Western Force 2021

[Adam84]

Are we getting rid of them or is the system not conducive of offering the opportunities a 30yr old would want? We only play 14/15 top end games a year. So clubs have the choice of keeping older players and then when they move on the young guys that come into your system to replace them are 23-24yrs old that have essentially played park footy for the past 5yrs or do you play young guys and develop them with the wallabies around them? Neither are ideal situations.

Guys that are 30 want to be playing a minimum 14-15 games a year otherwise they end up with squad player money which is a fraction of what they can earn overseas or they hit a point where the wallabies dream is over and they again move for more money overseas than what’s on offer here. European clubs are playing 30+ games a year so plenty of opportunities to keep both young and old happy with playing opportunities (+ the extra cash) and SA/NZ can offer the 14-15 Super Rugby games plus another 8-10 high pressure pro level games in Currie Cup/NPC to develop up and comers (again there is extra money to be earned on top of Super Rugby clubs in these games). Not sure I’d stick around as a 30yr old on $120-150k to play 6-10 games a year or you could head to France to play 15-20 games a year on twice as much. Let alone the incentive other comps offer for guys with families been able to tuck their kids in their own bed every night of the year.

Sure they're getting recruited overseas for big pay-outs in the later years of their career, this has somehow translated to a mentality that players over 30 are too old for Australian Rugby. All im saying is that players in their 30s still have a lot to offer, and especially someone like Rob Kearney who brings a mountain of experience to what will be a freshly assembled team in the west.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Thinking about this at least Rob Kearney at 34 has being played top pro and test rugby. Would prefer player in early 30s as in reality with Rob Kearney only looking at 1-2 seasons out of him.

I don’t mind players in early 30s as thrush by example been good for the force and probably reflects the market for players in their prime is very competitive.

So far recruitment been good. Need a decent lock and probably another decent 10 and winger as the priority.

 

[ForceFan]

Ireland great joins the Force
September 29, 2020

Ireland’s most decorated player, Rob Kearney, has signed with the Western Force on a one-year deal.

Head of rugby Matt Hodgson is excited to see the Force attract world class talent, saying it shows the potential and positive development of the club.
“Rob is a fantastic signing, but more than that he is a great person who will be able to bring a lot to WA rugby,” Hodgson stated.
“He is a player of the highest calibre that brings a wealth of experience and quality to the side.
He also brings a winning mentality, having experienced so much success for his country and Leinster.
We can’t wait for the Sea of Blue and the sizeable Irish community within WA to see him pull on the Force jersey next season.”

Read more.....

 

[Caputo]

I believe you should sign Les Makin and have 6 Props in Longbottom and Holmes, Robertson and Makin and Wagner and Shermaint. Makin is recovering from achilles on return from Japan to start Brumbies season

 

[kiap]

Dunno about Makin. He's a Brumby. 3 starts since 2014.

Would prefer to give a shot to a young unit like Dom Hardman who came through Wests Scarbs in Premier Grade then NRC and GRR and with a taste of Super Rugby Au.

 

[Caputo]

Understand your reasoning. Think that Makin has been behind Allan Ala'alatoa but has 50+ caps but limited starts and at 28 should be in the right age bracket.

 

[molman]

I like the signing of Stander, Longbottom is obviously a local and Kurindrani is quality. But they need to make sure they don’t become a dads army with guys past it or never going to be anything more than solid. If you’re going to get a Kearney he needs to be playing with guys in the learning phase instead of guys (Brache) that aren’t going to take the team to new heights.

Agree. I rate Kearney and can see a lot of value in a signing like him, just the same way George Smith likely brought value to all the clubs he's been running around in, in his 30's. You'd hope however they have a plan for the future with the next generation of players coming in behind, to build something.

 

[fatprop]

Agree. I rate Kearney and can see a lot of value in a signing like him, just the same way George Smith likely brought value to all the clubs he's been running around in, in his 30's. You'd hope however they have a plan for the future with the next generation of players coming in behind, to build something.

Do you rate the 2020 version or the 1995 version?

 

[fatprop]

Ireland great joins the Force
September 29, 2020

Ireland’s most decorated player, Rob Kearney, has signed with the Western Force on a one-year deal.

Head of rugby Matt Hodgson is excited to see the Force attract world class talent, saying it shows the potential and positive development of the club.
“Rob is a fantastic signing, but more than that he is a great person who will be able to bring a lot to WA rugby,” Hodgson stated.
“He is a player of the highest calibre that brings a wealth of experience and quality to the side.
He also brings a winning mentality, having experienced so much success for his country and Leinster.
We can’t wait for the Sea of Blue and the sizeable Irish community within WA to see him pull on the Force jersey next season.”

Read more...

Over the last 1,000 years we have seen many great players at the end of their careers turn up in another comp with pretty random results

I hope he turns up and does the job.

But he is an old back, usually it is those with rat cunning that can continue to deliver in their later years, not those whose game was based on athleticism. At 15 in a trans tasman comp, he will have to cover lots of miles and stay on the field

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Well at least signed only for 1 year deal - if can perform ok, help develop some youngsters, and help tap into the Irish community that would be worth the punt maybe.

I suppose to compete in the market with japan and northern hemisphere we have to look at more journey man punts like this.

 

[qwerty51]

Agree. I rate Kearney and can see a lot of value in a signing like him, just the same way George Smith likely brought value to all the clubs he's been running around in, in his 30's. You'd hope however they have a plan for the future with the next generation of players coming in behind, to build something.

You can't compare a backrower (and a #8 which George was in his late career) to a fullback. Fullback is the last position you want to be playing a 35 y/o.

 

[ForceFan]

You can't compare a backrower (and a #8 which George was in his late career) to a fullback. Fullback is the last position you want to be playing a 35 y/o.

Yeah.......what would Mark Evans, Tim Sampson, Matt Hodgson (who played Super Rugby until he was 36yo and outclassed Hooper in every head-to-head including his last game) and Brian O'Driscoll know??

He may have lost a bit over the past 3 years but we're not talking Test rugby we're talking Super Rugby in Oz or NZ.
A shot in the arm for WA rugby over the next 12 months (and maybe more).

Brian O'Driscoll on Rob Kearney - 24 Sep 202
Leinster Rugby tribute to Rob Kearney - 24 Sep 2020

 

[molman]

Do you rate the 2020 version or the 1995 version?

Any version of him as a Rugby player, so no, not 1995 when he was what, 9 or 10. He brings different things to a team at different iterations. Now you get someone who has a bucket load of experience both on the field and off in different systems that he can share whilst still being a very decent player on the field.

As I said, lots to gain as long as you are cultivating behind him. There is no illusion that he's a longterm solution.

 

[Forcefield]

You can't compare a backrower (and a #8 which George was in his late career) to a fullback. Fullback is the last position you want to be playing a 35 y/o.

Chris Latham was 32 when he last played for Australia. I'd have played him every day of the week. Reckon he could have cracked on for a few years too. At super level at the very least.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

I'd say that the Rebels signing an ancient Geoff Parling for one season worked out pretty good for all concerned. Kearney's experience will bring plenty of benefit, even if he isn't on the field 100% of the time.

Whether he's worth it or not really just comes down to how much he's costing.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I'd say that the Rebels signing an ancient Geoff Parling for one season worked out pretty good for all concerned. Kearney's experience will bring plenty of benefit, even if he isn't on the field 100% of the time.

Whether he's worth it or not really just comes down to how much he's costing.

Force have financial backing where decisions on such signings do not warrant such scrutiny. I assume the force not subject to a salary cap at this point and would ensure for first year of any new competition they are not either (following rebels example when force were removed). Assume this also reflects one year signing here.

 

[Adam84]

You can't compare a backrower (and a #8 which George was in his late career) to a fullback. Fullback is the last position you want to be playing a 35 y/o.

Andrew Walker was 35 when he played fullback for the Reds, Adam Ashley Cooper was 35 at the RWC last year

The only question you need to ask is Rob Kearney better then either Jack McGregor or Jake Strachan, if he is, then he is an improvement on what they had this year.

No on is saying he will come and dominate, but I certainly think he improves the squad

 

[Mr Wobbly]

Force have financial backing where decisions on such signings do not warrant such scrutiny. I assume the force not subject to a salary cap at this point and would ensure for first year of any new competition they are not either (following rebels example when force were removed). Assume this also reflects one year signing here.

Yeah. I didn't word that very well. I wasn't thinking about a salary cap, more about whether he turns out to be a good value signing or not. In a cost/benefit kind of way.

 

[Adam84]

Force aren’t part of RA, the players aren’t represented by RUPA, they have a seperate CBA. Which means they don’t have a salary cap or the same rules as the other Australian teams have.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Salary cap only exists because RA was sick of bailing out the Super clubs