The Ongoing Tragedy of the Waratahs

[Gnostic]

That post might not have been to the thrust of your OP, gnostic, but it was well-considered and I thought quite relevant to the general discussion around here. Alex-A is right in saying that the Tahs have actually done reasonablly well overall since the inception of the comp and sometimes we need to step back and look at what we're talking about - they're not exactly the Lions.

Having said that, obviously there are some significant problems in tahland that need to be addressed and the aim should always be as high as possible. Dismissing considered posts out of hand is probably not the best way of encouraging good discussion, however.

I did not dimiss it out of hand. It missed totally the point of the OP. The results the Tahs achieved was done in spite of the problems in Tahs land. The mode of play employed with the playing roster available was designed IMO to ensure a finals finish, thus this could always be raised in defence of the Tahs and ensure the survival of the board, the coaches and the players.

The whole point of the OP is that I (and many others) do not care what their season results are if their mode of play is rubbish. The skills execution and consistancy of the team is and has always been poor in the profesional era littered as it has been with inexplicable lapses where they just totally fail to perform. It is disingenious to excuse such lapses by saying they had top line players out, or the "Cheetahs" for example played better.

On the weekend we saw virtual 2nd XV Crusaders and Highlander side play in fairly average conditions with more accuracy and application than the full strength available Waratahs did that night against the Cheetahs. If they were an isolated example you could well say there is no problem, but every season is littered with such performances.

The questions I posed is why no matter who is the coach such things do not change, even to the mode of play. The Tahs of Hickey play an almost identical game plan to those of Link, or Dwyer etc. None of those coaches ever played to such a game plan before and I would argue that such a game plan really doesn't suit the players in the squad. It is though one which will gring out quite a few victories and minimise points against when the squad is a strength and on song. When that application drops as I said we get massive flaws emerge.

So why regardless of the playing roster, regardless of the coach do they play the same?

The Tahs have played very well in two games this year, passably in a few more and were very poor in two or three. So this season is much like the rest.

 

[Richo]

I take your point, but just because someone doesn't directly address your opening post doesn't make what they have to contribute irrelevant to the broader discussion.

 

[Langthorne]

Ok, a bit of further thought on the topic (or at least one aspect of it). NSW has the biggest player base and produces the most professional players in Australia. This should mean the Waratahs are the most successful Australian team, but in terms of Super titles they are not.

Maybe talent identification and a very strong academy are the answer - identify the best, train them the best, have a culture of giving outstanding young talents a run, and maybe find a way to attach them to contracts and attractive remuneration. Is there some kind of rule prohibiting long contracts a la football (soccer)? Is there a rule prohibiting transfer fees for early release from said contracts? I know the risks of injury are great in rugby, meaning there is risk in a long contract, but they are a way of keeping the top young talent whilst not having to over expose them early, or to get some compensation for the training etc provided if they move on.

Strong NSW club rugby would also help the situation - I'm not saying it is weak now, but that the more resources they have, the better the chance of continually producing top players.

All of this depends on finding the right coaches, players, and of course having the money.