Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has insisted Queensland’s future remains in safe hands despite being angered by the defection of rising prop Laurie Weeks to the Melbourne Rebels.
On a dramatic day, starting with the surprise exclusion of veteran centre Morgan Turinui from the 26-man tour squad to South Africa, Weeks was announced as the Rebels’ first Australian-based signing.
While McKenzie found Weeks’ decision difficult to fathom, he was quick to reassure Reds fans by revealing he and general manager Daniel Herbert had 22 players on the books for the 2011 Super 15 season and beyond.
They include Wallabies stars James Horwill, Digby Ioane and Will Genia, who re-signed last year, as well as 15 of the 23 players who come off contract in 2010.
Of the 23 only the Faingaa twins, hooker Saia and centre Anthony, have been formally announced as staying at Ballymore after signing a new two-year deal this week.
But McKenzie has chosen to keep the identity of other committed Reds secret to ensure unsigned off-contract players aren’t discouraged or anxious as they work through negotiations.
“We don’t want to fill the roster too early,” he said. “We’ve got 22 for next year and obviously we have others we’re working on.
“It’s not some half-arsed job to grab (players), we’ve actually been quite targeted.
“I’ve been working at it with Daniel Herbert who’s done a great job as well to secure the heart of the team for the long haul and we’re quite confident we’re a long way down the track.
“We want to live in the moment which is 2010.”
McKenzie admitted the Reds still had some hurdles, proven by Australian Super 14 rookie of 2009 Weeks’ move south.
He described the tight-head’s decision to follow his former Sydney University mentor and new Rebels assistant coach Damien Hill to Melbourne as illogical considering he’d become Wallabies material at Ballymore.
Queensland assistant forwards coach Alec Evans feared Weeks would pay the price for leaving the tutelage of 51-Test prop McKenzie.
“If he had another season with the Reds I’m sure it would have elevated him to the Wallabies,” Evans said.
But Evans was confident Weeks’ loss would be covered in 2011 with Greg Holmes stepping up to the mark at tight-head and young guns Jack Kennedy and James Slipper showing great potential.
Playmaker Quade Cooper and fellow Wallabies back Peter Hynes remain at the top of the Reds’ must-keep list but the pair can’t re-sign until sorting out top-up deals with the ARU.
Queensland are also believed to have lost lock Adam Byrnes and reserve halfback Richard Kingi to the Rebels.
Former Wallabies vice-captain Turinui is one who also appears on the outer after being surprisingly overlooked for the Reds’ 26-man squad to tour South Africa.
McKenzie admitted Ioane’s successful move to outside centre in the 50-10 thrashing of the Western Force and a desire to develop Will Chambers and Ben Tapuai had cost the 28-year-old.
“We obviously know a lot about Morgan but there’s a couple of other guys we want to find a little more about,” he said.
Winger Rod Davies has returned from a fractured cheekbone for the three-match tour while in-form flanker Daniel Braid has been cleared of a knee injury.
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- Ewen McKenzie, Reds, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
March 19th 2010 @ 2:16pm
Albert the RED said | March 19th 2010 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
CHABAL! CHABAL! CHABAL!
March 19th 2010 @ 2:29pm
johnny-boy said | March 19th 2010 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
We dont want b… Chabal – we want b…. Queenslanders ! Let the young Queensland guys know that they will get an opportunty for their state if they stick with it and not be shunted aside by their state for some ‘celebrity’ international.
The stupidity of using imports (and Braid was an exception because there was a 7′s drought) is seen in England and Europe were all the young up and coming local players are being squeezed out by imports and hello hello – their rugby is second rate while the pool for teams like the All Blacks to choose from just keeps getting bigger. NZ has very cleverly artificially expanded the size of their competition to give more of their players experience and at the same time starve opportunites for upcoming players in other countries to develop. Clever all right.
March 19th 2010 @ 2:38pm
rem said | March 19th 2010 @ 2:38pm | Report comment
johnny, you’re right to an extent there I agree you don’t want half your team made up of internationals but one maybe two at a push will only do the younger guys a world of good. Learning from them and the experience they’ll gain.
The Sharks currently have Goode, and have had others such as Michalak etc and besides their performance this year the bok team has always been in the top 3. The Stormers have Nakelavukie (sp) Lions have Carlos…
Chabal would get bums on seats and inject some much needed cash into the ARU’s coffers which would in the long run filter back down to grass roots level..
March 19th 2010 @ 8:49pm
PB said | March 19th 2010 @ 8:49pm | Report comment
Ive just read that Mckenize has dropped Morgan Turinui from the entire reds Squad. Does this seem strange to anyone? We are talking about a former wallaby vice captain who is fully fit and has been in great form for the reds this year. Surely the Reds do not have that much depth and talent they can afford to drop someone like him? I have read that Link Mckenzie is not a fan of his and they have had personality clashes in the past, which contributed to his leaving the Tahs for the Reds in the first place… Turinui must have felt like his luck was against him when Link was announced as the new coach.. esp as Turuni spent the whole of last season out with injury… I think he has every reason to feel hard done by.. does anyone agree or am i missing somehting here?
March 19th 2010 @ 10:04pm
Wix said | March 19th 2010 @ 10:04pm | Report comment
PB is right.
Morgan Turinui is a brilliant exponent of the running game. One of the very few in Super 14. Maybe that’s his problem. Not much call for those skills these days
March 19th 2010 @ 10:20pm
PB said | March 19th 2010 @ 10:20pm | Report comment
Thanks Wix. I have to say I find this quite strange… and a little aggravating. We often bemoan the lack of depth in our rugby stocks, yet we are seeing more and more quality players heading overseas becuase of lack of opportunites at home… its crazy. Players like Turinui and Mark Gerrard for instance should be snapped up the Rebels
March 19th 2010 @ 10:52pm
Dogs Of War said | March 19th 2010 @ 10:52pm | Report comment
Maybe not even the Rebels, any of the other franchises should be looking at there services for this current season.