0
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/down_dis.png)
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
WESTERN Force coach Michael Foley is confident new skipper Matt Hodgson and his army of lieutenants will be able to fill the leadership void left by Nathan Sharpe and David Pocock.
Champion lock Sharpe, who captained the Force during their first six years, retired at the end of last season after notching a record 162 Super Rugby appearances.
The Force were dealt a further blow when last year's skipper Pocock defected to the Brumbies.
Sharpe and Pocock have been the heartbeat of the Force since the franchise's inception in 2006, but Foley said Hodgson was well placed to take on the skipper's role.
And the 31-year-old flanker will receive help in the leadership department from a big group of players eager to guide the Force to a successful future.
Toby Lynn, Pek Cowan and Sam Wykes are among the players who have stepped up their leadership duties, while Pat Dellit, Richard Brown and 20-year-old flyhalf Kyle Godwin are others who will be entrusted with keeping standards high.
"It could easily be seen to be a lot of chiefs and not a lot of Indians," Foley said.
"But what we do have is one captain, and everyone else just takes care of business and keeps each other accountable to the highest standards."
Foley said selflessness and honesty were two of Hodgson's greatest attributes.
"Those two things together just give him enormous respect within the team," Foley said.
"We're very fortunate to have him leading us."
Foley has spoken to Sharpe regularly in recent months and predicted the Wallabies great would return to the Force at some point to help out.
"We don't have a long history, but we have some extremely supportive ex-players," Foley said.
"David Pusey is a guy who is doing a lot behind the scenes. Scott Staniforth is another one.
"A lot of other provincial teams in Australia have ex-players who like to stand at a distance and take pot shots. We've got very supportive ex-players.
"I think Sharpey undoubtedly will fall into that group of guys that will be supportive in different ways."
The new-look Force will get their first taste of action together when they take on the Brumbies in Darwin on February 1, before returning to WA to take on a Tongan Select XV in Mandurah on February 8.
Roll on!
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Go Hodgo! Big boots to fill after Sharpie but I know he will do an awesome job![]()
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
the trouble is that there will be no guarantee that he will be in the starting 15!
He just needs to bulk up again - he's lost so much weight after his operations
Laugh and the world laughs with you.......
......cry and you'll weaken your beer
Matt Hodgson doesn't need to bulk up the man is massive probably one of the best in terms of size in the EWF
I will check all this out in Darwin
Hodgson will step out of Pocock's shadow and make the wallabies. Pocock was gioven credit for half of Hodgsons pilfers and turnovers. Hodgson has massive ones and a big motor.
Still a very strong backrow and with McMinimum at 6 we have some mongrel and go forward.
2013........home final
dead set
Up front there oughta be a man in black
You'll never see bright colours on my back......
Until things are brighter, I'm the man in black
isn't everybody in Darwin?
I'm in mooloolaba
Posted via Mobile Device