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There’s been a lot of speculation about what happened with Quade Cooper to provoke his outbursts. But one thing is clear: as a playing group, the Wallabies don’t look happy.
So Cooper took it upon himself to speak out.
Unfortunately for him, the better you play, the more people listen to you. If you’re out of form and you blast the coach, most people will think you’re a whinger.
And I don’t think that all the off the field incidents are good for him.
It’s not a good scenario, and perhaps pressure from his manager may not be helping him either.
It’s particularly interesting that he’s been complaining about his time at the Wallabies and not the Reds. It’s not great timing for him, though the press, of course, love it.
Even so, I doubt that this will end his Wallabies career.
Deans doesn’t have many genuine game changers to bring into the squad in his place.
But when you come out against the coach so hard, it suggests that there are much bigger issues at play.
Now Cooper will have to play great rugby at the Reds next year, while Deans – apparently – has two games left to keep his job.
He comes under more scrutiny as the players’ frustrations boil. And it’s not hard to see where the problems lie: I don’t know the pattern of play the Wallabies are playing, and I don’t think they do either.
I just don’t know what’s going on in Australian rugby. When things are not good off the field, they will end up on the field.
Back in the day, it was all very different. The coach was the boss. And nobody cared who was the CEO. Not like now.
None of us had managers, either, so there was no outside pressure or ulterior motives.
I know what you’re thinking. Yes, there were times when I spoke out about some concerns I had. But I was very quickly pulled back into line.
Generally, discussing the coach was off limits. Respect and sanctity for Australian rugby was paramount.
These days, the players have to be careful – with social media and press everywhere, there are many more opportunities to get their voice heard. But they still have a responsibility to manage their comments appropriately.
As for the Wallabies, they have a very difficult couple of games coming up.
Their performance against Argentina wasn’t good. They’ll need to show a lot more spirit to keep Deans in the hot seat.
It was great, also, to see Michael Cheika back from a successful stint overseas to coach the Waratahas. Finally, some good decision making on the coaching front.
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.