Super Rugby RD 8: Rebels v Force
- Thread starter Dctarget
- Start date
Why do people hate on the Force? I don't understand. People seem to watch the games in isolation rather than in context. Fact - the Force have been neglected by Australian Rugby for years. This is their second season back. Give them a break. I think Force fans are just genuinely happy their team is improving.
Also seems like Queensland fans on this forum are the worst of you lot.
Also seems like Queensland fans on this forum are the worst of you lot.
dru
David Wilson (68)
Some of us are also Force fans.
James GC
Larry Dwyer (12)
Well those of us remember the Force rape and pillaging our player stocks back in their second season. They were simply not allowed to do so this time. It will be the same for Force fans they will never forget how they were treated at the time of their axing and rightly so.
ForceFan
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Wow...I'm totally gobsmacked.
So you can't differentiate between having players recruited by another team versus a state losing its professional team's operating licence to play in Super Rugby and having the team that was finally showing real signs of being competitive with 8 players locally developed being almost totally decimated.
At the same time the national organising body (RA) virtually abandoned the state that had the 3rd highest participation rate for Men's rugby and the highest participation rate for Women's rugby.
At the same time RA dropped it's support for Western Australia to the same level as that for Sth Australia and the Northern Territory. RA's support is still at this level.
If it wasn't for Tattarang/Andrew Forrest's support rugby would be really struggling in WA.
redstragic
Alan Cameron (40)
I liked your post but that does not feel right, I have empathy for the Force and its fans and I do want to see you guys develop a strong team.
When we lost those players all those years ago, maybe it said something about Reds as well, way I remember it anyway, it was not a good time. Link brought the good times back and Brad again now but being a Reds fan over these years has been more grit my teeth than confidence we could defeat oppositions....My son and I went a few years without being at a home game where we won (although we have season tickets, we can't get to every game)
James GC
Larry Dwyer (12)
I'm not comparing anything but someone before me suggested it was mainly Reds fans digging into the Force, back in the early days I hated you guys for targeting the Reds talent pool specifically. This was my proposition as to why some Reds fans might be the cheerleaders of the Fuck the Force brigade. (I'm not personally on that bandwagon just providing prospective). I also then went on to sympathise as to why the Force fans were entitled to feel bereaved at their team being cut. you went a little strawman there but thats ok the way I worded it may have came across that way.
ForceFan
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Certainly how I read it James GC.
Change my wording to:
Some "people" can't differentiate rather than "you".
I'm just as gobsmacked but not in your direction.
I've explained in the Western Force 2021 thread (#680 - 21 Mar 2021) that the Western Force were given very limited time to do their initial recruiting - and could only access other franchises during each team's bye week.
The Reds were unlucky enough to be the first cabs off the rank and the Force apparently went pretty hard.
The WF were offered none of the largesse and freedoms which were bestowed upon the Melbourne Rebels during its formation (and continue to be so - such as the lifting of salary caps - the expanded limits on foreign players - paying for coaching staff etc).
Change my wording to:
Some "people" can't differentiate rather than "you".
I'm just as gobsmacked but not in your direction.
I've explained in the Western Force 2021 thread (#680 - 21 Mar 2021) that the Western Force were given very limited time to do their initial recruiting - and could only access other franchises during each team's bye week.
The Reds were unlucky enough to be the first cabs off the rank and the Force apparently went pretty hard.
The WF were offered none of the largesse and freedoms which were bestowed upon the Melbourne Rebels during its formation (and continue to be so - such as the lifting of salary caps - the expanded limits on foreign players - paying for coaching staff etc).
The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
Do we really have to go back over the same old ground? I'm happy that the Force are back, really happy. I'm also happy that we are getting better bit by bit. I'm not going to buy into these tedious back and forth arguments, however. Neither am I going waste my time responding to some of the negativity directed towards my team. I've got more fun things to do with my life, like going to the game and enjoying it.
Kevin77
Fred Wood (13)
That win was everything.
I don't care that it might not have captured the neutrals. I don't care that it bored certain people on a Friday evening.
We needed that. It's kept our season alive. The implications are huge here in the west.
We now have a home game against the Tahs on Saturday where we can expect close to a full house (COVID restrictions lifted). The Force can market the game as a finals decider (it's not exactly but better than playing the bottom side in a dead rubber).
The players have now picked up two wins after a winless season last year - despite injuries. They deserve that. We realistically have a chance of winning a third this Saturday.
This might not seem a big deal but this all represents progress. Momentum is everything in sport.
Our tight five is our strength. In fact our entire pack now seems as good as any in Australia.
Yes our backs haven't set the world on fire but we've yet to have our best backline out in consecutive games (who knows what that actually looks like?).
If we could qualify for the finals, get Kearney and Pulu back and give Godwin and Kuridrani the next few games together we might just put up a show.
Everyone complains about our lack of creativity but we're only a handful of games into playing together and our backline has chopped and changed so much. A little bit of continuity there and we could be flying.
Every little bit of progress we make makes us a more attractive proposition to bring players home/recruit well for next year and beyond. Every sign of progress means we're a step closer to signing a Jake Ball or a Carlo Tizzano or many others.
We have to walk before we can run. In fact we're still learning to crawl. But we're getting there. There are plenty of more bumps to come but we're behind this team and organisation and it's going to be something special the next couple of weeks at HBF stadium
I don't care that it might not have captured the neutrals. I don't care that it bored certain people on a Friday evening.
We needed that. It's kept our season alive. The implications are huge here in the west.
We now have a home game against the Tahs on Saturday where we can expect close to a full house (COVID restrictions lifted). The Force can market the game as a finals decider (it's not exactly but better than playing the bottom side in a dead rubber).
The players have now picked up two wins after a winless season last year - despite injuries. They deserve that. We realistically have a chance of winning a third this Saturday.
This might not seem a big deal but this all represents progress. Momentum is everything in sport.
Our tight five is our strength. In fact our entire pack now seems as good as any in Australia.
Yes our backs haven't set the world on fire but we've yet to have our best backline out in consecutive games (who knows what that actually looks like?).
If we could qualify for the finals, get Kearney and Pulu back and give Godwin and Kuridrani the next few games together we might just put up a show.
Everyone complains about our lack of creativity but we're only a handful of games into playing together and our backline has chopped and changed so much. A little bit of continuity there and we could be flying.
Every little bit of progress we make makes us a more attractive proposition to bring players home/recruit well for next year and beyond. Every sign of progress means we're a step closer to signing a Jake Ball or a Carlo Tizzano or many others.
We have to walk before we can run. In fact we're still learning to crawl. But we're getting there. There are plenty of more bumps to come but we're behind this team and organisation and it's going to be something special the next couple of weeks at HBF stadium
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
It is very much about the trajectory hence criticism of Force less so for that game on Friday as from where you started from after being readmitted to super rugby you are improving with improved recruitment which of course takes time. The Rebels on the other hand are not spared from such criticism as they have pretty much flat lined for the last 4 years promising so much on paper with the quality of their squad but delivering little on the field to match those expectations.
Reds and Brumbies setting the benchmark for where Force, and other sides like Rebels and Tahs need to get to.
ForceFan
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Would be nice to watch a live win at HBF on Saturday by backing it up against the Tahs. Home wins have been a bit few and far between. Positive steps though from our team of discarded old fellas
And it was all of the above!