If you Wallabies fans right now if they would rather see Michael Cheika or anyone else on the planet coach the team at the World Cup, a large percentage would choose the latter.
The latest whispers however, seem to suggest that Cheika will stay in the position.
One can only assume a lack of time before the tournament in Japan is the reason Cheika might keep the gig – a new coach wouldn’t have long enough to embed a style and culture to succeed.
If that’s Raelene Castle’s position, I actually think she’s right – Cheika remaining makes some sense. That’s the traditional course of action in these moments. Not enough time to replace the guy, so you signal a vote of confidence in the coach to rid the speculation. Everyone involved is allowed then to just get on with the job of winning rugby games.
It’s what you do. Would anyone be surprised if Rugby Australia announced they had extended Cheika to 2021, with a hidden clause that they could oust him post-World Cup?
Then if you go well, you keep the coach and the board gets to say they always knew they would turn it around. If it goes the other way, you replace the coach and say you gave them every opportunity to succeed and how you’re an organisation that doesn’t give up on its people in times of strife.
Problem being, rugby in Australia can’t cope with 12 more months of this regime.
Australia has perhaps the most unique rugby community in the world, top to bottom, in this regard. Everything flows from the national team.
When the Wallabies are winning, Australian rugby as a whole thrives. You could say that’s the same everywhere, but it’s the famine and the feast that only seems to happen in Australia.
Rugby is a way of life in some countries, as it is here too, just for a smaller proportion of the population.
The rest of Australia just loves sport and winning. Right now, the stench surrounding the Wallabies is becoming too much to take, and you can bet the Super Rugby clubs are going to feel a hit when the season kicks off in February.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
That leaves RA between a rock and a hard place. Stick with Cheika because it’s not likely that they can find someone who can turn this thing around with little or no games to prepare, and deal with the cloud of negativity which currently has rugby union in the darkness?
Or change the coach, knowing there’s a huge chance we won’t compete at the World Cup.
It sounds counterintuitive to how winning is the only thing that matters to rugby fans here, but I’d rather lose at the World Cup with a new coach and some fresh talent than keep things the way they are and hope for a miracle.
I think rugby fans agree. They just want things to change. If Jordan Petaia plays in Japan with a new coach at the helm, that’s something to be excited about. Imagine Super Rugby next year – we could be watching every week thinking about all the new players who could break into the squad, not sitting there knowing exactly who and what they’re going to see in Japan.
It might drive the casual fan further away: “Aww the Wallabies suck, who cares I’m not watching anymore.”
But rugby shouldn’t be focusing on those people right now.
Grow the game locally, but get rugby fans excited and the rest will follow.
Stick with Cheika, and the next 12 months could get even worse. A vague idea of a miracle showing at the World Cup will not be enough to get fans back onside.
Make the change, and we can start looking forward, to 2019 and beyond.
Richard
Guest
Unfortunately the decision to remove the coach is a short term fix, albeit the right one. As an Aussie based in London, you don’t have to look far to see the impact that David Nucifora has had on Irish rugby. So the bigger task is the plan for Australian rugby over the medium and longer term. In reality, the decision to appoint Nucifora to rebuild Australian rugby is actually far more important. Names like Scott Johnson have been mentioned and yes he has done a decent job in Scottish rugby but not when compared with Nucifora. However, I am sure Johnson has a role to play as we cannot have enough decent brains at the moment but the impact of Nucifora at schoolboy, club and country level has been profound to say the least. So whilst all the focus is on the woeful wallabies, and quite rightly with only a year to go, get NUcifora in and give him a mandate to sort out the mess. And a message to the State Unions, let’s work together like the Irish and the Kiwis and the Scots. It’s pretty obvious that the path Australian rugby has been on for many years just hasn’t worked out so let’s try the common sense and logical approach.
charles.gamon
Guest
We haven't got the cattle with or without Cheika
Rugbyrah
Roar Rookie
We can get a new coach who can actually coach and we can pay out Chieka as the touring clown.
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
Lose with him - lose without him... He has had ample time to inflict his "magic" and nothing has worked.. All very bofring and too hard.. Super Rugby is also goning down the tubes if they haven't gone already.. Woeful.. But always remember we will be stronger with 4....
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Scott: I Do. Build a strong pack but don't forget the backs. Higher this year and potential winners season after and I'm a NSW supporter.
glider
Guest
saying there is not enough time is just another convenient excuse - in 37 years of playing rugby there were many instances where a coach was lost due to family work or relocation and there was always someone to step up; as everyone else has repeated over and over and over again - non performance at this level is a sackable offence - witness the NFL last week, the EPL or first division soccer (harry kewell sacking) - in a world where fans provide the bums on seats for revenue and tv audience for rights payback ...... the revenue picture must look bloody pitiful. Any other high performance unit would have had a proper please explain; one life after the upgraded plan delivered and then the axe if things were not turned around. And the board would be asked to take a significant haircut on their salaries and performance bonus!!
glider
Guest
same thing happened in the last real performance review - it was given to an insider ( Nucifora) and we still battle the legacy of that review.
Wax
Guest
Totally agree, Wallabies obsession with World cup success has been part of their downfall I feel. I would rather see Wallabies win more in NZ or SA than a few good games at World Cup. Nuture our younger players more rather than bringing in League/ overseras players come World Cup time.
piru
Roar Rookie
How much worse could they be really?
mania
Guest
agree joe. there just isnt anyone else that can take cheika's place. there arent any aus coaches out there with the level of coaching that cheika's has. its his cattle thats hurting him. aus are no longer the smartest rugby players in the world anymore i doubt any foreign coaches will want the job except for jakeWhite who is from SA so dealing with RA and aus cattle will be a day in the park compared to coaching the mighty boks and their political mine fields and quotas
Ozzie Bob
Guest
I can’t believe that our so-called High Performance Coach (Ben Whittaker) is going to provide RA with a review of the Wallabies performances over the past 12 months. Considering what we’ve had to put up with over the past 12 months, I find it astounding that the so called ‘High Performance Boss’ still has a job. The basic skills of our current Wallabies compared to say our Wallabies of 10 years ago, are a disgrace (this includes basic fundamentals such as catching and passing). And when it comes to specific skills applicable to certain playing positions, when did we last see a Wallaby No.8 take the ball from the back of the scrum and actually attack the opposition. Cliffy Palu was great in open play (when fit), but otherwise I have not seen a decent No.8 since Toutai Kefu. If the High Performance Boss is doing his job, where are his High Performance players ? I think Cheika has to go, but I do think that the RA High Performance Boss owes Cheika and the players, one BIG apology.
Chukling
Guest
Good article, and fair wrap. If Cheika was to be replaced, I wish we could not go to the most obvious candidate. All the names I’ve read below show a lack of thought and no doubt there are a heap of guys who could coach the Wallabies, I would like to see Simon Cron out straight in there after the next World Cup. I’ve seen enough of his teams to know he has something special - his players seem to play smart, above their weight, and his teams gel (see Northies and the improvement in the Tahs’ forwards last year as evidence in point). Perhaps a little early for him, but I really think what is missing from the Wallabies is simplicity and clarity of thought - the only way to achieve that is through communication and I feel the best coaches in sport somehow do this. I would love to see a young bloke with potential grow with this squad and take the Wallabies back to where they should be - World Champions.
Tim Schuster
Roar Rookie
Agree 100%. Get rid of Cheika and give the long suffering fans a bit of interest in the WC.
Joe
Guest
The sad truth is that Cheika can't do more with what he's got. And most of the players he's got, with a few exceptions, aren't of international level. Australia is going through a bad patch and I don't think any coach would make much difference at present.
Bobby
Guest
Haha - but you'd have to replace the current captain because you'd only have Tahs players in the team. Oh I've seen his on field terrible decisions so I could only imagine the quality of the game plan !
DaveR
Guest
In my view there has been far too much decline in basic skills and in set play execution for a group at this level. I have no doubt incorrect positional selections, and selection of players not at WB standard has contributed to this decline. Also, captaincy is an obvious problem on top of everything. The coaching team can not be continued under these circumstances. Change something.......now!
Ex force fan
Guest
Do you remember who is the captain? Hooper! With a better captain this may work but he belongs on the bench not on the run-on side
Connor33
Guest
Fischer would be a bloody good option.
Connor33
Guest
Cheika and Thorn get along quite well. If the forwards coach was sacked, could Thorn take that position—at least through the World Cup?
Wise Old Elf
Guest
Sack Cheker and just make the skipper captain/coach. What does the coach actually do other than confuse and gum up the works? Captain to run things and Checker out on his cauliflower ears.