John O'Neill retires from ARU

What chance he is about to be offered the CEO job with Rugby League

A lot of weird stuff here. If there is a saintly CEO and a wizard coach to be had then why can't anyone name them? Do not give the crap about Gallop and Link. Both fine men but no evidence that they are materially better. We have a severe problem at the local level. Reds are just back on their feet. Tahs are run by fools and have been for decades. The base is the problem. Brumbies essentially proved how crook NSW rugby politics is. Rebels and Force will take decades to develop sustainability. More power to the ARU and tough love off all administrators is the answer. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].

Do I detect an enlightened mind Chivas?

Rugger certainly has gone to pot in the past decade since the 2003 World Cup. Hard to believe Australia could do that again. The tv deal, or lack of a reasonable deal is a lot to do with union becoming like a man on an iron lung in the hospital ward. The other codes have stolen such a gap now, I just doubt it could ever be closed. All lost because of the chase for the devil's candy on pay tv. Almost better to go back to amateur am afraid to say.

Carmichael and Fagan from the Brumbies would do well for the ARU. Time to move on from the NSW rugby heads. They have set their provinces up for the long term and reformed the Rugby structure in a positive sense. The ARU on the other hand has regressed. It has been mentioned about what Carmichael has done for Qld rugby. This is what Fagan has done at the Brumbies recently. - Crawford report in to restructuring Brumbies Rugby and possible third party investment to put more dollars in. It's a lot tougher in the ACT due to the smaller business market for third party top ups to get and keep good players. Regardless he has done well over the years at attracting players to Canberra and re-signing the bulk of his squads. - Signed Jake White for 4 years and gave him a mandate to make his own changes and run the on field program his way. Something which the Tahs still struggle at. The Andy Friend sacking wasn't ideal and poorly timed but he had to go so they had time to get a world class coach to overhaul the program. Over a year later are we still talking about Andy Friend... - Looking at establishing a proper training centre for the Brumbies and real estate opportunities that will put money in to the organisation. Set up links with UC which is important for the players. The three big Irish provinces have links to universities and use them as training bases. Some would say Otago fell away when their links with Otago Uni became weaker. Their students provided a lot of match day support for the Highlanders. - Finally got the Brumbies contracted players to play club Rugby in the ACT which makes it a lot easier for the Brumbies coaching staff to have access to players. - Has a consistent membership base for his team. - His organisation works together with the Raiders and doesn't resort to code wars and sniping. - The Brumbies have good ACT Government funding (obviously not as good as the great Canberra side GWS Giants).

You are probably right - I love the game and I don't mind a punt either! - obviously no hope for me ...

I'd be interested to know more about the upheaval.... I would want to believe JON had the backing of his board members. Where or what form are 'these upheavals' that obviously have been concealed from 'loyal rugby fans'? I am not referring to the ranting and opinions of many who are just looking for a scapegoat. I do not support JON, neither do I castigate him but I think that many are guided by emotions rather than anything of more substance.

Maybe someone who knows about these money realities could be employed as a consultant to the new CEO. That consultant's name may be John ONiell.

Mike this is a point lost on the Deans death-riders. Do we want to go back to the 'excellence' of the pre-Deans era? I honestly don't know how good or bad Deans is as a coach. He has never coached me. But who is better? and why? Is the positive question. Dumb questions lead to dumb answers. 'What individual is to blame for the mess we are in? And how can we sack him?' are not very considered questions.

Bob, yes the money is always an essential factor. I have called for a number of changes, and I agree that everyone of them is dependent on the money side being sorted out. For example: 1. A 3rd tier comp (or the alternative of a radical overhaul and convergence of state club comps) - this will only work if the money can be found for it to be at least self-sustaining. An essential part of the plan will deal with income streams, including TV, sponsorship rights and even gate receipts. 2. Streamlining and institutionalising player development paths - to be meaningful, this will suck up some resources at ARU and lower levels. If there is no new income to cover it, then something else has to give. 3. Monitoring the match fitness and injury of our test players, down to club level. This will also suck up some resources, which must be found somewhere. Unless the income is increased, then something else will have to give. And yes, one of JON's strengths as an administrator is that he always kept an eye on the finances.

Its no "claim" Wooblies that our last 5 years are little different to the 6 years before that. Reality is harsh.

Interesting

Of course nobody is happy with the past 5 years FOS, but so what - are you happy with the past 11 years? The question is what will fix the problem. You believe that changing coaches will do it, good for you. One way or another, Robbie will be gone within 12 months, so you had better start giving some thoughts as to who you think is going to improve matters and why you think they are, because you are shortly going to get what you wished for.

In response to Stillmissit up above who asked 'now that you who wanted JON's head for so long now have it -who are you going to replace him with?' I have some sympathy for your logic SMI, if not your fondness for JON. We should be speaking of constructive options not merely the demolition of careers. I feel this especially in the anti-Deans debate. I don't know that deans is our best option, just as I doubt those who see him as less than best. But 'who is the best coach?' and why? - would be a better discussion The situation with ONiell is slightly different though. He has been silent about any vision for the future structure of Australian rugby other than the super expansion. And in the end I doubt if any of us have brought about his sacking. But I agree we should be arguing about alternate positives, not just our favourite sackings.

Having stated I was opting out of commentating on the vitriol ALWAYS evident about OZ Rugby on this site, today's announcement and subsequent comments have delayed my exit awhile longer. Such vitriol directed at the Number 2 Ranked Rugby Team in the world and the CEO and Coach! Whatever would the naysayers be saying if we were ranked 20 - or even lower? And to think it is always the CEO and Coach's fault! Time to grow up kiddies and get a life outside of being continually negative. Too many of the posters think the ARU is swimming in funds - time for a reality check. The war chest built up under O'Neill in the lead up to the 2003 RWC in Australia was squandered by Flowers et al after O'Neill was sqeezed out by player power. It's ALL gone folks! So I ask for the umpteenth time "Where is the money coming from to implement what the vocal group is calling for"? And this on the verge of another [and far worse] global financial meltdown! Well I guess it's time again to return to Animal Farm yet again .... But I digress too much. Money is really a product of trees so money grows on trees - correct? The USA Federal Reserve conjures money out of thin air as digits on a computer and floods the Banks with them to prop up the world markets to portray the ILLUSION that things are not as bad as one imagines. Except this only kicks the can down the road while an even bigger ponzi bubble results. Methinks we are soon to reap the whirlwind. I hope the ARU and all the sand castle builders are not swept away when that approaches.

Sam and Mike, I tend to agree with you. Someone at some upper level must write a song sheet and then the CEO and the Board need to all sing from it. It will be an epic battle hymn, in the realm of Leonard Cohen's Alleluia and Henry V's speech at Agincourt. Anything less than a 'whatever it takes' structural policy won't wash. Is there a space for a Roar representative on the board? I am only half joking. Australian rugby is at a crossroads and every possible mind should be employed to assist. All structures and cultures must be questioned. All traditions must be harnessed. And there's the rub. Many conflicting structures, traditions and opinions about the future. The new leadership must be proficient in sociology, as I believe that the essential problem in Australian rugby is cultural . Anyway, exciting times are ahead.

steve, to avoid confusion, in future you can refer to them as "double pluggers" (which as every bogan knows is a more robust, higher standard of thong, the old "single plugger" really only good for wearing to and from the shower)

grandkids? Have you any right to be here? ;)

I haven't read all the comments sorry, but I heard that JON has been offered the NRL gig and that's why he is leaving.

yes jandals thongs and budgie-smugglers, taken together, bear a certain semantic redundancy in the cross-cultural context