Rd 7: Auckland Blues vs Western Force, Fri, April 5 2024

[Dan54]

The gulf in Kiwi to Aussie rugby is definitely high lighted in this game.

Really only in the bottom teams , the top Aus teams are right up there.

 

[KiwiM]

Funaki is the Blues best 9

Hard to get a read on Simon Cron as a Force coach because of how rubbish the Force talent is.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Funaki is the Blues best 9

Hard to get a read on Simon Cron as a Force coach because of how rubbish the Force talent is.

He’s a highly rated coach but fark he’s getting some black eyes.

 

[Dan54]

Funaki is the Blues best 9

Hard to get a read on Simon Cron as a Force coach because of how rubbish the Force talent is.

Pretty hard to tell against that team. He was good tonight, but f*** me that was poor by the Force.

 

[Brumby Runner]

You'd have to admit that the Force have again been dudded by the draw. Last week in Fiji in appalling conditions and this week in Auckland at Eden Park where even the other NZ sides struggle for a win. Did they (the Force) stay over the week in Auckland or somewhere close? I would hope they didn't travel back to Perth and then all the way to NZ for this game.

 

[Yoda]

Really only in the bottom teams , the top Aus teams are right up there.

Maybe only the Brumbies…

 

[KiwiM]

You'd have to admit that the Force have again been dudded by the draw. Last week in Fiji in appalling conditions and this week in Auckland at Eden Park where even the other NZ sides struggle for a win. Did they (the Force) stay over the week in Auckland or somewhere close? I would hope they didn't travel back to Perth and then all the way to NZ for this game.

They stayed in Auckland

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Blues go Monster Truck Mayhem Jailbreak all up and down Eden Park then dump the Force up the road in Mt Eden Prison with their new cellmate Bubba Ioane (no relation) then back to Eden Park in time for tea and scones and blood-soaked biscuits.

Funaki is the Blues best 9

I just dont understand the fuss about Christie. He seems competent at everything and excellent at nothing

 

[Equalizer]

A tough game to say the least. It shows the gap between 2nd on the ladder and last. We are where we deserve to be. Plenty of injuries we know, but please let's not slip back into the embarrassing performances that justified the "Western Farce" name calling. When you're calling up a player from Hawkes Bay to replace Medrano for the game you know the squad depth is stretched. A lot of poor play tonight and it breeds rugby inferiority complex. But I refuse to give up on our team. We need to be better. We need to want to dominate and demolish our opponents. We've waited a long time. Some have dropped by the wayside and some have stayed strong. Changes are needed to fire this club and team to the next level. Let's make it happen and reward the WA rugby fans as we deserve.

Go You Force!

 

[AFL_Converted]

A tough game to say the least. It shows the gap between 2nd on the ladder and last. We are where we deserve to be. Plenty of injuries we know, but please let's not slip back into the embarrassing performances that justified the "Western Farce" name calling. When you're calling up a player from Hawkes Bay to replace Medrano for the game you know the squad depth is stretched. A lot of poor play tonight and it breeds rugby inferiority complex. But I refuse to give up on our team. We need to be better. We need to want to dominate and demolish our opponents. We've waited a long time. Some have dropped by the wayside and some have stayed strong. Changes are needed to fire this club and team to the next level. Let's make it happen and reward the WA rugby fans as we deserve.

Go You Force!

Well said.

 

[Shiggins]

That was disgusting. Can't scrum, no game plan, poor execution, ran out of ideas, can't tackle, poor discipline in the first half, so many injuries I don't even know who half the team are anymore.
If we served that up every week I would prefer the force not to exist

 

[Shiggins]

Shiggers: ".....ref missed a clearcut Blues knock-on there."
DP: "Thine one eye has seen the glory bequeathed upon the cock and the ball."
Shiggers: "All the Blues backs were up offside there, what is this ref even looking at....."
DP: "Hold the phones, Akira has laid the biblical smackdown on some lost tourist. Spank me harder Jesus, spank me like mummy used to on the sabbath."
Shiggers: "That was clearly above the sternum, where's the red card? Ref is only looking at one team here."
DP: "He's still not moved. Chuck the corpse under the sticks, St Johns ambulance will pick him up in a bit, R.I.P pilgrim, play on I reckon."
Shiggers: "This ref is a joke. Should recuse himself from the match at this point."
DP: "OH SHIT, Telea waltzes in under the sticks, right past the cadaver, Bloos bonus point try already and we're not even 20 minutes in. The Prophecy has awakened the kraken all up and down my bumcrack, hold me Shiggers, hold me."
Shiggers: "Clearcut case of obstruction for that try, what is this ref even looking at....."

Wat. You're such a fan boy. I'll send you an autograph if you're lucky

 

[molman]

That was a hard watch as a fan of Australian rugby. There are segments of games where the Force look like it's coming together, but that gave a pretty clear indication of where the current (fit) squad is at against one of the top teams. They (The Force) just don't have the depth as @Equalizer outlined. It doesn't matter if you have a couple of players with some talent if you don't have a platform to play off. As it all starts to unravel I feel like some of the players look even worst. Also agree with @KiwiM, hard to gauge Cron entirely with the squads he's had.

As an aside comment, how empty do these game look in places like Eden Park. I don't know what it's like at the ground, I am not sure of the attendance figures but these games in the bigger stadiums look so devoid of atmosphere.

 

[RugbyReg]

A tough game to say the least. It shows the gap between 2nd on the ladder and last. We are where we deserve to be. Plenty of injuries we know, but please let's not slip back into the embarrassing performances that justified the "Western Farce" name calling. When you're calling up a player from Hawkes Bay to replace Medrano for the game you know the squad depth is stretched. A lot of poor play tonight and it breeds rugby inferiority complex. But I refuse to give up on our team. We need to be better. We need to want to dominate and demolish our opponents. We've waited a long time. Some have dropped by the wayside and some have stayed strong. Changes are needed to fire this club and team to the next level. Let's make it happen and reward the WA rugby fans as we deserve.

Go You Force!

The prop injuries you’ve had this year is just ridiculous. How many have you gone through now do you reckon? I remember the year Eddie coached the Reds we must have gone through 8 including 6 who played their first game for the reds. You’ve been through more than 8 now right?

 

[Dismal Pillock]

You're such a fan boy.

 

[NCT]

When a team with the current Wallaby 9 and 10, plus a couple of backs in Stewart and Kenzie who are talked up as future reps, and the experience of Spink and Tiatia, not to mention Sam Carter and Tom Horton, can only score 3 points yet concede 50 then it is concerning. These are experienced players. Nic White says in the interview afterwards that they didn't win the contact zone enough - surely it is a bit more than that. What did the Force do with the ball? What was their game plan?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Kinda glad I was still at work when this game was on. It's grim, people. Grim.

 

[Dan54]

Maybe only the Brumbies…

I rate the Reds too mate, I would say the Tahs on their roster, but......... .

 

[Dan54]

I actually add I thought Nic White was poor in the game, never looked like he was quite into it. I know the Blues pack were going well and beating up his lot, but didn't seem to be with it?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Not sure how much longer I can keep supporting these big city bully boys. The memories of peak Isaia Toeva are rapidly fading.

Might need to find me a rag-tag team who've been written off their whole lives but never stopped believing that one day all the hard work will pay off. Underdogs, if you will.

Now accepting nominations.