Melbourne Rebels 2011

[Army_Gav]

I don't think the Rebels will be happy that Mildura is shown on the Brumbies map. The last time I was there it was a Victorian town.....just across the Murray River which is the border. Not sure if they produce rugby players though although their wines and Italian restaurants are superb!

That and Robinvale. Mind you, I don't think the Brumbies would be happy with the fact a team in Deniliquin plays in the VIC Country competition.

 

[Army_Gav]

The Rebels really should be pushing the asian in Gareth Delve, Huge untapped sports market (even just asians within australia), lacking any real heroes.

Had the pleasure of meeting Gareth a couple of times, absolute top bloke.

He's doing media work for the Rebels on 1116 SEN throughout the year, probably covering the International season also.

 

[Lee Grant]

Happy new year to you AG and welcome to the forum.

 

[lily]

The Albury Steamers are in the Southern Inland Rugby Union which is part of the ACT & Southern NSW Rugby Union. Brumbies territory now stretches from the far South Coast across to Goulburn and Crookwell to Young, West Wyalong, Griffith, Hay and Albury. Goulburn, Yass and Cooma were part of the original ACT Rugby Union. There were rumblings some years ago for the Illawarra RU to join the expanded ACTRU, which would've meant Camden not playing in a NSW comp, but the NSWRU thought that was just too much and convinced the Wollongong lads to stay. Having inside knowledge as I do of things rugby in southern NSW I must say the Brumbies do a fine job promoting the code in their territory, much better than NSW Country RU ever did.

Albury Steamers play Griffith, Cootamundra, Grenfell, Young, Hay and the four Wagga teams: Rivcoll (an old name for CSU which the rugby club keep), Agriculture, City and Waratahs. Some towns (Hay, Temora and Tumut) field one team in lower grades and outlying sides, such as Albury, don't play the most distant opponents (West Wyalong, Young and Cootamundra) every year. Deniliquin had a team some years ago and a side spasmodically pops up in Narrandera, Leeton or Yanko.

The mighty Temora Tuskers play against the division 1 teams. All teams play against each other and then the season is split - think Shute Shield, Tooheys New Cup. Young also had Tim Davidson play in a few games this year.

 

[#1 Tah]

Who are the potential captains for the Rebs? has to be Stirling Mortlock or Adam Freier for sure?

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Who are the potential captains for the Rebs? has to be Stirling Mortlock or Adam Freier for sure?

Delve would be my pick.. captained Gloucester and is more likely to play out the full season (Mortlock and Freier heavily injury prone), and play on for seasons thereafter.

 

[DPK]

Delve would be my pick.. captained Gloucester and is more likely to play out the full season (Mortlock and Freier heavily injury prone), and play on for seasons thereafter.

Surely they wouldn't pick on of the foreigners as the first captain of an Australian side?

 

[Cutter]

Surely they wouldn't pick on of the foreigners as the first captain of an Australian side?

Why not?

 

[Epi]

Surely they wouldn't pick on of the foreigners as the first captain of an Australian side?

Don't understand this about rugby in this country. Do you think Manchester United (or Gloucester for that matter) care what country their captain were born in?

Game should be opened up to foreigners across the board at this level.

 

[TOCC]

its the xenophobic australian culture

Delve would be my pick as well, IMO his a automatic starter, his relatively young in comparison, he has captaincy experience and he isnt injury prone like the other candidates..

 

[Cutter]

its the xenophobic australian culture

Delve would be my pick as well, IMO his a automatic starter, his relatively young in comparison, he has captaincy experience and he isnt injury prone like the other candidates..

Suggesting xenophobia is overstating things. There are reasons you might want an Australian captain, particularly from a marketing perspective. The Konze - what was your reasoning?

I agree with your reasons for picking Delve though. A good captain for Gloucester and the only provincial level No. 8 in the squad so a likely starter.

 

[Elfster]

Re-captains, one would think that the Rebels wouldn't want too many "captains" and consequent leadership issues like the Brumbies seemed to have last year with their plethora of captains/ leaders (and what is the collective noun for captains - where is Hugh Jarse when required??).

Though I imagine MacQueen will have considered that and come up with an appropriate solution.

 

[blues recovery]

Mortlock will be captain. Delve will be vice and Saffy will be the third member of the leadership group on the baack of his leadership in pre season training,

 

[Gagger]

Anyone seen this? Any whispers?

Melbourne Rebels warn 'Angry' Danny Cipriani: Work or clear off

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...ny-Cipriani-Work-clear-off.html#ixzz1A18sFOGR

Danny Cipriani returns to his new team in Melbourne next week following claims that his attitude in training is poor — an accusation that marred his career in England.

Melbourne Rebels’ assistant coach Mark Bakewell reportedly said Cipriani had done a ‘pretty good impersonation of the original Mr Angry since he arrived here’, and it is claimed that the former England star was told to ‘put the work in or pack his bags’.

Head coach Rod Macqueen refused to comment but said he was surprised at the reported remarks of Bakewell, who was part of the management team at Bath until last season.

Macqueen said: ‘We are just allowing Danny to settle in and to keep him away from the media at the moment. I’m not going to comment in detail about players. When we do it will be in a professional manner.’

Cipriani, who is currently in London, is expected back in Melbourne next week when the new Super 15 franchise resume training in preparation for the inaugural game on February 18, at home to the Waratahs.

Before then the new squad, which includes Wales back row Gareth Delve, are due to go on a preseason trip to the Pacific Islands.

Cipriani signed for the Rebels last February after deciding that he needed to re-launch his career in the wake of losing his place in the England squad.

The former Wasp won seven caps for England, but he seemingly fell out with manager Martin Johnson and then other coaches on an England A trip to Italy last winter.

After leaving Wasps last May, he kept fit in the summer by training at several football clubs, prompting speculation that he was trying to take up a sport he played to a county level at school.

But the football talk proved incorrect and he joined the Rebels in October after a delay in gaining the correct visa to work in Australia.

He maintained a low profile in Melbourne only to explode back on to the gossip pages last week when he met up with former girlfriend Kelly Brook for a holiday in the Maldives.

Cipriani ’s representatives yesterday declined to comment on the remarks reportedly made by Bakewell.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...ny-Cipriani-Work-clear-off.html#ixzz1A18TFvKo

 

[Epi]

aww fark... don't like the sound of that...

 

[dobduff11]

Saw that a few days ago, don't think there is anything in it.

Seeing as Macqueen is denying it and there was no mention of it in Aus. I think the mail are trying to link his relationship to his career again, oh dear.

Cipriani works hard and is dedicated its just his attitude towards people that lets him down. Definitely wasn't the reason he was put under the scope in England. One incident with Josh Lewsey was to do with the fact that his tackling was poor in a session and Lewsey punched him. From then on he has been labelled a poor trainer. Shaun Edwards, Dallaglio, Margot Wells (sprint coach) and Geech have all praised him for his dedication.

God I hate the mail

 

[Epi]

I guess they can say anything if they use the phrase "reportedly said"...

 

[dobduff11]

I agree Epi

Love how the title refers to a quote which is claimed by somebody yet they still put it in quotation marks.

If you look at the bottom you will also see the reason for the article, basically suggesting hes not interested in Rugby because he loves Kelly Brook. Also bringing up the football trials thing, they must be really bored at the mail or incompetent, why cant they do an article on the changes MJ will make to his squad like the Times does.

 

[en_force_er]

I remember reading somewhere that the Rebels thought Cipps was training really well (possible in one of Frier's writings?).

Danny is a tabloid star so you'll never know if he is going badly he gets fired or the Rebels put out a press release saying it specifically.

 

[DPK]

The Konze - what was your reasoning?

Sorry fellas, I didn't realise this would ruffle feathers. No racism or xenophobia in my reasoning; just the natural assumption that an Australian team in a competition against other Australian teams would pick an Australian to be captain, at least initially.

The parallels to Manchester United are crap, IMO.