The Melbourne Rebels’ month from hell has continued, as the Brumbies picked off the embattled Super Rugby franchise one lineout after another to go down to their Australian rivals 30-3 at AAMI Park.
Following weeks of dire headlines surrounding their future after falling into voluntary administration, the Rebels fluffed their lines and couldn’t take their chances on an emotional evening in Melbourne.
The embarrassingly low turnout, which came off the back of tickets not being able to be sold until Monday afternoon, summed up the sorry state of affairs at the franchise.
It also was a concerning warning ahead of next weekend’s Super Rugby, where all 12 franchises will descend on Melbourne for the third straight year.
Indeed, one of the showpiece events on the Super Rugby calendar could well expose the competition’s shortcomings.
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Rob Leota’s Rebels suffered another blow on Friday night as the under-pressure Super Rugby franchise were smashed by the ACT Brumbies at AAMI Park, on February 23, 2024. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
Off the back of a strong set-piece, Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio outplayed his opposite No.10 Carter Gordon.
Lolesio set up Corey Toole’s second try after a clever decision to attack the short side from a lineout and helped them to a 17-3 half-time lead.
Then, after some more brilliance from Nick Frost at the lineout in the second half, No.8 Charlie Cale scored a phenomenal individual try to ensure the Brumbies would leave Melbourne with a bonus point fourth try.
Cale’s second try in the 78th minute put the cherry on top of a strong first performance, which rubberstamped the Brumbies once again as Australia’s premier side.
The Rebels will rue several blown chances.
After Toole’s early five-pointer showcased the winger’s incredible speed, the Rebels had the chance to respond quickly with a five-metre lineout, but Leota was pinged at the rolling maul.
Later, on the stroke of half-time, Matt Gibbon was penalised at the scrum when the Rebels had been peppering the Brumbies’ line and dominating their opponents previously at the crucial set-piece platform.
But Leota’s cancelled try after Vaiolini Ekuasi held back Tom Hooper at the scrum rubbed more salt into the wound.
The Rebels will hope the lacklustre display isn’t the nail in the coffin that cements the thinking around the future of the franchise, who need a white knight to save them after sinking into $22 million of debt.
Leota said the Rebels didn’t help themselves and were their “own worst enemy”.
The Brumbies raced out to an early lead when Toole was freed up by fullback Tom Wright. The rapid-fire winger only needed an inch as he broke free and chipped ahead to score easily out wide.
The sevens international had his second try after 15 minutes when Lolesio opened up some space for Toole to explode into and suddenly the Brumbies had a 14-0 lead.
After struggling from the kicking tee during his maiden international year, Gordon’s kicking woes returned as the 23-year-old banged a simple penalty into the left-hand upright midway through the first half.
A lifting tackle from Rebels recruit Filipo Daugunu allowed Lolesio to extend the lead out to 17-0 in the 27th minute.
Gordon didn’t make the same mistake from the kicking tee in the 32nd minute, as the Rebels finally got on the scoreboard.
The home side looked like they would add some more points on the stroke of half-time after camping down at the Brumbies’ line.
Luke Reimer was one of the Brumbies’ best during their season-opening win over the Rebels in Melbourne. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Even referee Angus Gardner came to the party, showing Len Ikitau a yellow card for being offside, but the Rebels blew the chance to take some confidence into half-time as Gibbon infringed.
If it wasn’t the excellent Luke Reimer, who was at his lethal best on the floor, making life hell for the Rebels, it was the men from Burn City themselves as their lineout struggles continually plagued them throughout the entire match.
Taniela Tupou made his arrival felt after making his Rebels debut, but the home side couldn’t execute the strong go-forward the Wallabies prop provided in the second half.
Cale’s second half double ensured it was a frustrating evening for the Rebels, who were in desperate need for a happy finish to one of the club’s most difficult months.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
Hahaha, you really are clueless. Firstly I am not your son, nor would I be young enough to be so. Secondly you are not an island when it comes to the law and obligations including those of directors as well as those between RA and the Rebels. If it was such a cut and dried case there wouldn’t be lawyers engaged to establish obligations and responsibilities. So putting your inflated ego aside, you in fact actually know sweet fanny Adam’s about the details of this situation apart from what you can glean from the newspapers. Most people in that situation would keep their powder dry and their mouths shut. But not you. Finally, shutting the conversation down with blowhard comments like you make are entirely up to you, but rest assured you have not a clue who I am or what I know or don’t know, but be certain I didn’t come down in the last shower of rain and I’m not one of your kids. Rest assured the conversation was dead as soon as you started typing and responding with sweeping generalisations and personal insults.
Nobody
Roar Rookie
Where was Gordon when the West Force fell?
ScottD
Roar Guru
Son, I’ve forgotten more about directors obligations than you will ever know and it’s clear you know nothing about them. End of conversation.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
You do, do you. You put the boot in even though you don’t have the facts. You completely ignore the fact the Tahs were in a similar boat but got bailed out by RA. You make disparaging general comments about the Rebels and suggest the Force were better evdn though they got beaten by twice the score. And here you are telling others not to drink the coolade or put the boot in.. yeah sounds like ypu understand the term irony perfectly. Also repeating yourself doesd in any way shape or form make you right. Clearly you discount obligations or how businesses actually operateto suggest ypu can tell who is responsible for what with barely any facts.. so I woukd suggest you take your own advice… and perhaps give the coolade a miss.
Didgeman
Roar Rookie
Can't blame CG to be honest. The kid was thrown into the WC in a key position with minimal experience in test conditions. The same thing happened to Noah and he crumbled under the pressure. These kids need far more mentorship.
Didgeman
Roar Rookie
What do you mean why? Very poor management and incompetence are why. They haven't filed a financial report since 2018...
ScottD
Roar Guru
I do but you don't. Directors are always ultimately responsible. Always, always, always.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
But here you are making big statements with regards who is responsible and to blame... do you u derstand the term irony.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
No mate, that is your spin. I am merely looking at a couole of instances and saying they were poor decisions. Putting the boot in is making general statements in lieu of facts or detail. Suggesting an error was made in a particular circumstance is simply commenting on an event. Have I called him irresponsible or made a general statement that he was the reason for the loss or was solely to blame or the only one to make a poor decision. No, so grow up and stop deflecting with hypothetical bs and labels.
ScottD
Roar Guru
More than half of the debt is in fact either overdue or is due within weeks. Some of it is long overdue in fact. Some of it was prepaid sponsorships where the sponsors weren't delivered what they paid for. Most of the debt that isn't due is owed to directors who probably don't want to crystallise it for their own (probably very good) reasons. There will be a lot of accusations and counteraccusations before this all plays out. I'd be careful about drinking the coolade from either side on this one until the courts tell us which party is on the level.
ScottD
Roar Guru
No mate. You are sinking the boot in. It's a 15 man game and when players make mistakes under pressure you need to look at why they were under pressure. The whole team didn't perform, he at least did some good things .
ScottD
Roar Guru
They owed money to ATO and also Payroll tax to Victoria and money on super contributions to players. What “reports” and where can we see them mate? RA don’t “owe” them anything. That is arguable and I suspect they will argue that in the court. I wouldn’t be too quick to drink the cool aid from either side on that one.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Scotty...a gentleman after my own heart. Let me know when you are in the Goldfields.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
Most people who play know when they do poorly. Thats how players get better. And I am not sinking the boot in . I am being honest about mistakes he made. You are making up stuff and pretending you are asking legitimate questions in some bizarre effort to defend a defensive lapse and error. As for labelling people armchair critics suggesting people are making comment without any facts, context or detail… with comments suggesting I am putting the boot in and your various comments about the Rebels and sweeping generalisations blaming everyone else but the guy who made the poor judgement call I would suggest this is more your forte. I am attempting to talk to the point at hand with the details as we know them… and you are passing sweeping statements which don’t actually talk to the situation as it is or was and think you are contributing something important or real. I don’t think that is what you are doing here at all Scott and pretending otherwise doesn’t make sense.
ScottD
Roar Guru
No mate, I am giving him credit for making a decision even if I don't know his reason. You are the one sinking the boot into him. Maybe he isn't perfect and he certainly did some good and bad things but he deserves more than the one dimensional criticism from armchair critics.
W Evans
Roar Rookie
It’s a narrative that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. The Rebels’ average crowd in 2019 was under 11,000. Even with the ‘late sale of tickets’ the difference between 8000 and 11000 isn’t break even. Rugby Victoria has filed just one annual report to the consumer regulator since it took control of the Melbourne Rebels in 2017 – the same year it admitted the Super Rugby club was bleeding millions, and there was “significant doubt” it could continue operating as a going concern. The 1.7 million a year removed in 2020 equals 8.5 million over 5 years as against a 22million debt. The grant was removed in 2020 because the national body was going to go broke subsidizing state unions who weren’t performing on or off the field. I could go on. The states need to stop blaming everyone but themselves.
AgainAgain
Roar Rookie
So when he passed it off the ground to a Brumbies player, was that his Rebels team mates deficiency. When the play ran down the right side and with the fullback and winger coming from the Brumbies own 22… the fullback completely missing from the picture is the rest of the teams fault. They are poor defensive plays and reads from the fullback who is supposed to be one of the better readers of the defence. He wasn’t covering for anyone else because the entire play from when they took the ball was down the right-hand side, so instead of making stuff up, actually watch the game is all I am suggesting. His defence was shoddy for a fullback… watch the replays. If you are asking a legitimate question then not to answer one with you obviously :laughing: tell me who you think he was covering for since the wing was already committed and it was the FB who was out of position. You are just putting forward a lazy generalisation and hoping it might be swallowed up as legitimate.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Rebels need to take ownership for a global pandemic and cut in RA support. Fair.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
The ATO amount they owe has been settled according to reports. Of the 10million remaining RA owe them 8-9. The difference is what they owe to the stadium who let’s face it aren’t going to be bothered as they will want the stadium being used. We’re actually talking 1-2 million, which don’t get me wrong isn’t good. But it’s no different to the Brumbies.
ScottD
Roar Guru
Nothing I have said on this thread is putting the boot in. I was asking a legitimate question. He put the effort it even if he wasn't perfect. When one of the back three are out of position there is generally a reason for it - like they are covering for someone else.