Australian Rugby / RA

[WorkingClassRugger]

If you believe 5 year projections done before the first year of something can ever be relied on then I've got a bridge to sell you.

I wonder what the year 5 projections of Super 18 looked like? Presumably year 5 (2020) was going so well that they'd have recently announced that SANZAAR's TV deal for 2021 onwards had topped US$1 billion.

I'm not suggesting they would have matched those projections over a number of seasons. Just that they had them and the first season came in a little under their first year projected losses.

 

[RugbyFuture]

Assume it was a political thing, like it was created by not JON and therefore they dumped it? Not a statement, a conspiracy.

 

[KOB1987]

Anyone else notice that the league media has been unusually quiet since young Joseph Sua'ali'i didn’t sign on the dotted line on Saturday as was hyped? It did get a passing mention this morning that both codes were giving him some breathing space to consider his options, which is 100% the right thing to do. The point being that all hope from RA is seemingly not lost.

 

[KOB1987]

Phil Kearns has been appointed Executive Director of the 2027 RWC bid. It rules him out of the contest for the CEO, and may take him out of commentating from next year too.

 

[TSR]

Sorry - but my natural first reaction to that is ‘Jobs for the Boys’ rolls on.

 

[barbarian]

I don't like the guy, but by all accounts his business pedigree is good. Getting him inside the tent may well help our bid AND stop the incessant whinging to the News Corp press.

These World Rugby bids are still held in a very old school way - junkets for delegates, greasing palms in corporate boxes etc. An old private school schmoozer like Kearns might be perfect for the job.

 

[Derpus]

I don't like the guy, but by all accounts his business pedigree is good. Getting him inside the tent may well help our bid AND stop the incessant whinging to the News Corp press.

These World Rugby bids are still held in a very old school way - junkets for delegates, greasing palms in corporate boxes etc. An old private school schmoozer like Kearns might be perfect for the job.

I only liked this because you were on 9,999 likes.

Kearns is a chump.

 

[KOB1987]

I don't like the guy, but by all accounts his business pedigree is good. Getting him inside the tent may well help our bid AND stop the incessant whinging to the News Corp press.

These World Rugby bids are still held in a very old school way - junkets for delegates, greasing palms in corporate boxes etc. An old private school schmoozer like Kearns might be perfect for the job.

I think you are right, and it seems a bit like a consolation prize. I think McLennan knows that the reaction to him even being shortlisted for the CEO role would be pretty terrible, it takes him out of the picture completely and is sort of saying ‘if you want to run a sports administration business then it would be a good idea to get some sports administration experience first’. He’s got a pretty solid bunch working with him on this bid, and as you say it’s a classic suede elbow patch brigade role. I’ve met Phil and he comes across a lot better in real life than he does commentating the footy. He wasn’t arrogant at all and seemed pretty switched on, I like the appointment.

 

[Wilson]

Phil Kearns has been appointed Executive Director of the 2027 RWC bid ... may take him out of commentating from next year too.

He doesn't seem to think it will, but we can always hope:

Kearns believes his new role should not disqualify him from continuing as a Fox Sports rugby commentator, a role he has filled for 20 years.
“It might cut into that role a little bit or I might come to a point where I might have to stop completely but it has been a role I have really enjoyed.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sp...d/news-story/5a7aa82cf9aae27df7564470ba57b5d3

I want to believe that it might help lay the ground work for him to bow out gracefully, but that's probably just wishful thinking at this stage.

 

[Ignoto]

but it has been a role I have really enjoyed.”

Ah yes Kearnsy, the enthusiam and joy you have for this commentary role just exudes itself every time you open your mouth.

 

[dru]

I’ve met Phil and he comes across a lot better in real life than he does commentating the footy. He wasn’t arrogant at all and seemed pretty switched on, I like the appointment.

This seems problematic to me. A bloke who is apparently not arrogant and pretty switched on "in person", who is also a professional presenter, should do better.

 

[Set piece magic]

Killer political move by Hamish Mclennan. It's up there with making barnaby Joyce the special envoy for drought. Give them something to do, get them out of the day to day commentary picture and get clean air. Hell, make him head of the special taskforce for finding MH 370 as well, on secondment on the Indian Ocean or something. Keep looking mate it's down there somewhere.

The world cup bid is all but definitely coming here already, already has people with business bona fides working on it, and is well in motion. This is a figurehead appointment for kearns to have a few beers with some good old boys and be less critical of the administration

 

[KOB1987]

This seems problematic to me. A bloke who is apparently not arrogant and pretty switched on "in person", who is also a professional presenter, should do better.

I get your point but I wonder how much actual media training he’s had. If you were sitting at a pub in Sydney watching the Tahs game with him and he was canning the ref it wouldn’t be an issue and the punters would probably go along with him. It’s that he’s meant to be a neutral sports presenter that is the issue.

 

[I like to watch]

^^^^And I’d probably laugh at 1/2 his jokes the first time I heard them.
but I’d be moving tables at the pub after the first few games
what he moans about is mindless,predictable and horrendously repetitive.
And usually wrong.

 

[Braveheart81]

The world cup bid is all but definitely coming here already, already has people with business bona fides working on it, and is well in motion. This is a figurehead appointment for kearns to have a few beers with some good old boys and be less critical of the administration

Really? I'd just started planning my Russia 2027 trip.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

It isn't his job to be impartial. It is Greg Clarks. Kearns captained the Wallabies and Waratahs FFS. How would he be impartial?

Some time back I enjoyed his commentary calling out the referees for bad calls etc but in more recent times he has doubled down on what originally made him popular and it has become too much. He also hasn't evolved/adjusted his approach to what listeners/viewers are wanting/expecting these days but expecting him to be impartial is ridiculous.

 

[dru]

I get your point but I wonder how much actual media training he’s had. If you were sitting at a pub in Sydney watching the Tahs game with him and he was canning the ref it wouldn’t be an issue and the punters would probably go along with him. It’s that he’s meant to be a neutral sports presenter that is the issue.

I dont actually have a problem with bias, don't have an issue if he is biassed to Waratahs and Wallabies. It is the public persona + what seems to be lack of knowledge I have an issue with. If that is not the way he actually is, then there is surely a problem with his professionalism. Surely?

 

[dru]

I dont actually have a problem with bias, don't have an issue if he is biassed to Waratahs and Wallabies. It is the public persona + what seems to be lack of knowledge I have an issue with. If that is not the way he actually is, then there is surely a problem with his professionalism. Surely?

EDIT: Jimmy beat me to my first statement +1 JC.

 

[KOB1987]

I dont actually have a problem with bias, don't have an issue if he is biassed to Waratahs and Wallabies. It is the public persona + what seems to be lack of knowledge I have an issue with. If that is not the way he actually is, then there is surely a problem with his professionalism. Surely?

Yes and no. I just think he isn’t someone who’s cut out to be in the media. He should give the media gig a miss, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have other attributes. He’s not trained to commentate on footy games, not to a paying audience at least. He’s a people manager.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I think you are right, and it seems a bit like a consolation prize. I think McLennan knows that the reaction to him even being shortlisted for the CEO role would be pretty terrible, it takes him out of the picture completely and is sort of saying ‘if you want to run a sports administration business then it would be a good idea to get some sports administration experience first’. He’s got a pretty solid bunch working with him on this bid, and as you say it’s a classic suede elbow patch brigade role. I’ve met Phil and he comes across a lot better in real life than he does commentating the footy. He wasn’t arrogant at all and seemed pretty switched on, I like the appointment.

I think Kearns for this role a good appointment. Let him cut his teeth and prove successful in this role then we can consider whether Ben is CEO material.