34,000 fans came to Suncorp Stadium on Sunday to watch their previously great team be slaughtered at the hands of the Crusaders. The Reds are now set for their worst finish in Super Rugby since 2009.
In early 2012, then Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie made it clear that there would be a suitable succession plan put in place so that when the time came for him to move on, the successful, winning culture of the Reds would continue.
In 2013, Richard Graham joined the Reds as Head Coach and McKenzie’s role was changed to Director of Coaching. Whilst writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, McKenzie wrote an article in April 2012 entitled ‘Queensland coaching move doesn’t mean it’s all change at the Reds’. In the article McKenzie explained that
“The decision to recruit Richard Graham was a proactive one made by Queensland Rugby to ensure we can sustain ongoing success both with the Reds and in the community game. It was a decision made purely in the best interests of the organisation and one which will allow us to stay ahead of our competition.
We have identified Richard as a person who values the need for this type of work. He will allow us to further broaden our exposure and efforts on this front while ensuring we have a person in place for the future who understands there is far more to coaching than just techniques and tactics.
But why Richard Graham? Could he continue the winning culture of the Reds? Is he a championship winning coach? These are questions which have been thrown around by many Queenslanders and are certainly valid questions to ask.
Graham was Head Coach of an unsuccessful Western Force team from 2011-2012 and he was also briefly Head Coach of Saracens in 2009. Before that, he enjoyed coaching success but he was only ever an assistant/defence/backs/skills coach. During his time in the Northern hemisphere he worked with a number of great coaches including former Queensland Reds coach John Connolly and former England Head Coach Brian Ashton, Alan Gaffney, Brian Smith, Micheal Foley, Eddie Jones before working as a skills coach under then Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
Richard Graham may have the potential to become a great coach at some point, but his inexperience and lack of success as a Head Coach seemed to be below the standard of a championship winning team in 2012. This has been demonstrated through the Reds performances this season in which they have displayed uninspiring attack, weak defence and poor tactics.
The loss of Jim McKay was a huge blow for the Reds as well. His extensive knowledge helped form the Reds creative attack which helped them win the title in 2011. Since then, the Reds have failed to develop their attacking play which has now become boring and unimaginative.
Then there are the players. There has not been huge changes in the playing roster over the past 3 years; however, the Reds have only really recruited one established player in Lachie Turner whilst they have lost the likes of Scott Higginbotham, Radike Samo, Digby Ioane, Jono Lance and Luke Morahan. It can be argued that players such as Jake Schatz, Ed Quick, Jamie-Jerry Taulagi and Nick Frisby are yet to make a profound impact in comparison to their predecessors. Is this roster one way traffic the complete responsibility of the Head Coach, or does the wider Reds management team need to accept some responsibility as well?
Established Reds players and Wallabies have also not been performing to their potential. Many people point the finger at Cooper, Genia and Horwill but the players around them have to pick up some form as well. Ben Tapuai, Anthony Faingaa, Rob Simmons and Rod Davies have been disappointing since 2011/2012 and need to regain their form.
It’s now undeniable that the Reds have failed to continue their successful culture and some serious, radical and urgent changes need to be made if they are to become title contenders in the future.
