Hung, Drawn and QuateRED

The latest Reds’ promotional campaign features inspiring words with ‘RED’ highlighted, such as ‘HonouRED” “FeaRED” and “InspiRED”, under photos of players who have menacing, determined looks on their faces. I am calling for a Jihad on these posters and wherever someone sees one, they should change the words to ones like, “ButcheRED”, “SlaughteRED” or “REDiculous”.

Despite Phil Mooney’s tough talk after the Lions’ game, and the threat of players being dropped, there is very little he can do in terms of personnel that will make a dramatic difference. There is simply no-one else.

Mooney must now start taking some of the blame for this – his dream of recreating his World Cup winning under 19 team and seeing them progress to a winning senior team has been exposed as sheer folly. Sure, he wasn’t exactly spoilt for choice when it came to recruitment, but none of these players have been able to develop to a standard that is required.

With the Reds now favourites to get the wooden spoon for the second time in three years, any player looking for a new home in 2010 wouldn’t even bother considering a stint with the Reds. This creates a down-ward spiral and the basket case playing performances will continue – as Lance Free so aptly put it “the Reds are the Cheetahs of OZ!”

With the season over for Daniel Braid and more than likely Marcia Hynes to be missing for at least a few games, the thread bare playing roster is one again exposed.

What can be done?

Well in the short term, not much, but the longer term there needs to be some significant changes to way the Reds are run in an organisational sense. In the corporate world, consistent failure is not tolerated and underperforming staff, managers and/or directors are removed.

At the Reds that usually means the coaching staff and to a lesser extent, the players – but who really runs the Reds?

The Reds are governed by the Board of the QRU who’s stated responsibility it is to ensure “the QR Queensland Reds are the world’s leading provincial rugby team in both playing performance and technical development and to manage the development of pathways to elite rugby in Queensland”…well, they have failed spectacularly in that regard. But under this current structure, what will change?

So long as Board members keep the delegates happy with free tickets and game day largesse, they will be re-elected next year and the whole cosy situation will continue. Despite the hollow words of their stated responsibilities, there will not be the necessary focus on the accountability of the Board in terms of the Reds’ on field apathy.

Instead of the Board putting forward ‘pie-in-the-sky’ development plans for the now defunct Ballymore, why not outline, and be accountable to, a development plan for the now defunct Reds?