Rebels 2014

[Tex]

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.

That's outrageous! They're not happy they have Folau and Beale in the same team and ask for help keeping another young gun? 20 years into professionalism and rugby is still stuck in amateur hour. Blokes like Khoder Nasser must rub their hands with glee at the prospect of dealing with the ARU and state unions.

 

[Athilnaur]

Ironic isn't it that the big loss in Africa and subsequent mess was probably the best thing that could happen for the club. Really sorry Foley didn't work out, I think he would have been a great fit.

 

[Bowside]

I love to pour shit on the waratahs as much as the next bloke, but you have to understand the tahs were on the brink of spectacular failure and they are slowly coming back from that.

Keeping Foley at 10 is imperative to their on field success. And I think its best for rugby in this country that: a) he is playing 10 for the tahs; and b) that Beale and Folau stay in rugby and don't go back to league.

Is it fair? Not really.

But was the rebels poaching Higgers fair? Not really. The swings and round abouts of professional rugby.

I don't think the salary cap that 'forces' these signings to occur is necessarily fair in the first place.

I also don't think the lack of funding for academies in Melbourne and Perth is fair considering what QLD and NSW get.

The important thing to note is that the new 3rd tier is putting the super rugby teams on an equal footing at a development level. And long term this is what matters.

 

[p.Tah]

-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.

Interesting if true. Did the three amigos create their own 'toxic' environment?

 

[daz]

But was the rebels poaching Higgers fair? Not really. The swings and round abouts of professional rugby.

How did the Rebels poach Higgers? His contract was up, his manager fielded offers, he chose the Rebels.

Let's call it what it really is: a free market.

 

[Athilnaur]

Much as I am sure Chieka wants Foley Beale and Folau, the thing that resonates as the ARU play is them not wanting an ARU poster boy cut adrift after 12 months of crisis talks over their other 2 poster boys.

 

[199madmave]

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

There were NO Rebels forwards allowed to play for Manly on Saturday -- all were training in Melbourne. The only Rebels forward in Sydney last weekend captained the students against Manly!!!

 

[Bowside]

How did the Rebels poach Higgers? His contract was up, his manager fielded offers, he chose the Rebels.

Let's call it what it really is: a free market.

It's not a free market at all.

The reds could match the rebels offer, but they didn't have the cap space so they lost him, even though he was keen to stay. He was quoted in the press saying as much.

The salary cap is a market constraint, and one that is not applied evenly as we see with the Foley saga.

In foleys case I suspect the waratahs were in a similar position(as the reds with higgers), but the ARU has stepped up with a bit of extra money. Which is what the reds wanted the ARU to do for higgers and they refused.

 

[daz]

It's not a free market at all.

The reds could match the rebels offer, but they didn't have the cap space so they lost him, even though he was keen to stay. He was quoted in the press saying as much.

The salary cap is a market constraint, and one that is not applied evenly as we see with the Foley saga.

I agree that the ARU don't really have an "apples for apples" policy when it comes to player movements, but putting all that aside, the simple fact is that if Higgers wanted to stay at the Reds, he could have.

He would have had to accept a lesser package to fit within the salary cap, but that is the price you pay for success. Your players are worth more and you have to juggle the money around.

I have no doubt the ARU would have been keen to see the Rebels get a star or two (and would have worked towards that with a carrot or two) but they didn't force Higgers to go to the Rebels.

 

[Braveheart81]

It strikes me that if the only reason that Foley was lost to the Rebels is that the ARU kicked in extra cash to keep him in Sydney then this would be a much bigger story than it was.

It seems almost certain that if the Rebels were truly screwed over then explicit details of what went on would be leaked to the press to make a big deal out of it.

In pretty much every sport, professional sportsmen categorically state that they have nothing to do with nor any knowledge of the specifics of each others contracts and negotiations.

I find it hard to believe that a Rebels player would have specific knowledge of how much the Rebels had offered Foley and then the fact that the Waratahs retained him only because they received an extra payment from the ARU.

 

[Bowside]

It strikes me that if the only reason that Foley was lost to the Rebels is that the ARU kicked in extra cash to keep him in Sydney then this would be a much bigger story than it was.

It seems almost certain that if the Rebels were truly screwed over then explicit details of what went on would be leaked to the press to make a big deal out of it.

In pretty much every sport, professional sportsmen categorically state that they have nothing to do with nor any knowledge of the specifics of each others contracts and negotiations.

I find it hard to believe that a Rebels player would have specific knowledge of how much the Rebels had offered Foley and then the fact that the Waratahs retained him only because they received an extra payment from the ARU.

The australian sports media don't really care about rugby beyond Cooper and Folau.

And I suspect the Rebels are not going to try their luck taking on the ARU. The QRU can do it because they can back up their statements, but the Rebels have no fall back.

 

[Hoolly Doolly]

........ and then the fact that the Waratahs retained him only because they received an extra payment from the ARU.

You do the maths. the tahs on aru contracts are clearly getting bigger aru top ups in order to stay under the cap or else theres some dodgy ground hire fees still going on.

 

[Braveheart81]

You do the maths. the tahs on aru contracts are clearly getting bigger aru top ups in order to stay under the cap or else theres some dodgy ground hire fees still going on.

Yes. The Waratahs have lots of players with ARU top ups. The Waratahs also have a lot of cheap players who'd barely played any Super Rugby before this season.

In a climate where the ARU are reducing top up contracts because they don't have any money, I can't see them forking out for an ARU contract for the uncapped Bernard Foley. If they had, I expect that would have been far bigger news than hearsay from a friend of a friend who talked to a drunk Rebels player.

 

[Dumbledore]

Can I just say, after last night, how very, very, happy I am that we've signed Colby?

 

[199madmave]

Can I just say, after last night, how very, very, happy I am that we've signed Colby?

He signed for one year...doubt he will stay any longer!!

 

[Braveheart81]

He signed for one year.doubt he will stay any longer!!

I think he'll stay in Melbourne.

The only way I see him leaving after one season is if the Rebels sign someone ahead of him. I think that is the major reason for the one year contract after he got leapfrogged by Pocock and Smith just when he thought he was in the clear with Hooper leaving.

 

[Dumbledore]

He signed for one year.doubt he will stay any longer!!

Why wouldn't he? Pocock at the Brumbies, Hooper at the Tahs, Gill at the Reds, Alcock at the Force. Of those four Alcock is the weakest, but he's still a bloody good player.

 

[daz]

He signed for one year.doubt he will stay any longer!!

Confiscate his passport and tie his shoe-laces together when he is not on Rebels duty. The bugger will have to stay!

 

[Zander]

It's fantastic for Australian rugby to have Hooper, Gill, Pocock, Fainga'a and Alcock all at different franchises.

 

[en_force_er]

Colby was excellent last night, but there's plenty of good 7s around.

I think he'll stick with us until he knows his Wallaby dream is on the cards or not.

If it's not, there's a starting jersey for Tonga and some big bucks overseas waiting for him.