Waratahs 2013

[Inside Shoulder]

I am superstitious.
Whatever happens could Tahs supporters agree that they will say nothing positive until May 2013?

 

[Bruce Ross]

Bruce it has been requested that I point out to you that far from being a 'thick-head' as you so eloquently put it, Jamie Pandaram was taking that directly from the NSW annual report.

To quote directly from the president's report:

The full report is here, and you can find the quote on page 5.

I'd suggest in future treading a little bit more carefully before directing some pretty rough insults at journos.
.

Point taken, barbarian. My approach has been that if I make posts sufficiently absurd people would realise they are not meant to be taken seriously, but once again I have assumed too much.

It is interesting to observe that journalists are sensitive to being misrepresented. I seem to recall there have been occasions in the past where members of the public have complained about journalists misrepresenting them.

On the point at issue, Mr Pandaram referred to "Allen's 10:3:1 plan", i.e., a plan which logically one might assume to consist of three objectives, but then listed four elements of the plan. For someone like myself the apparent discrepancy leapt off the page and formed the key point of my post. Obviously Mr Pandaram would have had some factual basis for what he wrote, but presumably he either did not spot the incongruity or did not regard it as such.

I am an avid viewer of Media Watch and thus appreciate that media organisations very readily admit their mistakes and apologise profusely if people believe they have been misrepresented. In that spirit, barbarian, I would be grateful if you would pass on to Mr Pandaram my apologies together with an assurance that in future he will not be the subject of any laboured attempts at humour. I am not prepared to give the same undertaking in relation to the Sun King himself.
.

 

[waratahjesus]

bruce - in future if you need to make further apologies to Mr.Pandaram, feel free to do so by telling me and allowing me to pass the messege on as i believe to be his custom.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Loane has been connected to the Tahs on the board of NSWRU for yolks and her only claim to rugby fame is having been married to Dr Mark Loane - did someone say "tokenism"?.

Petersen has been there for years too.

What caused L'estrange to leave so soon? he is, by all accounts, an honourable, competent and decent man - those I know who know him said at the time of his appointment that he would be able to straighten out the Tahs based on their impression of him....it was it seems too much for him.

IS, I think that's an uncharacteristically cheap shot. Apparently the Board consists of:

Edwin Zemancheff (Chairman) - on the Board of NSWRU since 2000
Arvid Petersen - on the Board of NSWRU for far too long but commencing date not known
Sally Loane - on the Board of NSWRU since 2008
Al Baxter
Ross Grant
Michael Miller

Leave aside Al Baxter and tell us about the "claim to rugby fame" of the other board members.
.

 

[Braveheart81]

Sally Loane has an extensive career in journalism, PR and media relations. Surely those are the sort of skills that make her useful to the board. Providing she has the relevant passion and time to commit to the job, then surely her skills are useful to the Waratahs.

The board should be primarily concerned with running the business. That is what is most within their control. Obviously the appointment of the coach is critically important, but from their perspective it needs to be about getting the process right in seeking candidates, interviewing them and making a decision.

I don't for a second believe that having a board full of old rugby players is the best thing for running a professional sporting team.

 

[RedsHappy]

IS, I think that's an uncharacteristically cheap shot. Apparently the Board consists of:

Edwin Zemancheff (Chairman) - on the Board of NSWRU since 2000
Arvid Petersen - on the Board of NSWRU for far too long but commencing date not known
Sally Loane - on the Board of NSWRU since 2008
Al Baxter
Ross Grant
Michael Miller

Leave aside Al Baxter and tell us about the "claim to rugby fame" of the other board members.
.

Question: whom on this board actually has track record in over sighting and/or recently building a successful, professional sporting body or business?

 

[Braveheart81]

Zemancheff sits of the boards of several companies and is a partner at a leading law firm.

Not too sure about the others.

 

[RugbyReg]

Isn't Sally on the Coca-Cola Amatil Board?

 

[Braveheart81]

Yes.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

IS, I think that's an uncharacteristically cheap shot. Apparently the Board consists of:

Edwin Zemancheff (Chairman) - on the Board of NSWRU since 2000
Arvid Petersen - on the Board of NSWRU for far too long but commencing date not known
Sally Loane - on the Board of NSWRU since 2008
Al Baxter
Ross Grant
Michael Miller

Leave aside Al Baxter and tell us about the "claim to rugby fame" of the other board members.
.

Zemancheff is a former australian schoolboy (i think - certainly NSW schools) who is/was a solicitor by trade and a partner @ Baker & Mackenzie. Played a lot of 1st grade for Norths as a fullback (I think) despite being a back rower in his younger days (I think).

I have no idea about the other 2 and so i refrained from commenting. Seems no one else knows much about them either.

I don't think its a cheap shot because i listened to her when she was doing breakfasts on 702 and formed the view that she was pleasant enough but had no real insight into what the average person listening to her show was interested in - she got the axe, admittedly after some time. Now if she can't work that out I don't see that she brings anything to the table in the media department - running Media Relations for CC Amatil wouldn't be the hardest job in the world.
The spiel I hid as a link behind her name earlier does not suggests she is a on the board of directors but that she is director of media relations. i would have thought that her appointment to the NSWRU board was thoroughly justified but that her appointment to a board dedicated to running professional rugby in NSW could not be supported on this basis: they have a PR/Media/spin department so theydon't need a director with that as her background. That department would report to the CEO who is on the board.

There are plenty of blokes with both the rugby background and the business credentials to sit productively on this board. There are plenty of females with the business background and an interest in rugby to sit on this board - although personally i take the view that if you look after the rugby everything else will look after itself pretty much.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Yes.

No
http://ccamatil.com/ABOUTCCA/Pages/BoardofDirectors.aspx

 

[BPC]

we have three tens, what 2 do you speak of.

hangers is rumoured for the 100th time to be force bound
barnes or foley the other you speak of?

Hangers is one
The one currently playing 10 is the other

 

[Bruce Ross]

Question: whom on this board actually has track record in over sighting and/or recently building a successful, professional sporting body or business?

My strong view is that if any organisation is to have significant growth or achievement it has to have one or more people who are drivers. Can anyone identify who are the drivers in rugby in New South Wales? I see plenty of people who are basically minding the shop but where are the agents of change?
.

 

[waratahjesus]

Hangers is one
The one currently playing 10 is the other

Can't say if true I have any other response but "meh" I have a lot of time for berrick, he is a great bloke and I think he is a fantastic player, unfortunately his fantastic performances for NSW have been quite sparse. If he feels the need to move on I hope he finds somewhere better suited to him.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

My strong view is that if any organisation is to have significant growth or achievement it has to have one or more people who are drivers. Can anyone identify who are the drivers in rugby in New South Wales? I see plenty of people who are basically minding the shop but where are the agents of change?
.

I agree with that - I was thinking what it was that led me to think that Zemancheff was an adequate but not great Pres and maybe not the person needed right now.
I think we may need a charismatic leader: someone who people follow almost blindly. I have some names in mind and some significant reservations about those who Im sure others would have in mind.

 

[I like to watch]

I know who you are thinking if IS.
I disagree with you, personally I don't think Phil Kearns is ready for this role yet.

 

[fatprop]

I most certainly am not - do you think my bitching about his writing style is a red herring? Besides which even the posts I type on my iPad at 3 in the morning are grammatically superior to the shit he toils over for minutes at a time......



This is a bit cute isn't it WJ? - you mean there has only been a separate board since 2010 - or am I wrong about that?

Loane has been connected to the Tahs on the board of NSWRU for yolks and her only claim to rugby fame is having been married to Dr Mark Loane - did someone say "tokenism"?.
Petersen has been there for years too.
What caused L'estrange to leave so soon? he is, by all accounts, an honourable, competent and decent man - those I know who know him said at the time of his appointment that he would be able to straighten out the Tahs based on their impression of him....it was it seems too much for him.

Bullocks mate and a bit misogynous , Sally Loane is currently "Dir Media and Public Affairs at Coca-Cola Amatil" and has been

• Broadcaster 702ABC Sydney at Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Senior reporter at Fairfax Media
• Political reporter, columnist at The Age. newspaper

• Reporter and columnist at The National Times/Times on Sunday
• Reporter and Columnist at The Sun
• Reporter and columnist at The Courier-Mail
• Reporter and news reader at Channel 10
• Consumer reporter and columnist at The Daily News
• Reporter, columnist at The Australian

so media savvy? yeah
rugby tragic, sure

 

[Bruce Ross]

I agree with that - I was thinking what it was that led me to think that Zemancheff was an adequate but not great Pres and maybe not the person needed right now.
I think we may need a charismatic leader: someone who people follow almost blindly. I have some names in mind and some significant reservations about those who Im sure others would have in mind.

The ideal individual in my opinion to provide the sort of driving leadership that the Waratahs desperately need would be Alan Williamson, and preferably in an executive rather than non-executive capacity.

Ex-President of Eastern Suburbs; ex-member of the NSWRU Board; a CEO who has achieved extraordinary growth for a company operating in an extremely challenging environment. Alan does not tolerate fools, gladly or otherwise, and he is a superb negotiator, having had notable success in dealing with trade unions and Federal and State authorities.

He is just the sort of individual who would really shake the tree.
.

 

[Lindommer]

I don't think its a cheap shot because I listened to (Sally Loane) when she was doing breakfasts on 702 and formed the view that she was pleasant enough but had no real insight into what the average person listening to her show was interested in - she got the axe, admittedly after some time. Now if she can't work that out I don't see that she brings anything to the table in the media department...

Funny what turns some people on but leaves others cold: I'm a rusted-on ABC listener and quite liked Sally. Her interests were interesting to me, and, I dare say, quite a few others. The fact there was a significant backlash when she was given her notice (for Virginia Trioli, a non-rugby loving Victorian!) would seem to indicate I wasn't on my own. Although schooled in Brisbane and formerly married to a past Queensland captain she's made her home here in Sydney and is a model mother at her sons' school. Sally's vision of this state beyond Sydney was something many others could emulate and her knowledge of Sydney society and the local rugby scene is exemplary. Her ratings at the end were quite respectable IIRC; 702 has had some trouble finding a suitable replacement since.

A cheap shot, IS.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Funny what turns some people on but leaves others cold: I'm a rusted-on ABC listener and quite liked Sally. Her interests were interesting to me, and, I dare say, quite a few others. The fact there was a significant backlash when she was given her notice (for Virginia Trioli, a non-rugby loving Victorian!) would seem to indicate I wasn't on my own. Although schooled in Brisbane and formerly married to a past Queensland captain she's made her home here in Sydney and is a model mother at her sons' school. Sally's vision of this state beyond Sydney was something many others could emulate and her knowledge of Sydney society and the local rugby scene is exemplary. Her ratings at the end were quite respectable IIRC; 702 has had some trouble finding a suitable replacement since.

A cheap shot, IS.

It was known as the "pony club" and considered very private school eastern suburbs - just what rugby has plenty of and jest what the left leaning audience she was playing to do not like