2015 Squad Contract Renewals

[GIGS20]

Quirk is definetly NOT signed as yet.

THANK GOD FOR THAT!!!!

As for signing more back five forwards, I dont think it's unwise. Those positions are the most intense collision zones in the game and therefore carry the greatest risk of injury, good depth from 4 to 8 certainly goes a long way to winning championships. Added to this, Hodgeo (mighty as he is) is getting in and might only have four or five more seasons at the top level. Nothing wrong with running a succession plan. There certainly shouldn't be any urgency to parachute a 29 year old, high-priced superstar, but a good young lock or flanker would be a great idea.

I'm sure we'd all be able to find a spot for a Luke Jones or a Cadern Neville.

[shasta]

Hodgeo (mighty as he is) is getting in and might only have four or five more seasons at the top level.

Very optimistic there, considering his work rate. Four more would see him at 37. TBH the wear and tear from his phenomenal output will likely make him a year-to-year prospect past 2015, should he choose to go on at all.

[Alison]

His FB post after the Awards Dinner indicated they are having another baby so he may decide to stand down after 2015 and concentrate on his family and his other career ventures.

[andrewg]

THANK GOD FOR THAT!!!!

As for signing more back five forwards, I dont think it's unwise. Those positions are the most intense collision zones in the game and therefore carry the greatest risk of injury, good depth from 4 to 8 certainly goes a long way to winning championships. Added to this, Hodgeo (mighty as he is) is getting in and might only have four or five more seasons at the top level. Nothing wrong with running a succession plan. There certainly shouldn't be any urgency to parachute a 29 year old, high-priced superstar, but a good young lock or flanker would be a great idea.

Totally agree GiGS20

We would have been in a "whole lot of pain" if Hodgo had suffered an injury while Chris Alcock was injured for most of the season.

It's impact and consistency we need from the Back Row and we were found wanting after Madness and Gus became N/A.

I think we need a 3rd Pilferer who can be quickly developed to SXV standard (and not wait 2 years for local development).

I think we also need another Lock with a strong "Blue Dog Mongrel" component.
I understand that Steenkamp is being asked to bulk-up this off-season in order to have a stronger presence on the field.
Love Rory's passion but he needs to fully understand that he is of little use to the team when in the sin bin.

I think that we need at least one more impact/x-factor player in both the Centres and Backs just to give us more depth when a player like Kyle gets injured and to replace HB.

Also need another Prop and Hooker as we look a bit weak in these areas. Some of the current squad just haven't stepped up when given a chance.

From what Foles is saying he's all for developing local but the next step can't wait that long as we need to build on last year.

[SNOB]

Andrewg I gather from above that Heath has gone, any idea were anyone?

[Alison]

Other problem with Rory from what I've seen is that he's let his 'fame' after that Saders game go to his head. His natural-born talent isn't going to get him any further if he's not going to put in the hard yards too.

[andrewg]

Andrewg I gather from above that Heath has gone, any idea were anyone?

Pretty sure, and relieved, that Heath is good for 2015.
I think that we will see Heath bulk-up in this off-season as he's close to the lightest Hooker in SXV.

Just think that we need a better back-up for Nathan & Heath than Abels.

[Sheikh]

I'm sure we'd all be able to find a spot for a Luke Jones or a Cadern Neville.

The trouble was we had Luke Jones and he left to join the Rebels rather than battle Sam Wykes for the chance to play alongside Sharpie for a year (although, to be fair, he was more of a replacement for Sharpe than a 2nd lock).

If we still had Jones we'd not have been scratching around for replacements when Sharpe retired and probably not have signed Madness and Steenkamp, we'd have had Jones and Wykes as the starting locks and Coleman as the option.

[chibi]

What's the goss on the WA-bred players coming through the system for the Spirit squad?

[WFDom]

Hey would Smithy be worth a shout???

He must be limited with game time. Toulon have got Habana, Mitchell, Rudi Wulf, Tuisova

Plus he knows what a dickhead O'Connor (chalk, GIGS) is, maybe he'll want out?

[Alison]

I would LOVE to have Smithy back, but he'd have to be a marquee and we don't have any free spots for them do we??

[GIGS20]

Very optimistic there, considering his work rate. Four more would see him at 37. TBH the wear and tear from his phenomenal output will likely make him a year-to-year prospect past 2015, should he choose to go on at all.

OK shas, I just didn't want to be accused of dismissing him like I did at the start of this year.

Come to think of it, that actually worked pretty well, so maybe I'll call for his head every year just so I don't jinx anything!

[Kept One]

Interesting article on The West Online:

Force search for foreign legion

Western Force are set to increase their foreign legion of players as they turn their focus on recruitment for next season.

They are currently allowed two international marquee and six development players in their 35-man Super Rugby squad under Australian Rugby Union rules but it is understood further dispensations are being investigated.

Former All Blacks scrum-half Alby Mathewson and South African second row Wilhelm Steenkamp are the marquee men.

Props Chris Heiberg and Francois van Wyk, back-rower Brynard Stander and centre Marcel Brache, all from South Africa, are four of the development players.

South African fly-half Sias Ebersohn, who is on the verge of signing a new deal, will not be classed as a development player next season and New Zealand back Jayden Hayward has left for Italy.

South African full-back/fly-half Dillyn Leyds from the wider training group will fill one spot if he stays next season. The Force are interested in a New Zealand winger and other imports are on the horizon.

The club had an off-field win in May, successfully negotiating to re-sign Mathewson for two more seasons when, under ARU rules, he would normally have been forced to leave this year.

Coach Michael Foley has eight vacancies in his squad. Talks with Queensland flanker Ed Quirk have ended and priorities are replacing versatile forward Hugh McMeniman and winger Nick Cummins, who have gone to Japan.

"We need somebody who can play a six and eight role with potentially a bit of lock and we need two back-three players," Foley said.

"The McMeniman role is critical because it mitigates some of the risk of injury in two key areas.

"We've got a couple of ideas but if we don't find the right guy we are certainly not going to sign somebody for the sake of it.

"We'll look at a contingency plan for the short term but you don't need to go external on all of those. We have to look hard at the development side of things.

"The first thing you do is look within your own squad and the local rugby community, but we will also look to the east coast, look offshore, New Zealand and the northern hemisphere.

"At the same time we will recruit a couple of players into our wider training squad which allows us to do ground development for 12 months and look at succession planning."

"We need somebody who can play a six and eight role … and we need two back-three players.""Force coach *Michael Foley *

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...oreign-legion/

[wholetruth]

So no Quirk. Can't say I'm disappointed. Wonder who this Kiwi winger is?

[Alison]

Smithy!!! :-))