Selection headaches loom for Queensland Wheelchair team

Queensland Wheelchair coach Jack Brown faces a few selection headaches after a thrilling City v Country clash went down to the wire on Saturday.

The annual contest saw City take bragging rights over Country in an end-to-end battle at Caloundra Indoor Stadium, which wasn't decided until the final minutes as City claimed the 70-60 scoreline.

With the match also serving as a last-ditch attempt to earn a Queensland jersey for the upcoming interstate match with New South Wales, players went to another level in the intense clash, as they did all they could to put their names forward for selection.

Brown, who was also coach of the Country team, said the level of skill had noticeably increased over the past two years, particularly off the back of last year's Rugby League Wheelchair World Cup.

As he looks to lock in his squad for the July 8 showdown with NSW, Brown said he has some difficult calls ahead, joking he would need paracetamol and would probably endure a few sleepless nights.

"The skill level has gone up significantly," Brown said.

"Running off the World Cup, there’s been a good influx of players.

"We’ve seen a lot of new faces, which is good, and a lot of talent in those new faces too.

"We’re not just getting participants for the sake of it. The sport is growing for the better.

"I'll be watching the game multiple times and trying to make some difficult decisions."

Australian World Cup cult hero Bayley McKenna was a standout for the City team, taking home player of the match honours, while a number of regular faces impressed, including Zac Schumacher, James Hill and Peter Arbuckle.

"Everyone has really put their hand up," Brown said.

"What I really liked about everybody out there is nobody held back. Some were playing against their teammates.

"Zac played his heart out – him and Pete had a good clash. Some of the new guys were just incredible.

"In the past, usually there’s a big divide between your people who have been getting selected and it’s made my life really easy for selection.

"The fact we have so many players like young Jack (Kruger) from the Country team and Dan (Anstey) … it’s a headache but it’s a good headache."

Main image: James Hill in action for the Queensland Country team. Photo: Sharon Hill/Suncoast Spinners