Western Force 2025
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Mr Pilfer
Alex Ross (28)
Yeah I would say that would be pretty close with Palu, Burey and Pasitoa pushing for spots or filling the bench. Nic White obviously there as well but hopefully Cron gives IFL the reins a bit more now.
Mr Pilfer
Alex Ross (28)
I would assume that horse has bolted. He was only on a temporary contract and then once getting injured for most of the season they would be silly to contract him further.
todd4
Dave Cowper (27)
Pasitoa missed the tour to SA after he injured his shoulder, poor bloke can't catch a break. Unfortunately there's been no info on how serious (or not) the shoulder injury is. I wish clubs were more open about player injuries and recovery times.
Tazzmania
Bob Loudon (25)
My personal opinion as to why injuries are not reported in the detail that we would like:
1) Some injuries are very hard to quantify in terms of seriousness and recovery times. (Think of a time you may have been to a doctor for a diagnosis with an ache or pain)
2) These are work related injuries and play on the minds of the players concerned so their mental well being needs to be adhered to. Teams have a duty of care.
3) Being work related they could affect current and future employment, and said player / treating specialist may not wish to divulge full details.
4) A perceived weakness in a player could be targetted by an unscrupulious team to be taken advantage of when they next play.
4) To a large extent medical records are deemed private.
Just my two cents worth
Yoda
Cyril Towers (30)
Tim Horan had him in the Wallabies after one or two good games 2 years ago! He has talent, but talk about a premature call. I hope the young man has an injury free season and gets game time.
Adam84
Rod McCall (65)
To be fair… simply being a contracted super rugby player means you’re pretty bloody close to a test call up…
might be premature to state they’ll be a mainstay of the side, but a call up into the squad seems fairly achievable for anyone in a Super Rugby starting team.
might be premature to state they’ll be a mainstay of the side, but a call up into the squad seems fairly achievable for anyone in a Super Rugby starting team.
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ForceFan
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Disagree.
The performance of our Test team shows that we may have 150 Super Rugby players but <23 test players currently in Australia.
The gap between Super Rugby and test rugby is almost as wide as the gap between Super Rugby and Club Rugby.
The development of the appropriate/necessary skill levels in Australia is poor.
Rugby Australia where are your current initiatives to develop the game in OZ.
ps Taking 60 players to the UK is hardly good use of the scarce $$s!
The Lions Tour and pending RWC in OZ are just distractions........
Yoda
Cyril Towers (30)
Our players simply don’t play enough games… once the very short Super rugby season finishes and you’re not in the Test squad there aren’t many more games to play in club rugby. Then in the Test squad, if you aren’t playing Tests and mainly training you aren’t playing games there. A definite conundrum. Young Tane Edmed went off to play in NZ which was a great option for him to play games and improve while the other 10’s in the Test squad, young Lynagh and Donaldson got limited game time. From memory Donaldson missed the last Force game through injury too. In his case, his Test minutes in 5 months isn’t a lot and now on tour in the UK as a back up, won’t play many minutes either unless there are injuries. The same can be said for all the non Test 23 players. I’d like to know what the South African squad members play both in South African comps and those that play in Europe compared to our guys? It would be interesting.
Strewthcobber
Simon Poidevin (60)
With some noticeable exceptions, Their minutes are managed - they have bigger squads.
I looked up Mack Hansen recently. He has never played more than the 15 games he played in his final season at the Brumbies in Ireland.
Jack Crowley averages 12 games for Munster a season, with starting a max of 14 games a year
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been out for all of this season so far, but played 11 games for the stormers last year, and 14 the year before. Finding Currie Cup info is harder, but I think he's played 6 games total in his career
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I think you're at cross purposes with Adam84.
He's saying that by virtue of being one of the now 60 starting Super Rugby players, you can never be that far away from a Wallabies squad (regardless of how ready you are to play test rugby).
On your point I would say that a lot of the development pathways have been improved substantially.
We've now got under 15, under 16, under 19 Super Rugby games as well as an Australian Schoolboys tour and better contracting of the elite kids emerging from high school.
The missing piece is getting more quality rugby into the bottom half of the Super Rugby squads who currently return to club rugby when the Super Rugby season finishes for a few games and then their year is over.
Wilson
Phil Kearns (64)
The problem isn't our top flight guys, who absolutely play enough rugby (and too much in some cases), it's the guys coming through the ranks, sitting just outside the best 15/23 for most sides. They're spending a few seasons playing 1-5 games as they're coming up, or only getting 5-10 minute stints off the bench and not really advancing as a result. It leaves them under prepared as they step up to be more regular starters and means they've missed out on a lot of development over those years. That's where the larger squads, but managed minutes of the Northern teams comes in, managing minutes of the top flight players across a longer season means those squad guys get to step up and play more game time at a higher level.
The Ghost of Raelene
Simon Poidevin (60)
Wallabies & Top 25 at each Super Rugby side: Play enough (at times too much and I have no doubt some injuries and re occurrence injuries are from this). It's a different argument whether all these guys are legit Test standard players.
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Wider squad/Development contracted players: Not enough. As Wilson says they get sparring minutes in the occasional game that takes them away from Club games which in themselves aren't enough but at least it's minutes. We then have an senior players leave and shit can these blokes when they aren't up to the standard.
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Junior Programs: Play enough. 15 School games, 4-10 rep games: 20+ per year at least.
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Wider squad/Development contracted players: Not enough. As Wilson says they get sparring minutes in the occasional game that takes them away from Club games which in themselves aren't enough but at least it's minutes. We then have an senior players leave and shit can these blokes when they aren't up to the standard.
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Junior Programs: Play enough. 15 School games, 4-10 rep games: 20+ per year at least.
I think depending on the Super Rugby team, regular bench players in some positions are the worst off. They play limited Super Rugby minutes and then don't get to play club rugby on the weekend.
For example, the total minutes played by Jack Grant (generally the reserve 9 for the Tahs) for the whole of 2024 would be far lower than desirable.
For example, the total minutes played by Jack Grant (generally the reserve 9 for the Tahs) for the whole of 2024 would be far lower than desirable.
Adam84
Rod McCall (65)
Correct..
Tazzmania
Bob Loudon (25)
Coxon re-signs with Force after strong NPC campaign
The Western Force are delighted to welcome back loosehead prop Ryan Coxon for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Coxon played eight times for the Force in the 2024 season after joining the Club on the eve of the campaign as an injury replacement.
The 27-year-old front-rower brought an unrelenting game style and commitment, while he added to the team’s off-field culture with his positive attitude and affable nature.
READ MORE
The Western Force are delighted to welcome back loosehead prop Ryan Coxon for the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Coxon played eight times for the Force in the 2024 season after joining the Club on the eve of the campaign as an injury replacement.
The 27-year-old front-rower brought an unrelenting game style and commitment, while he added to the team’s off-field culture with his positive attitude and affable nature.
READ MORE
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Wilson
Phil Kearns (64)
James Stannard rumoured to be signing on with the Force as an assistant coach: