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Exactly, I want our boys playing top tier rugby and getting exposed to some of the best players in the world. If this means that we don't get any home games for another season that's fine. It is possible that our state borders may remain closed anyway till mid-next year so even if we were in an Australian domestic comp, we still may not be able to play in WA anyway.
I take that to mean "Yeah we are willing to bring back suitable players for the Force. BUT you pricks will be paying the top-ups. If you think we are going to pay full freight while you duplicitous bastards stockpile cash to stack the Tahs and The Rabble again, you are even thicker than your past record shows".
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
But no games at home, and based in NZ ?
Do we have to change Into the Sea Of Bro’ ?..
Crystal Ball here. Major General McGowan opens up the border to an air bridge from NZ only.
Home and away season with the 5 NZ teams. So every Force home game is against a NZ side.
Every home game packed out with the additional bonus cuzzy streaker added in.
Any NZ player is eligible for All Black selection whilst playing for the Force.
Hodgo gets recruiting. M>i>h>
What are the logistics of force playing away in nz though?
Can’t be realistic in terms of fan base /linking with local players / Clubs etc
And eligibility wallabies?
Of course it's not the preferred outcome.......but what are the alternatives??
At least Hodgo appears to be recruiting so he must be confident that the WF will be playing in OZ or NZ.
Either way it's better to keep the team together and playing rather than not playing.
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board
Do we really want the Force to spend next season based in NZ to play in the Kiwi comp? They will get zero support from the NZ fans and in all likelyhood have their arses handed to them on a plate every weekend. It could prove to be a demoralising experience. The fact is the Force lost all 8 games against the other Aussie sides. Sure, we could try to put a positive spin on their performance but 0-8 is still 0-8. I'd like to see them stay in Aust next year and shoot for a more achievable target like beating a Aussie side. We might even get to see some home games.
I have to say, I am surprised the Force has opened the box. They have been so careful not to rock the boat with GRR, yet going off and playing in NZ would be a huge flipping of the bird to RA. Even the threat would be getting hackles up, and it is hard to see the gain. Using NZ to keep other GRR teams viable and the like, that I get. But the Force playing in NZ...hard to see where the upside lies.
Until there's a formal contract or offer from RA to the Force, we'd be stupid not to be looking into potential alternative options and backup plans. We know we'd be the first ditched overboard by the RA if required for broadcast, financial or any other reasons. RA is in significant financial strife and therefore jumping back in with them for Super Rugby will be a risk.
Letting RA know we've potentially got other options also improves our bargaining position as otherwise RA holds all the cards and we're essentially beholden to accept whatever likely unfair offer they throw our way. It's also further incentive for them to work on the reforms that Twiggy has demanded.
I for one am very glad they are keeping their options open and will be doing whatever is best for the Force and WA rugby in the long run.
Just saying, they probably couldn't have picked a more inflammatory option though. If next year involves separate competitions again, it materially undermines RA's negotiations with potential broadcasters. It also potentially makes NZ more confident in acting separately from Australia, regardless of Covid. Alternatively, if something trans-Tasman is a possibility, it could easily be interpreted as a straight volunteering to be the team left out and prepared to negotiate its own involvement separately. Either way, it sends a pretty strong message that the Force does not see its future as being aligned to RA.
With respect to everyones point of view and I think that they are valid. Might I suggest viewing this from a different angle.
Andrew Forrest has (in my opinion) done whats he has thought is best for the Western Force. I don't believe that he, at any time, has made a decision that is to go out of his way to punish RugbyAustralia for previous actions.
SO - with this in mind - here is what I believe will happen in 2021.
IF - SuperRugby-Aoteoroa open up for another team. Mr Forrest will help fund the Bay of Plenty Mitre 10 Cup Squad take the step up. This team will have a predominately Kiwi based organisation and minimal Western Force branding. Apart from FMG sponsorship. Their supporter base will come from the BOP community and should be quite succesful.
IF SuperRugby-AU continue in 2021. Mr Forrest will accept an invitation to field a Western Force side for that competition. Hopefully, Hodgo has recruited for us some stars.
IF COVID disappears and SuperRugby-ANZRU becomes a reality in 2021. I believe that Mr Forrest will receive an inviation to field a Western Force based side. The current Chairman of Rugby Australia and his Lex Luther CEO have continually said that 5 Australian teams will join the Kiwi comp or none of them.
My longshot prediction for 2022 will be that FMG become a Sponsor of Australian Rugby and Matt Hodgson and/or John Welborn will be invited to join the Rugby Australia Board.
Its my belief that that the Chairman and CEO of Rugby Australia are desperately trying to repair the sins of the past. By getting Andrew Forrest and Andrew Forrests money into Australian Rugby. Andrew Forrest and the Western Force have a position of strength within SuperRugby-AU and will continue to do so for a long time to come.
In my humble opinion.....
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
I would agree that is a pretty good summary of where everyone thought things were at. Right up until Matt Hodgson was directly quoted as saying “There are many things to go through. Obviously if we are in NZ we’ve probably got to be based in there because the trans-Tasman travel budget will be up by the time you start planning these things. It’s an interesting one.”
The implication is pretty clear, and it is that as stated in the article, the Force has been talking directly to NZR about breaking with RA and playing in the NZ comp instead. Any way you cut it, and regardless of what you think the relationship might be going forward, that is a big hand-off to what RA has been saying and seems a major change of direction from how things have been over the last couple of years.
Alternatively, if that is not the case and Smith has maybe misunderstood or taken something out of context, they might need to get right onto putting the record straight. There will doubtless be those more than happy to misconstrue.
Be patient fellow grasshoppers/sandgropers.............nothing is easy in this crazy world in which we live.