The Tuqiri saga: what was all that about?
Roar Pro
By Richard Landels, 26 Aug 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- ARU, Lote Tuqiri, Rugby League, Rugby Union, wallabies
There was news released yesterday that the ARU and Lote Tuqiri have reached a settlement that. If you believe what has been written, this means that Tuqiri is happier than the ARU.
While I am pleased this saga is over, I remain very curious as to how and why this occurred. Tuqiri, while not performing at the highest level while playing on the field, was certainly another option for the coaching staff to consider.
He seemed popular with his team mates and he was very popular with the supporters, particularly with the kids.
While I don’t have any dislike for any members of the current Wallabies squad, there aren’t too many that have much broad appeal. This is especially emphasised if you ask the kids who their favorite player is: 9 out of ten would say Tuqiri.
He always had time to talk and sign autographs after the games and would always have a chat – he is a pretty approachable guy. We can see this in the way that he still wants to play for the Pirates.
So what has the ARU achieved?
The negatives first.
1. they are out of pocket;
2. they have lost one of their most popular players;
3. in the publics’ mind, they have come across as bullies;
4. they have lost a good (not great) outside back option.
And now for the positives.
Um, ah, I’m sure they have their reasons, but I cannot think of any at the moment.
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- Explore:
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Jolly Jupes said | August 26th 2009 @ 2:10am | Report comment
Gives them a reason for failure perhaps?
Dave said | August 26th 2009 @ 5:49am | Report comment
Although Lote was over rated i thaink after the last three losses we have seen that he is better than what we have presently. I also tend to think that the way he was treated is now being reflected in the lack of drive and motivation shown on the field. The players seem to have the enthusiasm of a wet sock. They don’t seem to get punished for playing bad but get booted for god knows what!
matt said | August 26th 2009 @ 6:37am | Report comment
There’s no way we would have lost any games this year if we still had Lote. ..and if we still had Dell and Rogers we would have put cricket scores on the Boks and Blacks. (Yeah, I am joking).
MyGeneration said | August 26th 2009 @ 9:18am | Report comment
Yeah, but if we had Brad Thorn…
craigb said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:02am | Report comment
i seriously doubt they are out of pocket. I’m sure if it came to that and JON was sure oif his gournd ( I believe he was) we would have been happy to play it out in court. You can say many things about him, but he has never shied away from a stoush.
I also don’t see how they are bullies. If Lote was honestly hard done by he would have been happy to explain his side of the story. His silence is evidence of something less than honourable in his actions that led to this.
POSITIVES
Money that was going to Lote and be put to use elsewhere
Players now know if they stuff up they’re out
An overrated player is no longer taking up space in a wallaby squad
Brett McKay said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Craig, I agree. The ARU wll probably always cop the flak for “buying silence” on this issue, but I too always thought O’Neill wouldn’t have taken the extreme action he did without a strong case to back it up. We don’t always like the way JO’N conducts his business, but I think most of us agree he’s a smart operator. I’d be surprised if there was much negotiating over the settlement. I’d imagine Tuqiri jumped at it..
Jolly Jupes said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:51am | Report comment
Brett it was implied in the Australian that Tuqiri knocked back their first offer and they spent a day negotiating so it hardly appears to be a case of Tuqiri “jumping at it”. This started in June and is now the end of August so it has been anything but impulsive
Brett McKay said | August 26th 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment
But Jupes, we won’t really know how long ago offers of settlement were made, nor who initiated them. The SMH today is suggesting the figure is six figures (remainder of this year’s salary perhaps?), and the ARU apparantly put out the standard statement last night denying the figure was anywhere near that speculated in The Australian (up to $2M).
I guess what I mean is that Tuqiri – if there’s any element of truth in the rumours we’ve heard – has just as much to gain with the case ebing settled as the ARU does..
Hoy said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:17am | Report comment
Will be interesting to see what happens with the NRL. Gallop is wanting an explanation before any signing can take place.
rob mccourt said | August 26th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Hoy
I suspect that the only way the NRL will find out is if both Tuqiri and the ARU agree. The settlement I am sure is confidential as to money matters and bearing in mind that the Supreme Court refused publication of a ” sensitive ” paragraph in the Statement of Claim I would be surprised if that aspect of the matter was not also deemed confidential by both parties.
Yikes said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Richard
Ummmm…. you can’t think of a positive? Try harder. How about:
1. We are no longer in a situation where if the details were revealed about what went on (to a tabloid perhaps), the ARU would be publicly pilloried by fans, the press, etc for a cover up – sweeping the issue under the carpet and not disciplining the player in question.
This especially in an environment where sports stars (and it seems these days mostly league players) are bringing their various games into disrepute with their off-field actions. Rugby in Australia has stood up and said – loudly – we don’t tolerate that crap. And if you’ve had your warnings and you stuff up again, you’re gone, no matter who you are.
How is that not a positive?
Jolly Jupes said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Yikes – am happy to see a tough stand on behaviour. Pity its not universally applied. The members of the taxi cab incident in Capetown take a bow, those that threw the quokkas on Rottnest Island put your hands up, Mortlock drunkenly abusing the coaching staff in the hotel foyer in England, Matt Dunning various, George Smith numerous assault charges in Canberra that appear to have been fogotten, Giteau collapsing in nightclubs being dismissed as not significant, The food throwers I assume are on their last warning. There is not alot of league influence here (Peter Ryan was one of the Taxi five) but it would appear that things just keep cropping up. No problems with the hard line but if it is Giteau or Barnes I hope we are consistent. There are barely any Leaguies left so i assume everything will now will be Aok
Ed said | August 26th 2009 @ 5:17pm | Report comment
U got me interested. What happened with Mortlock abusing the coaching staff? What was he pissed off about?
Jolly Jupes said | August 26th 2009 @ 5:29pm | Report comment
In front of a couple of journos he was arguing with Scott Johnson in the hotel foyer a couple of years back. Might have been drunk from memory – it was reported in the press at the time, can’t remember the details
Mark Young said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:31am | Report comment
I agree, this doesn’t appear to have been a great moment in football administration.
Until is eventually leaks out exactly what he did we can only speculate.
At the moment it looks like JON was horrified at how much they were paying for a winger who wasn’t a guaranteed selection and jumped on the first moment to cut him lose.
But there is still that nagging possibility that he did something completely inappropriate and unpalatable to the average fan and they did a good thing in getting rid of him.
When the reason gets out, and it will, we can make our decisions then.
RickG said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:32am | Report comment
I’d just like someone to explain what it was all about to end the speculation.
Arky said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:41am | Report comment
If Lote was of little use to the Warathas how is it that he could be considered a saviour for the wallabies? Please all wake up and stop being so naive as to assume the ARU acted without good reason.
fred said | August 26th 2009 @ 8:42am | Report comment
the other day i read the sport pages of brisbane based courier times.as a rugby union follower what amazed me was 3 full pages of afl and league;page on soccer and then miscellaneous sport.the only rugby news was about league bound lote tuqiri a
lovely quarter pager having little to do with local or tri-nation comps.
I THOUGHT deans supposed man management skills would have brought out the loyalty ,discipline and focus required of those playing for the national team.but no, all the league boys are going home and discipline on the field is at an all time low;add to this the poor results and ridiculous tactics and the transparent spin and you wonder what jono must be thinking.SAD