Western Force 2019

[RugbyReg]

Forwards​

Aisake Meo*
Andrew Ready
Ben Grant
Brynard Stander
Cameron Orr
Carlo Tizzano
Chris Alcock
Chris Heiberg
Dom Hardman*
Feleti Kaitu’u
Fergus Lee-Warner
Harrison Lloyd
Heath Tessmann
Henry Stowers
Jack Bromely*
Jackson Pugh*
Jeremy Thrush
Johan Bardoul
Markus Vanzati
Ollie Callan*
Tevin Ferris
Tom Sheminant​

Backs​

AJ Alatimu
Andrew Deegan
Brad Lacey
Byron Ralston*
Chris Tuatara-Morrison*
Grason Makara*
Halaufa Lavaka*
Henry Taefu
Ian Prior
Issak Fines
Jack McGregor
Jake Strachan*
Jonah Placid
Kiti Ratu*
Leon Feke*
Marcel Brache
Nick Jooste
Pama Fou*
Rory O’Sullivan*​

​

 

[RugbyReg]

Enjoy seeing these names like Pama Fou and Jake Strachan in these squads

 

[Shaker]

I like seeing Tuatara-Morrison back. Cool throwback to the Super Rugby days. Alatimu/Taefu/Stowers/Brache all named but are all in their country's squads, you'd expect them to head to Japan.

 

[Pieman]

Enjoy seeing these names like Pama Fou and Jake Strachan in these squads

Yep. Totally agree. IM0 Jake was one of Souths' best all season.

 

[Shaker]

Also no Kieran Longbottom is odd.

 

[Finsbury Girl]

Would love to see Ready smash it & make it back into Super footy.

 

[ForceFan]

Also no Kieran Longbottom is odd.

KBomb is reportedly recovering well from knee surgery.

 

[ForceFan]

Would love to see Ready smash it & make it back into Super footy.

He came across to Peth so that he could play Global Rapid Rugby and reportedly loves life in Perth.

Why would he return to Super Rugby for the final season in 2020?

 

[NotMeSir]

Photos from Western Force vs Queensland Country game today at:
https://michael-mullins.smugmug.com/NRC-Round-1-2019/

 

[NotMeSir]

Photos from Western Force vs Melbourne Rising game today at:
https://michael-mullins.smugmug.com/NRC-Round-3-2019/

 

[Silverado]

He came across to Peth so that he could play Global Rapid Rugby and reportedly loves life in Perth.

Why would he return to Super Rugby for the final season in 2020?

And where would he go?

 

[kiap]

Only just saw these quotes from a few days ago:

Hooker Heath Tessmann has rubbished claims by Canberra Vikings that Global Rapid Rugby gives Western Force an advantage in the National Rugby Championship.​

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The fiery veteran said the Brumbies-backed Vikings were the most experienced squad in the competition as they wheeled out five Wallabies and another 11 Super Rugby players for the Round 4 clash at UWA Sports Park.​

​

“These guys have the biggest group of Super players playing together,” he said.​

​

“They spend a lot of time together, they know how each other plays, they know their structures, they get into them quickly. They have knowledge and experience.​

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“It’s a very good reason why they have featured heavily in this competition. They have been the bar-setters for this competition.​

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“They are bringing a very strong squad and will be our biggest challenge so far but we don’t just want to match them, we want to better them.​

​

Good on 'im

 

[RugbyReg]

He’s wrong of course.

The Force have been playing and training with this team for the year.

The Vikings may have wallabies and super rugby players but the combinations they have are new and inexperienced.

 

[kiap]

He’s wrong of course.

The Force have been playing and training with this team for the year.

The Vikings may have wallabies and super rugby players but the combinations they have are new and inexperienced.

Sounds like you really rate this GRR comp, Reg. Good to hear, mate. I like what it's developing for the Asia-Pacific sides.

But that's only relevant to the no-wallabies forward pack playing against Valetini, Samu, et al.

Take a look at the Force backline -- 7 of the 10 Western Force backs named for this Vikings game only joined the squad a few months ago, leading into the NRC.

Now the halves are certainly a match for wallaby Powell and young Lolesio, but Prior and Deegan were also injured and missed playing stretches of GRR this year.

9 Prior
10 Deegan
11 Placid
12 Tuatara-Morrison
13 Ralston
14 Feke
15 Strachan

21 Fines
22 Makara
23 Miller

 

[ForceFan]

Comprehensive top-of-table result for the Western Force gives a chance to have their next two games at home.

The team stats show the WF very much middle of the road for all stats except highest points and close to lowest turnovers conceded. Excellent team stats with only Jonah Placid and Andrew Deegan standouts on individual stats.

This is the kind of results the Western Force has been aiming for.

Hope they can make it 2 from 2 at home.

 

[ForceFan]

Very good effort in the Finals by the Western Force considering the number of first-choice players who were unavailable for selection either through injury or RWC commitments.

The list was a long one:
Injuries: Ian Prior (capt), Kieran Longbottom, Johan Bardoul, Chris Alcock, Brad Lacey
RWC: Marcel Brache, AJ Alatimu, Henry Taefu

Other regular players who moved on prior to the start of the NRC included: Masivesi Dakuwaqa, Rodney Iona, Clay Uyen and Rod Davies.

Was also very good to see the young talent from Club Rugby and interstate who were given a chance to show their stuff in the NRC.
Including: Pama Fou, Byron Ralston, Dom Hardman, Rory O’Sullivan, Jake Strachan, Aisake Meo, Chris Miller, Leon Feke, Kiti Ratu, Grason Makara.

Jonah Placid, who had a fantastic return to the NRC, also needed to get used to an entirely new player group.