Bye bye, Lote, bye bye!
Roar Guru
By LeftArmSpinner, 2 Jul 2009 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Australian rugby, Lote Tuqiri, Rugby Union, wallabies
Lote Tuqiri has been sacked for disciplinary reasons after his latest indiscretion, the last in a long list of issues. It’s the culmination of a player with the potential for behavioral problems combined with being out of touch with a game that’s left him behind.
It is worth revisiting the more recent comments to confirm that this was a train wreck in front of our eyes. I have nothing new to say than I have already said in previous Roar articles, but these comments have a new meaning in the light of Tuqiri’s sacking and can kick off a new discussion.
Lets examine the recent posts in my recent Roar article about the Wallabies’ body language: “Tuqiri has problems in his mind. Last Saturday, with just the diminutive Gordon 15, Dave Harvey, to beat, he failed. Didn’t even get close. It’s all a bit sad really.”
Further, in another Roar article: “Mitchell can get to the try line, as can AAC, as can Hynes and as can Ioane and Turner. Lote wont back himself to finish a try with pace and determination. Frankly, take his inability to remove the weaknesses from his game that have been evident for at least four seasons, specifically:
* Cross field running,
* not backing himself on the outside of an opponent
* not drawing and passing
* not developing kicking skills
* not becoming able to play in other positions (such as Fullback and 13)
* frequent failure to recycle the ball
These are serious weaknesses that were hidden by a big salary and reputation, but compounded by timid coaches. Compare his body shape to when he first arrived in rugby. He is completely muscle bound.”
This closes the page on the purchasing of league stars with a view to convert them into rugby players when they don’t really want to. The jury is still out on Tahu, but the pressure is building on him as time goes on.
Barnes, Elsom and Cross are different because they were not new to rugby.
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- Explore:
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Peter K said | July 2nd 2009 @ 12:56am | Report comment
I wonder what the facts are as opposed to speculation.
Fact – Tuqiri is underperforming.
Fact Tuqiri is very very highly paid.
Fact – ARU is struggling financially.
Fact – Tuqiri has been in trouble before, and is on a final warning.
Speculation – ARU waited and prayed Tuqiri made ANY infraction, minor or trivial would do.
Then sack him.
They need to save the money on his contract.
I bet Tuqiri will win a LOT of money in the ensuing law case though.
zzzz said | July 2nd 2009 @ 1:01am | Report comment
Lote who?
Cutter said | July 2nd 2009 @ 1:05am | Report comment
The Lote contract money has to be spent on other player salaries so its not a saving in that sense.
Peter K said | July 2nd 2009 @ 1:53am | Report comment
No it does not have to be spent on other players. If it is spent on salaries they would much use it to keep a top player from going O/S. Or they need the money to top up salaies of up and coming players like JoC.
Sharminator said | July 2nd 2009 @ 4:53am | Report comment
It does have to be spent on players … the bargaining agreement between the ARU and players union specifies the percentage of cash from tv deals that goes to the players and that is the money the ARU uses for player salaries. The specifics, i.e. how much each player gets, are what the ARU decides on a case by case basis.
Had Enough of Oz Sport said | July 2nd 2009 @ 6:06am | Report comment
The Lote deal represented everything that was wrong with rugby – the resigning showed that the ARU was 15 times dumber than anyone could have thought.
Mike said | July 2nd 2009 @ 7:37am | Report comment
The ARU may have been very stupid – we will see.
Multiple infractions of a code of conduct are not automatically cause for terminating a contract – it never was that simple, and the situation is even more in flux after the latest statutory changes. Even if there is a specific clause to that effect in the contract, it still doesn’t guarantee that a court will find the ARU was justified.
Of course I don’t know what the precise facts used to justify his sacking were, but if its just another alcohol problem, then the ARU might be about to find out that the standards of newspapers or public commentators are not the same standards used by industrial courts.
If Lote gets up in his legal action, then this will become a very expensive exercise for the ARU:
Firstly, its not only the size of his contract, but the potential for future success and sponsorship. His lawyers will be able to point to public remarks by Robbie Deans, Tim Horan (and even David Campese – go figure!) as indicating that he had a major chance of continuing Wallabies selection. They will dismiss his recent poor form as the psychological result of ARU investigations and threats to sack him, and direct the court’s attention to his form in 2003, or more recently in Super 14, as a guide to his potential.
Then, his lawyers will argue that this would have led to large sponsorship deals. So the damages will be a lot more than the balance of Lote’s $5 Million contract.
Then there are legal costs – in every jurisdiction where this is likely to be played out, costs will follow the event. That means that if Lote gets up, the ARU will pay a significant proportion of his legal costs, as well as their own. Want to bet that his lawyers will not be cheap….?
Of course, the case can always be settled out of court – most litigation is. But the sticking point will be whether Lote comes back. The criticism of Tuqiri by many union commentators has been so vicious that it may have hardened his resolve to accept nothing less than reinstatement. But the ARU can’t accept that either, not unless the people who made the decision to sack Tuqiri resign. At least the lawyers will make money …
Crosscoder said | July 2nd 2009 @ 7:44am | Report comment
The ARU has been trimming costs in various departments at head office.When I read of Lote’s sacking the words”opportunity” and “cost trimming’ immediately spring to mind.It happens elsewhere.
Got to get back some of the monies wasted on the ARC comp.
cookie said | July 2nd 2009 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Lote will sue the ARU and win. The ARU are a bunch of morons. Given workplace laws these days, it’s near impossible to sack a useless employee regardless of what they do or don’t do, which is a bit moronic but that’s the way it is.
Even if Lote lost, the legal costs will be astronomical. Lawyers get paid way to much for reading the rule book!
The Fact is that Lote has never really done much on the paddock even at his best, but he did draw a lot of media attention. Whilst the $1m a season is ridiculous, it would be a fair bet that the 1m was not just for his sporting ability.
I’ve said for 4 + years that there are better players running around in club rugby who’d do a better job for free.
If memory serves me correctly wasn’t lote a reason why stantiforth left the waratahs?
Does this put pressure on the Waratahs to find a new winger?
Signing Barnes would be great but i suspect this is just another media beatup or the tahs admin trying to look like there doing something?
The Mole said | July 2nd 2009 @ 7:55am | Report comment
Are they going to sack Giteau for leading the young guys astray with the most recent (very serious) rumours?