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13th April 2009, 10:45 WST
The Force and Waratahs will go head to head off the field as well as on it this week.
Saturday’s Super 14 match at the Sydney Football Stadium will climax several days of intense recruiting rivalry in which the Force and Tahs will go tit-for-tat in a bid to sign each other’s emerging players.
The Force have learnt the Waratahs will approach Test No. 8 Richard Brown during their four-day stay in Sydney and plan to retaliate by making pitches to NSW hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and fly-half Daniel Halangahu.
Wallabies Brown, James O’Connor and Drew Mitchell remain the Force’s recruiting priorities and the club expects an answer from the latter this week. The Force believe the amounts they have tendered to retain the trio will not be topped.
Brown is still open for offers, with the Reds aggressively chasing his signature, and O’Connor is waiting for the Australian Rugby Union to decide the value of his Wallaby squad top-up before he and his agent assess a number of approaches.
Loosehead prop Pek Cowan has received the Force’s final offer and the club is awaiting his response before it decides on a contract extension for fellow prop Gareth Hardy.
Stormers fly-half Peter Grant has told the Force his attention is concentrated on winning the No. 10 Springbok jersey, which he considers up for grabs.
The Force want Grant as their marquee international player to replace Brumbies-bound Matt Giteau and have submitted an offer.
Grant won’t respond until he learns whether he can expect a call-up for the series against the touring British and Irish Lions, starting in June.
Although the Force are working hard to assemble the spine of next year’s team by acquiring a hooker, No. 8 and fly-half, they are also in the market for a big loose forward and winger to replace Tamaiti Horua and Scott Staniforth respectively.
Tighthead prop is also a key position but the Force believe they will get either Tim Fairbrother from the Hurricanes or Matt Dunning from the Waratahs to take over from Ben Castle.
Last Friday’s late collapse against the Hurricanes reduced the Force’s chances of reaching the finals to the dreaded status of mathematical possibility, and administrative attention will now increasingly swing to next year.
The hesitation of some players to commit to the Force, despite the high salaries on offer, indicates unease about the direction of the rugby program. Although the club is pushing the line that the coaching situation has been resolved, players have to be convinced that those with whom they work are united in pursuing an effective plan.
DAVE HUGHES
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=135757