Tomthumb
Peter Johnson (47)
Which is pretty piss poor from the Reds considering all the talent they have and the fact that the Brumbies apparently cant develop anyone
Queensland Reds 2026
- Thread starter Adam84
- Start date
Major Tom
Colin Windon (37)
Mate it's piss poor of Australian rugby more than anything.
Brumbs do a good job at identifying talent. But they don't always succeed at developing them. And by development we're really talking about giving them opportunity because they can't get it in QLD and NSW.
Like I said earlier, I like Martens but if he can't get a go at the reds (because he's stuck behind the other 3) than I support him moving somewhere else.
PhilClinton
Mark Ella (57)
I don't get it Tommy - we don't have a rugby landscape that can afford to have multiple top-tier players all at the same place, hence why someone like To'omua had to leave for an opportunity and pay day.
Had Matt decided to stay at the Reds (for much less cash) and play in the centres alongside Quade, or even as a backup, doesn't logic tell you that it's likely the Reds would have won more premierships, particularly around that 2011 window?
Instead, due to the nature of our game here, the best players want to be paid and there are teams i.e. the Brumbies who have struggled to develop players of their own and have the money to offer QLD players.
Had Matt decided to stay at the Reds (for much less cash) and play in the centres alongside Quade, or even as a backup, doesn't logic tell you that it's likely the Reds would have won more premierships, particularly around that 2011 window?
Instead, due to the nature of our game here, the best players want to be paid and there are teams i.e. the Brumbies who have struggled to develop players of their own and have the money to offer QLD players.
JRugby2
Arch Winning (36)
There are a lot of reasons that the Brumbies have had more success with players from QLD and NSW but none of them fit my narrative so they won't be discussed.
I don't think this is reasonable. The ACT has a population of under 500k people. Queensland has over 5.6m and NSW over 8.5m. For players prior to their professional careers I don't think it is overly realistic to argue that the Super Rugby teams have made much of a contribution in developing the players. They're far more a product of their genetics, parents facilitating their success and the schools/clubs they play for.
Even the kids who play Super Rugby 15s/16s/19s etc. aren't deriving the bulk of their development from those structures.
Throughout the history of Super Rugby, the Brumbies largely have had to recruit from the players deemed surplus to needs at the Reds and Waratahs and I think it is incredibly hard to argue that they haven't outproduced NSW and Qld in terms of turning those players into high level professionals and Wallabies.
PhilClinton
Mark Ella (57)
Mate I think your point is valid when you consider modern day (as in happening right now) rugby. There is more focus on bringing kids into these rep squads for a short period of time.
But if we keep the To'omua example I used - he was in the NTS and received 3 years of year-round nutrition advice, specialist gym sessions and skills training from coaches at Ballymore from the age of 15. You can't argue that program didn't have a significant contribution to his development.
The National Training Squad was a Rugby Australia initiative but it leveraged the players, coaches and facilities of the Super Rugby franchises. If the Brumbies had been so keen on To'omua when he was 15, there was probably scope to move him to the ACT and chuck him into their own NTS program that was running.
Adam84
John Eales (66)
You’re arguing with an individual, not the consensus of Queenslanders/NSW fans on this topic.
Major Tom
Colin Windon (37)
They've done a god job and they continue to recruit talent that progress well to the next level. But they have their misses as well which I'm attempting to highlight. Also I think their "success" is a little overstated these days. I'm fine with them living off the glory days of Gregan, Larkam, Mortlock etc if we're also fine with living off the Eales, Horan, Little, Tune days.
I'm hoping in a more aligned system we see some better development under age comps.
Major Tom
Colin Windon (37)
Also no aus super side has won anything of note since
Last edited:
I agree with all that but I also don't think Matt To'omua is a good example for what we're talking about. His schoolboy resumé made it pretty clear he'd succeed wherever he went.
I don't discount that he received substantial benefits from Queensland rugby.
The current situation would be looking at the Brumbies under 19s team success. They're absolutely bolstering their side with players from NSW and Queensland who have moved to the Brumbies for more opportunities and then beaten the players that were previously ahead of them.
In Super Rugby it's plucking guys like Blake Schoupp and Charlie Cale from relative obscurity and turning them into good Super Rugby players. I completely acknowledge that you could put NSW under the microscope far more than the Reds for players they have overlooked.
*cough* 2014 *cough*
JRugby2
Arch Winning (36)
You're in the QLD thread mate, we refuse to acknowledge it.
Red Runner
Bob McCowan (2)
he is an ex-BBC student.
Tomthumb
Peter Johnson (47)
Yeah and Grizzly Adams had a beard
Tomthumb
Peter Johnson (47)
Oh this is true. But comparatively the Brumbies seem to squeeze the most out of the least
Major Tom
Colin Windon (37)
He’ll be at the brumbs in that case