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Thread: Quartet of powerbrokers trying to rescue Western Force from Super Rugby cull

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by fulvio sammut View Post
    General, I'll give you this much, you've got balls and integrity in stating it as it is.

    I wish you had been in charge of community rugby, because if you had been from the start, I am sure the administrative shenanigans and poor decisions which have dogged rugby administration in WA, and have alienated so many grass roots rugby supporters from the Force and from further involvement in WA rugby, would not have occurred. And if that had not occurred, the ARU would not have dared to engage in their current machinations in the face of a strong united front.

    Your post also saddens me, as your words, coming from a WA rugby official, indicate to me that there is no further benefit in using tact and diplomacy in negotiations with the ARU, and that war has been declared.

    I can now only wish you well with your battle plans.
    Thank Fulvio,
    I know that history is somewhat littered with poor or confusing decisions and policies. Hopefully now we have a board that has a good balance and the right intent. We have passionate Community representatives in Hans and Trevor and a really solid group in the Community Rugby Team led by Bob Hunter. When we get through this we will have further representation from the Own the Force council that will be created. Hopefully with that team and a few survivors on the Corporate side we will have a well balanced team that can unite the community.
    Sounds lofty I know but I feel we have made plenty of positive strides.
    Had a chat with O'Meara today too and he's creating hell for us over East. Getting to the pointy end now and I'm also hearing that the SA teams are starting to arc up now and following our lead.

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  2. #32
    Veteran SNOB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by travelling_gerry View Post
    The ARU was flagging the Rebels Bid as superior because the Victorian Govt was going to PAY the ARU $8million if they got a Bled and Lions Test.
    Well our pollies can offer $10mil! They don't have to give it though! It's just pollie speak! They are allowed to lie!

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    May the FORCE be with you!

  3. #33
    Legend Contributor fulvio sammut's Avatar
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    They're not all Liberals, SNOB.

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  4. #34
    Senior Player antiussentiment's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fulvio sammut View Post
    They're not all Liberals, SNOB.
    I think you mean conservatives..
    Calling that side of government liberals is like referring to a sexual predator as a "charming gent".

    Australian politics has precious few liberals.

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    cheers auss...
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  5. #35
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    Lets not start talking Politics guys.

    This is Rugby.....................

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  6. #36
    Veteran SNOB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fulvio sammut View Post
    They're not all Liberals, SNOB.
    I mean ALL pollies! They are all the bloody same! IMHO

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    May the FORCE be with you!

  7. #37
    Senior Player Macattack's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Exile View Post
    Lets not start talking Politics guys.

    This is Rugby.....................
    Damn right Ex, this is a lot more important than politics

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  8. #38
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    WAYNE SMITH
    ARU executive breaks his silence

    The Australian12:00AM April 20, 2017

    WAYNE SMITH
    Senior sport writerBrisbane
    @WayneKeithSmith

    The Australian Rugby Union’s chief operating officer Rob Clarke has broken months of media silence to savage former Western Force boss Peter O’Meara.

    The Force’s foundation chief executive had queried the independence of Clarke to play any role in the process to cull a team from Super Rugby on the grounds that he is former chief executive of the Brumbies and the Melbourne Rebels.

    Both teams were initially on the list of endangered teams — along with the Force — until the ARU’s press conference in Sydney last week absolved the Canberra side from the process. Subsequently, both the Force and the Rebels have queried why the Brumbies were exempted.

    It is not known whether the ARU regrets its decision and if indeed a phone hook-up of directors yesterday discussed an about-face that might put a possible Rebels-Brumbies merger back on the table. It is known, however, that the ARU decided to press ahead with its commitment to meet again with the Force.

    Certainly, as things currently stand, the ARU has very limited options, with the Force set to act on an injunction to delay any ARU action to wind them up, while the Rebels have already warned that even continuing to voice the possibility that Melbourne could still be culled from the competition could lead to even greater damages in any future lawsuit.

    Both clubs are busily “lawyering up” and one wonders at what point the ARU will weigh up the costs of proceeding down the SANZAAR path of reducing Super Rugby competition from 18 teams to 15 and decide the damages will massively outweigh any potential cost benefits in the short and medium term.

    The attacks reached the stage of playing the man, not the ball, when O’Meara disputed Clarke’s ability to distance himself from his close allegiance to both the Brumbies and the Rebels.

    “From a corporate governance perspective, there are things I am hearing and seeing about the ARU process that are disturbing,” O’Meara told The West Australian newspaper. “You have a senior executive in Rob Clarke, a former chief executive of both the Brumbies and Rebels, who has been at the forefront of negotiations to drop a team.

    “My concern is whether his recommendations are totally independent given his (former) close affiliation and background with the two rugby franchises and, according to a Rebels press release, at no stage had the national body even hinted that the Rebels were in danger and was contrary to advice provided by ARU management.

    “The rugby public should simply ask that the evaluation process be transparent and defendable.”

    But Clarke went public yesterday, linking O’Meara with a notorious Force sponsor who landed the Perth club in hot water over player contracts.

    “Is this the same Peter ‘Firepower’ O’Meara who was the CEO of the Western Force some 10 years ago?” asked Clarke in his statement to The Australian.

    “Last time I saw him was via a video link in 2006 when he was sitting beside the then chairman of the Western Force and current independent ARU board director Geoffrey Stooke when (former ARU CEO) Gary Flowers and I handed down a $110,000 sanction for breaching the agreed players contracting protocols. It’s fascinating that he has appeared back in the West.

    “His questioning of my so-called conflict of interest as chief operating officer of the ARU lacks a little insight.”

    Clarke argued that in addition to having been a previous CEO of the Brumbies and Rebels, he now was responsible for the Force following the ARU takeover in August, with Mark Sinderberry, the current general manager of the Force, reporting to him.

    “So essentially I have played a leadership role in all three clubs. How is that a conflict?”

    Meanwhile, the ARU appears to have overlooked a plea by Rebels owner Andrew Cox to push out the Super Rugby competition by two extra rounds which, he said, could easily be accommodated by playing them in the June Test window.

    Cox argued in his provocative Good Friday statement that by playing the additional two rounds, the season would be fairer by providing home and away local derbies plus matches against each of the 10 teams in the NZ and South African conferences. Certainly travel might be an issue but such a draw would at least address the issue of procedural fairness, with two of the SA teams currently not playing a single regular season match against any of the NZ sides.

    But with Cox’s draw presenting each team with nine home games — one and in some cases two more than at present — it would open up the possibility of each Australian team playing their additional game in whichever city loses its Super Rugby team — Perth, Melbourne or even Canberra if a merger goes ahead. It’s not ideal, by any means, but it might help soften the blow.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...b2786ed91953a6

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  9. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by SNOB View Post
    Well our pollies can offer $10mil! They don't have to give it though! It's just pollie speak! They are allowed to lie!
    The Vic Government has an unsigned HOA with the ARU for the 2020 Bledisloe and the 2025 Lions Tour. They threatened to pull these fixtures which we advised them we would be delighted to take for the same value. They also talked about losing the funding for a new high performance Rugby centre not built. We already have one and have spent the money.

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  10. #40
    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    All that statement does is remind me of how long the ARU has had the deck stacked against the Rebels and the Force. Due to that absolute lack of support, the CEO made the mistake of going into the now infamous Firepower deals. The only way it came to light was because a couple of journos were chasing Firepower. Instead of trying to find more "legal" ways to support their expansion franchise when it was in dire straits, the ARU decided to clobber them with a massive fine. Do you reckon anyone is stupid enough to think O'Meara was the only CEO in the country bending the rules at that time? Thanks for reigniting the anger you muppet.

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  11. #41
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    Clarke argued that in addition to having been a previous CEO of the Brumbies and Rebels, he now was responsible for the Force following the ARU takeover in August, with Mark Sinderberry, the current general manager of the Force, reporting to him
    This guy sounds like he is on a childish ego trip!

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  12. #42
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    Was that around the time of the Tahs' eybrow-raising additional ground hire fees Shasta?

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    Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby

  13. #43
    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alison View Post
    Was that around the time of the Tahs' eybrow-raising additional ground hire fees Shasta?
    I'm not sure. That one is still on the bottom of the Harbour. If the ARU drags it's feet as long with this decision we'll still be in the comp in a decade.

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  14. #44
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    O'Meara made a valid public query, which many of the Force supporters would be keen to hear addressed, whereas Boofhead Clarke has come out questioning the Integrity of O'Meara, how is that relevant to the current crisis? Also the fact that he's claiming to "be responsible for the Force" is stretching... He certainly pulls some of the strings but will have no vested interest in retaining the franchise so how can he claim to be responsible?

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  15. #45
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    So 2 things spring to mind reading Clarkes comments, he has an ego that gets the better of him and he carries a grudge.
    2 traits that make him "independent" and "detached from the emotion"? Hardly. Just a petulant sulk it sounds like to me.

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