A great and honest article Tony, thank you.
When you have a self centred mindset person in charge things will never turn out well, it was fine for him to sack a former CEO and coach and seemed to be rather joyous about it! But when it is him in the firing line literally, his ego is once again there for all to see.

He certainly has plenty of motivation for sure, the environment there should suit him which will aid in his development.

👍 👍

I agree jeznez…
Letting Harris go was bemusing as he had a high ceiling and great potential which he was already showing, I wonder if Coleman is regretting that decision now?

All good here thanks Leroy.
It was bizarre with the thinking from Eddie, everyone knows that you need a balance between younger players and the more experienced ones.
What annoyed me was when he blamed the players for not being good enough while not accepting that the blame laid squarely at his feet, I am concerned about how the RWC has affected the players mentally?

Great to see you back here Leroy, we need a true voice of reason mate… 👍

Great post Dusty, you have nailed every point eloquently… 👍

Well said BF, some use the state biased argument.
Those high in authority are from different states which is actually helpful as they can provide information about what is happening, and come up with genuine solutions and answers… 👍

Again Hamish talking about marketing 😱
Of course they wanted to sign a young league player for this reason only, they way that Hamish and Eddie speak like they seem to forget that there are 14 other players on the field.
One person cannot and will not win games in a team sport especially Rugby, NZRU tried this commercial aspect by signing Marshall and then RTS.
They did not bring in extra gate numbers or commercial benefits and ended up being flops, RA cannot afford to bring in someone for 1.6 million unless not only the player but the team perform consistently to pay off the money.
Herbert is correct about not looking at league players in the future but concentrating on Rugby talent, it has been too long that Rugby has been treated poorly by those in charge.
Herbert has already been more transparent and reinforcing what he wants for the game, I am sure that he and Waugh are already spending long days about the damage done and what is required to fix multiple issues which will be more than those on the outside are aware of.

With his well known injury and disciplinary record he would have been a long shot for the Wallabies.
France will be great for his learning development and getting his discipline right, also he will not be under the microscope like he was in Australia.
If he does improve in the vital areas then he would still be available for the RWC, so this could be a win for the player and Australian Rugby overall.
One thing is that this should not put pressure on RA as they need time to improve many areas of the game, players are returning from the Northern Hemisphere and will be positive and looking forward to seeing what Waugh and Herbert are going to do with implementing positive changes in the game.
Some are relaying their concerns about Herbert being a Queenslander and how he would be biased, it would not matter what state a chairman came from as people would have concerns.
Waugh is from NSW and no one has voiced any concerns which is great because both him and Herbert are focused on enhancing the game in all states with with no prejudice, because Rugby has been on the back foot for so long in Australia some have become negative to the point that they do not see any positives.
The same people wanted change but when it has and is further happening they now are bringing out more negative undertones, unless proven otherwise everyone should be onboard and giving their full support for those that have been appointed.
Time for division needs to stop now because for a real and successful future everyone needs to be on the same page.
What Swinton by leaving shows us is that rather than doing what Hamish was wanting by going after and spending top dollar on league players, the money could go onto retention of players without inflating the costs at the same time.

😂 😂 👍

Hello BF, you definitely made sense my friend. I fully appreciate and concur with every point that you made, we are on the same page with our thinking… 😊 👍 🏉

NZRU have given him his own business selling fish n chips outside their headquarters Cannnon… 😱

Great post Muglair, you are so right with all points.
Every year it seems the media have less class with their prejudices and woak views.

Great and honest assessment from Herbert, already he has provided more information than the previous one.
This is not about a boys club but rather about a person that took his position to try and influence his power, ex players understand the different levels involved in the game.
He is spot on about changing the flaws and implementing proper changes before focusing on the financial side of things, if nothing changes then no amount of money will change it.
Hamish was all about wasting money to try and make changes that were not ever realistic but only in his mind, Waugh and Herbert seem inline about what is required for proper changes.
This will take time after many years of damage so patience is key for everyone, the woman’s 15s game in Australia has come on with leaps and bounds just like the 7s game.
You cannot spend your money in one area while others suffer as it is about spreading your resources evenly for real growth to be achieved, Herbert has had time and experience to understand this and more.
Australians and others have called for change and now it is time to embrace it and support the newbies who have experience both as players and administrators.
A fresh change was always required with fresh ideas and genuine foresight and an affiliation with the community, with both Waugh and Herbert fronting the media you can sense their passion and enthusiasm about what is required for the good of the game.

Here’s hoping that they do Ken… 👍

Hamish talking about commercial benefits and the financial benefits since his tenure underlines his lack of awareness, as it is about the game first that needs to be the focus of attention.
He has taken Australian Rugby into the red financially, he fought with the NRL which cannot be won! He helped to strain the relationship with NZRU with multiple demands, he sacked Rennie and employed Jones plus he sacked the original CEO to have more control over the game.
If he was honest with himself and everyone else then he would see that it is not just the states that lost confidence but more importantly the supporters also, he has divided the game in Australia which is why he has lost the confidence of multiple parties involved in the game.
When he came out with multiple media press conferences that helped with him losing respect as he was showing his want for control, and anyone that went against him was literally in the firing line.
Rugby in Australia is too important not just for Australian supporters but for the game internationally, so by having two ex players in control now they know how important it is to fix the game on all levels.
Also Waugh and Herbert will respect each other and be open in discussions without egos being at play, they showed that when they played for the Wallabies the passion for the game and representing their country.
This passion will continue and they understand the importance of engaging with the public, the key is for them to gain a proper and meaningful relationship with the states.
The states need to work with each other and RA for the good of the game, trust and transparency is the key to turn this mess around.
And thank you Tony for putting this piece together, it is fully appreciated.

Fantastic write up Geoff, there is a lot to digest for Australia.
I have full respect for Harrison being the delegate for the players, my concern is that will this influence him in the review process?
Having Waugh as CEO and Herbert as chairman can only be a good thing as they were successful players and having spent time preparing for their new roles is a huge benefit. Also they will be more inclined to have a successful working relationship which is sorely needed, plus being ex players at the top of the game they know the levels required for players from junior level up.
It will be interesting to see if they can have a stable and productive relationship with the states, the states have their agendas which was highlighted with Hamish and his divisive policies dividing the states and RA to the point that something was going to give.
If Rugby in Australia is to recover from the rot a progressive and genuine relationship is required between the states themselves and RA, proper transparency is a must for all parties to insure trust which provides a positive dialogue.

When pushed the board had no choice but to act, the fact is that they should have acted before the RWC.
Hamish stating that a power struggle has brought about his demise is amusing when he was the one for so long using his power beyond his role, karma has come to bite him big time.
Rugby should be the centre of the board and chairman and money should be used to grow the sport, finances should be secondary to the sport as a proper balance is always required.
Hamish is purely a businessman and the sport is secondary for him and he has no in-depth knowledge of the game which is required for such a position.
With Herbert taking over he will put the focus on the game first and put in place a plan to make genuine changes, then the financial system will be able to be more efficient.
Herbert will need to be transparent in the media to win back the trust and faith of the supporters and shareholders, also a proper and meaningful relationship with the NZR should be a priority.
NZ will have more trust now that Hamish will no longer be making demands as it is about both unions working together for the best of the game, the winds of change are changing hopefully for the good of the game in Australia.

He’s closer in more ways than one the only true chooks… 👍

Great post and well laid out James, you are bang on! 👍

Kearns sticking up for Hamish makes sense as the chairman selected him to secure RWCs hosting rights, but Geesh! Kearns thinking that the RWC failure is the reason everyone has turned on Hamish is shortsighted.
The problems started well before the RWC, with broken promises and no transparency plus leading RA into the red financially.
The signing of Jones was under the direction of Hamish along with the sacking of Rennie, also the fighting with the NRL.
I wonder if Waugh could be in the running for chairman in the future with Kearns becoming CEO, if that was to be the case then the states will further distance themselves.
The states have their own agendas but nothing like RA, unless all parties come together for the good of the game then the mess will continue.
It is time to fix the broken bridges by leaving the egos at the door, the supporters and players deserve to have a positive future starting now and not tomorrow.

Great to see the states joining forces to get real change happening, even little Tasmania speaking out.
This is a great opportunity to get Rugby in Australia back on track and to create unity finally, hopefully a proper plan is in place?
I wonder if Waugh coming out in public wanting all levels to come together had an influence, if so then good on the board for supporting his vision.

😂 😂 Well played JD… 😁

G’day Crow, a certain Andrew Slack came to mind for me. A true great of Australian Rugby, oh the memories… 😊