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Western Force target next generation of talent
Nick Taylor
May 10, 2008 06:00pm
THE Western Force are looking to the next generation of stars in a recruitment campaign for the future.
Club officials are talking with their own crop of youngsters and established players whose contracts are up for renewal, but they are also spreading feelers into the eastern states.
They have already had talks with a number of players including:
Steve Mafi, 18, a second rower with the junior Waratahs who played in the Tahs pre-Super 14 season trial.
He made the Australian under 20 shadow squad and was in last year's Australian Schools side that beat New Zealand schools for the first time in a decade.
He plays for the Parramatta club and is a cousin of Force second row Sam Wykes.
Ben McCalman, 19, is an aggressive and athletic No 8 who has been selected for the Australian under 20s side.
He was a standout in the 2005 and 2006 Australian School and was a member of the Australian U19 side in 2007. He plays for Sydney University.
Caleb Brown, 20, is a prolific try scorer who was contracted by the Reds straight from The Southport School in January 2005 _ the first schoolboy to have been signed up since Elton Flatley a decade earlier.
He has made 10 Super 14 appearances for the Reds, and has played for the Australian 7s and U21 teams.
The Force are interested in Hurricanes tighthead prop Tim Fairbrother. He would have to be released from his New Zealand Rugby Union contract that still has a year to run to make a move.
The 117kg player represented New Zealand at U'19 and U21 levels but has Australian ancestry.
The Force have lost Queensland and Wallaby hooker Stephen Moore to the Brumbies but are still hopeful of signing Waratahs and Wallabies halfback Josh Valentine.
Of their current crop of players they are still discussing the future with prop Gareth Hardy, who has a British passport that makes him eligible to play as a local in Europe, and utility back Lachlan MacKay.
David Pocock will be discussing his contract in the next few weeks - he has been offered a two-year Wallaby deal but has not yet accepted it.
The Force also hope to be able to resolve deals with other players including James O'Connor, Josh Tatupu, Justin Turner and Tom Murday.
Back Dane Haylett-Petty and prop Kieran Longbottom have been offered rookie contracts.
Back Jimmy Hilgendorf, who asked to be released from his contract, is off to play in Japan in a couple of weeks.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/stor...005403,00.html
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Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
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