Waratahs 2015

[Quick Hands]

The choice should be easy for the Waratahs Board.


Disagree with the comment that Allen has led the Tahs to profitability when the Tahs reported a loss of $96,325 in 2013. This is before his declaration of the precarious financial position of the franchise at the beginning of the season in The Australian. The two finals gate takings would have helped, but that would be predominantly attributable to Cheiks, his team and the players.

It's no choice at all really, is it? The only revelation in the article is that Jason Allen has a personality. He's been the most invisible CEO of any major sport/sporting team in Australia for some years.

 

[#1 Tah]

He's not really invisible - if you hang around the Tahs home games for a while after full time, you'll see him hanging around, having a chat and a laugh with some fans. Can say from personal experience, he is an affable guy, very down to earth and very polite. Considering some of the politics that have gone on during his tenure, he must have a pretty thick skin too.

And it's almost a case of "damned if you do, damned if you dont" for him. If he does all these tv interviews and newspaper columns, people will say he should get out of the media and do his job. Whereas if he is working his arse off to find sponsors, balance the books and organise games on less than a week's notice (which he has been doing) then people say he is invisible.

I say leave the personality of the club portrayed in the media up to Chiek and the Players. Say what you will about Jason, he got Chiek back from France, he got Izzy, he got Hoops and he got Volvo. All the players are being paid. There's not much more you could ask for.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

All good, 'cept for the Volvo
;-)

 

[I like to watch]

He's not really invisible - if you hang around the Tahs home games for a while after full time, you'll see him hanging around, having a chat and a laugh with some fans. Can say from personal experience, he is an affable guy, very down to earth and very polite. Considering some of the politics that have gone on during his tenure, he must have a pretty thick skin too.

And it's almost a case of "damned if you do, damned if you dont" for him. If he does all these tv interviews and newspaper columns, people will say he should get out of the media and do his job. Whereas if he is working his arse off to find sponsors, balance the books and organise games on less than a week's notice (which he has been doing) then people say he is invisible.

I say leave the personality of the club portrayed in the media up to Chiek and the Players. Say what you will about Jason, he got Chiek back from France, he got Izzy, he got Hoops and he got Volvo. All the players are being paid. There's not much more you could ask for.

FFS, he reappointed Foley then Foley walked away.
If Plan A had worked we would be fucked.
If you recall Allens handling over the appointment of his senior marketing guru was a clusterfuck as well.
I'm also betting he was a spectator in the recruitment of Izzie.
He got Hoops?
Please!

 

[Train Without a Station]

Waratahs are premiers and the infighting continues.

When things were fucked, everything was Allen's fault.

Now things are going well he gets credit for nothing.

Love it.

 

[qwerty51]

Great news. Rate him.


qwerty - I had to delete my post before I saw yours. I noticed that she had written "look to have been picked up .."

LG

 

[Ash]

I say leave the personality of the club portrayed in the media up to Chiek and the Players. Say what you will about Jason, he got Chiek back from France, he got Izzy, he got Hoops and he got Volvo. All the players are being paid. There's not much more you could ask for.

An actual major sponsor, instead of a non-major sponsor pushed there as they couldn't get one on board in time?

Or, as mentioned above, not re-signing Foley straight up to get Cheika? The way it played out was more from luck than any real foresight.

Can you also categorically say that Allen was primarily responsible for both Hooper and Folau being signed as well? I understand that Hooper, for personal reasons, wanted a return to Sydney and the ARU was key in signing Folau, but that is the extent of my knowledge.

You need to look at the past few years of Allen's performance, then look at the evidence for this year. It doesn't look too flattering for the guy. Mate, the Tahs nearly went broke this year - basically Cheika saved their bacon (along with the key signings of Hooper, Beale, Folau and retainment of Foley - few to none of which I understand can primarily be out down to Allen) by making the Tahs the best team in the comp for 2014. At the end of the day, affable doesn't mean anything with regards to how you perform at your job.

 

[#1 Tah]

Interesting how we all seem to have short memories - many people on this forum were arguing to keep Michael Foley on. Any CEO would have made the same decision, except for whoever runs Sydney FC.

 

[I like to watch]

Who was supporting Foley?
They won 4 games all year and lost the last 8 straight.
Even Foley was floating the idea that he go back to being the forwards coach the following year.

 

[Biffo]

i think all we Tah supporters can stop worrying and relax, as The Great Cheik surely has well-laid plans in place for next year.
other teams' supporters can see their own circumstances as they please - their coaches haven't yet got their 2015 boots on while The Great Cheik is half way round the world.
those very supporters might do themselves - and us Tah blokes - a great favour by STFUing and keeping their noses out of our business.
we Tah people need some peace and quiet to elaborate our path at the top of the Soup table.
thank you for your consideration, gentlemen from distant rugby realms.

 

[Ash]

Interesting how we all seem to have short memories - many people on this forum were arguing to keep Michael Foley on. Any CEO would have made the same decision, except for whoever runs Sydney FC.

Er, no, most Tahs fans on here were celebrating when Foley left to the Force.

And note what I wrote above. Jason Allen may be the loveliest guy on the face on the earth, but it means jack in regards to his ability to do his job. That has to be judged solely on its own merits, and from the evidence that an outside observer is presented with, sadly he hasn't done a fantastic job.

 

[Ash]

Some bizarre stream of consciousness.

Er.....huh?

 

[Biffo]

Er...huh?

but
...
just where did i write or say "some bizarre stream of consciousness"?

 

[#1 Tah]

Er, no, most Tahs fans on here were celebrating when Foley left to the Force.

And note what I wrote above. Jason Allen may be the loveliest guy on the face on the earth, but it means jack in regards to his ability to do his job. That has to be judged solely on its own merits, and from the evidence that an outside observer is presented with, sadly he hasn't done a fantastic job.

What exactly could have been done better?

 

[Aussie D]

Better financials would have been a good start, instead of relying on a home semi as the only way to avoid a loss this year.

Promotion is good (from what's been said on here) around the centre of Sydney with use of taxi sponsorship, but what about the rest of Sydney and NSW.

Prior to this year the 'tahs were struggling to get 15000 to the game, surely the head of the organisation can take some responsibility for that?

It is good if he hangs out with fans post game, is it only when we win that he hangs around or after a loss as well? Was he hanging around with fans during Hickey and Foley's reign?

 

[I like to watch]

What exactly could have been done better?

What has he improved in 4 years?

If you look at the last 3 annual reports,it is hard to identify any area of improvement.
My understanding is that any "increase" in memberships is solely due to changing definitions of what constitutes a member.
There certainly appears no increase in membership revenue.

When he started his role, one of the main strategic aims was to increase sponsorship from $5.5M to $10M within 3 years.
It is still in the $5M's.

When he joined, the last 2 home games averaged 35,000.
Things got so bad under his watch,that even in a premiership winning year I believe they did not attract 35,000 in their last 2 round games.

If this guy has been hitting his KPI's,the KPI 's are measuring the wrong things.

 

[#1 Tah]

So we have attributed the poor crowd turnout under Michael Foley to Jason Allen, yet almost every good point this year has been thanks to Chiek? I'm not discounting the work of the coaching staff here, but junior club blitzes, community engagement, social media presence - all those things are administration.

The promotion and financial arguments prop each other up in that worse financials lead to a lower marketing budget lead to worse financials, etc. Hopefully we can break out of that cycle now.

And yes, Jason Allen has been out at the SFS Forecourt after every game since he started, win, lose or draw.

 

[I like to watch]

Given that Allen was supporting the retention of Foley,they are related.
We only got Cheika,because Allen could not retain his first choice coach.
If things had gone according to Allen's plan it would be only families and friends attending this year.

All those things you consider a success on his watch,are things that are done by all professional sporting bodies,by relatively lowly paid employees.
It's not like any of these initiatives are unique or the gold standard,in which case you may attribute a portion the the CEO.
The thing that sums up the organisation under his leadership to me,is they appointed a marketing guru from the UK.
He knows no one in Sydney,so his first action is to appoint an outside firm to to assist in landing sponsorships.
Does that sound like best practice to you?

 

[Train Without a Station]

Foley has been reasonably successful at the Force so you cannot say reappointing him would be a management error.

 

[I like to watch]

Yes Foley has done well since he left in a different environment.

But remember,they had a fan forum to quell discontent from the fans in 2011.
In 2012 they continued the same style with even worse results,losing the last 8 straight.
Foley himself was floating the idea he go back to being the forwards coach.

There was much talk about a poor culture in the group,with entitlement being the main word to describe attitudes of senior players.
Everything about the whole squad was screaming for new leadership.
So in that context, it is easy to say reappointment was a management error.