Mooney's future uncertain as rumours grow about axing

I am not sure we should confuse the Reds with Q'ld grassroots rugby. They are still arguably doing a sterling job, just not for Q'ld. But the idea that the Reds might be "privatised" has been floated before. The pros and cons can be argued either way, but I would have to admit to deep reservations about it even with the evident problems within Aus rugby.

The former administration and coaching staff and systems has from my knowledge been completely cleaned out. Also in response to Andy S, John O'Neils reluctance to afford any security to the Reds player base may signify that he wants the Reds to be used as a guinea pig for Private Equity. Sounds stupid right? but why else would you neglect a rugby breading ground such as QLD for so long, surely if Rugby were to be lost at grass roots level in Qld wouldn't it be completely devastating for the future player stocks for the rest of the country? what you guys think?

I hope McCall remembers his own words in a few years time - "he was the leader of the program and the responsibility lays on him."

My point was that something similar was done in the recent past (not quite as radical perhaps). Wasn't Lewis and co supposed to be the new broom?? Talent identification and retention being my main bugbear....

I wish we had picked up Beau Robinson rather than keeping Braid.

I am a Waratah fan so normally not too worried about what happens north of the border but i can only commiserate with Qld Rugby fans who have watched the demise of their team (franchise in this day of professionalism) in the last few years. I know it was a while ago now but during the late 80s and ealy 90s there was a fair dinkum production line of talent that sustained Australian Rugby which flowed from Queensland and earned us two World Cups. Lynagh, Horan. Little, Crowley, Eales, Kefu, Wilson and Latham (even though he was from NSW) to name a few. The advent of the Western Force didn't help when Sharpe et al moved westwards and there has been a continual drain ever since. It must be galling for a Reds supporter to see all that talent running in other Super 14 squads. Regarding The sacking of Mooney, perhaps the writing was on the wall but I hope they have someone good lined up to replace him. The QRU certainly need to back a winner. Its not good for Australian Rugby to see the Reds languishing for so long in the basement of the Super 14 table. Leave that to either the poorer SA or NZ teams!

skip your heart is in the right place but your brain isnt .turunui is yesterdays mouth and comparing him with barnes distorts anything you have to say.mooney is all platitudes and anecdotes ;no substance.best he leaves the building.as head coach he knew full well how to keep barnes but had no leadership skills

undermining phil ; 6 out of 26 and he wasnt responsible for half the reds won; the sword of undermining has been turned back onto the chief perpetrator JAMES. have a grand day mate

haha. i know! very rude! All we can do know is wait and keep an eye out for positive signs...

You'd think so. Fingers crossed they get it right, and I suppose the flip side of the current situation is that they will never get a better chance to make sweeping change. It is just so frustrating when they don't keep us all in the loop - it is just so thoughtless!

Not sure which it is AndyS. Part of that puzzle will be answered when McCall appoints a CEO and new Coach. You would think those three positions are critical to the review process. No point McCall doing it on his own. I imagine he'll be reading alot of resume's over the coming weeks.

Fair point. So the question is who is left and do they hold the new plan for a revised organisation and management structures? Or is it just a clean sweep change of faces in the hope that it was a perfect storm of individual incompetences rather than a systemic problem?

I'm not sure you can dig any deeper than sacking, or have resigning, the Team Manager, Recruitment Manager, Backs Coach, Head Coach, CEO and Chairman... That's a pretty comprehensive clean out. You can't swap the 30 players in the squad for better ones, so you are better off focussing on the things you can change. Replacing the coach now at least gives the new guy a chance to meet the challenge of a recruiting Vic team. I think that is reasonable piece of thinking.

Well said. Something is fishy in the state of Qld. It needs to be fixed and quick. It cannot be just the coach or his assistants or the CEO or Chairman. The cancer must run deeper than that.

The idea that you can just get a new coach and everything will be different is such an amateur viewpoint. It can be true at that level, where the coach is teaching his charges the skills with which to play the game. But in a professional organisation, they shouldn't have got a senior contract if they didn't already have those. These are supposed to be thirty of the top 120 players in the country FFS! At that level it is all about the team systems and management, and they are clearly FUBAR. How many coaches and players have the team had since 2003, and how long before it sinks in that the problem doesn't just lie there? The Reds and their administration still seem to be stuck deep in the amateur era, and nothing will improve until that changes. Which is not to say that I disagree with them sacking Phil Mooney, just the reasons they seem to have for it. But rather than a new coach, maybe they need to go out and find someone able to take a proper look at all their systems, give him the power to change whatever necessary to create a professional club, and guarantee him the time to implement the changes. It has been mooted before, but the way things are going I wouldn't be surprised if the ARU is seriously thinking along the lines of pulling the franchise and awarding it to a new entity set up from scratch. The QRU certainly don't make it easy for folk to argue their corner.

and no he's not my number one choice. I'm not sure who I'd want really....

He took Stade to two consecutive European Cup Finals. Not a bad effort. With the Reds he won the Super Six (1992) and Super 10 (1994 and 1995). And also two top of the table finishes in Super 12 in 96 and 99.

Enough with the Jake White nonsense. Do some research before getting on that false dawn. Whist I would not want Connolly to coach my Reds, he was succesful at Stade (2 HC finals).

My guess is that Barnes is happy to be well out of it.

Jake White...give me a break!! He would bring his rag doll Eddie with him. No Saffa's need apply. Either Foley or Williams would be ok. Foley with our young front row would produce a great result. Link - No. Connolly - absolutely No.