Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
New Queensland coach Vern Cotter says the Reds have to get tough and physical if they are to become genuine Super Rugby Pacific contenders.
Former Blues coach Cotter has taken charge of the Reds following the departure of Les Kiss, who after three years at the helm of Queensland has moved on to become Wallabies boss.
Under Kiss, the Reds finished fifth on the ladder three seasons in a row and were knocked out of in the first week of finals each time on New Zealand soil.
Similarly in 2022 and 2023 under previous coach Brad Thorn, Queensland failed to progress past week one of the finals, also losing on both occasions away against Kiwi teams.
Having coached against the Reds while in charge of the Blues, Cotter said there were “obvious shifts” Queensland needed to make and was looking forward to the challenge of turning his new side into a title-winning outfit.
“We just need to develop an edge in our game so that we remain consistent,” the Auckland-born mentor said.
“The talent is here to become competitive with other teams in the competition, but you need to do that all season, and you need to be able to rock and roll through the tough games, get points and get yourself in a situation.
“The key shifts will be around becoming more physical (and) becoming better prepared physically, so there’s a big emphasis on that – making sure we’re robust enough to be able to be put in performances week in, week out.
“Then you’ve got to have fun as well, make sure that we enjoy the contest, embrace the difficulty of it, and get better.”
Having led the Blues to the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific title and Clermont to the 2009-10 French Top 14 crown, the well-travelled Cotter has come to Queensland with just one thing in mind.
“The only reason I’ve come here is to win the competition,” he said.
“I’m fully focused on that and getting the best out of players. I haven’t (previously) coached an Australian team, and I’ve always been tempted to challenge myself in different environments.
“The high performance in Australia has always fascinated me, and (2027 being) a World Cup year was one of the big things that was an attraction because you always see the best of people going into a World Cup … so I thought it was a good opportunity to challenge myself but also learn something.”
Cotter will get an early chance to guide the Reds in the upcoming Super Rugby AUS competition, with Queensland’s opening game taking place at Ballymore on September 12 against Western Force.
The Reds squad for the four-week competition includes five players – Tom Lynagh, Matt Faessler, Izaia Perese, Zane Nonggorr and Josh Flook – with Wallabies experience.
Flyhalf Lynagh is on the comeback trail after playing just 17 minutes for the Reds in the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season due to a lingering hamstring and calf injuries.
“He’s great little player. He trained really well last week. I was impressed with him,” Cotter said of the 23-year-old playmaker.
“We had a good conversation around how he runs a game also, which is key to us, so I’m looking forward to working with him.”
