Ex-Reds coach Mooney to coach Otago

I'm willing to give the guy a go. Let him prove himself. After all,how refreshing is it to see the trans-tasman flow of talent reverse itself. Having said that, I feel for a bloke like Latta. If anyone is the heart and soul of modern Otago rugby, it's him. I just hope he can see past his disappointment and see the benefits. Phil Mooney will come in with a different approach, possibly with new ideas or at least a new approach. Mooney is a rugby man through and through so he has the sporting pedigree. One day, Latta will be coach. Part of being a professional is learning to accept the lessons of a setback, learn from it and improve the next time (if there is one). In any case, I think Mooney will find it refreshing to coach a team with a competitive forward pack. Perhaps he will be able to improve the Otago (and possibly, indirectly, Highlanders) back play.

crashy, 2009 Force = 8th below Brumbies & Waratahs 2008 Force = 8th below Waratahs 2007 Force = 7th below Brumbies 2006 Force = 14th OK, forgetting 2006 as it was their first year - they've had one 7th & two 8th placings. Not wanting to have a dig here (but unable to resist) I bet you think the Wallabies had a good season ??? Mitchells performance with the Force compared to his performance with the ABs is similar to Robbies Crusaders vs Wallabies performance. Oh yeah, 2007, wasn't that the year all of the top ABs weren't available for S14 ? Cheers Mark

What the hell is Otago thinking? They'd better snap him up whilst he is on the market based on his demonstrated brilliance with the Reds?

Good point about Daniel Anderson Sam, however it is a misleading comparison between the warriors and the highlanders. There aren't an abundance of islanders/maoris in the highlanders squad.

Just as Mitchell, Deans and Nucifora before him have discovered, while there are a lot of similarities between Australians and New Zealanders in their approach to the game and skillsets, there are cultural differences that will either be a gap too big to bridge or will constantly be rebuilt. The most successful Australian coach of a NZ sporting team was Daniel Anderson when he coached the NZ Warriors in the NRL. He recognised early on that the family unit (immediate and extended) was a dominant factor in his players lives as the team was predominantly Maori and Pacific Islanders. He made an effort to understand by meeting family members and church leaders to gain some perspective instead of just forcing his way of doing things based on what he knew coaching Australians.

i couldn't believe what i was reading. I wonder if they still believe in the tooth fairey down in Otago? Phil Mooneys sacking from the (bottom dwelling) Reds doesnt make a glowing reference for the guy. Talk about a leap of faith

MarkR - you can't really say that Mitchell hasn't done well at the Force can you? Last year they finished better than most the Australian and SA teams! He has continually unearthed new ( albeit QLD!) talent and recruited well for 2010. I am not a Force man by the way but have been to a couple of games when in WA.

Otago can only get better.....hang on, isn't that what they say about the Reds every season ? This will be interesting to watch. Kiwis in Oz - Mitchell hasn't done well with the Force, Dean...well the less said the better. Ozzies in NZ - Nuciorefa didn't go well with the Blues, Mooney - we'll have to wait & see. Otago suffer from a similar problem ot the Reds in player drain as they've relied heavily in the past on using the draft, but my understanding was that was stopped last season & the goal was to have a core of home grown talent. Here's hoping they do well under Mooney.

I could well be wrong, as ABC website says he was working four mornings with the Broncs, however I was under the impression his Broncs position was an unpaid position. That is what was reported on the TV News when word broke.

Good luck Phil. You have a lot to offer any franchise so here's hoping it's a successful journey for you, not withstanding the usual black vs gold comments of little value above!

He was in the paper this morning saying how invaluable his stint was at the Broncos albiet short. I knew he had coached union before obviously, but at this point of his career maybe he needs to step back, learn a few things/gain more experience (I don't know what his problem was in union be honest) and have another go at top level union again. Glad we got that sorted out!

Matt, there's no baiting here at all, but you say Mooney could have "tried his luck in union at a later date" as if he's never coached the game before. No doubt the Broncos have a good set-up, and no doubt the Reds could be better, but by saying "Given a great opportunity to be part of a professional set up and he does this.", it was a bit hard to see if you were ebing serious in not wanting to start any code debate. That's what prompted the question. No bias or baiting involved, just wanted to clarify what you meant. I think it's an interesting move for the record , but understandable too, given he would want to continue coaching.

Matt - did he have that option ? .. if he did then you're correct a broncos gig would have been good for him - far better than struggling in the neather regions of the NPC ... esp if they go for the 7-7 NPC split the players association are calling for - which is to be based on table position ... Otago will definitely be in the bottom 7 next season ...

C'mon, get over the code bias and the broncos have a pretty good set up for any sportsperson to learn. There are things beyond simple code rules such as 'winning culture' (something the Reds need), 'fitness regimes' etc. Even league coaches go to other sports and check out the latest in different training techniques etc. While Mooney was offering his wares he could have taken a thing or three from his experience that may help him later in his coaching career. It couldn't have hurt let's put it that way. To say he couldn't learn a thing or two is just plain bias and as I said I don't want to drag this into a my code is better than your code, so please no baiting. There are plenty of ex league players in union coaching set ups and they ain't there for being pretty!

Matt, are you taking the piss here??

Not wanting to start a my code is better than your code, but surely he could have learnt something as part of the Broncos set up and tried his luck in union at a later date. Given a great opportunity to be part of a professional set up and he does this. Some people just aren't ambitious!

F@#k me - this bloke really does like applying for dud jobs - Otago are almost as big a basket case as Qld - and that's saying something ...

this appt will strengthen aust rugby and weaken nz rugby ;a very positive step in a gloomy year for oz