Melbourne captain Rob Leota says Rob Valetini winning the John Eales Medal is proof of the talent in Victoria, warning the loss of the Rebels would have a “massive impact” on the state’s junior pathways.
Wallabies teammates, Leota and Valetini grew up playing with and against each other in Melbourne before the latter opted to take up a Super Rugby Pacific contract with the ACT Brumbies.
While the No.8 has flourished in the move to Canberra, this week named Australian rugby’s men’s player of the year, Leota said leaving Melbourne wasn’t the route that suited everyone.
With the start of the 2024 season two weeks away, the future of the Rebels is under huge threat beyond this year, with the financially-stricken club in voluntary administration.
Their dire financial position has many fearing the Rebels will be cut beyond 2024, with the franchise’s directors slamming Rugby Australia for sending them off a cliff and seeking to “turn the Member Unions on each other”.
Speaking at their season launch Leota says the players can only control what happens on the field.
“The big message is to control what we can control, we’re here for 2024, and our focus is to bring a title home for Melbourne,” he told AAP.
“It’s given us even greater purpose to really do a job and make Melbourne proud. We want to make the finals and have a really successful year as a club.”
Rob Leota is a product of the Melbourne rugby pathways. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images for Barbarians)
Leota said many Victorian youngsters looked up to the Rebels, and aspired to play for their state.
The Rebels have produced home-grown Wallabies like Leota, Jordan Uelese and Pone Fa’amausili, while Sione Tuipulotu kicked on after four seasons in Melbourne to represent Scotland.
Other Test players to come out of Victoria include Christian Lealiifano and former Wallabies coach and prop Ewen McKenzie.
“Before the Rebels, guys had to go and chase their dream elsewhere so taking away the team will have a massive impact on Victorian rugby,” the 25-year-old back-rower said.
“When kids see us in Victoria, we’re able to be those role models and when they look at us they see something to strive for.
“Robby Valetini won the John Eales Medal so the proof is in the pudding – it shows how much talent we have down here.
“Not everyone wants to move away … my family was massive for me growing up and I wanted to be around them.”
Rob Leota says cutting the Rebels would affect participation in Victoria. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Leota sat out the entire 2023 season after rupturing his Achilles but returned to play in Australia’s disappointing World Cup campaign.
With Test players Taniela Tupou and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto bolstering their forward pack he believes Melbourne could be a genuine finals force this season.
“The forward pack is going to be a big strength of ours and that’s what we’re trying to be, a real dominant pack, and hopefully it will go a long way towards us winning,” he said.
The Rebels host Fijian Drua in their final pre-season match next Friday.
(with AAP)
Jack
Roar Rookie
Robbie V signed for the Brumbies while still at school. No sure the Rebels had much to do with his development. It’s simple enough; the Rebels went broke and have never had a competitive team. It’s a waste of money that Australian Rugby doesn’t have.
Ad Tastic
Roar Rookie
I'd be more sympathetic to an expanded club competituon based off of existing clubs than inventing brand new franchises. Just not sure there are enough that have the finances to go fully professional.
DGS
Roar Rookie
We’ll have to agree to disagree Rocky. Also I’m not interested in sticking the boot into the players like you have here. They had to endure a diabolical coaching set-up in 2023 and most Wallabies were down in terms of confidence and performance.
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
@DGS Yes you must be watching different games cos Leota is a huge Test dud. He has not played a single good game in a WB jersey. He intimidates no-one and has mostly been a useless passenger. My assessment is not nasty - just a statement of fact. And yes I was aware Leota was talking up his own form and the Rebels. And said he talks up a big game but neither he, nor his Rebels team, deliver on the field. I'm hoping Leota, and his Rebels, finally do in their last season :thumbup:
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
No existing tribalism - it would be a farce. It’s not going to happen.
Honest Max
Roar Rookie
But Samu had nothing to do with the Rebels, right? I’m not sure if Valetini had much to do with the Rebels either - he signed for the Brumbies as a 16 year old.
DGS
Roar Rookie
I must be watching different games to you Rocky. He’s been fine whenever pulling on a Wallaby jersey. It looked liked he was being interviewed as Club captain and commenting on the pathways for Vic players so you’ve completed missed the point of the article but don’t let that get in the way of your nasty self appraisal.
Paul
Roar Rookie
Great article. And a massively important point made by Leota. I was bitterly disappointed when Valetini went to the Brumbies, but I believe he was stuck behind Sean McMahon and Jordy Reid at the time so he can't really be blamed for the choice. The Rebels havent performed on the field, that's plain to see, but off the field the pathway has been successful. May be Harold Mitchell buy the Rebels back for a dollar and pay down this debt...
RoadBike
Roar Rookie
True, and keeping with the tech analogy – SR being Blackberry, is dead, and Australia didn’t innovate towards the iPhone and Android [aka English Premiership / URC / Pro 14]. Nokia had loads of patents [like Motorola] and is very profitable selling unbranded phones for the Android market [but I digress]. QPL and Shute Shield etc. [your Nokia] are very fit for purpose as Australia 2nd Tier – they host excellent Colts [U20] competitions, that allow the young talent to be showcased; those Club Comps should be funded more to develop that talent – SR Academies fail on that front as they fail to recruit some of the Colts later developers, and instead stick to their recruitments from U16 level that will never make International level. This is very different to the English and French systems, for example, where the Academies are Club based – far more developing talent on show, and always monitored [unlike the SR Academies, in the main]. As for SA – they innovated; saw the sinking SR/Blackberry ship and jumped on the iPhone [European] bandwagon. They kept Nokia/Curry Cup as their 2nd Tier, and it works well for them. Australia – IMH opinion, needs more teams not less – but not SR Teams, and it needs to play domestically [like England and France]. The time has come to re-invent itself; there are many suggestions out there – my view is similar to the idea above – go semi-regional [if that is a word] NSW is too large to provide complete tribal support, so lean on the regional aspect – West/East/North/South has far more diversity in support, so leverage that. The same must be the same in QLD?
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
I agree that the brands are what draw crowds to some extent. But the elite tier draws more fans than any below it. If an elite tier also had more brand association and more entities to provide competition then it would be shooting from both barrels, like the NRL, AFL or Soccer.
Ad Tastic
Roar Rookie
More people went to watch Shute Shield than ARC and that's nominally a lower tier. People don't go to games because of what tier level they are. They go because they are attached to their team's brand. Reds and Waratahs, even Randwick and University are established brands historically and culturally. People don't have that connection with new franchises.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
$80 million or double indeed, isn't spent yet. The Lions will also be a big payday.
Ad Tastic
Roar Rookie
That money is already spent. They been dipping into advances on that just to keep the clowns paid at the current circus
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
A fraction of the number of fans want to watch a third tier as a second tier. Second tier is absolute elite level which is the premier domestic format. Third tier is a lower level supporting competition. So that kind of team list hasn't been tested at elite domestic level.
Ad Tastic
Roar Rookie
What does it matter what tier it is?
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
That isn't the choice. The pandemic and some odd recent spending have depleted finances in a one-off way. Plus the RWC and Lions will bring a financial bonzanza.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
When was that kind of list ever the second tier?
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Perfect division BUT you’d need to add the following: Gold Coast Newcastle Adelaide to make it a dream 11. 11’s a strange number so you might get a 12th somewhere. Great plan. In New Zealand the equivalent would be: Chiefs Crusaders Highlanders Hurricanes Blues South Auckland North Harbour Bay of Plenty Manawatu-Taranaki Hawke’s Bay Northland Taranaki if needed
Ad Tastic
Roar Rookie
That’s fine. But Blackberry got replaced by the iPhone, not the Nokia. This domestic league stuff is the Nokia when it comes to Rugby. It’s going back to something we tried twice before and it didn’t work either time. Ask yourself what South Africa did when they left Super Rugby. They went straight into a new competition that included franchises from multiple countries playing each other in a league format. They didn’t go back to play Curry Cup. And the Curry Cup is 10 times the competition than anything RA has the ability to set up. My solution, for what it’s worth, we ditch 2 franchises like NZ asked us to do and we go all in on a trans tasman Super Rugby. It’s the only viable solution.
RoadBike
Roar Rookie
SR worked about 15 years ago - now SA play in Europe [and have committed past 2026], and Argentina [players] mainly in France, there is little to be gained playing NZ based SR Teams. Australian players need more games not less [they play around half as many as their European counterparts] - Blackberry was the tech darling in 2012; by 2018 it was on its death bed. Very similar to SR - innovation is the key and SR is rugby's Blackberry equivalent.