Sharpe denies unrest in the west
By Bret Harris
WESTERN Force captain Nathan Sharpe has described reports of a player revolt against coach John Mitchell as a "storm in a tea cup".
The Force is in damage control over a story in a Sunday newspaper that claimed players had complained to management about Mitchell.
Sharpe admitted a group of players met Force chief executive Greg Harris, but denied it had anything to do with Mitchell's coaching.
"There was a bunch of players and the CEO and the players' representative on the board (John Welborn) who got together just to discuss things, ranging from the administration to the playing," Sharpe said.
"It was certainly nothing to do with Mitch. It was just the performance of the team going forward was what the boys wanted to talk about.
"You can always get better in different areas as an organisation and that's what we are looking to do. That goes from the way we hold ourselves as a club, the way we run our marketing, the way we do our public appearances.
That's what you want in a coach. A guy who works very, very hard.
"To be honest, it was very early stages of planning for next year and the guys just wanted to make sure we got on top of things."
Sharpe, who was one of the Force's foundation players in 2006, said he had no problems with Mitchell.
"I get along really well with Mitch," Sharpe said. "He's a great guy and a very good coach. He's an intense fella. That's the way he is. He is competitive.
"That's what you want in a coach. A guy who works very, very hard."
There has been speculation that Force players such as five-eighth Matt Giteau and winger/full-back Drew Mitchell were looking to leave Perth.
Sharpe, who has signed with the Force until 2011, conceded it would be a challenge for the club to retain a large number of players, who are coming off contract.
"Next year is going to be a great litmus test for us to see how many guys want to re-sign and get on board with a team that is certainly on the improve," Sharpe said. "That was always going to be the case when the club came into conception.
"You get players on one or two-year contracts and all of a sudden everyone is coming off contract at the same time."
Sharpe will not be thinking too much about the Force over the next four weeks as he prepares for Australia's upcoming tour of Hong Kong and Europe.
The Wallabies play the All Blacks in Hong Kong and then four Tests against Italy, France, England and Wales before finishing the tour with a match with the Barbarians.
"It's a solid trip, but I think everyone is pretty excited about it," Sharpe said.
"There's 34 guys going, which is going to share the load between everyone."
Sharpe said the Wallabies were keen to play New Zealand again following their 28-24 loss to the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane.
"You always want another shot at an opposition that has just beaten you," Sharpe said.
"The team will be chomping at the bit to get another crack at them, especially in an atmosphere like Hong Kong."
After being a permanent fixture in the Wallabies second row for the last six years, Sharpe was overlooked for the two Tests against the Springboks in South Africa, although he was recalled for the All Blacks in Brisbane.
Although he is now the most commanding lineout forward in Australia, Sharpe will continue to face competition from younger locks such as Hugh McMeniman and Dean Mumm.
"I can only control what I can do. If I do that, hopefully things will look after themselves," Sharpe said.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
