Australian Rugby / RA

[The Honey Badger]

For those critical of Eales

Great article, They have new blood on the board already and change is being enacted,

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...ptains-over-ra-criticism-20200422-p54m91.html

 

[Slim 293]

Fitzsimons has also had his say.........

These are singularly good men, with only the best interests of Australian rugby at heart. I know and admire every man-jack of them. But if your starting point is what is in the best interests of Australian rugby, can I, gentlemen, refer you to the words of Sir John Kirwan a fortnight ago when the first flurry of criticism from famed Wallabies made it into the public domain. Tell ’em what you said, Sir John: "They should be working together. As ex-All Blacks, we very rarely go outside with our criticism before we’ve said it inside ... Some of these famous ex-Wallabies maybe need to knock on [Raelene Castle’s] door or have a Zoom, and just say, ‘These are my concerns and these are my solutions’."

Bingo. I - and I might add the many Wallabies captains I talked to on Wednesday who refused to sign – concur with that sentiment.

The letter is seriously long on complaint and singularly short on solutions.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...-bashing-rugby-australia-20200422-p54map.html

 

[Rebels3]

Michael Lynagh has asked for his name to be removed from the letter, stating he wasn’t correctly informed on what was in the letter and also wasn’t told that it was going to be made public. He did say he agrees with some of the sentiment in the letter but doesn’t believe in the manner in which this is been conducted.

Wayne Smith saying NFJ and Kearns are the ring leaders. A few of the names have only been contacted via phone. So there is a chance it’s not even legit signatures and simply just names attached to a sheet after a phone call was made to certain people who have never seen the letter pre it been sent

 

[ForceFan]

The Rugby Wrap, Season 1 Episode 6 with Brett Papworth and Tim Sampson

April 22, 2020

Former Wallaby and Eastwood Club President, Brett Papworth, makes sense of a complicated situation while long time listener, first time caller - Western Force coach Tim Sampson - finds some positives in the current situation.

 

[Dan54]

Fitzsimons has also had his say...



https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...-bashing-rugby-australia-20200422-p54map.html

That is a very interesting and telling piece by Fitzy, I just wonder what the plans of these former captains is? They seem to claim they have answers to problems without giving any tat I can see. I was watching the programme where John Kirwan suggested that these men should be actually going to board and not the way they doing, and had the impression that he along with Jeff Wilson and Mils Muliana were pretty surprised that anyone though public attacks were best way to solve problems. I will be interested to see what their vision for the game is apart from immediately signing with Foxsport!

 

[The Nomad]

Michael Lynagh has asked for his name to be removed from the letter, stating he wasn’t correctly informed on what was in the letter and also wasn’t told that it was going to be made public. He did say he agrees with some of the sentiment in the letter but doesn’t believe in the manner in which this is been conducted.

Wayne Smith saying NFJ and Kearns are the ring leaders. A few of the names have only been contacted via phone. So there is a chance it’s not even legit signatures and simply just names attached to a sheet after a phone call was made to certain people who have never seen the letter pre it been sent

This article by Wayne Smith is the first piece I’ve read from a News Ltd publication questioning the motives of NFJ and Kearns. In fact is quite harsh on them.

Think Wayne is a G&GR fan , remember the “Hometown Ref” stories triggered from this forum ?

Mentions just as many captains who refused to sign and their reasons , most notably Slack , Ella and Eales who all have been on the News Ltd payroll at some stage.

It’s a well written and balanced article , somewhat supportive of Castle and against the grain of every other rugby piece I’ve read in the Australian recently .

 

[wamberal]

And so did my son. However, he had the humility to go back to his junior club after attending a similar school instead of the easy way out and joining Sydney Uni. Both of these Oz Captains played their junior rugby at other Sydney clubs. The lack of depth at the non-fancied clubs is killing rugby in Sydney; I gather it's somewhat similar in Brisbane.

Another way of looking at it is that we just do not produce enough players of a standard good enough to maintain a competition of the size we have.



When I left home (Eastwood) I moved to Mosman. I almost bought an apartment at Manly. Without meaning to insult anybody, surely it is pretty obvious that the more successful clubs happen to be located in places which are pretty desirable for the relatively affluent young to live in. Sydney University is in a different category of course. I do wonder from time to time what things would look like if they had been successfully kicked out, or if they reverted to the sort of genuine sporting club that they were when I played. In those days most University products either retired from the game when they graduated, or moved to a genuine district club.

 

[Derpus]

Another way of looking at it is that we just do not produce enough players of a standard good enough to maintain a competition of the size we have.



When I left home (Eastwood) I moved to Mosman. I almost bought an apartment at Manly. Without meaning to insult anybody, surely it is pretty obvious that the more successful clubs happen to be located in places which are pretty desirable for the relatively affluent young to live in. Sydney University is in a different category of course. I do wonder from time to time what things would look like if they had been successfully kicked out, or if they reverted to the sort of genuine sporting club that they were when I played. In those days most University products either retired from the game when they graduated, or moved to a genuine district club.

Thats the problem with clubs and why i have zero fucken interest in them, like everyone else who didnt go to a GPS school.

 

[Dan54]

Thats the problem with clubs and why i have zero fucken interest in them, like everyone else who didnt go to a GPS school.

Personally I think you maybe missing Wambs point, when I first came to Aus and being a real rugby maniac I got the same ah bloody Rah Rahs, and wondered about Aus rugby and GPS etc etc. After being here for 20 odd years I have found it usually the lot of crap! The reason I tend to think that perhaps more successful clubs tend to be in what some see as more affluent suburbs is generally (and this is not be taken wrong way, or meant to insult anyone) that those suburbs tend to attract a more successful type of business person, who ironically tend to make probably better administrators. In general you will find the same in most sports, and in most countries including NZ. As for the whole bloody GPS system, of course a lot of successful businessmen and good sports administrators tend to come from private schools where perhaps they get a better education? And also because these schools have successful former pupils they gain the advantage of being able to have scholarships for rugby etc, and hence puts even more rugby players through the GPS system. I not sure it all that bad myself.

 

[formerflanker]

The pile-on here against the 10 captains is testament to their courage in climbing out of the trenches to make their contribution.
They must have known that controversy would follow but did it anyway.
Good on 'em.

Oh and if chasing the filthy lucre is a legitimate criticism of any Australian, then be consistent and include Raelene's near $900,000 package in 2019.

 

[Lyall]

Michael Lynagh has asked for his name to be removed from the letter, stating he wasn’t correctly informed on what was in the letter and also wasn’t told that it was going to be made public. He did say he agrees with some of the sentiment in the letter but doesn’t believe in the manner in which this is been conducted.

Wayne Smith saying NFJ and Kearns are the ring leaders. A few of the names have only been contacted via phone. So there is a chance it’s not even legit signatures and simply just names attached to a sheet after a phone call was made to certain people who have never seen the letter pre it been sent

Oh dear, it all seems to be unraveling for them....and quickly.

Welcome to the top fellas.

 

[Slim 293]

The pile-on here against the 10 captains is testament to their courage in climbing out of the trenches to make their contribution.
They must have known that controversy would follow but did it anyway.
Good on 'em.

Oh and if chasing the filthy lucre is a legitimate criticism of any Australian, then be consistent and include Raelene's near $900,000 package in 2019.

How is what they did courageous?

What did they actually contribute?

The random, completely irrelevant Castle mention at the end just punctuates an already fruit cake rant.

It’s the kind of outing that just reveals that you hate her no matter what.........

 

[I like to watch]

The pile-on here against the 10 captains is testament to their courage in climbing out of the trenches to make their contribution.
They must have known that controversy would follow but did it anyway.
Good on 'em.

Oh and if chasing the filthy lucre is a legitimate criticism of any Australian, then be consistent and include Raelene's near $900,000 package in 2019.

its been reported that within a couple of hours of receiving the letter, the chair agreed to meet to discuss their concerns, and suggested it would best be accomplished without it being aired publicly.

they chose not to respond to the invitation, and to leak it to the press.

nothing at all courageous about that.

 

[barbarian]

its been reported that within a couple of hours of receiving the letter, the chair agreed to meet to discuss their concerns, and suggested it would best be accomplished without it being aired publicly.

This is key. The pleasing fact is it seems the letter is going to deliver a positive outcome. As outlined in numerous publications today, RA is going to open it's books to the State and Super Chairs, and the former captains will be involved as well.

It will hopefully yield a good outcome for the game as more intelligent and passionate people are bought into the tent. Great work all!

But clearly that good outcome wasn't enough for a few of our skippers. They needed the attention. They needed people to know that they were involved, that it all happened because of them.

They couldn't resist the urge to leak it all to News Corp, and claim the win themselves. For guys that in their playing days were always fantastic team players, it's a very self-centred thing to do.

I'd put a fair bit of cash on the letter author and letter leaker as being Nick Farr-Jones, FWIW.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

There is a lot that I disagree with written by Fitzy these days, but he was bang on target in that quote from Slim's post.

Also, Noddy strikes me as a very intelligent and measured individual. I hope that he's involved somehow with the go forward for RA.

 

[sunnyboys]

and now we learn via the SMH that RUPA and current players met with the 11... err 10... on Wednesday.

this has always been a joint Fox/News/Kearns/Kafer and RUPA production.

full blown mutiny. not sure how Super Rugby can survive this.

 

[sunnyboys]

from the article 'they (the players) dont have faith in Castle to secure a broadcast deal'.... sounds like something fed to them by the Foxtel crew.
RUPA and the players are being used. This is sad to see.

 

[Braveheart81]

RA and RUPA need to put to the players what it would mean for them if a broadcast deal was signed with Foxtel for the sort of money offered prior to RA taking the broadcast rights to market.

 

[I like to watch]

That’s a bit fucking rich.

players want accountability?

if they were paid on results, the guy in the car park would out earn them......

 

[Boof1050]

Sniff, sniff, sniff Is that a super league scenario im smelling??