Rebels 2014

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

our depth in the backline is pretty weak. need to see how this Sau guy goes, but we definitely need cover for inman and timani.
we also need to start giving kingston and veaniu(?) more game time. roberts should be out for good and surely we could cut him loose and sign a local melbourne boy who would guaranteed be better.
pyle not looking as good as last year.
really like mcmahon, fug, higgers, and smith in the front row. not fully convinced on leafa.
meehan looks very promising for me and i think our depth at 9 is great.
hegarty improving but he has such a penchant for shovelling the ball versus a proper pass.
not sure what tony is trying to implement here either.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

After tonight's effort I thought I'd have a look at how we were going after four games last year. It's not a pretty comparison.

2013/ 1 win 3 losses, scored 82 points for (7 tries) - 107 against (-25)

2014/ 1 win 3 losses, scored 69 points for (8 tries) - 103 against (-34)

We've performed worse against 3 of the 4 teams we've played this year than last year.

Where is the improvement we have been promised?

On paper, this looks by far the best list we've ever had, the blokes look like they're busting their arses for the full game and yet we seem to have gone backwards in relation to the other Aussie teams.

What's the problem? Is it the game plan or some of the bizarre selections or something else?

Somehow I don't think another flogging on the track this week will make much difference.

(I have Gus Roberts at 15 in my fantasy team, said no one... ever)

 

[Mr Wobbly]

pyle not looking as good as last year.

I'm not sure about Pyle. In previous years he's been really effective playing a bit loose and still maintaining a high tackle count. This year, I'm not sure if he's a bit down on form or being made to play a style of game that doesn't suit him. Either way, we aren't seeing the best of him and he certainly doesn't look like a bloke pushing for a Wallabies spot.

 

[Sully]

I think you have a much better team than last year and the stats don't show the picture.

 

[ChargerWA]

Not being smug because we beat you, I expect you will return the favour later in the season. But I have been bewildered by the optimism from the Rebels supporters coming into this year. There is no way that I looked at this years list and thought it was an improvement on last years. I think maybe a bit of hype from the trial results carried over leading to unrealistic expectations.

 

[Baldric]

I think maybe a bit of hype from the trial results carried over leading to unrealistic expectations.

Probably right with that.
Add to that the way the management has spruiked how we have turned a corner and we can expect amazing things from the team this year. Maybe we believed our own marketing too much.
But one big difference for me is that it seems like we are playing more like a team now. The guys seem more committed.
I would like some results though.

 

[swingpass]

i agree that by and large we play for longer periods with more intensity, but the same problems plaque this team as previously.

poor option taking; poor skill execution, especially on attack; soft turnovers and brief defensive lapses that almost invariably lead to tries. the waratah tries last night came from either individual skill lapses (twice) on the rebels behalf or from turnovers (twice) when we were attacking and didnt realign quickly enough. when we attacked we invariably either chose the wrong option to exploit our advantage or fucked up the ball pick up or pass or kick.

the players do seem more committed to each other. its going to be another long and frustrating year, for them as well.

 

[swingpass]

Not being smug because we beat you, I expect you will return the favour later in the season. But I have been bewildered by the optimism from the Rebels supporters coming into this year. There is no way that I looked at this years list and thought it was an improvement on last years. I think maybe a bit of hype from the trial results carried over leading to unrealistic expectations.

hope you are right but i am doubtful.

i wasnt carried away by the hype but was happy with the rebels form, especially the breakdown work and scrummaging. from the two trials i watched, although the opposition weren't as committed to "winning" as the rebels appeared to be eg taking penalty shots, the rebels looked like a much more cohesive and drilled unit than in previous years and that gave me some hope. i should have listened to KevinO and his warnings about TT

 

[GaffaCHinO]

I think the rebels starting team is a very good super rugby team when they are all fit but I never thought there was much back up.

Look tonight with Woodward gone your back up 15 is a 10 who Is lucky to have a contract.


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[Scooter]

I know everyone is a bit down after last night's effort so I thought I would throw in some fun stats to hopefully cheer us up.

With the debuts of Cruze Ah-Nau and Male Sa'u the Rebels have had 70 players play for us in Super Rugby.

The two players to play for us with a surname beginning with E both have the initials TE (Tom English and Tamati Ellison).

The three players to represent us with a surname beginning with K all have King in their surname (James King, Richard Kingi and Tom Kingston).

 

[swingpass]

"Rebels coach says Waratahs have the goods"
well he would say that wouldn't he

 

[Pfitzy]

McGahan is finding its harder to win a comp where you don't have the top 2 players in each position it would seem...

 

[mst]

hope you are right but i am doubtful.

i wasnt carried away by the hype but was happy with the rebels form, especially the breakdown work and scrummaging. from the two trials i watched, although the opposition weren't as committed to "winning" as the rebels appeared to be eg taking penalty shots, the rebels looked like a much more cohesive and drilled unit than in previous years and that gave me some hope. i should have listened to KevinO and his warnings about TT

hope you are right but i am doubtful.

i wasnt carried away by the hype but was happy with the rebels form, especially the breakdown work and scrummaging. from the two trials i watched, although the opposition weren't as committed to "winning" as the rebels appeared to be eg taking penalty shots, the rebels looked like a much more cohesive and drilled unit than in previous years and that gave me some hope. i should have listened to KevinO and his warnings about TT

After watching the Rebel this year I believed I could see an improvement - and I think (yes past tense) they could have had some really good results this year.

But alas last night I watched the 2013 Rebels turn up again and play with a few glimpses of the 2014 version (thus the scoreline at half time). So why the regression?

Until the "sixgate" game the team believed in their programme and were stating to believe in themselves. They could see they were playing better, being competitive, the systems working and they were coming together as a team in a united direction.

Sadly I recognised that look on the players faces in Perth. They had unsubscribed from the programme, lost the belief and confidence in what they had developed in 2014.

In sport we talk about confidence, trust, belief and putting in your all; show your passion and desire, but then when the rug is pulled out from under you (especially when its by one of your own) just when you are on the verge of that step you have been working so hard for And why? That's the question that burns them.

Sadly the Rebels wont recover from this for a fair while, and I am not sure it will happen while TT is coach - forgive in one thing, forget is
anther.

 

[swingpass]

McGahan is finding its harder to win a comp where you don't have the top 2 players in each position it would seem.

win a comp !

he's finding it hard to win a game

 

[qwerty51]

What did everyone think of Lahiff? I thought he was just as bad as Roberts tbh.

 

[tranquility]

What did everyone think of Lahiff? I thought he was just as bad as Roberts tbh.

Come on Qwerty, he couldn't have been that bad.

 

[swingpass]

so injury permitting next week

9 burgess
10 hegarty
11 kingston
12 inman
13 english
14 vaienu
15 ellison

meehan/stirzaker
sau
rokobaro or a n other

 

[oztimmay]

What did everyone think of Lahiff? I thought he was just as bad as Roberts tbh.

In the trial game against the 'canes his scrum work was good. When he packed down with PAE his side of the scrum was able to wield the 'canes front row about three times. I think at the time franks and coles were on, so not too bad at all. Granted it was a trial, but still I thought this man has some power.

Be interested to see a bit more of his work at the breakdown and general play. It's something I haven't followed too closely. Is there anything you thought wasn't too good?

 

[qwerty51]

Watch the Betham try, he was exploited there and just general ineffectiveness at rucks he attends. Scrum became a shambles too later on.

 

[Highlander35]

I thought Lahiff was poor around the ground, but fairly strong at the breakdown, and you couldn't fault him at the set pieces.

I'm content to leave him as the 2nd string loosehead. Whether he can/will be any more is yet to be seen.

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