Our Brumbies: the end of an era?

You have probably noticed Mudskippers response. Typical when you can't refute the facts you just accuse it as being "heresay". Maybe Mudskipper is really Fagan ????

Ballyboy your is hearsay, unverified, unofficial information gained or acquired from another and not part of one's direct knowledge: I pay no attention to hearsay. I'm sure Friend is a great guy but he lost touch with the squad. And that’s his job... It's massively naive to think full of the Brumbies isn’t related to Friends recruitment and squad development over the past years

So which of those coaches were Friend's appointments? Which of them were appointed by the Executive? Tony Rea: definitely Friend. O'Connor? Scrivener? Melon? Bill Young? Huxley? Harrison? Caputo? Larkham? Regardless of who made the decisions, you's hardly expect Friend to say "the coaches I've been lumped with are crap" publicly, so you will need to come up with more than media statements. yours enquiringly, ThePirateKing

One other thing Mudskipper. It's not the players approaching the executive that are to blame, it's the executive's response to this approach which is clearly outside the bounds of best corporate practice. Once approached, the executive have a duty to inform and involve the management and do everything in their power to resolve the situation before it gets out of hand. By getting involved themselves and usurping the management's role they undermine both the managers personally and the entire integrity of their corporate structure. If you think that the processes the Brumbies executive followed were sound, I'm sure we would all like to hear what they were. Because every story that has ever been told about this, both on and off the record, suggests a massive failure by the Executive to support and nourish the structure and the people they were meant to oversee. Do you have a different view? yours soundly, ThePirateKing

In previous years attack was more the problem than defence. This year, the team started out OK, but slid into the mire following the sacking of the Head Coach. Clearly one part of the problem was that the Head Coach was sacked with out any clear succession plan. This meant the defence coach became the Head Coach and there was no specific defence coach. I think you need to make management your target here. With regard to skills, one thing I am happy to allege is that we have rarely seen the Brumbies start as well skill-wise as this year. We let in a few tries in the first game, but the passes were sticking and we did more than enough to win. In the second game against the Rebels, the brand of footy we were playing was awesome. The forwards were looking for offloads when they were on their feet or on the ground and the supporters were ready for them. Yes, we did fail to get over the line (attack coach anyone?), but the 70% possession we had suggested good things were to come. The level of skill displayed in those two games was barely, if ever, repeated for the rest of the season. Once Friend was removed (who is a high-level skills coach) and Rea was taken away from his line duties (whether or not that included being the skills coach), the Brumbies game only went backwards. At some point the management have to take responsibility for these failings. Let's just have a quick look at Bakkies' new theory that they were "slow starters under Fisher" rather than the previous theory that they "faded mid-season". Generally when someone does a 180 degree turn, but keeps banging the same drum, you know that it is the drum that is important to them. In this case: the allegation that Fisher flogged the players pre-season. When the only examples brought up are Wallabies who were on tour and not actually at the Brumbies pre-season, I think everyone knows where to leave that argument. yours retrospectively, ThePirateKing

The press such as the Brumbies media unit on the Brumbies official website? CA Brumbies unveil 2009 coaching staff Thursday, 5 June 2008 Brumbies Media Unit The CA Brumbies have appointed three former players to their coaching staff for the 2009 season. Joining incoming Head Coach Andy Friend are former CA Brumbies and Wallabies Owen Finegan (Assistant Coach – Forwards), Bill Young (Assistant Coach – Scrum) and Julian Huxley (Kicking Coach). [B]Former Harlequins Rugby League coach Tony Rea will join the CA Brumbies as Assistant Coach – Defence & Skills.[/B] Rea (pictured top) joins the CA Brumbies having spent six years as Head Coach and Director of the London Broncos (now Harlequins RL). The former rugby league hooker spent nine years playing at the elite level with the North Sydney Bears (1988-1994) in Australia’s National Rugby League and the London Broncos (1994-1996) in the UK’s Super League. Rea says he’s looking forward to joining the CA Brumbies for the next three seasons. “This is a new challenge and one I’m really looking forward to,” he said. “The Brumbies have an outstanding reputation across the globe for being a very professional organisation and a dynamic and innovative rugby side. I’m looking forward to being part of what is a fantastic coaching staff and a popular and exciting rugby side.” Finegan (pictured middle) joins the senior squad after coaching the Brumbies Academy and assisting the CA Brumbies’ lineout in 2008. Finegan played 92 matches for the CA Brumbies between 1996 and 2005, scoring 30 tries for the side – a tournament record for a forward. The former blindside flanker also played 55 caps for Australia before representing Newcastle and Leinster in the UK. Finegan says he’s keen to step up as an Assistant Coach. “It was fantastic coming back to the Brumbies at the beginning of the year and I’m really excited about taking on a more permanent role within the senior side,” he said. “Having worked with the guys this year, I can tell you there’s a great squad there at the moment and the others we’ve recruited in the meantime will help make this into one of the dominant packs in the competition.” Young (pictured bottom), a former CA Brumbies and Wallabies prop, returns to Canberra after a Super Rugby career that spanned from 1998 until 2006 when his career ended abruptly due to injury. His 46 Test caps saw him become the second most capped Wallaby prop in a career that also netted 100 Super Rugby caps for the CA Brumbies. Young, who helped coach the Western Sydney Rams to semi-final berth in the Mazda Australian Rugby Championship in 2007, says he’s excited about returning to the CA Brumbies. “I’m very pleased to be coming back to Canberra and the Brumbies,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of happy memories of this place, I really enjoyed playing here, and it’s great to have the opportunity to work with players and put something back into the organisation. “From a scrumming perspective, I’m really pleased with the squad we’re working with for 2009. There are a lot of experienced forwards and some exciting up-and-comers and I think it’s a really exciting time to be involved with the Brumbies.” Huxley joins the CA Brumbies coaching staff after his playing career was suddenly put on hold after a tumour was discovered on his brain in March. The 28-year-old made his international debut against Wales last year before he was selected as part of the Wallabies’ 2007 Rugby World Cup squad. Huxley, who has played 53 Super Rugby games and scored 270 points, says he’s pleased to remain a part of the CA Brumbies. “While I would love to be playing, circumstances haven’t allowed that and I’m very pleased and excited to have the opportunity to continue my involvement with the Brumbies,” he said. “Obviously it was important to take a step back at the end of the season to focus on my health but now that’s in check I’m very keen to be involved with the side. “Having played with the Brumbies, Reds and Wallabies during my career and not being too far removed from the game, I feel I have something to offer the side and I’m pleased I can continue being of value to the squad.” Friend says he’s pleased with the balance his coaching staff represents. “I’m very pleased to have such an outstanding coaching staff in our corner for the 2009 season,” he said. “It’s a tribute to the organisation that guys like Owen, Bill and Julian are so keen to maintain an involvement within the club, as well as attracting other world-class coaches like Tony. “Owen and Bill have played at the highest level for a number of years and are keen to re-invest their experience back into the squad through their coaching. Similarly, Julian has played at the highest level in recent times and I believe his experience will be invaluable. “Tony provides us with a chance to think outside the square courtesy of his rugby league background. I’ve known Tony for a while through our Harlequins connection and know that he is a very experienced and professional operator who we’re very pleased to bring back to Australia as part of the Brumbies. “We have a great mix within our coaching ranks and everyone is very excited about the year ahead. We’re all looking forward to getting in there and beginning our preparations for the 2009 season.” Friend will return to Canberra in July.

Bakkies - Rea was defence coach, not skills. Don't believ everything you read in the press. He's an ex-Leaguie. Defense is his game. This time last year with Friend and Rea working together the Brumbies had 248 points scored against them and had scored 305 a difference of + 57. This year under the Larkham Rea combo they have scored 237 points and had 336 scored against them -99. Now, I'm no statistician but those figure would suggest Larkham hasn't been altogether successful as attack coach and that Rea should have been left to look after the defense. Brumbies still haven't played their toughest games yet either.

Good stuff bjbreck - let us know if you get a response. Nice jousting PirateKing. Arrrgh Come on Mudskipper, I know you're reading this stuff. What say you? :)

“Rea should have been let go. He was hired as a defence and skills coach and neither have improved under his watch.” He was hired as a defence coach, not a skills coach. Either way, your evidence for this is what? Once we hear the evidence we can work out how to attribute the blame. eh ? look at our for and against this year, holes in our defence, inability to catch and pass, high error rates, can't finish off line breaks, passing behind the man or in to touch all part of the criteria that Rea is judged on. sure the poor skills are a legacy of poor coaching under Scrivener and O'Connor but Rea has had time to correct this but has failed to do so. Is he even qualified as a real Rugby coach? This from his management company's website. he was appointed as skills and defence coach when he first arrived. TONY REA APPOINTED TO BRUMBIES TOP JOB 2/3/2011 Less than three seasons after switching his football allegiances from rugby league to rugby union, Tony Rea was yesterday appointed head coach of the Canberra-based Super 15 Brumbies franchise. The Fordham Company-managed Rea, who represented Queensland in rugby league and was captain of the NRL team North Sydney Bears at the age of 21, returned to Australia in 2008 to take up an assistant coach role with the Brumbies following a 14 year career with the London Broncos (later London Harlequins) as a player, captain, head coach and chief executive. Bundaberg-born Rea played his early rugby league with Brisbane Brothers before joining North Sydney in 1988. A hooker, he played 120 matches for the Bears and another 47 with the London Broncos before moving into coaching. During his time in the United Kingdom, Rea was an expert analyst on Britain’s BSkyB weekly rugby league television coverage for more than a decade. The Brumbies recruited Rea as defence and skills coach in 2008 as part of head coach Andy Friend’s coaching staff. When Friend and the Brumbies parted company after only two matches into the 2011 Super 15 season, Rea was offered the head coach position for the remainder of the season. exactly they were slow starters under Fisher because of the poor conditioning over pre season. key players turning up crocked to Round 1 after barely playing a trial.

See below...

I agree, i just sent this trhough the feedback page on the brumbies web site: Dear Brumbies, I am writing you as a concerned fan of the Brumbies. The troubles of this year are well documented. But I am not sure you are aware of the angst in the fans at the moment. There have been numerous posts and comments from frustrated fans. Mainly around how the sacking of Andy Friend occurred and the lack of spine shown from the players involved to back up Adam Ashley-Cooper. I implore the Brumbies exec, players and managers issue a public apology to the fans for the debacle that is season 2011. This will at least return some faith in the club. Just to give you an example read this article and the subsequent postings http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/05/17/our-brumbies-the-end-of-an-era/ you will start to see the frustrations. As a loyal fan i will support the team, but the loyalty is being stretched at the moment. Each year I have to justify to my partner the expense of renewing my membership, this task is going to be very hard in leui of the this years shenanigins. Please help me by showing leadership and returning faith of the fans. Regards,

Bakkies, you said one thing that makes sense: "Friend may have been a great bloke but that doesn’t make him a good coach." But it doesn't make him a bad one either. And it's not his good blokeness, but the fact that he thought a lot of the senior players were blouse-wearing nancy boys that was more of a problem - a sentiment echoed by Tony Rea last week. But at least you have produced some specifics about why he should have been sacked - let's take a look at them: "Ex Brumbies and ACT reps Scrivener and O’Connor destroyed our backline confidence and were kept on." O'Connor was hired before Friend and specifically not hired by Friend. Scrivener was moved on. "I remember in Fisher’s first season the whole backline bar Gregan from memory was out injured before round 1. That suggests that they were murdered in pre season and no suprise that they faded mid season." Not sure how this is relevant, but Fisher's seasons (and games) were notorious for their slow starts and blazing finishes, rather than mid-season fades. "Rea should have been let go. He was hired as a defence and skills coach and neither have improved under his watch." He was hired as a defence coach, not a skills coach. Either way, your evidence for this is what? Once we hear the evidence we can work out how to attribute the blame. "The jobs for the boys under Friend’s tenure wasn’t good hiring recently retired ex players with no coaching experience as assistants" Friend specifically wanted to hire someone other than Larkham for the role of attack coach (and hasn't our attack gone well this year!), but was overuled by management. Anyway, Bakkies, at least you're having a go! Yours encouragingly, ThePirateKing

@mudskipper said "Ballboy… Frankly I’m keeping some balance here… Your post is all hearsay, unverified, unofficial information gained or acquired from another and not part of one’s direct knowledge and may even have been embellished by your passion: However I pay no serious attention to hearsay… neither should others." Mudskipper and anybody on here who thinks the sacking was justified, I ask you to do one thing: produce a single example of an incident that backs up the discontent with Friend's ability. There is nothing on the public record, and I personally have never come across any hearsay about: one Friend he did; one Friend said; one thing Friend did not do that would justify sacking him. When this happens, we can assess each allegation case by case. The fact is that no-one involved in Friend's demise have produced anything other than vague, unverifiable generalisations all clouded with an assumption of assumed "inside knowledge" that it would be too dangerous to share. Reminiscent of the invasion of Iraq really, except that at least Colin Powell had some facts to present publicly. The Brumbies have been too scared to present a single one. So if you don't like hearsay, and you have no idea what people on here do or don't know, at least demand that the people that made this decision aren't allowed to get away with it either. yours objectively, ThePirateKing

Although I'm unhappy with what's happening and I'll miss the next home game I will be back out at the stadium for the Rebels match and I will renew my membership for next year. However, the board and management should be accountable for their actions and the members shouldn't be treated like mugs.

I agree with the sentiments from most above, especially on the joy the Brumbies have given me. I moved here in 98 and immediately started going to games. i agree with all that the crowd was electric. I can’t remember being in a rugby stadium where that much noise and vibe were generated. I even remember going to the Tahs Vs Brumbies final in sydney in 02 where sittting with the other Brumbies fans we made more noise that the Tahs fans. My father sat at the back of the stand on the other side of the field and in the opposite corner and said all he could here were the Brumbies supporters. We are very paroachial and proud of our team. It is pretty clear that the team is struggling. There are many reasons, yes Fagan and the board are one, and we as fans have the right to have it explained to us. But we need to stick by the team. There are many comments on how since the sacking of Friend the young blokes don’t have the mentors in place to develop them. What sort of message does it send when not only the management, but more importantly the fans desert them? I am sure part of the attraction of playing in Caberra is that the fans are so into the game and supportive. So in desertion of the team are we no better than the CEO and board? We need to show the young blokes (and our own children) that we will stick by them even in the hard times. It only seems logical that we need to make sure that Fagan and the board are aware of the fans view. So how do we do this? Obviously by not going to games is one way, but what about requesting an open forum for the fans like the Waratahs are doing? Or how do we make sure the people involved are reading posts such as this? is there a Brumbies email we can send the link to? info@brumbies.com.au maybe? Does anyone know of one? Then I suggest we send a link to all articles like this to it, maybe then the message will get through. Getting through this period is going to be tough for the executive, the players and most importatnly the fans. One last thing to consider, the Brumbies finances are propped up by the members. if this disappears and the club is no longer financially viable, then the SANZAR committe will have no choice but to move the club (the NSWRU would love a second team in Sydney). As much as it pains me to watch right now, I would hate it if we lost the club altogether and there was no local Super rugby team to follow. So I will be going to the last 2 games, and I will renew my membership, because watching a bung team is better than watching no team at all. I implore my fellow Brumbies fans to do the same.

I've been looking for the Waratahs P/L ones without success - given the split between the NSW RU and the Waratah P/L there is a further dissolution in NSW. The description sounds similar that essentially the clubs need to agree which controls the provincial board. Well everyone who isn't happy has to get down to their local club and vote in the AGM where they have their membership - will be a tough way to get control and take a majority of each club being on the same page - sounds harder to get up than an Aussie referendum!

I agree with the sentiments from most above, especially on the joy the Brumbies have given me. I moved here in 98 and immediately started going to games. i agree with all that the crowd was electric. I can't remember being in a rugby stadium where that much noise and vibe were generated. I even remember going to the Tahs Vs Brumbies final in sydney in 02 where sittting with the other Brumbies fans we made more noise that the Tahs fans. My father sat at the back of the stand on the other side of the field and in the opposite corner and said all he could here were the Brumbies supporters. We are very paroachial and proud of our team. It is pretty clear that the team is struggling. There are many reasons, yes Fagan and the board are one, and we as fans have the right to have it explained to us. But we need to stick by the team. There are many comments on how since the sacking of Friend the young blokes don't have the mentors in place to develop them. What sort of message does it send when not only the management, but more importantly the fans desert them? I am sure part of the attraction of playing in Caberra is that the fans are so into the game and supportive. So in desertion of the team are we no better than the CEO and board? We need to show the young blokes (and our own children) that we will stick by them even in the hard times. It only seems logical that we need to make sure that Fagan and the board are aware of the fans view. So how do we do this? Obviously by not going to games is one way, but what about requesting an open forum for the fans like the Waratahs are doing? Or how do we make sure the people involved are reading posts such as this? is there a Brumbies email we can send the link to? info@brumbies.com.au maybe? Does anyone know of one? Then I suggest we send a link to all articles like this to it, maybe then the message will get through. Getting through this period is going to be tough for the executive, the players and most importatnly the fans. One last thing to consider, the Brumbies finances are propped up by the members. if this disappears and the club is no longer financially viable, then the SANZAR committe will have no choice but to move the club (the NSWRU would love a second team in Sydney). As much as it pains me to watch right now, I would hate it if we lost the club altogether and there was no local Super rugby team to follow. So I will be going to the last 2 games, and I will renew my membership, because watching a bung team is better than watching no team at all. I implore my fellow Brumbies fans to do the same.

Does anyone know where the Consitution is for this club? The Articles? By Laws? Just wondering who could be lobbied ...

Jeznez, the Brumbies Rugby board overseas all rugby in the ACT and Southern NSW too, and is therefore a committee of amateur club or district delegates essentially. The board appoints the CEO (Andrew Fagan) to run the Super Rugby Franchise, but there is no scope for voting within the Brumbies members. Theoretically - and I'll happily stand corrected on this - the only way for the CEO to be sacked/replaced would be if enough of the club or district delegates sitting on the board shared the views as aired above, and started asking questions about the CEO's performance...