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Force have league great in sights
NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian October 12, 2010, 7:54 am
Getty Images / Mark Nolan © Enlarge photo
Former rugby league great and Manly Marlins coach Phil Blake is favourite for one of the two Western Force assistant roles.
The club is starting negotiations with Blake, who has been in charge of Manly in the NSW Shute Shield competition for three years.
He would take the defensive role under head coach Richard Graham's new structure with a second assistant taking charge of the forwards.
It is understood Graham has also identified the forwards coach he wants to bring to the club and talks will begin shortly.
Blake, 46, has been working with the Wallaby squad recently, specifically on defensive drills, and coach Robbie Deans has not ruled out the possibility of him travelling with the squad on the tour of Hong Kong and the UK.
His 2010 Shute Shield season ended in disappointment when the Marlins went down 29-25 to Randwick in the elimination semifinal.
He said after the loss that he was "open to offers" and would be looking to test himself at a higher level.
Blake, a former NSW State of Origin player, was an attacking ace who scored a record 27 tries for the Manly rugby league club in 1983.
He started his league career as a half-back but became a utility and played across the back line, at hooker and lock, in the 1980s and '90s.
He was sprint coach at the South Sydney Rabbitohs in their return to competition rugby league in 2002 and the following year was temporary head coach.
He began his union coaching career with Southern Districts in 2006 and led Manly's reserve grade team to the 2007 premiership before taking charge of their first team.
He has had two life-threatening health scares. In 2008 blood clots were discovered on his lungs and this year he had triple bypass heart surgery.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...eat-in-sights/
If the Force get a new Forwards Coach will that mean that the Community Development Person might start doing a bit of Community Development which has virtually stalled since he was installed as a Forwards/ Scrum coach for the Force.
Mr Tinks?
Sounds like something someone would name their cat!
That article is a relief. You see "Force have league great in sights" and you think- what the hell are you guys thinking- the last thing we want is another League player who thinks he's god's gift to Rugby and either be hopeless, perpetually injured, or both.
I seem to remember the Marlins have a pretty impressive tight-five. Maybe if Blake comes over he'll bring Greg Peterson (I think he plays for them) that is if he hasn't already signed for the Tahs.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
I guess my application has been rejected then?
when they keep glancing over at me i know they think iam cute and are checking me out -Kalafan 10/3/10
i have difficulty in my life. alot of girls like me but i cannot ask them out. i think they like me cause i am good looking and have a nice smile.- kalafan 3/7/10
FREE LINDSAY
Born TROLLIN
Hands off you western bandits. Peterson, was a Dan Vickerman type at the schoolboy level last year, and has accepted a second year in the NSW Academy in 2011 rather than angle for something "better" elsewhere.
He went straight from school to the Manly 1st Grade team this year and held his own as a tight-head lock, and made the Oz U/20 team as he will next year also.
Good young tight-head locks (the Thorn, Bakkies and Horwill type) are rare. The Force have never had one, nor a good old one. The Tahs already have a good young one in Kane Douglas and to have two of them in 2012 could be dynastic.
Blake is highly regarded in Sydney club rugby and the Force will be fortunate to get him. He's a good bloke and a good coach; I wish him well.
I thought Rudi Vedelago was pretty good at 4. It was very disappointing to see him go.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.