Super Rugby Radar: Hot Rodda a huge in for rising Western Force

I reckon he does. Lopeti is already qualified for backrow. Coleman/Sita for second row could be amazing.

Cheers. Thrush is getting old but he’s awesome. Timani would’ve done ok as a wallaby last year. If he’s in form does toutai give him a call?

If the other two are Rodda/McCauley then I think the lineout is covered. Extra grunt seems right to me.

I thought Ollie Callan was a 7. Is Kuenzle a 10,12 or 15? Can Fines pass? Genuine question. I remember him as a great runner but haven't paid any attention to this passing ability. Godwin covered 13 pretty and surely Kahui is not going to play every game so be interesting if Mataele can play 13. Is Tapine good enough to start?

Hi Jez, you'd go Timani over Thrush for the strong old guy lock? Timani has looked like he's aged pretty well and I love his power but Thrush is a smart guy with leadership. Does Pasitoa start at 10? At this stage he has more upside than McIntyre but Pasitoa is pretty young.

I reckon we get the Rebels next week and he’s building up to the Brumbies and Reds closer to season kick off. Some would say (not me but some) that he’s saving the best for last.

G’day Matt. Interesting column. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say there was only one other side playing in Aus. No respect or even recognition of last season’s SRAU winners?

Thanks for the update Matt. Was really looking forward to this season at the NIB, but knew Skid would find a way to stuff up the Force fixtures. Call me a pessimist, but I think it'll be an entire away season again. Happy to be wrong.

Cheers FF. Expect Tom R will stay loose then and Medrano/Holmes covering tight until guys are back. Can see Rodda/McCauley/Timani making a good locking trio. Lee-Warner/Koteka/Anstee/Callan a very nice backrow group. Thrush and Stander are brilliant if they are the type of guys struggling to crack the 23.

Angus Wagner suffered a hamstring injury during pre-season and has had surgery to hasten recovery. Bo Abra is recovering from a lower leg/foot injury so don't expect to see him early in the season. Expect Ryan McCauley to step up this year after his off-season time with Exeter. He's looking good in pre-season. Anstee will NEVER be a 7 (Koteka or Callan). In the mix at 6/8 this year. Expect to see FLW play more at 6 than 4/5.

Yeah, generally some pretty interesting choices in that proposed team, I've added some others to think about for each position 15. Reece Tapine Not a bad choice, but both Jack McGregor and Jake Strachan would be reasonably miffed 14. Daniel Ala or Byron Ralston, Toni Pulu, both of whom are damaging ball runners 13. Richard Kahui I wouldn't be surprised to see Manasa Mataele line up here to make room for either Pulu or Ralston to play 11 12. Kyle Godwin this is pretty much a lock 11. Manasa Mataele Yes, sure he'll be on the team but will he play on the wing or in the centres? 10. Reesjan Pasitoa I would suggest he's in the box seat to get a start, but there's also Bailey Kuenzle or maybe even Ian Prior (who has played 10 before) It's also interesting to see them list Jack McGregor and Jake Strachan as flyhalves on their team list when they've been dueling over fullback for two seasons there'll be some serious battles for the 10 jersey at training and anyone might turn up in the starting jersey for game 1 9. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa I mean, yeah, I'd pick him, but Ian Prior is the beating heart of this team and makes everybody around him play better so it isn't impossible that Prior will get minutes. Keep an eye out for Mick McDonald as well, kid looks sharp! 8. Brynard Stander WOW, tough position to pick. WA has been a factory for backrowers since David Pocock showed his face as a 17 year old. Stander is startign to show his age and while he's a great player and an example to others, we have Ollie Callan who represented himself very well against the 'Saders there is also the conundrum of what to do with Tim Anstee and Fergus Lee-Warner (see the other backrow positions for further discussion) 7. Tim Anstee Look, Tim's a great player, but a 7 he isn't Expect to see him played as the agile 6 when we don't need to worry about the lineout too much, perhaps a light 8 and I've even seen him play lock in a pinch. Kane Koteka is about the only 7 in the squad who is up to Western Force backrower standards and he'll play a LOT of minutes. 6. Sitaleki Timani Nope, just seriously no. Sita is 100% lock for the Force and won't get a lot of time in 6 with both Tim Anstee and Fergus Lee-Warner in the squad. my gut says Fergus for the start, but it depends how Tim has bulked up in the off season with 100% commitment to 15s 5. Jeremy Thrush both Thrushie and Kahui have started their journey into coaching with their current contracts and I'd expect them to spend a lot more time passing on their knowledge than actually suiting up. In an emergency sure Thrush is a luzury, but I'd expect Sita Timani to take the 5 with potentially a look at McAuley or Lee-Warner depending upon how the coaches see the balance of the team Paul Tito is doing forwards, so I reckon we might see a lot of tall, abrasive men in the team (Rodda 4, TImani 5, Lee Warner 6) 4. Izack Rodda Bet your house on this 3. Santiago Medrano Not really a question in my mind, I don't see any other recognised tighthead in the squad but maybe Tom or Angus Wagner are being shifted. It doesn't look like playing tighthead would do Robbo's chance of playing for the Wallabies any harm either. 2. Feliti Kaitu’u lock it in Eddie 1. Tom Robertson Ditto Signing of the year - Mark Ozich

Grade A pack will provide reliable success at set piece. Most combinations are in their 2nd year, Anstee will only improve and FLW is WBs quality 6. Although we've got old heads of Kahui and Godwin to help all the new faces settle in, the backs are going to have find their feet pretty quickly to keep their shape. All in all, bar Rodda we're still a star team rather than a team of stars, just how I like it.

A much bigger change in 2022 at the Force than players is the new coaching team. Three new Kiwi assistant coaches i.e. Ozich, Tito and Goodman signed by fairly new Kiwi CEO Tony Lewis. https://www.rugby.com.au/news/western-force-shore-up-coaching-staff-with-two-key-additions-2021913 I have liked the attitude, talk and plans of the CEO Tony Lewis, so I am hoping he has picked the very best up and coming assistant coaches out of NZ to help turn the Force into a real force.

I think Tapine is primarily a centre. Would have thought McGregor, Strachan even Pasitoa more likely at FB.

I think Rodda will be a good fit here, he seems abrasive and happy to mix it up. We seem to prefer gutter fighting types than super stars over here, I think it's the Matt Hodgson factor. He'll be popular with the louts in The Shed

A good lineup Markus, a good mixture youth and experience with genuine game breakers.

Agree, can't say I know much about Tapine but I'd have thought McGregor has earned first crack at 15.

Reckon that's a lot closer. Suspect Wagner probably still in front of Abra. Question maybe whether the experiment with Robertson to switch back to TH continues and we see Holmes in more of a guidance role. Think Ryan McCauley will likely be in there for one of the older locks and that Mataele will start - don't think someone that played 7 matches for the Crusaders last year winds up on the bench. Hoping Michael McDonald is in the mix as well - really rate him and Prior has probably had his time. Strachan probably somewhere in the mix as well.

Thanks Matt, Really looking forward to the season. What I'm liking is that all the Aussie teams seem to have stronger more experienced squads this year, something the Kiwis potentially don't. Wether that translates into wins or not remains to be seen but it's a step in the right direction. I'm predicting four Aussie teams in the finals, occupying the last four spots. I think that would be a big win for us.

Looks a better line up than the one listed, sorry Matt.