Point 1. The only person allowed to say “I’m Excited” is James Horwill for obvious reasons . Point 2. Hooper has been maligned far too much – he is captain (through attrition )- let him develop …no one else has made a strong claim. Point 3 The French have pride to play for on their home turf (which was provided by the Allies I think in 1945 ) so will our pack send the French scurrying into the forest or will it be a dour struggle like the 2nd test in Melb ? Point 4. At this point the damage to our World Cup Assault has been significant over the past few months … Now Cheika holds all the cards …no backing out now – well , are you with the Wallabies or against them ?
Point 5. No Wallaby or fringe selection choice should read any of these sites as editors hate subpoenas’ …. Hope the boys give the French a strong game , best of luck …do us proud ( wherever you hail from ) …

Handles , A good article , your comments on Hooper and the gist of the article were objective and fair …here are my thoughts …..I must admit the amount of negativity/passion shown towards individuals, be it players/coaches/referees from the experts , apostles, rugby tragics and a section of the journalistic profession seems counter productive from a sport which is on the ropes financially in this country . The joys of the game and competing against spirited opposition appears to have taken a back seat . The amount of negativity we have seen towards Hooper …a young man of considerable skill (to have the captaincy thrust upon him through circumstance) beggars belief . The Bealegate saga got everyone on their soapbox = no winners there . There is a tendency to” talk down” players rather than “talk up” an enthusiasts preferred option . Don’t get me started on the parochial state hatreds which is fine for Super15 comp but when we get to Test Level some enthusiasts have an inability to leave their domestic affiliations at the door to be as one at the National Team Level , its no wonder the crowds don’t sing in this country . If you want a vibrant game that is attractive to a wider demographic … the general tenor of the conversation maybe needs to be lifted from the top at the ARU (who seem to have very little regard for the grass roots/ fan) ….a conscious effort from the ARU may encourage a change from the grass roots /fan community who seem to be frustrated/bewildered and tired of the lack of engagement to date . There is tremendous opportunity for the game in Australia ie. The biggest a most successful codes domestically 1. Rugby League plays the morality card (I want to be sick!) and limited international appeal , 2. AFL similar – no International appeal , then we have Soccer which does play above its weight despite a lowly world ranking – but may be limited due to the strong following in Australia for overseas clubs in UK/Europe and Sth America . The strong suit for Rugby is the truly international flavour of the game ..its all there, we just need to join the dots in a more constructive manner . Sarcasm creeps up on a lot of us (including me) – It maybe time for us to consider wiping the slate , the baggage is getting a little heavy and reading an increasing amount of negative based vitriol in recent months is becoming a bit of a battle and no way to attract a wider audience and junior participation … Disclosure : Born and live in Sydney ….I Follow Australia- Go Wallabies! ,Hornsby in Sub District ,Manly in Shute Shield, Melb Rising in NRC , Melbourne Rebels in Super 15 ( I must hate Tah Man!) , Roosters in League , Swans in AFL (Passive) , Man United , Boca Junior in Soccer ….I have seen all these teams in the flesh except the Swans….Best spectacle = Boca Junior vs River Plate ..Why? A: The Fans ! ..never take them for granted .

Conversely , Wales were lucky they played the Wallabies in the first hit out , we seemed to leave a lot of opportunity on the paddock against a team with real desire …. plenty to work on but much to gain ….Cheika to tweak the belief card , Go Australia !

Greg , articulate ,thoughtful and has set the literary standard for second rowers everywhere ! I’d love to know how you can get the fantastic grass roots support a Shute Shield level to percolate through to the NRC clubs , I have been impressed with the spectacle of seeing Manly , Warringah , Eastwood , Sydney Uni etc in Shute Shield and the atmosphere at these games , I just wonder how do the feeder Shute Shield Clubs transfer that enthusiasm into their prospective NRC franchises ? Would it be worthwhile for the ARU in conjuction with the state bodies to invite the various School and Rep Junior Competitions to supply a match as a curtain raiser to an NRC match ie. CHS , CAS , GPS or Under 16 ,17,18 Rep Club … and offer ticketing incentives ( say a kickback to those schools rugby programs) and couple that with appearances by Super 15 and Wallaby reps (not necessarily in the squad with say 2 visits per NRC season for those contracted at the upper echelons of the game) at a designated part of the ground to help increase engagement with the public . The schools invite scenario could attract between an extra 500 to 2000 spectators to a game if marketed correctly …. Hope to see you get some game time in the Waratahs jersey in 2015 , it was good seeing you guys run around in the NRC , liked the Vikings / Rays match in Canberra and I’m a Rising fan .

Sheek, Agree with the tenor and substance of your argument. Pulver & Hawker could swap seats with Alan Joyce and no one would know the difference . Also a Lack of Free to Air TV remains problematic to growing the game , a sustainable internet streaming capability should be negotiated in lieu ( and drag in someone like media buying doyen Harold Mitchell in to do the ARU’s bidding for Online , Pay TV and Free to Air ) . The disconnect you mentioned is there and will need a multi faceted response to put right – from juniors to school , club , NRC , Super and the National Squad . The underlying question may be what do Kerry Stokes , Murdoch ,Fairfax , Fox , ABC , Nine & and Ten etc really want in the way of product for its offering and advertisers as many have locked in long term big ticket contracts with competing codes . I would be interested to see a pitch by the ARU to a major advertiser or network executives with its offering . I just get the feeling that the code doesn’t exactly know where it sits in the sporting landscape which may be due to a rarefied atmosphere at ARU board level ,and ,consequently doesn’t know where it wants be in an operational and planning sense .An ARU analysis would likely include IRB , Sanzar, Pacific Islands,ARU , NSWRU,QRU,ACT,VRU,WARU, Country Unions ,Super15 clubs , NRC partnerships , Shute Shield-regional club , Junior Rugby Schools State & Private ie. the web of associations start to resemble the Adelaide Steamship Company ownership structure of the 80’s and we know how that played out . There seems to be a lot going on through a multitude of structures for modest results and as one could expect at a much higher unit cost per player / fan or whatever yardstick you care to use . I tend to judge a company/organisation at first glance on the quality of its website , its interactive nature , levels of disclosure and a comprehensive use of its history …. I’m afraid the ARU Website gets a “C minus” . Firstly the ARU an its counterparts need to streamline the structure of Rugby in Australia and consider sharing and improving the infrastructure with its counterparts , then spend time promoting the game from the top down and bottom up (grass roots) …. that’s it for the moment otherwise I may have to invoice them ( I bet there are a few out there who feel the same way ) . Look , its a great product which should have a much higher level of fan/customer engagement than it is currently experiencing .

No you didn’t mentioned accident rates , why would you ? You seemed to have it locked up with “responsibility and consequences” (as a 25 and under drivers licence holder) are yours ….. So lets do nothing ….. Parents / peer group mentoring , Government initiatives should be scrapped for the 25 and under demographic , lets man up and watch the stats rise . Also I think a “free” pass at $45,000 fine , say $50,000 in legal fees and missing out on a possible extra $50,000 in match payments sounds about right …the judgement is fair , but not free . And I thought he did accept responsibility …Time will tell but Cheika seemed to have his measure along with his team mates looking out for him ( to their benefit) / Can we agree on one thing … He is on his last chance ! (Food fights excepted)

William , I think you take what I am saying (Frontal Lobe) is an excuse , … I am saying it is a reason which government , medical authorities are acting on based on extensive research . I don’t believe I actually named a particular religious order (out of respect) , you didn’t seem to mind though ! The military issue well documented and accepted in society and I think I was even handed saying it was a reflection of society …. and baby boomers have been the custodians of our society for the last 30 years or so …. , setting the standards in parenting , manners , opportunity or lack of , expectations , government , faith etc. … and importantly are we maintaining the standards ..if not ,why not ?
There have been too many issues with a growing portion of the new generation of players to concentrate on self righteous indignation and knee jerk reactions , we need to confront the reasons why and work on strategies to modify their behaviours (including consultation with other codes here and abroad) before we resort to the end game .
ANYWAY, Go the Wallabies on the weekend … And FYI I am glad the player in question is in Sydney to ponder his actions (This is his last chance in my view). …enjoy the weekend !

Thanks , glad to know there is no problem with the 25 and under driver demographic and accident rates , I must have dreamt it …. and by the way the consequences are everybody’s … read a few victim(or loved one’s) impact statements .

William , so I suppose you would be happy to allow those 25 years and under the same car insurance rates as the general population ??? The stats don’t lie … Insurance companies aren’t fools ….medical professionals don’t make this up , maybe you are unaware of the crisis that has been building with youth on the streets over recent years , I mentioned in a post a while back I know around 25 of my son’s friends in the 22-26 year age bracket coming from different socio economic and educational backgrounds …of that group I would say only around 10 are “Men” who , incidentally come from differing backgrounds . Some kids are mature in there teens , others not , we are all different , that is the “Human Condition” . If your take is correct why has the armed forces and religious orders have such a poor record for behaviour ) .. for the record I think it is just a reflection of society of which the “Baby Boomers” are the custodians , and yes I am one .

We seem to expect too much from sports people ,a monster has been created elevating sport people to an unsustainable pedestal through corporate sponsorship requirements and creating a fishbowl existence for sports people (some of which are ill prepared or ill disposed to the scrutiny and expectation) .Society wants sports people who have the ability to do exceptional things, by nature some of these individuals are mirroring their personalities on the stage of their particular event …..Society then expects all that nervous energy, tenacity aggression, attitude to be boxed up off that stage …… looks harder the more you think about it !! In the good old days journalists appeared to have an unwritten code where sports people were afforded some slack as with the personal lives of politicians but as technology has surpassed many journalistic endeavours due to social media etc…the pressure is on to justify (some not all) their existence to a degree … I was staying with a high profile sporting identity his partner and a couple of friend’s for a quiet Saturday night in …were amused to see in the Sunday press that the said sports star had a wild night on the town … we suggested he sue … he just laughed and stated it had happened to him before …and said they just make it up when they have run out of material. Also ,for those who rely on the role model card there is a subtle difference between admiration and worship … make sure your children are aware of that difference AND … the fragility that exists in the human condition – otherwise it may make the last month in the ARU family hard to explain ….it’s so bizarre no one could make that saga up …. or maybe they can ??? …. Remember all – Sport is not ICAC or the Royal Commission into Religious Orders performing unspeakable acts on children , the veracity of the recent debates on sports person behaviour has surpassed its level of importance by a long way , we are not in judgement of Ivan Milat , Martin Bryant or the late and not so great Dennis Ferguson ,so get a grip people …..

You tend to get the same incidence of theft , alcohol & drug abuse , rape , violence , suicide etc.. in both state & private schools …. the difference being the private schools self defence mechanisms are better ie. via prisoner exchange where they shunt troubled students amidst confidentiality clauses within the private school network …. if anything cashed up kids are more of a problem . The best results come from parent engagement with the school . On the last point … A boy taken from Blacktown … given a scholarship , under intense pressure and expectation whilst at school , I saw him arrive at a GPS/CAS match and looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders … in essence as sporting child prodigy . I know quite a few boys between 23-26 and there are those from privileged and non privileged backgrounds – out of around 25 , I would only say around 10 are “Men” , the others have not reached maturity and it seems to be indiscriminate when cross referencing by background , education etc . Or put it another way …there are the same percentage of tossers in parliament as you would find in the school yard ..take your pick !

The exercise seems pointless at this time …..Post the EOYT should be the starting point , at that juncture we will have a better idea who has stood up , what combinations appear to work and how those coming back from injury are coping their training regimes . To place the injured on a proposed roster appears fanciful at best . The trick now is to see who comes out of the tour with reputations in tact and those who are on the fringe within the squad stake their claim , as for the injury list I think Cheika will only pick them based on their current form (during the Super 15 season) ie. Pocock , TPN , Palu , Moore etc . As for Karmichael Hunt time will tell , if he came directly from League as SBW has I’d say yes consider him … but lets see how he settles in at the Reds , as for O’Connor (who has been in sparkling form for Toulon) if he performs for the Reds on and off the field redemption is at hand , and if you think he lacks commitment think again …when playing for the Rebels there were negative comments on his defence when Rene Ranger steamrollered over him , what was not mentioned was the fact that 5 minutes earlier he cracked his sternum , but still fronted up to take him on regardless . In reality we will put out the best available at the time of the RWC … just let Cheika get some continuity over the coming weeks ….then select like crazy for the RWC 2015 squad … Hey Roar editors, how about a competition for say closest to the squad with a cut off say 1 month before selections announced ?

Its simple Bill , annex the states … then invade Poland … er wait … I mean New Zealand ( but be aware NZ’s ranking may ease somewhat ).

What’s the fine for doing it on the pitch (ala Tour De France style) in front of 60,000 spectators ? Also I would love to see “Four Corners” have a crack at the ARU 2010 to present story …. ( sadly it may have been an “Australian Story” in a previous time , but not now ) .

Yes … we seem to expect too much from sports people ..add cricket scallywags Sid Barnes , Doug Walters who are ornaments of their game possibly would not have flourished in current times , League’s Johnny Raper , Soccer Maradona , Eric Cantona … Josh Dugan’s German Shepherd , Swimming’s Dawn Fraser , Michael Phelps , Texting’s Shane Warne , ……. We have created a monster elevating sport to an unsustainable pedestal through corporate sponsorship requirements and creating a fishbowl existence for sports stars (many of which are ill prepared or ill disposed to the scrutiny and expectation) . Society wants sports people who have the ability to do exceptional things , by nature some of these individuals are mirroring their personalities on the stage of their particular event …..Society then expects all that nervous energy , tenacity , aggression , attitude to be boxed up off that stage …… looks harder the more you think about it !

The job market is tight , Pulver & Hawker’s skills could be utilised in another major Australian corporation but alas Alan Joyce refuses to take shareholder hints and move on . When are the ARU board on their final warning ? I have generally found that those that are self righteous tend to be the most corruptible and/or appear to push back on accountability over time …… The danger for the game at this point is negotiating the current state of professionalism in the sport , players must be considering whether it is worthwhile & feasible to aim for a Wallabies jersey or consider other avenues for career development and lifestyle . The next 12 months are critical to restore some pride in the Wallaby Jersey … the 3rd Bledisloe to a large degree started that process ….get behind Cheika and the squad ..try to block out the administration from your thoughts , leave your Super 15 affiliations at the door and lets hang tough to the RWC 2015 . We have a massive opportunity to claw back some ground for Rugby’s niche as an International sport given the inability of AFL & League to properly compete on an international footing (noting their dominance domestically) , whilst Soccer has delivered a viable product belying its lowly world ranking …So…Austraian Rugby has the opportunity to turn the dinghy around , the code of rugby can’t keep shooting itself in the foot on off the ball matters , that is mission critical !

Foxtel rumoured to be dropping coverage ( you called that coverage ?) of the NRC and replacing it with “ARU vs Everybody” on JUDGE JUDY !

A Chairman’s position is to step into the breach when a crisis occurs , in particular when an organisation’s credibility is in question . A revered institution would hold its ground , tighten the ship from leaks and allow due process to take its course . Bill Pulver appears to have reached his used by date … Hawker should be ashamed , we have heard nothing from him at a time when his CEO Pulver is taking the heat from all and sundry … Either TALK to your shareholders as Chairman = The Australian Public or leave too !!! And by the way I think the cost to Beale with legals , missed match payments and the fine would well be in the realm of $150,000 but little damage to the Beale brand as it seems to run off a low base anyway , the costs to Patston and McKenzie seem unquantifiable at this stage (due to the closed nature of proceedings) …. The costs to the ARU – Priceless ! Where are you Chairman ? Were waiting…….

The Spanish inquisition , no one expects the Spanish Inquisition !!!! (ref … M PYTHON)

Well the circus begins …. 1st witness to the box Mr Kato Kaelin …. then recess for a car chase through Los Angeles …oh , sorry that was OJ . I’m getting confused given the vitriol & press over the past month over the Beale situation , I keep morphing into OJ & Pistorius …you know.. the guys who killed their spouses , I must remember it was an email before sentencing … If the email was sent at 4am from Hungry Jacks does that trigger a mandatory sentence ? The No.1 sport in Australia today is self righteous indignation , a shame really …. Lynch mobs are so unattractive and generally overreach …. Martin Bryant , Denis Ferguson and Ivan Milat seemed to have gotten an easier run in the press / court of public opinion than Kurtley , Di & Link have received …. Cant wait for the channel 9 blockbuster “Underbelly ARU” .

Alan may have a point …. so Bradman , Schumacher , Michael Jordan , Michael Phelps , Andrew Johns , Pele , Muhammad Ali must have all been overrated then . Really …Eales deserves his place in rugby history but I fear as a board member of the ARU he probably should have benched himself from appearing on Rugby HQ for fear of potentially tainting the processes needed for the ARU to properly address the Bealegate situation . Quite frankly the Pulver comments post McKenzie resignation were too little and far to late if you take his comments as sincere. The ARU may do better than appointing public relations group by instead getting a consultancy group like McKinsey to go through the place , and if the ARU can’t afford it ….give them signage on the jersey to make up the difference ( if McKinsey would think it a worthwhile endeavour) .

The Wallabies turned it on for around 60 minutes … the deciding factors were the inability of the Wallabies to go for the jugular during the Kiwi’s 10 minute sin bin period and the lack of composure during the final 10 minutes …. It seemed the All Blacks lifted the intensity to another level in the final 5 minutes , they looked like an “All hands on deck” mentality spurred them into action which has been commensurate with their No1 world ranking . I feel the skills are evident within the Wallaby playing group but it’s the mental demeanour that needs tweaking to climb to the top of the rugby mountain . In short we “expect” the All Blacks to score at the death as a last roll of the dice (as they themselves expect) but with the Wallabies we “hope” to achieve the same result (as the Wallabies themselves hope) , therein lies the difference …. Over to you Cheika , install the belief !!!!!!!

If you don’t get the answers you expect from the hearing , why not ask Clive Palmer to request a Royal Commission to investigate the ARU and this whole sordid saga and get Jacqui Lambie to chair the proceedings , Georgina could be the court reporter and Alan Jones could appear as character witness for the ARU board , also ,the Greens can put a submission to ban International Rugby on carbon footprint grounds ….. this is a complete farce , can we all get back to rugby ??????? The EOYT is a week away , should be very interesting to see what the Wallabies Squad are really made of after the cracker of a match at Suncorp . The NRC Finals loom to conclude what has been an enjoyable spectacle …. and don’t worry about Cheika , he has successfully navigated the fashion industry which is far more cut-throat than rugby (but less parochial) .

Agree with the general gist of the article but suspect those who took the flight for the cash on offer OS made a choice (may prove problematic to fulfilling their existing contracts) and would send the wrong message to those slogging it out in the Super 15 . Sure , instigate a clause for those servants of the game with 50 or more tests NOW to enable the appropriate access of a Wallaby call up to be written into their contracts with overseas clubs going forward ( Maybe I’m wrong – does the IRB have a protocol already in place ?) . The other aspect which I would take issue is your prospective motivational speaker Jordan Belfort ,who, if I’m not mistaken is a convicted felon who cheated his way to temporary success at a significant cost to many …someone who excelled at selling a lie not the optimum message at this point in time. With the raft of Wallaby history surely there is a past player that led by example and can motivate a group before a match eg. Poidevin,Ella etc … or possibly someone from a different sport say a Michael Jordan , Ryan Giggs ilk ?

Thanks Brett , good to see an article on the game of Rugby !! The best way I think to cleanse ourselves of the current circus which is the ARU is to actually go out to the games , I ventured out of area to see the Rams/Rising game at Pirtek Stadium in the 31 degree heat ,am I’m glad I did …. A great contest , and , a credit to the Rams organisation at a great venue for rugby (I had never been there before) , the curtain raiser was a women’s match which was great to watch as well . I would like to think that some sort of ticketing compromise of say 1 adult ticket and children under 18 free admission may kick start attendances at the NRC matches , I say 18 yrs as these potential adult fans or potential participants generally lean towards a life long allegiance to a code during these years . Soccer for many years had the highest participation rate at junior levels but tended to lose them on finishing school (during the 70’s & 80’s ) which was an obvious disconnect and has been addressed to a degree …. seeing TPN at the match watching was a buzz for the kids and seeing a mix of Wallaby/Super 15 talent mixed in with local Shute Shield talent is probably the most tangible demonstration of the grass roots to glory concept that helps a sport attract both fans and participants alike . I also watched the Stars play a few weeks ago at Leichardt Oval , again another great venue …and kids reacted seeing Dave Dennis (on crutches) in the crowd lending support . Finally BarTV coverage of the Rebels/Rising match was an absolute hoot ! It was like a cross between “Roy & HG” and “The Castle” …the purists would be tearing their hair out ….I wouldn’t recommend it for Wallaby / Super 15 / Shute Shield matches or finals time in the NRC but it was fun to watch . Finally , the NRC is a diamond in the rough , I suggest the most important buzz word on the ARU whiteboard (assuming they have one) should be “ENGAGEMENT” and work the maze of bullet points off that .