Western Force - 2016
- Thread starter Hugh Jarse
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Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Godwin is a gun, the Reds would love him! Change of scenery might be the trick..
Godwin would benefit from Force having better backs coach - no idea who is current - but clearly creativity lacking in attacking plays - would prefer that to happen than Godwin move elsewhere - as Tahs supporter yes - but rugby fan also - and would rather see a stronger Force franchise
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Cripes when think about that comment with fully fit available first choice backs for Force you are probably right but in terms of combinations don't play as well together as Rebels....to my mind reflects lack of backs coach or main coach with backs background (Foley vs Larkham - look at the difference)..that is what needs to change as I probably agree on paper Force backs not bad - but they fail to be effective in terms of plays which reflects to my mind lack of high quality backs coaching compared to other Oz super rugby franchises.
So either get really good backs coach or replace Foley has to be the answer here
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Looking at Kevin's background I think you have shown sully where the problem is. Sorry Kevin - you need to be replaced with specialist backs coach as clearly what is missing ingredient for the force
B
Bobby Sands
Guest
He's the Trent Cotchin of rugby.
Shaker
Ron Walden (29)
Adam Coleman re-signs. Pek about to sign on as well.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/31426860/coleman-sticks-with-force/
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/31426860/coleman-sticks-with-force/
brokendown
Vay Wilson (31)
ChargerWA
Mark Loane (55)
I actually typed that and then deleted it. It's too much to hope for. His comments in the article show he's drinking the Foley kool aid. Fool aid if you will.
There is literally zero impetus to remove Foley. At this rate he's going to run out his contract.
ForceFan
Chilla Wilson (44)
Pleasing to see Wayne Smith in The Australian today raise issues which seemingly others have no desire to acknowledge or appreciate.
Super Rugby: Western Force in need of cash and attention
THE AUSTRALIAN
APRIL 26, 2016
Wayne Smith
Senior sport writer
They are the club seemingly set up to fail. They receive little help from SANZAAR and, until recently, none from the Australian Rugby Union. Small wonder the Western Force are constantly battling to stay afloat.
They might have been the fourth Australian club created in Super Rugby but they are the fifth in terms of where players want to ply their trade. Sydney and Brisbane are always assured of homegrown talent, Canberra boasts one of the most appealing coaching programs in Super Rugby and the Rebels are milking Melbourne for all it has to offer.
Perth, by contrast, is a continent removed. Indeed, the flight to Johannesburg is only double that of the flight to Brisbane, which goes a long way to explaining why SANZAAR finds the WA team so appealing. The Force play seven matches at home this season, every one of them against teams either coming from or going to South Africa. That might sound like a logical use of geography but in fact the Force is jerked this way and that by the need to service the itineraries of every other Super Rugby team.
Case in point: the Force played their second match of the season against the Reds in Brisbane but then, rather than remain on the east coast or travel to New Zealand, they were forced to backtrack to Perth to play the Brumbies on their way to South Africa.
Only after they had completed that assignment were they able to travel back across Australia and on to New Zealand for a three-match tour. Technically speaking, SANZAAR had done them a favousr by allowing them to play three NZ matches in a block but when that translates to the Hurricanes (currently fifth), Chiefs (first) and Highlanders (sixth) on successive weekends, one wonders what SANZAAR’s idea of punishing them might be.
Similarly, after playing their round 14 match against the Rebels in Melbourne, they have to fly to Bloemfontein for a match against the Cheetahs before rushing home to Perth to play the Stormers, who will be on their way home. Then the Force finish the season by playing the Brumbies in Canberra, not having played successive matches on the east coast through the 17 weeks of Super Rugby.
Every Super Rugby team has stories of difficult itineraries but the Force routinely are subjected to a murderous match schedule that would be funny were it not so exhausting.
The longest journey the Waratahs had to make in the first eight rounds of the competition was to Brisbane. Having played the Force in Perth in round nine last weekend, NSW travelled on to their Cape Town engagement with the Stormers, their only match in South Africa. Their two matches in New Zealand later in the season are widely spaced — Crusaders on May 20, Blues on July 15.
Granted, the Tahs do have to travel to Tokyo to play the Sunwolves on July 2, after a month’s break for the June internationals against England. The Force, too, play in Japan, on May 7, but their match is sandwiched into the main body of the season.
If SANZAAR wishes to continue using Perth to break up the trip to and from South Africa, it surely has to cut the Force some dispensations elsewhere.
Until recently, the ARU had provided the Force with zero assistance, other than whatever the east coast clubs also received. Until this year, they operated on money socked away at the height of the mining boom. This year, however, that nest egg ran out and they *finally turned to the national body.
The ARU handed over $800,000 in exchange for the Force’s intellectual property (it also owns the Rebels, the only private enterprise club in Australia) and now more assistance is in the wind after St Leonards effectively took over the club.
When the Waratahs beat the Force on Saturday night, the discrepancy in pay rates for the two sides was about $2 million. The Tahs had a dozen players on Wallabies top-ups, the Force only one, Ben McCalman.
It’s worth keeping that in mind when Foley’s record of one win for every two losses is raised. Fortunately, Force general manager Mark Sinderberry yesterday said there would be no review of Foley’s position until the end of the season.
But simply redistributing Wallabies by means of a draft isn’t the answer, at least not as far as the ARU is concerned.
Queensland had many a quality player at their disposal in recent years, most topped up by the ARU, but they got their coaching structure entirely wrong and ended up with a win rate of 26 per cent.
A whole range of options and solutions is being discussed, from the coaching culture to player contracting to drafts and top-ups. Many of them are ideas originating in New Zealand and we know from Robbie Deans’ days that Kiwi ideas don’t universally transfer to Australia.
But, hopefully, some of them will.
Super Rugby: Western Force in need of cash and attention
THE AUSTRALIAN
APRIL 26, 2016
Wayne Smith
Senior sport writer
They are the club seemingly set up to fail. They receive little help from SANZAAR and, until recently, none from the Australian Rugby Union. Small wonder the Western Force are constantly battling to stay afloat.
They might have been the fourth Australian club created in Super Rugby but they are the fifth in terms of where players want to ply their trade. Sydney and Brisbane are always assured of homegrown talent, Canberra boasts one of the most appealing coaching programs in Super Rugby and the Rebels are milking Melbourne for all it has to offer.
Perth, by contrast, is a continent removed. Indeed, the flight to Johannesburg is only double that of the flight to Brisbane, which goes a long way to explaining why SANZAAR finds the WA team so appealing. The Force play seven matches at home this season, every one of them against teams either coming from or going to South Africa. That might sound like a logical use of geography but in fact the Force is jerked this way and that by the need to service the itineraries of every other Super Rugby team.
Case in point: the Force played their second match of the season against the Reds in Brisbane but then, rather than remain on the east coast or travel to New Zealand, they were forced to backtrack to Perth to play the Brumbies on their way to South Africa.
Only after they had completed that assignment were they able to travel back across Australia and on to New Zealand for a three-match tour. Technically speaking, SANZAAR had done them a favousr by allowing them to play three NZ matches in a block but when that translates to the Hurricanes (currently fifth), Chiefs (first) and Highlanders (sixth) on successive weekends, one wonders what SANZAAR’s idea of punishing them might be.
Similarly, after playing their round 14 match against the Rebels in Melbourne, they have to fly to Bloemfontein for a match against the Cheetahs before rushing home to Perth to play the Stormers, who will be on their way home. Then the Force finish the season by playing the Brumbies in Canberra, not having played successive matches on the east coast through the 17 weeks of Super Rugby.
Every Super Rugby team has stories of difficult itineraries but the Force routinely are subjected to a murderous match schedule that would be funny were it not so exhausting.
The longest journey the Waratahs had to make in the first eight rounds of the competition was to Brisbane. Having played the Force in Perth in round nine last weekend, NSW travelled on to their Cape Town engagement with the Stormers, their only match in South Africa. Their two matches in New Zealand later in the season are widely spaced — Crusaders on May 20, Blues on July 15.
Granted, the Tahs do have to travel to Tokyo to play the Sunwolves on July 2, after a month’s break for the June internationals against England. The Force, too, play in Japan, on May 7, but their match is sandwiched into the main body of the season.
If SANZAAR wishes to continue using Perth to break up the trip to and from South Africa, it surely has to cut the Force some dispensations elsewhere.
Until recently, the ARU had provided the Force with zero assistance, other than whatever the east coast clubs also received. Until this year, they operated on money socked away at the height of the mining boom. This year, however, that nest egg ran out and they *finally turned to the national body.
The ARU handed over $800,000 in exchange for the Force’s intellectual property (it also owns the Rebels, the only private enterprise club in Australia) and now more assistance is in the wind after St Leonards effectively took over the club.
When the Waratahs beat the Force on Saturday night, the discrepancy in pay rates for the two sides was about $2 million. The Tahs had a dozen players on Wallabies top-ups, the Force only one, Ben McCalman.
It’s worth keeping that in mind when Foley’s record of one win for every two losses is raised. Fortunately, Force general manager Mark Sinderberry yesterday said there would be no review of Foley’s position until the end of the season.
But simply redistributing Wallabies by means of a draft isn’t the answer, at least not as far as the ARU is concerned.
Queensland had many a quality player at their disposal in recent years, most topped up by the ARU, but they got their coaching structure entirely wrong and ended up with a win rate of 26 per cent.
A whole range of options and solutions is being discussed, from the coaching culture to player contracting to drafts and top-ups. Many of them are ideas originating in New Zealand and we know from Robbie Deans’ days that Kiwi ideas don’t universally transfer to Australia.
But, hopefully, some of them will.
ForceFan
Chilla Wilson (44)
It's called LOYALTY - a strong feeling of support or allegiance.
Forceright
Allen Oxlade (6)
Gotta say thanks Wayne for at least publicising the crap that the Force has put up with all these years. It's as though living in WA is on another continent as far as the Far East (and the ARU) is concerned! Including the rubbish refs!
ForceFan
Chilla Wilson (44)
Good to see some support from John Connolly today.
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/04/27/03/57/connolly-we-must-stand-by-force
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/04/27/03/57/connolly-we-must-stand-by-force
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Neutral refs stopped being appointed in super rugby 5 or 6 years ago.
ChargerWA
Mark Loane (55)
Pretty pointless article. He points out all of the issues but fails to suggest any solutions. Who wants another 5 years of the status quo?
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