After losing Issac Rodda, Izzy Perese and Liam Wright to the Reds for the majority of 2017, it was never going to be easy for Easts last year, who lost five matches by less than seven points on their way to a sixth placed finish.

Despite that, coach Anthony Connellan is convinced the Tigers are heading in the right direction and after adding a handful of strong recruits to a more mature roster ahead of the 2018 season, Easts are starting to look a lot more like the side that played on the final weekend of the season back in 2015.

2017 result: 6th (6 wins, 10 losses)

Gains: Landon Hayes (Ipswich Jets), Shane Kennedy (Townsville/QLD Country), Luke Everson (Souths), Keegan Sefton (Souths).

Losses: Tim Smith (retired), Toby White (overseas)

2018 Captain: TBC

Overview with Anthony Connellan:

“It’s been going well. The boys have all really hooked in and have been working hard, which is good. We added an extra session on Mondays this preseason, to help us get through a bit more content and that’s been really productive. I feel they we’re in a pretty good place heading into our first trial this weekend,” Easts coach Anthony Connellan told Rugby News.

“We’re still disappointed with last year. After our success in 2015, we had a lot of guys retire and move on so it’s been a bit of a rebuilding phase at the club. I think we’ve improved year on year since then, but we’re still not happy with the end result last year. In saying that, I think we’re certainly heading in the right direction.

“There are a lot of areas where we need to be better but I was quite happy with certain elements of our game and we’ve also been able to blood a lot of young guys into our system.

“Our depth is really strong at the moment and obviously it’s early days and we still haven’t played a game yet but we’re really comfortable with our top 35-40 players.

“We’ve picked up few new blokes this year, mainly in the backs and that’s been great for our depth. We’ve now got good competition for all positions in the backline and that’s something we haven’t had for quite a few years now.

“We’re also really happy with the numbers we’ve had across all grades and colts sides and there is a really good feel around the club. Culturally, things are going well and everyone seems to be enjoying their footy so I think we’re in a good position at the moment.”

Key areas of improvement:

“When we spoke late last year, we talked about needing to improve our scrum and that’s an area we’ve worked really hard on. Last year, through injury and Reds selections, we were forced to blood a few young guys and they’ve now had an extra preseason under their belts and have been working really hard,” he said.

“A lot is going to depend on the Reds selections this year. If we get Andrew Ready and Richie Asiata for a good portion of the season, then our depth is going to be quite good in the tight five with a few of those young guys continuing to push through.

“The other area we’ve looked at is the contact zone. We’re not a massive team so we need to be more dominant through that contact zone both with and without the ball.

“To do that, we’ve focused on our ball carry and offload. If we can avoid contact or keep the ball moving, we won’t get bullied by the bigger sides in attack. Then in defence, we’ve worked on our two-man tackle and our counter ruck.”

Player(s) to watch: 

“As I said earlier, I’m really excited by our depth but a few names still standout. I think Richie Asiata in the front row will only continue to get better on the back of a strong year last year with us and then in the NRC. I’m expecting big things from him, he’s got a really strong ball carry and his scrummaging is getting better and better.

“In the backs, there are probably two. Matty Gordon is back from injury, he missed all of last season and he’s added a bit of spark to our attack through preseason and provides good go forward.

“I’m also excited to see Landon Hayes, he’ll start at outside centre and we’re lucky to be able to replace the experience of Toby White with a player with plenty of quality. He played Australian Schoolboys from Ippy Grammar and he’s been playing league at the Jets for the last few years so he’ll bring a whole new level of toughness. He’s strong with the footy and good in defence, he’s one that we hope will go well.

“Of the younger guys, Phoenix Hunt has come out of school from Nudgee. He played a bit of Aussie schools last year and I think he’ll put a bit of pressure on at halfback. Look for him through that middle part of the season, hopefully he can bust his way into the top grade.”

What are your hopes and expectations for the season? 

“You go into all seasons really positive and looking to be there at the right end of the year but I think for us, we’re looking for significant improvements in our durability,” Connellan continued.

“In the last couple of years, we’ve struggled quite a bit with injuries so we’ve worked hard on our strength and conditioning and I’m hoping we’ll be a lot more resilient this year so that when we get to the back end of the season, we’re in a position to give the competition a good shake.

“We’re not talking positions at this stage, but we certainly want to be right in the mix when we get to the final four or so rounds of the regular season and we want to be on the way up, not limping towards the end of the season.”

Who will your team play in the grand final this year? 

“I’m expecting a lot of consistency from last year to be honest. GPS and Uni were the two outstanding teams last year and they were consistent week in, week out. I think they’ll be the top contenders.

“A side like Wests will also be up there. They had a great season last year and improved a lot and they would have had another really strong preseason on the back of some good recruiting so I think they’ll put their hand up as well.”

Photo: QRU Media