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David Nucifora, one of the most powerful men in Australian rugby, says the Western Force still has the respect of the competition - despite the latest in a string of very public embarrassments disrupting the build up to the 2009 season.
On the eve of the Force's fourth year in the Super 14 competition, coach John Mitchell is still having to answer questions about his tenure in charge of the team, after his powers were apparently diminished on the back of a player and staff mutiny.
With the former All Black's autonomous style watered down with the installation of an AFL-style match committee, the latest debacle comes after the sacking of Matt Henjak, the Quokka shocker on Rottnest, the collapse of the Firepower sponsorship and the fines for illegal player approaches by the ARU.
But despite all the controversy, Nucifora told the club's season launch at Burswood the Force still garnered respect from around the southern hemisphere.
"The one measure of a team is the respect they have from their opponents, and the Force I know in this competition are incredibly well respected," Nucifora said.
"To have done that in such a short period of time I think is an outstanding effort. There is no team that will play the Force and think they will just walk up and take the points.
"That is what I discovered last year (as coach of Auckland) where they beat us easily.
"There has been a great foundation built and you add to that some of the experience of some of the Force's key players have got on that Wallaby tour - Richard Brown, James O'Connor, Ryan Cross.
"Those guys are going to come back and bring a lot more to the table as well. Yes they need to start winning more, but I am sure that is their expectation."
The former Blues coach, now the Australian Rugby Union's high performance boss, is no stranger to the dangers of player power, after the loss of his job with the Brumbies after taking them to the Super 14 title in 2004 put down to the dissatisfaction of senior players.
Similar reports surfaced before his departure in Auckland last year, and Nucifora said he knew all too well what the pressure of a top coaching job, particularly in New Zealand could bring.
But the former Red and Wallaby forward said young Wallaby David Pocock could be the catalyst for the Force to forget their off-field woes.
"David Pocock is an outstanding player, and I am really looking forward to watching him play after coming back from the (Wallaby) tour and what he did," Nucifora said.
Mitchell was told to stay away from the training paddock before Christmas while his conduct was investigated by a retired judge, with the results being made known to him - but not the public - on Monday.
The former All Black coach told the Force members and sponsors he was ready to move on.
"While individually I have had to accept that, we all have to take strength from the situation and I will learn from it and get better," Mitchell said.
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