THE WESTERN FORCE'S FIVE MAIN TALKING TOPICS FOR SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC 2026

Preparations for the Super Rugby Pacific season, which begins in mid-February, will start swiftly because Australian players will only have two weeks off after the holidays. Before the 2026 season begins, let's take a close look at all the talking points for the Australian Super Rugby teams.

1. A golden anniversary separated by six matches

As the ultimate measure of performance, the Western Force's ninth-place result in the 2025 Super Rugby season reflects a dismal year. But that ignores how near the Force was to making that elusive finals appearance.

Up until Round 11, the WA team had a berth in the finals. However, following a terrible tour of New Zealand, a significant loss in Fiji, and two losses to the Brumbies and Waratahs, the team dropped five straight games and fell down the table. Because of the structure of Super Rugby, they probably would have won if they had defeated the Hurricanes in Round 10 and the Waratahs in that crucial Round 15 match.

Naturally, the sixth game in question was the first Super Rugby AUS final. An exciting team advanced to a home final, but the Waratahs ruined the celebration in Wanneroo. The Force now appears to be a team prepared for the finals following three years of development under Simon Cron and his staff, which added to the unfortunate conclusion.

2. Set-piece problems are hopefully a thing of the past

Similar to past seasons at the Force, the collapse of their scrum and set piece was a big factor in the surrender at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

Harry Hoopert, Atu Moli, Bo Abra, and, in 2025, Harry Johnson-Holmes are just a few of the players the WA team has lost to lengthy sidelines over the past few years. As a result, the Force had to rely on short-term contracts to cover the void. Although they found several talented players, such as Ryan Coxon, they were ultimately unable to compete with the complete Wallaby and All Black front rows.

On the set-piece front, though, the 2025 season wasn't all bad news. Under the leadership of Darcy Swain and Jeremy Williams, the Force lineout developed into one of the strongest in the competition (and the best defensive club lineout globally), and the maul produced excellent results, with Carlo Tizzano leading the competition in tries.

With two reliable international hookers in Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Nic Dolly, the Force has shifted their attention to strengthening their prop depth, and what it has discovered should be sufficient to maintain the scrum's strength.

A fit Johnson-Holmes will join Wallaby incumbent Tom Robertson, and Marley Pearce, a local from Washington, is proving to be a terrific long-term addition to the team. To bolster their prop stocks, the Force signed 85-capped former Reds prop Sef Fa'agase and Tongan international Feao Fotuaika, who just finished a season with the Brumbies. Both additions are expected to establish their worth at the conclusion of the season.

The Force's set piece is about to undergo a significant makeover with Craig Dunlea as their new forward coach.

3. Recruitment making and breaking the season

The Force has been working hard to recruit more depth in addition to the front row, bringing in both young talent and foreign players.

All Black George Bridge and Los Pumas stars Franco Molina and Agustin Moyano are the main attraction, adding to the already extensive network of Argentine performers in the capital of Western Australia.

In addition, Wallaby and Sevens standout Darby Lancaster, former Highlanders scrum-half Nathan Hastie, who was born in Perth before relocating to New Zealand as a teenager, and Boston Fakafanua, a promising academy potential, are joining full-time. With 17 players with international experience available for selection—ten of them are incumbents in their respective national teams—the results provide the Force with international alternatives in every position.

That's before you consider players like Kurtley Beale and several young talent that flourished in Super Rugby AUS, including Player of the Tournament Max Burey, Henry Robertson, and Vaiolini Ekuasi. There is no lack of quality on a team like this, which only increases the pressure to earn a spot in the first finals.

4. Ideal travel set-up 

The Force's attraction has always been difficult because of their close closeness, carrying over a star-aligning vibe into 2026. However, dividing the travel into blocks is the only option if you are one of the teams that travel the most. The draw offers plenty of that in that regard.

Even if they are playing two challenging teams, the Brumbies and the Blues, consecutive home games to start the season are excellent. In 2023, the Force pushed the Highlanders, Blues, and Hurricanes close in back-to-back weeks. While an early three-week journey to New Zealand as a single block presents challenges, it also offers opportunities: the team can connect on the road and have minimal travel.

After their byes, they have four difficult games, including home games against both finals and visits to Brisbane and Fiji. It would be important to win one of these four matches. However, the Force will have away games against the Waratahs and Brumbies following their second bye, minimising travel on Australia's east coast.

Simon Cron's team has a great chance to finish the season with three straight home games and earn a spot in their first final in front of their home crowd.

5. All in for coach Simon Cron

There has been a lot of change in the team throughout Simon Cron's four years as coach in the West.

With a focus on creating a multicultural club that reflects the melting pot that is Western Australia, and where more players see the Force as a desirable club to develop their game, Cron has leaned into the history made over the past few decades while leading a team that is rebounding after several years in the wilderness.

Cron and the entire Western Force team have performed admirably in this regard, and the Force is now a crucial component of the Australian rugby scene. The most difficult task for him now is to use all of those outcomes to secure that elusive maiden finals berth, which is the next crucial step in completing his influence.