And not only that. McLennan is going to now squander the upcoming profits from 2025 Lions tour & 2027 World Cup by borrowing a huge amount to fund the continual insanity and incompetence of what he laughingly refers to as his “administration”. McLennan and Jones must removed forever from anything to do with Australian Rugby.

Good post Mel R. I am a lifelong 100 per cent Wallaby supporter but if we have to lose I would rather it be to Fiji, rather then anyone else. Just hope no cards issued to either side.

Indonesia have squandered any possibility of hosting any world sporting events with their refusal to allow Israel to compete. There is no way Australia will be part of that mentality.

Excellent post
It is also appalling that the A-league is saddled with Wellington Phoenix with another parasite club from Auckland also on its way.
Celtic and Rangers don’t play in the Premier League and there should be no kiwi clubs in the A-league. Their ratings and attendance in Australia are absolutely pitiful. The decision by FFA boss James Johnson to have an annual clash with NZ for a so-called Ashes trophy is equally out of touch with reality. NZ offers nothing for Australian football progress.

Another excellent epistle Nick – you continue to set a high standard.
Since it’s fitting for The Roar followers to offer their opinions, here’s mine.
Full marks to Hamish McLennan for removing Dave Rennie – 38% says it all.
End of story.
And full marks to Hamish McLennan for his “kumbaya” comment – many of the Wallabies contingent are overpaid, over protected and over entitled.
They won’t get that luxury ever again under Eddie Jones.
Another point – a couple of weeks before Eddie was appointed, Rennie said he hadn’t heard from Andy Marinos or Hamish McLennan.
Incredible comment from Rennie – how on earth did not a tiny little warning bell go off in his brain right then.
Kumbaya indeed.
Eddie will get plenty of advice now but the first person he should be talking with is Quade Cooper.
Ask him EVERYTHING.
Who should we get as Attack Coach?
What forwards does he need to give him clean ball?
What kicking support does he need?
What breakdown problems are we failing in?
What players should be axed?
Who does he want at halfback?
Without Quade Cooper getting the players and tactics he needs, we will be cactus.

David,
This is a very good article highlighting all the relevant problems with PNG.
The number one issue for the Australian government is killing off any possibility of Chinese development of Daru.
Of course the Feds won’t say it publicly but it will be a very simple equation put to the PNG government.
Any Daru base and you can kiss goodbye forever to a spot in the NRL.
There are dreadful problems in PNG particularly with the treatment of women, as well as the continuing influence of sorcery.
While I am not a rugby league fan there is no doubt it is the one game that can exert a real influence on improving the overall social development of PNG.
We already provide a huge amount of financial aid to PNG so the budget dollars are already there.
It would certainly be a better investment for the Federal government rather than dishing out the vomit inducing 375 million dollars to the AFL parasites, for a grotesque travesty of a stadium in Hobart.

Another excellent article Nick.
I don’t know how much The Roar is paying but you are worth every cent.
My observation – as yet again I try to overcome my despair – is to reiterate the absolute necessity
that Quade Cooper – when he returns, should also be a selector.
Let Quade have a real say on the players and the tactics he needs, to provide the platform to give the side its best chance of finally producing something to be admired.
The current coaching group has been an unmitigated disaster.

Good article Christy.
There are so many stories bubbling just under the surface of Australian Rugby which highlight the strengths and weaknesses, the fault lines and the personal prejudices that ultimately can have severe impacts on the game in this country, both short and long term.
Here’s another story for you to pursue now that you have been recruited to this site.
I have been waiting for a long time for an Australian journalist to detail the full story on David Nucifora and the “player power” mess at the Brumbies which led to him leaving and heading to Ireland.
What an incredible impact he’s had on the structure of the game in that country.
Ireland – like Australia with AFL – faces a juggernaut with Gaelic Football – but has revamped all its policies – under the guiding hand of Nucifora – and is now number one in world Rugby.
The word is Nucifora wants to come home but the Irish have locked him in until after the 2023 World Cup.
He is the sort of structural administrator Australian Rugby desperately needs.
There are many questions though surrounding the issue of just how much power he would be given if he joined RA.
It’s a great story Christy – make it top of your ” StoriesTo Be Pursued” list.

It’s truly astonishing how many people making comments on this site about Christy Doran and his articles don’t understand how journalism works.
Legal matters are always a priority and along with that is the need for anonymity for your source.
Keep up the good work Christy.
You will be a great asset to The Roar and congratulations Tony Harper for making it happen – and I hope Spiro Zavos is still enjoying life.

What these statistics clearly show is the abysmal level of actual coaching by Rennie and McKellar.
Name me one – just ONE player who has been technically improved by the current coaching staff.
Time and again for the last two years we have read detailed articles by Nick Bishop highlighting poor technical skills and poor selection policies by Rennie and McKellar.
Does his analysis of the complete lack of forward off-loads and attacking pods mid-season ring any bells?
Everything in this statistical list simply confirms what we have witnessed from the Wallabies for the last two years.
I actually shuddered during the season when McKellar stuck his head up and spouted imbecilic drivel about how Australian was going to have the best maul in the world.
We know how that turned out and these statistics simply confirm the abysmal truth.
There has been NO improvement whatsoever in ANY aspect of play by the Wallabies.
Lineouts? Scrums? Breakdowns? Flat-line fly-half attacking efficiency?
Endless, senseless, box kicks – over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over?
Rennie has been paid a fortune – he was allowed to choose where he would live – of course he chose the Gold Coast.
He was allowed to bring in Mckellar who astonishingly has apparently been earmarked as the next Head Coach to take over when Rennie finally decides to put his feet up.
He in turn, after failing to improve mauls, scrums, lineouts and breakdowns, finally brought in a coach who can actually improve player technical skills in Laurie Fisher.
On top of that we have the El Supremo of Australian Rugby Hamish McLennan just recently declaring “Dave Rennie and the coaching staff will take us to the World Cup”.
You know what?
We’d be better off – if Quade Cooper regains full fitness – to make him an Assistant Coach as well as fly-half – because he has far more idea of what exactly our strengths and weaknesses are and how to do something LONG TERM about solving them.
I am left with one sad memory in particular from the season and that’s the demented and desperate charge of Harry Wilson against the All Blacks at Eden Park.
Everything about this action was so wrong.
The body height, the lack of close-by support from fellow forwards, the sheer wastage of raw talent of a young, whole-hearted player who has been left devoid of the intelligent technical coaching he so badly needs.
He was simply easy pickings for the All Blacks.
Imagine what the Kiwi coaching staff would do with Harry Wilson?
Just look at how they persevered and persevered and persevered and persevered and persevered with Tyrel Lomax until he produced his display at Eden Park.
That’s REAL COACHING!

So why did the rugby journalists attending the Dan McKellar presser today not have the guts to ask him the two bloody obvious questions.
1. Who was the coaching genius who ordered Swain not to call Rory Arnold in the lineout?
2. How can a video analyst sitting in a loungeroom in Wales consistently, over and over and over and over again, highlight the repeated mistakes in team selection and coaching by those in charge of the Wallabies without anything ever changing?

I have been reading THE ROAR since it was set up.
I knew Spiro Zavos the founder of this site very well and we often used to discuss rugby and other sporting matters.
He was a fine journalist who wrote many outstanding editorials for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Over the years I have read many articles on this site but this one is undoubtedly the most IMBECILIC to ever leak into print.
The Socceroos nickname is the single most recognised, cherished and respected name in Australian sport, by every marketing yardstick.
There is absolutely nothing that could ever match it or surpass it.
There is as much chance of Football Australia dropping it as there is of Anthony Albanese escaping by submarine to China, to live happily ever after with Harold Holt.

The key factor in all of this which is really the elephant in the room, is that New Zealand teams in any sport simply DON’T RATE on Australian television.
That’s why the Kiwi teams were dumped from the Australian Netball league.
They were a ratings disaster.
That’s why Football Australia wants to get rid of the Wellington Phoenix.
They are a ratings disaster.
That’s why there are no prize viewing slots for the NZ Warriors on Channel Nine.
They are a ratings disaster.
Australians just don’t want to watch NZ teams.
The only contest involving NZ which rates on Australian television is the Bledisloe Cup.
The figures don’t lie.
Full marks to Hamish McClennan for Belling the Cat.
Now lets make sure one of the new Australian super rugby teams is based in Western Sydney.

I believe the time has come for Rugby Australia and the NRL to put their heads together and agree to let players slip seamlessly between the two codes.
It really would be a win for both codes as players would increase their skills and develop their games.
Of course not all players will want to switch between the two games – but a lot will.
There would have to be financial matters worked out for both games but commonsense should prevail.
In high schools now players are increasingly moving between both games to find the one that suits them most.
For Australia to remain at the top in both codes we have to make full use of all resources and with the rapid rise of female players in Fiji, USA, Canada, England etc we need everyone on the same page.

James Johnson as FFA Boss should have made his number one priority to ENFORCE a switch to winter for the A-League.
This summer madness was initially bestowed on us by Andrew Dettre (Soccer World newspaper) and Johnny Warren in the belief it would shift the game away from British “long ball football” into South American skills type development.
Instead we have the turgid, tedious back four passing garbage as characterised by the endless slow motion crap served up by the Socceroos and the Matildas.
Summer soccer automatically plants in the minds of kids that the game is not really on a par with real “football” codes, which are always played in winter.
There are so many problems with the A-League and the game itself in this country but nothing will ever be put on the right path without eliminating this summer insanity once and for all.
The season – both men and women – should start on the last weekend of February and finish in the last weekend of October.
Forget all the excuses about television requirements, ground shortages etc.
Football is a winter sport and from that platform you can then build on skill, attacking play, etc.
Leave summer to Cricket, Basketball (indoor air-conditioned stadiums) and going to the beach.

Last Sunday in Paris the attendance for the Six Nations Rugby Championship between France and Italy was 78,750.
The television viewing figure in France alone was 7-million.
Anyone on this planet who seriously believes Rugby League will ever threaten Rugby Union as a worldwide sport, should seek immediate psychiatric treatment.

How can anyone seriously believe Dave Rennie is on the pathway to future success with the Wallabies.
1. To see a running halfback like Tate McDermott time and again putting up utterly imbecilic box kicks – most of them in his OWN HALF – is astounding.
Clearly he was operating under instructions from Rennie – no player could be that stupid.
Could he?
2. Since when has any All Black side repeatedly been found wanting against box kicks – it’s bread and butter to them and of all teams, they are the side that will take full advantage of gifted possession.
3. With three weeks preparation Rennie selects a hooker previously found wanting.
What was the thinking behind this crazy decision?
Was it the influence of the Brumbies coach assisting Rennie?
How can the line-out then fail to function efficiently after three weeks preparation?
4. How can the breakdown work be so pathetic considering the number of coaches Rennie has surrounded himself with?
What exactly do the coaches do at training?
5. How can Rennie keep selecting players incapable of kicking the ball effectively?
Either in finding touch or belting it down field when receiving?
6. How can the flyhalf consistently keep kicking too long from kickoffs to give his forwards any chance of mounting a consistent challenge at regaining possession?
7. How can the passing be so utterly inept by highly paid players?
Do they not look at match videos of previous intercept passing?
The truth is the Wallabies have gone backwards under Rennie and the rest of his overpaid coaching staff, including that wonderfully successful “high performance” supremo Scott Johnson.

Jerry Seinfeld once described netball as basketball with all the fun bits taken out.
No brilliant dribbling, no outrageous slam dunks, no great three point shots at the buzzer and no lightning swift defensive blocks.
As for something called Men’s Netball – NEVER do I want to my tax dollars funding such an imbecilic monstrosity.

On the world scene rugby league has zero impact and will never be able to compete against rugby union.
In Australia it’s the exact opposite.
Therefore time for some lateral thinking.
Rugby Australia should allow all their own players plus rugby league women, to compete in both codes.
Not all will and those that do, will have to adjust to the breakdown play.
But it will strengthen the standard to have high quality women playing both codes.
It’s crazy to maintain any barriers.

The real issue here though is when will we get – if ever – COMPLETE STUCTURAL REFORM?
What is McLennan doing about the long debated reform of RA?
What is happening about Twiggy Forrest putting massive money into the game IF that reform goes ahead?
What is happening about central contracts for all players at the top level?
What is happening about a 100% plan to finally undertake a complete development plan for Parramatta and Penrith and Sydney’s West?
What is happening about a real solution to the “third tier” avenue from Shute/Hospital grade to Super Rugby to Test?
Why are we persisting in Academies which waste the time of young players, warehousing them when they should be playing Grade?
And finally, given the record of Darren Coleman and particularly his knowledge of Shute Shield, why not get him and some other really experienced analysts of the grassroot problems to come up with the ideal competition structure for the future?

This is a very good article.
I always enjoy reading comments from jbinnie who was involved at the birth of “summer soccer”.
I was too and knew all the people involved, the “pros and cons”, the battle of grounds, lights, media coverage etc.
Unlike jbinnie I have a different viewpoint.
Summer soccer (as it was marketed then) has been an absolute tragedy.
It has allowed the game to be locked in a permanent cage by television networks only interested in the game as wallpaper fill-in for summer programming.
When a sport allows itself to be totally dictated to in terms of match kick off times and boiling hot summer days, long term failure is guaranteed.
Which is what we have currently and will continue, as long as the A-League remains in summer.
Because playing standards will never improve in brutal boiling heat and the game will never take its rightful place in this country, like it has in just about every other country in the world.
The real question, which astonishingly no journalist (except Mick Lynch in The Age) has pursued rigorously, is why did James Johnson the FFA CEO not publicly veto the “summer schedule” before TEN signed the deal.
Ultimately Johnson does have the power to block it.
He could do it today.
Would TEN walk away?
Would another bid come forward if the schedule was set for mostly winter – say late Feb to October?
A sport that refuses to take on AFL and NRL but is happy to compete with cricket and be very much locked into a “frypan” of futility, does not deserve the status of a national league or the support of its long suffering supporters.

Redcliffe ticks all the boxes.
Good administration, strong licensed club and good junior structure.
The future growth of Brisbane is centered around the northern area right up towards the Sunshine Coast.
That’s where all the future housing plans are mainly focused on.
The historic name for Brisbane when the convict settlement began was Moreton Bay.
It was very interesting last week that Redcliffe announced its stadium name would now be Moreton Stadium, following naming rights sponsorship from the not-for-profit group Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism (MBRIT).
What odds the club name will in the future become the MORETON BAY DOLPHINS to lock in all that bayside and northern support for an NRL license.

Geoff,
This season for the Wallabies is mercifully done and dusted.
You know my thoughts as per my post in reply to your column on Monday.
The next important issue now is the World Cup draw this coming Monday.
All Wallaby fans had better be hoping Lady Luck smiles on us because given the pathetic performances this season, we won’t last long in 2023 if we don’t get a dream draw.
If we could draw Wales from Band One and Scotland or Italy from Band Three and Uruguay or USA from Band Four, we may retain some hope of at least making the quarter finals.
At least our Million Dollars A Year Captain will delight us for the next two years with his endless press conferences detailing how hard the squad is working and how he is happy with his decision making!
The other important issue you should examine in next Monday’s column is the real story behind World Rugby and the departure of Brett Gosper.
Did he get offside with Bill Beaumont by secretly backing Augustin Pichot?
I don’t know the full story but I do know there is a real power struggle behind the scenes of World Rugby as private equity flexes its muscle in pursuit of lucrative dollars up for grabs behind yet more paywalls.
And speaking of Beaumont why has World Rugby been so utterly comatose at the wheel as the game degenerates into endless kick and barge collision garbage.
Even lifetime cheer leaders for northern hemisphere rugby like Stephen Jones have been left in virtual despair at the state of the game.
Have you read his columns in the Sunday Times?
And all the other northern hemisphere scribes have been equally scathing of the garbage being served up.
Where are the moves from World Rugby to drop the ridiculous number of subs on the bench – it is destroying the whole fabric of the game with muscle bound gym junkies creating a lack of space on the ground as endless subs roll in.
It’s not the same game anymore.
Yet World Rugby is comatose on so many issues.
It’s astonishing – and a compete tragedy at a time when the game more than ever in its entire history needs real leadership.
Time for you to hit the keyboard Geoff.
Don’t wait until next Monday!

Geoff,
I like your columns but seriously, you have been way too soft on Dave Rennie.
This squad is going backwards not forward.
Rennie has an attack coach, a defence coach, a lineout coach and a scrum coach.
Not to mention Scott Johnson and his juicy pay packet hovering like some weird svengali.
Then we have the highest paid Captain in the world who sets a new benchmark in sheer arrogance with his brain dead refusal to learn anything from turning down penalties repeatedly.
This character is getting One Million Dollars a year for five years – for this brain dead Captaincy!
The writing was on the wall during the week when Hooper was gifted an article by a fanboy on the Rugby Australia site under the headline “Penalties Did Not Cost Australia Victory In Newcastle”.
Then in the friday presser Hooper again proclaimed loudly ” I was happy with my decisions in Newcastle”.
Then for good measure, he repeated his praise of his own decision making in the final pre-match interview just an hour from kickoff.
And it all went exactly as he predicted.
Turning down repeated easy penalties in the opening half because “I am the Captain and I am very happy with my decision making”.
And of course best of all we get to enjoy the after match presser where our Million Dollar Captain dutifully informs all Wallaby fans “it’s frustrating — we are working hard — we have to work more on our game management — we are making progress — we have a lot of young players coming through” blah blah blah blah blah.
Then Dave Rennie adds his two bob’s worth with more blah blah blah.
FFS!
How do you seriously imagine that any Wallaby supporter could have any joy from yet another season of poor technique at the breakdown, poor passing, poor ball possession and pitifully poor decision making in general play.
Rennie has absolutely nothing to be proud of from this season.

The writing was on the wall during the week after the garbage served up in Newcastle.
First we get a “fan boy” article written on the rugby.com.au website eulogising Hooper’s captaincy with the headline stating his failure to take penalties “did not cost Australia victory”.
Then in the friday presser Hooper stated clearly that he was “happy with his decisions” clearly indicating yet again that he would do exactly as he pleased.
And he did.
The million dollars a year arrogant clown again showed he couldn’t give a stuff about public opinion over his brain dead captaincy, by repeating exactly the same tactics as he did in Newcastle.
And he’s done this repeatedly in Test matches over the years – costing Australia dearly.
His win/loss record as Captain is utterly abysmal.
We have a scrum coach, a defence coach, an attack coach and a lineout coach – with Dave Rennie on top of that along with Scott Johnson’s juicy pay packet!
All of that coupled with an arrogant brain dead Captain and this is what Wallaby fans are paying for.
Millions of dollars dished out for what?
We have finished the season in worse shape than we started.
Poor skills, poor breakdown technique, poor ball possession, poor basic rugby IQ and endless tedious drivel in after match press conferences full of comments like ” it’s frustrating – we have to do better with game management – we’re working hard” blah blah blah.
Hooper should never ever be handed another Wallaby jersey – let the arrogant million dollar clown go off to club rugby in Japan and disappear forever from Australian rugby.
And Rennie is clearly not the answer to the entire cultural cancer within this squad.
He is just another in the endless line of pampered, protected and overpaid personnel that have milked Australian rugby for decades.