Force debut V Rebels Debut

[Rex Messup]

Seize the moment
The best time is today
yesterday was a missed opportunity and tomorrow never comes

[Rex Messup]

If the Force or Rebels weren't created, would the Reds have Simmons, Horwill, Samo, AWH and Humprhies on there books and where would Byrnes and Sharpe fit into that picture?

Other questions to beg, if it weren't for the inception of the Force, where would we be standing in terms of JOC and Pocock? undoubtedly they were both destined for Wallaby colors, but would they have developed as quickly without the opportunity to start on a regular basis at such early ages?

Would TPN have had the opportunity had Brendan Cannon remained at the Tahs for another 2 seasons.

Would Kurtley Beale be one of the best fullbacks in the world now if Cameron Shepherd was still filling the fullback position at the Tahs.

Would Genia be starting if players like Sheehan, Valentine and Henjak hadn't freed up spaces on the east coast.

This is about establishing a rugby culture in a foreign market and creating Wallaby development pathways for the longer term. Until the point is reached the all 15players from the Australian Schoolboys and Australian U20 sides are contracted, there is room for expansion, Its a long term process though, it wont happen overnight.

Absolutely spot on
All this talk that Australia couldn't accomodate a 4th franchise was crap as is the argument we can't accomodate a 5th franchise
When you look at how many players were blocked and went to other codes/overseas/dropped off the radar due to lack of opportunity, it is clear that we needed a 4th and 5th franchise.
Great stuff
viva la Oz rugby

[GIGS20]

Shit, what's going on.....I actually agree with Rex. Sure the Rebels will cause the franchises to suffer a bit for a year or two, and they'll take a while to establish a winning culture, but the Force are making a go of it, and given the right amount of luck will play finals footy this year, but that's taken six years....and let's not forget, we pretty much sot the reds number 1 team down the middle and bought them here, along with several of the brightest prospects from around then country....what I'm saying is, the force had a starting team with pretty much 15 genuine super rugby players, the rebels seem to have gaps in their fist XV.

The Force survive, and the rebels will survive, I can't see how Melbourne can be more AFL-centric than Perth.

[tic]

Gigs, you've got a very supportive media over there. I don't believe the Rebels do, and that's going to be very hard for them, as it has been for the Storm.

[GIGS20]

Jeered, you think we have a supportive media? I'm not really feeling that, I guess I don't have a lot to compare with, but the couple of positive stories we get from Dave Hughes and nick Taylor can't compete with the incessant bleating of the AFL and WAFC contracted hacks which make up the rest of WA journalism.

I think our media is only supportive of us when they don't have ready access to afl players, coaches and what-not. We get rugby updates on channel 10 simply because they need a sports story and can't fill the time any other way......added to that, it feels like the RWA media department are working their asses off ATM.

The Rebels might not get that level of support from the media, but I doubt it, if they haven't got a real go-getter in their pr department now, they're just plain stupid!

[TOCC]

Tic, what are you basing this off, do you live in either Perth or Melbourne to be able to compare?

[Rex Messup]

Jeered, you think we have a supportive media? I'm not really feeling that, I guess I don't have a lot to compare with, but the couple of positive stories we get from Dave Hughes and nick Taylor can't compete with the incessant bleating of the AFL and WAFC contracted hacks which make up the rest of WA journalism.

I think our media is only supportive of us when they don't have ready access to afl players, coaches and what-not. We get rugby updates on channel 10 simply because they need a sports story and can't fill the time any other way......added to that, it feels like the RWA media department are working their asses off ATM.

The Rebels might not get that level of support from the media, but I doubt it, if they haven't got a real go-getter in their pr department now, they're just plain stupid!

The Force have to be squarely at the center of the blame here
When growing a club on the rugby frontier with only expats as a base, a better effort needs to be made to sell the game.
Web sites are OK but they need to pay for advertising in the local papers and have weekly/daily columns, stories, fan specials, promotions, news, game features etc.
Sure they do a bit but the marketing and promotion is second rate
They need a local free to air TV segnment
They need Force TV on webcam
Too many left wing hacks on 35 hour weeks on staff
I feel a valuable window has closed in promoting rugby in WA

[James]

Rugby in WA works for two main reasons. Number one there was a massive influx of South African and English ex-pats with the Mining boom around 2002-2006. Around 11% of Perth residents were born in the UK. Ouch. But the other thing is that everyone east of Kalgoorlie has incessantly said that we would fail etc etc etc and proving them wrong has been more rewarding than actually winning the tournament would be. Everyone is licking Melbourne's ass and talking about how they should've got the 4th franchise and it leaves Melbourne with nothing to prove.

[TOCC]

Rugby in WA works for two main reasons. Number one there was a massive influx of South African and English ex-pats with the Mining boom around 2002-2006. Around 11% of Perth residents were born in the UK. Ouch. But the other thing is that everyone east of Kalgoorlie has incessantly said that we would fail etc etc etc and proving them wrong has been more rewarding than actually winning the tournament would be. Everyone is licking Melbourne's ass and talking about how they should've got the 4th franchise and it leaves Melbourne with nothing to prove.

really gotta get over this inferiority complex... If indeed 'everyone' east of Kalgoorlie had incessantly said that the Force would fail, why do you think the power-brokers gave the Western Force the 4th Super Rugby license to start with?

[GIGS20]

Gary Flowers is why, one man sees the economic danger of putting the team in Melbourne, and bingo, Perth has a team!

[shasta]

They need a local free to air TV segnment

To be fair, the cost of staging this would be enormous if the FTA station was not willing to put it on off their own bat. The poor attitude of the FTA executives towards both codes of Rugby is legendary. Some of the programs that seem to be able to punt Rugby into the wee small hours make their scheduling look like the three stooges are running the joint. Apparently even pro active infomercials rate better.

The ABC is the only network that gives the game a fair go. Too bad it's only watched by commie lesbo tree hugging metrosexuals and land rights for gay whales agitators.

[brokendown gunfighter]

To be fair, the cost of staging this would be enormous if the FTA station was not willing to put it on off their own bat. The poor attitude of the FTA executives towards both codes of Rugby is legendary. Some of the programs that seem to be able to punt Rugby into the wee small hours make their scheduling look like the three stooges are running the joint. Apparently even pro active infomercials rate better.

The ABC is the only network that gives the game a fair go. Too bad it's only watched by commie lesbo tree hugging metrosexuals and land rights for gay whales agitators.

what about the chadonnay quaffers,shame to leave them out?

[James]

really gotta get over this inferiority complex... If indeed 'everyone' east of Kalgoorlie had incessantly said that the Force would fail, why do you think the power-brokers gave the Western Force the 4th Super Rugby license to start with?

I didn't mean literally everyone and you know I didn't. Don't be pendantic. I'm not talking about the ARU, although I bet that it was a very close vote count and now that he's back JO'N is quite open with his view that the 4th franchise should've gone to Melbourne. I am talking about the general voice out of Sydney: Fans, media and powerbrokers within the NSWRU.

[Swee_82]

what about the chadonnay quaffers,shame to leave them out?

Don't think a wrap of Neddies game that weekend is what we had in mind either

[Rex Messup]

Rugby in WA works for two main reasons. Number one there was a massive influx of South African and English ex-pats with the Mining boom around 2002-2006. Around 11% of Perth residents were born in the UK. Ouch. But the other thing is that everyone east of Kalgoorlie has incessantly said that we would fail etc etc etc and proving them wrong has been more rewarding than actually winning the tournament would be. Everyone is licking Melbourne's ass and talking about how they should've got the 4th franchise and it leaves Melbourne with nothing to prove.

spoken like a true manic paranoid westaphrenic