St.George Queensland Reds coaching team finalised for 2017
The Queensland Rugby Union has finalised the St.George Queensland Reds coaching staff for the 2017 season, backing its own pathway to provide the support for head coach Nick Stiles.
Joining Stiles in the coaching ranks will be 2016 Queensland Under 20s head coach Jason Gilmore (assistant coach – defence) and McInnes Wilson Lawyers Brisbane City assistant Shane Arnold (assistant coach – attack). Former Rugby World Cup-winning All Black Brad Thorn will take over as Queensland Under 20s head coach in 2017, while also supporting the Reds as a contact coach.
National Skills Coach Mick Byrne will also have an involvement with the team and a strong support role with the coaching team.
Stiles said he was enthusiastic about the potential of the group: “It’s an exciting coaching staff we’ve brought together. Not only are they all good coaches, but they’re hungry for success and motivated by a common goal, to make Queensland Rugby a powerhouse again.
“Just like myself, these guys have worked hard through the pathway, they’ve done their time and they deserve the opportunity they’re being given.
“They have already had a big influence on the development of a lot of the players in our squad and we believe that’s important when it comes to preparing the side for Super Rugby, which is why we think they are the right fit for the Reds going forward.”
This will be Thorn’s second season involved with the Reds, although now in a more formal role, but he will also continue to work with the Queensland Under 20s and Elite Development Squad, to ensure both the immediate and long-term success of the Reds. Thorn has already experienced success during his time at Ballymore as forwards coach of the Queensland Under 20s, who won the inaugural Super U20s Championship earlier this year.
Gilmore, who has worked alongside Thorn with both the Queensland Under 20s and Bond University Queensland Country, joins the Super Rugby side after working his way through the state’s coaching pathway since 2001. In addition to his recent experience with the Queensland Under 20s, Australian Under 20s and Queensland Country, Gilmore led Anglican Church Grammar School to an undefeated GPS title in 2014 – a side which featured 2016 Buildcorp National Rugby Championship (NRC) standout Izaia Perese. He has also worked extensively with Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper at the Queensland Under 16s, Schoolboys and club level with Souths.
Arnold is familiar with Ballymore, having helped guide Brisbane City to back-to-back NRC titles in 2014-2015 – during which time he was also the Australian Under 20s attack coach. Prior to that he was the head coach of GPS in Queensland Premier Rugby, where he played a significant role in the development of recent Wallabies debutants Nick Frisby and Samu Kerevi.
Stiles and the assistants will oversee an experienced squad in 2017, which features more than 1,200 Super Rugby caps and over 500 Test caps – including Wallabies captain Stephen Moore, veteran flanker George Smith, Quade Cooper, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Kerevi and Frisby. See the full 2017 squad here: http://bit.ly/2eAYDV0.
The Reds begin pre-season training on Monday 21 November, in preparation for their opening Super Rugby match against the Sharks at Suncorp Stadium on Friday 24 February 2017. Reds memberships are now on sale at www.redsrugby.com.au.
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