Young exodus hits FNQ Bulls
Joe Flynn

Thursday, July 5, 2012

© The Cairns Post

FNQ Bulls coach Peter Tokesi insists there is no split among his playing group despite two young midfielders deciding this week to walk away from the QSL club.

Midfielder Bronson Koppen, 18, who has started 11 games this year, announced this week he was leaving the club to join the Townsville-based North Queensland Razorbacks.

Fellow young gun Peter McGrath told Tokesi on Monday night he would spend the remainder of the year playing for Marlin Coast in the premier league.

Koppen told The Cairns Post yesterday that he left because he was concerned about being able to regain his starting position after the mid-season arrival of veterans Glenn Hurney and Wayne Srhoj.

In a cruel twist, just days after Koppen announced he was leaving the team, Srhoj disclosed he would no longer be playing this year.

The former A-League midfielder's stint in Bulls' colours lasted just two weeks.

Tokesi said he heard the news through club president Alex Srhoj, a cousin of the 30-year-old former Melbourne Heart player.

When Srhoj arrived it forced Koppen to the bench, where he spent one game before deciding to switch clubs before the June 30 deadline.

The young midfielder said he had a better chance of playing 90 minutes under Ken Mitchell in Townsville.

"I have aspirations of playing in the A-League and felt that I was unable to continue to strive for that level while playing for the Bulls," he said.

"As an 18-year-old, I need to be playing 90 minutes of football week in, week out … the NQ Razorbacks team were able to offer me that while remaining close to home and continuing my university studies."

Before leaving Cairns, he expressed his desire for Tokesi to move to a 3-5-2 formation that would have allowed him to join Hurney and Srhoj to play in the same midfield.

"I, and other members of the team, felt with Wayne being there we were finally able to play a 3-5-2 and we would have one of the best midfields in the league," Koppen said.

Tokesi said he didn't rule out a formation switch, but said his tactics often depended on the other team.

"This week (against Sunshine Coast) we probably would use a 3-5-2, but we aren't going to use it every week, it depends who we are playing against," Tokesi said.

The inaugural Bulls coach said despite the decision of Koppen and McGrath, he had not lost faith in his team.

"That's misconceived," Tokesi said. "Any time you have 20 players, you are going to have some discontent, because 20 doesn’t fit into 11.

"That means some players are going to have to miss out."

The sudden exodus means the Bulls will be searching for a squad for this week's game against the second-ranked Sunshine Coast.

A win in Kawana could move the Bulls within reach of a top-two
finish.

The club still holds out some hope of Srhoj returning, especially if the club is in need.

But it is likely Stratford player Shane Raso will come into the mix and Matt Murphy will slot into the starting line-up.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2012/07/05/226881_local-sport-news.html