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Mr Pulver, you can't appoint Michael Cheika this week

Roar Rookie
19th October, 2014
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Michael Cheika. Y U SO BAD? (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Rookie
19th October, 2014
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3274 Reads

Dear Mr Pulver, I imagine you’re pretty busy right now, but I don’t think this can wait.

As the CEO of another medium sized business, I thought it might be timely to point out what I’m sure you already know yourself.

That is, notwithstanding all the pressure on you at the moment, you simply cannot appoint Michael Cheika to coach the Wallabies this week.

Please note, these words are written as one CEO to another, not as just another Australian rugby tragic.

The reasons are pretty simple:

1. Big decisions should never be rushed
Do not let anyone tell you what you must do, or that you need to rush into an appointment. Of course you don’t. Take your time, work through the options, and make the decision with a cool head.

If you need time to do this, then you can simply appoint your assistant coaches as acting coaches until you’re ready.

2. What are assistant coaches for, if not this?
All CEOs must ensure there are succession plans in place for key personnel, and few are more key at the ARU than the head coach of the Wallabies.

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If you didn’t ensure the assistant coaches were at least capable of acting in the role of head coach, then neither you, have been doing your job.

The timing of Ewen McKenzie’s resignation isn’t great (to put it mildly) but there’s still plenty of time until the World Cup.

3. Player power must not be rewarded
Who knows for sure what role so-called player power caused in McKenzie’s demise, but if there was an ounce (and there was probably at least that), and if it was exerted by players sympathetic to Michael Cheika (and they probably were), then appointing him would reward that sort of behaviour.

Rewarding player power would not be in the longer term interests of rugby in Australia. It is reported to have driven a number of other big decisions regarding coaches in Australia in recent years, and we are certainly weaker for it.

4. What happens if Cheika fails?
Think it through. There’s a scandal, you lose control of things, your chosen head coach resigns, you give in to all the pressure, appoint their chosen man, and he fails.

What next? You’d have to resign.

5. You can appoint him later
Letting the assistant coaches run things for the end of season tour doesn’t mean you can’t consider Cheika for head coach for the World Cup.

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Cheika might apply, so might the assistant coaches and a dozen others. Heck, even Alan Jones probably will.

Point is, let them all apply, assess them thoroughly, and if Cheika is the best, he can be appointed after the tour. If he’s as good as they say, then he’ll have plenty of time to get them playing his way.

If he then fails, it’s his fault, not yours.

6. If you must rush something, rush the appointment of a team manager
Any team at this level needs a manager. He/she might also be the coach (seemingly Ewen’s model), but there must be one so all the players know – especially when they’re on tour, or on a plane – with whom the buck stops.

I suspect you could rush this decision with less risk than the head coach.

Good luck, Bill. Not that it’s luck you need. Just remember that you are the CEO of a substantial and significant organisation. Make sure you block out the noise coming from those who have contributed to your current predicament, and behave like a CEO.

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