Rebels 2017

[Tex]

All the old forwards will lambaste me for this, but I remain convinced that our immature and sub-par halves combo is going to kill us again.

Stirzaker shouldn't be captain - as much as they say the skipper is as accountable and bench-able as anyone else, it just isn't the case. He's shown occasional glimpses of steady form, but more often than not is behind the pace.

J-D had some good periods in the NRC when he arrived but still looks lost at the top level.

On the positive side it looks like English is in good form and has bulked up (?). Hope to see a break-out season from him.

 

[GoMelbRebels]

All the old forwards will lambaste me for this, but I remain convinced that our immature and sub-par halves combo is going to kill us again.

Stirzaker shouldn't be captain - as much as they say the skipper is as accountable and bench-able as anyone else, it just isn't the case. He's shown occasional glimpses of steady form, but more often than not is behind the pace.

J-D had some good periods in the NRC when he arrived but still looks lost at the top level.

On the positive side it looks like English is in good form and has bulked up (?). Hope to see a break-out season from him.

I thought English showed great leadership in the NRC. Captain material for me.

 

[Tex]

He's a great story hey? Given a chance by Hill and has run with it.

 

[Highlander35]

Our back row is excellent. And so are our outside backs.

But between our halves and our tight five, we are all over the place. Locks and Stand Offs in particular, but you can't discount the other positions either.

I think smart teams will look to exploit that by targeting our set piece and putting constant pressure in the 9/10 channel so blokes like Mafi, Hodge and Sefa need to create everything for themselves rather than having a platform set.

 

[KevinO]

Our back row is excellent. And so are our outside backs.

But between our halves and our tight five, we are all over the place. Locks and Stand Offs in particular, but you can't discount the other positions either.

I think smart teams will look to exploit that by targeting our set piece and putting constant pressure in the 9/10 channel so blokes like Mafi, Hodge and Sefa need to create everything for themselves rather than having a platform set.

I am not even worried about our front row, its the locks and halfs that we are weak.

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[Tex]

Front row is excellent, locks are so-so, back row has top potential. Hopefully the locks can step up.

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[Highlander35]

Hodgey signs on till 2020!

https://melbournerebels.com/2017/02/16/reece-hodge-commits-to-long-term-with-rebels/

 

[oztimmay]

Fan..Fucken..Tastic!

Now, get an autograph from Mad Dog please.

 

[Braveheart81]

Now to burst your bubble.

Toby Smith out for 12 weeks after requiring surgery today on his injured hamstring.

 

[oztimmay]

I thought on the first-day Prop school, Hamstrings were removed en masse from all new Props?

Still. This is terrible news. We need some squad cover for the next few weeks or ramp up Ferti Sa'aga. Unless Tyrell can play both sides, but thought he was a natural TH.

 

[Highlander35]

I'd imagine that Fereti is on call.

But Cruze will start with Chibba and Weeksy.

With Moloney, Lomax and either Pat or Uelese on the bench.

 

[Hawko]

Now to burst your bubble.

Toby Smith out for 12 weeks after requiring surgery today on his injured hamstring.

First game hasn't been played and already the Rebels look like a basket case. Anyone like to guess how many tight head scrums will be conceded by week 11?

 

[upthereds#!]

Meehan and Schatz both off to London Irish after the season. It's a shame, both players add a lot of value to the squad. No wonder the Rebels are lining up with the Brumbies to sign current '3rd string' halfback Gordon from NSW. S.Fainga'a off to Irish also, with Morohan to Bristol.

With such players leaving, and Larkham coming out and complaining about australias lack of depth, can we really support 5 teams? Ditching a team would save the ARU 10 MILLION.

For me, the Rebels have the most growth potential, followed by the force as evident in recent financial moves, coaching moves, player signings, and the success of development sides from SB through to NRC.

It's the Brumbies that have to poach the most players, the brumbies that have the least growth potential, the brumbies that have never and most liekly will never be financially stable, and the brumbies that should go. It's sad, but they can't rest on their history of success to be guarenteed a spot based on economics.

 

[amirite]

Meehan and Schatz both off to London Irish after the season. It's a shame, both players add a lot of value to the squad. No wonder the Rebels are lining up with the Brumbies to sign current '3rd string' halfback Gordon from NSW. S.Fainga'a off to Irish also, with Morohan to Bristol.

With such players leaving, and Larkham coming out and complaining about australias lack of depth, can we really support 5 teams? Ditching a team would save the ARU 10 MILLION.

For me, the Rebels have the most growth potential, followed by the force as evident in recent financial moves, coaching moves, player signings, and the success of development sides from SB through to NRC.

It's the Brumbies that have to poach the most players, the brumbies that have the least growth potential, the brumbies that have never and most liekly will never be financially stable, and the brumbies that should go. It's sad, but they can't rest on their history of success to be guarenteed a spot based on economics.

The Brumbies are an extremely valuable brand and if they were to leave Canberra, I'd suggest we do something to keep the brand around.

I'm sure your mail on all of those signings is good, but like all 'pencilled in' players, it could still fall apart.

Bristol (set to spend HUGE next year) and Irish (set to be promoted next year) are connected to every name you can think of. The fact is, if Bristol gets dropped or Irish fail to get promoted, there's clauses to make these contracts void anyway.

Gordon is an extremely good player, any Super rugby side bar the Reds/Tahs should be trying to sign him as their 1st/2nd choice.

 

[TOCC]

Brumbies are also the 3rd most watched team in Australia and removing them would severely impact on the value of the broadcast rights.

Saving $10million?
What a load of crap, that's like suggesting I should offload an investment property because I could save $20k a year in interest payments. It ignores the capital growth benefits and doesn't take into consideration the extra income derived through rent.

Would the broadcasters really keep paying the same value despite a 20% decrease in the number of games in Australia? Would Vodaphone really agree to pay $1.5million for the naming rights to Super Rugby now that features one less Australian team..

In hindsight I think the wrong decisions were made on expansion of Super Rugby, but now that they've been made it would be ridiculous and detrimental to pull out of those markets.

 

[amirite]

Brumbies are also the 3rd most watched team in Australia and removing them would severely impact on the value of the broadcast rights.

Saving $10million?
What a load of crap, that's like suggesting I should offload an investment property because I could save $20k a year in interest payments. It ignores the capital growth benefits and doesn't take into consideration the extra income derived through rent.

Would the broadcasters really keep paying the same value despite a 20% decrease in the number of games in Australia? Would Vodaphone really agree to pay $1.5million for the naming rights to Super Rugby now that features one less Australian team..

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Yes, the 10m is probably creative accounting.

I think you have hit the nail on the head when you say most of the Brumbies value is the IP (3rd most watched team in Aus, create 20% total Aussie content, etc.).

Maybe there's value in making them the ACT & Country Brumbies and the Tahs just own the city? I mean, I can imagine the pitfalls but there's strengths too. Even for NRC alignment.

 

[Rebels3]

The Brumbies are an extremely valuable brand and if they were to leave Canberra, I'd suggest we do something to keep the brand around.

I'm sure your mail on all of those signings is good, but like all 'pencilled in' players, it could still fall apart.

Bristol (set to spend HUGE next year) and Irish (set to be promoted next year) are connected to every name you can think of. The fact is, if Bristol gets dropped or Irish fail to get promoted, there's clauses to make these contracts void anyway.

Gordon is an extremely good player, any Super rugby side bar the Reds/Tahs should be trying to sign him as their 1st/2nd choice.

Just an absolute hunch, but a sneaky part of me believes the Premiership is heading for some expansion and ring fencing. Probably with all existing teams plus London Irish and Leeds.

Schatz to Irish iv heard, didn't hear about the others tho.

 

[Highlander35]

Even if the ring fencing rumours/speculation aren't true, Bristol's also learned its lesson, from the long years spent in the Championship.

If they're straight out, they need to be straight back in with something as close to a Premiership squad as is possible to retain, I'd imagine that very few players are now being offered a get out clause.

Not Nots are spending massively, and at the moment, they're running away with the Championship. With the Welsh games discounted, they've won 14 games from 14 with 11 bonus points, which I think is a better effort so far than even Bristol's best season. Gordy Reid, someone who's not even a regular Scotland International (Competing for 3rd string loosehead when all are fit) has been offered literally double his Glasgow salary for next season.

Gonna be very very hard to retain anybody past their mid-20s who's not a regular Wallaby or specifically inclined to stay in Australia.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

I really can't understand how cutting a team would do anything to improve Australia's depth.

Each Super team has about 40 players or 200 odd total over the five teams. How does reducing 200 players, currently playing and training in a professional environment, to 160 (or 120 as some advocate) players boost Australia's depth. Is the assumption that the 40 guys that are cut just go back to playing as amateurs in club rugby? I'd guess the more likely scenario is that most of those guys will depart Aus rugby en masse, either heading OS or retiring.

Sure, logic would tell us that the remaining four (or three) Super teams would be more competitive but they weren't more competitive when we did have only four (or three) teams, so -

Having fewer teams means less kids being inspired to give rugby a go.

Reduced opportunity for young players to score a contract (before they accept an overseas one).

Even less column inches or media attention in general.

Less teams means a shit tonne less sponsorship and broadcast money.

Beware of unintended consequences.

 

[Slim 293]

It's the Brumbies that have to poach the most players, the brumbies that have the least growth potential, the brumbies that have never and most liekly will never be financially stable, and the brumbies that should go. It's sad, but they can't rest on their history of success to be guarenteed a spot based on economics.

Wow, did you even try to base this post on any facts or did you think you'd just Trump your way through it?