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This was on the rugby heaven website, i apologise if someone esle has put it up, and i'm sure one of the lovely mods will remove it and send it to hell if its already on here
Force need helping hand - John Connolly - rugbyheaven07.com.au
Force need helping hand
John Connolly | February 17, 2008
The Western Force rugby union franchise is at the crossroads.
No one can deny the Force have been a phenomenal success. In just their second year, they had an average home crowd of 28,500, attracted a huge base membership and finished the tournament mid table.
They recruited vigorously - and at times creatively - to lure stars Matt Giteau, Scott Staniforth, Ryan Cross, Drew Mitchell, Matt Henjak and Nathan Sharpe. They also nabbed some outstanding young talent, such as David Pocock. They got under the guard of established unions Queensland, ACT and NSW, which have since been plotting their revenge.
John Mitchell's coaching has been outstanding, and former CEO Peter O'Meara cleverly tapped into the interest of the South African expat community. The crowds followed.
Western Australia was a surprise selection for the 14th Super franchise but it turned out to be a masterstroke by the Gary Flowers administration. It was a surprise the Force got the nod over Melbourne, which has untapped potential and is still screaming out for a Super 14 team.
So it's a shame that what has captured everyone's attention has been a spate of off-field issues involving a number of players, the latest being the Henjak affair. This has shifted a lot of focus away from the game of rugby.
The public will feel little sympathy for Henjak. He has had a number of opportunities, and the demand these days is to be squeaky clean.
I've been around rugby for a long time and feel sorry for him in some ways. From a football perspective, he's a courageous young player, but in this day and age that's only half the battle. Behaviour and image are paramount. What develops will be interesting as ARU boss John O'Neill would love nothing more than to see Henjak part ways with rugby - and I think it will be a very close call.
I'm a great believer in the second chance, but Matt has had second, third and fourth chances. But part of me is hoping he stays in the game, albeit with a massive fine and lengthy suspension.
The Henjak issue has also developed into a battle between the ARU and RugbyWA as to who controls the franchise. O'Neill has issued stern rhetoric about what he thinks should happen, but the Force have run their own race by selecting Henjak for the first game and taking him on tour. O'Neill has a habit of wanting the last say in every issue, but the Force have been very clever and challenged him by including retired WA District Court judge Robert Viol and lawyer Stephen Scott on the three-person panel to hear the Henjak case. Their presence makes throwing out the panel's findings very difficult.
But the Henjak issue is just one of the challenges facing the Force.
Most of their initial signings are coming off contract, and the preference for many will be to play at home on the eastern seaboard. A number of states have made their recruitment intentions known, particularly when it comes to the Force. Queensland have been upfront in their desire to get Pocock back, and the Brumbies would love nothing more to lure Giteau - Australia's greatest player - back into their ranks.
Without the salary cap dispensation the AFL gives the Brisbane Lions and new teams, attracting players away from the main centres is very difficult. If the Force end up with players most observers would rank 60 to 80 on their books, they are unlikely to end up a winning team. On top of that, their junior base is not yet strong enough to support a pathway into the top team.
Although they have the best back line in Australia, their forward pack has question marks over it. If anything happens to Nathan Sharpe, life will be difficult.
The loss of O'Meara and his innovative ideas is a telling blow. They have a rugby-mad public but they need a rugby stadium. Watching at Subiaco is difficult because you're a long way from the action. The running battle with the Australian Rugby Union over the past year has resulted in a number of fines.
Whatever happens in the Henjak case, there are major concerns ahead for the Force. The alarm bells should be ringing at the ARU.
Source: The Sun-Herald
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Originally Posted by prop53
) was eastablished to deepen the talent pool in this country. All we hear from the east is "bitch bitch bitch bitch"
