Gold Coast Rugby: Nerang Bulls racing the clock to transform Gen Next into Gen Now

The Nerang Bulls are racing against the clock to prepare a generation of baby bulls to tackle first grade as a flood of retiring players walk away from Glennon Park.

The Nerang Bulls are racing against the clock to prepare a generation of baby bulls to tackle first grade as a flood of retiring players walk away from Glennon Park.

The majority of last year’s fourth-placed Bulls have called a day on their GCDRU careers, thrusting the responsibility of guiding the club into a new decade on a score of talented juniors.

Nerang Bulls coach John Maniapoto. Photo by Richard Gosling

Coach Johnny Maniapoto has wasted no time getting his ‘calves’ into the thick of pre-season training in a bid to supercharge their development into premiership contenders.

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“We’ve gone through a lot of lean years and we’re basically at the rebuild level,” Maniapoto said.

“We’re basically just building from scratch because most of our first grade side has retired.

“It’s hard to attract players so the biggest thing is to make sure we bring our junior players through.

“The average age of the side will probably be 22 or 23 but there will be guys even younger.

“They’re 19 and 20 years old but they’re the future of the club.”

Towering Nerang prop Caleb Enoka will lead a youth nucleus from the front. Picture: Mike Batterham

Leading the charge will be two under-21s in prop Caleb Enoka and fullback Josh Whitley, who were picked together in the Gold Coast Bulletin’s team of the 2019 season despite their young ages.

Nerang will hope their leadership and experience as rookies punching above their weight can inspire a new generation of Bulls to transfrom from Generation Next to Generation Now.

Forwards Tyran Isaac and Nick Harrex and flyhalf Tyrone Konia have graduated from the same age group side to form a dynamic young nucleus that could power Nerang for the next decade.

Isaac and Harrex’s chemistry has grown especially potent by following each other into the same workplace at a sheet metal roofing factory.

Konia has returned from a one year stint playing Aussie rules football locally and coach Maniapoto says his team’s tactical kicking game will benefit from that experience.

Nerang Bulls outside back Josh Whitley. Photo: SUPPLIED

The Bulls are certain to field one of the youngest sides in the competition and there is every chance they’ll experience growing pains as they face off against men, some for the first time.

That won’t rattle their coach, who says the club will look at the bigger picture in 2020.

“I think it’s pretty important to develop younger players,” Maniapoto said.

“If you don’t you can get a bit stagnant. We need to find that balance of older, experienced guys around them and our rebuilding process.

“We’re looking to be competitive and if we can improve on last year’s finish (of fourth) that’s a good sign for us going forward.”