Sunshine Coast rugby union season preview ahead of kick-off

Fresh faces and battle hardened veterans alike will lace up for the return of Coast rugby union this weekend. Here’s all you need to know ahead of kick-off.

Fresh faces and battle hardened veterans alike will lace up for the return of Coast rugby union this weekend.

After a late and busy season last year due to COVID-19 the Sunshine Coast's senior union outfits have enjoyed a return to normality this pre-season as they prepare to kick-off the 2021 campaign.

Coast football gears up for big year

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Among some altered playing groups, the A-grade season will welcome three new coaches too.

Defending champions Noosa have welcomed in Matt Buckland this year after Mick Phelan called it a day immediately following Noosa's premiership glory.

Mark Forrester has taken over from Matt Myers at Wynnum while Ben Radmall is the new leader at Maroochydore following Will Urquhart's exit.

The Sunshine Coast Daily has taken a glance at the teams and draw to preview the season ahead of kick-off:

DRAW

The opening round is set to kick off this weekend (April 10).

Caloundra will host University, Maroochydore will welcome defending champions Noosa and Caboolture will tackle Wynnum at home.

There are six teams in A-grade with each team to play each other three times throughout the year. Two byes will fall in May and June.

Major semi-finals will be played on August 7 and minor semi-finals on August 8.

The elimination final will be held on August 14 and the grand final the week later on August 21.

SEASON SNAPSHOT

NOOSA

Venue: Bicentennial Drive, Sunshine Beach

Coach: Matt Buckland

Captain: Nick Colvin. Vice-captain Will Christie

Key players: Brandon Mayhew, Rod Davies, Nick Colvin and Will Christie

Coach's comment: "Pre-season has been good, it's been a big learning 13 weeks for the boys with the new style of play that we're trying to get our heads around. But, they've stuck to it well and really bought in. Their energy and enthusiasm has been great. Come Round 1 this weekend we'd be looking to start with a bit of belief in what we're doing and then try and build on that week after week."

Squad: "One went to Brisbane prems, two boys went back overseas but aside from that we've kept 22 from last year and gained probably five new players into that A-grade squad."

Last year: Premiers

Last silverware: 2020

 

CALOUNDRA

Venue: Arthur Street, Caloundra

Coach: Geoff Ingram

Captain: Mitch Platt

Key players: Mac Burgess, Jarrod Kidston

Coach's comment: "I think we will be better as a team this year and as a team we will play better as unit. We learned few lessons last year in terms of how we were playing and potentially over complicating things. So, we've really stripped it back this year and made it super simple for everyone so there is nowhere to hide for anyone if certain areas go wrong. It's bit of a variation from last couple years in terms of how we're going to play, but from what we've so far we think it will go pretty well."

Squad: "We've had a few guys move on and go back to league and move on and do different things. So, we have a few fresh faces from colts and also new joiners to the club and they've all been training really well. So, I think it's going to be a bit of a different balance of a team than we've had in the last few years. But it's pretty exciting to see, especially those guys who have been with the club for a while in juniors come in and I'm keen to see them have a real crack. And some other guys who have been playing well in reserve grade that are going to get a go with us this year."

Last year: Second

Last silverware: 2019

Sunshine Coast Grammar product Louis Werchon has joined the Queensland Academy of Sevens and Queensland Reds. Picture: Brendan Hertel

MAROOCHYDORE SWANS

Venue: Fifth Ave

Captains: Leadership group of Sam Pavlich, Vincent Berry, Cole Dalton, Isaac Talbot, Tom Page and Shane Wright with captain to be decided after season kick off

Key players: Jake Christensen, Mosese Voka, Sam Pavlich, Vincent Berry

Coach's comment: "We have a young but exciting squad and I think we will be very competitive. We have got a good core group and plenty of young guns coming through. Last year we were happy to play 18, 19 year olds if they were good enough, so I think that's opened a lot of doors. We will be young but exciting."

Squad: "We probably haven't been able to retain as many from last year's squad as we would like, but still have a good squad. We lost some good players in Louis Werchon, Leo McCarthy and Tye James to Brisbane Premier Grade and lost a couple to the Sunshine Coast Falcons. We've picked up Christensen and a few exciting young boys coming through will be big for us."

Last year: Third

Last silverware: 2013

USC Barbarians player Rawiri Wilson. Picture: Chris Portors Photography

USC BARBARIANS

Venue: Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs

Coach: Brad Tronc

Co-captains: Luke Kimber and Matt Lieder

Key players: Mitch Portors, Luke Kimber, Matt Lieder, Raa Wilson

Coach's comment: "We had a little bit of a COVID hangover and slow start but have built into the pre-season. So, it's been a little different from previous pre-seasons where we've hit the ground running. But, we'vehad a 10 week pre-season and the last 3-4 weeks have been good."

Squad: "We've got a fair turnover, 12 of the match day 23 from the semi- final last year won't be with us for different reasons. It's made it tough but we've had a mindset of developing a club over the last three years not just a team so we've tried to build within rather than outside our boundaries and it'll give some guys an opportunity that have been knocking on the door for a while."

Last year: Fourth

Last silverware: 2015

Caboolture’s Wilson Enoka on the charge for Noosa a few years ago.

CABOOLTURE

Venue: Petersen Road, Morayfield

Coach: Jason De Kock

Captain: Jacob Anderson

Key players: Jacob Anderson, Wilson Enoka, Matthew Connor

Coach's comment: "Pre-season has been better than last year but the rain has been affecting a lot of our sessions and fields have been extremely wet. But, otherwise we have been preparing well. Compared to last year it's been much better. We are optimistic with what we can bring to the game, not necessarily on results, but optimistic on what we can bring to the game and be more competitive."

Squad: "There's a few new faces and we've lost a few players that have played with the club for a while. We already have a bit of junior feel to it because we don't have colts and there are some colts playing up. While we lost a bit of experience in some spots we've gained a bit of enthusiasm and some (talented) players."

Last year: Wooden spoon

Last silverware: 2012

 

WYNNUM

Venue: Granada Street, Wynnum

Coach: Mark Forrester

Captain: Jacob Wright

Key players: Jacob Wright, Nick Ahearn

Coach's comment: "After last year being so heavily affected by COVID and taking into account how we went we're obviously looking at doing a bit of a rebuild over the next couple of years. We've looked to restructure a bit and introduce a culture at the club built on discipline and always having a dig. And that's our aim for this year. I just want the boys to go out and have a dig each week and let people know that if you're coming to play us it's going to be a bit of a battle and if we can achieve that this year then we've got our first building blocks in place. We've definitely got a lot of expertise at the club for guys to lean on this year."

Squad: We will have a young team and have a young leadership group but we've done a lot of work in pre-season One of the things we're looking at culture-wise is having no excuses. We want to be a club that's known as resilient over the next couple of seasons."

Last year: Fifth

Last silverware: Won Brisbane Suburban competition prior to entering Sunshine Coast A-grade in 2019

Originally published as Sunshine Coast rugby union season preview ahead of kick-off