Limited Tahs chances lead Lance to Force fold

[wholetruth]

Nick Taylor
The West Australian

Western Force have signed NSW Waratahs utility back Jono Lance for next season and are talking with powerful Wallabies and Queensland Reds centre Ben Tapuai.
Lance, who joined the Waratahs from Queensland last year to bulk up their midfield and full-back stocks, was keen to build a future at 10 or 12 but has been behind players such as Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau.
Lance, 24, started at full-back for Queensland when they won the 2011 Super Rugby final and is a competent kicker.
His father, Dean Lance, was coach of the Perth Reds in the 1997 Super League season.
The Force first chased Tapuai, 26, in 2012 after he played for the Wallabies in the 2011 tour of Britain. He has made seven international appearances.
The club has made no secret of its search for a straight-running, tough-tackling midfielder and Tapuai can play inside and outside centre.
He has also played fly-half, has some experience at full-back and has a good passing game and a handy left boot.
There are indications from the Force’s last few games that they are looking at moving Luke Burton from centre to fly-half with Zack Holmes out of contract at the end of the season.
It is expected the club will finalise Wallabies No.8 Ben McCalman’s contract next week.

http://twf.com.au/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=2

[WF1964]

Gee, Zack Holmes is really on the outer for some reason. I'd like to know what happened.

[valzc]

Yes Reckon Zack has not really had a good run at developing to potential, would not like to see him go.

[Alison]

Gee, Zack Holmes is really on the outer for some reason. I'd like to know what happened.

Me too!

[Alison]

And how good is the final sentence of that article?!!! Yee haa!

[Basha69]

Am i right in thinking we are looking at Jono for a possible solution to the No.10 position? Can he kick?

[chibi]

Yes Reckon Zack has not really had a good run at developing to potential, would not like to see him go.

I wonder about that too. Does anybody else reckon that quite a few players have been treated in a similar fashion? I usually flog the same dead horses with this, but I think we've missed out on some talented players developing into something special.

[kipper_mckinnon]

Am i right in thinking we are looking at Jono for a possible solution to the No.10 position? Can he kick?

I reckon their long term view will be Burton at number 10

[GIGS20]

Hard to know, Burton is doing well at 12 and we can all see how much impact moving from 12 can have on a player's performance (Matt Giteau, Kyle Godwin...the list continues)

I know Burton to 10 and Kyle to 12 is logical, but it might not be best long-term. I think it'd be important to get a 10 of some value to come alongside the young WA resources we have available and make them fit.

Maybe the time has come for Alby's marquee contract to be closed down, since we have plenty of 9s who can step up to the level and start looking at a marquee 10 who can bring a similar level of professionalism and pressure to those who think they can have a crack.

Zack looks pretty good when running the footy (admittedly, he's not as good as he was a year ago) and Burto seems pretty complete. Sias will be Wallaby eligible soon (Next Year?) and likes to kick, but probably gets more pay out of running so what we need is somebody to take what we already have and make it suitable for the way we want to play.

If somebody could make Sias kick more accurately, I don't think we'd be as down on him kicking as much as we are now.
If somebody could make Zack better at reading the field and making good decisions I think he'd be a live wire
If somebody could support Burto and help him to make the transition without his brain exploding I think we'd have a long-term solution.

I want to see a world class number 10 who can control the game like Jonny Wilkinson, not a fourth string backup for the Tahs!

[bandit]

Lance has been brought in to replace Zack. Sias has a 3 year contract so will be going nowhere.

[Tazzmania]

I want to see a world class number 10 who can control the game like Jonny Wilkinson, not a fourth string backup for the Tahs!

Unfortunately while that is what we all want and desire the reality of it is that it will not happen.

There are few world class if any that are firstly currently available, secondly want to play for the Force, and most importantly that the Force have sufficient funds to entice them over, Japan and France have too much cash to spare and the weak dollar makes it even more problematical, only when we had a suspect benefactor (Firepower) could we entice world class players with enough bucks those days are long gone and with the WA economy in its current state it only remains a pipe dream to get players anywhere near world class, unless we make them and realistically only Hodgo and BennyMac in that category with Adam a future prospect and Kyle a possibility.

We need to move forward with what we can lay our hands on, yes Sias has faults but is the best available to us, Alby has been phenomenal for us and off the field is our only lilkey draw card to tap s bit of NZ talent on the fringes of other Super 15 extended squads as those in or close unlikley to choose us.

I think Jono and Tapaui would be good fits as they appear to hard workers and fit the culture being developed, we need to get realise our recruitment team are doing the best in a very uneven market with the odds stacked against them, whatever they achieve we need to laud them and be mindful of what they are achieving

With only one under 20 wallaby this year talent pool not as strong as last year locally and they have to think outside the square

[GIGS20]

Not saying you're wrong Tazz, but it still doesn't make me happy that we are satisfied with being the also rans with recruitment.

[Alison]

Not sure it's that we are satisfied GIGS; more that we have to be realistic. Much as WE think WA is worth living and working in, many who didn't grow up here do not. 😪

[chibi]

Lance has been brought in to replace Zack. Sias has a 3 year contract so will be going nowhere.

Wow really? That's a bit unfortunate. I thought there's still room to improve and develop for Holmes. Dunno whether the same can be said for Sias. Ah well...

[Rex Messup]

Hey, great...lets buy the dregs of Australian rugby.