Rebels 2015

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

No. He is not in the extended training squad.
He was not named at all.

 

[swingpass]

No. He is not in the extended training squad.
He was not named at all.

OK thought he was. getting confused, it was Neville

 

[199madmave]

My money is on Woody heading back to NZ in August and Ellison back to Japan for the season and NZ in 2015 . TT replaced Woody on Friday night - first time he hasn't played the full 80 this season. (Pyle has had very limited time on the field since he announced he was heading to France in 2015).

 

[hoggy]

What I am hoping is that they keep most of the squad so that at last there is some continuity. Turning over 1/3 to 1/4 of the team every year is no way to build a franchise. Weeks, Mitchell and Jones are the only originals left after only 4 seasons

This is the problem with having a team in a non rugby state, you are invariably filling it with players that will move on, especially if success is not regular.
Super rugby is a catch 22 for Melbourne while it is fantastic having a team there, the reality is the standard required limits the ability of the local market to produce players, it is probably 10-20 years away from having a genuine local presence in the team.
Super rugby is not really a great fit for a city like melbourne, support for the team is pretty much expatriates, and although the club is doing a fantastic job promoting the code locally, it is simply to hard for the team to get any exposure in a market that has little or no understanding of the competition that the Rebels play in.
Until Super rugby becomes a closed conference, with a genuine domestic content in Australia, i think it will be just Groundhog day when it comes to the rebels.

 

[swingpass]

This is the problem with having a team in a non rugby state, you are invariably filling it with players that will move on, especially if success is not regular.
Super rugby is a catch 22 for Melbourne while it is fantastic having a team there, the reality is the standard required limits the ability of the local market to produce players, it is probably 10-20 years away from having a genuine local presence in the team.
Super rugby is not really a great fit for a city like melbourne, support for the team is pretty much expatriates, and although the club is doing a fantastic job promoting the code locally, it is simply to hard for the team to get any exposure in a market that has little or no understanding of the competition that the Rebels play in.
Until Super rugby becomes a closed conference, with a genuine domestic content in Australia, i think it will be just Groundhog day when it comes to the rebels.

yes unfortunately i have to agree with you.

i love having the super rugby here, but i cannot really ever see the Rebels being self sufficient so to speak. i believe it will be 7 -10 years before we see them truly competitive on a regular basis. i hope over the next couple of years we can win a few more than we lose but i am not overly confident. in the meantime i will adopt the typical melbourne afl supporters siege mentality of "my team can do no wrong, the opposition are all bastards and the umpire a cheat"

(no not really)

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

My money is on Woody heading back to NZ in August and Ellison back to Japan for the season and NZ in 2015 . TT replaced Woody on Friday night - first time he hasn't played the full 80 this season. (Pyle has had very limited time on the field since he announced he was heading to France in 2015).

Ellison has been away from NZ so long he now counts as a foreign player under NZRU's eligibility rules for Super Rugby. Highlanders asked for an exemption & got turned down, as they did last time they asked & he wound up in Melbourne. Japan I think has already been confirmed but after that it's probably Europe for him.

 

[Highlander35]

Ellison has been away from NZ so long he now counts as a foreign player under NZRU's eligibility rules for Super Rugby. Highlanders asked for an exemption & got turned down, as they did last time they asked & he wound up in Melbourne. Japan I think has already been confirmed but after that it's probably Europe for him.

I thought that he couldn't do it this year because he still had a Japanese contract, and therefore didn't count as a NZ player, but from February next year, he could go back since his contract was over?

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[waiopehu oldboy]

I thought that he couldn't do it this year because he still had a Japanese contract, and therefore didn't count as a NZ player, but from February next year, he could go back since his contract was over?

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Pretty sure he wouldn't be able to walk straight back into Super Rugby, would have to play ITM Cup first which I doubt he'd be keen on given the pay cut he'd have to take.

EDIT: unless of course someone wants to take him on as their foreign player, probably have to do it for 2 years for him to regain NZ qualification aiui.

 

[oztimmay]

OK thought he was. getting confused, it was Neville

Quote from the Australian.

The buzz yesterday that Melbourne Rebels winger Tom English would be selected proved to be only half-right with McKenzie naming him as one of four players from outside the squad to train alongside the Wallabies when they go into camp at Sanctuary Cove on June 1 ahead of the June 7 First Test against Les Bleus at Suncorp Stadium.
The others are Brumbies winger Henry Speight, who is still three months away from being eligible for Wallabies selection, Rebels lock Cadeyrn Neville and Waratahs prop Paddy Ryan.

 

[Scooter]

Jack Debreczeni has signed a one year deal with the Rebels. He has been upgraded from an EPS contract to a full contract.

I saw in Tony McGahan's column in the Rebel Record that he was the latest to commit and thought I hadn't seen anything about it. Now it has been announced.

 

[OneOrThree]

So, I have compiled this list. I throw it open to others to edit accordingly as I may have missed some news re: signings, retirements, those heading O/S or who will be ineligible.

Name Position 2015 Confirmed Rebel
Cruze Ah-Nau Prop Yes
Eddie Aholelei Prop TBC
Paul Alo-Emile Prop TBC
Luke Burgess Scrumhalf Yes
Jack Debreczeni Flyhalf Yes
Tamati Ellison Centre TBC
Tom English Centre Yes
Colby Fainga'a Openside Flanker Yes
Lalakai Foketi Centre Yes
Scott Fuglistaller Openside Flanker Yes
Bryce Hegarty Flyhalf Yes
Scott Higginbotham No. 8 Yes
Shota Horie Hooker TBC
Mitch Inman Centre TBC
Sam Jeffries Lock Yes
Luke Jones Lock Yes
Tom Kingston Wing Yes
Max Lahiff Prop TBC
Pat Leafa Hooker Yes
Sean McMahon Blindside Flanker Yes
Ben Meehan Scrumhalf TBC
Lachlan Mitchell Centre Yes
Cadeyrn Neville Lock Yes
Hugh Pyle Lock No
Jordy Reid Openside Flanker TBC
Angus Roberts Flyhalf TBC
Alex Rokobaro Fullback TBC
Male Sau Centre TBC
Tom Sexton Hooker Yes
Toby Smith Prop Yes
Nic Stirzaker Scrumhalf Yes
Chris Thomson Lock No
Lopeti Timani No. 8 Yes
Telusa Veainu Wing TBC
Laurie Weeks Prop TBC
Jason Woodward Fullback TBC
Mike Harris Centre Yes

 

[Tex]

Just rearranged your format and shifted a couple names around (Inman and Weeks are signed for 2015, I believe).

Priorities are Woodward, Alo-Emile and Meehan, as far as our run-on and bench squad go. Sau and Veainu are also handy and I'd like to see them play on, provided they aren't blocking a younger Australia-eligible player like Kingston.

Confirmed
Cruze Ah-Nau, Prop
Laurie Weeks, Prop
Toby Smith, Prop
Max Lahiff, Prop
Tom Sexton, Hooker
Pat Leafa, Hooker
Cadeyrn Neville, Lock
Luke Jones, Lock
Sean McMahon, Flanker
Scott Fuglistaller, Flanker
Colby Fainga'a, Flanker
Scott Higginbotham, No. 8
Lopeti Timani, No. 8
Nic Stirzaker, Scrumhalf
Luke Burgess, Scrumhalf
Jack Debreczeni, Flyhalf
Bryce Hegarty, Flyhalf
Tom English, Centre
Lachlan Mitchell, Centre
Mitch Inman, Centre
Mike Harris, Centre
Tom Kingston, Wing

EPS
Lalakai Foketi, Centre
Ben Meehan, Scrumhalf
Jordy Reid, Flanker
Sam Jeffries, Lock

Unconfirmed
Eddie Aholelei, Prop
Paul Alo-Emile, Prop
Shota Horie, Hooker
Angus Roberts, Flyhalf
Male Sau, Centre
Tamati Ellison, Centre
Telusa Veainu, Wing
Jason Woodward, Fullback
Alex Rokobaro, Fullback

Exiting
Chris Thomson, Lock
Hugh Pyle, Lock

 

[oztimmay]

I think with Jack D signing on for a year (wonder why so short?) we won't see Gus Roberts or Alex Rokobaro next year. Less likely with Alex as he is internationally capped. Probably the same for Eddie; a shame because he's a imposing figure, but with his international cap and a long queue of props he will struggle for time. Perhaps if Max moved on he might stick around...who knows.

 

[Highlander35]

So what does the EPS look like next year? So far I think Jeffries and probably Meehan as the third scrummie remain there, Ah-Nau, McMahon, Leafa and Debreczeni get promoted, and Foketi gets a "promotion".

So that's 2 EPS spots remaining, with potentially a third hooker and a sixth prop needed, if Shota and a prop leave.

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[Tex]

The news about another tight forward signing to go overseas makes keeping our stock of blokes with growing experience even more vital.

We're scouring South Africa for a young lock, and have a number of props to be re-signed. What's happening with Shota? I think he's really come along and claimed the starting spot this season and should be kept if possible.

 

[OneOrThree]

The news about another tight forward signing to go overseas

Tex can you expand on what or who you mean?

 

[swingpass]

The news about another tight forward signing to go overseas

Tex can you expand on what or who you mean?

i hope he mean Longbottom from the Force.

see Aussie Exodus thread

 

[KevinO]

TT replaced Woody on Friday night - first time he hasn't played the full 80 this season.

Would not read into the replacements late on Friday night, after all the match was over so was good to get the few newbies onto the ground to experience Super Rugby

 

[KevinO]

Max signed for two years originally so is a yes as well.

http://www.espnscrum.com/super-rugby-2013/rugby/story/180824.html

 

[let it flow]

they need to really consider young fereti saga, who missed on the aus u20's, strong rumours say he should have made it, his only problem was he had (vic) next to his name not rebels, like the other 2. bright future, which has now joined manu samoa u20's. Rebels don't want these boys leaving, but there not prepared to sign them. they would rather relocate a 20 to 21 year old instead of nurturing the talent here. these boys work just as hard and then get shot down. wake up REBELS. that's why CL wont leave the brumbies. loyalty