Dear Mr Foley

[James]

We are falling apart at about the same point in time against those two NZ sides while being probably the dominant team in the first half. Has anyone considered that this could be a hangover of the "new attacking style" we have been playing. And *&%$ the critics who say what style, because there is a marked difference in the way the Force are playing this year. Perhaps it is taking the team time to get their bodies used to the demands of playing more expansively and running the ball more often. We used to play a conservative game that requires far less off the ball work than we currently do. We also put ourselves at risk by playing with width and then giving away turnovers. We won't stop that overnight. Perhaps we should have eased into a more attacking style- but that wasn't an option as the public were voting with their feet and we had to be entertainers first and foremost to survive as an organisation. Back when the Reds were the "entertainers of Super Rugby" in the Mooney days- it took them over a year to build the defensive tenacity and structure to win the tournament in 2011.

Give Foley until the end of the season. If absolutely zero progress is made, give him the arse. If we look to be getting better, give him the final year of his contract. Unless someone can come up with a realistic better option that costs as little of the money that we don't have as possible.

One thing I think is super important from here and that is to put out as good a team as possible for the NRC. We need to win that competition to bring the fans back for 2017.

[Jeansyjive]

You MAY recall that Michael Cheika wanted to have Michael Foley join as Wallabies Forwards Coach for the RWC but Foley (as per Larkham) declined and advised that they had too much to do for their respective clubs.

Suggest you check out what Foley did BEFORE he joined the Waratahs at a very toxic time in their development.

Suggest that you also talk to the WForce players and get their viewpoint on Michael Foley.

I have done both and respectfully suggest that your comments are neither reasonable nor fair.

But you're entitled to your viewpoint. But they're probably better expressed on Crikey, The Project or The Drum.

Take a look at Foleys win % at both Tahs and Force it speaks for itself.

I have never seen a Foley coached team that has any cohesion in the backline.

If he was going to play a expansive game plan he should of made sure they had the fitness and condition to do so.

Foley is out of his depth.

Foley is a good forwards coach but is not a head coach.

[sevenmile]

You MAY recall that Michael Cheika wanted to have Michael Foley join as Wallabies Forwards Coach for the RWC but Foley (as per Larkham) declined and advised that they had too much to do for their respective clubs.

Suggest you check out what Foley did BEFORE he joined the Waratahs at a very toxic time in their development.

Suggest that you also talk to the WForce players and get their viewpoint on Michael Foley.

I have done both and respectfully suggest that your comments are neither reasonable nor fair.

But you're entitled to your viewpoint. But they're probably better expressed on Crikey, The Project or The Drum.

Fair comment Andrew but cheika would sack him as quick as look at him when found out
The Argie cheika had turn the scrum around in a matter of weeks.
This is something foley wouldn't be capable of
It would be interesting to see cheikas interest now

[andrewg]

This is something foley wouldn't be capable of

There is no way to disprove your comment/opinion without Michael Foley being given a go.
Cheika went to the Argentinian ONLY because Foley wasn't available.

Under Michael Foley the Force has had the lightest front row and one of the lightest Forward packs.

Despite that, through superior technique, the Force's scrum has most often held it's own.

IMO, there is no dispute over Foley's knowledge of Forward play.

It's an area in which ONLY Michael Foley should get the benefit.

Again if you haven't already done so I suggest you seek the opinion of the Force's Forward Pack players.

[sevenmile]

There is no way to disprove your comment/opinion without Michael Foley being given a go.
Cheika went to the Argentinian ONLY because Foley wasn't available.

Under Michael Foley the Force has had the lightest front row and one of the lightest Forward packs.

Despite that, through superior technique, the Force's scrum has most often held it's own.

IMO, there is no dispute over Foley's knowledge of Forward play.

It's an area in which ONLY Michael Foley should get the benefit.

Again if you haven't already done so I suggest you seek the opinion of the Force's Forward Pack players.

Is this attention to detail stifling there ability to play what is in front of them
It would be interesting stats to see how many points they get from their set piece including penalties
Would you consider there set piece a weapon

[westies man]

Geez Bally what have you started,wonder if you will get a PM accusing you of being bitter and twisted and I quote 'I am absolutely convinced you have no idea' unquote like I did.

[westies man]

Have replayed the game twice today and this is what I got out of it.
1 Defence is passive and tackler just rolls with the opposition ball carrier instead of trying to dominate the contact.
2 When the Force carry they are dominated and more often than not end up getting smashed back 2 or 3 meters every time.
3 Far too much lateral play when a slight change of direction and or hitting an inside runner would have been a lot more beneficial.
4 Midfield again looked slow and pedestrian and offer very little in the way of attack.
5 Fell away again massively at 60 minutes.
6 When players go to the breakdown they should go there with cold blooded intent to inflict damage and shift bodies, some of our guy's look like they are going there to cuddle their mother,
The conditioning coach should get pissed off because he hasn't prepared this team for the demands that are expected of them.The other things are technique and mindset, all these issues are part of Foley's brief so yeah he has failed.
Don't get me started on the way he has treated local club rugby and it's volunteers either.
I for one hope he cops the bullet, the sooner the better.

[Buck]

A coach obviously can't be out there , but a good coach can influence the attitude of the players and Foley just isn't doing that either

[vulcan]

when u look at the way hodgo and dhp pek cheese and others play 4 that shirt if the whole sqad was in sinc we would win a few more easy to blame the coach just follow every other code and sack him and where does that get u

[whodunnit]

when u look at the way hodgo and dhp pek cheese and others play 4 that shirt if the whole sqad was in sinc we would win a few more easy to blame the coach just follow every other code and sack him and where does that get u

DHP?????

[WFDom]

sack him and where does that get u

A new coach!

Look at what has happened to the Reds since they got rid of Dicky. I know they haven't won anything yet, but, they're a hell of a lot more competitive

[ozhammy]

Hi Westies Man,
I get you are a very influential person at your club with well agreed issues with the connection between The Western Force and local club rugby, both need to work together if we want to retain a super rugby team in the West. Instead of taking the current coach and team apart, and I know I am taking on a local legend here, what do club rugby teams in WA do to support the force? I go to local rugby, no particular support as I am Irish and just love my rugby, but most local supporters don't turn up for the force? That's the bit I don't get, back Home we schedule games to make sure all clubs supporters can make the game. We play tag rugby in the off season, we open the clubs to all, but we all support our team and go to the games?
Technically I agree, and most of us know the areas the current Force needs to improve, yes we have mostly played or still play, but not at that level, in our time. The ARU has a lot to fix to make Union a national sport, we in the west have a responsibility to keep a team in the premier league by turning up... that bit we can control!! If you do really want rugby union to be played here turn up and watch some of the best players on the planet but accept some of them do not play for us!!

[chibi]

Do they have busses at the local clubs taking club supporters into town for the Force games?

[Ralto]

Give Foley until the end of the season.
If absolutely zero progress is made.

A business needs to set it's standards in stone. Look at Van Gaal at Manchester United (forget if you like soccer or not, the lesson is good), Fair start to the season went up and down, end of season looks reasonable. Reportedly Van Gaal's requirements are to finish top 4, to enable qualification for Champions League - not negotiable - pretty much looks as if he's out of a job.

One one hand "give Foley until the end of the season", (regardless of results), then ask at the end of season, "has zero progress been made", are two possibly conflicting requests.

A good board gives a clear message to the coach i.e. finish top 4, win the competition, etc. Without this coaches are free to do crazy things like completely change the team's game plan. We'd be perfect if we had so and so, etc. As a coach you don't get that, Foley's job as a coach is to set a game plan the players can execute - this may change from opposition to opposition. Foley has a fair group of players, at the start of this season I would expect wins against Reds, SunWolves, Cheetahs, Rebels, and target wins against Bulls/Blues in Perth. Minimum 7 wins for this season.

Easy to say, but a business (The Force) depends on wins for sponsors and crowds. Players/coaches/administrators are paid well, and can easily move on if everything goes pear shaped. If they can't bring, it the board needs to act, it's not nasty, hasty, angry, it's just business - set the standard, if the coach agrees, the coach faces the consequences. It's clear that opposition coaches now know - Go hard at the Force early on, make them work and tackle, second half throw the ball. Game plans aside, cattle aside, injuries aside - it's a shock to see a Super Rugby team who can't go 50 minutes.

[wholetruth]

Nick Taylor - The West Australian on March 28, 2016, 8:06 am

There is a saying that goes: “The pain isn’t going to last forever because things can only get better ...”
Try telling that to Western Force players.
After two comprehensive beatings by the Hurricanes and Chiefs — Saturday night’s 53-10 belting the second worst in club history — they now have to face reigning Super Rugby champions the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night.
Both of those defeats exposed plenty of shortcomings, but that is also perhaps a reflection of the current state of Australian rugby as witnessed by the way the Highlanders disposed of the Melbourne Rebels 27-3 for a bonus-point win on Saturday.
They also showed the gulf between what the Force have to offer in some positions compared with the Kiwi teams.

More here

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...y-to-continue/