The Queensland Reds have rounded out their most successful Super Rugby season in five years with a 48-27 victory over the Sunwolves.
But for the second week in a row, the Sunwolves were forced to play out more than half the match with only 14 men after a contentious red card to Ed Quirk.
It robbed them of any chance they might have had, with the Japanese outfit eventually succumbing to a seven-tries-to-three defeat on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.
Flanker Quirk was sent off in the 37th minute for what referee Ben O’Keeffe and television match official Damien Mitchelmore deemed to be foul play on Hamish Stewart.
Replays showed Quirk, a former Reds player, made contact to Stewart’s face with a closed fist while both were on the ground – but the force with which it was delivered was so light to be almost negligible.
Players on both sides were in disbelief when O’Keeffe eventually produced the card after a lengthy stoppage.
Reds coach Brad Thorn said it ruined the game.
“For me, a red card has to be massive to send someone off,” Thorn said.
“A horrendous spear tackle, kicking someone on the ground, eye gouging, not love taps … but then maybe I’m an old relic.”
Sunwolves coach Tony Brown described the decision as an embarrassment to the sport and saying referees were trying to “promote themselves” by making controversial calls.
“Every rugby player who’s ever played the game is looking at that and saying it’s not a red card,” Brown said.
“I think I’m with Michael Cheika, we need the referee in here answering these questions because he’s the only one in the world who thought that.”
The Reds were up 22-13 at the time and missing one of their own, with Duncan Paia’aua still in the sin bin after conceding a penalty try for his deliberate knockdown in the 28th minute.
They copped another yellow five minutes into the second half when Caleb Timu shoulder-charged a prone Hayden Parker in the head – a dangerous offence for which a red was much more deserving.
The card controversies and the shoulder injury that ended skipper Scott Higginbotham’s night just before halftime took some of the gloss off an otherwise solid night at the office for Queensland.
It was the Reds’ second win in a row and sixth for the season, ensuring their best return since 2013, the year they last made the Super Rugby finals.
Gepetto
Guest
Rucking, thanks for exposing the fake news.
Gepetto
Guest
Duncan Paia'aua was the star of Brad's NRC team and couldn't make the team early in the season. Hamish is the new Jake McIntyre. Stewart handicaps the Reds back line. Paywaive needs the extra space. Some players have time and vision, Hamish decides which of his two available options he will use before he gets the ball. The reds don't give it to him often.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Could have been 7 or 8 wins last year too. Only won for but finished within 7 for 4 other games.
Danny
Roar Pro
Best season in five years. Could have been seven or eight wins and challenging for playoffs easily. Most exciting 9/10 pairing in Aus right now would be Genia and Hodge. Wonder if Thorn could get those guys for next year. Whatever he does in the off season will define his Reds coaching career. Next year has to be better.
Dave_S
Roar Rookie
Yes but he was still better than he was against low-ranked teams previously, and there were still defenders in front of him. He didn’t cut loose, but he did start to run the ball and straighten the attack a bit before distributing it. Previously he would jog a couple of steps sideways and then shovel it. I’m calling it how I saw it (and I’ve been watching him closely this year) - a genuine improvement, off a fairly low base.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Hey Rhys, Finishing in a lower position on the ladder isn't a sign of a more successful season. It's the reverse. But yourself and the few remaining Thorn fanbois will be comforted with whatever scraps you can glean I guess. We're in a great position for next season - I have a feeling that we'll be hearing that one for a while.............
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
In 2017 the Reds finished 14 out of 18. In 2018 the Reds finished 13 out of 15. Black is white. Brad Thorn is a great coach. Dropping down the ladder is improving. Easier draw, more resources, worse result in the competition and that's supposed to be improving. Heck of a world you're living in their Jacko.
Steve
Guest
Thanks, but according to that stats page, the Waratah's median and mode is 'NOT ANNOUNCED'. Bit hard to call an average on just 3 values. And notably, the Ireland game in Sydney drew 2,000 fewer then in Brisbane. That said, if they have kept their rate at around 15k then what's the Red's excuse? Not one game hit 14.5 at Lang Park. It's getting pretty lonely there every week particularly when the largest crowds make it hard to call home games (when there's more opposition supporters in their single-game seats). After years of incompetent management its difficult not to feel bitter when the first game has the big screen showing: "NOT REQUIRED: Cooper, Hunt, Frisby, Ready"
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
That "positive season" is based on eeking out a couple of wins through penalty goals. They gonna eek their way out against the Crusaders, Chiefs and Hurricanes next year?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Crowds have dropped and for most of the season the Reds haven't been able to score tries. It's only the extra game, and it being against the Sunwolves that means the Reds try scoring ability isn't below 2017 on a per game basis.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And some of the yellows last year were marginal too. Hunt was Yellow Carded for attempted a waist height tackle that the baller runner then ducked into. The competition as a whole conceded more in 2017 due to the initial crackdown on high contact.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Playing against the bottom team on the ladder who are down to 14 men. Great yardstick.
PeterK
Roar Guru
WIKI - google reds super rugby wiki, there is a table there of all their table stats (not tries), games played, points on table, position, pts for and against.
Harry
Guest
Strongly agree PeterK. For goodness sake, Stewart's performance was good but lets face it this was against the wooden spooners. Against better teams, sadly Stewart has looked woefully out of his depth. Unfortunately due to the Quade/Hunt debacle there was no one of experience to guide this guy and protect him. IMO he is still not there as a SR standard flyhalf. It was really disappointing that he was kept in Australia rather than allowed to go early to the U20's. I hope Stewart has a good NRC and continues his development. He is a long way from a test standard pivot but is certainly a good prospect.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Where has this chat of Stewart being an Ex-7 come from? He was a 10 in 2015 as a schoolboy and 2014. Did he play there when he was 14 or something? Is that really meaningful at that age?
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Fourteen SWs hardly anything to get excited about . Next year but. !
Fionn
Guest
The Reds have clearly had a positive season to build on, especially given the circumstances of Hunt, Slipper and Cooper. Hopefully Thorn can build on this season next year.
riddler
Roar Rookie
how many last year? some of the yellows for qld this year have been marginal calls.. but agreed needs to be addressed..
riddler
Roar Rookie
tks peter k.. i saw the stats from someone, i won't throw him under the bus, as i chose to reprint his numbers.. can i be so bold as for u to do per game basis avg.. for both points for and against over however long back you can and are bothered to.. if you can't just point me in the direction of the stats base.. and i will do now as i have 20 mins to kill while waiting for the tahs game..
PeterK
Roar Guru
not quite in 2011 they scored 429 points, it is second highest though. However it is not the most on a per game basis. Super 12 they only played 11 games and super 14 they played 13 games