Angry Queensland Reds coach Nick Stiles says he will blood young players for the rest of the Super Rugby season after their feint finals hopes were extinguished by the Western Force.
Stiles could barely contain his fury after Friday night’s rollercoaster 40-26 defeat at Suncorp Stadium, which has all but ended any chance the Reds had of topping the Australian conference.
Two tries from Stephen Moore put the Reds 26-23 in front with 20 minutes to go.
But just as they did in the first half after opening the scoring with the game’s first try, they dropped their bundle, allowing the Force to sail home with 17 unanswered points.
“I’m filthy, simple as that,” Stiles said.
“We can’t sustain 80 minutes of football.
“We scored the first try and then we just go into a mode of ‘the game’s over’, and taking soft options after that.
“We ended up getting the lead (back) and then we feel content and go into our shells again.”
Stiles also slammed winger Eto Nabuli as “stupid” for the high shot that led to the team’s second yellow card of the night.
Nick Frisby copped the other in the 44th minute, meaning the Reds played half the second stanza with 14 men.
The Reds travel to Samoa to face the Blues next week before closing out the season against the Brumbies at home and the Highlanders away after Super Rugby’s international break.
With nothing left to play for, Stiles said he would play the kids.
“We’ve got some young guys coming through that we will use in the last three games to push them through, give them more minutes and chase victories,” he said.
“(Maybe that will) get the group hungry … because we’re not there at the moment.”
Stand-in Reds skipper Samu Kerevi was equally harsh, admitting he was “disgusted” with his own display and said the players had to take all the responsibility for their mounting losses.
“The coaches are putting in great plans for the game and we’re just not following it at times,” he said.
“That performance, it’s got nothing to do with coaches or messages at the back end or whatever it is. It’s us when we get out there.
“We can train as well as we can and say the right words but when we get out on the paddock, we’ve got to put in the 80-minute performance that we speak about all the time. Tonight wasn’t good enough.”
piru
Roar Rookie
A Force fan must have the most optimistic of minds The most serious commitment Adventure - heh Excitement - heh A Force fan craves not these things
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yes. League is into kids as early as possible. Kind of flies in the face of the argument of many that Aus Rugby contracts players too young.
Scottd
Guest
I would think that we can use the season to date as a fair marker. It is almost over after all. Reds have three wins for the season with two losses to the Force who have four wins with two over the Reds. That is good indication if the relative quality of the teams. Not much in it really but Force squarely ahead
Scottd
Guest
I've never found JOHN to be arrogant He is demanding as a coach but then given he played for the AB's and got there on hard work rather than pure talent I can appreciate his view
Scottd
Guest
So she's available in 2029 then? Something to look forward to for the Reds
Scottd
Guest
Actually, speaking of Magnay what do you think of him? I haven't seen him play much but the other week he looked pretty good
MitchO
Guest
Re Peter Grant. I must say that I am happy to have Peter Grant. I don't recall him from his Springbok days but to me Grant is always going to be "flat in in attack". That is just him. That is how he plays. A friend told me that that is a classic saffer 10 being a distributer not a creator. He passes competently, he keeps a cool head, he kicks beautifully and he is not afraid to put his body on the line. He's a link man with a boot and a cool head. Good on him. Be nice to Peter Grant. He plays his role to perfection. No point criticising him for not being Beauden Barrett. On Qld, in all sports Qld used to have a well earned reputation for heart. You could always count on the Qlders to have a real go and they used to believe that they could beat up NSW on the basis that Qlders have more heart than them. Now frankly they are playing the way they used to accuse NSW of playing. Consider the ethics of Richard Graham. Qld poached Graham from the Force midseason. Surely, if a coach was prepared to bail out on his team in mid season for perceived personal game (ie the Qld role) then surely you don't want that coach in the first place. Just not enough commitment to his team. Turns out it was good riddance to him but if those are his ethics then he and I have a different view. Stiles probably did a pretty good job as the Force forwards coach. I don't think he did any harm but Joe Barakat seems to be doing a lot of good.
piru
Roar Rookie
I'm not sure mate but that's from the horse's mouth. I got the impression it may have been more a case of the NRL looks at U16s where the ARU doesn't bother til they're a bit older You don't leave Aranmore and decide to go play league in Perth unless there's a very good reason.
piru
Roar Rookie
His outstanding defence prevented a second Now you're just being petulant.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Because Kirky is carrying on like the type of kiwi that's a f---wit? You have to be a kiwi to be a one eyed All Blacks supporter so it's a bit hard to ignore nationality completely. Piru is a kiwi, but he's not carrying on like that type of f---wit. It's actually Kirky being xenophobic. He claims that anybody not a New Zealander is inferior. As they have all achieved similar results it's only their heritage that differs.
piru
Roar Rookie
So why did they drop their bundle?
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
Getting weak and xenophobic are we now twassie.... poor form ..
Hoy
Roar Guru
Editors, not sure why my response above was only just published, when I wrote it at 9am yesterday? Kirky, "Wallabies as much as I admire them, have never been a consistently good team, never have!"... " “when Australia was the best team in the World” the fact is to have been the best team in the World you would have to have been able to beat the All Blacks on a regular basis, and that never happened!" You do realise that between '98 and about '04, we did regularly beat the All Blacks? You cannot dispute that? Also, England from around '02 to around '04 were arguably the best in the world at that time?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I don't care if you didn't say anything about them. They are also switched by the current coach. That's my point. You ignore them being switched and focus only on Cooper.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Of those that won World Cup's the only coaches you rate are kiwi coaches. Funny that. It's irrelevant that Hanson was a woeful coach of Wales right? Likewise that Henry was the losing coach of the Lions that Australia beat in 2001, right? You are the typical f---wit type of kiwi. Just so you know, neither Hanson or Henry, the two coaches you do rate were much good as players. So you remain clueless.
Dan in Devon
Guest
Cooper has looked like he has been carrying an injury for much of the season but he has been far from the source of the Reds problems. The defensive system needs reviewing and Tuttle needs a bit more time to improve his work. Overall, Stiles needs another year for a fair assessment.
Warugby
Guest
I never said anything about Giteau and Foley being switched to fullback for defence. Quade was put there in defence by Robbie Dean's because he couldn't tackle.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Twas! Don't ever try and tell me that winning a World Cup is indicative of that winner being the best team in the World because the best team in the World is the team that goes into that Tournament as the incumbent Number One! ~ That's only happened three times by you know who! The World Cup is a good one to win but that's all it is as any team needs a hell Of a lot of luck to win it therefore any team can in effect win it by having that luck go their way! ~ I could go on and on here about different situations in Cups past but I can't be bothered, ~ but one prime example is in the Final in 2003 when you guys should have and deserved to win but Wilkinson put one up you! ~ Australia should have won that game but in saying that Australia was lucky to beat the Kiwis' when Mortlock intercepted a hospital pass by Carlos Spencer and scored under the posts! ~ I have no doubt the All Blacks would've won that game, and had they played the Poms they'd have won that also! ~ Winning is riding your. Luck and every team apart from the said Number 1 going in, that did win rode their luck and that's the way it should be, but I'll say again, "the winner should never mean that they automatically become Number1" ~As far as quality Coaches are concerned the only two that stick out are Henry and Hansen, The rest could've been! And as far as players from OZ are concerned, there have been some fine players, possibly about 8 or thereabouts! ~ Another thing you seem to dine on is "when Australia was the best team in the World" the fact is to have been the best team in the World you would have to have been able to beat the All Blacks on a regular basis, and that never happened! - Again, you tell me why it has always been that after any World Cup if the All Black haven't won it, they after a short period of time they revert to their rightful possie' of Number 1 in the World! And haven't they been there for a long time now?
In Brief
Guest
Always have to be careful not to mention a players rugby pedigree in case it gives the rival code a degree of credibility amongst the league faithful, right?
Train Without A Station
Guest
The Waratahs have at least 11 active players who were Wallaby capped in 2016 and apparently the Reds have some squad loaded up with the best cattle? The Reds have 7. Even counting Smith and Higginbotham that's still only 9.