Western Force 2011

[RugbyReg]

Gees I am starting to worry for the Force next year.

No signings yet I don't think??? No recruits at least.

From my records I reckon they have this signed up for next year:

Fullback: James O'Connor
Wing:Nick Cummins, Mark Bartholomeusz
Outside Centre: Ryan Cross, Mitchell Inman
Inside Centre: Stefano Hunt
Flyhalf:
Scrumhalf: Brett Sheehan
No 8:Richard Brown
Openside:
Blindside:Richard Stanford, Matt Hodgson, Ben McCalman
Lock: Sam Wykes,Tom Hockings
THP:Tim Fairbrother, Matt Dunning
LHPek Cowan, Nick Henderson
Hooker:

unsigned are:

Justin Turner, Joel Rapana, Filipe Manu, Ryan Tyrrell, Ben Whittaker, Dane Haylett-Petty, David Pocock, Josh Tatupu, Kieran Longbottom, Cameron Shepherd, Haig Sare, Sam Harris, Nathan Sharpe, Andre Pretorius, David Hill, Luke Jones, Mark Swanepoel.

Leaving:

Chir O'Young

Gee I wonder what Sharpie will do? Will get ARU top up? I know he's playing well this year, but will they want to commit to him for another 2 years? I hope so, but probably not as much as previously, so will he stay?

Likewise Shepherd might not get top up, or as much.

 

[Redsfan]

I was sure Pocock signed a contract last year? At least two years?

 

[TOCC]

no Pocock's contract is up for negotitation

Andre Pretorius has signed a contract in Japan for next season apparently

 

[Ruggo]

If Heenan can get an ARU contract, surely Sharpe can.

I'd like too say I feel sorry for them but I don't.

 

[TOCC]

i thought Sharpe has committed to the Force?

 

[Lion]

Dunning only signed 1 year with an option at the Force.

Let Harris go, there a better kids playing Under 8s than Harris.

 

[Coach]

-Former Brumbies inside back Gene Fairbanks will begin training with the team this week.
-Prop Kieran Longbottom has re-signed for two more years.
-The Force expect terms will soon be agreed between David Pocock and the ARU.
-Offers have been made to at least six other players both from within their ranks and other clubs.

Fairbanks, 28, was on a one-year contract with the Honda club in Japan. He left the Brumbies last year after 39 Super 14 games and was in the Wallabies 2006 squad.

Fairbanks, who has a desire to return to Australia, has spoken to his former club about returning and has not ruled out the Melbourne Rebels.

"Gene's out of contract and he's looking for a 2011 contract. We've spoken with Gene and his manager on the basis that the best thing is to come and have a look," Reid said.

"If we like the look of him and he likes the feel of the place, we'll sit down and have a chat."
Reid was pleased that Longbottom, 24, had decided to stay.

"Kieran has trained the house down," he said. "When he's had the opportunity to come off the bench he's played very well.
"He's a first-class young man. He's getting good experience with the older hands and we're very pleased that's he's

agreed to sign."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/union/7078290/force-move-in-on-red-hot-cooper/

 

[Lee Grant]

You're right Noddy: it is a concern. Thanks for posting that, by the way.

The Force did quite well after start-up and even last year they beat the other 3 Oz teams, but it's likely that those days have gone a'glimmering.

In the perfect world there should be players moving around all the time. 2nd stringers would depart to get a start elsewhere and good 3rd stringers would be off to the weakest team before you could say Matt To'omua.

In the real world it doesn't happen. The Tahs are keeping a lot of their players because they probably like living in the big smoke; Sydney Uni players play in 2nd grade, or even 3rd grade rather than 1st grade at Parramatta; players everywhere like to play with their mates and even if a player would like a move to start elsewhere their contract sometimes expires a year too late to do so.

Perth will attract a few players who prefer to live in a smaller city with a good lifestyle and reasonable housing prices, but until they expand their own player base they will be moving from hand to mouth. The Reds have a good player base, the Tahs have a huge one and the Brumbies have Randwick and Southern Districts. **

The Melbourne Rebels will be another franchise who will be poor relations in the player base category but they will probably do better after their initial years than the Force is doing right now. It is closer to home to players from the eastern states, yet it's almost like being in foreign parts.

The Force need a cadre of officials as the Brumbies had in their first 10 years - aggressive, canny, and with a whiff of the missionary in their clay. I'm not seeing that in the alickadoos out west.

 

[Ash]

The list of players the Force are trying to sign would be interesting too.

Cooper is one, Hynes was another they tabled an interest in. Anyone know any more?

 

[Lee Grant]

Pocock has re-signed for 2 years.

 

[Ash]

Charles and Staniforth have offers too. Tyrell will probably retire due to injury?

 

[RugbyReg]

Tyrell's injury is that bad? Shees that's a shame.

Anyone know if the Brumbies did end up offering Stani a contract too?

 

[waratahjesus]

Pocock has re-signed for 2 years.

is his two year contract with the now standard one year clause? i would imagine he would want to review the new coach before he stays on board, would make a handy replacement for waugh in sydney after the cup.

 

[AussieDominance]

Wishful thinking wj. Even though would love to see him at the Tahs could only see him joining Cooper back in QLD(if Cooper stays) although I think this O'Connor/Whitaker/Turner/Haylett - Petty combo would most likely keep him at the Force being his best mates.

 

[Ash]

Can't see Pocock leaving the Force at this stage, unless they do something to piss Pocock off. Pocock strikes me as the kind of player that will be loyal to his franchise, so long as his franchise is loyal to him, and he's loved over there. Shame that the Reds missed out on him, but lucky for the Force. He'll be groomed as the Force captin for 2012 methinks, after the likely departure of Sharpe.

The Force really needs to centre the next generation of their team around Pocock and JO'C. One of the reasons why I think a crazily big, big money offer for Cooper is not the right thing for them to do.

BTW, the punters at TWF seem to really rate Stef(ph?)ano Hunt and are expecting huge things from him in a few years. Anyone know why? I don't think he's that good or has that great a potential, but know little about it to be honest. Anyone care to share?

I think it would be good for the Force to offer Fairbanks a contract, and would be surprised if they don't.

No word on what Tyrell is going to do, but if he does have to stop playing at that level it would be a huge tragedy. Longbottom, DHP and Tyrell are important for the Force (even if they aren't first choice) as they are all local products.

 

[todd4]

Max29° Min10° Pocock rejects offers to stay with ForceNICK TAYLOR, The West Australian
April 28, 2010, 7:01 am

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WA News / NERSharon Smith © Enlarge photo

Wallaby star flanker David Pocock turned his back on several offers to stay with the Western Force for two more years.

His decision is a big boost for the club that is negotiating with a number of players ahead of the new Super 15 competition, including Pocock's good mate Queensland Reds playmaker Quade Cooper.

How impotant is David Pocock's decision to stay? Have your say below.

New franchise the Melbourne Rebels and the ACT Brumbies were both chasing the flanker.

"There were a few different options to think about and I did consider other things but the best decision for me at the moment is the Force," Pocock said.

Pocock, 22, who joined the club as a 17-year-old foundation player, made the decision to stay "a while ago" but had to wait for contract dealings to be finalised with the Australian Rugby Union.

"I'm happy to be staying. I'm really excited about it. There's a good feel among the side despite the losses," he said.

"There's a number of young guys coming through showing a lot of promise. Playing with Richard Brown and Matt Hodgson (his fellow back-rowers) was a big plus for me."

He is confident that coach John Mitchell's decision to leave after next season will not hurt the club.

"The whole coaching question ... we're pretty confident in the new CEO that he'll fix it up and we'll get the right coach after John Mitchell," Pocock said.

"John Mitchell has been really good for me and Richard Graham (assistant coach) has been fantastic since he joined us.

"I'm not sure what the situation will be after John leaves but it will be in good hands."

Meanwhile Mitchell wants the euphoria of the upset win over the Crusaders left firmly behind as the Force head off for a three-match tour of South Africa.

They can ill-afford a repeat of the poor display against the Blues that followed the six-try romp over the Highlanders when they face the Lions, Cheetahs and Sharks.

"We're really looking to avoid performance drop off," Mitchell said.

"We've had three wins out of our last four and the performance against Auckland was too much of a drop off for our liking.

"It's a really important tour for us. It's important that we continue the momentum and we back up after the performance on the weekend

"It's important that we finish the season on a high in terms of our performance."

James O'Connor and prop Tim Fairbrother, who are carrying shoulder and ankle injuries respectively, will be rested for the Lions clash, with Cameron Shepherd moving to his preferred full-back. Scott Staniforth will take his wing spot.

Mitchell will not be taking the ?winless Lions lightly.

"They’ve got nothing to lose and we've got greater expectations," he said.

"We'll certainly look to open them up. We have that ability but the game will be one based on our defence."

 

[RugbyReg]

I know he's fantastic and all but really? The BRumbies were chasing ANOTHER openside?

 

[Lachlan]

The brumbies are a fat girl at a cake party. Even if they can't fit enough cake in their mouths and stomachs they'll smoosh some into their dress as well just to spite the other part goers.

 

[AussieDominance]

Was just about to say, this Brumbies chasing is heading one way and that is the culture that they had been renowned for they are no reject centre anymore.

 

[zombi]

Sharpes current contract is until the end of the 2011 season.