Laurie Weeks re-signs with Melbourne Rebels, says club can make Super Rugby finals

LAURIE Weeks has put the Rebels’ horror Round 1 loss to Auckland behind him to sign a new contract and say his team can still reach the Super Rugby finals.

Weeks doesn’t want to leave the Rebels without tasting success. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

LAURIE Weeks says Melbourne Rebels players have copped their whack after last week’s horror Round 1 loss to the Auckland Blues.

But the club’s last remaining foundation player, desperate to see his team play finals for the first time, insists the club can still achieve its lofty pre-season goals despite facing a testing road ahead.

On Wednesday the Rebels will announce that Weeks, 30, has signed a new two-year deal. Having watched the club grow from Day 1, the prop says he feels a gatekeeper-like bond to the club and is keen to see its off-field growth turn in to on-field success.

CONFIDENT TIMANI TO BOLSTER WOUNDED REBELS

Weeks doesn’t want to leave the Rebels without tasting success. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Its 2017 ambitions took a hit last week when an injury-hit side lost 56-18 to the Auckland Blues. On Saturday the Rebels play the defending champion Hurricanes in Wellington.

But Weeks remains positive about his team’s chances — both short and long term.

“Last week was pretty disappointing for us,” Weeks said. “But in the past years we’ve come out and dominated in Round 1 and haven’t made finals, so if I could say anything it would be that Round 1 isn’t the be all and end all.

“In reviewing the game, most of the stuff was less technical and more work rate and attitude stuff, which are the easiest things to fix.

“We’ve copped a spray and everyone knows what they need to do moving on to Saturday.”

The pride that Weeks feels at having been at the club since its 2011 inception weighed heavily on his mind when it came to re-signing until 2019.

In the next month he is due to notch his 100th Super Rugby game — potentially on the same week the Rebels play their 100th game as a club.

“I still feel like I’m representing the first 30 blokes that signed for the club and feel like I need to continue their legacy,” he said.

“It’s funny, there’s all of these stories from the first year but I’ve got no one left to tell them to. All I want is success on and off the field for us.

“To stick around and potentially be a part of that, it’s not something I want to miss.”

Originally published as Laurie Weeks re-signs with Melbourne Rebels, says club can make Super Rugby finals