Andy Friend Sacked!

[kiap]

Five points on the weekend.

Would be nice.

As Aussies, I suppose it's the least we could do for them over there!

 

[HodgoBerro]

Chief executive Andrew Fagan has confirmed Wallabies Test centre Adam Ashley-Cooper, one of two players' representatives on the Brumbies board, was involved in the decision to sack Andy Friend as Brumbies coach.

What made Ashley-Cooper's position especially awkward was that he had made it clear to the Brumbies that his concerns over Friend's coaching was one of the issues he was weighing up in deciding whether to remain in Canberra or move to Sydney to join New South Wales Waratahs next season.

"I'm not certain that was his principal issue by any means, but it was one of the issues," Fagan told The Australian.

Ashley-Cooper, who re-signed with the ARU last month but curiously left open his Super Rugby playing options, did not take a leading role in the board meeting on Tuesday morning to hear Fagan's briefing on the situation and then to decide whether to terminate Friend's position, but nor did he disqualify himself.

"He was asked if the coaching was an issue for him and he said it was," Fagan said.

In the end, Friend's fate was sealed without the need for a vote. It is understood a board member then asked Ashley-Cooper if he was now prepared to re-commit to the Brumbies, but Fagan cut short that discussion before the 51-cap Wallabies utility could respond.

"He and I will catch up on that next week," Fagan said. "We had planned to sit down with Adam then anyway."

In the wake of Friend's stunning dismissal, the Brumbies placed a ban on all players talking to the media, at least until club captain Stephen Hoiles and acting skipper Matt Giteau conduct their regular captain's run press conference before Saturday's crucial clash with Queensland Reds.

New attack coach Steve Larkham, whose father Geoff is Brumbies president and a member of the board, has come under fire for playing an alleged behind-the-scenes role in Friend's downfall despite a public statement from the dismissed coach that he was not involved.

It is considered highly unlikely that Larkham, who is only six weeks into his new career as an assistant rugby coach after finishing his playing commitments in Japan, will come into the reckoning to coach the Brumbies next year.

And Fagan denied Larkham, a 1999 Rugby World Cup winner, was being groomed for the Brumbies job. "No, no more than the two other assistant coaches, Marco Caputo or Justin Harrison, are being groomed for it."

Meanwhile, Tony Rea, who has been appointed interim coach for the remainder of the Super Rugby season, said he was too busy just making sure all was in order for the Reds match even to think whether his temporary assignment might become permanent.

Rea, who played 120 matches for North Sydney Bears, conceded it was "a bit of a twist" that a former rugby league player had ascended to the head coaching position. But he said his appointment had come about so quickly he had not had time to be overwhelmed.

"It all happened within hours," Rea said. "I can't say I felt any great emotions, up or down."

Saturday's opponents, the Reds, were less than delighted by the dramatic change, knowing that teams at the centre of such upheavals almost invariably pull off a win. "In Europe, they call it The Electro-Shock - sack the coach and the team sparks up," Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/s.../story-e6frf4qu-1226015101968?from=public_rss

 

[dobduff11]

I'm not sure yet if that article makes AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) a bad guy that abused his re-signing and meddled in things he shouldn't have.

Or if he was put in a bit of an awkward position and they have fitted his words in round the article to make a story out of it. He doesn't strike me as the sort of guy to abuse his signing situation but who knows.

a board member then asked Ashley-Cooper if he was now prepared to re-commit to the Brumbies, but Fagan cut short that discussion

This sounds really dodgy and is what is leading me to believe he was put in an awkward situation

 

[louie]

think about it this way

if he said no i'm not then they might not have sacked friend

but now fagan can well we sacked the coach so that you'd say. putting him in a position of guilt.

really hope we can put this behind us soon.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Why is it that those who have picked a dud coach, which is what they conclude he is, never fall on their own swords?

 

[louie]

because they have no one to answer too.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Follow up question:

How many outstanding backline players have gone on to be outstanding coaches?

And how many have been duds?

 

[DPK]

Follow up question:

How many outstanding backline players have gone on to be outstanding coaches?

And how many have been duds?

That's a bit of a broad question, Bruce. I play fullback and I coached a Under 15's soccer team to a premiership final.

Super level coaches? Deans was a pretty handy coach. What did Bob Dwyer play?

 

[louie]

how many are handed a head coaching role six weeks after they've finished playing?

 

[lincoln]

Follow up question:

How many outstanding backline players have gone on to be outstanding coaches?

And how many have been duds?

Sir Clive Woodward and Robbie Deans come to mind Bruce. But I tend to agree - probably more duds than winners.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Sir Clive Woodward and Robbie Deans come to mind Bruce. But I tend to agree - probably more duds than winners.

Sir Clive - 23 caps for England and the British Lions. After retiring he coached at Henley, London Irish and was an assistant at Bath.

Robbie Deans - 5 caps then coached Canterbury NPC for one year then two years as manager, not coach, of the Crusaders before taking over as coach.

Bob Dwyer (mentioned above) was IIRR a lower grade back rower with Randwick.

 

[Bruce Ross]

What worries me is trying to think of any really gifted intuitive players who have been able to successfully impart knowledge to other players after they have retired.

 

[Elfster]

Or impart knowledge to players with players they used to be team mates with

 

[lincoln]

What worries me is trying to think of any really gifted intuitive players who have been able to successfully impart knowledge to other players after they have retired.

Gifted players are often very instinctive, and if limited IQ, have very little idea why this is so! Basically the rule rather than the exception in rugby league, whereas AFL abounds with many top players who become top coaches.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

What worries me is trying to think of any really gifted intuitive players who have been able to successfully impart knowledge to other players after they have retired.

It's a rare breed who have been able to do both, Bruce. In other sports I can think of guys like Leigh Matthews and Ron Barrassi who did it in Aussie Rules, but not many others. The flip side is guys like Greg Chappell in cricket, who was so good himself that he couldn't relate to guys who were trying their guts out and not succeeding.

Coaching is a completely different animal to playing and it's probably no surprise that many of the successful top level rugby coaches we've seen weren't superstar genii as players. Of our most successful bunch (MacQueen, Jones, Dwyer), none of them played top level footy.

 

[lincoln]

It's a rare breed who have been able to do both, Bruce. In other sports I can think of guys like Leigh Matthews and Ron Barrassi who did it in Aussie Rules, but not many others. The flip side is guys like Greg Chappell in cricket, who was so good himself that he couldn't relate to guys who were trying their guts out and not succeeding.

Coaching is a completely different animal to playing and it's probably no surprise that many of the successful top level rugby coaches we've seen weren't superstar genii as players. Of our most successful bunch (MacQueen, Jones, Dwyer), none of them played top level footy.

Every current AFL coach played first grade (games ranging from 50 to 255) - why is their game so different to union - is it a smarter game?

 

[Bruce Ross]

Every current AFL coach played first grade (games ranging from 50 to 255) - why is their game so different to union - is it a smarter game?

It's not a game I follow or even take much interest in, Lincoln, but my understanding has been that it is virtually impossible to get a gig as an AFL head coach unless you have been a recognised senior player. A lot of our coaches, by contrast, come through by serving an apprenticeship coaching basically amateur club rugby.

But not always:

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them".

 

[RugbyReg]

no its just a more insular game. A lot more jobs for the boys. Very Brumby like.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Every current AFL coach played first grade (games ranging from 50 to 255) - why is their game so different to union - is it a smarter game?

I see I have competition in the sarcasm stakes.

 

[spectator]

The League coaching landscape is an interesting one. Superstars of the game have not really been successful (think Fulton, Lewis, Pearce etc...) whereas solid to good players like Bennett and Sheehan have excelled.