‘It's not too late’: Western Force don't look like ‘a genuine threat’

After only four rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, the Western Force may already have their backs up against the ropes as they currently sit anchored to the bottom of the table.

Wallaroo Sera Naiqama doesn’t believe the winless Force are “a genuine threat at the moment” following their tough run of four defeats from as many starts.

The Force are eight competition points behind eighth-place Moana Pasifika, and another defeat to the Queensland Reds this week would make their season a whole lot tougher already.

With a tough month ahead which includes home fixtures against the Reds and Crusaders, and trips away to Fiji and Auckland, the Force’s season could still go from bad to worse.

“It’s not late for them to try and crack into that top eight spot,” Sera Naiqama said on Stan Sports’ Rugby Heaven.

“I really question how much hope they have and what’s doing down on the West Coast because it just doesn’t seem like they have any answers for what’s coming.

“I think if there’s time running out it’s about securing a home semi-final but they don’t, to me, look like they’re a genuine threat at the moment.”

With marquee recruits Ben Donaldson and Nic White linking up with the squad during pre-season, there was a sense of intrigue surrounding the Force before the regular season.

But a 30-point defeat to the still-undefeated Hurricanes in the opening round was a tough blow, and a high-scoring defeat to Aussie rivals the Melbourne Rebels followed in Super Round.

Playmaker Ben Donaldson impressed in round three as the men from the western ran up a surprise lead over the Brumbies, but the ACT-based side clawed their way back in the end.

But more recently, a 22-14 defeat to Moana Pasifika may have already dented their finals prospects. The Force are one of two winless sides (the Crusaders) after four rounds.

“They’re a group of hard-working young athletes over there with a search for some identity,” former Wallaby Justin Harrison explained.

“Simon Cron came in and talked immediately about the environment and high-performance environment, and having been over there a few times, you look at that training setup and what they’re doing in Western Australia for rugby, it’s absolutely valid what they’re trying to do.

“This last piece now is them coming through that glass ceiling that they have about winning Super Rugby consistently with an identity.

“They’re tough, they’re working hard, but we want them to get a result – we’re desperate for them to get a result.”

Looking to turn their season around, the Western Force will be up against it in round five when they host the high-flying Reds at Perth’s HBF Park on Saturday evening.