Reds confirm 37-man 2016 Super Rugby squad

Queensland Super Rugby franchise the Reds have confirmed a 37 man squad for the 2016 Super Rugby season with 8 new faces.

The Reds have retained 20 players from the 2015 squad and eight players have progressed from Elite Development Squad to Senior Squad.

In addition to the high-profile signings of Kane Douglas, Ayumu Goromaru, Cadeyrn Neville and NRL winger Eto Nabuli – the Reds also spent the off-season promoting from within the ranks of Queensland Rugby’s pathways with flyhalf Sam Greene and outside backs Junior Laloifi and Izaia Perese earning contracts following their performances in Queensland Premier Rugby and the National Rugby Championship (NRC). They are joined by Australian Under 20s lock Lukhan Tui, who grew up in Sydney.

In all, 20 players were retained from the 2015 Super Rugby squad, 11 of which were off contract and re-signed with the Reds, including Liam Gill, Greg Holmes, James Slipper and Rob Simmons.

In addition to that, the Reds have further progressed the careers of eight members of its Elite Development Squad, promoting them to the Reds Senior Squad for the 2016 season.

Many of those promoted claimed back-to-back titles in the NRC with McInnes Wilson Lawyers Brisbane City, including props Sef Fa’agase, Pettowa Paraka and Sam Talakai, flanker Adam Korczyk and flyhalf Jake McIntyre.

All five made their Super Rugby debuts for the Reds in 2015 and were crucial to Brisbane City’s success of the last two seasons.

Former Australian Schoolboys and NRL player Lagi Setu will also join the Reds for pre-season, after being offered a training contract with the squad. Setu played 76 games over a nine-year career in the NRL, most recently with the Roosters. After returning home to Ipswich earlier this year, he joined Bond University Queensland Country for the NRC and was offered a training contract off the back of his performances.

The Reds began pre-season training this week in preparation for the 2016 Super Rugby season, which kicks off Saturday 27 February against the Waratahs in Sydney. The Reds’ first home game is Saturday 5 March against the Western Force.

2016 Queensland Reds Senior Squad
Front row
Ben Daley
Sef Fa’agase (elevated from Elite Development Squad)
Saia Fainga’a
Greg Holmes (re-signed)
Pettowa Paraka (elevated from Elite Development Squad)
Andrew Ready (re-signed)
James Slipper (re-signed)
Sam Talakai (elevated from Elite Development Squad)
Taniela Tupou

Second row
Kane Douglas (new signing)
Cadeyrn Neville (new signing)
Rob Simmons (re-signed)
Lukhan Tui (new signing)

Back row
Curtis Browning (re-signed)
Lolo Fakaosilea
Liam Gill (re-signed)
Michael Gunn (elevated from Elite Development Squad)
Adam Korczyk (elevated from Elite Development Squad)
Jake Schatz
Hendrik Tui (re-signed)

Halves
Nick Frisby (re-signed)
Scott Gale (elevated from Elite Development Squad)
Sam Greene (new signing)
Jake McIntyre (elevated from Elite Development Squad)
James Tuttle (elevated from Elite Development Squad)

Centres
Anthony Fainga’a
Karmichael Hunt
Samu Kerevi
Duncan Paia’aua
Lagi Setu (training contract)

Outside backs
Chris Feauai-Sautia (re-signed)
Ayumu Goromaru (new signing)
Chris Kuridrani (re-signed)
Junior Laloifi (new signing)
Campbell Magnay
Eto Nabuli (new signing)
Izaia Perese (new signing)
Jamie-Jerry Taulagi (re-signed)