Re: Rebels deadline ends, update here on what you hear.
Rebels on brink of deal with Mortlock
* Wayne Smith
* From: The Australian
* March 30, 2010 12:00AM
FORMER Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock is expected to sign with the Rebels on Thursday, becoming the public face and quite possibly the foundation captain and a future coach of the new Melbourne rugby franchise.
It is understood Mortlock yesterday finalised his dealings with the Australian Rugby Union which has offered him only a one-year contract top-up, although he still has a few minor matters to sort through with the Rebels. Nonetheless, Melbourne officials are confident of signing him to a three-year deal this week.
No doubt 32-year-old Mortlock is confident he still will be playing well enough in three years to command a place in the Super 15 side, but Rebels insiders have indicated that they are happy to sign him on in the knowledge that his already injury-hit body might not go the distance.
"It is a pretty significant signing for the Rebels," one source told The Australian. "He is very good culturally and a great contributor on and off the field. There are a lot of things you can do with the immediate past Australian captain in terms of promoting the game and even helping on the coaching side, if he wanted to do that."
Even if the Rebels attract some of the best players in the world -- and they have made a more than reasonable start with Danny Cipriani and Gareth Delve, while still working hard to recruit the du Plessis brothers from South Africa -- the names will largely be unknown in the AFL-dominated Melbourne market. But even the most devoted AFL fans would be aware of Mortlock and his contribution to the game.
The Brumbies have resigned themselves to losing their longest-serving player -- he now is in his 13th season with the club -- but there is growing unease in Canberra that he might not be the only senior player to leave the ACT side. Captain Stephen Hoiles still is undecided about his future.
When Hoiles signed his last contract in 2007, he was one of only six Wallabies to play in every Test that year, including every World Cup match. Since then, however, he has played only one more Test and his top-up from the ARU is expected to be considerably less.
It is unlikely he will be offered any third-party deals to stay in Canberra so unless he is prepared to take a considerable pay cut to remain with the Brumbies, he might have to consider a move to the Rebels or overseas.
"I'm not all about money," Hoiles said. "As long as you can cover the cost of the mortgage, I'm happy, although I recognise rugby players have a limited career span.
"I've spoken to the Brumbies and I'm very keen to be involved in their future. But I might have a chat with the Rebels this week."
It's a chat the Rebels would welcome, with one Melbourne official confirming yesterday that the club is very interested in the Brumbies skipper, even though they already have two specialist number eights on their books in Welsh international Delve and Sydney Uni captain Tim Davidson.
With the Brumbies having their bye this week, there is more than usual activity on the recruiting and retention front, with Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan hoping centre Christian Lealiifano and Matt To'omua will return from their break with a clearer idea of whether they will be staying.
All indications are that To'omua is keen to remain with the Brumbies, even if it means he spends most of next season being groomed to take over at five-eighth in 2012 if, as expected, Matt Giteau heads to Europe.
