Mitchell v Force: new era faces test

[travelling_gerry]

Mitchell v Force: new era faces test

Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent | February 13, 2009


THE Western Force will discover from tonight whether greater off-field input by the players, in particular skipper Nathan Sharpe, works in alleviating the club's problems with coach John Mitchell.

Mitchell's temperamental behaviour, which disenchanted Force players and staff members, saw the former All Blacks coach temporarily stood down last December from his full coaching duties at the Perth franchise.

The rift also saw the Force take the extraordinary step of appointing a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate the complaints about Mitchell. The report - by Robert Anderson, which concluded that Mitchell had too much power at the club - has seen his powers diminished, and he has been told to tone down his authoritarian approach.

The Force have included other officials in the running of the team, while senior players, particularly Sharpe, will be involved in the selection process.

Whether this works will be determined by how the Force perform on the field, with their Super 14 season starting tonight with a difficult encounter against the Auckland Blues at Subiaco.

The Herald has been told that Mitchell's behaviour in recent weeks has been exemplary, with the head coach realising the importance of being more conciliatory. The atmosphere at the Force "is the best it has been for a long, long time", according to one club official.

But it is only when the season gets serious that it will be discovered whether Mitchell has again gained the full trust of his players and the Force hierarchy.

Mitchell is a demanding coach who seeks excellence. If standards slip, he can be brutal in his assessment of players. Near the end of last season there were some volatile dressing-room moments involving him and key players.

Sharpe said the controversy had brought the Force's players closer than ever before.

"John [Mitchell] has been very good in spreading the load with the guys, and hopefully that transition will turn into a positive impact," Sharpe said yesterday. "The responsibility has been shared among the management, and also what's been good is the buy-in from the younger players that we haven't had in the past."

Victory also cures all ills but that could be a difficult task tonight as the Force have an overwhelming injury list, which includes halfbacks Josh Valentine (hamstring) and Justin Turner (back), front-rower Ben Castle (neck), centre Junior Pelesasa (hamstring), utility back Scott Staniforth (knee) and utility forward Sam Wykes (shoulder).


http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...028208187.html

[chiselhead]

The Force will put Dorkland to the sword

Force by 20

[brokendown gunfighter]

The Force will put Dorkland to the sword

Force by 20

one can only hope

[blindsid3]

Overwhelming [oh-ver-hwel-ming, -wel-]
adjective

1. that overwhelms; overpowering: The temptation to despair may become overwhelming.
2. so great as to render resistance or opposition useless: an overwhelming majority.

Not sure that grumbles has used the right superlative here because last I heard 22 of the Men in Blue will be turning up at Subi tonight.

And of those on the injury list, I would suggest that the loss of a reserve halfback is a concern, however Castles, Pelessasa and Staniforth were all on the injury list last year and we could still win games, so Naysayers begone!