Props..the platform to success

[BDAVEY]

The game is only won if u have good platform what props are there around that would come over ....?

[pieter blackie]

Dunning ???????

But remember we do have the following guys

Props
Pek Cowan
Gareth Hardy
Kieran Longbottom
Troy Takiari
AJ Whalley
Cruze Ah-Nau - Academy 2008 level 3, 2009 level 2
Brendan O’Dea - Academy 2008 level 3, 2009 level 2

Hookers
Ben Whittaker - Academy 2009 level 1
Luke Holmes

So you can clearly see wee need a hooker rather than a prop

[sandgroperrugby]

Pieter how many of the above guys are reliable at S14 level tightheads?

Agree we desperately need another starting Hooker

[pieter blackie]

Level of experience and strength is a mystery so I cannot answer you on that one
Ben Castle made a huge difference in our forward pack so I would say that we will need to import another prop for at least another year

---------- Post added at 07:34 ---------- Previous post was at 07:31 ----------

I just do not think Dunning will fit in

[GIGS20]

I agree Pieter. BC probably bought more to the club by his experience and technique....let's face it, he's hardly a monster himself, lists at about 120 if I remember correctly.

Dunning weighs a small planet and therefore would have differing techniques....I don't know how well this would transfer to our lighter props......well, maybe he could give diet tips!

[Homer]

We have to face the fact that the current contracted props are not top shelf and need to be replaced. Pek is showing signs of becoming a leading prop but the rest have a had a chance (apart from Kieran) and have been shown up.

Brumbies have an abundance in Alexander, henderson, Shep, Maafi and Yanuyanutawa.
NSW have found a quality replacement in Dan Palmer, someone who could become a leading force and even the Reds have found Daly. Surely there are more around for the Force. When Dunning comes back there will be a couple of props looking for game time and i would think that the Tahs would fight like hell to keep Kepu and Palmer for when Dunning and Baxter inevitably retire soon. So maybe Dunning is the best option to join AJ, Pek and Hardy.

Hooker is a big concern across Australia. Only Moore and TPN are top shelf and the next batch are light on experience and technique. Holmes being one of them.
The overseas import should be a hooker until a home grown version can be found.

[pieter blackie]

The overseas import should be a hooker until a home grown version can be found.

That will be a good thing there are so many in South Africa - Schalk Britz Stormers, Deon Fourie Stormers, Bismark Du Plessis Sharks,John Smit Sharks, Adriaan Strauss Cheetahs, Derick Kuun Bulls, Chiliboy Ralepelle Bulls, Frik Kirsten Bulls, only to mention about half of them

[robyn <3]

Bismark Du Plessis Sharks

Nooooooo!!

I'd like Whittaker to start to get some game time this season so we can see how he goes. John Smit would not be bad as a mentor to have but he's getting towards the end of his playing career isn't he? He's surely mid-30s by now. I can't see the sharks letting him go.

I'm not convinced about TPN. He threw a few odd ones last game I watched. He wasn't thinking, he was just throwing and a rubbish throw 5m from the line cost them I think what would have been the first try of the match. But we are short of hookers in Aus and it sucks!

[sandgroperrugby]

Didnt we try to get Bismark Du Plessis last year as our Marque Import but he would'nt come unless his brother could come as well?

[shasta]

John Smit would not be bad as a mentor to have but he's getting towards the end of his playing career isn't he? He's surely mid-30s by now. I can't see the sharks letting him go.

He's actually just turned 31. He was a tighthead before converting to hooker, IIRC, and playing most of his career at 2 before again reverting to tighthead last season.

I can't see the sharks letting him go.

Also he's the long term and present Springbok skipper who'll be 33 when RWC 2011 rolls around. But, apart from that he'd be about the best possible signing for the Force in that area that I can think of.

[lara93]

Bismark Du Plessis Sharks

i think he would be a good player to get, hes very good around the field and one player who is up there

Didnt we try to get Bismark Du Plessis last year as our Marque Import but he would'nt come unless his brother could come as well?

we did but both were still under contract with the sharks at the time and are coming off contract this year
im sure the sharks have tried to snap them up quickly and im sure force have still been interested

[Homer]

Smit is no chance of leaving South Africa again, if he did it would be for European money. I think the Lions and Cheetahs players should be the target because those two teams will be on the chopping block if the SARU tries to get their Eastern Cape team into the Super 15-16-17-18....
the problem is that no player who is good enough to be a chance of playing for the Boks would leave before the World Cup.

I reckon some Georgian talent could be the way to go. Big, tough guys who have proven themselves in Europe. There are about a dozen in France alone, and if you think the Romanian fight was good have a look on Youtube for fights between the Russian and Georgian teams.

Could we get Jeremy Pual for a season or two while the young guys come up?

[Sheikh]

There's a reason why Dunning got the nickname 'Teletubby' - he's a soft fat boy.*

Castle's shown what a proper, large prop can do to the Force front row. We need a replacement for him for next season; Pek's looking better and I'd like to see Kieran and AJ given more game time, but they're all a bit small, as are our hookers.

It seems to be an Australia-wide problem - Australians don't breed big enough! Get hold of a handful of Georgian or Romanian front-rowers who haven't played for their country yet and pay for them and their families to come to Perth. (Argentinians would also be a possibility, but they'd probably be more expensive). If I've understood the rules they wouldn't count as foreign players but as potential Australian players (give them 4 years and they can apply for citizenship and play).

* Not that I'd like to meet him down a dark alley, or possibly even in a drinking contest!

[AndyS]

I think what folk need to come to terms with is that we are unlikely to be picking up world-beaters in any position. If they are that good, they will obviously have aspirations to national selection. If they are past their best, they will be looking to the bigger money on offer in Japan or Europe. The reality is that we will be looking to journeymen, so the priority has to be the desire and ability to teach. That is not obvious from on-field performances, so we will just have to rely on the selection process. Personally, I would rather they just went the whole hog and got a specialist coach.

[palitu]

we need to at least blood more of the younger props. perhaps pre game academy matches, at least every now and again.

Or name them on the bench. That way they will at least get some game time, though i could see this happening more at the end of the season, if there is no hope for the finals!

would be good to see some new props learning their trade.