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Chris Hickey, Phil Waugh and Dean Mumm are at the heart of the Waratahs’ problems. Chris Hickey’s reliance on statistics and refusal to accept that the players were anything but fully committed and had the required self-belief is of great concern.
His further comment that “(fan) perception is not reality” is again indicative that he doesn’t get it. Thankfully Drew Mitchell correctly stated that “(fan) perception is reality!”
Phil Waugh’s Thursday evening comments about skills execution miss the point and sound dangerously like George Gregan’s famous comment that derided passion in a rugby player.
Dean Mumm’s comments prior to Saturday’s critical game, and I paraphrase, ‘I’m here to win, entertaining or not’, confirm that that the head coach, captain and vice captain are on the same page. Sadly, it is the wrong page. Yes, my position on the Waratahs has hardened since my initial assessment of the situation that followed the fan forum.
Saturday evening’s Jekyll and Hyde performance by the Waratahs contributed to my change of heart. On a previous The Roar post, I wrote: “Just as Chris Hickey, Dean Mumm and Phil Waugh said, we are going to win first. So they won, got the bonus point and went home.”
Can you imagine Springsteen singing ‘Born in the USA’, having the crowd go wild, screaming for more etc, etc, only for he and the band to walk off saying, “We define that getting you guys to fever pitch is a win for us, so that’s all from us, that’s what we came for. We are out of here.”
Nope, Springsteen is legendary for giving great value. His concerts were always epic!
But the final straw for me was listening to Craig Bellamy on One HD’s ‘One Week At a Time’ show. He was asked what he looked for in his players: “I want players who are passionate, strong mentally and physically, and fully committed to doing everything to achieve success as a team. I want players who play the same if they are two points behind or two points ahead. I want players who play the same if they are 20 points behinds or 20 points ahead!”
Despite the salary cap saga, Bellamy is a proven coach of elite sporting teams.
He continued: “With players like that, there is very little difference between their best and worst games. You know what you are getting each week. Strong physically and mentally.”
I admit that my view, as stated at the forum, that the organisation lacked self-belief, softened after meeting several of the people involved at the Waratahs. They are likable human beings. They have achieved things I could only dream of doing. They have a difficult job.
It is difficult not to respect that they, as professional coaches, players and administrators, know better than humble fans, even if some of them were former and great Wallabies such as Terry Curley. However, my clarity of thought has now been restored.
I have excluded both Michael Foley and Scott Bowen from being part of the problem. Their few public statements have shown more understanding of the fundamental issues that exist.
Further, I suspect that there is a hierarchy within the Waratahs that sees Foley and Bowen remain in the background. If they seek ongoing employment at the Waratahs in 2012, the time is rapidly approaching for them to speak out, at least to the board. I believe that the board would reward them if they took a strong line to identify and provide remedies to the core problems.
The forwards set piece, particularly the scrum, are very effective. The backs commenced the season against both Melbourne and the Reds with expansive rugby and later against the Force in Perth.
I conclude that they have been coached to do it. They just don’t deliver when things get tight.
The Waratahs board understands the problem but can only change things incrementally due to the contractual durations. The board, coaches and team leaders need to lead the team towards the holy grail of sport, a self perpetuating culture that oozes self-belief, desire and physical and mental strength.
There are plenty of stories where self-belief has triumphed that can be used as examples for the coaches and players. For starters, John Eales or Mortlock’s match winning goal kicks or Kefu’s try. Closer to home, Waratahs chairman Ed Zamercheff, playing flanker for Sydney Boys High in 1972 and 1973, beat St Josephs College home and away. David and Goliath!
For the players, rather than fear the goldfish bowl life of a Waratahs player, enjoy the stage it provides to strut your stuff. Ewen McKenzie looks for players who have suffered adversity. Luke Burgess and Nick Farr Jones didn’t play in their high school 1st XV’s.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.