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Rebels 2012

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Bowside

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
Lee Grant said:
Faaaarque - I hope that rumour is true. He played for my French team Clermont and was the leading try scorer in the Top14 for 2 or 3 years. Sometimes he looks like Rupeni C. circa 2003. He left the club in the middle of last year to get married but never returned as he was supposed to. Apparently his wife-to-be was injured in a car accident but anyway, Clermont had to terminate his contract.

Every club in Europe will be after this bad boy if he is available. He's in the Fiji RWC squad so he can pick and choose. France is very popular with Fijian players and many of the French rugby towns have pockets of Fijian families. To entice him away from the nice life of a French southern town, (not that Clermont is that), and away from Top 14 top dollar, then get him to Melbourne, sounds very unlikely, but you never know.
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Apparently he intends to play a season in aus to be closer to his family before returning to frace and clermont for the 2012-2013 season. Key word being apparently.
 
Ash

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Army_Gav said:
Props: Weeks, Zilla, Hendo
Hookers: Robinson (2 years), Holmes (1-2 years), Tessman
Locks: Jones, Pyle, Campbell (1-2 years), MacDonald (1 year), Byrnes (Foreign player?)
Back Row: Saffy, Davidson, Chamberlain, Delve (1-2 years)
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So Frieir (or Freier? always get it wrong) is gone? Luke Holmes and Tessman are not the quality of Robinson or Freier, so a new hooker will be needed. So a quality hooker is needed in a season or two after Robinson goes.

Weeks and Rodzilla need to stand up in Somerville's absence, Henderson is a good team man but more of "depth" provider I think. I think they are (at least) one quality prop short, which they had in Somerville.

Luke Jones needs another year to develop, based on how he went last year, so in Jones and Pyle there's potential for the future, and you can hope at least one will step up. No Kevin O'Neill? I actually think he's the type of grafter lock that would be good for the Rebels pack, if fit, but he's another foreign player that would need replacing in a year or two anyway. The Rebels will need at least one quality lock recruitment now (or soon) for O'Neill, maybe two if neither of Pyle and Jone continue to develop within the next year or two.

With no Lipman, the Rebels are short a quality flanker next year, and it will get worse when Delve leaves. That's another two quality flankers they need, one for Lipman potentially now, one in a year or two for Delve.

All up, that's a quality hooker, prop, between one to two locks, and two flankers that need recruiting within the next two years - 5 to 6 good forwards and probably the core of the future Rebels pack I'd say. The Rebels pack in the end doesn't have to be fantastic, just good enough to hold their own and give their great runners in Beale, O'Connor, etc a bit of room to work some magic.

It'd be interesting to see the Rebels' plans for their pack. In the next few years, I'd be targeting, say, one of Beau Robinson or Liam Gill and Hanson from the Reds, Brown or McCalman from the Force, and Douglas or Timani or Peterson from the Tahs depending on how they develop. I'm not saying they would get all or any of these, but they might have a chance at most and would get two good flankers, a good lock, and a good hooker. Outside of Brown, all youngish too. Only problem left is a LH good prop to couple Weeks and Rodzilla, otherwise Palmer from the Brumbies would be a good steal too, but would again cause headaches with too many THPs.
 
Bowside

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
Ash

As I said above, the force have 2 good hookers, as do the reds, so it is logical that one of those 4 end up at the rebels. As for flankers, I think jono jenkins from the force also an option as well as maybe hooper or Fainga'a. Link will be trying to keep Robinson at the reds until Gill is an established starter, which I think is one or two seasons away yet.

Oh and did I mention Elsom and Mcmeniman.....

Any chance of updating the overseas player list from a couple of years ago?
 
Ash

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Elsom would be a fantastic pick up for the Rebels, assuming they could hold on to him longer term. Not sure if they'd look at Jenkins, with Saffy and Chamberlain already on the books for 7, but Jenkins is proven and with Saffy they'd cover a couple positions.

Doubt 3M will ever be seen playing pro rugby in Aus again, he gets injured enough in the Japanese league.
 
Sir Arthur Higgins

Sir Arthur Higgins

Dick Tooth (41)
i see gerrard has pulled out of the barbs game with a calf strain
that happened a lot this past season. is this a chronic injury for him? its frequency is a bit of a concern......
 
Dumbledore

Dumbledore

Dick Tooth (41)
Bowside, apparently the rumour was wrong - it's the Force he intends to sign with. Makes sense, they'll be after another winger with Smith leaving. Glad we signed James King, he's a very talented player, quite similar to Isaac Ross actually. I think we really need a proper openside, a 'fetcher.' Surely there's someone available?
 
Ash

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
King is an interesting one. Good start, but the Rebels need those experienced forward leaders to replace Somerville and eventually Delve.

My feeling with Chamberlain was that he is an openside, but not an out and out fetcher, as such. Am I wrong?
 
Bowside

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
Dumbledore said:
Bowside, apparently the rumour was wrong - it's the Force he intends to sign with. Makes sense, they'll be after another winger with Smith leaving. Glad we signed James King, he's a very talented player, quite similar to Isaac Ross actually. I think we really need a proper openside, a 'fetcher.' Surely there's someone available?
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Yeah I saw that. Pretty decent signing none the less.
 
qwerty51

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I don't think he has a contract with the Force any more. He'd be on the tour with them if he did.
 
todd4

todd4

Dave Cowper (27)
Dumbledore said:
Bowside, apparently the rumour was wrong - it's the Force he intends to sign with. Makes sense, they'll be after another winger with Smith leaving. Glad we signed James King, he's a very talented player, quite similar to Isaac Ross actually. I think we really need a proper openside, a 'fetcher.' Surely there's someone available?
Click to expand...

Are you talking about Fijian winger Nagala possibly signing with the Force? or am I misunderstanding this? if so can I ask where you read it? It would be great news for the Force if true.
 
Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash

Johnnie Wallace (23)
Word on the street is that John Muggleton has signed on to be the Rebels defence coach. Good signing and should hopefully tighten things up a bit next year!

Edit for link to yarn: http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8295864

The Melbourne Rebels have signed former Wallabies defence guru John Muggleton to iron out their tackling deficiencies in next year's Super Rugby competition.

Muggleton, who managed Australia's defensive system from 1999 to 2007, will join the Rebels as an assistant coach after he finishes his current commitments with Georgia at the Rugby World Cup next month.

It is a key signing for Melbourne after conceding the most points (570 at 36 per game) of all 15 teams in their debut season when they picked up the wooden-spoon.
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