Sunshine Coast rugby league 2023 season preview
Sunshine Coast senior rugby league head coaches have lifted the lid on their 2023 expectations, off-season signings and key players ahead of round one. Read the full preview.
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New teams, fresh faces and battle hardened veterans are ready for the 2023 Sunshine Coast rugby league season with the senior men’s and women’s competitions starting on March 25.
After a rollercoaster off-season, 2022 men’s A-grade premiers the Maroochydore Swans will look to defend their title with new head coach Bart Hold and it’s a similar story for new Caloundra women’s head coach Trevor Conroy as the black and gold aim for three-in-a-row.
The men's competition will also welcome new head coaches in Matt Smith (Coolum) and Mick Duff (Noosa), while in the women’s Rebecca Jones (Beerwah), Michael Buckley (Gympie), Geoff Wheeler (Kawana) and Rob Burgin (Noosa).
The Daily caught up with each team’s head coach to find out how pre-season had gone, their 2023 competition aims and which players they believe are ones to keep an eye on.
Men’s Division 1
BEERWAH
Head Coach: Brett Hill
2022 Result: Second
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We came back a bit earlier than we normally do because the boys were super keen to get back into it and I was probably still a little bit wounded from the grand final loss but that sort of game me and the boys inspiration to get back into it. We recruited a few players too that have come back from a higher standard and they’ve been driving the standard.”
Season Aim: “It’s the old cliche of taking one game at a time as we’re not looking too far ahead to be honest but going one better than last year is the desire. It’s majority of the same team that played last year and they are only a young bunch of blokes besides a few of them so I think this mob should be around for a few more years.”
Key Players: “We’ve got Jamie Hill from the Central Queensland Capras and a few that were borderline Sunshine Coast Falcons players last year come down from Gympie. Jamie’s played 68 Queensland Cup games so he’ll no doubt lead the boys around. I’d also like to say a fair few of the younger kids that have now had a few years of A-grade under their belt to be honest. I think without naming names the whole squad is ready to take that step up.”
CABOOLTURE
Head Coach: Mitch Buckett
2022 Result: Fourth
Pre-Season Takeaways: “It’s been a good pre-season and we’re probably in a much better position than we were last year with most of the team returning to the club.”
Season Aim: “We’ve obviously got the one main goal of winning this year. I think we feel like we made it too hard for ourselves towards the back end of the year having to win seven straight to get into the finals. I just think having that one year of footy behind us will do us a world of good heading into this year.”
Key Players: “I don’t know about individuality, I don’t think we have that type of team that’s reliant on one or two players it’s more so having our spine click and having our forwards get on board. A big one for us is our halfback Gerald Ubaldo, he’s very tough, leads the team around and it’s the same with our five-eight Josh Totoro who had a really good end of the year last season. He’s been smashing gym in the off-season so will be good to see him improve and our fullback Luke Ford who’s just come back from a pre-season with the Sunshine Coast Falcons so interesting to see how he goes after that experience.”
CALOUNDRA
Head Coach: Leigh de Jersey and Craig Cleary
2022 Result: Fifth
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We’ve got a pretty new squad, I think in our trial against Dalby there was about five players from our A-grade side last season. We’ve had a big influx of players from all over the place with players moving into town and a couple that have come from other clubs. We went on a bit of a recruit drive to get a few blokes and the rest just happened naturally so feeling positive.”
Season Aim: “We’re going in it to win it. With that extra experience and having those younger blokes that have had a few seasons under their belt we’re feel pretty good. The goal is to make the semi’s after just missing last year on for and against. I think Beerwah is going to pretty strong, they’ve recruited pretty heavily and will probably be the benchmark but we play them in round one so looking forward to it.”
Key Players:“We’ve picked up Haydin Elsebach who was the hooker ar Gympie last year and he’s just next level which is great. We’ve picked up Jack Cornford from Noosa and then some of the other guys we’ve picked up bring good experience and skill but I’d say Jack is probably our key signing. Just his skill, his footy knowledge and his leadership has already stood out in the short time he’s been here. Another one we’ve picked up is Rueben Olive from last years premiers so he brings good experience and is hoping to build on his efforts last year.”
COOLUM
Head Coach: Matt Smith
2022 Result: n/a
Pre-Season Takeaways: “Pre-season has been really good, there’s plenty of energy around the club at the moment and enthusiasm from everyone is really high so all the boys are really looking forward to it. It’s obviously going to be a massive challenge considering we don’t have a lot of boys that have played in the premier competition and will be having to step up but it’s an exciting time and hopefully it’s extra motivation for the boys.”
Season Aim: “When you’re in a competition you want to finish at the top of the ladder, not near the bottom but first and foremost we just want to be competitive. We don’t want to go out there each week and get our pants down and dishearten the guys, we want the guys to have a go and show the other teams we’re not just here to make up the numbers. We’ve got some great young talent, just missing a few senior guys which is something the club can hopefully build over the next few years.”
Key Players: “I definitely think Sam Elara, he’s come to us after playing QCup for Redcliffe last year. He’s a centre and is showing a lot of promise, obviously has plenty of talent and has been a standout in the trials. One of our imports from New Zealand, Kavana Te Kiri Ryan, is chomping at the bit to play over here and show what he can do in the back row. Another would one of our main up and coming junior players that’s played since under 7s would be our fullback Jordan Line. He could’ve played a-grade the last few years at other clubs but has hung around and bided his time so is definitely in for a big year.”
KAWANA
Head Coach: Andrew Hinson
2022 Result: Third
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We’ve got a really good feeling, pre-season has gone really well and we’ve got our last trial this weekend. It’s interesting to see the combinations in action, the boys have been training really hard and obviously now there’s light at the end of the tunnel and they just want to get out on the field.”
Season Aim: “Obviously we’d like to have a winning season, we’d like to make the semi’s again and once we can hopefully achieve that we’ll go from there. I’d like to think not just A-grade but the whole club is aiming to make the semi’s and then re-evaluate. We picked up a few injuries last year too so hopefully this time we get a bit more luck.”
Key Players: “We’ve got Jaiden Zanchetta who’s a Kawana junior and has come back to the club after a few years with the Falcons. He’s obviously looking to have a good year or two before pushing on to the higher level but he’ll be really strong for us in that five-eight role. We’ve got a young player Jackson Whitby who’s come to us from Bega and he looks like he’s pretty handy and could play anywhere in the outside backs. I’d say our captain, Luke Macbeath, he’ll be a standout and looking to have a big year. He came to us last year but broke his hand so missed majority of the season but is looking ready to go this year and is definitely one to watch at lock forward.”
MAROOCHYDORE
Head Coach: Bart Hold
2022 Result: Premiers
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We had our first training session back as group on March 14 and it’s mainly a reserve grade side that’s stepped up and helped out.”
Season Aim: “It’ll be a tough year but they’re a great bunch of lads and we should go all right. It’s literally just a few weeks of training before we start the season but we’ll make it work.”
Key Players: “Tom Geraghty definitely, he’s very passionate, will lead by example on and off the field, he’s been around the block a few times having played a lot of A-grade footy and over 100 Queensland Cup games so he’ll let his actions do the talking. Another is John McLaughlin who is our halfback. He was apart of our 2022 premiership side and will again have a big responsibility on him having to guide the team around and coach on the run while he’s out there but another great player that’s committed to the cause. There’s also our u19s as an entire third person because we might need them throughout the year and I’m sure they’ll step up and do the jersey proud.”
NAMBOUR
Head Coach: Ken Kerr
2022 Result: Wooden Spoon
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We’re doing all right, getting more and more numbers to training as it gets closer to kick off time and everyone wants to play. The injury count we had last year was insane but blokes like Marty Cordwell is raring to go, we’ve got a few from Mary Valley and a handful from England come over which is good.”
Season Aim: “Going through 30-odd players in our first grade side last year definitely didn’t help but this season the culture is starting to change. If we can make finals this year I’ll be pretty happy.”
Key Players: “Taylor Hyland and Liam Aspin are two Poms and will play six and seven for us this season and they’ve made a good impression already in the short time they’ve been here. Having Martin Cordwell back in the set up has been great as he’s highly respected and will be great for us. Another player called Carter Webb who will play hooker after having a few years out of A-grade is also one who looks exciting.”
NOOSA
Head Coach: Mick Duff
2022 Result: Sixth
Pre-Season Takeaways: “This is my first year as head coach after being with the under 19s and then as the assistant coach to Brett Winkler the past three seasons. Learning under him has been fantastic, our playing group and our culture has had a big shift already in pre-season. Our numbers are booming through reggies and A-grade and there’s a lot of depth and quality this year as we got a lot of local boys back and took a few from rugby union. Terry ‘TC’ Carroll has come back to us this year, Rod Davies has come across from union and he obviously played for the Queensland Reds and is a fantastic acquisition, Brandon Mayhew has come over and is looking really good in the centre and then Tyson Schefe who was one of our juniors before going to rugby union for a few years has returned and looks really sharp. Just having those core numbers consistently at training put us in front of where I wanted to be at this time of the year so overall I think we’re in for a pretty successful season.”
Season Aim: “I’d be extremely disappointed if we didn’t make semi finals. I think we’ve well and truly got the team to push for finals and I’m really keen to get our hands on Beerwah and see where we’re at. I think they’re going to be the pinnacle after recruiting really well so as soon as we can play them we’ll know where we sit.”
Key Players: “We’ll have to wait and see with our Maroochydore and Falcons allocations given the Swans are now back in the competition but besides the boys already mentioned, George Fisher has come down from Gympie and he’s another that can play fullback, wing or centre. Lachie Santana has played really well in pre-season in centre for us and Roddy Mawn is carrying a bit of an injury at the moment but played almost every game last year for us on the wing as a young bloke coming through. Cam Hanson is another that should be right by round one after spending majority of last year with the Sunshine Coast Falcons Colts. Some of those outside backs bring a lot of flair and will really have to compete for their spot this season. Jett McCarthy came to us last year from up North and he’s back again this year as a natural halfback or five eight which is good to have. Then Hayden Trask is one of our regular forwards at hooker, young Will Cousens has trialled there as well and he looks really good and then Dan Moevao is captain at backrow.”
Women’s Division 1
BEERWAH
Head Coach: Rebecca Jones
2022 Result: Fourth
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We haven't had any trial games, a few of the girls played in the 9s a few weeks ago to dust off the cobwebs but more than anything it’s new for me and a new set of girls. Everyone seems to be enjoying it, we hope to get a few numbers back from the Queensland Cup as the season goes on too.”
Season Aim: “Our main aim is to build a bit of consistency given it’s a fairly new group of players. A lot of the girls are working on their combinations and set plays so realistically it’s trying to build some good momentum and hopefully we can look towards a reflection of improvement from the start of the season to the end. If we can do that hopefully we be in a good position come finals time.”
Key Players: “We’ve got some girls currently playing in the BMD Queensland Cup competition so I’m not sure which of them will come back but in terms of the players we have now I’d definitely say Ruojzharna Richardson who plays fullback. She’s small in stature but has determination and plays well above her weight. An experienced player that’s come back is Jo Kerr, she brings great overall leadership and her commitment to the group has her highly respected. Another is Tiarrie-Lee Fanuatanu who showed she is a hard running forward with good skills in the 9s so excited to see her perform. Then as well Courtney Lockwood who has previously played high level football and will bring good experience to our squad.”
CABOOLTURE
Head Coach: Raymond Totoro
2022 Result: Third
Pre-Season Takeaways: “The girls haven't had any trials besides the 9s as we also haven't had full numbers due to the BMD competition but training has been good.”
Season Aim: “The aim would be the same as most clubs in winning the competition in all grades. If we can improve on our efforts last season and the girls enjoy their time on the field than that’s an improvement.”
Key Players: “We’ve got a lot of new players but obviously Tamzin Taumafai who’s our captain and leads from the front and demonstrates what we want as a player and for our team. Jazmyn Slater is the heart and soul of our team and brings us all together. Then a special mention to Sharon Eti Faresa Kapisi who came in a quarter of the way through last year but now that she’s had a full pre-season under her belt she’s really shone. She’s getting stronger and really demonstrates that never give up attitude.”
CALOUNDRA
Head Coach: Trevor Conroy
2022 Result: Premiers
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We’ve been a bit starved of trial matched just because we’ve only got a certain number of players at the moment. We’ll have a good number throughout the year but early on we’ve got about six of so girls that are with the Falcons under 19s. After Easter and the rep footy is done everyone will be back and should be a good year.”
Season Aim: “We just want to build a good environment, let the girls have some fun and help them develop especially with the Falcons BMD team hopefully coming in next year. If we can jam as much development as possible this year than hopefully next season they’re representing the Sunshine Coast.”
Key Players: “Ella-J Harris, she’ll play lock again this season. She’s a great ball-playing forward that brings a lot of composure to our team. The other standout I’d say would be our fullback Makayla Henry.”
GYMPIE
Head Coach: Michael Buckley
2022 Result: Seventh
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We could certainly do with some more numbers but for the girls that have been training they’ve been going really well. We’re going to try our hardest to keep a team, the biggest thing here as a regional club is just getting a commitment from the players.”
Season Aim: “I know if I can get the girls to training and get them on the paddock we will have a competitive team. The ones that have been coming consistently have improved immensely already and it’s great to see.”
Key Players: “I’d say Amy Atkinson who’s played a bit of Falcons footy and has been training really well. Another is Caite Sing who is very good footballer and an exciting prospect.”
KAWANA
Head Coach: Geoff Wheeler
2022 Result: Second
Pre-Season Takeaways: “It’s been really good we’ve had a lot of new players from a range of other sports come in and we took out the 9s competition which was another bonus. Our trials have been good and overall it’s a good team dynamic so I’m really excited for where the girls are headed this season.”
Season Aim: “We want to develop our newer and younger players and then obviously our inevitable goal is to win the competition. We want to go one better than we went last year in the grand final.”
Key Players: “Our captain Maa Puketapu is with the Central Queensland Capras at the moment in the BMD Premiership but when she comes back she’s a very exciting middle forward, she’s very tough and a great leader. Our five-eight Brooklyn Kingdom is a very talented player and another to watch this season. She recently played in the Police Services game at number six which was exciting. Then we’ve got a younger player coming up from the Sunshine Coast Falcons under 19s in Marissa Nicholson. She played Queensland Open Schoolgirls last year and is quite exciting so I can’t wait to see what she can do in the open women’s competition at hooker.”
NAMBOUR
Head Coach: Yolanda McKewin
2022 Result: Wooden Spoon
Pre-Season Takeaways: “We haven't had any trials but have had a good pre-season and the girls are super positive, very supportive of each other and keen for a new season. We’ve got a few new players come in from Hervey Bay and Bundaberg so it’s just an exciting time really.”
Season Aim: “Last year was a bit of a struggle because we didn’t have many players but the aim this year is for the girls to go out each week, have fun, enjoy the game and try their best. From that it would be good to hopefully get some wins under our belt.”
Key Players: “We have A‘Eisha Jeffs who we’ve transitioned into the halves and is always our player to watch. She tries really hard every year, is our captain so she’s very motivating and supportive where she can be. Georgia Younger is one of our forwards, she’s always doing the big hits and has a great motor on the field. Then just in general I’m keen for the under 17s to come up as they’re all currently playing in the Falcons under 19s. I’m keen to have them come into our squad, show everyone what they can do and have a successful transition to the women’s competition.”
NOOSA
Head Coach: Rob Burgin
2022 Result: Fifth
Pre-Season Takeaways: “It’s been good, we’ve focuses on bringing everyone together and solidifying them as a unit. Having that sense of club culture on board has been really important and we’ve got about half a dozen or maybe even a few more local girls that are coming into rugby league for the first time. There some of the most exciting girls as we’ve got quite a few from touch football that haven't played full contact before but have been really impressive in the pre-season. They’ve been great at keeping everyone on their toes and adding a bit of speed and spark to the side.”
Season Aim: “The main thing is to be competitive in every moment of the game. The score lines will take care of themselves but we don’t ever want to switch off or ever think that we’re out of the contest. We want to be competitive from the opening whistle to the final whistle and try and play for every moment of the match.”
Key Players: “Our second-rower and vice-captain Emily Garrett, she got picked for Falcons reps last year but due to family circumstances I believe she didn't get a chance to play. She is someone who could play at a much higher level but I think just has to grow a bit in her self belief. Keara Woods, she’s a young girl that’s come to us from touch football and scored four tries in our trial in just her second game of thirteen a side rugby league. I think all her older brothers played footy and she’s grown up as the runt of the family having to tackle them in the backyard which has made her into a pretty decent player with a good future ahead of her. Then I’d say Brodie Capstick, she’s come to us from Nambour this year and has all the ability we’ve just got to harness that into the best version of herself. We’ll work on her fitness a bit but having her and Emily gives us a great one-two punch.”
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