Firepower Debts

[NTT]

I have noticed that the Queensland and ACT medias aren't as interested in the Western Forces links with Firepower as one particular Sydney newspaper so i will refer to the SMH in future rants TOCC.
Considering the ongoing email situation between the SMH and a former Force staffer it's only fair. Also im a tad surprised Queensland rugby hasn't joined the SMH in bad mouthing RugbyWA over this situation considering how the Western Forces recruiting has negatively affected the Reds so credit to the QRU.
I concur with Lauras statement about the people power involved with allowing us to have the Western Force in the first place. Its also the reason why the SMHs need to highlight the Western Forces involvement with Firepower in a negative fashion stirs the passion it does.
Its no secret that NSWRU wanted the franchise in Melbourne and that the level of RugbyWA involvement in ARU planning and discussions is reflected in the NSWRUs desire to treat WA as the poor cousin when their choice of Melbourne was out voted.

[NTT]

Its also evident that the initial success that RugbyWA has had in attracting corporate support and sponsorship has made NSWRU slightly jealous considering their much publicised financial struggles. This is still one of NSWRUs main gripes with the Western Force and RugbyWA. This means that any mistake or unfortunate situation RugbyWA encounters receives the beat up it does. The SMH journalists who report on rugby have a lot more involvment with NSWRU than RugbyWA. This leads to the journalists being privvie to the NSWRUs/ARU discussions about all things rugby. Their reporting on such issues as RugbyWA going broke and the Western Force being relocated is resulting from these discussions. This whole campaign from the SMH has today been proven to be nothing more than a petty witch hunt to destabilise RugbyWA because of a corporate collapse which has claimed many victims and was unforeseeable.

[TOCC]

Nothing about the inception of The Force, was brought in to this discussion previously, and as a West Australian, I am extremely grateful that the decision to create a 4th Australian franchise was given the go ahead. I do however think that had WA not have provided such a compelling case, as to why we should have the franchise, we would not have got it and Victoria would have been immediately given the franchise.

i was pointing out the fact that if 'eastern states' and the ARU 'hated' WA as much as some of you would lead to believe they wouldnt have supported the inclusion to start with.

After googling firepower+force+articles here's what I got from the first 2 pages of results and following some links...

From Melbourne:
Crikey - Rusty sacks Firepower, Force still take their coin - Rusty sacks Firepower, Force still take their coin


From Sydney:
Force board member joins queue of players burned by Firepower
Force cut their losses and take Firepower failure on the chin
Western Force losing firepower The Roar - Your Sports Opinion (includes input from SMH's own Spiro Zavos)
http://www.smh.com.au/cgi-bin/common...492641628.html
ASIC told Firepower | The Daily Telegraph

From Queensland (The Courier Mail):
Developer from Firepower | The Courier-Mail
Firepower director to address creditors by phone | ourbrisbane.com

From Canberra:
Firepower deal sparks probe into diplomat - Local News - News - General - The Canberra Times


From Adelaide:
Regulator takes aim at failed Firepower | Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

From our own beloved state:
Firepower debacle hits Matt Giteau, Western Force | PerthNow
ASIC Firepower legal action
Firepower reveals $16m of creditors
ASIC let Firepower warning slide | watoday.com.au

From South Africa:
Firepower puts Force in a spin - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source

From various websites, predominantly based in the Eastern States:
Super14.com - Super 14 rugby
Business Spectator - ASIC sues Firepower, bids to ban owner
Fuel tech company Firepower investors 'in dark' | The Australian (from the Australian, based in the Eastern States)
Business Spectator - ASIC acts on Firepower disclosure
Four Corners - 21/07/2008: Program Transcript (transcript from the ABC program, Four Corners)
Australian Business News
Austrade 'boosted failed Firepower' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


I have come to the conclusion that, Queensland does not have as much of a grudge against the Western Force; however there is most definitely an Eastern State's prejudice against the Force. There is no denying, after reading the articles (or even just seeing where they originate), that a number of Sydney based journalists have something against the Force and at just about every opportunity feel the need to start scandalous rumours. They are proving their animosity, toward the Force, by challenging the credibility and dishonouring them publicly.

In both those QLD article there was barely any mention of the Force and when they were mentioned the Sydney Kings got equal attention.

Adelaides article wasnt critical of the Force either, the Force werent even mentioned in the Canberra article, nor where they mentioned in the Tasmanian article, the Melbourne article was in fact targeted at the South Sydney Rabbitohs with a mention of the Force at the end. As for the national articles, well Super14.com is in fact from RSA, and the other ABC and ASIC articles are targeted at the company financial troubles rather then the sponsorship of the Force.

My point is, apart from the SMH and other Sydney papers the rest of the Eastern States dont give a shit and definetly arent trying to degrade the image of RugbyWA.

[TOCC]

woops just realised there was a second page, ignore what i said if you have already responded to it

[travelling_gerry]

TOCC its those bloody Mexicans then eh?

[TOCC]

people from NSW hate everyone

[travelling_gerry]

And everyone else hates NSW

[tic]

The Firepower business hardly gets any press up here - to be truthful, most of the negative stories I've read have been in WA newspapers (on line).

As for Qld rugby being anti Force - we were (briefly) a bit pissed off at a couple of senior or emerging players who we believe didn't stick by the state when things were tough, but the truth is that people up here are simply looking at the re-build, and making sure that we don't again make the mistake of losing some of our best local junior talent. There really is no active anti-Force discourse.

We believe Phil Mooney is comprehensively turning the Reds fortunes around. This is what we are talking about up here.

[travelling_gerry]

All is forgiven tic....

Lets turn on the cockroaches......

[fulvio sammut]

Did Nedlands ever recover the $47000 owed to them?

Think of how many Force players it could have bought!

[Happy]

some deep thread mining frank - you bored ?

[fulvio sammut]

I was conducting research for a paper I am writing on the funding sources of WA rugby clubs and underworld involvement in sporting activities.

When published it should be a best seller in the western suburbs...

[Happy]

read yes

[fulvio sammut]

Yes.

[hertryk]

I helped a little... I went to the "Firepower Auction" and bought a couple of things that used to be in their boardroom!!! I hope it didn't go to Gitz...