I don't agree that The Toxic Event last week has scuppered the putsch, quite the opposite. It's shone a light on a situation that just won't go away - whether you agree with what Quade said and did, or not.
Had it not happened, the only established media line we would have is that bad luck and injuries have cruelled the Wallabies, while the rest of us have a whinge as we have done for months or years about the setup on social media and down the pub. We've all seen how much change that has managed to spark over the last few years.
I couldn't have got it any more directly from one of the involved parties mouths that Nuci is in line for the job as long as O'Neill is in charge. Why else did Nuci ever take this bizarre job he's had for 5 years?
I don't fully know the ins and outs of the bad blood between Link and JO'N; it could stem back to the player revolt days when the code first went pro - or perhaps it was later when Link was with Eddie, who JO'N is public as not being a fan of. Whatever the reason, I DO know it's "over my dead body" for JO'N re: Link.
Media wise, the story of a "Queensland takeover" suits the incumbents more than Link and Carmichael as it unites everyone who's not QLD to push against them. If I was JON, I'd be briefing it.
That doesn't mean there isn't truth in it, and from what we've seen, personnel-wise it makes a lot of sense.
Had it not happened, the only established media line we would have is that bad luck and injuries have cruelled the Wallabies, while the rest of us have a whinge as we have done for months or years about the setup on social media and down the pub. We've all seen how much change that has managed to spark over the last few years.
I couldn't have got it any more directly from one of the involved parties mouths that Nuci is in line for the job as long as O'Neill is in charge. Why else did Nuci ever take this bizarre job he's had for 5 years?
I don't fully know the ins and outs of the bad blood between Link and JO'N; it could stem back to the player revolt days when the code first went pro - or perhaps it was later when Link was with Eddie, who JO'N is public as not being a fan of. Whatever the reason, I DO know it's "over my dead body" for JO'N re: Link.
Media wise, the story of a "Queensland takeover" suits the incumbents more than Link and Carmichael as it unites everyone who's not QLD to push against them. If I was JON, I'd be briefing it.
That doesn't mean there isn't truth in it, and from what we've seen, personnel-wise it makes a lot of sense.