2025 Squad - Speculation Thread

[Leo86]

I agree with what you are saying. If a player doesn't want to be here, I don't want them forced to be. I don't want Tupou who had declined being here previously and am happy with HJH.

I am happy with the last couple days of signing and other signings that have occurred.

I don't like that either RA dragged their feet with Rodda or allegedly offered an ultimatum. That leads me to think they are meddling in other signings.

It has been speculated that Former Rebels players don't want to sign with thr Tahs.

So is RA stopping them coming to the Force or are they refusing the Force as well?

Are RA not progressing any other contracts and solely concerned with only Tahs?

[GIGS20]

I agree with what you are saying. If a player doesn't want to be here, I don't want them forced to be. I don't want Tupou who had declined being here previously and am happy with HJH.

I am happy with the last couple days of signing and other signings that have occurred.

I don't like that either RA dragged their feet with Rodda or allegedly offered an ultimatum. That leads me to think they are meddling in other signings.

It has been speculated that Former Rebels players don't want to sign with thr Tahs.

So is RA stopping them coming to the Force or are they refusing the Force as well?

Are RA not progressing any other contracts and solely concerned with only Tahs?

in order

Agree

Certainly

I'm confident they offered an ultimatum and that pisses me off

Not really a surprise is it?

Little Column A little Column B

I reckon, yeah. I think it's going "we'd like you to sign with the Tahs" "I don't want to sign with the Tahs" "we le're finishing up the Tahs list first because we own them, if you're prepared to wait around until we get to [other franchise] we'll work something out...Oh, you say you'll sign for the Tahs, here's the contract we had written up for you to sign, what size Wallabies jersey do you take?"

[chiraag]

Very interesting that we've re-rigned Franklin and Prinsep, given they are foreigners. I would've thought Tiatia and Kalapu were more important to retain than Franklin, if we have a limited number of spots for foreigners.

[SNOB]

and 3) we (of all teams given our history) have to stick to the salary cap so it isn't just a matter of opening the owner's cheque book

Maybe the owner of RM Williams should close his cheque book!

[Burgs]

we are not a top or finals team

Devil's advocate- Nor is Sydney

Two good signings though.
Re Nationality, perhaps committing to residency eligibility, I doubt either would have realistic ambitions for AB selection.

[Burgs]

My one major concern, so far we have one player contracted beyond 2025.
This could be seen as a strength with the others filling their boots on the current Rebels dispersal, however, most of them are also one year contracts.
Recruitment needs to get busy amongst the current young crop around Australia securing them while there is uncertainty about the 2026 options.

[Garry Owen]

I am liking this pattern of announcing 1 or 2 signings each day starting with front row, then second row and backrow. I look forward to all the inside and outside back announcements next week!

Also both Princep and Franklin are not wallaby eligible so all the talk of reducing amount of overseas players might not be as strict as we think, so hopefully we are still getting guy porter

[wallabydarnd]

No signings beyond 2025
no first choice rebels …
Are we possibly on a chocking block after 25 ?

[Burgs]

No signings beyond 2025

Swain is 2026, but I do see it as a concern.
The extension period of Williams' contract will be very telling, by rights he should be committing to at least two, if not three (or more) years now he is a Test player.

[James]

Williams might only sign for 1 in the hopes of getting a better top up after a year.

[Garry Owen]

Williams might only sign for 1 in the hopes of getting a better top up after a year.

Exactly, a lot of players might be keeping their powder dry, knowing that the wallabies are in a big period of transition and a lot might go overseas after lions so would be silly to lock yourself into a lower contract for 3 years

[Burgs]

The flip side being in a feeding frenzy of so many contracts next year then there may not be as much pie to grab.
Or for current breakthrough players, fall out of favour with Wallaby Coaching or sustain serious injury.
Bird in the hand...

[wallabydarnd]

Is there any threat to force existence though in 2026 ? New broadcast agreement?
if we finish4th in the Oz rankings ?
facing newly strengthened tahs and reds and poor / unfair/ strategic weakening of our stocks with unequal sharing of the rebels ?

[James]

There will always be a threat to domestic teams outside of NSW and QLD, but even they can't rest easy. The state of our game isn't great.

I'd be more worried if I were the Brumbies- despite being largely successful, they are unprofitable. I don't think things would be as financially dire at the Tahs if they had the Brumbies' record on the field.

[Burgs]

I think it would be quite reasonable, given the state of the Code, to be writing contracts contingent on the given Franchise being in a certain standard of competition.