Take a look at the Queensland Reds’ Super Rugby record since the competition’s inception back in 1996, and the term ‘peaks and troughs’ springs to mind. Three top four finishes in the early years of the then Super 12, and three subsequent semi-final losses, preceded a gradual decline over the next eight years that ended in 2009 with a fourth successive placing in the bottom three.

Recovering from a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) to continue a sporting career is fast-becoming a commonplace occurrence in the professional arena. The severity of such an injury to an elite athlete used to signal a potential hanging up of the boots, but advances in medical technology and surgical techniques have meant that more often than not, the injured party

If there’s one thing this year’s Buildcorp NRC has shown us, it’s that the gap between Super Rugby contracted players and non-contracted players has narrowed to the point where you could even cast an inquisitive glance at the talent identification programs currently in place in Australian rugby.