Rebels 2014

[tranquility]

Incredible recruitment from the Rebels.

Foley, Kingston & Colby are all genuinely incredible young talents.

Foley is a really great bread and butter 10, which every side needs. God knows, why the Tahs would let him go - irrespective of what Kurtley is doing.

Colby has been a victim of circumstance, but will be a Wallaby at some stage. A very physical player.

I really hope Kingston gets time in the centers, as I think this is when we will really get an idea of just how good of a footballer he is.

Australian rugby is in the best position it has ever been in, in terms of depth of talent across all positions.

 

[qwerty51]

I'm not sure why you think Colby will be a Wallaby with Gill, Hooper and Pocock. I think he's good enough for international rugby but due to circumstance I don't think he'll ever play it...

 

[James Buchanan]

I'm not sure why you think Colby will be a Wallaby with Gill, Hooper and Pocock. I think he's good enough for international rugby but due to circumstance I don't think he'll ever play it.

While I do not necessarily think that he will be, we cannot be truly sure until he also starts getting some regular gametime at Super level.

Further, who can say what will happen with injuries in the future.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

i don't know much about kingston, but if he is a prospect at 13, i would be more than happy to trial Inman at 12 as a Jamie Roberts esque centre with either kingston or English outside him.
either way, genuinely excited about tonight and next year. the recruiting at the club is looking excellent and i'm glad we've done away with the beales, jocs and ciprianis.

 

[qwerty51]

Kingston's best position is definitely 13. He has electric footwork. 12 inman 13 Kingston could be exciting, Bruce could confirm but I think they've played there for Uni a couple times.

 

[TOCC]

Rebels getting rid of KB (Kurtley Beale) and JOC (James O'Connor) is only going to do the team wonders, they have unearthed a reasonable quality of players across the board now, they don't need to spend such a large proportion of their cap on one or two players anymore.. Also they are bringing in Burgess for 2014 which is a step up from Phipps IMO, specifically in terms of plugging that defensive structure which is still the major fatal flaw for the Rebels.

Oh, and iron out that wonky scrum...

 

[blues recovery]

Signing Smith and Lahiff big step in that direction.

 

[Athilnaur]

Earlier in the year Beale and JOC (James O'Connor) seemed to be calling for the guys around them to step up more. They have.

I'm sorry to see Beale go play wise, you don't replace a player like that. He is a freak and on song one that brings alive his team. Same with O'Connor in a different way. O'Connor is one of those rare players with superb timing, grace and confidence that does everything he sets his mind to. Reminds me a lot of Jeff Wilson and Clyde Rathbone. Two players I rated as best in the game at their times. As I do O'Connor. He is a world 15 player in my view, albeit as a winger or centre, not a 10!

Beale may go, but O'Connor will stay I hope. He needs, and probably actually wants to be a part of the team, not the figurehead marketing types cast him as. Tough to manage those expectations of his down, but if done properly everyone wins. Well... except for Rebels' opponents.

But then Foley vs O'Connor is a problem, which one of them plays a different position? Yet again fickle Aussie rugby will see our top players rotating across different positions. Interesting times.

 

[Dumbledore]

Oh, and iron out that wonky scrum.

No Henderson next year which will immediately improve things. Lahiff is average to good come scrum time oop norf so he should be completely fine down here. Smith is being kept on the bench behind Manu, but he's still a big improvement. The only real questions are at hooker and whether Jones will play at lock or at 6.

 

[Dumbledore]

But then Foley vs O'Connor is a problem, which one of them plays a different position? Yet again fickle Aussie rugby will see our top players rotating across different positions. Interesting times.

Agree with your entire post, but just on this. All I want to see is:

10. Foley
12. JOC (James O'Connor)

Imagine having to deal with that as a defence. No thanks.

 

[blues recovery]

Smith was the starting loose head in the team that won the comp last year.
Lahiff turned down selection in the England A team to move to Aust.

Both sound like significant improvements to me

 

[Athilnaur]

Yes JOC (James O'Connor) and Foley would give a lot of headaches to defend against and create a lot of uncertainty.

Foley could play centre too I think, I like how he reads lines of play. I'd lean to one of them at centre and try Inman at inside centre as I prefer direct inside centres but it seems to me Inman likes the bit of extra space at centre. I wonder if he'd lose impact playing at 12.

And to further complicate matters after having been pretty disappointed earlier in the year I actually think Sidey has played really really well in the past two games. Really good tackling, direct to the line with some fine draw and passes, and a couple of good offloads. Huge improvement and a genuine part of the Rebels' turnaround. Will be watching very closely tonight to see how he goes outside JOC (James O'Connor).

 

[tranquility]

I'm not sure why you think Colby will be a Wallaby with Gill, Hooper and Pocock. I think he's good enough for international rugby but due to circumstance I don't think he'll ever play it.

This type of thinking is why we regularly butt heads.

I don't think Colby is or will be a better seven than Gill or Hooper, however at the same time I don't think his style of game will have him competing with either of those two. He plays the game more similarly to Pocock, but with less facets to his game.

However, I still think that he is an outstanding young talent, and outstanding talents force their way into sides. Or rather they create opportunities for themselves. I think Colby will become a 6 or an 8 as his career and body developes or if he doesn't he will become a South African style 7.
He was the Australian U20 captain, so he has decent pedigree.

Let's see what he can do with a starting opportunity next year shall we. He has probably another decade of super rugby in front of him, I think it is odds on that he will get a Wallaby cap or two at some point.

 

[Hoolly Doolly]

Agree with your entire post, but just on this. All I want to see is:

10. Foley
12. JOC (James O'Connor)

Imagine having to deal with that as a defence. No thanks.

9. Burgess
10. Foley
11. English
12. Inman
13. Kingston
14. Woodward
15. JOC (James O'Connor)

Id be more excited about this backline combination.

 

[blues recovery]

After tonight again clear that OConnor is a ball runner and one of the best . He is a very average ball player. Shame a combination of his ego and Deans stubbornness means we are not seeing his best as a game breaking runner of the ball.

 

[tranquility]

Matt Giteau 2.0

 

[Bowside]

Matt Giteau 2.0

I really hope not but its looking more and more like that.

O'Connor is squandering some of his best years getting shifted around and not mastering a single position.

 

[Bowside]

I think part of the problem is everyone seems to have a different opinion about where to play him.

I saw him play a lot earlier in his career and thought he would be a 12 or 13 in the O'Driscoll mold. Many though he would be a halfback. Deans originally picked him at Fullback and he was exposed badly there.

At the force he played 12 and then 10. But his best rugby for the wallabies has been on the wing....

And now he is seen as a 10/15 in the same mould as Cooper!

 

[Bernie_Larkham]

I think you are right in that there are an array of opinions as to where he should play. Having played 10 and 15 a lot I'd say he is neither. As a 10 he can't distribute mor manage a game. At 15 he is suspect under the high ball and I think Woodward is an outstanding 15 and should stay there. Jc is a winger or 12. At 12 he will get plenty of ball and will be a handful. If his defence holds he could be anything playing there. He needs a full year at IMO to find out. If he fails then enjoy the wing. Nothing wrong with that, he is very bloody damaging out wide and with a roving role.

He sure isn't a 9, he passing is just passable as a 10 as a 9 he would be horrendous.

I also heard he is a big pain in the ass and it may be a reason as to why he hasn't been offered a big deal with qld or nsw but the insiders at the rebels have grown tired of him and someone close to him.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

i think beale is clearly a lock to go back to the tahs.
if folau leaves, i'd say the tahs will sign him but depending on graham, i think there is also scope for him to go to the reds. keep in mind they have lost 1 big salary in diggers and possibly a few schloons out of morahan. further, they never filled the gap higgers left money wise. they probably are a contender. i think he is unlikely to go to the brumbies and don't understand why they would want him. which is funny cause it sounds like JOC (James O'Connor) wants to go to the brumbies the most.

i think he would be best suited to go to the tahs where cheika clearly doesnt suffer fools.