Who should be the next ARU CEO?

[barbarian]

And in that thread there were numerous accounts of the creativel accounting used to support the fallacy of a strong grassroots .
Schoolboys who played both School & Village were double counted.Anyone who participated in ARU one day events were also counted.
The problem for me is if the CEO is asserting all is good, then there is no driver for change/improvement.
But hey, he has not even had his first day on the job yet.
In any event, he will hit his KPI's.
It's the board who appointed him, and it is they that will set his KPI's, so if there is a problem it is with them, not him.

As for the first bit, that was discussed and debated in the thread and so I won't address it here.

I agree with the second part that the board will play a huge role in setting his parameters and broad direction.
.

 

[kiap]

Give the guy a season. He's relatively young and new blood. That has to be good.

Yep, fair enough. We're hard taskmasters.



If he delivers, he can stay (but they were all our ideas!)
.

 

[wamberal]

What on earth is he supposed to say about Deans? That he has to perform, or else? That is actually what he said, if you read between the lines.

No new CEO is going to start work in a new organisation with a fixed perception about personnel issues. Nor should he be saying anything at all that might give that impression. Deans is the current coach, and he will, and should be, supported until such time as either he completes his current contract, or demonstrates that he does not have the confidence of the players, the executive management, and the Board.

 

[Quick Hands]

In my humble opinion the RD/Wallabies issue is small potatoes for the CEO of Australian Rugby. I'd almost be content for the Wallabies to lose regularly this year if the ARU were able to:
1. Expand the game at junior/grassroots level
2. Sort out the administrative mess that is rugby in this country
3. Examine options for a 3rd tier

Re 1: Unless their parents are involved in a local rugby club, boys will play with their mates. In western Sydney at least, there is a local soccer or league club and most boys will follow their mates to one of these. There simply isn't a close junior rugby club in most parts of western Sydney, hence participatation ratios between league and union in western Sydney reflects poorly on union when compared with the ratio in the northern & eastern suburbs. Any sustainable and long term solution needs to address this.

Re 2: Not enough room in this post to discuss.

Re 3: We need to decide on a model, i.e. what type of 3rd tier. The French Top 14 model of a season long competition or a SAF/NZ model tacked on the end of the season or even a hybrid of the 2. What we shouldn't do is create meaningless franchises and stick them in a place for 6 weeks and expect the entire population to convert to rugby.

I'm not sure that the SAF/NZ model would work here. It would either start at the same time as the NRL/AFL finals and be deprived of any publicity or would be held afterwards, which to me is the wrong time of year to be playing rugby in Australia- too hot and running into cricket season.

I'd suggest a modified French Top 14 model starting in June. All current grade competitions in capital cities start at current time. After 1 full round; top 4 Sydney teams, top 2 Brisbane teams,top 2 Canberra teams and a combined club team from Melbourne and 1 from Perth play a 10 team 1 round competition with a top 4 finals system. Advantages: clubs already exist, complete with infastructure and admin so no need to add another layer, has an inbuilt promotion/relegation system, provides high level of competition each week - the equivalent of 9 weeks of semi-final football before the finals and runs at a time when people are in rugby mode. As with anything, it could be modified as the years go by, but it provides a relatively easy, simple set-up process.

 

[daz]

Pardon my french but what utter bullshit.

I can't pardon your French, as you didn't use any. Now if you had said "totale des conneries", then yes, that would have been excused.

Look, I get what you are saying Blue. I am not expecting Pulver to say anything but generic fluff in his first presser.

My only point, perhaps badly made and overly negative, was that I didn't think he needed to be so fucking effusively happy and unconcerned about everything, especially towards the coach who, like it or not, divides opinion in this country. He didn't need to wail and gnash his teeth at how fucked everything is, but some humble acknowledgment of issues that do exist would have been appreciated (by me at least).

 

[whatever]

See I struggle with this whole attitude, I don't care what school someone went to, despite spending my youth beating up both Kings and Jame Ruse prats from the evil lair of the local public high school.

As for an "elite business background" isn't that what we want? Someone who has done well?

As for the "familiar surrounds of Sydney's North Shore", well if you do OK that is where you live if you do "OK" if he had done really well he would have moved to the Eastern Suburbs, just like the Western Suburbs politicians

And seeing Bill at Penrith will do nothing for the club, it is up to them to lift their game, talk to local businesses and get on their own feet.

That is the typical attitude that sees this game remain a sport played mainly in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore. If Bill doesn't get his arse out to the Western Suburbs as well as promote the game into the CCC set of schools then his appointment will be as it looks on paper - a school mate of Hawker.

I will give the bloke some time before making judgment,

As a sideline, any young halfbacks who had the dream of replacing Will Genia as the OZ No:9 down the track, may I suggest a change of position or playing a differnt code as young Angus might have the inside running for the job.

 

[daz]

Just FYI, that last comment was a bit close to playing the man. Are you suggesting that Bill Pulver will place nepotism into the Wallabies squad?

Very close to over the line.

 

[Braveheart81]

That is the typical attitude that sees this game remain a sport played mainly in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore. If Bill doesn't get his arse out to the Western Suburbs as well as promote the game into the CCC set of schools then his appointment will be as it looks on paper - a school mate of Hawker.

The ARU board and Pulver as CEO should as part of their plan provide resources (money and staff) to NSW Rugby, Penrith and Parramatta to help grow the game in Western Sydney and help these clubs establish more junior clubs in their areas.

To think that Pulver should be making regular appearances at Penrith seems a bit ridiculous to me. He hasn't been employed as a brand ambassador/PR person.

 

[barbarian]

That is the typical attitude that sees this game remain a sport played mainly in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore. If Bill doesn't get his arse out to the Western Suburbs as well as promote the game into the CCC set of schools then his appointment will be as it looks on paper - a school mate of Hawker.

I will give the bloke some time before making judgment,

As a sideline, any young halfbacks who had the dream of replacing Will Genia as the OZ No:9 down the track, may I suggest a change of position or playing a differnt code as young Angus might have the inside running for the job.

I don't know if you quite understand what a CEO does.

He can do far more 'promoting the game' in his office in St Leonards than behind a BBQ at Penrith or running the line in Cowra. For fuck's sake no-one would recognise him anyway.

And suggesting he would somehow ensure his son is picked in the Wallabies is absolute horseshit of the highest order.
.

 

[whatever]

Just FYI, that last comment was a bit close to playing the man. Are you suggesting that Bill Pulver will place nepotism into the Wallabies squad?

Very close to over the line.

No, no - nepotism has never been part of the rugby culture in this country

 

[whatever]

The ARU board and Pulver as CEO should as part of their plan provide resources (money and staff) to NSW Rugby, Penrith and Parramatta to help grow the game in Western Sydney and help these clubs establish more junior clubs in their areas.

To think that Pulver should be making regular appearances at Penrith seems a bit ridiculous to me. He hasn't been employed as a brand ambassador/PR person.

Guys, I meant in a business sense (get out into the Western Suburbs and CCC set of schools) not the BBQ volunteer.

 

[emuarse]

The ARU board and Pulver as CEO should as part of their plan provide resources (money and staff) to NSW Rugby, Penrith and Parramatta to help grow the game in Western Sydney and help these clubs establish more junior clubs in their areas.

To think that Pulver should be making regular appearances at Penrith seems a bit ridiculous to me. He hasn't been employed as a brand ambassador/PR person.

Er Braveheart, there is more to Australian rugby than " NSW Rugby, Penrith and Parramatta" - areas like Northern Queensland, Perth, Adelaide etc which are screaming out for support in the way of programmes etc to be organised by the ARU and the affiliated state bodies.

 

[daz]

No, no - nepotism has never been part of the rugby culture in this country

Regardless, can you please just be a bit mindful of GAGR rule 6 in the future:

6. Play the ball not the man. Personal comments will be deleted and you'll get a card or ban.
This also applies to comments about players, coaches and other public figures. Feel free to criticize their play and decisions with reasoning, but not slander them as a person.

I assume you made the nepotism comment in jest, but it sure could have been taken as an accusation.
Play on!

 

[Braveheart81]

Er Braveheart, there is more to Australian rugby than " NSW Rugby, Penrith and Parramatta" - areas like Northern Queensland, Perth, Adelaide etc which are screaming out for support in the way of programmes etc to be organised by the ARU and the affiliated state bodies.

I agree completely.

I was only commenting in relation to one specific area that had been part of the discussion.

 

[fatprop]

That is the typical attitude that sees this game remain a sport played mainly in the Eastern Suburbs and North Shore. If Bill doesn't get his arse out to the Western Suburbs as well as promote the game into the CCC set of schools then his appointment will be as it looks on paper - a school mate of Hawker.

I will give the bloke some time before making judgment,

As a sideline, any young halfbacks who had the dream of replacing Will Genia as the OZ No:9 down the track, may I suggest a change of position or playing a differnt code as young Angus might have the inside running for the job.

I would suggest that no club can rely on handouts from the ARU, they need to get off their arses and sort things out for themselves.

Also why should they receive priority over Victorian rugby, or NSW country rugby or distant suburbs of Brisbane? etc etc

 

[Braveheart81]

I guess what is clear is that the ARU has limited resources (cash) and needs to decide carefully how they want to use it.

The 2013 Lions Tour is going to be the biggest cash cow they have for some time (no Australian hosted RWC on the horizon) and they will need to carefully decide how to use that money to get the best long term benefit for the game.

The two areas that seem most logical are grassroots participation and a cheap and sustainable third tier.

 

[whatever]

Regardless, can you please just be a bit mindful of GAGR rule 6 in the future:

6. Play the ball not the man. Personal comments will be deleted and you'll get a card or ban.
This also applies to comments about players, coaches and other public figures. Feel free to criticize their play and decisions with reasoning, but not slander them as a person.

I assume you made the nepotism comment in jest, but it sure could have been taken as an accusation.
Play on!

Yes, it was made in jest. From what I have seen of Angus, he is a top flight No:9, but if he does make it to the top (and good luck to him) there will be comments made about dad.

 

[Quick Hands]

I would suggest that no club can rely on handouts from the ARU, they need to get off their arses and sort things out for themselves.

Also why should they receive priority over Victorian rugby, or NSW country rugby or distant suburbs of Brisbane? etc etc

The problem is there aren't any/enough junior clubs in certain areas of Sydney, so there's noone to 'get off their arse'. If rugby wants a meaningful presence in western Sydney, it requires startup support from ARU, then when its up and running the ARU can step back and the people there would need to run it.

The same process should apply to all the other areas that you mention and more.

The reason many of us talk about western Sydney is that it is the biggest city in the country and the biggest rugby/rugby league city in the country by miles and yet at least 1/2 of it geographically and demographically has little or no junior rugby infastructure. We're playing catch-up so it requires action from above.

 

[nomis]

Re 3: We need to decide on a model, i.e. what type of 3rd tier. The French Top 14 model of a season long competition or a SAF/NZ model tacked on the end of the season or even a hybrid of the 2. What we shouldn't do is create meaningless franchises and stick them in a place for 6 weeks and expect the entire population to convert to rugby.

I'm not sure that the SAF/NZ model would work here. It would either start at the same time as the NRL/AFL finals and be deprived of any publicity or would be held afterwards, which to me is the wrong time of year to be playing rugby in Australia- too hot and running into cricket season.

I don't think the goal of the 3rd T should be to convert the entire population to rugby. That's more the role of Super Rugby and the RC. The role of the 3rd T needs to be to develop depth and bridge the gap from club to Super Rugby.

I think you're suggestion of hybrid model could work pretty well BTW!

I just don't think "meaningless franchises" is such a problem if the role of the 3rd T is mainly to produce depth. It just needs to be finically viable.

 

[nomis]

I hope he remains open and realistic to the problems AUS rugby faces, and doesn't convince himself that AUS is as good as it can be already.

I find that sometimes, politicians and people who face media scrutiny can become so defensive that they become blind to anything negative that's said about them or what they do. Maybe it's because their reputation is at stake or something.

But I thought Hawker came across differently in this regard, as much as we heard from him anyway. I hope Pulver is like that too.