Western Force 2009

[Lee Grant]

Force Tour to England

1 Pekahou Cowan
1 Gareth Hardy
2 Tai McIsaac
2 Luke Holmes
1/3 Kieran Longbottom
3 AJ Whalley
3 Troy Takiari
4/5 Pat O'Connor
4/5 Sam Wykes
4/5 Brent Murphy
6/L Tom Murday
8/L Valeni Tia Tia
7 David Pocock (c)
8 Filipe Manu
8 Tamaiti Horua
BR Matt Hodgson
9 Chris O'Young
9 Justin Turner
10 Scott Daruda
12 James OConnor
12 Junior Pelesasa
13 Josh Tatupu
13/W Barry Mansfield
W Caleb Brown
15/W Dane Haylett-Petty
15 Dion Berryman
U Haig Sare
U Scott Staniforth

The itinerary is:
8 August v Newcastle Falcons
12 August v Saracens Academy
16 August v Saracens
23 August v Northampton Academy
27 August v Northampton Saints
30 August v Leicester Tigers

Seems like a good schedule. No doubt the games against the GP teams won?t be against their main sides but be trials for them.

Well. Scrummie Justin Turner?s mum was right when she told me last week at the Oz Schools championship that he was going on this tour ? and she also told me that he had a rookie contract for next year.

 

[Turban]

Aparently there was a brawl on the weekend involving a number of Force boys some of them might not be going. Not sure of the details, and the story is un-verified at this stage but something happened.

 

[CHISELHEAD]

Where's the boy without mischief?
I hate all this PC BS

 

[spectator]

Is Felipe Manu the No. 8 from Souths in the Brisbane Premier comp?

 

[formeropenside]

I'm surprised myself that the Force have not tried to pick up one of the MARC hookers like Mann-Rea or Ingham.

 

[Scarfman]

Where's the boy without mischief?
I hate all this PC BS

Is that a quokka in your avatar?

 

[Lee Grant]

Is Felipe Manu the No. 8 from Souths in the Brisbane Premier comp?

Yes

PS: Forwards Scott Fava (ankle), Tom Hockings (shoulder) and David Pusey (foot)and backs Nick Cummins (leg), and Wallabies including the injured Cameron Shepherd were not available to tour.

 

[Ash]

I'm surprised myself that the Force have not tried to pick up one of the MARC hookers like Mann-Rea or Ingham.

Indeed. I'd hazard a guess and say they banked too heavily on landing Moore.

Two hookers in a touring party that big is stupidity, so I'd expect they have a back up plan with one of the props there somewhere.

 

[Lee Grant]

Gareth Hardy has had experience at hooker. He subbed for quite a while for Sydney Uni a few years back when Digby Beaumont was injured.

Was not the worst thrower to the lineout that I ever saw either.

 

[CHISELHEAD]

Where's the boy without mischief?
I hate all this PC BS

Is that a quokka in your avatar?

I see you failed biology great one

 

[naza]

Where's the boy without mischief?
I hate all this PC BS

Is that a quokka in your avatar?

I see you failed biology great one

Does Chiselhead's vet clinic bother classifying roadkill or do you just bury it in a Western Force jersey ?

 

[the gambler]

Gareth Hardy has had experience at hooker. He subbed for quite a while for Sydney Uni a few years back when Digby Beaumont was injured.

Was not the worst thrower to the lineout that I ever saw either.

Did Beaumont ever get any game time with the brumbies? What did people think of him? I rated him as a kind of a McCormack type player for Uni. Solid and capable of filling gaps in higher levels when injuries hit.

 

[CHISELHEAD]

Where's the boy without mischief?
I hate all this PC BS

Is that a quokka in your avatar?

I see you failed biology great one

Does Chiselhead's vet clinic bother classifying roadkill or do you just bury it in a Western Force jersey ?

At Redneck Mountain we keep driving over it until the the crows eat it or it dries out and blows away......similar to the Tahs super 14 campaigns

 

[hatchie]

Josh Valentine will be in Force colours next year. Hope he can find the form he showed in 2006.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=4&ContentID=86436

 

[CHISELHEAD]

Valentine is worse than Henjack
That's called scraping the barrel
His two dicky knees and rare ability to take the wrong option in any given circumstance compliment his inabilty to tackle. Throw in an inept box kick, and you have a rare glimpse of a subdistricts standard scrummie who somehow made it to pro rugby. A remarkable success story.

It doesn't change the fact that he will bring nothing to the Force

 

[Lee Grant]

Valentine has been a big disappointment to me. When he was a teenager at the Rats I thought the rugby world was at his feet.

The emergence of Burgess meant he was no longer needed at the Tahs and we had factored in his absence for 2009. I'm glad that he is staying in the country despite his defects and the Force was the logical place for him to go.

With Justin Turner being given a rookie contract it means that Stannard drops out of the picture. It's a bit rough because he played some good rugby this year, but wasn't consistent enough.

As I said on the Tahs thread: his place as 3rd NSW scrummie will probably go to a professional Academy player - perhaps Jeremy Sua.

 

[Lindommer]

Valentine has been a big disappointment to me. When he was a teenager at the Rats I thought the rugby world was at his feet.

Then he buggered off to Randwick. Serves him right. Lee, the Rats have had some handy half-backs the last decade: Cordingley, Sheehan, Holmes, Valentine. Anyone else?

 

[spectator]

Tom Murday is another Qld product who was OZ A Schools in 2006. Rangy with good skills but I wonder if he has put on any weight.

Good chance for Flipper Manu to prove that he has some talent to go with that considerable size of his. Not sure why he never got a look in with the Reds?

As for Justin Turner, impressive to be touring whilst still at school. Must be quite a talent. Have to wonder how it affects his schooling though if he is in his final year?

 

[Turban]

From one terrible half-back to another, who is in charge of recruiting at the Force? They should hire me instead, I'd do it for free too!

 

[the gambler]

As long as he is on low money I actually think he is a pretty decent pick up. With consistent game time he has the ability to become a very solid S14 player. Plus in desperate times he offers a back up 10 or helps if you want to pick a 5/2 bench.

Has Hilgendorf left the Force?