Come on. You can’t go on the recruitment run you have and aim so low. Top 4 would be disappointing. Missing finals would be worthy of an investigation.
Melbourne Rebels 2024
- Thread starter RugbyReg
- Start date
Come on. You can’t go on the recruitment run you have and aim so low. Top 4 would be disappointing. Missing finals would be worthy of an investigation.
rugbyAU
Bob Davidson (42)
Same here their best starting XV will be stacked with players with wallabies and Aus A caps
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Do I think we can finish top 4? No chance, do I think we will struggle to make the 8 again? Yes. Look at who we beat in 2023, Tahs, Reds, Moana, Force. None of them were real contenders this year. I don't have faith in this coaching squad turning things around.
The Ghost of Raelene
David Codey (61)
BP are going to decide the finals.
I can see the Aussie teams all knocking each other off throughout the year. Get a home win v a NZ side and you make it.
I can see the Aussie teams all knocking each other off throughout the year. Get a home win v a NZ side and you make it.
Highlander35
Steve Williams (59)
Putting the coaching staff to one side, as far as I can tell, we need three things to go very right.
1) Gordon, Proctor, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) & Canham need to fit enough to start every single week.
2) Proctor needs to be Tamati Ellison 2.0 for us in terms of backline leadership, organisation and structural defence.
3) SOMEONE needs to nail down that 12 jersey ongoing. I don't care who that is, Ripley, D. Vaihu, Jooste, Ili, Naea, even Proctor himself is Dauganu is preferred at 13, but the chopping and changing and lack of impact from players in that position was the most obvious source of frailty in the side last year.
Supposedly, they've also finally (how they didn't have one of the books already I'll never know) got a sports psychologist on to work with the group full time rather than providing piecemeal support, which should hopefully assist with those long periods of ineffectiveness we regularly experienced.
1) Gordon, Proctor, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) & Canham need to fit enough to start every single week.
2) Proctor needs to be Tamati Ellison 2.0 for us in terms of backline leadership, organisation and structural defence.
3) SOMEONE needs to nail down that 12 jersey ongoing. I don't care who that is, Ripley, D. Vaihu, Jooste, Ili, Naea, even Proctor himself is Dauganu is preferred at 13, but the chopping and changing and lack of impact from players in that position was the most obvious source of frailty in the side last year.
Supposedly, they've also finally (how they didn't have one of the books already I'll never know) got a sports psychologist on to work with the group full time rather than providing piecemeal support, which should hopefully assist with those long periods of ineffectiveness we regularly experienced.
Really? They should be disbanded if they don’t make the finals with that squad.
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Yeah, and plenty of times before we had great squads on paper and performed like rubbish. After years of disappointing results you can't blame me for not getting my hopes up.
SouthernX
John Thornett (49)
The Rebels are elite at the position groups that matter… flyhalf and front row.
I think they win out of the Aussie teams & if they don’t… it’s Tim Sampson in 2025.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
They've had stronger squads and failed. Its what the Rebels do.
Think you are overstating this. They've got, what, one recognised centre on the books?
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
Really? We have a bunch of broken down props, Uelese who everyone claims must dirt on Eddie he's so bad. No quality locks, with maybe discarded Salakai-Loto playing out of position there. Only one wallaby in the backrow and dubious at best, certainly no Fraser McReight. A no-name Blues extended squad member at 8. Scrumhalves who? No Wallaby captain Tate McDermott. A flyhalf who's played 1.5 seasons and can't kick
no centres at all and some sevens rejects on the wings. All coached by Wessels-lite who has no proven record whatsoever. Where's our try scoring record breaking man machine Vunivalu? Our hitman Paisami? Reds are dripping in gold. Best Wallaby of the past decade in JO'C! The messiah's son himself in Tom Lyangh. If you guys aren't minor premiers, Les should walk the plank in his first season.
Wilson
Phil Kearns (64)
This just sounds like an argument for disbanding the Rebels now rather than waiting on resultsReally? We have a bunch of broken down props, Uelese who everyone claims must dirt on Eddie he's so bad. No quality locks, with maybe discarded Salakai-Loto playing out of position there. Only one wallaby in the backrow and dubious at best, certainly no Fraser McReight. A no-name Blues extended squad member at 8. Scrumhalves who? No Wallaby captain Tate McDermott. A flyhalf who's played 1.5 seasons and can't kick
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Disbanding any Australian team is a mistake, you need 5 teams including one in Melbourne just for market value. This shrinking to greatness BS from the beginning of professionalism is total wank. Don't look at the way of the past for future success in Australia, go out and do something fucking new. Ireland have, it's taken 10 years to see the results even though some argued for a long time Ireland need a strong Munster pack to be successful. If Australia go back to 3 or 4 teams like the Sydney elite want, I'll bet they drop out of the top 10 rankings on a regular basis to. Look what shrinking has done to Wales recently.
swingpass
Peter Sullivan (51)
Really? We have a bunch of broken down props, Uelese who everyone claims must dirt on Eddie he's so bad. No quality locks, with maybe discarded Salakai-Loto playing out of position there. Only one wallaby in the backrow and dubious at best, certainly no Fraser McReight. A no-name Blues extended squad member at 8. Scrumhalves who? No Wallaby captain Tate McDermott. A flyhalf who's played 1.5 seasons and can't kick
Members Section
John Thornett (49)
Disappointingly he hardly got a crack at wests this yr once the super season had finished. An NPC season or even a loan yr at Kintetsu
Rebel man
John Thornett (49)
1 Gibbon
2 Uelese
3 Tupou
4 Canham
5 LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
6 Kemeny
7 Wilkin
8 Leota
9 Maunder
10 Gordon
11 Daugunu
12 Proctor
13 Kellaway
14 Anderson
15 G.Vaihu
16 Mafi
17 Elof
18 Pone
19 Smith
20 Ekuasi
21 Maiava
22 Tuttle
23 Ripley
If I had to guess that’s how I think the team would look at the start of next year.
If Jones is going to be picking Kellaway at 15 for the Wallabies I would actually prefer him to play there for the Rebels. So I am hoping Ripley gets to a level where he can start in the 13 jersey
2 Uelese
3 Tupou
4 Canham
5 LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
6 Kemeny
7 Wilkin
8 Leota
9 Maunder
10 Gordon
11 Daugunu
12 Proctor
13 Kellaway
14 Anderson
15 G.Vaihu
16 Mafi
17 Elof
18 Pone
19 Smith
20 Ekuasi
21 Maiava
22 Tuttle
23 Ripley
If I had to guess that’s how I think the team would look at the start of next year.
If Jones is going to be picking Kellaway at 15 for the Wallabies I would actually prefer him to play there for the Rebels. So I am hoping Ripley gets to a level where he can start in the 13 jersey
Highlander35
Steve Williams (59)
I think if Proctor is in 12 we'll probably see Daugunu in 13.
My hope is that Proctor gets to play 13 and someone else steps up at 12.
eastman
John Solomon (38)
Reg is baiting- he knows despite your recruitment you don’t have the quality in a number of positions (8,9,12,11,14) to really push that hard.
Highlander35
Steve Williams (59)
Looks like you might need to continue that hatred. St Kevvies with a record-breaking 11th premiership, winning 43-28. Fairly heated game, with lots of BS flowing before the match, but it looks like the pressure got to Brighton, and the experienced StK got the win.
For a Stk fan the sweetest try is probably the steal 2 metres from the StK line, then for the FB to run 98m and score.
Few videos floating around on the socials of high shots, tip tackles, and general stupidity. Trying to get my hands on one now, but I think the Brighton GS facebook page has one.