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Melbourne Rebels 2024

Rebel man

Jim Lenehan (48)
It certainly is a timely story to distract from the RA debacle stories - WC, Jones, McLennan, Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) (Nawaqanitawase), the franchises refusing to centralise, failing to get PE money.......
You look at all the halfwits celebrating the news. Look how many test players have come out of Melbourne of late. With the Storm now investing in junior league to try and develop their own players we will not see one more Melbourne Wallaby if the rebels were to fall.

Also the Vic government just spent 100m on a rugby vic centre of excellence for the Rebels academies and home field for the Super W team. Doubt as the government has always been a big backer of the rebels they will let them fall over just as their new home has been completed.
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
It certainly is a timely story to distract from the RA debacle stories - WC, Jones, McLennan, Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) (Nawaqanitawase), the franchises refusing to centralise, failing to get PE money.......

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Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
The dead cat strategy, also known as deadcatting, is the political strategy of deliberately making a shocking announcement to divert media attention away from problems or failures in other areas.[1][2] The present name for the strategy has been associated with British former prime minister Boris Johnson's political strategist Lynton Crosby.


Ah yes, it would make sense for RA to plant this story to distract the public from the bad news that happened… er, weeks ago.

How utterly Machiavellian….
 

Dctarget

John Eales (66)
If the Rebels folded I'd be devastated but more so for the players. Speaking to a few of the boys there's genuine hope for this season that extends beyond the annual "yeah we'll give it a go".

So keen to see Leota captain the side for a full healthy season, the bloke really deserves it. With Wilkin as VC and in the backrow with him and Ekuasi they have a pretty promising combo.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Some perspective...

BRC Capital "operates like an investment bank", so by the nature of that work, some investments will succeed, and some won't. The AFR article provided some financials but says nothing about the remaining portfolio. Another article talks about a $600 Mil biomed precinct; the value alone of that deal far outweighs the losses quoted in the other AFR article.

Not even worried about the debt to AAMI Park. It's owned by MOPT, which is government-owned. A major backer of Rugby in Vic is also the vic Government. A strong Rugby presence helps 2025 Lions and 2027 RWC be an even bigger commercial success. From what I read, the MCG is still in the mix to hose the final.

Yes, they need to pay their debts, and it's definitely not a good look to be in the ATO's bad books. However, I cannot see a world where a fledging support can grow to a commercial powerhouse without a team in Melbourne. The Rebels need to succeed, and RA will do everything to make that happen.

Mergers, cuts, and other kinds of stupidity that piss off fans are not the answer.

Yes some perspective. BRC list 5 companies under their portfolio, 3 of whom have now fallen into administration in recent weeks. They operate like an investment bank, in a market where capital is getting increasingly tighter and more expensive. That doesn’t mean all their businesses are unviable, but demonstrates they’re struggling to source cheap capital.

A $600million development isn’t a $600 million profit, developers aim to budget for an industry standard 15%, lately that’s been closer to 5-10% with inflation pressures. That still doesn’t cover the loss of value those other companies present though.

VIC Government may indeed forgive the unpaid lease and rent, or enter into some contra sponsorship agreement, they’re not exactly a government flush with cash lately though. I’d expect they would only forgive this debt for something like payment for RA to guarantee future test matches in Vic. Which isn’t free money, it’s forgone revenue RA can’t now earn by selling those tests.
 
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Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Congratulations, that is the 50th* time you’ve used the words “poor governance “.

* May not be 50.

ok, provide me a better term for a director and board who spend beyond means and failing to pay debts and I’ll use it….

People like Paul Docherty who runs the show has put the club at risk deserves no sympathy, the apologists in here who whinge when people criticise the directors need to realise it’s these directors who have caused this shit fight.
 
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GoMelbRebels

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
look at a couple of the low life's that have slide into this thread actively wanting a collapse of one of ra sides, sad sad ppl must live a very lonely existence
Look, if all of this is true then that is quite bad, but what shits me is the schadenfreude shown by apparent Australian Rugby “fans”. No wonder the game in our country is at such a low point when people want sides to fail. Really? You want that for your game? When our team are playing one of the other Aussie franchises I want the opposition to fail miserably, but only on the field. The next time that team is playing, say a Kiwi team, I want them succeed. Rivalry is for on the field only.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Again this is something @MembersSection struggles with and has his knickers in a twist over, you need to dissociate criticism of the Rebels board with criticism of the club and players. They aren’t the same thing.

I’m pissed off a board has risked the livelihood of the players and staff, not to mention the negative ramification from a supporter perspective that losing a team would cause. That doesn’t mean we cant talk openly about what this means, and critical of the ‘poor governance’* that has lead to this point.

The potential fallout of all this extends beyond Melbourne, which is what pisses me off further. I certainly don’t want a club to fail, I just want some accountability for poor performance, It’s always the same board member assholes causing a significant impact on Australian Rugby as a whole because they can’t handle a budget.

*51st time
 
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Rebel man

Jim Lenehan (48)
ok, provide me a better term for a director and board who spend beyond means and failing to pay debts and I’ll use it….

People Paul Docherty who run the show who have put the club at risk deserve no sympathy, the apologists in here who whinge when people criticise the directors need to realise it’s these directors who have caused this shit fight.
Considering most of the revenue is fixed from RA TV rights deal and they have to pay the market rates for the players there is not much they can do.
 

Rebel man

Jim Lenehan (48)
Again this is something poor MembersSection struggles with and has his knickers in a twist over, you need to dissociate criticism of the Rebels board with criticism of the club and players. They aren’t the same thing.

I’m pissed off a board has risked the livelihood of the players and staff, not to mention the negative ramification from a supporter perspective that losing a team would cause. That doesn’t mean we cant talk openly about what this means, and critical of the ‘poor governance’* that has lead to this point.

The potential fallout of all this extends beyond Melbourne, which is what pisses me off. I certainly don’t want a club to fail, I just want some accountability for poor performance, It’s always the same board member assholes causing significant impact to Australian Rugby as a whole because they can’t handle a budget.

*51st time
Your only answer is spend less money. What’s the point of the club if we do this? You need to spend money to compete. We have had more sponsors than normal and secured good deals with the government.
 

oztimmay

Geoff Shaw (53)
Staff member
Yes some perspective. BRC list 5 companies under their portfolio, 3 of whom have now fallen into administration in recent weeks. They operate like an investment bank, in a market where capital is getting increasingly tighter and more expensive. That doesn’t mean all their businesses are unviable, but demonstrates they’re struggling to source cheap capital.

A $600million development isn’t a $600 million profit, developers aim to budget for an industry standard 15%, lately that’s been closer to 5-10% with inflation pressures. That still doesn’t cover the loss of value those other companies present though.

VIC Government may indeed forgive the unpaid lease and rent, or enter into some contra sponsorship agreement, they’re not exactly a government flush with cash lately though. I’d expect they would only forgive this debt for something like payment for RA to guarantee future test matches in Vic. Which isn’t free money, it’s forgone revenue RA can’t now earn by selling those tests.

My point is more focused on the lack of public knowledge of their entire investment portfolio. Sure, we're seeing stories of the one failing, but that's the nature of investing. Just like the soccer meme, sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.

We have NO idea of the overall value of the BRC portfolio unless you ran the annual audit of their books or are directly involved with the company.

I think the Vic government will see beyond the stadium fees and look at the big picture - the economic benefit of hosting two of the biggest Rugby events in the coming years. THe economic stimulus alone outweighs the stadium rental fees.
 
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