While Andy Friend’s sacking from the Brumbies yesterday wasn’t much of a surprise – 2011 already felt like a case of Friend having to “show cause” for his contract to be renewed – that it came just two weeks into the Super Rugby season certainly made the last few barely warm mouthfuls of my late-morning coffee difficult to swallow.
I mean, if the players were so concerned about Friend as head coach, or even if Friend had issues with the appointment of favourite son Stephen Larkham as backs coach as he supposedly did, then why wasn’t this change made before even the pre-season commenced?
Sure, it’s probably better it happened just two rounds in, rather than midway through the season (hello, David Nucifora), but what might have been if the Brumbies started 2011 in red-hot form like the Waratahs?
Would Brumbies fans again have seen a coach given a “thanks, but no thanks” to contract renewal requests, despite the team’s performance?
What prompted the bloodless coup may never been known.
Already, there’s been tales of the players asking Friend to allow the assistant coaches to have more direct input into proceedings, but then this conflicts with other tales that suggest the players were complaining of the mixed messages coming from the coaching staff.
My rough guess is that the messages probably became mixed when it wasn’t clear who they were coming from. And the players seemingly brought that upon themselves.
So what’s the expectations and goals for the season from within the team now that they have “got their man”? After two rounds, an only-just win over the Chiefs, and a disappointing last-minute loss to the Rebels in Melbourne last Friday, they currently sit second in the Australian conference, and sixth in the overall standings.
Would this be acceptable come seasons end, or is 2011 effectively a write-off already?
In my mind, the Brumbies playing ranks have made their bed and now must sleep in it like they’ve never slept before. Anything less than a finals appearance should put any post-season review focus firmly on the playing group, and particularly any players thought to be ringleaders in this circus.
There cannot be any more ill disciplined displays such as those couple of howlers that allowed the Rebels back into the game last week.
The line must now be drawn in the sand – by the players themselves – that dominant possession and ruck-and-maul numbers cannot go unrewarded and uncompleted.
Any time the Brumbies get out to two-try-plus leads – as has been the case in both games so far this year – the opposition needs to be put away properly. Bonus point tries now have to become the norm, not the exception.
And the combination required to do that needs to be established now. Whether that’s decided by player demarcation or by a coach authorised to make a decision, I don’t really care. I would suggest that some thought is given to the future though, and that players that this team can be rebuilt around this year and beyond are played where they should play.
And what of new coach Tony Rea? How long before it’s known if he is the best option long-term, or whether he is just keeping the chair warm while Larkham finishes his work-experience program, as has been suggested?
Rea is apparently a good mate of Friend’s, and the pair worked together at the joint Harlequins/Broncos club in London. It can’t be easy on Rea to have been thrust into the position he has, replacing a mate while at the same time having to win back the players Friend lost. And can we presume the players signed off on his appointment?
The Brumbies board cannot escape scrutiny over this matter either, and should another mid-table finish result in 2011, then they must be held to the same account as the players involved.
It’s one thing to have let player power derail a coach, but it’s a whole other thing to see no problem with that at the time and allow history to repeat itself seven years later.
To Friend’s credit, he told ABC Canberra’s Tim Gavel yesterday that he did have a suspicion the end might have been near when rumblings first surfaced a fortnight ago, and that he was willing to work with the changes made to address those rumblings.
“But the one thing that I didn’t think I’d ever back down on was being able to deliver the truthful message, so my message has always been really simple to the players, ‘if you do something really well, I’m going to tell you. If you do something really poorly, I’m going to tell you.’
“That’s the way I’ve coached for the last 18 years, I’ve continued to do that, and continued to do it up until yesterday [Monday]. That obviously didn’t sit well with people, and hence the reason we’re currently where we are.”
They say in football that there’s two kinds of coaches: those that have been sacked and those that are about to be.
The Brumbies players have again seen a coach go from the latter to the former. Now it’s up to them to prove to that the right decision has been made. They can be assured, too, that more eyes than ever will be on them as they take on Queensland in Canberra on Saturday night.
More’s the point, only one result will be acceptable.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Oooops - forgot to add Kafer also peddled the party lie that Nucifora was not sacked and that he was merely not renewed. Objectivity and credibility zero, Rod.
From the Sideline
Guest
I applaud the decision made by Fagan. Should have happened last year. Rather than call out all the Brumbies behind this the players who beleive in Friend should go with him. Humble or not the team did not like him and sometimes the toughest decision is to let the coach loose rather than persist with an unhappy playing group. My support for the Brumbies will not change.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
And when they won their latest petrol cost a dollar, Delta Goodrem was important and Willie Mason the greatest footballer alive. The Brumbies' early history is a wonderful thing but that is all it is, history. Today's youngest supporters and the game's prime target were not even alive for their first title. Renowned expert, for rapidly diminishing reasons, Rod Kafer trotted that "We're the only Australian success" palaver out tonight on Fox.
Commentator1
Guest
You blokes are living in dreamland. Friend has underachieved as head coach. Fact! He has failed as attack coach for the past two seasons. Fact! He instituted the largest assistant coaching group in provincial rugby to compensate for his deficiencies. Fact! Why is it player power. He failed in his duty. He wasn't a good coach. The players would have known this as would have the organization. They eventually sacked him. Was it better to persevere when it became clear he was hurting the team. I dont think so. I congratulate the ceo and board for showing some balls and making the hard call. Why are so many supporting friend when his results are so poor. He was sacked from NSW a few years back as well. Anyone thought that he might be the problem?
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
"the players on the park have to take the responsibilty" Not according to Kafer tonight on Fox, Vinay, they're the only team that has won two Super Rugby cups so they know better than anyone else. He added three times the players should be involved in determining the coach's performance ... "So they should!" emphatically, blaming Friend for players not being good enough. Courageous independent commentators Cannon and Horan left that unchallenged. I sat back and thought about this for a couple of days after receiving the text from my son, who was astonished that they'd done it again. After hearing and reading much about it I'd be happy if the Brumbies win 4 games or 1 this season. They're a a bloody disgrace and apologists like Kafer would do well to trundle down to Capital Circle where he'd be a shoe in for a job telling porkies for a living at taxpayers' expense. On his reasoning my beloved Souths should be running the NRL 'cos they've won more premierships than anyone else. A few decades back. The Board appointed Friend. The Board excluded him from the dressing room - extraordinary stuff - and the Board didn't allow him the staff he wanted. The President is way too involved in un-president work when I read his son is favoured for the future. If the supporters leave and find better things to do, as I read they are, the Board is responsible for that too. They are weak, weak men and certainly not businessmen. I followed the Brumbies when they started, being not enamoured of NSW and the Sydney rugby politics I'd witnessed. It was Brett Robinson who prompted that - he was a gentlemen, as was Mark Bartholomeusz. I saw a fair bit of all of them in the '90s and, early on, they had an impressive culture and appeal. Then, as they became (mediocre) Wallabies, I watched the heads get bigger in direct proportion to the wallets and the crowd of doting parents and sycophants gather to commend and worship. Up until last season, or the one before, a couple of their biggest boozy boofheads I knew were still involved in skills coaching and another still is. Canberra is a fabulous place for growing rugby but this mob just hit that advantage to leg. Now it appears the Board is lining up a lovely boy to coach next year for the reason that he is a lovely boy and ran good lines. So did coach-for-a-season Wally Lewis, even more impressively. Prudent shareholders should demand the club find a coach at the coach shop, in the Super Rugby section. As to player power - I'd like to hear what the best of 'em would say to that. Lombardi, Jack Gibson, Bennett and Kevin Ryan ran their shows alone and their results bear out the efficacy of those dictatorships. The likes of Facer and Bath, who successfully presided over the behaviour of a whole club full of egos (who won every year - every year) unchallenged for over a decade, and Frank Farrington of Newtown would have shown this lot the door. Its little to do with the variant attitudes of the current and older generation and all to do with "one boss - if you don't like it there are lots of others lined up to take your place." I understand your feeling for the club, Brett, 'cos I felt the same when Souths were destroyed from without. The instructive piece from that is the supporters themselves kept the culture and affection alive for better days. If they aspire to being the best they must be the best at all the club is expected to do all the time. The Brumbies just joined the new paradigm of the bigger, bolder and more frequent the lie the greater the applause. They’ve not noticed the silent movement of the needle on the integrity meter.
Brett McKay
Expert
Worlds, it was a surprise, for sure, but then it also kind of made sense. And the lack of backlash from either Adam Ashley-Cooper, the RUPA, or even other players suggests to me that Ashley-Cooper may well have known - and probably allowed - Andrew Fagan to make those comments...
yeh right
Guest
Brett, the saddest thing of all is Rod Kafer saying it was a good thing. He must be hanging out with Charlie Sheen. This has been the Brumbies problem since 2004. No discipline from the players will lead to lots of arguments as nobody is running the show. It will turn out to be a case of ego's. I don't like that play why should I take direction from you? You are not in charge!
Republican
Guest
ballboy The Brumbies have developed a siege mentality over many years and dare I say again, this evolved due to a concerted campaign wagered by NSWRU factions, the ARU, Sydney media including certain notable sport journos of the SMH and the Australian, as well as the VRU, who agitated to have the the Brumbies re located to Melbourne, or any where else but Canberra for that matter. Some of the 'basking' in their current dysfunction and questionable governance indicates a residue of this sentiment still exists today. Is it any wonder they continue to close rank in situations i.e. these?
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Brett, do you not think there is something fundamentally wrong with a CEO coming out and naming a player / board member's involvement in the removal of a head coach. I couldn't believe what I was reading.
Brett McKay
Guest
Ballboy, I'm not hearing anything directly, but I don't really listen to the radio or read the Crimes either. However, a quick glance on their site shows comments are still being left (including one from a familiar non-Monarchist ;-) ) today. The RiotACT website would be interetsing I'd imagine, but I can't get to it..
ballboy
Guest
Isn't it amazing Brett. I too was just on thei site and the last news item they had up was the Brumbie runners win. Who's runing that joint. They've known this was coming for a couple of weeks now. You'd think they would have got their press in place prior to sacking Friendy. Another example of the ineptitude at the management level. Brett - what are you hearing around Canberra. I've been out of town for a couple of days. Have things calmed down or are the fans still fuming?
Brett McKay
Guest
World's, there no implication about it, Ashley-Cooper is on the board, and most definitely played a part. I saw that Wayne Smith piece too, it actually struck me as the first piece of proactive media-handling from the Brumbies this week, because the questions about what role Ashley-Cooper (as a board member) had were bound to surface at some point. 48+ hours later, there's still no statement on the Brumbies site regarding Andy Friend, though I note that Tony Rea is now listed as Head Coach among the profiles...
Brett McKay
Guest
Pablo, Geoff doesn't have any other sons ;-) (I don't know that, but it could be true!!) Enjoy your basking mate. Right up until the next ARU bail-out :lol:
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Just read a piece on Foxsports which implied AAC was involved in the sacking, this came from CEO Fagan.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
"favourite son Stephen Larkham" Or in the case of Brumbies President Geoff Larkham, his actual son. Hmm, wonder if he recused himself from the decision on appointing the backs coach ....You'd hope so. After 15 years of Brumbies catcalls about how dysfunctional the NSWRU is, please let me enjoy the bloodletting a bit longer Brett. It's like having ringside seats at that WWF/UFC feature "The Ides of March - Caesar vs the Senate in a Royal Rumble".
Wall-Nut
Guest
None of us could possibly imagine what was happening behind the scenes as to this decision. But if Friend had to go he had to go. Wether someone should've replaced Friend before the season starts or what ever the reason, clearly there are social aspects of a negative variety in the background, timing is irrelevant. Many a time i have worked in places where a boss should have been sacked. Business in this country is more about who you know and brown nosing to put it in simple terms. I personally think Friend wasn't sucking the right ...........! Maybe the some of the players really like Larkam better than Friend, sounds more like a social problem rather than a coaching one. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Brett McKay
Guest
Gatesy, sorry I missed your reply yesterday.. Everything you say, on the surface, makes perfect sense. But as you'd well know, "sense" doesn't necessarily always have a place in modern professional sport, does it? This whole saga is just yet another chapter in why the average man wouldn't dare turn to coaching, simply because common sense has little or no use. Andy Friend has been unbelievably good in his various media interviews since Tuesday, full credit to him. But now, the Brumbies as a club, must just get on with it....
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
Good read gatesy. I can't pretend to even begin to understand what is going on at the Brumbies. It all seems just very, very strange to me. But there you go. My main concern is how this may end up affecting Australian Rugby if it's seen as 'the way to go'. Somewhere else there's a thread about Wayne Bennett and wondering how he would go at coaching Rugby. Well I for one wonder if someone with some 'real authority' arrived at Brumbies HQ to coach if it wouldn't sort out this faster than penicillin on a urinary tract infection. Clearly something needs to be done as at the moment it looks very much like the patients are running the asylum.
Warren
Guest
Sheek, I share your thoughts. I was reading today about the Force's new coach, Richard Graham. A few years ago he was offered a gig in the UK by Eddie Jones at one of the club sides (Bath perhaps, but I stand corrected). His position: COACH CO-ORDINATOR Ie someone to make sense of all the coaching staff and make sure they are all pointed in the right direction. I am obviously a simple man and don't understand all this...
PeterK
Roar Guru
Brumbies only won those 2 titles due to having such great personnel, not culture. The most talented team for those years, in fact they should of won more titles, so they actually underperformed. The culture is terrible.