2017 Player Contracts

[Alison]

It took Dane 5 years to develop his game.
He was up against some real good players already at Super Rugby level.
He wasn't goin to hang around on pocket money.
The Force only has a 35 man playing group and limited cash.
Can't afford to hang onto players who take 5 years to develop.
The tough reality of professional rugby.
At least he came back.
The NRC is the development squad.
The Force should be playing winning rugby with mostly proven players.

And who was it who brought Dane back? Michael Foley.....

[andrewg]

This observation is not totally unrelated to player contracts.

Liam Gill has just had a cracker of a game for the Reds against Australia's top Super Rugby side the Brumbies.

I've yet to collect his Ruck Stats (I'll add them later) but have a look at the rest of his stats:

29 Total Ruck Involvements - 21 Attack/8 Defence
18 Tackles made/3 tackles missed
5 Turn Over Won/2 Penalties conceded
7 Carries for 20m
1 Defender Beaten
1 Clean Break
1 Offload
3 Passes
3 Loose Ball Collects.

He's been one of the top No 7s in Australian Rugby all year but can't even get on the bench for the Wallabies.

Is it any wonder that he's off to Toulon?

PS Sean McMahon has only had 5 TOW in 12 games this SR season.
Michael Hooper 10 TOW in 11 games.
Matt Hodgson 13 TOW in 11 games
David Pocock 25 TOW in 10 games
Liam Gill 19 TOW in 9 games.

Did anyone else notice that the Wallabies were missing a Fetcher against England.
Tim Horan had the gall to say (after the 1st test) that David Pocock wouldn't be missed against England.

[blue]

Elwee is involved

If that's the case we are in trouble, that guy couldn't even coach junior rep sides so how he got into the force coaching structure astounds me. He should have gone out the door first then followed by Foley.

[James]

It would be great if we could get Liam Gill across to WA when he returns. He is South Australian originally (am I getting confused or was he part of the Ox academy?) and might not have as strong a connection to the Reds than a full local.

From a Wallabies point of view, I feel like we need more David Pococks and Liam Gills and fewer Michael Hoopers and Sean McMahons. Hooper and McMahon are great players- but they aren't as good on the deck (see AndrewG's stats) and their ball running ability seems better suited to the type of loose game that you don't see as often at Test level. I feel like they are more of a liability against the bigger teams like England, Argentina or South Africa.

[whodunnit]

If that's the case we are in trouble, that guy couldn't even coach junior rep sides so how he got into the force coaching structure astounds me. He should have gone out the door first then followed by Foley.

Wasn't he a coach of Palmyra and wanneroo - what happened there?

[Emu]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/36693365

Bill Meakes - Centre 25 years old. Rebels or Force

[James]

Remember the name- anyone know if he's any good?

Hope he comes to us- an experienced centre would be great for our dwindling stocks.

[sandgroperrugby]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E06-A-OOaAQ

[volvo]

Force favoured to sign Aussie sevens star
Nick Taylor - The West Australian on July 4, 2016, 12:01 am

Western Force are set to sign former Australian sevens and under-20 centre Bill Meakes, who has been released from his contract with English premiership club Gloucester.

Meakes, 25, will replace Junior Rasolea who is moving to Scottish club Edinburgh. The Force have still not lost hope of retaining his midfield partner Kyle Godwin who has had talks with the Brumbies and Waratahs.

Meakes joined Gloucester’s academy from Randwick in 2014 before signing a professional contract last year.

He played for Australia in the 2011 junior World Cup and in the 2011-12 IRB sevens world series.

Meanwhile, prop Tetera Faulkner will miss the last two games of the year against the Stormers at nib Stadium on Saturday night and the Brumbies in Canberra a week later after damaging an Achilles tendon and being carried from the field after 20 minutes of the heartbreaking 30-29 loss to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Second-rower Adam Coleman, who was a late withdrawal with a neck problem picked up in his Test debut against England, will be fit for the Stormers clash.

Interim coach Dave Wessels was forced to move Rory Walton from the reserves and Matt Phillips went on to the bench.

Phillips, who is expected to sign for the Force, was called in from the Sydney University club just two weeks ago.

“Matt did a fantastic job,” Wessels said. “He’s done an incredible amount of work to get across all the details of his role. We’re excited to see him grow over the next little while.”

Wessels said his side left itself with too much work after a disappointing first half when it leaked four tries to be 27-10 down at the break.

They missed 17 tackles, were slow to the breakdown allowing the Cheetahs to set their defensive line and often had no answer to the power of their scrum.

“A very poor first half gave us too much to do in the second. A number of things in the first half let us down,” Wessels said.

“We had too many soft moments, too many missed tackles at crucial times that let them get in behind us and a poor execution of our kicking game.

“There is still a lot of fight in this team, to come out at half-time and do what they did was pleasing. They are playing for each other and we will build on that second half.”

Replacement fly-half Peter Grant missed a long-range 80th-minute penalty that would have given the Force the lead and then they put together 23 phases after the siren before coughing up possession.

Two tries from Wallabies winger and man of the match Dane Haylett-Petty put them in striking distance but the Force let a third win of the season slip away.

Haylett-Petty ran for 209m, scored an outstanding individual try in the 50th minute after a quick line-out throw 60m out and crossed from a scrum set play.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...e-sevens-star/

[James]

I reckon Matt Phillips will prove a valuable pick up. It would be good to pick up another to see if RHP could return to being a backrower. I liked what I saw of him in the U20s in 2014 alongside RHP and Scoble. Although it is fair to say he was a bit overshadowed by a raw, but talented, Tom Staniforth.

[andrewg]

Although it is fair to say RHP was a bit overshadowed by a raw, but talented, Tom Staniforth.

It will be interesting to see how they match up in the last round.

I reckon Ross has really developed well this year.

[maelkann]

It will be interesting to see how they match up in the last round.

I reckon Ross has really developed well this year.

Wasn't James comparing Phillllllllips and Staniforth?

[andrewg]

Wasn't James comparing Phillllllllips and Staniforth?

Very likely

[James]

Yeah I was- I reckon RHP is a different sort of player. I'd love to see him moulded into the next Scott Fardy.

[Beauregard]

And who was it who brought Dane back? Michael Foley.....

Hmmm. NO. He only came back as his father was very ill and lives in Perth... it had nothing to do with Foley...