The publicity department for the WF is on the ball again, not!
Why do we have to hear about the signings of players from NZ paper reports. Two that come to mind are Curtis Rona and Ben Matwijow.
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The publicity department for the WF is on the ball again, not!
Why do we have to hear about the signings of players from NZ paper reports. Two that come to mind are Curtis Rona and Ben Matwijow.
just reading how Ben was in the wider training group back in 2013 .. after that he went to NZ and lined up with the best in the business Whitlock and the lads at the crusaders.. Then came back to the reds and had Brad Thorn coach him... He has had the best around him so he has the experience should be a good selection...Just hope the ARU are not using us as a dumping field but it could be a blessing as that's how the brumbies started when super rugby got off the ground..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/p...ian-equivalent
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/re...44048784f3c5d8
Seems that the ARU policy is to make the Force competitive but not at the expense of any of the other Aust franchises. Let's hope that works both ways and that Godwin and Alcock stay here!!
AFTER a week from hell, the tide is set to turn for the Western Force.
We hear they are closing in on the signing of Bulldogs NRL try-scoring sensation Curtis Rona.
The high-profile coup would give the Force a much-needed boost after the drunken controversy in South Africa and poor performances of 2016.
Rona was being mentioned as a contender for the Queensland State of Origin side last year after he broke through as one of league’s best finishers, but then discovered that he was not eligible to play in the code’s showpiece event because he’d spent 12 years of his childhood in Western Australia.
Rona played for the Wanneroo district rugby club and was in the Force’s academy before he switched to league fulltime in 2009.
He made his NRL debut in 2014 for North Queensland, scoring six tries in seven games, before switching to the Bulldogs, for who he’s scored 34 tries in 42 games.
Canterbury Bulldogs NRL star Curtis Rona could be heading home to Perth to join the Western Force.
Rona’s wife Jacinta also hails from Perth and it’s understood the couple have a home there and are keen to move back with their daughter.
Tellingly, the Bulldogs are now chasing Canberra winger Brenko Lee as a potential replacement for Rona.
]Also boosting the Force roster will be Reds lock Ben Matwijow, who will join the franchise after a stint in the ITM Cup with Taranaki.[/B]
]I do smile when I see our "friends" at the Telegraph claiming to know something we don't This has all been reported in The Worst for months.
I wouldn't mind if we became the ARU's Wallaby academy.
- Any decent young East coast player who's path to the 1st team is blocked by an incumbent and who the ARU thinks would benefit from playing time gets told to move to Perth.
- Once the incumbent moves (other franchise / Europe / retires) the player's 'home' franchise gets to take him back.
- The player can choose to stay here if he wants, but will always be battling young, hungry players for his position; local WA talent have to fight these young guns for places, or can move east themselves.
- In order to properly see if the young players have what it takes, they need to be playing in the style the Wallabies, so the ARU has to appoint a decent coach (automatically a Wallaby assistant coach?)
The East coast would howl with protest that we're taking their young players, but they get first dibs on getting them back, with Super Rugby experience. And we may never be competitive for the title, as any decent players would be snaffled back East, but at least the team would be forced to play attractive rugby as they would all be playing for their Wallaby futures.
Ben Taps tweeted earlier that this is his last game with the Force. Guess that's another one gone. How many more?????
thought he was contracted next season?
It appears that Godwin may be off, have not seen it yet but apparently Dave Wessels confirmed at the presser after the Brumbies match.
The deal was done ages ago. Just not been officially announced yet. Can't blame him - he'll blossom there more than he will here for the foreseeable.
I want to know about Tapuai. Anyone know whether he'll definitely still be here next season?
So if Taps stays, can we move him to 12 and have Meakes (or Masirewa?) at 13. We could potentially have a very tasty first choice backline next year:
9. Prior
10. Lance
11. Morahan
12. Tapuai
13. Masirewa
14. Rona
15. DHP
21. Louwrens/Ruru
22. Grant/Burton
23. Meakes/Brache