0
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/down_dis.png)
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
Yep, and to hear Gerard Whatelely sneering on Offisders this morning and saying that Twiggy's announcement of the new competition was "quackery in the extreme" is top drawer tossery.
There's only a part of Australia that I call home now and that's Western Australia.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Sorry, I think the Tah Stink will be too powerful for any one person to resist. It's been shown that you can get it off, by joining a team of passionate and directed individuals (Hodgo, Brown Dog, Taf) But I think the number and intensity of the plodders who are infected in the Tahs will quickly overwhelm anybody.
You can see it happening with the Wallabies, the only two who aren't playing like Tahs are Adam and Taf. I've even seen some Tah-stink tendencies creeping into their game.
C'mon the![]()
![]()
Yeah Gigs is right, that is just a rehash of at least 10 other articles out there speculating where our Force players are going. While there will be a slight increase in competition for spots at the remaining franchises which will take time to show benefit, cutting a team does not make the players instant world beaters. We still have so many broken parts in the pathways that the paper over the cracks won't last. The problem the ARU is still facing is it chose to retain the 4 franchises that are financially volatile. Super Rugby is on the nose, another year of bad crowds and teams only trying in local derbies so they win the conference instead of winning a finals spot and the other franchises will send the thing broke. Tellingly, as this saga of cutting the Force unfolded, not one of the other franchises did anything to shore up their finances. Qld, NSW, ACT and Shitoria did nothing to shore themselves up. No new sponsors, no increases in crowds, no new financial ownership models, nothing. The promises of grassroots funding to the complacent left over franchises will disappear when they all need between $2 million and $4 million in bailouts next year because the ARU has pushed the fans away.
Its as obvious as the nose on your face that Super Rugby does nothing for Australian Rugby. Australians want to follow a comp that they can understand, has integrity and is on tv in favourable timeslots. Super Rugby ticks none of those boxes. Rugby needs a restructure, not cosmetic surgery. Rugby needs a National competition shown on FTA between February and July for exposure and to take on League for the no.2 spot in the football rankings. Super Rugby can then be used as a mini Champions league style tournament, top 2 from Australias NRC, NZs NPC and South Africas Currie Cup play off for provincial bragging rights. Then the test window is then from August to September. The number of Wallabies test reduces by at least 5 to bring back the importance and spectacle of test matches. 15 test matches a year is oversaturation. From August to October we have the IPRC to supplement wages to retain players from going overseas permanently. There is no room in my proposals for Argentina as they add nothing to them, Japan can host an IPRC team for timeslots and friendlier travel.
Anyways, im waffling on but that would be my preference for the future of Australian Rugby.
Sorry Sheikh I didn't put the sarcasm icon in. I was suggesting it is hilarious that the captain thinks the wallaby stacked Tahrds NEED more passion and experience, and that the team cut can provide that
It was finally a pleasure to watch the boys this year, playing with said passion, an unexpected level of skill, and welcome cameraderie all missing from Reds Tahrds and Rebels.
The long sobs of autumn's violins wound my heart with a monotonous languor
Was most encouraged by the number of Western Force/Spirit players who freely offered their view after the Rams game that they were excited by the IPRC development and were hoping to stay in Perth and see it develop.
Stronger as 1 - against the rest!
I think people are living in denial. The IPRC is going to be after super rugby so all these players have to sign for another super rugby team for the season and then can come back to us for IPRC/NRC. Unless they go to Europe or Japan.
I think we will start to hear a lot of signing in the coming weeks and you can't blame the players. Preferably I would like them to all go to the brumbies as I hate them less than the other 3
I'm sure that some players will get offers that they can't refuse.
I'm waiting to see what unfolds (it's already September).
They will all paid up until the end of 2017 & Twiggy has undertaken to continue their current contracts into next year or until full details of the IPRC are known.
There's a lot to keep the boys busy:
- NRC (to 11 Nov)
- Wallabies Spring Tour for some.
- Barbarians game against the Wallabies (Oct 28)
- Too late for Japan or Europe (but maybe some to cover injuries)
- Leave over Christmas/New Year
- Brisbane 10s (9-11 Feb)
- Pindan Premier Grade (Mar-July) (would be a win/win situation to have them playing in the early rounds)
- Maybe some demo games against IPRC teams (or against those who miss out on the 6)
- July (serious trial games for IPRC)
- August (IPRC)
In the meantime there's a heap of players having fix-ups (Heath, Brynard, RH-P, Richie H and probably others).
Others are still on rehab (Louwrens).
They will each have a personalised fitness/conditioning program to get in better shape for next year (maybe even getting worked over at Hodgo's F45).
Last edited by andrewg; 17-09-17 at 22:36.
If you support the NRC then by default you support the FUARU. Never forgive never forget.