Force set to be axed

[blueandblack]

A sad post on FB from Hodgo. For those who don't have FB (hope you don't mind Matt):




"The game & great people I grew up loving have now changed & I am losing my love for the game with every day.

One of my greatest memories was watching the Bledisloe at Homebush stadium in 2000 with over 90,000 people next to me, cheering on our idols. I distinctly remember watching Kefu score the match winning try, followed by John Eales kicking the match winning goal.

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to play the game I love at all levels. Playing juniors for a small club on the NSW Central Coast (Avoca Beach), then making the move to Sydney to try my luck at the next level. I was lucky to find a great club in Eastwood; they took me in as one of their own & I was part of a community, a family.

My journey took some ups & downs. I have been close to being forced out of the game on many occasions due to injury. Even in the darkest of my days I still loved The game. The game was not to blame.

Through a lot of determination & pain I was able to play again. I wasn't sure if the opportunity to play professionally was going to come my way again. All I wanted to do was be part of that Rugby family again.

Then I got the call from the Western Force to fill the last place in their roster. It was a tough decision to move states, leave my family & mates to follow my dream; a dream to maybe play with or against my childhood heroes.

I honestly thought I would be in Perth for a couple of season, then return back to Sydney to return to my normal life. But that all changed when I fell in Love with the Club the Western Force & Rugby in WA. I had found a new rugby family & I have never looked back. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that was given to me & will be a loyal & faithful servant of this family as long as they'll have me.

Yes there where tough times on & off the field. But my love for the game, club & Sea of Blue has never waived .

This year has been the hardest year I have ever been involved in with Rugby & it has nothing to do with the game on the field. I love the style of rugby we have been playing & I could not have been prouder of our boys & the way the Western Force organisation conducted itself this year.

This year has been filled with sleepless nights. The moments that are quiet, when you stop & think we might not be doing what we love next year with our rugby family.

When a fellow team mate comes up to you for answers & you don't have any. When a 6 year old you are coaching asks why they hate the Western Force. When a fan of 12 years ask you to stop them from taking away their dream of playing for the Force. When the stalwart of the game, a guy who washes the jerseys & sets the field ready for training every session & asks for nothing in return, is gutted for how his rugby family is being treated.

How do we process that?

They turn to me for strength, leadership, guidance & answers. I want to be all they need me to be. But how do I do that when those in power have not told me why? 134 days since this all started & I'm still waiting for a single face to face meeting with those making the decisions. I still have no straight answers as the story keeps changing. It just doesn't add up.

I think that I have been a loyal servant of the game. I've played club rugby for many great teams, captained the Australian 7s, played under 21s, captained at Super Rugby, Played Australia A & I am Wallabies #841.

But my feelings towards rugby in Australia are waiving. I am struggling to maintain my love due to the disbelief & disappointment that I have for the custodians of our game. How can they treat my rugby family like this?

Today might just be the day I finally loose the love of the game, after another opportunity to make the right decision again was wasted. It's never too late to make the right decision.

Will the love ever come back? I'm not sure.

I have lost my game, I have lost one of my heroes & I still don't know why."

[sittingbison]

Jesus wept

Is there their they're a cry emoticon?

Slippery as an eel alright. Nobody is a cunt

[GIGS20]

I have lost one of my heroes & I still don't know why."

Hear that John Eales?

It's the cry of a betrayed nation, who thought you were a man, but in reality you're no better today than the day you chose to turn your back on the Haka......as a matter of fact you're worse, at least back then, you turned your back on an enemy, today, you turn your back on the family that lifted you on their shoulders and exalted you.

No more John, you will hencforth be nothing more than a bloke who couldn't even stand by his own convictions.

[Alison]

We need to find out where Clyne the Corrupt is staying when he comes here for the Boks game so we can heckle him. And we need to camp at every entry point to NIB stadium so we can heckle him there too. That piece of crap deserves to rot in the bowels of hell.

[blueandblack]

We need to find out where Clyne the Corrupt is staying when he comes here for the Boks game so we can heckle him. And we need to camp at every entry point to NIB stadium so we can heckle him there too. That piece of crap deserves to rot in the bowels of hell.

I think Gate 2 under the treecover (next street West from Lord St) is likely where he would go in, so he can be escorted directly into the Western Stand.

[wallabydarnd]

I honestly reckon patsy clyne's enormous narcisstic streak would be enjoying everyone booing him if he came to Perth
He clearly can see and understand things far more clearly than the rest of us,
has no need to really explain everything or anything
Does not listen to reason
Banking CEO, he probably thrives on being hated
The only way he will go is with a massive humiliation such as potential financial ruin for ARU
Sadly those court cases won't happen quickly enough to save our present team or coach-
That is up to tomorrow ,s case and with good QC and a quick appeal we will force the issue of better as 5

[Alison]

I think Gate 2 under the treecover (next street West from Lord St) is likely where he would go in, so he can be escorted directly into the Western Stand.

Then that's where I'll be on Saturday 9 September. All bloody day if necessary. Complete with a huge banner and a loud hailer so he can't miss me.

And if Nick Taylor can get the photographers down there I'll make sure the banner is G-rated!

[shasta]

I can empathise with how bad everyone is feeling. But today was no surprise. We all know how pathetic the reasons for the decision were. We also knew a long time ago that it was us because we were the easiest option. They gave assurances to cull and they have, maybe under threat of legal action by their "brother unions', who knows?. Nothing has changed. We need to get a result tomorrow. That is all.
If we do get the nod in the court, that might just give the ARU the out they need, I dunno.

[Burgs]

Then that's where I'll be on Saturday 9 September. All bloody day if necessary. Complete with a huge banner and a loud hailer so he can't miss me.

And if Nick Taylor can get the photographers down there I'll make sure the banner is G-rated!

Perhaps present him with a hard copy of your analysis Alison?

[Alison]

Actually that's not a bad idea. A placard with a few inconvenient truths on it. I'm on to it!

[sevenmile]

Actually that's not a bad idea. A placard with a few inconvenient truths on it. I'm on to it!

And a placard as well for the incompetent twats who sold the Western Force licence back to the ARU .

[sevenmile]

It would send a stronger message to have more outside NIB than inside the ground
Show the wallabies as they pull up you are there for them but cannot support the ARU and if you need to watch go to the local pub and pour the money back into the local economy
Any organisation that can turn down 50 mill has something to hide
Don't attend the game this stinks of corruption

[terrycobner]

At the lions game in Sydney in 2013 fox sports set up their post match discussion desk in a corner of the field. Myself and other lions fans practically shut it down by our chants right behind them. At nib they usually are at the shed end in the corner. Can i suggest that anyone who is going and is in that area display all your banners right behind them and belt out fo-rce ad nauseam and v loudly every time they go on air

[SNOB]

I think the only chant at the game should be FUARU all game!

[mothy]

Just asking if we started up an alternative competition who would we play?
Obviously 3 teams from Australia perhaps invite south Australia, NT. Then salary caps should be higher than super rugby to lure the best players.
Asian sides: Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, China.
Pacific island sides: Fiji, Somoa, Tonga.

I'm wanting the Force to stayin super rugby. Just wondering about this new option? Or are there other teams more credentialed?