The level of incompetence emanating from the RA is simply breathtaking and it is sad that the Wallabies—according to Steve Hansen—carry the taint of being coached by Micky Mouse (funny if it wasn’t true) Accommodating Johnson and Cheika makes for good comedy. Cheika is an obstinate, biased man of limited tactical nous who demonstrated (through his results) that he is behind the eight ball as an international coach. He is a despot and will cause friction with Johnson. The RA is supposedly strapped for cash, but can afford to employ Johnson as well as Cheika and his training entourage. Although there’s a further sleight of hand with Larkham given the shove but—wait for it—only until after the WC according to CEO Castle; by the way a WC which will be lost to the Wallabies because no one in the RA has the guts to fire Cheika. All that is a measure of the incompetence pouring out of this private little club run by the Sukkars and other members of the Friends of Sydney University Football Club, ”FOSUFC”. In the name of rugby, there is a need for a judicial enquiry.

Too many chiefs and too many Indians left in the wilderness. Accommodating Johnson and Cheika will not work. Cheika is an obstinate, biased man of limited tactical nous who demonstrated (through his results) that he is behind the eight ball as an international coach. He is a despot and will cause friction with Johnson. The RA is supposedly strapped for cash, but can afford to employ Johnson as well as Cheika and his training entourage. That is a measure of the incompetence pouring out of this private little club run by the Sukkars and other members of the Friends of Sydney University Football Club, ”FOSUFC”. The solution is simple: cut the East Coast bias so that players can be picked purely on merit; bring Forrest into the tent; get rid of Cheika and look to MacQueen. This WC is lost to Australia. Clear out the swamp and start being professional!

Sure coaching is a problem, but you have to look deeper. Ever walked through a pebble-strewn stream and suddenly spotted a flash of brilliance in the clear water? That’s how many of us rugby fanatics see our game: a tiny flash of gold amongst the rubble. It’s a game that offers everything—tactics, agility, strength and innovation. And it also offers the predators—the blue-blazer brigade of Sydney—a ticket to indulge themselves and ultimately suck it dry. Ask Josephine Sukkar, of Buildcorp and husband of Tony Sukkar a member of that organization called Friends of Sydney University Football Club (FOSUFC) and many other people from the big end of town ( Michael Hawker, Cameron Clyne, Roger Davis, David Kirk) about the goose that lays golden eggs. Until this nexus is broken, rugby will never take its proper place in the pantheon of sports. First step is to bring Twiggy Forrest into the tent!

There is the start of the problem. What a rat’s nest!

So the answer is to add another ‘staffer’ to the over blown team. Johnson has good credentials, but it seems the Blue-blazer brigade doesn’t have the guts to rid themselves of Cheika who is the main coaching impediment. Castle has done nothing and said nothing of substance. It seems the big push to pick someone based on gender, not on merit, is already failing here, as it failed at AMP—Clyne, you’ve done it again. The board structure needs to be reviewed. How are they appointed? And how can they survive in the face of abject failure? no matter what is collapsing around them. Rugby supporters are demanding that Clyne offer his resignation. He’s presided over the debacle of the Force, woeful results and the appointment of the new CEO who knows nothing about rugby and—it seems—very little about management. There’s a billionaire investor in Andrew Forrest. He was left outside the tent after the Western Force debacle and he won’t come back until Clyne is gone. This board has failed. They don’t have the vision to do the job. They should fall on their swords.

Latest news that RA will not be taking any action to remove Cheika should be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. Clyne and his blue blazer brigade, having blundered through 2018 and alienating West Australian Rugby (Western Force to play Japan, Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, Singapore and Hong Kong) will now bumble about with Cheika for another seven months or so. Enough is enough. Clyne and Castle should resign and the board should be reconstituted. ls there anybody with any guts out there?

The good ship Titanic slips below the ocean waves, but on the promenade deck the band plays on… Clyne’s blue-blazer brigade duck and weave, bouncing off the doomed ship’s railings, but the facts remain: There are four tests next year before the WC and the Wallabies can’t do any worse than their current performance under Cheika. Clear out the coaching group and advertise for a new coach—now—or sink.

There is an urgent need for major change. Come on all you voting members (ACT & Southern NSW Rugby union—2; NSW Rugby union—3; Old Rugby union—3; Rugby Victoria—2; WA Rugby—2; SA Rugby—1; Tasmanian Rugby—1; NT Rugby—1; and RUPA—1) for the sake of the game and its die-hards: call an extraordinary meeting to clear out the board (Clyne and Castle to go) and then advertise for a coach. There are four tests next year before the WC and the Wallabies can’t do any worse than their current performance under Cheika.

I believe Brad Thorn (who is on the All Blacks coaching radar) is only signed up for one more season. There’s a coach for the Wallabies if RA and QRU would just be a little far-sighted!

Cheika has proved to be biased in team selection and obdurate towards those who seek to give good advice. Because of a lack of tactical nous, he will continue to crash about like a bull in the china shop dragging the witless blue blazer brigade behind him. There is an urgent need for major change. Come on all you voting members (ACT & Southern NSW Rugby union—2; NSW Rugby union—3; Old Rugby union—3; Rugby Victoria—2; WA Rugby—2; SA Rugby—1; Tasmanian Rugby—1; NT Rugby—1; and RUPA—1) for the sake of the game and its die-hards: call an extraordinary meeting to clear out the board and coach, and watch the dramatic improvement in Wallabies’ performance!

Cheika has proved to be biased in team selection and obdurate towards those who seek to give good advice. He is therefore not of the character that would accept a panel of team selectors. He will continue to crash about like a bull in the china shop dragging the witless blue blazer brigade behind him. There is an urgent need for major change to the whole board but this will not occur until rugby in Australia finds intelligent, far-sighted, objective people who have courage in their convictions and a will to serve.

I’ve asked this question before: Isn’t there a performance clause in the coach’s contract? If so, this should be invoked without the need for pay-out. If there isn’t, then this is yet another stuff-up perpetrated by the blazer brigade upon a hapless frustrated public crying out for good management. But this goes beyond Cheika who has proved to be biased in team selection, obdurate towards those who sought to give good advice, and plain ignorant of rugby tactics; it goes to the need for major change to the whole board. Invite Alan Jones to take over—in the short term—to set the ship right. Right now!

I’ve asked this question before: Isn’t there a performance clause in the coach’s contract? If so, this should be invoked without the need for pay-out. If there isn’t, then this is yet another stuff-up perpetrated by the blazer brigade upon a hapless frustrated public crying out for good management.

I’ve asked this question before: Isn’t there a performance clause in the coach’s contract? If so, this should be invoked without the need for pay-out. If there isn’t, then this is yet another stuff-up perpetrated by the blazer brigade upon a hapless frustrated public crying out for justice in the game.

In the vain hope of somehow gleaning something useful from the hopeless situation the Wallabies find themselves in, the RA continues to dither about. The problem is team selection. Cheika is blind to the fact that he is biased. The RA should force the issue by appointing selectors, if he does not accept this, then fire him.

Is there anybody listening in Rugbyland? Cheika does not believe that there is a problem with his or his staff’s coaching. Cheika’s selections are biased and not truly representative of what is available (Hanigan, Simmons, Foley are a waste of space), Folau—a multi million dollar one-trick-pony is under performing. There is another anomaly: Why is Cheika’s tenure (till after the 2019 RWC) set in stone? Surely there must be a performance clause in his contract. Follow cricket’s actions, clean out the coaching staff—temporarily—with Alan Jones and MacQueen.

From what I can gather, that’;s the Wallabies bench mark. But what is Ms Castle’s bench mark? And if this bench mark is not achieved, what action will be taken regarding none performance?

Spiro while I agree that MacQueen or Dwyer would enhance the Wallabies’ chances of improvement, this won’t happen because Cheika does not believe that there is a problem with his or his staff’s coaching and he is a stubborn man. His selections are biased and not truly representative of what is available. There is another anomaly: Why is his tenure (till after the 2019 RWC) set in stone? Surely there must be a performance clause in his contract.

Poor team selection (Hannigan too light and not at international level, Hooper not a seven and not a captain, Foley deep restarts every time?), poor execution and poor skills in broken play. Cheika’s boys headed for ground hog day everyday…everyday day…

The bottom line is this: If the RA is right and Cheika pulls off the miraculous win in the RWC, Cheika’s nay-sayers will eat humble pie and the Wallabies will be world champions. If, on the other hand, Cheika’s form from past performances of starting brilliantly and then crashing out—both overseas and in Oz—prevails, then all the RA has achieved is lost vital time between now and the end of the European tour of 2018 for making coaching changes. Surely Cheika’s contract would have a performance clause in it which should be invoked if the Wallabies crash during the next few games of 2018.

‘It’s novel and welcome to hear a coach admit that elite professional sportspeople listen to judgement from the outside – from the so-called experts in the mainstream media to the well-considered opinions of rugby tragics.’ A comment like that is simply a measure of the underlying disdain that Cheika truly feels for the growing criticism that has come his way as the Wallabies flounder from second spot to seventh (perhaps ninth). And it seems Australian Rugby endorses the approach that its ‘Cheika’s way or the highway’. So, a coach who in fact is undergoing ‘on-the-job’ training himself, shows poor team selection and a one-eyed view of the player pool (14 Tahs ); has no Plan B for his pick and drive first option; and continues to use inept training staff will just lead to more of the same. Perhaps it’s time for the coach to admit to his shortcomings and give someone else a go before 2019.

Cheika, sadly ( beyond rough and tough exhortations), has no idea of how to get a top tier side to shine. His one-eyed Sydney-centric selections preclude other players from blossoming. Beyond pick and drive, he has no alternative or simultaneous tactical options. This is why the Wallabies put in yo-yo performances one week to the next and will continue to do so under his watch.

I am a little gobsmacked. Cheika’s now suggesting that it’s up to the boys from here on. By that logic, why should the AR pay a massive salary for him and his coaching staff? Fire them and replace with a selection panel.

Lack of time allotted to passing in broken play, kick and chase, and clearing out at break downs

Oh no! Don’t bag the coach—what about the players? What about Hooper who, at seven is too light and a firecracker not a captain, and Hanigan who is eager but too light and is not at international level. Let’s go to poor team selection; poor environment for skills training; outside of occasional outbursts of histrionics—poor leadership. Cheika is stubborn and will not listen to good advice bordering on stubbornness. These are the long term problems of the present leadership and as long as he is the coach, look towards ground-hog day.