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Western Force 2012

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kiap

Steve Williams (59)
I also thought Harvey went okay in his super debut. Some good passes and decent kicking for field position. The Force backline overall looked better than it has been previously, with Stanley and Cummins now in the centres. They actually played with width at times and had the Waratahs worried with around 10 to go. Barnes slotting those last two penalties just steadied the ship for them.
 
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Moono75

Guest
As much as it's great to read they are making some moves I think we can put a line through season 2012 as another wasted year and hope that Rugby WA gets a clue and positions this franchise for some sort of future success. Often in sport you read about 3 year and 5 year plans but I am starting to wonder if there is any kind of cohesive plan for the Force at all.

Now into our 7th year I don't see that we are moving forward, in fact based on the results we seem to be regressing. Winning just 34% of our games since 2006 and that includes our two stellar seasons where we just managed to scrape over the 50% mark. This just isn't filling me with confidence. I hope that some major work is being put into reataining Pocock and identifying some key talent who will be able to contribute immediatley and help take us up the ladder. I am all for grooming up and coming talent but do this behind established stars because at this stage I don't want to wait another 5 years and have my 10 year members pin to wear before we see some marked improvement.

The current status quo seems to be as Force fans we should just be grateful that we have a team in Super Rugby to support but we dare not have any higher expectations that just maybe we could be successful or dare I say it challenge for a top position.

As with the big banks in this country it's time to take care of your shareholders and for Force members and wider fan base that is a dividend of a sustained winning culture.
 
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Moono75

Guest
Major announcment at the Force in less than an hour. New recruit.....Pocock signing?

RG resigning or Giteau returning?
 

FiveStarStu

Bill McLean (32)
Richard Graham has quit the Force and is going Red.

Twitter is the only sauce atm, but seems to open the green and gold door for McKenzie.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
It would defy belief if the ARU sacks Deans and appoints McKenzie meaning they're paying for two coaches at the same time they are decreasing the number of contracted players due to financial issues.
 

Brisbok

Cyril Towers (30)
Richard Graham in shock switch to Queensland Reds
WESTERN Force's Richard Graham will leave Perth at the end of the year to coach the Queensland Reds.
Reds incumbent Ewen McKenzie will assume a director of coaching role with the Super Rugby champions.
It is understood the Reds approached Graham, who has two years remaining on his contract at the Force.
Born in Charleville in western Queensland, Graham played fullback for Queensland and Australia A before coaching at English clubs Bath and Saracens.
Graham returned to Australia to assist Wallabies coach Robbie Deans in 2009 and became John Mitchell's assistant at the Force the following year.
He is in his second year as head coach of the Force.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...-queensland-reds/story-e6frg7mf-1226327985217
 
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Moono75

Guest
Surprise surprise Cam Shepherd needs surgury on his wrist....gone for 6 weeks. Has there been a more injury prone player in the history of rugby (Rob Horne)? As much as he's been a great servant for the Force I can't see him being there next year.
 

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
Over on TWF they worked it out he has played 60 of a possable 89 games for the force. So he has missed 1/3 of the games while with the force. Not the best return but better than i thought.
 

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
On other news the player will have a meeting this morning and I have been told that they will be having a vote on if RG should stay or go and this will decide his future at the club. If it was me I would want him gone now.
 
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Moono75

Guest
Gaffa that surprises me that figure of only missing a 1/3 of all games. I bet the majority of those have been in the last couple of years though. His last game wasn't too bad so he can still play.....if only he could string a few games together and get back into top form.

Yeah I'm interested to hear the outcome of that meeting. As per my comments in the RG to Reds thread I think they should make a clean start straight away.
 

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
Moono, this 'resignation' by RG is an absolute blessing in disguise for the Force, subject to the WA Rugby board emulating the 2011 ACT RU one and saying 'if there's a highly qualified world class rugby coach available with an excellent track record relevant to S15 rugby in WA, we will do whatever it takes to hire him to Rugby WA'.

You know I think my view long-standing (since mid-2010) negative view re RG, and his willingness to just leave the Force behind mid-season - when both he and the QRU could have minimised the impacts on both teams if they'd waited to explore and potentially conclude this in late July/August only 3 months hence - is extremely disappointing and reflects poorly on his judgement IMO. (NB: I am just as critical of the QRU not respecting this same sensible need to make this change at season end instead of 4 days before a Stormers game, if it was to be made at all.)

Rugby WA should have been suspicious as to why Deans and the ARU so easily let RG go in late 2010, a pre RWC year that they were allegedly determined to win. It's virtually unprecedented for a national Head Coach to release a seemingly key member of his team 12 months pre a RWC. The thing is about RG that I realise from his media presence and listening to him, he seems like the ultimate, approachable, open, affable, knowledgeable, intelligent, non-arrogant good bloke of a rugby man that you'd just love to go into battle with, have beers with, whatever. But there's something about his judgement and actual skill level and depth as a coach that I am sure - up to now anyway - has been missing. And that Llink has to gently mentor him into the QLD role and essentially oversight him for whole year, well, whatever the PR gloss, does that not say it all? His 'ready to be developed, but needing development' is perhaps 50% what Link likes in him given the way Link has structured his own set up through 2013/4. No properly rounded coach with a solid demonstrable record and genuine self-confidence would need or accept in this way a 12 month oversighting by the prior match day coach.

Whatever, what's critical is that Rugby WA gains courage and foresight from this debacle and makes a huge strategic positive out of a tactical negative. There's plenty of 'non-capital smaller but sophisticated' cities like Perth that have built really successful sports teams of pride and genuine success. It's all there for the taking in the great State of WA (that I visit regularly and love), and you can make a Force more than in name only. Good luck, Aus rugby badly needs you to succeed, and have the balls Vern!
 

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
As much as I am pissed about the whole situation I am kind of happy it came out now and not at the end of the season.

If gives us a chance to find the best person out there before everyone has been snapped up.

But I do believe that the conflict of interest that RG has caused must be resolved with him being removed from the club all together so not to influence anything for the rest of the year or next.
 

RedsHappy

Tony Shaw (54)
This biting article is dispiriting, but it must contain a hurtful truth post RG's 'resignation'. And the highlighted para shows just what CAN be achieved in sports success in all sorts of sports out of WA/Perth:


May the Force not be with you
Ross Lewis, Online Sports Editor | The West Australian
April 19, 2012, 11:55 am

You've answered the call.

Following the pre-season publicity campaign you've been convinced to get on board. You've parted with the cash to be a member, the other half has decked you out in a size-too-big replica team uniform and now you're forgetting family birthdays because gamedays are the most important items on the calendar.

Even a few losses can't dampen the enthusiasm regardless if it is clearly apparent to those with true 20/20 sporting vision that the early setbacks make finals unlikely.

Then the coach quits. Well, he announces he is leaving. At the end of the season.

So for the next few months Mr Keen Patron and his family are expected to turn up and cheer not only for a team whose coach won't give you a championship experience but one who also doesn't want to hang around to build the club into a force.

Worse still, Richard Graham not only won't be in charge of the Perth super rugby franchise in 2013 he will be coaching one of the opposition, Queensland Reds.

Such an arrangement is foreign to WA sporting fans. While it is commonplace in rugby league, and to a lesser extent union, for players and coaches to declare a change of club mid-season, there is something uneasy about the process on these shores.

In an AFL-dominated State it wouldn't go down well among West Coast fans if John Worsfold announced in a couple of weeks he was leaving at the end of the year to coach Collingwood. It was bad enough when Peter Sumich crossed from the Eagles to Fremantle during the off-season and the factor that made the move easier to accept was that the former goalsneak was back at his port home.

Even though there was considerable speculation about their futures, Chris Judd, Gary Ablett, even Tom Scully, waited until their seasons were over before announcing a change of address.

AFL supporters would lose trust in their players if they were "convinced" the stars were hot-footing it with work still be done on the current campaign. It may mean AFL talent going through a charade of secrecy but for those who give their hearts to the jumper while the players/coaches wear the colours there is always hope the charge will carry through with his pledge of loyalty.

But not everyone, including some marquee names, wants to hang around the Force. And that presents an image problem for the club - and the future of franchise.

Inaugural coach John Mitchell, Matt Giteau, James O'Connor, Drew Mitchell, and now Graham, have exited the Force program without registering success. They didn't want to stick around to try to lift a club that desperately needs an achievement to boost its profile. The latest Force departure isn't good in a WA marketplace that is currently celebrating the strong form of two AFL clubs, a national baseball pennant and grand final appearances for Perth Glory, Perth Wildcats and Perth Scorchers.

Graham wants to be somewhere else for the long haul.

Wonder how long before some of the Force faithful decide the same?
 
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Moono75

Guest
Interesting article. Everyone loves a winner, if the Force managed to win more games than it lost you'd be amazed at the numbers that would be coming through the gates. Still have a very loyal 14,000+ that get along to the games and that's after 6 and a bit years of not much to cheer. It'll be interesting to see the crowd response at the next home game against the Stormers if RG is still in as coach. As a supporter I'm in for the long haul, we'll turn the corner eventually.
 

Bruce Ross

Ken Catchpole (46)
My mail is that when Richard Graham went into Vern Reid's office to announce he wanted to break his 4-year contract at the half-way mark, the CEO wrote and signed two copies of a contract release letter.

"Why are there two?" Graham innocently asked. "I only need one."

"That's just in case you lose one," was the reply.
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