6
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/down_dis.png)
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
What's Stephen Hoiles bleating on about? There is no Western Force, so there are no Force players. The Perth Spirit are the highest level team that WA has, they are our "solid rugby pathway" as the ARU put it. They are all Spirit players, surely he can't blame us for fielding the strongest Spirit team possible, can he?
![]()
Japan and the Pacific Islands for Aussie Super 9's!
Let's have one of these in WA! Click this link: Saitama Super Arena - New Perth Stadium?
Thought Naiyaravoro's shoulder into Ruru was spiteful, unnecessary and a wee bit dangerous after he dropped the ball.
Great game there was some great play with lots of offloading and a defence that trusted the bloke next to them. Meakes was totally destructive in both attack and defense for my MOTM. Clay bringing down the big man looked to be just fun for him in the end.
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
I think its time to drop a team from NSW. They dont have the depth for 3 teams and it would save some money.
Games like todays are bittersweet in a way. To see the academy guys stepping up today and playing well with the senior guys was great but to know we won't get to see the potential realised and what would have been next Super Rugby season is starting to sink in. Vui and Verity-Amm are Super Rugby ready, Havili is right there and guys like Uyen, Owen, Erasmus and Malolo all look to be on their way. Past graduate Koteka was best on ground, Isi was great so were Ruru, Philip and Arnold. No idea what Meakes has to do to get a Wallabies jersey. Our senior guys like Pek, Jono, Rona and Brache all contributed.
The bleating of Hoiles was tiring to the extreme.
Have just posted the following on the FoxSports Rugby Facebook page.
I've just watched my recording of the Perth Spirit v Rams NRC game. The commentary by Stephen Hoiles was most disappointing as he constantly raised the issue of how many Western Force players were in the Spirit's team.
Just in case Stephen doesn't know there is no longer a Western Force. This was the Super Rugby team that was axed by the ARU. One of the reasons that the Western Force was axed was its supposed poor on-field performance. If that were true then it should be irrelevant as to how many ex-Western Force players are included in the Perth Spirit team.
The NRC team is currently the WA rugby team in which the most capable Rugby Union players in WA can ply their trade. That will remain the case until a new team is established under the IPRC arrangements proposed by Andrew Forrest. Even when the IPRC is established it is likely that the Perth Spirit will continue to be enhanced by players from the IPRC, from development players (formerly the Future Force Foundation players) and the best from Perth Pindan Premier Grade.
Every time a commentator raises the name of the Western Force it is like somebody prodding an open wound as most Rugby supporters in WA believe that the team was unreasonably axed in appalling circumstances. That battle will now continue to be fought starting with the Senate Inquiry which I hope will uncover all of the shoddy dealings behind this very poor decision. A terrible way to grow rugby in Australia.
A key aspect of today's game was watching Wallaby, Taquele Naiyaravoro, get totally out-pointed by young Clay Uyen - one of young players from the local Pindan Premier Grade - over whom Naiyaravoro had a 40kg weight advantage.
Clay was supported by 9 players in the Spirit's run-on team who had not played Super Rugby prior to 2017. The Spirit's bench contained another 7 players from the Perth Pindan Premier Grade and who had yet to play Super Rugby.
I would greatly appreciate if Stephen Hoiles, and all FoxSports commentators, showed a modicum of respect and recognition of the impact of the ARU's decision on Rugby in WA and simply referred to the Perth Spirit as the Perth based team in the NRC.
Nice work Andrew. Bet you won't even get the courtesy of a reply let alone any sort of acknowledgment of your concerns.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
And for future reference Mr Hoiles, Clay Uyen plays for University of Western Australia. One of the Universities not included in the "National" Uni 7s currently being played even though our womens comp provided 4 Wallaroos, 5 if you include the Wallaroos 9 who played in WA before representing Warringah and Sydney, another 5 former Wallaroos and future 7s players like Shanice Parker.
Last edited by Kalahard; 17-09-17 at 20:39.
Kala - re your comment about Meakes, I've just been having a conversation on Twitter with a guy who thinks Cheika has shown too much favouritism by including him in the squad given how little SuperRugby he's played......
Presumably as soon as he pulls on a Tahs jersey he'll be worthy.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Well, if Inman, Paiaua, Horwitz or Godwin had outplayed him then they would have been selected. Billys also had to go through an NRC/Super Rugby audition period, he wasn't flown in on a million dollars like Kurtley Beale, hes had a year of rugby to prove himself.