Talent Scout in 2005/2006

[Tonkar]

I was just reading some of the TWF followers post and have to agree on the waste of talent/Players gone to outside interests...
I do understand that Mitchell and Sharpie had alot of say when choosing the Force start up side squad. They made some excellent selections as so many have gone on the higher levels but sadly not with the force
When you look back at and its all hindsight but some one in the Rugby WA and EWF staff had an eye for talent in our first yr or 2 and brought some good signings to the west.. I just struggle now to understand where we went wrong but I come up with one thought and that is the change of management at Rugby WA has been our demise..
Just some of the talent secured then let go.
James hilg
Brock james
Chucky (but he did come back )
Yes James OC (seen by our talent scout)
Ryan Cross ( NRL convert)
Swannpeol
Timarni
Digby( young just needed guidance )

Some that have stayed from our 1st 2 yrs and gone onto be wallabies
Brownie
David Pocock (Again seen his potential b4 others did )
Hodgo
Honey B
Pek Cowan
Sheps
K Bomb ( Good Local)
Ben Mac ( Acadamy)
Ben whit ( Acadamy)
Sam Wykes( Acadamy)

I could go on with more

So at some stage our eyes on the park (talent scout)were very good and recognising potential talent so were has it gone now??
I do think that Rugby WA management and the Giteau era was the demise of John Mitchell ( Sad Loss)

We need a selector with that talent brought back and a good coach that has the chance to coach and not be the ARU or Rugby WA s puppet

[Sheikh]

One thing Mitchell was very good at (IMO) was spotting talent. IIRC, he even said that he'd like to do more with junior set-ups. The trouble is, he's probably too expensive to be an academy coach, but I think he'd do very well as a national coach of a lesser rugby nation (USA/Canada/Russia type level) as he could identify talent, build a squad and and instill discipline whilst not having to bother with prima donnas.

[stejwill]

One thing Mitchell was very good at (IMO) was spotting talent. IIRC, he even said that he'd like to do more with junior set-ups. The trouble is, he's probably too expensive to be an academy coach, but I think he'd do very well as a national coach of a lesser rugby nation (USA/Canada/Russia type level) as he could identify talent, build a squad and and instill discipline whilst not having to bother with prima donnas.

Instill discipline? Wasn't a lack of discipline one of the things plaguing the team in its early years (quokkagate, Sare/Henjak etc).
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[sittingbison]

I don't think it was a Mitchell lack of discipline, more like young men a long way from home with a few ring leading retards like Henjak and Giteau white anting him

That's what disappointed me the most from the schemozzle, he was not supported they bent over and took it up the date by those wankers and put him on "probation" FFS, what an insult. From that instant all discipline lost, and we still haven't recovered after limp dick brain dead RGs reign
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[GIGS20]

Instill discipline? Wasn't a lack of discipline one of the things plaguing the team in its early years (quokkagate, Sare/Henjak etc).
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Off field you are correct Stejwill, however on field, I remember us going back to back seasons without a yellow card. I wonder whether the off field stuff was less to do with Mitchell and more to do with others.......the other thing that comes to mind was the dropping of Scotty Fava in Pretoria for Turing up to the captain's run hung over......doesn't sound short of discipline to me!

[stejwill]

Off field you are correct Stejwill, however on field, I remember us going back to back seasons without a yellow card. I wonder whether the off field stuff was less to do with Mitchell and more to do with others.......the other thing that comes to mind was the dropping of Scotty Fava in Pretoria for Turing up to the captain's run hung over......doesn't sound short of discipline to me!

My memory is of some pretty poor on field discipline which lost us games. A kiwi colleague gave me some 'inside' info which suggested he could have been a poorly thought through choice. Mind you that also could have been kiwi sour grapes. They may not be able to say 'six' or 'fish' but they do know their rugby.
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[jt12]

JM - Force last JM - lions last....need there be any more said

[sittingbison]

Not as simple as that, he had zilch concessions for starting a team from scratch, and we played an exiting style from the get go, improving each year to beat other Oz teams then on the road in both SA and NZ. He signed quality players. I have no doubt whatsoever his downfall was Guts and Henjak. Whoever thinks it is coincidence every team Gits has been in has self destructed then sacked the coach is an idiot. And look at his last Wallabies game, Samoa!! Followed by unrelenting dingo bashing
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[James]

JM - Force last JM - lions last....need there be any more said

The Lions were last the year JM came in too. I don't think there are too many coaches that could have turned the Lions around. At the Force JM was pretty good. We went from last in the opening season, which is hardly surprising, to 3 years of being mid table and not far from finals, to bottom end of the table in 2010. 2010 might have been a touch better without our early season injury crisis and Andre Pretorius not playing a game. We still beat the Crusaders and the Stormers.

[jt12]

it is simple really - you either win or you don't in pro sport

look at all of the NBA, NFL, EPL coaches that get sacked during the season let alone after

Didn't matter one iota to Liverpool about the fact that Kenny Dalgliesh is a living Scouser legend or what Roy hodgson had done before ( and that's just one club)

Yes there were times when the fporce played exciting rugby in the first couple of years, but so did the Crusaders and the Bulls and they found ways to win

What we've got to do is get a coach who is in tune with the WA rugby community because it is so remote and unique, can actually coach and can make the hard decisions needed to win in a pro sports environment.

We don't need a developmental coach, we need a proven winner.

[shasta]

it is simple really.......

We don't need a developmental coach, we need a proven winner.

Well that's it then.

I'll tell you what I reckon. I reckon the organisation did exceedingly well to Recruit JM. Not so well backing him when tbe princesses uprisin happened. Probably had to bow to ARU pressure in handing the reins to RG.

Now they'll have to choose the bezt available from a none too impressive list of candidates.
Simple, eh.
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[jt12]

yeah they did do well recruiting JM originally but there comes a time when the win column has to be in the black if you are a coach...