Australian Rugby / RA
- Thread starter Dave Beat
- Start date
The torpedo
Peter Fenwicke (45)
10-man rugby can actually be fun when executed right (who doesn't love watching your scrum steamroll the opponents? It's all us reds fans have had the past 5 years). Reds during their win streak were getting it somewhat right
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
RA remind me of the type of cabal running African dictatorships. The leader and his hand-picked cronies live high of the hogg while the country descends into poverty and collapse. These sorts of cabals don't give up power, they have to either be blasted out by a revolution or are eventually forced out by complete collapse and bankruptcy.
This is unfortunately the situation in which rugby finds itself in Australia, and there seem to be no constitutional means for those out of the elite to make any change. The entrenched elite have put in place a process whereby board appointments go through an anonymous selection committee (much like the election commissions in African and Middle Eastern dictatorships), so that only nominees acceptable to those already there can proceed. In fact, it's not clear to most how a person goes about nominating. Similar processes exist at state level.
So, we're in the position where ordinary rugby people can't constitutionally affect change, the entrenched elite refuse to give up power (as evidences by the Phil Waugh appointment), so we're left to wait for cataclysmic collapse, bankruptcy and insolvency before anything can happen.
Meanwhile, former fans desert the game in droves. (less than 2 pages of posts on the Brumbies v Jaguares thread - I can't recall less posts on an Aussie super game. Either hardly anyone watched the game or those that did couldn't be bothered posting - I suspect the former)
The torpedo
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Reminds me of the situation in the Azerbaijani election (I think) where the main 'opposition' candidate voted for the incumbent because he couldn't find his own name on the ballot!
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Don’t wait.
Do all you can to bring the show to an end - I have come to the view that this all any of us can do.
If we wait we delay the inevitable and lessen the chance of any recovery.
I realised this as I was watching the brumbies and began disloyally thinking of the good it might do if they lost, just as making the 2015 RWC final papered over the fundamental problems the brumbies winning might have hidden the true state of the game.
Yes, again, we failed to win a game this week but worse we lost 3 on home soil. In the week of Anzac. And Brad thorn laughed at the reds predicament.
We’ve crossed the rubicon.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Let the die be cast.
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
Minor correction only: it was cast a long time ago, and never corrected, only worsened
The torpedo
Peter Fenwicke (45)
That's where we are alright.
Maybe RA really stands for Rugby Azerbaijan.
Soon the advertising hoardings will feature self-congratulatory signage:
WELL DONE RUGBY AUSTRALIA
RUGBY AUSTRALIA WELCOMED US ALL
SALAM (hello) RUGBY AUSTRALIA
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
Might be time to go rouge. Form a rebel body and try and bring everyone over. Then petition WR (World Rugby) to boot this bunch of ingrates out as the recognised body.
The torpedo
Peter Fenwicke (45)
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
jimmydubs
Dave Cowper (27)
If international politics has taught us anything it is that any revolution in this day and age needs a colour. Is it rouge? What about the turquoise revolution? Its a bastard to spell for mass confusion and also matches one of the colours (i think) of that hideous RA rebranding, so noone will suspect anything till its too late.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
dru
Tim Horan (67)
Sea of Blue is not a bad start.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
I'm sure they will, just as they were pulled out last year after the Scotland loss (whose BIL players were unavailable). You may recall the metaphoric dancing in the streets after scratchy wins against Fiji and Italy (as if the Scotland loss could be explained away as an aberation. Then we had the Barbarian game where a team thrown together 4 or 5 days before the match (coached by a 70 year old who RA reckon knows nothing about the game) had victory snatched from them by some dubious refereeing.
The we had the ritual AB floggings, followed by the November internationals - another flogging by England and then a mother of a hiding by Scotland. Explained away by the excuse that they were tired. (Even though touring NH teams who come here in June have all played much more rugby when they arrive).
The whole organisation is a heaving rancid nest of cronyism and jobs for the good old boys. No qualification needed other than being part of the network. That's how you appoint a Reds coach who failed everywhere but was mates with the board, or a Gen Blue coach who's never coached a team in his life or appoint Phil Waugh to the board and on it goes. Sadly even worthy candidates from a certain background are tarred with the same brush. Those who don't think the right way are purged - think back to the Link sacking as Waratah coach after taking them to the final to be replaced by a compliant Chris Hickey.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Just a few points.........
I don't recall any dubious refereeing, but that 70 year old know-nothing loudmouth did have a serious bitch about some decisions which may have appeared harsh in an exhibition game, but were fair and to the law.
You might want to go back and check those results again..........
I don't recall any dubious refereeing, but that 70 year old know-nothing loudmouth did have a serious bitch about some decisions which may have appeared harsh in an exhibition game, but were fair and to the law.
You might want to go back and check those results again..........
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
Shit. I swear I typed rogue on my phone.
