Granty
05-03-2006, 08:35 AM
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18347572%255E2764,00.html
Wizard the word for men on rise
ANDREW DAWSON
05mar06
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5116962,00.jpg
TO THE VICTORS: North Queensland Young Guns celebrate
their Wizard Queensland Cup grand final victory last season
FORMER Wizard Queensland Cup premiership-winning coach Neil Wharton believes the competition should be a breeding ground for NRL coaches as much as it is for players.
Premiers North Queensland Young Guns have been installed as unofficial title favourites in the season which starts on Saturday.
Norths, Redcliffe and Burleigh are likely to again push for top-three positions.
But every side in the competition has claims for improvement.
Wynnum coach Wharton watched in the off-season as Grant Bell (Young Guns) was promoted to Cowboys assistant coach and Ric Stone (Burleigh) was appointed Newcastle assistant.
Redcliffe coach Anthony Griffin was approached by Canberra to be Matthew Elliott's assistant but opted to stay with the Dolphins.
Liam Georgetown, Wayne Bond, Matt Bell, Bob Blair (all Penrith), Scott Smith, Mark Henry, Leigh Coghill (Cowboys) Balin Cupples (Souths) and Rod Griffen (Wests Tigers) were players snared by NRL clubs, but the Wizard Queensland Cup has also proved a stepping stone for coaches.
Former Brothers and Souths coach Wayne Bennett (Broncos) and ex-Easts coach John Lang (Penrith) are the two current NRL coaches who cut their teeth in the Queensland league.
"A few years ago I read an article by Wayne Bennett which said the next level of coaches should come from the Queensland Cup," Wharton said.
"The pathway to the next level is hard to get to and it is not always results and time on the park that takes you to the next level.
"But I think this competition is a stepping stone and I hope it continues to be so and that people recognise that there are good coaches here.
"It is a great advertisement to us that those guys (Bell and Stone) have gone."
A coaches' poll indicates the Young Guns, with imposing depth and a winning culture, will be difficult to topple.
But Ipswich coach Trevor Gillmeister hit the nail on the head when he said: "Looking across the teams, you know there will be no easy games."
Last season's cellar dwellers Souths support Gillmeister's theory, while the Comets are certain to be better.
The Magpies lost class acts Bell, Blair and Smith to the NRL, but have injected 25 newcomers, including Brandon Costin, Quentin Laulu-Togagae and Derek Fletcher from Norths.
"Our reserves will be strong, and the colts as well," Souths coach Mark Gliddon said.
"We will be competitive. We are going about our job quietly and I think we will surprise a few sides."
Easts and Wynnum should rise again after bitterly disappointing 2005 campaigns, while Ipswich also expects more.
The Jets' new halves pairing of Ricky Bird and Mount Isa recruit Brendan Marshall looms as one of the more potent combinations.
"Once they click they will be very hard to hold," Gillmeister said.
"We had 11 new blokes playing (in a trial) the other night and I just hope we kick off the season well because I know we are going to get better.
"We have plenty of young blokes come to us wanting to get a start at the Gold Coast, which shows they are here for all the right reasons."
But Souths, Wynnum, Easts, Ipswich and, to a lesser degree, the Clydesdales all have work to do to catch Norths, Redcliffe, the Young Guns and Burleigh.
Wizard the word for men on rise
ANDREW DAWSON
05mar06
http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5116962,00.jpg
TO THE VICTORS: North Queensland Young Guns celebrate
their Wizard Queensland Cup grand final victory last season
FORMER Wizard Queensland Cup premiership-winning coach Neil Wharton believes the competition should be a breeding ground for NRL coaches as much as it is for players.
Premiers North Queensland Young Guns have been installed as unofficial title favourites in the season which starts on Saturday.
Norths, Redcliffe and Burleigh are likely to again push for top-three positions.
But every side in the competition has claims for improvement.
Wynnum coach Wharton watched in the off-season as Grant Bell (Young Guns) was promoted to Cowboys assistant coach and Ric Stone (Burleigh) was appointed Newcastle assistant.
Redcliffe coach Anthony Griffin was approached by Canberra to be Matthew Elliott's assistant but opted to stay with the Dolphins.
Liam Georgetown, Wayne Bond, Matt Bell, Bob Blair (all Penrith), Scott Smith, Mark Henry, Leigh Coghill (Cowboys) Balin Cupples (Souths) and Rod Griffen (Wests Tigers) were players snared by NRL clubs, but the Wizard Queensland Cup has also proved a stepping stone for coaches.
Former Brothers and Souths coach Wayne Bennett (Broncos) and ex-Easts coach John Lang (Penrith) are the two current NRL coaches who cut their teeth in the Queensland league.
"A few years ago I read an article by Wayne Bennett which said the next level of coaches should come from the Queensland Cup," Wharton said.
"The pathway to the next level is hard to get to and it is not always results and time on the park that takes you to the next level.
"But I think this competition is a stepping stone and I hope it continues to be so and that people recognise that there are good coaches here.
"It is a great advertisement to us that those guys (Bell and Stone) have gone."
A coaches' poll indicates the Young Guns, with imposing depth and a winning culture, will be difficult to topple.
But Ipswich coach Trevor Gillmeister hit the nail on the head when he said: "Looking across the teams, you know there will be no easy games."
Last season's cellar dwellers Souths support Gillmeister's theory, while the Comets are certain to be better.
The Magpies lost class acts Bell, Blair and Smith to the NRL, but have injected 25 newcomers, including Brandon Costin, Quentin Laulu-Togagae and Derek Fletcher from Norths.
"Our reserves will be strong, and the colts as well," Souths coach Mark Gliddon said.
"We will be competitive. We are going about our job quietly and I think we will surprise a few sides."
Easts and Wynnum should rise again after bitterly disappointing 2005 campaigns, while Ipswich also expects more.
The Jets' new halves pairing of Ricky Bird and Mount Isa recruit Brendan Marshall looms as one of the more potent combinations.
"Once they click they will be very hard to hold," Gillmeister said.
"We had 11 new blokes playing (in a trial) the other night and I just hope we kick off the season well because I know we are going to get better.
"We have plenty of young blokes come to us wanting to get a start at the Gold Coast, which shows they are here for all the right reasons."
But Souths, Wynnum, Easts, Ipswich and, to a lesser degree, the Clydesdales all have work to do to catch Norths, Redcliffe, the Young Guns and Burleigh.