Queensland Reds 2011 Squad

[TOCC]

So it wasnt exactly the doom and gloom plundering that some people predicted in terms of squad retention, IMO they have done fantastically well in retaing the core members of the squad and signing some of the best academy players in the country. Obviously losing Weeks and Braid is a loss but Byrnes and Kingi are easily replaced.

1. Ben Daley
2. Saia Faingaa
3. Greg Holmes
4. Rob Simmons
5. James Horwill
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. Ed Quirk
8. Leroy Houston
9. Will Genia
10.
11. Rodney Davies
12. Anthony Faingaa
13. Will Chambers
14. Digby Ioane
15. Peter Hynes

16. James Hanson
17. James Slipper/Albert Anae
18. Radike Samo/Van Humphries
19. Liam Gill/Lei Tomiki
20. Ben Lucas
21. Dominic Shipperly
22. Luke Morahan/Kimani Sitauti


Obviously 5/8 is the glaring spot, if Cooper were to leave then i imagine U20 5/8 Johno Lance would be promoted into the Reds squad as well as Ben Lucas reverting back to his original 5/8 position.

There are still 4 spots available for 2010:
-Quade Cooper
-Ben Tapuai
-prop
-halfback

[Timbo]

Solid without Quade - even more so with him!

Should be very competitive in S15. Second would be a great result (having lost the final at MES, of course!)

[TOCC]

Guy Shepherdson and Ben Tapuai have signed with the Reds
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[TOCC]

Reds add Adam Wallace Harrison to there squad to 2011-2012, bringing the total signed to 30.. Likely lineup, with the possible contention been over the starting openside flanker role and who gets on the bench. 25 of the 30 man squad represented the Reds in this years S14 at some point.

1. Ben Daley
2. Saia Faingaa
3. James Slipper
4. Rob Simmons
5. James Horwill
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. Lei Tomiki
8. Leroy Houston
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Rodney Davies
12. Anthony Faingaa
13. Will Chambers
14. Digby Ioane
15. Peter Hynes

16. James Hanson
17. Greg Holmes
18. Van Humphries
19. Jake Shatz
20. Ben Lucas
21. Ben Tapuai
22. Luke Morahan

New signings
Guy Shepherdson
Adam Wallace-Harrison
Radike Samo*

Promoted from Reds Academy
Albert Anae
Liam Gill
Kimani Situati
Dominic Shipperly
Ed Quirk

[GIGS20]

Walley is a good signing with the scarcity of locks at the moment. He'd still make a serviceable journeyman/backup

[TOCC]

i think thats what the plan was, they were looking at Timani Sitaleki?, however i think AHW is a better player to provide depth. You only have to look back at the Reds this year, they had there 3 starting locks out injured all at the same time.

[GIGS20]

The game sure seems to be hard on locks at the moment. Is it only Australia or do other nations have a lot of the tall timber down?

Timani would probably only be better in that he's a longer term option, but he'd start behind Walley in experience (obviously) and quality (unless the big sandgroper has been sleeping for the last two years)

[Hoolly Doolly]

And front rowers though the reds had the slip of that curse this year.
i remember they had an awful year losing props left right and centre.
If queensland can get thru without injury disruptions watch out!

[Burgs]

Looking like a pretty handy combination and they will definitely be disappointed if they don't top the Australian Pool.
Going on 2010 it would seem that Link isn't a Tomiki fan so would expect them to be reversed, though I would probably select as you have TOCC.

[TOCC]

I think Tomiki was injured for much of 2010, Link was the person who signed him from France and having coached over there im assuming link witnessed enough of Tomiki to warrant the signature.

I wouldnt be surprised to see Link play one of the younger guys like Quirk, Shatz or Gill in the starting openside position, but that will probably be dictated by the opposition team.

[hertryk]

When is QC's court case?

[Darren]

He just had one! Lost his license for 6 months ....

Wallabies star Quade Cooper's amazing rise has hit a worrying speedbump with a swag of traffic offences further threatening his burgeoning but insecure career.

In a week where Cooper was already set to front court on burglary charges, he made a surprise appearance on Monday when fined $400 and disqualified from driving for six months.

With the Australian Rugby Union due to review a personal development program next week, the 22-year-old's signature timing couldn't have deserted him at a worse time.

Cooper also failed to notify the ARU and QRU about his Brisbane Magistrates Court appearance after he was charged with driving without a licence last week.

The Australian Super 14 player of the year was pulled over for a random licence check following a Wallabies training session at Ballymore on Tuesday.

Cooper pleaded guilty to the charge but his lawyer, Liam Burrow, told the court it was an honest oversight.

The court heard Cooper, who had previously been suspended from driving, had incurred 13 demerit points on his licence since February 2008, including four in the past year.

Mr Burrow said Cooper moved house in March, had failed to update his address details and didn't receive a letter advising his licence would be suspended for six months from May 20.

Mr Burrow said the first Cooper knew of the suspension was last week and asked for an absolute discharge.

But Ms Daley disagreed, saying the matter "was not a trivial one".

She said he should have known his demerit points were once again nearing suspension due to his extensive traffic history.

"I just don't think you can turn a blind eye to these issues when you're chalking up points," she told Cooper.

Outside the court, Cooper remained tight lipped and was hurried into a waiting BMW by his lawyers.

It's understood Cooper, man of the match in both of the Wallabies last two Test victories this month, believed his most recent brush with the law would escape media attention.

But an ARU spokesman said the governing body was disappointed to be kept in the dark.

"We were unaware of this issue until this morning but we'll wait to see what occurs on Friday before deciding what, if anything, we do from there on both matters," he said.

Cooper, charged with burglary on December 6 last year, is expected to plead not guilty when he faces Southport Magistrates Court on Friday.

For all the extra pressure the charges had brought upon Cooper, he had impressed Reds and Wallabies officials and teammates with his on and off field responses until Monday.

"The best thing about everything that has happened is he has learned it's not all about him, he's matured as a person and as a bloke and he's realised his actions affect not only himself but everyone else around him," Reds skipper Will Genia said.

But his mentor, former Wallabies great Tim Horan, said he must continue to learn from his mistakes and improve his driving.

"He's a role model now and he has to understand that," Horan told AAP.

[hertryk]

Cooper, charged with burglary on December 6 last year, is expected to plead not guilty when he faces Southport Magistrates Court on Friday.

That's was the court case I was enquiring about..

[TOCC]

Quade actually donated his Man of the Match check from Ireland to the 8020 charity.. the charity run by pocock

[James]

The game sure seems to be hard on locks at the moment. Is it only Australia or do other nations have a lot of the tall timber down?

Timani would probably only be better in that he's a longer term option, but he'd start behind Walley in experience (obviously) and quality (unless the big sandgroper has been sleeping for the last two years)

All over I think. NZ has had a lot of injuries to Ali Williams and Jason Eaton in recent times. Jono Gibbes was perpetually injured and they lost the promising James Ryan a couple of years back. Bakkies Botha spent a fair bit of the S14 injured. While we probably had about 10 second row injuries with most of them coming from the Reds.

I guess its a bit of a case of the bigger they are the harder they fall.