Rebels sign Chiefs prop Toby Smith

[TRF Mr Fish]

http://planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3824_8719419,00.html

The Australian-born prop made the tough call to leave the current Super Rugby champions, following some outstanding performances for the Chiefs this season and Waikato during the ITM Cup in 2012.
Rebels General Manager of Rugby, Sam Cordingley, was thrilled to have signed the talented loosehead prop, attributing his winning attitude as being one of his greatest strengths.
"We are very pleased to have Toby Smith on board," said Cordingley.
"To have a championship player like Toby committing to the Rebels is great sign of where this young organisation is heading.
"We are already seeing the fruits of some of our young players developing from this Rebels rugby program. At 24, Toby brings with him not only a great deal of experience at young age, but also some impressive form from this Super Rugby season and last season's ITM Cup."
Smith spoke of his fond memories of his time at the Waikato franchise, but also the new opportunities that lay ahead in Australia's sporting capital.
"I have been very fortunate to have been involved in such a fantastic Rugby program," said Smith.
"During the last four years playing for the Chiefs and Waikato I have been lucky enough to be coached by some fantastic coaches and play alongside some world class players who have all helped with my development and it was a very tough decision to make the move to Australia.
"I am looking forward to moving to Melbourne, it's a great city and from what I can the see the Rebels are building a very competitive rugby team, with a good mix of youth and experience. To be part of that will be fantastic.
"I am also looking forward to pressing my claims toward playing test Rugby in the future and taking advantage of my Australian eligibility."
Although Australian born, Smith was a member of the Zealand U20 side, winning the 2008 U20 Junior World Championship.

This is a huge signing for the Chiefs, and I think Smith will be in the Wallabies by the the next World Cup.

I'm incredibly brassed off about this - this is a direct result of Rennie messing around with Smith, not giving him regular starts.

:rahh:

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

On another note, how many NZ players do these Australian teams need to steal?

Looking through the squads, you've got:

Brumbies: Henry Speight, Jordan Smiler (both Waikato)
Force: Toby Lynn, Sam Christie (both Waikato), Alby Mathewson (Auckland), Jayden Hayward, Chris Eaton (both Taranaki)
Rebels: Ged Robinson, Scott Fuglistaller, Jason Woodward (all Wellington), James King (North Harbour)
Reds: Michael Harris (North Harbour)

That's ridiculous. If you can't produce your own players you shouldn't have a team.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Toby Smith is qualified for Australia ... Not a ridiculous signing by any stretch.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Can we please have some northern hemisphere posters show some outrage at this?! NZ get the 'poacher' tag when all it seems we do is produce players for other countries. I'd love to see the number of test players outside NZ who came through our rugby system.

 

[big ginger 8]

Can we please have some northern hemisphere posters show some outrage at this?! NZ get the 'poacher' tag when all it seems we do is produce players for other countries. I'd love to see the number of test players outside NZ who came through our rugby system.

Very few people actually complain about N.Z. only people who don't know better and are quickly put down.

How many players in the Aussie team are actually poached? In their ideal team I can't think of any. Doesn't matter really to NH posters if they're playing for club sides. Anyway most of our countries are essentially poaching players which of course doesn't make it right but getting upset over it would make us hypocrites.

Also as Cymro said Smith's Australian born maybe it's part of his identity and he hasn't even played yet he could still end up an All Black.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Toby Smith is qualified for Australia ... Not a ridiculous signing by any stretch.

Yeah he's Australian qualified, but he's been completely raised in the NZ system.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Blah blah nz blah blah aus blah blah england blah blah scotland blah blah wales blah blah ireland blah blah everyone.

If they're qualified for the country then that's that, it's a problem with the IRB not the countries/players.

 

[nickdnz]

Larksea will be heart broken.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I think there should be a five year residency period, regardless of your ancestors, if you've played any first division rugby for another country,

 

[Amobokoboko]

A big loss for the Chiefs, I hope we can get some decent signings as well. Kahui, Masaga, Clarke, Smith all gone :s

 

[InsaneAsylum]

Invictus, settle down mate. Most of those players are simply kiwis looking for their opportunity to play super rugby. Nz is saturated with rugby depth so why can't blokes like Robinson and Woodward look to get an edge over their ccompetitors by playing elsewhere. Do you expect Mathewson and Lynn to simply go back to club rugby because they've been discarded by their nz franchises? Robinson is returning to nz for the itm cup now that he's established himself as a good super rugby player, he wouldn't have had that opportunity 3 years ago with mealamu, hore, Elliot and Flynn going around.

its not about stealing players, it's about taking any opportunity you can get to further your career.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Invictus, settle down mate. Most of those players are simply kiwis looking for their opportunity to play super rugby. Nz is saturated with rugby depth so why can't blokes like Robinson and Woodward look to get an edge over their ccompetitors by playing elsewhere. Do you expect Mathewson and Lynn to simply go back to club rugby because they've been discarded by their nz franchises? Robinson is returning to nz for the itm cup now that he's established himself as a good super rugby player, he wouldn't have had that opportunity 3 years ago with mealamu, hore, Elliot and Flynn going around.

its not about stealing players, it's about taking any opportunity you can get to further your career.

I don't have a problem with the players, it's the Australian teams. What's the point in having five teams when a large proportion of those players are coming from overseas? A sixth NZ team would be stronger than the Rebels and the Force. The funny thing is, Ged Robinson isn't going to get any more game time in the NZ teams anyway. The Blues have Mealamu, Parsons and Macdonald, the Chiefs have Schwalger, Elliot and Marshall, the Hurricanes have Coles and Matu'u (and Dixon has played a bit now, and is young), the Crusaders have Flynn, Funnell and Taylor, and the Highlanders have Hore, Mitchell and Coltman. I'd have all these players in my squad over Robinson - if anything he's lost ground in the pecking order of hookers. Sure, some of those players will be heading overseas soon, but those ones aren't much older than Robinson. At best he'll be a second or (more likely) third string hooker for one of the NZ teams.

 

[Larksea]

Larksea will be heart broken.

pretty much

I think he's maybe the most promising prop in Super Rugby right now and Renee has been dicking him around with selections this year the front row is changing week to week. I think it's hurting him and Hika Elliots chance for higher honors

I acknowledge that we never get the full story but I see this as a big loss, I honestly thought it was only a matter of time till he was an All Black, seemed the ideal player to take over from woodcock. But injury problems and now revolving door selections have "forced" him out.

I honestly dont see Woodcock being a force through to the end of 2015 he basically got a pass mark in 2011 and now he's pretty average. We have Ben Franks, I dont think Crockett is a serious long term option if he was he would have made it by now he peaked a couple of years ago and still wasn't great at test ruby. Allen from the canes is a big guy, young and good ball runner for a prop but is he true test prop material? I honestly dont think so. Mackintosh is goneburger.

I have actually been seriously thinking a 6th NZ team is a really good idea if we can someone find the money. It may just mean that Aussie & SA get a 6th team as well and we lose more players...

 

[donmcdazzle]

Surely if he was so fantastic he would have locked down a chiefs spot. Afeaki's chances haven't been hurt by playing for the chiefs. It is annoying to lose a young promising guy though for sure. Don't know whether he would have been good enough for the Abs but he'll most likely make the Aussie squad next season.

 

[Gena_ZA]

a 6th NZ team - wicked
What we call them, the LowLanders?

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Surely if he was so fantastic he would have locked down a chiefs spot. Afeaki's chances haven't been hurt by playing for the chiefs. It is annoying to lose a young promising guy though for sure. Don't know whether he would have been good enough for the Abs but he'll most likely make the Aussie squad next season.

Honestly don't know why he hasn't locked down a Chiefs spot - I can't understand it. Rennie just seems intent on swapping the looseheads every game. Surely if Rennie though Manu was better he'd have the 1 jersey most weeks, but that hasn't happened. I'm not sure if Rennie just has no clue who the better player is, or he thinks there's some benefit to rotating the props every single game, when the team changes each week due to injury anyway.

 

[Larksea]

I think Smith is in Renees bad books for something other than his playing ability, I don't know, who knows.

I dont know what's going on with him and I dont knowhow much it's him or Renee or what. I just know that Toby Smiths early carrier form and performances looked like he was destined to become a world class Prop and long time all black, He was 23 years old over 190cm tall and over 110kg great at scrums and defense and maybe the best running prop in NZ at times, he was like a franks brother that could actually carry the ball and bust tackles. He looked to me like a ready made replacement for Tony Woodcock, even an upgrade in the test arena.

The last two years have all been about really badly timed injuries and non selection for the chiefs. Now he's 25 and not in All Black selection frame at all and signed by the Rebels... wow.

he may not be a factor again but at the same time in the right environment he could become world class - heck IMO he is world class just waiting to happen, and well if he's playing for the Rebels he may end up in green and gold...