Stirling Mortlock: Would be the Rebels' highest-profile signing
The Melbourne Rebels will begin announcing their core squad for next year's Super 15 as the ban on announcing local recruits ended on Sunday.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Laurie Weeks, Adam Byrnes and Richard Kingi will be coming from the Reds, Adam Freier and young wing Peter Betham will come from the Waratahs and older heads Tim Davidson, Lachlan Mitchell and Sam Cordingley will return from abroad to provide experience.
The Rebels have already secured the services of England's precocious fly-half Dan Cipriani and are also said to be chasing former rugby league star Mark Gasnier, Brumbies inside back Christian Lealiifano, Stirling Mortlock, Mark Gerrard and Wales international number eight Gareth Delve.
Rebels officials would not comment on the expected influx and Chief Executive Brian Waldron would say only: "We're excited about what's going to unfold in the ensuing days and ensuing weeks."
Rebels head coach Rod Macqueen said that the core of the squad would be revealed over the coming weeks.
"We're shifting though players with the attributes that we are seeking [and] the next couple of weeks will start to see the nucleus of the team coming together," Macqueen said.
"We didn't expect to get every one we were after, and on the other hand there's been a lot of speculation about players we were after that we actually weren't.
Macqueen added: "There's no doubt that at this stage we're reasonably happy with where we are."
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