• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

Melbourne Rebels 2024

The Ghost of Raelene

Simon Poidevin (60)
Don't know about him as a coach but he has managed to get a group together in Melbourne that has outperformed those before.

I think they all deserve some credit as well for keeping this season on track. I was fully convinced it would go off a cliff. Pro teams don't need much in regards to off field distractions to move the needle just enough for results to turn.
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
how? We blaming everyone at the rebels now???

the issues with the rebels was the board & financing this operation - nothing to do with coach, GM & players.
Stiles took your players out of the Dewar Shield and plonked them in Sydney and Brisbane. They simultaneously cost the rebels money in flights and accommodation while alienating them from their own comp. He cost you even more money and killed your pathway.
 

SouthernX

John Thornett (49)
Stiles took your players out of the Dewar Shield and plonked them in Sydney and Brisbane. They simultaneously cost the rebels money in flights and accommodation while alienating them from their own comp. He cost you even more money and killed your pathway.

that’s a interesting logic because I was under the impression wests was paying for flights?

Sending rebels players to a higher level of competition in Shute shield/QPR has helped build some great depth in Melbourne.

I do agree about the Dewar Shield being impacted by this arrangement.. but 2 years of back to back covid lockdowns meant these fringe rebels players were getting high quality competition at the expense of supporting grass roots in VIC.
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
that’s a interesting logic because I was under the impression wests was paying for flights?

Sending rebels players to a higher level of competition in Shute shield/QPR has helped build some great depth in Melbourne.

I do agree about the Dewar Shield being impacted by this arrangement.. but 2 years of back to back covid lockdowns meant these fringe rebels players were getting high quality competition at the expense of supporting grass roots in VIC.
Why and how were Wests paying for flights and who was paying for accommodation and expenses?
 

Scooter

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Kevin Foote deserves some respect stillmissit

not ideal kickstarting 2024 with this cloud hanging over the franchise yet he’s delivered the club and their fans their maiden playoff appearance (we won’t count that one in super rugby AU)

a better job then any washed up/under qualified Waratahs coach would of done. The Tahs would be mad not to entertain the idea of foote ball because he will help with the transition of rebels free agents to the powder blue uniform and he gets the players up for contest (albeit it’s usually after a halftime speech - they seem to be poor starters in games)
"Usually after a halftime speech,"which is funny because last season we were good for 50 or 60 minutes and then dropped off the cliff.
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
Stiles took your players out of the Dewar Shield and plonked them in Sydney and Brisbane. They simultaneously cost the rebels money in flights and accommodation while alienating them from their own comp. He cost you even more money and killed your pathway.
Something which is not considered is the state of our Suburban Rugby Grounds.

I love them, but between the Cricket pitches and the drainage basin, the potential risks of injury are crazy high compared to dedicated grounds in Brisbane and Sydney.
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
"Usually after a halftime speech,"which is funny because last season we were good for 50 or 60 minutes and then dropped off the cliff.
Scooter, I suspect many of the posters here are sympathetic to Foote because he was on the end of a miserable existence. Like all teams when put up against the wall, they lift and that is what the Rebels did this season. Still poor when you look at the playing group.
 

stillmissit

Peter Johnson (47)
Something which is not considered is the state of our Suburban Rugby Grounds.

I love them, but between the Cricket pitches and the drainage basin, the potential risks of injury are crazy high compared to dedicated grounds in Brisbane and Sydney.
When I played, most of the Shute shield grounds were cricket pitches in summer and North Sydney oval was a ground where tackling in one of the corners meant losing a lot of skin.
 

SouthernX

John Thornett (49)
Why and how were Wests paying for flights and who was paying for accommodation and expenses?

I don’t know the logistics Sully but when I have probed previously someone mentioned “wests” picked up flights. (Assuming just like GPS + Bond would do when they had their players available)

there was a post late last year on Facebook from the Melbourne rebels team looking for families to host/billot rebels players.

I’m assuming that billot arrangement was for the qld players. Theyd train down in Melbourne during the week and on a Wednesday if they weren’t named in Matchday 23 or part of game day warm ups they’d be on a flight up to Brisbane for Thursday training.

as a wests supporter it’s been great seeing the likes of Jordan Uelese & Pone Faamausili don the green & gold but the majority of rebels players at wests have had a previous relationship with wests before they signed on with the rebels
 

Rebel man

John Thornett (49)
Rebel: So you are saying you can lose season after season as long as you produce juniors. Seems a bit arse about face to me
Well this is the exact issue with Super Rugby. Is the aim of super rugby to develop players for the national side or to win?

While the Brumbies have been the most successful team on field they have haven’t delivered much on the other front.
 

half

Dick Tooth (41)
Just on the statement re the investors by RA.

My limited understanding is the """"" Tarneit"""" group was involved and they already owned an A-League team.

I have copied below some key parts from a far longer article linked at the end. It does not look like its going to fall over.

Copy some key parts.

A sports and property development project budgeted at nearly $2 billion is taking shape in Melbourne’s West.

Western Melbourne Group’s Chairman, Jason Zack Sourasis is the key figure leading the effort to build Australia’s first privately-owned sports stadium.

“We’re building a city underpinned by sport, health, wellness, education, and innovation,” said Sourasis to Neos Kosmos.

The site in Tarneit is already the home of A-League club Western United FC.

Numerous athletes have invested in the project, including Greek Australian tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis, AFL footballers like Scott Pendlebury, Jy Simpkin, Dyson Heppell, Josh Battle, Mason Wood, Melbourne Storm players Christian Welch and Ryan Papenhuyzen, as well as Australian Boomers Dante Exum, Chris Goulding and former AFL player and Indigenous ambassador Adam Goodes.

Its a very long and detailed article well worth the read, I hope for rugby's sake he was not talking about this group as the project is going full steam ahead all 2 billion dollars of it.

 

Tazzmania

Bob Loudon (25)
Budgeted for $2b, only spent $10m on Stadium so far and purports to have $100m in the coffers from investors. Long way to $2B still to go.....
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I'm pretty sure those investors are investing in a property development, not taking a stake in Western United FC.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tex

Merrow

Arch Winning (36)
Well this is the exact issue with Super Rugby. Is the aim of super rugby to develop players for the national side or to win?

While the Brumbies have been the most successful team on field they have haven’t delivered much on the other front.
No…Canberra‘S never produced any decent rugby players :rolleyes:
 
Top