A young crop of rugby league players is set for one of the oldest competitions as the Sunshine Coast prepares for the 47th Battalion carnival.
The region’s representative team is packed with fresh faces for the tournament, which first ran 50 years ago.
“It’s a young squad, but that’s pretty exciting because the younger guys don’t have too many worries,” coach Danny Gray said.
“They just get out there and get into it.”
David Oakes is the oldest player in the squad, at 26.
“A few older guys have work commitments or holidays for the long weekend,” Gray said.
“But it’s a strong squad.
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“There aren’t many players who would have played this type of carnival, but they are relatively experienced in regard to the level of footy they’ve played.
Noosa centre Kurtis Shayler will be one to watch.
“He is lightning fast and is a try-scoring machine,” Gray said.
Forwards Stephen Buckley, Rowan Jardine and Dalton Smith are set to play significant roles.
“They’re fit and aggressive and I think they’ll do a really good job.”
Then there are relatively unknown but exciting prospects, like Will Solway, who has Maroochydore supporters talking, and hooker Reece Vincent, from Beerwah.
Gray, who took over the coaching role in 2017, led the Sunshine Coast to victory over Toowoomba in 2018 and to the final against the same opposition in 2019, before the carnival was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19.
“We didn’t get to do it last year, so it’s really exciting to play again,” he said.
“It’s a pretty prestigious tournament and I’m pretty stoked to be coach again, especially in its 50th year.”
He expected the Sunshine Coast to be highly competitive.
“If we play the sort of footy that we want to then I think we’ll do quite well. I know we have a really good and talented group so if they can hold on to the footy and execute, I’m confident we’ll do well.”
It’s usually an eight-team three-day competition but Central Highlands withdrew on Tuesday, forcing organisers to re-shape the draw.
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Toowoomba, Rockhampton and hosts Bundaberg should be threats, while Gladstone, South West and Wide Bay will also present tests.
And this year there’s more reason to play well, aside from the selection of a Central Crows team for the state carnival.
The winning team will go on to play against the winners of north Queensland’s inter-regional competition, the Foley Shield. The winner of that game will then tackle the south-east Queensland zone champion, for overall state honours.
“It’s a great opportunity for the young guys to test themselves against quality first graders from other competitions,” Gray said.
“And I think it is a great concept and a bit of incentive to do a good job,” Gray said.
Women’s teams will also compete at the carnival this weekend, marking 10 years since they started in it.
The Sunshine Coast team has developed a reputation for being hard to beat. It’s coached by Troy Harvey this year.
The carnival, which started in 1971, and its trophy are a memorial to the 47th Battalion Regiment, which drew men from all parts of Wide Bay.
This year’s edition runs on May 1-2 at Bundaberg.
