Australian Rugby Union set to take control of struggling Western Force

THE Australian Rugby Union are set to take over the running of the Western Force in a bid to resolve the Perth club’s long-running financial problems.

Western Force's Ross Haylett-Petty (right) reacts after the Hurricanes score a try during the Round 4 Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and the Western Force at the Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North, New Zealand, Friday, March 18, 2016. (AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

THE Australian Rugby Union are set to take over the running of the Western Force in a bid to resolve the Perth club’s long-running financial problems.

The Daily Telegraph understands negotiations are well advanced for the Force’s administrative business to be folded into the ARU within a month or two.

The Force football program will remain untouched and current CEO Mark Sinderberry will remain in charge of the club on the ground in Perth, but his role will resemble more of a general manager and he will begin to report to a senior executive in the ARU.

Though specifics are yet to be ironed out, some front office Force staff will also remain in Perth under the supervision of ARU managers in Sydney, while other roles will likely be rationalised into the duties of existing ARU staff.

The struggling Force are believed to be a willing participant in the radical move and talks between the club and the ARU have been ongoing since before Christmas.

ARU Bill Pulver is believed to be flying to Perth next week for a series of meetings, including with members the WA government.

The groundbreaking restructure has come off the back of a club-by-club financial analysis by consultants Accenture, which identified a future of ongoing financial woes for the Force under their current model and in a depressed WA economy.

Rugby WA - who run the Force - reported a loss of over $600,000 in 2014 and are set to report an even bigger deficit this year.

In what appeared to be bail out, the ARU paid the Force $800,000 for their intellectual property rights last month. But with the likelihood of further bail outs being needed, the ARU have clearly decided they want oversight of all financial matters.

Western Force players during their round four loss to the Hurricanes.

It is understood the ARU has no intention to involve itself with Michael Foley’s football program but recruitment and footballing expenditure decisions will presumably now have to be signed off by head office.

The restructuring will no doubt stoke fears in the west about their club’s long-term survival, particularly with figures like former Force and Waratahs CEO Greg Harris calling for the Perth club to turn into a second franchise in Western Sydney.

But it is understood the western Sydney idea was recently raised at a meeting of ARU senior officials and the consensus remained firmly that Australian rugby was best served with a national footprint.

THE PRINCE WANT TASTE OF 15-MAN GAME

SEVENS superstar Cameron Clark could be headed to the Waratahs next year.

Known as “The Prince” in sevens circles, Clark will be looking to make a royal transition to Super Rugby next year after fulfilling his dream to compete at the Olympic Games in August.

Clark is easily Australia’s most valuable sevens weapon, but he will also want to prove himself in XVs, and as a Sydney boy the Waratahs would be a comfortable fit.

With backline rookie Andrew Kellaway potentially looking to get a run at another Australian club after limited opportunities so far, a spot could be made for Clark, the son of prominent FoxSports rugby commentator Greg Clark.

Cameron Clark is one of Australia’s best sevens players.

TOMANE’S COLD FEET

SPEAKING of backline stars, Wallabies and Brumbies winger Joe Tomane is having second thoughts about his move to France at the end of the year.

Word is that Tomane is looking to get out of his Montpellier deal which he signed last year.

The shine has apparently worn off the Jake White-run club, with other well-known players having recently fallen out with the coach, who ironically coached Tomane at the Brumbies.

Australia would love to retain “Smokin Joe”, who leads the Super Rugby competition this year in clean line breaks, while he’s ranked third for defenders beaten.

Joe Tomane reportedly wants to stay in Australia.

NODDY SPOTTED WITH TAHS

IT was interesting to see former NRL premiership winner Brett Kimmorley helping out at Waratahs training on Thursday.

The former Kangaroos and NSW Origin halfback spent a lengthy amount of time showing playmakers Kurtley Beale, Bernard Foley and Dave Horwitz passing techniques, while also discussing ideas with the coaching staff. Kimmorley didn’t want to talk about it afterwards though - all top secret stuff.

SLIPPER PROVES RIVALRY’S ALIVE

NO passion in the Queensland-Waratahs derby anymore? How about this for passion.

Queensland captain James Slipper wasn’t due back from pre-season surgery until midway through next month but after the strife torn Reds lost to the Rebels two weeks ago, the Wallabies prop fronted at training and made it known to doctors he would be returning for the Waratahs game.

No doubt in some discomfort, Slipper has since fast-tracked himself through contact work and running fitness, and he’ll line up against the Tahs.

LUCAS STAYS LOYAL

PLAYING behind an experienced and in-form international can be demoralising, but Matt Lucas has declared he is willing to remain at the Waratahs as back-up to Nick Phipps.

After missing out on Super Rugby in 2015, Lucas was all set to move to Italy to continue his career before NSW urged him to remain in Sydney and be their second halfback behind Phipps at the end of last year.

The 24-year-old had led Manly to the Shute Shield final, but had also been in the Waratahs environment in 2014 when he hardly saw any game time.

“I was on the outer a little bit, being involved here in 2014 was great, learning heaps, we won the premiership, but on the other hand when you’re not in the side it’s hard to push your way in when the team’s winning,” Lucas said.

“I didn’t get much footy at all, I had a knee injury so I didn’t play much Shute Shield either, and I just thought I’ve got to go over, develop my game a bit more, take an opportunity overseas and see what comes of it.

“As a result of a decent Shute Shield season I got an opportunity to come back sooner than I’d hoped, and thought I’d jump on it because ultimately this is where I wanted to be, and this is the footy I want to be playing.

“Ultimately I think I can really push my case here, at the moment I’m still getting towards 20 minutes in the couple of games I’ve come off which is pretty good seeing as you’re coming on for the Wallaby No.9.”

LIKE PLAYING ON CONCRETE

WOOLLAHRA Oval is to be transformed into a synthetic pitch, but it will be a cold day in hell before any Australian sevens stars play on it.

The squad returned from the Las Vegas-Vancouver legs of the world series missing significant chunks of skin after the artificial turf at those venues tore them up.

Some felt like they were sliding across concrete.

Originally published as Australian Rugby Union set to take control of struggling Western Force