Western Force coach Simon Cron has his own twist to the old adage of when one door closes, another opens.
Cron has been hit with a couple of crucial injury blows ahead of Saturday night’s Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific Round 14 clash with the Queensland Reds at HBF Park.
He has lost playmaker Ben Donaldson with a quad injury while scrum-half Henry Robertson's season is over after suffering ACL damage in the last round loss to the Brumbies.
Into the frame come Max Burey in the No.10 jumper and Perth-born scrum-half Nathan Hastie for his fifth start of the campaign.
Cron told reporters at Friday's CD Dodd Coaches’ Conference he had sent a strong message to players-in-waiting.
"We talk a lot about when the door opens, be ready to sprint through it,” he said. “Don't walk through it. They've been waiting for their chance.
"They are key positions and it's their time to shine. Max has been a pillar of the team this year around his attitude at training and his attitude in the building.
"He hasn't been getting picked and that can be tough. You can go one of two ways. He's been a credit to the team.
"He's been positive the whole time, Nath has as well, so it's a great opportunity for them. I'm excited that those two get to go out and play."
Saturday's clash is the first of three home games for the Force with their maiden finals appearance in the balance but Cron insists the season is far from over.
"We've got three home games and plenty of opportunity," he said.
"The boys in that shed believe in it. I believe in it. Finals is our target. It still is. Has to be.
"The big thing for us is those guys are laser focused about what they can do to make those finals and we know what we need to do.
"We need to play the type of game that we've been strong at. You don't need to motivate them a whole lot. They are pretty driven."
Cron, who has re-signed with the Force for the 2027 season, said he had been more focused on the game than his new deal, which was an "option" trigger on his current contract.
He said leaving the decision to the end of the season would not have been conducive to the current squad, players thinking of moving to the Force or the organisation and had been "prodded" by Force chief executive Niamh O'Connor to make the move.
"The answer is about uncertainty in the player group and some of the guys getting a bit anxious around what's happening," Cron said.
"Also, probably people who are going to come. They want a bit of certainty too, about what they are coming into. Those things are more important than me.
"That's probably why I came forward. It's been there for a while. For me it's all about who's sitting in the sheds and building the team.
"There's definitely some people we are talking too....key people.
"We are very firehose related. We are not sprinkler in terms of our recruitment. We have got a couple of firehose targets."
Cron also said while making the finals was unfinished business he also had unfinished business in getting more players into Wallaby jumpers.
"That's been a major focus," he said. "We have to produce Wallabies as a franchise. It's one of our biggest objectives."
O'Connor said it had been a straightforward decision for the club.
"There was an option on contract we exercised," she said. "It wasn't re-negotiation it was taking up an existing option that was there."
She said she would not pre-empt what was "coming down the road" but stability was an important part of growing the game.
In other changes to Saturday's side, prop Tom Robertson is out with a calf injury, Harry Johnson-Holmes switches to loosehead with Misinale Epenisa, who was ruled out last round on head injury protocols, at tighthead.
Barnstorming No.8 Vaiolini Ekuasi is back in the starting side after missing the past two games. His return sees Nick Champion de Crespigny revert to blindside flanker and captain Jeremy Williams back to the second row.
Los Pumas international scrum-half Agustin Moyano is added to the reserves for his fourth appearance.
The Force celebrate three a trio of milestones.
Prop Sef Fa’agase who has re-signed for next year will bring up his 100th Super Rugby cap, WA product and flanker Carlo Tizzano will win his 50th Force cap and full-back Mac Grealy will make his 50th Super Rugby appearance.
Kurtley Beale is set to make his 185th appearance, taking him equal with Aaron Smith for third most caps in competition history.
The fixture is club’s first-ever zero2hero Charity Game with the Force and the WA-based youth mental health charity having come together with a three-year partnership.
They will wear a red jersey in support of the WA-based youth mental health charity. All 23 player jumpers will be auctioned off with proceeds going to zero2hero.
In addition, $1 from every ticket will go to zero2hero with major partner Altrad matching that for the first 5,000 patrons through the gates.
There will also be donation tin rattlers around zero2hero’s activation zone at Gate 1 for those wishing to donate.
Western Force starting side: 1 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 3 Misinale Epenisa, 4 Jeremy Williams (c), 5 Darcy Swain, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny (vc), 7 Carlo Tizzano, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 9 Nathan Hastie, 10 Max Burey, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 12 Hamish Stewart, 13 George Bridge, 14 Zac Lomax, 15 Mac Grealy.
Reserves; 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Sef Fa'agase, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Will Harris, 21 Agustin Moyano, 22 Bayley Kuenzle, 23 Kurtley Beale.
Queensland Reds starting side: 1 George Blake, 2 Josh Nasser, 3 Massimo De Lutiis, 4 Hamish Muller, 5 Seru Uru, 6 Joe Brial, 7 John Bryant, 8 Harry Wilson (c), 9 Louis Werchon, 10 Carter Gordon, 11 Lachie Anderson, 12 Hunter Paisami, 13 Isaac Henry, 14 Tim Ryan, 15 Jock Campbell.
Reserves: 16 Matt Faessler, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Charlie Brosnan, 20 Vaiuta Latu, 21 Kalani Thomas, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Treyvon Pritchard.
Match details
Western Force vs Queensland Reds
Saturday 16 May, 5:35pm WST
HBF Park, Perth
Live on Stan Sport (TV) & 91.3 SportFM (radio)
