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Should the Western Force invest in Stuart Lancaster?

Ben Yeates new author
Roar Rookie
27th April, 2016
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Stuart Lancaster has been successful since getting sacked from England. (AP Photo/SNPA, Ross Setford)
Ben Yeates new author
Roar Rookie
27th April, 2016
86
2241 Reads

There are three cornerstone stakeholders in professional sports: the supporters, the sponsors and the players.

For any successful professional sporting club to satisfy the expectations of all three stakeholders, their aim simply is to win.

When a club is very successful on the field, the supporters will fill the stadium and express their content, the sponsors will be pleased and presumably the players are to.

It all boils down to winning.

Professional sport is in the business of winning. Legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi famously once said “winning isn’t everything, it is the only thing”.

I watched the Western Force play the Waratahs at NIB stadium in Perth last Saturday night and was left with a bitter taste in my mouth. For two teams struggling for competition points this season, this game was of the utmost importance, although their reasons were completely different.

Even still, Vince Lombardi would be rolling in his grave if he had been witness to the lack of attitude and passion portrayed by both sides on the pitch.

The Waratahs needed to secure a win to keep their slim finals hopes alive and regain some confidence to NSW who are an ARU stalwart and the breeding ground for rugby union players in Australia.

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The Waratahs backline possesses players with world class talent who certainly have the capability of creating a most exciting and exuberant attacking brand of rugby. T

The style of rugby that draws crowds from across the globe. However, was this potent attacking rugby on display on Saturday night? The answer is in an absolute no.

The Force on the other hand have been dismal this season and have been dismal since their inception back in 2006.

The Force have no expectation to play finals this season, however they had a lot to prove to their loyal supporters.

Michael Foley, the coach of the Western Force came out very publicly at the beginning of the season and expressed his desire and excitement for a new expansive style of rugby. For those who follow the Force or have caught glimpses of their games this season, the expansive game plan seems to be nothing more than media rhetoric and no such style has or ever will come into fruition.

This was evident with half an hour left in the match. Not for the first time this season, the Force’s heads dropped and their will to win and compete completely evaporated – much like the interests of many of the loyal supporters.

As a result, the Force’s lack of success has caused detrimental effects to the three major stakeholders and issues in regards to support and revenue for rugby in WA, a state that is AFL dominant.

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Even after the honeymoon period of a new Super Rugby team, crowd numbers and interests into the club has declined significantly. At one stage the Force was one of the wealthiest clubs in the Super Rugby competition and while I accept that mining and resources companies injected a lot of capital into the club during these times, the revenue has dried up.

It was only this season that the ARU took control of the Western Force’s IP rights and the appointment of financial administrators by the ARU to the club.

The Force have troubled themselves to find a major sponsor to replace Emirates after the clubs first and major sponsor finally pulled the plug after the 2013 season.

The Force have failed to attract and retain world-class players. It’s hard to believe that once upon a time the Force boasted a roster that consisted of players like Matt Giteau, Dave Pocock, James O’Connor, Drew Mitchell and Nathan Sharpe.

Now its armoury has been depleted and it seems the Force are back at square one.

There has to be a way forward to resolve these issues. With any problem, you need to identify that there is one before you can fix it.

It is unfair to lampoon the Western Force and offer no support or solution.

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My offer is this – the Force’s backs are against the wall and they need to take a risk.

There is opportunity out of this rut, but it’s going to take a seriously bold move.

The first move starts with appointing the right head coach, a coach who commands the respect of his peers so that world-class players get excited to play under him.

The age of key position players is also a decisive factor that is not on the Force’s side, and will inevitably cause fundamental issues in the near future.

The Force desperately need a world-class coach that will entice talent over to the west, and also develop younger talent into solid Super Rugby players through a comprehensive system.

There is a coach residing in the UK who has been humiliated and embarrassed by the RFU and the international rugby community.

Stuart Lancaster, although tried by his own people and convicted for a shock early exit from the 2015 Rugby World Cup, is a world-class coach. He has coached England to three Six Nations runner ups, holds a decent overall winning percentage as head coach. He also has bragging rights over many of his Northern Hemisphere counterparts for coaching England to a famous win over the All Blacks – an achievement that can’t be understated.

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A desperate coach meets a desperate club, both chasing a similar goal, utilising ruthless tenacity to win and regain much needed respect.

Stuart Lancaster will bring international standards to the playing group, not only limited to the on-field performances but equally to an off-field cultural revamp.

He has displayed terrific player management and was praised for his ability to turn around England’s off field dilemmas after their horror 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign. Lancaster has what it takes to be a successful coach in the Super Rugby competition.

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