Former Waratahs pair Matt Dunning and Brett Sheehan have revealed they were shocked by the sacking of former team-mate Lote Tuqiri.
Dunning has spent plenty of time playing with Tuqiri both with the Waratahs and Wallabies, and the pair are close friends.
But even the big tighthead prop had no idea why Tuqiri was sacked.
One thing Dunning does know is that the former Brisbane Bronco will be devastated.
"I knew nothing about it," Dunning said on Thursday in Perth.
"Nobody seems to know what happened, I don't and neither does anyone I've spoken to."
"Obviously I'm feeling for him because he's a good mate of mine, but I don't know anything about it."
"He would be pretty devastated because we all want to play and keep our jobs. He'll be devastated."
Despite the obvious disappointment of seeing Tuqiri axed, Dunning and Sheehan's focus is now on a Western Force team that is shaping nicely for the 2010 Super 14 season.
Despite the long list of departures at the end of 2009, the Force now look strong with Dunning joining a frontrow also consisting of props Nic Henderson, Tim Fairbrother and Pek Cowan.
Sheehan replaces Josh Valentine at halfback, Andre Pretorius takes over flyhalf from Matt Giteau and James O'Connor is set to stay with the Force to play either inside centre or fullback.
Dunning missed the 2009 season due to an Achilles injury, but the 43-cap international veteran has been back playing club rugby for six weeks now and he's feeling good.
The 30-year-old is confident of making the Wallabies squad for the spring tour and then focusing on the Force.
"Initially in London there were a few doubts (of making it back), but once I got back to see my specialist who has made a bit of money out of me over the last 10 years, he reassured me and there were never any doubts once I spoke to him," Dunning said.
"I'm obviously keen to get back in the Wallabies squad as soon as possible. It was always going to be hard to make the Tri-Nations squad and it was probably never a reality, but the end-of-season tour is what I'm aiming for."
Dunning is excited at the prospect of the Force's dominant tight-five with locks Nathan Sharpe, Tom Hockings and Sam Wykes as well as the props, and the signing of Fairbrother was pivotal.
"It's a really good pack and signing Nic Henderson as well gives us another good frontrower," he said.
"It (the tight-five) stacks up as good as any, if not better. There's a lot of depth there, a lot of experience and raw talent."
"It's great having Tim. When I was deciding to come across, it was very important to have two tightheads and it's too hard a competition to go through with one. Signing him was a big factor in me coming over."
Sheehan now looks set to become the Force's regular No. 9 after being locked in a battle with Luke Burgess at the 'Tahs that he seemed to never win at scrumhalf.
But the decision to cross over to the Force was motivated by both rugby and personal reasons.
"It's still not definite that I've got the starting spot because Chris O'Young is a great footballer and it's always good to have competition. It was frustrating at times with Luke, but you just have to deal with it and when you