Western Force Super 14 preview By Greg Clark

Western Force Super 14 preview: now or never for John Mitchell

By Greg Clark
Fox Sports rugby commentator
February 04, 2010.

While I don't have any "inside information" from the Western Force powerbrokers, it has to be now or never for coach John Mitchell.

The former All Blacks mentor is heading into his fifth season in the west and time is running out for him to deliver on his promise to guide the Force into the semis.

Seventh place in 2007 is the best result so far, and this season there is no Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell or Josh Valentine in the ranks.

The Force have recruited some more bulk with Matt Dunning, Tim Fairbrother and Nic Henderson propping up the pack, and Springboks veteran Andre Pretorius has been given the job of filling Giteau’s shoes.

It’s been a tough few years for Western Force with off-field drama, including a so called player revolt against Mitchell. Now have their third chief executive since their debut season in 2006.

A big positive could be the move away from Subiaco Oval to the more suitable rectangular ME Bank Stadium.

Fans will be closer to the action and, for once, it might feel like an away game for visiting teams.

With home games against the Brumbies and the Chiefs in the opening three rounds, it’s important to get points on the board early because they finish the regular season with three matches on the road in South Africa.

Fox Facts: Western Force

Home ground: ME Stadium
Coach: John Mitchell
Best Super 12/14 finish: Seventh 2007
Last season: P13 W6 D1 L6 F328 A275 BP10 Pts36 (eighth)

Squad:

Mark Bartholomeusz, Richard Brown, Pekahou Cowan, Ryan Cross, Nick Cummins, Matt Dunning, Tim Fairbrother, Sam Harris, Dane Haylett-Petty, Nic Henderson, Tom Hockings, Matt Hodgson, Stefano Hunt, Mitch Inman, Luke Jones, Kieran Longbottom, Filipe Manu, Ben McCalman, James O'Connor, Chris O'Young, David Pocock, Andre Pretorius, Joelin Rapana, Haig Sare, Nathan Sharpe, Brett Sheehan, Cameron Shepherd, Richard Stanford, Mark Swanepoel, Josh Tatupu, Justin Turner, Ryan Tyrrell, Ben Whittaker, Sam Wykes

Gains: Andre Pretorius (Lions), Brett Sheehan (New South Wales Waratahs), Matt Dunning (New South Wales Waratahs), Nic Henderson (Brumbies), Tim Fairbrother (Hurricanes), Mark Bartholomeusz (Padova), Sam Harris (New South Wales Waratahs).

Losses: Matt Giteau (Brumbies), Josh Valentine (Brumbies), Drew Mitchell (New South Wales Waratahs), Tai McIsaac (retired)


Force's Head-To-Head Records

Week 1, v Brumbies (home)
H2H: Played 4: Won 2, Lost 2 =
In Perth: Played 2: Won 1, Lost 1 =

Week 2, v Hurricanes (away)
H2H: Played 4: Won 1, Lost 3 -
In Wellington/New Plymouth: Played 2: Won 0, Lost 2 -

Week 3, v Chiefs (home)
H2H: Played 4: Won 1, Lost 3 -
In Perth: Played 2: Won 1, Lost 1 =

Week 4, Bye

Week 5, v Queensland Reds (away)
H2H: Played 4: Won 2, Lost 2 =
In Brisbane: Played 2: Won 0, Lost 2 -

Week 6, v New South Wales Waratahs (home)
H2H: Played 4: Won 1, Drawn 1, Lost 2 -
In Perth: Played 2: Won 0, Lost 2 -

Week 7, v Bulls (home)
H2H: Played 4: Won 2, Lost 2 =
In Perth: Played 2: Won 1, Lost 1 =

Week 8, v Stormers (home)
H2H: Played 4: Won 1, Lost 3 -
In Perth: Played 2: Won 0, Lost 2 -

Week 9, v Highlanders (away)
H2H: Played 4: Won 2, Lost 2 =
In Dunedin/Queenstown: Played 2: Won 1, Lost 1 =

Week 10, v Blues (away)
H2H: Played 4: Won 1, Lost 3 -
In Auckland/North Harbour: Played 2: Won 1, Lost 1 =

Week 11, v Crusaders (home)
H2H: Played 4: Drawn 2, Lost 2 -
In Perth: Played 2: Drawn 1, Lost 1 -

Week 12, v Lions (away)
H2H: Played 4: Won 2, Drawn 1, Lost 1 +
In Johannesburg: Played 2: Won 1, Drawn 1 +

Week 13, v Cheetahs (away)
H2H: Played 4: Won 4, Lost 0 +
In Bloemfontein/Kimberley: Played 2: Won 2, Lost 0 +

Week 14, v Sharks (away)
H2H: Played 4: Won 1, Lost 3 -
In Durban: Played 2: Won 0, Lost 2 -

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burgs

Western Force Super 14 preview: now or never for John Mitchell

By Greg Clark
Fox Sports rugby commentator
February 04, 2010.

While I don't have any "inside information" from the Western Force powerbrokers, it has to be now or never for coach John Mitchell.

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Ladies, I give you the new Growden...

I tend to agree, it is now or never for mitchell, and I fear it ain't going to happen, he's been given long enough, 5 years of decent wages to build, a title contending team ....... How long does he need?
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Aside from debating the hand he has been dealt each season, who would you turn to Slomo?

I wouldn't of extended his contract , I would of re assesed his position at the end of his first contract, because there was no need to re-sign him so quickly....... David nucifora would be my automatic choice, followed by jake white ......
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although i tend to agree that it is crunch time for Mitch.. I dont think Clarky has had any information to use for this report so hes gone with speculation... Seriously he couldve reported that we still have retained most of our best team players.. Sharpie, Pek, Pocock, Brownie, Sheps, OConnor, Cross, Hodgo and Cullet .... with them leading the team they can become giant Slayers starting with the overhyped Brumbies next week!

Giteau was Poison, Mitch was overrated and Valentine was a Mercenary and average at best. We will miss Spanner, AJ and Tai however...tough to fill those shoes however i think we have recruited well nonetheless... bring on Week1 !!

I think as the weeks have gone by the greater the loss of Tai has become evident too. His place in the first four years history should never be undervalued IMHO.

I'm on the fence with Mitch a bit. I would suggest Slomo that at least two out of three of the Giteau years were tainted by player dissatisfaction. Who knew that one player could dissatisfy the whole team out of performing to potential.

I'm not saying Giteau was the entirety of the problem, Maybe Mitch should have grown a pair (like he's so famous for) and benched him, but you never know the board room pressure that was applied.

I'd give Mitch the allowance that the team has lost some talent, but gained in culture, he's probably got till the end of next year (the completion of his contract) anyway. I would expect that if we're not in the hunt this year or next, he will be moved on......I guess if it worked out that way I wouldn't be screaming.

Suffice it to say, Mitch has built the club well, there seems to be commitment to the jersey from the players and they look to have a strong combination......is it enough?....I'll tell you in June!

---------- Post added at 17:08 ---------- Previous post was at 17:05 ----------

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zimeric

and Valentine was a Mercenary and average at best.

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fer sure....not even worth mentioning.

He seems to think that playing inside Matt Giteau at the Brums is enough to get him a Wallaby Jersey!

The Shetland Pony looked four times the halfback Friday night, and HE was outshone by Genia!

Mitchell is the King
They beat every Australian team last year. That'll dead set do me
With the exception of the Brumbies who won a title when Gunny was a lad, what have the other Australian franchises done?
The Tahs habe been bridesmaid a couple of times, but nobody remembers who came second. the Reds were once a rugby force but it was last century

Id hope we keep Mitchell.
The team has been built around a few stars, but now Mitch finally has the opportunity to mould the team in the way he wants. You can see some of that coming through now, with the backrow we now have that has been built at the Force for example.

There are some questions with the Force management though, and I dont know if Mitch had much say in those issue. Why was there no future planning for fly half or hooker? Giteau was a high risk of leaving after his contract expired, doubly so after the Firepower debacle. And Tai was getting on in years. The Force knew he was going to go.

Doesn't help when the ARU twice blocks your choices though.

:(

In the words of Mick jagger "you can't always get what you want, but if you try some times, you get what you need"

Enter stage left Bartholomeusz. He has a great kicking game. 10 man rugby it is. backs only drop it or kick good pill away with shite kicks. Up the guts all day sir

For those who choose to view Coaches in that manner, and I appreciate there are many, I would suggest judging Mitch on 2011, not 2010.
If there isn't a respectable placing then, fair enough, the knives should start coming out, but as Gigs indicated, the last few years haven't been business as usual for whoever was coaching at the time.
I find it interesting that in some quarters, both media and supporters, there's almost a double standard of expectation where it is said along the lines of, "The Force have lost all these great players (insert the usual suspects) .... if Mitch doesn't perform this year he should go!"
FFS on the one hand you are saying he has a shit Squad, on the other you are saying he should turn that shit Squad into world beaters...

Let Mitchell finish out his contract and spend the next year or so finding someone brilliant to replace him. Someone popular with the players and someone with big wraps. It kind looks like they've already lined up Richard Graham but I think they should do a proper job of sounding out Todd Louden or, since he hasn't gone to Melbourne, Michael Cheika.

I am not a fan at all of Jake White at the Force. We have three openside style flankers and he is a man famous for not playing them. You can see by how well Whatshisname from the Cheetahs (obviously not well enough for me to remember his name :sarcastic:) has done with the Boks that White was wrong, wrong, wrong.

I think John Mitchells still the man for the job, but like people have already mentioned, a few things that JM's done over the years has surprised me.

1. It was evident years back that the Force needed to put some kind of succession planning into the hooker department, that never really happened.

2. 5/8, yes the departure of Giteau left a gaping hole, but when the Force were created they signed two of the best schoolboy playmakers in Australia at the time, in Tajon Malita and Scott Daruda. Tajon has dissapeared into the abyss and Daruda was/is off playing in Europe. Both these guys would be 23/24 now and the right age and maturity to be playing 5/8. Why Daruda was never given more of a chance seems a little strange.

3. Prima Donnas, Giteau, Mitchell, Valentine... these blokes are the prima donnas of australia rugby, bringing them all to the one team was only ever going to cause some kind of discontent. Hindsight however is a wonderful thing, and i dont think Giteau was the such a prima donna when he was signed..