It was against the Hurricanes in round 15 that doubts about Michael Foley’s longevity at the Waratahs really overtook the logic for both parties staying together.
On that miserable night in Sydney the visitors put the Waratahs to the sword, winning 33-12 and collecting a four-try bonus point in the process.
Replacement Hurricanes halfback Chris Eaton scored that final try at the end of the match, and not a single Waratahs hand was laid on him.
The NSW front row – deemed good enough to take on Wales over the following three weeks – barely made a dent in a Hurricanes scrum that included one promising but raw prop, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, who hadn’t even played NPC rugby in New Zealand prior to this year’s Super Rugby season.
Fast forward to this weekend’s Sun-Herald and Greg Growden’s column headlined “Foley has lost the dressing room”, which was the public death knell for his tenure.
A coach – especially one in his first year in the head coaching role – can survive a series of tactical miscalculations, but when it looks like the heart has gone out of the team, the curtains are being drawn.
Of course, there had been calls for Foley’s head well before the Hurricanes game.
Roar and Fairfax colleague Spiro Zavos had advocated a cleanout, arguing that Foley’s time as a coach with the Waratahs before taking the head coaching role meant he had to carry the can.
Another viewpoint – which was weakened significantly after the Hurricanes debacle – was that Foley deserved another year, with the harsh lessons of 2012 providing a tough schooling from which he would emerge a better coach. That argument will might be tested next year at the Force.
Regardless, the search is now on for his replacement at the Waratahs, and the demands are onerous.
The incoming candidate will have to be experienced with a thorough knowledge of the Australian player market. They will have an ability to communicate easily with a mixture of Test stars and up-and-comers, and build a rapport with the squad while leaving no one in doubt about who runs the show.
A track record of producing successful rugby, while allowing gifted players to express themselves in a way that is pleasing to the eye, would also be desirable.
If those requirements are not immediately pointing in one direction – to Ewen McKenzie in Brisbane, then the Waratahs’ recruitment radar is seriously on the blink.
McKenzie is probably the only man whose appointment alone could reinvigorate the Waratahs faithful and bring back some optimism into the franchise.
Presently the fans are better known for gallows humour and not turning up for games. How that would change with the best coach in Australia on deck.
Presumably, a number of obstacles will be thrown up in the way of a potential approach. Hearty servings of pride would have to be swallowed following the Waratahs’ decision not to renew McKenzie’s contract after making the 2008 Super Rugby final.
But the Waratahs are not in a buyer’s market. You have to wind all the way back to April for the last time they won a game of rugby.
It is time to take the medicine.
On the supply side, McKenzie might not be in the mood to take any calls. Frankly, who could blame him?
He might also consider that he has unfinished business at the Reds, although the hiring of Richard Graham does create a situation in which there are two head coaches in Brisbane next year.
But if the question is not asked by NSW, and until that rebuttal is received, will the Waratahs be doing everything within their powers to address the slide they are in? And if and when they get that knockback, they should go back again in two days with a better offer and greater reassurances things will run to McKenzie’s liking.
Other candidates have already been proposed, Michael Cheika among them.
Before his spell at Stade Francais, Cheika enjoyed success at Leinster, winning the Heineken Cup in 2009.
It was noticeable after this year’s Heineken Cup triumph that while Leinster the players hailed Cheika for introducing a winning mentality, they credited the New Zealander Joe Schmidt as the coach who taught them to win with style.
Still, Cheika’s ability to turn around the previously underachieving Irish province is a strong selling point on his resume.
Another name that should warrant consideration is Nick Mallett. The former South Africa coach was knocked back by England and reportedly declined a chance to be interviewed by the Blues, but he might find Sydney a closer fit to the Cape Town lifestyle he currently enjoys.
His fresh pair of eyes and no-nonsense style and certainly would shake up a side that has appeared to lack a rudder at times this season.
fin
Guest
Then he is in because of match fitness or lack of it on Turners behalf, but if they werte both fully match fit it would to be Turner and Shipperly with Vuna missing out
ted
Guest
Greg Clark "Sharpe pick n drive from a standing start"......makes no ground, predictable....good in lineouts for sure but really time to go.... Palu ....nothing, always injured Vickerman plays no rugby gets RWC berth....favourites I think so Juzzie.....
jeznez
Roar Guru
mitchell still in, five wingers in the training squad - Ioane, Shipperly, Mitchell, Vuna and Cummins
sheek
Guest
jesnez, The split would be as follows, but is not meant to be definitive: North Shore or Harbour - Norths, Gordon, Manly & Warringah. I would call this team Sydney Waratahs, so that the nickname lives on. They would continue to play in sky blue shirts & navy blue shorts. Greater West - Wests, Parramatta, Penrith & Eastwood. I would call this team West Sydney Rams (from the ARC). They would play in orange shirts with grey trim & black shorts (following on the GWS Giants tradition). South-East Suburbs - Souths, Easts, Randwick & University. I would call this team East Sydney Fleet (from the ARC). They would basically play in the old Sydney rep outfit, that is, royal blue shirts with gold bands & royal blue shorts. The shorts could also be white, or navy blue, or black. From a rugby viewpoint, this seems to be the ideal split. North Shore/Harbour & Eastern Suburbs are the traditional heartbeats of Australian rugby, while the Greater West & Southern Shire are youth growth areas.
Jutsie
Guest
What a load of nonsense the only player who hasnt been a top performer for the WB's in that list is horne. And I find it laughable that anyone would criticise deans for giving sharpe special treatment, the general consensus has always been that he was harsh on sharpe despite huge improvements in his game over the last 2 years.
sheek
Guest
jeznez, I believe both Mathers & Medway have university qualifications & business experience behind them. Plus their first-class rugby career. But exactly what their business experience is I don't know. I forgot to mention Mathers was also an Australian Schoolboy to the British Isles in 1973/74.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Do we get the City in the South-East group? Uni, Randwick, Easts and Southo's make a strong set of feeder clubs for that group. North Shore is Norths, Manly, Waringah and Gordon Greater West is Eastwood, Parra, Penrith and West Harbour Is that the split? I like it. As Bakkies mentioned above we just need to convince NFJ that his beloved Uni remain a club side and the semi-pro environment kicks up a level to ARC.
Marshall
Guest
What Farmer said........ -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
sheek
Guest
I must say there's some absurd speculation going on here. McKenzie won't be returning to NSW anytime soon, while Jake White is apparently happy down in the ACT. And some of the other names suggested as coach, is simply clutching at straws. NSW rugby is a mess, & they are doing a good job of consigning provincial rep rugby to the dustbin. Sydney needs to be divvied up - North Shore, Greater West & South-East Suburbs. Scrap the provinces & have a national club comp - the ARC returned. Canberra & Melbourne already have forsaken the provincial tags, so it's time to move in this direction. As for the next Waratahs coach, I'm not much help. Alan Gaffney or Michael Cheika appear to be the leading candidates.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Thanks sheek. Now we just need to know what they've done outside rugby. From the list we know Farr-Jones is a lawyer and Laundy one of the biggest owners of pubs in Sydney. Am genuinely curious to know what the other guys careers have been. Google failed me on that front!
sheek
Guest
Mick Mathers is the same Mathers that was a Wallaby lock (second row) in 1980/81, & who also captained NSW at that time. His club was Eastwood & he was also a Shore ex-student from memory. Peter Medway was a useful, lightweight no.8 for Norths in the late 70s & early 80s, & made a handful of appearances for Sydney & NSW rep teams. So both those men have a solid rugby background. For what it's worth, recently departed NSW Rugby chairman Ed Zemancheff was an Australian schoolboy flanker in 1973/74 to the British Isles. He went to Sydney Boys High & sported blond, long flowing locks a few years before the great J-P Rives also sported blond, long flowing locks on the side of the French scrum.
Bakkies
Guest
Depends if the old boys club as a say on selections. The thing I have against Farr Jones was that he was very vocal in his opposition to the ARC preferring the clubs.
snowman
Guest
Duffy your a joke, Give me a coach of Super Rugby who took the WARATAHS FURTHER than the final?.......I am waiting.......still waiting.......can't hear you.......Oh no one. Who else has taken a team in one season from the bottom of the comp to just missing the finals?.......waiting......still waiting.....Duffy can you talk? And then won the title the following season. Go cut some poppys.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
we need to start on a clean slate, not with someone who was has been involved in what is now a fiasco, even if it was 'only' at the beginning of the end. Give the job to someone ( or 2?) who really wants to help NSW get out of the mess it is in, someone who puts his hand up rather than wait to be called/see how many zeros are on the contract.
Red Block
Guest
Well said Ted! It is one of the great mysteries as to how some of these players who have no super form, get picked for the Wallabies. Link was asked a few months ago if was interested in going back to the Tahs. His reply was 'Been there, done that, moved on.' Fairly comprehensive! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Waratahs Inc has a board and is in charge of running the Waratahs professional rugby side. It pays a licence fee to the NSWRU for the right to use its Super Rugby licence. NSWRU is responsible for all rugby in NSW from kids through to grade, it retains ownership of the professional Super licence but leases it out. Edwin Zemancheff the chairman of Waratahs Inc resigned on Monday. This followed an article last week where newly appointed NSWRU chairman Nick Farr-Jones is questioning the split of the boards and confirms the structure will be reviewed when the licencing agreement is up in 2014. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/farr-jones-wants-clarity-about-foley/story-e6frg7o6-1226437149814 I find it interesting that following NFJ saying he would be meeting with Zemancheff that both Zemancheff and now Foley have resigned. I rather feel they may have been pushed. As far as Qld goes they have a traditional single board model. I think the only other Super side where the team is run by a separate entity from the state or territory union is the Rebels in Melbourne who are distanced from the VRU – I’m not certain of that though.
PeterK
Roar Guru
For the Tahs Mallet would be my choice as head coach. Mooney should be the backs / attack coach. Get rid of Bowen.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Bakkies, I'm not so sure he is referring to the playing squad: "Get rid of the old boys club, get rid of the Board – a total clean out – as per Qld a few years ago."
jeznez
Roar Guru
As I said above I don’t know who most of the board members are but a quick google on them seems to indicate that: Chris BIRCH is there as he is the head of the Sydney Rugby Union Nick FARR-JONES Chairman, Independent Director Tim GAVIN President Arthur LAUNDY Independent Director is a successful businessman/publican Michael MATHERS Vice President Peter MEDWAY Independent Director Geoff GARLAND Youth Director (NSW Schools Rugby Union) Paul TIMMINS is the head of the NSW Suburban Rugby Union Bruce WORBOYS Executive Director according to his appointment note has been a rugby administrator for about 30 years at grass roots, NSWCRU and NSWRU level Peter VEENSTRA is the head of NSW Country I couldn’t find anything definitive on Mathers or Medway – although there was a Wallaby lock back in 1980 called Mick Mathers, not sure if they are the same guy or not.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Al is the players rep to the Waratahs board. For the NSWRU as mentioned along with the chairman and president these are the board members: Christopher Birch, Geoffrey Garland, Arthur Laundy, Peter Medway, Paul Timmins, Peter Veenstra and Bruce Worboys. Are there enough non ex-players there for you? I don't know who all of them are, nor how many have sport admin backgrounds. I think Farr-Jones and Gavin are exactly the type of people we need in there and having two very well respected ex-Captains of NSW to accompany the other seven board members seems well balanced to me. Do you guys have issue with McCall up in Qld? He seems to be doing a reasonable job. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-15/farr-jones-heads-nsw-rugby/4013384