SCGRL: A-grade 2025 season preview, players to watch, key gains and losses.
Ahead of round 1 this weekend, every Sunshine Coast A-grade head coach has revealed their key ins and outs, players to watch and aims for 2025. Read the full season preview.
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Ahead of round 1 this weekend, every Sunshine Coast A-grade rugby league head coach has revealed their key gains and losses, players to watch and why they’ll be competitive in 2025.
Beerwah will head into the season looking to defend their back-to-back premierships while Stanley River hope to improve on their inaugural 2024 season.
The competition will also welcome five new head coaches across the league.
See below for the full season preview and stay tuned for the open women’s breakdown next week.
BEERWAH BULLDOGS
Head Coach: Greg Corkin
Captain: Matt Kidd
2024 Result: Premiers
Key Ins: Trent Rooney (Bribie Island), Troy and Anthony Evans (Bribie Island), Callum Elton (Caboolture), Josh Crust (Caboolture) and Josh Janson (Caboolture).
Falcons draftees: Drew Timms, Harrison McIndoe, Flynn Camilleri and Tom McClure.
Key Outs: Chris Answorth (injury), Jackson Kite (Warriors under-21s).
Players to watch:
- Matt Kidd: Kidd’s last game was arguably the best of his career according to his new head coach after the crafty number seven steered his side to a grand final victory. The Beerwah captain took home the Mal Meninga medal for his performance and is no doubt in for another big season.
- Rowan Jardine: Will look to be a key leader among a younger Bulldogs forward pack this season and loves to play with aggression. He’s had a huge pre-season with Corkin saying he’s been ‘training the house down.’
- Kale Sheraton, Nicholas Jennings, Tom Dwan and Sam Humphreys: “All four of these boys are definitely some of the most underrated players in the Sunshine Coast competition. They add so much to our side every week, they put in plenty of effort and contribute massively on both sides of the ball,” Corkin said.
What excites you the most?
“Our depth is the big thing for us this season. We’ve got a squad of 25 or 26 at the moment so having guys fight for a position has been really healthy and I believe that’ll bring the best out of the boys,” Corkin said.
COOLUM COLTS
Head Coach: Matt Smith
Captain: Dan Moevao
2024 Result: Runners up
Key Ins: Elliott Smethhils (Kawana), Hayden Bartlett (Maroochydore), Kayd Donkin (NSW Cup), Colin Evans (Pine Rivers, BRL), Joe Clarke (Redcliffe).
Falcons draftees: Takai Mokohar, Taine Couper, Cody Hunter and Sam Elara.
Key Outs: Yamba Bowie (Cairns) and Issac Jones (work commitments).
Players to watch:
- Kayd Donkin: Has been really impressive through the pre-season and was a standout in the trial. Will be hard to handle
- Marlin Hawkins: Still a rising star but Hawkins really hit his straps towards the back end of the 2024 season and looks ready to go to another level in 2025.
What excites you the most?
“Our youth is what stands out for me. We’re a young side mixed with two or three older heads so everyone is really enthusiastic and hopefully we’ll be there abouts again when the whips are cracking,” Smith said.
NOOSA PIRATES
Head Coach: Tom Murphy
Captains: Jake Leitch and Rohan Messer
2024 Result: Third
Key Ins: Jake Leitch (Maroochydore), Brody Riseborough (Maroochydore), Brad Kent (out of retirement), Ben Radmall (rugby union), George Burgess (Sydney) and Josh Crocket (Wynnum).
Falcons draftees: Denver Ford, Sam Burns, Scott Galeano and Harry Dwyer.
Key Outs: Matt Craven (moved away)
Players to watch:
- Jake Leitch and Rohan Messer: Leitch is new to Noosa while Messer has gotten a few years of Pirates footy under his belt. Both bring a level of class and professionalism to the Pirates and should gel extremely well alongside player coach Tom Murphy.
- Brad Kent: Has been out of the game for a few years but his class and footy IQ will still remain.
- Jake Bullen, Lachie Delbridge and Dyllan Cousens: All younger players that have spent some time in A-grade but Murphy singled all three of them out for having strong pre-seasons.
What excites you the most?
“Our pre-season has been great, the group is really willing to work hard for each other and we have some key guys new to our club in key positions. We’ve set some pretty high standards from a training perspective which everyone has bought into and that should continue throughout the year,” Murphy said.
MAROOCHYDORE SWANS
Head Coach: Mick Duff
Captain: John McLaughlin
2024 Result: Fourth
Key Ins: John McLaughlin (Rockingham Sharks) Louis Geraghty (Sunshine Coast Falcons), Jai Smoothy (United Kingdom), Jake Strasser (Valleys) and Riley Boaza (Kawana).
Falcons draftees: Cruz Lasike, Nofoasa Malutoa, Cooper Page-Wilson, Mason Peut and Jett Thorpe Elich.
Key Outs: Saxon Day (Warriors under-21s), Kea Stevens (Tigers under-21s), Jake Leitch (Noosa), Brody Riseborough (Noosa), Jack Baumgart (Beerwah) and Tom Geraghty (retired)
Players to watch:
- Jai Smoothy: The former Falcon has returned to the region for 2025 and brings a wealth of experience around the ruck. Smoothy, brother of Brisbane Broncos player Tyson, will no doubt stamp his feet as one of the competition’s best number nine’s this season.
- Louis Geraghty: Will simply be too hard to ignore his impact for the Swans this season. The 100-game Queensland Cup player is the younger brother of outgoing Swans captain Tom and Louis shares a very similar style of play with his incredible work ethic on both sides of the ball.
- John McLaughlin: Will slot straight into the number seven jersey for the Swans, hoping to pick up where he left off after a year in Western Australia. His footy IQ and skill on the ball will be a major boost for Maroochydore this season.
- Jake Strasser: The son of Ziggy Strasser is a new recruit to the Swans and has already received plenty of high praise from his teammates and coaching staff. Strasser played for Redcliffe and Norths during his time in Queensland Cup.
What excites you the most?
“The energy and excitement around the whole club is unreal so if we can bring that to every game anything is possible. Our depth is and will be a massive factor for us this season. We’ve got our processes and plans in place that we won’t have to change each week depending on who we’re playing. It’ll be a great competition, Beerwah are a quality club and I think will again be the benchmark but we’ll knuckle down and play our brand of footy. The culture is here already which is great, the boys have all bought in and are taking to the new structure really well. It’s a new way of learning and approaching things but I’ve honestly been blown away by how thankful they are for things. I don’t think I’ve been thanked so much in my life, which is great and it’s exciting for what’s to come,” Duff said.
CALOUNDRA SHARKS
Head Coach: Craig Cleary
Captain: Namila Davui
2024 Result: Fifth
Key Ins: Travis Waddell (Gundiwindi), Junior Mu (Valleys), and Connor Brebner (Wynnum).
Falcons draftees: Gideon Afemui, Fletcher Spicer and Mitch Henderson.
Key Outs: Ethan Gaffney (retired), Zak De Jersey (Retired), Reuben Olive (Bundaberg), Tim Knight (Work Commitments) and Ben Marshall (retired).
Players to watch:
- Namila Davui: Will take charge as captain this season bringing with him many many years of Queensland Cup experience. The big Fijian will be a huge addition to the Sharks pack with his meticulous preparation and experience proving invaluable.
- Taj Greenhalgh: Made his A-grade debut last season and is still a younger player but brings plenty of talent to the Sharks team. Greenhalgh had a big pre-season and is expected to go to another level in 2025.
- Connor Bredner: A fit, big and experienced middle forward that played in the BRL A-grade grand final last season. Bredner is a great addition for Caloundra this season.
- Travis Waddell: The former 78 game NRL star is one of the biggest signings to the Sunshine Coast competition this season. Waddell’s class, experience and calming presence has already been a massive factor for the Sharks.
What excites you the most?
“Last year we played a flashy and frantic style of footy which hurt ourselves in the crunch or when we needed to take more control of the game. I think this year we have a much more balanced side where everyone compliments each other quite well. On paper we should do well but you have to make it gel on the field first. This competition will be really strong, I think the opening 20 minutes every week will be really key but I’m excited to see what we can achieve,” Cleary said.
CABOOLTURE SNAKES
Head Coach: Ray Ballantyne
Captain: Josh Totoro
2024 Result: Sixth
Key Ins: n/a
Falcons draftees: Neihana Oldham, Zion Johnson and Thallon Peters.
Key Outs: Tyler McGoldrick (Stanley River), Callam Elton (Beerwah) and Alex Crust (Beerwah).
Players to watch:
- Josh Totoro: Will be key as always for the Snakes and Ballantyne said ‘Totoro is extremely fired up for the year ahead’.
- Xander Jones: Still a younger player on the rise but will fill a big gap in the middle of the field and Ballantyne said he was excited to see how he fared.
- Callum Smith: Has been floating between the grades for the past few seasons but looks to have really shot through to the A-grade level this season and will look to return from injury in the coming weeks.
- Austin Mitchell, Dre Tupu and Cal Ballantyne: All young players that will feature for the Snakes under-19s side but are excited for an opportunity in the top grade sometime this season.
What excites you the most?
“The main thing is that there’s zero pressure. The guys that are there know they have time to master their craft, enjoy their footy and develop as a team. We’ve got a huge focus on setting the groundwork for the future which has made the energy around the place really great,” Ballantyne said.
KAWANA DOLPHINS
Head Coach: Chris Corbett
Captain: Dakota Tolhurst
2024 Result: Seventh
Key Ins: Joe Price (returning from New Zealand), Ayden Devery (returning), Dakota Tolhurst (returning from UK) and Brendan Grills (Rockhampton).
Falcons draftees: Jeremiah Schuster, Blake Moore, Patrice Siolo, Kaleb Sutton and Billy Lawrence.
Key Outs: Luke McBeth (year off), Sam Reid (travelling), Jackson Whitby.
Players to watch:
- Dakota Tolhurst: A talented player that was voted as South East Queensland’s best A-grade outside back in 2022 before he relocated to the UK to represent Rochdale Mayfield in the Challenge Cup and National Conference League.
- Brendan Grills: A talented halfback that is new to the club but has already slotted into the Dolphins side with ease. Grills will look to make his mark on the competition.
What excites you the most?
“We had a huge amount of injuries and had 14 players debut so I’m hoping they’ll all be pushing for a spot still and using that experience they picked up last season. We were very green last year but we have some good experience among the squad this season which will help us quite a bit,” Corbett said.
NAMBOUR CRUSHERS
Head Coach: Marty Cordwell
Captain: Unconfirmed
2024 Result: Eighth
Key Ins: Will Clapham (UK born but from North Queensland), Corey Higganbothan (Manly), Paul McKewin (Bribie Island), Jarrod Aitken (Bribie Island), Tyson Haynes (Sydney), Noah Law (Bundaberg), Kendrick Tredwell and Matty Kelly.
Falcons draftees: Ethan Saisoa’a, Joseph Vite, Danny Heenan and Taj Ridley.
Key Outs: Myles Gal (Bundaberg), Lachie Short (year off) and Max Hartzenberg (year off).
Players to watch:
- Corey Higganbothan: The new Sydney recruit is a talented halfback that brings plenty of experience through his time with the North Sydney Bears. Higganbothan captained the Cromer Kingfishers in the Sydney Metro A-grade competition for the past two seasons, winning back to back premierships.
- Finn Lawson: A talented younger player that made his mark in the A-grade scene last season. Lawson can slot in anywhere in the backline and will be a key attacking focus for the Crushers once again.
- Jaiden Zanchetta, Liam Aspen and Hugo Lescouzeres: All three players are recovering from ACL injuries which have been big blows for the Crushers side. Fingers crossed for a safe and speedy recovery and they should add plenty of quality once they return.
What excites you the most?
“We should have the depth this season which is something we’ve been lacking the last few years. There’s plenty of players that will be playing reserve grade this season that are up to the level of A-grade. There’s plenty of young guys knocking on the door as well so it’s really pleasing to see us back at a competitive level which as a club we’ve been building towards the past few years. We just have to tighten the screws and build off last years work,” Cordwell said.
STANLEY RIVER WOLVES
Head Coach: Ethan Szendrey
Captain: Ben King
2024 Result: Ninth
Key Ins: Cameron Cullen (West Brisbane Panthers), Robert Jennings (NRL), Tyler McGoldrick (Caboolture), Tauaalo Vaipulu (Redcliffe), Logan Cox (Brighton Roosters), Errol Simpson, Hudson Jones and Jacob Tobok (West Brisbane Panthers).
Falcons draftees: Corey Herdegen, Kaden Williams and Josh Billing.
Key Outs: Josh Lister (work commitments), Daemon Cruise (year off), Josh and Luke Beehag (retired), Troyden Watene-Edwards (moved away),
Players to watch:
- Cameron Cullen: Another huge huge pick-up for the Wolves and the wider Sunshine Coast competition. Cullen will slot in at halfback and draw plenty of eyes from the opposition.
- Robert Jennings: Another ex-NRL star, Jennings brings a level of class and composure to the Wolves backline. He will be a serious attacking threat this year.
- Gareth Freidrich: A local junior that has returned to the club after representing Valleys and Wests in the BRL. Brings plenty of experience and will complement the Wolves pack really well.
- Tauaalo Vaipulu, Hudson Jones and James Cochrane: All three have reported to have had huge pre-seasons and will look to go to another level in 2025.
What excites you the most?
“We haven’t shied away from the fact we got the wooden spoon last year. Even though we have a lot of new players, everyone’s really keen to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I’m seeing all the right things at the moment and hopefully we get a bit of luck throughout the year to compete and push for finals. Our mix of youth, experience, excitement and hard nut footy players is great across the board so if we can put it all together we should be in a good spot to play some finals footy,” Szendrey said.
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