ARU wants to select who coaches

[fatprop]

Interesting proposition

Australian Rugby Union wants to select who coaches Super Rugby fanchise teams

• Jamie Pandaram
• The Daily Telegraph
• September 03, 2012 9:16AM

The ARU wants to control who coaches Australia's Super Rugby teams. Source: Getty Images
THE Australian Rugby Union wants full control of coaching appointments for its Super Rugby franchises under a model used by New Zealand.
Having borne the brunt of criticism for the poor performance of the Wallabies and the Super Rugby franchises this year, the ARU is trying to emulate the NZRU's overarching system that places greatest weight on the national team's interests.
The radical move would be one of the biggest shake-ups in Australian rugby history and will be resisted by franchises who want the power to operate as separate entities.
However ARU high-performance manager David Nucifora said it was time for alignment.
Nucifora, responding to comments from former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer about a lack of coaching talent in Australia, said there was talent but many good coaches were not being given opportunities at the higher levels.


"We get rocks thrown at us, but the ARU doesn't have the power to appoint Super Rugby coaches, unlike New Zealand Rugby Union, who have a say in all of those coaching positions," Nucifora told The Courier-Mail.
"If we're going to cop the blame then we should be given the responsibility.
"If we could get that alignment from the top to the bottom, with regards to coaching pathways that aligns Premier (club) Rugby, Super Rugby through to the national level, then we do get good pathways for development.
"If we're allowed to work closely around coaching development and selection, something similar to the New Zealand model, I think that would be advantageous to us."
Before this interview with Nucifora, Dwyer had told The Courier-Mail: "I believe the biggest problem in Australian rugby is that our coach education programs are fundamentally flawed. Within those programs they teach things that are contrary to best performance in the playing of the game.
"I am really concerned that we can't aspire to the highest levels because fundamentals are missing. Catch-and-pass skills are missing."
Another former Wallabies coach, Alan Jones, said the ARU had its head in the sand.
"They know everything, you can't teach them anything," Jones said.
"These people don't know what they're trying to achieve."
Nucifora replied: "We have good coaches. What needs to be understood is that the ARU doesn't employ the majority of coaches in the country."

 

[TOCC]

ahhh...

Now i agree with the merit of the system in the form of how its employed in New Zealand.... But the NZRU are actually competent in this regard, the ARU are not.. I would hate for the ARU(in its current form) to be in charge of appointing provincial coaches...

You can bet that Nucifora would be placed in charge of appointing the coaches, which scares me considering how incompetent he actually is.

 

[Richo]

Well, the ARU renewed Robbie's contract before the RWC, produces white-wash reviews, and has David Nucifora as its high-performance manager. So yeah, not sure they're the most competent people around.

Contrast that with the Reds and Brumbies, both of which undertook significant reform off their own bat and which included hiring top coaches. Or the Rebels, who appear to be quite well-administered and coached.

The ARU should, I think, be more involved in terms of skill development, player position and S&C priorities. But until they get their own house in order, they should stay away from telling anyone else who should be coaching their team.

 

[fatprop]

ahhh.

Now i agree with the merit of the system in the form of how its employed in New Zealand.. But the NZRU are actually competent in this regard, the ARU are not.. I would hate for the ARU(in its current form) to be in charge of appointing provincial coaches.

You can bet that Nucifora would be placed in charge of appointing the coaches, which scare me considering how incompetent he actually is.

I don't rate Nucifora as a coach, but I don't know if that correlates as whether or not he is a good administrator or a great judge of coaches, but a central support structure seems sensible.

 

[Dam0]

It makes sense, especially if the national coaches have a say in the training and techniques that these appointed coaches use. If all the players are used to playing with a similar style in their franchises this will translate into a consistent style once they get to the national side.

There are merits in a centrally controlled system, particularly where resources are limited.

 

[daz]

The radical move would be one of the biggest shake-ups in Australian rugby history and will be resisted by franchises who want the power to operate as separate entities.

I don't know if this is true or not, but we could reasonably expect the provinces to push back on this plan. However, there needs to be a bit of care around the perception of hypocrisy.

For example, where do the provinces go for a handout when they mis-manage their business? Could it be the ARU?

Yet I will bet a penny to a pound that they will scream blue murder if the ARU tries to add some controls and approve key positions.

 

[Braveheart81]

Well, the ARU renewed Robbie's contract before the RWC, produces white-wash reviews, and has David Nucifora as its high-performance manager. So yeah, not sure they're the most competent people around.

Agreed. Until the ARU can be a leading light in terms of organisation and governance, they shouldn't stick their nose into the running of each province.

 

[blues recovery]

Ive got a really good idea. Lets put the bloke who put himself into the wallaby coaching box at the last World Cup. Then undertook the review on his own performance. Then put the current highly succesful wallaby coaching structure in place for 2013. The mastermind of the incredibly succesful national academy of this year , who then coaches his own academy kids into the worst Australian 20s performance in memory, as the cheif appointer of super 15 coaching staff. Amongst a raft of problems for the game , Nucifora is at the top of the list.

 

[fatprop]

A cynic could think a role such as overseeing the whole Aus coaching structure could be a "nice way" of pushing Robbie out of the Wobs role.

 

[Scotty]

Communism only works when the bloke in charge is very good and does the right thing by everyone. If he doesn't then people start doing dodgy things to get ahead, and the whole system goes to shit.

Ultimately the competition involved in a structure that supports it (capitalism) works better in the long term, provided there are safety nets involved.

 

[Crow]

A cynic could think a role such as overseeing the whole Aus coaching structure could be a "nice way" of pushing Robbie out of the Wobs role.

Cynic? I prefer the term "optimist".

 

[Hugh Jarse]

There should be a good working relationship between S15 Franchises and ARU/Wallabies.

While the ARU should be the agency setting the standards, policies, procedures and framework for Rugby, at the moment the ARU is not in a particularly strong position to dictate compliance with such to the S15 Franchisees. Until ARU sets its own house in order they really shouldn't even attempt to interfere with Franchisees.

Ultimately ARU should be setting the overall framework and intent for Rugby, including the recipe for producing rugby athletes and support staff. HOW the suppliers of those athletes achieve that intent should be up to them, but eseentially the more they can satisfy the ARU/Wallabies, the more value their own brand has. Both parties (ARU and S15 Franchisee) can meet their slightly divergent objectives if they work closely together in a symbiotic relationship.

 

[Badger]

Could this be an attempt to soften us up before they foist Deans onto the Tahs?

 

[Train Without a Station]

I think people are getting carried away here. Basically it sounds like the ARU are trying to ensure the best appointments are made at super rugby level, to ensure spastics aren't appointed when there are better coaching candidates out there. Some people are making out like the ARU are trying to drag down the provinces with them.

Sounds like a measure to ensure there is no recurrance of scenarios like for a hypothetical example, a failed rookie head coach of a Sydney based Super franchise, being then appointed as a rookie director of rugby of a Perth based Super franchise.

Possibly also to stop other undesirable events such as a coach of a Perth based super franchise, being appointed as a coach for the next year of a Brisbane based super franchise, during the middle of the season causing a great deal of unrest to a franchise already teetering in the brink of relevance, leading to high profile player departures during the uncertainty.

I think in a position overseeing and managing this (Considering they outlay a significant portion of player salaries to the franchises without expecting any input on how they spend it beyond the guidelines to encourage home grown talent it only seems fair), they would be trying to ensure that these appointments are a little more seamless and conducted with the right timing (Bris/Perth "hypothetical" example), or prevent unqualified appointments (Sydney/Perth "hypothetical" example. Considering some of the coaching appointments over the years, I cannot consider another review of appointments to be a bad thing at all. Especially in the name of ensure every franchise is on the same page with the ARU.

 

[Bay35Pablo]

Nucifora just keeps on hanging on. You can't kill him. He's like a vampire.

Here's a couple of thoughts:

1. Who pays for the coaches - ARU or state team (leaving aside all the money comes via the ARU from Foxtel andway)? What's the bet the ARU want decision making which the states then pay for?
2. The Rebels are a "private" team, or at least more private than all the others. How's Howard Micthell going to like the ARU telling him which muppet he has to hire on his coin?

As many have said, the ARU aren't doing such a great job they should be able to dictate this thing yet, despite it apparently working for NZ (who have this great school for coaches called the ITM Cup ...).

The only real problems are NSW, who couldn't organise a beer in a brewery and won't anytime soon so their problems are more fundamental than picking their coach, and the Force, whose main problem seems to be getting players willing to move across the Nullabor - can't coach without cattle.

 

[Ghibli]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...y-fanchise-teams/story-fn8ti7yn-1226463542696

The interview goes on....

"Nucifora, responding to comments from former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer about a lack of coaching talent in Australia, said there was talent but many good coaches were not being given opportunities at the higher levels."

The ARU choosing coaches for S15 franchises...............

 

[Dam0]

Communism only works when the bloke in charge is very good and does the right thing by everyone. If he doesn't then people start doing dodgy things to get ahead, and the whole system goes to shit.

Ultimately the competition involved in a structure that supports it (capitalism) works better in the long term, provided there are safety nets involved.

That may well be true in business and in the economy in general, but I don't think it is ultimately true for a sport like rugby that has at its core a country v country competition. Someone or something needs to have a mind to the overview to ensure that the interests of the country are kept in mind whilst making day to day decisions.

 

[Rugrat]

It makes sense, especially if the national coaches have a say in the training and techniques that these appointed coaches use. If all the players are used to playing with a similar style in their franchises this will translate into a consistent style once they get to the national side.

There are merits in a centrally controlled system, particularly where resources are limited.

Yeah I wish all the franchisors played like the Wallabies under Robbie. NOT!

 

[TOCC]

See I just don't have enough faith in the ARU to put aside their boys club mentality and pick the best person for the job...

Would the ARU have appointed Jake White to the Brumbies?

Also re-signing Deans prior to the RWC litmus test was a terrible move, and I thought that at the time dispute been a RD supporter..

 

[It is what it is]

Australian Rugby Union wants to select who coaches Super Rugby fanchise teams

• Jamie Pandaram
• The Daily Telegraph
• September 03, 2012 9:16AM

.....snip
However ARU high-performance manager David Nucifora said it was time for alignment.
Nucifora, responding to comments from former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer about a lack of coaching talent in Australia, said there was talent but many good coaches were not being given opportunities at the higher levels.


snip........

Maybe both Dwyer and Nucifora are right as it depends on your definition of 'talent'.
'Talent' the noun is defined on my Mac's dictionary as natural aptitude or skill.
It also gives this example;
informal people regarded as sexually attractive or as prospective sexual partners: most Saturday nights I have the urge to go on the hunt for talent.
SO, Bob is saying there is a lack of coaching talent in Australia, while perhaps David is saying there's talent out there on a Saturday night but because of curfews, his coaches aren't being given opportunities to find them upstairs at nightclubs (at the highest levels).