In Tuesday’s Sydney Morning Herald, former Rugby Australia CEO John O’Neill contributed to an article by Tom Decent providing advice for the national body on how to get things back on track. As a long-time rugby person, I find John’s claims a bit rich.
It is also offensive for him to have said his administration can take credit for a World Cup victory and final during his tenure of 1995-2004 and 2007-12.
The players and coaches involved in these campaigns came from the amateur days and were the products of the Australian Institute of Sport program run by David Clark. This program was world leading and copied by most overseas countries.
What John O’Neill can take credit for is dismantling the very program that fostered that World Cup victory and final. As such he can take credit for Australia’s steady descent in world rankings and the diminishing numbers of serious rugby players.
To see him calling for an independent inquiry is also baffling as he was the architect behind union heavyweight Mark Abid writing the constitution for Rugby Australia, which ensures the board remains a closed shop with no responsibility to the rugby public.
I would be interested in hearing how an independent body could be appointed and what authority they would have, especially when Rugby Australia’s dictatorial regime refuses to take note of anyone or anything that actually has skin in game.
I fully agree with John and his call for a “root and branch” review into the dislocation of professional rugby from rugby at the grassroots level. This is something club rugby proponents like Brett Papworth and many others have been pushing for a long time.
Rugby Australia needs to start focusing on the development of players, coaches, administrators and referees to create a road map for the clubs to recruit, develop the skills and to keep the funds they raise, thus protecting the club, helping them to grow and allowing for player numbers to increase.
Cricket Australia have implemented a wide-ranging program utilising clubs Australia wide, with development officers and access to an interactive website that provides a raft of resources and regular communication. By utilising the clubs, Cricket Australia has access to thousands of keen volunteers who work tirelessly to aid and grow the skills of junior cricketers across the country.
Rugby Australia has a top-down approach to the game, preferring to poach rugby league players, players from the Pacific Islands and coaches from overseas instead of up-skilling and assisting the hundreds of clubs around Australia working to bring through the next generation of players.
Any review needs to be comprehensive and without interference from anyone connected to the current CEO, chairman or board members. All appointments need to be put on hold and there should be an overhaul of who is in the decision-making process in our sport.
There are blueprints available to get the game on a stable and sustainable footing once more. It needs an open book with strong, experienced rugby people put in a position from which they can rebuild the rugby administration from the grassroots up, not the top down.
SandBox
Roar Guru
Folau was definitely stronger than any other option we had. I do remember him tackling a player in the air, early in his career. Not sure what card he got, but these days it would have been a red.
In brief
Guest
...can't disagree, but most people have short memories.
In brief
Guest
NB's claim seems fanciful to me. He has acknowledged how poor our restarts were against England. Did we perform better in this area with Folau gone? No, of course not. What about our back three - how effective was Hodge? Got red carded. How many times was Folau red carded? How effective was Beale? Did anyone see his chip kick from inside the 22? Ever recall Folau having such a brain fade? Me either. Dropping your best player is not the best strategy for improving team performance.
In brief
Guest
Sacking your best player over a social media post deserves a golden Darwin award. No, it didn't help the team, just look at the critical restarts. The Wallabies went from having the world's best aerial threat who was able to win/ disrupt a lot of ball, to being completely ineffective.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Nick said it made for a more functioning back 3. Blaming Folau would be if they came out and said we were on track for Folau. They said it wasn't helpful. No off field matter like that is. Hardly controversial. No helpful is almost code for, "needed everything to go our way to be a chance".
SandBox
Roar Guru
Yet Nic Bishop said it was helpful. This is all straight from the MBA playbook. If Wallabies beat Wales and England, it would have been the bravery at sacking Folau that led to our success. Instead it’s the distraction he caused. Either way it glosses over a poor game plan and RA’s decisions
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Bingo
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
"I certainly don't think it's helpful," she told ABC's Radio National. "I think when you've got a player who chooses to put their views in front of the views of the team and we end up with headlines and people writing things about Rugby Australia as opposed to writing about the rugby, that's never helpful. Of course it's not." She says it wasn't helpful. Can you really argue with that?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
That's actually a coherent view on the matter. I question the "culture" though. Well there probably is but what people are unhappy about are the tough calls necessitated for financial reasons. Whoever inherits the responsibility will still be left with the shortfall in income, limitations on expanding income and agreements in place. Look at where the real issues have been. People say $30M was squandered from the RWC windfall. JON should have managed the finances better, but we can't forget that from 2003 to the end of this financial year, posting $10M in losses every RWC year was basically unavoidable. People criticise the money spent on the Rebels. They also ignore that due to the Rebels inclusion, RA has earned about $60M in additional TV money as the inclusion of the Rebels gave us an even split of the TV money from SANZAAR. The error with the Rebels was the woeful agreement JON signed with the private owners that enabled them to hand back a debt laden franchise. People criticise the Cheika contract. It hasn't panned out. As I discussed in another thread. 4 years was not unusual for international coaches and the market was thin in May 2016. Had they lost Cheika, they would have been equally criticised at that time.
piru
Roar Rookie
Well it didn't help, but hardly the reason they suddenly forgot how to play rugby
keith
Guest
John O'Neill is the fricken architect of this whole disaster. Can not believe he is being asked how to fix it.
jack
Roar Rookie
yep, nailed it
SandBox
Roar Guru
And there it is. Blame Folau for the RWC exit. That's never helpful': Rugby Australia boss says Folau sacking disrupted World Cup campaign https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-23/rugby-australia-says-wallabies-were-distracted-by-folau-sacking/11630778
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It sounds like it's more of an opportunity to veto. There was talk of Deans have assistants thrust on him, and it being changed after that. But even then it's not like the board are sifting through resumes. It would have been based on who Nucifora recommended.
piru
Roar Rookie
Surely if a board appoints a new coach it must have sufficient faith that they can pick suitable assistants and also devise their own game plans for success. Yes, except as TWAS points out above, this board didn't appoint him and he did little in terms of results, culture or his own attitude to engender any faith.
piru
Roar Rookie
I think the sack the whole board calls are based more around a clean out and reset than as punishment for any one person having done the wrong thing. There's clearly a culture there that needs addressing, new members are apparently just subscribing to it rather than trying to forge a new one
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well we know by the use of the term "identity politics" we can disregard you as somebody who just has an axe to grind.
piru
Roar Rookie
We are just not any good at Rugby and will have to accept mediocrity no
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The other thing is people will just say "sack the whole board" without considering there is a constant turnover. Current Board: 1. Clyne - Joined 2012. Chair since Dec 2015 2. Brett Robinson - Joined before 2012 3. Castle - Joined 2018 4. Pip Marlow - Joined 2016 5. Paul McLean - Joined late 2013 6. Hayden Rorke - Joined 2018 7. Phil Waugh - Joined 2018 8. John Wilson - Joined 2018 9. Tim Gavin - Possibly joined 2019 but not sure Of the 9, 4 (possibly 5) have been there about 18 months. Really there's only 3 that date back far. Reports are Clyne is likely to not seek re-appointment in early 2020 when due, or be replaced, which I think is right. I don't think anybody else was magically going to be better, but 2 terms should be the limit unless things are outrageously successful, which they aren't. Paul McLean and Robinson date back though. Robinson further than anybody it seems. If you want to remove "dead wood" at the board, I'd be starting with these two.
Val Saunders
Guest
In an article about Clyne in today's papers resigning mention is made the role Johnson and the board make in choosing assistant coaches. As far as I am aware in sport head coaches pick their assistants as they have confidence in them and to ensure a smooth working relationship. In doing this they also assume full responsibility for the results. The more interference there is the less responsibility the coach has for results. Surely if a board appoints a new coach it must have sufficient faith that they can pick suitable assistants and also devise their own game plans for success.