Melbourne Rebels appoint new coach

Unfortunately the Rebels consistently have to put up with comments like this. The fact is a half educated look at the most recent wallabies squads show that one thing Melbourne is doing better than other non traditional markets is producing more high end talent. There is plenty wrong with rugby in Victoria, but often incorrect information around certain areas doesn’t help. People would be amazed if they looked at the winning percentages of other teams they compare them to are actually worse, historical crowd sizes almost identical and a huge misunderstanding that money lost on the franchise wasn’t on the player budget but poor stadium deals and administration. Again there is a lot wrong, the team should be doing better but they suffer a lot from misinformation around some areas of the rugby landscape.

The "c" word being "culture".

Why is it that use of the "c" word in Australian rugby inversely correlates with actual results?

Living 3hrs + out of Melbourne I cannot claim to be a diehard Rebels fan attending every home game - but they are my team none the less. Unfortunately I also tend to think that appointing Foote was maybe not the smartest move. I hope he can surprise us all, but I think the Rebels management should have been looking for a coach to take them in a different direction - preferably with an upward trajectory. The team is not that bad but they certainly seem to lack the sort of guidance that can lift them to the next level. More of the same from a coach that served under Wessels won't cut it. What bothers me the most is that the Rebels management don't seem to have even done some serious looking around for other [& possibly better] options.

Vic has produced more pro rugby union players than Vic. I think more are in the current Rebels squad than have ever played NRL.

WA, ACT and Vic are pretty much equal in pro player development. All have about enough locally developed players to fill half a squad. Probably rises including OS based players though.

Who You Gonna Call??? Mr Leg.

Good point. Still the coaching can't be too bad if it is turning out quality players in a region dominated by AFL and, I assume, soccer.

"although WA continues to turn up locals and it would be interesting to know what they are doing" I think the advantage they have in WA is little competition from the NRL. A kid comes along interested in Rugby in the Eastern states and that quickly gets sucked into playing Rugby League. Even in Victoria, it would be league that kids recognise and want to get into before Rugby or the Rebels. In WA, its almost the opposite that is true. A kid interested in playing in WA will quickly find that it is Union pathways that are the easiest to get into.

I don't think Foote is an amazingly inspiring appointment but you have to look at what is out there. McMillan at the Chiefs with Gatland coming back would have been good to chat to but maybe he doesn't want to leave NZ? Ben Herring also another good one. But he left NZ for Japan at the end of 2020 so under contract. I actually think Cheika would have been a good appointment for what the Rebels need. But is he even interested? People are getting worked up about Darren Coleman signing with the Tahs but I don't see how he's an any more inspiring appointment than Foote. Foote has coached NRC and done pretty well at that level. Been involved in pro systems without getting punted pretty quickly like Coleman did (FWIW I've read varied reports of Coleman from people closer to him - some bad but also some very good).

What a depressing read down through the comments. It started on a fairly positive note and then I start to find out that being a Rebels supporter seems much the same as being a Waratahs supporter. Back to the same themes, coaching and development pathways in Australia are pretty much non-existent although WA continues to turn up locals and it would be interesting to know what they are doing. Brain dead administrators are probably the biggest complaint and sustainable on-field success is not possible without transforming administration off the field.

2.8 tries per game in TT v 1.8 in AU bears this out too, TWAS...

But if he needs advice from a whole Leg he knows who to call.

Very unlikely sadly

Agreed. I think Parling and Foote’s parts of the game had been the best of the Rebels over the last 2 years. The attack has not been good so Berne had to go and Wessels overall management gets blame too. Foote can do things his way (select his 23 and squad) and Stiles is a good addition to support. Also heard good things about the new attack coach but ultimately the proof will be in the pudding. Rebels were a long way off in TT but at least they looked like a team trying to play to what they had which they had not been for most of SR AU

Brett, always love the "glass half full" attitude. Foote and Stiles could do worse than bolster the existing roster (which has some decent guys on it) with a handful of oldies. The accountants would like it! What is potentially bad news for SRAU is the Gallagher Premiership expanding to 14 in 2023. This says to me two more clubs scanning the globe for players.

I agree big time, Rebels management is a farce and burning the Rebels brand in an Australian sporting hotspot. So upsetting considering the potential of the side.

I was going to say that the Force's game against BoP would be a good gauge of the local talent but that game, I assume, is not going ahead?

Another unresearched throw away line. The 2021 Force roster had 10 players either born in WA or who have come through the Future Force Foundation. In the last match 6 of the scrum were Wallabies qualifiers. The high profile old overseas guys and dispirited Jaguars deserved the headlines. But what's underneath is good for Australian rugby.

Exactly, but without going into it here, it's the organisational issue of establishing and maintaining a culture of vibrancy and dynamism with functioning and performance outcomes. This 'almost' guarantees being at the cutting edge, as well as being market leaders and/or trend creators. I wouldn't know, but I'd like to think there's some evidence of the above in the team and the organisation, if they are to go onwards and upwards.