Rockhampton Players Gear Up for a Big Tournament Season

The tournament season is starting early once again, continuing the trend established in recent years. This shift follows adjustments to the national event calendar, which now sees major competitions scheduled earlier in the year. As a result, state qualifying championships will take place during the Easter period, with the annual Rockhampton Open Championships following just one week later—giving tournament players a short lead-in time to prepare.

In addition, a Northern Challenge competition will be held in Mackay over the weekend of February 22-23, bringing together players from clubs across Rockhampton and northern Queensland. The event will feature both team and individual competitions, and in a rare occurrence, participation will be free of charge. Since it is not an open tournament, results will not contribute to player ratings in the international rankings system. Instead, the focus of the weekend is on friendly, competitive match play, giving participants a valuable opportunity to sharpen their skills ahead of the 2025 season. Social players are also welcome to join.

With top-grade fixtures already underway, players have returned to the Leichhardt Park table tennis courts in varying form—some looking sharp from early practice sessions, while others are still shaking off the rust.

Matthew Pettett has picked up where he left off last season when his team won the premiership in early December. After two rounds of the new competition, he remains undefeated, though Dane Coughlan pushed him to four sets in their opening-round clash. Dane also caused an early-season upset by defeating his brother, Joel Coughlan, in straight sets—a rare result given Joel’s history of consistently posting some of the best averages in these fixtures.

Another standout performer is Rayden Smith, who has yet to drop a match. However, he was pushed to the limit by James O’Sullivan, who forced their encounter to five sets. O’Sullivan’s relentless playing style continues to trouble opponents, particularly those who rely on more modern game tactics.

Meanwhile, teenager Judd Carr has stepped into the number-one spot in his team after two strong seasons in the latter half of last year. While early results suggest he faces a challenging task, his aggressive attacking game is expected to shine as he gains more big-match experience.

Two players who have been promoted to a higher division this year are Leo Lai and Glen McDonald. McDonald, who has previously competed at this level, worked his way back up after a stretch of illness and injury. Lai has made an immediate impact, securing close five-set victories over Nick Green and Jakob Baker, proving he is more than capable of competing at this level.

With the season now in full swing, all eyes will be on these players as they continue their campaigns in what promises to be another exciting year of competition.