Hapless Force sink deeper into the quicksand they're built on

[mudskipper]

No one is denying it did damage to the club but its affect on membership is insignificant compared to Subi Oval. The damage was financial in terms of their sponsorship to the club & players, they weren't paying us to attend the games so really we dont have much of an axe to grind with them. They screwed over the team not the fans.

It influences how the team is seen by the public... how many new members did it put off? No one will ever know…

When the Force start at the MES it’s a rebuild, you’ll get some back for sure…

[travelling_gerry]

It influences how the team is seen by the public... how many new members did it put off? No one will ever know…

Well you seem to be telling us it has.

Do you think local membership declined because of the Firepower scam? very bloody likely I’d think...

[slomo]

However at least Eddie Jones got to the RWC final...

ok, then he also took us from being the no1 ranked country in the world to 5th....and firepower and quokkas were nowhere to be seen...

[.X.]

SWE-82...What's with slagging off Greg Harris- that membership decline happened on O'Meara's watch and was was partly inevitable (novelty factor /honeymoon period wearing off) and alot of the rest is directly attributable to the latter point- which Harris and the board are making moves towards rectifying. Maybe Knuckles has something against a NSWelshman in the job.

Do you think local membership declined because of the Firepower scam? very bloody likely I’d think...

The media should give Greg Harris a fair go before putting him to the sword...

Knuckles Connolly backing his old QLD mate Peter O'Meara... what a load of rubbish... the good (CEO) operator who recommended firepower to the Force board, that’s laughable... Connolly was the worst Wallabies coach of all time...

Knuckles banging the QLDRU drum once again…

However at least Eddie Jones got to the RWC final...

I agree subi is not suitable... but people loathe lies and firepower was a biggy... wherever the collective responsibilities fall…

That’s one of things that really infuriates me it damaged the fledgling club...I’ll never buy it didn’t…sorry...

knuckles Reds have been poorly managed... no wonder their players sign with other provinces..

Dammit Muddie

I am trying to be a better person. And you open up with these choice comments.

Fair Dinkum - you are deadset killing me!

[mudskipper]

The Quokka incident and Left Bank did more damage then Firepower.

Members started dropping off as soon as they went to Subi for the first time.

They got to their seats, said "this is crap" and went home or to pubs and watched it on Fox.

The Firepower factor is only big in your mind.

Fair enough about firepower, I don't want to talk about those other events because they were just brainless events, which should have never happened...but I can see it wouldn’t have helped…

Its great the force are getting out of subi…

Is the Crusaders match on this week at the MES? I hope you guys get a huge crowd and ignite many new members... the MES could become a hot little cauldron for the force home games and could really push the team up to the S14 semis… that would be brilliant…I'd like to see that...

[Cowboy]

Dammit Muddie

I am trying to be a better person. And you open up with these choice comments.

Fair Dinkum - you are deadset killing me!

Let it go mate, just try and let it go

[jargan83]

Do you think local membership declined because of the Firepower scam? very bloody likely I’d think...

Didn't take long for you to bring that up, not surprising.

RugbyWA has done surveys into their membership base and many members who have not renewed listed their reason as Subiaco Oval being shit.

Good thing we are moving to MES, should be sold out in Memberships alone.

We still have a membership base that, for example the Brumbies would be extremely envious of

It influences how the team is seen by the public... how many new members did it put off? No one will ever know…

When the Force start at the MES it’s a rebuild, you’ll get some back for sure…

Yes we wiill get alot back who said that Subiaco Oval is a poor stadium. Stuff like the Firepwoer fiasco would only put off "Part Time" supporters, something that is in an abundance in the ACT apparently. I don;t think any team needs part time supporters, it is the "die hards" who support their team through thick and thin on and off the field that make a team

[mudskipper]

Didn't take long for you to bring that up, not surprising.

RugbyWA has done surveys into their membership base and many members who have not renewed listed their reason as Subiaco Oval being shit.

Good thing we are moving to MES, should be sold out in Memberships alone.

We still have a membership base that, for example the Brumbies would be extremely envious of



Yes we wiill get alot back who said that Subiaco Oval is a poor stadium. Stuff like the Firepwoer fiasco would only put off "Part Time" supporters, something that is in an abundance in the ACT apparently. I don;t think any team needs part time supporters, it is the "die hards" who support their team through thick and thin on and off the field that make a team

Jargs... I'd work on the word hapless and work backwards form there..

[mudskipper]

BS. Its because of the POS stadium we play at..but only for one more season thank god.

BS...Maybe because the force lost most home games could be a possibility another reason...

[sandgroperrugby]

Why oh Why cant ex-Wallabies coaches keep their mouths shut. It must be that after coaching the Australian squad your jaw gets loosened and your brain turns to mush

John Connolly's article on RugbyHeaven

“The Western Force have world-class players, including Matt Giteau, Ryan Cross, Nathan Sharpe, David Pocock and Drew Mitchell, and I thought they were going to be realistic semi-finals chances this season. However, the issue will surface again in the future, and it'll affect their form. I'm afraid they're more likely to finish closer to 14th than first.”
“The Force have been marred by many problems. Their biggest one has been the tyranny of distance and competing with NSW, Queensland and the ACT for players. They also endured the Firepower fiasco, the sacking of star halfback Matt Henjak after he broke teammate Haig Sare's jaw in a bar-room brawl, the quokka episode and now perceived problems with the coach have surfaced.”
“I've always said the Force are, to an extent, built on quicksand because of the distance from the eastern seaboard and the fierce competition they face from AFL. A month before a match ball is even inflated, it's obvious the Force face a tough year ahead.”
“Under O'Meara, the Western Force drew huge crowds, managed to recruit international-class players and, at their best, it took 18 months for them to match what it took Queensland 100 years to achieve.”
“However, Queensland have the foundations to support the sport through the lean times.”

[GIGS20]

sorry groper, ther's plenty of evidence from during his reign with the Wallabies that the mush had already manifested......welcome to the site!

[RuckNMaul]

Firstly, welcome to TWF sandgroperrugby.

Secondly, what about the world class Richard Brown, The young Wallaby and schoolboys star O'Conner, former Wallabies Taipan and now Vallentine.

Thirdly, John is back at work with the fellas so let 2009 get a roll on!

In summary, Knuckles is a knob

[GIGS20]

Just to mention, that Sandgroper was posting an article by Knuckles and lead the post with a statement inplying it was shit.....so don't take any of the reaction to the article personally there Sandgroperrugby....we're just sick of eastern states bullshit "journalism"

[GIGS20]

BS...Maybe because the force lost most home games could be a possibility another reason...

According to the demographics, it's the viewing at Subiaco Oval that's the problem....According to the ex-members I've spoken to it's the fact that you get a better experience for about the same money with Foxtel.

I'd have to suggest that in every area the main reason (empirically) is Subiaco oval....sure there are several other factors which may impact some members failure to renew, the main reason (overwhelmingly according to the data) is Subiaco Oval.

Possibly, once that has been addressed, there will be other factors, including the Home record not being exactly what we want, the bad press, the Firepower thing, the phases of the moon or whatever, but when the majority of your non-renewing members quote the field as the reason, you fix the field!

[joondalup dave]

there is no eastern states conspiracy against the force.

end of story.