Goings, Comings, Rumours & In Limbo
The biggest losses to the squad for the Melbourne Rebels after the 2016 season are foundation Rebel Luke Jones, as well as “Mikey” Mike Harris and Tamati Ellison. At the arrivals gate, though, there is an influx of young guns, including U20s star Jack Maddocks and Rugby League code-hopper, Melbourne Storm’s start winger, Marika Koroibete. On the rumour side, while it looks increasingly likely he will return to the Reds, Quade Cooper has reportedly been courted by the Rebels.
Goings
Luke Jones (Bordeaux), Mike Harris (Lyon), Tamati Ellison, Scott Fuglistaller, Cam Crawford, Paul Asquith, Daniel Hawkins
Comings
Tyrel Lomax (Brumbies), Alex Toolis (Edinburgh), Jack McGregor (Aussie Schoolboys), Jack Maddocks (Aussie U20s), Marika Koroibete (Melbourne Storm), Pama Fau (Aussie Sevens), Jorgan Uelese (home-grown Victorian), Amanaki Mafi (Bath)
Rumours
Quade Cooper (Toulon)
In Limbo
Tim Metcher, Jamie Hagan, Tom Moloney, Kotaro Masushima, Adam Thomson
What can we do better?
A cruel answer would be “just about everything”, an unhelpful answer would be “don’t get as many injuries”. The Rebels were plagued by injuries in 2016, probably the worst season for injuries they have had since their inception. Add to that a grueling travel schedule to start the season and you can almost accept the excuses… almost!
If we could have a sliding doors comparison and see how we would have performed with less injuries to key players it would be interesting to see the results. With 2016 being their equal most successful, could it have been better with a more fully-fit team? Maybe.
On the face of it there were some results that went from very good, to very poor (Christchurch anyone?), which points to a serious lack of consistency. That could be due to a squad that had to constantly switch positions to cover the gaps. Yes, you have to have depth, but there is only so deep you can go, especially in Australia (and more so, Melbourne)!
If we can get a good, stable squad in 2017 we need to try and keep positions consistent. Easier said than done with injuries, but keeping position intact goes a long way to getting that consistency.
A united, stable and consistent Squad will go places in 2017.
While it has been rumoured that Quade Cooper has been pursued by the Rebel and despite the fact he will more than likely return to the Queensland Reds, there has been a lot of debate on forums about whether a signing such as this is a good thing for the Rebels.
We were all, quite frankly, burnt by the whole James O’Connor / Kurtley Beale fiasco and many of us, including myself, have been heard to scream “NEVER AGAIN!” (I still have a soft spot for Danny Ciprianai, though!).
O’Connor and Beale – good or bad for Melbourne?
Should we never entertain a marquee signing again because of this bad experience? Are we just shooting ourselves in the foot by being stubborn? We have had success with signings like Scott Higginbotham, Mike Harris and Tamati Ellison, so with the right person with the right attitude (i.e. someone who wants to be there), it can work. Maybe it is time to try again with a big signing, maybe not QC, but someone who makes Rugby headlines for the right reasons.
