Rebels 2013

[daz]

Don't know if it's just me or do we seem to have nearly every try scored in the same corner against us?

Yup. In the match thread I made the comment that in the Chiefs and the Blues games, we had at least 4 tries from memory put into the same corner. Why? Because Vuna and Inman are being sucked in and not communicating to each other on who marks who.

Oh, and the Rebels as a whole are too slow to react to quick attacking ball.

 

[Dumbledore]

Don't know if it's just me or do we seem to have nearly every try scored in the same corner against us?

World Class kicker would be great to, sign Harris to cover 10 and 12 and take the place kicks and we would be winning these tight games. Woodward's kicking in the ITM was really good, just seems like he has lost the confidence when he is kicking now.

Inman gets dragged in because he trusts neither Mitchell or Sidey, with good reason mind. Vuna still isn't too crash hot on defensive positioning and gets caught out in no-mans land. Kingi, god knows why, seems to enjoy flying up out of the line at invisible attackers. English has done this a couple of times as well. Basically our defensive patterns are horrible and the players don't trust each other.

 

[Tex]

Beale out indefinitely and checked into a private health clinic. Sad news.

 

[maxdacat]

Let's hope he can come back and kick ass!

 

[oztimmay]

Few weeks ago there was some speculation that the Waratahs were about to sign a new forward. There was some fear it might have been Luke Jones.

I think for now we are safe - 'tahs just announced the signing of Jono Lance and Tala Gray (dunno who he is - anyone) - apparently he's the forward the lsit was talking about. Safe to say Luke is still a Rebel for now - please can someone get a pen in this guy's hand and sign him?!!

The Waratahs also announced the signing of promising back-rower Tala Gray for next year, but it is the recruitment of Lance that will have NSW fans concerned about losing Horne, who is off contract at the end of the season.

Article ref: http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s...son/story-e6frf4qu-1226641262342#.UZCrz7UyYvk
I'm sad to hear that KB (Kurtley Beale) will be out of action for an indefinite period, but I'm happy he is addressing his personal issues. All power to him - can't be easy facing your demons head on. Good luck KB (Kurtley Beale) - hope to see you back in Rebel colors next year.

 

[RedsHappy]

I agree with everything you have said here RH. A bit condescending, but pretty well right.

Here comes the but.

But, I don't think the Rebels are on their Pat Malone for being an under-achieving Oz province. After 7 years the Force are still locked on the bottom of the Oz conference. The Reds (while recently finally achieving the pinnacle in the modern game) couldn't win a chook raffle not so long ago. Ditto the Brumbies. And the Tahs are the very definition of doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Note that the Reds and the Tahs have had access to some pretty decent players at the same time they couldn't win.

My point is that "baby steps of improvement" or "one step forward, two steps back" in Oz rugby is the rule, not the exception. Look how long it took the Reds to get the right structure in place and win a title. A hell of a lot longer than 3 years.

I'm not defending the Rebels; I am firmly in the camp that says that a rookie team cannot have a rookie coach. Hill has good vision, but in a non-rugby heartland battling for dollars, the people need a winning team to hitch their wagon to. And frankly, Hill himself said pre-season that the time for using the "new boys" excuse was over.

But let's remember that even the Tahs can't get it right and they are (arguably) the epi-centre of Oz rugby.

Can we learn from the Reds experience? Sure. But I don't think it is quite as simple as "one size fits all" when it comes to managing a sporting franchise. By your logic, we should send Link to Melbourne. You wouldn't mind that, would you? For the greater good?

BTW, what were the Reds and Tahs average crowds when they were rock bottom? Did the ARU have to provide any financial assistance at all to one of those teams to keep them viable?

Just remember, you have first hand experience of a poorly performing team (both on and off field) as well, so take a moment to remember what that tasted like.

OK, fair enough: 'The Rebels are kinda like other Aus provinces have been when not performing, they're by no means alone in this type of history."

Couldn't agree more. But: could sponsors, TV companies, and fans care less about that truth? There's no useful "let's really get better" mileage or medicine in the cold comfort of "we may not be any worse than many others are or were".

The Reds were in a total, diabolical. near-bankrupt mess with awful game-day crowds - far worse than the Rebels in many respects - at the end of 2009 and, yes, they in fact did turn around virtually every parameter of their performance in less than three years. They indeed did need ARU bail-outs - the ARU had no choice - but crucially they used those $s in part to conduct massively overdue repairs to every layer of their governance and leadership.

The truly good news here for every under-performing rugby franchise is surely this: GET THE RIGHT COACHING, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND BOARD IN PLACE AND IN A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME KEY RUGBY FRANCHISES IN SERIOUS TROUBLE CAN BE TURNED AROUND VERY EFFECTIVELY AND POWERFULLY. This is what the ACTRU are doing so well, and what the Tahs RU have just commenced with promising signs (though I have concerns about the latter's business leadership capabilities). It's leadership-quality-101 common sense, but rugby has had nowhere near enough of it as it's too little genuinely transformed from the managerial weaknesses of the amateur era, there's been far too much introverted and mediocre governance in large tracts of Australian rugby for far too long. That's why it's in a relatively poor state and leaking market share to other codes. Rugby believed it had a guaranteed right to glory, and that the calibre of code and franchise leadership barely mattered along such a golden pathway. Which Australian state franchises can we truthfully say are genuinely healthy, well run and managed today, some 17 years after the game went professional!

And to an extent I respectfully disagree - at least at a high level - re 'not one size fits all'. The single size that does fit is this: solid, proven competency in the three dimensions or layers I listed above gets the right results; compromise significantly on any of those and you'll essentially never get the type of results you need in today's sports markets to build enduring fan numbers and gain the required financial and commercial success.

 

[qwerty51]

Few weeks ago there was some speculation that the Waratahs were about to sign a new forward. There was some fear it might have been Luke Jones.

I think for now we are safe - 'tahs just announced the signing of Jono Lance and Tala Gray (dunno who he is - anyone) - apparently he's the forward the lsit was talking about. Safe to say Luke is still a Rebel for now - please can someone get a pen in this guy's hand and sign him?!!

Tahs are losing Sitaleki and probably Chapman. They still will want a lock. Grey is a replacement for Palu and/or Lopeti.

 

[Slim 293]

Beale gooooooooooooooooooooooone.........

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Beale to take indefinite break from rugby​

Date​

May 13, 2013 - 6:52PM​

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Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale will stand down from rugby indefinitely as he seeks assistance with alcohol-related issues.​

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After meeting the Melbourne Rebels and the Rugby Union Players’ Association on Monday, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) issued a statement, saying Beale had voluntarily entered a private health facility to undertake counselling.​

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Beale had initially denied he had a drinking problem when suspended by the Rebels for striking teammates Cooper Vuna and Gareth Delve in South Africa on March 23. But he was subsequently stood down for last weekend’s 36-32 loss to the Blues in Auckland for breaking the terms of his rehab agreement by drinking the night after his eye-catching return against the Chiefs.​

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The ARU said any future selection of Beale at a club or national level would be dependent on successful completion of his treatment program.​

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Beale’s standing down looks to have scuppered any chance the 24-year-old has of taking part in the British and Irish Lions series starting next month.​

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Earlier, Beale’s former long-time mentor Glen Ella said it was time the gifted backline star actually admitted he had a problem with alcohol and that he should scratch any thoughts of playing against the Lions.​

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Ella, who managed the schoolboy star from the age of 13 to 19, said he felt the ARU needed to follow NRL club Canterbury’s hard-line stance with another indigenous football star, Ben Barba.​

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‘‘I’d love to see him playing against the Lions but, in all honesty, I think that’s (not playing) going to be part of his rehabilitation,’’ said former Wallabies back Ella.​

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"I think he needs to sit this one out."​

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‘‘My advice to Kurtley - and I love him dearly, he’s been a small part of my life - is that he just has to keep away from it and focus on re-establishing his career.​

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‘‘He needs to come out and say ’every time I do drink, there is an issue’.​

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‘‘He’s been blessed with the talent and part of that comes (with) responsibility to be a role model - not just for Aboriginal kids but young kids all over Australia.’’​

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Ella first began mentoring Beale when he started at St Joseph’s College in Sydney and played a major hand in his rise to play for the NSW Waratahs at 18.​

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He felt rugby would play an important role in Beale’s rehabilitation but he needed to return to Sydney to be close to his support network.​

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Read more: [url]http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/beale-to-take-indefinite-break-from-rugby-20130513-2ji73.html#ixzz2TAEgd7Tu[/URL]​

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[swingpass]

Few weeks ago there was some speculation that the Waratahs were about to sign a new forward. There was some fear it might have been Luke Jones.

I think for now we are safe - 'tahs just announced the signing of Jono Lance and Tala Gray (dunno who he is - anyone) - apparently he's the forward the lsit was talking about. Safe to say Luke is still a Rebel for now - please can someone get a pen in this guy's hand and sign him?!!

many on this forum know Tala. he is a victorian, previously at the Brumbies and played Shute Shield for ?Easts, more recently at Biarritz

 

[oztimmay]

many on this forum know Tala. he is a victorian, previously at the Brumbies and played Shute Shield for ?Easts, more recently at Biarritz

Thanks for the info swingpass. I haven't donned the boots since '04 so I haven't kept up with the local competition as much as I would like to. Gotta admit the allure of one last run is tempting - considering their position on the ladder Box Hill might need some spare players

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

surely we are going to be going hard at rob horne? JOC (James O'Connor) - Vuna - Horne - Inman - English - Woodward starts to look pretty good.

 

[qwerty51]

But no one rates Horne

 

[RebelYell]

Both Eddie Ahololei and Pat Leafa had excellent games for Manly Marlins on Saturday - each scored a try. I would love to see them on the bench for Friday's game against the Stormers.Pat should be the reserve hooker for the Rebels!!

If not in the 22 against the Stormers, Pat will play for Box Hill this week. Really looking forward to watching him play again

 

[KevinO]

Wou

surely we are going to be going hard at rob horne? JOC (James O'Connor) - Vuna - Horne - Inman - English - Woodward starts to look pretty good.

Would you not prefer Harris?

 

[Lindommer]

Tahs are losing Sitaleki and probably Chapman.

WTF! Tell me more, I haven't heard anything about Mitch going elsewhere.

 

[Lindommer]

But no one rates Horne

More fool "no one". Hasn't "no one" watched him play at 12 this year? Never mind, he'll get a run in the 12 jumper some time in 2013.

 

[Bernie_Larkham]

Horne would be an enormous step up at 12 than anyone we have unless JOC (James O'Connor). wants an extended run there. Horne is a better in than out and has shown that this year. He's no Horan but we would be better off with him than the journey men we have now

 

[Bernie_Larkham]

I'd have thought by now Hill should be giving more game time to any young props in the squad. Piss Henderson ( luckiest bloke in the comp) off and get some experience into these guys. Can't make finals, time for next year and beyond

 

[swingpass]

bernie,
i agree horne would be a very good aquisition, but i suspect if he leaves the waratahs it will be off to the wild west.

 

[oztimmay]

bernie,
i agree horne would be a very good aquisition, but i suspect if he leaves the waratahs it will be off to the wild west.

Agreed - I think the ARU should try to 'balance the talent' accross the five super rugby franchises. The eastern states have a good splashing of current/fringe wallabies, whilst the Force only have Cummings in the mix for BIL (well, according to speculation on other threads on GAGR). if you don't balance your talent those teams without that experiences are going to lose by cricket scores each week; that is not good for developing Rugby in AFL mad territories.

As much as the media report that the 'Tahs wanna keep Horne I don't think they will be able to fit him under their salary cap. If they sign Izzy and the rumors about KB (Kurtley Beale) going 'home' come true, they won't have room under their cap to pay him anything he would be entitled to.