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The Force really need to make a signing announcement ASAP. Every other team has announced new signings for next year, and the absence of a Force announcement just reinforces the perception that the Force are gone next year!
Absolutely agree Transiting.
Can Hansie or General shed any light on why we're not able to announce anything? Is the ARU fast-tracking the others and sticking ours in the pending tray?!!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Rumour / fact/ chasing shadows - here is the latest from Wayne smith in the Oz- I felt quite positive about it till the final paragraph....
"Australian Rugby Union is now set for arbitration with the two Super Rugby franchises on its shortlist for culling after the Melbourne Rebels late last week launched legal action against it.
Already it is due to go to arbitration in Western Australia from July 31 as it tries to evict the *Western Force from the comp*etition. The Perth club and the ARU have agreed arbitration is the best means to bringing this saga to an end, but if the decision goes in favour of the Force, then the Rebels will be last man standing.
In that event, either the ARU might be forced to return to *SANZAAR and admit all the bold assertions it gave in March that Australia could cut its Super Rugby presence from five teams to four cannot be honoured.
Given Sydney legal sources say the Rebels have filed for damages measured in the millions against the national body — the first stage of which involves arbitration — the ARU would be wary of further prodding the Melbourne club.
According to Rebels insiders, the club believes the ARU has mounted a virtual constructive dismissal campaign against it by undermining its financial viability and then questioning its solvency.
It also is questioning the goodwill of the ARU in selling the Melbourne licence to the Imperium Group in 2015, assuring the *company that they fully supported the venture. Yet ARU chairman *Cameron Clyne recently said *almost from the moment *Australia launched its fifth Super Rugby team in 2011 he and the board had grave doubts about its viability.
The club says it will pursue the ARU for damages caused by the ongoing campaign — so far not disavowed by any ARU officials — to remove it from the competition, saying that players, staff, coaches and executives have been put through mental hell while the *process has been pursued.
Ironically, the Rebels club is not supporting the initiative of the Victorian Rugby Union, which has the backing of the Rugby Union Players Association, to call an emergency general meeting of the ARU on June 20. In a worst-case scenario, if the VRU is unhappy with the ARU explanation of how it has conducted its process of *culling a team, it could move a motion of no-confidence in Cameron and the board.
Yet according to a club spokesman, the Rebels are standing by the ARU, believing that its argument that Australia cannot sustain five Super Rugby teams is correct, provided the Rebels are not the team cut.
“We’re big fans of the move to go from five teams to four,” the spokesman said.
“We believe that is the way to go. And we also believe that having the Sunwolves of Japan playing in the Australian conference will be good for sponsorships.”
The Rebels are acting like a club that intends to be in the 2018 Super Rugby competition, and it is understood that no fewer than nine Force players have agreed to move to Melbourne if the Perth club folds.
It would be smart for a Force player to be talking that way.
Since there doesn't seem to be any appetite with any of the clubs to have a 5 team model, they can work at securing themselves a place at the franchise which is
a) Less likely to sign anybody else, because they are as under threat as we are
b) Not going to expect big things from them, because on-field performance doesn't seem to be a factor for them
c) willing to pay shitloads of money to secure a name
d) going to be around (because if any contract is actually written, the Force won't be)
e) provide a great safety net for them to sign a Force contract and then have it paid out if they don't like the Rebels' deal.
I'm not too worried about Rebels signing all and sundry, it smacks of desperation when taken in light of Sinders' comments about supply and demand. we might just be waiting until the last minute to see how prices drop.
C'mon the
So both the Rebels through that spokesman in the article and the Force (Sindaberry) want 4 teams. I am really confused why this then has not turned into a us Vs them from the clubs. There also seems to be a difference between super club and state unions on what they are saying is the preferred outcome. . What a mess.
With the Rebels announcing player signings it gives the impression that players have faith that the Rebels will be around next year.
The Force really need to sign announce some signings of their own soon, I know players have publicly stated that the Force is where they want to be but they really need to put pen to paper.
I wouldn't have thought the ARU are going to sit on any Force contracts as I assume that will open themselves up the restraint of trade legal action.
Great, so the Rebels who have already ripped $33 million from the ARU coffers are going in for more. Fucking disgraceful.
So again Rona reportedly signed with Wests Tigers
https://www.triplem.com.au/sport/nrl...n-wests-tigers
Can't see the tweet in question so has he taken it down?
Western Force outside back Curtis Rona is keeping his sights on a Wallabies berth and has no plans to leave the vulnerable Super Rugby franchise for the NRL's Wests Tigers, his manager says.
Rumours Rona was set to join the Tigers were sparked when an apparent social media post by the speedster with the words "on the bus" were circulated.
The bus reference could be interpreted as alluding to comments by the NRL club's coach Ivan Cleary, who used it as a metaphor when discussing players' commitment earlier this year.
But manager Steve Gillis denied Rona was looking to leave the Force as they await an Australian Rugby Union decision that could axe them from Super Rugby.
"There's been absolutely no discussion whatsoever (about joining the Tigers)," Gillis told AAP.
"He's under contract. So until we know anything different, nothing changes. He's very happy in rugby and doing well.
"We anticipate he'll play for the Wallabies this year. So there's plenty of positives.
"We were hoping he'd get there (in the current Wallabies squad) but I think he accepts that well and is pushing forward and hopefully makes the next one."
Rona, who has played some wing this season but spent most of his time at outside centre, has been one of the Force's best players.
The 25-year-old joined the Perth-based side on a two-year deal after switching from NRL team Canterbury at the end of last year.
He has previously said he would be open to a rugby league return if his Super Rugby career failed, but hoped he could stay with the Force in his hometown.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2...rl-tigers-link
Looks like it was a gee-up from the Tigers forum thank goodness. Until the Force can please come through with some firming up of players soon, we're all gonna fall apart!
Genia released from contract
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wi...7034210aa23099
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
Would love to know how much that cost and who paid but I imagine we will never know.
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