Tell us what you really think, Grumbles!

[Scarfman]

Growden piles in. And you know what? I think he's spot on. J. le S. has never impressed me and the place seems to be defined by inaction to protect the status quo.

Not quite sure why it's in the League section, though.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...eing-a-different-ball-game-20100502-u1ky.html

Some great spin but we're seeing a different ball game

It was absolutely spiffing to be told, via a letter to the Herald, the Waratahs and NSW Rugby Union are doing ''great work in taking the game to the people.''

Well, at a time when the NSWRU has reported a $459,248 loss, the Waratahs have lost their way in New Zealand and their pay TV ratings are poor, I'd hate to be around when the NSWRU ever conceded it had done ''bad work''.

Just as spiffing was the NSWRU explaining how gung-ho it is about playing matches at ANZ Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park. Sorry. Pass that one by me again? What is the date on this letter from the NSWRU chief executive officer Jim L'Estrange? April 1?

It's May, so we'll assume they are being serious. If so, questions must be asked of the NSWRU.

L'Estrange took to task two of my articles, including the previous Monday Maul column, because I said the Waratahs-Brumbies game was ''not helped by being played at an oversized stadium with zilch atmosphere''. He stressed that by playing at Sydney Olympic Park, ''the geographical centre of Sydney'', it was all part of taking rugby ''outside the eastern suburbs of Sydney.''

If that's the case, then how many Waratahs players made public appearances before the game at either ANZ Stadium or west of ANZ Stadium ? How many team training sessions did they have out there, rather than at Moore Park? And as several sources confirmed yesterday, did NSW officials really say in high level meetings they ''couldn't wait'' to get out of the ANZ Stadium deal because a good proportion of their members didn't want to go there?

Why did their star recruit Berrick Barnes say ''unfortunately'' the game was not being played at the Sydney Football Stadium? Why did the former Waratahs hooker Brendan Cannon write in his newspaper column: ''NSW officials are treating Waratahs fans with disdain by making them travel to ANZ [Stadium] to watch their team.'' Instead of a cauldron-like atmosphere at the SFS, Cannon wrote ''we got the open spaces and minimal atmosphere of a half-full stadium at Homebush.''

It might also have been worth the NSWRU mentioning a good reason the Waratahs play at Sydney Olympic Park is the lucrative seven-figure financial inducement they get each year from the ANZ Stadium authorities.

Then again, the NSW spin doctors are good at garbling the message - they announced on the night the crowd at ANZ Stadium was the Waratahs' biggest ever regular season attendance. The next day they had to issue an apology, because it wasn't.

But that's nothing new for a spin department which gave itself a big rap in the 2009 NSWRU annual report, only to get the year wrong, while often leading the Sydney media on wild goose chases working out where Waratah training will be held. This includes the Monday training session before the ANZ Stadium game, when the press weren't alerted until after 9pm on Sunday night, via email, where the session would be held. And they wonder why the Waratahs receive minimal coverage.

It may have also been worth mentioning how numerous NSW officials were, for a time, actively trying to get rid of the Parramatta rugby club - also in the geographical centre of Sydney - and replacing it with a team from Canberra. Several Waratahs officials told me: ''Parramatta's gone''.

It was only after the Australian Rugby Union and the media got into the act that an abrupt about-turn took place. For the NSWRU to now carry on as if it was the one who saved Parramatta is sheer hypocrisy. And don't get us started about those at NSW HQ who tried to get rid of the Western Sydney Rams a few years ago.

But we're obviously wasting our breath. At the Moore Park cocoon, the NSWRU is clearly more focused on slapping each other on the back than getting the game back on track in this state.

 

[fatprop]

I bet I know how grumbles would perceive this glass.

Shame he doesn't write about what happens on the field at all anymore, no analysis, insight, just a whinge.

 

[Scarfman]

Don't you think that a winning culture begins at the top? Don't you think the actual points raised by Grumbles are valid?

 

[TheRiddler]

Probably the most accurate piece of writing from the pie man in a long time. He's obviously got a personal axe to grind as well for some reason but if it results in articles like this, bring it on.

 

[fatprop]

Don't you think that a winning culture begins at the top? Don't you think the actual points raised by Grumbles are valid?

It is not L'Estrange's job to be publicly negative, a CEO doesn't build a winning culture by highlighting every thing that is going wrong.
For comparison, here is part of the Otago Daily Times review of Friday's game

Take a bow Highlanders forward pack.

The front eight in blue were committed, totally enthusiastic, and never stopped going, as they outmuscled and overran a strangely subdued Waratahs forward pack in Invercargill last night.

The Highlanders richly deserved their 26-10 victory, for they had the lion's share of possession and territory and kept tackling right until the 80th minute.

In conditions which at times resembled a blizzard even a penguin would have refused to go out in, the Highlanders played the ball at the right end of the park, and could have scored a couple more tries if passes had been more accurate.

The Highlanders were rid of most of the small inaccuracies that have plagued them all season, they drove hard and low into breakdowns, and did not cough up the ball.

Now do you really think if the Tahs had won on Friday, in the Style of the Highlanders (solid forward hit ups, field position game with lots of one out drives) , we would have not ended up with another whine on how "ugly" the rugby was?

 

[Pfitzy]

fp has a point - Grumbles would have just written the game off as something the Tahs should have won, and in a better fashion than they probably could have in those positions.

However, Grumbles is right on a few things in there - not least of which is communication. They're fucked at it.

 

[Blue]

Probably Definitely the most only accurate piece of writing from the pie man in a long time ever.

Fixed a little.

 

[topo]

I refuse to read Growden these days. He has committed the sport writer's cardinal sin. He thinks it's all about him.
Prat.

 

[RugbyFuture]

I think hes wrong in many regards, and a bad sport for publicising his hatred of current administrations so much (although i realise it may be his only course of action) currently, rugby needs positive reference, as it is one of the biggest things dropping it down amongst the community, its not just the players.

Action where things are lacking, rather than complaints, put forward suggestion.

although i agree about western sydney, however i think there would be merit in redesigning stadium australia into a special events stadium and mainly a largecricket ground, and building up a 40k stadium next to it where some warehouses still remain catering for rectangular events. so i think its a lack of infrastructure on both accounts. Because i frequent the roar (i know many of you hate it) you realise with a few of the articles the absolute insistance, that all tahs games are played at moore park, which is wrong, but it reflects a user base and its true about the different conditins at olympic park.

perhaps its in the league section because he is doing more damage to rugby than any mungo could do currently.

 

[chief]

I think hes wrong in many regards, and a bad sport for publicising his hatred of current administrations so much (although i realise it may be his only course of action) currently, rugby needs positive reference, as it is one of the biggest things dropping it down amongst the community, its not just the players.

Action where things are lacking, rather than complaints, put forward suggestion.

although i agree about western sydney, however i think there would be merit in redesigning stadium australia into a special events stadium and mainly a largecricket ground, and building up a 40k stadium next to it where some warehouses still remain catering for rectangular events. so i think its a lack of infrastructure on both accounts. Because i frequent the roar (i know many of you hate it) you realise with a few of the articles the absolute insistance, that all tahs games are played at moore park, which is wrong, but it reflects a user base and its true about the different conditins at olympic park.

perhaps its in the league section because he is doing more damage to rugby than any mungo could do currently.

The sad thing is RF, complaints are the only way for things to move forward in rugby and proffessional sports these days. Suggestions are not taken to well. As for the idea of Stadium Australia redesigned into an AFL Stadium/ Cricket is absolutely stupid. Stadium Australia should be redeveloped strictly rectangular to accommodate the need for rectangular sports, because only 6 or so times a year or so it is needed to be oval shaped. And never in those 6 or so times does it exceed the SCG's capacity. Although I understand bringing sport towards Western Sydney has its merits, the 6 or so events per year, could be played at a redeveloped Softball ground which is around the corner.

There are regular League games played at the stadium (State of Origin, Semi Finals, Finals), while the two Wallabies test matches are always played, the Bledisloe always attracting 75k+ While the Super 15 next year will start playing 2 games there, hopefully the Waratahs decide to get rid of the current coach and bring someone willing to decide to throw the ball around as they have the players to do it.

Sydney has prided itself on the rectangular game, it has the SFS for strictly rectangular games, it certainly needs another dedicated one for the huge events. I would like to see an SFS upgade though.

 

[fatprop]

The frustrating thing about Growden is how he chooses to report these days compare his work with Wayne Smith's, one actually noticed there might have been tactics used (right or wrong)

Turgid contest marred by terrible tactics and inexplicable refereeing by Walsh
GREG GROWDEN
April 25, 2010
A dud match, a hilarious refereeing performance, a lukewarm atmosphere, and somehow the Waratahs won.
Sad to say that after so much frenzied anticipation, the Waratahs-Brumbies stoush was a fizzer. There were a few moments to awaken the dead such as when Berrick Barnes cross-kicked to allow Lachie Turner score the only try of the match in the 50th minute. But overall it was a dirge, and a waste of time for the Wallabies selectors, who had travelled to the boondocks in the hope of seeing something enlightening.
For the Brumbies, it only amplified their headaches.
In Brumbyland, the past few weeks have been extremely trying. There have been endless whispers that several players are not happy with the direction of the team, confidence has slumped in certain areas, and one well-known staff member in his final weeks with the province because of a recent messy off-field incident.
The other Australian provinces and many officials are well aware of the Brumbies' dramas, including the staff member's anticipated departure. As one high-placed source said yesterday: ''The Brumbies are far from happy campers.''
And it didn't get any easier for the Brumbies last night when they ventured to Homebush and discovered that referee Steve ''Hollywood'' Walsh seemed to be out to get them.
That they were level at 9-9 at half-time was an incredible effort, considering that Walsh hobbled them with several inexplicable decisions.
The match was a turgid affair, as both teams appeared scared to try anything too adventurous and instead belted the living daylights out of the ball. Walsh didn't help.
Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles must have wondered if he was suddenly in the Twilight Zone when he was penalised by Walsh for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Hoiles broke a tackle and played on, but Walsh thought he had been tackled. He was penalised and Hoiles's disbelief was understandable, but then it became stupid when Walsh marched him down the field for showing dissent.
That was a big error, because Hoiles as captain is supposedly the team's spokesman with the referee. Adding to the unnecessary pain was that suddenly the Waratahs were in sight of the goalsticks, and they were allowed to receive three points they did not deserve.
Even more unbelievable was that Walsh then disallowed a perfectly legitimate try from Brumbies winger Adam Ashley-Cooper, who twisted and rolled to score. Instead he penalised Ashley-Cooper for ''double movement''.
Double movement!
Who was Walsh trying to have on? That was a dreadful decision, as it cost the Brumbies at least another five points. The replay only made Walsh and his touch judge Nathan Pearce look even more stupid.
Then in the second half there were endless scrum penalties, resets, missed knock-ons and endless time wasting. This game had become ridiculous.
The biggest regret about last night was that NSW centre Rob Horne did not play. If he had, he would have been playing for a Test spot, and we might have been able to enjoy a bit of speed in a tedious night of slow motion. His replacement - the old, reliable steam-engine choo-choo train Tom Carter - didn't play that badly, but several madcap rushes down the field might have eventuated into something interesting if Horne had been on the field.
Bit like the night overall: one big hollow feeling. Luckily Australian rugby still has the Queensland Reds!

NSW Waratahs' finals hopes left blowing in an icy Otago wind
• Wayne Smith, Rugby union editor
• From: The Australian
• May 01, 2010 12:00AM
Waratahs players leave the field disappointed following their loss to the Highlanders in Invercargill Source: Getty Images
THE Waratahs encountered everything they had most feared in Invercargill last night - bleak, driving rain, an icy wind and a mad-dog Highlanders side, as they slumped to a costly Super 14 defeat.
The Waratahs had been banking on a win over the lowly South Island side to catapult into the top four, but suddenly their play-off dream has taken on nightmarish proportions. They now must win both of their remaining matches, against the unpredictable Chiefs in Hamilton and the Hurricanes in Sydney, if they are to have a hope - and even then they will need other results to run their way.
Certainly nothing much ran their way last night at Rugby Park but Waratahs' captain Phil Waugh refused to take refuge in the atrocious conditions, insisting that his side had trained and prepared for them.
"It's disappointing - we were outwilled in the contest," said Waugh, identifying precisely where the battle had been won and lost.
"We're not out of it but we have to pick ourselves up and back up next week."
The only good news for Australia is that the defeat of the fifth-placed Tahs (33 points) has given the Brumbies (27) renewed hope going into their local derby against the Reds tonight, but then it also has opened the door for the Hurricanes (27) and even the Sharks and the Blues (both 25).
Even though the Highlanders have slumped to third last, having won only two of their previous 15 matches leading into this encounter, they attacked the contest like they were the team with everything to play for. It was the Waratahs who looked uninterested.
Berrick Barnes, who started the match at inside centre but was brought into five-eighth in place of Daniel Halangahu in the hope of sparking a second-half revival, schemed for all he was worth but in the slush he had little hope of igniting the wide running game the Waratahs needed to run the heavyweight Highlanders off their feet. Indeed, it was the Highlanders who finished the stronger, converting a 12-10 half-time lead into a second half shut-out, scoring 14 unanswered points. Indeed, the Waratahs could consider themselves fortunate to have trailed only by two points at the break, despite the fact that they played with the wind and rain at their backs in the first half.
A scrambling 32nd minute try to fullback Kurtley Beale, working the inside channel on Barnes's pass after a delayed ball from halfback Josh Holmes to number eight Ben Mowen had split open the Highlanders' defence, took much of the sting out of an otherwise indifferent opening 40 minutes.
Two tries to the Highlanders in quick succession gave the home side the ascendancy as they scored at a point-a-minute.
It couldn't last, of course, and the Tahs inevitably set about pegging back the lead, first with a Halangahu penalty goal, then with the Beale try.
But despite the wind, NSW ran out of puff and ideas with the result still within their grasp.

 

[Scarfman]

Yeah, but Growden's target is not the players, it's the administrators. And it may well be fuelled by a personal grudge, but I don't think that the NSWRU ought to be above criticism.

Let's face it, most rugby admins are crap. The way they get into power is crap. And the way they all have second and third agendas is crap.

 

[fatprop]

Yeah, but Growden's target is not the players, it's the administrators. And it may well be fuelled by a personal grudge, but I don't think that the NSWRU ought to be above criticism.

Let's face it, most rugby admins are crap. The way they get into power is crap. And the way they all have second and third agendas is crap.

Funny the admins like L'Estrange, who was the Managing Director of Star City, he isn't a dope, before L'Estrange, the guy was high up in Pepsi.

So the Tahs haven't had, and don't have, inexperienced business managers but they all have to deal with the festering, putrid people that infest the blazer brigade of old farts in club rugby officialdom.

 

[Aussie D]

Funny the admins like L'Estrange, who was the Managing Director of Star City, he isn't a dope, before L'Estrange, the guy was high up in Pepsi.

So the Tahs haven't had, and don't have, inexperienced business managers but they all have to deal with the festering, putrid people that infest the blazer brigade of old farts in club rugby officialdom.

L'Estrange is the CEO, the guy from Pepsi was the Chairman of the board. The CEO before L'Estrange was Gary Flowers (who took over after the ARU bailed the 'tahs out of debt). Agree on the board members having hidden agendas. Does anyone know how they are elected?

 

[cyclopath]

Funny the admins like L'Estrange, who was the Managing Director of Star City, he isn't a dope, before L'Estrange, the guy was high up in Pepsi.

So the Tahs haven't had, and don't have, inexperienced business managers but they all have to deal with the festering, putrid people that infest the blazer brigade of old farts in club rugby officialdom.

L'Estrange is the CEO, the guy from Pepsi was the Chairman of the board. The CEO before L'Estrange was Gary Flowers (who took over after the ARU bailed the 'tahs out of debt). Agree on the board members having hidden agendas. Does anyone know how they are elected?

Well, I think a fair bit of Machiavellian politics and knife-play is the usual way, then a show of leather elbow-patches to elect the Poo-Bah followed by many Rah-Rahs of approval.
Seriously I have often wondered, but I doubt it involves as much common sense as we would hope. As FP said.