How the Townsville Brolgas will turn the tide on Far North Queensland Thunder
The Townsville Brolgas will have revenge front of mind when they take on the FNQ Thunder on Saturday in a representative rugby union clash for the ages. Everything you need to know here.
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The Townsville Brolgas will have revenge front of mind when they take on the FNQ Thunder on Saturday in a representative rugby union clash for the ages.
The Thunder stunned Townsville in 2024, breaking a decade-long run of defeats to claim an unlikely victory in Cairns.
Townsville will play FNQ in junior and senior fixtures across the day, with the matches acting as a selection opportunity for players to stake their claim at a spot on the North Queensland squads for the state championships.
Brolgas captain Joshua Fletcher said he was pleased to see so much interest in playing for Townsville, with a number of new faces joining the team.
“I didn’t get to play last year, so it’s good to be back in the blue and gold. I know the boys are chomping at the bit,” Fletcher said.
“We had our first session (Tuesday) night and everyone’s very excited. The energy is good around the group, so we’re ready to go on the weekend.
“We’ve got a very multicultural team this year. We’ve got some Scottish accents, some Irish accents, we’ve got some kiwi boys. So there are some new faces, and also some handy footballers as well.
“I’m excited to see how they go in their first time in the blue and gold. It’s a really good showing this year. The interest is really good, and the quality is also very high this year.
“Last year wasn’t the best year for the Brolgas side. So it’s good to see that we’ve got a really quality side this year.”
Townsville’s team includes some of the region’s best players, including a balanced blend of experienced campaigners and the cream of the young talent crop.
Men’s coach Scott O’Neill said the chance to play at home would help his players put up their hand for NQ selection.
“It’s a good group of boys who train well. They’re obviously looking forward to playing for Townsville, we don’t get that chance as often as we would like, so they’re pretty keen to get out and play some good footy on Saturday,” O’Neill said.
“Hopefully we can get as many as we can selected in the NQ side, which is for the Country Champs here later this year.
“It makes for more people to be available, because the costs are maybe a bit less and there’s less travelling required.
“We went up to Cairns last year and unfortunately lost for, I think, the first time in the last 12 years. So obviously we’re pretty keen to turn that around this year.
“Joshua Fletcher, our captain, he’ll lead us out in front as far as our smarts around how we play. But we’ve got a good 1-23 this year so I’m really excited about that.
“No matter what we do and who we bring on, we won’t lose anything.”
Townsville’s women’s team will be captained by blindside flanker Julia Douglas, and Brolgas coach Campbell Yates said Douglas and flyhalf Amanda Baker would lead the way.
“The competition is pretty solid and we’re just looking forward to rumbling with FNQ. They’re a big side, so we have just got to make sure that we are smart when we move the ball up the field,” Yates said.
“Amanda Baker will play flyhalf, she’s played there for the last couple of seasons now and she’s the general in the backline. She’ll run the show and move the team up the field, kick our goals and find field position.
“Julia Douglas will captain our side. She’s a great leader, team person and makes smart decisions, so we’ll rely on those two girls. Then everyone else around them, they’ll showcase their skillset.”
Saturday’s action kicks off at Hugh Street at 11am, with back-to-back games played across two fields.
Townsville’s under-18s girls play on field 1 at 2.20pm, followed by the under-20s men at 3.30pm, senior women at 4.40pm and senior men in the headline event at 6.20pm.
Originally published as How the Townsville Brolgas will turn the tide on Far North Queensland Thunder
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