Rebels v Force @ AAMI Park

[daz]

Geez, what's taking the Rebels so long to release the team sheet?

I'm on a preview deadline here!

 

[swingpass]

Geez, what's taking the Rebels so long to release the team sheet?

I'm on a preview deadline here!

seeing who looks good in orange laces

 

[swingpass]

team is up

UNCHANGED 1 - 23

 

[swingpass]

no room for sentiment at Rebel HQ. thought that Neville might have got a run and that one of the wingers in the 15, especially as the Force do have two good wingers even if they don't really ever use them except as kick chasers.

 

[Moono75]

Because all the Rebel supporters on this forum are too lazy. Heres the team. No wonder you missed the finals

Melbourne Rebels v Western Force

1. Toby Smith
2. Pat Leafa
3. Paul Alo-Emile
4. Luke Jones
5. Lopeti Timani
6. Sean McMahon
7. Colby Fainga’a
8. Scott Higginbotham (C)
9. Nic Stirzaker
10. Jack Debreczeni
11. Cam Crawford
12. Mitch Inman
13. Dom Shipperley
14. Bryce Hegarty
15. Mike Harris

Reserves
16. Tom Sexton
17. Cruze Ah-Nau
18. Tim Metcher
19. Sam Jeffries
20. Scott Fuglistaller
21. Jordy Reid
22. Ben Meehan
23. Tom English

 

[daz]

Because all the Rebel supporters on this forum are too lazy. Heres the team. No wonder you missed the finals

We missed the finals??? I didn't even know we were in the running.

I need to pay more attention to detail.

 

[Braveheart81]

Melbourne might be two hours ahead of Perth but the finals don't start for another week so no one has missed them yet!

 

[KevinO]

Disappointing for Neville.

Will be interesting to see what comes out post match regarding departing players.

 

[ChargerWA]

I think Neville is over rated. He burst onto the scene but since then has done nothing. I'd' be pissed if the force had picked him up.

 

[KevinO]

^^^Still finishing on 49 caps when he has been clearly better than Jefferies is not right.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

I reckon this is an odd quote from TT...

“I was very pleased with the efforts of the entire squad on Saturday to secure a tough win against a quality Bulls side,” McGahan said. “It was a relatively easy decision to retain the same lineup for Saturday, in what will be another big test for our group."

Considering that, apart from the flankers, he didn't really use the bench last week (and I hope someone lets him know that the game is on tonight, not Saturday).

The team looks unbalanced with Hegarty on the wing. I would have liked to see Veainu or Kingston given a crack with Hegarty on the bench instead of the Fug.

 

[Tex]

I can't agree with the calls for Neville to get a sympathy jersey. He made his bed and there are other blokes who need the game time.

But I agree completely about Hegarty unbalancing the backline. He's safe at fullback and can run at 10, but he doesn't seem to have the explosive speed or bulk needed to win at wing these days.

 

[Braveheart81]

I agree with Tex.

The only reason there is any sentimentality is that he's stuck on 49 caps.

If he was over 50 or further under it, no one would care.

 

[Highlander35]

Backline isn't necessarily unbalanced player wise, but positionally it is. If you rejigged it to look like this:

9. Stirzaker
10. Debreczeni
11. Crawford
12. Harris
13. Inman
14. Shipperly
15. Hegarty

It looks much nicer. Unfortunately, TT "knows" that Harris and Inman are best at 15 and 12, and won't move them unless there's no alternative, which creates the balance issues with a 10/15 on the wing and a wing at 13.

 

[swingpass]

i think Hegarty is a great player but was exposed on the wing last saturday. i would have moved English to OC, his best position, and left Shipperly and Crawford on the wings, with Hegarty on the bench. But the team presumably reflects the current pecking order and it seems both Kingston and Veianu are on the way out.

 

[Dumbledore]

I'd love to know what the deal with Veainu is. Every time he's been on the park for the Rising or the Rebels he's been the best wing, TT just won't give him a shot. I feel sorry for the bloke, hope he leaves next year and makes everyone in Melbourne regret it.

 

[swingpass]

^^^^ except for the bit about us regretting it

 

[daz]

I'd love to know what the deal with Veainu is. Every time he's been on the park for the Rising or the Rebels he's been the best wing, TT just won't give him a shot. I feel sorry for the bloke, hope he leaves next year and makes everyone in Melbourne regret it.

If Tony is being a pig-headed arsehole and deliberately not picking Veainu for personal reasons, then yes, I'd agree with you.

But who knows what the reason is. Is Veainu not working hard at training, and other blokes are forcing selection ahead of him? Is he carrying a niggling injury? Is he Jewish and not able to play on Friday games?

Maybe he is as good or better as others in his position, but maybe he doesn't fit the current team dynamic and actually does need to move on. That is not an unprecedented situation for many players. Hell, I thought Nick Phipps was a disaster for us, but he went on to win a title at the Tahs and become a dead-set monty for the Wallaby scrummy position. Sometimes the "fit" just isn't there.

My point is, I'm sure there is a reason that might not be something that needs to come out from behind closed doors.

 

[Dumbledore]

I'm sure there's a reason too. I'd just love to know what it is. Because we saw two months of Tom English making one tackle and one run a game. I can't believe Veainu would have been any worse in that situation.

And Phipps WAS a disaster for us. He was utterly godawful. Good coaching and a Wallabies forward pack go a long way as it turns out.

 

[Highlander35]

Phipps had a good season and a little bit, when he first joined us, but then just kept on falling and falling till he decided to go home. Continued to get games because Kingi was constantly injured and Stirzaker was very inexperienced. We brought in Burgess, he buggered off to Sydney.

Cheika and co worked out a couple of things technically, then off a stromg forward pack and a stand off he built a strong combo with, he's the incumbent. What ya gonna do?