Force debut V Rebels Debut

[Rex Messup]

10-25 V Brumbies played 0-43 V Tahs

I thought the Force was staunch on debut even hitting the lead against ther Brumbies after a try to Scott fava in the first half.

The rebels were blows away in the second half

Nice stadium though.........how I'd kill for one of those

[WA sport fan]

definitely not a good start for the Rebels.

Lucky the stadium opening wasn't as bad as that!!! Last year.

Hopefully for Super Rugby sacks the rebels can turn this around.

[jargan83]

10-25 V Brumbies played 0-43 V Tahs

I thought the Force was staunch on debut even hitting the lead against ther Brumbies after a try to Scott fava in the first half.

The rebels were blows away in the second half

Nice stadium though.........how I'd kill for one of those

Not to mention our first home crowd of 39;000ish. Would have thought that with Melbourne apparently being the sporting capital of the known universe they would have sold the game out
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[tic]

That sporting capital stuff is BS. Throwing millions of taxpayer dollars at Tiger Woods or Bernie Ecclestone does not make you a sporting "capital" as they love to self congratulate themselves about.

A sporting city accepts and follows more than one winter football code. Now that the novelty has worn off, we shall start to see how "sporting" melbourne really is.

A true sporting city is measured in junior and senior participation rates across all sports.

[WA sport fan]

That sporting capital stuff is BS. Throwing millions of taxpayer dollars at Tiger Woods or Bernie Ecclestone does not make you a sporting "capital" as they love to self congratulate themselves about.

A sporting city accepts and follows more than one winter football code. Now that the novelty has worn off, we shall start to see how "sporting" melbourne really is.

A true sporting city is measured in junior and senior participation rates across all sports.

Well said mate, I agree 110%
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[Rex Messup]

Melbourne is really a grey, industrial sh1thole full of trendies and metrosexuals.
How about the tenor singing opera before the anthem? That'll do me.......and the fat chicks that new all the words. Apparently that sh1te is "culture"
Give me a beer a boat and a babe 5000KM from melbourne and I'm as happy as a pig in sh1t

[tic]

Rex, you should be a poet.

[Rex Messup]

Rex, you should be a poet.

I am the people's poet

[Rex Messup]

Give me a beer a boat and a babe

You like my use of alliteration?

[GIGS20]

No, but I'm pretty impressed with your use of "beer"

[James]

In the Rebels defence, the Brumbies were hit by a stomach virus on the eve of the the Force's debut. Or so they claim. Still 43-0 is embarrassing.

[tic]

In the Rebels defence, the Brumbies were hit by a stomach virus on the eve of the the Force's debut. Or so they claim. Still 43-0 is embarrassing.

The Force set themselves up infinately better than this rabble of middle aged journeymen and precious Gen Y'ers.

Granted, they raped my beloved Reds to do it, but they hit the ground running and put up a decent fight in the first 2 years.

This mob will have a problem attracting talent to join them in a winless environment and in a town where the average Joe and Jane think that the Rebels is just another name for the Storm.

[Rex Messup]

I tend to disagree
I think Melbourne has a large population. They have an entrenched rugby system
There is a large kiwi and islander contingent because it's closer to the cuzzies back home.
Lets be frank, QLD and NSW produces more talent than they have places in the Tah and Red system meaning there will always be fringe players who miss out but have the ability to be at that level with elite training. Matt Hodgson is the classic example. The bloke is a wallaby and without the Force may never have cracked super rugby. Nobody on this forum at least thinks he isn't up to it.
For decades we lost the best and brightest to minileague because our rugby system couldn't accomodate them.
Melbourne will offer the Rebels plenty of corporate and sponsorship dollars.....which in professional rugby is the be all and end all. Money talks
A quick sneak peek at our left wing commy minileague poor cuzzies suggests they don't get it despite 100 years of "professionalism". A mining magnate called Tinkler wants to payroll the minileague Knuts and they are sitting around on the verge of bankruptcy and negative cash flows debating the pros and cons and the committee can't agree on the best way forward. That'll do me
When they have finished humping the neighbours dog, the cash will have walked.

[TOCC]

If the Force or Rebels weren't created, would the Reds have Simmons, Horwill, Samo, AWH and Humprhies on there books and where would Byrnes and Sharpe fit into that picture?

Other questions to beg, if it weren't for the inception of the Force, where would we be standing in terms of JOC and Pocock? undoubtedly they were both destined for Wallaby colors, but would they have developed as quickly without the opportunity to start on a regular basis at such early ages?

Would TPN have had the opportunity had Brendan Cannon remained at the Tahs for another 2 seasons.

Would Kurtley Beale be one of the best fullbacks in the world now if Cameron Shepherd was still filling the fullback position at the Tahs.

Would Genia be starting if players like Sheehan, Valentine and Henjak hadn't freed up spaces on the east coast.

This is about establishing a rugby culture in a foreign market and creating Wallaby development pathways for the longer term. Until the point is reached the all 15players from the Australian Schoolboys and Australian U20 sides are contracted, there is room for expansion, Its a long term process though, it wont happen overnight.

[tic]

I don't disagree at all TOCC - but for me, it's always been about the timing of new franchises. I still say that the Rebels have been created too soon after the Force. We all know that their timing had everything to do with the TV rights under negotiation.

I know that there is something of a rugby base in Melb, but ultimately I worry about their ability to survive in an aggressive and hostile AFL market. Let's be honest here, even with all the hype on rugby forums about their debut, there was very little column space in their media.

They are far more obsessed about Fevola's sacking or Nixon's valentines day romance with an underage AFL groupie.