The 2026 Super Rugby AUS season has marked a significant moment for the Western Force with the extended squad facing challenges coming into the season; and for head coach Damian Steele, finishing with a title would mark a line-in-the-sand moment for the club.
Not only have they navigated several players making the jump into the Wallabies squad and training group, but with several players also going over to play in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship, many local club players were called upon to compete this season.
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The result has exposed promising depth: and with trips to Sydney and Brisbane, the side walked away with three wins in the regular season, leading to hosting the grand final this weekend at Scotch College in Swanbourne.
“There's a good calmness and excitement about the group,” Steele said following the team announcement.
“It's obviously a unique opportunity to be in a grand final, and we're encouraging the boys to embrace that.
“We have to start again. It's nil-all when we start. We went with the guys who got the job done [vs the Waratahs], Will Harris and Mac Grealy played for us [but] they didn't train because they were in with the Wallabies all week.”
Another name of note for the Force has been the return of Harry McLaughlan-Phillips for Saturday, who has hit the ground running in the west, his form rewarded with a call-up to the Wallabies wider squad.
While acknowledging the strong form of Ronan Leahy in the period McLaughlan-Phillips was in Wallaby camp, Steele believes it will prove beneficial for the weekend, with the balance between youth and experience in the side delivering dividends all season.
Steele also believes such experience will pay dividends, with many eyes on players who might not have even had the chance to play for the side this season.
“That week in with the Wallabies training at that higher environment is a huge positive for him [McLaughlan-Phillips],” Steele added.
“He's got a spring in his step because he's had a week of training, but no playing. It's been a balance the whole way through for this campaign.
“[Nic] Dolly, [Nathan] Hastie, Kane Koteka, they’ve been there from day one in terms of this campaign. Those guys are Super guys, but they're dropping into a different environment at this point in time.
“We want the value, what they bring in terms of their level, but we also want them to fit into what we're doing now, which is different. They want to contribute. They're not pretending it's the Super [Rugby] season.
“Some of the positives I've identified a couple of times this week… James [O’Connor] couldn't train, Mac [Grealy] was with the Wallabies, [we saw] the growth as a leader in Boston [Fakafanua] and Ronan [Leahy] through necessity.
“They're the little wins that come out of what would be perceived.
“Other guys have been training in the campaign and haven't had a run as well; we've made sure that they know they've been hugely important. That bit has been a positive for us.
“Each level ultimately has had an opportunity to grow in different ways and push themselves forward. Hopefully there's some boys who are rewarded, whether that's a Wallaby jersey or an Australia A tour or some contracts for some academy boys or club guys.
“It’s providing a framework and an environment for them to push to their next level.”
Ultimately, the key measure for the Force is success - and with the Waratahs making seven changes to the side that lost 17-12 at Pittwater Rugby Park last week, the men in the west have an opportunity to put a line in the sand for their 2027 season.
Much of the Force squad includes players from the Fortescue Premier Grade, many of whom have impressed across the season and earned selection on the bench.
Truth be told, the momentum a domestic title brings could prove to open the door to even more success, with the Force hunting for a maiden finals appearance in Super Rugby Pacific, and have not claimed a title since their 2019 National Rugby Championship victory.
Last year the side went down in the Super Rugby AUS final in Wanneroo, the 33-26 loss decided by a try after the siren to the men from New South Wales.
However, when Steele was asked whether their 2025 grand final loss served as a driver for this weekend, he gave an emphatic answer.
“In terms of last year, absolutely not,” the coach affirmed.
“Our focus has just been identifying the areas where we were accurate on the weekend and wanting to capitalise on that. They [the Waratahs] rightfully wanted to host, and they'll be coming.
“We want that success for the people. The organisation itself, everyone craves winning.
“This is a group of people that have been together for 10 weeks. We want to cap that off with a really positive experience. For us and our organisation and the Rugby WA community, it'd be awesome to have a good crowd there and a really positive game.
“Hopefully we can get the chocolates for them.”
