Australian Rugby / RA

[RugbyReg]

As expected following the ACT & QLD lead coup, push for centralisation in Australian Rugby is once again dead…

“We are certainly moving away from the word centralisation into integration and performance alignment,” Phil Waugh said.

Super clubs facing $1.7m wage gap, says Melbourne Rebels chief — The Australian

After reports the Rebels could be axed, Melbourne chief Baden Stephenson reveals the brutal financial situation ‘all’ Super Rugby clubs are in.

apple.news

nah. That’s not the interpretation. Centralisation was just the wrong word from the start. Even the high performance model was never about RA taking control of it all. It was fully about integration. Better collaboration. Alignment.

Waugh and Herbert just better at getting the wording right that Hamish was.

 

[Sully]

Take it up with Sully, and the other Queenslanders who hold this opinion…

I'm struggling to see what the gotcha was?

 

[Pfitzy]

Waugh and Herbert just better at getting the wording right that Hamish was.

Amazing what can happen when you care about other people understanding your point of view, eh?

 

[Dan54]

Amazing what can happen when you care about other people understanding your point of view, eh?

Personally as rugby man from outside Australia, I am impressed with Waugh/Herbet combo at this stage. Seems both are making it about knowing their jobs and not getting in each other's way, seems to allow for clarity and some thought going into statements.

I will add I get impression that RA is on right track for the game.

 

[dru]

I'm happy with the clarification replacing "centralisation" with "integration and performance alignment". I'm generally happy with Waugh through this, surprisingly so.

However, suggestions from "august" publications like SMH leave me perturbed. Shrink to greatness 3.0 has been appearing and is entirely unwelcome. As well as Waugh is going, he just does not get time to settle-in here. Judgement is reserved.

What I can say, Waugh has my genuine best wishes. I don't think he has personally mis-stepped, without quick and calm correction anyway. Tough gig and so far I'm pleased he has taken it on.

Judgement is reserved all the same.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Personally as rugby man from outside Australia, I am impressed with Waugh/Herbet combo at this stage. Seems both are making it about knowing their jobs and not getting in each other's way, seems to allow for clarity and some thought going into statements.

I will add I get impression that RA is on right track for the game.

Agree.

Thought Waugh copped a lot in here when initially announced as CEO without any actions in the bank yet to be judged.

Yes, a lot stemmed from his lack of senior management experience and the fact his personal history fit the mould we have grown to hate, which is true but since starting I’ve got to say he’s been sounding like what we need.

One thing I think was a good sign early was when he was at the Wallaroos games. Something that has felt ignored over the last few years.

Could all turn to shit and tbh it’s what I expect at this point. But, they seem to be having a go in the right way so far and not living in a fantasy.

 

[stillmissit]

I am pleased with the speed of employing Horne and bringing in Nucifora as a consultant. The suggestion that Nucifora might be influential in getting Schmidt as a coach could give us a group who could clean up the shit Jones and McKellan have left behind them.

If Waugh can get us out of the financial $$$ burning tyre that Sua'ali'i is bringing, then we might be on the right path.

 

[rodha]

Rugby Australia’s pursuit of Joe Schmidt likely to lean heavily on David Nucifora

Nucifora will return home to act in an advisory role with RA after his IRFU contract ends

www.irishtimes.com

Yep, it appears almost certain Schmidt is getting the job now.

 

[rodha]

Schmidt and Nuicifora, this was always the dream team to clean up Eddie's festering mess, I'm looking forward to hearing how butthurt Justin Harrison is over Nuicifora returning to the country, still a bitter little man over being dropped by him at the Brumbies... those Brumbies old boys are going to be frothing about this.

 

[Steve_Grey]

I'm happy with the clarification replacing "centralisation" with "integration and performance alignment". I'm generally happy with Waugh through this, surprisingly so.

However, suggestions from "august" publications like SMH leave me perturbed. Shrink to greatness 3.0 has been appearing and is entirely unwelcome. As well as Waugh is going, he just does not get time to settle-in here. Judgement is reserved.

What I can say, Waugh has my genuine best wishes. I don't think he has personally mis-stepped, without quick and calm correction anyway. Tough gig and so far I'm pleased he has taken it on.

Judgement is reserved all the same.

'I'm happy with the clarification replacing "centralisation" with "integration and performance alignment".'

Hopefully Horne and Nucifora will shake up the regional pathways system, cut out the cronyism, and allow the genuine cream to rise to the top – not just U20s etc., but some excellent talent that already exists in Shute Shield etc. that is never realised. I say Shute Shield as only experienced watching club rugby in NSW, but am sure similar exists outside of NSW - needs a National Performance review and integration/alignment .

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Feels as if they found out what Schmidt would need to take the role and RA have gone and made the bed for him.

Fingers crossed. He’s as good as you could find on the market.

 

[wamberal99]

Feels as if they found out what Schmidt would need to take the role and RA have gone and made the bed for him.

Fingers crossed. He’s as good as you could find on the market.

A have a friend who is Irish, and she is a mad fan of our game. She told me that Schmidt had gone to Ireland to work as a schoolteacher, and did a bit of coaching on the side. Worked his way up coaching the ladder the hard way.

There's a lot to like about him, compared to a coach who has spent his whole career in New Zealand, or Australia.

 

[stillmissit]

I think we need good talented men and not self promoters or noise makers. There is a lot of work to do and we don't need someone who's onto the media every second day building their own BS.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

A have a friend who is Irish, and she is a mad fan of our game. She told me that Schmidt had gone to Ireland to work as a schoolteacher, and did a bit of coaching on the side. Worked his way up coaching the ladder the hard way.

There's a lot to like about him, compared to a coach who has spent his whole career in New Zealand, or Australia.

Your friend is mistaken: JS left teaching ~2003 to coach BOP in NPC (having coached NZ Schools while still teaching). From there he went to Blues as AC then Clermont as AC & Leinster as HC.

 

[wamberal99]

Your friend is mistaken: JS left teaching ~2003 to coach BOP in NPC (having coached NZ Schools while still teaching). From there he went to Blues as AC then Clermont as AC & Leinster as HC.

I'll tell her the next time I see her. Thanks.

 

[Pfitzy]

Thought Waugh copped a lot in here when initially announced as CEO without any actions in the bank yet to be judged.

Very wary of a guy who promotes something like Shute Shield as the answer.

That said, there aren't many alternatives , and everything else he's done is moving the right way.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Personally as rugby man from outside Australia, I am impressed with Waugh/Herbet combo at this stage. Seems both are making it about knowing their jobs and not getting in each other's way, seems to allow for clarity and some thought going into statements.

I will add I get impression that RA is on right track for the game.

I have to agree and am warming to the new regime. Each bit of commentary and related decisions from Herbert and Waugh have seemed level headed and logical. If we can get the pathways to elite level sorted I think we’ll be fine long term.

 

[Dan54]

I have to agree and am warming to the new regime. Each bit of commentary and related decisions from Herbert and Waugh have seemed level headed and logical. If we can get the pathways to elite level sorted I think we’ll be fine long term.

I will add, I am sure everything they do won't be what everyone on internet wants, but it's about doing what is right for game in Aus in long run.
I really have impression it is more about rugby in Australia with these 2, and not about themselves , that perhaps has been the trouble with past chairman and coach? (just impression I get from over here). And on admin side of things I do think it will help at times having a CEO who has been involved in playing game at high level etc? Never underestimate the actual contacts Waugh (and Herbert ) will have amongst world rugby.

Not in anyway suggesting countries should just have ex players etc, but I think it helps when there are connections.

 

[dru]

I will add, I am sure everything they do won't be what everyone on internet wants, but it's about doing what is right for game in Aus in long run.
I really have impression it is more about rugby in Australia with these 2, and not about themselves , that perhaps has been the trouble with past chairman and coach? (just impression I get from over here). And on admin side of things I do think it will help at times having a CEO who has been involved in playing game at high level etc? Never underestimate the actual contacts Waugh (and Herbert ) will have amongst world rugby.

Not in anyway suggesting countries should just have ex players etc, but I think it helps when there are connections.

This just is not enough.

There are or aught be guard rails that have been hammered into position on the back of painful and expensive errors. As Pfitzy points out the SS as a model is not a good start. Not in itself a no-go but man, there would be some work to sort out those relationships and desires in the first instance. Other guardrails are shrink, and servile aping of NZRU "wisdom" of what is good for rugby in Australia. I would add an attitude of required greatness to the Wallabies (let alone Super rugby) as a priority over building the game itself.

The franchises have already smashed into place (brutal and blunt, and argued by some, regressive) certain guardrails around centralisation. Now we need to see how the rest fall in place. Or are hammered into position.

The powers that be have been sand-blasting off the rusted-on for so long, that even a small number of fans are crazily more important to the future than should be. No, those on the internet will not get everything they want, but god help Waugh if he pushes unilaterally to the displeasure of the fans. History may have created a shit sandwich but it is his. He gets little room for errors or pushing patience.

 

[ForceFan]

Without building from the grassroots, including coach development, any elite program is doomed.