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Melbourne Rebels 2024

Mick The Munch

Vay Wilson (31)
Yeah that's the thing for me. Whether or not RA underfunded the Rebels - no one forced the Rebels to spend money they didn't have.
BUTTTTT, If the Rebels had guarantees the money was comgin, their levels debt would be similar to those rumoured to NSW for example AND the Tax man wouldn't be in their back....and finally lets' not forget the Rebels were mandated to spend 90% of the cap.

Not say the Rebe;s are innocent but there are mitigating factors
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Then I will be requesting my money back. It is not the game they sold.
If it does change I'd be very surprised if they didn't offer refunds. I don't think they'll struggle to sell Drua v Lions tickets in their place, it'd be the most exciting tour match on the calendar, at least for the traveling fans.
 

Proud Pig

Tom Lawton (22)
That is true but it is only true for the first string Lions side and not the third string which is the side that will play the domestic games like this one. The numbers that will come into Melbourne to see a Lions vs domestic team is minimal beyond the people doing tours. The Wallabies vs Lions yes lots will come, Lions vs Rebels or Drua not so much.
 

Mick The Munch

Vay Wilson (31)
That is true but it is only true for the first string Lions side and not the third string which is the side that will play the domestic games like this one. The numbers that will come into Melbourne to see a Lions vs domestic team is minimal beyond the people doing tours. The Wallabies vs Lions yes lots will come, Lions vs Rebels or Drua not so much.
I dunno, Lions vs Drua, Marvel Stadium, just before the 2nd Test , that'll be a cracker
 

Doritos Day

Johnnie Wallace (23)
Then I will be requesting my money back. It is not the game they sold.
Refunds will be offered.

There were discussions about 'resurrecting' the Rebels for just that game but not feasible mainly due to player contracts (no $ for insurance/release a la Barbarians)

Return of 'Country' or some other amalgamated team was also floated but limited interest

Drua deemed best option to actually still attract fans
 

Tomikin

David Codey (61)
BUTTTTT, If the Rebels had guarantees the money was comgin, their levels debt would be similar to those rumoured to NSW for example AND the Tax man wouldn't be in their back....and finally lets' not forget the Rebels were mandated to spend 90% of the cap.

Not say the Rebe;s are innocent but there are mitigating factors
And NSW and the Brumbies would be in surplus but RA would be broke. You throw words out like guarantee, I suspect there was no contract written nothing signed, other then we are reducing the amount and we will increase it after covid has been done.

Rebel's, even with the mandate to spend 90 percent of the salary cap, should have said to RA we can't afford it. We are running at a multi-million dollar operating loss. It shouldn't have been done... you don't spend the money if you have no idea how you are going to pay it back. You certainly don't go through multiple years of loss, racking up 20 million dollar bills with your head stuck up your arse.. when you knew the increase from COVID wasn't coming, they should have been raising alarm bells.

This is what I don't get about the whole thing; for all the piss and vinegar of blaming everyone but themselves, the board has spent 20 million bucks they didn't have.... some accountability would be nice.

This is not a dig at Rebel's fans or players, I have sympathy for you, I really hope you keep the team in Melbourne for Rugby's sake we need more teams not less to get better.
 

LeCheese

Greg Davis (50)
BUTTTTT, If the Rebels had guarantees the money was comgin, their levels debt would be similar to those rumoured to NSW for example AND the Tax man wouldn't be in their back....and finally lets' not forget the Rebels were mandated to spend 90% of the cap.
This maths doesn't math - the 'up to' $8m from RA doesn't cover the reported $11.6m owed to the ATO, and it still sits them at about 2x the reported debts of the Tahs.
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
That is true but it is only true for the first string Lions side and not the third string which is the side that will play the domestic games like this one. The numbers that will come into Melbourne to see a Lions vs domestic team is minimal beyond the people doing tours. The Wallabies vs Lions yes lots will come, Lions vs Rebels or Drua not so much.

While you're not incorrect, the midweek Melbourne game is the only game that occurs between Test Matches. You've got everyone who can take 2.5/3 weeks off and afford it: not just those who can make the whole 5.5/6 weeks work. That's a big step up in BILs fans, and as long as there's sufficient novelty the local neutral will still come out to play.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I certainly wouldn't be asking for a refund.

If you have a ticket and can't go/don't want to go, odds are it will be worth a fair bit more than face value.
 

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
Players salaries haven't sent the Rebels to the wall, even in 2022 they received $4.7m to cover $4.95m (90% of the salary cap).

They haven't been able to generate sufficient other revenue to cover the approx $9m /year on top of player payments that it costs to run a Super Rugby team.

It's not apples.for apples, but even the Brumbies generate and spend >$20m a year
 

swingpass

Peter Sullivan (51)
its the lack of other income, no gate receipts for 2 years (it might have been 1&1/2), perhaps fewer sponsorship $, coupled with cost of playing away for those two years which are problem, it would seem the board were relying on either PE or RA coming good with the extra money to pay off the ATO and keep kicking the can down the road.
 

Rebelsfan

Billy Sheehan (19)
its the lack of other income, no gate receipts for 2 years (it might have been 1&1/2), perhaps fewer sponsorship $, coupled with cost of playing away for those two years which are problem, it would seem the board were relying on either PE or RA coming good with the extra money to pay off the ATO and keep kicking the can down the road.
That's exactly right and that's the job of the CEO to generate revenues - if Baden wasn't up to it, then the directors should have replaced him long ago. They fell asleep in their corporate suite and let him run the club into the ground
 

Rebel man

John Thornett (49)
That's exactly right and that's the job of the CEO to generate revenues - if Baden wasn't up to it, then the directors should have replaced him long ago. They fell asleep in their corporate suite and let him run the club into the ground
And how many others would put their hand up to do it? I mean it wouldn’t be in the top 15 jobs
 
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