By LeftArmSpinner -
March 9th 2010 @ 12:44am
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Waratahs win the battle but are losing the war
The NSW Waratahs won their game on Saturday evening against the Sharks but are losing the war.
In trying to make sense of the Waratah’s most recent performance, and genuinely trying to seek positives while avoiding succumbing to the pent up negativity built up over many years, I turned to cold analysis based around the organisation’s core objectives.
These include:
1. 2010 Competition points
2. Bonus points
3. Future revenues
4. Advancing the brand value
5. Showcasing the game of Rugby in its largest Australian market.
The expectation, not unreasonably, was that the Waratahs had a very good opportunity to meet all of its objectives. They were playing at home, at full strength, against the win-less, fragmented Sharks. The only negative was that the Waratahs had spent nine hours on a plane earlier in the week returning from South Africa while the Sharks were coming in from New Zealand.
To obtain a benchmark, I decided to compare the Waratahs performance statistics to averages from the Crusaders and Blues, Brumbies and Lions and Chiefs and Reds games in round four.
I also compared the Waratahs to the Reds‘ performances, despite the vast difference in their respective oppositions.
The Waratahs ran the ball 74 times, 14 per cent below the average of the eight teams, 86 times. The Reds had 104 carries, 21 per cent above the same average. Yet the Reds only moved the ball the same total distance as the Waratahs, 490 metres, when running it.
The Waratahs kicked it 31 times, five per cent more than the average of the eight teams. The Reds and the Chiefs kicked it just 15 and 14 times respectively, or 50 per cent less than the average.
The Waratahs turned the ball over 18 times to the Sharks 10. This included two at the line-out and three at restarts. The Reds turned the ball over 24 times.
The Waratahs had about 49% of the possession while the Reds had 47%.
My conclusion is that the Reds played more rugby and took their chances against strong opposition. The Waratahs played less rugby than even the average of the other teams. They didn’t take their opportunities against a much weaker opponent.
The outcome of the game, in terms of their objectives, is very poor. They achieved only one of their five objectives: competition points. Worse than that, their failure to achieve the other four objectives has compromised the promised resurgence.
I cannot explain:
1. Why the Waratahs reverted to a game plan that is already proven not to achieve their objectives? I am sure that every reader of this article has heard a junior rugby coach telling his players that any player who kicks the ball will be replaced immediately.
2. Why the Waratahs back line, despite all the supposed skill, unable to set a line, call a move, catch and pass, exploit an overlap or score a try?
3. Why the Waratahs didn’t try to score the fourth try and the bonus point? They will not have a better opportunity this season to do so.
4. How the Waratahs captain, Phil Waugh, equates the up-tempo game plan he mentioned in the post-match interview with continually kicking possession away?
5. Why has the Waratahs coaching staff not learnt the lessons of the past and continue to ignore the needs of the spectators, the organisation and the code?
6. Why the Waratahs senior management allow the current situation to continue and damage the organisation’s reputation and financial health?
The Reds achieved, indeed exceeded, all of their objectives. Ewen McKenzie has learnt from his mistakes and adapted his game plan to respect the Reds’ spectators, the Reds organisation (in administration) and the code.
It is no surprise that the Reds players are enjoying their rugby while the Waratahs are clearly not.
In other words, the NSW Waratahs won Saturday evening’s battle but are losing the war on all fronts!
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Karlos said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:57am | Report comment
And no-one cares. Not even me.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 5:10am | Report comment
Karlos, sad but very true.
sheek said | March 9th 2010 @ 5:33am | Report comment
Leftie,
I was going to sympathise with you, but then Karlos said it all so eloquently….. !
Monty said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:11am | Report comment
I’m sorry to disappoint you guys, but I still care!
Even looser said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:29am | Report comment
Believe me Monty we all do.
Nobody would be writing if they didn’t. But caring didn’t work so we’re now trying not caring to see if that makes a difference. See?
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:52am | Report comment
and then the tahs ask us yet again, to stay faithful, yet they continue to ignore the blindingly obvious!!!!
Play rugby or lose the war!
Who Needs Melon said | March 9th 2010 @ 11:44am | Report comment
Re us all “maintaining the faith”. Yeah, see, this is why I’m not religious. Does “faith” really mean I have to swallow the same predictions that a miracle is JUST about to happen over and over again? No matter how many times these predictions turn out to be bullsh!t?!?
sheek said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Like a love sick puppy waiting desperately for the next approving pat from his owner….. !
Monty said | March 9th 2010 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Dont get me wrong Sheek I booed with the best of them on Saturday night. But I booed because I care!!!
I watch the tahs because of some illogical deep rooted sense of attachment. Its definitely not because majority of the timed they sh!t me to tears. If I want to watch rugby I enjoy I watch the reds.
sheek said | March 9th 2010 @ 11:48am | Report comment
Monty,
You care, but do the Tahs players & coaching staff care? Do the NSWRU admin & board care???
I have a suspicion about many so called rugby fans – proclaiming yourself as a rugby fan is a good outlet for “networking”…..
BTW, love melon’s reply above!
Monty said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:21pm | Report comment
Sheek,
Nah Im not into rugby for the networking, just for the joy of it. Im 24 now and have been playing since I was 11 growing up in Newcastle. Im in Sydney now and currently playing for the lower grades of a local subbies team. So please dont think of me into rugby for the ‘networking’.
I have my doubts about whether the NSWRU admin really care or whether they are more concerned with the title of the job rather than the job itself. But having absolutely no insider knowledge I can only guess.
Rob said | March 9th 2010 @ 6:56am | Report comment
The problem is the “culture” of NSW from the highest level of administration through to the Academy squads. There is more money than sense bringing with it an expectation that you can buy success. If you look at it from this perspective then it all falls into place–everyone is on the gravy train with self interest coming first.
Go_the_Wannabe's said | March 9th 2010 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Exactly…..they are all playing for themselves, not the team, not the spectators, not the Tah family. There is no tribal culture or pride in the guernsey. They all want that Wallabies spot and then the gauranteed pay day in France or Japan. It’s their career path.
The pity is if they played for each other it would probably happen automatically, but unfortunately there are too many over paid under performing showponies. Always has been the case, probably always will be. Good luck to them.
Even looser said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:26am | Report comment
Well LAS no one can say you don’t try to get your message across.
Understandably the vast majority of us were absolutely peeved-off following the Saturday night stuff-up, that we spoke from the heart & not the head. Not that we were wrong of course, it’s just that who ever holds the power at Tah World seems oblivious to the fans even when they boo.
If the people in charge refuse to listen to emotion then perhaps they’ll heed the bottom line. With this in mind your business plan approach is certainly worth a try. Here’s hoping it’s copied & delivered to board members & sponsors because surely everyone can see that to continue on the current course is mere folly & will in no time at all effect that all important bottom line.
RickG said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:35am | Report comment
I’ve been thinking. I agree with the criticism and I too was groaning and wincing at what I saw on the field. But, you know, we’re a pretty fickle bunch some times. They did win after all. Rugby is definitley in the entertainment business, but are we forgetting that watching a game of football is not the same as going to the movies?
I know rugby is in a unique position in Aust, but NRL, AFL and even ALeauge fans are probably more tolerant of their team taking a tough win even if they play poorly. One game, played after a trip back from RSA, on a humid night on a wet track which meant the ball was as slippery as if it had been raining, does not a season make.
If the waratahs get it together on friday, score 4 tries and win do we forget all of this and move on, at least until the next disappointing perormance? I hope so.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:55am | Report comment
rickg, my point is that they won the game and continue to lose the war!!!!
this situation has existed for more than 5 years. its not just one game back from SA.
sheek said | March 9th 2010 @ 11:26am | Report comment
RickG,
Perhaps you forget we live in Australia, the most football code contested environment in the world. We have 4 football codes – Australian football, association football, rugby league & rugby union – all competing for players, sponsors, media share, revenue & fans, etc.
In South Africa, they’ve been playing mostly boring (but winning) rugby for over 100 hundred years before a captive audience. Australian rugby doesn’t enjoy that privilege.
And if Australian rugby, & especially its franchises/provinces, doesn’t get the message that attractive rugby is winning rugby, then the sport will probably become marginalised. Or should I say, more marginalised…..
Tom said | March 9th 2010 @ 4:28pm | Report comment
Yes, but it is not just one game, this kind of negative play we saw on Saturday has been going on for quite a while now.
Also on the NRL, I would argue that although the best league games probably don’t match a great union game for entertainment, conversely the worst league games are nowhere near as bad as the worst union games.
Chris McKay said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:41am | Report comment
I completely agree with all points put forward.
I am very interested to see how the tahs game plan unfolds against the Lions. Whilst the Lions have been the S14 underachievers for years they have real attacking flair this season and showed against the Chiefs that even when down by 20+ points with 10 to go they can score plenty of tries. They have also leaked more tries than any other team so far so if the Tahs cannot continually crack the defensive line then something is drastically wrong.
If the Tahs want to win this weekend they will need to score plenty of tries and nail that bonus point as the Lions will not waste their time banging over penalties – they will be looking for the line.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:59am | Report comment
chris, I agree. the lions are dangerous. the stats that i reviewed in preparing this article show that they were not far off either the brumbies or the crusaders and Blues. Give them a snif, and you will be in trouble.
The Tahs wont be able to match them in the try scoring dept. the forwards dont trust the backs so expect another dour game!!
i am seriously considering not attending and I have alrady paid for the ticket!!! the alternative is to visit possible venues for our school reunion!!!! says it all doesnt it!!!
Aaron said | March 9th 2010 @ 4:37pm | Report comment
I think we should all boycott the game to show our disapproval.
If they have nobody show up this weekend for Phil “do it my way” Waugh’s 120th appearance, then perhaps they might start getting the message after 5 years.
Dan said | March 12th 2010 @ 11:56pm | Report comment
I hope you managed to go Leftie… would be a shame if the game you decided to skip happened to be this game in which the Tahs decided they’d just throw it around and come up with 11 tries!
DST said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:17am | Report comment
I sometimes wonder whether the players actually watch the replays of their matches. It seems obvious to me that as soon as they start playing ‘ugly’, they let the opposition into the game.
The most frustrating thing is that occasionally we see signs that they do actually know how to play attacking rugby.
Rickety Knees said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Agree Leftie, the problem is in the leadership group as I said on another thread Hickey is the resource manager who is catering to Waugh’s preferred forwards win matches so just put the ball in front of us style of play. Given the basic skill and strategy defiencies on Saturday night, the Tahs are clearly not being coached. It is time they both moved on.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:34am | Report comment
but rickety, this, as you know has been the way the tahs have played for many years, before waugh’s captaincy, before hickey’s arrival, before L’Estrange.
and the issue is both a no brainer and detrimental to the organisation.
It is the rugby equivalent of self harm!!!
Rickety Knees said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:43am | Report comment
No argument there Leftie. Has anybody heard any mutterings on this from the new Tah board?
RickG said | March 9th 2010 @ 9:31am | Report comment
Hickey is copping a lot of heat, but what about backs coach Scott Wisemantel? Surely he has to shoulder some of this. I don’t know how a professional team with multiple coaches works, but I’d expect Hickey would leave much of the detailed backs preparation to the assigned backs coach.
N.E.B. said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
i agree fully. When does a backs coach become responsible? day one i think.
johnny-boy said | March 9th 2010 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Some very good points LAS. It is very bad for Australian rugby and the Wallbaies too for players to be learning to play this poorly. As crowd numbers plummet in protest it will be Tah Tah to the Tahs and Tah Tah to War. War a Tah Tah ? (apologies)
stillmissit said | March 9th 2010 @ 10:06am | Report comment
Excellent article Leftie – have you sent a link to Jim L’Estrange ?????? If not please do.
N.E.B. said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
lets the the roar boys to do the sending of links. i m sure that eh reads the roar anyway.
Diplomatic Immunity said | March 9th 2010 @ 11:02am | Report comment
Here we go again, 4 games in and already the talk is of signing off on the Tahs for 2010. Again the talk of terrible crowd numbers, gee under 21k for the Sharks, what hope for the other “blockbuster” games, ie Cheetahs, Lions?? And don’t forget the Tahs v Brumbies game is at ANZ, they couldn’t pull more than about 35k last year for the Crusaders what’s the crowd estimate for this match??
I came across this site recently, http://www.convictcreations.com/football/battlestats.html Whilst I haven’t cross checked the validity of his numbers but if we assume them to be correct then table 1 , average crowds – regular season, shows crowd numbers from 2005 to 2009 declining from 25k down to 20k for S14. AFL numbers are up, NRL holding and A league just down. Not a good picture for Rugby.
How indicative is this little snippet. My son, a staunch rugby supporter, and 7 of his mates, all rugby supporters, from a firm rugby supporting school, attended his first A league game on Sunday night after attending the rugby on Saturday. Whilst he maintains his enthusiasm for rugby, A league has crept in to his mind space. He, as we all were, were pumped for the first home game of the season, especially after what we had seen the previous week against the Bulls. Unfortunately a week in Tahs rugby world is a very long time indeed. They used to refer to the SFS as “Our House” surely the time has come to rename it “Dour House”
N.E.B. said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
and what an exciting game it was. end to end, only four goals but extra time, and action all the time. unlikke the tahs continual scrums and delaying tactics. then, when they got the ball, they did the easy, less skilled thing and aimlessly kicked it away. Yea, kickin’ can be skillful but the tahs dont do that stuff, jsut the military medium up and under. no thought, no skill and invariably no chase.
sheek said | March 9th 2010 @ 11:41am | Report comment
DI,
The statistic I find most illuminating is the rate of increase in playing numbers around the states & territories. Although Tasmania has the second least base players numbers, it rate of increased players from 2005 to 2006 was a whopping 229.4%!
WA has benefited enormously from joining super rugby, & has the second highest improvement rate of 69.9%. Note that 2006 was WA’s first year of super rugby. Victoria showed an improvement rate of only 10.3% in 2006, but hopefully it might enjoy the same spike (in 2011) as WA did in 2006.
Back in 2006, NSW improved its playing numbers by 5.1%, ACT by 3.8% & Qld by 2.7%. SA, despite having no super rugby presence or future, increased its player base by 65.7%.
This is why I advocate making rugby union a truly national game is so important. The biggest gains, percentage wise, are likely to be found in the “new rugby frontiers” of places like WA, Vic, SA, Tas & NT.
NSW is “old world”, held down & back by ageless in-fighting & moribund structures.
ohtani's jacket said | March 9th 2010 @ 11:48am | Report comment
I’d like to know what the Waratahs’ pedigree is that means they should be winning and winning well. Because they’re a big market team? They way some people act around here they’re like the Lakers or the Yankees.
mw said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:15pm | Report comment
Right on, oj.
OldManEmu said | March 9th 2010 @ 9:06pm | Report comment
If you dont know OJ then we cant tell you..
Karlos said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
21K was not good enough for a night of fantastic weather, opening home game of the season, a full squad to choose from, and no other significant sporting event on that night in Sydney (to my knowledge).
The Tahs style of play is driving the fans away. I was there, and i boo’d with the rest of them. 2 man advantage for better part of 10 minutes – what does Waugh do? packs a scrum – how many minutes does that waste just packing it? when you could tap and go, form a ruck and push over, with an additional chance of someone else infringing and earning yet another card. Terrible decisions al throughout the night and got out of jail against a very average opponent.
Big Steve said | March 9th 2010 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
Karlos, The repacking of that scrum after goode got sent off was one of the crasiest things I have seen. I know a 5m scrum is a great attacking opp but what a waste of time. And congrats to the sharks for wasting so much time with the resets. Why wouldnt waugh realise after the first one the Sharks were going to push the boundaries with that scrum even if they gave away a penalty the stupid tahs would choose another scrum.
Pete said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
I was at the game on Saturday, yelled myself hoarse. Was disappointed with all the kicking but glad to see live Rugby again and glad they won. I even went on the field at the end to meet the players. Felt like I was 10 years old, it was fantastic.
I signed up for membership this year for the first time in ages (take note Tahs admin – I’m still waiting for my tickets despite ordering those weeks ago… I had to purchase a ticket for last Saturday).
Despite the ticket fiasco and last weeks less than ‘entertaining’ match, I’m heading back on Friday and taking 12 mates with me. Its my team and I’ll support them no matter what style they play. I want to see a good game and lots of tires, but I’m not there to be ‘entertained’ necessarily.
Rugby is not a product. It’s a sport. Its about watching athletes getting back off the turf when they would rather lay down. Its about ploughing into defence with no sense of self preservation. Its about overcoming fear under the high ball as a 100kg body rushes at you. Its about taking the ball to the line and through it when your lungs are bursting from exhaustion. Its about not letting your team mates down. Rugby is about passion and commitment. Its not all about tries.
Just because the Tahs are kicking it and not scoring 5 tries a game doesn’t mean they aren’t putting their all in. You just had to go on the field at the end, see the sweat pouring off the players, the blood caked on their faces and the icepacks on their legs and shoulders to be convinced they played hard.
Yet a bunch of keyboard jockeys decide that they were ‘entertained’ enough and are going to stop watching the Tahs or support another team. I’d be pretty p*ssed if I was a player. I guess they’d start to question why they are doing it. They’d probably just focus on getting a spot in the Wallabies and then a retirement plan in Europe or Japan…
N.E.B. said | March 9th 2010 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
pete, you miss the point. the tahs are doing more damage by missing their objectives than they are doing good by winning ugly. and it has been going on like this for years. remember why link got sacked? remember the promises, by all and sundry about playing the running game, remember the new rule interpretations that eveyone else has embraced? left in its current form, the organisation will go belly up. they only have 6-7 home games a year to make their money!!!!!!!
N.E.B. said | March 9th 2010 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
pete, you play a sport, you pay for a product. its not able putting in physically. its about putting in in designing and practicing and executing a game plan that meets your organisations’ objectives!
perversely and while I admire your innocent support for the tahs, even the tahs admit that they need to play more expansively. they have also been doing this talking for years, coaches, captains and players, but they don’t deliver where it counts, on the field!
the point of the article, if I can be so bold, LAS, is that this is now at a critical stage because it has moved past a few dumb decisions on the field. the organisations future is threatened while they keep not delivering their objectives.
Pete said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:55pm | Report comment
N.E.B. “I admire your innocent support for the tahs” I’ll take that in the spirit I hope it was intended
I prefer ito call it blind loyalty. It sounds more masculine and less childlike 
All teams need fans like myself, whilst they need those that are more critical to keep them in line. If we all agreed, it would be a pretty boring place.
“you play a sport, you pay for a product” we’ll just have to disagree on this one.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:10pm | Report comment
but pete, loyalty is great. But honesty is equally important. allowing the current situation to continue will eventually destroy the tahs. teams need supporters but teams also need to respect the supporters.
RickG said | March 9th 2010 @ 1:10pm | Report comment
Pete, this is kinda what I was trying to get to in my post above. Sport is a busines and is in the entertainment game for sure, but it is inherently different to a night at the movies, going out to dinner or whatever else turns you on. Satisfaction isn’t always guaranteed, no matter how much modern society demands instant and total gratification. Let’s see what happens on Friday.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:21pm | Report comment
rickg, satisfaction can be guaranteed.
All it requires is for the team to play decent rugby; good tactics, passionate and skilful execution. if the team loses, so what, it was still good to watch. Just look at the reds.
they were getting walloped by the chiefs and despite being a tahs fan, I felt for them and hoped that they would come back and they did. so too in the Reds tahs game, they impressed everyone with their play, win or lose. the tahs impressed no one despite winning the game.
as for friday, I am trying to get everyone to put this into perspective. this problem has been around for 4 seasons at least. waiting for next friday misses the point of how long this has been going on and whatg damage is being done.
Pete said | March 9th 2010 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
NEB – you’re the second person to say I’ve missed the point today
Perhaps there is something in that.
I did get the point, just went off on a rant
I’m just sick of everyone wanting to be ‘entertained’. I fully understand the ramifications of falling spectator numbers. The main issue is perception. If everyone (the media, JON, us) keeping banging on about an ideal game, we will always crave it and if/when it’s not delivered we’ll complain about it. It will reinforce the negative stereotype and compound the problem even further.
The SA and European fans appreciate Rugby in all its forms. We only want one style because we want to ‘compete’ with the other codes. Turn that perception around and there isn’t a problem. If you call it a product, stop trying to market Rugby as something it cannot always be. Promote it for what it is “a diversity of playing styles” and educate the public on that. If we achieve that then, Rugby doesn’t have to compete on the ‘entertainment’ factor and fans will come to game to watch Rugby, not expecting a ‘show’.
mw said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:27pm | Report comment
Pete
I agree with your first post. I am tired of all the criticism year after year. Who says we pay for perfection every time we buy a ticket to the game? I thank god I am not a Force fan this year.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 9:51pm | Report comment
no. I want to watch rugby, not non rugby, a la kicking and lack of intent. i have not ever mentioned perfection. that rarely occurs in a game and definitely not throughout a whole game. but a big scrum, or fast ruck ball or sweeping backline play is close to perfection for me.
i want to see all aspects of rugby. clever tactics that are unpredictable and which expose the oppostion. eventually, it has to incluce scoring tries. that is rugby: 5 pointz!!!!!
Working Class Rugger said | March 9th 2010 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Pete
I think you have been a little harsh on other poster’s and their supposed enthusiasm to critique the Tahs perfromances. Mate, I love Rugby and have ardently supported the Tahs and NSW Rugby for as long as I can recall. However, of late and in particularly over the past two season my levels of frustration with the Tahs inability to deliver on the potential is beginning to eat away at my patience. If we could see something being done to rectify the situation then maybe at least I’d be a little more satisfied. How can a team with the largest talent pool, best facilities and greatest financial resource’s be some inept when it comes to playing the style of Rugby that the vast majority of their fans want to see.
Rugby is how you put it a Sport. Always will be but at the elite levels it is now also in the Entertainment industry whether it likes it or not. For the funds to continue to flow flagship teams ( and let’s not kid ourselves NSW is our flagship) such as the Tahs must appeal to the masses. In a Competition such as Super Rugby with often the finals positions being determined by 1 point or points difference seperating quite often 4 or 5 teams there is an overiding need to play aggressive and expansive
Rugby. The Tahs have the firepower but refuse to use it. I’ll continue to watch but will non-Rugby fans continue to do so.
Pete said | March 9th 2010 @ 1:51pm | Report comment
WCR – you’re right I have been a little harsh. I’m in a provocative mood today.
I may sumit an article about this. I believe there is a fundamental flaw in the marketing of the game in Australia, as i eluded to above, about over promising and under delivering. This generates the dissatisfaction may supporters feel.
Working Class Rugger said | March 9th 2010 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
Pete
There is a fundamental marketing flaw in Australian Rugby. But its not necessarily over promising or underachieving. It the sheer lack of any effective marketing entirely. I know the ARU has a marketing dept. but God knows what they actually do all day. For Rugby to make any inroads an well devised and run campaign is a must. I remember the ‘I Wanna be a Wallaby’ effort in the 90′s. That was very effective. What would it take to roll that out once again. Just look at the recent success of both the NRL and AFL. Alot of that can be attributed to clever marketing campaigns. Rugby has to catch up.
stillmissit said | March 9th 2010 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
WCR – I think you will find that that campaign was at the heights of the ARU war chest when it was buying leaguey’s ‘regardless of expense’. Those days are long gone. O’Neil sacked the existing marketing group that was large and also did nothing. Now I think the ARU has one maybe a couple of part timers and a full time manager but I am only guessing by the lack of impact.
It doesn’t take too much to come up with a campaign that doesn’t cost a lot but has some impact. They need a creative type in there.
BTW there are the ads on TV which are OK for a laugh and appeal to my partner more than me and the ‘men of gold’ one. Why they wouldn’t join forces with a sponsor to do something creative is beyond me.
rugbyskier said | March 9th 2010 @ 2:28pm | Report comment
I’m not a Waratahs supporter but I watched the match on Fox Sports expecting a good hard contest. Compared to the Crusaders v Blues match that was on immediately before, this one was very dour and negative. The Brumbies v Lions match the night before was also a bit dour, possibly due to the wet weather, but the Brumbies were trying to play a positive game plan if not succeeding on the day.
I’m not going to bother watching the Waratahs play again this season, except for the Brumbies game. I’ll watch the Crusaders v Chiefs on Friday night and then turn the TV off. In my opinion you could feel the negativity of “we are not playing to win, we just don’t want to lose” through that game on Saturday. I don’t need that, I want to see teams play with a positive attitude in either attack or defence.
Even looser said | March 9th 2010 @ 5:56pm | Report comment
I’m going to stick my neck way out here. What may I ask is wrong with people using the E word when discussing Rugby?
Make no mistake about it, as Sheek (I believe it was) said elswhere, Rugby is well and truelly in the entertainment business. It’s that simple. Clear as night & day. Surely we can all see that? So the show better feature what the punters want to see IF it wants to keep on running a while. Otherwise it’s going to need a very generous sponsor.
And yes I suppose there will always be a happy minority that will find a dozen mates to take along to the next game regardless of what’s on offer. But I suspect that after a game or so of the dour stuff even the best of mates will think of excuses not to remain a member of The Dirty Dozen.
Pete said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:24pm | Report comment
Even looser: there is nothing wrong with the word ‘entertainment’ when talking about Rugby, as long as you want Robbie Williams to jump out of the ball and have streamers shoot out of his a*rse as he bursts into the first line of “Leeeeeeet meeeeee entertain you”…
… but seriously, I guess it comes down to how you define ‘entertainment’. If its enjoyment; we all want that. However, what we find ‘enjoyable’ differs. I’m obviously in the minority. My enjoyment comes from walking into the stadium with high hopes, standing with my mates, getting frustrated with the refs, the opposition and the Tahs, admiring the grit of the players and enjoying the ‘entertaining’ passages of play when they come around. I then enjoy discuss the play with whoever will listen and then discuss it further on The Roar, but if one of the elements is missing I’m not bitter.
Its the experience that does it for me. I find that enjoyable or want for a better word, entertaining. Perhaps I’m easier to please. N.E.B. described my loyalty as ‘innocence’. That infers child like qualities. May be my view of the game is childish; but in saying that life is rosier on this side. Thankfully my “dirty dozen” wear the same shade of glasses. Perhaps others could don a similar pair, there is a lot less angst.
… or perhaps I took too many hits to the head throughout my playing days. Either way, The Tahs, for better or worse are my team and I’ll support them no matter what.
JK said | March 9th 2010 @ 8:31pm | Report comment
Stirring stuff Pete, I like it………… GO THE TAH’S
Even looser said | March 10th 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
Indeed. All is forgiven. Where do I sign?
LeftArmSpinner said | March 9th 2010 @ 9:58pm | Report comment
pete, to define entertainment, go and have a look at a decent club match, say randwick and easts. you will get two teams playing the game flat out. sure there are mistakes, but that is becasuse they are trying to play the game skillfully.
League has a lower error rate but that is often because the game is a simpler to play. rugby is a very complex game and difficult to play near to perfection. but rugby players and spectators understand that. they just want to see their team giving it a go, and do it intelligently and taking into account, all the stakeholders, palyers, spectators, sponsors, etc.
no one is enjoying it at the moment and it will only get worse as the season goes down the preverbial!!!
Pete said | March 10th 2010 @ 7:47am | Report comment
LAS, there are obviously a spectrum of supporters. On one side those who have unconditional support, on the other those that hold a mirror up to the organisation.
Both sets of supporters are required. The zealots are required so the players have confidence and back themselves, knowing that no matter the repercussions on the field they will be supported.
Whilst those fans that challenge the team, call for soul searching in order to achieve greater heights.
The good thing for the Tahs is that we all want them to do well and are passionate enough to debate it… because we give a damn.
Being a zealot, the players and staff aren’t immune from my criticism, but I’ll always support them.
Anyway, I’ll see you at the game on Friday… you’ll notice me I’m the one wearing rose tinted glasses.
LeftArmSpinner said | March 10th 2010 @ 10:42am | Report comment
pete, i was a tah zealot, for more than 30 years and can live through losing games. But this is now ridiculous. As regards the debate, there are less people debating, (I accept that it could be that my articles dont do the job!!)less people attending, less people watching etc.
It can only end where the Reds are currently, financially!!!!!
dunc said | March 9th 2010 @ 10:43pm | Report comment
If Hickey was producing this sort of rubbish over in New Zealand he would have got the chop by now.
rugbyfuture said | March 9th 2010 @ 10:49pm | Report comment
the question is, do the waratahs need stability, or do they need Michael Cheika?
LeftArmSpinner said | March 10th 2010 @ 7:15am | Report comment
Rugby future,
a couple of questions on your assumptions:
1. Are the Waratahs currently stable?
2. Is a stable decline into receivership a good thing?
3. Is stability in and of itself, important?
Three resounding “No’s” from me!
Aaron said | March 10th 2010 @ 10:06am | Report comment
AMEN.
Working Class Rugger said | March 10th 2010 @ 10:14am | Report comment
They need Michael Cheika.
Spook said | March 9th 2010 @ 10:58pm | Report comment
And the answer is player power and Phil Waugh. Will LAS accuse his beloved Tahs of such a thing? He is prepared to level these accusations at other sides.
Wavell Wakefield said | March 11th 2010 @ 5:44am | Report comment
As a non-Australian I would offer that the Waratahs backline is the 3rd best of the Australian franchises, and accordingly the team plays to its strengths. A new coach may help, but then Burgess has spent months in camp with the Australian test team over the past two seasons and yet nobody there seemed to help him to learn to pass properly either.
ThelmaWrites said | March 13th 2010 @ 12:57am | Report comment
Having just watched Luke Burgess and Josh Holmes as halfbacks in the Waratahs v Lions game, I feel very concerned that Burgess still tends to send “harbour bridge passes”. They’re not only slow, they invite interceptions. Maybe he should consult with a biomechanics expert, like the kind that advised the cricketers Muralitharan and S Aktar about their alledged chucking deliveries.
bennalong said | March 11th 2010 @ 7:52pm | Report comment
IT WAS GAME 4 LAST WEEK . IT’S NOT LAST YEAR. THEY WERE JUST BACK FROM AFRICA .WAIT AND SEE BEFORE DRAMATIZING. SHEEEET!!!!!!!
Justin said | March 11th 2010 @ 7:56pm | Report comment
Shower or two forecast tomorrow so they have the excuse already to kick all night again
LeftArmSpinner said | March 12th 2010 @ 6:29am | Report comment
So yesterday, we get this from the Tahs bunker: it says a lot. We know who is running the show and choosing the strategy:
Tahs to run at Lions if game allows, says Hickey
WARATAHS coach Chris Hickey would prefer his side kicked less against the Lions tonight than in their previous outing against the Sharks – but cannot guarantee that will be the case.
(So, he is still in denial as to how to play under the new interpretations and when Robbie Deans says “Under the new interpreations, possession is king!”, he is wrong.)
”Sometimes what you end up playing is dictated by the opposition and they were trying to play a strong field-position game,” he said. (So you let the opposition dictate. Hmm, only if you give them the ball so that they can dictate.)
”A big factor that influenced how we were able to play was our inability to win our kick-offs.
”When we would score, we would go back and then spend the next 10 minutes trying to dig ourselves out of our own quarter. (there was no digging, just kicking!!! run it out of your half. if nothing else, it would surprise the defence)
”And consequently you probably kick a little bit (a little bit, my arse) more than you wanted to. I am sure we will address those kicks-off and that will allow us to probably (this is code for we will still be kicking) play a more ball-in-hand game.”
Hickey understands why Waratahs fans protested. However, while he would prefer to hear cheers, he believes some good can be derived from their boos in the second half last week. (the only good is if you change the strategy and there is no sign of that here!!!)
”If people [say] that that’s how they feel at the time, then I guess that’s how they express it,” Hickey said. ”In some ways it’s good to see some passion among the crowd, particularly when you come back from South Africa and see the amount of involvement the crowd has in the game and the passion for the game over there. Sometimes Sydney can seem a little bit quiet and subdued.” (This is tantamount to being king hit in a pub and then the victim comments that it is good that the assailant has expressed himself!!!)
Asked whether drawing a big crowd or scoring a good win was the most important objective tonight, Hickey said: ”You hope (threre is lots of use of the word hope, implying that everyone else is seeing it wrongly and that eventually they will get it! Chris, no. it is you who have got it wrong,)they go hand in hand. We want to get out and continue on from where we left off in the first half of the Sharks game. (oh dear, this is going to be ugly. he thinks the first half was good!!!)
”Hopefully, if people see that, then that gives them a reason to turn up and support.” (we supporters saw it and wont be turning up!!!! london to a brick, the crowd is down furtther from last week)
Blinky Bill of Bellingen said | March 12th 2010 @ 11:16am | Report comment
LAS – What a good laugh that was. It’s funny how as we get older we become more understanding of some things in life and more cynical in others. With age hopefully comes experience and the ability to spot ‘spin’ (bovine manure), a mile away. I’ve enjoyed your flip side to Hickey’s remarks. It would be even funnier if it weren’t, in part at least, true.
One big thing I’d like to see develop into a Habit is the willingness, persistence and ability to impose OUR game on the opposition instead of overly worrying about ‘what they just might do’.
Enough of this ”Sometimes what you end up playing is dictated by the opposition and they were trying to play a strong field-position game”. Surely any coach at this level understands that you have to deal with what the other team will throw at you, work your way around it and then dictate play.
I’d suggest a good starting point is to look at what we can do well and go with that as often as possible. Next look at what we can’t do well and avoid that like the plague. Against the Bulls we saw good attacking & counter attacking ball in hand footy and good use of the new interpretations at the breakdown. Great! Develop it until it becomes our style of play. Our kicking in the Sharks was average to poor. What does that tell you?
From where I’m sitting we lack persistence. If something isn’t quite going to plan we too quickly opt to put boot to ball. There’s often better options than kicking. Let’s try them.