By Finn Morton 

BGS Coach Paul Warwick will field a team mixed with youth and experience in 2019 as they look to improve upon their one-win season last time around.

But while winning is important for Grammar, Warwick and his squad are focused on remaining competitive as they adopt a different interpretation of success for this season.

Overview with Paul Warwick: 

“I am happy with how pre-season has gone. We have different expectations to others,” Warwick said.

“In terms of our pre-season form, we haven’t been able to play the team that will play against Ipswich next week through injury or illness, so I’m hoping for a bit better than what we’ve shown so far.

“[Will spend the bye] Narrowing the focus. Our first fifteen won’t play this week. As I’ve said, we’ve had a few injuries and that has come at a good time to rest those boys and give them that extra bit of time before we play Ipswich next week.

“We probably don’t have the individual talent of some other schools, so the team will be more likely to be competitive through really competing through all areas of the game rather than relying on the brilliance of a few.

“So our type of Rugby will be more team orientated, and hopefully physical and competitive that way.

“I like to provide a framework to my players and let them choose and create decisions for them at training for them to learn from to hone their skills and making those decisions. So if it’s time to run they’ll run, if it’s time to kick they’ll kick.

“Hopefully to play what’s in front of them and choose the right option more often than not.”

2019 Squad: 

“I think we have four players back.

“The forward pack would be predominantly year twelve students, and the backline would be predominantly year eleven students.

Key areas of improvement: 

“To stay within the systems and structures a bit more. Last year we were blessed with a few talented individuals, so as I alluded to earlier, we don’t have the luxury of an Emile Tuimavave to get us over the gain line.

“I’m hoping to do the simple things really well and create pressure and opportunities through that way.

“They have a framework that they know can be successful, and within that framework, they can make choices to bring in their individual flair.

Hopes and expectations for the season: 

“My expectation is that the students produce competitive performances week-in-week out. [If we] Win, lose or draw is irrelevant in the sense that if we compete and play to near out potential, we will have a successful season.

“I define success differently to others, last year we won one game, but we were competitive in seven of our eight, losing within seven or eight points.

“I’m not a coach that lives or dies by results. We’re a performance-based team and whether our best performance is equal to another school’s best performance is for someone else to say.

“I’m just trying to maximise the talent and the ability out of every student that takes the field in a Grammar jersey.”

Bold prediction for 2019: 

“Round one could potentially decide the Premiers. Nudgee play TSS.

“Historically, those two schools put more emphasis on Rugby than most others.”