Rugby Australia reflects on mixed 2019 in official statement

TWAS, Just reading through the recent comments on the Roar, I think that the large majority of bloggers disagree with you on Clyne & Castle. Clyne was not the Banking Royal Commission white haired boy. Castle was ordinary with Netball NZ ' and a disaster with Canterbury.

Cameron Clyne had been CEO of NAB. Must have been reasonably successful. Otherwise why didn't you get that job? Castle apparently did well with Netball NZ. Then you've got Pulver and JON, and Gary Flowers. Then you've got the multitude of board members over this period. That's just looking at the CEO's and board members. But nah. They must all be hopeless. They've just had more successful professional careers than you could dream of having by pure luck. What are the chances? Man we are unlucky as rugby supporters. All are board members and CEO are all hopeless people who by shear luck built up decent CV's.

TWAS, ''So all these people who’ve been competent and successful outside RA are just all coincidentally actually incompetent?'' Has R. Castle and C.Clyne been competent & successful both in & out of RA? At this moment RA people would be on the phone to their sponsors endeavouring to convince them to prepay their 2020 sponsorship before 31 December 2019 so that RA has sufficient funds in the bank to pay their Trade Creditors & Employee Entitlements. Note to TWAS, RA had already, received AUD 5 million in 2020 sponsorship, wait for it ''before 31 December 2018''

So all these people who've been competent and successful outside RA are just all coincidentally actually incompetent?

I think it's unethical for them to sit on their hands also. Perhaps they should never make any decisions since somebody else will have to deal with them in the future. Of course the official statement is going to try and be as rosey as possible. You expect them to talk down the sport?

I think it is unethical for the outgoing chairman and this failing board to basically tie the hands of the incoming chairman. This sort of thing seems to be a reoccurring theme at RA. It means no one needs to take responsibility. We can predict the comment in advance: 'How can they be responsible when they inherit someone else's bad decisions?'. Of course the official statement is going to try and be as rosey as possible. It's that they believe their own propaganda, while heading into a multi million dollar loss, and falling fan base that has us worried.

TWAS, Calling the Chairman of NSW WARATAHS & NSWRU & member of FOSUFC a moron ? Not like you.

TWAS, We wouldn't complain if they were competent.

Well if Roger Davis is arguing the broadcast value has declined he's a moron considering he's saying they rely on it.

Are you disputing with 9 board members that no one person has full control of anything?

In regards to affording to pay key players. Yes. Absolutely. Because they make up the Wallabies which makes up most of the revenue. Without the Wallabies, everybody is even worse off financially. Hence the greater good.

And then we can just complain about the next bunch of people in the seat like we do with every different group.

Sigh. Would spending $12M more over this and last year have RA worse off? If the answer is yes, then the cost saving has materialised.

Nonsense TWAS. If you promote the national sport you do not alienate a third of your geography. The Force was axed so that the other franchises can afford to pay the Isreal Folau’s, Hoopers, Pococks, Genia’s, Beale, etc extraordinary salaries andcover the ever increasing overheads of RA. The cost savings from axing the Force didn’t materialised in improvements in national finances as the spend the money. At a stage Isreal Folau was the most expensive player in rugby union and what do we have to show for that expense? The national interest would have been served much better if the Force was retained or if two Superugby sides were merged. Axing a team was drastic, dumb and didn’t provide any benefits to the national interest.

Let's not forget with Kearns as CEO. That's Phil Kearns who started a 10 year property fund which was wound up after 2 years and became the subject of an AFP investigation. https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/a-defence-housing-australia-fund-founded-by-phil-kearns-and-andrew-mehrtens-winds-up-20160401-gnw2dn.html The decision to wind up the 10-year fund after only two years has come to light at the same time as the government has revealed there is an investigation into the government business enterprise by the Australian Federal Police.

Do you at all see the irony in you saying NZ used 2007 as a reason for provinces to focus on the national interest, when you've been incessantly negative about RA cutting the Force for the purpose of ensuring the solvency of the nation as a whole? You prove exactly why it will never happen. People bang on about Australia doing this, until it's them that has to compromise for the greater good. Which is fine to have your self interests. Just don't sit there on your high horse saying people need to put self interest aside because you won't.

2007 NZ RWC performance

If we don’t clean this administration out. Israel will be right , we will continue to go through hell.

It still give a good reason for Roger Davis and Foxtel to argue that the revenue potential of Superugby declined and therefore the broadcasting value of the competition. The viewers and spectators that used to follow the Force, Cheetahs, Kings and Sunwolves are now very likely lost to Superugby.

TWAS theory is that as no-one has full control of any of the decisions made at RA including the appointment of the CEO, the Board nomination and the organisation is dysfunctional no-one is accountable.