Jim Tucker grades Queensland Reds’ 2019 season

With Queensland’s Super Rugby season over JIM TUCKER runs the rule over the Reds, issuing his report card for the second year of the Brad Thorn-era, taking in all the highs and the lows of 2019.

Samu Kerevi and Filipo Daugunu embraces after the Blues miracle. Picture: Getty

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Unearthing Tate McDermott and Isaac Lucas as gems for the future is meagre reward for the Queensland Reds and another season as the “nearly men” of Super Rugby.

Pre-season, the Reds had the look of a club that could carve out an 8-8 campaign as their limit and nudge into the finals.

If they’d held on for six more minutes in Dunedin and scored the winning try in Hamilton, instead of being hypnotised by numbing pick-and-drives, fans might have been celebrating just that ledger.

“If” is the most deceiving word in sport because it implies those victories are far closer than they really are because winning in the final 10 minutes takes a special knack.

The Reds are yet to master it which is why this six-win season only replicates last year.

Were there improvements?

Absolutely.

Samu Kerevi and Filipo Daugunu embraces after the Blues miracle. Picture: Getty

Steelier defence gave up seven fewer tries and the Reds hung in just about every contest because the five blowout 20-point losses of last year disappeared.

McDermott’s spark at halfback at 20 was a revelation before week in, week out play dulled him while utility back Lucas, 20, is the nimble, line-piercer that the team needs.

Fullback-flyhalf Bryce Hegarty proved a fine recruit with pacy thrust worth seven tries and centre Samu Kerevi was exceptional with his ball-running, tackle-busting and assists for others.

Here’s the Top 10 Things We Learnt About The Reds in 2019

1 HOW MUCH SAMU KEREVI WILL BE MISSED

The tackle-buster supreme broke more tackles (69) than any other player in Super Rugby in bullocking for 1546m. Better than his 15 linebreaks were his 16 linebreak assists to create more opportunities for players around him.

Samu Kerevi will be sorely missed next season. Picture: Getty

2 THE NEW REDS CAPTAIN

Izack Rodda will slip seamlessly into the role vacated by Kerevi for 2020.

3 GENERATION NEXT

McDermott, Lucas and Jordan Petaia are sharp young gun backs but no Kerevi around them is going to hurt.

4 IMPROVED DISCIPLINE

The Reds were giving away just over eight penalties a game which was a marked improvement on 2018. Actually, so many of the Reds’ stats were in the top half of the competition, you wonder why the team didn’t win more games.

The Reds broke more tackles than any side in Super Rugby and Rodda stole the most lineouts (10) yet that gold turned into dust too often.

Liam Wright made more forced turnovers than any other Super Rugby player. Picture: AFP

5 BIG IMPROVERS

Busy hooker Alex Mafi was the Reds’ biggest improver and his kick-catch try against the Waratahs was superb.

Flanker Liam Wright’s toughness in dark places earned him more forced ruck and maul penalties (11) than any other player in the competition.

6 POOR LINK BETWEEN BACKS AND FORWARDS

Too often the link between forwards and backs to maximise chances was poor.

The quick ball release from a scrum in the final game against the Brumbies meant a quick halfback pass to winger Jock Campbell as first receiver to conjure a try.

Too little advantage was taken from a good lineout and scrum.

7 MORE GRIT AGAINST THE KIWIS

The Reds beat the Blues for their first Kiwi scalp since 2016, played their best rugby of the season to nearly beat the Highlanders in Dunedin, should have beaten the Chiefs and hung in against the Crusaders for the final 70 minutes.

That’s a quantum step forward and they did it with the pack leading the way.

8 POOR CROWDS

Even hardcore rugby fans want to see concrete results because “promising” and “on the improve” doesn’t draw crowds.

The average crowd to games at Suncorp Stadium of 11,351 was abysmal.

Rugby Australia officials should hang heads in shame that they have done so little to polish the special quality of the Queensland-NSW game that now only 12,236 fans turn out.

State hoodoo still haunting Reds. Picture: AAP

9 HOODOOS

The Reds are going nowhere fast with a diabolical 11-game losing streak against old foes NSW and a one-from-six record against Aussie opposition this year.

10 FINALLY...

Best players: Samu Kerevi, Tate McDermott, Izack Rodda, Alex Mafi, Liam Wright.

Best recruit: Bryce Hegarty.

Breakout players: Harry Hockings, Isaac Lucas, Angus Blyth, Jock Campbell.

Under-performers: Caleb Timu, Sefa Naivalu, Filipo Daugunu.

Originally published as Jim Tucker grades Queensland Reds’ 2019 season