Goor Chopari and Cynan Tomkins leading Stingrays to Sunbowl
The “yin and yang” Gold Coast Stingrays quarterback combination of a former schoolboy Rugby League champion and a brainy pocket passer have led their team into the Sunbowl
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The “yin and yang” Gold Coast Stingrays quarterback combination of Goor Chapari and Cynan Tomkins has driven their Colts Under-19s team into Queensland’s version of the Superbowl.
The ‘Franchise Quarterback’ is one of the most highly valued positions in sports but most teams will never have to worry about the coaching headache of finding two of them on the same roster.
It’s a headache Stingrays coach Colt Isham has learned to live with when fielding two National Champion Under-19s quarterbacks in the same team.
“Typically what you’ll see in the College system or professionally is you’ll start out with a quarterback position battle but someone will always take over the reigns,” Isham said.
“Here, to be honest they’re just great quarterbacks – if anything, it’s a two-headed monster.”
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18-year-old Chopari and 17-year-old Tomkins’ wildly different skillsets have made their Stingrays team practically impossible to defend against.
Tomkins, a 180cm, 84kg graduate of Marymount College, is a cerebral playmaker who beats teams with his mind as much as he does with arm talent.
Chopari, a 187cm, 80kg former Rugby League lock who played in David Fifita and Tanah Boyd’s national champion Keebra Park side in 2017, is a gunslinging escape artist capable of torching teams with his elusive running game.
Both players were part of 2019’s national title-wining Queensland Sun Devils Under-19s team so have grown used to sharing the coveted ‘QB1’ title.
Tomkins said the competition was bringing out the best in both of them, to the Stingrays’ benefit.
“We’ve both known each other for a long time and we both know the game, so we’re able to help each other instead of disliking each other because of the competition (to start),” he said.
“Our dynamic on the sidelines is that whoever is on the sideline can observe so much more so we can help each other.
“I’ve definitely found that with some teams it takes a pocket passer to beat them and for others it’s going to take a mobile quarterback.”
“It’s worked for us getting this far and I think it’s going to work in the Sunbowl too,” Chopari added.
“We’ve got a bit of a yin and yang going because Cynan’s more of the hype-up man where I just got out and play and hopefully lead by example.”
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