Cooper ready to take control at Reds

Cooper ready to take control at Reds

JIM MORTON February 10, 2010 - 6:09PM
AAP

Quade Cooper describes Berrick Barnes as his Super 14 "big brother" but feels equipped to use his tuition to spoil the Queensland defector's NSW debut on Saturday night.

Saddled with goalkicking responsibilities along with being the chief playmaker, Cooper is determined take a leaf from Barnes' measured and canny game in the interstate grudge match at Suncorp Stadium.

The mercurial 21-year-old on Wednesday vowed to step up to lead the Reds' exciting backline in the painful absence of their former vice-captain, who will directly oppose him in the Waratahs' No.10 jersey.

Cooper, two years younger than Barnes, made his Super 14 debut at 18 and has spent the bulk of his three seasons at five-eighth with Barnes outside him at inside centre.

"When I came into Queensland rugby he took on the big brother role," he told AAP. "When I was playing 10, he was at 12 and he looked after me a fair bit in the sense of showing me the ropes and how to combine the flamboyant play with the structure and consistency.

"I had really taken to Barnesy as that sort of guy and just tried to learn as much off him at the time he's been here.

"Now having him at NSW hopefully I can come out into the game and show those things that I've tried to learn off him.

"Having him not there makes you realise you have to take on added responsibilities and it's made me train harder ... that I've got to step up."

Among the extra responsibilities for Cooper is goalkicking with Ben Lucas (cork) ruled out with injury.

Barnes will kick for NSW as well, with the irony not lost on the Waikato-born Queenslander who expects the season-opener to be a traditionally tight and torrid affair.

"There's a lot of penalty shots or drop goals and it could be that it comes down to the boys with the (kicking) boots," he said.

Queensland still hold hope their prodigal son will return to Ballymore next year to reactivate his association with Cooper and fellow Wallabies backs Will Genia, Digby Ioane and Peter Hynes.

Barnes has already said Reds players were taking bets on who would smash him first but Cooper dismissed it as "part of Barnesy's humour".

"I'm sure there will be a lot of roughness in the game but no one will be out there to take his head off," he said.

"They've got a lot of Wallabies in their team and if you concentrate too much on one player you leave a lot of holes for the rest of their boys."

Former Wallabies vice-captain Morgan Turinui, set to make his return from a shoulder reconstruction at outside centre, has noticed Cooper, facing burglary charges, has matured considerably through the Wallabies grand slam tour.

"He's obviously more mature on the field and the way he's dealt with his off field stuff has shown he's starting to grow up, which he needed to do," Turinui said.

"He's now more of a guy who can drive the game which you need your 10 to be.

"A lot more time spending with Matt Giteau in the Wallabies has really helped him."

© 2010 AAP

Wallabies in positional switch for NSW game

Thursday, 11 February 2010

QR Reds captain and Wallaby James Horwill will remain at blindside flanker for Saturday night’s Investec Bank Super 14 season opener with the NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium, while Wallaby team-mate Digby Ioane returns to the wing (kickoff 6:30pm).

Head coach Ewen McKenzie saw enough from Horwill against the Force last Friday to stick with his strategy of giving the incumbent Wallaby lock a new role.

Ioane’s move to his more accustomed position on the wing means former Waratahs leader Morgan Turinui gets first crack at the number 13 jersey, where he will be partnered with Anthony Faingaa.

“It’s like anything, people are trying new things all the time,” McKenzie said.

“Robbie Deans has experimented extensively during the season - that’s the way it is - and you have got to try to find an edge,” McKenzie said.

“The Force game was Horwill’s first game for a while but in true leadership fashion he didn’t baulk and he got out there. It doesn’t mean it was a comfortable day in the office, it was a tough game, but I was pretty happy with his contribution.

“We have moved Digby to the wing as the game is being played a little differently at the moment and there is possibly more opportunity for space and opportunity to touch the ball as a winger than there is as a centre.

“We still have strong thoughts about playing him in the centres but we think in this game it will suit us playing him on the wing.”

Paceman Rod Davies – who has worked extremely hard in the off-season after an average 2009 season – won the remaining wing spot after fighting off a strong challenge from up-and-comer Luke Morahan.

McKenzie could potentially field two debutants with NRL Melbourne Storm recruit Will Chambers and QAS Reds Academy prop James Slipper named on the bench.

Academy flanker Andrew Shaw, who made his debut against the Crusaders last year, and Wider Training Squad member Tim Walsh, who won four caps for the Reds in 2004, are also in the 22-man lineup.

“We are in the performance business so you have to acknowledge people that take their opportunities,” McKenzie said.

“Slipper virtually hasn’t missed a training session the whole preseason. He is a very talented player on the rise who can play either side of the scrum, so it’s a great opportunity for him.

“Will is a powerful player and runs great lines. He has also played a lot of big game football coming out of a very winning team.

“He is the first to admit that he doesn’t have the game conquered from a detailed point of view but he is no shrinking violet. This is going to be a tough cauldron, so having a guy like him come in and add a bit of venom will be good.”

Following two impressive displays as interim captain during trials, Ben Daley has beaten former Wallaby prop Greg Holmes for the loosehead spot while the 2009 Investec Bank Super 14 Rookie of the Year Laurie Weeks is at tighthead. Veteran Sean Hardman again takes the reins at hooker.

Van Humphries and Adam Byrnes will be the lock partners after Horwill’s move to a backrow which includes former All Black openside flanker Daniel Braid and number eight Scott Higginbotham.

Wallabies Will Genia and Quade Cooper will orchestrate the Reds’ attack from scrumhalf and flyhalf respectively while Peter Hynes has cemented his role at fullback following a strong pre-season.

Genia has been named vice-captain. :thumbsup:

On the bench Slipper is joined by Shaw, hooker Saia Faingaa and backrower Ezra Taylor in the forwards, while Chambers, Walsh and Richard Kingi round out the backs.

QR Reds team to play the NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night (from fullback):

1. Ben Daley (Gold Coast),
2. Sean Hardman (Brothers),
3. Laurie Weeks (University),
4. Adam Byrnes (University),
5. Van Humphries (Souths),
6. James Horwill (University),
7. Daniel Braid (Sunshine Coast),
8. Scott Higginbotham (Wests),

9. Will Genia (Norths),
10. Quade Cooper (Souths),
11. Digby Ioane (Sunnybank),
12. Anthony Faingaa (Souths),
13. Morgan Turinui (Sunshine Coast),
14. Rod Davies (GPS),
15. Peter Hynes (GPS),


16. Saia Faingaa (Souths),
17. James Slipper (Gold Coast),
18. Ezra Taylor (University),
19. Andrew Shaw (Brothers),
20. Richard Kingi (Sunnybank),
21. Tim Walsh (TBC),
22. Will Chambers (TBC).

The local derby between Queensland and NSW at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night at 6.30pm is part of the opening round of the 2010 Investec Bank Super 14 tournament. There is a curtain raiser match between a QAS Reds 2nd XV and a Premier XV at 4.25pm.


Beefed up QR Reds engine room keen to impress

Thursday, 11 February 2010

QR Reds skipper James Horwill said motivation wouldn’t be an issue heading into Saturday night’s Investec Bank Super 14 season opener at Suncorp, with their beefed up engine room keen to stamp their authority on the NSW Waratahs big men.

The added grunt and size that comes with the decision to play Horwill at blindside flanker means six of the eight starting Reds forwards top the scales at 110kg or over, with openside flanker Daniel Braid, 103kg, and hooker Sean Hardman, 102kg, the only two below the mark.

Horwill said the extra muscle was to try to combat the dominance NSW have enjoyed up front for the past few seasons and to give the squad an edge at set-piece.

“If you don’t take it to them physically they will dictate terms so we need to make sure we stick it to them first before they do it to us,” the Wallaby lock told reporters at Ballymore today.

“We have now got four genuine lineout options and some more weight at the side of the scrum. Obviously the Waratahs have a very good scrum and a very good lineout so we have to combat that with our best set-piece option as possible.”

QR Reds Head coach Ewen McKenzie said he tried to be ‘creative’ when selecting a team that would best suit the new tackle law interpretations put forward by SANZAR, with the team in possession now having a distinct advantage at the breakdown.

“The game this year is about having a very competitive set-piece and then making sure you control possession. One thing we learned against the Force is that if you don’t have the ball it’s very hard to get it back,” McKenzie said.

“If you can’t compete in lineouts you might not see the ball for 10 or 15 minutes depending on how the other team plays, so it is a question on where you start your contest. You can wait until the breakdown but the reality is all the penalties are now against the defensive team.

“Once you have the ball it is relatively easy to retain it if you play the right way. In that space you have to make sure you get the ball first.

“All we know is we are playing a Waratahs team chock full of Wallabies and they virtually have a Wallaby forward-pack. You have got to deal with that.”

SANZAR has also instructed referees to better police the offside rule in relation to kick-chasers in 2010, leading to McKenzie selecting Wallaby outside centre Digby Ioane in his former role on the wing.

“Based on what we’ve seen in the trials there is plenty of activity (for wingers),” he said.

“With the way they have changed the offside laws the kick chase is going to be policed very heavily, so there is going to be a lot more space for the back three to run.

“NSW have a history of kicking the ball - whether they kick the ball on Saturday we’ll see - maybe they will run it a bit. But if they kick the ball we have plenty of tools there to use the ball.”

McKenzie said that while he expected fans to give former Queensland playmaker Berrick Barnes a hostile reception, the team would remain focused on regaining the Templeton Cup they last held in 2004.

The Templeton Cup is named in honour of the great Australian and Queensland coach Bob Templeton MBE, who died at the end of 1999. It has been contested 10 times, with Queensland winning the first five and NSW the last five.

“Berrick is a professional rugby player and he has played at some big stadiums, but it is good that the crowd wants to help us win.

“Maybe that might have the reverse effect, who knows? But this isn’t about the Reds versus Berrick Barnes, it is about the Reds playing the Waratahs and that is where our focus is.”

Horwill echoed this sentiment with the Reds needing to start the season well with their first three games at home.

“With it being such a short season you don’t have the leisure to drop a couple of games. You need to make sure you start on fire and continue that form through,” he said.