Many expected Bond to challenge for the Hospital Cup title in 2024, but the Bull Sharks struggled to close out tight games. 

Mick Heenan has bulked up his squad ahead of this season though in the hope of pushing back into the playoff picture. 

Overview with Mick Heenan:

“We’ve had a good off-season at Bond and the group has been training hard since December,” Heenan said ahead of his second season on the Gold Coast. 

“We’ve probably got a bit more depth in the squad than we had last year, which is really positive and now we’re just itching to go.

“Most rugby clubs are pretty similar to be honest, but it’s definitely a different culture and vibe at Bond compared to other clubs I’ve been at. 

“We are Gold Coast’s Premier Rugby club and the reason we exist is so that any player that aspires to play at a higher level can do so without having to move up to Brisbane. 

“There are also nine local rugby clubs on the Gold Coast that are growing their participation every year which will be a real positive for the club over time because ultimately, the stronger the Gold Coast rugby scene is, the better it will be for us. 

“We’ve had a number of the better players from from the local competition test themselves over the preseason which has been great to see and I expect some of those guys to end up playing first grade at some stage this season.”

2024: 5th (9 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses)

Ins: Dane Mason (Helensvale), Dylan Rowe (Sunnybank), Deon Samuela (returning), Deon Evans-Aofi (Hunter Wildfires), Dan Boardman (returning), Marlon Jones (returning), Liam Daniela (New Zealand), Aiden Ross (Reds) Kobe Walters (New Zealand), Patrick Barlow (Gold Coast), Luke Depiazzi (Canberra), Heremaia Murray (Reds), Kaleb Ngamanu (rugby league), Makrau Fonumanu (rugby league), Matt Engelbrecht (UQ), Kaia Gate (Warringah). 

Outs: Rhian Stowers (MLR), Jack Winchester (Perth), Fred Dorrough (retired), Nathan Beil (Canberra), Lukas Ripley (Waratahs), Matt Gibbon (UQ).

What style of rugby will be see from UQ this year? 

“We’ll still continue to play an attractive, fast style of footy with lots of ball movement,” Heenan said. 

“I think that’s in our DNA, it always has been for Bond and it’s also been a feature of any team I’ve coached, so I think it’s safe to say that will continue. 

“Last year there were nine games where we were either in front or within a score with five minutes to go and we didn’t win any of them. 

“That tells us two things. One, we’re not that far away, but at the same time we also need to recognise that the next step is often the hardest.” 

Player(s) to watch: 

“Hamish Roberts has had a great pre-season and looks really sharp. Our other new winger Deon Evans has also looked good and both of those two have played well in the trials we’ve played so far,” the coach said. 

“We’ve also got a new guy named Kobe Walters from New Zealand. He’s a six something foot lock who has moved over from Auckland and has had a fantastic preseason. I expect him to be really important for us this year.”

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

“I’d like to think we’ll be up there and be nice and competitive,” Heenan predicted. 

“But Wests and Brothers are the benchmark and have been for the last few years. It’s up  to the rest of us to rise to their levels.”