Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Storm proved can make it in afl dominated landscape but for some reason rebels can’t - need equivalent of super coach like Craig Bellamy as for my mind that is the difference.
Rebels 2020
- Thread starter RugbyReg
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Storm proved can make it in afl dominated landscape but for some reason rebels can’t - need equivalent of super coach like Craig Bellamy as for my mind that is the difference.
Blackadder
Desmond Connor (43)
Being owned by News Ltd since day one helps too
Rebel man
John Thornett (49)
If the Rebels were 3mil over the cap we would do better
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Rebels have never had a top coach, Rod Macqueen had been out of coaching for almost a decade. Damian Hill did not have the experience when he took control. Than we were forced into taking Tony McGrahan by the ARU so they did not have to pay his contract out, while his CV looks good and true Munster fan will tell you his crap, took over the side that won the Heineken Cup and failed to make the quarter finals and now Dave Wessels who admits his in experince cost the Rebels finals berths in the last two seasons.
Don't get me wrong, was probably the best option available at the time. But the Rebels really should be looking at signing a coach with a proven current record. Someone who knows what it takes to play finals rugby at this level.
Don't get me wrong, was probably the best option available at the time. But the Rebels really should be looking at signing a coach with a proven current record. Someone who knows what it takes to play finals rugby at this level.
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Agree but hard to attract those sort of coaches given money on offer in Europe etc
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
4 years ago yep,
His been out of coaching for a while now, you can't take that kind of break from the game anymore.
Micheal
Nicholas Shehadie (39)
That's one thing I find peculiar about RUPA.
I'm pretty sure that RA has to pay a set X% of the broadcast revenue to players, as negotiated by RUPA.
This all makes sense, of course. The Union is there to protect their interests.
But I think RUPA should've negotiated another Y% -- where Y is a substantial amount -- to be spent on Super Rugby and Wallabies coaches.
A first year player earning 10% less but being coached by Graham Henry probably has a far higher career earnings potential than if he was coached by Dave Wessels and earning 10% ($5,000?) more.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Tex
Greg Davis (50)
That was a fucking bin fire of a performance.
On the positive side, Deegan looked assured and superior to To'omua when he came on, Lomani has a slick pass and will get better with confidence, Naisarani carried well but probably needed to assert himself more against a smaller pack, Meakes industrious as ever.
But so many stupid amateur errors from blokes paid well not to make them. Missing touch on a penalty? Fucking the kickoff? Dismal lineout throwing? So many little pressure valve moments that saw us marching backwards.
Leota and Cottrell were ineffective in the backrow. For a team with seemingly endless depth across the flanker slots, watching journeymen players comprehensively outplay us on 3 weeks practice was a very bitter pill to swallow.
On the positive side, Deegan looked assured and superior to To'omua when he came on, Lomani has a slick pass and will get better with confidence, Naisarani carried well but probably needed to assert himself more against a smaller pack, Meakes industrious as ever.
But so many stupid amateur errors from blokes paid well not to make them. Missing touch on a penalty? Fucking the kickoff? Dismal lineout throwing? So many little pressure valve moments that saw us marching backwards.
Leota and Cottrell were ineffective in the backrow. For a team with seemingly endless depth across the flanker slots, watching journeymen players comprehensively outplay us on 3 weeks practice was a very bitter pill to swallow.
Dctarget
Tim Horan (67)
I've always been impressed with Leota's rise up the ranks. Having watched him since he was very young he's always been brilliant but that's in Vic Rugby against a pretty mediocre opposition and he was never pegged as a future super star. I know he's young but I don't see him getting much better from here.
KevinO
Geoff Shaw (53)
Agree and disagree,
Not sure if his cut out for this level, but the one thing he needs is some consistent game time to have a chance.
Cottrell and Jones need to swap next week, and not sold on RHP performance or lack of influence in the game.
Rebels3
Jim Lenehan (48)
Leota plays best in a role that focuses on impact than industry. Wessels has him playing a traditional SA openside role, where as I think he’d be better deployed in a looser role. Cottrell is a solid player but offers absolutely no point of difference for the team. Ainsley is another that is solid but offers very little beyond core responsibilities which just isn’t good enough at this level. RHP is a very talented player but appears to have the shackles applied to his game.
If Wessels is going to go the SA route with this team, he needs to remember the SA team was built on winning collisions, carrying the ball like you are going to hurt the opposition and been brutal in defense.
If Wessels is going to go the SA route with this team, he needs to remember the SA team was built on winning collisions, carrying the ball like you are going to hurt the opposition and been brutal in defense.
Rebelsfan
Billy Sheehan (19)
Harsh but oh so true
Purce
Dave Cowper (27)
This will likely be an unpopular opinion on this thread... I don't see Hodge as a starting player. He simply isn't better than other players in each individual position. 10: Deegan and To'omua are better 12: To'omua and Meakes are better 13: English and Meakes are better 11/14 he is just too slow to play out wide (M and K better) and at 15: DHP is the better player.
The only option I could perhaps see is putting him at 15 and actually using his boot as a weapon and basing part of your game plan around it. But then you are left with only Marika and English with decent pace.
I like the guy and he clearly has guts, hardwork and likeability in his DNA but I believe it is actually weaker and limiting the backline by starting him over others who would work better as a unit and individually in those positions.
Personally I think it'd look best with
9: Lomani 10: Deegan 12: To'omua 13: English 11/14: Marika/Kellaway 15: DHP
21: Louwrens/Tuttle 22: Meaks 23: Hodge
I think To'omua can serve a purpose at 10, you only have to look at the impact he had in the RWC when he came on later in the game at 10. A half decent coach should recognise this and use it to his advantage. With 20 to go change up the attack by taking Deegan off and To'omua to 10. Straighten up and make the attack more direct. He created plenty of headaches for the opposition when he came on later in the game at 10 by playing soo differently to what they were used to defending against for 60 mins.
FWIW I think Hodge could be a very good player but only as a kicking weapon at 15(both long ad well as smart kicking) or put a little more meat on him and play at 12.
The only option I could perhaps see is putting him at 15 and actually using his boot as a weapon and basing part of your game plan around it. But then you are left with only Marika and English with decent pace.
I like the guy and he clearly has guts, hardwork and likeability in his DNA but I believe it is actually weaker and limiting the backline by starting him over others who would work better as a unit and individually in those positions.
Personally I think it'd look best with
9: Lomani 10: Deegan 12: To'omua 13: English 11/14: Marika/Kellaway 15: DHP
21: Louwrens/Tuttle 22: Meaks 23: Hodge
I think To'omua can serve a purpose at 10, you only have to look at the impact he had in the RWC when he came on later in the game at 10. A half decent coach should recognise this and use it to his advantage. With 20 to go change up the attack by taking Deegan off and To'omua to 10. Straighten up and make the attack more direct. He created plenty of headaches for the opposition when he came on later in the game at 10 by playing soo differently to what they were used to defending against for 60 mins.
FWIW I think Hodge could be a very good player but only as a kicking weapon at 15(both long ad well as smart kicking) or put a little more meat on him and play at 12.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Brilliant post. The calibre of system-wide rugby coaching is simply fundamental to maintaining the market share of rugby in any given mature market for pro sports. There are many intrinsic reasons why coaching calibre matters so profoundly to successful pro rugby outcomes, and surely they are obvious to most posters here.
The core problem with Aust rugby since c. 2003 has been a strategically reckless imbalance between a rapidly expanding quantity of pro rugby played (and players playing it) that has vastly exceeded the virtually zero investment made into selecting, training and developing an adequately parallel number of 'up to the job' pro HC and AC coaches.
'Parallel' in that the quantity of players and playing days would be/should be matched by the quality of coaching capability in depth sufficient to ensure a high calibre of both long-term player and team development.
As you infer a symptom of this essentially disastrous syndrome of structural imbalance (now manifesting itself negatively in virtually every aspect of Aust pro rugby) is the way in which RUPA greed and short-sightedness (utterly and stupidly indulged by the ARU/RA) has biased Aust pro rugby income allocation to players' income vs investment in the core developmental infrastructure essential to a balanced evolution of player, team and, critically, coaching quality.
eastman
John Solomon (38)
I tend to agree; he was recruited as a fly half before being shifted further wide when it became apparent he didn't have the skills to play at 10. No doubt he's a good rugby player and can fill a gap but he doesn't (and I don't ever think will) become an outstanding outside back.
Jimmyjam
Watty Friend (18)
Agree, the only position imo where he could become a top liner is fullback in the Roger Gould mode. Cannon boot and fairly good all rounder without the tackle busting you need at 12/13 or express pace you need out wide. I would've been playing him there for years to be honest, runs a pretty good line, fairly solid in defence and tall enough to get in the air when needed.
thierry dusautoir
Alan Cameron (40)
I think a big issue with the backline is two fold...Lomani and To'omua didn’t work. Whether it’s them still gelling I am not sure but it’s hard to know who was at fault.
Also the backline has a lot of skilful options at centres but really there is no punch. You could argue that korobete or hodge provide it but they aren’t kuridrani/kerevi style bangers in the midfield and would be better suited to running off the shoulders of guys like this.
It’s the same problem as last year, once the forward pack hits parity but aren’t punching through...what do you do?
Magney maybe? But he hasn’t shown it consistently
Also the backline has a lot of skilful options at centres but really there is no punch. You could argue that korobete or hodge provide it but they aren’t kuridrani/kerevi style bangers in the midfield and would be better suited to running off the shoulders of guys like this.
It’s the same problem as last year, once the forward pack hits parity but aren’t punching through...what do you do?
Magney maybe? But he hasn’t shown it consistently
PhilClinton
Mark Loane (55)
The Storm essentially built their club and culture around Bellamy. If I recall he became head coach around 4 years after the club first entered the competition, so hes been there for around 18 years. It quickly became his club and players who came to Melbourne were coming to get the Bellamy treatment and become better players.
The Rebels tried to build their club around their star mercenary players and the culture and management was an afterthought. I honestly think they are close enough to a full clean out of that original group to create something new and should focus on finding a high profile coaching staff to build around if they are to become successful.