ARU set to take over Western Force

[Ralto]

Well there are salary caps and there are salary caps. As Sinderberry pointed out, Wallabies top-ups mean the Waratahs squad is paid 50% more than the Force squad. Redistribute the top-ups to the franchises and let market forces sort it out.

Just out of interest, what do you think the top ups are GIVEN for.

[Cowboy]

While I find this very disappointing, I also know that this is also the Western Forces own fault.
RugbyWA won the bid to become the expansion team over Melbourne with a display of community support for the possible new team and in the beginning the Force attracted greater than expected local support. However despite the appearances things had already stated to go wrong. The board governing the force had little to no connection with the local rugby community and the management team were parachuted in from elsewhere. In my opinion with the benefit of hindsight, the operation lost sight of what won the bid as soon as it had done so.
The sad reality is that the Force have lost the members that they once had, seem to have lost the support of much of the local rugby community and don't appear to have any plan as to how they could possibly win either of these things back. If some of the comments on here are anything to go by, it would make me wonder if some Force employees even consider having community support relevant.

I think that the force can be turned around, but they have got to change. There has to be a priority to put bums on seats at the ground. That means playing a game that attracts crowds. It also means getting out and attracting fan support.

[chibi]

This might seem totally unrelated, but anyway...

Isn't it interesting when you go to, let's say, a petrol station, and you see merchandise like key-rings and stubbie-holders etc; that you see only AFL stuff there? That includes all the teams from outside WA too. I would like to see a merchandise stand that has Western Australian stuff on it, Force, Warriors, Glory, Wildcats, Fever, Heat, Dockers, Eagles, etc...

What I'm saying is, the Force (and other sports) need to get themselves back into the mainstream psyche somehow.

[beige]

Just out of interest, what do you think the top ups are GIVEN for.

No I have no idea why Wallabies top-ups are called that - you must be smart. Remember these aren't match or squad payments we're talking about. What we're talking about is how, not including third party payments, Israel Folau's 'salary' is an estimated $800,000 a year but $400,000 of that is paid directly by the ARU and doesn't have to fit under the salary cap. If it did (and extend that to all the Wallabies in their squad) it would seriously dent their ability to hoard so much talent. On the flipside teams like the Force would have the financial clout to attract that squeezed talent as they would be getting an equal share of the money that would otherwise be going into top-ups. Total player payments don't change but they might have to move around to get it.

[Alison]

This might seem totally unrelated, but anyway...

Isn't it interesting when you go to, let's say, a petrol station, and you see merchandise like key-rings and stubbie-holders etc; that you see only AFL stuff there? That includes all the teams from outside WA too. I would like to see a merchandise stand that has Western Australian stuff on it, Force, Warriors, Glory, Wildcats, Fever, Heat, Dockers, Eagles, etc...

What I'm saying is, the Force (and other sports) need to get themselves back into the mainstream psyche somehow.

Agree with that. The AFL seems much more savvy than the ARU. Maybe because the ARU are not "really" a national body - it's primarily a NSW one trying to be a national one.

One of my colleagues has an Essendon box of tissues on his desk! Now that's bloody good marketing if you ask me!

[GIGS20]

Just out of interest, what do you think the top ups are GIVEN for.

ARU contracts, colloquially referred to as Wallaby top ups, are offered to players who are considered by the ARU to be essential to keep in Australia to ensure the success of the Wallabies. There are AFAIK about 30 players on contract to the ARU, the majority of them play their rugby in the Waratahs, with (I'm pretty sure) all the others playing for Queensland and ACT.

The reason we bring them up in this context is because people like Kurtley Beale still get one, despite having played more than 60 tests and it not mattering a cracker where he plays his rugby, when people like Nick Cummins wasn't offered one and had to go to Japan to make enough money to keep the farm in the family.

People like Cliff Palu get one, regardless of how he's never played a good game for the Wallabies unless we were playing Estonia or some other minor league outfit, but Matt Hodgson and Ben McCalman don't get a look in, despit being consistently valuable players.

I'm not saying the concept of ARU contracts is bad, I think it's a good idea to have a kitty of money available to try to counteract the massive money that's available overseas. It is, however, a shame the system is so outrageously unfair!

[G_Beard]

Agree with that. The AFL seems much more savvy than the ARU. Maybe because the ARU are not "really" a national body - it's primarily a NSW one trying to be a national one.

One of my colleagues has an Essendon box of tissues on his desk! Now that's bloody good marketing if you ask me!

I don't disagree that the ARU marketing department is clearly dull and scared to offend.
But the AFL is working to a closed market. It's as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
ARU needs to get cheeky, possibly controversial, but because they spent so damn much money on K Hunt, they can't go down the "get your get into Union, so they don't become drug fuct" route.
It's unPC to go down the "what kind of man do you want your daughter to marry" route as well.

So it's a tight corner they've painted themselves into.
Maybe a quick brainstorm on a rugby thread will get a great campaign idea started!?!

[Moono74]

How hard is it to put a great song with some great clips of ties, big tackles, massive side steps a clutch kick and package it into an advert. League did it decades ago with their Simply the Best campaign, rugby has had squat.

They have gone too far down the "family friendly' root and shot themselves in the foot instead of focusing their promotion on the elements of the game people love, the physicality and skill. Rugby promotion relys too much on bring the family down and have an icecream before the game and play on the bouncy castle. It needs to grow up and play up the international and interstate rivalry and gee people up. Take the reigns off and let an advertising agency go at it. It can't be any worse that what we've currently got.........um what have we currently got!

[brokendown gunfighter]

what we have got is...no money!

[G_Beard]

How about -
Dad, your kid doesn't play rugby? You're a terrible parent!"

Mum, your kid has ADD because you didn't let them play rugby!"

Your kid doesn't play rugby!? What a disappointment they must be!"

Want to bash a Kiwi/South African? Play rugby!"

Rugby Union! Team UFC.
Rugby Union! Real life X-men.

Your girlfriend has a dog in a handbag...you're not rugby union material!!

[chibi]

At the very least, let's see some geographical appellations giving to the teams in the competition (especially for the Australian public)

Let's accentuate the international nature of this competition

[jargan83]

ARU top ups were probably a good idea back when there only 3 Australian sides but they are well past their use by date. My opinion on them has been published multiple times so I won't bore everyone with them.

Agree with that. The AFL seems much more savvy than the ARU. Maybe because the ARU are not "really" a national body - it's primarily a NSW one trying to be a national one.

One of my colleagues has an Essendon box of tissues on his desk! Now that's bloody good marketing if you ask me!

Hardly a fair comparison. I've just come back from a week in Sydney where despite the AFL spending an absolute truckload ($30+ million a year) on expanding into the Sydney market they've made little headway.

I heard about as much about AFL in Sydney as we do about the Western a Force in the local media here in Perth.

Unfortunately the ARU doesn't have the cash to piss up a wall on expansion that the AFL does.

[SNOB]

How about -
Dad, your kid doesn't play rugby? You're a terrible parent!"

Mum, your kid has ADD because you didn't let them play rugby!"

Your kid doesn't play rugby!? What a disappointment they must be!"

Want to bash a Kiwi/South African? Play rugby!"

Rugby Union! Team UFC.
Rugby Union! Real life X-men.





Your girlfriend has a dog in a handbag...you're not rugby union material!!

Or how about my young GS who got dropped out of the A team who went and put himself on a fitness drive to get back into the A with no pushing from family! Kids do it on their own!

[G_Beard]

Or how about my young GS who got dropped out of the A team who went and put himself on a fitness drive to get back into the A with no pushing from family! Kids do it on their own!

"You're a better human if you play Rugby Union"

G_beard fact - hard to disprove

[Emu]

From behind Rupert's Pay Wall

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...e9963fb3b59198

"A takeover of the Western Force by the Australian Rugby Union is one of only three options being considered, and not necessarily the preferred option.

According to the Accenture Report compiled by the consultants the ARU sent in to take the pulse of the game, the options for the Perth club range from a takeover through to a partnership between the Force and the ARU where economies of scale can be pursued, through to private *ownership, which the Force are already pursuing.

“They are three options that need to be explored and fully developed,” said Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry, who will meet with ARU chief executive Bill Pulver in Perth on Tuesday."

Interesting Tuesday