A strange silence from the Tuqiri camp
Columnist By Spiro Zavos, 7 Jul 2009 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Greg Growden, James OConnor, John ONeill, Josh Valentine, Lote Tuqiri, Quade Cooper, robbie deans, Rugby Union, wallabies
Australian rugby union player Lote Tuqiri stretches at a team practice session in Sydney on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. AAP Image/Paul Miller)
The Sunday Telegraph ran a self-serving editorial lambasting the ARU for not revealing the details of Lote Tuqiri’s sacking and which concluded, rather unconvincingly, that this perceived lack of transparency would result in rugby union becoming a diminished code in Australia.
The point of the editorial, a criticism of the ARU’s silence on the sacking, was a major issue in most of the other media commentary on the sacking up to Sunday.
The CEO of the ARU, John O’Neill, a lawyer, tried to deflect this criticism by suggesting that he went into the sacking with his “eyes wide open”, that as Tuqiri has threatened legal action against the ARU, it is unable to disclose its reasons for the sacking, and that there is nothing to stop Tuqiri’s camp from providing the media with the relevant details of the matter.
On Monday, the commentary shifted from finding fault with O’Neill to now criticising Tuqiri’s camp for its silence on the matter.
We had a column by Greg Growden in the SMH that summed up this shift with its headline: Lote’s Silence Has Rumour Mill Roaring.
The Daily Telegraph’s on-line edition published an article by Jim Ticker (surely Jim Tucker) with a publication time of 12am on Sunday which pointed out two of the Wallabies’ private team rules under Robbie Deans: “the alcohol breath-testing of randomly selected players the morning after Test matches and a tight code on just who is allowed to enter the hotel rooms of players in Test week.”
The article went on to suggest that the Tuqiri incident happened before the first Test against Italy at Canberra.
Growden’s article in the SMH suggests that what happened in Tuqiri’s hotel room is the key to the dispute: “Monday Maul understands there was a recent breach of player protocol following an incident at the team hotel. We understand it is not a trivial matter and certainly more serious than a food fight in Canberra that recently resulted in three other Wallabies – James O’Connor, Quade Cooper and Josh Valentine – being fined.”
According to Growden ‘the real Tuqiri story’ is known to only a small group of people: “Even senior Wallabies players and several members of the team management are unaware of the full details.”
On the next page of the SMH, Growden has another story titled: Right Decision – Deans backs ARU move to dump Tuqiri.
The story quotes Deans as saying that he was consulted throughout the process and that “I completely support the ARU’s decesion … I am unable to discuss Lote’s actual termination but I have been concerned about how some have seized on this issue and may have attempted to use this to their advantage.”
Who can these ‘some’ be?
Growden has also revealed that Tuqiri was told of his sacking after an hour-long meeting with O’Neill on Monday. The sacking/termination of the contract was announced on Wednesday.
This time gap is interesting.
As Growden points out, the rumour mills have been roaring in the absence of either of the parties providing the media and supporters with relevant details.
For what it is worth, one of the rumours is that O’Neill offered the ARU’s silence to Tuqiri, which was initially accepted, and honoured. Then, later, Tuqiri told the media that he had hired some legal guns and was going to fight the legality of the sacking.
Again, for what it is worth, like Growden, I have heard of an allegation which is not trivial and certainly serious enough, if true, to warrant Tuqiri’s contract being ripped up.
It’s time that the air is cleared on this matter.
The best way for this to be done is for the strange silence from the Lote Tuqiri camp to be lifted.
Recommend this story.
July 7th 2009 @ 9:33am
The Link said | July 7th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Its not enough to be doing the right thing, but to be seen to be doing the right thing. The fact is the ARU has sacked their most high profile player without giving the reason publicly, this is unprecedented in Australian sport. Has there been a confidentiality agreement? When someone this high profile is sacked when is there not a threat of legal action?
The ARU has the runs on the board in media smokescreens. Its not as clear cut as it being just down to Tuqiri to reveal.
July 7th 2009 @ 9:36am
The Link said | July 7th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Vincent – yeah the Waratahs were so outraged by the incident that they were looking for ways to keep Lote.
Meanwhile, NSW Waratahs have revealed they approached the ARU to see if Tuqiri could continue to play with them in the Super 14 series.
“Tuqiri is the highest-profile player at the Waratahs and his loss will be felt much harder at the provincial level than in the national arena.
The Waratahs argued that while Tuqiri was in breach of the Wallabies team protocols, he has not broken any rules with the Waratahs.
“It’s a question we asked and looked at, but it can’t happen,” Waratahs coach Chris Hickey said.”
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25729486-5015651,00.html
July 7th 2009 @ 9:45am
Jeff said | July 7th 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment
Give that dirty telegraph news paper nothing…they know their other code is in trouble and are trying dirty smeer tactics to try and bring down another.
July 7th 2009 @ 9:53am
keeper11 said | July 7th 2009 @ 9:53am | Report comment
Hardly a week goes by that those decrepit mouthpieces for the NRL .’Daily and sunday Rag’s doen’t miss the chance to have a go at one of the ‘rival’ codes….
bag the rival codes of the NRL at any opportunit now seems a standard pattern in news-limited’s Sydney HQ …
-’Cahil sockah beatup’
-’AFL no-hope in league obsesseed west ‘
-ARU secrecy/joke’
etc etc
..a strategy by the news-limited/ NRL buddies to protect its patch and deflect from ..umm ‘stench’ emanating from the numerous league related alcohol related atrocities possibly ….mmm
July 7th 2009 @ 9:59am
Vincent said | July 7th 2009 @ 9:59am | Report comment
I agree the Daily telegraph is no better than a tabloid…
July 7th 2009 @ 10:25am
Tony from Northbridge said | July 7th 2009 @ 10:25am | Report comment
Is there any significance in Lote’s comment when the issue first broke that “I love my wife and family very much and I have their full support”? The unfair dismissal matter will never get near a court, if for no other reason than Lote won’t want the details spread across the back pages. Its the standard tactic to simply up the payout figure.
July 7th 2009 @ 10:30am
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | July 7th 2009 @ 10:30am | Report comment
Vincent….the Daily Telegraph IS a tabloid.
July 7th 2009 @ 10:31am
The Link said | July 7th 2009 @ 10:31am | Report comment
keeper11 – yeah they’re so anti NRL that they cover up poor player bahaviour, never report it and are never critical of RL and Gallop.
July 7th 2009 @ 10:36am
Arky said | July 7th 2009 @ 10:36am | Report comment
What do you mean the Tele is no better than a tabloid – it is a tabloid – and generally good for no more than two minutes of silence!
July 7th 2009 @ 11:09am
Cracker said | July 7th 2009 @ 11:09am | Report comment
Agreed that the tele is the pits and they love to belittle all codes bar league, but they love stirring up anything in the NRL which could be controversial as well. They are a major reason why there is so much negativity surrounding league and this negativity remains even when things are seemingly going well for the code, like they are waiting for the next opportunity to pounce.