My wife recently returned from overseas, where she met the new husband of an old friend. When I asked her what he was like, she replied “Yeah, he’s nice. Harmless.”
I recoiled in horror at the prospect of being described as “harmless”. Could a more benign, vanilla fate befall a man?
Horribly, during the Reds post-match media conference after the torpid loss to the Waratahs, the only word that I could think of watching Richard Graham was ‘harmless’.
The problem with Graham is, he strikes everyone as just being a terrifically nice bloke. And nice blokes make great assistant coaches. But to be a good head coach you have to have an edge, and at times be a bit of a prick. People have to see something compelling in your delivery.
After all, rugby is a passionate game for passionate people, and players have to know that you care about what happens. A bit of danger is not a bad thing.
George Gregan was once pilloried for his comment that “passion was overrated”, because people thought he was saying that passion didn’t matter. What he was actually saying was that passion can’t fill the gap left by poor strategy and skills.
The Reds seem to have all of the above problems – problems with strategy, problems with skills and problems with passion – so the question becomes which to fix first?
A bad plan executed passionately is still a bad plan, so clearly the strategy needs work. A flyhalf wouldn’t hurt either.
There is room for passion in the delivery of the message from the coach. Now, we don’t see what happens behind closed doors, so for all we know, Graham may be a regular Patton in the changeroom. But his performance in the post-Waratahs press conference looked like a guy who was trying to analyse his way out of trouble. He identified several problem areas, discussed Nick Frisby’s performance at flyhalf, lamented handling errors.
Everything he said was tactically and strategically on the money. But it sounded like an accountant on a tea break nutting out a particularly tough sudoku problem. He just didn’t look like a man who cared that much.
The delivery of the message is all-important in coaching. Graham looks awfully like Robbie Deans, another terrific bloke and smart coach who clearly knew what it was all about, but struggled to engage the people. And engagement is where it’s at.
If you’ve seen Moneyball, you’ll remember the scene where the losing Oakland A’s baseball team are partying in the losing dressing room.
Billy Beane walks in the door, carefully selects a bat and in one hit, smashes the stereo to pieces. In the awkward silence that follows, Beane asks the players “Is losing fun?” No answer.
“Is losing fun?” A sullen “no”.
Beane: “Well what are you having fun for?” No answer.
Beane points a finger at the ceiling. “Hear that?” Deafening silence. “That… is what losing sounds like.”
Great cinema, and of course, smashing the stereo and the Gatorade cooler doesn’t motivate people in itself. But when it is rooted in genuine feeling it shows them what side you’re on. More importantly, it forces them to choose a side too. Are you with me, or agin me?
When Billy Beane left the room, having made it clear how much he hated losing, there were two types of people left behind: those who realised they needed to take some ownership and knuckle down to solve the problem, and those who thought he had overreacted.
The second group were gone shortly after.
Showing the things we care about gives a team a trademark. In Super Rugby, team trademarks are emerging all the time.
The Rebels’ trademark hard-edged, hassling defence, the Chiefs’ mobile offload game, the Stormers’ scrum, the Brumbies’ width. The trademark gives a team an identity – something to protect, something to aspire to and something to enjoy when it goes right.
The Reds, who once owned the global trademark on running rugby, now have no brand at all. They have no idea about what is important in their game – no one has forced them to choose a side, and so they’re all just doing their best as individuals.
If the trademark of a team is born of its heritage, then the keeper of the flame is the coach. The coach demands perfection on the trademark, calls the players on the things that don’t contribute to that perfection, strives for excellence and shows his pleasure and displeasure.
A good coach can’t be beige, it’s too confusing for the players. They have to know what is most important here? And to work out what is important, they watch, listen and observe. If it’s beige, they’re bored.
Note that showing what you care about doesn’t have to equal a rant at high volume. Think Wayne Bennett or Jack Gibson – low volume, but candid, forthright and leaving no one in any doubt about where they stand.
Very few people would ever describe Graham Henry, Steve Hansen, Michael Cheika, Clive Woodward or Jake White as harmless.
Unfortunately for the Reds, it’s a description that sits a little too comfortably on Richard Graham.
James
Guest
Well, what a report! Well said and I could not agree more.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
I don't think this article makes any sense. There are many highly successful men who are nice, even 'harmless' whatever that means-but operate a keen intelligence and ambition within a pleasant personality. There are many less pleasant and very successful men as well. The psychology which sees people as harmless is not particularly pleasant too as it conceives harm as an inherently positive value. It would seem as if 'something compelling' and 'passion' are equated with obnoxiousness. That is a crass and simple misunderstanding of humanity. Robbie Deans is criticised for the coaching results of niceness here connected mysteriously with 'struggling' with people, although his arguably less nice successor struggled even more in this department. He took a team whose talent never deserved it from 5 to number 2 in the world and won Super rugby 5 times. Perhaps the nice coach has advantages that Logan's mean guy doesn't? There is an implicit criticism of Deans' success: it doesn't show a lot of understanding for Deans' achievements to equate them with niceness. Logan would have done better, we assume.
Hertryk
Guest
He is the quiet achiever, just gets on with what he paid to do..he also has the players' respect having been there got the T-shirt and key ring..he has history and the right credentials.. RG... ??? No history to speak of, doesn't bond with the players, nuf said.... so glad to rid of him from the West..
Hertryk
Guest
I wonder if Adam Thompson is wondering what the hell has he done???
WAYNE
Guest
SUMMERIZED.. If we (REDS) dont put them ( LIONS) to the SWORD with a full strength team at home .. GRAHAM MUST GO !!!..
Hertryk
Guest
Yep that will work..Coaches to coach the Coaches.. WT?
Combesy
Roar Guru
"I’ll save judgement until the 27th of this month. If with a full roster we cannot beat the lions at home, then graham should be spending Easter alone" I said, I am - not anyone else, not Jim Carmichael - saving judgement at least until we have a full team back. It is irrelevant who we are playing. I am saving judgment on the team until I see what the team can do with everyone back. In my opinion if he cannot get the team to play well, he shouldn't be the coach for round 8 against the rebels. Stop drawing inferences and looking for arguments mate. I don't want to have to explain every single basic statement, because you're looking to poke holes in it.
Freighter
Guest
No structure, no purpose, too many injuries.... They have to grab this season soon, or it's going to fall away badly.... The one thing that may save them is the fact it's a World Cup year- a lot will bust themselves for personal reasons. There is no interest like self interest as they say....
MH01
Guest
Is Steve Larkham not a nice bloke?
riddler
Guest
Twas.. expecting reality, truth and relevancy here is something difficult to achieve. Sensationalism and hyperbole seem to be more of the norm today.. One of the reasons why Scott Allen had had enough.. But yet people still don't learn..
RobC
Roar Guru
Gday dru. Last year RGs form seemed like a teenager who got his hands on first Monaro GTS, and look it to dirt racing. This year, its been upgraded to a Hummer crossbreed, but with a soft axle. Lock, as we discussed is the issue. What is needed is the Garrick Morgan's nephew, Kevs younger cousin. Or one of the Varsity 120kg mini monsters. Its probably reasonable not to expect wins vs Tahs or Brumbies. Its great to see D has improved. But there was a lack of respect for possession. There is little / no cohesive pattern in attack. Or phase play. The off field challenge for RG, is the lack of articulation when things go wrong. RG was 100% correct when he said scrum was the first contributor, which was something many were looking out for. The 2nd and 3rd was missed tackles and handling errors. Huh? The main things people were wondering were: - why is the fh standing so deep from get go - why were the backs running at the d line without support? - there gaps and opportunities. Why weren't they not taken - Why no inside pass, or more decoys compress the opposition D - Why all the hit ups from Gill? Strange events. These questions were plain as day. And made little or no sense. Without sufficient articulation, it seems rudderless.
riddler
Guest
Well said messa..
riddler
Guest
Love it.. can imagine Bennett doing something of the ilk.. Remember having Bennett come speak to us before a grand final once.. This was just a couple fo weeks before his first premiership with the broncos.. To say that he had us eating out of the palm of his hand would be the understatement of the year.. an absolute incredible man manager..
Timothy Schuster
Guest
Graham/ Carmicheal are needlessly trashing the Reds brand, stalling players careers, costing the Reds gate receipts annoying fans and boring the rest of us neutrals. As a Tahs fan I want it over already so I can look forward to watching the Reds play again...
LT18
Guest
You are a very sad individual RFBC. Hope that was a joke... like your existance.
PeterK
Roar Guru
if they lose to the lions graham is gone so if they win against them he stays, that is the obvious inference from the statement. You did not say they have to beat them well, or other teams as well. If that is not what you mean then be more explicit Normal sequeteur logic comes to the conclusion I made, binary option he either goes or he stays (at least for a time)
dru
Roar Rookie
Mate is there somewhere we can check what the official 32 is? Given you are claiming the Reds website is wrong? Presumably if Kotze is in, someone has been dropped. I would think that if they are juggling Talakai would also be in? Thence two dropped. Confusing. Whichever way you put it, I can't see that the recruitment was misaligned to the squad needs. Not something I simply have with hindsight either, I was saying it in the off season well before the I jury scenario came down. TH is a tricky role to fill in Aus, but we should have been chasing a lock.
Ken
Guest
What about TOOMOA CUMMINS NADDLO as well ???
Dannyray
Guest
Cameron from Modern Family probably going to be the next Reds coach perhaps ? There was a mass of gibberish talk pre-season about the Reds this, the Reds that. Their forwards were awesome, the scum was the best in the land etc etc. Hubris. The few games I've watched (I watched thinking they were going to have a great season after reading the chat from people like TWAS) they simply seam to have zero ticker. There may be one or two guys trying their proverbial backsides off, but it was lacking - massively. The stalwart Reds fellas need a massive rocket up them if they are to recover the season, and more importantly for the Wallabies to benefit.
Quading in...
Guest
When is Tui getting into town?