Michael Hooper grabbed his water bottle and bolted from the room. After powering through 190 words, Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie followed him.
Except he wasn’t the Wallabies coach anymore.
McKenzie ambled by himself down that hallway to, as he put it, “exit stage left” after an all-too-brief 66-second statement.
The irony is, after a couple of weeks of the ARU and Wallabies bungling everything in sight, he actually did exit the room stage left as cued.
McKenzie was alone at the top, without anyone he felt he could turn to for support. This was a case of a chess player, knowing he had no protection available, knocking over the king and getting out.
“You can take it up with Bill.”
All of the boardroom intrigue that inevitably surrounds incidents such as this is still unknown, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to write something.
(By the way, it’s nice to be back after so long. I like what you’ve done with the place while I was out.)
So what did Bill have to say when we took it up with him? He hammered the media.
“In essence, Ewen said he was going to struggle to retain the level of support he needs from the playing group and, in my view, because of the character assassination he’s suffered in the last two weeks,” Pulver said.
Ewen McKenzie has certainly copped some flack in the media since the Kurtley Beale saga exploded onto centre stage – and it’s clearly been fermenting at least since June. But to say some reporters at Sydney newspapers were the root cause of McKenzie stepping down as coach of the team is an absurdly simplistic view of the situation.
You could mount a successful argument that the media have gone for the most exciting story in some circumstances instead of focusing on the extremely poor – and possibly criminal as Scott Allen detailed – behaviour of Beale.
But that media behaviour doesn’t cause a man like McKenzie to fall on his sword. There’s more to it than that.
Let me just ask a few questions that need to be answered outside of the back-and-forth ‘meeja did this and didn’t do that’ argument.
How often is a bunch text messages at the centre of a disciplinary hearing leaked to the press? I mean, we are getting right up to Peter Slipper/James Ashby craziness when that happens, and at least that was upper-echelon politicking. This is a sporting organisation.
When the SMSs came out we officially went into what American sportswriter Bill Simmons calls “the Tyson zone”. Which is to say, literally anything could happen after a certain point and you would believe it was true.
When the subject matter of a serious ongoing inquiry ends up being published by the Tele, the organisation as a whole has problems. Once that precedent has been set a coach resigning is suddenly more believable.
Another question: where was Bill Pulver’s strong support of Ewen McKenzie before he had offered his resignation? There hasn’t been much that sounded like unanimous backing of McKenzie coming from St Leonards since this ordeal started.
Suddenly, after McKenzie had walked away, we hear, “Australia has lost a terrific coach and a great bloke. It is extremely disappointing… As somebody who is responsible for upholding the core values of this game – passion, integrity, discipline, respect and solidarity… what has happened to Ewen over the past two weeks is extremely disappointing.”
From the outside, it doesn’t appear as if McKenzie experienced much solidarity from his own ARU employees. Definitely not publicly.
Bigger question: are the ARU going to review Bill Pulver’s tenure after losing two coaches in about 16 months? I don’t say this lightly, because I admire some of the things Pulver has done while in charge of the ARU, not least getting the National Rugby Championship off the ground.
But having two coaches leave on your watch has to raise football-field sized flags.
Robbie Deans was fired. But let’s not pretend there wasn’t a whole lot of discontent and organisational tension around the end of his time at the Wallabies.
In the wake of the bungling of the Beale/Di Patson thing, Pulver hired a PR manager to help communicate away some of the media focus. Was that the right action to take?
With rugby in the way it currently is in Australia, the last thing the pubic needs from the ARU is more spin or obfuscation.
The best way to clear up the entire mess was to have a review of the Beale indiscretions as quick as possible, internally and maybe publicly clarify and explain Di Patson’s role with the team, and back Ewen McKenzie.
Resolutions, not communications.
Pulver has said that McKenzie was given much more room to operate the Wallabies than Robbie Deans had. Perhaps this was a way of explaining why Pulver hadn’t been more vocal in his support of McKenzie.
What that said to me is two coaches, with two different ways of operating, lost the support of the organisation, team and staff under Pulver’s watch, which ultimately led to their demise.
Is there any good news for Pulver? Well, here’s what might be the canary in the mine.
September 27 2012, Quade Cooper says on live TV the Wallabies environment is toxic and not conducive to performing well.
(I know: Cooper as the sage warning. Don’t dwell on it; use it more as a literary device if that helps.)
There have obviously been cultural and organisational problems with the ARU for a long time now, and these public flare-ups are just some of the more extreme ways they manifest themselves.
You might not have agreed with Cooper’s mode of communication when he aired that opinion. But there was certainly a cultural issue in the side at the time and has been since then.
We’ve wasted a number of years with a toxic culture, burned through a lot of good players and wasted two talented coaches.
You can’t just shrug at it anymore – if you laughed it off when Cooper brought it up, you can’t do the same while watching McKenzie walk down that hallway.
It’s been going on too long.
Another absurdly simplistic statement, but a better one than the one I explained at the top: McKenzie resigned because the Wallabies are still a toxic environment.
This is an extremely sad state of affairs for rugby and it will take a more intensive review process and clean-out than blaming the media and public for not being supportive to right the ship.
Jibba Jabba
Guest
The ABs learnt it from the Wallabies and Boks.....
Utah
Guest
Mowen wasn't offered a contract at the Waratahs as they had signed Rocky Elsom instead. Don't let the truth get in the way of a good yarn hey FOS???
Patrick Effeney
Editor
Yeah wouldn't have thought.
Patrick Effeney
Editor
Would be the man.
Justin3
Guest
Pity he didn't do for rugby what he did for soccer. The guy was O'Neil's lap dog...
Redbull
Guest
Which would have been acceptable if he was actually any good
Redbull
Guest
That would be my preference
Westie
Guest
Then get rid of the players
Magic Sponge
Guest
Agree the old school tie , O'Neill and Pulver have employed way too many administrators on exorbitant wages. How did they lose all that Lions money , not putting a cent into the grassroots but are broke . The aru is just a golden goose for the rich old school mates and nothing else
Wilson
Guest
The media have so much wrong. Pulver is a disgrace for assassinating the other team members working in Wallaby Land. The truth needs to be revealed. The logistics manager job never existed, not under Di Patston's watch. The person employed as Ops Manager, framed as logistics manager never had a chance. His credentials alone warranted his appointment, not nepotism as Georgina Robinson implied. Pulver needs to go. Top down management in any organisation is not sustainable.
Terry Kidd
Guest
Disagree mate, everyone I have spoken to here in Perth (Aussies, Kiwis, Irish, Safas and English) agree that Cheiks is the ONLY man for the job
Kirko
Guest
Fin I think we need to keep our fingers crossed for a Cheika/Larkhan partnership....i'm astounded that there's still all this us & them bias when surely the Wallabies must be the focal point, and given it still exists, then a partnership from a couple of parties is best. Couldn't help but remember Bernie's charge down of a conversion attempt when Slade was lining up on Saturday night. But not only to stop the state bias, but because it would give balance to selection. No doubt it would be hard for Cheika to not pick Foley at 10 given he's the guy he knows, but I don't think he's got the skill set required at test level. He is great in the on the front foot stuff when all's going your way, but when tight pressure comes into play that only occurs in tests, his decision making is left wanting & then is let down further by execution (and i'm excluding kicking for goal). Bernie would be clear with Cheika on the offerings of each 10/12 combo meaning there would at least be debate. Personally, I don't think we have a standout 10 in Australia & it's been a while since we have, thus i'd be using a horses for courses policy....when you're playing the AB's & England i'd have Toomua & Lealiafano with QC on the bench who comes on with 20-25 to go to put doubt in the minds of tired defenders. But until then you have 2 guys that can play a well thought out structured game & who will make the opposition attack think twice about trying to run that channel. Against the other teams you might not need such structure and the presence of QC & the fear of him with ball in hand probably outweighs the defence issue. Foley & Nic White are good solid provincial players, but not test level. I'll be at Twickers for the Barbars & the England games & will be interested to see who's playing where. I still think this can be a successful tour, yet the only reason I think we'll beat England is that its the end of the tour so we've had time to find new combo's & they will have spent the prior 3 weeks playing AB's, Bokkes & Samoa so they'll be battered ;)
Quading in...
Guest
Absolutely Yogi. If Cheika wants the support of the players that aren't from the Tahs or aren't in the group that obviously received the text then he needs to be a disciplinarian with Beale. He must fire him. That is the first step, next he must tell all those (like Folau) that attempting to blackmail him into keeping Beale by releasing statements to the effect of "if he leaves, I leave" is NOT acceptable and that he will not be playing on the spring tour. I think if Folau starts sword rattling he must say, "Look mate we needed you to bring in the crowd last year at the Tahs, but 1) we won and that won't be an issue any more and 2) we're not playing any internationals at home next year because of the world cup. I.e. if you left last yr, revenue would have dropped, but this year it will have no effect. Pull your head in and let me do my job."
Rugby Tragic
Guest
HarryT/Mike, you are right in that I was generalising (intentionally) and I certainly do not question the right for players, if this is to be their career, to earn a living, but I love the game and am just sick to death reading about "we cannot compete, we do not have the money no massive TV rights to retain players, not one will give us a fair go type attitude" The point I am making is that the code is being blackmailed by a few who think they are bigger than the game. I say let them go, pandering to them is what I believe has driven the ARU close to insolvency and the ARU let it happen.. The players you refer to are the players the code need in Australia to take the game forward, to build the base of the great game. As for Europe taking 'all the Wallabies', I would doubt that... the clubs cherry pick and will continue to do so. You might recall the pre 90's days when rugby was 'a amateur sport', League clubs had there talent scouts offering 'football' as a career, not to all of course, only the one they wanted. Yet, the game survived. Why do we need to submit to the blackmail of a few on the pretense that they will cure the ills of the administration. Let those mercenaries go or stay on 'our terms'. I look at guys like Matt Toomua, who turned down, I am sure better offers to move but he has been loyal to his roots and wants to become a better player under his mentor, Larkham. Compare his with some of the show ponies who might have a higher profile who 'infer they will only stay is the price is right'. I look to guys like ACC who has been a absolute stalwart of the game but would bet his pay packet is not nearly as fat as some of those with lessor pedigrees. I'm sorry if you do not get my drift ...
Mike
Guest
Good point, Pocock returning will put the heat on all 7s. I hope Gill doesn't give up. He's young, already got several tests under his belt, and all sorts of things can happen: injuries to others, a coach seeing you at just the right time and place...
Mike
Guest
Sure expathack, this is from stuff.co.nz: "Wallabies No 8 Scott Higginbotham spoke out in support of the 25-year-old on Thursday [i.e. after Patston flew home], describing as "great" Beale's influence on the team since his return from shoulder surgery at the end of last season. "It's great. His influence is great," Higginbotham said. "I love Kurtley. Him and I have been on the bench a lot this year and we talk a lot about the game in training, out of training, even during the game. ''Him and I are always talking about what's going on on the field. We did that at the Rebels. I really enjoy playing with him and being around him."
Scrounger
Guest
FOS your dislike for Mowen is well documented. Never let the truth get in the way of continuous lies. I think you will find that Mowen was pushed from the Reds and offered a lifeline by Ewen at the Tahs. Tahs then decided they wanted Elsom rather than Mowen so he was out ( One of the great decisions of all time). Brumbies offered him a lifeline. ARU treated Mowen with dis-respect by offering a $ 30K top up when guys like Palu and Pocock are getting $ 400K each year for being continually injured. You can't blame him for taking the money in France to look after his family after the way he was pushed from the Reds, Tahs and then the ARU. His decision hs proven to be a masterstroke given what has happened in the WBs in recent times. Maybe he should replace Pulver as CEO which would give you another opportunity to rant!!!
redbull
Guest
So to bring up Cooper's toxic comment. Was he referring to Robbie Deans as everyone thought, or was he really referring to the internal team politics?
Simoc
Guest
Well I reckon McKenzie got the Wallabies playing a brand of rugby I prefer to watch. Imagine this White guy having Oz playing kick and chase and running one off and winning and so many happy Roarers. Rubbish rugby.
HarryT
Guest
Big difference between Bill Pulver and JON is Matt Carroll. Carroll was steeped in rugby, rising from a subbies administrator to 2IC and political advisor to JON. When Carroll and Pulver were pitching for the top job, Carroll must have pissed himself laughing when Pulver claimed his knowledge of grass root rugby was gleaned from his stints on the Mosman rugby bbq. 20 years earlier Carroll had turned a broke and almost defunct Mosman rugby club, where he had played very badly for ten years, into a profitable and successful club that flirted with thoughts of first division. He used his admin skills to climb to the top via Sydney and NSW rugby, learning the backroom machinations along the way. I should point out that he was instrumental in setting up the A League which just had a local derby that matched the attendance of the last Wallaby vs. AB test. No idea where he is now, but it is obvious he isn't at the ARU.