Rugby Confidential: Rabbitohs circling another Australian Schoolboys star

Days after South Sydney Rabbitohs poached two of rugby’s finest prospects, it can be revealed they’re in a tug-of-war with Rugby Australia over a third talented junior.

Luke Reimer

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Days after the South Sydney Rabbitohs poached two of rugby’s finest prospects, they are in a tug-of-war with Rugby Australia over a third talented junior.

Australian Schoolboys backrower Luke Reimer, who is contracted to RA until the end of 2020, is in discussions with Souths master coach Wayne Bennett about joining the club on a three-year deal.

Just how he does this while under contract remains to be seen; it’s understood RA has already rejected an initial deal put forward by the Bunnies.

Reimer, a barnstorming backrower who won the Bronze Boot as the best Australian Schoolboys player against their New Zealand rivals last year, is on an elite development squad contract with rugby. But RA may be forced to dip into its “future fund” pool to retain the promising teenager, who attends Barker College.

Luke Reimer is being targeted by South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Rugby Confidential has been told Reimer has verbally agreed to a deal to switch codes and make Redfern his new home from next year.

RA was unable to use the funds to keep Joseph Suaalii and Lachlan Ilias, who both signed deals with Souths this week, although they will continue to play both codes throughout this school year.

Suaalii is described as a once-in-a-generation player and while rugby was desperate to keep him, his parents convinced him to pick Souths. Some suggest the 15-year-old will be earning $120,000 by the time he turns 18.

RA is not losing all of its best young stars. It has used the fighting fund to lock in Waratahs rookie Will Harris, seen by many as the next big thing in Australian rugby, as well as Nudgee’s Reesjan Pasitoa, who has been signed by the Brumbies.

ROTATION CONFUSION

AUSTRALIA’S rest-and-­rotation policy for Wallabies stars during Super Rugby this year is as clear as mud.

The players have no idea how many games or minutes they’re expected to sit out; administrators can offer no enlightenment, and Super coaches can only give vague quotes about agreements being in place with Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika.

Super coaches have said they want to keep players on their toes and not tell them which games they’ll miss or how many, but also that they’ll likely be for away games so home crowds do not miss out on seeing their best teams.

But unlike New Zealand’s two-match rest policy for All Blacks this Super season, it appears Australia’s approach will be tailored on the run.

STAYING PUT

AFTER being handed the Melbourne Rebels captaincy, expect Dane Haylett-Petty to extend his time at the club and in Australian rugby.

The versatile outside back is set to re-sign with Rugby Australia and the Rebels for a further two years. That will be especially handy with Marika Koroibete tipped to move to French club rugby after the World Cup.

Rebels captain Dane Haylett-Petty is set to extend his stay at the club. Picture: Alex Coppel

FAMILIAR TERRITORY

KARMICHAEL Hunt and Israel Folau will run out together on Saturday for the Waratahs on the famous league turf of Brookvale Oval, where both have some memorable NRL moments, and it will mark a 14-year bond between the pair.

“I first came across Izzy in 2005 when we were in Origin camp,” Hunt said. “He was in the schoolboys team and we were opposed, up on the Sunny Coast, and he was flying through us.

“All the boys were like ‘Have a look at this kid’. And in the following couple of years he was there.”

Hunt and Folau played together for one season at the Broncos, as well as for Australia and Queensland, and also against each other in the AFL. They are the only two men to have played three professional football codes in Australia.

FAMILY TIES

NEW Rebels recruit Robbie Abel isn’t quite the Melbourne rookie you might think.

The 29-year-old might have been born in NSW and played the past three Super Rugby seasons with the Brumbies after a stint in New Zealand, but he has a deep connection with Melbourne dating back two decades.

He actually spent a few years living in Bleak City when he was a kid when his grandmother started a local basketball team, initially made up of his uncles and aunts.

They managed to persuade a few of their North neighbours to join the club, which is still active today, with both junior and senior teams.

And the name of the hoops team? You guessed it, they’re called the Rebels!

Coincidence or tempting fate, there’s no word yet on whether Robbie will be allowed to play a few pick-up games but being a 112kg hooker, it’s a fair bet he might be better suited to lineouts than lay-ups.

ACT OF KINDNESS

QUADE Cooper’s been trending on social media all week long but not for anything he did on the rugby field.

It was for selfless act of generosity when he spotted a homeless man on a Melbourne street.

As other pedestrians strolled past the man without stopping, Cooper went into a nearby convenience store to buy the man a meal and a drink.

Cooper’s fitness trainer pulled out his camera and filmed Cooper’s kind act, then posted the video on social media where it instantly went viral.

We all need a little love from time to time.. ❤️ https://t.co/VLih1sc894

— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) February 12, 2019

Now we can reveal what inspired Cooper’s unprompted gesture.

At a pre-season function, the Rebels were introduced to Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp, who mentioned in her speech that the biggest issue facing the city was the high number of homeless people.

Sportsmen listen to plenty of speeches and are often labelled as being out of touch with the common man, but Cooper took on board everything he heard and has made a small difference already.

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