Sunshine Coast 47th Battalion coaches Dennis Moore, Danny Gray breakdown 2024 squads

Falcons 47th Battalion coaches Dennis Moore and Danny Gray have revealed what excites them the most about their side’s 2024 chances as well as broken down their key players, rising stars and carnival tactics. See the full preview ahead of this weekend's action.

Eddie Franklin

@eddiefranklin47

4 min read

July 9, 2024 - 11:06AM

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Sunshine Coast 47th Battalion coaches Dennis Moore and Danny Gray.

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The next batch of local Sunshine Coast rugby league stars are eager to create their own slice of history as the official countdown begins to the 2024 47th Battalion carnival.

This year's tournament will be held in Kingaroy on July 13 and 14 while the remainder of the Sunshine Coast senior competition endures a widespread bye.

Prior to it all we caught up with head coaches Danny Grey (men’s) and Dennis Moore (women’s) to get the complete rundown on how their squads were shaping up.

MEN’S

Inaugural Falcons BMD coach Danny Gray will aim to continue his stellar head coaching year, eyeing off an exciting, fast brand of footy for this year’s tournament.

Gray, who is accompanied by a coaching staff of Mitch Buckett (assistant coach), Shannan Roy (manager), Carlie Reeves (sports trainer) and Alex Copelin (league safe), said he was proud of how the group had come together in recent weeks.

“There’s nothing we’re really trying to implement,” he said.

Sunshine Coast 47th Battalion coach Danny Gray. Photo: Patrick Woods.

“We’re trying to hold onto the ball for as long as possible as it is carnival footy with shortened halves but we want to defend well as a group and play nice and fast with the ball.

“We’ve picked some guys with speed but also really tough players as it becomes a war of attrition by the second day when guys are a bit battered and bruised.

“That’s always a key but also picking guys that are versatile and players that can cover multiple positions.

“Someone like Seaton Reid who is in the squad can play five-eight, fullback, hooker, halfback and even out wide and doesn’t look out of place.”

Gray and his coaching staff selected an initial squad of more than 30 local players which included naming a ‘young gun’ from each club.

Those players selected were Logan Puohotaua (Caboolture), Daemon Cruise (Stanley Rivers), Jackson Kite (Beerwah), Tyrell Hopkins (Caloundra), Elliot Smethills (Kawana), Saxon Day (Maroochydore), Finn Lawson (Nambour), Dyllan Cousins (Noosa) and Josh Rowe which was changed to Mitch Bebbington (Coolum).

“Normally we’d pick a 24 or 25 man squad but we thought of extending that initial group as a look to the future,” he said.

“A lot of the younger guys have been Mal Meninga Cup players in the past so we thought it was another really good trajectory for them and give them that added exposure of training at a high level, having some extra senior mentors and even stepping up to the mark if required.”

A snapshot of some of the Sunshine Coast's top rising stars: Saxon Day, Finn Lawson, Jackson Kite, Tyrell Hopkins, Mitch Bebbington and Daemon Cruise. Pictures: Nicola Anne Photography, Patrick Woods, Cordelia Turner and Facebook.

Gray said his side was a great mix of experienced heads and rising stars.

“We had Marty Cordwell but he unfortunately tore his bicep the other week, Jye Ballinger is a little older than some of the boys, Dan Moevao and Nate Saumalu who although aren’t old, they are senior players that have played plenty of carnival and representative footy,” he said.

“Then there’s other guys in the mix that I don’t know much about but I know are very handy like Sam Elara, Nate Saumalu and even Seaton Reid.

“I’ve watched all of them play so it’s exciting to mix everyone together and I’m also stoked to link back up with some of the guys I’ve had a fair bit to do with in the past and know personally.

“Overall it’s a very competitive squad with a bunch of talented, tough and resilient guys so it’s shaping up to be a lot of fun.”

Coolum Colts player Sam Elara in action. Picture: Cordelia Turner.

2024 Men’s Team

1. Riley Moore (Maroochydore)

2. Nic Jennings (Beerwah)

3. Nathan Saumalu (Coolum)

4. Sam Elara (Coolum)

5. Cruz Lasike (Maroochydore)

6. Corey Herdegen (Noosa)

7. Jaiden Zanchetta (Nambour)

8. Jakob Leitch (Maroochydore)

9. Seaton Reid (Coolum)

10. Saxon Day (Maroochydore)

11. Dan Moevao (Coolum)

12. Rueben Olive (Caloundra)

13. Jed Bignall (Coolum)

14. Blake Ginman (Noosa)

15. Tyrell Hopkins (Caloundra)

16. Jackson Kite (Beerwah)

17. Jackson Ricotta (Noosa)

18. Harry Dwyer (Noosa)

19. Jye Ballinger (Noosa)

20. Daemon Cruise (Stanley Rivers)

WOMEN’S

The Falcons women’s team will roll into this weekend’s tournament with a target on their back after taking home the chocolates in 2023.

The women in yellow and black beat Rockhampton in the grand final in Emerald last year, with a fair portion of players going onto star in the inaugural Falcons BMD Premiership squad in 2024.

Former Maroochydore Swans coach Dennis Moore has taken the reins of the women’s side after spearheading the men’s team in 2023.

He will be joined by a strong coaching staff of Becky Jones and Zeke Field (assistant coaches), Jess Tedeschi (manager), Neil Dabelstein (sports trainer) and Renee Dennien (league safe).

“It’s been a good build up and I’m happy with how far they’ve come in such a short time,” he said.

“Everyone’s bought in, they’ve gelled together really nicely which is exciting.”

The women’s side will feature a host of rising stars including Georgia Bartlett (Maroochydore), Malia Ting (Kawana) and Amy Atkinson (Caloundra) Pictures: Tegan Schefe Photography, Richo Jarman and Patrick Woods.

Moore said he started with a squad of 30 players in preparation before announcing a final travelling team of 19.

“We’ve got a reasonably young squad and there’s quite a few players we’ve bought in as development players to allow them to get a taste of it all,” he said.

“We’ve lost a lot of last year’s players given they’re ineligible after playing for the Falcons this season so there’s a lot of newbies which gives them a shot and a chance at this level.”

Moore said he was extremely pleased with how the group had come together.

“The way they’ve gelled and bought into the simple stuff of what we want to do has been a major key,” he said.

“They’re always laughing and carrying on but also have eachothers backs so if we can transfer that onto the field, we’ll be fine.”

Moore said his side had a number of standout stars but was excited to see how Falcons under-19s women’s captain Takoda Thompson took to the challenge.

“I had Takoda in the Falcons under-19s team in 2023 as a bottom age player and she was outstanding,” he said.

“I’ve watched her at club footy since so I’m looking forward to seeing her take that next step up.”