Ten Queensland Reds Under 19 stars named in Australian U20s preliminary squad
Here is an in depth look at the baby Wallabies, Queensland’s next generation rugby heroes- where they have come from and fearless predictions about their futures.
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Colts 1 club rugby backrowers Pat Gavin (GPS, Marist College Ashgrove 2022) and Patrick Sowerby (UQ, Somerset College 2021) are bolters in the recently announced Australian U20s rugby squad.
Assistant coach Laurie Fisher and head coach Nathan Grey are in charge of the 45-man preliminary squad which is gearing up for the first-ever Under 20 Rugby Championship in May, on the Gold Coast.
This championship, contested by Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, provides the team an opportunity to test themselves before the U20 World Championships in South Africa in the middle of next year.
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Sowerby, Gavin, Reds Under 19s captain Joe Liddy (Gregory Terrace 2021, Easts), Macarius Pereira (Nudgee College 2023), Will McCulloch (Norths, Padua College 2021), Will Nason (Souths, Toowoomba Grammar 2022, Frankie Goldsbrough (Churchie 2023) and Charles Brosnan (Brothers, Churchie 2022) have made the cut.
Reds Academy players Trevor King (Souths), Nick Bloomfield (Easts), Ben Daniels (Brothers), Dom Thygesen (Souths) and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips (Souths) were not considered due to injury and in McLaughlin-Phllips’ case, Super Rugby Pacific commitments.
Meanwhile, Nudgee product (2022) and Brothers Colts 1 premiership winner Jack Harley and Souths prop Lington Leli have been picked, with both players in the ACT Brumbies system.
THE SELECTIONS
Patrick Sowerby
What type of player is he: Hardworking with footy smarts and a knack for popping up at the right times.
What a year it has been for Sowerby, going from Colts 3 rugby to Colts 1, where his club coach Matt Ingram has at times described him as “phenomenal”, and now Australian Under 20s squad selection.
Where he came from: He has come from the classroom in Somerset College, having scored an 98.3 ATAR in 2021. He is a scholarship holder at the University of Queensland and leads the way with his actions.
Prediction: He has been on an upward trajectory over the last 18 months, going from Colts 3 rugby at UQ to Colts 1, Queensland Reds Under 19s and now Australian U20s squad honours.
He clearly has potential and is willing to work for it.
Pat Gavin
What type of player is he: A tall, aggressive lock who is willing to throw his body in front of a ball runner to make tackles.
Where he came from: Gavin attended Marist College Ashgrove from Year 5 (2015) and graduated in 2022.
He played First XV rugby but had injuries which stopped him from really showing his true potential.
Under Sio Kite, GPS’ newly appointed First Grade coach, Gavin flourished in Colts 1 rugby this year alongside Nick Harper who, if he had played more in the Under 19s, would have made this squad.
Prediction: He has a long way to go, but he is so tall and has a big frame to grow into which is everything you want to hear from an aspiring lock.
Joe Liddy
What type of player is he: Someone you want to play hard for. A leader, Liddy leads with his actions first and words second.
Selection in this squad is a great reward for Liddy who worked hard behind the scenes this year to return to full health and lead his Reds troops into battle over the past two months,
Where he came from: Liddy has come out of that famous rugby breeding ground where he was a natural skipper.
He plays at Easts and is happy to get his hands dirty and put his body on the line in the heat of battle.
Prediction: Liddy has been getting better and better in the Australian Schools and U18 set up, the Queensland Reds Academy and will continue his development here.
He has ability, is bound for First Grade in 2024 with Easts and the potential is endless.
Macarius Pereira
What type of player is he: Fearless, powerful and full of heart.
He plays every game like his last and it did not surprise seeing his name in this squad after a stellar year playing in his third season of GPS First XV rugby.
Where he came from: Pereira attends Nudgee College, and plays Meninga Cup rugby league for the Brisbane Tigers.
He started the year playing for the Tigers, then the powerhouse prop played rugby for Nudgee where, in his third year playing First XV, he captained the side to a premiership.
What followed was Reds Under 18s, Under 19s, Australian Under 18s and now Australian Under 20s selection.
He won’t enjoy a rest over the summer because he will be training hard during the Meninga Cup pre-season.
Prediction: He could play Super Rugby. He has the goods to go all the way.
Will McCulloch
What type of player he is: Fullback McCulloch is the full package. He has pace and plenty of it, but is also a strong defender.
Teammates love playing beside him because he sees everything. He can capitalise on half-chances with his speed.
He broke into representative football when he made the Australian Schools and U18s side last year and played First Grade for Norths this year before playing his second Super Rugby Pacific U19s tournament for the Reds.
Where he came from: McCulloch comes from Padua College and is the next best thing coming out of the Eagles Nest.
Prediction: He will play Super Rugby Pacific - he is too athletic and nimble not to.
Will Nason
What type of player is he: A fullback or fly half, Nason is a hot-stepper. He was a member of Cian O’Connor’s Souths side and the boy is a sporting all-rounder.
Where he came from: Nason is from the talent rich Toowoomba region. He went to school at Toowoomba Grammar where he played First XI cricket and First XV, which is quite common for the boys up on the range.
Prediction: It’s a big tick from us.
Frankie Goldsbrough
What type of player he is: The Reds think so highly of him he is the youngest member of the Super Rugby Pacific squad. From Churchie, the rugby league young gun which the Reds did a good job signing is a strong, well-balanced centre with potential.
He can impact games with his running and tackling and the Reds have him in their Super Rugby squad.
Where he came from: Goldsbrough graduates from Churchie this year and will head over to Ballymore to further his development along Queensland’s best centres: James O’Connor, Lawson Creighton, Hunter Paisami, Taj Annan, Josh Flook, Isaac Henry and Jordan Petaia.
Prediction: He will play Super Rugby Pacific. It could even be as early as next year although 2025 is more likely.
Charles Brosnan
What type of player is he:
Big Brosnan is a tall, athletic backrower with plenty of ticker. A lock, flanker or No. 8, Brosnan is versatile, agile and someone we think can really go places in the game.
Where he came from: The big brosnan came from Churchie. Think Liam Wright, the Reds captain. He played alongside Frankie Goldsbrough, Dre Pakeho, Ben Daniels, Charlie Johnstone, Emil Willie-Jawai, Diamond Fifita, Alex Kerr, and Thomas Stoddart in Churchie’s crack 2022 team which shared the title.
He won a Colts 1 premiership with Brothers this winter.
Prediction: He is tall, strong, and mobile with great hands, we think he will play Super Rugby Pacific. He is a very good player.
Souths loosehead prop Lington Leli and Brothers No. 8 Jack Harley also made the squad from the Brumbies system.
Harley, a Nudgee premiership winner in 2022, played in the Super Rugby U19s competition and was Mr Consistent, while Leli is a wrecking ball who began the year with O’Connor at Souths.
He was injured along the way, and then an opportunity with the Brumbies arose.
Both boys were part of the two best colts 1 teams this year and were in the victorious ACT Brumbies team which beat the New South Wales Waratahs in the U19s grand final.
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