Captain Wells putting friendships aside ahead of Rebels reunion

New Western Force captain Michael Wells is putting any past feelings or friends aside for 80 minutes as he prepares to suit up against the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday in Perth.Wells will lead the Force out against the side he skippered in 2022 to kick off the season at HBF Park, with his appointment confirmed on Monday.The 29-year-old spent three years at the club before making the move west to link up with old club coach Simon Cron, still keeping in contact with his ex-teammates.Wells was a groomsman at fellow backrower Richard Hardwick's wedding in July whilst their group chat continues to vibrate across the off-season, largely checking in and discussing everything but Rugby.However, he is putting that into the rear mirror for this week, setting the tempo for the crucial clash.“The standard line that you’ll get from most people is it’s any other game (but) realistically I’ve very familiar with the Rebels being captain last year and there for three years,” he said.“I’ve got some great mates there and enjoyed my time over there but I’m here now, whatever happened, it happened and whatever friendliness goes as soon as you cross the line.“Some of my best mates, I have no trouble putting my shoulder straight through them. It’s what is expected of me. Friends before the game, after the game all well and good but in the game, I’m here with the Force representing them to the best of my ability and that’s designed to get wins and lead the group the best I can.“…A lot of the chat (with his Rebels friends) isn’t about Rugby, it’s about finding out how they are going, how their partners are and if they are enjoying themselves. Not a lot of it is ‘I’m going to smash you this week’, they’ll know where I’ll be first phase around the corner so they’re well aware my left and right shoulder are available for them if they need it.”Wells is taking plenty of lessons from his time at the Rebels dealing with a youthful squad, having to re-elevate his own 'blunt' leadership style.“If you try and do everything, your message gets diluted, everyone gets sick of hearing your voice, particularly if it is a blunt assessment of things," he explained.“…I’m not a very emotional person, particularly in my professional job. I view it as this is my profession and a lot of solutions are black and white. Knowing there are very few people geared in the same way, it’s understanding that and not trying to change it because everyone learns in different ways.“Trying to force my way isn’t going to work and to get the most of them is understanding what works for them. If they need a shoulder to lean on or a soft word spoken, that’s what I need to do.“A lot of the time, the younger guys have been thrown straight into the pressure cooker of professional Rugby straight from school or club rugby with little experience. They don’t have those lessons learnt from experience so you have to impart them without scarring them.“There are individuals that enjoy hard, fast criticism constructively and you can get to those guys straight away with a black and white point…other guys you need to massage it through and understand what’s going through because they might’ve made an error but it’s a multitude of other things that have caused it.”His elevation as captaincy just months into joining the club sets their expectations heading forward, not happy with simply contending.The Force were a bonus point away from the finals last year, with Wells eyeing off loftier goals in 2023.“I think the coaching staff have brought the idea of we’re here to train to dominate, we’re not here to go through the processes. Each day is an opportunity to get better and we expect it from everyone," he believes.“It’s having that hard conversation with people if they are going through the motions and not trying to be better…we have to drive that accountability from the top down because coaches build the culture but the players have to pick it up and run with it.…Everyone is organised and detailed in what they want to do to be better. “We’re not just pushing for finals, we’re pushing to win the competition. If you’re just here to participate, you shouldn’t bother and that’s our idea as a team.“We’re not just here to make up a number or make finals even, we’re here to win comps. Yes it’s a lofty goal but without lofty expectations, what are we? We’re just challenging meteoritic.”Click Here: cheap INTERNATIONAL jersey