Melbourne Rebels squad dissection

The Rebels have a daunting season ahead after they lost their halfback pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper both for this 2020 season. They wil look to Matt To’omua too fill Cooper’s shoes but their second choice halfback of the past season Micheal Ruru has also left the franchise. They do however have a new signing Frank Lomani a Fijian scrumhalf who will look to impress this season.

Other big news is that their hardworking lock Adam Coleman has also left the franchise, but they do at least still have a formidable forward pack with the likes of Luke Jones, Isi Naisarani and  Matt Philip looking to become regulars in the Australian setup.

Players to look out for :

Dane Haylett-Petty: Probably the most secure fullback under the highball in the competition and very dangerous on the counter attack. His two partners for the back three is also very capable and regular Aussies in the form of Reece Hodge and Marika Koroibete. They will be a tough backline to play against with those three being able to cut threw any defence.

Matt To’omua: He was one of Australia’s best performers at the 2019 World Cup in Japan but will have allot of responsibility filling the shoes of (in my view Australia’s best flyhalf of the past decade) but if anyone in Australia can do it he will be the one, He might not always have the flair of Cooper but he is a class player and wil control the game if he gets the chance.

Isi Naisarani: He is just a free running hard hitting loose forward that any coach would want in his team. If he gets the ball and a small gap he will take it and the defending team will struggle to stop him when he gets up to full speed.

Entire Backline: This team has always been a backline dominated team and that is again the case trhis year with their free running elusive backline they will most probably have a great start to the season as always until the other teams recognise that the only way to beat the rebels is at the front.

Luke Jones: He is a very important part of the rebels team because he is a player that does all the ugly work so the backline can look good and have quick ball if the rebels is going to have a great season and not just a start look for this guy to rally up their troops and get the big engines of the forwards working.

New Signings :

Cabous Eloff (Prop), Matt Gibbon (Prop), Esei Ha’angana (lock), Trevor Hosea (lock), Josh Kemeny (Flank), Boyd Killingworth (Flank), Gideon Koegelenberg (lock),  Declan Moore (Hooker), Cameron Orr (Prop), Ruan Smith (Prop), Michael Wells (Flanker), Andrew Deegan (Flyhalf), Andrew Kellaway (Back three), Frank Lomani (Scrumhalf), Ryan Louwrens (Scrumhalf), Harry Potter (Center-Wing), James Tuttle (Scrumhalf)

Players that left :

Adam Coleman,  Ben Daley, Tetera Faulkner, Sam Jeffries, Hugh Roach, Sam Talakai, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Harrison Goddard, Jack Maddocks, Michael Ruru, Sione Tuipulotu.