New-look Force to be reckoned with

[travelling_gerry]

NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian January 4, 2010, 6:02 am


WA News / Mal Fairclough ©




New Western Force assistant coach Richard Graham believes the club's huge pre-season turnover and cleanout can only improve its Super 14 standing.

He said experience brought to the side by players such as front-rowers Matt Dunning and Nic Henderson and backs Andre Pretorius and Mark Bartholomeusz will help the younger players grow in stature.

"They have got an opportunity to write their own chapter. There is a real opportunity for them to build the foundation for the future," he said.

The Force will start the season with 14 new players and a makeover of the coaching staff following the departure of assistants John Mulvihill and Tom Fearn.

John Mitchell remains in charge for his fifth year, Graham arrived in Perth last week to take up his new role as backs coach when training starts today, academy coach Geoff Townsend takes on skills coaching and Matt Tink will oversee the scrum.

Graham, a former head coach at the Saracens club in England before joining the Wallabies as a skills coach, is contracted to the Force for the next two seasons.

"It is exciting to come into a group that is going through a lot of changes," he said.

"One of the most exciting things about the Force is the changes.

"The experience of players like Matt and Hendo, Andre and Bart will be very good for the group and assist in our foundation.

"It will be great to work with the group. It will be interesting to see what the senior boys will bring."

Graham, 37, had long discussions with Mitchell before moving to Perth from Queensland.

"I'm hoping my experience with the Wallabies and in England, where teams play a lot of different types of opposition across Europe, will allow me to bring some knowledge to the group," he said.

"We will be able to swap and exchange information and ideas that will help us set our foundation."

Referees have been told to place a bigger emphasis on the tackler moving away after the tackle next season.

Graham said it would take players time to adjust.

"It is going to dictate the way teams mould the way they play and it will take a couple of games for players to interpret the rulings," he said.

Before joining Saracens in 2006, Graham, a former Australian sevens captain and Queensland full-back, was skills, backs and defence coach at English club Bath. He was in England for seven years.






http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...reckoned-with/

[Thequeerone]

So brilliant to have articles coming through now - wish there was a little bit more on Gramham's thoughts of how he can hone our talent

[farva]

To be fair, the team is weaker than it was last year. The front row is where the team has improved, and added depth, but the rest of the forwards have not really changed much, and the backs have got weaker - there is little depth from 6 outwards.

Compared to other Australian S14 teams, the Force are not as strong as they could be, there are only a few big names there - Sharpe, JOC and Pocock being the only real stars.

Having said that, what the big clean out did is get rid of players who's hearts werent in Perth. That means that the coaches can start building players without fear of them only being around for a year or two before running off home. That means that a few more players like Richard Brown, Matt Hodgson and Cameron Shepherd can be unearthed - players that went from bench standard to Wallaby representation while at the Force.

This year, I would be surprised to see them in the top half, but in 2 years time they will be very strong.

Compare them to teams like the Brumbies and Tahs who have their ranks filled with Wallabies. These are the two teams that will dominate in Australia this year. Having said that, after the RWC in 2011, Moore, Chisholm, Smith, Elsom, Giteau and Mortlock will all leave and the Brumbies will be decimated, right when the Force are hitting their straps.

[James]

To be fair, the team is weaker than it was last year. The front row is where the team has improved, and added depth, but the rest of the forwards have not really changed much, and the backs have got weaker - there is little depth from 6 outwards.

Compared to other Australian S14 teams, the Force are not as strong as they could be, there are only a few big names there - Sharpe, JOC and Pocock being the only real stars.

Having said that, what the big clean out did is get rid of players who's hearts werent in Perth. That means that the coaches can start building players without fear of them only being around for a year or two before running off home. That means that a few more players like Richard Brown, Matt Hodgson and Cameron Shepherd can be unearthed - players that went from bench standard to Wallaby representation while at the Force.

This year, I would be surprised to see them in the top half, but in 2 years time they will be very strong.

Compare them to teams like the Brumbies and Tahs who have their ranks filled with Wallabies. These are the two teams that will dominate in Australia this year. Having said that, after the RWC in 2011, Moore, Chisholm, Smith, Elsom, Giteau and Mortlock will all leave and the Brumbies will be decimated, right when the Force are hitting their straps.

Farva in previous years we had a backline that compensated for our forwards. Our backrow is peaking with Dave Pocock in phenominal form and these were the guys responsible for our pretty strong run at the end of last season. We have now pretty much eliminated our scrum weakness- which may well be quite a weapon for us this year. Sam Wykes and Tom Hockings are also a year more experienced and a bit more hardened and ready for Super14. The Force pack will definitely be stronger. Whether in proportion to what we lose in the backs will be hard to say and it will probably come down to where the injuries are but then again thats the same for everyone. I don't think many people will be expecting us to make the finals this year but we'll put in some pretty strong performances. The Brumbies and the Tahs had more Wallabies than we did last year and we still smashed them both away- they'll have to work hard to get one over us at home.

[robyn <3]

Compared to other Australian S14 teams, the Force are not as strong as they could be, there are only a few big names there - Sharpe, JOC and Pocock being the only real stars.

I'd rather hold our strength in 'Big Team' rather than 'Big Names'. The biggest name in Australian rugby was the focus of our team for the last 3 years, and, yes, we improved from 14th, but in all honesty the team of big names didn't really do all it could have. I happen to think that the 2010 Force is the strongest Force team over our almost 5 years. The changes are big, but it's what we needed. Now we have a team, rather than a bunch of important names.

(I'm also a firm believer that forwards win games. And now we have quite possibly the strongest forward pack in the competition, bar maybe a South African team or two... Once the team really gels, then I really think we'll be the strongest the force has been yet) Or am I just blinded by faith?

All in all, I'm really quite excited about next season

[Rex Messup]

We're stronger at 9
We have a great 10. Gits won't be missed
I feel we're missing some backs that can take teams apart
I think we'll be very competitive

[James]

We're stronger at 9
We have a great 10. Gits won't be missed
I feel we're missing some backs that can take teams apart
I think we'll be very competitive

We have backs capable of winning games. Taking teams apart is a bonus. As said in a different thread, if all fit and healthy, Shep, DHP and Nick Cummins could tear shreds through the opposition. Crossy and JOC in the midfield is pretty dangerous too.

[palitu]

I haven't seen DHP do too much yet, i would say he could tear shreds just yet.

[James]

I haven't seen DHP do too much yet, i would say he could tear shreds just yet.

I suppose I was referring more to Shepherd and Cummins. DHP hasn't had much game time in the Super 14 yet. He hardly played in 2009. Played in the Shute Shield though and was very reliable on attack and defense. He's the kind of player who sucks in a lot of defenders to bring him down. He has a big boot too. More of a natural fullback being a bit bigger and slower but I'd still take him over Drew Mitchell. I am bored and have been watching last years Force games again and I saw Mitchell but in two high balls that probably went a total of 5 metres each. Straight up and straight down.

[TOCC]

I suppose I was referring more to Shepherd and Cummins. DHP hasn't had much game time in the Super 14 yet. He hardly played in 2009. Played in the Shute Shield though and was very reliable on attack and defense. He's the kind of player who sucks in a lot of defenders to bring him down. He has a big boot too. More of a natural fullback being a bit bigger and slower but I'd still take him over Drew Mitchell. I am bored and have been watching last years Force games again and I saw Mitchell but in two high balls that probably went a total of 5 metres each. Straight up and straight down.

well i gotta say, you are one of the very few people who would take DHP over Mitchell, im quite critical of Mitchell, but to say some no-name player like DHP is better then Mitchell is a bit far. Especially considering the epic fails i have seen DHP make at shute shield level and not to mention junior world cup where he messed up at fullback and let a try in for the other team to win.

DHP has to prove himself at S14 level before he can be hailed as better then Mitchell

[Sheikh]

I'd take DHP trying to prove his worth to the selectors over Mitchell wanting to play elsewhere.

[James]

well i gotta say, you are one of the very few people who would take DHP over Mitchell, im quite critical of Mitchell, but to say some no-name player like DHP is better then Mitchell is a bit far. Especially considering the epic fails i have seen DHP make at shute shield level and not to mention junior world cup where he messed up at fullback and let a try in for the other team to win.

DHP has to prove himself at S14 level before he can be hailed as better then Mitchell

You have to appreciate that given how few WA players there are in the Super 14 that everyone from WA looks better than they actually are. I thought you'd have noticed this by now TOCC. I definitely think you must have been watching different games than I did in the Shute Shield TOCC but I thought he was really good actually. Maybe its just selective memory but he seemed to have come on a quite a lot.

And so he had a bad game in the JWC 2 years ago. He wouldn't have been under so much pressure had the Junior Wallaby forwards not been completely smashed by the England forwards. If he hadn't kicked that charged down ball he'd have been tackled far behind the gain line (not his fault) and England would have rumbled through as they had been doing all day and taken the momentum across the try-line. Do you remember Drew Mitchell's first game for the Force?

Keep an eye out this year for him, I think you'll be surprised at how well he does.

[TOCC]

im not saying his rubbish, im just saying that its to far fetched to claim that his better then Drew considering Drew has proven himself at the S14 level, regardless i will keep a eye out for him in 2010

[brokendown gunfighter]

drew Mitchell is a good winger
he is NOT a good fullback

[Rex Messup]

DHP won't strike fear into opposition defences
Cummins was a dangerous 7's player. He's yet to prove himself at super 14 level
Shep is good one day, ordinary the next
Cross dies with the ball too much for mine and goes missing in the big games
We'll be competitive but we don't have the backs to destroy an organised defence.
JOC is a bit of an x-factor but he's lost the surprise factor this year. Opponents will have done a lot of homework on him