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Today at 2:01 PM
by John Connolly
It’s been interesting reading some of the recent criticism of the Western Force. I must admit, it annoys me because I think a number of the people talking about it don’t fully understand it.
The Force have challenges that no other Australian team faces. There’s no question that the overwhelming majority of players still come from Queensland and New South Wales and those states have first dibs on the playing talent for their academies. The Brumbies find it a lot easier to attract players given their relative proximity to Sydney, and Melbourne being on the east coast and also being a pretty special destination also find it easier on the recruitment front.
It can be difficult for a player to take the big leap across the Nullarbor. It’s a long way from home for most, and realistically, it’s the third or fourth choice for most players unless there is a significant financial incentive to uproot their families and head to the West.
Despite their challenges, the Force, I believe, have punched above their weight and have done incredibly well for Australian Rugby since their inception a decade ago.
It started with the John Mitchell era, where they essentially bought a team on what we now know was a failed arrangement with a commercial backer. The inaugural team was built on the likes of Sharpe, Giteau, Mitchell, Welborn and a number of others - all first class players at the time.
These days, with the changing economic climate in WA among the challenges, the Force have had to take a different tact. The current team is built largely on players that probably weren’t the first choice in their home states, with some locally-produced talent threaded through.
If not for the Force, players like Dane Haylett-Petty, Angus Cottrell, Harry Scoble and Adam Coleman may otherwise never have been given their opportunity at Super Rugby level. Other players like Ben McCalman, a Wallabies regular, and Tetera Faulkner may never have realised their full potential.
But the harsh reality is that in order to have sustained success, you need some star players. If you have a team full of solid players, you can only expect to finish in the middle of the pack.
To counter these challenges, the Force have sensibly strengthened their South African ties, which long-term will be a huge advantage for them as more quality players in the South African system will take the opportunity to come to Australia with the aim of ultimately playing for Australia. So ultimately, the Wallabies will be the beneficiary of the team’s South African connection.
Critics of the Force should also sit down and add up the cost of the New South Wales team and compare it to the Force. You don’t need to know the exact figures to know there is huge discrepancy. Despite this, the Force have had a good record in recent years against the Waratahs (aside from the result last weekend) and have had success against the Reds as well.
Travel is another issue and is something that the Force are again at a disadvantage. If you look at the AFL, the toughest road trip is the trip to WA to play either the Dockers or Eagles and some of the Melbourne clubs have appalling records in the west. Then think about that in terms of the Force, who are travelling a minimum four-plus hours to each away game.
Some of the criticism has been directed at the Coach Michael Foley, and a 30% winning average isn’t wonderful. But even under Mitchell, who had a much more talented team for the first five seasons of the Force, they won only 36% of their matches and never made the finals. They had their best ever season under Foley in 2014 but because of the ongoing challenges haven’t been able to take the next step.
There’s no doubt the players are playing for him because they’ve been in almost every contest this season but haven’t been good enough to go on with the job.
So, what is the solution? There is no easy fix, but to turn its back on the Force would be the wrong move for Australian Rugby.
The concept of a draft has been raised again, but I doubt it could work. A draft has been successful in the AFL, or the NFL in the US for example, because those athletes have no other choice. If you want to play in those leagues, you go into the draft. With options to play in Europe and Japan, Rugby players have many other options on the table, so it would be a lot harder to enforce a draft system in our game. There are also questions as to whether we have the player depth to warrant a draft.
There has also been some sentiment that five Super Rugby teams is too many in Australian Rugby and that the Force should be the first to go. This is a terribly misguided view.
Australian Rugby must keep keep pushing forward. Abandoning the Force would only be a step backwards. Expanding the game outside of NSW and Queensland has been great for the game, giving young players the likes of Haylett-Petty, Kyle Godwin and Sefa Naivalu the opportunity to play and develop in their home state, and we must continue to advance the game in other areas of the country like Victoria and Western Australia.
So when the critics take aim at the Force, they should think again.
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/04...stand-by-force
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Good to have another backer. He doesn't come up with any solutions though which is the issue.
So much sympathy but no actual action!! If they care that much, tell the ARU!!!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Perhaps he could come over and be Head Coach for a while
That actually wouldn't be a bad idea.
What is is backline coaching credential like?
C'mon the![]()
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Hmmm. Seems to be a few prominent people coming out on our side. Andrew Slack penned an article couple of days back saying that they made an error going to 5 so quickly. But his view is that whats done is done so get on and make it work.
Heard him on radio today. Papworth, as usual, was howling and put the proposition that the ARU should go to SANZAR and ask to break the TV deal and revert to 3 Super teams.
Well Slacky wasn't having a bar of that and said we just have to make the best of what is. His position was that the TV money needs to be invested in the U 20 area, with a focus on getting those elite players in that age group playing premier grade rather than what is happenning now. Once his Skipper had spoken Pappy went back in his box - pretty quickly.![]()
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Noooo
Mr Connoly may be a good bloke? But I'd not want him as a coach. I saw first hand what happened when he was coaching Bath. A good year with awards and such like.. Then a year they should have built on, but sagged. I watched a game against Northampton at Bath in 2005 and despite the previous years success, the fans well and truly wanted him out.
Then he got the Aussie job and we all know how well he didn't do there..
He's also a political conservative. These people are often do as I say people, not follow by example types.. Not the sort I'd like to be coached by.
cheers auss...
fabricarti diem punc
He does make some very valid points. Andrew Slack also put a major naysayer back in his box. I for one ( and I know I am not alone ) will continue to support the force. Being born and bred NSW I moved west and when the Boys in Blue Started up I changed allegiance. The only ever time have done that in 35 years following this great game of ours.
We all know what we are doing currently is not working overall so something needs to change. Throwing good money at guys that have been tried and not worked at other Aussie teams is not the answer. All for maybe getting better talent scouts out to the Brisbane comp and the Sydney comp and pick up a few younger guys that are just about there. Together with a few older proven talent players the only way is up.
Sorry guys rant over.
Off for more beer, the invention to stop props taking over the world.
I like the idea of sounding our Cheika to see who of the overseas guys are wanted by the Wallabies, we all now the Reds and Tahs have been suckling on that teat for long enough!
Kieran Longbottom would be a good place to start, IMHO losing him was one of the biggest losses the force has suffered, he was developing into a brutal scrummager and still didn't lose a lot around the park.
Surely there are some others in Europe who fill gaps that existin in the force and Australian rugby in general. A good scrum half (not Genia, someone with some principles please) and probably an outside back with some genuine pace, god knows the force need that, and the Wallabies could do with some as well!
C'mon the![]()
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Locks....don't forget the Locks.
Yes we need locks, but I don't think the Wallabies do so much, that's the reason I didn't list them in that post, neither did I list flyhalves, because we appear to have nobody other than Jono lance.
So running through GIGSs force shopping list we need some (preferably world class)
Props, locks, scrumhalf, flyhalf and speedy outside backs.
Jeez when you put it that way it doesn't sound great does it?
C'mon the![]()
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SO let's get this clear, we want
Props
Hooker
Locks
Scrumhalf
Flyhalf
Centres and
Outside Backs
Hodgo's getting on, do you think we should just buy the Chiefs?
C'mon the![]()
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