Rugby coach unleashes on ‘garbage’ rep stars who ghosted Gold Coast Cyclones on game day

Gold Coast Cyclones coach Shaun Cole has hit out at the local rugby stars who disappeared on the eve of the SQ Championships, leaving the region’s rep team to limp to the wooden spoon on home turf.

Gold Coast Cyclones captain Lesi Semi and cocach Shaun Cole. Picture: Tim Marsden (GCDRU)

Gold Coast Cyclones coach Shaun Cole has hit out at local rugby stars who disappeared on the eve of the South Queensland Championships, leaving the region’s representative team to limp to the wooden spoon on home turf.

Several of the Gold Coast’s best and brightest players had already ruled themselves out of selection for the representative pathway to focus on their club campaigns.

That effect was magnified over the weekend as eight players who did nominate for selection then went AWOL on the morning of the tournament.

Cole was forced to draw upon players from the colts under-20s representative side just to field a team in fixtures against Sunshine Coast and Darling Downs.

He praised those players for stepping up but could not shake his disappointment as the Gold Coast - traditional kings of South Queensland rugby union - lost both matches by a combined 39 points.

“Eventually I’d love to get the best of the best on the field from the Gold Coast. I guarantee we’d win,” Cole said.

“Lots of blokes said they would be keen but they don’t show up. It’s shit, for me, but I said to the guys who did show up they represented themselves, their club and their family so well in tough conditions.

“I have so much respect for those guys. I’ll never forget those blokes because they went to war for me and never gave up.

“I know that Gold Coast rugby beat both those teams every day of the week if we get the best blokes on the paddock. Colts (under-20s) had to fill in because blokes said they’d play and don’t show.

“Injuries are one thing but if you put your hand up and then don’t show - and then can’t communicate - it’s pretty garbage as a teammate.

“There’s blokes from my club (Griffith Uni Colleges Knights) and others who know they could have made a difference over the weekend, so I’m not targeting anyone, but the guys I had, I won’t forget them because they dug deep and had huge hearts.”

Cole said the price charged on players to represent the region - around $250 for two matches over one weekend for a tournament at home - was simply too high.

“$250 to play rep footy is garbage,” the frustrated coach said.

“They play two hard games in three days and we’re going backward with everything.

“In saying that, my boys over this weekend were unbelievable and they showed heart and determination which is a credit to their character. I’m proud and I hope the boys are too because the effort was awesome.”

Former Gold Coast star Tai Ford scored a try for Sunshine Coast in a 30-8 demolition of the Cyclones at Surfers Paradise rugby club on Friday night.

Darling Downs outscored the Gold Coast 27-10 on Sunday, condemning the Cyclones to a last-placed finish on home turf.

The Cyclones senior women and colts also went winless, leaving the city with a combined 0-6 record for the senior legs of the South Queensland Championships.