Queensland prop Zane Nonggorr is ready to step up this Super Rugby Season after long-term injuries to the Reds props, Taniela Tupou (achilles) and Harry Hoopert (knee).
The 21-year-old Gold Coast product has played 13 games for the Queensland Reds, starting in one match last year.
Nonggorr said that the preseason has been willing, with competition for spots high at Ballymore.
“As a front row group, we’ve been working really hard to improve ourselves as a collective and also individually and I’ve been working really hard to hopefully put my name down and start for round one and make my mark at that tighthead spot,” he said.
He acknowledges that nothing is guaranteed, giving high praise for his fellow Reds Props, Phransis Sula-Siaosi and Peni Ravai who are both at different stages of their career.
“He’s (Phransis) been working on his trade over the last six weeks and he’s improved a lot.
“Peni has played for a really long time, and he knows a lot of tricks in the scrum so I’ve learnt a lot.
“He’s really good to give advice to the younger props coming through like Phransis who’s just signed this year,” he said.
Nonggorr said that this preseason the team has trained slightly differently, with new Super Rugby rules implemented to fasten up the game.
“Thorny and the other coaches have stressed working hard early, just those effort areas because it doesn’t really take much talent to do it,” Nonggorr said.
“Those new rules in place when the scrum mark you have 30-seconds and lineout mark you have 30-seconds, so it’s been good to test our fitness against that,” he said.
He added that the team is also looking stronger with everyone setting good numbers during gym testing.
Suffering an unfortunate knee injury halfway through last season Nonggorr noted that the tour to Japan last November really “boosted his confidence”.
“I had a good rehab and came back and had to strap my knee for those games, but it felt really stable and I felt pretty comfortable going into it,” he said.
Nonggorr resigned for the Reds last season through to the end of 2024, and will continue his pre-season preparations in this weekend’s second and final trial against the Waratahs in Narrabri. Tickets available via https://bit.ly/3DHmYWq.
By Mick Jones
