Will Force players decide who plays in club finals

[NTT]

yeah, hopefully your boys will rise to the occasion and serve it up to uni ..... but i'm a cott fan myself

players availability is going to be an issue for a while yet unfortunately and since fardy has not been replaced at baysie it smacks of bias against the strongest clubs, but then again neddies are perenially strong and get 3 force players, paly are struggling and get 0.... hopefully rugby wa motto is ' for the good of the game ' ..... but in reality the clubs are there to feed players to the force when in a position to do so until then its going to be a balancing act for rugby wa unfortunately, i fear

[pieter blackie]

Were Fardy really a Force player or was he just a good player on a contract with RugbyWA hoping he will step up and become a Force player??

[rick boyd]

Before we all get carried away dumping on RugbyWA, think about the situation in the Eastern States or New Zealand, where rep players actually come from the clubs, probably came up through that club's juniors but rarely get to appear for their clubs because of rep commitments. Due to the normal cycles and variables of these things, at any given time one club may have four rep players on their books and other clubs have none. That's just the way these things happen. Imagine the outcry if the controlling union stepped in and redistributed the players to other clubs to "even up the numbers". It just wouldn't happen.

It's not that different in WA, except the players are from outside the state (except for Kieran Longbottom) and are allocated clubs but their wishes are also taken into account, if they have some connection with another club. Some clubs end up with more senior players than others and therefore never see them in club colours, some clubs lose their players, some players move on etc. End result, some clubs have more professional players available than others, just as clubs in the Eatsern States or New Zealand do.

It may seem unfair and it adds a frustrating wild card into the competition where a club may get into the finals, or be prevented from getting into the finals, due to the luck of the draw as to which players are available for whom and when -- but it's exactly the same thing that happens elsewhere.

WA has to have a bit of a mind shift. For years, club first grade has come first and the rep side (Western Australia, Perth Gold or whatever) has been a bit of an add-on that lacks the honours you'd get in the Eastern States or New Zealand, where playing for the state or province is the ultimate accolade short of the national team. WA has to start thinking about putting the Force first, and this will become more pronounced in the future as clubs start to produce home-grown professionals. The clubs' main job should be to produce Force players and make the Western Force as strong as it can be. Then the clubs can start thinking about themselves. If there are a few inequities in the club competition as a result, it may be annoying and it may seem unfair, but we just have to grit our teeth and get on with it because the Force comes first.

And I say that as a life member of a club that may be majorly disadvantaged by the distribution of Force players. This is a new era and we need to get behind it 100% if rugby is to prosper in this state and grow as a true national sport in this country.

[NTT]

that's a great post rick and more or less reflects my view of the situation perfectly, i just lack your way with words. seriously great post

i will always be a big fan of all things rugby in wa

[NTT]

Were Fardy really a Force player or was he just a good player on a contract with RugbyWA hoping he will step up and become a Force player??

more column b than a.

i never saw him play so i reserve total judgement .... but at least baysie got some service from him.

[rick boyd]

more column b than a.

i never saw him play so i reserve total judgement .... but at least baysie got some service from him.

Scott Fardy was a first class player from the Warringah club in Sydney who was contracted into the Western Force as a full time professional player to cover the loose forward area. He was an outstanding player for Perth-Bayswater and would not have been out of place in the Ocean Blue jumper but as it happened the Force loose forwards were in good form and had few injuries, so that Pocock, Brown, Fava, Pusey, Horua and Hogdson had the positions well covered and by the end of the season it was obvious Fardy would not be needed so he was released.

He was a great contributor to Perth-Bayswater, well liked and respected at the club, a good club man who gave a lot more than his professional duties dictated, and the club was very sorry to see him go.

[gotheforce]

Actually, talking to some of the force blokes in my club, apparently this is how the system works:
RugbyWA suggests to them a couple of clubs to join and it's up to the players to make the decision. However, these players can leave the clubs and go to another club of their choice. Couple of examples include how Chucky first played for Pally. But he moved to Uni because he had a few good mates who started playing for them this year. Another example is JOC. He chose to go to cott cos Dane was playing for them as well.
It would be unfiar for RugbyWA to control where these players go. In the end, they, like us, would want to go to a club where they are comfortably at and is located ideally for them. No point sending them to a club where they dont enjoy themselves there and is forced to play for them.

[rick boyd]

By Rick Boyd


Associates took another step closer to the finals with a solid 43-15 win over a robust but limited Palmyra at Allen Park today, and jumped into the top four in the RugbyWA club competition sponsored by KWIK Crane and Transport Hire.

Soaks led 19-5 in a frustrating half despite a heavy dominance of territory and possession, but errors and lack of finish hampered their effort.

Soaks controlled territory and possession from the kick off but a knock on from a kick through put Palmyra on attack after nine minutes. The Palmyra forwards mauled up from the scrum and hooker Hamish Lawn dived over a pile of bodies to score halfway between the posts and the sideline. The conversion missed but Paly took an early 5-0 lead against the run of play.

Soaks went back to running phases in Palmyra's 22 and despite spoiling several moves with rushed play, after 15 minutes number 8 Angus Nielson cut through playing centre for a try near the posts.

Prop Damien Elton pushed the handy chance wide but four minutes later a Palmyra dropped ball in midfield was kicked through and three Soaks players gave chase, flyhalf Matt Dreyer winning the race, scooping up the ball and scoring beside the posts. Elton converted the sitter and Soaks went 12-5 up.

Soaks continued dominating territory and after 29 minutes wing Neville Halberg intercepted a Palmyra pass and sprinted clear but he was run down from behind by Palmyra number 8 Warren Wilson. But a string of turnovers and lost lineouts cost Palmyra and Soaks went hard on attack, although hampered by poor handling and rushed options. However, just before halftime the home side strung the phases together and flanker Tristan Winnall plunged over for the try out wide. Elton converted from the sideline for a 19-5 lead going into the break.

Soaks went right back to hammering Palmyra in their 22 early in the second spell but poor execution again hampered their efforts. Paly conceded a string of penalties in defence of their line after 12 minutes Soaks prop and captain Adam New burrowed over from a tap in front of the posts. Elton converted to grind ahead 26-5 but it was moderate return for overwhelming dominance of play.

Palmyra rushed onto the offensive and launched a series of width-of-the-field back line sweeps, fullback Tahjon Maialata sprinting over in the corner to double Paly's score at 26-10. But Soaks struck back within two minutes, Dreyer collecting a deflected clearing kick and running a wide arc around the defence to score out wide.

Instead of throwing in the towel, Palmyra lifted to take the game to Soaks' half for a period of energetic, bustling attack. But it wasn't enough to crack the structured Soaks defence and the home side moved back downfield where fullback Hugh Norcross kicked through and regathered when an awkward bounce eluded the Paly defence. Elton bounced the conversion off the posts but Soaks were 36-10 ahead.
Paly still failed to roll over and worked back to score from a forward rush with ten minutes on the clock, reserve prop Dave Bulivou claiming the try.

The gold rush continued with Soaks storming right back and flanker Tristan Winnall plunged for the line, stretching out to place the ball over the line for the try beside the posts. Elton converted to restore the margin at 43-15 and that remained the score until full time.

At McGillivray Oval, premiers Perth-Bayswater dropped to sixth with a 27-15 loss to University and now face a huge mountain to climb to make the finals with six teams in the running in a very tight competition. University benefited enormously from the presence of Western Force flanker David Pocock, lock Sam Wykes, halfback James Stannard and lock Tom Murday. With Pocock outstanding, the professional players proved too much for an injury-depleted Perth-Bayswater, and with plenty of possession the students went ahead 22-0 at half time. Perth-Bayswater struck back in the second half to control territory but the damage had been done.

Nedlands dropped to fifth when they lost to old rivals Cottesloe 21-19 at Harvey Field, Cottesloe also fielding four Western Force players – prop A.J Whalley, flanker Tamaiti Horua, fullback Dane Haylett-Petty and centre James O’Connor.

Wanneroo jumped to second with a bonus point 31-15 win over Wests-Subiaco at Kingsway and Rockingham rose to third when they thrashed a tactically substituted Kalamunda team 50-24 at Lark Hill.

[pieter blackie]

well what more can I say as that Pocock and Wykes and Chucky had a good game. Baysies had a good chance of coming back in the second half and threw it away.

[fulvio sammut]

What the f... is a tactically substituted Kalamunda? Where a shit load of Perth players brought in to play for them instead? Did the All Blacks take Kalamunda's players' place? (Could be why they lost.)

Or do you mean Rockingham kicked their arse??

[bunter]

Thanks Fulvio, we'll take the last sentence.

[JamesBrown]

hows the club season been going this year ??? step up from last year ?? all the results seem to be up n down each week!

[Ecky]

What the f... is a tactically substituted Kalamunda? Where a shit load of Perth players brought in to play for them instead? Did the All Blacks take Kalamunda's players' place? (Could be why they lost.)

Or do you mean Rockingham kicked their arse??

Quite amazing to watch, actually. I thought it may have been a close game, with Rocky feeling they had a point to prove, but they just blew Kala away. Or kicked their arse if you prefer.

I thought Kala's back were relying too much on Tatupo and didn't seem to have a "plan B" where their "plan A" didn't work. Rocky's forwards were great as a unit and their outside backs (especially their #11 whose name I know not) were also brilliant. Their kicker, however, had an off day, so the score could've been way bigger.

[bunter]

Yep, eight tries in that I believe.

[goony]

kalamunda will struggle without tatapu, they do rely heavily on him!!