Martin Cordwell names Sunshine Coast dream team in 18-man squad

NRL and Origin guns, old school enforcers and try scoring wizards have made up a stacked side of Sunshine Coast teammates selected by respected and now retired prop Marty Cordwell.

Former Sunshine Coast Falcons enforcer Marty Cordwell, far left, has named a squad of his ultimate teammates. It features,clockwise from left, Joe Stimson, Ryley Jacks, Jon Reuben and Tom Geraghty.

Respected rugby league journeyman Marty Cordwell has unveiled his ultimate list of Sunshine Coast teammates after the curtain fell on his 16-year career.

Cordwell named an 18-man squad featuring players he played with on the Sunshine Coast.

It’s a side stacked with familiar faces on the NRL scene, tireless workers and try line freaks.

He said one needed only to look at the players left out to know the value of this squad.

Cordwell, whose Queensland Cup career took him to the Souths Logan Magpies, Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles, Redcliffe Dolphins and Falcons, recently retired from state-level footy.

The front rower endured tough years as the Sea Eagles struggled in its early days but played a leading role as the Falcons swooped to the minor premiership in 2019.

Former Sunshine Coast Falcons forward Martin Cordwell recently hung up the boots.

“We had some tough years, but I believe this time, along with the time the club had leading up until the Melbourne Storm affiliation, is what built the culture this club now has today,” Cordwell said.

“I played down the highway at Redcliffe Dolphins in 2014-2015, living in Brisbane still at the time finishing off my university degree, and then moved back up to the now-Falcons in 2016.

“I couldn’t stay away from playing for my home team.”

Next year, he will return to his beloved Nambour Crushers, the club where he first laced up at age five.

Below is Cordwell’s ultimate team and his reasons for each selection.

“I found it hard to nail down my top 17 as I feel every player I have played with across the years has worn the Falcons jersey with pride and represented it well, each adding their own point of difference to the team,” he said.

1. Nicho Hynes

“Nicho is special. He is the type of player who can stick to structure and play what’s in front of him and make it look easy all while pointing us tired middles into position in defence. Ryan Papenhuyzen was a hard one to leave out.”

2. Nat McGavin

Nat McGavin training with the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

“Nat has locked in this spot after being rookie of the year in 2019, then being close to top try scorer in 2021 for the whole comp. He competes on everything and makes finishing a try look easy.”

3. Justin Olam

“Justin’s power and no self-preservation in attack and defence is too hard to go past. He has no half-paced efforts.”

4. Rowan Klein

“Rowan was always reliable for us across the years and his will to win and get the best out of all the players around him always lifted the team. His brother Callum could easily have been in this spot - they can wrestle off for it.”

5. Jon Reuben

“Jon is electric. He scored 23 tries for us in 2019 and has scored over 100 tries in his QCup career. You can’t leave him out of your team.”

6. Ryley Jacks

Former Sunshine Coast Falcons playmaker Ryley Jacks.

“Jacksy can lead the team around the field, all while not having to say too much at all. His show and go was unreal for us a few times and won us games off the back of it. He could find the try line.”

7. Todd Murphy

“Todd is a true competitor at everything he does. His actions on the field and off it would get the best out of everyone in the team. I loved nothing more than him saying, “rip one up mate and get us a fast play the ball”. Justin Otto from the Sea Eagles days was another hard one to leave out.”

8. Darryn Schonig

“My front-row partner from 2019 was an easy pick. He is a tough man, I cannot wait to watch him run out again next year. The team is always in a better position off the back of his hit-ups and the opposition’s shoulders and heads aren’t.”

9. Harry Grant

“I have a lot of respect for dummy halves and the work they get through being a smaller body in the middle, Harry is incredible. All aspiring players should just watch what he does on the field, and if you can emulate a piece of his game, the parts that not everyone focuses on are special. He scraps on everything and always turns up, not to mention being able to hit anyone on the chest from anywhere after making 50 tackles. Troy Mendham was a similar style player with little self-preservation and was hard to leave out.”

10. Tui Kamikamica

“Big Bulla is a powerful man. I loved playing in the middle with Tui and is probably the only front rower I know who can score two tries in a game carrying four or five blokes over the line at the same time. Harrison Muller was another middle who was hard to leave out and I loved competing with along with the goal-kicking front rower Ryan Hansen.”

11. Joe Stimson

Former Sunshine Coast Falcons backrower Joe Stimson.

“Stimo is the ultimate worker and is tough as hell. He would clean up a lot of tackles that us tired boys in the middle needed help with and can score tries with ease. John Muir was a similar style player back in the Sea Eagles days and Louis Geraghty of late were both hard to leave out of this spot.”

12. Chris Lewis

“Chris is a hardworking competitor and it is pretty clear why he is now in the Melbourne Storm system. He has the ability to make hard things look easy and is definitely faster than he looks. If I played a few more seasons, I am sure Tom Rafter would have been on this list, Tom is one to watch.”

13. Dane Hogan

“Dane was easy to select and is my choice as skipper. Dane left nothing on the field every time he crossed the line. He is a fearless man and he made everyone’s job around him easier with his work rate. His pre-game talks would get anyone ready to play a game. We had trainers who run the water wanting to make a tackle at times after them. I am going to miss them.”

14. Brenton Stonier

Nambour Crushers rake Brenton Stonier in action.

“I couldn’t leave Brenton out of this team. I loved and still love taking the field with him. He can hit a pass on the chest from anywhere and is always three tackles ahead of every other player on the field. I love nothing more than playing the ball and seeing him dive over, Brenton is probably one of the best at doing this. Tom Murphy and more recently Sam Burns could have easily slipped into this utility spot with their tough grit and work rates.”

15. Tom Geraghty

Tom Geraghty training with the Sunshine Coast Falcons.

“Tom is a workhorse. I loved taking the field with him every week, he always put his hand up for the hard work and I knew he had my back every time. He is the fittest human I know, being 115kg and just about winning our 1.2km time trials at training is incredible.”

16. Daniel Dole

“I’d have Doley in my team every day of the week. I loved nothing more than coming up for a tackle and seeing Doley shooting in front of me and connecting. He is a tough man and look forward to watching him for many more years. John Grieve would be my next choice for this spot from earlier years.”

17. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui

“Big Tino is too good not to be in. He already is an NRL superstar but his time at the Falcons at only 19 years of age was freakish. I loved taking the field with him. Sam Bernstrom was a tough one to leave from this spot.”

18. Jye Ballinger

“Jye was a clear choice to be in the 18 somewhere. He is a one of a kind utility who can play anywhere on the field, except maybe the halves, (but) he would have a crack still.”