Round 5 Western Force v Queensland Reds

[GIGS20]

Oh you mean Damon Murphy from Queesnsland, who went to Nudgee and players for Bothers? ��

We’re fu@ked!

Yeah, but at least Damon Murphy Nudgee old boy doesn't try to look impartial, he just guesses. With a guess we have a 50% chance of him being right, with Coops we have a 100% chance of everything being our fault, so that he isn't accused of favouring his home state.

[WFDom]

I really don’t see the rationale of putting Kuenzle on the wing when we’ve got a couple of keen youngsters dying to have a crack!

It’s even a slap in the chops for Poolman!

Maybe it’s to keep Potter from chasing kicks? 🤔😂

[Tazzmania]

I really don’t see the rationale of putting Kuenzle on the wing when we’ve got a couple of keen youngsters dying to have a crack!

It’s even a slap in the chops for Poolman!

Maybe it’s to keep Potter from chasing kicks? ����

Kuenzle has been outstanding the last two matches and deserves to remain in the starting team.

Poolman is only just starting to find his feet in super rugby and cameos are more important to his development at this point in time.

I am a Ronan Leahy fan, he has a big heart and large motor, however he is only 19 years old (maybe 20 now) has lots to learn and needs to be nutured and blooded slowly to make sure he reaches his full potential, now is not the time to throw him to the wolves. Working him up through the academy and giving him game time against the Cheetahs later this year is in his best interests.

Like Leahy, it is important that the coaches work with O Donnel in a similar vein.

Building good foundations trumps patch work every time.

[Burgs]

Oh you mean Damon Murphy from Queesnsland, who went to Nudgee and players for Bothers? 🙄

We’re fu@ked!

RA Ref allocation panel- Well you said you didn't want a local...

[GIGS20]

Kuenzle has been outstanding the last two matches and deserves to remain in the starting team.

This x 10

Kuenzle deserves to keep his spot
Potter deserves to keep his spot
Poolman is young and it's fair for him to be behind Burey who has lost his spot (reasonably IMHO)

I have no complaintes (well apart from the one about Guesswork Murphy)

[blueandblack]

Yeah, but at least Damon Murphy Nudgee old boy doesn't try to look impartial, he just guesses. With a guess we have a 50% chance of him being right, with Coops we have a 100% chance of everything being our fault, so that he isn't accused of favouring his home state.

There seems to be a more regular approach by the refs, in that they generally favour the team running South at HBF Park. Since the Force usually start running North at the start, that means decisions go against us more regularly in the first half.

[Burgs]

"Logic says Reds, but I think the Force have got something in them Hoilsey" Goog on The Night Before Gameday

[SNOB]

Our season flew out of the stadium last week on the back of the black swan! Not sure how many saw it but it was definitely a sign!

[SteveWA]

Our season flew out of the stadium last week on the back of the black swan! Not sure how many saw it but it was definitely a sign!

I though it was a bin chicken, which would be a more appropriate metaphor.

[WFDom]

An intriguing situation……

We’ve got the coach
We’ve got the cattle, even though stretched by injiuries

Do we go like Wales this year and write off the season in the interests of rebuilding? And hopefully have a strong finish?

[Garry Owen]

An intriguing situation……

We’ve got the coach
We’ve got the cattle, even though stretched by injiuries

Do we go like Wales this year and write off the season in the interests of rebuilding? And hopefully have a strong finish?

We definitely don’t have the cattle unfortunately

[Burgs]

Spink 'itching to return' in Force boost against in-form Reds

Thu, Mar 21, 2024, 5:45 PM
Ben Somerford

Western Force outside back Sam Spink is feeling fit and ready to bolster the side for Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Queensland Reds after two games out with a calf injury.

The reigning Nathan Sharpe medalist is a welcome addition to the Force side for the Round 5 encounter at HBF Park, alongside Wallabies scrum-half Nic White.

The Englishman said it had been hard watching from the sidelines during the Force’s winless run, having hurt his calf in the Round 2 loss to the Melbourne Rebels, but was fit and firing to return.

“Feeling really good actually,” Spink told reporters on Thursday. “Frustrating start, you work hard throughout the whole pre-season to get your body to a certain point and a little thing like a calf gets in the way.

“I was really frustrated for it to come around in that second round but the physios and medical team have been class once again, watching my load and getting me back onto the training paddock, so I feel very sharp today.

“Watching the boys at home in front of our home fans putting in a performance that we weren’t proud of as a whole squad was pretty tough and very much itching to get out there and try to help the boys as much as I could.”

Force head coach Simon Cron apologized to the fans for his side’s performance following last Friday’s 22-14 home defeat to Moana Pasifika at HBF Park and Spink said the players acknowledged the display was a “complete write-off”.

“Looking back on the two games before, they were performances we were actually quite proud of, but we knew we hadn’t quite gone the full way and been consistent enough to get the win,” he said.

“Friday night was a complete write-off, it wasn’t something we’re proud of and certainly not a showing we would think to do again.

“It’s so easy to feel sorry for ourselves and go into our shell, but it’s about taking the learnings, bounce back, and get excited about another home game against one of the in-form teams, and what an opportunity it is to kickstart our season.”

While the Force are winless, the Reds are sitting second with three wins from four games, their only defeat a narrow golden-point loss to the table-topping Hurricanes in Super Round.

But Spink said the Force would focus on themselves and rectifying their own deficiencies, not their upcoming opposition.

“Given the start we’ve had, we can’t focus too hard on them. A lot of our focus needs to be on us and fixing the things we can do,” Spink said.

“But if you were looking at them, we had a great win against them in the pre-season and a lot of the in-form teams struggled to come here last season and this was a fortress for us.

“I’m not too worried about who’s coming across on the other side of the pitch, if we focus on ourselves and put in a performance we can be proud of, we can beat one of the in-form teams and put our stamp on the league.”

The Force face the Reds from 4:35pm at HBF Park after the Force women take on the Reds women at 2:05pm as part of a Saturday double-header.

The double-header is part of Kids’ Round, where the first 1,500 kids through the gates at HBF Park will receive a $20 food and beverage voucher to spend at the game. The vouchers will be distributed at Gate 1, via the Western Force Cheer Crew.

The double-header will be live on Stan Sport, while there will be regular updates @WesternForce on social media. The SRP men’s game will also be live on 9GEM.

[GIGS20]

We definitely don’t have the cattle unfortunately

I do remember saying on another site that Force are living within their means. This might be the best squad we can do while genuinely honouring the salary cap.It would also explain why the Rebels can rack up 20 million dollars of debt since 2017 when they were last bailed out.

[Burgs]

Kiss shrugs favourites tag as Queensland brace for "banana skin" Force clash

Fri, Mar 22, 2024, 12:15 PM
Lachlan Grey

Reds coach Les Kiss has warned his in-form side against complacency and tipped a competition shake-up over the coming month of Super Rugby Pacific.

Speaking to media ahead of Queensland’s Round 5 clash with the Western Force, Kiss rubbished suggestions the Reds were title contenders after just four games and pointed to their earlier trial loss to Simon Cron’s side.

“There’s nothing really been done yet,” Kiss said of his side’s 3-1 start to 2024.

“Complacency’s always something you’ve got to be wary of. Can you really inoculate against it? I’m not sure.

“The Force played us here 6-8 weeks ago and they beat us. They’ve been playing well so we have to be wary of them as much as ourselves.”

“The last time an Aussie team won there was a long time ago and they certainly aim up at home (so) we’re trying to make sure it’s not a banana skin that’s for sure.”

Despite Kiss’ protests, Queensland enter Saturday night’s clash as heavy favourites against a Force outfit yet to win in 2024.

The Reds currently sit third behind the Hurricanes and Chiefs and are can move into the top two with victory over the cellar-dwelling Force, though Kiss still credits the Kiwis as pacesetters.

“The Chiefs, possibly, and maybe Canes have really been on fire at the moment, they’re probably the teams really showing the way,” Kiss said.

“The rest of us are still finding out how we can survive in this rarefied air … so we’ve got to keep our head and stay focused.

“I think there’s going to be a lot more movement in the ladder ... I think it’s going to move significantly over the next 4-5 weeks.

"Every game’s important and this is our second game in a row on the road against another Aussie team.”

[Burgs]

From rugby.com.au Round 5 Preview-

Saturday 23 March 7:35 pm AEDT – Western Force v Queensland Reds at HBF Park, Perth, ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport and the Nine Network

Teams
FORCE

Nic White returns after missing last week due to knee swelling
Sam Spink has overcome a calf injury to be fit after missing the past fortnight
Max Burey and Issak Fines Leleiwasa move to the bench, with Ben Funnell added to the bench

REDS

Tom Lynagh returns to the starting side, swapping with Harry McLaughlin-Phillips
Hunter Paisami fills the void left by Isaac Henry after his season ending knee injury
Taj Annan slots onto the bench for Jordan Petaia

Stats
The Queensland Reds have won six of their last seven Super Rugby Pacific games against the Western Force
The Western Force are on a six-game losing streak in the Super Rugby Pacific, scoring 20+ points in a game only once in that term
The Queensland Reds have conceded 7.5 penalties per game this Super Rugby Pacific season, the fewest of any team in the competition whilst the Western Force (14.5 per game) have conceded more than any other team in the campaign.

Key Match Up
Tom Horton v Matt Faessler

Two hookers with a knack of finding the try-line.

Horton’s explosiveness has been a great weapon of his game since returning from England and he needs to spark the Force pack after a disappointing defeat.

As for Faessler, he has filled the ‘Folau Fainga’a’ mould with his try-scoring ability, with the Reds’ rolling maul a key piece of their attacking revival.

Prediction
Reds by 4