Friday night will be my first Reds game for Super Rugby AU and I will be watching two teams of fighters who bring that combative passion to the game.
Queensland are of course hosting the Western Force, in their first trip back to our state since their exile from Super Rugby after the 2017 season.
For the football code that most prominently represents this country overseas to ditch fellow Aussies was the height of un-Australianess. However, as shameful an episode as that was, the fight by the Western Australians to keep their team was inspiring.
Before the team was cut and before their billionaire benefactor Andrew Forest committed to providing assistance, thousands of Force fans forked out $1000 each of their own money to buy shares in their club, with a hope of demonstrating financial viability.
When they were ultimately ejected, the Force still didn’t give up, keeping their team going for two seasons with the Global Rapid Rugby competition – and in many games drawing crowds to outstrip those of the Super Rugby teams.
If there is a team and supporters that deserves to be back, it is the Force and I am looking forward to a cracking match from them at Suncorp on Friday evening.
Ian Prior of the Force in 2018. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
What’s more, I know the Reds will return in kind.
It has been a fascinating journey watching Brad Thorn build not just a team but a culture over the last couple of seasons, with all of the wild variations in form that we expect to see from an enthusiastic but developing team, through to the more consistent run of matches that we have seen since the near-miss against the Crusaders earlier this year.
Like the Force, the Reds have always been up for a fight, but prior to the Crusaders match, seemed to rely a bit too heavily on backing their fitness, to paraphrase captain Liam Wright.
Fitness is necessary for a winning team but is not enough on its own, with unrelenting mental focus and problem-solving skills necessary to win.
Thorn’s men came within four points against the Saders – the greatest rugby club in history – on the Kiwis’ turf, despite being rank outsiders. It really was a remarkable match. The key seemed to be that the Reds focussed and backed their brains, never giving up and working out ways forward when things didn’t go to plan.
Subsequently, they have had a couple of good wins – a beauty against the Bulls before the COVID shutdown, as well as the first victory in seven years against the old enemy, the Waratahs, just over a week ago.
Even in the draw against the Rebels last Friday, the Queenslanders came from behind, despite playing with 14 players for 20 minutes due to yellow cards.
Sparkling back play from James O’Connor and Chris Feauai-Sautia in the dying minutes before extra time led to a barnstorming try from hooker Alex Mafi, which could only have come from a team willing to put in every ounce of physical and mental effort.
The subsequent ten minutes of extra time, the first in Super Rugby AU, was a bit of a shambles from both teams, which we can put down to inexperience.
However, I am pretty sure that winning in extra time will be at the top of Brad Thorn’s list of issues to fix, so bring it on again!
All of this is why, despite the challenges that have been thrown up, so many love watching the Reds play. That they are marking the return of a respected foe on Friday night is special and I for one am looking forward to both teams demonstrating that respect for each other by taking chunks out of each other!
Go the Reds!
Massive Ferguson
Guest
As a matter of fact I did Bozo. :thumbup:
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Did ya enjoy that, Massive Misery Guts!
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Cheer up misery guts, the game is great!
Massive Ferguson
Guest
Yup, " Supporting the team isn’t a purely intellectual exercise, it is an emotional one, which means finding where positive narratives exist and highlighting them." Sounds exactly like a celebration of mediocrity. No reasonable analysis of anything highlight's only the positive narratives. You don't work in the public service by any chance?
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Nope, last week I was responding to your suggestion that there should be a rep competition, for everybody but the best 23 players in the state. This week I am pointing out that a fair few people have been sniping at Thorn from the peanut gallery from day one of his time as head coach, instead of hoping that he and his team succeeds. Those are two entirely different things.
Massive Ferguson
Guest
Last week you were lamenting the trophy culture that pervades modern society and now you're embracing it. I don't see too many posts rubbishing aussie rugby just Reds supporters suggesting Thorn has failed to deliver a winning culture (to date). Most Reds supporters believe Thorn was too heavy handed, tearing the house down when the roof was leaking and a more subtle approach would've led to a better outcome. Hopefully this changes and the Reds build confidence off this truncated season by banking some wins. Thorns contract has just been extended through 2021 so he can't look back and say he was never given a fair go.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Delivering is the ultimate objective but it is important to enjoy the journey, by observing how the team develops. Supporting the team isn’t a purely intellectual exercise, it is an emotional one, which means finding where positive narratives exist and highlighting them. The whole of Aussie rugby needs that, now more than ever. So to a certain extent there is s responsibility on people who want rugby to continue to support to get behind it, or if they can’t do that at least stop talking it down.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Disputing claims that results are there when they aren’t isn’t hoping they fail. Which is where most objections lie. People telling you how good a job Thorn has done when he is yet to deliver. Maybe he would have delivered had SR not been interrupted, but he is yet to.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
How do you know that Thorn was exclusively behind or even the driver of all those decisions?
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Thorn hasn’t had three years, he has had two and a bit, with the first part of this year dominated by an overseas tour, and then the lockdowns. That said it is time for the Reds to deliver, Thorn has said as much themselves. It is just disappointing to see how quite a few supposed supporters, appear to have spent the entire time hoping that the Reds fail, because of various gripes with Thorn. Rugby is supposed to be entertainment, I just find the apparent determination to be miserable a bit weird.
numpty
Roar Rookie
McKellar took over a squad that had made the finals the last 5 yrs in a row, reds hadn't done better than 13th the last 4yrs leading up to 2017. So, not comparable at all. Yes, thorn gets to pick his squad and he has made some big calls. Is it any different for any other coach in SR? Brass tax, yes QLD produces alot of talent but has only produced a successful team once in the modern era. So, its clearly not only Thorn who has struggled to get the best of it. But at least he has the cajones to actually try by bleeding a bunch of youngsters.
Warwick Todd
Guest
The Reds cannot hold onto all of the talent it produces because of the Super squad size and salary cap. A better comparison of coaches would be McKellar as both he and Thorn started in 2018 and Brumbies have access to a solid feeder system although not to the extent of the Reds. There's plenty of evidence of Thorn being given autonomy: Cooper, Slipper, exclusive selection policy of young Qld players, firing Dumper, hiring then firing Carozza, double standard JOC v Slipper. Where was the support for Stiles, a QLD rugby product, he was given one season as head coach before the QRU dropped the hammer on him.
numpty
Roar Rookie
The benchmark is there because Wessels and Thorn have been coaches for the same period of time. You expect more of the reds squad, yet they have had a less impressive squad and are on average 3yrs younger than the rebels. Yes, QLD produces alot of talent but there isn't much evidence to show that the reds hold onto it. Thus, you should be encouraged by Thorn taking the direction he has of almost exclusively picking young QLD talent from said conveyor belt in his team. Also, what evidence do you have that thorn has 'unprecedented levels of autonomy' in contrast to other coaches?
Warwick Todd
Guest
I can't understand why anyone would benchmark the Reds standards against the Rebels. The Rebels do not have access to a genuine, high quality feeder system and the setup is essentially a franchise in isolation. QLD may not be Canterbury but it does have a reasonable conveyor of young talent which saturates to the extent player spillover fills other states and overseas clubs. Thorn has had unprecedented levels of autonomy and the results are simply not there. The defeat of NSW for the first time in 11 games has as much or more to do with NSW deteriorating as it does with the Reds improving.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well don’t build around that group. That was by choice
numpty
Roar Rookie
I think assuming a group of 21yr olds can compete against the brumbies/saders is unrealistic. You can blame thorn/reds management for picking too many young guys during the rebuild. But, I don't think you can expect a team that young to be at the top of the ticket. That would show the comp isn't as premium as we think it is. If being a number one side within 3 yrs is attainable and the expectation you define, do you think the rebels/tahs are more likely to get their than the reds? Or do you also think they are equally failing/equally likely to fail at that metric.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
No it's not assuming they don't get better. You need to be able to build something better by 3 years. Now ideally it continues to get better but in a competitive market you can't take over 3 years to get ahead of your starting point. What's to say they couldn't have improved over 5 years without completely starting from scratch as Thorn did and sacrificed the short term.
numpty
Roar Rookie
That's assuming they don't get better. This is the pt of the comparison between rebels and reds. The reds squad "theoretically" still have alot of improvement to go whereas rebels should be peaking. Remember the reds were the youngest squad by 3yrs at the start of the yr (tahs may now be comparable). That's the difference, this group could technically be together for another 5+ yrs (imagine the cohesion factor!?). Whether it happens in reality or not is another thing. The pt is I think the reds have (hopefully) set themselves up to succeed going forward. The tahs did the opposite of this and I'd also argue Rebels have not done this well either.
ScottD
Roar Guru
technically everything the ref says is "fact" not "truth" :)
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I agree with taking time to beat fruit. But taking 3 seasons to get back to where you were to begin with is a pointless exercise.