Thumbs down for Michael Foley
Columnist By David Lord, 8 Jul 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert
109 Have your say
There was a graphic photo in the Sydney Morning Herald last week of beleaguered Waratahs coach Michael Foley giving the thumbs down sign right under the headline “Foley set to announce he is staying with the Waratahs”.
A contradiction in terms if ever there was one.
After last night’s 19-15 loss to the Brumbies at ANZ, thumbs down would be the more accurate of the two statements.
In another woeful and ill-disciplined performance, Foley’s debut season now boasts 11 losses, with seven of them on the trot. These are both records for the Waratahs.
Yet last night the Waratahs had 10 Wallabies on duty, the Brumbies five. That stat meant nothing as the Brumbies kicked downtown and waited for a mistake.
They rarely had to wait long as the Waratahs gave away six penalty shots at goal. Both Zac Holmes and Jesse Mogg obliged by slotting two out of three each – a gift-wrapped 12 points.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, consistent turnovers by the Waratahs kept the Brumbies on top to lead 9-5 at the break. In the end it was 18 Waratahs turnovers to nine.
The Waratahs were more spirited in the second half to lead 15-9 with 23 minutes left on the clock, but reverted to type by giving away a try and two penalties in the space of seven minutes.
And that was that.
There can’t be any doubt, it has to be thumbs down for Michael Foley’s future and the Waratahs hierarchy mustn’t escape censure and change, either.
There’s a malaise in the franchise from top to bottom, underlined by manager Chris Webb tendering his resignation after five years in the job.
He has been a popular and diligent manager whose heart is all Waratah. If he’s had enough there’s something radically wrong.
It’s the opposite side of the coin for the Brumbies, who were a basket case last year. Former Springbok World Cup winning coach Jake White has performed wonders and done so virtually overnight.
But despite the win last night, White can’t be too excited, except for the fact the Brumbies still have a 5-point lead over the Reds in the race for automatic finals qualification by topping the Australian Conference.
The second-placed Australian team mightn’t have enough points to make it in the top six, so to top the Conference is imperative.
The biggest worry for the Brumbies and Reds is that both only scored one try this round. No team can progress in finals rugby without scoring their fair share of five-pointers.
Let’s see what happens next week in the final round when the Brumbies meet the lowly Blues in Canberra, and the Reds take on their arch-rivals, the Waratahs, at Suncorp.
- Explore:
- ACT Brumbies, Michael Foley, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
July 8th 2012 @ 4:33am
Johnno said | July 8th 2012 @ 4:33am | Report comment
-The last few weeks Lordy, Campo, and Brett have written some very impressive articles on the future of rugby union in Australia and what has been going on and some possible suggestions and solutions. And many roarers have said many opinions on what is wrong with Australian rugby and the warpaths. And haven’t the roarers been vocal and passionate. That is good news, fans love rugby in Australia there is a big supporter base. That is good the news now for some other suggestions as well. And good and bad news.
-As Campo has said the good news is Australia has a lot of money we are a rich country, have great facilitates and infrastructure that most nations would do anything for. So that is good news that all that only needs to change is maximising the resources Australia has, and changing the culture and business models, and fixing up the tahs like the Auckland blues in NZ. Both are the team in the 2 biggest cities in both Aust/NZ but are both are distaster right now, and it is due to the culture and the coaching I think
-Some facts right now about the tahs in land:
-Ben Mowen went from a journeyman , to the Brumbies under Jake White and is now captian of the brumes and thriving in crumby land in Canberra. He has made the Wallaby squad and has not looked back since leaving the tahs.
-Beau Robinson hasn’t looked back since going up to QLD Reds, to join up with Link. And Link has not looked back either since leaving the tahs as head coach. He has won a super 15 title now at the reds.
- Dan Palmer has not looked back since either. He since going to the brumes has now made the wallaby squad and made his test debut since Jake White has been coaching him.
-Kurtley Beale was a massive loss and the tahs should never of lost Kurtley Beale, amazing how they lost him.
- I hope Micheal Hooper doesn’t regret leaving the Brumbies where has become a wallaby under Jake White’s guidance. Pat mace has thrived and taken his game to another level under Jake White. Jake white has done so much for a lot of players and helped them become wallabies.
-Alot of the players have gone backwards under Foley this year.
-The ARU was not happy with Foley saying the tahs were tired . They pointed out that hardly any waratahs went on the end of season tour to europe last year. No Elsom or Vickerman, did not tour neither did Horne, or Drew Mitchell. So foley can hardly use that as an excuse.
-Berrick Barnes has not been the same player for the tahs, but has been sensational for the wallabies under Deans and in the wallaby environment vs Wales in the june test series.
-Elsom has been a bad buy,. Timani brothers both could of been used better to in Tah Land. The halfback problem has been awful since Luke Burgess left for French Rugby , to join Toulon with Johnny wilkinson and Matt Giteau. Tah land needs a shake up. More fans days in west sydney, and in Newcastle , and Illawarra too, and re connect with fans not just being seen as Moore Park type image or north shore, get any elitist stuff out as image or arrogant.
And get int touch with the people. TPN has done a lot for the Parramatta 2 blues , dave dennis does good stuff out at Penrith as he is from that way. But more needs to be done. Hardly any tahs have come from west sydney 2.0 million plus population far bigger than Canberra or Perth, or brisbane. Tahs maybe should move out to west sydney as crowds have been awful this year at Moore Park.
-Maybe super rugby should expand and have a west sydney super franchise and tahs become sydney city tahs or just the tahs re-franchise the model.
-But whatever else Foley must be sacked , his position is untenable, and a new head coach is needed. Who I don’t know. John Kirwan wants a job he is applying at the blues maybe him or Nick Mallet or John Mitchell, , or Micheal Chieka or even bring back Link but Foley can’t stay on as head coach for the tahs next year , totally unacceptable the tahs results this year. The culture has to change out at tah land at Moore park for the better.
-http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby-gold/aru-boss-john-oneill-rejects-calls-that-packed-international-schedule-damaged-waratahs-season/story-fn8ti7yn-1226418343081
July 8th 2012 @ 9:48am
JC said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:48am | Report comment
All was going well until you said ‘the halfback problem has been awful since luke burgess left’. How quickly we forget! That twerp was actually the START of our halfback problems – the misdirected and poorly timed passes, the hero runs leading to being isolated and causing turnovers when momentum was high, meaningless box kicks that no-one else knew were coming, and this game shattering practivce that’s crept into the Aussie game of staring at the ball at the back of the ruck waiting for the team to form some sort of attacking shape – meanwhile the defence has restructured and we get nowhere.
I will be infuriated if I ever see Burgess playing in sky blue or gold again.
July 8th 2012 @ 3:18pm
Johnno said | July 8th 2012 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
Luke Burgess wa snot the start of the tahs problems, an article today said now the tah fans forget how much better luke burgess was. His game really cam on the last 2 years, he is big the players have confidence in him far more assertive than pretorious and mckibiin and he has racked up a lot of wallaby tests too.
July 9th 2012 @ 9:21am
Albo said | July 9th 2012 @ 9:21am | Report comment
How quickly you forget just how much he gave to the team. His box kicks were part of a poor coaching strategy. His defence was as good as any backrowers and his ‘hero runs’ as you called them were only isolated because he made so much ground that the ineptitude of the rest of the team to support him so he could offload was found out. He was consistently at the top the Australian conference in offloads and try assists. His ‘poor passing’ was a misnoma which he copped in his first season which he could never shake. His last two seasons as Johnno says were very solid. The lead the team, not looked surprised and sheepish like the current crop do.
July 8th 2012 @ 10:58am
Stanley grella said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:58am | Report comment
Ben mowen – still a journeyman, made the wallaby squad as the 5th ranked 6 out f 5 teams, great club player, Tahs kept Dave Dennis. Far better player and one that would have kept mowen on the bench, it’s good for as rugby he chose to leave and can ply his trade.
Beau – didn’t go to Qld, he went overseas, came back, no one wanted him for another year before injury saw him thrown a lifeline. It worked out for him for a year, this year he has been ordinary. There is no master stroke of coaching or unseen player ability.
Dan Palmer – same with mowen, with the Tahs coming from such a large player pool and only having the same number of spots to offer they can’t keep everyone. It sold that Dan has a run on gig and isn’t fighting for a starting spot.
Kurtley Beale – massive loss, but money talks.
Alot of players have gone backwards -under foley – a lot of them became wallabies over the last few years due to foleys forward coaching. The team hasn’t won games, but they have been far from uncompetitive.
The ARU are not happy with foleys comments – if you actually bother to read foleys comments, the recommendation he makes is that the Tahs need to invest in more medical and training staff. Not that they played to many games or the scheduling was wrong, but that they hadn’t managed their own players well enough, this point seems completely lost on both the ARU & a lot of fans.
Barnes – played two or three good games before the wakes tour, he is a victim of having less time due to the Tahs 9 problem and poor communication in the outside backs resulting in him not having runners. He is the same player, those around him are not. Foley made the point that the gap between his top 15 and those next in line was to great, this is an example.
Elsom – it was a roll of the dice, it didn’t work out. With Dennis going from strength to strength it really has effected the team 0%, it is a complete non issue in context.
Timani brothers – how would ou have them used, Saleki again got picked for the wallabies and continues to develop very slowly, his brother makes young raw mistakes and has cost us at least 2 games, you want him to play more? His time will come, not everyone achieves by throwing them to the wolves.
Western Sydney – if you ad the money that GWS and the western NRL teams will lose this year, the Tahs could run for a lifetime on it. There is a lot of people out there but what no one seems comfortable saying is, their out there cos its cheap and they don’t earn enough to live closer to the city, the disposable cash to support yet another team or code out there doesn’t exist. The Tahs do fan days out there, playing at home bush gets a lot f advertising and promotion out that way, they can’t abandone moore park, they would die.
To suggest John Kirwin or John Mitchell as coach is a joke right? Like link, they have failed a lot, all over the world. Thing with coaching is, sometimes lightning strikes, it doesn’t mean the coach is going to achieve at any team.
Foley deserves a second season, 7 losses by less than 7 is heartbreaking for fans but the hysteria and BS that gets slung around about kicking, tactics etc etc is reaching Ridiculous levels.
July 8th 2012 @ 12:06pm
Dexter William said | July 8th 2012 @ 12:06pm | Report comment
You are too close to the trees to see the forest.
Foley at best is a forward coach – assistant coach is all he is capable of right now. He even went that far to the public by saying that he is willing to step down and be assistant coach.
You said it right:
“makes young raw mistakes and has cost us at least 2 (record seven match losing streak) games, you want him to play (coach) more? His time will come, not everyone achieves by throwing them to the wolves.
Foley is not ready: Jake White was.
Just compare the difference. White lost 2 starting flyhalf and still manages, but Foley complaints that Barnes can not play well because of his colleagues around him? Foley and you are simply stating self serving BS.
July 8th 2012 @ 6:01pm
apelu said | July 8th 2012 @ 6:01pm | Report comment
Exactly, Dexter.
Poor Stanley! Take off the coloured glasses so you may see reality.
July 9th 2012 @ 8:08am
Stanley grella said | July 9th 2012 @ 8:08am | Report comment
What glasses?
I didn’t say things were right or that there isn’t problems, simply pointed out the media attack and this “Ben mowen” “foley is only an assistant” etc etc isn’t actually based on any fact.
The Tahs main problem is at number 9, yet no one discusses it.
They lack direction due to having no 9 capable of making fast game relevant decisions and then communicating thm accurately to forwards and backs.
Yet we bang on about mowen, who is a freakin passenger in brumbie land having one of the most over exaggerated seasons in rugby history.
Hysteria is great if it is founded in fact and reality, unfortunately in the case of Tahs 2012, fact is nowhere near reality.
July 8th 2012 @ 7:05am
schuey said | July 8th 2012 @ 7:05am | Report comment
Well said Johnno: -i’ll add another fact to your list “Some facts right now about the tahs in land”:
- Buying Pretorious as the marquee foreign import. – either he was sh-t to begin with so why buy him?. (Fail Tahs recruitment team) or he is a decent player who has succumbed to the Tahs disease and had his excellence coached/bled out of him (Fail Tahs coaching staff).
Either way the Tahs setup has failed.
But it’s all good coz everything is “fantastic”
July 8th 2012 @ 8:23am
Rabbitz said | July 8th 2012 @ 8:23am | Report comment
Johhno you keep harping on about “western Sydney”. Why?
Why would any team move away from their already fragile supporter base? Do you want to see 5,000 at a match instead of 10,000?
Why would you move them into a market that that is already under siege by the three competing codes?
How would a team that has had zero success and that look like they just want to go home to mummy attract a paying supporter base in such a competitive market?
Rugby in Sydney carries an enormous load of ‘silvertail’ baggage. Why would those ‘fibro’s’ who traditionally support league spend their increasingly hard to get wages to switch codes and follow a bunch of “silvertail losers”?
The strategy just doesn’t stack up.
If the NSWRU were to yank the franchise from Waratah’s Ltd and rebuild with a winning and fan focused culture, they may have a chance at attracting some support in western Sydney but at the moment it would be a financial and strategic disaster.
July 8th 2012 @ 9:43am
stillmissit said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Rabbitz: Totally agree. Many roarers think there are thousands of potential supporters out here but there ain’t, most of them watch union if nothing else is on. They do not know the rules, think there are 2 to many players on both sides and it’s too complicated.
There is a hard core of union supporters out here but they are few and far between. Penrith is going all right this year on the back of a good coach and some extra cash, the other union teams are made up of failed league players and some islanders/kiwi’s.
It would be financial disaster to move the Waratahs out here. Dave Dennis, Kurtley Beale and Daniel Kroll are the good players that came from the Penrith area, there is TPN from Parramatta don’t know any others. The bottom line is that although there is potential out here it would take a lot of time and work. If you just stick money out here they will piss it up against a wall.
Better to focus on the schools and a junior competition, which is making a come back due to a dedicated bunch of union guys.
July 8th 2012 @ 10:05am
Damo said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:05am | Report comment
Rabbitz, where have you been?
If you had been following the arguments about the Tah revolution and it’s best method(s) for two seasons at least.
Decentralization has been put on the table as one suggestion by myself and others over this time.
To reiterate -
To answer your question, succinctly- 5,000 passionate fans wherever would be better than the impotent eastern suburbs crowd of whatever size ATM .
In more detail my argument follows like this-
Numerous coaches, good or otherwise have ‘failed’ at the Tahs.
My bet is that coaching is not the only problem.
There is a vacuum of spirit, an absence of a tenacious culture at the team, despite the massive efforts of individual players including first choice wallabies.
The depth of this cultural malaise suggests to me at least that massive structural changes are called for.
These changes would possibly include -
- coaching
- administration
- promotion
And numerous other possible changes including venue.
My hope for a venue change is to contact the people, both as fans and players, in the western suburbs and regional centres.
It may mean a period of less income, no-name player roster and grass roots promotion.
But it would, I suggest, bring a refreshing and novel connection with people of a broader demographic, the very thing that NSW and Australian rugby need so desperately.
You have not mentioned how your new ‘fan focused’culture would be created.
And the ‘financial and strategic disaster’ brought on by a venue change would be worse than the slow death by a thousand knock-ons that we have at the moment?
Fact – the Tahs need massive structural change.
To dismiss venue as a factor in this change would limit the options, and therefore, the effectiveness of the revolution. The Tahs problems, aside from knock-ons, include marketing. Relationship with desired demographics is crucial. Therefore venue is a variable that must be on the table.
The fan base that rugby needs won’t be engaged by shining a neon sign from Moore park, where ironically much bigger and numerous icons and signs are being floodlit by afl and RL images.
July 8th 2012 @ 10:26am
jeznez said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:26am | Report comment
seriously Damo, it is the fan’s fault? I don’t think that a rugby team is like a democracy ensuring the people get the government or team they deserve.
The fans are doing the biggest thing in their power to tell the Tahs administration they are not happy with the performance and that is by staying away. Yes NSW rugby crowds could make more noise but that is not the start of the issue if the team gave the fans a reason to cheer there might be a bit more noise and a few supporters might come back.
July 9th 2012 @ 3:55am
Damo said | July 9th 2012 @ 3:55am | Report comment
No Jeznez, to answer your question it is not ‘the fan’s fault”.
But I am not blaming the fans in the first place.
I am only suggesting that venue should be assessed along with other structural changes.
The Brumbies were established by a Sydney rugby bloke in a regional town. As were the Rebels.
Both teams have had problems but have a vibrant fan base and, on current trends, bright futures.
The Tahs don’t, haven’t for several seasons at least.
NSW need a completely new structure. Moore Park may make perfect sense to some of us.
But not to me for the reasons stated up above.
If a restructure must happen, and it must, why would any organisation assume that it’s ‘place of business’ is a sacrosanct ‘given’.
July 9th 2012 @ 1:36pm
jeznez said | July 9th 2012 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
I think if the team start playing good footy the fans will come back. I used to be a season ticket holder and remember us getting 40+ crowds several times a season. The crowds were never that vocal but there were there!
July 8th 2012 @ 10:33am
Rabbitz said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:33am | Report comment
Damo,
Playing in front of empty stands is not going to build a culture.
Read my last paragraph again. Put simply, the Waratahs franchise needs to be pulled from Waratahs Ltd by the NSWRU (and SANZAR). At that point and that point alone can a top down clean out occur.
Once they start to come back from the rebuild and show some spirit, cohesion and the resulting successes, then and only then will it be viable to try and coax and foster a new supporter base.
Do they need to create a wider supporter base? You bet.
Can they do it without a restructure and creating something to attract a supporter base? No Chance.
As much as we want to deny it, rugby (at that level) is just a business and the head must over rule the heart.
July 9th 2012 @ 3:40am
Damo said | July 9th 2012 @ 3:40am | Report comment
Rabbitz, all your points about restructure are valid.
Our only point of difference is that I believe everything, including venue, should be on the discussion table
July 8th 2012 @ 9:04am
Matthew Skellett said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Did anyone see Mr Foley talk on da “Rugby Club” on Fox ? Talk about ‘mealy-mouthed, wishy-washy’ monologue!!! He’s a disgrace !!!!!! Rod Kafer must have been laughing behind his back to look at his pathetic waffle-I don’t think HE seriously believed anything he himself said
July 8th 2012 @ 4:20pm
Hatchet said | July 8th 2012 @ 4:20pm | Report comment
Foley spoke the same sort of waffle prepared for politicians to sprout at press conferences. No wonder the Tahs board members loved him. We had the same nonsense with Williams all of those years ago and it has not improved. It starts at the top. Sack the lot and rebuild
July 8th 2012 @ 9:07am
Matthew Skellett said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:07am | Report comment
I don’t think ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD BACK THE ‘HORROTAHS’ against the Reds next weekend NOW
July 8th 2012 @ 9:11am
justsaying said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:11am | Report comment
I’ll back them not to concede 4 tries, which is all I really need them to do now
July 8th 2012 @ 10:04am
eagleJack said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Both sides will be soul searching next w/end after pathetic, failed campaigns.
July 8th 2012 @ 9:29am
formeropenside said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Tahs cant do anything right. Not even beat the Brums.
July 8th 2012 @ 9:38am
sheek said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:38am | Report comment
David,
I ventured out to Stm Australia for the first time last night in several years, & combining the atrocious vehicle sign-posting of the precinct, along with the tedious display on the pitch, I won’t be hurrying back.
Rugby league in Australia has nothing to fear, nothing at all, from rugby union into the foreseeable future. And that’s a crying shame………
July 8th 2012 @ 9:51am
David Lord said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:51am | Report comment
Was your TV on the blink sheek? Even then I wouldn’t go to ANZ if you paid me, it’s a bleak, soulless place. The Waratahs should never move away from Allianz, and even with last night’s crowd, Allianz would only be half full, with a far better atmosphere.
July 8th 2012 @ 10:10am
sheek said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:10am | Report comment
David,
Agreed. I went courtesy sister’s membership. And the game last night matched the venue unfortunately (bleak, soulless).
But I won’t be hurrying back. Especially when gold tickets for ABs are at $180 a seat & silver tickets at $160.
Regrettably perhaps, can’t beat the living room TV…..!
July 9th 2012 @ 7:19am
Rough Conduct said | July 9th 2012 @ 7:19am | Report comment
Sheek, you have been saying this for years. You hate rugby but somehow cannot stop watching it?
July 8th 2012 @ 10:25am
Damo said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:25am | Report comment
Agreed David, what an over optimistic decision – to take Tahs games to homebush.
But while the SFS is a better venue tha n the 100k white elephant, it provides impotent and shrinking crowd support.
The facts are clear. On current trends The Tahs will struggle to fill a league stadium ATM.
Let’s cut to the chase, run defense straight to the corner post, and spread the Tahs to the west and the regions.
Less is more, and Moore is less.
July 8th 2012 @ 11:36pm
Paul. said | July 8th 2012 @ 11:36pm | Report comment
It’s all very well to bag ANZ but The Allianz crowd is so disinterested, they only ever fire up to boo and jeer. ANZ was not too bad last night, a genuine surge of excitement now and then and far less people discussing their mortgage.
July 8th 2012 @ 11:10am
steve said | July 8th 2012 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Your exactly right Sheek. I don’t know where both sports go from here. I went to ANZ last night and whilst some of the play was ok it was overall pretty ordinary. I was suprised even 22,000 turned up. I went to the SFS on Friday night and was just as dissapointed. I was expecting 30,000 plus and there was only 19,000. Super rugby crowds in Australia are down and the NRL is looking at its lowest crowds in 7 years. What do we have to do to get people to turn up ansd support their teams. I do hope that the TV doesn’t rule that much.
July 8th 2012 @ 11:38am
Bakkies said | July 8th 2012 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Just proves how fickle and lazy Sydney sports fans are. The Tahs haven’t pulled good crowds since McKenzie got sacked
July 8th 2012 @ 1:26pm
Dan said | July 8th 2012 @ 1:26pm | Report comment
Yeah, and don’t the NSW board look as stupid as ever now for that fact. McKenzie has a title with the Reds after 2 seasons with them and was responsible for bringing NSW to two finals and dominating the other Aussie teams. They sack him for success and reward Foley for being responsible for the team’s most unsuccessful season ever…
The place needs to be completely cleaned out.
July 8th 2012 @ 2:39pm
soapit said | July 8th 2012 @ 2:39pm | Report comment
fickle mate? we’ve had this crap served up for 5 years now, you cant expect them to hang around forever. mckenzie didnt play attractive but at least his teams competed.
July 9th 2012 @ 12:23am
biltongbek said | July 9th 2012 @ 12:23am | Report comment
You should try to be a Lions supporter, those poor guyshave been going to a stadium for the last decade and see one win a year in Super rugby.
July 8th 2012 @ 3:49pm
nickoldschool said | July 8th 2012 @ 3:49pm | Report comment
I think TV coverage does hurt in a city like sydney. More ppl than ever have fox at home while others do love to watch a game at the pub after work on a cool winter evening. We have 9 nrl teams, 2 AFL, 2 football and 1 union (well half one this year) plus club rugby for a 4.5M city. Thats a lot. Plus many of the new sydneysiders come from countries which aren’t rugby (U or nrl) mad. I think we just hit the max a few years ago. GWS are struggling to build a decent following too.
July 9th 2012 @ 12:22am
Lorry said | July 9th 2012 @ 12:22am | Report comment
nickoldsschool
thats right, tv does hurt in sydney.
Its great how easy it is to get in and out of the MCG in Melbourne, you can walk there!!!
Let’s not forget that, actually, Sydney is one of the most spread out cities in the world – it takes 2 hours by car (more on public transport) to drive from Nth to Sth and Est to Wst….
July 8th 2012 @ 2:35pm
Ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | July 8th 2012 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
I went night….loved it, mind you I am a Brumbies man. No atmosphere I agree, but getting there was a breeze. Parked at Thomson’s Corner, West Pennant Hills, 20 min bus ride straight to the stadium, bus included in your ticket price for the game. No one in their right mind drives to ANZ. Far easier to get there than SFS from the Central Coast that’s for sure.
July 8th 2012 @ 9:46pm
Matthew Skellett said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:46pm | Report comment
well actually HoodooGuru there is a great place to park da car in the side street next to Fisher and Paykel Headquarters on the Western Highway-short walk in the Hindu Kush up to da stadium -been doing it for years and IT’;S FREE !!!!!!!
July 8th 2012 @ 9:50am
stillmissit said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Foley is a symptom of the problem not THE problem. The Waratahs get excited about spending a bucket of money on, just about to go over the hill high profile players, and then get real cheapskate on a coach. The proof of this is that they preferred to pay Elsom and lose Mowen when most of the roarers here knew they were letting a good young player go for a headline. Kurtley Beale is a head scratcher to me.
The fundamental problem is that they do not know how to pick a good coach, and the coaches they pick cannot in turn pick young playing talent.
Until they get these two fundamental problems fixed they ain’t going nowhere.
July 9th 2012 @ 8:16am
Stanley grella said | July 9th 2012 @ 8:16am | Report comment
Mowen was offered a contract and chose to leave, in his position of 6, DaveDennis has become a far better player and a wallaby. Elsom was signed after mowen decided to move on. His retention is a terribly over exaggerated story. He would be playing 15 minutes off he bench is he stayed.
Beale got a truckload of money. I’m not sure what’s hard to understand.
The coach issue is funny, the reds wanted Foley a couple of years back and the Tahs wouldn’t release him from his contract. Otherwise he would be here not link, funny how timing works.
July 9th 2012 @ 8:44am
Red Kev said | July 9th 2012 @ 8:44am | Report comment
See I’m not so sure, I have never had any respect for Deans’ selections and that’s another spot where I disagree – I’d be starting Mowen at 6 – he can do everything Dennis can (and he’s better at lineout time) with the added bonus of being able to lift players around him and produce something special. Dave Dennis is solid, workmanlike, he’s Ben McCalman version 2.0.
Start Mowen at 6, put Higginbotham on the bench (he played progressively worse as the Wales series wore on, demote him to impact forward replacing Palu after 50 minutes).
July 8th 2012 @ 10:09am
Munter said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:09am | Report comment
Does Foley’s unfinished business mean collecting the wooden spoon for next year?
July 8th 2012 @ 10:29am
jeznez said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:29am | Report comment
nice
July 8th 2012 @ 10:34am
Rabbitz said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:34am | Report comment
Gold
July 8th 2012 @ 10:18am
Glenn Condell said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:18am | Report comment
The game certainly suffered in comparison to the two the previous night, especially the Chiefs v Crusaders, but it was a local derby and for Aust teams that seems to mean stodge from start to finish.
NSW has certainly been a good launching pad for players who blossom elsewhere. Why? Is it a variant of the underachievement of the Blues in the last decade or so? Same prime position in terms of playing numbers and history, same disappointment at results. I have said NSW is the England of the south and there’s something in that. Big, slow bullying packs without much talent that struggle to go the 80 with kick-rabbits deep behind them, waiting for something to happen rather than making it happen.
Auckland haven’t been the same since Henry left. White has transformed the Brumbies. Maybe it’s time to get Gatland or Mallett or someone similar, with a free hand to clean up the stables. If they are sensible they will run them til their feet bleed because our blokes are rooted at the hour almost always, and make a priority of all-in touch footy played at pace at training, because while most NZ and some SA teams plus the Reds and Brumbies are capable of phase after phase of passing plays without going backward, we almost always do, because we do not seem to have the same dynamism and leg drive in our pack as others, and we pass like amateurs individually making the ensemble slow and stop-start. There are not as many passes going behind the man as there was, but they are still failing to land in that sweet spot in front. It’s a sync issue, a timing thing, and that indicates a team not in tune with each other. I suppose you can only blame coaching so far, in the end some players are more capable than others. If that’s true at the Waratahs then it is as much a selection and retention problem as anything else.
July 8th 2012 @ 10:32am
jeznez said | July 8th 2012 @ 10:32am | Report comment
I still think Scott Johnson is the man for the job – his teams never die wondering and will keep the ball in hand and always have a crack. The Tahs history is as a running rugby side but they are lost deep in the wilderness at the moment and appear unable to find their way out.
July 8th 2012 @ 11:37am
Bakkies said | July 8th 2012 @ 11:37am | Report comment
The problem with Scott Johnson he has about as much loyalty as Julia Gillard has. Too many coaching movements over the years to hire as a coach that may have to do a rebuilding job.
July 8th 2012 @ 9:54pm
jeznez said | July 8th 2012 @ 9:54pm | Report comment
Bakkies, you do have a point but I just like SJ – his apology for calling NZ a poxy little island in the south pacific still makes me laugh whenever I think of it.
Also I think a couple of times when he has walked away from a position it has been because he has had irreconcilable differences of opinion on how the game should be played compared to the guy who was head coach.
If not SJ then who would you like? My second choice might be Todd Louden but I am fairly open minded – seems likely that Chieka will be at the Force so he may no longer be an option.
July 9th 2012 @ 9:44am
Bakkies said | July 9th 2012 @ 9:44am | Report comment
Louden left the Tahs after one season due to politics. He won’t be a head coach there. They needed to get Tim Lane on board years ago but he has been out of Australian Rugby too long.
July 9th 2012 @ 4:02pm
jeznez said | July 9th 2012 @ 4:02pm | Report comment
Think the fact that Louden previously left due to the politics is exactly why he is the type of guy to get back in. He’d have to come back on his own terms and those political issues would have to be resolved up front to get him on board.
I think most NSW supporters recognise the issue is not just the coach and getting a coach in who can set strong requirements on the conditions that they would come back under is key to fixing a raft of the issues in Waratahs land.
It is highly unlikely that the board will just fall on their swords so a few conditions set in place on the return of a guy like Louden seems ideal to me.