John Mitchell Gone?

[Gnostic]

nah David Knox would be real fun ....

He'd give P Div a good run for the quotes. Give him a mic at every game (wouldn't be family viewing though). :lmao:

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

New Wallaby backs coach could be very interesting indeed. I'd love Kafe to do it, but he's said no publically a few times. You never know though...

 

[Scorz]

I wonder if John Mitchell going to the Force, doing less than expected, and then upping stakes and heading for SA will be mirrored by the other well heralded Kiwi import to the Aus rugby scene.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I would take issue that Mitchell was a failure at the Force. With the group that he had at the beginning and no history of top level rugby in Perth, I think he's done OK. The foundation has been laid and others will get to build on it. I think it's time for him to go, yes. But I don't buy the argument that it hasn't worked.

 

[Gnostic]

I reckon Mitchell did well building the Force. Hindsight is great and there are things he could have done better, personalities managed better etc but all in all the Force played a good brand of Rugby (not in the first half of this year when he persisted in picking Harris at 10) and we saw some very good results. Enough to make the fans turn up week in weeks out.

On the Wallaby backs coach position we need somebody like Louden (not necessarily them). Somebody who will teach some set plays and some passing skills. I would like to see some consultants used as well to bring in some outsde views and fresh ideas. Campo could be great for a role like that, you know he will not hold back from telling the truth as he sees it.

 

[PaarlBok]

I would take issue that Mitchell was a failure at the Force. With the group that he had at the beginning and no history of top level rugby in Perth, I think he's done OK. The foundation has been laid and others will get to build on it. I think it's time for him to go, yes. But I don't buy the argument that it hasn't worked.

Pretty simple this one. Compare the Force to the other Aus franchises and you'll appreciate his work there.

2006 last
2007 second behind the Brumbies
2008 second behind the Tahs
2009 third behind Tahs and Brumbies still mid table
2010 last

 

[Gnostic]

That 2010 Last can be put down to the loss of both 10's and playing a very average 12 at Flyhalf for the first 5 rounds. Their fortunes turned around when Hill arrived and they played like they had previously.

In any event as I always say the winning isn't everything its how they played and there was some thrilling Rugby under Mitchell.

 

[chief]

Looking forward to seeing what Graham would have learned under Mitchell. Personally I'm excited. Hopefully the Force can show us a really great brand of Rugby next year under Graham.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Pretty simple this one. Compare the Force to the other Aus franchises and you'll appreciate his work there.

2006 last
2007 second behind the Brumbies
2008 second behind the Tahs
2009 third behind Tahs and Brumbies still mid table
2010 last

PB, I don't buy that argument. They were an expansion side with zero history or tradition. You don't build that overnight. What would be the Reds excuse for all those years (not to pick on them, so don't lynch me Reds fans!) or the Lions or Cheetahs?

 

[TOCC]

PB, I don't buy that argument. They were an expansion side with zero history or tradition. You don't build that overnight. What would be the Reds excuse for all those years (not to pick on them, so don't lynch me Reds fans!) or the Lions or Cheetahs?

zero history or tradition but bucket loads of third-party sponsorship.... cough cough firepower anyone?

 

[farva]

The first season they didnt really have anyone. Look at their starting team. Other than Cannon and Sharpe, there wasnt much there.
Then there was the player power issues and the Firepower issues. That caused some real disharmony in the club, and wasnt Mitchells fault at all.
Last year, they were decimated with injury. They used something like 37 players this year. No team can do well like that. When they got a few key players back, they were quite competitive - beat the Stormers and the Sadists, and pushed the Tahs and Bulls very close.

And if you look at the legacy that Mitchell has left, there is some real talent there.
They have Charles, Whittaker, OConnor, Pocock, McCalman, Inman and Turner all very young. Plus there is PAE, Battye, etc signed this year who will hopefully add to that. Then in the academy they have Cruze Ah-Nau, Siliva Siliva and Kyle Godwin in the pro academy who should step up next year or the one after.
That is some real young talent to build a team over for the next few years.

 

[PaarlBok]

PB, I don't buy that argument. They were an expansion side with zero history or tradition. You don't build that overnight. What would be the Reds excuse for all those years (not to pick on them, so don't lynch me Reds fans!) or the Lions or Cheetahs?

Well that speaks for itself and make his achievement with the Farce even bigger. He have one thing at the Lions tho, structure and a schoolboy base to work from and I am looking forward to see what he can do with the bunch of Valies. Thus far I'd say impressive in a small space of time.

 

[TOCC]

I'm not saying John Mitchell was to blame for Firepower, but it definitely influenced the cattle he had to work with at the Force, i agree that John Mitchell has done a good job over the years

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

zero history or tradition but bucket loads of third-party sponsorship.... cough cough firepower anyone?

Sure, fair enough. But none of that diminishes the job he did building a competitive squad from basically nothing. I know he's not the most popular bloke in rugby circles, but as a Force member I thank him for his efforts.

 

[dobduff11]

Yes the bald one has gone

Did well laying the foundations and honing the youngsters,

he needs to do alot at the lions to retrieve the respect he lost from me when he played sam harris at 10 in more than one game

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Harris was pretty terrible, unfortunately. The poor bloke looked out of his depth there a few times. Felt for him, I did.

 

[TOCC]

Sure, fair enough. But none of that diminishes the job he did building a competitive squad from basically nothing. I know he's not the most popular bloke in rugby circles, but as a Force member I thank him for his efforts.

No it doesn't diminish, but it definitely had a major bearing

 

[dobduff11]

yeh he had about four absolute shockers in a row lol was funny to watch sometimes,

 

[Newb]

Is this good or bad for the Force?

if i remember, didn't he cop a scolding for working his players too hard a little bit ago? they may not have had a lot of success but i felt like mitchell was one to always keep his players in line. something aussie rugby could do well with considering that all the wallabies are seagulling beiber wannabes.

 

[Geeves]

Mitchell the former AB coach who was the inaugural Western Force coach is of to help (?) the Lions in Super 15 by being anointed as their coach. I had high hopes for Mitchell taking over at the Force and instilling some hard hitting forwards and dynamics in the backline. It never really happened though although their forwards were effective in year 1 after taking the best of the QLD pack apart from Croft their lack of a 5/8 and coordinated backline style. Injuries in the Force has exposed the lack of quality players in Aus. The player revolt (Giteau lead?) and the revolting players (Fava and the Quokka incident) never helped. The force had some highs (more than QLD in the same time frame) but some of the lows were significant (the firepower failed sponsorship & the sums of money they sloshed about are still having repercussions in the game). All in all he was a dead man walking this season and its no surprise that he has taken the initiative to go as no doubt the Lions have shown him some love that in WA had gone decidedly sour.

Unfortunately I can already see some of the headlines now: 1 down 1 to go