Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I love the fact that the ARU still have "(c) 2016": wonder how long its been up?
Australian Rugby / RA
- Thread starter Dave Beat
- Start date
I love the fact that the ARU still have "(c) 2016": wonder how long its been up?
https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...s/news-story/123f8fed86fef01c63ae2bccc4843788
The ARU and Rod Kafer are having their coaching summit today and tomorrow.
I would think it is at Moore Park rather than St Leonards though. I think they have vacated St Leonards.
The ARU and Rod Kafer are having their coaching summit today and tomorrow.
I would think it is at Moore Park rather than St Leonards though. I think they have vacated St Leonards.
ForceFan
Peter Fenwicke (45)
I don't understand the Rod Kafer appointment as the man in charge of the elite coach development program. This just seems to be just another job for the boys within the ARU without looking for the best person for the job.
Kafer has never successfully coached at the elite level and was moved on from Saracens short of his 1st season of coaching at that level.
In an interview with RUPA in 2015 (only 2 years ago) Kafer's comments were:
“I always thought coaching was a pathway because I was always heavily involved in the coaching side of things. I thought it was something that would therefore be a natural career choice.
“What I found though was that it was actually the antithesis of all the things I particularly enjoyed about rugby.
“I no longer had the things that I was passionate about in rugby, which I am very passionate about, so coaching didn’t fulfil that for me at the time,” Kafe said.
http://www.rupa.com.au/rupa-news/story/wherearetheynow---rod-kafer-part-1
The best wrap comes from aru.com.au after his appointment:
"Since returning to Australia in 2005 he has been an integral member of the Fox Sports Rugby commentary team covering Test matches, Super Rugby and Sevens tournaments as well as providing expert analysis on Fox Sports’ weekly Rugby magazine shows."
The same article comments that Kafer is "generally considered to be one of the foremost thinkers in the game.."
Generally considered by whom????
I can't imagine that anybody with real elite coaching experience would have a lot of time for Kafer and his untested ideas.
How easy it is to be full of smart ideas when they've never been tested in the real world.
I'm getting very tired of the entire FoxSports/ARU sycophantic connection where nobody commentates - just supports the ARU position on almost any subject.
The Wallabies get talked up even when their performance has been abysmal.
What do Drew Mitchell and Stephen Hoiles really have to offer as elite sports commentators?
Ben Whitaker was appointed the ARU's GM High Performance in 2013. What has he achieved in the past 4 years? All that we have seen is a steady decline in Wallaby performance since that time.
Just too many jobs for the boys and too many Yes Men who won't rock the boat..
Rugby in Australia will never move forward until we move away from the vested interests/old boys club and get the best people into key positions at all levels of the game.
Kafer has never successfully coached at the elite level and was moved on from Saracens short of his 1st season of coaching at that level.
In an interview with RUPA in 2015 (only 2 years ago) Kafer's comments were:
“I always thought coaching was a pathway because I was always heavily involved in the coaching side of things. I thought it was something that would therefore be a natural career choice.
“What I found though was that it was actually the antithesis of all the things I particularly enjoyed about rugby.
“I no longer had the things that I was passionate about in rugby, which I am very passionate about, so coaching didn’t fulfil that for me at the time,” Kafe said.
http://www.rupa.com.au/rupa-news/story/wherearetheynow---rod-kafer-part-1
The best wrap comes from aru.com.au after his appointment:
"Since returning to Australia in 2005 he has been an integral member of the Fox Sports Rugby commentary team covering Test matches, Super Rugby and Sevens tournaments as well as providing expert analysis on Fox Sports’ weekly Rugby magazine shows."
The same article comments that Kafer is "generally considered to be one of the foremost thinkers in the game.."
Generally considered by whom????
I can't imagine that anybody with real elite coaching experience would have a lot of time for Kafer and his untested ideas.
How easy it is to be full of smart ideas when they've never been tested in the real world.
I'm getting very tired of the entire FoxSports/ARU sycophantic connection where nobody commentates - just supports the ARU position on almost any subject.
The Wallabies get talked up even when their performance has been abysmal.
What do Drew Mitchell and Stephen Hoiles really have to offer as elite sports commentators?
Ben Whitaker was appointed the ARU's GM High Performance in 2013. What has he achieved in the past 4 years? All that we have seen is a steady decline in Wallaby performance since that time.
Just too many jobs for the boys and too many Yes Men who won't rock the boat..
Rugby in Australia will never move forward until we move away from the vested interests/old boys club and get the best people into key positions at all levels of the game.
His job isn't to coach the coaches. It was to assemble a panel and bring together the professional coaches at all levels.
He is there as an organiser and facilitator, not as someone who is somehow going to tell all our coaches how to coach better.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
He is there as an organiser and facilitator, not as someone who is somehow going to tell all our coaches how to coach better.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Agreed BUT it is still fairly incestual.
OK. Let's recruit someone who isn't known by all the participants and make it their job to get everyone to buy-in and work together.
Most of the people working in Australian rugby are within the tent so to speak.
There are lots of roles where recruiting someone internationally would probably be good so they aren't too familiar with the situation, but the specific role Kafer was recruited for doesn't seem like one of those.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Yeah, i think it would typically be fine. They've painfully failed to deflect the 'boys club' accusations though, so now every appointment will be subjected to scrutiny. Because, you know, incompetence and stuff. If the ARU was doing well it wouldn't be an issue eh?
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
The real problem is that he has a clear conflict of interest between this role and his Fox Sports role, which has already resulted in some sly winks and nods when doing his onscreen analysis. He will lose the ear of the players if they perceive him to be publicly criticising and he loses the faith of the fans if he does not publicly criticise those players. As much light as can be brought to bear on oz rugby needs to be shone into some dark corners: it can't happen when the guru is compromised.
Professional sports is full of people with fingers in multiple pies. Rugby is in no way on its own here. In fact most areas of society are rife with conflicts of interest.
I think it is a pretty low problem in terms of conflicts of interest in the grand scheme of things.
I think it is a pretty low problem in terms of conflicts of interest in the grand scheme of things.
dru
David Wilson (68)
And yet, how is it, that others see it as absolutely fundamental to the nature of cronyism in the ARU?
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
So that makes it acceptable?
It’s of a higher order than those not directly involved may think.
The conflicts of interest in rugby start in the U7s and go all the way to the board.
There is just a chance that it’s part of the problem: it sure as sugar aint part of the solution - and I was under the delusion that kafer’s role was part of the solution.
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Maybe but I think Rod pretty astute rugby analyst and would be good in this role personally and I thought from reports of outcomes they got some bloody good outcomes to work in more collaborative fashion.
Kenny Powers
Ron Walden (29)
Sly winks and nods, really, ..... I would describe it more as a pathological hatred of the Waratahs! Unlike other sports rugby lacks media figures that really have a go and challenge those in charge and their strategies and actions. Cricket and rugby league have plenty who push back and challenge, its all part of getting a better outcome. The only media figure I know of that pushed back on the ARU is Alan Jones and that's it.
Boof1050
Bill Watson (15)
Unfortunately when you have a pathological narcissist in charge of the establishment well there won't be too many that will question for fear of being castigated and shunted out the back door.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Cricket has had its issues: Border was a selector and commentator. Steve Waugh's son is by objective accounts about the 5th best batsman for his age in Sydney but he gets a run ahead of the others by force of birth.
Gus Gould is in charge of the Panthers and yet comments on their games and, most recently, their players - he is the most obviously conflicted sports commentator I've ever seen. Jones only pushes back when it doesn't suit one of his other agendas: anyway, they managed to get him off their back by appointing him to coach the Baa Baas.
Zavos pushes back on the ARU but, unfortunately, he lacks authority most of the time because of his faux pas. Brendan Canon actually gives them the occasional uppercut and even Kearns - but Kearns role is not that of the straight man.
Cronyism and conflicts of interest are prevalent in just about every aspect of life. It is certainly present in all sports, heavily evident in politics and just about anywhere you care to look.
I am not saying it is not an issue because it is, but it is also something that I don't think you can reasonably expect rugby to avoid.
We are a small sport and involvement at pretty much all levels is fairly insular and full of circumstances where you could say there is a conflict of interest.
I don't really see what the alternative is. The people wanting to be involved in rugby in this country and every country have been involved in the game for much of their lives and have potential conflicts of interest in many areas.
Let's look at the Rod Kafer appointment for example. His job is not to instruct the coaches on how to coach better but to create a panel of experts and convince coaches from around the country to come together and collaborate for the greater good. Is that role better filled by a fully independent person who has no personal persona in Australian rugby to rely on to convince people but can only do it as a spokesperson of the ARU?
There is no easy answer and I don't think its a black and white issue. Most of the most qualified people in Australian rugby have some potential conflicts of interest. Given how these exact issues are evident in just about every aspect of life I don't really see how rugby is going to solve these issues or avoid them. I don't think they would achieve a better result by ensuring they avoid them altogether because it would rule out many valuable people at all levels.
Derpus
Nathan Sharpe (72)
As you point out BR, his role is not a coaching one. I doubt you need rugby qualifications to set up a conference or panel and facilitate discussion.
You could quite easily argue that a third party with very little investment in the game is going to be more conciliatory than a well known figure.
It's a bit of a non-issue though, as it doesn't seem like a particularly significant role. It just highlights the branding problem the ARU has at the moment, given how willing people are to jump on this.
You could quite easily argue that a third party with very little investment in the game is going to be more conciliatory than a well known figure.
It's a bit of a non-issue though, as it doesn't seem like a particularly significant role. It just highlights the branding problem the ARU has at the moment, given how willing people are to jump on this.
T
TOCC
Guest
It’s incredible that they need to hire someone external to make this happen then..
No, he's there to use his knowledge of rugby and the people involved to select the panel and get them to agree to participate. He's also there to help facilitate buy-in from the coaches around the country.
If it was entirely obvious who the put on the panel and that the ARU's reputation was such that every coach around the country was entirely keen to buy into the process on the bidding of the ARU then they probably wouldn't need him.
Kafer's reputation and knowledge is pretty important here.
If it was entirely obvious who the put on the panel and that the ARU's reputation was such that every coach around the country was entirely keen to buy into the process on the bidding of the ARU then they probably wouldn't need him.
Kafer's reputation and knowledge is pretty important here.