Rebels 2018

[TOCC]

ps Adams is the player who is consistently the 10 in the "probables" team at Rebels training, he seems to be Wessels' first choice at this stage and if Lance goes, i'd be staggered if he is not the starting 10 come February, injury gods permitting.

Agree, If Lance stays its hard not to see him as the starting flyhalf, they don't need anyone overly creative at flyhallf, they just need someone with a bit of maturity and game management to know when to unleash the players outside of him. Adam's would probably be my next in line, no experience at Super Rugby but was probably the best fly-half throughout the NRC, probably overplayed he hand a bit.

 

[upthereds#!]

Are we saying that the likes of Ruru and Rangi aren't being counted against the salary cap, or just the likes of Cottrell and Koteka who've not been signed but are training with the squad, presumably before rejoining the Spirit in the NRC and then the Force for Twiggyball.

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Thinking moreso the cottrells and koteka, but could easily extend to the others like Daley, RHP etc. They COULD have taken their Force payout and transfered to Rebels cheaply or they could have had their contracts picked up by the Rebels. More likely it's the couple of foreigners and some additional extras hanging around. I imagine many youngsters like Hosea, Tupou, Saaga, Haangana, Hutchison & Mcgregor would be on either minimum full squad or WPS contracts.

 

[Clyde]

Maddocks at flyhalf? That’s a massive ask of a young bloke who has no real history at playing flyhalf.

He played flyhalf all the way through juniors, school and colts. Only made the switch to fullback when jumping from colts to grade a couple of years ago.

Whether you consider that "real history" or not is another matter.

 

[TOCC]

He played flyhalf all the way through juniors, school and colts. Only made the switch to fullback when jumping from colts to grade a couple of years ago.

There you go didn’t know that, he hasn’t followed the traditional route to Super Rugby by missing Aus Schoolboys and 1st XV. so he last played flyhalf in 2015 in Colts for Eastern Suburbs?

 

[James Pettifer]

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugb...ks-takes-road-less-travelled-to-top-1-4620776

I think missing Aus Schoolboys is an understatement. Missing the third XV at Scots College is more accurate ...

 

[fatprop]

Hodge at least has a few years of Super Rugby and Test experience, Adams and Horwitz at least have experience controlling a game from flyhallf at NRC and SS level. They are all my least preferred option behind Lance, Maddocks doesn't need to be thrown to the wolves. People seem to froth on young blokes getting shifted to new positions, i hate it. For a new bloke learning the game shifting them to fly-half is like blasting them in the face with a fire hydrant of information and expecting them to capture it all.

I don't see the positions a fixed, so early as you do. Some units will just do better at higher levels other positions. Was Mortlock the wing he got his test start as or the 13 he became? Look at Beale, a 10 coming in, got the Tahs to a final as a baby but then moved to 15, for a while one of the best 15s around, now a 12. I don't know if Maddocks is a 10 or 15 long term, I don't think Maddocks knows either, but cross training never hurts. and the skills of many 15s are very interchangeable with 10s

 

[TOCC]

I don't see the positions a fixed, so early as you do. Some units will just do better at higher levels other positions.

I don’t see positions as fixed at all, I just think some underestimate the technical demands of flyhalf. Like I said, it’s like blasting them in the face with a fire hydrant of information.

Larkham playing fullback and Mortlock playing wing before they shifted positions into more technically demanding positions did their career no disservice.

Anyway, we shall wait and see, if he plays 5/8 i hope the best for the kid, given the calibre of the players around him it's probably the best that you could hope for to introduce a young player into the playmaker position.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Agree, If Lance stays its hard not to see him as the starting flyhalf, they don't need anyone overly creative at flyhallf, they just need someone with a bit of maturity and game management to know when to unleash the players outside of him. Adam's would probably be my next in line, no experience at Super Rugby but was probably the best fly-half throughout the NRC, probably overplayed he hand a bit.

Yes I reckon he will be a certain starter somewhere.

 

[dru]

Yes I reckon he will be a certain starter somewhere.

Hahaha! Great work Scrubber.

 

[James Pettifer]

From our coach. Definitely worth a read.

https://www.playersvoice.com.au/dave-wessels-when-rugby-changed-a-nation/

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I’m sure this gets rolled out every time someone challenges a positional change like this. There are few Wallabies fan who aren’t aware of Larkham past, I was there in 98 for the thrashing of England. So the 15-10 switch has worked once with great success in the past 20years, but the game was a different beast back then less technical and Larkham was comparatively more experienced at both Super Rugby and Test level.

The problem with Australian flyhalves is poor game control, playing to a script rather then the defensive patterns unfolding in front of them, that only comes with experience. Someone like Maddocks may make a very good flyhalf in the future, but he would be better served getting experience in his preferred position before making the move to a far more difficult one.

For 2018 I would rate the flyhalf options in the following order:

1. Lance
2. Hodge
3. Horwitz
4. Adams
5. Maddocks

Although there really isn’t much between Hodge, Horwitz and Adams at this point.

Lance starting with Horwitz on the bench as cover I see as likely option (with Horwitz starting at 10 and Adams on bench while Lance out injured). Hodge to my mind will be lining up at 13.

 

[Scrubber2050]

^^^^^^^^

AND then there was 4

 

[harriesss]

Stirzaker to Bristol as well for start of 2018 English season


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[amirite]

There's some insinuation on the Reds thread that Lance wants to go there and the Rebels are refusing to release him.

Interesting chat, completely different to the dominant stories (Reds or Warriors).

 

[Rugbynutter39]

There's some insinuation on the Reds thread that Lance wants to go there and the Rebels are refusing to release him.

Interesting chat, completely different to the dominant stories (Reds or Warriors).

Rather lance go to reds then overseas


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[Rugbynutter39]

Lance starting with Horwitz on the bench as cover I see as likely option (with Horwitz starting at 10 and Adams on bench while Lance out injured). Hodge to my mind will be lining up at 13.

So jac d back...be interesting to see under wessells if could rediscover early promise he showed before losing his way form wise at 10 in particular.


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[Scrubber2050]

There's some insinuation on the Reds thread that Lance wants to go there and the Rebels are refusing to release him.

Interesting chat, completely different to the dominant stories (Reds or Warriors).

Time will soon tell if the insinuation is actually the really dominant view.

 

[amirite]

Time will soon tell if the insinuation is actually the really dominant view.

I'm not saying it's a lie, just that it's running counter to what's being said. If only rugby had a Adrian Wojnarowski type.

 

[TOCC]

Like I said in the Reds thread, the two events(Reds/Warriors) aren’t mutually exclusive.

However nothing is certain until it’s announced


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[amirite]

Like I said in the Reds thread, the two events(Reds/Warriors) aren’t mutually exclusive.

However nothing is certain until it’s announced


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Makes sense. A cheeky stop over in Aus for a 4 month Super season before going back to England would be a lot cheaper when you can stay at your parents and enjoy Mum's cooking.