Sunshine Coast rugby league coaches name top debutants and recruits of 2022 season
Sunshine Coast a-grade rugby league coaches have named which recruits and debutants have been key to their successes in 2022.
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The Sunshine Coast rugby league season has started with teammates, coaches and fans getting an understanding of which players have been key in the opening seven rounds.
Despite the recent run of poor weather this season is shaping up to go down to the wire with five teams establishing themselves as premierships contenders.
Several 2022 recruits and debutants have fired for their teams with coaches naming which players had been their best performers so far.
Kawana Dolphins
Head coach Andrew Hinson said things could still improve for his side despite sitting third on the ladder.
“I’m happy with where we are at, a great win on the weekend against a solid Caboolture team so on the back of that, we now need to see some consistency in our performances as teams always come ready to play us,” he said.
He said he always looked forward to playing a strong Gympie outfit.
“Our games against Gympie are always a tough as there are a few former Kawana players in their team,” he said.
“It’s been great to finally get on the training field and work on a few things in prep for this weekend.”
Conor Luhan
“Conor is a former Kawana junior who went to the North Queensland Cowboys and also Cronulla Sharks, then had a year off when Covid hit,” Hinson said.
“He plays in the front row and is working back to his best and is getting better each week and has been one of our best players each game.”
Luke McBeath
“Luke has come up from New South Wales and he played a bit of rep footy down there so he’s brought some high standards with him which is good,” Hinson said.
“He plays lock and is a tough worker that does a lot of the small things in a game that is so important to success.”
Caboolture Snakes
Head coach Mitch Buckett was quietly confident in his team’s performances.
“Besides round one were we won by eight, I think the biggest margin in any of our games has been decided by six points so our record of two wins, two losses and two draws sounds pretty average but we’re very close to winning those kind of games,” he said.
“The two games we lost we completed below 55 per cent and you just can’t win those types of games.”
He said he knew his team could compete against the top of the table Swans.
“Obviously they haven't lost a game but we felt like we made a lot of errors against them in the game we drew and we didn't capitalise where we should’ve,” he said.
“The boys are confident but not cocky heading in to this one.”
Hunter Smallhorn
“He played a bit of juniors at the club and has gone away to play some BRL footy with Pine Rivers but has come back this year,” Buckett said.
“Just that next step up is noticeable and the things he’s learnt he’s now showing those other players as he leads from the font so he’s been great.”
Braydon Hales
“He’s only played two games for us but is one who has just turned 17 and has done a really good job for us,” Buckett said.
“He played his juniors all the way through here and was very unlucky not to make the Sunshine Coast Falcons Mal Meninga squad earlier in the year.
“He’s killing it in the under 18s and is doing a really good job when he steps up against grown men.”
Maroochydore Swans
Head coach Dennis Moore was happy with how his undefeated team was tracking despite some early season setbacks.
“I’m happy with where we’re at given the preparation we had, the recent weather and some key injuries to start the season,” he said.
“Considering that adversity to be where we are it’s been good.”
He said playing back at home in round eight would be another added bonus.
“They’re always tough Caboolture so were just assessing our players to see who’s available,” he said.
“We’re expecting nothing but a tough game from them and we’ll prepare accordingly.”
Nick Ellems and Jackson Moule
“Our spine of Nick and Jackson who are having their first season with us have been really solid,” he said.
“You mix them with John McLaughlin and Riley Moore who have been massive again this season for us I’ve been really impressed all round.”
Aaron Creed
“Aaron didn’t play at all last year but has come back in and has been really good for us,” Moore said.
“He’s playing in the centres and has added good strengths in attack for us down the outside.”
Caloundra Sharks
Head coach Leigh De Jersey said he hoped his team, who were yet to fire with just one win from five games, could perform well against Nambour on Saturday.
“It’s been very frustrating as we just haven't been able to apply enough pressure right until the end of the game,” he said.
“I’m not going to make any excuses we just haven't been good enough as we’ve played and been in the contest a few times but end up getting rolled.
“It’s a couple of little things that we’re working hard at fixing and hopefully this weekend is the one we turn it around in front of the home crowd.”
Caileb Dimes
“Caileb was one under 18 that came up last year to make his a-grade debut and he has held his spot the whole year this year,” he said.
“He plays well above his weight and his attention to detail with the little things has been first rate.”
Tayler McCann
“He’s our big six foot six front-rower that also plays lock,” De Jersey said.
“He came to us from St. Mary’s in Sydney and he has been leading the way for us.”
Gympie Devils
Head coach Michael Buckley said his team dynamic had changed a lot since the opening rounds.
“We’ve been decimated with injuries plus work commitments as we have a lot of fly-in-fly-out workers,” he said.
“Our problem is consistently putting a team on the paddock for those reasons as we’re calling on a fair few reserve grade players to back up for us.
“We definitely haven’t given up on the season because it’s still early days and we know we can field a good side it’s more a matter of when we’re able to do it.”
Despite their recent run of form he said his team would be up for the contest against the 2021 premiers.
“They’re a good side who obviously won the competition last year but we’ll go down there and give it our best shot,” he said.
“If they’re going to beat us they’ll learn it that’s for sure.”
Ethan Bainbridge
“Ethan is one who played Falcons under 18s and is having his first game back in a while this weekend,” Buckley said.
“He’s got good skill for a young bloke so hoping he can continue to develop.”
George Fisher
“George is in his second year with us at fullback and is playing some good footy,” Buckley said.
“He’s just an agile player who is very fast footed for us at the back.”
Beerwah Bulldogs
Head Coach Brett Hill was proud of his team’s efforts so far.
“I’m pretty happy with how we’re going and we’re blooding a whole heap of new players as we had about nine odd players leave since last season,” he said.
“It will take us a bit of time to find our feet but I’m very happy with how we’re going so far.”
Hill said he commended the younger players on their performances throughout the opening rounds.
“I don’t want to name names but we blooded a couple of young blokes from the under 18s who we’re giving a few a-grade games to,” he said.
“That experience is helping them along as they come forward into the big grades and we also got a couple of blokes from the Falcons who bring back some good experience for us.”
Noosa Pirates
Head coach Brett Winkler said his team was still yet fire despite sitting in second spot on the ladder with four wins, one draw and one loss.
“The feeling is good and but we’re still looking to improve,’ he said.
“While we have won our last three games in a row, we are aware that we need to improve a lot and play far more consistently.
“We have put some great patches together in games and our effort is good, but our gap between good and bad can be quite extreme and against good teams, we will struggle to stay in the game and keep touch.”
He said he was proud of a number of new players the club had acquired and brought up through the junior ranks.
“Certainly so far this season we have managed to blood and introduce a number of our under 18 and under 20 players into our division 1 squad which has worked well, but it is a longer process and does take some time, despite getting some short term success at times,” he said.
“That said to date, our young and new players to the squad have performed well and there is a commitment to playing for and with each other.”
Nambour Crushers
Head coach Ken Kerr was proud of his team’s recent performances after round seven.
“The improvement we had on the weekend was unbelievable to be honest,” he said.
“We were up 22-18 with 10 minutes to go but lost two players to the sin bin and from there it’s tough to win any game especially against a solid Noosa team.”
Kerr said he hoped his team could regroup towards the back half of the season.
“I think we’ll scare a lot of people in the back half of season just given our injury toll at the moment,” Kerr said.
“It’s a matter of getting the people on the park as I’ve already had four halfbacks rotate through.”
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