Australian Rugby / RA

[RedsHappy]

Poor development pathways are a major issue and it's not only players, it's the coaches who aren't being developed.

Of the 5 professional coaches in the Australian system we currently have 4 who learnt their trade overseas; Penney (NZ), Rennie (NZ), Thorn (NZ) and Dave Wessels (SA). That's 80% to 20%.

If we add the Force's Tim Sampson it's 2 out of 6 who've come through Australia or 33% to 66%.

We're simply not producing either players or coaches of sufficient quality in sufficient quantity to be at the very top of international rugby.

Even when we look at some of our better players in recent times we have players who can't pass both ways, can't defend in the line in their playing position and can't kick when they are playing in positions where this has always been considered a core skill. All of these guys have been in the Aust pro development system since their teens.

100% and if anything it's the paucity of the coaching development pathways that is the even bigger problem. The jury is well and truly in - rugby is a code whose playing standards and player skill development are deeply reliant on competent coaching both technical and in terms of holistic team development and preparedness.

In fact, IMO it can be argued that in Australian rugby, even today, we have an effective surplus of talented rugby players in relation to the calibre and experience of the coaches required to further guide and develop them. This fact has led to major problems of our global team competitiveness and squad depths. This issue may in fact be our biggest single 'hidden from plain sight' core code-wide problem.

 

[RedsHappy]

Hasn't the news taken a far more positive tone in the last month or so?!?

We're discussing future comps, World Cups, actual rugby, and other general positive plans for the future.

No longer do we have journos digging through the books from years past, airing the views of disgruntled stakeholders, and making scary prognostications about the future of the game.

The Newscorp/RUPA/old guard campaign to get Raelene is an easy explanation for why this has occurred, but surely it's not that simple.

There is no element at all via which Raelene 'got herself'?

 

[RedsHappy]

Interesting interview by Nick McArdle on Rob Clarke. Definitely worth the listen.

https://play.acast.com/s/the-playmakers-playbook/robclarke

Thanks John S. I did listen to it. Clarke emanates a genuineness and sincerity that resonates. An honest bloke loving the game and working hard for it.

However, it has to win the prize for the softest, gentlest, "let's leave all the hard questions for later" type of CEO interview. The vibe and Q&A is almost that Aust rugby currently has a few minor-ish problems that good will, good communication and "pulling the rugby community together" will soon overcome.

 

[hoggy]

Thanks John S. I did listen to it. Clarke emanates a genuineness and sincerity that resonates. An honest bloke loving the game and working hard for it.

However, it has to win the prize for the softest, gentlest, "let's leave all the hard questions for later" type of CEO interview. The vibe and Q&A is almost that Aust rugby currently has a few minor-ish problems that good will, good communication and "pulling the rugby community together" will soon overcome.

listened the podcast, and my thoughts exactly.

 

[John S]

Thanks John S. I did listen to it. Clarke emanates a genuineness and sincerity that resonates. An honest bloke loving the game and working hard for it.

However, it has to win the prize for the softest, gentlest, "let's leave all the hard questions for later" type of CEO interview. The vibe and Q&A is almost that Aust rugby currently has a few minor-ish problems that good will, good communication and "pulling the rugby community together" will soon overcome.

Yeah, I got that impression too. I don't think I've ever heard Nick McArdle do a really tough interview though.

 

[Quick Hands]

Yeah, I got that impression too. I don't think I've ever heard Nick McArdle do a really tough interview though.

Nor have I and yet for years he has been the rugby presenter on Foxtel where he has presented an overwhelmingly positive spin on everything to do with Australian rugby. And yet some here want to present News and Foxtel as being the architects of a grand scheme to destroy rugby in Australia.

 

[Derpus]

Nor have I and yet for years he has been the rugby presenter on Foxtel where he has presented an overwhelmingly positive spin on everything to do with Australian rugby. And yet some here want to present News and Foxtel as being the architects of a grand scheme to destroy rugby in Australia.

stop being obtuse. They obviously dragged rugby through the mud to drive down bidding prices and provide disincentives for competitors to bid.

 

[Quick Hands]

stop being obtuse. They obviously dragged rugby through the mud to drive down bidding prices and provides disincentives for competitors to bid.

Stop dealing in falsehoods

 

[Derpus]

Stop dealing in falsehoods

 

[Slim 293]

Nor have I and yet for years he has been the rugby presenter on Foxtel where he has presented an overwhelmingly positive spin on everything to do with Australian rugby. And yet some here want to present News and Foxtel as being the architects of a grand scheme to destroy rugby in Australia.

Major conflation, coupled with a straw man.........

 

[Quick Hands]

 

[Derpus]

Well youve basically said 'no youre lying'. Without saying how or why. Seems appropriate.

 

[cyclopath]

This thread needs more Quade Cooper.

 

[wamberal]

This thread needs more Quade Cooper.

I'd settle for more fact and less friction.

 

[Slim 293]

This thread needs more Quade Cooper.

How about some......... Israel Folau?

 

[drewprint]

Nor have I and yet for years he has been the rugby presenter on Foxtel where he has presented an overwhelmingly positive spin on everything to do with Australian rugby. And yet some here want to present News and Foxtel as being the architects of a grand scheme to destroy rugby in Australia.

I don’t know about destroy but I don’t really know how a concerted agenda of destabilisation can be denied. During the Castle coup, the previously unknown and invisible (to me and many others at least) ‘chief sports writer’ Jessica Halloran seemingly emerged out of nowhere with coup-compliant hit piece after hit piece, supported with backgrounding from some key figures. A frenzy of News retweets from Pandaram et al always swiftly followed. The coup crushed, and some semblance of stability set in place (McLellan, Clarke etc), and Halloran has returned to the state she was in a few months ago - utterly absent and invisible. If no agenda was in place surely she’d still be continuing in her newfound rugby beat and reporting revised comp/2020 broadcast deal/global calendar/Super Rugby NZ news? But no. She flamed out when the coup did.

 

[KOB1987]

This one seems to have slipped through to the keeper, it’s Cheika and Byrne putting the boot into MOC’s comments, it’s a fair bit juicier than the one posted from the Oz earlier today:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...ka-fire-back-at-o-connor-20200617-p553n4.html

 

[Rugbynutter39]

This one seems to have slipped through to the keeper, it’s Cheika and Byrne putting the boot into MOC’s comments, it’s a fair bit juicier than the one posted from the Oz earlier today:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...ka-fire-back-at-o-connor-20200617-p553n4.html

I am glad o’connor no longer a selector as my thinking is this sort of stuff should stay behind closed doors.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Sounds like Dan McKellar could join up with the Wallabies coaching team in October.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...in-win-win-for-wallabies-20200618-p553yt.html

 

[Kenny Powers]

Nor have I and yet for years he has been the rugby presenter on Foxtel where he has presented an overwhelmingly positive spin on everything to do with Australian rugby. And yet some here want to present News and Foxtel as being the architects of a grand scheme to destroy rugby in Australia.

If we had tough journalists that held rugby administrators to account we would have a far better game in Australia. Look at the missing money from the Brumbies a few years back. Forensic Accountants report not release, Australian Federal Police report not released, ACT Sports Commission covered it up and not a word from the media especially elements of Foxtel.