In a mammoth edition of Super 14 2009 we take on the Reds. I've already written too bloody much I don't have much else to say....
Form from 2008
It’s been a tough few years for Reds fans but- with last year better than its predecessor and this year looking even better than that- there is light at the end of the tunnel. Phil Mooney is doing a good job of exorcising the Red’s demons and repressing all memories of their last coach. I think his name was Ernie something. After the depths of 2007, 12th place is not too bad a result really... gotta start walking again before you can run. Despite a few early season excitements- including a fantastic rout of the Bulls- the Mooney effect only really started showing in the last few rounds which saw an upset against the Force as well as two nail biters against finalists- Crusaders and Waratahs. This gave Reds fans a reason to hope in 2009.
Comings and Goings
Wow. What a list. Well here goes.... the sweeping changes hit the front row hardest. Starting at hooker, all of Stephen Moore, Ole Avei and Geoff Abram are out. Moore opened up a can of worms when he expressed a desire to invoke the get-out clause in his contract. A bit of miscommunication between all parties resulted in Moore’s departure to the Brumbies. Ole Avei has been recruited by the Waikato Chiefs in a move that really shows that Kiwi rugby depth is starting to dry up. Exciting young hookers Saia Faingaa and James Hanson are in to fill the gap. It will be a big year for Faingaa as he continues to move towards Wallabies honours. Any time Hanson gets will be great for him too. He’s been great for Australia’s age grade sides in the last few years and, for a hooker, is a prolific try-scorer. Another trio leaving the front row are props Herman Hunt, Ben Coutts and Rod Blake. Blake was a cult figure for the Reds as Queensland’s answer to AJ Whalley. He is a real Wallaby prospect, as 2008’s Barbarians match showed, and you hope the ARU is smart enough to get him back when he’s cooked. Rookie props Jack Kennedy and Laurie Weeks make up the numbers and will form part of a young yet exuberant pack. In the second row, locks Ed O’Donoghue and Josh Afu have both left Queensland to pursue national honours with their respective other nations of Ireland and Tonga. In true Reds style, their replacement has already made a tribunal appearance for Tah-bashing. Adam Byrnes has truly embraced the Queensland spirit. Mooney is set with a big task to make up for the next two guys. David Croft and John Roe’s departures leave Sean Hardman as the only old-school Queenslander left in the ranks. The pair have been awesome servants of the game in Queensland on and off the pitch. David Croft’s commitment to the Reds can be easily observed by the gallons of his blood that have fertilised both Ballymore and Suncorp and that war-torn, rugged scalp of his that makes the moon’s surface look like a marble floor. Roe, a long term Reds captain, trained as a doctor during him time with the Reds and will likely be seeing some of his old team mates in the wards after a rough game or two. A lot of experience and Reds culture has gone out the door right there. AJ Gilbert is also gone from the back row. Raids into New Zealand playing stocks turned up trumps for the Reds with Ezra Taylor joining up and likely to come into lock or six (once he’s got over his most recent injury that is) while Australian rugby’s first marquee player Daniel Braid is a superb acquisition and will cause havoc for the Red’s opponents.
Ok time for a bit of a breather... starting at fullback, excitement machine Chris Latham has called an end on rugby in Australia. The world’s best fullback wins matches like no one else in the Reds squad and with Clinton Schifcofske and Andrew Walker also out in 2009 will leave a great big hole in the Reds squad. Schifcofske was pretty solid without being brilliant but Walker was just plain past his time. Rugby league converts Rod Davies and Mark McLinden join Reds prodigy Aiden Toua in the scrap out to wear the 15 jersey and while they have little experience the competition should bring out the best in all of them. Repeated hamstring injuries have pulled the curtains for winger Caleb Brown. Chris Siale and Henari Veratau have also been dropped as well as awkward centre Lloyd Johansson. The last big name departure is that of aggressive scrum-half Sam Cordingley. Cordingley was a revelation for the Reds in 2006 but is returning to France to finish out his playing days. New Reds backs include centres Blair O’Connor and Anthony Faingaa. The pair may be the future of the Reds midfield but until that time the two young guns just need to get as much experience as they can.
Keep and eye on....
Prop Dayna Edwards impressed a lot of people last year despite not having only played semi-professional rugby. After a full year with the Reds and a full pre-season will he come back even better in 2009? You get the feeling that Queensland will provide the answer to Australia’s tight head crisis as God knows New South Wales can’t if they keep offering up Al Baxter. Edwards is a promising player at 24 so there is a lot to be hopeful for there. Can Mark Bell fashion him into the weapon that will return Australia to the pinnacle of world rugby? Reds fans and I are hopeful. The only one concern about young Edwards is that technically he is a Kiwi. Then again- nobody’s perfect. John Eales excluded.
Unlike the resident nutters from gothetahs.com, TOCC isn’t one to rave on for no reason but rave he has for young star Aiden Toua. This is big. How much game time Toua will get this year is uncertain but you can count on Mooney to give him at least a few chances. Mooney has a reputation for doing great work mentoring the young players and Toua will be no different. Under Mooney’s guidance Toua will live up to his potential and if he gets a starting spot put a few dollars or a bit of vcash on a Toua try as the skill and unknown factor will make this guy a threat in his first season.
The Strengths
The Reds have a very nice first XV with a splattering of Wallabies and large hit of youthful enthusiasm. The players will be a lot more confident in 2009 and the experience gained from last year will be huge. Mooney has streamlined his squad and with just 9 of the players remaining from Ernie’s disaster year in 2007 he has exactly what he wants. There is definitely a lot of talent there. The Reds set-pieces with be very solid and at the breakdown a trio of Daniel Braid, Leroy Houston and Hugh McMeniman will cause a lot of hurt and will be up there with the competition’s best back rows. Into the backline there is a lot of excitement surrounding halfback Ben Lucas, fly half Quade Cooper and inside centre Berrick Barnes. The dynamic playmakers are really something for the fans to get excited about. I for one am eager to see what they come up with this season.
The Weaknesses
The big thing for the Reds this year and for the next couple is depth. Injuries are already taking their toll with forwards Ezra Taylor and last year’s captain James Horwill out for the first few matches at least. Berrick Barnes is also recovering from injury but will be back in time. This is where the Reds will unravel. Inexperience in the reserves and the high aggression, heavy impact Reds style will likely see a mid-season slump as more and more players are ruled out. Leadership will also be a big factor for Mooney to deal with. With only 9 players in the squad from two years ago there hasn’t really been much time to develop a leader and while Horwill does a fine job the truly great teams always have a ‘leadership-group’ which is something the Reds can’t boast.
Prediction for 2009
The Reds will be big improvers in 2009. Maybe not on the scoreboard or the competition table but they will definitely be competitive in each of their games and will set themselves up for a finals bid in 2010. With very few players coming off contract this year Mooney will have one eye on winning and the other on getting the second-string as much game time and experience as he can. It won’t be this year but that big frown is starting to turn upside-down. It’s going to be a spirited performance. It’s going to be a thriller. It’s going to be 10th in a tight finish.
