The inconsistencies are everywhere. Out with the old and in with the new but we have a reuse coach. In with the new players so when we don’t perform at the WC EJ can say we are building. Get rid of the experienced players so there aren’t any players to argue with EJ. Blame the press for asking the obvious questions. Drive out a coach that he selected. RA and its Chairman are silent over the 0 results from EJ where DR was clearly building a team and settle combinations. Great work EJ and RA.

The issue is not should Thorn go cause it appears he had decided to go at the end of the season anyway. The issues is who should replace him. Anyone other than an experienced Super or national team head coach is a total waste of time and backward step. The reality is that Australia’s standard of coaching is very poor so there are no genuine options here to choose from. Deans is a great coach but why would he want to put up with the BS here again. In fact, why would any experienced Super offshore or national team head coach want to put up with the rubbish that pervades Australia rugby. They only need to look at the treatment that Renne and Deans received.

You might want to analyze why these players left rather than just assume is all Thorn’s doing. For example, Rodda, Hockings and Salakaia- Loto chased the money and were open about it. Scott-Young was not in contention for the WBs at that stage in his career so have quite wisely went offshore to gain a wider range of experience. We all know why Slipper went so why bother bringing it up.

Many of the island boys are quite open that they feel they need to provide for their families back home so weight up the stay where they or pursue an opportunity with more money – that is exactly what Kerevi has done and who can blame him.

Wow, an article that contradicts it so many times it is hard to follow. ‘Its all Thorn’s fault’ ‘there are key players injured or gone overseas’ ‘the current crop isn’t good enough’ etc etc. Its easy and simplistic to blame the coach for everything but without knowing the detail writing on the matter from the outside is just ill informed supposition.

The reality is that the Reds didn’t spend on bringing players for 2023 and have focused on developing players. Whether not to buy in more platers was Thorn’s decision or a Board decision I don’t know. But Thorn has been overwhelming positive for the Reds and the development of players coming through the ranks. Its time for the players to repay the effort that has been put into them.

EJ must be amused at all the comments. DR’s picks out, EJ’s randoms in!!!

For heaven’s sake, its just a 3 day camp and EJ is probably just throwing few cats among the pidgins. Sending a few signals to some players to lift their games and to others like Josh Flock to indicate they are in his sights for development.

A cold shower is necessary for some Roarers.

EJ will want to rule. There can only be one head coach leading into the WC. He is it or he shouldn’t be there.

An excellent strategy by RA to destabilise the team and coaching staff leading into the WC. Another home goal by RA. Rather than talking about EJ at this stage RA should be finding quality coaching staff to support Rennie through to WC instead of using so many Brumbies people. Leave the EJ discussion until after thew WC.

I am a little late to the conversation but nonetheless here goes. In my humble view Harry Wilson has some serious potential but he hasn’t seemed to have worked out how to move from being a player that could dominate teams where he could use his size and direct running – a little bit like a someone dominating in the 1st 15 at school. From what I have picked up from Rennie’s comments, he is looking for HW to add particular skills to his game and is still yet to develop them. Some of those skills Rennie is looking for are evident in Bobby V and Pete S. A perfect example of this was in the last test HW play for the WBs. At one stage HW took the ball from a kick 20 to 30 meters behind his team’s defensive line. He ran straight and full bore into the defense and was stopped dead in his tracks. It was high school play. No seeking to run into a gap, no subtlety, no apparent looking to link with any of his teammates. A great spectacle for viewers but demonstrated a lack of thought and skill. There are other examples. I for one hope that HW sticks at it and develops the skills he needs to add to the many he already has, the WBs will be better for it.

I sometimes wonder whether Roarers listen to anything that Rennie says!!! I have found Rennie quite clear in explaining his actions. For example, in relation to Jock Campbell and the need to work on building his body to withstand the rigor of test footie while getting him into group and developing him, or why he was selecting particular players for the spring tour or games.

Sheek, while I agree with your points, there are no suitable Australian coaches. That is the problem. The quality of Australian coaches has deteriorated markedly over the past 20 years. Having an Australian coach simply for the sake of it only adds to the problem of not enough dept in player ranks.

No, the team is not performing and they have admitted that is the case. That is the fact.

Always a pleasure to read your analysis Nick. Frankly, it’s the only assessment worth reading on the Roar. The so call expert journos are turning out the usual ill inform clap trap.

The bane of Australian rugby is petty politics and always has been. The influence of the Brumbies on the WBs is a direct result of this petty parochial influence and the WBs are suffering as they always do.

Many of the failures in the team on the spring tour are clearly in the areas that McKellar and the Lord are responsible for. Yet its Rennie who cops the criticism if the team fails by the superficial journos rather than sheet it home to McKellar and the Lord.

I would be interested to know which brain wave at the ARU thought it would be a good idea to put a forward coach (i.e. the Lord) in charge of defence. The WB’s D has let them down on a number of occasions.

Rennie has been nobbled by the ARU in appointing both McKellar and the Lord at the same time. Regardless, Rennie has done a remarkable job with what he has had to work with.

For god sake, let Rennie make the decisions. If he isn’t given what he needs, then he shouldn’t be held accountable.

Its and easy throwaway line its it ‘No such thing as a few points away from a great tour. There was in fact plenty to suggest the WBs are making good progress and can win against the top teams. But it seems that doing the analysis to write about that seems a stretch to far for the journos posting on the Roar.

In all the words written by journalists I have seen barely a word recongising what Renie has been able achieve with such a depleted squad on such a tough tour. 5 tests back to back and 2 of them against the world’s 2 top teams. Belief and commitment from players doesn’t appear from nowhere. Lets cast our minds back a few years when the WBs couldn’t pass, catch or kick.

Journalists seem quite capable of pointing out the negatives but rarely spend as much time on the positives. What’s that old saying ‘those that can do, those than can’t write’.

Lift your game boys

Typical journalistic hyperbole. If the reference to RA is even true, then the relevant RA official should fall on his sword. Renee has done a remarkable job without much to work with. Any assessment of the coaching staff should focus on the Brumby coach influence, which has been a long way short of achieving the result they were hyped for.

New editor required.

New editor please

Thanks Dean, I recon its must be one of the most difficult tasks in world rugby trying to coach the WBs. The current situation has the smell of what Robbie Deans faced when he was coach (i.e. only an Australian should coach our national team) so there seems to be a move to gradually limit Renee’s ability by pushing the Brumbies coaches in. Any NZ coach of merit could have fixed our forward’s problems, there was no need to bring in the Brumbies squad. The D has not improved with the appointment of a temporary Brumbies ‘forwards specialist’. But then who would have thought it would!!!! Nonetheless, there are calls for Renee’s head for these results. Set someone up to fail and there is a fair chance they will.

Nick, a great read as always. A few things came to mind when I was reading your article. The first being, oh how the story has changed with QC. QC is a natural 10 that has suffered from too many coaches that had no idea of his capability or how to use it and a lack of players around him in the national team that could capitalise on his ability to see the play well before others. There were a couple of coaches, EMc being one, that highlighted how far ahead of other players that QC could read the game and that it was their responsibility to get up to speed. It seems that Renee is one of those coaches that sees QCs benefits and gap between him and the rest. Seeing QC play under Renee was a sight to behold.

The second is Bob Dwyer look to the some of the Azzurri’s backline positioning. Others have learned from us, but we haven’t taken our own learnings and built on them. Which really points to the lack of quality coaches in this country.

The third observation is that Renee is largely now having to rely on the Brumbies coaching staff to drive some of the key areas. Their addition hasn’t seemed to have added much to enhance what he started with other than in a couple of areas – D is still a major concern and infringements seem to be worse. Further, given the dearth of quality coaches, and their lack of innovation, in this country why would anyone think that adding more local coaches, and from the same Australian provincial team, would improve the national team’s performance!! If we want to be the best, we need to get the best to help us get there.

Spot on Noodles. Renee is wearing a lot of criticism because we don’t have sufficient depth in a number of positions. He has no alternative but to use these games to trial players and give them experience. Shame about JoC, he would have been better as 12 but was pushed into 10 because of the lack of quality players in that position and is suffering the consequences. QC was actually pretty good when he was NL’s age but over played his hand to much and its taken him a long time to find how to best use his incredible talent but who knows whether is can come back in time. Australia has a habit of looking for the next best thing and rushing players. NZ does not and benefits from their player having the maturity and experience to move into the top team. More power to Renee for not rushing players and destroying their confidence and careers.

Surely a review was always scheduled at the end of this tour to understand what is needed leading into the WC, of course an ex-player would say it is a coaching issue and Drew M. parrots ‘lack of discipline, lack of discipline, lack of discipline’ even when its not (e.g. James S being out scrummed was not a lack of discipline but out came the parrot again). So lets hope this is just more media beat up and cooler heads rule.

The lack of ability to play and to keeping make poor decision rests with the players (e.g. Gordon’s yellow card was for schoolboy stuff – totally unacceptable for an international play who knows WBs give away to many penalties.) Players should lose their positions if they present too much risk to the team.

On another point, given the lack of depth in Australia rugby, how is Renee supposed to try to boost that depth in the lead up to the WC if he doesn’t give the fringe players opportunities to play and develop!! For heaven’s sake.

As much as it pains me to say this as a diehard WB supporter, the facts are that Australia does not have enough quality players to win the WC this time around. Renee has done a fantastic job with what he has to work with.

Thanks Nick, yes much better balance it appears. Concentration for long periods is very taxing mentally whether its elite sport or other activities. I have had the felling for a long time that Australian players tended to play more on instinct and therefore rely less on mastering concentration for long periods. The discipline to concentrate for long periods under stress is a skill that can take a long time to master. I recall the great Richie M. saying it was the ability to master mental control that the ABs prided themselves on most of all. Hopefully with this WB team we are starting to see some of that ability coming through.

I love your work Nic. Every article is a joy to read. But Australian players has not been great at executing in recent years. In this article the implication is that it is the coaching group that has woken up and implemented the correct strategy rather than the players executing the strategy effectively. Much of the undercurrent from DR’s comments has been about the team needing to execute. Was this really a game where the team did execute the game plan more effectively than the coaches switching on?

Would you mind elaborating on this a bit.

There is a reason why sport journalists write and not do, and its because they don’t know how to. They are generally a blight on the game especially when it comes to comments on coaches.

Wow, so much blah blah blah from rugby commentators being regurgitated here. It reminds me of Paul Keatings famous line ‘like dogs returning to their vomit’.

One thing missing from the typical diatribe was, lets blame the coach for everything including Foley’s stupidity last week, Wright’s brain explosion in the last game and all the poor discipline.

Depth, depth and more depth of high quality players is necessary to address our problems. Then Renee wouldn’t have to continue including players that aren’t up to international standard, to tolerate the rubbish forced on him or to have a coach staff, who have contributed to the lack of skill in the players from their provincial sides, imposed on him.

Does anyone realistically think that NZ and SA rugby would put up with some the poor quality from players that Renee has to.