Rebels 2014

[James Buchanan]

I would say it is more of a protection for him than anything else. Whilst it offers him the chance to jump ship if a star 7 leaves another franchise, more likely it offers him the chance to jump ship if the Rebels sign someone ahead of him (as happened at the Brumbies with Pocock).

Fair point, you'd have to think that has been playing on his mind.

 

[Lee Grant]

Bret Harris has written an article in the Aussie about the Force and Rebels being able to recruit more foreign players:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...cruit-concession/story-e6frg7o6-1226659621028

To summarise he says:

The Rebels and the Force will be able to recruit a marquee import as well as six foreign development players, who will eventually become eligible to play for the Wallabies.​

The Rebels and Force already have dispensation to use a second foreign development player; so that is four extra.

I'm guessing that it will start next year and assume that the Rebels can keep their extra non-development imports until the phasing out of them is completed.

I'm also guessing that they won't be able to increase the total of number of contract and EPS players every Oz Super team is allowed (30+5 for 2013) to fit the new development foreigners in - or is that guess going to be wrong?

They're counted in the 35 currently aren't they?
.

 

[Athilnaur]

1 year contracts can work for and against, good on him for making the step. Given the competition about a one year contract makes sense. Fuglistaller has been playing gritty on the ball rugby and will be tough to oust, but Colby looks to be able to make more ground. A duel that is good news for the Rebels.

 

[en_force_er]

I think the Rebels and Force should have a soft quota of 2 marquee internationals and 4 "development players".

Soft in the sense that if the Rebels want to have, very hypothetically, Jerry Collins plus 2 Japanese internationals that's good for the world game and is very different than signing 8 current Springboks, which is just bankrolling a rival at the expense of locals.

They should be able to go to the ARU and ask them for the chance to contract over their quota if they can rationalise it somehow.

 

[RoffsChoice]

I'm sorry to hear about Henderson - I know most here disagree, but he really is one of the best at the Rebels and will be missed.

 

[Tex]

On Rob Clarke.

Rob seems to have been one of the most important factors in our form improvement so it’s heartening to see him re-sign with the club. He was quoted in this morning’s Herald Sun, talking about the contract negotiations with JOC (James O'Connor) and KB (Kurtley Beale):

“I’m happy with the way it’s progressing. Both are talented players and have a lot to offer but an individual does not make a team.”


Music to my ears. Organisational culture and success start at the top and after the Waldron farce it’s good to have a chief whose head is on straight.

 

[oztimmay]

On Rob Clarke.

Rob seems to have been one of the most important factors in our form improvement so it’s heartening to see him re-sign with the club. He was quoted in this morning’s Herald Sun, talking about the contract negotiations with JOC (James O'Connor) and KB (Kurtley Beale):

“I’m happy with the way it’s progressing. Both are talented players and have a lot to offer but an individual does not make a team.”


Music to my ears. Organisational culture and success start at the top and after the Waldron farce it’s good to have a chief whose head is on straight.

So true, the old adage of 'lead by example' is very importing for fostering a good culture in any organisation. Also seems to dispel some of the myths that KB (Kurtley Beale) has already been written on the team sheet for the 'tahs next year, unless Rob is using a very diplomatic posture in public to describe the negotiations.

Wonder what this means for Harold sticking around (financially that is.)

 

[Tex]

I read it as a very diplomatic swipe at the pair of them, to be honest.

Hasn't Harold gifted his share of the club to the VRU?

 

[oztimmay]

Interesting snippit from our friends over at New ltd.

BERNARD Foley’s backflip from his Melbourne Rebels contract had tongues wagging in Australian rugby, and most of the talk contained another name: James O’Connor. One whisper floating around is the ARU were desperate to keep O’Connor in Melbourne and increased his top-up as an incentive, which in turn put the already cold feet of Foley in a bucket of ice. It is suggested the ARU don’t want O’Connor to leave the Rebels without a major star, and they were keen to keep all the amigos in separate cities as well, with Kurtley Beale set to move back to NSW next season.

Besides the fact that no other soup franchise has shown any real interest, it's not surprising to see they want JOC (James O'Connor) to stay in Melbourne. Explains a little more about Foley flip, but I think the theory about Checkia staring him down probably made him shit a bunny or two.

News to the wise - we do have major stars in Melbourne already

And I'm not sold on the crap about keeping the amigos all in separate cities - latest mail is they are all grown men and they can make their minds up about where they play?

Oh, the article also mentions some more cool news - Roy and HG are commentating the Lions tests!

Source

 

[Hoolly Doolly]

Interesting snippit from our friends over at New ltd.

Source

Interesting snippit from our friends over at New ltd.



Source

id be interested to know how much the ARU has meddled in past contractual affairs in order to manipulate the placement of players into other *Cough* NSW *cough* franchises......Barnes move to NSW springs to mind and so does the Ioane backflip on the force etc etc. A level playing ground with the ARU contracting across all the franchises would be a good start or even be rid of it completely and give each franchise the same amount of top up money for the super franchise to manage themselves so the ARU only has to deal with training/tour/match payments only. Maybe then players might also be picked for the wallabies on form rather then based on justifying and getting value and return on however much they've invested in a player. I know if I paid X amount to a certain player id probably want them playing as much as possible as well regardless of form. A player outside the ARU top ups is just an extra expense not budgeted for. Personally im not a big fan of the extra foreign players. The only solution is to invest in the local unions to feed the super franchises. How the hell is the Force going to develop or uncover more locals like Godwin, Longbottam, Zack Holmes, haylett-petty's with a foreigner filling a spot in the squad.
Whatever happened to the blatant salary cap breaching of the "Ground Hire fees"? How the hell can NSW afford so many contracted wallabies and stay under the salary cap?

*ENDS RANT*

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

a good mate of mine was at a do up in sydney over the weekend and got chatting to superb melbourne rebels player who was pounding the beers and tequila back like no tomorrow. by all accounts a great guy who had the following points to make:
- Rebels wanted Foley massively and paid to get him
- Waratahs were not happy and went to the ARU who provided assistance to Foley if he stayed with the Tahs
-Rebels were really unhappy when the learned of this and went straight to the ARU who said they'd provide them compensation to keep JOC (James O'Connor) in melbourne as their playmaker (not what the rebels originally wanted)
-JOC (James O'Connor) and Beale are not liked within either the broader rebels squad nor the wallabies set up though it is acknowledged that JOC (James O'Connor) is a superb player who trains the house down. personality wise, he doesn't have any mates on the team outside of Beale.
-the beef with three muskateers originated when deans was first brought in as coach way back when. JOC (James O'Connor) was acting too big for his britches and causing a scene. phil waugh pulled him aside and straightened him up in a rough and tumble way (or thought he did). JOC (James O'Connor) went to Deans to complain and Deans took JOC (James O'Connor)'s side. this created friction in the wallabies set up that has not abated.
- apparently mitch inman has received some big offers from france and bigger from japan (where they love a giant) and he might have an out of his rebels contract.

 

[Tex]

Wow, great scuttlebutt there SAH.

That Foley revelation is interesting. Can you elaborate on the Rebels paying to get him, or are you referring to the contract he was offered? Either way I'd have swapped him for JOC (James O'Connor) in an instant. That stuff about his standing in Rebel and Wallaby camps confirms my own suspicions about The Brand.

 

[suckerforred]

I think that we would all be surprised at the amount of 'influence' that the ARU has with where players are contracted. Needs to be sorted the hell out otherwise it is just going to cause even more issues.

 

[Tex]

It looks very murky from the outside. Ideally the national body should not be providing top up contracts outside of the provinces. Pay the provinces more money, allow the market to define the players' prices and enforce a salary cap.

I can see how it all started, with the ARU needing to top up offers to attract and retain some of the bigger names from union and league, but when they step in and influence the contract process between player and province it opens up a risky ball game. God knows there are enough issues managing the interests of the QLD/NSW bloc within the national union, this stuff only exacerbates it.

 

[Zander]

Michael Lipman?

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

no. it was a current rebel.

i gathered, or i should say my mate gathered, the ARU was weary of the talent spreading thin or something of the sort and that the tahs saw foley as their 10 and did not want JOC (James O'Connor) or beale for that role.
tahs were upset about rebels ability to offer more cash and 'steal their players' when i say more cash i mean rebels offered foley a larger salary than the tahs could afford. i believe it had to do with the tahs having to offer more than expected to folau and also taking aboard KB (Kurtley Beale) so he wasn't lost to league. left them with little funds to sign foley, so tahland wanted to be compensated by ARU for saving folau and beale from league.

 

[KevinO]

- Rebels wanted Foley massively and paid to get him
- Waratahs were not happy and went to the ARU who provided assistance to Foley if he stayed with the Tahs
-Rebels were really unhappy when the learned of this and went straight to the ARU who said they'd provide them compensation to keep JOC (James O'Connor) in melbourne as their playmaker (not what the rebels originally wanted)

Would love to see the figures on Top up's, I''d say that the Tahs must get so much assistance at the moment. Would really like to see the break down from Tahs, Reds, Brumbies, Rebels, Force and how much they are spending. Id expect that is the order in in spending.

It's funny how the Reds really wanted to keep Higgers but the ARU did not dig deep to help them out, but when it's NSW they made sure of it.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

also told said player had every right to be the drunkest man on earth given how much he was drinking, but managed to be quite well behaved.

 

[KevinO]

also told said player had every right to be the drunkest man on earth given how much he was drinking, but managed to be quite well behaved.

Sounds like a forward, being in Sydney I would assume it's one of the Manly boys.

 

[p.Tah]

It's funny how the Reds really wanted to keep Higgers but the ARU did not dig deep to help them out, but when it's NSW they made sure of it.

Different CEO and chairman now