I said at the time: too much attention was being paid to the impact upon the Force of RG's decision, and not enough to the potential impact to perceptions and stability within the 2012 Reds' establishment. I saw numerous impacts that might arise:
- the senior Reds players were not consulted re the RG change, given their contributions and status, they may well highly resent the exclusion and attribute high-handedness to the QRU elite
- many players would be incredulous, as many of us were here, as to why a 'perpetual apprentice' coach with few demonstrable results would be chosen to lead them in 2013+. How does that move 'do us justice after all we've achieved'? Plus, RG does not seem to stay around long in recent positions, etc
- clearly, if the QRU could afford two entire senior coaching layers, plus support coaches, the message was out that the QRU has serious money 'to spare', why not more of it on 'star' players' renewals?
Sources have reported that indeed one of the above factors may have been at least partly behind Genia's decision to leave, and, if so, I have some sympathy with that as the timing and appointment of the wholly unproven RG was extraordinarily mishandled IMO.
But now we have negative synergy building inside the Reds: the huge uncertainty of the RG arrival, and re his level of competence, combined with a major senior player departure mid season. The instability and distraction anxiety and uncertainty within the team will be very significant.
There is more to all this than meets the eye, and more consequences will unfold.
The Reds' 2012 mega-tag line was: 'When greatness calls, we will respond.' Well, it did call, and it turned out there was no one home.
