Force 2023

[D-Box]

It's funny reading the last page (excluding my terrible joke) and keeping in mind what happens in every thread with super rugby in the title.

They tend to go if TransTasman we need player movement across borders. Here we have how dare the Force recruit across borders and take away the place of an Australian

 

[qwerty51]

It's funny reading the last page (excluding my terrible joke) and keeping in mind what happens in every thread with super rugby in the title.

They tend to go if TransTasman we need player movement across borders. Here we have how dare the Force recruit across borders and take away the place of an Australian

I don't care about foreigners, AU super sides are just such shit recruiters in terms of positional needs.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

I'm not suggesting the Force sign Alex Newsome. That clearly isn't going to assist them in this regard.

I'm hoping it will gradually shift now that the Force are more established in the comp again and aren't behind the eight-ball assembling a squad but shifting money away from ineligible veterans towards similarly costing locals who are hopefully still on an upwards trajectory should help things (i.e. replacements for Thrush, Kahui etc.).

Its happening now with a number of Young players including some WA boys below. Plus players like Koteka, Pasitoa, Makara and Mcdonald.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think the Force are going in the right direction.

Rodda, Robertson, Fainga'a are good signings.

Adding some quality in the backrow and centres is probably the glaring issue at the moment.

Trying to snatch an odd man out like Josh Flook or Joey Walton who doesn't start when everyone is healthy is probably a good move.

The Tahs are overweight in good backrowers so looking there makes sense as well.

This under 20s is also worth a strong look as there will hopefully be good players who can't be offered the sort of contract they'd be worth elsewhere by their home state due to overall numbers.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

There are not 150 super rugby quality players in Australia, if we want to win we need to look elsewhere whilst also bringing through the juniors.

We just need to keep improving and trading up in every position;

- Reddy traded for Fainga'a - definite improvement
- Godwin traded for Tiatia - should be an improvement
- FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) traded for Wells - probably line ball if not backwards

 

[Equalizer]

So which is it? Force a development/feeder club for the Wallabies or themselves as #1 priority and winning at all costs.

If there was true value in Kahui and Thrush, they'd be with NZ Super teams.

No Super Rugby team exists purely to feed the Wallabies. The Force are in it for themselves as they should be. The team is never going to be made up of 15 overseas players, local talent development will always be there and provide the opportunities for higher representation.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

I think the Force are going in the right direction.

Rodda, Robertson, Fainga'a are good signings.

Adding some quality in the backrow and centres is probably the glaring issue at the moment.

Trying to snatch an odd man out like Josh Flook or Joey Walton who doesn't start when everyone is healthy is probably a good move.

The Tahs are overweight in good backrowers so looking there makes sense as well.

This under 20s is also worth a strong look as there will hopefully be good players who can't be offered the sort of contract they'd be worth elsewhere by their home state due to overall numbers.

I would love to get Tizzano back (WA boy) but he's looking to go to Italy as there isnt the international opportunity here with the number of quality 7s. Cron was on a podcast lately and spoke about the wanting to sign some of the recent under 20s he coached plus the next up and comers. Last year didn't go ahead so its tough to gage them and the ones he was involved in are all already commented. He hinted a lot are off contact soon and he will be pushing hard.

 

[ForceFan]

I would love to get Tizzano back (WA boy) but he's looking to go to Italy as there isnt the international opportunity here with the number of quality 7s.

Carlo is off to the UK with Ealing Trailfinders.

 

[ForceFan]

So which is it? Force a development/feeder club for the Wallabies or themselves as #1 priority and winning at all costs.

If there was true value in Kahui and Thrush, they'd be with NZ Super teams.

Andrew Forrest has made it quite clear that he wants the Western Force to be the best team in Super Rugby as well as providing a development pathway to the Wallabies. These are not mutually exclusive goals.

Another benefit of having a professional team in Western Australia is the attraction and retention of Super Rugby/Test players in WA to the benefit of Club Rugby.

Without the Western Force, WA would not have attracted the likes of:
Matt Hodgson - Wallaby/GM Rugby for Tatterang
Peter Grant - Springbok - still playing for Cottesloe
Johan Badoul - Super Rugby Player/Coaching Perth-Bayswater
Chris Heiberg - Super Rugby Player/Forwards Coach Palmyra
Jeremy Thrush - All Black/Forwards Coach - WF Academy/RugbyWA U16-U20
Greg Holmes - Wallaby/Scrum Coach - WF Academy/RugbyWA U16-U20
Richard Kahui - All Black/Backs Coach - WF Academy/RugbyWA U16-U20
Heath Tessman - Super Rugby Player/Stan & Rugby Wrap commentator
Kieran Longbottom - WF Player/WF Academy Scrum Couch

The true value is building the game in WA.

 

[Thalium]

I think people seem to forget that it wasnt even until this year that it was confirmed the Western Force were going to get to stay in the competition and its only confirmed for a short time.

Really hard to attract young talent and Australian talent when the ARU have dumped them out before causing them to lose out on wallabies contention and literally had to start their own competition to keep their players employed and the team alive. Its a hard sell until now and really the ARU could just decide again that we arent wanted. This is why being competitive is so important to prove our worth to the East Coast.

As for getting older guys like Kahui and Thrush with the unknown of the clubs inclusion the ability to get these guys for their knowledge for our youngsters while also squeezing the last bit of rugby out of them was actually very smart of the force. Picking up quality like Pulu and Manasa for cheap are great gets. Some people cant see the picture thats building here.

 

[RugbyReg]

I think people seem to forget that it wasnt even until this year that it was confirmed the Western Force were going to get to stay in the competition and its only confirmed for a short time.

Really hard to attract young talent and Australian talent when the ARU have dumped them out before causing them to lose out on wallabies contention and literally had to start their own competition to keep their players employed and the team alive. Its a hard sell until now and really the ARU could just decide again that we arent wanted. This is why being competitive is so important to prove our worth to the East Coast.

As for getting older guys like Kahui and Thrush with the unknown of the clubs inclusion the ability to get these guys for their knowledge for our youngsters while also squeezing the last bit of rugby out of them was actually very smart of the force. Picking up quality like Pulu and Manasa for cheap are great gets. Some people cant see the picture thats building here.

put me in the pile. It does seem all over the place. I'm interested to observe how much leeway Hodgson continues to get.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

Let's not forget the Tahs signed Jaime Roberts

 

[Adam84]

put me in the pile. It does seem all over the place. I'm interested to observe how much leeway Hodgson continues to get.

You seem to the eternal pessimist in anything related to the Force though Reg, I think some fans oversell what’s happening there, that aside the club seems to be trending in the right direction especially with investment at grass root and academy levels

 

[Tazzmania]

Congratulations to the Force boys selecyed for the U20 v Argentina

 

[RugbyReg]

You seem to the eternal pessimist in anything related to the Force though Reg, I think some fans oversell what’s happening there, that aside the club seems to be trending in the right direction especially with investment at grass root and academy levels

I acknowledge the good stuff they have done. But I also call out the other stuff. But yes, I am a doubter.

 

[qwerty51]

Let's not forget the Tahs signed Jaime Roberts

You'll find I'm scathing of that signing.

I'm with Reg, sounds all nice and stuff, where's the substance. Got 60 put on them by the Highlanders this year.

 

[7137]

Let's not forget the Tahs signed Jaime Roberts

And I’m sure you think the sensible thing would be to tell him no thanks if he showed up at your club with boots in hand just looking for something to do for 12 months, not expecting much in way of payment.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

He used to have dangerous feet. But he couldn’t get a run with the Highlanders. Then was in an alsoran team in MLR. I’m guessing he might have lost a bit of spark otherwise he would have been commanding a bigger contract than New York.

That also ran team actually just won their comp.

 

[RebelYell]

I think the Force are doing the best they can in a market where the incentive to switch AU teams is very low. For them, as well as the Rebels and Waratahs to a degree, the biggest challenge is finding Australian Super Rugby quality players overseas and convincing them to come home for what is almsot certainly less money - and hope that the culture and coaching of a Club convinces them that they can improve their game and push for Wallaby selection. There are 175 Super Rugby quality Australians playing professional Rugby globally, but at the moment I think you could argue only approx. 70% of them are playing in Aus.

 

[Wilson]

I think the Force are doing the best they can in a market where the incentive to switch AU teams is very low. For them, as well as the Rebels and Waratahs to a degree, the biggest challenge is finding Australian Super Rugby quality players overseas and convincing them to come home for what is almsot certainly less money - and hope that the culture and coaching of a Club convinces them that they can improve their game and push for Wallaby selection. There are 175 Super Rugby quality Australians playing professional Rugby globally, but at the moment I think you could argue only approx. 70% of them are playing in Aus.

Why is that not also the challenge for the Brumbies and Reds?