Reds squad and coaching staff confirmed for Super Rugby 2018
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The Queensland Reds have confirmed their squad and coaching staff for the 2018 Super Rugby season.
Joining the Reds coaching staff for the first time in 2018 will be former Queensland and Wallabies winger Paul Carozza, who has spent the last 15 years in various coaching roles at Ballymore, most recently as assistant coach with 2017 National Rugby Championship winners Bond University Queensland Country and the undefeated Queensland U20s.
Carozza will join newly appointed Head Coach Brad Thorn and recently appointed Assistant Coach Tony McGahan to form the coaching team for 2018.
The 2018 Reds squad features 10 new signings, seven of which have been selected from Queensland Country following their grand final win in the National Rugby Championship, including Wallabies Spring Tour development player Liam Wright and NRC leading try scorer Filipo Daugunu.
Heading to Ballymore for the first time will be former Brumbies and Stormers prop JP Smith, along with NSW Country Eagles hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.
A number of players have also been promoted from within the Reds pathway, including young locks Angus Blyth and Harry Hockings, back rower Angus Scott-Young, flyhalf Hamish Stewart and scrumhalf Tate McDermott. In total, 83% of the 2018 squad have emerged from Queensland pathway programs.
Six players have been re-signed ahead of the 2018 season, including recent Wallabies debutant Karmichael Hunt, as well as Queensland Country standouts Caleb Timu, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Duncan Paia’aua, Izaia Perese and Eto Nabuli, who was also the Reds leading try scorer in 2017.
Twenty players have been retained from the 2017 squad, including Wallabies Lukhan Tui, Izack Rodda, Samu Kerevi, James Slipper, George Smith, Scott Higginbotham and Taniela Tupou.
| 2018 Queensland Reds squad | ||||
| Name | Club | School | SR caps | Test caps |
| Props | ||||
| Sef Fa’agase | University of Queensland | Shailer Park State School | 34 | - |
| Harry Hoopert (new signing) |
Brothers | Toowoomba Grammar School | - | - |
| James Slipper | Bond University | The Southport School | 95 | 86 |
| J.P. Smith (new signing) |
TBC | 27 | - | |
| Taniela Tupou | Brothers | Sacred Heart College | 17 | 1 |
| Markus Vanzati | Souths | Toowoomba Grammar School | 5 | - |
| Hookers | ||||
| Alex Mafi | Bond University | St. Joseph’s Nudgee College | 8 | - |
| Andrew Ready | Easts | St. Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace | 27 | - |
| Brandon Paenga-Amosa (new signing) | Southern Districts, NSW | Endeavour Sports High School, NSW | - | - |
| Locks | ||||
| Angus Blyth (new signing) |
Bond University | The Southport School | - | - |
| Kane Douglas | Norths | Maclean High School | 90 | 31 |
| Harry Hockings (new signing) |
University of Queensland | Anglican Church Grammar School | - | - |
| Izack Rodda | Easts | Ipswich Grammar School | 12 | 4 |
| Lukhan Tui | Souths | John Edmonson High School | 13 | 4 |
| Back row | ||||
| Michael Gunn | Easts | Anglican Church Grammar School | 8 | - |
| Reece Hewat | Norths | St. Joseph’s Nudgee College | 1 | - |
| Scott Higginbotham | Wests | The Southport School | 123 | 34 |
| Adam Korczyk | University of Queensland | Brisbane State High School | 16 | - |
| Angus Scott-Young (new signing) | University of Queensland | Anglican Church Grammar School | - | - |
| George Smith | Brothers | Cromer High School | 157 | 111 |
| Caleb Timu (re-signed) |
Souths | St. Joseph’s Nudgee College | 2 | - |
| Liam Wright (new signing) |
Easts | Anglican Church Grammar School | - | - |
| Scrumhalves | ||||
| Nick Frisby | GPS | Marist College Ashgrove | 65 | 5 |
| Tate McDermott (new signing) |
University of Queensland | Sunshine Coast Grammar School | - | - |
| Moses Sorovi | University of Queensland | St Peters Lutheran College | 1 | - |
| James Tuttle | GPS | St. Joseph’s Nudgee College | 18 | - |
| Flyhalves | ||||
| Quade Cooper | Souths | Anglican Church Grammar School | 117 | 70 |
| Hamish Stewart (new signing) |
Bond University | Toowoomba Grammar School | 5 | - |
| Centres | ||||
| Chris Feauai-Sautia (re-signed) | Souths | Brisbane State High School | 47 | 2 |
| Samu Kerevi | Souths | Brisbane State High School | 44 | 18 |
| Duncan Paia’aua (re-signed) |
Norths | Emmaus College Rockhampton | 23 | - |
| Outside backs | ||||
| Filipo Daugunu (new signing) |
Wests | Labasa Sangam College | - | - |
| Karmichael Hunt (re-signed) |
Norths | Anglican Church Grammar School | 32 | 6 |
| Lachlan Maranta | Wests | St. Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace | 2 | - |
| Eto Nabuli (re-signed) | GPS | Nadroga Navosa Provincial High School | 30 | 1 |
| Izaia Perese (re-signed) |
Easts | Anglican Church Grammar School | 12 | - |
2018 St.George Queensland Reds Staff
Coaching
Head Coach: Brad Thorn
Assistant Coach: Tony McGahan
Assistant Coach: Paul Carozza
Head coach, Reds Elite Youth Development: Jason Gilmore
Senior Analyst: Michael Todd
