Nic White claimed last week that Super Rugby has ‘stitched up’ the Force’s season, with plenty of long flights and travel making them feel like they ‘are the last thought of’ – but his final comments said a lot about how the Force plan to go about the 2025 season.
“Give us that title of underdogs and write us off,” said White.
“We’ll go about our work over here and hopefully surprise some people.”
Calling it like it is, much of the discourse in Australia has been how dangerous the other three Super Rugby sides look – and while many pundits acknowledge the Force’s squad looks much stronger than previous years, how many among them – or in New Zealand, for that matter – consider the West a genuine contender for finals or a title?
The Western Force had a disappointing 2024. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The Force has been in a process of transition since their permanent return to the competition in 2022, effectively starting at an NRC side-level. Depth and consistency were their Achilles heel – which frankly has been the case their entire history. So many great players coming through the doors of their Floreat headquarters, yet they struggle to keep a core group and be consistent year to year.
Sure, the club always has had players who give everything they have – and that is no further indicated than the rock-solid support from their fanbase, the Sea of Blue – but squad stability matters in professional rugby, and it is something the Force has always struggled with.
Following Tim Sampson’s departure in 2022, coach Simon Cron brought in a mammoth 27 players for the 2023 season and it yielded promising results – the side built an imposing record at home and came within three points of making finals.
However, 2024 saw the wheels come off quickly. Right at the start of the season, the side was hit with an injury crisis, especially in the forwards – and it showed with the Force losing their first four games, and having a tough time in the scrum.
Cron resorted to signing some emergency short-term contracts, and he found some good players in Tasman prop Ryan Coxon and Wallaby veteran Kurtley Beale.
However, the side’s attack structures were simply not up to the task. They finished the 2024 season with the second worst-attack in the competition and were the worst in the competition for number of carries (1,342), defenders beaten (206) and offloads (just 71).
They were a side that struggled to hold onto the ball, and when they had it, couldn’t do a lot with it. These were the same issues that plagued previous Force squads, all over again. Depth, week-to-week match consistency, and squad stability. Cue, another 15 players departing the club at the end of the season.
It was a humbling season for Cron, and it places even more pressure on the 2025 season, his third year at the helm. The off-season has been a busy time, with addressing the depth issues that de-railed 2024 a clear priority.
For a side that is regarded as the ‘weakest’ of the Australian teams, you wouldn’t think so based on the squad. Cron and the Force have assembled an impressive roster – with 17 players with international experience at their disposal, and multiple options in every position.
It wasn’t just improving depth – the squad is filled with players who have points to prove and have been very honest about it.
Reed Prinsep. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
From Maori-All Black Reed Prinsep being culled from the Canes to Kurtley Beale and his journey back from obscurity, from Wallabies Dylan Pietsch and Harry Johnson-Holmes departing the Tahs for a club that will give them more game time, to Ben Donaldson, who sits behind Noah Lolesio for the starting Wallaby flyhalf position.
Even Nic Dolly, the former England international, is looking to force his way into Wallaby contention.
The club is filled with people who want to make a statement: not just with the Force, but for themselves as rugby players. It is a brilliant move by Cron to not only build on the identity of a club that has someone from everywhere (like Perth itself) but to select like-minded individuals who embrace the underdog tag – and have extra incentive to do better.
Despite the disappointment of 2024, Joe Schmidt clearly liked what he saw out west, with four players in the Force side making their Wallabies debut – the most notable being captain Jeremy Williams.
Early signs have suggested that not only will depth be less of a problem in 2025, but week-to-week consistency also looks to have improved A successful South African tour yielded wins over the Cheetahs and Western Province XV – but their last-gasp loss to an Emerging Ireland side bodes even better.
With many of their bigger stars missing that tour, final preparations saw an internal trial in Perth, followed by Cron putting a near-full-strength team out in their trial against the Brumbies – with the result seeing the side put away convincingly in the final twenty minutes, suggesting that yet another year of squad turnover and only a few sessions with their new players indicating that the side might be coming into the season severely undercooked.
Cohesion and squad retention need to be addressed if the Force is to progress, and stability remains a major concern – in the event the Force does have a good year, they need to ensure that most of the squad signs on and stays together. A good group promotes a winning culture, results, and eventually titles, which is what the Force needs – and they have a group here that bodes well for the club.
Season run:
Moana Pasifika (H), Brumbies (A), Reds (H), Waratahs (A), Crusaders (A), Drua (H), Reds (A), Highlanders (H), Bye, Hurricanes (H), Chiefs (A), Blues (A), Brumbies (H), Drua (A), Waratahs (H), Bye
White’s complaints of a zig-zagging ‘stitch up’ of a draw does ring true in some respects – being the side that travels the most by far, having most of their season be in a home-away structure will be a significant hindrance.
That being said, the Force has been known to play some of their best rugby when on tour for consecutive weeks, and with two periods of back-to-back away games, this could prove beneficial for the squad’s cohesion.
In addition to staying in Australia for the opening four rounds and starting with several winnable games, the side will also have two home games on either side of the mid-season bye, a valuable extended period at home. It will be sorely needed, with two late-season away trips to face the two best Kiwi sides, then the Drua in Lautoka.
Regardless, even with a home game and bye to end the season, this will be a long year with a lot of travel.
Even with the better squad, the reality is, because all the other Aussie sides have also beefed up (and with fewer finals spots on offer) a finals finish with a draw like this will be a tough assignment for the Force – they must maintain a flawless record at home and pull an upset or two on the road to be in with a chance.
Simon Cron. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The reality is, that the Force falls into a similar position as the Highlanders – an exciting squad and a dark horse for the year that will produce some upsets, but given the other teams in the competition, it will be an uphill battle for Cron to steer the Force to a maiden finals berth in a full Super Rugby competition.
Sure, they have labelled themselves the underdogs and their squad is one of the strongest ever assembled in the West – but in 2025, it might be the most accurate reflection of the side. Then again, that might be exactly how Simon Cron would want his competitors to think.
Prediction: 10th
Nick Wasilievhttps://https://ift.tt/l1J9W8b Rugby Pacific 2025 Preview: Force have embraced underdog tag – but is it the case in defining year for Simon Cron?
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