Rebels 2014

[swingpass]

I'd like to see:

Lahiff, Horie, Weeks
Pyle, Neville
Jones, Fainga'a, Higginbotham (C)
Stirzaker, Hegarty
Inman, English
Kingston, Woodward, Situati

PAE, Smith, Leafa/Sexton, Reid, Timani, Burgess, Mitchell, Roberts

Depth at flyhalf looks very shaky. Need someone at 12 too.

this looks about right.

despite his detractors i think Sidey has played well in the second half of the season. he is not "creative" in the classic mould, but does what is expected, tackles well, takes the ball up over the ad line and knows when to pass and when to not. i am content to leave him at 12.

English has been great and i agree he looked good at 13 but he can stay on a wing with Kingston on the other.

is Smith a LHP or a THP, he must be close to a starter coming from the Chiefs, where he has been a pretty regular in the match day 22. not certain Timani will cover second row and hard to move a hard working 6 (Jones) into the locks after 50 to 60 minutes if necessary. might see more of Thomson in 2014 unless another lock is found or Timani starts at 8 and Higginbotham at 6 and Jones in the second row. Also i think Neville played a more consistent and better second half of 2013, will hopefully continue to do the grunt work in 2014 and should start more often than not. agree Horie more likely to start than the others.

IMO the bench ideally should contain the specialist back ups ie hooker, half and props, a versatile back (cover wings, centre (Mitchell) or 10/15(Roberts) depending on the selected backs); a versatile forward (usually lock/blinside flanker) and one or two game breakers, someone to bust open a tiring defence, Sitauti is more likely than Roberts/Mitchell to do this, in the forwards this could be Jordy's role.

i am looking forward to seeing how our boys perform in the ITM cup. we may well miss beale and o'connor next season, but i think in 2 -3 years time we will look back and say it was the wisest decision.

or we may reflect on Big Dell

" there is no i in team,
but seven in individual brillliance"

ps yes i know its only 5

 

[Brumbieman]

Don't think that's quite true. His carrying doesn't seem to be quite as effective when he starts, he makes just as many carries as he has been coming off the bench - but he doesn't get nearly as many metres so it doesn't look as dramatic. He plays very tight for a 6, hits a lot of rucks and makes a lot of tackles - not necessarily the flashy stuff. His carrying does seem to have gone to another level in the last couple of matches, he was big against the Lions and just ridiculous against the Highlanders. A Jones - Colby - Higgers backrow is brilliant. Gives you four lineout jumpers, speed and application at the breakdown, tackling and some proper ball carrying ability.

Yep, that's your best backrow by a long way. Colby is an excellent ball carrier too, his pilfering is the weakest part of his game, and he's still good at that. Neville and Pyle forms a damn good 2nd row, you just need some quality front rowers now.

Stirzaker and Hegarty is good at 9-10, Inman at 12 is a good idea too as he will give the backline a bit of punch in the midfield and let English use his speed and footwork at 13, a bit like my theory of playing O'Connor at 13, outside a hard running/tackling 12.

Rebels should be very strong next season, i'm a bit unsure of why the sacked Hill, just when things were finally starting to come good for them!

 

[Dumbledore]

Because we're still conceding 30+ points a game and a lot of the fundamental skills and systems are just horrible. As good as the second half against the Highlanders was, the first was just appalling. Over committing to rucks, then flinging the ball out wide to isolated attackers, get turned over, concede a try and repeat.

 

[Athilnaur]

Losing Saffy could prove an ironic blessing, I'd be very frustrated if we lost Jones because he was being played off the bench as an 'impact player', he'd be gone within a year. In fact I'd be ropable.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Hill is a fine strategist, but a piss-poor skills coach. Much like Foley is a good skills and breakdown coach, but one of the worst strategists.

 

[en_force_er]

Hill is a fine strategist, but a piss-poor skills coach. Much like Foley is a good skills and breakdown coach, but one of the worst strategists.

Nathan Grey is the Rebels' Skills Coach.

 

[RoffsChoice]

Well then en_force_er I shift all blame to him.

 

[Dumbledore]

Losing Saffy could prove an ironic blessing, I'd be very frustrated if we lost Jones because he was being played off the bench as an 'impact player', he'd be gone within a year. In fact I'd be ropable.

I will lose my shit completely if we let him slide through the cracks. He simply must start next year.

 

[Dumbledore]

Hill is a fine strategist, but a piss-poor skills coach. Much like Foley is a good skills and breakdown coach, but one of the worst strategists.

Can't agree with that. Our strategy this year, when it has appeared, seems to be not dissimilar to League. Bash it up the middle then chuck it wide and hope someone can win a one-on-one contest out wide. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he's just not up to this level yet.

 

[en_force_er]

Well then en_force_er I shift all blame to him.

I've had a couple of experiences with the guy (Grey), he's a very good communicator. But there's much more to coaching at a professional level then that I guess.

Still, if I had to guess based on how I've seen him act and the information I've seen him impart onto others I'd say he's a very good coach. Certainly good enough to be a skills/attack/back line coach at most levels of rugby.

But, like I said, I've only seen him doing this and that in the community rather than in a professional set-up.

 

[oztimmay]

I will lose my shit completely if we let him slide through the cracks. He simply must start next year.

Dumbledore I'd too shut bunnies if we lost him; he's a beast and future star. We signed him and English through to the end of the 2016 season.

See:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/jones-english-resign-with-rebels-20130523-2k2k1.html

 

[Bruce Ross]

Your mob have already made one mistake by not appointing Todd Louden as Head Coach and I have no idea whether he would be prepared to again do an understudy role, but if so and you pass him up you will have missed a great opportunity.
.

 

[en_force_er]

Your mob have already made one mistake by not appointing Todd Louden as Head Coach and I have no idea whether he would be prepared to again do an understudy role, but if so and you pass him up you will have missed a great opportunity.
.

Haha, Sounds like you think us and every other franchise is making a mistake by passing up on him.

The standard route to being an Aus Super Rugby coach is through a Wallaby assistant coaching role. I don't know why, and there are exceptions, but that seems to be the case. I think Louden needs to go there before he's seriously considered here.

Also, I've seen no conversation about this outside of G&G so maybe talks didn't advance as far as you were led to believe Bruce?

 

[James Buchanan]

Also, I've seen no conversation about this outside of G&G so maybe talks didn't advance as far as you were led to believe Bruce?

Apparently Growden had heard more, take that for what you will.

http://www.espnscrum.com/lions-tour-2013/rugby/story/187779.html

 

[Bruce Ross]

Haha, Sounds like you think us and every other franchise is making a mistake by passing up on him.

The standard route to being an Aus Super Rugby coach is through a Wallaby assistant coaching role. I don't know why, and there are exceptions, but that seems to be the case. I think Louden needs to go there before he's seriously considered here.

Also, I've seen no conversation about this outside of G&G so maybe talks didn't advance as far as you were led to believe Bruce?

I have no knowledge of whether Louden was considered for the Head Coach position, en_force_er. In fact it would be very much the exception for an Australian rugby appointment, whether for a coaching or administrative position, to be made on the basis of a systematic search for the best qualified candidates. Sometimes you can find the ideal man for the job in your golfing four.

What is obvious is that Louden was available and his success ratio in terms of improving the performance of every team he has coached is unparalleled in Australian rugby.
.

 

[oztimmay]

I have no knowledge of whether Louden was considered for the Head Coach position, en_force_er. In fact it would be very much the exception for an Australian rugby appointment, whether for a coaching or administrative position, to be made on the basis of a systematic search for the best qualified candidates. Sometimes you can find the ideal man for the job in your golfing four.

What is obvious is that Louden was available and his success ratio in terms of improving the performance of every team he has coached is unparalleled in Australian rugby.
.

Perhaps his relationship / success with Link might mean some upcoming work with the Wallabies? I hear they are looking for a new coaching coordinator.

Still, sounds like he would be a good pick-up for the Rebels

 

[Bruce Ross]

Someone of a more cynical disposition than me might have observed that the appointment of Totality Tony was serendipitous for the ARU in that it reduced their salary burden.
.

 

[RedsHappy]

Someone of a more cynical disposition than me might have observed that the appointment of Totality Tony was serendipitous for the ARU in that it reduced their salary burden.
.

Bruce, if we look closely at what is happening wrt the Rebels management in general, the large accumulating losses there have as we now know forced the ARU to take over and essentially bankroll the whole fragile enterprise on an open-ended basis. Rebels' crowd levels remain commercially dangerously low for Year 3, and the major issue as to how the ARU will afford this exposure and regular cash flow out for (by their own admission) at least another 3-5 years has been glossed over by our ever more supine rugby media.

Accordingly, and yet again, the ARU is appointing its 'insiders and well-networked' parties as CEO and, now, Head Coach. Our mate TT is an odd choice on demonstrable coaching success grounds. He's had some - but far from stellar or continuous - success in the NH and his period under RD could hardly be called exemplary in terms of results achieved or skills greatly advanced (though Bret Harris has now leaked that Robbie 'had lost the support of his coaching group' - what a surprise).

My point being that, given the huge financial exposure the ARU has now taken on in Melbourne, these are heavily ARU-driven appointments in areas where, certainly under The Emperor of Masterful Termination Payments, the ARU has a very poor track record of sound, strategic judgment being made. Let's hope The Pulveriser knows and does better.

 

[daz]

Your mob have already made one mistake by not appointing Todd Louden as Head Coach and I have no idea whether he would be prepared to again do an understudy role, but if so and you pass him up you will have missed a great opportunity.
.

I guess the Rebels are not alone on that on Bruce.

I don't know much about Louden, but you have been trumpeting him for some time now. If he is that good, why does no-one else want to take him on?

Not having a crack, but it doesn't appear that the big dogs at any of the Soup franchises are tripping over themselves to get Louden into a head coaching job, or even an assistant role.

Not 100% sure this isn't more of a personal campaign of yours Bruce. A bit like my bromance with Mitch Inman and the Wallaby 13 jumper; I want it, and I am sure he does too. Unfortunately no-one else seems to like that idea.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think he just needs to start referring to himself as Totality Todd.

That will get him a plum job.