In light of the news SANZAAR prefer a 15-team Super Rugby format, the Western Force are being heavily viewed as the team most likely to be axed.
A meeting will be held on April 6 to decide the fate of the Force, with there still being a possibility the Brumbies, Rebels or two South African teams could be scrapped instead.
But why are the Force being looked at in this way? Are they just an easy target?
Over their 11 season history, the Force have finished in the bottom three of Super Rugby on six occasions, and have never reached the finals. Ugly reading from a numbers perspective.
They have however produced multiple Wallabies and have a strong youth setup in place. Former Western Force stars include Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, James O’Connor, Nathan Sharpe, David Pocock and the ‘Honey Badger’ Nick Cummins.
The 2017 squad even includes current Wallabies Dane Haylett-Petty and Adam Coleman.
This isn’t to mention some of Australia’s best young talent have come through WA rugby, namely Kyle Godwin, Luke Burton, Ross Haylett-Petty and Nick Jooste.
The problem with the Force is holding onto these players, and being able to offer young talent the same opportunities the Eastern States sides can. Of that group of youngsters, Godwin and Jooste have already been snatched away from Western Australia rugby and now both ply their trade for the Brumbies.
This leads us to whether Super Rugby would be a success if you took away a team from a major Australian city.
Could you take away a team from Canberra?
Probably not. Plus the Brumbies are Australia’s most successful side.
Could you take away a team from Melbourne?
Well there wasn’t a team in Melbourne until the inception of the Rebels before the 2011 season. But as the newest Australian team who have the backing of the Victorian Government, all things sway towards them staying put.
Could you take away a team from Perth?
Yes.
Here’s why.
Unfortunately for Western Australia they are the easy state to pick on when it comes to rugby. They have a below average Super Rugby side, and do not have a team that competes in the NRL.
The team has been on a downward spiral in recent years, highlighted by the sponsorship embarrassment of 2016. After main sponsor Emirates decided to walk away from the Force, no suitor could be found, leaving players with a different sponsor on each shirt.
No one can say they didn’t see this day coming.
This lack of rugby support and basic organisation, coupled with SAANZAR’s preference of a 15-team model makes the Force a prime candidate to be axed.
In an ideal world we would revert back to the 15-team model, while having five representatives from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The likelihood of this happening though is very slim, and in a little over a week, the future of the Force might be sealed.
piru
Roar Rookie
Will take your word I just looked halfway between on the map
AndyS
Guest
And yes, so bad at their jobs that they are having to reverse a previous decision. By definition one or the other must be a bad decision, which implies they can't tell the difference. So there is every chance they are making a bad decision based on short term considerations and negating a good long term decision.
Agent11
Guest
Don't the Swans get all there games shown on 7mate in sydney and yet their tv audience has barely grown in 2 decades. They also get far more promotion in sydney than the Storm do in Melbourne. Maybe the game of aussie rules is growing in Sydney but it is happening at a snails pace.
AndyS
Guest
No, they are that bad at their jobs that they have allowed this situation to develop over a long time through their ineptitude and self-interest. And now they are trying to tell everyone that they are doing the best thing...the equivalent of driving straight at a wall, then telling your passengers that it would be best to hit it straight on rather than side on. And also yes, they are so bad at their jobs that this might be another in a long line of decisions made on poor understanding and wishful thinking that will produce a poor outcome for Australian rugby rather than an improvement. By definition, if this is a good decision, it can only be correcting bad ones. So how do you tell them apart...it could easily be the other way around and this a bad short term decision undoing a good long term decision.
Republican
Guest
....indeed, isn't that the issue, i.e. all Ozzie sides are mediocre. It is moot as to whether this would improve the quality of sides, by simply cutting one. Cutting two may make an impression however. This is Eddie Jones's solution.
piru
Roar Rookie
Meanwhile another two new Perth products getting a bench spot this week in Rangi and Vui
Republican
Guest
......mostly Kiwis watch the Bledisloe, both expats and those who travel across the ditch. This contest holds absolutely no interest with Australians, bar the die hard Union sub culture. Better for NZ and ourselves, to explore alternative contests that are respectively competitive.
Republican
Guest
......Albury - Wodonga actually Piru........
John R
Roar Guru
Correct. Poey and JOC were both plucked out of Brisbane schoolboys. And Cummins was taken from Randwick / 7's.
piru
Roar Rookie
Pocock was not an established player - he was only 18 when he made his debut for the Force Mitchell was on the outer with the East Coast teams The Honeybadger was discovered in Perth Your repeated assertion that we have the worst financials, worst crowds and least potential (I'd be interested to see what you've based that subjective statement on) is incorrect. You've been corrected on this more than once so we can assume you either don't understand or are deliberately spreading misinformation.
Robert Dehoy
Guest
TWAS has pointed out on another post that the guys not getting a game will look elsewhere. Therefore a reduction from 5 to 4 teams does not automatically mean the remaining 4 teams will be stronger.
Robert Dehoy
Guest
I wonder what happens to the planned Bledisloe in Perth if the Force are cut? That would be the ultimate irony if it goes ahead. We are cutting your team....but here's a Bledisloe to promote the game? Just another bizzare act from the ARU.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
Peter, While you are correct regarding Giteau and Sharpe, Mitchell had a single cap before moving to the Force, and O'Connor, Pocock and Cummins all got their starts in Super Rugby with the Force. They were certainly not established players when they moved to the Force. Over their 11 years, the Force have created 18 international players, so ~1.5 a season. And as I pointed out to you on another thread, the Force in no way have the worst financials, crowds, and potential. Please stop repeating a lie.
clipper
Guest
The test will be if they struggle and finish down the bottom for a number of years. Having a team that always finishes near the top (like the Swans) means you're going to have a lot more casual fans than a struggling team, like the Force. Even so, the Storm still haven't overtaken even the worst performing AFL side down in Melbourne.
Peter Hughes
Guest
Hey Ed You article is inaccurate imo. Force did not produce Wallabies Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, James O’Connor, Nathan Sharpe, David Pocock and Nick Cummins, They were all established players from other areas who moved to the Force later. And Force are the easy targets now because they are the team with.....the worst financials, the worst crowds, the worst TV ratings and the least potential. They are the obvious team to go for very good reasons if 1 has to be removed.
Hello Everybody.
Guest
Oh dear. Havnt you heard? Its all to hurt rugby in Aus. The ARU are that bad at their jobs that theyre actually chosing to do something that hurts rugby in Aus. Se what I did there?
Justin Kearney
Roar Rookie
Kirky perth has a league comp with 3 senior grades down to under 6s. Also has two country comps. Total players 3000. Union is much stronger with 100 senior teams across wa. You can thank the force for that. Watch it change once the force go if and its a big if the nrl jumps in.
Justin Kearney
Roar Rookie
Well said sydneysider. The nrl will invest in wa but it wont be for another 3 years unfortunately. The death of the force if it happens is a disaster. Watched them play canterbury many years ago in perth in front of about 24000 fans. A great night and its hard to believe what has happened since. The nrl has to take advantage of this but losing the force is very very sad.
davSA
Guest
And No SA side is going either .
sheek
Roar Guru
No Aussie province to be culled, not one! Pass the ammo..........