Can the Reds do it again?

Can the Reds do it again?

A week out from the start of the Super 15 season and the question remains, can the Reds back up from last year and take out the title again?

What is certain is the Reds are unlikely to surprise anyone anymore. To use an old cliche, they are the hunted, not the hunter with a big target on their back.  The Crusaders in particular will be desperate for revenge not to mention the Waratahs who will be desperate to win back the title of best Australian team.

In the Reds favour, they have much the same squad as last year with no noticeable losses. The Reds have also developed a plethora of talent from within their ranks last year with the likes of Mike Harris, Jono Lance and Ben Tapuai, who ended the just completed season a Wallaby from nowhere, sure to add to the teams depth. 

The one big issue the team has to deal with is the enforced loss through injury of Quade Cooper for the first 8 or so rounds of the season. The draw though is relatively soft at the early stage with an away match against an "apparently" injury ravaged NSW Waratahs to start, followed by home matches against the Force and Rebels. It then gets harder with an away trip to South Africa with matches against the Sharks and Bulls sure to challenge.  This is followed by home matches to the Brumbies and Stormers, both very winnable. If the team can win a majority of these matches to this stage, with the likely entry of Cooper into the team they should be in great shape to challenge in the run home.

It is not all doom and gloom without Cooper though. Mike Harris appears the man for the job and with a more controlled style of play, better defence and a great strike rate with his kicks, it's also possible his addition may give the team something different that could win games.

What is clear is that after the struggles of most of the 2000's, QLD Rugby and the Reds are at an alltime high. They have nearly 30,000 members and their crowds are sure to dominate other Australian teams, and likely the competition as a whole. If they can cope with the pressure and the expectation they will figure prominently at the tail end of the season. Whether they go Back to Back, only time will tell.