Commerce student Charlie McCauley will make his Premier Grade debut against Souths on the weekend.
The Colts 1 captain's elevation is the latest success for the development program being overseen Rico Gear and Mick Heenan that has already seen seven Bull Sharks teenagers get a taste of senior footy in 2024.
Bull Sharks v Souths.
Chipsy Wood Oval, Souths Rugby Club.
The Bull Sharks Premier Men and Women secured the points last time they met Souths while Colts 1 lost on the siren to the side that went on to play in the Grand Final.
Premier Men
Last time they met:
Rd 18, 2023 at The Canal.
Bull Sharks won 38-31
The opposition:
They are a massive team and they have recruited well in Connor Vest who is a Reds player. He played for me at UQ, and I know how good he is and the danger he poses to us.
Where it will be won:
Souths have a very big tight five and that is where they will target us. Given what’s happened over the past couple of weeks where we have had some defensive struggles in the forwards, they will keep tight and go through the forwards. We have to meet that challenge if we want to be able to get our game going.
The focus:
We have really zeroed in on our maul and maul defence at training this week. We expect to see an improved performance in that area.
What’s new:
Colts 1 coach Charlie McCauley will make his premier Rugby debut ion the second row. He trained with us all through pre-season and has been in strong form in the Colts and we are looking forward to having him in our side. Guy Wolton also comes into the side to replace Lukas Ripley who has been withdrawn by the Rebels.
One to watch:
Reds front rower George Blake is available for limited game time and we believe he can make an impact for us while he’s out there.
Welcome back:
Former James Slipper trophy winner Nixon Tarami will start his first game of the year for us following a long lay-off recovering from a shoulder reconstruction. The veteran backrower is a stalwart of our club and a past club champion and we’re excited to have him back on the field. He will bring physicality and experience which we have been lacking.
With Mick Heenan
Premier Women
Last time they met:
Rd 18,2023 at The Canal
Bull Sharks won 38-12.
The opposition:
We don’t know a lot about Souths because they have unfortunately struggled to field a consistent team this season. But we know that they always have a strong forward pack.
Where it will be won:
One to watch:
Madi Schuck continues to impress in her return to the club, she will switch to hooker this weekend and we will look to her for continued growth in that position.
The focus:
Our big focus will be to keep building our attacking structure and to cut down on our error rate and discipline at the ruck.
Shuffling the magnets:
We will look for the opportunity to rotate the squad, a few of our key players have carried a heavy workload so we will rest Zoe Hanna and Jemma Bemrose.
Welcome back:
It’s great to have powerful loosehead prop Tamika Smith back after a stint in Rugby League.
The final word:
It will be tough to get up mentally after such a big game against Easts, but the girls are on a high and I will be looking to the new players to keep that momentum going forward.
Colts 1
Last time they met:
Rd 18,2023
Bull Sharks lost 20-18.
The opposition:
Souths have strong forward who can move the ball from anywhere. They made the grand final last year and remain one of the most dangerous sides in the competition.
Where it will be won:
They key will be our up-front physicality and defence. We need to stop their ball runners with dominant tackles and then it is crucial we retain our possession to deny them opportunities.
One to watch:
Will Carter has been very physical the last couple weeks after coming back from injury. I expect to see him continue to build his fitness and that will add to the impact he is able to have on games. Against Souths a player like Will can be a key for us.
The focus:
Once again we are looking at improvement in the set piece and contact areas.
Shuffling the magnets:
Will Carter goes to flanker and Josh Salisbury to wing . Rogan Huntley is back at prop after being away for 3 weeks. We’ll miss Charlie McCauley, Harry Bell and Iean Cornelius who are up with the Premier Men.
The final word:
It is a tough challenge this week but an opportunity to keep building momentum off the back of a good win against Easts
With Rico Gear