QPR StoreLocal Hospital Cup Countdown: Easts, Brothers, Souths, Bond University, Wests With the StoreLocal Hospital Cup season to kick off on Saturday around Brisbane and the Gold Coast, we've delved to shine a light on the season ahead for QPR's nine clubs.
Junior Wallabies prop Massimo De Lutiis turned 14 weeks on the sidelines into a motivating rehab goal that is now the talk of Queensland footy clubs in all codes.
The powerfully-framed 20-year-old bench pressed 202.5kg in the Reds gym on Tuesday with roars of approval from teammates as a chorus.
As some marker, Taniela Tupou set the recent Reds’ record at 200kg in 2020.
The massive 200kg-plus heave became a goal during his time repairing a torn quadricep. He now gets to turn those gym gains into a comeback for Easts in Saturday’s StoreLocal Hospital Cup opener against GPS at Ashgrove.
He has a wise head because he knows that scrummaging well is far more than gym strength. Watching international props like Jefferey Toomaga-Allen, Alex Hodgman, Zane Nonggorr and Sef Fa’agase go about their business in live scrums at Reds training has been an education.
“I’ve watched constantly and reviewed a lot. Strength is one thing but there is a very technical side to scrummaging. There are dark arts you have to learn along the way,” De Lutiis, 20, said.
“I’m just excited to get back out there to play and blow out some cobwebs.”
When a long-time standard-setter like Easts’ 100-game backrower Tom Milosevic retires, any pack will be finding its way in a new season.
That’s the challenge for the Tigers as they hit 2024 against a GPS pack minus a talisman of their own in the retired Michael Richards.
Easts’ rise in the Ben Mowen era plateaued with a minor semi-final appearance in 2023 when the club had hoped for more.
The Tigers have installed another savvy head coach in Simon Craig.
“You don’t replace a guy like ‘Milo’ overnight. Building a whole new pack is a challenge but one we are looking forward to,” Craig said.
“Henry Wilson is in his second season up from Colts. He has a big motor and covers the ground well so he’s backrower we are keen to see the best from,” Craig said.
Lock Will Sankey will return from Canberra mid-season but there will be no sighting of crowd favourite Rhys van Nek and his distinctive scrum ears because he’s now fully contracted to the ACT Brumbies and has to commit to their club comp.
Former Reds hooker Andrew Ready will be a boost of experience and expertise when he returns from France in late May.
New flyhalf Meli Dreu is under interesting instructions from coach Craig. He knows Dreu plays better with a change of hair colour so expect a bottled look.
Young gun centre Frankie Goldsbrough is ready to make his mark too but as a natural blond.
Brothers coach Ben McCormack has already assessed that the season is going to have a quirky start with more penalty stoppages while teams get accustomed to lower tackle heights to suit the new law.
“We like a free-flowing style and speed in the game so we have to be clever about keeping the pace up when there are going to be more stoppages for a few rounds at least,” McCormack said.
A first round bye will enable McCormack to assess just how the new tackle height does impact the four games underway on Saturday.
As off-season moves go, Willem Johnstone’s shift to Brothers from Souths during the trials was a big one.
The classy Reds Academy halfback came off the bench in a second grade trial for the Brethren and will start the season in the lower grades.
The Brethren already have a healthy stock of halfbacks with Isaac Tarabay, Oscar Varricchio and Australian Club Championships hero Will Cartwright in action and 2023 regular Mosiah Christian to return from a knee injury around Round 5.
It will be very interesting to see how the pecking order unfolds.
“We have good halfbacks. Willem will have to earn his way and I’m sure it works in his best interests that other players see him doing that as well,” McCormack said.
The return of lock Michael Wood from injury will add grunt to the pack for Round 2 while young centre Dre Pakeho is also being sized up for the top grade.
Back-to-back premierships? It’s a big ask.
“History tells us it’s really hard to do. We have a good mix of retained talent and new blood in our players and coaches. That means new energy and hunger from guys who didn’t achieve a premiership last year,” McCormack said.
The availability of Reds squad utility Taj Annan is a big plus for Souths’ playmaking as they head into an opener against Norths at Chipsy Wood Oval.
Annan played some sharp minutes at fullback and flyhalf during the Development XV trials run by the Reds.
The Magpies might want to expand their game this season but it will take someone like Annan to really bring that to life while Harry McLaughlin-Phillips is on regular Reds duty.
The Magpies beat Bond University, Norths and Hunter Wildfires in trials so coach Garrick Morgan is instilling a winning vibe again.
“The biggest thing for me is stability. We have it in the coaching and the committee and also on the field,” Morgan said.
“Last season was a foundation year and we do hope to add more to our game this year. To have the club finish second in the Doughty Shield in 2023 was pretty special and shows the potential is unreal within the club.
“Having Kohan Herbert back at flanker is great. It was his suggestion we go with joint captains with (centre) Alofa Alofa. Perfect. Two excellent leaders.”
The hulking frame of inside centre Vilikesa Raboiliku is guaranteed go-forward in the midfield.
Mick Heenan’s Bruce Springsteen tastes are something of a clash with the variety of music that his new players churn out on any training night on the Gold Coast.
That was one of the first differences that Premier Rugby’s master coach noticed when switching to Bond University after a more than a decade at the University of Queensland.
“There’s a lot of loud music. It’s different in many ways and that’s what is making it enjoyable,” Heenan said.
“I’m working with different players with dreams and finals ambitions. Getting to know and understand a new group of players is very important and that’s why we’ve done a lot of training with first, second and third grade together.”
Having a quality flyhalf land back on the Gold Coast in Fred Dorrough was a major positive for Heenan, who will pair him in the midfield with Tyler Campbell.
Jordan Lenac is a classy halfback to link the forwards and backs.
Does six premierships with UQ give Heenan a headstart?
“You are always starting again at the beginning of every season. You’ve won nothing. It’s all ahead,” Heenan said.
For those wanting to know when the first match-up with UQ arrives, it’s Round 9 at Bond University.
Former Wallaby Henry Speight may prove to be the best recruit of the club season for the Bulldogs.
There’s plenty of attacking smarts and dash still left in the 36-year-old winger’s game.
“I’d like to think so but maybe I’ll make a break of 10-30m and be looking for support these days,” Speight said with a smile.
After a long professional career with the Brumbies, Reds and French club Biarritz, he has found the rhythm of club rugby to his liking.
“Seeing the passion of club rugby, I was quite naïve about it,” he admitted.
“When you are training two nights a week since January, you see a love of the game at a very genuine level. It puts the spring back in your step and I see a young group around me that can really build something.”
The Bulldogs have lost a number of players, including goalkicking utility back Cooper Whiteside and crash-running centre Vilikesa Raboiliku.
There is a changing of the guard in the pack as well so it’s good to know 2022 premiership skipper and backrower Connor Anderson is fit to play after ankle troubles.
