Category: QRL

Hoeter Happy With Round 1 Performance

QRL Article written by Jorja Brinums

Wynnum Manly Seagulls centre Delouise Hoeter – spurred on by former skipper Sam Scarlett in the crowd – reckons the side should be “proud” after a stellar performance against Mackay Cutters.

“It was good… a lot of new faces but they did the Wynnum community proud, and themselves proud as well,” Hoeter said.

The Brisbane Broncos-contracted talent bagged two tries during his side’s 44-6 win, much to the delight of the Chook Pen and Scarlett.

Plenty of others were cheering loudly including former coach Adam Brideson, and former teammates Matiu Love-Henry and Aaron Rockley.

“The lungs were blowing a bit but good to get my first 80-minute game… it was good to play for the first time this year in Wynnum in front of the Chook Pen,” Hoeter said.

“My legs were starting to give way towards the end but it didn’t really matter. I just wanted to put in a really good performance in Cup.”

Former Burleigh Bears star Josh Rogers was also excellent for Wynnum Manly, scoring one try, kicking seven from seven conversions and one penalty goal.

“I feel like everyone played pretty well. Tyson Smoothy played 80 in the middle, Josh Rogers did pretty well. Matty Milson at the back, he did really well. It’s hard to pinpoint one person. I think everyone did their job and everyone proud.”

Hoeter said there were definitely positive signs going into Round 2.

“We were still a bit scratchy. We were one from eight in about the last 20 minutes. We let them in a lot towards the end with a lot of errors and penalties. But that’s something we can clean up as we go along,” he said.

“I enjoy whether I’m at Broncos or at Wynnum. I’ve been here for five years now. I’ve seen a lot of people come through. I always love playing in front of the Chook Pen.”

 

Nicholls tackles next career move with Seagulls

QRL Article written by Rikki-Lee Arnold (Community Content Producer)

Retired rugby league journeyman Darren Nicholls is set to make his mark on the game in a new way in 2023, with the former playmaker venturing into the world of coaching.

Nicholls, who hung up the boots with Brisbane Tigers at the end of the 2022 season, will take on the role of assistant coach for Wynnum Manly’s Hostplus Cup side, coming in under the tutelage of his former NSW Cup mentor, Matt Head.

With his former Brisbane Tigers and Souths Logan Magpies coach Jon Buchanan also now at the Seagulls as the development and pathways manager, Nicholls will be supported by two of the men who influenced his playing career the most as he looks to open a new chapter in the game.

The 33-year-old – who also played with Norths and Redcliffe throughout his Cup career in Queensland – said he started to naturally gravitate towards coaching in the back end of his playing days and through his work at Marsden State High School.

So when Head – also in his first season at Wynnum Manly – gave Nicholls a call and asked him to be his assistant for 2023, it was a no brainer.

Nicholls surveys Seagulls training. Photo: Jim O’Reilly

“I let (Brisbane) know I was going to retire and there was a little bit of an opportunity to coach in the younger grades there,” Nicholls said.

“But I know Matty Head from the (St George Illawarra) Dragons and when he got the gig at Wynnum, he called me straight away.

“With the opportunity to learn under Heady, I couldn’t say no.

“In the later stage of my career, I started to have a bit more input into training sessions and was sort of doing some coaching on the run. Through my school where I’m a PE teacher, I help coach the junior footy teams.

“It’s something I’ve always enjoyed and I liked learning off different coaches as a player. I like having the ability to impact a player and to help them develop and grow.”

Already several weeks into pre-season training, Nicholls has been hard at work putting Wynnum Manly’s Cup side through their paces and has been thoroughly impressed by the response from the players and the intensity of their training sessions – so intense in fact, it makes him happy to be retired.

The former halfback will focus mostly on the team’s attack throughout season 2023, with a desire for Wynnum to be seen as a “highly skilled team that really promotes the football.”

But Nicholls is also keen to see what challenges he faces in his first season as part of a coaching line-up and is glad to have such strong influences around him as he gets started.

After making his NRL debut with the Dragons in 2018, with another two appearances in 2019, Nicholls returned to Queensland in 2020 to join Souths Logan under his former XXXX Queensland Residents coach, Buchanan.

He then followed his mentor across to the Brisbane Tigers in 2021 and said it was because of Buchanan that he’d been able to start the journey into coaching.

“JB (Buchanan) was the one that got me up to Brisbane,” Nicholls said.

“That started my journey. I got the job at Marsden and we have a rugby league program that I help out with.

“At the back end of my career (at Brisbane Tigers), he’d let me take some drills, run through some things at a session. I was able to get my foot in the door and that started my coaching journey in a sense.

“I’ve been to a fair few clubs and each club and each coach, you learn different things. Being a fulltime player (in an NRL system), you also learn from the head coach and then go back to your Cup coach and learn there.

“Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and I can take from that.

“At Wynnum Manly now it’s an opportunity for me to learn some more and to add things to the sessions and the game plans that I’ve learnt along the way.

“It’s good for me to have JB and Heady … it’s a good mixture. We’re comfortable challenging each other. If we think there’s something we can do differently, it’s open for honest conversations.

“JB and I have had that the past few years already and I spent two years with Heady at the Dragons. It’s worked out well in that sense. There’s plenty of banter at training.”

The new-look coaching staff are not the only big changes at Wynnum Manly in 2023, with a significant turnover in the playing group as well.

The club have announced the re-signings of players such as Max Plath and player of the year, Kalolo Saitaua, while also bringing to the club the likes of Brendan Frei (North Queensland Cowboys), Lachlan Timm (Redcliffe Dolphins), Gideon Gela-Mosby (Northern Pride), Kitron Laka (PNG Hunters), Darius Farmer and Tony Pellow (Brisbane Tigers).

Nicholls said at some point over the pre-season the new group will sit down together to discuss what they believe success will look like for them as a club.

But in the meantime, as they approach the Christmas break, the coaching staff are enjoying getting to know the players and trying to get the best from them.

“There’s a big turnover,” Nicholls said.

“They lost a lot of their senior players so we’re looking at it as a bit of blank canvas.

“We have some great signings brought in and I personally love the addition of Brendan Frei. His intensity at training and leadership has been outstanding.

“Coming up against him when I played, he was always a dangerous player.

“The whole squad has had a great intensity at training. From the first night to where they are now, they’re really challenging each other and there’s competitiveness there as well.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for spots and that opportunity drives a lot competitiveness.”

Semi-finalists confirmed for BMD Premiership

QRL article written by Michael Hillier

Central Queensland Capras and Burleigh Bears have secured home semi-finals following a thrilling finish to the BMD Premiership regular season.

The minor premiership-winning Capras will play the Wynnum Manly Seagulls (fourth) next weekend, while the Bears (second) meet the North Queensland Gold Stars (third).

The winners of the respective semi-finals advance to the 2022 BMD Premiership grand final at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday, June 4 at 2pm.

Central will look to recapture the form that carried them to six-straight wins after the Bears stunned the previously unbeaten Capras team in Emerald yesterday.

Burleigh scored five tries to three as a Karina Brown double lifted the Bears to a 26-16 win at McIndoe Park.

Burleigh’s win ensured the defending premiers nailed down second spot and a home semi-final against the Gold Stars, who were also impressive final round winners.

Captain Romy Teitzel crossed for a double in the Gold Stars’ 28-0 win over the Brisbane Tigers at Leo Williams Oval.

The fourth and final spot in next weekend’s play-offs went on the line at Emerson Park today when the West Brisbane Panthers clashed with the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

In a tight contest, Wynnum Manly prevailed 16-10 to seal a finals berth against the plucky Panthers.

 

BMD Premiership semi-finals

Semi-final 1 – 1v4

Central Queensland Capras v Wynnum Manly Seagulls at Browne Park on Saturday, May 28, 3pm

Semi-final 2 – 2v3

Burleigh Bears v North Queensland Gold Stars at  Pizzey Park on Sunday, May 29 at 1.30pm

Both semi-final games will be live and exclusive on QPlus.tv. The grand final will also be shown on Kayo Freebies.

Registrations Open for RISE Program

QRL article written by Michael Hillier

Aspirational male and female players can now register for the 2022 RISE Rugby League Development program.

As confirmed by the QRL last month, the expanded program will run across South East, Central and North regions, with 22 locations aligned to community leagues with the support of statewide competition clubs.

RISE is comprised of five sessions with the following age groups offered this year:

– Male: Under 13, Under 14, Under 15
– Female: Under 14 and Under 16

In an exciting addition to the program, players will have further opportunities to showcase their development in game situations through their participation in a structured carnival event to close the program.

The majority of RISE sessions will begin in June, with the exception of the Rockhampton program which starts in May.

Continue reading “Registrations Open for RISE Program” →