Following a mass player exodus at the end of the 2022 season, last year was tough at Sunnybank.

But heading into his second season in charge , head coach Rob Roiri has attracted a number of talented former Dragons back to the club and seems confident those familiar faces and plenty of young talent can help Sunnybank move up the ladder in 2024.

Overview with Rob Roiri:  

“It’s always a really exciting time of the year as we get closer to round one. You train and train over summer and there’s always a real buzz as competition matches approach,” Roiri told Rugby News. 

“Because we had so many players out last year, compared to our 2022 squad, we spent last season and this past offseason rebuilding. I know it’s an ugly word, but we didn’t really have any other options. 

“We started our offseason quite early and did a lot of work between November and Christmas. It was good to reconnect as a club. We had colts and some of our juniors training with us as one big group and I think that was really positive. 

“We really wanted to get that buzz back at the club again and I think we’ve done that over summer. 

“We’ve added a lot of players to the group this year but I wouldn’t necessarily call it recruitment.

“The thought process was to focus on ex-Sunnybank players, guys who understand the backstory of the club and what it means to wear the jersey.

“A number of our players have taken different pathways but have now found their way home. The key is to use that experience to mentor our younger players and show them what it takes.

“It is exciting to have them back and it’s not hard to notice a big buzz around the place.

“We’ve got two players playing overseas at the moment. Alex Niedzwiecki is playing with Poland and Dylan Rowe is playing with Croatia. They’re both having great experiences and will return to us as better players.  

“We’ve also got some exciting kids coming up from colts who we want to nurture and bring through. Finn Richmond and Josh Crevola are both talented players. We’ve also got some young props who we have a lot of faith in but probably need a little bit of time to develop.” 

2024: 8th (1 win, 15 losses) 

Ins: Richie Asiata (Easts/Reds), Sef Fa’agase (Reds), Taine Roiri (Easts/Reds), Alex Hodgman (NZ/Reds), David Feliuai (Melbourne Rebels), JP Tominiko (Easts), Francis Pona (Easts), Zac Shepherd (Easts), Liam McNamara (Ireland 7s), Kitione Taliga (Fijian 7s), AJ Maiorana (USA), Sean Johnson (USA),  

Outs: Puni Aupuni (Canberra), Sam Mellor (retired), Adam Hayes (retired).

What style of rugby will we see from Sunnybank this season? 

“Sunnybank has always loved playing attacking rugby and we don’t want to lose that but we do want to play with a little bit more structure and composure when it’s needed,” Roiri said.  

“If I had to describe it, I think we’ll be a blend between the Penrith Panthers and the Fijian Drua. We’ll have the flair of the Drua but when we need to, we want to play with the discipline and the structure of a side like the Panthers.  

“The Panthers are really disciplined in making sure they get to a certain area of the field before they attack in a certain way and I think that’s something we’ll try and execute in a similar way this year.” 

Player(s) to watch: 

“Liam McNamara has a lot of potential and he probably hasn’t really been given an opportunity at a XVs level because he is such a good Sevens player,” the coach explained.  

“I think he’s got the ability to play Super Rugby if not international rugby. He came on the scene in a really good Australian U20s team a few years back and he showed his class in a pretty good team. 

“He’s had a stint in Ireland since and now he’s back in Brisbane and will play No.10 for us. 

“Having the Reds back will naturally boost our on-field performance but what they can do to a re-building club is priceless

“We’ve also got some exciting young players pushing through. Oscar McCarthy is a young player from England looking to create his pathway here in Australia and he’s still eligible for colts. He might not start in round one but I think he’ll play his way into the side throughout the year.”

Which two teams will play in this year’s grand final and why? 

“We’re probably not looking that far ahead at the moment to be honest,” Roiri told Rugby News.  

“If I look at the rest of the competition, it’s hard to go past Brothers. With the depth they’ve got, they can have injuries and call up players without losing much. 

“Wests have recruited well but I’m not sure how deep they go.

“UQ will also bounce back. Like Brothers, they always have plenty of depth and they are rarely outside of the top four.”