Western Force

[SalfordRedsWA]

It will be around 10 years since any professional rugby of any kind will return to Perth when next year the new Super 14 side Force will represent WA.

Now as the Reds struggled with the hughe travelling distances, fluctuating crowds and the politics, wouldnt the new union club follow the paths of the old Western Reds RL club?

Perth does have a 'rugby' following (both codes enjoy same fans) and many South Africans live here, but will they turn out? Talks of crowds around 25000 are expected at Subiaco, but I feel this is overflated.

 

[bayrep]

Wasnt there a lot of similar talk about the Brumbies when they started ? If the Force can come out winning they will attract a strong following. If they nose dive then no matter how much hype they pump into them they will fold.

 

[Copa]

Brumbies are in an area where folk are already quite familiar with the rugby codes. Perth is virgin territory by comparison. Their are gazzillions of ex-pats there though.. shouldn't be a problem.

 

[playdaball]

travelling distances - no problem as it is halfway between NZ and SA
fluctuating crowds - As mentioned ex pats will ensure that crowds are at a decent level
politics - ??

 

[Woods99]

According to the ARU, Perth got the franchise ahead of Melbourne because of community support for the game.

Perth is the most isolated city in the world...it is pretty affluent, and anything is possible there. They do things their own way. I would be pretty confident that they will get behind the Force.

 

[Resident Warrior]

lol you talk like it is a whole different country! I lived in Perth for a few years and even played some Rugby there and from what I saw grassroots and support were decent so I don't thinky they will dive like the Reds.

 

[SalfordRedsWA]

Would a Perth NRL side in a few years get the same kind of support once the confidence is back with the Perth sporting public?

 

[Woods99]

Would a Perth NRL side in a few years get the same kind of support once the confidence is back with the Perth sporting public?

I think that there is a grass roots basis in Perth for rugby union. It has been played there for many years.

A lot of league fans assume that everybody will accept that league is superior to rugby union, if only they have the chance.

In fact, to people brought up on rugby union, attitudes towards league are mixed. Yes, it can be a good entertainment to watch, but if you are brought up on rugby union it has something lacking.

To introduce a totally new code into any place is a difficult job. How many of the Western Reds fans base were actually rugby union fans, happy to watch top-class rugby league because there was no top-class rugby union?

 

[ruggabugga]

Salford City,


When league failed it was an introduced code trying to survive on the good graces of a RUGBY starved WA and the promotional hype of the 'EASTERN states have arrived.' Being at the western extremity of a continent that only played the game in the East did not help.
The super 14 team based in Perth will be half way for many of their competitors and will have supporters from a healthy local competition as well as Saffas, Kiwis and Poms that have made WA their OZ domicile of choice.

Any comparison with Leagues failed Western Reds experiment is misguided. The western force will be just that...A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!
Cheers.

 

[taipan]

whilst I agree that the Force will do well support wise in Perth,it is nonsense for ruggabugga to suugest rugby league was an introduced(recently inferred) code there.It has been in existence in WA for many years prior to the Reds arrival,and the growing popularity of league in that state ,was the prime reason for the Reds being invited into the NRL in the first place.

There are supporters of both rugby codes and there are one code supporters.The one code supporters will not attend the opposition matches regardless.There is room for both codes in WA,despite the blinkered thinking of ruggabugga suggesting otherwise.The Sharks v Warriors game with little publicity proved it.

And rugby league in Perth will be back in the NRL sights in the future.Take it as read,despite the fact that many supporters in WA felt let down.
I still wish the Force good luck,and hope they stick it up the AFL.

 

[Timbo]

Read ruggabugga's sig. He's like the anti-dimitri.

Anyway I think the force will be sucessful as long as they are. Noone wants to support a losing side.

The Reds, if they'd been perservered with, would probably be quite a successful outfit today.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

It will be around 10 years since any professional rugby of any kind will return to Perth when next year the new Super 14 side Force will represent WA.

Now as the Reds struggled with the hughe travelling distances, fluctuating crowds and the politics, wouldnt the new union club follow the paths of the old Western Reds RL club?

Perth does have a 'rugby' following (both codes enjoy same fans) and many South Africans live here, but will they turn out? Talks of crowds around 25000 are expected at Subiaco, but I feel this is overflated.

There more rugby union clubs and supporters in Perth than league . I went to watch a pre season game in Subiaco between the Brumbies and Hurricanes a couple of years ago and there were close to 30,000 fans there .

 

[taipan]

There are so many South Africans living in Perth,it doesnt surprise me.I also remember a Parramatta game attracting over 28,000 some years back.The supporters will follow a team,provided it is not a continual loser.
There are many from NZ,England and East Coast Oz living in Perth all codes would get support for a profile team.

 

[SalfordRedsWA]

I think that there is a grass roots basis in Perth for rugby union. It has been played there for many years.

A lot of league fans assume that everybody will accept that league is superior to rugby union, if only they have the chance.

In fact, to people brought up on rugby union, attitudes towards league are mixed. Yes, it can be a good entertainment to watch, but if you are brought up on rugby union it has something lacking.

To introduce a totally new code into any place is a difficult job. How many of the Western Reds fans base were actually rugby union fans, happy to watch top-class rugby league because there was no top-class rugby union?

But unless you live here, you wont understand that most 'rugby' fans follow both codes, even some Sth Africans.

 

[SalfordRedsWA]

Salford City,


When league failed it was an introduced code trying to survive on the good graces of a RUGBY starved WA and the promotional hype of the 'EASTERN states have arrived.' Being at the western extremity of a continent that only played the game in the East did not help.
The super 14 team based in Perth will be half way for many of their competitors and will have supporters from a healthy local competition as well as Saffas, Kiwis and Poms that have made WA their OZ domicile of choice.

Any comparison with Leagues failed Western Reds experiment is misguided. The western force will be just that...A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!
Cheers.

Sorry mate, but you are talking 100% human phaeces.
RL has been in WA since the 1940's so you are wrong there for a start. There has been a local competition playing League ever since union clubs switched to League, the 1st one being Fremantle.

The West Force is built on hype so far, and many free tickets will be given away.

 

[bayrep]

SFCred what product isn't sold on hype before its release date ? Good on them for getting the hype going if it gets a few people along that wouldn't normally go then its done its job. League to its detriment doesn't do enough of it except at Origin level where it doesn't need it but they hype the crap out of that.

 

[ruggabugga]

Folks,

Why are you so defensive about the failure of League in the West. Does the imminent success of RUGBY threaten your security so?

 

[taipan]

Not a case of being defensive :lol: about league in the West,the plug was pulled due to the SL saga.Junior numbers are up 11% (the 2004 figures on previous yr 03),just as they are in the Nthn territory ,the city will be revisited down the line.

Its a slowly slowly approach(as stated the game has been there for decades),just as it had been in Wales let go and is now going gangbusters in that country.The NRL is doing a good job of establishing RUGBY with 16 teams (now adding the Gold Coast) on the East coast with over70% of the country's population first and foremost.