New Rebels assistant coach Todd Louden is settling in well to his new role

Melbourne Rebels Media Release –

If Mike Hussey’s nickname is Mr Cricket, then surely anybody who spends ten minutes chatting about the game they play in heaven with RaboDirect Rebels Assistant Coach Todd Louden could see why he is almost the perfect recipient of a parallel moniker based on our own sporting code.

Whilst nobody calls Louden ‘Mr Rugby’, you only need to step into his office to quickly gather a keen sense of just how embedded into this sport, and now this Club, Todd really is.

His eyes light up when he talks about working with the Rebels group, and when he speaks about players who have impressed him during pre-season you just know that each response is gathered thoughtfully; likely based on not just his own gut feel and observations, but supported by data, KPIs and in comparison with players and teams he has worked with before.

So out of interest, which players have impressed Louden thus far, and who has he worked with previously?

“The expectations and standards are really driven by the playing group,” Louden explains. “They understand they have a responsibility to perform to the best of their ability, but what’s really promising is how they are striving to be even better as both Rugby players and people. They are in a great headspace.

“Jack Debreczeni is working so hard on his game, and improving by the minute it seems. Physically, he is very impressive, and he is kicking the ball well, running it well and controlling the team. It’s important we don’t burden him with expectations, as he only has five Super Rugby caps; I’m not unfamiliar having worked with many young playmakers in the past. It’s about supporting and mentoring Jack as much as it coaching him, and encouraging him to play to his strengths. He is a very humble, and very intelligent player, and he knows that he has to have a couple of failures first to know how to improve and avoid them in the future; he has the ability to learn from mistakes really quickly, which is his most impressive attribute.

“Mike Harris brings a sense of calm to the team, and I have been very impressed with all of our backrowers as well. There’s great depth there with all of them; Colby Fainga’a has been outstanding since returning from the rehabilitation group, and then Sean McMahon is just such an aggressive terrier. Up front, Cruze Ah-Nau has really developed throughout this off-season, and Toby Smith is the quiet achiever who just goes about his work with minimum fuss but maximum effort.

Laurie Weeks is one of many Rebels players Louden has worked with previously

“I’ve actually previously worked with around half of the squad, and probably coached against the other half, so to have an existing Rugby relationship with a lot of our players has certainly assisted my transition. Tom English and Nic Stirzaker are two guys who have both developed and evolved so much since I last worked with them. I recruited Laurie Weeks to Sydney Uni, and just to see how much he has developed from a leadership point of view; there is a lot going for this squad, and it’s really exciting to be involved.”

It’s not just on the field that Louden has been impressed; talking about the his colleagues in the on-field team again genuinely excites him.

“The Club has been unbelievably professional in terms of induction and helping me to settle in; it’s been spot on, and the best I have ever experienced. Our Rugby program is built on the back of what was set up last season; the frameworks for it and the support network in place allow on-field coaches to be at their best, and I can’t emphasise how lucky I am to come in at the right time to such a strong program. I really believe that we will see the benefit of what Tony McGahan put in place twelve months ago, this season.

“I had also worked with (General Manager of Rugby Operations) Baden Stephenson at Sydney University, and seeing him in his role now it just shows how well suited he is (to it). He is doing some unbelievable work in regards to retention and recruitment, and is really setting up our Club for the future with a young squad committed to the Rebels and Melbourne.

“Tony has been really good in giving me a lot of responsibility in regards to our attack, and we are building on what was in place from 2014. That encompasses everything from set piece to breakdown skills, and then team attack patterns; it has been a fairly significant install, but built on the platform of what I have inherited.”

Louden joins a number of players and staff at the Club who have enjoyed success at Clubs throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Northern Hemisphere. Todd believes that having a number of people at the Rebels who have been through the hard work required to win a competition is a major boost for a Club with only four years of playing history.

“Experience is about recognising the situations you are in. A key directive for our squad this year is recognising what we are good at, playing to our strengths, and staying the course. To have experienced players in the squad who have tasted success through that philosophy is crucial, and we can target great improvement throughout the season.”