Sitting Down with Cecilia Smith

This week I had a wonderful chat with a player who’s made a huge impact for Queensland this year. In the lead up to the 2019 season, Cecilia Smith moved from Leeton, New South Wales, to Brisbane, with hopes of making the team. She instantly made a splash, scoring two tries against the Rebels in their first game.

She’s gone on to score tries in three out of four of Queensland's games this season, including another double against the Brumbies! (See the match highlights here.)

I spoke to her about her rugby journey and even her experience in the Commonwealth Games playing for Samoa! While she’s fierce on the field, she’s lovely to talk to in person. I hope you enjoy reading our chat!

Hi Cecilia, how are you and the team going this week?

Yeah really good.

How have you enjoyed the season with Queensland so far?

It’s been really fun. It’s been a big change since coming from the Brumbies. I played for them last year, but I didn’t get a chance to play in the Super W, because I was injured. Moving up here last year, it was a challenge for me to try to get into the Reds team, because you know there’s a lot of really good players here. I had to try to work really hard to get in here, so here I am.

What’s the teams mindset in the lead up to the playoff this weekend?

I guess we’ve been working on the mistakes that we made in the last game we played against them and making everything “sharp”.

I love hearing about people’s rugby journeys. What brought you from Samoa to Australia and then what led you to play rugby in Queensland?

I moved from New Zealand, in 2009. I lived in New South Wales for 9 years until I moved up here. I was in a little country town called Leeton. I played Sevens down there. Then I decided to try out fifteens. I didn’t know the rules and that, I just decided to try out for the Brumbies in 2017, leading up to the Nationals, that was my first time playing fifteens. And then got ready for 2018, Super W… then I got injured playing League, playing in the Commonwealth Champions. I injured my shoulder in a tournament for final selection, we didn’t know what was wrong with it. I was travelling 4 hours per week to train with the Brumbies. It was hard, because either I’d have to take my daughter with me, or I’d have to leave her with my Dad or my sisters. It was pretty intense. It was tiring driving that much, so I talked to my dad and decided to move up to Brisbane to try and crack the Reds team. And here I am!

What’s your favourite thing about Queensland and being based at Ballymore?

I love the environment with the girls. It’s so enjoyable being around them. When it’s game time, that’s when it’s serious. But I like having a laugh with the girls - it’s a really good vibe around here.

You’ve had the opportunity to play Rugby League for your home country of Samoa. Can you tell us about that experience?

That was an emotional one, especially for my family. My dad’s always wanted me to pull the Samoa jersey on. When I got the chance, I figured I’d travel to Sydney for the trials. It was a 6 hour drive out there and I guess, I did enough to make it. There were girls there from Melbourne, from New Zealand, some from Brisbane as well. Yeah, it was intense!

I was injured in the tournament before the Commonwealth Games… the last try-out. It was a nerve thing. It wasn’t a serious injury, I just needed time. It didn’t hurt, but I couldn’t control my arm. I tried to play in the grand final for that tournament, but I couldn’t. Then, it healed and the Commonwealth games happened later on.

It’s crazy. I don’t even know where to start to be honest with my rugby journey. (Laughs)

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of rugby?

Spend time with my family, because I have a three year old daughter now. With my partner as well, I just love going places, like the movies. And playing something fun - like touch… But family time is everything. You’ve got to make the most of it.

What would your message be to rugby fans in Queensland, ahead of the playoff match this weekend?

To come on down and support the girls. Womens rugby is growing and it’s just getting better. It’s going to be a really good game, the Brumbies are a good side as well, we don’t take them lightly. We need the crowd to pump us up!

Thanks very much for your time!

Thank you!

Catching up with Cobie

A Conversation with World-Cup Vet Cobie-Jane Morgan

This week, I was lucky to catch up with a Wallaroo veteran, who’s recently made the move to Brisbane. A seasoned and experienced player, I enjoyed hearing her perspective on where the women’s game is at, her own rugby journey and even a highlight from the 2010 World Cup.

The Queensland team is lucky to have her around and will no doubt enjoy having her on the field for the play-off game next Sunday afternoon (31st March) at Ballymore! (It’ll either be against Western Australia or the Brumbies, depending on the outcome of this weeks games.)

During Super W finals week, I’ll be interviewing a few more players, so stay tuned!

Hey Cobie, how are you?

Good, thank you!

How do you feel the seasons gone for you and the team?

Yeah, I’m pretty happy with where we’re at at the moment. We’ve won 3 from 4, so we’re sitting in at second, just behind New South Wales. I think the level that we’re playing at is a pretty good standard and I’d never sit “comfortable”, but generally I’m happy about the feeling amongst the team and we’re training pretty hard at the moment.

As a seasoned player in the rugby community, what are your thoughts on Super W, how it’s progressed and where it can go?

Hmmm well, before last year we had the nationals every year which was a 3-4 day tournament where you had to punch out 6 games in 4 days. So it was pretty ridiculous, trying to get the best quality out of all the States sides. So Super W [beginning last year] showcased a lot of good talent, you’d play and then have a week to recover. I think the level of knowledge of the game has increased a lot, so going forward for the national level, the girls that assemble in the national side will be one level up again, in “rugby smarts”. We’ve got a young side and so over the next 5 years it will become almost semi-professional. Then in 10 years time, if we have success in womens rugby globally, there’s a big bright future ahead for all the young girls.

You were born and raised on the Central Coast of New South Wales and now you’re here in Brisbane. Can you tell us about your rugby journey and what led you here to Queensland?

My rugby journey! I moved from the Central Coast to Sydney after school and started playing rugby then. I’d played a lot of touch footy growing up and represented Australia from when I was 14 onwards… then I moved down to the Northern beaches in Sydney, after school, for university. Then I travelled to the Darwin Sevens with a whole lot of girls who were playing for Australia at the time, (who I’d also played a lot of touch with as well). That’s how I got roped into things…. That was my first Sevens tournament and I absolutely loved it. I’ve been playing touch on a global scale for a while, then I found contact and I really enjoyed it… not sure about my Mum though! (Laughs). I came back from the Sevens tournament and had got to know women who were in the Australian team at the time, you know, the likes of Tui Ormsby, Cheryl Soon who was the captain, and Alex Hargreaves who was playing for the Reds last year, she was at Sydney Uni. So I had a lot of good influences around me, just from that one tournament. I came back and they roped me into playing fifteens. I went to my first Nationals, up here on the Gold Coast and then got picked up for the Australian side. I thought that was a bit of a G-Up (laughs) because it was my first tournament! From there on, touch was going out the back door, we had to pay for ourselves. But when I started playing for Australian Rugby, everything was getting paid for, you never had to get your wallet out, so you were supported really well. I had a lot of good, strong-minded people around me and I guess that helped me in my younger years to become mentally tough. I went across to Samoa for a world-cup qualifier and then I haven’t looked back. I played one more World Cup for touch and then that was it. It’s been just rugby from “09” since. I’m in my tenth year now.

And how I ended up in Queensland… after I did my degree, took up an apprenticeship with plumbing and I considered that I have a good solid three-four years left - I wanted to push myself and see where I can go… I have a really good mate from Marsden State High who’s been on my back for the last few years and saying “come up and teach - I want you to be involved”. They sort of needed a female role model, so I said I’d finish my apprenticeship, get that ticked off and come up. I needed a change of scenery as well for rugby. Speaking with the Wallaroo’s coach, he said you never want to get comfortable where you are. If you’re sitting in a really good squad, you could easily fall into that trap, leading us into the World Cup. He said I need you to get out, play against what’s the bench mark now and it will improve your rugby. So here I am!

What’s your favourite thing about the Sunshine State?

What’s my favourite thing… What am I… 4 months in. I love warm weather! Summer’s my favourite. The first couple of weeks, I struggled training with the humidity, I felt like I was the unfittest person on the team, but I got used to it.

I love my job, I’m really happy there and I love being a part of this team. So this team and my job are my favourite things.

What’s your favourite memory of representing Australia at a World Cup?

Probably my first World Cup, where I debuted in London in 2010. It’s funny, we got “capped” after our first game. At the time, my dad he’d just got his first brain tumour. He was alright, he’d lost his marbles a little and we used to joke about it a fair bit.  He was over there, because he didn’t know how long he’d have left, so he was like “stuff it, I’m coming over to watch you”. I got my cap after our first game… and when you get capped, it’s a pretty special thing. You’re meant to put the cap away safely… and a few days later, I turn up for my second game, his memories a bit funny, I’m running out, and he’s got my cap on. I was like “oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing.” (Laughs) He’s the only person in the stand, out of all the parents and he’s got my cap on. I’ll never forget running out to a packed stadium in London, and there he is standing there with my Wallaroos cap on. (He passed away two years after that, but it’s a good memory. A funny memory.)

You’re known for playing very well in a lot of positions. What’s your favourite position to play?

I started at number 12, probably the smallest number 12 going around in the world. I used to love (and still do) running around into space, I’ve played out on the wing and that was a bit of a strange one because I’m not the quickest person… but I enjoyed it… but I’ve finally found where it best suits me on the field… I love to talk, I love to distribute the ball, I’ve got vision around the field, so halfback, definitely. I don’t know why I didn’t go there years ago, being that little commander on the field suits me to a tee. So I love playing at halfback.

Some of my readers don’t know the game very well. Can you describe the role of the halfback, in your own words?

Halfback… I guess we’re the link between our forwards and our backs. We’re the little commanders on the field. So we’re bossing everyone around, especially our forwards who are doing a lot of the damage up front. You have to be barking in their ear constantly for 80 minutes or so. You’ve got to be precise when you’re passing and make sure you’re getting clean ball out for the backs to do their thing (or the forwards)… visually, you’ve always gotta be scanning your options. On defence, it’s similar… you’re that last man. You’ve gotta be scanning and if anyone breaks that line, you have to be that cover defender. Like I said, you’re that link, the middle-man - the “middle-woman”, I should say, between the forward and the backs. 

Thanks Cobie-Jane for your time, we are all behind you this coming weekend!

Thank you for having me! I loved it. Thanks for that!

A Catch-up with the Vice-Captain: Lori Cramer

Time flies when your having fun! Half way through the regular season and after two wins and one tough loss to NSW, the Queensland Women’s XV are training hard with their eyes firmly on the prize!

To share about the journey, I had the chance to catch up this week with the teams vice-captain Lori Cramer. It was great to hear about her love for the game (and her club UQ!) I'm sure you'll love reading our chat below.

Hi Lori, thanks for making time to catch up. How are you?

I’m good! It’s been a good day. I’m looking forward to training!

I’d like all my readers to be as excited about Super W as I am. What message do you have for Queensland rugby fans about Super W?

Super W is a very exciting comp, there’s a lot of untapped talent that people haven’t seen before. People are very excited to see the women’s game. We haven’t had a lot of media exposure before and there’s a lot of exciting players to watch!

What are your thoughts on Queensland’s season so far?

We’ve had a good season so far. There’s still a long way to go which is exciting and there’s room for growth… We have a great team and there’s a really good vibe around the girls this year.

I’d love to hear about your rugby journey - I read that you grew up playing soccer and touch rugby… Is it true your only started playing in 2015?

Yes! It is 3 years I’ve been playing. I grew up playing soccer and touch like you just said… my friend asked me if I wanted to play Sevens for the Kings and Queens Cup and that’s how it started. Then they invited me to go down to play at UQ. I grew up watching more Rugby League, but I enjoy watching and playing Rugby Union now.

There’s a lot more thinking involved and lot more tactics. With soccer, you kind of just kick the ball and wait for them to make a mistake and there’s more space. Rugby is a lot more like chess really, there’s more thinking involved.

At my first training, I didn’t really understand the rules… and someone would pick the ball up and run the ball a meter and I’d be like “what are you doing - pass it”… but it makes way more sense now.

What is it that you love most about rugby culture in Queensland?

Well, being at UQ, I like that with the Men and Women’s team, there’s a lot of club activities that everyone does together. I love the way everyone interacts as a rugby community.

Also, I love in general how all body shapes are celebrated in rugby. Whether your tall, short, big or small, everyone can play. There’s a spot for everybody.

What would you say to young girls and boys thinking of playing the game?

I’d say to young girls you definitely need a good hair tie. [Laughs] Just to give it a go! Lot’s of people think “I’ve got to be fit before I do this, or I’ve got to do that…” just give it a go! That’s the best way to find out if you like it or not. But definitely get a good hair tie, that’s by main advice.

Awesome. I’m sure there’s a lot of young people out there inspired by you. Thanks to you and your team for all you do for the game. Go Queensland!

Oh cheers! Thanks for chatting to me! It’s really good to see you here.

The QLD Women’s XV take on the Brumbies this Saturday, 5pm down at Ballymore, (in-between the two men’s interstate finals featuring UQ and GPS!) Check out info about the day here.

Captains Run with Samu Kerevi

Queensland has started the year with a bang, so it's definitely about time Reds Rugby Rules kicked off for 2019! After a narrow loss to the Highlanders away in NZ and after watching the QLD Women's team throttle Melbourne 112-0, the season is off to a good start.

And who better to catch up with at the start of the year than Samu Kerevi. It'd been a while since I caught up with him officially for Reds Rugby Rules and he seemed comfortable in his new role as captain, but also humble and aware of the hard work that's ahead for him and the Reds. It was great hearing his thoughts on where his team's at, their gruelling pre-season training camp, as well as his family, faith and what drives him.

(By the way, make sure you check out my 2017 interview with him, to learn even more about the him.)

Hey Samu, awesome to see you and catch up again.

Thanks for having me.

I’m so pumped for the season ahead for the Reds. How are you feeling after your first game of Super Rugby for 2019, against the Highlanders?

Yeah, a little bit sore, always happens after the first game. But I’m really proud of the boys efforts, they played extremely well. We worked hard to get to the position we were in, but unfortunately we just missed out on key moments of the game and you can’t do that against a quality team like the Highlanders, they’ll make you pay. So hopefully we’ll make amends for it this weekend, the boys have been working extremely hard ahead of the next game.

What’s one word that sums up the training camp that you and the team went through during pre-season?

Ahh.. (Laughs). Extremely, extremely, tough. Both physically and mentally tough. But if I was to sum it up in one word, it would probably be hell.

By the way, I love the new maroon jersey. How did you feel when you wore the 2019 jersey for the first time?

I loved it as well. I think the maroon jersey is awesome for us, especially with the history it holds. It’s up to us to add to it and the legacy that Queensland has held for more than 100 years. I guess that’s the exciting part for the young men playing in the jersey now. We have a legacy to uphold and we want to put that pressure on ourselves to represent the people each weekend. I guess that’s the hardest part of it all. But again, we’re pretty blessed to be able to do what we do and go out and play footy which is the game we love and have played since we were little kids. For me personally, the maroon jersey, I never thought I’d wear it. So to be wearing it now, it’s very special and I hold it close to my heart.

Since our last official interview, you’ve bounced back from a major injury [torn bicep]. What’s something you learnt during your rehab that you’ve taken into the new season?

It was a massive challenge for me and I always looked at it as a blessing in disguise. For me, it’s just trusting God’s plan for me and especially in those times of need when you want to be out there playing on the field and you want to be fit… it gives you a backseat and a look into your life. You can put effort into other areas that you might have missed playing the game, you’re away from family a lot, so being able to put more time into family, into self-growth, and especially my relationship with God, it’s always important to me. Understanding that he’s given me a gift so being able to do that to the best of my ability was something I was able to think about.

I also thought about my families future. The thing with rugby, it’s not promised. So definitely living life to the fullest in that regard and putting my best effort into that, and obviously in rehab, working hard to be fit so I can play really well for Queensland and high honours if it comes.

How good was it putting on the green and gold last year after your recovery?

Yeah. It was a massive surprise to me. I didn’t think I’d return to the field in 2018 after that bicep tear, I thought I’d miss the whole season because of the recovery time I was given. But like I said before, part of God’s plan… I came back for that New Zealand game and was blessed to be selected and came back pretty fit thanks to the Reds and Brinley, I’ve been working hard with him. It’s always special putting on the green and gold, representing your country. Always an honour to put on that jersey.

You’ve come from Rookie through to Reds captain. What’s something that’s kept you in good stead over the years?

Um, I think my family have kept me on my feet… and kept me grounded and constantly reminding me to put my trust in God. It’s a massive part of my life and something that I haven’t alway gotten right, but I know he’s gotten me through a lot of tough times and a lot of good times as well. I’m blessed to be able to do this as a job. God’s blessed me with these talents. I’ve got to do well in everything I do. If it’s playing for the Queensland Reds, if it’s serving others through this jersey, I think that’s a massive part of staying humble. A lot of things can come through rugby. A lot of good things and a lot of bad things that the world will offer you but you gotta understand that you’re representing people, not just yourself. You’re representing your family, the Queensland people, my family back in Fiji, that’s what’s always in the back of my mind when I’m training.

When I’m training hard and it’s hurting, I know my "why" and that’s my faith, above all. And my family and all the people I represent with the jersey. That’s what’s kept me in stead since I was a rookie.

You can only go so far with talent, hard work is required. That’s something I learnt along the way and hopefully it’ll take me for years from here.

Thanks for making the time to catch up. Always a pleasure.

No thank you for having me, it’s always a pleasure to be interviewed by you brother. Hope to see you at the home games coming up!

2018 Wash-up with QRU President David Codey

This week I was fortunate enough to catch up with president of the Queensland Rugby Union, David Codey, a former Reds player and also Wallabies captain. We had a great chat about Queensland rugby and he also reluctantly answered some questions about his own playing career!

It was great to hear his perspective and some of the great reasons for Queensland fans to be excited about the upcoming season.

Hi David, how are you?

Very well Tom. How are you?

Doing good, thanks. Thank you for taking time to chat at the end of the season. I’d love to ask you some questions about Queensland rugby, before talking about your own playing days.

That sounds good. Queensland rugby’s good. I don’t know about my playing days, people haven’t got memories that long.

How do you think 2018 has gone, from your perspective and the QRU’s?

I think it’s gone pretty well Tom. Like in any sporting organisation, we would have liked it to have gone better and would have liked to have had more wins this year. But I think the platform has been set for 2019.

Were you happy with the Reds season overall?

Hmmm. Yes, but as I said before, we would have liked to have won more games. But in saying that, there were a number of successful aspects to the season. We’ve got a number of new Wallabies out of the Reds cohort, which is very important. We’ve also seen one of our youngest ever players, Jordan Petaia go on the tour and he could play this weekend. He was at school the year before last. So the Reds program has shown that we can develop good players, we just need to be able to beat some of the better teams in Super Rugby.

I’m very excited about the 2019 Reds season. What’s something that makes you excited about next year?

There’s a few things Tom that I’m excited about for next year. A couple are to do with the coaching, the assistant coaches that we brought in for Brad Thorne. Obviously Brad’s going to be in his second season as head coach and I think he learnt a lot in the 2018 season. He admits that and we’ve had discussions with Brad about that. But bringing in Peter Ryan, who’s acknowledged as one of the best defence coaches in Australia in both Rugby League and Rugby Union. He’s also a different character to Brad, so we think that personality will be good. He’s a bit of a larakin. A very hard worker, but has a bit more of a relaxed attitude. The other exciting appointment is Jim Mackay, who’s our attack coach. He was in that position when we won the Super Rugby title back in 2011. I think the combination of those three could do something very special.

Also, the side was relatively young last year, they’ve had a year of experience, many of them in Super Rugby for the first time, so hopefully that lays the ground work for those key games where [last seasons] we just lost our way a little bit and didn’t know how to finish them off. Hopefully it means the difference between two or three of those games that we could have won last season.

We are hoping that with this combination of player experience and coaching, we might just be able to get this win rate up. It’s all about the win rate.

How did you end up playing in Queensland yourself?

I was a Sydney boy. So I started playing there and then I moved to a town called Orange, west of Sydney. I played for New South Wales Country and was captain there. NSW Country used to play Sydney every year and then they picked the New South Wales [State] team out of that and I was lucky to get picked. Then I got to play a test for Australia for me soon after, which was a great milestone for me. I wanted to leave Orange and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to go back to Sydney. I’d been to Brisbane a few times and Andrew Slack, who was the Queensland Reds captain at the time asked me to come up and have a look. That was in 1984 Tom, which was a long while ago and I’ve been here ever since.

What are some of the differences between when you played and today?

We used to win more Tom in my day, than they do now. I’m not sure if that’s because we were a better team, or if it’s the competition. We used to play New Zealand sides, not as often as they do now, but we used to play New Zealand and touring sides.

We were fortunate to have some outstanding players in key positions. Queensland and Australian Rugby has always been strongest when if a world fifteen has been picked, or twenty-three as it is now, we used to always have half a dozen players in there. And usually half of those would be from Queensland. I think it says a lot that when they pick a world twenty-three now and perhaps only David Pocock would be selected and currently there would be no Queenslanders selected. Now that might change, with the Taniela Toupou’s, who’ve really set the world on fire.

Can I tell a story… We had a guy called Scott Johnson, he used to be a Sydney boy, but now he’s the director of professional development in Scotland. He went over there a number of years ago. He wants to come home, so we were having a chat to him about the prospect of coming home. (Nothing’s has eventuated there.) But Scott was out here watching a game when the Reds played the Rebels at Suncorp Stadium.

So I’m sitting next to Scott - by the way, he’s a back, so he knows nothing about scrums. Nothing at all, just like most backs. He was watching the game, we won two scrum penalties in a row, from Taniela’s great work at tight-head prop. 

The Rebels half-back got the ball. Taniela hit him with one of the hardest tackles I’ve ever seen, right in front of us and drove him back five meters. He hit the ground and he helped him up as they do these days.

Scott Johnson leaned across to me and said “you have signed this bloke forever haven’t you?”

And then you’ve got Jordan Petaia. He could be anything. We just don’t know. He can play anywhere. He can play 13, he can play 14, he can play 15. He’s a pretty special talent.

That’s a very long-winded answer to your question. (Laughs)

Looking back on your playing days, what stands out as your greatest rugby memory?

Well, I think playing your first test, you always treasure that moment. Unfortunately, we lost and I didn’t play that well and I didn’t think I was every going to play another test after that.

My greatest memory is I was a member of a “Grand-Slam” touring side in 1984 that went to the UK and played England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  We were the only Australian side to win that, it’s been tried on ten occasions now. It was a great achievement against all the odds and friendships that were forged within that group will last forever. We used to have ten year reunions of that ’84 Grand-Slam. But because we’re getting older, our manager is getting ill and someone past away, our physio, we decided, instead of 10 years, we have it every year now. So that’s one of my greatest memories.

What do you see for the future of Queensland rugby overall?

As an organisation, in terms of Queensland rugby, we have set a goal of winning the Super Rugby title within three years. Now people will think you’re mad, so please don’t publicise that too much. They might want to lock me away for saying that, because we’ve got a long way to go from where we finished in 2018. Our view is, unless you’re really going to be challenging for a title within that timeframe, all the work that’s going in now, I won’t say it’s wasted, but could be put to better effect.

We want to build every year. We need to recruit a few more players. We need to work on a few areas and I think you’ll see a big improvement in 2019.

And you’ll be there, hey?

For sure!

Thanks David for your time. Thanks also for all you do for Queensland rugby. I’m looking forward to a great year ahead.

Thank you Tom. Thank you for letting me have this chat with you and thank you for not making the questions too difficult.

Talking that Talk with Bobby Tuttle

It's been a while since I last caught up with Bobby Tuttle (his real name is James, but nobody calls him that around here). We had a good chat about the Country NRC season so far and he shared his excitement about next years Reds season!!

[By the way, don't miss the NRC semi-final this week, Queensland Country are set to play the Western Force on Sunday at 2pm! It'll be at their home field, which is Bond Uni at the Gold Coast and live on Fox Sports.]

Thanks to the Bobby and the team for the shirt, I'll definitely be wearing in at the game on Sunday!

Hi Bobby. It’s been a while since we last caught up for Reds Rugby Rules. A lot’s happened since then!

First of all, congrats to you and the Queensland Country squad on making it to the semi-finals.

Thanks Tom!

What’s been the biggest challenge of this years NRC competition?

The biggest challenge this year… I think having a shorter prep time. We only had a couple of weeks to get going. We’re pretty lucky with the start we had, we were three wins in a row before our first loss against the Force. And I think the teams this year are a lot more competitive. There’s a lot more depth in each side. So that’s made for a lot harder competition each week and it’s also made better viewing for the fans. That’s obviously the goal as well - making it enjoyable for the fans to watch.

What’s been your favourite moment playing for Country this season?

I think probably when we had our first game down in Canberra at the start of the season and it was pretty much a grand final rematch of last year. Playing against the same side at the same stadium, with a strong win against a really good Canberra side - so probably the way we started the season. Also, how well we’ve gelled together and our away trips have been really fun and enjoyable. It’s been good to see the side grow and grow, as players individually and as a squad collectively as well. 

I enjoyed supporting the Reds this year. How do you think the side has grown and are you excited about 2019?

Very, very, very excited. The sides grown massively. There are a few guys that hadn’t played a Super Rugby game at the start of the year that have played 10+ games and it builds confidence individually for the players and it also built confidence as a group.

New coaching staff, new playing kit, back to the Maroon which is exciting! And though I’ve got a holiday coming up, I can’t wait to get back in here in 4-5 weeks and get going again. So yeah, really really excited.

What are your personal goals in 2019?

Yeah, just to continue to develop as a footy player and you know, drive standards around the club here. So I’m really excited to help the whole squad grow. Obviously for myself, I want to continue to play consistent footy and get back to a level where I think I should be as well as be able help some of the younger guys coming through, as well as learn some things off the older guys as well.

How did you end up with the nickname Bobby?

Bobby has been with me since I was about 6. Obviously, for James, which is my real name, a nickname for James is Jim and my uncles used to call me “Jimbob”. From Jimbob, it went to Bob, so either Bob or Bobby. I asked my Dad last year if I could legally change my name to Bob and he said no, even though he doesn’t call me James. So that’s all I get called, but I can’t change it legally.

That’s all people around the club call me. It’s a bit weird when someone calls me James!

Good luck to you and all of the team against the Force this weekend.

Thanks Tom.

You know I’ll be there!

Thank you very much. We’ll look out for you and hopefully we’ll get the win for you!

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Great to have one of #QLDCountry’s biggest supporters, @tomhamiltonreds, down at training last night ahead of the boys’ semi-final clash with the Force on Sunday at @bondunirugby. #RedsFamily #RugbyFamily #CountryRoad #QLDCvFOR

A post shared by Queensland Reds (@redsrugby) on Oct 18, 2018 at 3:44pm PDT

Brisbane City (and Brothers) Flanker: Fraser McReight

Right on the heels of Brisbane City's win over Queensland Country, I was able to catch up with Fraser McCreight, an up and coming player who has made a splash City Slickers this year! He is a proud Brothers rugby club player and certainly someone Queensland and Australian rugby fans should keep an eye out for!

This weekend, they're playing away against the NSW Country Eagles, Saturday 3pm, while Queensland Country are playing at home, at Bond Uni at 3pm on Sunday!

I hope all of my readers tune in for some NRC action this week, as it's crunch time for the competition. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading my conversation with one of Queensland's rising stars!

Hi Fraser,

First of all, congrats to you and your team for the win over the weekend. I imagine you’re proud of your teams effort?

Thank you. Yeah, 100%. I was in Country actually last year… I got picked for them, but I had surgery in the second or third round, so unfortunately I missed the series. But you know, it was a different feeling, in City, coming over and getting the win. Last week, it was awesome getting the win. I’ve got a lot of good mates from Brothers over in Country, it was good to get one over them. You can’t beat it!

I’ve played ‘how many’ games of football with Michael Wood, or Harry Wilson, you see them in the game and you can rub their head in the dirt and get one over them. It’s great!

What’s your highlight from this years NRC season so far and also, how is it different from club rugby?

Highlight… Um, it’s a bit hard to point out one. I think coming off two tough losses was pretty hard, so I’m gonna say the first win we had, against the Sydney Rays. We played some really good footy. I came off the bench, but I got around 55 minutes and I think I played some of my best footy. And obviously, getting the win over Country was awesome.

The way it changes from club rugby… just the skill level. It’s faster and a lot more physical. You get a lot less smaller chances of say getting a turn-over at the breakdown, so you’ve got to be a bit more clinical in what you do.

Speaking of club rugby, I visited your club Brothers a few weeks back and had an amazing time. How long have you played for Brothers and what’s something great you like about the club?

It’s my second year out of school, so I’ve played 2 years. My because my brother went there and it’s a good family club. One of the best things I like about Brothers is that through out all of the grades, sixth grade down to first grade, Colts four down to Colts, we all wear the exact same jersey, socks and kit. That’s something special. I don’t think there’s any other club in Brisbane that does that - same sponsors aswell. We’re really tight, we can bind together and get great success. We had eight out of nine teams in the grand final.

It’s a great culture down there and it’s improving.

What’s your favourite position to play?

Number seven, open-side flanker. It’s fun. You get to roam around the field and have a bit of freedom and just play some good footy I suppose. It’s tiring though.

For all my readers that are non-rugby-experts... what’s the role of the flanker/number 7 position?

Um, so typically, number 7 is on the open side of a scrum, so they hit the first breakdown. In basic terms, they’re just a work-horse that hit breakdowns and do a lot of a work around the field. So, a lot of carries and just a lot of tackles. They’re the work-horse of the team.

What inspired you to play rugby... and what’s your rugby journey been since then?

I think Mum and Dad, I’ve gotta thank them. I was a bit of a loose cannon when I was younger. I was just crazy and had too much energy, so Mum and Dad put me in rugby union.  I just enjoyed the game too much, I loved it. I just kept playing, because you’ve got to love the game if you want to play it professionally. Obviously the end goal is the Wallabies and Super-Rugby, but I’ve got a way to go there… So I’ve just got to keep improving my game and get stronger.

That’s funny, I was going to ask what your rugby-related goals are from here!

Yeah. So obviously, win the NRC title with the Brisbane City team. Next year, win Brothers Premier grade and make it nine from nine teams in the finals… and make a Super Rugby team and go from there with the Wallabies. So that’s the end goal!

Thanks for your time... good luck against the Sydney Country this weekend!

Thanks mate, I appreciate it. Any time, I’ll take time to answer your questions. I love it - and I love a truely good Reds fan that loves his footy. Keep cheering. We’re gonna fill those stands and get another premiership soon. We need all the support we can get. Up the Reds aye!