St.George Queensland Reds rejuvenated ahead of Lions
The St.George Queensland Reds have returned from a short break during their bye week with a renewed focus ahead of their Round 7 clash with South Africa’s Lions.
Reds players had a three day break following their Round 5 clash with the Brumbies in Brisbane last weekend and yesterday returned to training with their upcoming home match firmly in their sights.
Bolstered by the return of seven players to full training, head coach Richard Graham said the side felt rejuvenated as they prepared for their third home game of the season.
“It was beneficial for everyone to have a short mental and physical break from Rugby,” Graham said.
“The playing group returned to the training field yesterday and a host of faces re-joined the sessions. It was great to have them all involved and it was enjoyable as a coach to see plenty of smiles and enthusiasm. We tinkered with a few aspects of our play and will continue to implement those adjustments today.
“Greg Holmes, Ben Daley, Beau Robinson, Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi, Lachie Turner and James O’Connor are all expected to be available for selection for next week’s match.
“While this doesn’t guarantee us anything in terms of results, it does create a more competitive training environment, a broader base to select from and an ability to prepare with a little more certainty each week.”
Graham also said the returning players weren’t guaranteed their starting spots, as he had been impressed with those who put their hands up in their absence.
“Throughout the early stages I have been impressed with the younger and less experienced players’ contributions,” he said.
“In the forwards, Sam Talakai and Sef Faagase have shouldered all the load on the tighthead side whilst Marco Kotze, Dave McDuling and Tom Murday have been solid contributors in the second row. Add Nick Frisby and Campbell Magnay to that mix in the backs and the signs moving forward are very good.
“Michael Gunn, Adam Korczyk, James Tuttle and Tom Banks have all trained consistently with the senior squad allowing us to continue our training despite the depleted numbers. They have not only benefitted from the experience but also added to the environment. Some of them will force their way into the match-day squad before the end of the season.”
The news gets better for the Reds in the following weeks, with the squad expected to gradually return to full strength – after a torrid start to the season saw up to 14 players unavailable at one point.
“With Hendrik Tui, Karmichael Hunt, Rob Simmons, Ed O’Donoghue and JJ Taulagi available in the next few rounds the squad will strengthen at an important part of the season. We’ve got a difficult three-week tour to Melbourne and South Africa coming up and it will be nice to have some selection headaches ahead of those games,” Graham said.
“We have been through a tough period but, with the exception of the Brumbies, the other Australian franchises sit close. The Force have only secured one win whilst the Rebels and Waratahs sit on two. We need to remember that tough times don’t last, tough people do.
“That is something at the forefront of our minds as we enter the next phase of the competition.”
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