approached by several Wests colts players asking to be introduced to a coach/official from GPS so they could sign up and start playing for GPS the following week. I found this rather strange to be coming from players who in less an hour were going to be running out for Wests colts.

This may be the effect of recruitment dwindling player numbers and thus making the leftover players unhappy when they can't field more than a Premier Colts or maybe there is an issue with the Wests Colts coaching staff. I'm not sure but hopefully it gets addressed for them soon.

 

[tigerland12]

Anyone know what's going on with GPS lately? Results and performances haven't been good.

 

[TheBigDog]

Anyone know what's going on with GPS lately? Results and performances haven't been good.

Tigerland - GPS currently have three of their biggest forward assests missing through injury and rep duties, these being backrowers Mogi Wei and Jay Havelu and prop Ruan Smith who was picked up by the Force a few weeks ago. Losing those three and having Samo back with the Reds has taken some serious sting out of the forward pack as all of those players are experienced and of representative quality.

Also quite a bit has been said about GPS off-season recruiting of some Aussie 7's players and a few others. These players were on the circuit and/or injured for the early parts of the season but have started to come back in the last few weeks. Yes, these players are talented but maybe the change in form can be attributed to a disruption in the team. The backline which was winning all the games was essentially the young backline for GPS that went rather well last year. Now with all the new additions returning there have been some cohesion and teething problems. I expect the team to iron out these issues.

Also when the Reds season wraps up they can expect Nick Frisby back down with the team as currently they are running with a very young halfback Scott Maloloa who is straight out of high school, he is talented but probably shouldn't have been thrown into starting for Prems so quickly.

 

[Cat_A]

Thanks BigDog- what I love about GPS as a club is that they don't use injuries & rep duties as an excuse for not winning games. That you only mentioned these issues when asked (after losing some bloody close games & some heartbreaking momentum swings) - well for what its worth, i think it shows some class & restraint.

In your opinion, do you think, as Tigerland suggests, GPS haven't been good? Or do you think other teams are good and/or should be regarded higher than they may seem on these forums?

 

[TheBigDog]

Thanks Cat much appreciated. As a club I don't think any grade has fielded the same team two weeks in a row so there is always chopping and changing going on through injury and other factors (as is the case with other clubs im sure). Its just the nature of the game and most teams at GPS, including Prems have been going fairly well so its important not to make excuses and just adapt to the team and players that are available.

To answer your question, I honestly think the inclusion of the rep players the last few weeks has impacted on the side slightly. At the start of the season GPS played a forward orientated game because they had the weapons to do that. Now with some of those players missing and the inclusion of the Aussie 7's backs it seems they are changing their playing style to use what they have available and i'm not sure whether thats working for them. The GPS forward pack is still fairly strong with the likes of Matt Blain, JP Smith and Jonno Ellis running around but they are spreading it wide too quickly and do lack the extra grunt up front that some of the forwards who are due back will provide.

In saying that though the standard of the competition has risen this year IMO. For example in the Norths game which GPS ended up winning 30-3, it was much closer than the scoreline suggested and Norths were right in it until about 20mins to go. Wests were a bit of a shock but considering they are coached by Phil Mooney and the club (apart from colts) seems to have a good culture its a big credit to what they are developing there. As for Souths last weekend, everyone knew it was a danger game and Souths have been playing some decent footy. So all in all I think its combination of two factors and we'll see next year teams like Norths and Wests really building on what they have established so far in 2012.

 

[Jets]

It is a sign of how competitive things have become by the fact that over half way through the comp 7 teams have a 50% winning record or better. In the past there has been a split of 5 teams then daylight. It is a great sign and you would have to say that there are still 6 teams in with a chance of making the finals.

 

[tigerland12]

I'm not looking for a shit fight here but you named 4 or so GPS rep players that aren't available. I do not believe that losing a few rep players should hinder a teams performance. Easts are without Quirk, Toua, Cox, Bermingham, Kimmince and Faulkner for most of the season, plus recent injuries to Parraka, Brandon and Shannon Walker. They still are producing wins though.

GPS tend to have alot of depth in the grades aswell, so I cant see a few injuries being reasons for poor form.

Once again, not having a dig or necessarily accusing you of using it as an excuse, but alot of other clubs suffer from injuries and unavailability but still manage to pull through.

 

[Juan Cote]

The Doggies colts are really struggling this year. I guess the writing was on the wall in the first round when they were belted by Uni.
Truth is the colts at Wests have been going downhill for a few years but this year is the worst.
I think one of the reasons for the decline could be the fact there hasn't been a successful prem side so the best talent goes elsewhere that offer a more successful pathway....I could be wrong but it makes sense.
Hopefully with the resurgence in the prem grade this might provide some encouragement for the young pups to stick around.
Word has it around the Kennel that now the Prems are starting to claim the odd scalp, the focus will soon turn to re-generating the Colts program with Mooney leading the charge.
It will be interesting to see what sort of impact a re-jigged colts program has, particularly with a someone like Mooney who's real talent lies in spotting and developing young players at the helm.
As a Doggies supporter, if some of the things I've heard are true, it's pretty exciting to think what might come of it and how it will benefit the young pups on their way up to play with the big dogs

 

[Pieman]

Souths defeated Sunshine Coast 24 to 8 in a postponed match at Chipsy Wood last night. Rained throughout most of game, but the handling from both sides, at least in the first half, was pretty good.
Souths also scored 4 tries to 1, so they got a valuable bonus point.

 

[TheBigDog]

I'm not looking for a shit fight here but you named 4 or so GPS rep players that aren't available. I do not believe that losing a few rep players should hinder a teams performance. Easts are without Quirk, Toua, Cox, Bermingham, Kimmince and Faulkner for most of the season, plus recent injuries to Parraka, Brandon and Shannon Walker. They still are producing wins though.

GPS tend to have alot of depth in the grades aswell, so I cant see a few injuries being reasons for poor form.

Once again, not having a dig or necessarily accusing you of using it as an excuse, but alot of other clubs suffer from injuries and unavailability but still manage to pull through.

Tigerland I agree lots of teams are suffering from injuries, Easts especially by the looks of it. My point when addressing GPS current woes though was not so much the fact they have lost have couple of players but more that the ADDITION of the rep players (Rasolea, Pama Fou and Joey Lala) may have upset the team balance as they have taken the place of players who were getting the job done at the start of the year.