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WESTERN FORCE
Coach: Michael Foley
Captain: Matt Hodgson
Major Ins: Peter Grant, Ben Tapuai, Jono Lance
Major Outs: Sam Wykes, Sias Ebersohn, Nick Cummins, Zack Holmes, Wilhelm Steenkamp
Key forward: Ben McCalman. The No. 8 virtually carried the Force on his back last year, but 2016 will be a far different proposition for the Wallaby, coming off a season in Japan’s Top League. McCalman will not have had any break since the start of last season and fatigue will be a factor, but without his go-forward the Force won’t win games.
Key Back: Peter Grant. A new season, a new five-eighth, and this time it is South African Grant who will steer the Force around. The Perth outfit has not had a five-eighth of international calibre since Matt Giteau in 2009. Grant needs to conjure some magic.
X-Factor: Kyle Godwin. The powerful, skilful centre has been on the cusp of Wallabies selection for a couple of years now but injuries and the Force’s lack of success have worked against him. He is the one man who can spark their attack.
Strengths: Set-piece and forward play. The Force are always competitive in the tight stuff. They work hard at the breakdown and are rarely dominated at scrum time, although a lack of depth in the second row is a worry.
Weakness: Attack and coaching. The Force scored the least amount of tries last year and finished last because they simply could not manufacture tries. Coach Michael Foley has a poor record and struggles with attack in particular. When he was in charge of NSW their attack was woeful, and that trend has continued in Perth.
Prediction: The Force are not going to make the finals, and in fact they should be happy if they can stay off the bottom of the ladder. With the Sunwolves and Kings entering the fray their task has become easier. Realistically, they can consider 2016 a success if they’re not one of the bottom four teams in the competition.