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I really didn’t expect the Waratahs to play as badly as they did against the Reds on the weekend. It used to be a proud rugby state, but now they need to clean out the whole place. No more excuses.
They have coaches that shouldn’t be there and players that can’t step up to the plate. No more jobs for the boys please!
Kurtly Beale came out of schoolboy rugby as a superstar and straight into NSW number 10 position. Yet, it seems they neglected to mentor and guide him.
It’s short-sighted to expect a schoolboy to immediately perform under the pressure of professional rugby. What happened to nurturing players for the long term and having their best interests at heart?
And that’s only one example.
And now we have lost him to The Rebels. Not surprising. Use ex-players to help.
Part of the responsibility of the older players is to look after and mentor younger players. However, I have an inkling that the administration doesn’t encourage this as the older guys have power and respect and this scares the administrators.
They need to sweep a broom through the joint and bring in people who are prepared to get the side back to that counter-attacking style that NSW rugby was once synonymous with (funny, the Reds are playing like NSW used to).
Incredibly, despite a terrible year with the Waratahs, there are whispers that the coach and manager have been approached for jobs at the Force.
It seems that once you’re in the system, you are made.
Even coaches who don’t perform are looked after and remain employed.
Coaching is like politics. Say the right things and tell them what you what to hear and you’re in.
For example, Michael Cheika, who had considerable success as a player at Randwick and coach, then coached at Leinster, with great success, can’t get a start at a Super Rugby team in Australia?
Why?
One club – Sydney University – has dominated NSW rugby for far too long now. The anti-Randwick bias of administrators and selectors is obvious.
Cheika, apparently, just doesn’t fit the mould of what the ARU are looking for, whatever that is, just because he made it on his own!
I don’t get it.
Once again, the sorry state of Australian rugby was exposed for all to see in the final preliminary round when teams needing to win went further into their shells and played defensive rugby.
The Brumbies were, without doubt, the best Australian side all season, right up until the last game (their most important moment of the tournament) when they simply lost it by putting their attacking instincts in the rack and throwing their season out the window.
As for the Reds, well, a lot of people are asking how they can finish 6th and still get a home semi-final.
Remember, when these decisions are made, it’s not about rugby. It’s about politics.
Unfortunately, as Jake White has said, the Australian conference is the weakest of the three. John O’Neill knew that, so he worked hard behind the scenes to ensure that the top ranked team from each country would make it into the semis – regardless of where they finished up on the ladder proper.
So the Reds are in, the Brumbies are out.
Success has come to those who have played attacking rugby. Those teams who are now heading into the semis are evidence of this.
Unfortunately, it may not matter. The outcomes of the upcoming semis could just as easily be determined by a bad referee or TMO call.
It amazes me how often they get it wrong. Are they watching the same game as the rest of us?
And why are we speaking about them, anyway?
In addition, there are inherent problems with the laws of rugby which makes the administration of them – human errors and all – even more difficult.
I think the laws should be determined by the current players, not by those who sit in the grandstands and watch matches from afar.
Get the captains of the international teams to revise the laws.
In this modern era, everyone needs to be professional. But at the moment, there are simply too many people on the gravy train who don’t deserve to be.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.