Why don’t they think outside the square and go to someone like Wayne Smith as an option? Guaranteed there isn’t a commentator on this thread who would think that a bad decision?
Smithy has coached overseas, Benetton and Northampton, so not a first, and if he came to Sydney living across the ditch from Aotearoa is almost his backyard. Very little travel time to see his family.
At the very worst he could take up a DOR role and mentor the next generation.
The advantage with Smithy is he would be a proponent for Culture trumps everything, and this is what the Tahs seem to be missing, I.e.their own heritage based, people quality culture that draws on the significant history and foundation this great club was a part of.
Leadership which is uncompromising, laser focused, constantly searching for excellence, and capable of driving a unique Waratahs culture that draws on its rich history.
I mean the type that says right boys this is what we are going to do, follow me. Leadership of the highest quality will make all the difference, men that you would follow into battle, at the moment there is very little except perhaps for Jake Gordon, Dave P and HJH and I’m in 2 minds about the last 2. The players seem to be individuals with the attitude “let’s see what I can get out of this club” rather than “what can I do for this club” whereas 300 km down the road we seem to have the reverse?
I’ll repeat it again, Culture Trumps Everything, and don’t get me wrong, coaching, skills, game plan, physical prep all very important but I would guess that on Smithy’s ladder of priorities the Big C would come first.

No doubt DC has done in tough, the man needs to go away and get some experience in an international capacity as an assistant or co coach with someone who can be a mentor.

No doubt an outstanding coach at club level, but taking the step up to international provincial is another dimension of professionalism and knowledge and takes years to learn. Hansen Henry etc… all headed overseas first to learn the craft. Very very rarely will a coach fulfil the level of knowledge professionalism and man management needed without having this experience. Even SR has come out of the player international stage and worked with club coaches at the time who were arguably the worlds best… ala Deans/Smith/Hansen/Henry … and let’s not kid ourselves, all will have lent an ear to the saders programs during the last 10 years.

Step away DC build on your resume, find a program with someone you can learn from… it doesn’t have to always be about being the primary driver in a program.

Youre still young enough to come back with boosted knowledge and growth that will lift a program 20% on your current levels of achievement. Your best is still ahead of you.

A fantastic player, let’s not forget that playing one game for any of the top 5 teams in the world is an incredible achievement let alone 95. I think it was Richard Harris the great Irish actor who said he would have traded all his achievements as an actor for 1 game in the Irish jersey. Most of us would die happy knowing we played 1 game on the international stage for our country, and a single solitary game still classifies any man or woman in the 1% elite bracket.
A difficult thing to follow the GOAT, but to his credit he never let adversity affect his commitment to his country.
Well done Sam and credit to you for bringing so much joy and happiness to all of us who rightly can be called couch potato’s.
Wishing you the very best in the next steps of your journey.
Thanks for the memories both good and bad.

Wes Thomas from Warringah has to be in consideration for higher honours. Had another good game on the weekend and doing everything right at the moment.

We can’t afford to lose another good man ala Sateki Latu!!!

What is DC doing in regards to the Tahs coaching strategy! It couldn’t have been more different from 2 teams on the field, one looking to use the ball at every opportunity and run run run and the other only intent to secure and kick for field position. This is coaching and strategy of the early 2010s club competition, and shows limited appreciation and knowledge of what can be actually achieved if players are coached to a higher skill level and expectation.

I find it astounding that Australia’s biggest rugby state and populous are being coached in the vein of Shute Shield or Rep schoolboy! Completely bereft of innovation or initiative to play a dynamic high skill high tempo game that will challenge any defensive structure. Time after time they set up the ruck, secure the ball and kick!!! Has it really come down to this in 2024!!
A bold plan 3 years ago would now be delivering ‘hurricane’ style play and results in 2024!!

When will they learn!!

Long overdue and well deserved for the Wallaroos, the first step in the journey to the pinnacle of world rankings. Got the ‘chocolates’ for sure 😉 can I say that?

I know a little off track re this article, (although still rugby related) but I see the Australian Deaf Rugby team has been named to take on England & Sth Africa in August. We celebrate all levels of this fantastic game of ours and they still proudly represent the best country in the world (in my humble opinion)!

Geoff, you’ve missed your opportunity to see the HK sevens in the original Stadium with all its nuances and history. Next year it moves to its new home.

It’s been on my bucket list for 20 years and this year we crossed it off and wow what a brilliant event up close and personal.

The great Sth Stand is everything it makes out to be on the box!

Like a mini World Cup in 3 days!

Fabulous and highly recommended to the roar readers!

Total stupidity, when will professional players ever learn that you can never ever beat the referee.

Pure idiotic behaviour regression back to 1980s.

Great article and couldn’t agree more. There is a deep seated issue related to the development pathways and placing unnecessary pressure on the young tyros coming through the ranks.
I can think of only 3 individuals in the last 20 years who did it semi successfully straight out of Colts, GOAT Richie, Pocock and Lomu. But happy to stand corrected.

Why would an experienced coach think for one second that a 19 yr old is going to survive 10 mins in the scrum cauldron of SR. Mind numbingly stupid in today’s day and age. Better to call in the best 10yr Shute shield propping veteran going around … lord knows there are some hard nuts in the competition.

With Cronny coming into the national coaching fold perhaps this will change in regards to front rowers.

Gen Blue is an absolute laughing stock in terms of long term results, remember the Einstein definition of insanity …? And yet here we are delivering the same development pathway rubbish for our players and public.

Someone needs to step up and say… it’s time for a change let’s review this entire high performance development pathway and make the changes needed, all the while committing to accountability. I doubt teams like the Crusaders would embrace a single point of the Tahs 100 page work instruction relating to player development procedure.

Whether we like it or not, Sydney should be the centre of player and financial rugby development in Oceania. Our schools our sporting talent our population outstrip anything within 3000 miles.

If we can build it they will come.

Cron may be part of the old guard, but make no mistake this fella is the OG that most Kiwi scrum/forward coaches will have based their learning on.

As the saying goes he will have forgotten more than most of today’s coaches know about scrummaging.
An excellent choice and his influence will extend beyond the scrum lines. Expect breakdown and maul to also improve not just in technique but also in resilience and good old fashioned toughness. The change will not be overnight, and we should expect small gradual improvements in small focus areas with each game played. It will take at least 2 years to be even 80% of the finished article.

But the timing will be perfect for the 27 World Cup and more than 70% complete for the lions tour!!

How good is the game of rugby going to be when the WBs are firing on all cylinders and back in the rightful top 3!!

Remember this day

Agreed, he’s gone from a no name player to a big ego player in less than 2 years. When you have someone who has already made the decision to move on why are they continuing to play him as a starter. Bench for mine and start developing someone else. This is a fella who has done nothing in the game and instead of staying humble he chooses to swagger around between the painted lines like a prancing goose.
This game is so much about the grey between the ears, get that right and half the battle is won.

It’s idiotic to be starting with no name props who at this stage are out their depth. That is a clear sign of coaching immaturity, I’m talking Pauli here…. The one coach who should have had 10 years experience coming into this gig is the forwards head honcho. Instead DC picks someone with 3 years head coach experience in Shute Shield who was coaching colts before that. Mind boggling.

It’s a good decision, we need to trust Razor and his coaches. They know the man well and will have debated involving SW in the AB lineup well before it became public knowledge.
If the fans have spent hours on the topic, the coaches will have spent days.

None of us know the extent to which he is being considered, maybe line out coach, or mentor to the young locking/forward stocks. Whatever the reason let’s trust the judgement of the most successful coaching pair in SRP history.

Otherwise we may all be looking silly ala the idiots who hounded a certain princess Kate, only to look like complete fools in the end.

“A wise man speaks because he has something to say, a fool speaks because he has to say something.”

Lord knows there are plenty of empty vessel commentators who think they could have won 7 titles on the trot, but only one has.

Tupou has failed to live up to his potential, he has been given adequate time in the jersey with the reds and has delivered nothing. Big talk and hope moving south but the trend remains the same … delivering nothing just as he was over his last 3 years of service.

Best served as a bench player who could bring some energy to the game in the last 30 mins.

Swinton is an absolute loss to the Oz landscape and will go from strength to strength once he hits UK shores. Will be kind of the form backrowers in a competition tailor made for his style.

Good to see Darcy Swain back in the fold… he looks to have matured somewhat let’s hope this continues over the coming season. All the potential in the world.

The talent is there and Joes the man to make use of it.

How does one then explain the success of coaches like Razor Robertson or Ronan OG.

No international coaching experience, yet excelling with teams full of international stars?

Does the qualification of being and having international player experience bridge the gap? Perhaps it does, if you consider being coached by the best coaches in the world as both the above were?

A great game and all the more disappointing when you consider another power forward in Emmanuel M who by all rights should be playing for NSW and Oz. Can you believe another one that slipped away from NSWRU.

One has to ask if they truly know what they are doing at HQ in regards to player retention and identifying future talent. Who is responsible for this area of development on the eastern seaboard?! An absolute travesty!!

Unfortunately another ‘future’ player leaves Australian shores.

Can we consider this an official player drain?

Especially disappointing considering the upcoming Northen Hemisphere tours that are planned not to mention that pesky little tournament that happens every 4 years.

East Coast, you’re way off the mark and the attitude you’re showing everyone is the same throw away attitude too many coaches have with players these days. Change the paradigm we must.

Remember the word of the day is ‘development’ very very few individuals have the complete package coming out of colts and into senior rugby. Think Kaino-5 years to get going. Think Savea- 4 years to get going … it’s the same with Swinton and why he will come back to Oz a different man in 2 years time. Mature, developed and wise.

This is another damning indictment on the quality of RA systems and their failure to fully and adequately develop a player with all the potential in the world.

Swinton could have been a 5-7 year Wallaby in the mould of Kaino or Savea and will now be lost to the next World Cup and Lions series. I would suggest his decision to head offshore is a reflection of his mindset and more importantly the way he has been treated by the systems around him. Especially those relating to senior/national team membership.

Coaching involves more than gym time, and game skills… never forget about the development of the minds of young men. What plan is there in place to ensure the young men coming through the systems are given every opportunity to develop a mindset that copes well with adaptability, and needed change?

Harry can we get the equivalent for the upcoming Rugby Championship?

Perhaps something along the lines of “giving the nth a sense of direction”
😉

Bear in mind only one of the OZ SRP coaches is an ex wallaby. All others have come from outside the WB arena.
So not sure that carries much cred.

Chieka is still a very good coach, forget the nuances of dealing with difficult personalities like his. You don’t get to this level and lead teams to European and Super Rugby championships because you’re a mug. Not to mention the World Cup stage. All coaches at the elite level are difficult demanding personalities, and unless there is something fundamentally wrong with a coaches style of comms then it’s up to players to get on board. Players say nothing but good things about MC.

The Fijians with Mick Byrne would be a good Match for Chieks. They have demonstrated first tier quality in the last 12 months and could go on to the WC semi finals in 27 with parochial Fijian crowd support.

Ronan O’Gara as an assistant…. ?

No no no , this is the problem with the Australian system of player talent identification and development. If we can’t learn anything from the top 2 (arguably) draft system systems in the world ie… NFL and NBA then we will always remain subject to losing our players to overseas clubs. These 2 Draft systems are largely based on player potential, not what they have achieved but what they will achieve in the big time. Think Jordan, ONeal, Jim Brown, Brady, (the list is endless) whilst they were all great college players it takes a certain expertise to be able to identify those who have what it takes to succeed and make a long term impact in their chosen sport. Talent identification is a very specific learning, and good coaches who may be capable of running a first class rugby program, do not automatically qualify in the learned expertise that is player/talent identification. As much as RA must address the areas related to coaching and leadership, let’s not forget about the foundation or we will continue to lose players that inevitably end up in world XV discussions.
Hansen, Meafou (soon enough) Bealham, Kerr Barlow, Guy Porter, Crichton, Cam Murray all should have started and maintained their careers in Aussie Super Rugby teams. Let’s hope that Schmidt brings some sense to this area of player and pathway development. If managed correctly, this pool of potential players is limitless and every reason why Aussie should not only be back on top, but there for the next decade.

No that would be a silly appointment. He’s past his prime. It has to be Schmidt or O Gara preferably in that order.

Good article HJ, I flagged exactly the same in comments 3 weeks ago. O’Gara would be the best fit for WBs in respect of clarity of game, and deep thinking. He is a coach who understands not just the game itself, but the positive effect of team culture and what it can do to lift performance metrics. The things you can measure like strength, cardio fitness, power, stamina, fitness are critically important but so is the state of mind. When a team of individuals are genuinely aligned and receptive to the leadership vision, it has been shown to increase performance by as much as 20%, even before a step is taken on the training field. The players have during the last 3-5 years exhibited behaviour similar to being out of sorts, a bit like my Schnauser who after retrieving the ball looks straight at me saying have I done the right thing, are you sure, are you sure… it’s a state of flux with inherent elements of anxiety and frustration ( dog owners will know exactly what I’m talking about). It’s a silly example I know, but the point being this is not how we want OUR national representatives to feel, once selected they must be confident in the support they are being given. Shackling the mind, shackles the performance! Wayne Smith will not come across, but we do have our very own Aussie version in Rod McQueen. Age difference is barely 7 years between them, their rugby playing and coaching days are roughly from the same generation. It would be well worthwhile exploring RM as an option. Lastly your comments in regard to the so called lack of resources are spot on, the nations you mentioned have neither the financial resources or the playing pool and still outperformed many of the resource and opportunity rich nations like Australia, Scotland and Italy. Make no mistake the talent in Australia is immense, but we do need to be better at talent identification and then providing meaningful development pathways through local systems. There is also a huge pool of talent right next door, NZ players who do not make the cut to NZ SRP teams and beyond should be on the RA radar. Think Taniela, Charlie Gamble… I know of at least a dozen NZ raised players coming through Shute Shield colts who are exceptional! I’m not advocating we ignore the local talent pool, but we can be innovative. For all the discussion surrounding the failure of the national rugby landscape, the solution could almost be summed up in one word… COLLABORATION (don’t you just love that word). If we can just somehow find a way to work together the lions tour, and subsequent 3 world cups suddenly become very realistic goals. Like the great movie Field of Dreams implied, ‘Build it and they will come’.

RA should do what they can to secure Joe. He would be an excellent cultural and performance fit, having been largely responsible for the many first achievements & standards of the Irish team over the last decade.
Make no mistake this is a coach who knows the game inside out, and will add experienced based thought, clarity, vision and application similar to the legendary NZ ‘professor’ Wayne Smith.
Joe is a coach of maturity and experience, and will bring something that has been missing in the Oz setup-wisdom!