Nic Stirzaker finds himself a new (temporary) home

Sounding a little desperate there Realist and rightly so What will you say when the Force refugees have elevated your side to a reasonable table position and you still aren't pulling crowds? How will you justify the killing of a more established team to throw more money at your side, while Melbournians flock to one off boat races and camel wrestling, but won't show up regularly for the Rebels?

Game set and match unless you consider that it doesn’t state one quarter of that money is going to the Rebels. Secondly if you also fail to consider that all tests are not equal. A Bledisloe Cup or BIL Test is worth around $5M it would seem. Of which there are only 2. The other 4 tests are not premium tests. How much did the ACT and WA governments pay to host the 2017 tests? Did they even pay anything? It’s very likely that $14M could be a good deal given it’s for 2 premium tests and the. 4 lower drawing tests.

It doesn’t say a helluva lot about how the rest of the country viewed the Force. The Western Force are a cautionary tale about a professional sporting team which didn’t place enough emphasis on success nor desire to be respected through effort or style. Stop sooking and ‘GET BEHIND THE REBELS !!’

You nailed it - game, set, match. Fudge those facts apologists- Clyne is so bent he could hide behind a corkscrew.

BTW - Melbourne is so mad about their rugby that they didn't even include it in their paid advertisment specifically advocating how great their sport is - it's apparently behind boat racing in importance http://www.news.com.au/features/v3/nlmd-1898/an-experts-guide-to-melbournes-summer-of-sport/index.html?mvt=i&mvn=9e081a3010994769af713226e76d9193&mvp=NA-NCAMANA-11238959&mvl=Key-1%7C1+Size-3x3+%5BHomepage+Mid+Rail+%5D

It is the norm today that the state government needs to come up with some investment to secure a top international test. For example the WA government paid $5 million to host an All Black vs. Wallaby test at their new stadium as these test attracts visitors, raise the profile of the system and add value to the local economy. The ARU has secured a secretive deal with the VRU and the Rebels that helped "swing the decision the Rebels way" with early media reports mentioning a $20 million figure (that has since severely downgraded with some reports mentioning $14 million) to host 6 tests in Melbourne that include Bledisloe Cup and British and Irish Lions Tests - the crown jewels and big money spinners of Australian rugby! The ARU has not denied any of these media reports by reputable journalist such as SMH's Roy Masters and Australian's Wayne Smith. With Melbourne much bigger than Perth the rugby public should expect that a Bledisloe test in Melbourne attract more state funding than in Perth - and even more money for the a lucrative Bledisloe and Lions test that can showcase Melbourne to the international tourism market! The reports state $14 million for 6 tests over and 8-10 year period of which one-quarter of the funding will go directly to the Rebels. That means that the ARU secure a deal to pay a meagre $1.75 million per test to prop up the Rebels! It is impossible to confirm this figures as all parties including the ARU is hiding behind commercial confidence, however the Australia public should demand answers as the ARU has form to prop up the Rebels with dud deals as the senate enquiry pointed out with the initial Cox deal! Over to a Rugby Australia apologist, TWAS to confuse the issue... Here are two of the articles to read for those that are interested: - http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/massive-deal-to-bring-annual-rugby-tests-to-melbourne/news-story/39c80d4ca30242ab3bf2d2a7a11fdd5b http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/the-20-million-deal-that-punted-the-western-force-out-of-super-rugby-20170816-gxxde5.html

True enough TWAS The point of the email in question wasn't (imo) whether they facilitated the deal or not, but simply were they aware it was taking place. The ARU plead ignorance and claimed they were blindsided by the decision - this is obviously not the case if the email is legit (which it would seem to be). Regardless, it's done now - you can all get prepared for the upcoming super season. I guess we'll beg at the ARU table to be thrown an IPRC bone and be grateful like good little Helots

Blah blah blah yes it's all a very easy decision when your own team isn't on the line. Spare us your revisionist logic and made up "facts". Enjoy the players and coaches you have "looted" (as you put it) and the one season of success they may afford you

Now that their recruitment has finalised I agree that they have largely done very well. Earlier on it did seem like they were going very heavy on unproven wingers and that some of the players signed were not quite filling the gap left by a departing player. Other than scrumhalf, hooker is a bit light on but promising, as are fullback (Banks to kick on, hopefully Mack Hansen comes along well) and flyhalf (about as much as any other Australian squad).

Assuming you accept that one root cause as true. An alternate view could be that: Australia has a development structure different from every other Tier 1 country, requiring their SR teams to recruit amateurs and then have a third of their team filled by developing players. Australia’s Super Teams were poor as result. Australia’s Super Teams were struggling to attract or keep fans as a result. Australia’s Super Teams were struggling financially as a result. Australian rugby was struggling as a result. Australia’s Wallabies were struggling as a result. And those in Aus rugby admin might well refuse to acknowledge that because a) the situation is one of their own making, and b) it is a situation they are heavily invested in due to their own backgrounds and the constituencies they represent. In which case the choice was made for them by their own incompetence and that of those that went before them, and they in fact did what was politically palatable rather than address any fundamental issues. Four development programs feeding four teams may well prove to be no improvement over five development programs feeding five teams; what is thin is the development path itself, not the resource pool. In which case all they've actually done is make it narrower still.

Did they really help? There’s supposedly an email, that has never been published in full that has Pulver discussing the terms of the VRU acquiring the licence off Cox. But it’s never shared. Why? Probably because the terms of the deal were Rebels benefactors, coveting Rebels debts to facilitate the transfer. Did the ARU really need to facilitate a a transfer between Rebels benefactors and the current owner? That is totally illogical. These parties would have had a stronger relationship with each other, than with the ARU. More likely it was Pulver reiterating the terms transfer that was going to occur.

Perhaps read the comment again.

Nothing suggests the tests have been sold cheaply. Other than your opinion, which you have not backed up with any sort of support to justify it.

The Rebels financial model is based on the ARU selling tests cheaply tothe Victorian government with the Rebels keeping a 25% share of the money...compared to a Force fan owned club model with a billionaire's backing. The Rebels is the franchise that created the problem and that continued to suck the ARU dry - however the ARU did everything in their power to keep them at the cost of the Force. Clyne, Eales and mates needs to follow Pulver out of the door..... The Rebels will continue to do what it does best, bankrupt the ARU .... And you deserve it. WA needs to go alone, there is no future for us in Australian rugby!

Mmm. The other reason was incompetence! When they figured out that the Force is sustainable with a better business model than the Rebels they already decided to cut it! ARU did not do their homework and refused to speak to Twiggy before they made a decision! The whole selection of the team to axe was BS. SARU is an organization that is not the benchmark for competence but look how much better they handled a far more difficult situation than the ARU. The solution was obvious: you should not have agreed to cut a team and if you do a merger made more sense than alienate a state that have 20% of your players. The ARU is a disgusting organization and the people that where in charge during this fiasco shouls go now. Clyne, Eales and kie Time to go!

Heard the ARU do their best to delay or kill it!

What metrics is The Rebels better than the Force in 2017? The ARU helped them to own their license, while the ARU tricked the Force to give up theirs! Disrespectful disgusting organisation lead by dishonorable people!

Mmmmm...you have no idea with what disrespect and lies Pulver, Clyne and the ARU treated the force and their fans. They dropped us not us them. I have turned my bck on the Wallabies until the ARU has a management that can be respected and act in the national interest and reinstate Western Australia - the state with the 3 rd most players in Australia and the with queensland the most female player. It was a shortsighted and dumb decisions to drop the Force as rugby was securing a second spot to AFL in WA. In No other state has rugby the ability to get to second. The could have merged the Rebels and Force and maintained WA supporters however they was deadset to alienate WA. Why? It was not done on purpose, it was done through incompetence! Mmmm.... we need a new ARU Board! Clyne, Eales and mates must go so that rugby can move forward.

All teams have been financial basket cases for years basically relying on Wallabies subsidising them and pre-2010 cash reserves. WA is the least lucrative Wallaby market based on attendances on TV ratings, the Force the least rated team of ours and the Force the only team who didn’t own their licence. You have to look past Force vs Rebels because it’s really Perth vs Melbourne. There’s some metrics where Perth/WA is ahead, but seemingly wholistically, keeping Melbourne was easier to manage going forward than cutting Melbourne and keeping Perth instead.

Why rightly? Especially when they couldn’t compel either team to agree to this.