JOSH RAKIC | March 28, 2010

EXCLUSIVE

WALLABIES star Stirling Mortlock will become the Melbourne Rebels' highest-profile signing so far after finally agreeing to terms with the new Super 15 franchise. And he won't be the last.

A well-placed Melbourne source has revealed to The Sun-Herald that the 33-year-old Wallaby was "coming to the club" and said his signing could be announced as soon as this week - once the Australian Rugby Union signs off on the deal.

Mortlock joins English glamour back Danny Cipriani and Queensland prop Laurie Weeks to become just the third signing for the fledgling club, with as many as five other names - some Wallabies - expected to be known within the next 10 days.

But chief executive Brian Waldron would neither confirm nor deny the reports, saying only that things were not all doom and gloom for the Rebels, as speculated, and that the franchise was doing better than as perceived by the public.

"The problem is you're reliant on the ARU to make announcements, so we're waiting on them to finalise things," Waldron told The Sun-Herald. But we're travelling OK.

"We have a few things ... we're just waiting on an ARU sign-off."

Meanwhile, another source close to the Rebels' camp revealed that the new franchise, which just two weeks ago was given free rein by the ARU to sign Australian Super 14 players, already had a third of its playing roster all but finalised just two months into its existence.

"We've got nine, 10 players that have already signed or committed to sign," the source said.

"And if that's the case, we've got a third of the list. And others are really sitting back and waiting to see if you get a bit of momentum.

"There are certain players who we don't want to announce at the moment. It's all a timing thing. Because of the regulations with the ARU, if they're players who have got your top-up and that sort of stuff, or they're overseas players, there's a few more rules and regulations we have to go through.

"But we've got in the order of nine to 10 players who have signed or are basically as good as across the line. That's not a bad thing.

"So if we can announce a few key signings in the next few weeks, then I think things will fall into place quite nicely."

Mortlock had wanted a three-year deal with the Rebels and a matching ARU top-up, but it is believed the veteran centre is looking to life after football, with the ARU prepared to extend his contract only until the end of the 2011 World Cup.