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Rebels 2018

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James Pettifer

Jim Clark (26)
I am staring to wonder;
a) How many Rebels 2017 squad will be there in 2018?

b} of the remaining 2017 Rebels, how many will be starters?

c) are the ex-Force imports under a true of faux salary cap due to honouring contracts / reallocation / dispensations / top-ups?

d) will the same squad be able to retained in 2019 under a normalised salary cap (if its imposed)?

e) how many fringe / development players who had potential opportunities are now closed off and how many back office / supports staff will go as ex-force staff are brought in?

e} how do Rebel supports feel about 2018 as it looks more and more like the Force team playing in a Rebels colours with a Force set up and what the Rebels built such as culture, history, pathways etc mostly overlooked or appearing fairly redundant?

f) will this seemingly "manufactured" Rebels team capture the hearts minds of the Melbourne rugby community and get the same levels of support even if successful?

a) Sa'aga, Weeks, Hanson, Uelese, Cummins, Jeffries, Toolis, Fainga'a, Leota, Mafi, Timani, Stirzaker, Goddard, McGregor, Hodge, Tuipulotu, English, Koroibete, Naivalu, Maddocks - currently 20 with some uncertain. Not unusual really - the Rebels have lost 11-13 players each year of whom a couple are in their top 3-4 players (2013 - lost Delve, Phipps, O'Connor, Vuna, Beale, 2014 - lost Pyle and Woodward, 2015 - lost Higgenbotham, 2016 - lost Jones, Ellison, Harris, 2017 - lost McMahon, Smith)

b) definite starters - Hanson/Uelese, Mafi, Timani, Hodge, Koroibete, Naivalu

c) who knows

d) who knows but I can't think that the squad is any more expensive than the Waratahs squad

e) Probably the main concerns would be Leota and Tuipulotu from a local perspective at the moment but they are both only 20 so have some development time. Uelese has been lucky with his Wallabies picks but has taken his opportunities and that probably puts him in a much better position than he was before hand

eii) Couldn't care. 2017 was as crap as it could possibly be. There will still be a strong core of Rebels players 0 the 6 above. 2 very strong other recruits - Parling and Genia and hopefully 2 strong Force recruits - DHP and Coleman. That leaves 5 spaces left of which Lance is definitely better than the existing Rebels players and Hardwick is a replacement for McMahon (although not quite at the same level but maybe could actually play more games). The three remaining places are probably centre and 2 props. Centre could be English, Meekes or Horwitz. Props - probably Faulkner and Weeks/Ainsley (noting that the Rebels lost Smith). From a coaching perspective, I am very very happy to get rid of our coach and get a decent game plan. I don't think one of the Rebels players has improved in performance from the start of 2016 other than Koroibete who is relearning the game. I definitely hope that coming back from the game will feel different as I haven't seen a win live for a bloody long time (I missed the Brumbies match I doubt whether the team will feel that different other than hopefully winning more games.

f) I think the Melbourne Storm crowds would give you a really good answer here. Not like the initial Rebels squad wasn't a manufactured. Of course, the overall malaise around Super Rugby may make decent crowds impossible for any team. The Brumbies and Force were by far the best of the Australian teams and were getting crowds under 9000 for many games.
 
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upthereds#!

Peter Johnson (47)
Is Talakai confirmed yet? I know he's leaving Ballymore, but is he coming to Mexico?

Looks like Cruz could be squeezed out?

Ahnau going to Zebra and Metcher to Canada. Room for Talakai but read again maybe Ainsley (with Faulkner as LHP). Rebels hoarding THPs.. If Ainsley, Daley and Faulkner all go to Rebels, then Talakai might be going home to Sydney.
 

Ruggo

Mark Ella (57)
I wouldn't be to dismissive of the Senate enquiry. People who dismiss it's power are ill-informed of the power of politics. Put it simple, the Government is down in the polls in WA and need a boost. This whole mess can easily be communicated as an injustice to WA and that presents a good comms story for the Feds if they think they can come to the rescue. I wouldn't underestimate their appetite for retail politics. The other big issue that would privately be at play is that the Force have the backing of one of the biggest supporters of the Liberal party in their corner. Twiggy has been on a PR crusade over the last 18 months and it looks good for the government if they were seen to be backing his initiatives. The reality is that the moment this hit the Senate it became political.
 

Tex

Greg Davis (50)
I wouldn't be to dismissive of the Senate enquiry. People who dismiss it's power are ill-informed of the power of politics. Put it simple, the Government is down in the polls in WA and need a boost. This whole mess can easily be communicated as an injustice to WA and that presents a good comms story for the Feds if they think they can come to the rescue. I wouldn't underestimate their appetite for retail politics. The other big issue that would privately be at play is that the Force have the backing of one of the biggest supporters of the Liberal party in their corner. Twiggy has been on a PR crusade over the last 18 months and it looks good for the government if they were seen to be backing his initiatives. The reality is that the moment this hit the Senate it became political.
I'm unconvinced to be honest. I've contributed to them for work on the real issues with actual impacts both government services and taxpayers, and even the ones with heft and seniority tend to fade into the archives to gather dust.

I'm guessing it'll have fairly low staffing, its report will largely be a detail of evidence given and it will recommend changes that the government can't make and reveal headaches we're already aware of.

That said it's a cunning move from the WARU/Force to make sure the dirty laundry is properly aired and the head office us leotards more accountable than usual.

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jimmydubs

Dave Cowper (27)
Anyone whose phone suggests they were going to use the word leotards obviously uses said word a lot. Anything we should know?
 
B

BLR

Guest
I'm unconvinced to be honest. I've contributed to them for work on the real issues with actual impacts both government services and taxpayers, and even the ones with heft and seniority tend to fade into the archives to gather dust.

$100 million odd WA Government funds given towards rugby that would never have been given if the ARU had not assured the Force were here to stay kinda takes that money away from the WA taxpayers does it not?
 

stoff

Trevor Allan (34)
$100 million odd WA Government funds given towards rugby that would never have been given if the ARU had not assured the Force were here to stay kinda takes that money away from the WA taxpayers does it not?
Didn't the WA govt have some sort of tenancy agreement with the Force or ARU for that? Surprised they built a team a stadium on a nod and a wink.


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Tex

Greg Davis (50)
$100 million odd WA Government funds given towards rugby that would never have been given if the ARU had not assured the Force were here to stay kinda takes that money away from the WA taxpayers does it not?
WA Parliament should probably be holding its own inquiry rather than an entity that's involved at arm's length, at best.

Like I said, inquiries into government services with far greater staffing and support fade into insignificance, as will this one.

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Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
$100 million odd WA Government funds given towards rugby that would never have been given if the ARU had not assured the Force were here to stay kinda takes that money away from the WA taxpayers does it not?
What's that got to do with a federal senate inquiry?

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B

BLR

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What's that got to do with a federal senate inquiry?

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WA Government was one of the witnesses today was it not? The funds were put into the renovations under the understanding that the Force were to be the major tenant, and as mentioned by the minister today this renovation WOULD NOT have been able to commence without the Force being a major tenant into the future which the ARU were very keen to point out was the case. It is extremely relevant as this is money that could have been put elsewhere in Western Australia, that could potentially have had national implications considering we are apparently the strongest state in the federation if you believe the GST carve up.
 

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
WA Government was one of the witnesses today was it not? The funds were put into the renovations under the understanding that the Force were to be the major tenant, and as mentioned by the minister today this renovation WOULD NOT have been able to commence without the Force being a major tenant into the future which the ARU were very keen to point out was the case. It is extremely relevant as this is money that could have been put elsewhere in Western Australia, that could potentially have had national implications considering we are apparently the strongest state in the federation if you believe the GST carve up.
Looking forward to the senate recommending that state governments not spend their taxpayer's money subsidising profesional sport, and state governments completely ignoring this recomendation.

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James Pettifer

Jim Clark (26)
Looking forward to the senate recommending that state governments not spend their taxpayer's money subsidising profesional sport, and state governments completely ignoring this recomendation.

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John Oliver did something about this on the US situation. They spend so much there it isn't funny
 
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