So, the 2013 season is around the corner - what are everybody's thoughts?

[Cowboy]

Looks far too pretty in his ads for my liking.

Back to rugby.
I think that we will sneak a few more wins than last season and possibly finish fourth of the Australian teams. However I believe we will be far more competitive than we have been. The past couple of seasons we have been playing to try and keep the game tight and the scores close with little real hope of actually winning, and I hope that this will change. I hope to see some enterprising attacking rugby from a team having a genuine crack.
We have a lot of players trying to cement themselves into a position and realise their potential, not all of them will that's why they are called fairy tales. But we should build a base that we can add to for season 2014.
All in all an improved season building for the future.

[taylor]

Last year the Rebels beat us twice by 2 points.Last year we had a bullshit side with inadequate players in numerous positions.Last year we were leaderless off and IMHO on the park.Last year we still managed to score 3 tries against them on both occasions.
They have gained SH and little else.For those of you that have a life and don't watch as much ITM cup and Curry cup as myself just don't realise how much talent we have gained in Alby Sias and JH alone.With the new coaching staff,new leadership and the host of other fine young talent that has joined the club,I don't think it is unrealistic to expect to beat the Rebels and score 4 tries in the process.
We then play the Kings.I have looked at their squad-very average on paper.They will be playing their first game of the season when we are playing our second.Again not unrealistic that we win with 4 tries in the bag.
I could be setting myself up to be grossly disappointed,but I say it is not unrealistic that we have 10 competition points after 2 rounds

[GIGS20]

Hi Taylor, yes I am one of those on this site who doesn't watch a stack of ITM cup or Currie Cup. It's heartening to see the confidence of someone who has watched those boys a lot, however, I can't get over the fact that for many of our seven years we've had a good squad which has been mismanaged or recalcitrant and as a result never lived up to potential.

In some ways, we have been the tahs so far (much as it pains me to say it) so yes, we have the best looking squad I've seen in several years (probably the best squad that hasn't been receiving kickbacks from firepower) but we still need to put it together on the park.

If brain dead dick was still in charge, I think I would be in complete despair and wonder whether we would win a game this year, but the presence of a whole new coach and management causes me to be more optimistic and suggest we might string together more wins than I'm expecting. That'd be awesome.

Let's face it, it's all untried at the moment, and I plan to reserve the pants-wetting until I've seen them play a few. If I can!

[sittingbison]

...Should be interesting in the centers this year, opposed to last year when it was "just pass the f$%#ing ball to HB, Mafi or Nalaga, and get out of the way"...

lol Nipper if only brain dead dick had even the semblance of this plan - the centers passing it like this. Unfortunately the ball was usually hoofed to the opposing fullback and wings in dangerous positions for a counter attack and these three hardly ever got a sniff. When they DID get a sniff (by sneaking inside) it was usually a try

[Ham105]

Realistically, I think bottom 4 again. Even if we had zero injuries I think we would still struggle to break into the top 10. But injuries will occur and there is very little depth. A couple of injuries to key players and we will be dragging up players who are only of club rugby standard. That said rugby is a funny old game and if we can sneak a couple of wins in a row and get our confidence up then who knows. I'd be happy if we finished 8th.

Speaking of dragging up club players, who are the guys in the Force Wider Training Group?

Heath Tessmann's Player Profile says that before got a temporary contract, he was:

"... invited to join the Emirates Western Force’s wider training group during the 2013 pre-season along with locks Ben Matwijow and Adam Coleman, winger Corey Brown and five local players from the RugbyWA Bankwest Academy."

So which are these 5 local players from the Academy?

1. Luke Burton (flyhalf) UWA
2. Oliver Hoskins (Prop - TH)
3. Brad Lacey (Wing)
4. ???
5. ???

Anyone know - and was Tessmann replaced when he got called up?

[oxleymoron]

Tessman was brought in as cover at Hooker while Whittaker is still injured, otherwise we would have had only Cheese and Hilterbrand as hookers in the full squad
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[Ham105]

Ta, Ox.

Anyone know the WA club players that have been training with the main squad?

[James]

I would put my money on a lock and a scrumhalf Ham.

With Sheehan out to round 5(ish) and a couple of scrumhalves in the level 1 academy they'd be crazy not to have a 9 training.

Lock is more of a gut feeling. There are a few locks in the level 1 academy.

[Ham105]

Thanks, James. The media was saying locks Coleman and Matwijow were in the squad when Tessmann got upgraded.

They mentioned 5 other un-named local players: Burton, Hoskins, and Lacey were 3 but the other two haven't been mentioned... Anyway, just a matter of interest while waiting for the season to start.

Ethan Carlisle and Patrick McCarthy look to be the academy scrum-halves.

WTG
1. Ben Matwijow (lock)
2. Adam Coleman (lock)
3. Corey Brown (winger)
4. Heath Tessmann (hooker) - upgraded to temp contract
+Academy players
1. Luke Burton (flyhalf) UWA
2. Oliver Hoskins (Prop - TH)
3. Brad Lacey (Wing)
4. ?
5. ?

EPS
Sam Christie (Fly-half)
Salesi Manu (Prop)
James Hilterbrand (Hooker)
Michael Snowden (Scrum-Half)
Rory Walton (Lock)