And Matt Giteau was in his second season in Canberra.
Yesterday, Andy Friend, the Brumbies coach since 2009, was axed after just two rounds of the Super 15 – after a win and a shock one-point loss to the newcomers – Melbourne Rebels.
Player-power.
Friend had a run-in with Wallaby captain Rocky Elsom last season, not a shrewd move in a club like the Brumbies, where the players stick thicker than glue.
Worse was to come.
Before this season kicked off, Friend wanted to appoint Brumby academy coach Darren Coleman his attack coach, but the players wanted Larkham.
Nobody could blame Coleman flying out to the safer, less political, pastures of coaching in Japan – Larkham got the job.
Sound familiar?
And it’s not a coincidence, it was contrived, another player-power example in the Brumbies’ culture that’s becoming endemic.
Yet, both Nucifora (2002-2004), and Friend, since 2009, sensing a revolt was in the wind, called no-holds-barred meetings with their players to clear the air during their watch.
You would think if the players had such strong convictions, they’d speak out when given the floor.
Not a peep out of anyone. Player-power operates behind closed doors, so both coaches were shown the exit door. Just one player-power sacking isn’t acceptable – two is a disgrace.
The Brumbies board sat on its hands in 2004, despite the fact Nucifora had:
* Finished second on the points table in 2002, and lost the final 31-13, to the Crusaders.
* Finished fourth in 2003, and lost a semi 42-21, to the Blues.
* But finished on top of the table in 2004, won the final 47-38, against the Crusaders – and was sacked.
A semi, and two finals, in three seasons – and flicked. Unbelievable! It couldn’t happen in any other sport than rugby.
Friend hasn’t been nearly as successful as Nucifora, finishing seventh in 2009, and sixth last year – with squads plagued by injuries. But seventh, and sixth, in a 14-team rugby tournament, rightfully rated the toughest in the world, isn’t a hangable offence.
Unless players flex muscle that should be left exclusively to the 80-minutes on the field.
The question has to be asked, how much input came from current skipper Giteau to sack Friend, seeing Giteau knew what was going on with Nucifora in 2004 as a kid?
Irrespective of the answer, there should be only one decision-making process: if the coach isn’t up to it, it’s the board’s decision, never ever the players.
Especially as the Brumbies’ board had given Friend until June to up the ante. But March 1 turned out to be D-Day – four months early.
Former North Sydney Bears hooker Tony Rea will take over for the rest of the tournament. No need to guess who is being touted as next year’s coach: Steve Larkham.
It stinks in Brumby territory for the third time. There’ll be a fourth.
From the Sideline
Guest
Bringbackbernie mythiscym and Dexter thank you for some intellegent scribbing. The rest of the opinions, are just that, as mentioned before and actually annoying. People looking for the conspiracy theory, poor friend, mongrel players, biased Board. I will not loose any sleep over the issue and the sun will shine in the morning. I agree that the only mistake the board made was having a 3 year contract. Friend may have been good in England but not here. Most people feel sorry for the perceived underdog. I believe that the Board has the interest of the Brumby business and had to make the hard decisions for what is best on balance for the club taking in all opinions. Again for those that want to leave with friend should go with him - thin skinned supporters and players. Why didn't Rea resign in disgust and seek another job as well? Why should players respond to Friend if they have no faith in him and then be labelled gutless? You can change your partner, you can change your religion but you never change your colours. Go the brumbies.
Brendo
Guest
ballboy, are you actually the Brumbies ballboy? I guess that's how you have such intricate knowledge of what's been going on inside Brumbies HQ over the past couple of weeks.
Brendo
Guest
Need a third?
cm
Guest
Fair point. I'm probably biased because I like the guy, as much as you can "like" anyone you've barely met.
BennO
Guest
I appreciate you being up front about twisting Lord's words. I don't understand why you felt it was necessary but that's another issue. As you know, this site is all about opinion. To me that means the writers are expected to provide their opinion and explain the facts that lead to them coming to that opinion. Just because they don't include every fact of every case doesn't mean they are negligent in their writing. So long as they include the facts on which they base their opnion, that's all they need to do. It doesn't mean they didn't acknowledge every fact or ponder them in coming to their opinion, and space limitations mean they can't include every single one. As for your specific eg, yes I don't think that was meant to be 100% factual, I think it was more a genuine rugby man throwing his arms in the air at what his sport has become.
Dexter William
Roar Guru
Players and coaches do have a lot of shared interest (winning for instance), except that players do get older and therefore will be pushed out by the younger replacements (in the hope of continued success). Some high profile players extend their playing career by stacking the deck. Player Power can never be rid off. It is a constant battle that needs to be tended to by the Coach and Management. We keep talking about Player Power in the Brumbies, but my guess is that it is prevalent in every team. people are mostly selfish and Players being people have the same trait. For instance: Giteau said that he like playing at 5/8 because it gives him more control. He needed the coach to select him at 5/8, so he does what he can (politically or favour extension). He also (I believe) like being Captain, so he does what he can to be in that position. He is not doing anything wrong but being human. Remember how bitter Phil Waugh was when he gave his speech at the end the super season where MacKensie coached his fianl Tah match? He mentioned everyone's name except for MacKensie. Was it strange that MacKensie got the chop at the Tahs? ... Why did we not hear of Player Power complaints then? In view of all this that has happen at the Brumbie, I am not saying that all Players are selfish (most humans are) and un-magnanimous. One George Smith - a very special player and person, knew when to graciously step down. He could have done a Phil Waugh, but decided that it was his time to move on and forever be respected for being a person who stood down when he was still almost at the top. This Brumbie fuss will blow over as quick as it appeared. we should get on with the game. The game is bigger than the people involved in it.
Eric
Guest
A few points; 1. I felt sorry for Hoiles trying to captain a team with uncoachable Elsom, Giteau & Mortlock in the team last year, so I don't entirely blame him for not getting control of the issues. 2. The Brumbies have played awful rugby with plenty of talent recently. Something is very dysfunctional. I blame Elsom & Giteau, influential personalities with bad attitudes and poor performances on the paddock. I agree Elsom is a terrible captain of the Wallabies. I just wish the Brumbies would show them both the door. 3. In all the player power examples you forgot Fuhrer Phil giving Ewen the shove at the Tahs. 4. Is it surprising that the players wanted Larkham as attack coach? Hardly, and by all reports he was supportive of Freind. I don't know why Larkham has been labelled as the villain in the piece.
methysticum
Guest
David You seem to have followed the line in 'The Australian' today that David Nucifora was sacked, that Laurie Fisher was sacked and now Andy Friend has been sacked - as examples of 'player power' in Canberra. David Nucifora wasn't sacked -his contract, which was terminating at the end of 2004 season, was not renewed. Laurie Fisher wasn't sacked - his contract wasn't renewed. It's like most of us these days who work by contract - you are not sacked when your contract finishes - you are free to move to a different andbetter/worse jobs. The only difference in Nucifora's case was that he was removed mid-season from actual coaching duties because he had lost the confidence of his players. Subsequently the Brumbies won the Super 14 title and, while correspondents like you and Spiro still atrribute this success to Nucifora , anyone who lived in Canberra at that time would know that Nucifora had nothing to do with it. He was, and still is, a 'clipboard' man. His subsequent failures with Auckland and in the last 2 years with Australian under 20 side (stacked with the some of Australia's current Wallabies) point to his lack of coaching ability. He's lucky to have snared his current admin job with the ARU. As to Andy Friend, he was sacked as distinct from those others above, and from all reports he is a wonderful person. Unfortunately, he should never have been given a 3 year contract. After two years of failure, the Brumbies Board should have said times up - four years of the non-performing Laurie Fisher should have alerted to them to more barren prospects. That both of them are proud Canberrans who played magnificently for Royals and ANU respectively makes it harder for all of us here to take. However, your attack on Steve Larkham seems to be from the mouth of a bitter Sydney-sider - with no facts to back it up. From Lyneham High, Wests (Canberrra), Canberra Kookaburras and the ACT Steve is the quintessential Canberran who has been asked to get a malfunctioning Brumbies side up to speed. As Australia's greatest ever 5/8 (and one of AUstralia's greatest and humblest players) he should be given more respect.
Bringbackbernie
Guest
Intelligence, questionable, integrity, very little. I'll freely admit that I twisted his comments certain ways to support my argument, but I stand by the reason that I did, that being that these kind of "expert' comments are nothing more than attempted headline grabbers and not informed or even sensible arguments. If someone wants to write like this they should get a job as joint Chief Rugby Correspondent for the SMH where they'll find themselves in good company. I don't necessarily disagree with all that Mr. Lord has said, however I do question the way he says it. Take for example the comment about the Nucifora sacking after good results. "Unbelievable!", he says, "It couldn't happen in any other sport than rugby." While I'm sure not meant to be 100% factual a quick search will prove this to be very wrong eg Real Madrid (the irony is not lost) sacking Fabio Capello after winning the title in 2007, four years after doing the same to del Bosque. I know that nit picking wins no favours, but if an "expert" is arguing that a team or player is this or that, they should be able to do it rationally and with facts otherwise they would be better off in gossip columns.
ballboy
Guest
cm - Hoiles was neither honourable or clever. He was as weak as pi$$ for not taking the players concerns to his coach and not bringing his players into line by supporting the guy who gave him the job. How pathetic that a captain can't talk to the coach. Hoiles should never be captain again. Give it to McCabe - I don't trust anyone else there
cm
Guest
I've been a big admirer of Stephen Hoiles since he was a young guy from Randwick, new to the Waratahs' squad. Intelligent, personalbe, witty and a great player to watch. He's been captain of the Brumbies for a while now, and most likely would have been in the past couple of weeks had he been on the field. Yet his name hasn't come up in all these discussions about player power. Was he too honourable to be involved, or too clever to get his hands dirty?
dunc
Guest
The Brumbies were rubbish last year. Question - who's fault was that? Friend or foes? Rocky Elsom is the worst Wallaby captain since.....Gits has now left a trail of destruction behind him....his post-mactch comments after the Rebels match were amazing....
Invictus
Guest
No sense of humour then??
Hitchy
Guest
There seems to be a belief that being coach of the Brumbies is an extreemly insecure position due to player power. For all this talk about Brumbies players getting rid of coaches, I wonder what input the Waratah & Reds players had on their coahcing merry-go-rounds, for it must be remembered the Brumbies have only just caught up with the waratahs in number of coaches since the inception of super rugby and are still one behind the reds.
BennO
Guest
really? I thought it was a ridiculous post by someone who clearly hadn't properly read and understood the articles to which he referred. This idea that David Lord only gave Macqueen credit for the win and not for the loss can only come from a deliberate or naive misreading of the article. And then to point out that Nucifora was sacked during the season, no kidding? But he was coach until the end of the season and that is the point made by the author. Fair dinkum, the way some of you have tried to twist Lord's words has baffled me over the past few days. If a strawman is all you've got you might as well give up and stop wasting his time demanding he explain himself. I thought posters at the roar had a bit more intelligence and integrity than that.
mudskipper
Guest
hate list what rubbish....
mudskipper
Guest
Andy Friend is a very decent guy, he just lost his team along the way... I wish him all the best... But if the team no longer listens to him there is no point him getting in the way. Brumbies will have to pay him out... which is fine...
mudskipper
Guest
I'll second that...
PeterK
Roar Guru
If they threw the game the easiest way was for Giteau miss goals. He kicked very well, only missed 1. So no the players didnt throw the game. A totally different thing if Kaplan was on the take, brings Hansie to mind....
Steve
Guest
And don't forget dissension in the ranks at the Wallabies when Deans came on board. Consistent disunity. Interesting that young impressionable players from first 'player revolt' are now senior players in Brumby Land.