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Reds 2019

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Thanks Reg. Rumours aside, I see some big gaps particularly in depth in the backs. I looked at the NRC squads as an indicator of who locally might be considered to be in the mix but not really sure where the depth at 10 is and who will be the fullbacks.


agree. Hope they give Daugunu the fullback spot for the Country team otherwise it's probably Paddy James, who doesn't seem Super Rugby quality to me.

For City I suspect it will be
Ngamanu. He's been very good for Souths so could be an option, but I am not sure he's up to it really. Just not sure he has the all round game.

As for 10s, it'll be Stewart and Cooper (or perhaps Dalgleish). Don't see much more outside of that. Unfortunately.
 

upthereds#!

Ken Catchpole (46)
Short of Thorn signing in more stop gaps like he did with Toua, Lucas & Lance ----people like M.Harris & Tapuai

Do we have the players in the pathways to step up to a full time starting professional position? We already had the best u20s, teenagers and fringe professionals and journeymen like Maranta in the squad. How much further can you dig now that Ready, Slipper, Faagase, Douglas, Smith, Hewat, Lucas, Lance, Quade, Hunt, Maranta, Nabuli & Toua are gone. If guys like Higs, Kerevi, DP or Perese bail...jeez.

Seems we will lose any chance of experienced depth, which means the 'new blood' starters will be learning their trade from....noone, and the bench players and the backup to the bench players will again be smattering of teens / 20 yr olds and club guys most likely being thrust into a level they are ill equipped for.
 
B

Bobby Sands

Guest
Who is in line for the backs coaching spot?

I know he has specialised as a defense coach in recent years, but I would love to get Matt Taylor back. He will eventually be a head coach, so I can't see why he couldn't do the role.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Who is in line for the backs coaching spot?

I know he has specialised as a defense coach in recent years, but I would love to get Matt Taylor back. He will eventually be a head coach, so I can't see why he couldn't do the role.

Re-signed with Scotland for a few more years. Announced the other day.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Who is in line for the backs coaching spot?

I know he has specialised as a defense coach in recent years, but I would love to get Matt Taylor back. He will eventually be a head coach, so I can't see why he couldn't do the role.

He’s just signed on for a couple more years in Scotland.
 

Ignoto

John Thornett (49)
Do we have the players in the pathways to step up to a full time starting professional position?


Yeah, for development of our backs, Queensland has been found lacking for a number of years now. Looking back to 2015 and 2016, these were our squad members:

2015
Anthony Fainga’a (re-signed)
Chris Feauai-Sautia (re-signed)
Samu Kerevi (new signing)
Ben Tapuai (re-signed)
Karmichael Hunt (new signing)
Chris Kuridrani (new signing)
James O’Connor (new signing)
Jamie-Jerry Taulagi
Lachie Turner

2016
Anthony Fainga’a
Karmichael Hunt
Samu Kerevi
Duncan Paia’aua
Lagi Setu (training contract)
Chris Feauai-Sautia (re-signed)
Ayumu Goromaru (new signing)
Chris Kuridrani (re-signed)
Junior Laloifi (new signing)
Campbell Magnay
Eto Nabuli (new signing)
Izaia Perese (new signing)
Jamie-Jerry Taulagi (re-signed)

Looking at those names, you could count on one hand how many of those backs played at a consistent high level then or developed into quality players since 2016.

CFS, JJT and Kuridrani never seemed to reach the heights that we/everyone expected of them considering how much game time they were exposed to. Magnay was close to developing into something but decided to move to Japan.

That then leaves you with Kerevi, Paia'aua and Perese (purposely excluded Hunt) who have actually developed through the Reds system and come out better.
 

SouthernX

Peter Johnson (47)
If Kerevi wants to go then good for him.

Will miss his damaging ball running abilities where he would constantly get tackle busts. Will not miss his half hearted effort in defense where on many occasions looks like one of the turnstiles at a stadium.

Id like him to stay but I think the reds may actually improve with him gone because the defense of his has always been a liability. The reds need somebody fundamentally sound in attack and defense.
 

SouthernX

Peter Johnson (47)
Want to backtrack my above comment. Kerevi is an amazing talent and will be a tough loss for the reds if he does decide to relocate to the nations capital. Obviously he isn’t a fully polished superstar with his defense still could using some work. But it’s not anything would keep him out of the starting XV. He could walk into any of the Aussie super rugby franchise & send the incumbent at either of the centre position to the bench except maybe his wallaby teammate Kurtley Beale at the Tahs.
 
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Bobby Sands

Guest
agree. Hope they give Daugunu the fullback spot for the Country team otherwise it's probably Paddy James, who doesn't seem Super Rugby quality to me.

For City I suspect it will be
Ngamanu. He's been very good for Souths so could be an option, but I am not sure he's up to it really. Just not sure he has the all round game.

As for 10s, it'll be Stewart and Cooper (or perhaps Dalgleish). Don't see much more outside of that. Unfortunately.


Daugunu has plenty of his own issues as well. Who would have thought finding full-backs would be so hard?

Whatever happened to Jonah Placid, did he ever come on?
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
Not saying he wouldn't have gone o/s anyway, but he is just another 2017 Rebels player who seems to have been left out in the cold here after the cut to four teams in Super Rugby.
 

TSR

Mark Ella (57)
From my observation of Placid people had relatively high expectations early - he had a few injury dramas and never quite found his groove.

He is only 23 though and is now playing as a professional in Toulon and I read an article recently about him really enjoying French life.

Maybe he will be one of those guys we never see again or maybe he will be one of those guys who finds his feet OS and returns a better player for it.

Certainly the reduction to 4 teams wouldnt have helped his cause if he wanted to stay here but he seemed to me someone who needed a bit of a circuit breaker anyway (from my very distant, very unprofessional perspective).
 

Scrubber2050

Mark Ella (57)
The real question is thorn.
Has he improved the culture OR is HE the actual problem.

Word is another Red has tested positive. As I understand the protocol the Franchise is not told the name (and I don't know either) .
Interesting times
A lot of what I alluded to earlier is coming to fruition - sadly IMHO
 
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dru

Tim Horan (67)
The real question is thorn.
Has he improved the culture OR is HE the actual problem.

Word is another Red has tested positive. As I understand the protocol the Franchise is not told the name (and I don't know either) .
Interesting times
A lot of what I alluded to earlier is coming to fruition - sadly IMHO

There is a problem for sure. You just can't have an HC in conflict with the board/operations and the work that they have put it. There is a major issue there, somewhere.

In terms of the Cocaine thing, it's quite possible that it's something that Thorn has inherited and is trying to resolve. I'd imagine very few supporters will argue the intent. I have real problems with the method and the puritanism. And the scorned investment.

We don't have a choice but to wait for the new CEO. God knows how much damage kicking the can down the road will do, but until then nothing is changing it would seem. Whoever the CEO is has a job. And he/she will need to grab the thing by the scruff of the neck. My way or the highway needs to start well above Thorn in 2019. I dont really know if he needs to go, but following Thorn's MO, the new CEO would be entitled to a clearing of the decks.

That could involve QC (Quade Cooper)/Hunt/Slipper. And it could involve coaching staff.

If we simply get another steady at the tiller old Qld boy made good - then this franchise may be in for even more troubled times.
 

lou75

Ron Walden (29)
From my observation of Placid people had relatively high expectations early - he had a few injury dramas and never quite found his groove.

He is only 23 though and is now playing as a professional in Toulon and I read an article recently about him really enjoying French life.

Maybe he will be one of those guys we never see again or maybe he will be one of those guys who finds his feet OS and returns a better player for it.

Certainly the reduction to 4 teams wouldnt have helped his cause if he wanted to stay here but he seemed to me someone who needed a bit of a circuit breaker anyway (from my very distant, very unprofessional perspective).
I certainly dont need much to get my anger up these days but reference to Rebels players who showed potential and then for some reason didn't realise that potential under Head coach McGahan is certainly a trigger. And by the way, I see a lot of ex rebels players as Wallabies, Tahs and even in NZ doing extremely well for themselves under a coach that brings out the best in them. (I know, bitter bitter bitter, but facts is facts)
 
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