It’s concerning hearing all the talk about the ARU wanting to control the coaches in Australian rugby. Things haven’t gone their way, but they are still trying to exert their influence everywhere they can.
The latest innuendo about Deans coaching the Waratahs is alarming.
And has the ARU asked the Waratahs players or the Tahs board?
Do the Waratahs really need another coach who has been forced upon them by the ARU? Is that what the board wants? Is that what anyone wants?
And the fans, yes what about the fans who week in, week out support the team? I don’t think that they would be too happy.
So what happens if the team have a another bad year? Who takes responsibility? Are the ARU answerable for this?
As a matter of fact, who are they answerable to?
Let’s face it: the top brass is ruling with an iron fist but they are not using this totalitarian control to appoint the best available coaches.
And what about the Australian U20s and Sevens teams? Did you know we haven’t won the Hong Kong Sevens since 1988 and the last U20 championship in South Africa we came nowhere.
This is the future of Australian rugby.
Why is there no accountability for how poorly they’ve performed and why are the coaches still in business?
And then there’s the ex-Tahs coach who could’t have produced a worse term in office and yet he still gets a new job at the Force.
It reminds me of an old boys system: positions for mates and keeping everything within the network.
And the evidence of the disharmony off the field is now clear on the field. Players are disgruntled and unmotivated and rumours are that they are not a happy camp.
So I would like to see the Tahs get back on top and play the rugby we want them to play.
Rugby has become a political game; not just in Australia (though it’s perhaps more pronounced here), but wherever the great game is played.
People are in positions of influence for the wrong reasons – the money and the power, and most of all, EGOs – not because they genuinely love the game
Look at club rugby: the ARC was a much needed addition to the local rugby itinerary, but O’Neill canned it after just one year. The Currie Cup and the ITM Cup were not born overnight.
It takes time to build tradition and longevity. Not one year. And with this shortsighted approach, we have lost the tradition of local teams and heros, as well as a platform to breed new talent.
Now, apparently, we give Deans four games after five years of disappointment to see if he can show us he is up to the job. I wonder how many CEOs and board members would allow one of their top execs more chances after five years of losses?
I’d really like to know what their plan is.
Centralising rugby worked in New Zealand because it is a rugby mad country and because it’s been going for decades.
The sad reality is that in this professional era, winning to some sportsman isn’t everything. It’s just another day.
We want to see passion, pride, commitment and players who play for each other as a team – on and off the field.
Am I asking too much? Maybe.
I laughed to myself when I read Bob Dwyer say that the problem is that the basic skills are not great in Australia. Hmmm, sounds quite similar to something I have been saying for about ten years now.
We all deserve better.
Let’s hope that somebody is listening enough to start taking steps to get this once great sport back to were it should be.
Johnno
Guest
Brumbies are success the rest have been failures collectively over all. Reds have had 1 or 2 good years but have been crap other wise. -South africa -Bulls have been a success, stomrers constant but havnt won anything, sharks occasionally decent. -Cheetahs and Lions have been failures too. Highlanders,hurricanes, Auckland blues, chiefs, waraatahs, force, rebels, have all been failures overall. Cheifs have been a mess until this year , and had 1 good season in 2009, las t8 year shave been a failure.
Leo
Guest
mate, whats with the obsession with the blues and the way super rugby teams in nz are ran. so the other foure super rugby teams in nz except the saders are failures so where does that leave the five australian super rugby teams?
Leo
Guest
when did the blues almost go under and the new dunedin stadium has been great for their super rugby and their fans.
Billy Bob
Guest
Campo logic is Italian logic. It does not actually make sense but it sure gets the party started. Which it has and we have seen some fantastic well reasoned arguments stemming from his passionate article. I am with a couple of others in longing for visionary leadership And Macqueen may fit the bill. OZ rugby needs to be redesigned culturally and structurally. Yesterday. A panel of four could easily share JON's 960K (plus whatever Nucifora is on) and start turning this huge ship around.
AndyS
Guest
Give Amanda Shalala the job. I really enjoyed her reporting during the ARC, not least because she seemed to genuinely like Rugby.
Shop
Roar Guru
Seems more like "Police Acadamy 6".
liam
Guest
badjack, campo does state that he thinks rugby is centralised and works in nz as its a rugbymad place, in his opinion. he suggest australia needs a different model, i think
hog
Guest
great post, can someone please forward this to the ARU
Johnno
Guest
Keith of WA a good post. Bang on target. The whole structure has to be re-modelled, and expansion to new areas has to happen. What has the interest been like for the Perth test. AFL finals are on now too, but is there enthusiasm for this test or is AFL taking all the news in WA.
Keith of WA
Guest
I can't say that I agree with the article... it sounds way too political with the 'us and them' mindset.... It strikes me that the ARU are starting to realize that their player talent pool is finally showing the symptoms of the true underlying illness. I would suspect that the symptoms of poor performance have previously been diagnosed as either poor coaching, not enough players to draw upon or other factors such as political interference. As time has revealed however, the problems run much deeper. The solution that appears to be getting implemented is to get the best coach around (at the time) and increase the talent pool with more Super Franchises. The upside of increasing the number of Franchises means that more funds are available for TV rights. On the surface this seems a reasonable solution and means of moving forward although it would take some time for results to manifest itself. The hierarchy in the ARU would obviously defend the realm against criticism along the way because they had a plan.. Deans' method of renewing the player talent pool would be a bumpy road as youth rarely gets it together consistently, but the extra money and expanded direction would seem reason enough to pat oneself on the back and say job well done. The immediate downside of increasing the number of franchises is that the oft discussed lack of player numbers results in players getting a game that perhaps wouldn't in other comps (it makes sense then that outside commentators have identified that and are complaining about the strength of the Australian conference). The perhaps unexpected short term impact is that through injuries and in some cases laziness (or sense of entitlement) the existing senior players that would be expected to carry the Wallabies through this period until the youngsters are hardened aren't performing and the alternatives aren't up to scratch yet. It can easily be argued that Deans is at fault, although when you consider the numerous player lists posted on the Roar by everyone, clearly some players offer talent in one area but have baggage in another and are hard to agree upon. Alternatively, it can be argued that Deans has done a good job. Whilst I am not a fan of some of his selections, I can't argue the fact that players like Radike Samo can be a powerhouse in one game and a passenger the next. Even McKenzie has dropped him for a lack of effort? What does a coach do when Palu is out injured, Higginbotham keeps dropping the ball/running high, Samo is lazy and doesn't push and all the rest have been tried and found wanting. You go with what you've got... Meanwhile, the ARU are waking up to a supporter base that has been patient while the rebuilding is proceeding but as the results aren't coming the supporters are questioning the whole system. Now we see 'state of the game' shows, numerous articles about what should be done etc. The simple fact is that whilst the Wallabies are building depth from an ever diluted player pool, the ARU are not addressing the realities of the problem. The Wallabies will continue to decline regardless of their coach until the underlying deficiencies in our competitiveness are addressed. I watched the Rugby Club last night and saw footage of Currie Cup players for the Sharks and Bulls going at it, whilst our players are in club land. I'm sorry Mr Nucifora, but club comps are NOT THE SAME as the CC or ITM and it is finally starting to manifest itself as the REAL problem. The additional Franchises and dilution of the player pool have just accelerated the reality that the junking of the original ARC was the right call by JON for the financial health of the code....BUT... the real tragedy has been that such a poorly thought out idea wasn't revisited and PROPERLY set up, financed and implemented after all these years. We have such a fragmented and deficient system and it is a SCANDAL that the administrators of our game are so busy worrying about their own little kingdom instead of reacting to the clearly advised expansion of other sports into it's heartland. Campo's article is typical of that mindset and I think its' place is in the past. His anti ARU rant doesn't provide a solution or road map to resolving the structural problems of up-skilling our players. I would rather see him engaged as a technical consultant much like cricket does where his talent can do something and let the ARU do its job. You can argue that the ARU shouldn't be involved in the appointment of coaches... and that their involvement won't work (based on the Auckland Blues argument)... but again, the reality is that the ARU involvement got results in QLD that are there for all to see, as have the NZRU at the Chiefs. Whilst that alone isn't the solution (the old saying you can lead a horse ) it is clearly one of the steps required to ensure a level of operation is put in place to ensure all the chances of success are there. As to who should step in from the ARU? Well, Australians in swimming, AFL, hockey, cricket are regularly poached overseas to consult in other countries sports. We set up the AIS and the Australian Cricket Academy. Clearly we can do something better than what we are doing now. The first step is seeing the real problem... Fix the structure first, then implement the system.... after all.. that appears to be what our Kiwi friends have done...
hog
Guest
O'Neill's problem is that canning the ARC at the time was considered prudent,but in hindsight that is now considered shortsighted and a major mistake, but is he going to admit that no way, so eventually a regime change is required for the game to move forward. If we are to continue with Super Rugby an ARC comp is the only way forward.
Bakkies
Guest
end of the 4 nations according to Crikey
jeznez
Roar Guru
.
sheek
Roar Guru
Hi Jeznez - yeah, MacQueen is one guy I would trust implicitly.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Sheek, if McQueen had his links to the Rebels severed would you trust him to chair that panel? I struggle to think who else in Aussie rugby would have the skills to run it. And a fair bit of public opinion would be swayed by what they think of Damien Hill.
RickG
Guest
Growden's been given the punt? As of when?
Justin2
Guest
That may be the case BJ but he would be appointed to the panel not decides who is. Either way I think you get my point.
planko
Guest
O'neil has great taste in restaurants thought Il Perugino at Mosman mmmm do yourself a favour and it is BYO. Get yourself a nice bottle of E&E Black Pepper Shiraz and head on down. You will forget all about the Waratahs....
Mad Max
Guest
God forbid that O'Neill, Nucifora and Deans control the coaching system in Australia. Talk about the lunatics running the asylum. I am hoping that Nucifora doen't include himself in the talented coaches space after his efforts with the Au 20's and Auckland.O'Neill should be concentrating on how we get our game on to TV. I don't blame the ABC for pulling the pin as what they are showing is a high performing second grade competition as our Australian and S15 players rarely play in the comp. We need to tackle the issues at grass level, progress through the school system and then into the Shute Shield ( or the equivalent Brissy and Canberra comps)Having O'Neill,Nucifora and Deans controlling the coaching does nothing to assist the graowth and future of a game in crisis that is being poorly run especially by those three who should all be sacked.
Argyle
Roar Guru
Not sure if Spiro would support that, nor David either. I recall Lordy not so long ago referring him to a the best administrator he had ever seen at the ARU or similar...