Rebels 2012

[Viking]

If they lock down JOC (James O'Connor) I would suggest they start him at 10.
a backline of
9. Phipps
10. JOC (James O'Connor)
11. Vuna
12. Inman
13. Gerrard
14. Kingi
15. Beale

Looks well-balanced, defensively solid, playmakers and attacking flair spread accross the backline. Looks good to me.

 

[tranquility]

For next year I would get rid of:

Adam Byrnes (Queensland Reds)
Luke Rooney (Toulon)
Alistair Campbell (Montpellier)
Hoani Macdonald (Newport Gwent Dragons)
Kevin O'Neill (Chiefs)
Tom Chamberlain (Blues)
James Hilgendorf (Kobe Steel)
Sam Cordingley (Grenoble) - retiring?

I would consider keeping:

Michael Lipman (Bath)
Danny Cipriani (London Wasps)
Lachlan Mitchell (London Wasps)
Tim Davidson (NSW Waratahs)
Adam Freier (NSW Waratahs) - could just do some PR work for them.
Heath Tessman (NSW Waratahs) - Has he even got a run?
Julian Huxley (Brumbies)

I would defiantly keep:

Peter Betham (Brumbies)
Luke Jones (Western Force)
Richard Kingi (Queensland Reds)
Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies)
Gareth Delve (Gloucester)
Jarrod Saffy (rugby league - St George Illawarra)
Mark Gerrard (NTT Communications)
Greg Somerville (Gloucester)
Nic Henderson (Western Force)
Cooper Vuna (rugby league - Newcastle Knights)
Laurie Weeks (Queensland Reds)
Rodney Blake (Bayonne)
JP Du Plessis (rugby league - Sydney Roosters)
Nicholas Phipps (Australia sevens)
Hugh Pyle (Brumbies)
Ged Robinson (Wellington Lions)
Afusipa Taumoepeau (Brumbies)

Already Signed:
Beale (NSW Waratahs)
Mitch Inman (Western Force)

Consider signing:
Rocky Elsom (Brumbies)
Hugh McMemiman (Kubota)
Nathan Charles (Western Force)
Jack Lam (Hurricanes)
Jono Lance (Reds Academy)
Matt Brandon (East Suburbs - Brisbane)
Joe Tomane (NRL - Titans) - playing qld cup, would be cheap as chips.

They also need a 3rd choice scrumhalf and some locks.

Can this thread be merged with the rebels 2012 thread?

Very good post, I agree with almost all of that. However a few side notes, if JOC (James O'Connor) signs with the Reds we will have to lose one of Tapuai or Harris. They are both too good to be third stringers in any side.

Also what is Lagi Setu doing? I haven't heard much of him in the NRL recently and he was a demon backrower for IGS when he played Australian schoolboys in the same backrow as David Pocock in 2005.

Edit; There is a reason why I have not heard about Lagi recently, and that is he is serving his 2 year mormon service in England. Good for him, I always find it so impressive when young blokes turn their back on money - it is something that I am not sure that I would be able to do myself. William Hopoate is going to do it next year, and boy can he play. Sorry for the slight thread highjack.

 

[waratahjesus]

If they lock down JOC (James O'Connor) I would suggest they start him at 10.
a backline of
9. Phipps
10. JOC (James O'Connor)
11. Vuna
12. In man
13. Gerrard
14. Kingi
15. Beale

Looks well-balanced, defensively solid, playmakers and attacking flair spread accross the backline. Looks good to me.

From chatting to Beale he is going to Melbourne to play 10, one of the selling points I think.

 

[tigerland12]

Personally I think they need to recruit/develop some more Australian players, because don't they lose their overseas players after next year (about 10 players i think)?

Bowside mentioned Jono Lance and Matt Brandon, i could not agree more, both highly talented fly halfs that should be playing super rugby. If Cipriani and Hilgendorf go, regardless if JOC (James O'Connor) signs or not, those two should get signed.

If I was the Rebels I'd look to raid some of the other provinces academy's.

 

[Ash]

From chatting to Beale he is going to Melbourne to play 10, one of the selling points I think.

Really big shame, I think. Beale has shone at 15 to the point where he is arguably the world's best. I reckon he would be heads and shoulders the world's best if he cut out 75% of the chips and grubbers he does in such low percentage situations. Beale looks so good when running the ball a little wider or on the counter with some room around him.

In comparison to Beale's play at 5/8, where in traffic Beale seems to lack the vision to put his support players in hole, or to have a long passing game.

Of course, Beale may grow into a fantastic 5/8, but I have my doubts. Why take one of the (if not the) world's best fullbacks to shoe horn him into what is currently Super level (if that) 5/8?

I guess Beale has the desire to play 5/8, like Gits. Sometimes it's hard for players to realise what position they are best at and to stick there.

 

[light]

Agreed. Beale at 10 is not a good sign for the future. JOC (James O'Connor) surely won't be looking at the Rebels unless he wants to play inside centre

 

[sudrugby]

It is now official that Luke Rooney is going back to Toulon next year.

 

[Lee Grant]

I was disappointed in Rooney both with his stint in NZ and whenever he got on the park for the Rebels. He took to the union game well over there including in some big games. He even played full back a few times and looked safe.

People will say that he played OK over there because the standard of rugby is not as strong, but geez, when the big clubs play each other it's like war.

Help me out here sudrugby.


On the Rebels foreign contracts: they have to be phased out over time and it was a good idea to have the extra foreigners playing initially because we don't have enough players. For 2011 the Rebels could pick only those Oz players whose contracts expired in 2010, but for 2012 they will be able to pick up some players whose contracts expire in 2011, like Beale. For 2013 they will be in the same situation as all the other Oz Super teams and not have to rely on a narrow supply market.

The problem about recommending which players to keep, or discard, for next year, is that we don't know the termination date of contracts for many of the Rebels players. Newspaper reports omitted the details of these matters, probably because they weren't supplied by the organisation.

It was the same with the Force when they started up.

 

[sudrugby]

I was disappointed in Rooney both with his stint in NZ and whenever he got on the park for the Rebels. He took to the union game well over there including in some big games. He even played full back a few times and looked safe.

People will say that he played OK over there because the standard of rugby is not as strong, but geez, when the big clubs play each other it's like war.

Help me out here sudrugby.

It's probably because the rhythm and the skills used are not the same in Europe than down under. Toulon doesn't use that much its fullback and wings, and Rooney is ok in defense.
It might be the same next year because Mason, Bastareaud and (to my opinion) Giteau are not well known to make passes.

 

[Ruggo]

I sure hope they don't constrain the instinct in Beale's play.

 

[FiveStarStu]

On the Rebels foreign contracts: they have to be phased out over time and it was a good idea to have the extra foreigners playing initially because we don't have enough players. For 2011 the Rebels could pick only those Oz players whose contracts expired in 2010, but for 2012 they will be able to pick up some players whose contracts expire in 2011, like Beale. For 2013 they will be in the same situation as all the other Oz Super teams and not have to rely on a narrow supply market.

We lose 2 internationals a year for 4 years, I think.

 

[yourmatesam]

There are enough Ex-Pats O/S to call on for all the Australian provinces to make up some solid teams. Lindommer has some extenive knowledge of these O/S players. Surely we can draw on these players somehow??

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/forum/showwiki/Australian+rugby+troubadours+2009+10

 

[Dumbledore]

Seeing as the Tahs haven't signed Mowen for next year, the Rebels should be having a very close look at him.

 

[Bowside]

Flyhalf is the first and most imperative recruitment requirement. If they want to continue with the predominantly territory game then they need to select accordingly. I would suggest a good place to start could be Malone or (ex Sydney Uni) who I believe is now in France.

Now they have secured JOC (James O'Connor) for next year flyhalf is no longer a problem. They whole backline looks pretty set with a good mix of long and short kicking games, as well as the running games of Beale and O'Connor. I think Vuna is a defensive liability and it remains to be seen if he can adapt to rugby, he might still get there.

As I said above, rebels need forwards and I would expect them to sign either Mowen or Elsom as they need a blindside who is a lineout option. They are also going to have to take a punt on a lock as australia seems to have limited depth in that position, especially with Chis, O'Connor and Timani on the way out.

If they sort out the coaching situation they have a team that on paper should be close to making the 6 next season.

 

[Ash]

I reckon Saffy is the long term 7 for the Rebels, as he gets more experience his scavenging will improve. Lipman will only be there another year or two. I'd be trying to hand onto Somerville for as long as possible and making him the cornerstone of my pack, along with Ged Robinson. I know they're both internationals, but if I were the Rebels I'd be using the full length of my special dispensations on them. All in all we don't have enough top line Australian Super rugby players yet to have 5 competitive teams - so I think a few Aus teams will be struggling to round out their squads with suitable players - we can see this a bit with the backs in the Force and Aus forwards (and backs this year) in the Rebels.

Will Beale really play flyhalf like the rumours have suggested? We can only hope than he stays at fullback. Would love to see Beale at 15 and J'OC given time to develop at 10. Huxley and Mortlock won't have long left, Gerrard maybe not either, but you can fill in other spots from Kingi, Inman, Vuna, Sipa, Betham, etc into the future, plus a few other young inside backs that they can find.

 

[wobbly]

My suggested Rebels 30 for next year including a few suggested signings (highlighted):

Outside backs:
Peter Betham, Mitch Inman, Mark Gerrard, Cooper Vuna, JP Du Plessis, Afusipa Taumoepeau

Inside backs:
Nick Phipps, Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Richard Kingi,
Stirling Mortlock, Jono Lance, James Hilgendorf

Backrow:
Rocky Elsom, Michael Lipman, Gareth Delve, Jarrod Saffy, Tom Chamberlain, Tim Davidson

Locks:
Hugh Pyle; Luke Jones; Alistair Campbell; Hugh McMemiman

Front row:
Ged Robinson, Laurie Weeks, Rodney Blake, Heath Tessman, An Argie Prop, A Nother Hooker

Gone:
Luke Rooney
Kevin O'Neill
Sam Cordingley
Greg Somerville

Should be cut (if they're not on fixed contract):
Adam Byrnes
Hoani Macdonald
Nic Henderson
Danny Cipriani
Lachlan Mitchell
Adam Freier
Julian Huxley

 

[RugbyReg]

The RaboDirect Rebels are pleased to announce it has signed James O’Connor on a 2 year contract.

Rebels Chief Operating Officer Steve Boland said today that the acquisition of O’Connor was another important step for the club.

“James is one of the most promising talents in world rugby and we are delighted that he is joining the RaboDirect Rebels.

James’ ambitions are very much in line with ours at the Rebels. We are in the process of building a culture that will help us achieve our goals both on and off the field. Already our players are working well with the local community and developing their off field skills and helping us grow the game in Victoria. We don’t just want good rugby players, but also individuals who are willing to challenge themselves. Balance in life is an important part of our club," Boland said.

In other news, the RaboDirect Rebels have also announced the signing of centre Mitch Inman on a 2 year contract.

Inman debuted for the Western Force in 2010 and managed to play every game last season.

Incoming Rebels Head Coach Damien Hill coached Inman during his time at Sydney University and says that the former Australian Under 19’s representative will be an important addition to next year’s squad.

“Mitch is an exciting young talent; big, strong and athletic. He will bring plenty of enthusiasm to the group and we look forward to him contributing to the team. We believe that Mitch has a very promising career ahead of him and we are very excited that he has decided to join the Rebels,” Hill said

Meanwhile, the Rebels have also re-signed hooker Ged Robinson for a further 2 years.

Robinson was recruited from the Wellington Lions and has been amongst the Rebels most impressive players in the clubs inaugural season.

After a breakthrough year in 2008, Robinson received a call up for the Junior All Blacks side and made his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes the following year.

Robinson played every game for the Rebels in 2011 and scored his first Super Rugby try against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Chief Operating Officer Steve Boland said today that Robinsons re-signing was as significant as any of the clubs recent announcements.

“With a lot of hard work and a steely determination to succeed, Ged has become one of the clubs most consistent performers this season. He has not only been a tremendous asset on the field, but has also been a big contributor to the local community of Melbourne. Given everything that Ged has bought to the club, we were very keen to secure his services and we are thrilled that he has decided that his future lies here in Melbourne. He is a quality person and a great clubman, Ged embodies many of the qualities that we are building into our culture here at the Rebels,” Boland said.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

Bout fucking time

 

[Burke's Boot]

Now all they need is a defensive coach and a better skills coach.

 

[waves]

My suggested Rebels 30 for next year including a few suggested signings (highlighted):

Outside backs:
Peter Betham, Mitch Inman, Mark Gerrard, Cooper Vuna, JP Du Plessis, Afusipa Taumoepeau

Inside backs:
Nick Phipps, Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Richard Kingi,
Stirling Mortlock, Jono Lance, James Hilgendorf

Backrow:
Rocky Elsom, Michael Lipman, Gareth Delve, Jarrod Saffy, Tom Chamberlain, Tim Davidson

Locks:
Hugh Pyle; Luke Jones; Alistair Campbell; Hugh McMemiman

Front row:
Ged Robinson, Laurie Weeks, Rodney Blake, Heath Tessman, An Argie Prop, A Nother Hooker

Gone:
Luke Rooney
Kevin O'Neill
Sam Cordingley
Greg Somerville

Should be cut (if they're not on fixed contract):
Adam Byrnes
Hoani Macdonald
Nic Henderson
Danny Cipriani
Lachlan Mitchell
Adam Freier
Julian Huxley

Just throwing out a possible Rebels 2012 Line Up ;

15. K Beale
14. P Betham
13. M Inman
12. J O'Connor
11. C Vuna
10. D Cipriani
9. N Phipps
8. G Delve
7. M Lipman / H Perret (Played Rising Rebel Games in March - Not sure whos his signed with after 2011)
6. J Saffy
5. A Campbell
4. H Pyle
3. L Weeks
2. G Robinson
1. R Blake / E Aholelei (Played Rising Rebel Games)