Playmaker and hooker already on Force's list
NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian March 16, 2010, 7:21 am
The Western Force desperately need to recruit a seasoned hooker and a star playmaker for the future - but they already are running out of time and options.
The defeat against the Reds showed a severe deficiency in line-out accuracy from both debutant Ryan Tyrrell and Pek Cowan that Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie described as a bonus for his side.
Force coaches and management said they were happy to put faith in Tyrrell, Cowan and 21-year-old Ben Whittaker when they could not entice Damien Fitzpatrick from the Waratahs and legal threats blocked them from signing James Parsons from the North Harbour club in New Zealand.
But the experiment is clearly not working, with problems at the line-outs in all four losses. And the problem looks like getting worse, with Cowan nursing a shoulder injury that could sideline him for two weeks.
In another injury blow, flanker Jono Jenkins broke his ankle in his first touch of the ball against the Reds.
Jenkins, on a short-term injury-replacement contract, had been on the field only a few seconds when he went down.
Cowan is a specialist loosehead prop, first moved into the hooking role by Wallabies coach Robbie Deans on last year's northern hemisphere tour and then by Force coach John Mitchell when the club was unable to find another specialist rake for this season.
Assistant coach Richard Graham said: "They (hookers) are not falling off trees. If you can tell me a good one that's wanting to come, let me know.
"Pek has done a good job shifting but the skill just isn't quite right, so we need to go back and work hard."
Graham said fears that Cowan's switch could damage his Wallaby front-row future were unfounded.
"Pek is an outstanding rugby player," he said.
"He has shifted across to hooker because we have asked him to. It will be easy for him to get back to loosehead."
One option for next year's Super 15 could be 2007 World Cup Wallaby hooker Adam Freier, a veteran of 25 Tests and 99 matches with the Waratahs and Brumbies.
He is understood to be unhappy in Sydney but also is being chased by new Super 15 franchise the Melbourne Rebels.
The Force also are likely to find slim pickings for the No. 10 jumper.
In-form Quade Cooper, who masterminded the Reds 50-10 victory on Sunday, showed why an energetic fly-half is so important to the Force but Cooper, 21, is understood to have turned down Force offers.
Realistically, his future will not be decided until burglary charges against him are heard in July but he has been supported by the Reds, a club he joined as a 16-year-old and he has some family connections in Brisbane.
Cooper, who once shared playmaking responsibilities with Berrick Barnes at the Reds, is emerging as the outstanding Australian Super 14 fly-half.
Barnes has dismissed offers, including from the Rebels, and will remain with the Waratahs for another year.
The Tahs' Daniel Halangahu also has rejected other offers and will stay in Sydney after signing a new two-year deal.
At the Brumbies, Force target Matt Toomua is set to stay with the ACT side.
David Hill is here for only one season from Japan, filling the marquee spot left by former Springbok Andre Pretorius when injury ended his season.
Pretorius is moving to Japan later this year.
