Nearly all over for the Force

[Sheikh]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...for-the-force/

The Western Force's season is on the brink.

With only one win and a third of the games gone, they sit bottom of the Australian conference and cannot afford another disaster like Friday night's one-point loss to the Melbourne Rebels.

They have a genuine chance to resurrect their campaign with four consecutive home games, starting on Saturday against the injury-hit Queensland Reds.

After the Reds, they host the Chiefs, the Waratahs and the Stormers.

The Reds, already without playmakers Quade Cooper, Mike Harris and Ben Lucas, lost centre Jono Lance with a broken leg and hooker Saiai Faingaa with an ankle injury in the massive 61-8 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria.

That came on the back of the 27-22 loss to the Sharks in Durban.

Despite his side's fourth loss, Force coach Richard Graham is not ready to make big changes, partly because his hands are tied by his own injury problems.

The latest on the list is young scrum-half Justin Turner, who could be out for up to eight weeks after damaging the medial ligament in his right knee late in Friday's match.

"The reality is where do you make changes? It's not like the cavalry is coming over the hill," Graham said. "Options are limited and I'm not committed to major changes."

Without a back-up No.9, Graham will persevere with the Brett Sheehan-James Stannard halves pairing and resist bringing David Harvey, signed as a playmaker on a short-term contract, in from full-back.

Stannard has not been able to sustain the form he displayed at the end of last season and needs to improve his kicking game.

"We probably needed to kick early in phases and actually kick with a purpose," Graham said.

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I agree that we need to kick with a purpose, but what is Graham talking about: "We probably needed to kick early in phases"? No, we need to keep the ball in hand and not kick away possession!

How much easier is it to win matches when you have the ball?

[kipper_mckinnon]

Agree Sheikh - was anyone else screaming at the tv when Stannard kicked the ball away when we were within penalty distance with 10 minutes to go ?

[valzc]

Triple YEP!!! Totally frustrating to option not to run the ball. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!!! Honestly - surely you can achieve field position with a bit of confidence in not continually kicking the ball away. Maybe it was a bad habit picked up from the Tahs last week!

[GAFFA]

What a nob
"The reality is where do you make changes? It's not like the cavalry is coming over the hill," Graham said. "Options are limited and I'm not committed to major changes."

Without a back-up No.9, Graham will persevere with the Brett Sheehan-James Stannard halves pairing and resist bringing David Harvey, signed as a playmaker on a short-term contract, in from full-back.

heres and idea you have 2 players out of position now with the injury to turner how about you move those to players to the right posi and do something productive.

I have been a supported of RG but he is starting to really piss me off with this shit. the season is on the line and now is the time to but you balls on the line and make the hard choices.

my starting backline would be.

9 Stannard
10 Harvey
11 Wira/Nalaga (if fit)
12 Seymour/ Delit (if fit)
13 Toupu
14 Cummings
15 Mafi

20 Stanly
21 Siddy
22 Sheehan

Now is the time to have a real go instead of going into damage control.

[Elf1]

I was sitting at the ground yelling at him not to kick every time we had good possession out came the boot straight into the Rebels back three who counter attacked and eventually came away with points.

[Burgs]

...and actually kick with a purpose...

Novel approach

[jono]

Novel approach

it sounds like common sense! :o

[Burgs]

Was a sarcasm icon required for that one

[jono]

i was agreeing with you

[BeeJay]

my starting backline would be.

9 Stannard
10 Harvey
11 Wira/Nalaga (if fit)
12 Seymour/ Delit (if fit)
13 Toupu
14 Cummings
15 Mafi

20 Stanly
21 Siddy
22 Sheehan

not bad. I have been really impressed by Tupou - strong in the tackle, good defence, hard running and good ball skills. These league boys have something to teach us about basic ball handling skills.

Good selection also 'cos Harvey is a bit of a liability at the back. Not always in the best position, and too slow to rectify that if out of position.

[RumourMonger]

Must have been watching a different game to me.

13 was the big problem in the 1st half. Look at the replay of the Johannson try amongst other aspects and you'll see he didn't have clue.

We need a proper, hard running centre who is prepared to cut his opposite number in half.

None of the Force's centres are up to the job.

[GIGS20]

"The reality is where do you make changes? It's not like the cavalry is coming over the hill," Graham said. "Options are limited and I'm not committed to major changes."

OK, question 1, even with our worst start to the season on record why aren't you committed to major changes? do you really think we're that close after Friday night's display?

Secondly, would it be that much of a major change to put a super rugby experienced scrum half (Stannard) into scrumhalf and a club rugby experienced flyhalf (Harvey) into flyhalf......while we're at it how about a super rugby experienced winger, who has played at outside centre (cummins) to 13 and a super rugby experienced winger who happens to be the only player in our team who has stepped his way through the centre of any super rugby defence (Mafi) to 12 wouldn't be too major either?

as positive as I can be (and that's slipping as many of you have seen) I can't say I have any confidence left in the coach....how can he be upbeat about our tactics when we have topped the possession stats in every game we've played this year.....we sored 4 tries last week and still lost, yet he's "not committed to major changes" It's starting to become time for him to clean the teamsheet from 9 to 15 and come up with a new plan!

[SNOB]

I like what your saying Gigs. I think Cullet at centre is a must, but what do we know?

[RumourMonger]

Here's a radical idea: Nalaga at centre.

[SNOB]

Here's a radical idea: Nalaga at centre.

Good idea but whose going to give him the ball?