'They're going to get some big names': Rebels will chase Wallaby and All Black stars
The struggling Melbourne Rebels picked up their third win of the season over Moana Pasifika but former Wallaby Tim Horan says that the club is already looking at a big recruitment drive for next year and beyond.
With the traditional big three clubs back to strength in the Australian conference, the Reds, the Brumbies and the Waratahs, the Rebels are looking to chase ‘three or four big names’ to get back into contention.
Horan said that the club is looking at luring a couple of high profile Wallabies to Melbourne and even suggested they should chase a halfback like All Black TJ Perenara.
“We know they do so much off the field, the Rebels, with the Women’s game and the juniors,” Horan said on Stan Sport.
“Looking forward, that was a good win [over Moana Pasifika] and a bit of momentum. Nick Stiles as General Manager is starting to look further to next year and the year after.
“He’s going to chase Samu Kerevi, they’re good mates, he’s coached him a long time. He wants to get Samu Kerevi back.
“Taniela Tupou, potentially, to the Rebels as well, there is a bit of a talk about that.
“They’re going to get some big names.”
Stan Sport host Nick McArdle was surprised at the ‘massive names’ being thrown around and took a moment to question Horan on whether this is actually happening.
The Rebels have always been a destination for high profile names without a steady pool of local talent to draw on. Stars such as Kurtley Beale, James O’Conner, Quade Cooper and Will Genia have all had stints at the club in the past.
“Well, they have to,” Horan responded.
“Nick Stiles is a very astute coach but also now as General Manager, he’s trying to look to the future for next year.
“They need a really big No 8, go and get a scrumhalf like TJ Perenara, go and find someone, a Kiwi, bring them out.
“Get Samu Kerevi, he won’t be right for next year’s Super Rugby but maybe after that.
“They need three of four big names and they are going to chase them.”
TJ Perenara completed a successful stint in Japan last year with the Red Hurricanes, helping the Top League underdogs make a substantial playoff push and has since returned to New Zealand with his hometown Hurricanes.
Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi is still in Japan with one of the top clubs, Suntory Sungoliath, but was called upon last year by Dave Rennie and made a successful return to international rugby.
Taniela Tupou has been with the Reds since leaving high school but was coached by Nick Stiles in his formative years at the club.
Comments on RugbyPass
Job done guys. Great win in a game where things can quickly go wrong.
1 Go to commentsAlex Sanderson fantastic coach and person .So pleased he has signed another contract great days ahead for Sale under his leadership.
1 Go to commentsAndy Goode cant kick to 12
162 Go to commentsDoxed himself. Great work Johnny. You are well suited to the Saders
1 Go to comments_Best game players _
1 Go to commentsWho's Jarrad Hohepa?
1 Go to commentsSo let me get this straight. Say you have the dominant scrum. You are 99% sure you can go for a scrum pushover try on the line to win the game. The opposition knows it too. They give away a silly tap kick instead. You are now not allowed to scrum. This is ridiculous! *%@ing the game up as usual! The fact that the attacking teams are not allowed to scrum from a held up over the line is just as ridiculous. Really world rugby? Careful people might start a rebel league called True Rugby or Real Rugby.
76 Go to comments12 subs during a game? How has that been allowed to happen NB? I hate when the game goes in this monopolistic direction closing up shop, it just becomes non sport. Btw have you seen anything of how Liam Coltman was tracking for Lyon? He has just signed to return to Otago though we have a couple of young hookers developing here. He was a popular gentle natured character down here and I’m glad to see him back but maybe he will be a mentor primarily?
11 Go to commentsGreat breakdown and the global politics always confuses me a little. The southern hemisphere seems to be left out a bit but I wouldn’t even know where to start with fixing it. Club challenge could be a step in the right direction
11 Go to commentsSince he coached Free state, from that time onwards, I maintained he was the coach for the Boks. A nice, no nonsense guy with an excellent brain, who gets results.
11 Go to commentswell - they only played against 14 men and had the TMO team on their side - and still should have lost… so actually that makes sense.
33 Go to commentsSouthern hemisphere Rugby is exactly that, boring. Northern Hemisphere Rugby is soooo much more entertaining and better with better players.
2 Go to commentsIf he was to be cited for a dangerous behavior, then it’s natural that he should be. Then NTamack too, yes? And I’ll add a good whataboutism - Yeandle eye-gouging on Richie Arnold: not cited. Eye-gouging. Not high tackle. Eye-gouging. It was on French TV, with French TV directors.
5 Go to commentsReally poorly written rambling piece ..
11 Go to commentsIt was so boring
2 Go to commentspersonally I’d go with : 1. France 2. NZ 3. England 4. Ireland 5. Scotland
33 Go to commentsAndy everything becomes easier with experience therefor counting etc straight after a match becomes easier when you have 100+ caps vs 17 which is the experience you speak from.
162 Go to commentsGetting rid of the Dupont Law is a good thing and ought to have been done months ago! Officially getting rid of the croc roll is a good thing. The law about no scrums from a short arm is well intended in terms of speeding the game up but it’s an overreaction to a clever yet calculated gamble that could have blow up in South Africa’s face if they conceded a penalty from the scrum that was set after Willemse took claimed the mark in the World Cup QF.
76 Go to commentsRassie The GOAT
11 Go to commentsOf their 5 big matches in RWC Scotland and NZ were the easiest. They took a 12-3 lead against NZ and after the red decided it was best to hold the lead and take chances that came. None came and it was tight but they dug a lot deeper in the other two knock out matches. They had trounced NZ in Twickenham in a fixture that NZ must now regret. Psychology was clearly with SA in the final as a result.
33 Go to comments