John O'Neill: He's Back!

Am I the only one who thinks John O'Neill's appointment is window dressing and he didn't really do that much to begin with ? The wallabies had a golden period from 1990-2001 which bought about success in the code. The beginning of the end was when John Eales and Rod Macqueen went after the lions tour. John O'neill came along in the middle of this golden era but somehow seems to have been almost credited with creating it. Yes he appointed Rod Macqueen but he also appointed Eddie Jones. The fact is that the players just aren't there at the moment and don't seem to be on the horizon and no administrator is about to change that soon. It may take a few decades. We have gone back to what we were before 1990. Being at best the 3rd most played/supported winter code producing internationally average players. A charders sipping toffs only sport. As a result we can't compete with countries where its the top winter code ( Have we beaten the All Blacks since the last wc ? ). This will be reflected in the upcoming tri-nations. We will not win a game. John Connolly will lose his job before the wc and John Mitchell will take us there. You heard it hear first.

Jimma I agree that we are victims of our own success up to a point! certainly Connolly has tried out many youingsters and not just to get the press off his back as Jones did. Isn't this what good coaches do? they retire players whilst they have another season or two in them and bring in young talent. Good coaches know that you need the speed and the adventurousness of a Turner, Holmes, Barnes, Beale et al. Whilst at the same time keeping some old heads around them to develop and mentor them. In rugby league Wayne Bennett could have played several greats into the ground, as we have done, but he doesn't do that as it not only kills the new players but slowly strangles the ability to win. I believe old great players end up playing one good game in 3 or 4. We have lost our mojo by playing all time great players like Larkham into the ground. They should be making their retirement money in Europe and we should have (reluctantly) moved on. Having said that I would have played Matt Burke another year in S14. I am one that can't wait for the APC to start as I will know a couple of the players in our region. I, like you, believe that this is going to be a good thing in the long run with the help and focus of John O'Neil. I agree that the future is bright and I think we can make a fist of this WC.

Bobby:! Err I think the Wallabies are victims of their own success, i.e. the reason that no youngsters have been given a go is that they simply weren't (and only recently are they close) upto test standard, and the incumbents were/are still such stars of the game that demand selection. A coach lives and dies on win loss ratio, not by blooding new talent. The Wallabies do not have the luxury of the man child debutants like Icea Toeva, and the ability of other senior players around new ones to pick up the slack while still winning. The AB's and jaapies have depth created by their NPC and Currie cup comps which Australia just does not have. I think you will find that Matt Giteau was given a test when he had not even played a S14 game by Eddie Jones (or if it was rocket Rod, my bad) I think Eddie was a good talent spotter, even though he was fixated a little by the league boys. The Wallabies have been hamstrung in their develpment primarily by having such a great generation of players and only three full time professional sides for them to play in, which means the pretenders couldn't get a look in. The ARC will also aid the development of the up and comers (although that comp remains in it's infancy) With the retirements/moving on to top up the super fund of some of the greats and the extra franchise, the younger guys are now getting shoved into the heat of S14, and most look to be handling it well. For all the bollocking that knuckles has copped (and some of it correctly for playing stars out of position) he has blooded many new players, and there are several stars on the horizon in Holmes and Turner. The future is bright!

Sheek - I agree with most of what you say but the reason none of the youngsters developed over the last 4-5 years is that Eddie Jones put the same players on the paddock game after game with a 2-10min exception for those that had pushed for inclusion. We basically don't know what we have in terms of youngsters as none of them have been given the time on the paddock to make their mistakes and get used to the speed and develop. Contrast this to SA and NZ in the last 3 years they have given young players time on the paddock and allowed them to develop. Can you imagine an Aust team with the likes of a Francois Stein. Eddie or John for that matter would be saying something like "He is a talented player but we don't want to burn him out" "He didnt have the best of games last night and we will let him get his confidence back in S14" . It seems to me that we have no idea whether a player can develop to the highest level or not. What are we doing with Berrick Barnes? a player this old second rower thinks can step up or the other youngsters. I have never heard any of our coaches say this is the plan for this player. The only reason we developed great young players in Alan Jones, Bob Dyer (who knew talent when he saw it) and Rod Mcqueens time is that they had to do something and took a chance on the youngsters. We don't want to take any chances therefore no risk = no reward.

mattr said, O'Neill was booted in the first place (end of 2003), because he wanted to develop a 3rd tier comp (like the current ARC) but this was resented particularly by the Sydney-centric 'mafia', for want of a better name. There's probably some professional jealousy there also. From memory, that's how i remember it..... A mate of mine reckons O'Neill is "lucky". He argues that firstly, when O'Neill first came into the ARU CEO's position, it coincided with professionalism. There was no historical precedent for O'Neill, so he was able to create his own imprint on Australian Rugby administrative history. Then a great Wallabies team evolved between 1998-2002, the 'meaty' years of O'Neill's tenureship. In other words, the players made O'Neill look good. You look at the past of Australian Rugby history, & great players & teams have managed to overcome incompetent management. But the reverse rarely applies. No matter how good an administrator, his efforts are rarely recognised or appreciated, if the national team isn't enjoying some success. The implicit truth in all this, is that any sport relies on the quality & depth of its players. The damning legacy of the Flowers era (2004-07), is that somehow, the ARU failed to develop the grassroots right up to provincial level. Maybe the next generation of great players will evolve in the next year or so, but where have they been hiding for the past 4-5 years? The ARU keep trumpeting ever burgeoning playing numbers, but I'm deeply suspicious of the figures. Is the ARU counting players who pulled the boots on for just one match? Or one season? Are there more, or less, players involved in Sydney Premier Rugby? Stats can be twisted in a variety of ways to present the picture you want. Whatever the ARU has been saying these past 4-5 years, it hasn't translated onto the playing pitch, or onto the greater popularity of Rugby. For Australian Rugby to enjoyed sustained success, the ARU needs to get back to grassroots - to expand, develop, nurture, encourage the future generations of the game. They in turn, through their passion & success, will inspire more fans to follow the game. I wish John O'Neill every success - he's going to need it - for the sake of the game!

Agree with all the comments so far. Can anyone refresh my memory on why he had to go in the first place?

My earlier remarks are not meant to be negative.I just want those at the ARU that orchestrated the decline in supporter confidence throughout Australia to be brought to book, to be held accountable. A few red cards are in order.

Jimma, You said: "Australian Rugby now, is not in the same malaise as Australian Soccer just a few short years ago. It also has a far stronger base from which to build". On your 1st sentence I might agree, on your 2nd sentence, I disagree. With Peter Cosgrove on the ARU Board, I might describe it in military terms. Australian Soccer in 2004 was an Army in search of a General. In 2007, Australian Rugby is a Brigade in search of a Brigadier. Some might suggest Australian Rugby is only a Battalion in search of a Colonel. In other words, while previously Australian Rugby enjoyed a larger media profile to Soccer, Rugby has never matched Australian Soccer's player base. But like I said, I wish him luck.

I agree with Jimma and O'Neils own comments. He will do whatever he can to ensure that Australia looks good at the World Cup and I would bet that's going to be his first priority. Winning it! well we can all dream. Don't expect the messiah. It's just nice to hear a rugby administrator talking about on field performance, win/loss ratio's etc. how refreshing to hear that. To most administrators it's the admin that counts and the rugby should be left to others. Everybody lives or dies by the on field performances - no hiding place. I believe he will again leave Australian rugby better than he finds it and wish him well. Is it possible that we can line up the political old boys who got rid of him and have a public stoning? that would cheer up the long suffering rugby public !!!

Roger, Phil, Sheek: Australian Rugby now, is not in the same malaise as Asutralian Soccer was just a few short years ago. It also has a far stronger base from which to build. O'Neill had to found the FFA's national competition for chissake, True, his legacy won't be in the short term, he can do little about France 2007, but what can be done will be done, and I am sure that they will be the best prepared and looked after Wallabies ever. To the future we have Beale, Cooper, Turner, Blake, Pocock, McMeniman, Chapman, Horwill, Iaone, Mitchell, the two Holmes, Shepherdson, Polota-Nau and the rest of the very successfull U19, U21 sides. O'Neill will appoint the best coach for the Wallabies to replace Knuckles, he got Gus for the Socceroos and I am sure we will see a kiwi in the form of Warren Gatland (which would be a coup as I am sure the NZRFU have him earmarked for the AB job) in charge of the Wallabies after France. Mark my words boys, it's all beer and skittles on the way to world cup glory in 2011!

Phil and Armchair, Now we have it., John O'Neils new nickname is Will ; WILL O"NEIL I am dissapointed with O'Neils appointment, and it is nothing to do with him. Why didn't the current ARU board identify and openly say what they thought was wrong or lacking in Australian rugby. If they were able to identify the problem why didn't they fix it. If they were unable to either identify or then fix the problem ,all should resign. My concern is John O'Neils appointment might be more about perception than reality. If the former , then I hope he recognises the ARU weakness implicit in his appointment , introduces a heavy dose of reality , and creates a new board. Groucho Marx said. 'I dont want to belong to any club that will have me as a member'. John O'Neils mantra should be' 'I dont want to be a member of any ARU board that needs me as CEO'

Will O'Neil stop the Wallabies from dropping the ball? Will O'Neil make Stephen Moore throw straight? Will O'Neil stop Al Baxter from getting snapped at a scrum engagement? I'm happy he's back, but let's all be realistic, it will take a couple of years at least for us to see the benefits of most of his decisions.

I love O'Neil, he proved to be a great leader in two codes and that should speak for itself. However, I think we are all dreaming if we think that he is going to save the downward spiral the game is in. A few questions... 1 - Will O'Neil have the power to stop teams like NSW signing league wannabes like Timana Tahu? 2 - Will O'Neil be able to implement a system that stops players from worrying about negotiating their future doing the Super 14. It lasts all of 3 month and clearly affects the way these players have performed. How come we never read about Kiwi players who are negotiating their future during a short and intense 13 game season? It might relate to how they seem to be the best nation year in and out of each Super 14. 3 - Who is going to cop the blame for the upcoming National Provincial Championship that is about 10 years behind the times? O'Neil won't but he'll have to defend it, at some stage I'm sure. That is a PR disaster waiting in the wings... I'm being overtly negative yes, but someone had to raise these points...

I have expressed reservations previously about second comings. Can O'Neill perform the same magic in a different environment to that he knew previously? On the other hand, there's not enough time to find out if there's anyone else capable of doing the job. It's really an indictment of the previous regime, that things were allowed to drift into such a parlous state. I can only wish O'Neill success. The game does require strong leadership, & an uncluttered vision.

Yeah, I agree Jimma. This will be good for Australian rugby.

Cometh the hour cometh the man... I particularly like his answer to question 3, in that our skills are average at best. Hopefully he will put in place some junior coaching structure like AFL Auskick and the NZRFU "Small Blacks" program. There would be a good place to start. Next would be to make Pat Howard/Warren Gatland the successor to Knuckles. Sing Hallelujah! Sing it!