Western Force v Waratahs: Saturday 16th April

[Lightblue]

Mark is gambling on intercepts way too much. He's causing a try, just don't know which way.

Kiwis will exploit that ...

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Force are just shocking now. No idea what happened to the team who played in the first 2 rounds. It's hard to see all the ex force players put the knife in. The ARU ruined the force. They had such a good side and now all those players are starting in all the other super sides in Australia and the force were left to rebuild again.

The last play was a penalty try all day. It's been like that for at least 2 years now. No idea how Gardner thought it was ok.

RA fault. Hahaha. True toys out of the cot line from you. Such a good side that couldn't make the finals in 10 years of existence. Two of the three 2017 Force players starting this weekend are born and bred NSW players anyway.

 

[brokendown]

Rugby Australia fault. Hahaha. True toys out of the cot line from you. Such a good side that couldn't make the finals in 10 years of existence. Two of the three 2017 Force players starting this weekend are born and bred NSW players anyway.

so we are shit,unlike the tahs the previous 2 years,lol

 

[Slim 293]

The ARU ruined the force. They had such a good side and now all those players are starting in all the other super sides in Australia and the force were left to rebuild again.

1. When was this good side?
2. Who are all these other players?

 

[chiraag]

Rugby Australia fault. Hahaha. True toys out of the cot line from you. Such a good side that couldn't make the finals in 10 years of existence. Two of the three 2017 Force players starting this weekend are born and bred NSW players anyway.

Yeah, destroying a team and needing to rebuild from scratch definitely not a factor.
Nor continually having a severe disadvantage in salary cap.
Nor constant white anting from RA (note leaked stories in the last few weeks from RA in regards to Sampson being replaced, FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) leaving, etc., as well as the obvious history)
Nor zero certainty on a long term place in super rugby with RA not making any real reforms as requested by twiggy, our RA vote for having a super rugby franchise still not being reinstated, etc.

We're just throwing our toys out of the cot.

Horrible performance from the force, but maybe pull your head in mate and stop drinking the Koolaid

 

[Slim 293]

Nor constant white anting from Rugby Australia (note leaked stories in the last few weeks from Rugby Australia in regards to Sampson being replaced, FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) (Fergus Lee-Warner) leaving, etc., as well as the obvious history)

Rugby Australia leaked the stories of Tim Sampson and FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) leaving?

That's some batshit tin foil stuff right there.....

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I did end up leaving early tonight. I love my team but that was garbage. All isn't well I believe and I can't help but feel that the announced departure of Tim Sampson has led to a drop off in the team's concentration, especially in the early minutes of games. At the elite level (I would imagine, I've never at that level myself) if you're mentally not 100% you get punished by teams who are and that's what happened in this game and frankly last week too.

I reckon we're going to see more of this before the season is out as well. A big reset will be in order for 2023.

 

[Dan54]

I watched early part of game and wento bed so don't know how game looked in 2nd half. I was surprised how poor defence was by Force, but did I hear they had some late changes re covid? They seem to of been pretty disconnected through backline.
I said early in season that Force was becoming my favourite Aus team,so I a little disappointed that some supporters are feeling like victims, and don't feel they getting fair go, I thought those days were gone. Still I hope they get a bit of their mojo back, and we see improvement

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I watched early part of game and wento bed so don't know how game looked in 2nd half. I was surprised how poor defence was by Force, but did I hear they had some late changes re covid? They seem to of been pretty disconnected through backline.
I said early in season that Force was becoming my favourite Aus team,so I a little disappointed that some supporters are feeling like victims, and don't feel they getting fair go, I thought those days were gone. Still I hope they get a bit of their mojo back, and we see improvement

The game has its moments - first half enjoyable. Going to be long season for the Force as just lacking that bit of quality compared to other oz sides.

Recent games suggesting time perhaps is right to replace Sampson. Mateale been a star for the force and good recruit but just got to hold onto their quality players as losing medrano and FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) next season adding to the gaps. Need another quality centre and maybe fullback, prop and even some back row options for more depth.

 

[Froggy]

The Force were given dispensation last year to play a heap of overseas international players, they have the strongest financial backer of any Aus team. The idea that leaking the replacement of Sampson and FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) leaving was some sort of RA plot is some of the most paranoid conspiracy theory I have ever heard. And the idea that their best players have gone to other franchises is just as silly, the reality is 80% of Australia's professional rugby players come from either NSW or Qld.
Look, I don't dislike the Force at all, and was vehemently opposed to them being cut from Super Rugby (if you can be bothered looking back at my old posts you can see that) but the idea that they are currently being undermined by RA just has no credibility. Someone pointing out how bad the Tahs were last year actually supports my point, simply that teams have bad runs. The Force looked pretty promising early this season but seem to have dropped off, that's something that needs to be addressed internally, perhaps the appointment of Cron will be a step forward. As to word getting out that FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) is leaving, so is LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), Frost and many others, that just happens in professional sport.
I hope the Force get stronger, but that's up to them, rather than blaming everyone else.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

so we are shit,unlike the tahs the previous 2 years,lol

Let's get this straight these comments have been made in a game thread where the Force had 60% of the ball huge periods of time in the tahs 22m but we not able to convert.

Agree that Waratahs haven't been good over the past couple of seasons but that has nothing to do with my comment nor Shiggins whom I responded to.

I genuinely want the Force to do well but Shiggins claiming that the Force had "such a great side" and all those players are starting at other teams (from a quick review of the team lists there was 3 for the entire round - NSW 1, Rebels 2 - only 1 from WA). Since the 2017 season I think the tahs only have 3 players left from that squad which is the same as the force.

It sucks that the Force were kicked out but if you keep using it as your only excuse the team is never going to be better.

 

[Drew]

There was a few key late omissions due to Covid. To me that was as much a deciding factor as anything else.

 

[Gillys_ghost]

If twiggy focused on bringing some of that talent home it would make a huge difference. Get Hoskins or Ainsley back, or both. Matt Philip is close to the best lock in Aus, Hardwick is a very good player. Luke Morahan, Billy Meakes, Curtis Rona, Isi Naisarani, are all still good footy players. Adam Coleman still has plenty of footy left in him agewise. If Twiggy actually wants the force to be contenders then matching the offers the players get overseas should be possible for a billionaire.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Yeah, destroying a team and needing to rebuild from scratch definitely not a factor.
Nor continually having a severe disadvantage in salary cap.
Nor constant white anting from Rugby Australia (note leaked stories in the last few weeks from Rugby Australia in regards to Sampson being replaced, FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) (Fergus Lee-Warner) leaving, etc., as well as the obvious history)
Nor zero certainty on a long term place in super rugby with Rugby Australia not making any real reforms as requested by twiggy, our Rugby Australia vote for having a super rugby franchise still not being reinstated, etc.

We're just throwing our toys out of the cot.

Horrible performance from the force, but maybe pull your head in mate and stop drinking the Koolaid

Pull my head in. Righto champ.

Do you have evidence of RA leaking those stories? Tony Lewis said the board told him to find and review any coach available after Sampson asked for an extention at Christmas. So the Force have being doing DD on other head coaches for 5mths but it was leaked by RA. Sure mate.

FLW (Fergus Lee-Warner) was announced by Worcester and also the BBC prior to anything from RA. It actually came out from the Cron announcement. Cron said he was losing him.

Andrew Forrest on numerous occassions has been extremely positive and complimentary of the new RA administration. Constitutional change isn't something that RA can just enforce it must be voted on by the members. So unless you have them on board how do you expect this change to occur? I am with Forrest wanting a one management model over a federated one but you need to get NSW/QLD to relinquish some power to get that to occur.

But just keep being bitter and blaming others. That will help you win games.

 

[wamberal]

Oof. Would you have believed the best tackle of the night would be Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) on Mataele?

Oh ye of little belief.

 

[RugbyReg]

Tahs didn’t win a game last year...new coach must be ok!

To be fair, considering all their resources, RA support and player numbers last year was the aberration. Great to see them doing better this year but they’re still underperforming

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Oh ye of little belief.

Pity marky N does not have speed of other wingers as his career looks very much back on track with potential to reach higher honours in time

 

[Hawko]

To be fair, considering all their resources, Rugby Australia support and player numbers last year was the aberration. Great to see them doing better this year but they’re still underperforming

Rarely do teams go from last to first in one season. We think it can happen because the occasional outlier does, but its exceedingly rare. Mid-table is what you'd expect from the squad we have, no more, because we lack experience and/or talent in a few key positions. If we can retain 80% of the team and add a few in key positions then we can shoot for top four next year. We still lack serious experienced depth at hooker, prop, lock, 10, wings and are one or two injuries away from younglings.

Look at the list of players just getting established from last night's team: 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 are all just starting their Super careers. If we picked the Australian 15 now you'd think only 2 players: Porecki and Hooper would be potential starters. Bell definitely and maybe Perese and Gordon might be chances for the bench if someone gets injured. But that's it.

They're not under-performing, they're exactly where you'd expect them to be.

 

[SteveWA]

There was a few key late omissions due to Covid. To me that was as much a deciding factor as anything else.

My opinion too. Plus the slow starts (a problem all year) has meant the Force has been chasing tries when they could have been taking penalties if they were closer.

 

[Eyes and Ears]

They're not under-performing, they're exactly where you'd expect them to be.

I believe Reg's point is that the Waratahs should never have been in the situation that they were in and that they should be considered to be underperforming when they are not one of the best teams in the competition.