How the West was won

Great article, very accurate. Thank you

Football is the second sport not Rugby. If League ever decides to put a team in WA they will see more popularity than Union.

I don’t think anyone, not even RA, can argue that the decision to axed the Force was correct. The evidence to the contrary is just overwhelming! RA stuffed up and has the obligation to put WA Rugby in the same position we would have been if RA did not make this STUPID decision to betray us: - Select a Chairman that is able to develop a inclusive vision - Clyne has already overstayed his welcome - WA Rugby signed long term leases for Rugby WA Headquarters and HBF-stadium based on RA assurances for long term support of the Force (the latest from Pulver just a few months before he voted to axe us). Twiggy took over some of these obligations, however Rugby WA is still $1 million a year short. Surely as your Chairman stated that RA saved $14 million per year from axing the Force, RA can comfortably take on this obligation. How is it is fair or good for rugby participation to expect the amateur registration fees to cover this expense? - treat our players, officials and coaches the same way your treat any other professional rugby franchise in Australian - there is no reason to exclude us when the coaches meet. Also hand back our representative at the RA Board so that we have the same representation as any other professional rugby franchise in Australia - proof that there is a pathway to the Wallabies for players that decide to play their rugby in WA by consider Force players for the Wallabies - we have a pretty good #9 and #10 that deserves a closer look... We do not want sympathy from Castle, we want concrete action to rectify RA betrayal and mistake. If you are not prepared to reinstate the Force, the least you can do is to assist GRR and Twiggy and to stop being a party pooper. A successful GRR is in Australia’s interest as an alternative to Superugby.

Maybe get the Boks or England to play the AB if RA remains the barrier. I think they already contracted the non-Sydney Bledisloe tests and Lions to Melbourne as part of the deal to “rescue” the Rebels.

Clyne travelling beyond the Nullabor?Has he ever demonstrated the capacity to even think that far. I am glad those responsible for the Force fiasco stayed in Sydney as not even Waugh or Castle, that were not part of that decision, deserved to be hosted by the WA rugby community that RA betrayed.

Just got back to Adelaide after a terrific weekend in Perth. Terrific atmosphere in the build up and on game day. Friday night City bars and pubs full of Black jumpers. Lots of locals wondering what the big deal was ( I actually got asked in a shop who was playing). Saturday we checked out Crown towers and the casino and same again it was black jumpers everywhere. Great stadium and great atmosphere. After the game, the Kiwi supporters in my hotel where very humble and congratulated us on the win. Even scored a couple of beers from them. All in all a great ( but expensive ) weekend. Can't wait til next year

I was thinking more last weekend, if Melbourne is going to be the future. Not so good if all the larger stadia are out of bounds.

Agreed and excellent point. Personally I take a view that post 2020, RA should walk away from Super Rugby (Australians hate to lose every year), focus everything on NRC or what ever it evolves into. Let Wallabies play overseas and have someone else pick up the salary bill (French / English / Japanese clubs) and spend the money saved on grass roots. Get the game onto FTA TV, which would work financially if you don't have to pay huge salaries and get tribalism back into Rugby. Then work out a way to get regular tours from the big name teams (Ireland, England, NZ, RSA, BIL) and use those to drive cash flows through big stadiums nationally - Optus / MCG or Marvel / Suncorp / whatever stadium NSW hasn't demolished. Ten-twelve year plan to rebuild playing & coaching stocks & quality to the level we can tell players that to play for the national team they have to play in country. My 2c worth.

The Tests against France and Wales weren't sellouts when held at Ethiad - Wales drew 33,000 in 2012, the BIL drew 53,000 (capacity) a year later. France drew 27,000 in 2014. Quite why games like BIL, England and Ireland weren't switched to statiums with higher capacity I don't know. Especially given AAMI park's turf was a disaster prior to and during the England test. The community gossip is simply the the AFL locked up the use of the MCG & Ethiad in some way. I have no idea of the truth of that and maybe there are other reasons - cost, lack of planning ...

That is what I don't understand...having put their eggs in the Melbourne basket, why not do everything possible to maximise profile? Would have thought the MCG would have made far more sense, even as a money making proposition.

What the weekend has done is to reignite the support for the Wallabies in WA. It has done nothing to improve the relationship between Rugby (East Coast) Australia and the third largest rugby community in Australia. That will require a lot more work and a new Chairman. Declyne must go. A good start would be a public statement acknowledging how brilliant the last week has been and that there will definitely be another Bledisloe in Perth.

Interesting bookend, isn't it. That game in 2005 would have been after the Force was announced, with 17500 at the same fixture in 2017 just as the Force's demise was confirmed. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens if they do it again.

That's not entirely true Hoges. AAMI Park (32,000) was sold out for the BIL, England and Ireland in recent years and I have no doubt that it would be filled if the AB's played there and probably RA could have filled Ethiad (55,000) at the time. Yes I know there were big travelling supporter contingents, but from the look of it, 1/3 of the support at Optus Stadium was AB supporters (locals no doubt but the point remains). Remember that whilst 60,000 turned up to watch the ABs in Perth, 98,000 filled the MCG to watch the last Bledisloe Cup match played there, so for the right product people will turn up. Regrettably, Fiji, Wales, France, Scotland just haven't been enough of a draw to get the crowds in. Los Pumas play great Rugby but we see them every year so not entirely surprised we can't draw a bigger crowd. The more important question is what needs to change in Australia to get the crowds back in all States to leverage the desire for Rugby.

There is no reason for it to be a one time deal though. I think the previous highest attendance in WA for a Union test was Subiaco Oval in 2005 - capacity crowd of 43,000 and a game I took my kids to. Supporters turn up to watch top teams and I have no doubt that if the Boks and the Wallabies played at Optus stadium next year the result would be a sell out again. Mind you I also recall the Wallabies paying playing the Boks in Perth is like an away game.

My thoughts on the non-appearance of Clyne' 1. Does he know that there is a Qantas lounge at Perth Airport? 2. Does he know how to get to Perth - He seems to get lost after getting to Adelaide? 3. Is he allowed to come to Perth - I suspect that the Board knows it won't be a happy ending Actually when was the last time he came to Perth as Chairman?

When Twiggy was addressing the crowd on Friday night, after the Force vs Malaysian Valke game, he twice referred to his good friend, the Chairman of NZ Rugby, which intrigued me. Was Twiggy dropping a hint about something? I saw a happy selfie picture on Facebook of Twiggy, with the NZ Chairman, Raelene Castle and Phil Waugh. No sign of the Chairman of RA or even the vice-Chairman during the whole weekend. Did they even make the trip to Perth? Perhaps they will make it to Auckland, hoping to get into some of the pictures with the Bledisloe, if the Wallabies win.

I suspect there might have been a serious appetite to see the All Blacks and a recognition that it was almost certainly a one time ever deal, but further than that might be a stretch. I'd certainly be very cautious of thinking it meant anything had changed between them and RA, in either direction.

Great to see RA with egg on their faces. They can’t sell out a stadium in Qld, Nsw or Vic but do so in Perth (doubling the crowd size for the Brissy test) and outsold a State of Origin match played at the same venue. If there was any doubt at all over the axing of the Force this proves beyond any doubt that the decision was straight out wrong. WA Rugby is strong and more support was offered to the Force Australian Rugby may have ended up stronger over-all.

Enjoyed the article - thanks. The win will paper over the cracks. Agree that a tremendous opportunity is being lost in WA. I understand the financial arguments that were being made by RA and the suspicion of Forrest, who came very late to the party with an offer that had serious issues for RA. However, I have wondered whether Melbourne really does have the commercial positives (some of which were about size of TV audience) alleged. My own experience of visiting both Perth and Melbourne was that, as you say, the game had a real prospect of embedding itself as a genuine 2nd winter code. The Force were basically one high class prop and a really good fly-half short of being a very strong side for much of their time. My observation was also that they may have a more effective team culture than Melbourne. I would love to see the Force come back but I can't see it in even the medium term, sadly. Maybe WA should secede and get a side in at both provincial and international level!

Thanks, I enjoyed this.