Rebels stand-in captain leaning on housemate to emulate Melbourne Storm's success
Melbourne Rebels flanker Brad Wilkin only has to walk down the hall if he wants any leadership advice, with his housemate Storm NRL skipper Christian Welch.
Wilkin will head the Rebels on the field this Super Rugby Pacific season while the club’s newly named captain Rob Leota recovers from a ruptured Achilles that’s expected to sideline him until May.
It’s another reward for the 27-year-old Wilkin, who was also part of the Australia A side last year.
The Storm are still to confirm their 2023 leadership group but Welch was co-captain last year, although he too spent all but one game in the stands after also suffering an Achilles injury.
While the Rebels are still hunting a maiden finals berth, the Storm have had sustained success and have only missed the NRL play-offs three times in 25 years, with the last time being back in 2010 when they were stripped of points for salary cap cheating.
Great mates since their Queensland days before they both shifted south, Wilkin said he could turn to Welch if he wanted any advice.
“The Storm have had a lot of awesome success; they have great standards at club and their senior players lead through their performances and that’s probably one thing that I’ve noticed,” Wilkin said on Tuesday.
“It’s an emphasis on those guys, their senior players, their leaders, guys like Christian are going to lead through being the best players on the field so that’s something that I’m trying to emulate.
“My leadership style is around my actions and behaviours and I’ve had to try and adapt and lead more vocally.
“I definitely take a lot from all kinds of different captains that I’ve had in the past and living with a captain of the Melbourne Storm, I’m always trying to pick his brain.”
On the back of a shocking injury toll, the Rebels had to play catch-up all of last season after getting off to a horror start with five straight losses.
They are intent on opening the season with a win against the Western Force in Perth on Saturday night when they will come up against their 2022 skipper Michael Wells.
Wilkin said his side felt much better prepared than recent seasons.
“I feel like this pre-season, we’ve had the most stability that we’ve had in our environment in the last three years,” he said.
“We’ve missed finals by one game here and there and you know, quite frankly, we want to make finals and push on so that’s been a common theme that was spoken about.
“Going over to Perth and getting a win will really kick off the season well and give us some momentum.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to comments