Farr-Jones wants clarity about Foley
BY: BRET HARRIS From: The Australian July 28, 2012 12:00AM
FORMER Wallabies captain and current NSWRU chairman Nick Farr-Jones will seek clarity about the Waratahs coaching position following speculation linking Michael Foley to the Western Force.
Farr-Jones also said that the NSWRU would review the decision to split the union into two separate boards to manage the Waratahs and grassroots rugby.
The Force has reportedly offered Foley a long-term deal to replace Richard Graham, who resigned in April after agreeing to coach Queensland next year.
Foley has indicated his intention to stay in Sydney and is expected to reject the approach, but Farr-Jones was concerned about persistent rumours.
"I'm catching up with Ed Zemancheff (Waratahs Rugby chairman). We've got a NSW board meeting. There will be a few questions we'll ask there to see if we can get clarification," Farr-Jones said.
"Just the uncertainty and the rumours. It doesn't help."
Farr-Jones described the Waratahs' 2012 Super Rugby campaign as "disastrous" after they won only four of 16 games.
"It has really disenfranchised a lot of fans," Farr-Jones said. "That disappoints me.
"We have to look at all aspects of what's been a very tough year.
"We have to work together to make sure we don't have a year like that again. There are a lot of things we have to do better to re-engage with community rugby to get that feel-good factor for the Waratahs."
Farr-Jones said the NSWRU would review the decision to split into professional and amateur boards when the Waratahs' five-year licensing agreement expires in 2014.
"I came on to the (NSW) board after the board split," Farr-Jones said. "Would I have agreed to a split of the board? I don't know. I sometimes question it.
"I understand some of the objectives of splitting the board. Would I like to see a (Waratahs) chief executive who had part of his time spent and accountable to community rugby? Absolutely. But the Waratahs board felt differently."
Asked whether the NSWRU would consider reclaiming the Waratahs licence before the agreement expired, Farr-Jones said: "There's a licensing agreement and there's legal terms in that. Unless something happened that that effectively brought the game into disrepute, there's no legal right to do that.
"We just have to work as well as we can to make sure that until that comes up for review in 2014 that we are doing everything to rebuild the brand, which is NSW rugby."