John O'Neill resigns

[waratahjesus]

What is different in NZ & SA (our business partners)that they can grow their revenues in the same period that the ARU's diminish?.

You should review NZ finances over the last five years. Its the number one sport there and they have downgraded comps and reduced profits.

 

[TOCC]

The ARU needs to look outside the rugby union boys clubs...

The only thing i fear with JON resigning is that the governance review report set to be released later this year is now going to fall on deaf ears.. Like him or dislike him, JON had the political clout to pull off such a reform.. I fear that his replacement may not be able to push through such a massive reform... shame

 

[Hawko]

The ARU needs to look outside the rugby union boys clubs.

The only thing i fear with JON resigning is that the governance review report set to be released later this year is now going to fall on deaf ears.. Like him or dislike him, JON had the political clout to pull off such a reform.. I fear that his replacement may not be able to push through such a massive reform. shame

What massive reform? The report hasn't yet seen the light of day. At least one of the two providing input is just a political apparatchik, the other one I don't know. Governance is usually all about covering your arse when things go wrong, doesn't have much to do with the game we all love. I fear TOCC you are speaking only from misguided hope. We all want the game to grow and prosper, but governance is just a PR word to cover "I haven't really got a clue what to do".

 

[TOCC]

What massive reform? The report hasn't yet seen the light of day. At least one of the two providing input is just a political apparatchik, the other one I don't know. Governance is usually all about covering your arse when things go wrong, doesn't have much to do with the game we all love. I fear TOCC you are speaking only from misguided hope. We all want the game to grow and prosper, but governance is just a PR word to cover "I haven't really got a clue what to do".

the governance review...in the current form and structure the ARU is comparably unconstitutional which means the ARU is potentially missing out on federal govt funding, the govt is growing more and more stringent on the subject if organisations aren't following through on such reforms...

The influence which you speak of is the fact that it will remove the NSW voting block and reduce the power which the QRU and NSWRU have in the ARU..

 

[Hugh Jarse]

.../snip... . I fear TOCC you are speaking only from misguided hope. .../snip/...".

As misguided as it may be, it is the only hope we have.

Cossie did a good job in East Timor, and sorting out the first $17/kilo banana cyclone reconstruction task force. Why do you think he will let the sport he loves down?

Until he took charge of Victoria Barracks in Sydney, the grassy area in front of the main building was just that, a grassy area.

When he arrived, the second change at the barracks, after the name plate on his office door, was the installation of RUGBY goal posts on the oval just outside his office.

Funnily enough, not long afterwards, the Tahs and Wallabies started training on the grassy area.

This arrangement still exists.

Cossie delivered for rugby, once. He will deliver again.

 

[waratahjesus]

When the dust settles I have it on good authority that JONs resignation comes due to reform being voted down. He believed he could deliver it next year as a legacy on his way out. NSW v QLD will get the blame.

 

[Paradox]

When the dust settles I have it on good authority that JONs resignation comes due to reform being voted down. He believed he could deliver it next year as a legacy on his way out. NSW v QLD will get the blame.

Sure Greg.

 

[randalf8]

PE wouldn't touch the game.

in a market like australia, sports ownership is a mug's game. it's just too small. even in the AFL there's only a handful of teams that make money. even the swans barely post gains (i think 2011 was a gain of a hundred or so grand)

thanks for the commercial insight, but I was joking.

 

[I like to watch]

You should review NZ finances over the last five years. Its the number one sport there and they have downgraded comps and reduced profits.

You have missed my point. Rugby has always been no 1 in NZ,and has always been no 3 in Oz.
Yet their revenue improved and ours deteriorated substantially, in the same time frame, playing in the same competitions.
We didn't downgrade anything we totally eliminated them.
Remember Australia A?....gone
Remember the ARC?........gone as well.

 

[Bruce Ross]

I say we get into bed with Lachlan Murdoch.
With news braking up with rugby league, we're already in bed with foxsports. Let's get financially viable and just do it.

As far as I'm concerned, wj, only if his missus is there too.

As for replacing your mate JO'N, the most seamless way would obviously be to slide Totality Tony into the big chair; but I think he should be told he would have to cut back a bit on his present role of hand holding Robbie.
.

 

[Bowside]

When the dust settles I have it on good authority that JONs resignation comes due to reform being voted down. He believed he could deliver it next year as a legacy on his way out. NSW v QLD will get the blame.

Without the details of what was voted down it is hard to really form an opinion.

As a Queenslander, what the 'expansion' states sort of need to realise is that the reds and the QRU are the culmination of 130 years of work by countless people. I'm all for growing the game and expanding, but I wince when people start talking about player drafts and salary caps. The game might be professional but the reds and waratah are still essentially provincial teams. There are of course exceptions, but since the 2010, (apart from harris) the reds have pretty much exclusively signed locally based players.

Instead of trying to 'hold back' (for lack of a better word) QLD and NSW, I'd rather the ARU just give less money to the traditional states and instead sink more money into growing the game in WA, VIC and to a lesser extent ACT. I think reform needs to focus on expansion by strengthening the grass roots and pathways in the non-traditional states so that they can develop their own talent going forward.

It just seems like a massive contradiction that the ARU seek to 'strengthen' the force and rebels through the use of a salary cap to spread the talent, yet they effectively shut down the force and rebels academy.

 

[TOCC]

When the dust settles I have it on good authority that JONs resignation comes due to reform being voted down. He believed he could deliver it next year as a legacy on his way out. NSW v QLD will get the blame.

hmm i dunno WJ, i think the governance review is still in play, its effectively a requirement to continue receiving federal funding for the game which is will be more important then ever as the funding increases prior to the 2016 Olympics

 

[waratahjesus]

You have missed my point. Rugby has always been no 1 in NZ,and has always been no 3 in Oz.
Yet their revenue improved and ours deteriorated substantially, in the same time frame, playing in the same competitions.
We didn't downgrade anything we totally eliminated them.
Remember Australia A?..gone
Remember the ARC?....gone as well.

Yep, are you aware of how a business works?
If we're discussing JON second stint, coming into an organisation that is running out of money, lost a ton a market share and fast approaching bankruptcy are you suggesting that not making cuts but instead spending money the ident have to maybe win test matches would have seen the organisation thrive?

They minimized the hurt, from the lions tour we will have the abilit to expand and think about the future.

We get the same tv money NZ get and the same SANZAR grant. (getting the same money is an absolute credit to JON and the board as we get the least amount of ratings) any additional revenue NZ have is from merch & test matches. I would say the ALL Black brand should make more on that front.

 

[waratahjesus]

hmm i dunno WJ, i think the governance review is still in play, its effectively a requirement to continue receiving federal funding for the game which is will be more important then ever as the funding increases prior to the 2016 Olympics

Yep, the revue is still to come, they tried to get some early breakthroughs though to make a commission a reality. (the review is to say who the commission should be made of)

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm all for growing the game and expanding, but I wince when people start talking about player drafts and salary caps. The game might be professional but the reds and waratah are still essentially provincial teams. There are of course exceptions, but since the 2010, (apart from harris) the reds have pretty much exclusively signed locally based players.

Instead of trying to 'hold back' (for lack of a better word) QLD and NSW, I'd rather the ARU just give less money to the traditional states and instead sink more money into growing the game in WA, VIC and to a lesser extent ACT. I think reform needs to focus on expansion by strengthening the grass roots and pathways in the non-traditional states so that they can develop their own talent going forward.

It just seems like a massive contradiction that the ARU seek to 'strengthen' the force and rebels through the use of a salary cap to spread the talent, yet they effectively shut down the force and rebels academy.

I'm dead against both of those things Bowside and I come from two non-rugby states. They achieve little other than driving talented players overseas. The AFL and to a lesser extent NRL get away with it because there is little to no international competition in their sports.

I think your idea around the funding model for the Southern states is probably the right one. The Northern states should be able to stand on their own feet financially and have those pathways already built through the history you speak of. Drafts and salary caps won't do much to improve the rugby here, investment in the grass roots and juniors will and at a lower cost. The fact that we are seeing a real increase in the number of WA and Victorian players appearing in representative teams is testament to that. There are more players in the local competition now than there's ever been and the Force being here is a massive reason why.

 

[waratahjesus]

As far as I'm concerned, wj, only if his missus is there too.
.

I've met him a few times, trust me when I say Bruce, you wouldn't kick him out of bed. A very handsome dude.

 

[I like to watch]

Yep, are you aware of how a business works?
If we're discussing JON second stint, coming into an organisation that is running out of money, lost a ton a market share and fast approaching bankruptcy are you suggesting that not making cuts but instead spending money the ident have to maybe win test matches would have seen the organisation thrive?

They minimized the hurt, from the lions tour we will have the abilit to expand and think about the future.

Can you read a balance sheet?
After the losses for ARC had been accounted for, the ARU was worth 25% more in 2007 than it is today!
You are not listening re the revenue, Before JON,in 2007 we had the same revenue as the Kiwi's.4 years of JON and they have increased their revenue and ours has reduced by $10M.
Please explain how this is a good result!
Name one other business where revenues are decreasing and it is considered a good thing.
Tell me how reducing shareholders funds is a good thing.

Yep we will earn some coin next year when the lions visit, but this is not JON's doing,they are scheduled to come every 12 years.

It's actually a negative, that despite being at the helm for 12 odd years, the business is still reliant upon once off events (RWC, Lions) to keep the joint afloat until the next one.
Had he hung around until after the Lions, he would have trumpeted the profit for the year,the increase in shareholders funds everyone would hailed him a hero, just as they did the first time around.
Only problem is he lumps his replacement with a business model that he has never been able to get to work despite 2 go's and 12 years.
Hopefully his replacement can build a sustainable business model that works year in year out.

 

[TOCC]

Yep, the revue is still to come, they tried to get some early breakthroughs though to make a commission a reality. (the review is to say who the commission should be made of)

the governance review is set to be handed down on Oct 22nd

 

[Bruce Ross]

I've met him a few times, trust me when I say Bruce, you wouldn't kick him out of bed. A very handsome dude.

They say you're never too old to learn, wj, but I think I'll pass on turning ambidextrous at my stage of life.
.

 

[waratahjesus]

I like to watch - Why do you think programs have had to go?
Overheads greater than revenue perhaps?
Cos after the world cup we went on a sending spree during a time that the games popularity also went down considerably.
The cuts are to ensure we have a sport that isn't dependent on RWC (which are a losing year except if we happen to host) and lions tours yet you say you want all the trappings of extravagance and also profit?
Your judging an organisation based on your own wish list and not the realities of its position. To say we are in the same comps as NZ therefore should have had revenue go up totally ignores the position of rugby within Australia own sporting environment were we are fighting for third, not the national sport.